by Leo Romero
I got myself together and marched along the corridor back toward the club area.
“Well done, Stone,” Draxil said to me.
“What the hell was that?” I hissed. “What did you do?”
“You were having trouble lying to Michael. So I intervened.”
“Yeah, and gave the game away in the process!”
“He didn’t suspect a thing.”
My jaw dropped. I came to an abrupt halt. “Oh yeah, an Archangel that was born yesterday. Um, okay, if you say so, pal! Don’t be doing that taking over me thing again.”
“I will if I have to. But don’t worry, I can only briefly take over a small part of you at a time. Your mouth, your eyes, a limb or two. Anything more or for too long a time will accelerate your descent into madness. And I’ll spare you that.”
“Oh, you’re too kind!”
Someone entered the corridor. I whirled to face them.
“You okay, Gabe?” It was Aurora.
“Fine.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“Um. Myself.”
Aurora frowned. “Oh-kay. I got your message. Came here as soon as I could. Jerome said you had a meeting with someone important and I shouldn’t disturb you. I came looking for you anyway.”
“Always breaking the rules.”
She grinned. “So, what’s going on?”
I shook my head. “I can’t talk here.”
Her face turned dark. “Oh. Sounds serious.”
“Nothing we can’t handle. I hope.”
“So this is the Dark Bearer,” Draxil said.
I wanted to answer with at least a nod, but that would look too weird.
“We have no time to waste, Stone. We need to get to that portal,” said Draxil.
I put a hand on Aurora’s shoulder. “Listen, Aurora. We need to do something a little...insane.”
She gave me a sideways look. “How insane?”
I went to tell her when the door to the changing room where I’d had my meeting with Michael opened. I turned to be faced with Michael standing in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave us both a smile.
“Is that...?” Aurora began.
I gave her a lamentable nod. “Yeah. That’s Michael. An Archangel.” I gave him a little wave without even knowing why I was doing so. Man, the combination of the effects Michael had on me and Draxil loitering in my mind were making me do some weird-assed shit. I just wanted to get outta there. I grabbed Aurora by the arm.
“Ow!” she groaned.
“We’re leaving, Aurora,” I said and dragged her along the corridor.
She gave Michael a quick wave as she went.
Chapter 6
I summoned Pegasus, used a trick of the light masking spell on him to make him look like a kid’s balloon, and we took to the sky over Chicago. As we galloped across the city, Aurora was full of questions. I couldn’t answer most of them without giving away what happened with Draxil. I had to keep some things close to my chest. I still wasn’t a hundred percent convinced Draxil was being perfectly honest with me. Michael’s version of what was going on was at odds with Draxil’s. Who was I to believe? An Archangel or a demon? On top of that, Aurora would no doubt be terrified of Draxil’s presence. He’d been the Armor of Agony after all. How was I supposed to explain he was now possessing me?
I decided to take things one step at a time. First, open the portal again and find out once and for all if Lothar was still alive. If he was, then I could start explaining all things Draxil and fallen angels. I just prayed we didn’t release Typhon.
We landed on the roof of Dark Suits HQ, and the pentagon-shaped outline of the portal greeted us. I jumped off Pegasus and stared up at the sky, half-expecting those damn horsemen to return. I didn’t want my paranoia to get the better of me, so I turned my attention back to the closed portal.
Aurora jumped off Pegasus and marched up to me. “Okay, Gabe, enough of the silent act. What’s going on? Why are we back here again?”
I let out a sigh. “Trust me, I don’t wanna be here either.”
“So let’s leave.”
I shook my head. “Can’t.” I closed my eyes and took out the knife I grabbed from the Guild on the way out. I handed it to her. “We need to open that portal to Tartarus again. So get some blood on it.”
Aurora recoiled. “What? Have you gone nuts?”
I nodded. “I think so. But I hope I haven’t.”
Aurora crossed her arms over her chest. “Uh-uh. No way! That Typhon thing might still be in there. If not him then that other demon thing.”
I nodded. “Exactly. That other demon thing is the one we need.”
Her face scrunched up. “Why?”
I rubbed my head. “I can’t really explain things here. We have to go back to Tartarus, and I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”
“It might be too late by then, Gabe. Typhon might tear us to pieces before you get a chance.”
I rubbed my head. I didn’t need this crap, and I didn’t want to open that portal either. I was in a no-win situation.
“If she won’t willingly spill her blood, you’ll have to force her,” Draxil said to me matter-of-factly.
“No way, I can’t do that,” I said.
Aurora’s brow furrowed. “There you go again talking to yourself.”
“I’m not talking to myself. I’m talking to...someone else.”
“Okay, now you’re completely freaking me out. What’s got into you, Gabe?”
“I can’t tell you right now. You’ll just have to trust me. The fate of the world depends on it.”
She grabbed her head. “Oh, not this crap again.”
“Yes. Again. Isn’t this what our lives are about now? The world on the brink, and we have to save it. Well, we’re there again. Hooray!”
“Oh God,” Aurora groaned. “What is it now?”
“The four horsemen were here earlier. On this rooftop.”
“Horsemen? Like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
“Yeah, those guys.”
“What did they want?”
“Oh, they just wanted to hang out, you know, crack a few jokes over a beer, smoke a joint.” I rolled my eyes. “The clue is in the name, Aurora. They wanted to trigger the apocalypse.”
Aurora huffed. “Okay, so why are we all still here then?”
“’Cause I fought them off.”
“On your own?”
“No, with someone else.”
“Who?”
“I can’t tell you right now,” I growled through clenched teeth. “But once we get the portal open, I can fill you in on everything. Please, Aurora, stop making this harder than it needs to be. We need that demon’s help to defeat the horsemen, or they’ll destroy the world. It’s as simple as that.”
“What if he’s dead and Typhon’s alive?”
“Then we need to scram and get the portal closed before he kills us.”
“What if we’re not fast enough?”
A flash of anger overcame me, and my vision turned red for a split second. “Aurora!” I barked. “Enough! Just take the knife and get the damn portal open!” I clamped my teeth down so hard my head hurt.
Fear jumped onto her face. “Gabe?”
My vision cleared, and the anger washed out of me. I shook my head for a second. “Sorry, kid,” I said, catching my breath. “I don’t know what came over me.” I rubbed my forehead with the heel of my palm. “Look, we’re kinda pushed for time. Just open the portal. It’s a risk we have to take.” I spoke in a more calm and measured voice. I held out the knife again and kept my gaze on the rooftop.
Aurora reached out a trembling hand and took the knife. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Gabe.”
I nodded. “So do I.”
She stepped tentatively toward the portal and squatted down next to it. I watched her put the blade next to her thumb, my heart starting to beat hard. Who knew if Typhon was waiting on the other side of that portal? If h
e was, we were screwed. If I didn’t do what Draxil wanted, we were screwed. If Draxil left my body, we were all screwed. In other words, everyone was screwed, so did it really matter anyway?
With that kind of reverse psychology working on my mind, some of the fear escaped me. I watched Aurora run the blade down her thumb, her precious blood exposed to the world. She took a breath and held her thumb over the portal. My eyes widened as the first drop of blood hit the rooftop. There was no turning back now.
Another drop splashed on the roof, then another, and the portal flared into life. A bright, red glow shot up into the sky. I snatched an involuntary breath, expecting the worst. Aurora kind of froze and just remained as she was, staring at the open portal, the red glow reflected in her bottle-green irises.
“Nothing’s happening, Gabe,” she uttered, remaining in her crouched over pose.
I didn’t respond. Instead, I just stared at the portal.
“Get us in there, Stone!” Draxil grunted.
Maybe if Typhon was still alive, he hadn’t yet realized the portal was open. We’d just have to find out. “Come on, Aurora.”
I went over to Pegasus and mounted him. Aroura scampered over and climbed on. I got Pegasus in the air, turned him around, and dived into the portal, that red glow dominating my vision. The world flipped on its side as we entered Tartarus, and Pegasus’ hooves landed on solid ground. The intense heat of the Greek Underworld hit me like a wave. The cavern where the gargoyles were being stored was as we left it. Gargoyle rubble littered the ground. That waterfall of molten lava to the left still flowed, the prison-like bars stood to attention to the right. With wide eyes, I took everything in, praying that Typhon was no more.
Something red and bulky lying in the rubble ahead caught my attention.
“Lothar!” Draxil exclaimed.
Yeah, it was the demon that had been possessing Nigella. Lothar. He was on his back, sprawled over pieces of broken gargoyle.
“Go to him!” Draxil ordered.
“Not so fast!” I replied. “We don’t know what’s going on here yet.”
“Who is it you’re talking to?” Aurora asked.
“Just go, Stone!” said Draxil.
I ignored Aurora and got Pegasus trotting forward. He stepped through the rubble and as he did, another much smaller figure came into view. Nigella. She was lying on her front, her eyes closed. I lowered my eyes. I never wanted her to die. She’d helped us, and it looked like it had cost her her life.
As we approached, I flicked my eyes all over the place, so paranoid of Typhon. One encounter with that SOB was enough for one lifetime. I doubted I’d survive a second round.
We reached the two prone bodies, and I gazed down at the massive frame of Lothar. And that was when I noticed the thing in his grip. It was one of Typhon’s horns, the unbroken one. Lothar was clutching the tip of it. He’d torn it off Typhon’s head. Man, that must’ve taken some doing.
“Look, Gabe!”
My heart skipped a beat. I flicked my head around to where Aurora was pointing, my breath bated.
In the far corner sat what remained of Typhon’s head. The twin jets of fire that had been his eyes were extinguished, and his lower jaw was missing. His body was nowhere to be seen. Right then I didn’t give a damn where it was. The asshole was dead; that was all that mattered. Relief swept over me, and I breathed again. I stared from Typhon’s head down at Lothar in admiration. He’d managed to take out Typhon. I was impressed. But it hadn’t been easy. Lothar’s body was ruined. Deep gashes and cuts crisscrossed his mighty frame. Typhon hadn’t gone down easily. But neither had Lothar.
“Looks like he didn’t survive,” I said to myself but aimed my words at Draxil.
“Neither did Nigella,” Aurora said. She jumped off Pegasus and stepped through the rubble toward Nigella’s body.
“My brother in arms fell fighting,” Draxil said in a sorrowful voice. “As I knew he would.”
Lothar twitched. Pegasus got up on his hind legs.
“Whoa, boy!” I said, and he got back down on all four. Lothar’s body jerked again a couple more times.
“He isn’t dead!” Draxil exclaimed.
I jumped off Pegasus and leaped toward Lothar.
“I need to see him,” Draxil said. “I’m coming out.”
“Whoa, one minute,” I said.
Aurora turned to face me. “Who are you talking to, Gabe?”
I gave her a serious stare. “There’s something I’ve gotta show you. But I don’t want you to freak out. Okay? Just trust me.”
Aurora gave me an unsure look. “Oh-kay.”
“All right, Draxil,” I said. “Come out.”
My mind went blank. My eyes rolled up into my head. Somewhere at the back of the haze was a tearing pain. My shoulders jolted as Draxil climbed out of me. He leaped off my back, and I snapped into life. I gave my head a brisk shake, and my eyes focused in on Aurora. She had her hands up to her mouth. Her wide eyes were brimming with fear. I snapped my head to the left to be met with Draxil as he shifted from spectral form to solid. He gazed down at Aurora with that perma-snarl on his face. Maybe he was trying to grin; I didn’t know. The guy was so ugly he couldn’t help but look mean and constantly pissed. Whatever the case, he wasn’t scoring any points with Aurora. She threw her hands away from her mouth and sucked in a big breath.
My eyes bulged. “Aurora, no!”
Too late. She let out a siren blast.
I threw my arms over my face, expecting to be thrown off my feet. Draxil raised a calm hand, showing Aurora his palm. Her infernal noise lasted all of a second before cutting out. I lowered my hands, my eyes on Aurora. She’d gone into some kind of trance, her jaw slack. I flicked my gaze from her to Draxil. He was standing there cool and composed, showing her his palm. After a few seconds, he lowered his hand. Aurora shook out of her fugue, her eyes focusing back in.
“We are connected, child,” Draxil said. “I can absorb your attacks.”
Aurora met his gaze. “I-I saw a battle on a mountain. Horsemen against demons.”
Draxil nodded. “The first battle between us and the horsemen.”
Aurora’s frightened eyes darted from him to me. “What is this thing, Gabe? Why was he inside you?”
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“And we have little time,” Draxil said and stomped over to Lothar. He bent down next to him and gave his bruised and lacerated chest a rough rub. He probably wanted to be tender, but tenderness had been eradicated since his fall from Heaven. “Brother! Awaken!” he said to Lothar.
I went and joined Draxil. Lothar’s eyes were slits. Tears of black blood oozed out from beneath his eyelids. His huge jaw rattled, causing his teeth to chatter.
“Is he gonna be okay?” I asked Draxil.
“There’s a flicker of life in him,” Draxil answered. “He must be healed urgently or it will leave him.”
“Well, how do we do that?”
“Gabe? What the hell is going on?” Aurora asked, her eyes hot. “Are you working with demons now?”
I sighed. “Kind of. Look, they’re not demons in the classical sense.”
“They look like demons to me! Why was he possessing you?”
I shook my head. “He had to. If he didn’t, the horsemen would have scorched the world.”
Aurora crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh right. That’s what he told you, is it?”
“Yeah.”
“And you believe him? Who is he anyway?”
“He was the Prince of Hell they turned into the Armor of Agony. You might recognize his hand.”
Aurora flicked her eyes down to Draxil’s hands. She cringed. “How is he walking like this?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. The Dark Suits messed up and brought him back to life. Now the horsemen want to kill him. But what they don’t know is that if they kill him, you will die, and the portal to Hell will be opened.”
Aurora held up her palms. “Whoa. First of all, how
does that even make any sense? He’s lying to you.”
Draxil’s back straightened. “Am I? Pray tell me why you were unable to attack me just now.”
Aurora went to answer, but no words came out of her mouth.
“We are connected by death,” said Draxil. “I devoured a piece of your magical essence during the ritual Beelzebub began, which has given me power over you. If I die, you die, and this portal will lead directly to Hell.”
Aurora jabbed her hands into her hips and jutted out her chin. “Well, that can’t be correct either. Tarron Skalanis said I have to be sacrificed in a place of evil. So there.”
“And you will be,” Draxil said. “That piece of your essence is in a place of darkness.” He pointed at his own heart. “Here. Inside a demon.”
Aurora turned pale.
I held up my hands. “Look, Aurora. I know this is all messed up. But this is how it is. Draxil can’t walk the Earth without the horsemen getting triggered, so he has to hide inside me until we put together his team of demons that tried to overthrow Satan.”
“They tried to overthrow Satan?” Aurora echoed. “Why?”
“We were tricked by Lucifer into joining his rebellion,” Draxil told her. “By the time we realized we’d been deceived, it was too late. We don’t share Satan’s vision. We attempted to overthrow him, but we failed. I was betrayed by his disciples, gutted, and transformed into that armor. My brothers in arms went into hiding from Satan’s legions and the horsemen. We wish to be pardoned, absolved of our sins. But first we have to defeat the horsemen, or the Earth will be devoured by their insanity.”
Aurora threw a hand up to her forehead. “Why can’t my life just be simple?”
“Because you are the Dark Bearer,” Draxil said. “The final Dark Bearer. Your life will never be simple. Now we don’t have time to talk. The horsemen have given us a deadline. We must heal Lothar before it’s too late.”
