by John Corwin
David chuckled, and made his guard work to push him down as well. Murmurs rose from the crowd, though I couldn't make out if they thought we were cool for resisting, or just stupid for pissing off the guards.
The captain whacked me in the back of my knees with the flat of his sword and my tiny rebellion came to an end. My knees hit the hard tiles, sending a shock up my bones. Once we were all down, a chubby seraph produced a brass horn and trumpeted a few notes. A choir of angels emerged from behind curtains on the sides of the throne, playing a lively tune on their harps.
Primarion Arturo appeared in his brilliant chromatic armor. Brilliant white wings blazed into fire on his back and spread wide. "All hail the rightful ruler, the Mother of Daelissa, the Conqueror of Realms, and soon to be the Mother of Dragons—Kaelissa, the second of her line."
The angels burst into loud song and the crowd burst into chants of, "All hail the empress, may she live forever!"
The curtains behind the throne billowed and Kaelissa burst through. She wore a pure white gown with a billowing cape of clouds. I had to admit she looked splendid, but the cold gaze in her eyes turned my heart to stone.
This is not a good day to die. But soon, I would be dead. My friends would likely live out their lives as prisoners. Seraphina would never be united. I would never see my sister or my home realm again. Every grim realization made my heart wither with sorrow.
Since Fakor had Kaelissa's soul essence, that meant Aerianas would soon rule as a puppet of Baal. I didn't know what that meant for the realms, but it couldn't be good, especially if the Apocryphan I'd freed from the Abyss decided to merge them back together.
I closed my eyes and tried to send a desperate message to the netherworld—to Haedaemos in the hopes of reaching Baal. Unfortunately, the cuffs I wore blocked the window in my soul just as surely as they blocked my magic.
We'd run out of options long ago and the reality crushed my hopes like a tin can in a steamroller factory.
Kaelissa raised her hands and the chamber grew silent. "My daughter sought to bring order where mortals spread chaos. She offered peace and hope to Eden, but the cowards kneeling before you today denied her goodwill."
David snorted as if he could barely restrain laughter. The guard behind him slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of his neck, but that didn't wipe the amused smile from my father's face.
"I have picked up the cause of my daughter," Kaelissa continued. "First, I will bring order to all of Seraphina. No longer will the Darklings sulk in their corner of the world. No longer will the Mzodi ignore the laws and customs of my empire."
The crowd roared with applause, and grew silent just as abruptly. I wondered if someone was holding up cue cards for them or if they feared Kaelissa's wrath for cheering too long.
"Once again, these cowards have tried to block my efforts at every turn." Kaelissa's eyes gleamed with delight. "No longer, children. Today, they will meet the fate they so richly deserve."
I gave a sharp look to Arturo, who frowned and looked at Kaelissa.
"Guards, prepare to deliver justice." Kaelissa motioned at the soldiers behind us.
I heard a hum and felt the heat of Brilliance coalescing around their blades. Michael gritted his teeth and tensed. We would die, but not without a fight.
"Arturo promised clemency for my comrades!" I shouted. "I alone am here to pay the price."
Kaelissa laughed. "Yes, Arturo told me of his promise, but he is not the empress."
"So, you will sully his honor?" I let my voice boom so it would reach the ears of as many people as possible.
"Empress." Arturo bowed deeply and spoke in tones only those nearby could hear. "I gave them my word to avoid needless bloodshed. Surely executing Slade is enough."
"No, my dear archangel, it is not." Kaelissa scowled at me. "These people killed my sweet Daelissa. They dream only of killing my entire family line. I will not have it!"
"By tarnishing the honor of your top commander, you tarnish your own," Alysea said.
"Even the darkest tarnish can be polished back to a clear shine," Kaelissa said. "My daughter calls for your blood." Her voice sank to a hiss. "She calls for revenge." The empress stood, eyes blazing white. "Guards, ready your weapons."
Energy hummed as the crystal blades rose above our necks. A ripple of tension ran down the backs of my friends. Before those swords came down, I knew some of us would explode into action, fighting with bound hands until swords plunged into our bodies from all sides. One of us would be the last to die in a lake of our loved ones' blood.
Will it be me?
I felt so helpless. So lost. I knew of only one possible way out.
I took a deep breath and spoke from my diaphragm so all would hear. "Kaelissa, I issue the Challenge of Ascension!"
Chapter 34
Kaelissa's face clouded with momentary confusion. I saw hesitation in the eyes of the soldiers even as they held their swords aloft. From the galley came a loud murmuring and a scattering of shouts.
"You cannot challenge me for the throne, half-damned creature." Kaelissa spat in my face. "You have no standing to issue such a challenge."
"Is that true?" I directed the question to Arturo. "Or is this another of her lies?"
"It is true," Arturo said in a voice too calm for such a tense moment. "Only a pure Brightling of noble birth can issue the challenge."
"Then I issue the Challenge of Ascension," Alysea said, her voice ringing like a crystal chime in the great hall. "I am Alysea, descendant of Seaa, the Golden Ruler herself. If any have a claim on the throne, it is me."
"Ridiculous!" Kaelissa shouted, spittle foaming on her lips. "Guards—"
Arturo held up a hand and the soldiers looked with confusion between their military leader and the empress. "Alysea has a rightful claim, Empress. Her challenge must be heard."
"This is absurd," Kaelissa shouted. "Guards, execute them."
"Apologies, Empress, but you cannot ignore a rightful challenge." Arturo proved he still held sway over his own people, because none of the guards moved to chop off our heads.
Kaelissa's face grew red with anger, but instead of demanding our heads again, she turned to a short seraph standing near the curtain to the side of the throne. "Bring me the Pearly Tome."
He nodded and darted away.
The murmurs in the crowd rose to a dull roar. I glanced over my shoulder. While the crowd still cast hostile glances our way, they certainly looked entertained. The short seraph returned moments later with a tall, thick book that looked as if it had been carved from pearl and stitched with gold. Kaelissa unwrapped a silky white ribbon from around the cover and opened it in her servant's arms. She turned stiff pages of which there seemed only a few dozen and then stopped.
Arturo stood by her side and looked at the page.
Kaelissa turned to us a moment later, a malevolent gleam in her eyes, and a smirk that made me wonder if she'd found some way to get out of this. "The challenge is accepted," she cried out. "As the challenged, I choose a battle of magics to the death, and Primarion Arturo as my protector."
Alysea didn't seem surprised at all by her choices.
"Mom," I hissed. "Choose me." I knew if I didn't say something, she'd probably fight herself.
David nodded. "He's the strongest of us."
Fear lit in Alysea's eyes, but she knew I was the one with the best chance to beat Arturo. "I choose my son, Justin Slade, as my protector."
At this, Kaelissa laughed with malicious glee. "My dear Alysea, do you not know the rules of the challenge?" She took the servant by the shoulders. "Please show her the tome."
The servant dutifully walked over and held the book low so those of us on our knees could read the Cyrinthian text inside. I couldn't quite see it from this angle, but Alysea's face blanched and her lips parted with shock.
"Yes, you poor fool." Kaelissa grabbed the book from the servant and held it aloft, opened to the page in question. "So that no family line will be wiped out, t
he challenger may not choose a blood relative." She closed the book, held it out, and dropped it like a mic.
"That's not even remotely fair," I protested. "Choose me if you want a fair fight, Kaelissa."
Arturo held up a fist. "I will gladly fight Justin Slade, champion of Eden."
"Yes, you will fight a champion of Eden," Kaelissa said, her gaze wandering my comrades. "But he must be chosen from among those who wield magic."
Bella stood. "Then I will fight for Alysea."
"No!" Shelton pushed to his feet. "Choose me. I volunteer to fight for Alysea."
My mother looked helplessly between the two. "This is unfair, Kaelissa. Arcanes are outmatched by—"
"I do not care!" Kaelissa pounded out each word like a hammer blow. "Choose your hero."
Shelton dropped onto his knees in front of Alysea. "Choose me. Please. I'm much stronger with magic than she is."
"Harry, no!" Tears streamed down Bella's eyes. "I will fight for her."
He shook his head. "No, baby. I can't let you."
Tears pooled in my mother's eyes, but she nodded. "I choose Harry Shelton as my champion."
"The lines are drawn, the heroes chosen." Kaelissa looked at Arturo as if challenging him to counter her word. "Let our champions prepare."
His jaw tightened and his smoldering eyes met mine. Finally, he bowed. "If the empress wishes to protect her honor with such a farce, then I will do it."
Kaelissa leaned down and sneered in Alysea's face. "When your hero fails, and he will certainly die quickly, the heads of your loved ones will litter the floor, foolish Alysea. You were Daelissa's friend, and you betrayed her. You, of all people, should feel such loss as I have felt. That is why I will spare you and give you centuries to ponder your mistakes."
Tears trickled down Alysea's cheeks, but her expression turned to stone. "The biggest mistake I ever made was showing your evil daughter how to reach Eden."
A loud pop rang out as Kaelissa's palm slapped my mother's cheek. She stood and turned to her servant. "Fetch the wizard's tools and arm him however he sees fit."
The short servant bowed and dashed away.
Kaelissa turned to Arturo. "Relocate the prisoners to a suitable arena. Citadel Square will suit our purposes. Let the commoners see this challenge. Let them witness the executions."
Arturo nodded. "Yes, Empress."
Within an hour, Kaelissa stood on a raised dais on the edge of the plaza where Shelton and I had shared drinks only a day ago. A huge crowd surrounded the square, nobles arranged around the empress and the rest of us prisoners on a raised platform corralled by a sea of glittering crystal armor.
Shelton stood in the open space just on the other side of a line of guards. He wore his hat and leather duster. His wand and compacted staff hung on opposite hips, his arcphone strapped inside his duster sleeve. His face had regained some color, but his eyes looked resigned.
"He has no faith in himself," Adam said. "Just look at him."
"How is he supposed to fight Arturo?" Bella said, tears in her eyes. "The archangel can fly overhead and pummel him with magic."
"Not to mention Seraphim magic will blow right through his shields." Adam winced. "I wish I could help him."
"Poor son of a bitch." David glared at Kaelissa. "I guess it's better than getting your head cut off."
Alysea looked on with red eyes. "I swear, I had no idea I couldn't choose you, Justin. It just doesn't seem right."
It didn't seem right, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.
Arturo stood at Kaelissa's side, his chromatic blue armor glinting in the sun. He carried no sword or lightning lance. Since this was a contest of magics, he would have to channel a sword if he wanted one.
"May I have a word with my friend?" I shouted at the archangel.
Kaelissa raised an eyebrow and looked to Arturo. The Primarion nodded his head and the guards helped me down off the platform and parted way. I walked over to Shelton, wishing I could give him a hug, but the wrist cuffs prevented it.
Shelton grinned when he saw me coming. "Jealous that I get to be the hero this time?"
I tried to chuckle, but it only brought tears to my eyes. "God damn it, Shelton, I'm sorry."
"Hey, look, we had a good run." He slapped me on the back. "I mean, at least I get to die for the woman I love and my best friend."
I didn't remind him that we were all doomed to die anyway. "Look, don't try to overpower him, okay? Dodge his attacks and wear him down so he can't fly, then get sneaky."
"Sneaky how?" Shelton glanced over my shoulder. "How am I supposed to beat that magnificent son of a bitch? How am I supposed to wear him out?" He chuckled. "I ain't that light on my feet and I don't have supernatural endurance."
He was right. Arturo had every edge over him and there was virtually no chance.
"Shelton, you're a pain in the ass, but I love you, man." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'll see you on the other side, okay?"
He wrapped his arms around me and slapped me on the back. "Hey, at least we can raise hell in the afterlife."
A guard took my arm and escorted me back to the platform with the others. Shelton looked at Arturo, took a deep breath and prepared to meet his fate.
Arturo, at least, showed some class and bowed toward his opponent as he took his place in the arena. Though he'd supported that heartless bitch, Daelissa and now fought to champion her mother, it was clear that he did it from a sense of duty. If Arturo had nothing else, he had his honor. Unfortunately, it meant he was duty-bound to kill my best friend.
"I can't watch." Bella buried her face in Michael's chest.
Elyssa gripped my manacled hand with hers, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I love you, Justin."
"I love you," I said, "and there's not a damned thing I can do to save you or anyone else."
"Sometimes, all you can do is go down fighting," Michael said grimly.
Kaelissa raised her hands and the crowd grew silent. "Alysea of the lineage of Seaa challenged my rightful rule. Now her hero faces mine in a test of magic. Let there be no doubt that the hero of the rightful ruler will prevail."
"Because she's a cheater," I muttered.
"At least I don't think Arturo is all amped up on human essence," Adam said. "That might give Shelton five minutes of dodging bullets."
Bella glared at him with tearstained eyes. "Adam, kindly shut your mouth."
Adam seemed too intent on peering at Shelton to hear her. "C'mon, Harry. Pull off a miracle."
"Let the fight begin!" Kaelissa cried, and fired a burst of Brilliance into the air.
Arturo wasted no time. He leveled his right fist at Shelton and focused a thin beam of Brilliance toward him. Shelton dodged sideways and rolled as Arturo raked the ground after him. He jumped up a little awkwardly in the leather duster and ran in a wide arc, avoiding death beams from the archangel while looking somewhat ridiculous.
Brilliance splashed against an invisible shield around the arena, preventing any casualties, but it also hemmed Shelton into a smaller space than the entire plaza. He quickly found the edges of the zone, bumping against the barrier before dodging another attack.
"'Tis hopeless," Arturo called out. "Come meet your death bravely."
"Shove it!" Shelton shouted, now panting as he ran around in his cowboy boots.
"Those stupid clothes are going to get him killed!" Bella said.
As if in answer to her accusation, Shelton took off his duster and gave it a mournful look. He leapt aside another attack, then whirled the duster above his head and flung it at Arturo. Any normal article of clothing should have fallen a few feet from where he threw it. Arturo seemed to think the same thing because he paid it no mind as he turned to follow Shelton's erratic path.
The duster whirled through the air and came down right on the archangel's head, wrapping around it tight. Arturo shouted in confusion and tried to pry off the coat. Shelton pumped a fist and jogged over to his opponent. Sweat poured down his face
, and he panted like a long-distance runner on his last leg.
Shelton drew his staff and snapped it out to full length, whirled it, and planted it right in Arturo's gut. Kinetic energy exploded and the archangel flew back fifty feet and landed in a heap.
"Go, Shelton, go!" Adam shouted.
"Kick the puta while he's down!" Bella screamed.
Shelton raised his staff and roared out a command. A massive ball of fire coalesced and streaked toward the downed angel. Though he couldn't see, Arturo anticipated another attack and rolled to the side. Burning wings sliced through the duster. Brilliance crackled from the archangel's hand and shredded the coat. Arturo ripped the leather from his face with a roar and threw it aside.
The exuberant expression on Shelton's face died and with it, any hope he might pull this off.
Arturo took to the air, fists pulsing with deadly energy and rained it down on his foe. Shelton growled and touched an icon on his arcphone. A honeycombed barrier sprang up around him, rotating each time it took a hit so another panel could take the brunt of the next.
"That's the geodesic shield spell," Adam said. "I hope it's working!"
Each hexagonal section of the shield flickered out when one of Arturo's blasts hit it, but another was always available to take the next hit. Unlike the last time, it didn't fizzle out and die.
"I don't understand how he got around the power issue," Adam said. "It draws too much aether to sustain."
The shield grew brighter and brighter. Arturo's anger faded to cold calculation as he realized he couldn't penetrate Shelton's defense. He dropped to the ground and channeled a blade of white fire.
"You can't hide behind that shield all day," Arturo said, dragging the tip of his energy sword across the barrier, causing several sections to flicker out.
"Wasn't planning on it," Shelton said.
"Kill him!" Kaelissa said. "I grow weary of this, Primarion."
Shelton spun his staff, and the glowing energy from the shield gathered around it, leaving him open to attack. Arturo wasted no time, swinging his sword at the Arcane's neck. Shelton brought his glowing staff up to block.
