by Ciara Graves
“Then we will have what you promised?”
Hadariel waved absently at the beast. “Yes, of course. That was the deal.”
“More than a deal, master. You swore in blood to let us roam free to rule the humans. If you go back on that deal, it’s you who will suffer for it.”
“You dare threaten the person who broke open Hell?”
“Don’t try to act as if that was part of your plan,” the creature scoffed. “We both know what’s happening to you as much as you wish to deny it.” He stretched his claws toward Hadariel’s chest and smiled darkly. “Already the evil you try to bend to your will is twisting you around, contorting your holy light into something new. Something foul.”
Hadariel stiffened and withdrew from the monster that looked so much like him. Almost like he was the evil reflection of our once pure-hearted high general. Now I wasn’t sure what he was.
“I will never become like you,” he informed the winged beast. “And you will obey my orders.”
The creature’s evil grin spread wider, but he bowed with flourish. “Of course, master. Now, do you have what we require or not?”
“Yes, I do. Once it's in place, Hell will never be closed again. And I suggest you not question me.”
“If you would simply make this portal usable by me, you wouldn’t have to come to the surface.”
“Only I or a general may use it,” Hadariel said quickly. “That will not change.”
“Before long, I will be you.”
Hadariel’s hand was around the creature’s throat, but all it did was draw a creepy laugh from him. “Go ahead, do it. See what happens. We both know how much you need me.”
Hadariel squeezed then released him. He stepped aside on the platform, and the creature stood beside him. My mouth dropped in horror when white, holy light surrounded them both, then with a loud pop, they were whisked away to the Heavens. Hadariel had created a portal for evil to enter the Heavens. Not only were they corrupting him, but they were also going to corrupt our source of holy light. He was condemning all angels to a fate worse than death. How many times had evil entered our realm?
We didn’t dare move, not with the three zombies and two abominations left behind to guard the pool. We could kill them, but if Hadariel and that monster returned, they would know someone had been there. We would just have to wait it out. I peered around the boulder as the two abominations stepped into the water. The water glowed bright red, rippling and churning around their feet. A darker light spread, creating some sort of pattern that was too hard to make out from this distance. The platform Hadariel, and the beast had stood on rose higher out of the water. More intricate lines stretched out from the bottom of the pool and etched into the stone.
“What is that?” I whispered but received no answer.
The abominations grunted and motioned, as if communicating. The one on the right reached toward the platform, his hand sinking into the stone as though it were malleable material. The same designs spread onto the abominations arm and as we watched, holy light shot up his arm, filling him.
Was this what Hadariel wanted? Did he know they were taking holy light? We had to tell the others. No wonder they were becoming harder to kill. If they continued to take our light for themselves, our source would be depleted as it was being corrupted. I shifted closer, wanting to stop this atrocity from happening. A small pile of stones rolled off the boulder when my hand brushed them.
One abomination sniffed the air and stepped away from the pool. He grunted to the other one and then they were walking away from the water.
They weren’t going toward the path. They were coming right for us.
“You need to get out of here,” Dad urged as a sword made of pure holy light formed in his hands.
Mom had a battleax in hers, ready to attack. “Leave and tell the others what you saw.”
“I’m not leaving you two behind.”
“You have to. Morael and Remiel know. You can trust them. Now go, Lela.”
“What about the other generals?”
“We don’t know, but you can’t stay here.” Dad nudged me again.
Staying low, I crawled away from their hiding place as the abominations closed in. My parents shifted their stances making ready to attack. I didn’t want to leave, but Dad was right. Someone who knew the truth had to make it back to the Heavens and alert the others.
Just as the abominations looked ready to charge, my parents made the first move and launched themselves at the enemy. As they fought, I spread my wings and shot into the sky, out of the ravine, and made for the Heavens…
I was surrounded by a soft, white glow. From the look of it, I was back in the Heavens, and Morael was in front of me. I told him what I witnessed. He was talking to me, but the words were muffled.
“He knows,” Morael said.
“He who? Hadariel?” I strained to focus on what was going on. “Knows what?”
“No matter what happens, you have to remember, Lela,” he said roughly. “You have to tell the others. Hadariel will be the death of us all if you don’t.”
“Wait,” I glanced around and frowned, “where are we?”
This wasn’t a memory, was it? I slowly turned around, but there were no structures or other angels.
“Morael, what is this?”
“My last chance to help you see.”
When I faced him again, I reeled back. His neck bore a gaping wound, and his once pristine armor was stained with blood.
“You have to stop him, Lela. Remember.”
“I’m trying, but I can’t stop him,” I argued, still not sure what this was. “He tore out my wings. He made me mortal.”
Morael’s eyes darkened. “But you are alive. That’s what matters.”
“There’s no stopping him.”
“Not alone, but Lela, you’re not alone. You and that demon were always meant to find each other. Your parents knew you had a great destiny awaiting you. You always have, ever since you were born. One with a heart so pure.” He smiled sadly as he rested a warm, glowing hand on my arm. “I’ll tell them you’re finally on the path.”
“Path to what? Morael?”
He was shimmering out of view. “Path to saving us all.”
Then he was gone. I lunged for him but ended up bolting upright in bed and letting out a pained scream as I tore open the wound under my collar bone. I bit back a stream of curses as I waited for what I witnessed to fade away, like any other dream. Only it didn’t. His touch remained on my arm for a few seconds longer as a single tear slid down my face. I’d really spoken to him.
Remember. He’d told me to remember.
When it hit me, I threw the blankets off the bed, picked up the fresh shirt someone had draped over the chair and changed as quickly as I could. Each motion was a struggle, but I managed. Walking was another issue. I made it halfway to the clinic door when I collapsed and took a rolling metal table of medical supplies down with me.
“Lela? What are you doing out of bed?” Bailey scolded as she rushed toward me.
“Mech. Where is he? I have to find him.”
“He’s meeting with the demon lords. Come on, let’s get you back to bed. You’re not healed yet.”
“I need to find him,” I repeated. “Bailey, just take me to him.”
“I am not letting you wander around Dakota while you’re hardly able to stand upright,” she said and started to guide me back to the bed.
I planted my feet and forced her to stop. I was already growing weak and mentally cursed Hadariel for making me a mortal. How was I supposed to fulfill whatever great destiny Morael mentioned when it took me days now to heal from a stab wound? Swallowing hard and fighting against the dizziness, I squeezed Bailey’s arm.
“Please, I need to talk to him. It’s important.”
She shut her eyes and muttered something about being as stubborn as a demon. “Fine, let’s get you to Mech, but afterward it’s straight back here, understand me? I’ll not have you coll
apsing on my watch.”
Getting out of the clinic was hard, and by the time we were on the main road of Dakota, I was ready to sit down and not move for a few hours. Or a day.
Morning had come, and the compound was bustling with humans and demons working to rebuild and fortify. The fiery protective dome was intact, a glowing beacon of safety in a world that was growing darker by the day. Mech and the demon lords were meeting in what Bryan had dubbed Town Hall. Really it was an old gymnasium that had been transformed into a gathering space. The two demon guards at the door frowned when they saw us approaching, but let us in. One of them moved to take my right side when I faltered.
“Mech,” I whispered. “Is he in there?”
The demon nodded and helped me get through both sets of double doors. The large table was surrounded by more than just demon lords. Bryan and other humans who spoke for those in Dakota were present as well as Mech. Their conversation came to a standstill when we walked inside.
“Lela,” Mech exclaimed and then was rushing toward me. “Are you insane? Bailey, what the Hell is she doing up?”
“Don’t blame her,” I said, out of breath. The room spun, and Mech pulled over a chair. “Thanks.”
“You are going back to the clinic right now.”
“Wait,” I argued. “Just give me a second. The room keeps spinning.” He growled, and I rolled my eyes. “Oh, shut it. Blood Falls, I know what’s there.”
“You remembered?”
“And I saw Morael, sort of,” I added, and his brow furrowed even more. “Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that there’s a portal at the falls. A portal created by Hadariel.”
“Portal to do what?” another voice asked.
Lord Koreth approached from the far side of the table as he spoke. “A portal that allows evil to enter the Heavens,” I said. There were several curses and gasps around the table. “That winged creature that attacked? It went with him to get something. Said it would force Hell to remain open forever so evil could never be trapped. But it’s following Hadariel’s orders. I think… I think it came from him somehow.”
“Is that possible?” Mech asked his father.
“With the amount of evil he unleashed I’m afraid anything is. What else do you remember?”
Mech scowled, but I patted his hand. “It’s fine. They need to know.” I blew out a shaky breath and leaned into Mech to give me the strength to get through this. “Hadariel is planning to use the army he’s forming to kill the demon lords. He promised that monster a chance to be free from the bonds of Hell and rule over the surface.”
“We can’t let that happen. This portal, you said it allowed evil into the Heavens?” The woman who asked, I thought she was Ilran, was on her feet and dressed in shining black and crimson armor. She wasn’t wearing a dress today.
“Yeah, but only the high general or another general can use it. It won’t do us any good without a general.”
“And from what you said, the two left in this region are working for Hadariel,” Mech muttered.
“But the third isn’t. We need to find Remiel.”
“Why not just capture a general from another continent?” Ilran suggested.
“Good luck finding one,” I told her. “I’m sure you’ve noticed during this war the generals rarely if ever leave the Heavens. And I don’t know if we can trust them. You won’t catch one of them, but if we can get to Remiel, give him a reason to show himself, he can help us.”
“Are you sure?”
“My parents told me right after we saw Hadariel take the creature to the Heavens. They made me leave as they held off the abominations guarding the portal.”
I let out a deep breath, realizing what happened right after that. Hadariel found out what we’d seen and had them executed then erased my memories. I wasn’t keen to see Remiel, since he was hardly around, to begin with. As far as most of the commanders were concerned, he was useless. He never gave out orders directly. Hardly anyone spoke to him except the other generals. I hadn’t seen him since before my parents were killed. We were out of options, though. We needed more angels on our side, eyes in the Heavens to tell us what Hadariel’s plans were. I thought of Nathaniel and prayed he was staying safe in this mess.
“How do we find Remiel?” Ilran asked.
“We need Nathaniel,” I whispered. “He might know how to get to the general.”
“Your friend?” Mech looked like he wanted to argue with me though he finally nodded. “You have a way to track him?”
“Not track him, but a way to make him come to you. Take a lock of my hair. I might not have holy light, but I think your hellfire will work.”
“How? They’re not the same.”
“Actually because of our connection, I think it might.” I rested my hands on Mech’s arm. “Trust me. It’ll work. And if not, well, I don’t know what we do then.”
“If there was nothing else you wanted to say, we should get you back to bed.”
“Wait, the abominations are heading to the falls.” I had to get through this last bit of information. They had to know. “They’re absorbing holy light from the pool. I don’t know if Hadariel knows it or not, but it’s what I saw them doing the day I was there. They’re not just corrupting the angels’ source of light. They’re depleting it.”
“And once it's gone, the Heavens will fall,” Koreth said quietly. “Hadariel has brought about the apocalypse, and he hasn’t even realized it, the fool.”
He was right. With demons and angels dead, there would be nothing left to combat the evil that was seeping out of Hell at a rapid pace. It would grow and expand until it covered the surface. This world would die.
“Come on,” Mech said gently, “let’s get you back to bed.”
I wanted to stay and hear the rest of the conversation, but Mech arched his brow, as if making ready to shut me down if I asked to stick around. “Alright. Might not be a bad idea. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.”
“It’s a start,” Koreth assured me then to my surprise, held my hand in his. “And thank you.”
“Just wish I had a better solution.”
“No, I meant thank you for helping keep my son alive.”
I smiled as I glanced at Mech. “Can’t lose him right after I’ve found him, right? And you’re welcome.”
Mech let me walk to the doors, but once we were through them, he scooped me into his arms. For once, I was too tired to complain and curled into his chest, soaking in his warmth. We walked out of the town hall and through Dakota, but he wasn’t headed back to the clinic. I gave him a curious look.
“I had a room prepared away from the clinic so you can get some real rest,” he informed me.
“Our room?”
He nodded. “Something like that, yeah.”
We wound through the streets, passing demons and humans working side by side. They laughed and talked like there wasn’t a war going on outside these walls. I spotted Tim. He waved when he saw us. Bryan was with him. Those two would get along great. Mech turned down another street then reached a two-story stone building. The front door was missing, and the lower level was filled with crates and boxes of what looked like random supplies. A set of stairs was toward the back of the room. At the top was a wooden door. Mech pushed it open with his shoulder and stepped inside. Most of the windows were missing. A bed was on the floor to the right. It appeared to be the only furniture aside from two small end tables.
“I wish you could stay in Hell,” Mech commented. “Could give you a proper room there.”
“This is just fine for me. If you need to go back to recharge, though, don’t let me stop you.”
“Not happening right now. I’ll be fine for a while longer.” He set me on my feet, and I walked slowly around the room. It was ten times the size of where I was used to staying. I never needed much, to begin with, and after nearly dying, again, I was content to only focus on what mattered.
I stumbled, and Mech was right there to support me. He guided me
to the bed, and I sank onto the mattress. “You have to get back?”
“Not right away.” He knelt in front of me as his gaze shifted to my collar bone. His brow wrinkled, and a growl rumbled. “Never should’ve happened.”
“But it did, and I’d do it all over again if I had to.”
“That does not make me feel better.”
“Hey, you’re the one who said it. We’re soul mates. This is what we do for each other. We sacrifice when we have to.”
He sighed and rested his forehead against mine. “You’re what I’ve been missing all these years. This damned war almost kept us apart. If I hadn’t gone to the rift that day, I might’ve lost you.”
“But you haven’t. Not yet, at least.”
“Don’t say that.” He held my cheek as we looked into each other’s eyes. “I won’t lose you, understand? It’s not going to happen. I will do everything I can to keep you safe.”
“And I’ll do the same for you.”
“No, you are going to stay here where it’s safe no matter what happens next.”
“Nope. Where you go, I go.”
He rolled his eyes heavenward then he was kissing me. I clung to him as a voice in the back of my mind said this wasn’t going to last. There was too much evil in the world. And if the evil didn’t get us Hadariel and his angels would. I finally found someone in this world I felt completely and utterly connected to, and there was a high chance I’d lose him way too soon. He sat down on the bed beside me then pulled me into his lap as the kiss deepened. He buried one hand in my hair, untangling the knots, as his other held my rear. I was so alive with him. I could almost see our future laid out if we could get through this war.
I shifted to hold him as close as I could but winced. “Damn it,” I mumbled as Mech drew back.
He tugged my shirt, checking the wound. “You’re bleeding again.” He set me on the bed and hurried downstairs. When he came back a minute later, he had fresh wrappings in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. “I’ll redress it, then get back to the others.”
I removed my t-shirt, wearing a tank underneath, and let the strap fall. Mech swallowed, his gaze wandering lower. I raised my brow. He cleared his throat and unwrapped the older bandages. His hands were warm as they brushed across my skin, and my eyes slipped closed. I wrapped my arms around his neck.
