“Nothing you need to be concerned with,” Misty said. “Just keep up the good work slaying the demons. Now, I need all of you to listen, because what I’m about to tell you came from my top spies.” She eyed me. “The archangel is coming for you.”
“The archangel?” I said, giving her a skeptical look.
“Remember the angel I saved you and the half-devil body from at the university?” Misty said.
I nodded then looked at Amelia. She was pale, a haunted look in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“There is only one I know with a title known as The Archangel,” she said softly. “This is bad—this is as bad as having Conus himself come after you with full bloodlust.”
Misty paced a back and forth twice, before continuing. “Epex, let me break down the severity of this situation. That angel felt like Paradise Realm and the hunters wouldn’t take your capture seriously enough, so he brought his concerns to the archangels in the King’s realm. There’s a good chance that he exaggerated the situation—but that got him an audience with the leader of all archangels.”
My eyes widened. I felt my stomach bubble as dread hit me like a truck. There is nothing worse than being on that hitlist. Michael’s hitlist.
“Are you certain?” I said, my voice almost a whisper. “Is he really on his way?”
“Yes,” Misty replied. “That’s why I urged you to come so that I can personally warn you. I would have you hide here, but there’s a good chance that I’m wanted too. I plan to retreat to the realm of mist until this whole thing blows over. I sugges—” she gagged. A sword retracted from her gut then a golden boot kicked Misty to the ground. The sound of a sheathing sword echoed through the quiet room of our aghast faces. A white-haired man who looked to be in his late twenties, stood in front us, silver heavenly-light outlining him. His wings glowed with an intensity that put the sun to shame. Four hunters, three gods and a goddess, flanked him—I could tell they were hunters just by the looks in their eyes. Maybe a feeling, a supernatural sense.
Shit.
I couldn’t recall feeling so much terror. I literally stared death in his eyes, and while I had always pictured myself smiling, this was on a different level. My crimes had truly caught up to me. The misthanger queen melted into mist. Shit, what to do—what could I do—now wasn’t the time to freeze. Michael was going to make that choice for me.
“Epex Helios, fallen successor to this universe’s throne, your realm has failed in realizing the urgency of justice. I’ve reviewed your records and decided to personally supervise your takedown. Hunters, do your job, and kill him.”
I reacted too slowly as intense pain flooded my shoulder. I roared in agony as I yanked the arrow out.
“Run,” I wheezed. While the others hightailed it, I dropped to my knees, feeling weak and of nauseated.
“I’m impressed,” one of the hunters said as he knelt beside me. He chuckled. “The poison on that arrow could kill even Conus.” I felt Amelia’s divine state burst into action as she engaged someone. I could only assume she had made sure her friends got away safely before coming back. But this is one fight that she couldn’t win—one that I didn’t want her to jump into. Unlike me, she still had somewhere to return to.
“Michael, I surrender. Just don’t harm the others. This is on me alone.”
“Do you believe you are in a position to bargain, criminal?” Michael said in an even tone. I forced myself to look in his direction. The super archangel smacked a volley of Amelia’s arrows away with a single finger. “Hunters, take note that a former of your elite has gone rogue.”
“I can’t believe Lady Amelia’s in league with this fool. There’s got to be some kind of mistake,” the huntress said.
“Do we really have to kill him?” A young hunter said. He appeared to be much younger than the others, maybe fifteen or sixteen.
“Vor, don’t question the orders” the hunter that shot me with the arrow said. “Honestly, I believe Michael only wants me to show all of you how it’s done.”
“Bronze, you only cheat with poison arrows,” the huntress said.
“Says the goddess who judges a weapon on nonsense like beauty,” Bronze retorted. “Cellasia, why are you even here?” They bickered some more.
I closed my eyes and forced the last of my power into the floor, walls, and roof, pleading with the molecules to convert. Like before, they resisted at first, but gave in to a desperate plea. The entire manor changed into violent, rushing water. Everyone except me and the fourth, silent hunter leapt into the air to take flight, wings out. While I was swept away, the silent hunter didn’t budge. A tall dark-skinned man with a large afro and piercing purple eyes, he didn’t appear to be interested in anything, his focused gaze seeming to peer right through me.
Amelia took advantage of the opening and with that amazing elite six speed, quick-ascended to me, scooped me up, and ascended us, right as I blacked out from the loss of blood and the poison.
Chapter Fifty-one
I still cannot figure out for the life of me how I recognized my mother’s voice, despite never meeting the woman. She looked like she was in her very early thirties.
“Stand.”
I did so, taking in the familiar scene of the void of white nothingness. I thought it was a place of nothingness, but when I blinked, scenery emerged, rising from the ground like dough in an oven. It morphed into a breathtaking, golden grassland. Roses of emerged, releasing a constant sparkling effect, as if electricity bounced around the petals infinitely. The sky shifted to that of a sunny day. A few birds roamed the skies.
“Who are you, really?” I said. “I somehow know you’re my mom, but I need to know what’s going on? Why now, of all times?”
The woman smiled. “You have at least an hour before that awful poison is gone. That young lady has taken you to a good location for you to recover. I can show you the past that your father hasn’t revealed for your own good, and the reason why I’m not present in your memories, but Epex, it is something you should consider learning another time. This knowledge could harm your emotional stability. So, choose. Learn the past or the reason I brought you here. There is only time for one.”
I took a deep breath then exhaled. “I don’t think so. I am in no mood to be treated like the child you knew. Tell me both or leave me.”
Mom looked into my eyes for a few seconds, saw what she was looking for, then nodded. “Correct answer and the one I was hoping to hear, my adult son. Sit.” We both did. Mom levitated a few feet in the air, her long purple robes drooping to the ground. “When I reveal the past, your memories of me will return.”
At that moment, the vision struck. I knew everything in an instant. Mom’s bloodline came from an ancient civilization called the Watchers. The Watchers worshipped Conus. The civilization ended as centuries passed, like many others, but the blood remained. Some traditions were kept, such as the pure maidens.
The pure maidens are select women, mainly three, from families of a religion that lived similar to nuns. No marrying, avoid impurities, and report to Conus every month through a prayer.
Mom was quite devoted to the practice and still carried out a normal life in London. Conus began to watch her when she reached late twenties. He made a public announcement to the Helios clan that he would be having a new son who would symbolize unity between human and those of Paradise Realm. He sent Mom a vision, acknowledging her duties, and that she would be gifted to birth his seventh son. A year and some months later, I was born. Conus was personally there for my birth.
“Listen carefully, my most loyal and loved servant. Epex is special. He has power that even exceeds mine, though I know not why. In order to stabilize it, appeasing both his human and divine half, he must live in a different realm each week. He will spend his first week with you and then the next week with me.”
Mom nodded. And they conversed. Conus’s curiosity about modern humans and their devices extended his stays. His wife, the mother of my b
rothers, didn’t seem to notice. Conus is often stone set on being pure, as well as purifying everything around him. I don’t think he realized his affections for mom went deeper than he thought. Only once did he act against his bond, but only with a kiss on the lips, but just a kiss.
Fast forward years later and I lost control of my powers for the first time. I attempted to stop a bus from hitting an unattended toddler. Afraid for the poor kid and angry at the parent, I tried to freeze time for the bus. It seemed to work at first but space-time distortions that looked like swirls of grey and black light freckled everything. They were the size of cars—so imagine those things everywhere and on everyone. The distortions shimmered and just like that, everything was gone except me. I floated in space, protected by my demigod powers. Conus immediately appeared and with a flick of his wrist, rewound time to the point where the bus approached the toddler. Everything was still frozen, so he put the toddler in a safe area, near the irresponsible parent.
“This is your last warning, my son,” Conus said. “Focus on the peace within and control your emotions. I know it’s a tremendous amount of power. Trust me, mine is like a puddle and yours is the universe. Inhale, exhale, and push it through the veins of your body. I give you this warning now, because the universe will demand a punishment if you do this again. It is a system, not a conscious being—almost like the computers the humans make, but more sophisticated. It does not enjoy being harmed by deities, especially those that abuse power.”
That was Father’s first warning. Surprisingly more reasonable than I remember, but to be fair, when you’re in Hell, memories replayed in your mind are often worse than what actually happened. You can only tune out the realm’s psychotic torture for so long before believing some of the things it showed.
Fast forward to after Conus undid my nuke for the second time. He was incredibly angry this time, but also hurt by something. The vision switched to something terrible… A discussion and a demand by the universe.
“The universe is suggesting an expulsion of our son,” Conus said to my mother’s spirit. They both floated a few miles above the reborn earth. “With the seal so close to competition.”
“No!” my mother cried. “Please, my lord, there must be another way.”
“There is, but you’ll have to pay a big price,” Conus said. “The universe will only accept this method.”
“If it protects Epex, I’m more than willing to do so,” Mom said, resolve in her eyes.
“Noble woman, you will always be remembered and a place for you awaits in Paradise Realm at the end of your duties,” Conus said. “The price is terrifying, so I will give you the chance to back out—”
“I won’t let our son be erased!” Mom snarled.
A few tears dropped from Conus’s eyes. “Very well. I’m sorry that you’re unable to go back to your life but there will be a time that you can return to our plane. Ila…the seal will be placed into the spirit of our son. You will be trapped inside it and become the guardian of the seven locks. His memories of you will vanish, as an accepted cost. The keys to his locks are your rights. You can shape the world inside however you like, but I’m truly sorry, for it will be a lonely place. A slumber. Despite the solution, Epex must serve two years in a cruel place. The universe will accept his release if he shows any kind of unaided remorse after the sentence. He must be humbled. And Ila…I will always love y—”
The vision abruptly ended, and I just sat there, eyes wide. Her imprisonment in this place of nothingness was my fault.
“Do not dwell on that past,” Mom said. “I’ve made the choice and would make the same choice each time. Now that I answered your question of who am I—”
I hugged her before she could finish that sentence. She smiled tearfully then wiped them from her eyes. “Michael is on the move. Epex, I can only gift you with the power behind your first lock and only for twelve minutes before it becomes unstable. I’m developing a method to train you for each lock, which should grant you access to something new, and maybe one day you’ll be whole. Use that short burst of power for emergencies only. It will awaken when you unsheath Ruin. Get to the chapel closest to that young lady’s home. Michael will follow and what he finds there should be your opening. His hunters are out and about, split up to cover more ground. They can sense your presence in your current location.”
I sighed, wishing that Amelia would’ve taken us somewhere on the other half of the world. She probably has no contacts in Europe or Japan though. “Awake, Epex, they need you.”
I awoke to an unfamiliar setting but familiar faces. The warmth of Amelia’s healing faded as I sat up. She hugged me.
“They’ll have to try harder than that to kill me,” I said. “Now listen up. I’ve got a plan.”
Chapter Fifty-two
“We’ve got to get to that chapel down the road,” I paused, observing the area with a wary eye. We appeared to be in a house of bland brown furniture, old paintings that looked as if someone confused art and vomit, four windows, and stale air. “Where are we?”
“An old safehouse,” Amanda said. “We used it back in the demon-hunting days.”
“Are we far from your house?” I asked her.
“Kind of,” she replied.
My phone rang. Or at least what sounded like a ring. It’s amazing it still worked after what I put it through.
“You’ve reached the Viagra Testers, how can I help you?” I said.
“I guess Amelia wasn’t satisfied with your first time,” Devante retorted. “Good to see you’re still alive. My sorcerer’s circle is losing their minds over this sudden power spike, nut jobs.”
“Yeah, you can thank Michael for that,” I said.
“Michael? Wait, you mean THE Michael?”
“Mister Archangel himself has come to kill me,” I said. “That’s why I told you guys to run. Lucky my phone’s still working.”
“How’d you escape, man? He’s supposed to be incredibly powerful, right?” Devante said.
“Devante, he killed the misthanger queen with hardly any effort. We didn’t feel his approach, he just appeared.”
“Then you may want to get moving if you can,” Devante said. “What do you want us to?”
“There are four hunters,” I said.
“Damn! Talk about overkill,” Devante said. “I better bring out my best skills. And hopefully this ordeal won’t be a letdown like that mess with Karma.”
“You idiots will follow me to Hell and back, even though I never earned the loyalty,” I said.
“The earning has to start somewhere,” Devante said. “And hey, I hope we’re earning yours too.”
I smiled. “Meet us at the chapel down the road from Amanda’s house. Be careful, because Michael and his freaking hunters are flying around in the area. They split up to cover more ground.”
“I’ll let the others know. They’re waiting for my reply back at Secure Corps.”
“Don’t go inside the chapel, just in case Michael stops there. Hang nearby.”
“Well, there is an IHOP—”
“Bye,” I said then hung up. My phone beeped and vibrated. Who the hell could be texting me at a time like this.
Lightweight, where have you been? Are you too wimpy to drink anymore? I’m in your city now.
I nearly flinched, remembering that I gave my phone number to the death goddess. Another woman. Well, it’s not like that, so Amelia shouldn’t kill me, right? I haven’t seen the drunk since I left Arlington. Wait a minute… I texted back: We’re a little fucked. The archangel’s here with four hunters to kill me. The return text was: Have fun with that, maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll get assigned to retrieve your soul. I sighed but before I moved in to text my reply, I looked up to see a puzzled Amelia.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Well, I was going to convince a reaper friend of yours to help us,” I said.
“A reaper friend of mine…” Amelia folded her arms. “Please tell me you’re not talking
about the drunk.”
I smiled sadly. Amelia poked me on the forehead. “Let’s not. Your fangirl won’t be sober enough to even say—Michael’s here!”
“Geeze, you don’t have to insult her like that,” I said with a chuckle.
“No, I’m serious,” Amelia said. “He’s downstairs.”
My holy senses exploded, activating the fight or flight inside. “Everyone, place a hand on my shoulder, we’re ascending out of here.”
Ah, if only life was that easy. All four hunters burst through the windows at that moment. Three of them dove on top of Amelia’s friends, preventing contact. Not that it would matter anyway. I felt a rare burst of power cover the area for nearly a mile. Anti-ascending barrier.
“Take the humans out of here,” the afro hunter said without taking his eyes off me. “They don’t know any better.”
“You got it, Xavier,” Bronze said. They forced Amelia’s friends up and marched them downstairs. Michael came in seconds after they left. Many thoughts flooded my head as I debated what to do, ranging from using my twelve minutes to hold him off, trying conversion again, or shooting many bullets. These ideas were terrible. For one, they probably had a counter to conversion.
One does not get lucky with the same tactic twice. There is no real way to know if Karma wasn’t simply going easy on me, just to make sure she didn’t destroy her political husband. No bloodlust, no seriousness—which means even my lock one state was a gamble to try on freaking Michael.
Oh well, fuck thinking. I manifested a fully loaded Desert Eagle and frantically fired at both Michael and Xavier. Michael didn’t move.
My eyes widened when the bullets curved around him as if afraid, like little cartoon bullets. Xavier dove to the side, then rushed me.
“Amelia—”
Her transformation to the divine state answered before I finished the question and she was on Michael like the way hornets would be on the poor soul stupid enough to kick their nest. I dashed through the already broken windows while charging power into my hands and feet.
Hell to Pay (Blood for Soul Book 1) Page 24
