That hellish blast struck home-
-and was deflected.
I should have known better. Force magic was easy enough to deflect. Simply have something hard enough to not break on impact, and angle it. Hellfire is equally easy to neutralize. Absorb it with your own. The demon who brings more hellfire and more focus wins those matches. Our amplified spell casting simply relied on our force dissipating their hellfire, and my hellfire breaking whatever barrier they used to defend against the force.
Silly us. We mixed hellfire and force to attack, they mixed hellfire and force to defend. I had made a couple of assumptions that were not paying off. Stupid assumption one: Azriphel wouldn't have found another mage partner already. Stupid assumption two: Azriphel wouldn't have prepared a defense.
The blast burned skyward, upwards into the infinite gray until there was nothing left to see. My wings hitched and we dropped a few feet before I caught myself. "Shit," Tink said, hanging almost limp in my arms. "Oh, fucking shit."
I spun and flung myself toward the nearest demon, who was wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "Get her out of here. Now!" I practically flung Tink at him. He caught her reflexively, stared at me. "GO!"
He took off. The other three went with him, leaving me alone. In that moment of solitude, I could see the mass of Lucifer demons moving, lashing out. Then they were on me.
I flipped myself over backwards and dove straight down, letting gravity and momentum carry me away from their claws, willing my wounds to close, shifting my human blood into ichor as quickly as was possible. There was no room for error or weakness, not if I wanted my infinitely small chance to survive.
I saw a red and green splotch ahead of me as I dove. Blood. I pulled myself out of the dive, feeling air press up against me as I kissed the ground. Behind me, I heard multiple crunches, snaps, and shouts. The odds shifted slightly in my favor. Two or three down, about three zillion to go.
Two Lucifers pulled alongside me. They moved together, experienced or trained or both, but I used the most simple tactics I could think of. I blew my wings open, cupping them to catch a sudden burst of height, then folded and dropped like a stone. They had moved inwards and upwards to follow me, but neither were ready for me to drop right back down. I landed on one's back and drove him downwards into the ground. The other ripped at me, his claws tearing into the membrane of my right wing. I leaped away but the damage was done.
Any full demon could fly for days if they were used to it. I wasn't a full demon, I was already burning ichor in quantities I couldn't easily regenerate, and I was hurt. I could burn ichor to heal the wound, but have less flight time. Let it go, lose ichor and maneuverability.
I healed it, sought altitude. A mass of red-eyed Lucifers dominated the skies. The imps were gone. They couldn't do anything about this. Caleb's white wings should have been easy to spot, but I couldn't see them. I could barely make out my mom's little group. I hoped that they had gotten Hikari to safety. I hoped that Caleb and Becky could make it out of here. I hoped.
The mass was focusing on me. My mom's group was dropping to the ground. Shit. That was all the distraction my pursuers needed. A clawed grip seized my left foot and pulled. Off balance, I tumbled in the air. The ground was far away, or so I thought. I kicked myself free of the grip, tried to reorient myself, failed, and slammed into the ground.
My left wing bent backwards, pain roaring through it into my shoulder. I tried to roll it off, but the crumpled wing foiled that plan and I slammed onto my back with numbing force. I coughed and my head rang like the Choir had come to serenade me personally at point blank range, but I forced the pain aside and jumped to my feet.
All around me, Lucifers landed. Claws out, teeth bared, red eyes focused on me. I manifested two fistfuls of hellfire and extended my wings to their full width, ignoring the pain. "Come on, you sons of bitches," I snarled. "Finish this!"
They didn't move, except for one who shouldered his way forward. "His Grace offers his compliments," the demon said. Quite calmly. Quite reasonably. "Surrender, halfbreed, and accept his mercy."
"What?"
"Your friends have been isolated and captured. Not one of them has escaped."
"My partner-"
She was in the grips of a Lucifer, a scarred and terrifying demon, her arms wrenched apart as she struggled. Her eyes caught mine and went wide. Her struggles stopped. She hung limp, defeated, Tinkerbell at rest. I bowed my head, folded my wings, let the hellfire fade. When they took my arms, I didn't resist.
They brought us to the altar in front of the Gates, where Azriphel awaited me. He chuckled as his troops dumped us to the ground. I stood, resuming my human form, but Tink remained crumpled on the ground. I didn't have time to check if she was hurt. My very last hope depended on staying alive for just a few more minutes. I swept into a bow. "It's your victory, your Grace. Congratulations."
"That won't save your life," Azriphel said. At his side stood a hooded and cloaked human, draped in so much cloth as to be practically unrecognizable. I assumed it was a man, judging by his stance. "Halfbreed, I expected this. You have my admiration for remaining hidden as long as you did. If you had stayed there, we would have let you go free after our business here concluded. Once the act is done, all that's left is the personal business between you and me."
"Didn't take you long to move on," I said, glancing at his mage.
He looked to his side and shrugged. "There are always those who seek power."
"And death here?"
Azriphel laughed. "Do you still believe the story the imps told you? They've lied to you all along. The Consortium and Syndicate know what lies beyond here. They are acting to withhold it from us for their own purposes."
"Bullshit," I said. "They're trying to stop you from destroying their homes."
"Why would that happen?"
That caught me. "What do you mean?"
He gestured at the Gates. "It's stone, halfbreed. Stone! The blast won't penetrate layers, it'll simply destroy the mechanism that denies us access to the layer beyond."
"But you don't know what's on the other side of this mechanism, Azriphel!" I gestured at it as well. "For all you know, there could be a failsafe on the Purgatory side that will do exactly as the imps said! You don't know!"
"And neither do you, halfbreed," he said. "Allow me the confidence to believe my own sources and intuition over yours."
I couldn't exactly blame him. We had been trying to kill him, after all. "I see your point. So what's your mercy here, your Grace? I don't suppose you're going to forgive us and let us go, are you?"
"The mercy of a quick death," he said. So predictable. "If you had resisted, I'd simply take a few years, decades maybe, to wring you dry."
"So kind of you," I said.
"Your friends, of course, will die with you."
"Of course. And the demons who decided to help us?"
He waved a hand. "They will be free to go. Those who informed us of your desperate assault have already been rewarded."
Something else I should have expected. Would it have made a difference? Probably not. "I don't suppose we'll at least get to see the fireworks first, will we?"
He nodded. "Your quick death will be to stand in front of the Gates as we force them open. If you're right, you'll die in the blast, quickly and painlessly. If I'm right, you'll be the first to see Purgatory in five hundred years, just before you die."
"Sounds like a good time."
"You'll see for yourself in the next twenty minutes," he promised. "Bring their friends. Allow them their last few minutes together."
Lucifer and Amon goons pulled us away from Azriphel and surrounded us. Hikari was dragged into the circle and flung herself at me. I held her and waited for the others to appear. Becky entered the circle next, her chin held up high. Last was Caleb, held securely by two very large Lucifers. "Summon your sword, angel, and the gift of mercy will be withdrawn from all of you," one of them hissed as they pushed him toward me.
The
angel looked much the worse for wear. His wings were clawed and missing clumps of feathers, his face covered with bruises, and his clothes were in tatters. Even so, he looked pleased with himself. "I defeated five of you before I was brought down," he said. "I could make it hundreds, if you were so inclined to take the risk."
All of the demons within hearing stiffened at his words. I knew what he meant. He could slash himself open, slash any one of them open, and mix ichor with purity. The result could be catastrophic. Battles weren't often punctuated with massive explosions, but the threat was always present. Even if it wasn't a guarantee, no one wanted to take the risk.
The circle of demons around us widened. So did Caleb's grin. "Wouldn't affect anything," I told him, my arms still around Hikari. "Azzy's too far away to catch the blast. They'd just pick up and continue."
"But the joy of dying on our own terms-"
"Would result in us still being dead," I said.
Hikari trembled against my chest. "We're going to die, aren't we, Zay?"
"Unless I get to try my very last plan."
She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "What plan is that?"
I lifted a finger to my lips. She shivered and buried her face in my chest again. I didn't want to say it aloud, I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to give them any idea of what I was thinking. Some of it would rely on surprise. The rest relied on luck, and on the information that had been turning in my head for months.
Becky had knelt next to Tink, talking quietly to her. Her gaze rose, locked on mine, then she nodded slightly. She was physically fine. Psychologically and emotionally, not so much. I lifted my shoulders in a small shrug. Nothing I could do for her right now.
Caleb was smoothing out his wings. I glanced at him, then jerked my head to get him to come over. He walked to me, still absorbed in his personal grooming. Demons watched us very closely. "I have a plan," I said. The properties of this realm worked in our favor. I didn't have to worry about being overheard, just lip-read. I kept my lips as still as possible. "Be surprised by anything I say. Act as if you don't believe me, like you don't think it'll work. It'll catch them off guard."
"All right." He walked to Tink and Becky, kneeling down and putting a hand on Becky's shoulder. Probably telling them what I had just said. That was fine. The more surprise, the better.
Hikari looked up again. "Is it going to work?"
"Probably not."
"Is it a better idea than this was?"
"It's a terrible idea, but it's the last one I have."
She laughed, then hiccuped. "Don't say that."
"Why not?" I spread my arms wide. "Look around us. These are our last few minutes alive, most likely. The odds are completely against us."
She pushed against my chest, forcing me a step back. "I wish I could believe you. It's written all over your face, in the tone of your voice. You think it's going to work. You just don't think we're going to live through it."
"Are you reading my mind?" I asked her.
"Who, me?" She smiled up at me.
I couldn't help myself. I lowered my head and kissed her. Quickly, not deeply, just enough to shut her up. She didn't resist. Maybe it was a surprise to her too. After that brief moment of bliss, I stepped back. "Sorry."
"Don't ever apologize to a girl for kissing her," she said. "Not unless she hits you."
"Are you going to hit me?"
"No, Zay. I'm not going to hit you. I didn't hit you last time, did I?"
"You were drunk and disorganized. I doubt you could have connected if you had tried."
"Is that what you think?" Her smile was golden, if a little crafty. "Just to let you know, I wasn't anywhere as drunk as you think I was."
"Clever girl."
"I know."
She fit herself against me again. Caleb and Becky had walked away from Tink, who was lying on her side, facing away from us. The angel glanced at me, flashing me a covert thumbs up. I felt my face burn. Even in this situation, I could still be struck by embarrassment like a high school student.
"Zay, we do need to have a long talk once we get home," Hikari said.
"What home?"
"You know what I mean. I suppose part of our talk could be about finding a new place for us to live."
The way she said it was possessive. Our. Us. I forced myself to think logically. Two people forced together by circumstances, high stress situation, of course things would go this way. "I'm a halfblood," I said.
"So?"
"That should be part of the talk too."
"Anything you want to talk about."
"If we live through this."
"Excuse the interruption," a voice said. Our heads came up as a Lucifer approached us. "His Grace demands your presence."
Moments later, the five of us stood before Azriphel, our arms all held behind our backs. He spared a moment to look at us, then looked back at his mage. "Continue with the preparations."
"Yes." The voice was muffled and expressionless, but undeniably male.
"Halfbreed and company," Azriphel said, turning back to us. "So glad you could join us. Are you prepared for your final moments?"
"I'd rather not," Becky said.
"The phrase that comes to mind is one about sleeping in the bed you made."
Becky shrugged, making the demon holding her hiss. "I don't regret anything except not having a gun right now."
Azriphel snorted and turned to me. "Well, halfbreed. This is farewell."
"I suppose it is," I said, carefully neutral.
He shook his head and pointed at the Gates. "Take them there. Bind their hands."
"Wait!"
"What is it?"
I took a deep breath. "I was hoping for a last request."
Azriphel's eyes went wide, and he actually slapped his forehead. "Silly me, I had forgotten to grant such a ridiculously stupid thing. But since you asked, I suppose I have no choice, do I?"
"It's just a simple thing, your Grace. It won't slow your preparation down."
"You're going to ask whether I like it or not, aren't you?" He crossed his arms. "Fine. Go on, halfbreed. Waste your last minutes begging."
I stepped forward, dragging the surprised demon holding my arms with me. "Duke Azriphel, I know how to open the Gates without causing the disaster we fear may come to pass. My last request is for you to allow me to do so."
Chapter Twenty One
The silence following my words wouldn't have been out of place in the depths of space. Azriphel blinked. I didn't. No one moved, not until Caleb took a step backwards. "How?" he whispered. "How do you know? You never told us you knew!" Caleb's act was superb. He struggled against the demons holding him back. "What do you mean, you know? How?"
"Lost it for sure," Tink said.
Azriphel examined me. The look in his eye was not charitable. "I agree with the girl."
"I'm serious."
"Of course you are." The Duke sighed and gestured with his claws. "Bind them, continue with the preparation."
"It's my last request, dammit." I shouldered forward again, but this time, the demon behind me wrenched me back. "It's not going to stop you or slow you down. Give me this chance. I might not be able to save myself, but at least let me try and mitigate the damage you're about to do."
Azriphel folded his arms, but said nothing. I started to sweat. I was offering him what he wanted, the opening of the Gates. What else did he want? I lowered my head, let myself sag. Let him know that I was beaten.
"Please," said a small voice. I lifted my head. Hikari had pulled free of her minder somehow and stood in front of Azriphel, fists clenched and stance wide. "It's his last request, your Grace. Our last request. You want the Gates open. He'll open them for you." She paused. "Please."
"Release them." Azriphel's gaze flicked to me. "Go to the Gates. Open them if you can. It won't change anything. Do as you wish, halfbreed."
I bowed my head. "Thank you, your Grace. Tink, Caleb, let's go."
"Wa
it." Azriphel's eyes narrowed. "The mage and the angel. Are you going to try something stupid, halfbreed?"
"The way to open the Gates is stupid, so, yes. Otherwise, no."
Azriphel pointed at Hikari, then at Becky. "You do know that they will pay if you attempt anything foolish."
I looked at Hikari. She nodded, even smiled. Putting her trust in me. That was fine. It wasn't as if the pressure could get any higher. Becky nodded as well, but remained expressionless. I wanted to apologize to her for getting her involved in this mess, but I didn't. I just walked away, to the Gates. Caleb and Tink caught up within a few steps.
"You know how to open the Gates?" Caleb asked quietly.
"I think so."
"Why didn't we do it months ago?" Tink demanded. "We could have saved time and lives. What was the point of all this?"
"Kibs told me a couple of things in passing," I said. "One of them was a hint as to how to open the Gates. The other was why they should remain closed."
"So you're saying this is a bad idea?"
"I'm saying this is the least worst idea."
Tink sighed. "I guess I can live with that."
The Gates were just as I dimly remembered them. I had come here when I was around fourteen or fifteen, between college semesters, in the company of one of my uncles. We hadn't stayed long, just long enough for me to recall the dark warmth of the stone. It loomed over us, easily twenty feet tall, at least twice as wide as it was tall. I put my hand on it. The warmth of the stone was just as I remembered it. My uncle had been saying something, but I couldn't remember it. I wished I could. Maybe it was something important. Maybe it was just him lecturing. I sighed and pushed away.
In the center, just above eye level, there was a large triangular design, an equilateral triangle around two feet to a side. Each corner of the triangle was capped with a sunken circle around the size of a hand. Surrounding that design was another circle. It was oddly reminiscent of Tink's magic style, maybe some sort of precursor to human magic.
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