by Noree Cosper
He moved to the door, but I stayed in front of it. I placed my arm against the frame, blocking his exit. He looked from me to Marge and threw his arms up with a sigh.
“You’ve been acting out of character,” I said. “Avoiding us while forming some weird relationship with the nephilim.”
“I’m supposed to get close to them,” he said. “Remember?”
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “Then explain what you did to Delilah last night. The Esais I knew wouldn’t ever do that.”
He frowned, and his hands dropped to his sides. “What are you talking about?”
Marge snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“You knocked Tres’s girlfriend out,” I said. “And pretty much said that people who have taken brimstone aren’t worth saving.”
He paled and shook his head, swallowing hard. “No, no.”
Marge’s gaze met mine from around him and her eyes narrowed as she returned her attention to Esais. “Then you aren’t you.”
I shifted to my spirit sight and studied Esais. A deep fear rooted in the middle of him. It reflected on every other emotion he had. Behind him was the winged figure of the spirit who touched him. It had always been obscured in a bright golden light so I could never see what it looked like. Now, the light faded and the wings moved to wrap around Esais. I gasped as my pulse pounded in my ears. One was of feathers and the other of bone. I’d seen something like it on Lucy’s cards. Long black hair fluttered in a breeze that wasn’t there. The angel raised his sculpted face and his crystal white eyes met my gaze. Chills crept up my spine as a shard of déjà vu pierced my heart. I knew those eyes, but where from? It had to be from Lucy’s reading.
I took a few steps back, my hand moving to my mouth. The look in Esais’s eyes changed and his lips curved in an artic smile.
“I knew it,” Marge said. “Cambione sent a spy. I have a message to send back to your master.”
My voice cracked. “That’s not a demon.”
She ignored me and spun him around by his shoulder. He continued to smile.
“Once again, Marguerite, you are incorrect,” he said. “However, I will grant you one chance to bow down and beg forgiveness.”
“Fuck you, demon,” Marge said.
Esais’s eyes narrowed at her. “You speak blasphemy, child. I am the archangel of death.”
“Sariel,” I whispered.
I should have gotten on my knees in penitence for all my sins. I wanted to fall to my knees, but my legs wouldn’t move.
Marge glanced at me with a confused expression. She gave a loud, snorting laugh. “You got to be fucking joking. He’s not an angel, just some demon that’s tricked you.”
“Marge,” I said. “Shut up. You don’t know what you are talking about.”
“He’s played some sort of mind trick on you,” Marge said. “I got him.”
With a cross between a smirk and a scowl, Marge rushed Esais. As she reached him, she brought her leg up and spun into a kick. Her foot connected with his hip in a loud thud. He remained unmoved as if he was a statue. Her momentum backfired and sent her crashing into the floor. She stared up, open mouthed and wide eyed.
“You would dare strike one of the Host?” Esais’s voice deepened, taking a hollow cold tone. “You shall be punished.”
“Wait,” I managed to get the word out.
I tried to sprint to get between them, but he pierced me with his gaze. My movement froze.
Marge pulled herself up with a groan. “Fuck you, jackass. I don’t know what you are, but it’s not human.”
In the blink of an eye, Sariel was upon Marge. He placed his hand on her forehead. Her eyes widened, and she convulsed. She collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling as blood dripped from her ears and nose.
Chapter 16
Marge lay still on the floor. My heart pounded in my chest. Esais had just killed Marge. Or, Sariel had killed her. I tried to stutter out anything but my throat closed up on me. Death stood but a few feet from me and my light could be snuffed with a mere touch of his hand.
I yanked my sword from its sheath and brought it in front of me. It shook in my hand as I took a clumsy defensive stance. He looked me over and laughed.
“Come, you know that weapon would have no effect on me. All you would achieve would be harming Esais.”
His words sounded far away through the blood roaring my ears. Still, their meaning penetrated the fog in my head. He wasn’t a demon. The blade had no power over him. I let the sword slide from my hand as I tried to grasp the words to send him away.
“Now you try to banish me.” He shook his head. “Even if you knew the correct words, they would not avail you for long. Esais has a covenant with me. He is mine.”
Sariel turned to stare at the space above Marge with narrowed eyes. “The hellspawn comes to claim its ill-gotten prize. He shall not have it.”
I gulped and shifted back to my spirit sight. Marge’s soul floated above her body and even it wore a scowl. A small silver chain extended from her chest and stretch out into the gray mists that surrounded us. Sariel, with his wings still wrapped around Esais, reached out, gripped the chain, and yanked it. A yowling echoed from the direction Marge’s chain went.
Goose pimples raised on my arms. I’d never heard anything from the Eclipse while using my spirit sight. It was all visual.
A naked incubus with rose skin and ram’s horns flew at us upon large bat wings. His face was twisted in a scowl and he held the other half of Marge’s chain. The snarl shifted to an expression of fright as he looked upon Sariel. He landed to cower on the ground and raised his hands to cover his face.
Sariel’s bone wing rose and extended out, piercing the demon in the chest. In a flash, the demon’s form dispersed into tiny motes. As the wing began to retract, it sliced through the chain. The silver began to disintegrate, stopping at the length Sariel held in his hand.
“Her false contract has been severed,” Sariel said. “Her soul is where it belongs… in my care.”
I leaned against the doorframe and slid to the floor as my legs gave out.
Sariel’s slow steps made a whisper on the carpet as he walked to stand over me. “For many years you have fought against the denizens of Hell, Gabriella. Despite having your holy soul bound.”
My voice came out hoarse. “What do you mean holy soul?”
He leaned forward and held his hand out to me. “I offer you rest. I offer you the final peace.”
Why not accept it? I wanted release for so long and here was an easy way out. Even my curse couldn’t stop his cold embrace. I could escape Allegra once and for all. She’d be free to do this to someone else, but I still had to repay her for my family. No, I couldn’t die this day. I shook my head, still unable to find my voice.
He chuckled. “Ah, you mortals. How you cling to life. Very well. I suppose I shall return Esais the use of his body.”
Esais’s eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. I sat there for several moments, willing my legs to move but they refused to obey my command. I crawled to Esais’s cell phone sitting on the nightstand and dialed Adrian’s number.
“I need you in the middle bedroom. Now,” I whispered and hung up the phone.
I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, watching Esais’s body. That’s how Adrian found me when he arrived three minutes later. He paused in the doorway, surveying the bodies on the floor. He strode to them, checking for their pulses. His gaze moved to me when he found none on Marge.
“What have you done?” His voice was like a sharp whip cracking against my already fragile soul.
“I-I.” My voice was hoarse.
Esais groaned, saving me from answering Adrian’s accusing eyes. He pulled himself up on an elbow and rubbed his face. His gaze traveled the room, still unfocused. Adrian knelt beside him and helped him to a sitting position. I pulled myself back farther from them. The man was a walking time bomb.
“Es, are y
ou all right?” Adrian asked.
“I think so.” His gaze fell on Marge and he went still. “What the hell?”
Both turned in my direction where I huddled against the desk.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were the host to the archangel of Death?” My voice took on a hysterical pitch.
His face lost all color, and he crawled to Marge. He placed his fingers on her cheek and then shook his head. “Oh, God, no.”
“He just touched her.” I wrapped my arms tighter around my knees as a shudder passed through me.
“What are you talking about?” Adrian asked.
Esais grabbed Marge by her shoulders and shook it. “Tres. Get me Tres.”
“It’s too late,” I said.
He fell back and stared at his palms. His face twisted through a stream of emotions. His hands formed into fists.
“Bring her back,” he whispered.
“Es, that’s not possible,” Adrian said. He looked at both of us. “Now, you need to calm down and explain what happened.”
“The angel possessed Esais and killed Marge,” I said.
“Impossible.” Adrian snorted. “Angels don’t exist.”
I gave him a look. “Demons exist but angels don’t?”
“I’ve seen proof of demons. None of angels.”
“Please,” Esais said.
I swallowed, anger replacing my shock. “How about the fact that I saw it?”
“And how is that?” Adrian asked.
“The same way I see demons,” I said.
“And that can be fooled,” Adrian said. “Demons lie all the time.”
“You had no right,” Esais murmured.
“I haven’t been fooled before.” I clenched my fists. “And you seem to trust what I’ve seen before.”
“That is debatable,” Adrian said.
“I’ll do anything,” Esais said.
“Great, we can just go by your powers of deduction,” I said.
“I trust that more,” Adrian said.
“Done,” Esais said. “You have seven days.”
He straightened his shoulders and flexed his hands. I blinked as he leaned over Marge again. He touched her forehead. Gold light spread from his touch and covered her body. She convulsed three times and gave a loud gasping breath. She stiffened before going limp. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Adrian froze, his face losing all expression. Then, his eyes narrowed. Esais stood and sighed, a cool smile spreading across his face.
“The bargain has been struck,” he said. “It is time to reap this city.”
“What are you?” Adrian asked.
“With all your intellect, you are still a pitiful being. You have no faith,” Sariel said.
I used the nightstand to pull myself to my feet. My knees wobbled and my whole body wouldn’t stop shaking. In the doorway stood Irae and Aaron with their gazes on Sariel. Irae’s smile was radiant with adoration.
“Leave Esais,” I said with my voice as steady as I could muster.
Sariel shook his head. “The compact has been made. You and your people should vacate this city. This blight must be cleansed.”
“Whatever you are, you are not leaving with my brother,” Adrian said.
“There is nothing you can do to stop me,” Sariel said.
He stepped back and lifted several feet in the air with his arms spread out. Adrian aimed his gun at his brother’s body. Irae flicked her fingers and the entire gun lit on fire. Adrian dropped it with a gasp. Sariel raised his hands with the palms up and chanted in a language I didn’t recognize. The lights flickered, and the entire building began to shake. Pieces of the ceiling crumbled and fell. I dove forward and covered Marge with my body. When I glanced up, Sariel, Irae, and Aaron had vanished. The ground fell away and we tumbled into darkness.
Chapter 17
A light seeped through my eyelids. I tried to move my arms to cover my face, but nothing happened. My arm was buried under a large pile of concrete. A small scream emerged from my lips and I struggled to free myself.
“Shh, hey.” Tres put his hand on my shoulder. “Easy.”
I scanned the area but saw only darkness beyond the few feet that Tres’s penlight afforded us. The cold had seeped in and left goosebumps on my skin in its wake.
“Where?” I whispered, though I feared I knew the answer.
His hand on my shoulder pressed down. “Stay calm. The office has collapsed and we’re still inside.”
My throat closed up on me and I struggled to get a few short breaths out.
“It’s okay, Gabby. I’m here with you,” Tres said.
The rubble shifted a few feet away.
“He’s not the only one.” Marge’s voice came from that direction.
“Where’s Adrian?” My voice squeaked. I lay my head back down.
“He was here?” Tres turned to glance behind him.
“In the room with Marge and me,” I said. “But you weren’t.”
“Esais called me mentally, sounding desperate. I was on my way when I saw him and his charges disappear.” His voice held a hint of fear. “Then the floor gave way. I was lucky Marge found me.”
“We need to find Adrian.” I yanked with my shoulder, but my arm didn’t budge. My chest squeezed with a sharp pain. “What about Delilah and the others?”
Tres’s lips pressed together as he shook his head. “I don’t know. They were a floor above us.” He pushed me back down. “Lay back and tell me what happened. Marge can search for Adrian.”
“Sure,” Marge said. “Leave all the heavy lifting to me. I need your light.”
The shadows washed over me as he passed her the penlight. I closed my eyes and did my counting trick. My breathing evened out after a few moments. I kept my eyes closed and pretended I was lying on the roof of my apartment. I liked to go up there and gaze at the stars. It was one of the few places I could see them in this hellish city. I could almost see their glimmers in the black void.
“How much has Marge told you?” I asked.
“That something is in Esais and it killed her,” Tres said.
“You remember that?” I asked.
She didn’t respond for several moments so the only sound was her moving the rock. “You said it wasn’t a demon. What the hell was it?”
“An angel,” I said. “Archangel, actually.”
Tres gave a low whistle. “You’re joking, right?”
“No,” I said with a shudder.
“What’s so big about angels? I mean, they’re just happy winged babies,” Marge said.
“Angels aren’t as benevolent as you think. They’re holy.” I tried to put how ominous that last word actually was in my voice. “The whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing is a tale in the Bible for a reason.”
“So, this Sariel is an avenging angel then.”
“He’s been called other things. The Grim Reaper is probably the most known.”
Tres gave a short bark of a laugh. “So, Death is an angel.”
“Seems like an asshole to me.” Marge grunted as she moved rubble. “Really, though. What does he want? To kill the whole city?”
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t even know where to start with this.”
“He’s just another jackass to beat,” Tres said.
“You don’t understand.” I swallowed hard. “Angels are more powerful than anything I know of.”
“So, what?” Tres asked. “We’ll figure out a way.”
“He brought Marge back with a touch, a thought. That’s not even his specialty. Think of what he can do to the entire city.”
“Well, maybe he doesn’t care about the city,” Tres said.
“He does. He considers it a blight with all the demons,” I said. “Now he has Esais as a vessel and a handful of nephilim to accomplish his task.”
Tres sat and ran a hand through his hair. “Shit. I should have done something earlier when I saw Esais had changed. I was too busy worrying about Delilah.”
“It’s not
your fault. You were worried about her,” I said. “We all had a chance to do something about Esais. Marge did, and this is what happened.”
He made a small choking sound. “What do you think he plans?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It involves the nephilim somehow. Irae can create fire. Adrian and I saw that. I’m not sure about Aaron.”
“What about Viktor? Is he a part of this?”
I drew a quick breath. Viktor hadn’t been with the other two before the building collapsed. Of course, Viktor didn’t stay at the office. In fact, ever since Irae showed up, he’d been visiting less often. Had he known about Sariel?
I opened my mouth, but Marge spoke before me. “Tres, get over here.”
Tres patted me on the shoulder. “Just keep breathing.” His voice faded a bit. “Marge, point the light.”
I kept my eye closed as Tres moved away with the scrape of dirt against cloth. Rocks clinked around me. I held my breath, counted to three, and let it out. The stars shimmered in my mind’s eye. I imagined a gentle breeze that lifted strands of my hair instead of the stifling air that filled our prison.
“I don’t know how long he’s been trapped,” Marge said.
There was a shifting of more rubble.
“Help me pull him free,” Tres said.
My heart pounded in my chest and my breath came in short gasps. I turned my head to watch them, biting my lip. Don’t tell me I’ve lost two brothers in one day. The light flickered, and Marge gave a small groan. There was a whisper of something being dragged across the concrete. The light drew closer.
“His ribcage is crushed. I barely have a pulse,” Tres said with a note of panic.
“Well, patch him up until the cavalry gets here,” Marge said.
“I don’t think he’ll last that long,” Tres said. “Anything major like this is going to kill me.”
The sound of breathing filled the silence that followed. Tres’s ability required he balance his healing with harming someone or something. I’d never seen him heal anyone dead, but it sounded like he knew from personal experience. A siren wailed in the distance. It was still going to take them time to dig us out. Our salvation would arrive too late.
