Amber ignored the silly question but wondered the same. “Let’s keep going. I don’t really know what to expect.”
The fog became denser. The wind tried to pluck them off the ice shelf. Above, the disseminated sunshine was a pale white spread. Amber rested for a moment with her hand against a rough black rock.
“Look,” Jade said.
Amber peered through curtains of drifting mist. She saw a high ridge ahead and, cut into its face, more caves than she’d imagined possible. There were endless rows of them.
“We found it?” Jade asked.
“No,” said a disembodied voice. “We showed you this. Why are you here?”
Amber saw Jade flinch and covered up her own surprise. “We seek the Old Ones,” she said.
“And you have found them. But why are you here?”
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
Amber didn’t answer immediately. She was stunned by the panorama that suddenly appeared. The fog melted away, the sun broke through thick gray cloud and she could see clearly for the first time in hours.
The ice shelf was perfectly flat and ice-bound. It ran to a mountainous cliff to their right and a sheer drop to their left. Standing on the shelf she saw countless, seemingly limitless, figures, all wreathed in white, all looking her way. Their forms were vague, but she recognized elves and vampires, faeries and werewolves. She saw older species too, the giants and the griffins, the good dragons and the gargoyles. She was overcome, almost falling to her knees in awe.
“Oh, my,” she said.
The figure at her side, the one who’d spoken, was an elf. His shape flickered and waned, but he smiled at her.
“We have been around you for many hours. If you did not have good intentions, you would never have reached the ice shelf. Speak now, young ones.”
Amber didn’t recall being called a “young one” for hundreds of years, but then she often thought of Jade as young. It was an odd depiction.
“First of all, it is good that you would meet us,” she said. “We have come a long way from the human world. I know your history, I know why you are here. And I know it was your choice.” She was trying to establish a respectful foundation for their talks. “But we have come to ask for your help.”
A soft, whispery murmur passed through the crowd. Amber wished she could see their real faces. This was like talking to ghosts.
To an unresponsive crowd she gave an account of what had happened to the world at large. Jade helped by adding the events she forgot which, apparently, were many. They spoke for over thirty minutes to these faded creatures, expecting interruption but receiving none and wondering if it was due to sheer indifference.
“You came to seek our help?” the elf at Amber’s side seemed genuinely shocked. “Are you so desperate?”
Amber nodded. “We are beyond desperate.”
“It will destroy this place too,” Jade said. “Already the world is being re-climatized, twisted into a representation of the eighth hell. We have seen winged demons here, recently. You will not escape this transformation and you will be as much a slave as everyone else.”
Ghostly heads bobbed and swayed, the endless ranks seemingly disturbed. Amber’s elf took a step backward.
“My name is Eden,” he said. “I existed for thousands of years. You cannot come here and tell me that everything is changing. It never changes. So many wars.” He looked down at the ground. “Generations of bloodshed and heartache and still they do not learn. I have seen empires from the Persians and the Byzantines to the Huns and the Kushans. And further back. But it never changes, young elf. It never changes.”
“I know your pain,” Amber said. “I understand it. I am a peace-loving elf myself. But this . . . it is different. The humans fight together for their world. They fight for you.”
Eden shook his head. “And if they win, what then? They will go back to their wars, their corruption and their greed. They are not worth the effort.”
Amber rubbed her face. She gazed over the assembled multitudes. None made a move toward her but she was sure all could hear. And now she made out even more figures standing at the entrance of every high cave and on the cliff ledges that ran between.
“We can win and then rebuild,” Jade said. “Give them the chance. If you don’t, you’re lost.”
“Perhaps we want to die.”
“You won’t die,” Jade insisted. “You’ll be enslaved. Do you remember the old nations, your clans that died, fought and toiled in this world? Your lot will be far worse.”
“We have the Lionheart blade,” Amber said, “and the daughter of Lucifer. We have a million-man army. Modern weapons. But it is not enough. The Devil has more. And he can’t be killed. Not by mortals.”
Eden walked away in disgust, showing his complete, foolish lack of interest in Man. A new elf took a step toward Amber, this one female.
“I am Lorayya,” she said, “and I know that the Lionheart blade was forged by the Knights Templar during the bloody crusades. Many of that time thought the Templars were greedy devil worshippers, which eventually led to their demise, but I know that they were the opposite. They used their power and influence to coerce and trick the Devil, summoning his minions so they could gather knowledge and forge the greatest blade in history. The sword that could kill Satan. You have the Templars to thank for that blade, and all they received in return was an appalling Friday the thirteenth massacre.”
“I know the histories,” Amber said, “but the blade is with us. The witches had it all this time, passed down from Richard the Lionheart, through Cromwell and Isaac Newton to the original witch queen. It now resides with one of the Chosen.”
“And this Lilith,” another elf spoke up, “we are aware of her too.”
Amber was surprised. “You are?”
“The Devil was active in my time too,” the stranger said, “although not as threatening as you make him out to be now. He sent raiding parties, scoundrels to sew discord in our ranks. He started wars, blighted lands and caused elemental tragedies. But always, whenever we captured one of his minions or turned one to our side, they told the most common of many stories. That, one day, Lucifer would breed a natural earth daughter, that he would call her Lilith, and that he would be her Chosen.”
Amber froze, feeling a chill deep in her soul. “What? The Devil has Chosen too?”
“At least one,” the stranger said. “Lilith. She will lead your people to the slaughter. She will betray them at the end. It is the plan Lucifer has been molding ever since she was born. That, in the end, she will be ultimately corrupted.”
“And that will be by betraying humankind.” Amber saw it now. “Her own kind.”
The wild winds blew. The bright sunlight blazed. The far horizon had waves that rolled like dark, coiled serpents. Amber tried to think straight. They couldn’t contact Aegis until they returned to the Shetlands. Out here, there was no reception.
We have to go.
“Will you not help us?” Jade asked one final time.
And then, even Lorayya turned away.
Amber and Jade looked at each other, the sisters distraught not only for earth’s heroes but for the Old Ones who were too distant and withdrawn to see their own looming serfdom.
“We will leave you now,” Amber said, “to fight for our world. I wish you well.”
She took Jade’s hand, the two sisters soothed only by each other, and turned to start the long trek back. It would be arduous, and they had no way to reach the Shetlands. Amber bit her lip, not wanting to face up to the fact that they would be too late to help fight for the earth, too late even to warn the Chosen and Aegis about Lilith.
For now, the truth was too much.
As they walked away a voice rang out.
“I am Eva,” a female said. “I have been called the Mother of All Living Things and I have one last thing to say.”
Amber turned, stunned to find she was face to face with the first woman of the earth.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
Ken had made the clandestine trek to the southern army camp with his closest friends and Lilith in just a few hours. Now, he introduced her to Logan and the other Chosen and recounted a short narration of their trek through hell. He found he couldn’t go too deep into details as the more he told, the more grief he felt.
“Where’s the bible artefact, the one I gave you?” The night was as deep and dark as it was ever going to get on that dawn of battle. The Chosen were gathered around her and many soldiers too. Nobody wanted to sleep their last hours away.
“Samael took it from me,” Lilith said.
“Samael?” Ken repeated, looking around as if he expected the King of Hell to step out of the night.
“Who’s Samael?” Logan asked.
“A real bad bastard,” Ken said. “He was Lilith’s guardian in hell.”
“And now he’s . . . chasing you?” Tanya Jordan asked.
“He’ll never stop,” Lilith said with a shudder. “I managed to draw him away from my mother’s scent. She’s safe, but I have no power, I can’t fight him, and if he’s not killed, he’ll take me straight back down.”
Ken felt sorry for her. “So you came to us. And just in time.”
“Do you know where this Samael is?” Leah asked. Ken had initially been struck by the ex-supermodel’s beauty, then humbled by her incredible self-sacrifice on joining the Chosen when Kinkade returned to his gargoyle surveillance, and then awed to find out she’d replaced Devon Summers as their healer. The one question he’d asked immediately was, “So who took Matt Black’s place?”
“An interesting question,” Cleaver had said, adjusting his long duster coat. “Even more so, this last few days.”
Belinda had explained his ambiguity. “The Chosen power is fickle and flighty,” she’d said. “Although we lost Matt Black right at the start of all this we believe his power transferred to Cleaver and is only just starting to manifest. He’s kind of a wraith.”
Ken blinked. “What the hell’s a wraith?”
“I seem to be able to become invisible,” Cleaver said, “and have enhanced strength in that form.”
“Cool,” Ken said.
“We’re starting to believe that the power of the Chosen manifests only when it’s needed,” Logan said. “Which is interesting considering where we stand.”
Ken nodded, staring over the bright lights of the valley, at the fire and the broken towers of the city, at the battleground to be.
Now, Lilith addressed Leah’s question. “Do I know where Samael is? No, but he won’t be far away.”
“In there.” Ken nodded at Vegas. “I bet he’s in there.”
The others drifted away, one by one. Ken invited Lilith to join him, Felicia, Milo and Cleaver, who had an old friendship with Felicia and had stayed to catch up on old times.
“I told them, I yelled at them,” Felicia was telling Cleaver. “Not to leave you alone in Miami, but they didn’t listen. Aegis knows best.” She shook her head.
Ken sat in silence, whilst Milo offered Lilith food. It was typical of the big vampire, always thinking of sustenance first. He’d offered to cook them a special meal for this last night, but they were all too on edge to accept.
Ken turned to Lilith. “How was she, your mom?”
“She was well. It . . . opened my eyes, coming back to this world. I remember very little of it before I was taken, but I do remember my mother’s love.”
“And she . . . was surprised? Happy?”
“Oh, wow, yes. She could barely speak. But that’s why I left.”
Ken nodded. “To protect her. Well, after tomorrow you’ll be able to return.”
Lilith looked at him. “Do you really think that?”
“I do.” Ken nodded at the various figures they could see in the firelight. “These are the most powerful people and Ubers in the world. With a massive army. Jets. Tanks. You name it.”
Lilith looked interested. “Jets?”
“Yeah, planes with guns. You know?”
“I do.” Lilith took a deep breath and leaned close to his right cheek. “I need to talk to you,” she said. “I have a plan.”
Ken fiddled with a stick, not looking at her. “You do?”
“It’s the main reason I sought you out. But it’s for you and Cleaver to know. No one else.”
“Cleaver?” Ken glanced over at the tall ex-boxer. “But you’ve only just met him.”
“It’s what we can do,” she said. “Together.”
Ken found himself biting a nail. It wasn’t a good look. But he was anxious. If it was true that the Chosen’s power only manifested when it was needed, then Cleaver would be a vital component in the final battle. And he, Ken, carried the Lionheart blade. Not that he knew much about its history.
“It’s at times like these I wish I was brighter,” he said, sighing. “Go on, what’s your plan?”
“Just you and Cleaver,” Lilith said.
Ken hadn’t known Lilith long, but he trusted her. He felt sorry for her too, because of the life she’d been forced to lead. Also, he trusted Cleaver. That man was a leader and a solid strategist. He rose and crossed over to him.
“Need to talk,” he murmured in the man’s ear. “Just you, me and Lilith.”
Clever looked up, mildly surprised. “Okay then.”
“Wait,” Felicia said. “I’m coming.”
“Well, she said . . .”
“Shut it,” Felicia said. “I was just about to go for a run with the coming dawn, but it sounds like you need me.”
“Go for your run,” Ken said. “I understand why. We’ll see what she has to say.”
Felicia squinted at Lilith. “Do you trust her?”
“Ah, come on. Stop it with the stigma. She never asked to be Lucifer’s daughter. He didn’t corrupt her. She’s goodhearted. For the deeds I’ve done in my life I’d be more likely to go to hell than her.”
“Hate to tell you this,” Cleaver pointed out. “But you’ve already been to hell.”
Ken smiled. “Good point.”
Together, they walked back to Lilith. Ken saw her face in the flickering campfire, alternately glowing red then painted in shadow. He wondered which side of her would be revealed tomorrow. “We’re here.”
“Not her.”
Ken frowned, then turned and saw that Felicia had followed. The wolf was glaring at Lilith.
“What do you mean, not her? What’s wrong with me?”
“Only the Chosen,” Lilith said.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Only the Chosen can win the day,” Lilith said. “The rest are just . . . distractions.”
“You’re calling me a distraction? I’ve killed the most significant enemies that we face, except one. You might change your mind after I bite you.”
Lilith shrank away. Ken turned to Felicia. “Let me hear what he has to say. Please.”
Felicia held his eyes for a moment and then leaned in, whispering in his ear. “Don’t forget,” she said. “She’s Chosen too.”
Ken felt a shiver. Felicia was right. But he believed Lilith. He trusted her story. It was too wild and unprecedented to be made up on the spot. And Lilith would do anything to protect her mother.
Ken turned away from his girlfriend and sat down facing Lilith. Cleaver joined him.
“First of all,” Lilith said, holding up a hand. “I need you to know something. After we talk, I’ll be walking away, going to speak to my father.”
Ken licked his lips nervously. “Not sure we can let you do that,” he said. “You’ve seen us and our numbers, the Chosen. Our position.”
“I thought you trusted me, Ken Hamilton.”
“I do, but that’s a big friggin’ ask.”
“My task is the most dangerous,” Lilith said. “I haven’t seen him in years. I don’t know what he will do. But this . . . this is the only way.”
“If this plan sounds suspicious,” the ex-boxer said. “I’ll retell it a hundred times.”
Lil
ith shrugged. “You have one chance to save this world. One chance. I’m sure you all know that nobody, nobody, can get close to my father. He controls minds. He’s not totally all-seeing except for within a radius of about 100 feet. There, he sees and controls everything.”
“And beyond that he has a million demonic soldiers,” Ken said. “We get it.”
“A million?” Lilith looked confused. “Are you kidding? If you times that by ten you’d be short.”
Ken felt an overwhelming sense of despair. Maybe Lilith’s plan was worth listening to after all.
He leaned forward. “What do you have in mind?”
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Early the next morning, we all came together.
It was a bright, cool day up on the mountain. The conditions implied that our disposition should be upbeat and positive, but it was probably the most somber moment in earth’s history.
Lysette had become the army’s spokesperson. She climbed onto the side rails of a military vehicle so that she could be heard. There was no flowery speech from Lysette, no embellishments. She just told it like it was.
“In the UK, the underground network is preparing to hit York’s hellgate, London and Manchester. The British Army is with them. In Europe, the massed armies are gathering to assault their capital cities where most of the demon horde roam. In Tokyo, they are building their forces underground, in subways and tunnels, ready to surge up at our midday and retake their city.”
I didn’t dwell on the reverse actions of that statement. It was necessary.
“In New York, they are ready. Citizens, police forces and marines. All around the world the fighters that remain are prepared to lead a joint, precise offensive against the dreadful enemy that wants to usurp us. To absorb us into hell. Make no mistake, if we lose they won’t kill us all. They will enslave us. Debase, degrade, hurt and torture us. The sun will never shine again. Love will never flourish and the spark of human spirit, our greatest asset, will be snuffed out forever. Remember that when your limbs grow weak in battle, when your flesh tears and your blood spills to the floor. Remember that without you, without all of you, we all die.”
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