Eternity

by Karen Ann Hopkins

“What is the Creator like?” I tried to change the subject to safer territory.

  War laughed loudly, and the sound rumbled through the quiet countryside. The trees bent lazily in the light wind, and leaves fluttered down. Ila’s valley was the nicest place I’d ever lived. And after traveling to Adria’s murky underwater world and fighting giant sharks in the shallows, I never wanted to leave this beautiful place ever again.

  He wagged his finger at me. “You are a clever one, young mare.” His smile softened. “His voice is quite pleasant. It vibrates in your mind, with patience and also authority.”

  “Have you seen Him?”

  War’s eyes widened and he said, “No, no. I’m not sure if anyone has ever seen Him, even the Angels.”

  “So how do you know who’s talking to you, then?” I kicked at the grass with a boot that squeezed my foot uncomfortably.

  War smoothed down his beard in a sharp tug. “I never thought of that. At the time, I absolutely believed it was Him, so there wasn’t a doubt in my mind.”

  “Why is He doing this?” I narrowed my gaze at him. Colors were sharper with human eyes, and sometimes it was too bright in the sunshine. I was most at ease at this time of day, when the daylight had left and the moon emerged. “I want to run in the fields, eat good grass, and roll in the dirt. Why is He destroying all this goodness?” I couldn’t keep the shrill of resentment from my voice. First, I was forced into human form, and now I knew the world was going to be destroyed. I wished for the carefree days when I’d hang my head over the fence, spending time with my friend, Rhondo. He was somewhere many miles north of these mountains, and I wondered if he sensed the end was near. Was he afraid?

  War came away from the wall, closing the distance between us. He stopped a few feet away, giving me space enough to not feel threatened. “You have more questions than I can answer.” His face dropped and his warm brown eyes became moist. I stood up straighter and swayed toward him. “When the time comes to cut down humanity, it will not be a pretty sight. My brothers and I will unleash war, famine, plague, and death. Human life will be wiped out. But the land and sea will also suffer, and so will the animals. Afterward, there might be a time of regrowth, when the birds, reptiles, fish, and land animals flourish, but there was no mention of such a thing to any of us. The time after the final battle is a mystery to us all.”

  I took another step, bringing me close enough to War that I could smell his hot, smoky scent. His eyes continued to search my face and his lips parted. I understood why the old woman, Ila, had instructed Ember to change my form. It was for War and his arrival. Somehow Ila had foreseen this moment in time—a moment when I might make a difference.

  “But it’s up to you, isn’t it? Everything can’t be destroyed without you.” I brushed my lips on his, letting our breaths gloriously mingle. “If you and your brothers say no, it can’t happen.”

  War’s fingers braced the back of my head, and he pulled me against his muscled chest. I was tall, but he was still several inches above me. And even though a part of me wanted to kick out at the Horseman and run across the field, throwing my head sideways in defiance, the human part wouldn’t allow it. My knees were weak and my heart hammered.

  His tongue was in my mouth. I sighed and he made a groaning noise that made me press even harder into him.

  I was lost and pure instincts took over. His hands travelled the length of my back and up to my short black hair. I began to tug his tunic over his head when he pulled away with a hard grunt.

  He closed his eyes and opened them again. “When the time comes, I have to listen. I have no choice. It’s a compulsion of sorts—the same kind that made me come here when the horn was blown.”

  “I thought we all have a choice,” I said, crossing my arms in front of me. Now that War’s heat was gone, I was chilled to the bone.

  “Humans, Angels, and even animals, yes. But I am none of those. I was created for one purpose only. And I must fulfill the oath I took that day so long ago on the mount.”

  “Then you will make the biggest mistake of your life, before you have even had a moment to live,” I scolded him.

  War closed the gap again and reached for me, but I stepped away. He looked forlorn when he stared back. “Since I’ve arrived, I haven’t heard Him. Death and Conquest are looking for Him now. I pray when they find Him, they will discover He has changed His mind.”

  “What about the meeting? Is Ember still with them?” The hair on my neck pricked and my quivering gut told me bad things were happening.

  War confirmed my fears with a frown and slouched shoulders. “She is no longer with my brothers. There was an Angel uprising, and a breach in the wall between this land and Hell.”

  I smacked War’s chest, and he grasped my shoulders, holding me firmly. I struggled, but found it was no use. His strength was far superior to mine. I went limp in his arms, and was opening my mouth to demand answers when a boom sounded from far away.

  Another one quickly followed and I looked up at War. His eyes were wide and his skin instantly paled. “It has begun.” He pointed to the east and I saw a glow radiating in sky, on the other side of the hilltop.

  I pulled away from him, staring. “It can’t be…”

  With a swirl of wind and colors, War was a magnificent chestnut stallion. He turned his head and nickered to me.

  The change wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t pleasant, either. I didn’t hesitate. War was part of my herd now. I opened up to my true essence and let it flood in. There was a moment of queasy itchiness, and an explosion of colorful dots.

  Then I was racing alongside the Horseman of War in the direction of the little cabin in the woods.

  Chapter 5

  Ivan

  The thundering roar in the distance made me stop and turn. My heart raced and I pushed my ball cap back. “It can’t be—”

  “Oh, but it is,” Famine replied.

  The Horseman stood between Sir Austin and Youmi. They were all staring at the glowing sky just beyond the hilltop. Oldport.

  “Are you sure? It may be some other kind of explosion—perhaps a gas leak.” Sir Austin’s Scottish accent was thick and strained.

  Famine shook his head. “Sorry, chap. The barriers are breaking and Hell’s creatures are coming forth. I can feel it.”

  “We must stop it, then!” Sir Austin’s power as an air Watcher stirred the wind into gusts around the cabin. Debris from the previous battle took flight, and I had to duck when a piece of fallen metal from the barn roof nearly struck me. “The villagers are under attack.”

  “What can two Watchers and a Horseman do?” Youmi said, backing away. “It is their doom. We will all have to face the evil soon enough.”

  Sir Austin turned to his friend, frowning. “What would you have us do, then—run away—ignore what is happening?”

  Youmi bowed his head and his ponytail swished on his back. His bright red kimono looked very out of place in the mountains of Tennessee. He was also far away from any large bodies of water, which diminished his water Watcher abilities greatly.

  “We can’t stop the end from coming. Ember and Insepth are wrong to even attempt it.” He raised his head and his eyes were like dark pools. “Let us spend our remaining days with family and friends—let us leave this place.”

  Sir Austin’s mouth thinned, but he remained quiet. Another explosion shook the ground, and the light above the town brightened into a red cloud. Lutz roared, and I sank my hand into his dense fur. The Growler rarely left bear form, but I knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to fight. The crimes he had committed when he’d worked for the Demons, protecting their compound, had left a heavy guilt on his shoulders. Helping the villagers, even if he died in the process, was a way to atone for his sins—something constantly on his mind now that the end was near.

  “We can’t just leave. People are dying down there. Some of them are my friends.” I glanced between the Watchers and the Horseman.

  Famine sniggered. “That is noble of you
, pup, but your sacrifice would be like trying to stop a flood with a single grain of sand. Now that it has begun, they will come—monsters and Angels—humankind is lost. Best you think of yourself and your pack.”

  “My pack is scattered. Ember and Insepth are with the Angels. Horas is scouting. And Sawyer is…gone.”

  Famine’s brows shot up and he bent his head. A few blond locks fell into his face and he didn’t bother to push them aside. “They are your pack? Watchers and Demons?”

  I nodded, looking away. The disbelief on Famine’s face was sincere. He didn’t understand.

  A shrieking whinny turned all our heads. A red horse and a black one charged up the hill, their manes flying and their hooves pounding. They skidded in front of us with an explosion of colors. War emerged from the cloud first, closely followed by Cricket. It was still strange to see Ember’s mare in human form.

  “Death and Conquest are seeking the Creator,” War told Famine. “They will discover what we are to do.”

  Famine shrugged. “This valley is no longer safe. The rank of Watchers, Growlers, and Angels is heavy here. Those scents will attract the creatures from Hell.”

  War’s eyes shifted to Cricket, who came to stand beside me. “Then we will destroy them. We have the power to do so.”

  “Normally, I’d agree with you, brother. But it isn’t only the corrupt ones we must be wary of. Conquest has informed me that the Angels are at war with each other. Some joined Gabriel and Phanuel, others are holding true to the Old Order, backing Michael, Azriel, and Raguel. Uriel and Raphael seem to have gone rogue, more concerned with the humans than their own brothers. If a group of Angels comes against us, the scales will not be balanced. Who knows what that outcome would be?”

  Sir Austin’s wind continued to surge, carrying with it the scent of acidy smoke.

  I grasped Cricket’s hand, searching her eyes for an ally. “We should help the villagers. Ember would want us to.”

  Before Cricket could respond, Horas streaked into the clearing. He doubled over and gulped for air.

  Cricket ran to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He straightened, wild eyed. “We can’t…help…them.” He threw his head back and panted. “The streets are overrun with all manner of Hell beasts. Even the hounds are there, snatching up anyone in their paths. Oldport is destroyed. It’s a complete bloodbath.”

  “My God!” Sir Austin gasped.

  Horas’ mouth twisted. “It gets worse.” His gaze landed on me and my heart sank. “There’s a contingent of Fallen Angels there, although they aren’t partaking in the killing. And Sawyer is the one leading them all.”

  I blinked back hot tears. “That can’t be.” I shook my head. “He would never do such a thing.”

  Horas’ voice was firm. “He’s not the same man we knew, Ivan. He follows the Dark One. His eyes were blood red and cruel. His humanity is lost.”

  “Samael would use this man against you. He will revel in it,” War confirmed.

  Cricket looked at War and swallowed. “He wasn’t a man. He was a Demon, and our friend.”

  “He is no longer your friend.” War lifted his head and sniffed the air. “He is coming for all of you.”

  My only friends in the compound had been Lutz and Sawyer. Lutz taught me the Growler ways, but Sawyer took care of me, driving me back and forth to the village to attend the school. At first I’d been leery of the Demon, but I soon sensed there was something different about him. He had a kind nature, and he was appalled by the actions of the other Demons and ashamed by his own behavior. He’d saved me on more than one occasion, and he’d fallen in love with Ember, becoming her guardian and mate. That he was now murdering people in Oldport was too terrible to think about. Would he really kill us?

  But I smelled it too. Fire and death were barreling this way.

  Angus barked and nipped my hand. He knew what was coming, and he wanted to escape.

  A goat bleated on the other side of the fence and one of the cats rubbed up against Lutz’s legs. Rabbits and chickens peppered the yard. These were Ila’s pets. When she’d died, she’d left them in Ember’s care, and we’d all been helping her to keep them safe.

  “Youmi and I will create a loophole to get us away. We don’t have the same abilities as Insepth or Ember, and only enough strength to create one in a short period of time. But we can at least get us far away from here.” Sir Austin looked determined.

  “But where should we go?” Youmi asked.

  “We can’t leave without talking to Ember! She won’t know how to find us,” I clutched my head when another explosion rent the air in the distance.

  “Trust me, she has ways to find you. You’ll be reunited again. But if you stay, she’ll only find your bones and ashes when she returns,” Sir Austin said emphatically.

  I looked at Horas, and he nodded. “I believe him. Ember has powers she hasn’t even touched on yet. She’ll come for us, no matter where we are.”

  Angus nudged my hand and I gazed out at Ila’s valley. An evening mist had settled over the grass and autumn colors blazed along the tree line. The log cabin was nestled into the hemlocks and flowers still bloomed on each side of the path leading to the front door. This had been our oasis, our sanctuary, the only real safe place in the world. And now Sawyer was bringing Hell to it.

  I squeezed my eyes closed and listened. A family of coyotes was yipping, warning the other forest animals to abandon their homes and flee. Their frantic calls helped make up my mind.

  “We leave now,” I said.

  “But where?” Sir Austin asked.

  It seemed strange to me that a powerful Watcher was relying on my decision in a crisis. Even Horas was staring at me, which made my pulse quicken.

  “We go back to Romania. The Growlers are still gathered there, and now that the Watchers of Light are defeated, we don’t have to worry about that threat anymore.”

  Sir Austin nodded his head slowly. “It’s a good location. Youmi can make his way to the sea from there, and I won’t be so far from my home, either.”

  A gust of wind that wasn’t from the Watcher belted our faces. The scent of smoke was becoming heavy on the air and my eyes watered. The forest was burning, the glow spreading over the mountain. I could see the first licks of flames across the valley, and with them, came the stench of Hell hounds.

  “We have to gather the animals!” I shouted above the gale as a torrent of dry leaves came pelting down from the trees.

  “There’s no time.” Sir Austin knelt to the ground beside Youmi. They were weaving their elements, creating the loophole. “Our opening will last mere seconds. We’ll barely get through ourselves.”

  “I will stay with Ila’s pets!” Cricket exclaimed, calling out to the goats. They began leaping the rock wall, until all fourteen of them were gathered around her.

  “No. We have other places to journey to,” War said firmly. “They must fend for themselves, like all other living creatures.”

  Cricket’s eyes narrowed. “You are not my master.”

  “They’re coming!” Famine yelled, pointing at the bottom of the meadow, and the poplar grove that was now engulfed. “The Watcher’s warding has been broken!”

  A giant dog’s head appeared from the flames, followed by another snapping one. Their howls brought the hairs up on my neck, and I resisted the urge to change into a wolf. In Purgatory, we had only one of these three-headed monsters to deal with. Now I could see a dozen heads poking out from the burning foliage. There were other red-eyed, pale creatures among them that walked on two legs and had the distorted faces of animals.

  A figure stepped out from the trees, and an icy grip seized my chest. His eyes were ablaze and his legs carried him swiftly. It was Sawyer.

  Lutz was in my mind. “I will take the little critters far from here. You go to your kind, pup. Try to live before death claims you. Perhaps we’ll meet again.” He bumped his bear head into my stomach and turned, roaring loudly.

  The goats were the first to
reach him, falling in alongside him as he gathered his muscles and leaped into the forest in the opposite direction of where the beasts were coming. Cats darted off the porch to join him, and the rabbits pumped their little legs, dashing into the bushes to follow. Even the chickens joined the chase in a flurry of flapping wings and squawking.

  Sadness twisted my insides as Lutz disappeared with his strange company into the forest. There wasn’t time to grieve his departure or worry about what would happen if the hounds caught up to him. Lutz was a giant bear, but he was no match for a dozen Hell hounds.

  “Come on!” I grabbed Cricket’s hand, but she jerked it from me.

  “They are my herd now.” She lifted her chin toward War and Famine. “Horas will be with you and Angus.” A tear slipped down Cricket’s cheek.

  I could feel the heat from the spreading fire, and sweat dripped from beneath my ball cap. Sawyer was almost upon us.

  Cricket leaned in and whispered fiercely, “Ember made me into this wretched human for a purpose. I must stay with the Horsemen.” The Horsemen had already changed into their equine forms and were waiting for her to join them. She winked at me and jumped onto War’s back. “We’ll hold them off, give you time to escape!” she shouted.

  The great chestnut horse reared, screaming and tossing his head. Clouds exploded from his hooves and he surged into the sky, galloping over them as if they were solid ground. Famine took flight right behind him, his pale golden tail trailing behind him. The rush of clouds they created collided with the flames. Hounds bellowed and unnamed creatures shrieked.

  The beating of wings was suddenly in my ears and I looked skyward. Dark Angels jetted from out of nowhere, their war cries ringing in the air as they sped toward the Horsemen and Cricket.

  Horas grabbed my arm, shoving me into the portal that Sir Austin and Youmi had just opened. Angus jumped through in front of us, and then the Watchers let the loop go.

  I looked over my shoulder. The hounds crashed through the rock wall and the barn had ignited. Trees crashed down and lightning streaked across the sky where the Fallen Angels pursued the horses.