It was a long time since Black Chapter sat innocently in their student flat spinning the Ouija board, pretending to talk to spirits. Eventually the one that came through took them and molded them, possessed them and summoned others. Crowe had become the leader of Black Chapter, a new dark coven capable of immense, malevolent deeds. They had started hatching a plan to return Lucifer in all his glory to the real world.
And integrate that world into hell.
Directly below her, eighty feet down on a ledge, were seven members of her coven, all wearing black robes, seated in a circle. That left five yet to come. Crowe was a little restless. Most of the demons were already here. The last thing she wanted was to delay the ceremony waiting for members of her own coven.
Melissa clung to her feet as ever. Melissa was her plaything, something she found before she obliterated a trailer park to empty out a southern area in Death Valley, outside the national park area. Melissa had no mind left, no feelings but those for Crowe. She sat now in the boiling hot sand, her legs bare, feeling nothing but love for her mistress.
Crowe kicked her away. Above towered a high peak, fittingly named Dante’s View for it looked out over the whole ensemble below, which had been named long ago by American settlers and explorers as the Devil’s Playground.
Where else could the ceremony be held?
She considered ordering Melissa to jump the hundred feet straight down to the valley floor. It might be amusing. But no, she might have use of her stupid slave yet. She’d never waste potentially helpful flesh.
Crowe grinned as heat blasted her face. The people that worked for Aegis, that were trying to save the world, had no idea where the seventh and final artefact was, but finding it was their only recourse now, all they should care about. It was ironic then that the humans had killed one of the hierarchy demons, because now they only needed six artefacts. The one the traitor Lilith carried out of hell was no longer required.
Six would be enough. In all truth, it was Satan’s best number.
And the seventh?
She smiled. It was right here in Death Valley. And there was only one demon or devil in existence that could claim it.
The artefact belonged to Lucifer himself. Claiming it would complete the ceremony and open all the hellgates. It would summon forth millions of creatures. It would spell the end for this cluttered, poisonous, corrupted world that, in truth, had already started to eat itself. The evidence was clear to Crowe.
If those in power, those that made decisions for millions and billions of others, chose only for the furtherment of themselves and their friends, what chance did the world they controlled have?
Everything in existence hung in the balance.
As if in sync with her thoughts, the entire Black Chapter coven assembled below looked up at her. She saw white faces surrounded by black hoods. She saw old friends become evil sprites.
Before her the army of hell waited.
It was a good day, and there were better ones to come. When Lucifer appeared, ready to lead his armies against the forces of earth, it would be the best day of her life.
Soon, my brethren. Very, very soon.
CHAPTER FOUR
We flew back to the Orlando HQ a different, shattered, shell-shocked bunch than when we parted several days ago.
I didn’t know where to put myself, or who to speak to. Advice was always welcome, but who could advise me on this? Lucy sat at the back of the plane with the other vampires because the windows had been blacked out back there, but it still felt incredibly wrong. How would I cope? How would Lucy cope? She was the same girl, but now so different she might as well be a stranger.
I tried hard to concentrate on the steady flow of information coming from Giles, the TV monitors and our old friend Kinkade. The gargoyle had left Leah Aldridge’s body a while ago now, returning to inhabit the many stone gargoyles across the world so he could eavesdrop on conversations.
Kinkade’s tickertape of information flashed across the bottom of our TV screen.
Almost all of hell’s creatures have vanished from the streets. Civilians are returning home. They think it’s over. There are reports of vast quantities of creatures marching across Arizona, California and Nevada. Government figures have no idea, no consensus of what to do next. There is looting. Rioting. Murder in some places. Criminals have realized that they can get away with almost anything. So have murderers, vigilantes and serial killers. The army, the police and other branches of law enforcement are doing their best. They have no leader, no direction, no trailblazing light to follow.
Giles went on, “When Aegis announced their presence to the world and then the existence of Uberhumans, it tried to appoint itself as a new spearhead. The focal point for this war. But other governments that thought they were better appointed to handle the situation – the Americans, the British, the Russians and others – deflected our attempt, trying to spin the news to their own advantage. Of course, it was never going to work, but there you have it. The world is now in a state of chaos.”
“Is there any way to fortify it?” Lysette asked. Always classy, the black-haired woman wore a leather jacket and slacks aboard the plane. “To help individuals?”
“Not if we want to win the war,” our witch queen, Cheyne, said. “All of our resources are involved trying to prevent Lucifer’s summoning. There is nothing else left. I have more people working in the great Library of Aegis right now than at any time in its history. We’re overextended.”
“And there’s no news of the seventh artefact?” Belinda asked with exasperation in her voice. “Since that’s probably the one our enemy is most focused on.”
“Kinkade’s report mentions nothing of the seventh artefact,” Cheyne replied. “Utterly zilch. And that’s scarier than if the chatter was widespread, in my opinion. It means Emily Crowe and her cohorts already know where it is and must be close to it.”
I looked away from her crooked nose and back to the TV. It played on a news channel reviewing the devastation that had been wrought around the world. There was a tentative uplifting undertone to the piece, as if the people that owned the station had been ordered to create a new upbeat atmosphere. Terrifyingly though, it was false and going to kill more people than if it hadn’t been broadcast.
Tanya Jordan was seated to my right, her caring face a desolate mask as she watched the pictures. It’s devastating,” she said. “Did we even help? All that fighting on Miami Beach and everything since. We’re further away from saving the world than when we started.”
Giles gripped the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “Unfortunately, you’re right. We had our chances and we failed. We lost.”
I thought about all that had happened. The death of Devon Summers, our healer. The death of Matt Black before he’d even found his power. The murders of ancient vampire leaders in Las Vegas. The way we’d lost Johnny Trevochet. How the elven king Eldritch and his queen Eleanor had died in that great Miami battle. Had it all been for nothing?
“There are many things yet to figure out,” Cheyne went on. “And my witches are working on them even now. Where is the seventh artefact? How did Natalie inherit Johnny’s power? If one Chosen dies, is another made somewhere? If so, where are the Chosen to replace Devon and Matt Black? And don’t forget there are more elves coming to join us. More lycans. There are old legends we have yet to delve into.”
“And you think one of those could save us?” Cleaver asked.
I looked at the broad American, still wearing his large duster and a grim expression. Once a boxer, Cleaver was ex-security and handy with a shotgun. He’d helped tremendously in every battle he’d been in so far and had initially been Miami’s only guardian.
“I have faith,” Cheyne said a little obtusely.
“Where are your witches?” I asked, mostly to be part of the conversation.
“On a separate plane,” Cheyne said. “This one’s already a bit crowded.”
I checked behind me. I saw at least a dozen spare seat
s. My eyes met Ceriden’s at the back and hardened. He was next to Lucy with Ethan on the other side. I looked away before my anger peaked.
Jade, the green-haired elf and our trainer – the woman who, alongside Eleanor the elven queen, had augmented and then unleashed our powers – stood up and went to make herself a drink. She talked as she worked.
“Time is the one thing we don’t have,” she said. “The difference between Lucifer in hell and Lucifer on earth is . . .” She searched for the right word: “Catastrophic.”
Giles nodded. “Yes, we can deal with whatever has breached the Miami hellgate. We can destroy them. Even a hierarchy demon, if they choose to remain. But the Devil? Well, there’s no precedence for that.”
“Actually,” Cheyne said. “There is. The Lionheart blade – Ken’s sword – has killed the Devil before. It is the only artefact in existence to have done so.”
“The sword we sent into hell?” I asked with sarcasm in my voice. “Oh, that was a great idea.”
“Only Ken can wield it,” Cheyne said defensively.
“No,” I said. “If Ken dies in hell, another Chosen would be made right here.” I was annoyed, scared and worried. I spoke a silent apology to Ken for being so blunt.
“It was not foreseen at the time,” Cheyne said. “None of this was.”
“You can’t even see what’s in front of your bloody nose,” I blurted out, but then clamped my mouth shut. It had been said unintentionally and was both funny and disrespectful. Belinda stifled a laugh but Lysette and Tanya guffawed; even Lucy giggled – I knew that sound anywhere.
Giles cleared his throat. “We’re landing,” he said. “When we reach the hotel take a short break and then assemble in the conference room. Our next step must be a significant one.”
I felt a pang of guilt and looked at the floor. I already knew my next step was going to be a significant one. I would be confronting the vampire clan.
*
After showering and changing at the hotel I strode down the corridor to Ceriden’s room. I had a suspicion the vampire leader wouldn’t be alone and I was right.
Ethan opened the door. I was reminded that it was here, right here in this hotel, where we’d come across the new vampire as a receptionist.
He didn’t speak, just held the door wide open. I walked past him into a suite with windows that faced International Drive, an enormous silk-sheet-covered king-size bed and a drinks cabinet bigger than my kitchen back home.
Ceriden was fixing himself a cocktail at the bar, something that bristled with those mini umbrellas and slices of fruity garnish. Naturally, it was a deep red in color, so I didn’t ask any questions. The vampire drew himself to his full height, which was impressive, and faced me with that assured, playful smile.
“You would think they’d cater better for vampires,” he said. “Since the bloody hotel is owned by one of our families. I had to call half the staff before I rustled someone up with an ounce of Bram.”
Bram was the vampire equivalent to cannabis. I disassociated myself from the part of me that liked this camp vamp and got straight to the point.
“This is what you wanted from the beginning,” I said. “To take Lucy from me.”
Ceriden sipped his cocktail. “Sit down,” he said, waving at the long, plush armchair in the center of the room.
“I’ll stand.”
“Okay but that’s not going to help. I wanted only the best for Lucy. I saw a lost soul and didn’t turn my back. That is all.”
I thought about all the times I’d seen them together. I wondered what had happened in Vienna at Strahovski’s castle. Lysette hadn’t had time to tell me everything yet.
“You courted her.”
“No, she sought us out. But, Logan, that is no longer the point. Can you understand what Ethan did after the plane crash? That it was a do or die decision?”
I struggled to admit aloud that I did. I wasn’t going to let Ceriden or Ethan off the hook. Lucy might still be in my life, but we could no longer share a father-daughter relationship. “You made her inhuman,” I said without thinking it through. It was then that I saw Lucy watching us from an open bedroom door to the right.
Watching and listening.
When I spoke, her face twisted. She retreated into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
“Oh, Logan,” Ceriden said softly. “You do make some awful mistakes.”
The words hit me hard, mostly because he was right. This entire Chosen thing had disrupted my judgment in some terrible ways.
“I do keep putting my foot in it,” I said.
“Then tread lightly,” Ceriden said. “Think everything through before you act. I like you, Logan, but you need to catch up to your powers.”
I stared. “What does that mean?”
“So far, they’ve used you. It has worked for you, but you don’t really understand why. Logan, you have to raise the bar, take your powers to the point where you are using them.”
What made me angry was that the bastard was right. Johnny had helped me and later so had Natalie. I’d been winging it, not understanding the power we wrought, but to fully understand it was to embrace it.
I studied the door to Lucy’s room. Ceriden didn’t appear bothered. Ethan stood over by the tinted windows, looking outside with a miserable expression on his face. I tried to imagine the hell both he and Lucy had gone through during that plane crash and couldn’t. It had taken a great deal of courage to act on the spot, to save Lucy from passing over.
“I guess we’d best get to that meeting,” I said.
Ceriden nodded and put his glass down. “The most sensible thing I’ve heard you say,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Let’s go decide how we’re going to save the world.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“We have to crack the code for the seventh artefact,” Giles said once everyone had assembled. “The fate of the world rests on it.”
I stood near the back of the room, Cleaver and Lysette at my side. The remainder of the Chosen, our only elf – Jade – and our leaders filled the room in front of me. The air-con was up high. I held a half-empty bottle of water in one hand and a chicken sandwich in the other. A new face to most – Leah Aldridge – was with us. She was the supermodel Kinkade had possessed for a short while. Perhaps it was a part of the gargoyle’s deep sense of responsibility remaining inside her, but she’d promised us her assistance to the very end.
Giles stood at the head of the room, a TV monitor behind him. Kinkade’s endless reams of information were constantly rolling in.
“The fact that every creature is headed for Nevada must be significant,” Giles said. “Lucifer’s summoning must be very close.” He removed his glasses and dabbed a handkerchief at a drawn and unhappy face. “We’re in the endgame now, ladies and gentlemen.”
I felt the weight of that comment. I worried for the entire world. I saw Lucy ten feet to my right, and it struck me then that we didn’t know what kind of power she now wielded. Technically, and it hurt me to think this, she was dead. A living, lifeless creature. Did that mean her elemental powers had deserted her? Had anyone thought to check?
I turned to raise the issue with Lysette, but at that moment the door opened and a newcomer entered the room.
I took a deep breath, stunned. Judging by the confident way she held herself she was an elf. I knew there weren’t all that many left in the world so the sudden appearance of this woman both astounded and energized me. Her face was pale, defined by her cheekbones and her hair was tipped with amber.
Jade made a happy sound and ran straight to her. For a moment, the two embraced and then Jade turned to all of us.
“Meet Amber, my sister. She has come to help us.”
I recalled the name. I only hoped she’d come in time. Giles continued as Jade led Amber to the front of the assembly.
“Cheyne, her witch coven, and the Library of Aegis have been spelling the Text of Arcadia. For those of you that don’t know, this was the very text
that helped us locate the Chosen and the Destroyers in the first place. Now, do you all remember the Text of Seven? The archaic document that Emily Crowe stole from the Louvre and used to conjure the seven hierarchy demons to earth? Well, we have copies of that and have been spelling them, trying to locate the hierarchy demons. At first, it was hard, you all know how mobile and fast they were. But now . . .” He paused, waving at Cheyne since this was her revelation.
“There are six hierarchy demons,” she said. “With possibly six artefacts. We don’t know the status of those artefacts in hell. We’ve had no contact from Ken and the others. One hierarchy demon is dead, killed by Felicia in Miami. That leaves one artefact.”
“Any ideas?” Tanya asked.
“We’re working on the assumption that it belongs to Lucifer himself, since there are only seven hierarchy demons. But that doesn’t matter now. What really matters is that all six of the surviving demons are in the same place.”
I straightened, listening even more intently. This really was good news.
“Let me guess,” Belinda said dryly. “Nevada?”
Cheyne nodded. “Death Valley to be exact.”
“You’re saying that every creature that has come through the hellgate and the hierarchy demons themselves are now in Death Valley?” Ceriden asked. “You can bet your life that’s where they’re going to summon the Devil and open a new hellgate.”
“Our thoughts exactly,” Giles said. “There’s never been a better time to strike.”
There was a hush, a sense of expectation, a moment laced with so many diverse and engaging emotions that I felt my head spin. We all felt it. We were in the endgame.
We were going to save the world.
What was that old phrase? I remembered it well from the night before we left York: when we all went down to Miami. We’d pulled that one off. But now, to my mind came a new much more poignant phrase:
Where will you be at the end of everything?
Heroes Page 3
