by Elise Marion
“I won’t,” Addison promised. “You said there was another one, right? Who is it?”
Derek opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of a woman’s shrill scream rang out from the auditorium beyond.
Even through the closed door, Addison clearly heard the terror in that sound. Other noises followed—crashes, shrieks, pounding feet. The ground beneath them began to tremble, and Alice had to reach out to steady Derek when the movement threw him off balance.
Moving to the door, Micah threw it open and peered out into the auditorium.
“Son of a bitch!” he exclaimed, slamming the door just as quickly as he’d opened it. “He’s here. He’s attacking … right now.”
Jack perked up, his brow creasing as he took in Micah’s panicked expression. “Who is it? One of the ten?”
“Yes,” Derek replied, even though the question hadn’t been directed at him. “That’s what I was getting at. I knew he would come, but not this fast.”
“Who, Derek?” Addison prodded, her blood already rushing with adrenaline and the need to get out there and fight.
His blue eyes were solemn, his tone grave when he answered. “Abaddon.”
Alice frowned. “Don’t you mean Apollyon?”
“Two names for the same demon,” Derek replied. “Both names translate to pretty much the same thing.”
A chill ran through Addison as she took in the stricken faces of the people standing around her. They were absolutely terrified.
“What?” she asked, hating that she was always the one who didn’t know what was going on. “What’s the name mean?”
Jack’s gaze moved to the door, from behind which the sounds of carnage continued. “The Destroyer.”
Chapter Fifteen: Seek, Kill, Destroy
There was only one lull in the chaos before all hell broke loose. When Jack followed Micah out into the auditorium with Addison and Alice on his heels, he faltered mid-step. The sight that greeted him dropped a cold stone of dread into his gut. Harley and her people had all gathered near the stage, the strongest of their fighters at the forefront. On the edges of the room, a group of women worked to silently herd a group of kids toward a door he hoped led somewhere safe. Shit was about to get dicey.
On the other side of the auditorium—blocking all the other exits—stood a horde of demons. There were hundreds of them, and they clearly outnumbered the Nephilim present. They were filling the room, pouring through the doors, some climbing the walls and hanging from the balconies jutting out from the back wall. Various sizes and shapes, they were all equally hideous and fearsome.
A few lifeless bodies lay sprawled among upended tables and chairs—likely left behind in the initial scuffle they’d heard through the back room door.
“Your kind aren’t welcome here,” Harley called out, her voice echoing through the room. “This den is a safe haven for the Nephilim, and we aren’t interested in joining you, now or ever.”
The sea of demons parted to make way for their leader, who appeared before them in his demonic form—preferring not to use his human body if he could help it.
The sight of him sent a shiver down Jack’s spine. It was rare for even the most seasoned Guardian to encounter a demon with Abaddon’s might. He stood twelve feet tall, having to duck to get through the doorway. Skin as black as onyx blanketed bulging muscles, etched with demonic tattoos. He stretched so wide, three of Micah stood side by side still wouldn’t be big enough to match.
While his body was the shape of a man’s, his head took on the appearance of a goat, with black hair hanging from his face in heavy sideburns and beard, and two pairs of gleaming, black horns jutting up from the top of his head. He wore only a skirt of chainmail with a massive belt, the buckle made of silver in the shape of the demonic Baphomet symbol. In one large hand, he held massive scythe with a long, curved blade.
“Hand over the ring-bearer, and your people will be spared,” he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. “Do not attempt to lie to me. I know she is here.”
Beside him, Addison took a step forward, but he halted her, one hand tight around her arm. He felt her blistering stare on him, but he maintained his gaze on Abaddon—who had, a moment ago, looked right at them.
“He knew where you were the second he stepped foot in the building,” he whispered. “He’s not asking them where you are. He’s testing their loyalties.”
He saw her nod from the corner of his eye, but her posture told him she was ready to get this over with. Jack kept a steady hand on her arm, knowing he couldn’t physically stop her if she had it in her head to go out there, but hoping it would help her remain calm. The last thing they needed in a fight with a demon like Abaddon was to go off half-cocked.
Harley took a few steps forward down the aisle, hands braced on her hips. “Didn’t you hear what I said, dipshit? This is a haven for my people … and the ring-bearer is one of us. If you want her, you’ll have to take us all down to get her.”
Behind her, the other Naphils stood their ground, many voicing their agreement or nodding emphatically. Not one among them faltered.
“If that’s the way you want to play it, fine,” Abaddon replied. “Do remember that I gave you a chance to submit.”
He held one hand up in the air, then extended it toward them, a signal to his demons to attack. They lunged, emitting a chorus of snarls and growls as they broke into a run.
Opening her hands, Harley sparked hellfire from her palms, then rushed forward to meet them. At her back, the other Nephilim followed, running to catch up and not allowing her to face them alone. As they met in the middle, bodies and objects flying in a clamor of noise, Addison turned to him with raised eyebrows.
“Now?” she asked, an edge of annoyance creeping into her tone.
“Now,” he confirmed. “Stay close to me, Micah, and Alice … we’ll cover you and get you to Abaddon so you can take him out.”
On Addison’s other side, Micah drew his knives and gave them a twirl. “We got your back, cher. Let’s go give ’em hell.”
Jack drew his pistol, while behind Addison, Alice drew two of her golden spheres from the pocket of her jacket and lit them on fire.
As one, they began to move, descending from the stage with Addison in their midst. The group of demons hanging from the balconies took to the air, flying over those battling it out below them, launching themselves straight down at Addison.
Without hesitation, Jack stepped forward, blocking her with his body. The heat in his throat built so fast, he trembled from the force of it. Then, it was shooting out through his mouth, the sonic waves rippling out on the air toward the descending creatures.
Shrieking in agony, they fell, many of them clapping their hands over their ears. Most didn’t rise again—black blood spilling out through their ears. Two balls of fire hurtled past him, slamming into two of the remaining demons.
Alice appeared at his side, rushing forward and reaching out to catch the spheres as they hurtled back to her like boomerangs. She lit them again, tossing one underhanded like a softball pitcher and breaking one of demons in half before setting the remains on fire. A fourth demon approached, clawed hands outstretched as if to strangle her, but Alice leapt toward it, slamming her second orb into its eye. As it went to its knees, shrieking as the flames engulfed it, she held one hand up to catch the other sphere as it flew back toward her.
He drew his pistol, and Addison did the same, covering him from behind as they made their way through the twisting swarm of bodies surrounding them, Nephilim mingled with demons. He aimed carefully, sending his beams of light past the Naphils to hit the demons attempting to kill them. Addison followed suit, her little golden .22 firing off between trigger pulls of his Desert Eagle.
Micah stayed close, slashing his knives and splattering himself, and Jack, with black demon blood. Alice kept pace with them, maintaining perfect control over her fireballs. They never went anywhere, or hit anyone unless she intended it.
All around them, the Nephilim fought wi
th a ferocity unlike anything Jack had ever seen. They went hand to hand with the demons, ripping them to shreds and lighting them up with hellfire. The black blood of demons ran across the floor in streams while body parts fell here and there before disintegrating into puffs of smoke.
Having only watched the fight up until now, Abaddon joined his minions, causing the floor to tremble as he moved through the crowd, swinging his massive scythe in a downward motion. The screams of his victims echoed through the auditorium, the sight of crimson blood staining the blade making bile rise in Jack’s throat. A few demons were caught in the crossfire, but Abaddon didn’t seem to care as he went on swinging the weapon, interspersing powerful blows from his massive fists. Three Nephilim went flying from the impact, their wails dying away as they fell in various places around the room, their bodies broken.
“He’s killing them!” Addison cried.
“Almost there!” Jack shouted back, but it was futile.
Addison had already gone vertical, levitating above them, but keeping her wings hidden away—a good thing, because she hadn’t learned yet how to control them. Raising her hands, she used her telepathy to pull several Naphils out of the way before Abaddon could take them out with a blow from his scythe. She deposited them several feet away, safe from the demon’s grasp.
“Abaddon!” she cried out, her voice carrying over the sounds of battle and carnage around them. “You want the ring-bearer? I’m right here. Come get me!”
Fixing his red, glowing eyes on Addison, the Destroyer grinned, showcasing two rows of jagged teeth.
“Nothing would give me more pleasure,” he retorted.
Addison held her position in midair, watching as demons and Naphils both scurried to get out of Abaddon’s way. He’d responded to her challenge, the massive scythe held between his large hands as he lumbered forward, his heavy footsteps making the entire room shudder and vibrate.
She didn’t bother to wait for him to reach her. She’d learned the hard way that when it came to demons, going on the offensive was the only way.
Hurling herself forward, she met Abaddon with a right hook that barely disturbed his balance. Swinging his scythe at her, he missed by mere inches, stumbling forward a bit with the downswing. Reaching for the light, she thought to end this sooner rather than later, soaring toward him with the ring gripped tight in her hand. It grew and swelled, but before she could release it, along with the power of the ring, something hard slammed into her—Abaddon’s gigantic hand.
He held her as if she were a toy, squeezing tight around her waist until she had to fight to draw breath. The stench of sulfur made bile rise in her throat as he pulled her up close to his face and began to laugh, the sound rumbling like rocks sliding down the side of a mountain.
“You are going to find me much harder to destroy than the others, girl,” he growled.
Then, in a move so swift she didn’t have a second to prepare herself, he threw her, sending her flying across the room.
“Addie!”
Jack’s panicked voice sounded so far away from where she landed, sprawled on her back on the stage.
In unison, Micah roared, “Son of a bitch!”
Her head banged against the wooden surface, pain rattling her bones from head to toe. Still, she scrambled quickly to her feet, unwilling to let him wreak any more havoc on the people in this room. She darted toward the edge of the stage, prepared to lunge at him again, but the sight of Abaddon falling like a chopped tree caused her to falter.
It was Micah, she realized, who had gotten close enough to take the demon down. Despite Abaddon’s size, Micah’s strength seemed a match for him, pulling a leg out from under him and sending him sprawling on his back. Nearby, Jack and Alice worked to keep Abaddon’s minions from apprehending Micah, who had crawled onto Abaddon’s chest and begun delivering blow after blow to the demon’s face. The demon’s head jerked this way and that as Micah pummeled him, his face red with rage.
“That’s … for … messin’ with … my … cher!” he growled between punches, a feral light creeping into his eyes. He was enjoying every second of this.
As she quickly recovered and sped through the air toward them, she spotted the demon’s weapon, fallen forgotten at his side. She swooped down and took it up by its massive, wooden handle, hefting it up and turning back toward Abaddon.
“Micah!” she called out, warning him before going up and swinging down.
Leaping out of the way, Micah tumbled and rolled before regaining his footing as the blade of the scythe fell in a perfect arc, lopping Abaddon’s head from his shoulders.
Triumph swelled her chest as she gazed down at the ugly face of Abaddon, staring up at her from the floor, sightless, the red light in his eyes faded to dull black. All around her, the cheers of the Nephilim filled the auditorium, mingled with applause and whistles. Jack appeared near Abaddon’s fallen body, the blood of demons staining his hands, neck, and clothes.
“End it, Addie,” he said. “Now.”
Nodding, she reached up to grasp the ring, closing her eyes and calling on the light. She had just pulled it to the surface when the air was knocked from her lungs, and once again, she found herself unable to breathe.
She opened her eyes to find that one of the demon’s hands had gripped her again, holding tighter than a headless body ought to be able to. Her eyes widened and her lungs burned as she kicked and flailed, fighting to be free of his grasp. The detached head was staring at her now, the eyes flaming red.
Jack approached at a run, jaw clenched in determination. Abaddon’s other hand lifted and swatted him away as if he were no more than a bothersome fly, propelling him into Micah. The two fell in a heap and a tangle of arms and legs on the floor.
Addison struggled to get free, but quickly realized it was futile. And every time she attempted to pull on the light, Abaddon seemed to sense it and tightened his hold on her. She could do nothing but fight to draw air.
Then, the hand that had reached out to strike Jack extended again, this time toward the fallen demon head. Nausea welled in her throat as she was suddenly shifted, tipping precariously as Abaddon’s body rose, the detached head held in one hand. All around them, cries of shock and dismay rippled through the Nephilim, while the demons erupted into cheers and cries of, “Abaddon! Abaddon! Abaddon!”
Placing the head back onto his stump of a neck, Abaddon opened his mouth and emitted a bellow that caused the entire room to shake and tremble, until light fixtures were falling from above, bits of plaster cracking away and crumbling.
“Get out of the way!” Addison screamed, somehow realizing what would come next.
A crack fissured in the floor, then began to grow, as if some unseen force ate away at the concrete and earth beneath the building. A gaping pit appeared, leading straight down into a black abyss. Two of the Naphils couldn’t move fast enough to avoid the opening, and went screaming into the darkness, their cries melting away to nothing within seconds.
Cries of alarm mingled with the voices of the demons, who continued chanting the name of their master, their calls rising and falling in a haunting melody.
“Abaddon! Abaddon! Abaddon!”
They seemed drunk on the power of their ruler, worked up into a lather at the display of power.
Jack and Micah were forced away from her by the large hole, scrambling backward to keep from being swallowed up.
Turning to glare at her, Abaddon snarled. “Behold the power of the Destroyer.”
Suddenly, the demons’ chanting halted, and another sound filled the room. Emerging from the pit, it came like a low whisper at first, so faint she could hardly determine what it was. Then, as it swelled and grew louder, it made itself more apparent.
The buzz of small wings.
Hundreds of tiny creatures exploded up out of the hole, the hum of their wings like those of insects, but blended with a metallic clangor. They blotted out the gleam of the overhead lights, forming a massive cloud above before dispersing, flying
to every corner of the room.
Addison shrieked as several of them converged on her, seeming to ignore Abaddon’s hand in favor of her. They crawled over her—on her face, her shoulders, her arms, her hands.
Sharp pain shot through her arm as one of them bit her. Glancing down at the little bug on the back of her hand, she gasped, finding that it had a face. The face of a man, it seemed, but with scales and hideous fangs, which he’d just sunk into her. More of them were biting her—her neck, her hands, her face—in between attacks calling out the name of their master in tiny, grating voices.
“Abaddon! Abaddon!”
The cries seemed to form one low buzz, echoing to mingle with the terrified and tortured screams of the others being bit by the disgusting creatures.
Suddenly, a familiar sound brought her no end of relief, rippling through the air on vibrations that seemed to shake the very air around them. It was Jack, his voice magnified in a way she’d never heard it before. The bugs ceased their chanting, screaming out now in voices that would be comical in any other situation. The waves rippling on the air propelled by Jack’s voice slammed into them, leaving none untouched. They dropped to the floor all at once, the sounds of their wings clanking like armor as they made impact.
She cried out as Abaddon dropped her, sending her sprawling to the floor to then leap across the open space of the pit toward the person who had obliterated his little army of bugs.
Glancing up, she spotted Jack up in one of the balconies with Drew by his side. She had to assume Drew had somehow magnified Jack’s power some way, enabling him to take out all of them at once. But now, Abaddon had Jack in his sights, seeming to have forgotten her for a moment.
“Jack, no!” she called out, struggling to her feet as Abaddon reached up toward the balcony.
Grasping Jack as if plucking an apple from a tree, Abaddon turned and flung him across the room like a rag doll. Her heart dropped down into her stomach as Jack rolled across the floor, tumbling head over heels straight for the pit.
