by Avery Rae
"I was just thinking the same thing."
We made our way outside. There was no furniture, of course. I couldn't say I expected much else. The demons had barely furnished the place as it was. Bare bones was the way to describe it. But that made sense. I couldn't imagine they would bother if they normally lived in Hell. As weird of a thought as that was. I wondered what it was like. Not that I was excited to find out.
We sat down on the grass, staring up at the cloudless sky. Silence stretched between us for a short while, until Nathaniel finally asked, "Does he make you happy?"
"He does."
"Do you love him?"
I ran my hands through the grass and shrugged, looking down. "Maybe."
"Could you ever see yourself loving someone else?"
I looked up, startled. "Nathaniel . . ."
"Sorry, that was unfair of me, wasn't it? I can't seem to control myself tonight." He sighed and pulled a phone from his pocket. He fiddled with it for a moment, and I furrowed my brow.
"Who are you talking to?"
He put it back in his pocket and shook his head. "Nobody."
"You have a lot of people to text on Earth, do you?" I asked with a laugh. "It's really weird to see an angel using a cellphone, by the way."
"You call me weird a lot, you know."
"I'm not wrong, am I?"
"No, you're not."
The sun was just starting to rise. I looked at Nathaniel with a smile. The smile he gave me in return was tinged with sadness. His bright eyes were starting to grow dim.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"Very," he said, his voice so low that it was a whisper.
I tilted my head to the side as my nerves started to buzz with uncertainty. I smiled at him, yet his own smile fell into a frown. "I'm so sorry, Hazel."
My heart raced, thudding against my chest so hard that I could feel it vibrating in my throat. "Nathaniel? What's going on?"
I started to get to my feet, but I didn't even make it halfway up before something cracked against my skull. My vision went white, then black, then there was nothing.
14
Edwin
I knew something was wrong before I had even opened my eyes. The spot where Hazel had been sleeping was cold. Despite only being in boxers, I jumped out of bed and descended the stairs with thundering footsteps. I heard the house stirring around me in response.
"Hazel?" I shouted. "Hazel?!"
I ran from the living room to the kitchen and found no sign of her. I checked outside. Nothing. I ran back up the stairs and started knocking on doors. Gael and Priscilla stumbled out of one room, Cheri and Amberlynn the other, then Lucas appeared from his. They were all in various states of undress, except for Amberlynn, who was fully strapped into her usual outfit.
She snapped alert eyes to mine. "Where's the angel?"
"God damnit." I gritted my teeth so hard that it made my jaw ache. How did he even get to her? Why didn't I wake up? Was I really that incapable of keeping her safe?
Priscilla stepped forward, touching a hand to my tense arm. "I'm sorry. I really thought that he was trustworthy. He seemed to care for her."
"Because he does. But not more than he cares for Heaven." I clenched my fist tight. "I should've made him leave. Hazel trusted him too much."
I was furious with myself. Samael had asked me to bring her down to Hell. I should've taken her down there right away instead of getting complacent. I should've known better. "This is all my fault."
Priscilla frowned. "Edwin . . ."
"Don't. I don't want to hear how it's not my fault. It is. I should've taken her straight down to Hell."
They all murmured among themselves, but I wasn't listening. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do about this, even though it was hard to focus while my mind wanted to entertain tearing that angel from limb to limb. He would have to come later. Those Druids needed to be handled first. I knew that had to be where he took her. I hadn't realized just how right Samael was. These people would stop at nothing to get her.
"Priscilla," I said, "I need you to take me to that café."
"Even if they're there . . ." Gael rubbed at his brow, then splayed out a hand. "We can't kill mortals, Edwin, even if they're planning on ending the world."
"And? We're six demons with superhuman strength and suits designed to keep us from getting possessed. If we can't get her out without killing some mortals, Druid or not, then we've got bigger issues."
"Wow, this new Edwin is something else, ain't he?" Amberlynn said with a laugh. "I think that's the most I've heard you say all at once in damn near twelve years or so."
"What happened twelve years ago?" Cheri asked.
"We had this new recruit who was super into model trains, and Edwin about talked his dang ear off." Amberlynn chuckled to herself. "Unfortunately, the guy just loved murdering a little bit more, and he tried to slip away from his hunting partner and kill some guy, so . . ."
"Yeah, look, as much as I want to stand here and talk about the past, I'd rather make sure that Hazel survives the present." I started up the stairs, taking two to three at a time. "If you're going with me, I suggest you be ready to go when I am."
When we reached the café, Nathaniel was standing outside it. Did he think he was going to stop us from getting in? I would kill him before I let that happen.
I rushed past the streaming crowd on the sidewalk and grabbed Nathaniel by the collar. People around us shouted in surprise as I lifted him up and slammed him back against the glass. He didn't even resist. He simply stared down at me. Despite the glow in his yellow eyes, they were lifeless.
"Kill me if you must," he said quietly, "I had to do it. I swore that I would."
"I don't give a fuck about why you decided to be a piece of shit." I shoved him back harder, and the glass cracked threateningly behind him. "Just tell me. Is she in there?"
He nodded. "They're preparing to do the ceremony now."
"How could you?" I asked, my voice quiet. "You know she doesn't want this."
"I swore that I would make sure this happened." He looked up at the sky, then closed his eyes, jaw tight. "Her feelings and mine don't matter. Neither do yours. The Earth is lost. We need order and—"
I tossed Nathaniel aside, savoring the sound he made when he hit the sidewalk. "You go on ahead and keep lying to yourself. I'm going to save the woman you tried to kill."
The front door to the café was locked, despite it being early in the day. I ripped it off its hinges and strode inside, shouts and screams filling the air behind me. Gael was barking out orders to the others as Priscilla tried to calm the crowd. Otherwise, the café was eerily quiet on the inside. I powered onward. I was on a mission. Gael and Priscilla had mentioned seeing people going in and out of the kitchen, so I slammed straight through the swinging doors.
There was a closet door open on my left. It was empty. Hangers were strewn all over the floor, as if people had been in a hurry. Hazel. I wasn't too late, was I? There was a door straight ahead. I didn't see any other doors but the freezer. I headed for the one in front of me and hoped that I was right. I would kill all of them and burn this whole place to the ground if I didn't make it in time—I didn't care if that meant I was damned for all eternity. It'd be worth it.
The door opened to a stairway. A steady stream of chanting voices flowed up to the kitchen. I figured that meant I still had time, but I didn't know if it'd be enough. I had this whole plan in mind when I came in here. I was going to walk down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible, watching for any cracks—but then I heard Hazel scream.
I leapt to the base of the stairs, landing so hard that the floor trembled beneath me. Shouts and gasps filled the air as several figures in brown, hooded robes scrambled to get away. In the middle of the clammy, poorly lit basement was Hazel, bound and blindfolded on the floor.
"You're not welcome here," shouted an older man, one of two in the basement not wearing a hood.
I
wasn't going to bother talking. I strode straight to the middle of the room and picked Hazel up. She struggled against my grasp until I ripped the blindfold away. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot.
"Edwin?" Her voice was frantic. "How did I get here?!"
"Your friends decided to pay a visit."
"Nathaniel?"
"Yeah, babe."
Even as I was working on untying her wrists, I caught the disappointment in her expression. The betrayal. Her eyes grew even wider.
"Watch out," she cried.
I whirled around to see the older man had crept up behind me. He tried to grab me. With one shove, I sent him flying back into the wall. He fell to the floor with a guttural groan. Some raced over to him while others tried to run up the stairs. They were greeted by a feral-looking Amberlynn, with Cheri and the others in her wake.
She wagged a finger at them. "You ain't going nowhere 'til we got Hazel."
But, for once, it wasn't Amberlynn they had to worry about. As I yanked the rope away from Hazel's wrists, her body began to tremble, out of control. The cool air of the basement was knocked away by a blast of heat that shot out from her. Staring at the ground, her head bobbed as she took in rapid, short breaths.
"Hazel, it's alright. We've got you."
It wasn't alright. She lifted her head. Her eyes were blazing red. I realized with a sudden, striking thought that her eyes were exactly the same as Berith's.
"Nobody gets to do anything with me," she seethed. "I get to choose. No more. No more of this. I'm so tired of being yanked around."
"Hazel," I repeated, this time more forcefully. But it did nothing. She was gone. The air shuddered and groaned around us. All the demons froze at the sight of countless souls as the translucent, glowing specters came into view. Hazel lifted her hands and sent them scattering, each one sinking inside a body. We had all worn our soul-hunting gear, inlaid with the stone that could capture souls—and keep them out.
The possessed Druids converged in the middle of the room. They weren't even acting like humans normally did when a soul invaded them. They were instead moving like puppets. Obedient by force.
"What're you doing?" I asked. "Hazel. Answer me."
"I'm taking control." She smiled. "No more."
The Druids faced outward in a semi-circle. The other members of the Brotherhood watched from the stairs in confusion. Hazel brought her hands down, and they all began to run forward, bent at an angle. They were going to run headfirst into the cement walls of the basement.
"Jesus Christ, Hazel—" Unsure of what else to do, I wrapped my arms around her and brought us both down to the ground.
Hearing a smattering of curses, I looked up to see that the Druids had stopped in their tracks. They held hands to their heads, eyeing Hazel's prone form with shock. She was completely still beneath me. When our eyes met, I saw that hers were back to normal and filled with tears.
"I don't know what's happening to me," she said with a trembling breath. "I'm so angry, Edwin. I'm so, so angry. I wanted to kill them. I really did."
"It'll be okay," I soothed. "I promise you."
I got to my feet and stooped down to pull her into my arms. She wound her arms around my neck and buried her face in my chest. The Druids kept a wide berth as I carried her to the stairs. The Brotherhood walked behind us, keeping an eye on them as we left. In the distance, I could hear sirens. Undoubtedly, we attracted some attention.
"This way," a solemn voice said to my left. Nathaniel stood in the back of the kitchen.
"How badly do you want to get killed, Nate?" I hugged Hazel even closer to my chest. "Get the fuck out of here."
"There's a large crowd out front," he continued. "The back is still clear. I don't believe it'll stay that way for long."
Gael strode ahead of us and grabbed Nathaniel by his shoulder. "You need to talk with Samael."
"What're you doing?" I growled. "Just leave him here. He tried to get her killed."
"He's struggling, Edwin. Can't you see that? He knew we would come for her."
I could see his struggle. It was plain as day. But I struggled to give a shit. I was tired of us demons being the better half of this duo while they all pretended they were holy and perfect. Nathaniel gave her up to them. A woman he wanted to say he loved as much as me. He was even more selfish than I was. But the sirens were growing louder in the distance. Hazel was still shivering in my arms.
"Let's just get out of here." I didn't bother hiding my disgust as I shoved past them and out of the store. All I wanted was to get Hazel down to Hell. At least there were no Druids, so she would be safe from them. Now I just had to figure out how to keep her that way.
15
Hazel
I didn't feel right anymore. It was as if there was a stranger in my body. Everything was a blur as Edwin took me away from the café. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go. I didn't know what I wanted anymore.
I had thought for a brief moment that I wanted to be with Edwin. Try having a normal life. But I would never have that, would I? It would always be like this. Me being yanked around like a marionette. I didn't want that. I couldn't take it anymore.
The world suddenly shifted. I was falling, turning, and I was hot—so unbearably hot. Just as quickly, the movement stopped. Edwin was looking down at me.
"You doing okay?" he asked, voice quiet.
I took a deep breath of air—air that tasted like it was on fire. I looked up at the sky and found it stormy and red. The ground was gray. Is this Hell? The thought stirred panic within me. Edwin's strong arms wrapped around me tighter as I hacked and coughed through each lungful of strange air.
"No," I croaked, "I'm not okay."
"It'll be alright, babe. You'll get used to it."
"Will I?" I bit out, jerking out of his hold until he set me down. "What if I don't want to get used to it? Ever thought about asking me?! I'm so sick of everyone trying to make me do things. I can't trust anyone. Do you have any idea what that's like?"
Edwin nodded slowly, eyes thoughtful. "My best friend shot me right in the chest. For a few thousand dollars. So, yeah, I'm going to say I have some idea."
"Oh? You think that's the same as what I'm going through right now?"
"No, I'm just saying I have some idea," he replied, his eyes never leaving mine, as badly as I wanted him to look away. "The one person I ever trusted betrayed me. It sucks. But I got over it."
As silence stretched between us, I became painfully aware of the fact that we weren't alone. The other demons were standing awkwardly to the side, exchanging looks that ranged from embarrassed to amused. And Nathaniel was there too. Nathaniel.
I moved away from Edwin and slowly walked over to the angel. I stood in front of him with a plain look. "You were texting with Abby the other night, weren't you? You told them where I was." A self-deprecating laugh bubbled out of me. "I trusted you. I let you in my home. I called you a friend."
His face crumpled. "Hazel, please, I wasn't going to let them . . . I was going to get you out. I was stuck between what I was told to do—what I swore to do—and what I wanted. Surely you can understand that?"
I took a few steps back, smiling a sad smile. "Yeah, Nathaniel. I can understand. That's how I know you're just as awful as I am. The choice was clear for both of us."
He moved toward me, and I held up my hands. "Don't."
Edwin walked over and touched a hand to my shoulder.
I jerked away. "The same goes for you."
Priscilla cleared her throat. "We should, um, probably head back to the fortress."
Edwin was pissed. He jerked a hand toward everyone as they started walking, motioning for me to follow. I took off without another glance at him. He could be as mad as he wanted. I didn't want to be in Hell. Or maybe I did. I wasn't sure. I never got to decide anything for myself anymore.
The entire way back to this fortress was filled with terrifying surprises. The trees were not only on fire; there were things in them that didn't look righ
t at all. Menace glowed out from every dark shadow. And when lightning crackled down from overhead, it revealed those things in the darkness, and they were terrifying. Hulking beasts I couldn't identify. Some had teeth as sharp as knives. And they just lurked. It was almost worse than being attacked.
I was taken aback when we arrived at the fortress. It was the biggest structure I'd ever seen, built into the side of a towering mountain. It was dark and ominous, but anything was better than being out in the wilds of Hell. That was something I'd rather never do again.
As we were approaching the entrance, the doors flew open and a towering being strode out. His eyes glowed the same orange as the others, yet he was . . . different. He was massive in stature and had large, black wings that flexed outward as he strode toward us.
"Where have you been?" he demanded. "I told you to bring her down immediately."
"Yeah, well, add that to my list of fuckups," Edwin said dismissively as he started to stride past him.
"Wait, Edwin." The man's voice softened as he placed a large hand on Edwin's chest, stopping him. "Why is there an angel here, and why has he fallen?"
"What?" Edwin asked. "He's not— Shit."
I turned around to look at Nathaniel in confusion. His eyes were steadily growing dimmer. Black was spreading through his white wings like spilled ink.
"What's happening to you?" I gasped, taking a step toward him.
"What do you mean?"
The larger winged demon approached him. "My brother. I'm sorry, but you've turned against Heaven."
Nathaniel looked over his shoulder and grabbed at his wings as the darkness spread, his expression distraught. "I didn't— I tried—"
"You have doubts, do you not?"
"I don't have doubts. I'm not like you, Samael." Nathaniel clenched his mouth shut and looked aside, jaw tense as his last few feathers turned black. When he looked back at us, his eyes had taken on that same fiery orange glow as the rest of the demons. He looked just like Samael now.
