Seven Seals, Books 1 & 2

by Traci Douglass

  Chapter 19

  Xander swiveled in time to see Kagan buried below a pile of rubble.

  He made quick work of his three opponents and charged toward the platform. Halfway there, the Director returned to the stage, tucking his now decimated glasses into his pocket.

  The bastard grabbed Zoe. Xander’s heart tripped, then plummeted to his toes. Her eyes snapped shut and she twisted against her bonds. His head throbbed as her psychic channels buzzed full tilt. Xander concentrated his dormant powers, swimming against her undercurrent of fear to flood her with reassurance.

  The Director placed his hands on either side of her head and forced her gaze to his. Beside her, three scarlet-robed priests ripped off Mira’s shirt to expose the Seal’s mark. Through an oculus cut into the ceiling above, the astrological alignment began. The Director pried Zoe’s eyes open with thumbs and forefingers and chanted, “Christeos Olpirt!”

  Zoe’s screams pierced the air. Light burst through the ceiling’s opening like a laser on steroids. A molten beam flared directly into Zoe’s unshielded gaze, hijacking her psychic channels to amplify the alignment’s energy. Flares of energy shot out in all directions, striking every object in Zoe’s vicinity.

  His adrenaline pumping and his dagger raised high, Xander stormed the platform.

  The alignment reached its zenith and the amulet glowed supernova bright against Xander’s chest. He pushed forward, heedless of the power he harnessed. Antares weight burned and throbbed upon his skin, a living entity filled with unlimited potential. With a large leap, Xander tackled the Nephilim leader and forced him away from Zoe. She hung limp from the chains, unconscious, her cheeks streaked with tears and blood.

  The sight of Zoe was an accelerant to his burgeoning rage. The Director struggled to rise from the floor. With lethal accuracy, Xander’s blade flashed, slicing deep into the muscles and tendons of the Director’s throat. The Director’s eyes flared blinding white, boring through Xander’s polarized glasses. Xander shielded his face against the glow until the Director fell, his gaze flickering out like a faulty bulb.

  Xander snatched the faux Antares from the Director’s neck and shoved it into his pocket, pushing the corpse away with a booted toe. He rushed to release Zoe from her restraints, but Mira’s piercing scream froze him in his tracks.

  • • •

  Kagan emerged from beneath the rubble and assessed the situation. He spotted Xander on the platform and charged into the attack. Together they decimated the scarlet priests. More Nephilim flooded the platform, but couldn’t stand beneath the Scions’ combined fury. The Nephilim horde fled, useless without their hive leader.

  Kagan reached Mira and released her bonds then lifted her motionless body into his arms.

  “Merda!” He pushed the long mass of Mira’s hair from her shoulder. A gaping wound gurgled in the left side of her chest. The golden blade they’d used to break the Seal’s mark had penetrated straight through to her heart. Xander reached his side and removed the dagger then tossed it over his shoulder. It clattered to the floor beside Argus’s slab. For once, his commander was at a loss for words.

  Kagan stared, unable to process what he was seeing. Mira’s blood gushed with each beat of her weakening heart. A pained groan rose from her and roused him from his daze. Cristo! He settled her gently on the slab and pressed his hands tight to her wound, attempting to staunch the flow.

  Mira coughed, blood gurgling from her lips. He stroked her cheek and forced himself to remain calm. The light in her eyes dimmed, growing bleak and cold, a look he’d grown all too familiar with during his years on the battlefield. Oca! Kagan scanned the exits. No quick escape. Nothing. As long as they were trapped inside the compound, flashing wasn’t an option. Neither was moving her. She was dying, and he was powerless to stop it. He squeezed his eyes shut and issued a silent prayer. Divinita, please save her.

  A Nephilim straggler broke through the Scion barrier, and Kagan slit his throat without a glance. Mira blinked up at him several times and struggled to speak. Kagan gathered her close and cupped the back of her head, lifting her close to his ear. “I-I’m sorry, Kagan.”

  His heart shattered. “You have nothing to be sorry for, piccola.”

  Her gaze bore into his, filled with love and regret.

  She gasped then fell limp in his arms.

  Kagan’s rational mind died along with her. Dai! I will not live like this again.

  • • •

  The ferocious sorrow in Kagan’s roar stunned the stoic Nephilim long enough for the Scion to gain a decisive edge. Xander used Kagan’s pain as a lance for the boil of his anger, unleashing a tide of whoop-ass the likes of which the Nephilim had never experienced. The Scion made quick work of the remaining half-breeds while the others fled in droves.

  Xander released Zoe from her restraints, and indulged his craving by keeping her close for a brief moment before handing her limp form off to Wyck and rushing to Kagan’s side. “We’ve got to get to the surface.”

  The ground rumbled and the walls shook. Kagan rose with Mira clutched close to his chest. His expression was blank and oddly serene. Xander didn’t buy it for a minute. He’d been down this road before, and he’d be damned if he’d leave Kagan to walk it alone. He signaled to the other warriors to approach.

  Xander turned toward Kagan and started to speak. A snarl emanated to his left. The Director lunged, his fingers clutched around his mutilated throat and his eyes sparked white-hot. Xander unsheathed his dagger, but it was too late. Before he could strike, the Director slumped forward once more, the golden hilt of a dagger protruding from his back. Xander glanced over to find a revived Argus grinning like a banshee from his slab. Xander reviewed the past events in his mind, searching for an explanation to the demon’s sudden awakening. Zoe’s energy flares. Had the girl’s power been strong enough to grant resurrection to the dead?

  To be safe, Xander pulled out his sword and sliced the Director’s head free before he crouched beside the demon. Argus watched the proceedings with gleeful interest. “Are you seeking redemption now, demon?”

  “No, Scion.” Argus snorted, his still oozing chest heaving with the effort. “Justice.”

  The sound of slow clapping filled the air. “Magnificent performance, gentleman.”

  Lucifer approached from the sidelines, his lounge-singer sleaze working overtime. Wonderful. Exactly what they didn’t need at the moment. Yet the new arrival seemed entirely focused on his bound minion. Xander gave an inner sigh of relief. Kicking Lucifer’s ass, while fun, would not be conducive to solving the current crisis.

  Another loud roll of thunder echoed. Archangel security was arriving. Time to go.

  Xander gripped Kagan’s arm and led him toward the exit. His second in command appeared dazed, Mira’s body still clutched to his chest. “C’mon, K. Let’s go home.”

  • • •

  Lucifer stared at Argus’s mangled torso and laughed. “Ah, Argus. You always did have more balls then brains.”

  A hazy, cloud-like glow formed on the ceiling. Lucifer shielded his eyes from the increasing glare. “No, Divinity! He chose me!”

  She appeared before him, golden light radiating from her being. “Wrong, Lucifer. He’s mine. I need to question him, and several centuries in my prison may improve his attitude.”

  Two angels appeared, flanking Divinity. Argus struggled against his divine jailers to no avail, profanity spewing from him like an oil strike. The winged henchmen ignored the demon’s tirade and cuffed him before taking him away. The decaying carcass of Norman McClaine lay strewn across the slab like so much trash.

  “You can’t do this, Divinity! There are rules. Argus has Fallen!” Lucifer scowled.

  Divinity only flashed him a cryptic smile. “Yes, there are rules, and I make them.”

  “I’m not going home empty handed after this fiasco.” He changed tactics and jerked his head toward the slab. “What about the human?”

  “Him you can have,” she said, her n
ose wrinkling in extreme distaste.

  She snapped her fingers and vanished with a poof, the glowing clouds following close on her heels.

  While humming an off-key rendition of “Onward Christian Soldiers,” Lucifer sucked the soul of Norman McClaine into a small glass jar. He screwed the metal lid on tight and held the tiny, shimmering ball up to the ceiling, jangling the contents before tucking it securely into the pocket of his suit coat. “Ah yes, Norman. You’ll make a fine addition to my collection.”

  • • •

  The Scion emerged outside to find a swirling mass of chaos.

  Christos! Was this the end of the world? Xander stared into the raging skies above. Black clouds swirled, highlighted by the occasional burst of lightning. Animals attacked each other across the vast preserve and fire erupted from gaping chasms. Distant explosions rippled the air and tremors rocked the ground. The Scion braced against the brutal gale and looked to him for direction.

  “It’s the Seal,” he shouted, the wind stealing his words. “Opened.”

  Mira’s lifeless body still hung from Kagan’s arms. Kagan held her close and gazed into the sky. Xander cringed. Poor bastard.

  Chago coughed, fidgeting. “What can we do, K?”

  “I’m taking her to Divinity,” Kagan said, his brittle tone signifying a desperate man on the precipice.

  Xander looked at the others. Wyck still carried Zoe’s unconscious form.

  “The rest of you take Zoe to Wyck’s and wait.” He leaned in to stroke Zoe’s cheek and wiped a streak of blood from her face. “Please be careful. She’s fragile.”

  The warriors flashed away with Zoe. Once they were gone, Xander turned to Kagan. He struggled to keep his voice quiet, cushioning his statement.

  “There’s nothing Divinity can do, Kagan. Mira’s gone. The Seal’s been opened.”

  “No!” Kagan shot him a venomous glare. “If you ever say those words again, I’ll kill you. Capisci?”

  “Fine.” Xander scrubbed a hand over his face. He took in Kagan’s shell-shocked expression and the fear in his eyes. He knew those emotions, had lived the nightmare firsthand. “But I’m going with you.”

  “To them that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of paradise.”—Revelation 2:7

  Chapter 20

  “No! I won’t leave her.”

  “There’s nothing you can do for her right now, Kagan. She’s safe with me.” Divinity’s gaze narrowed at Kagan’s vehement refusal. She glanced at Mira’s lifeless body and the still-seeping wound in her chest. Strong emotion clouded the warrior’s face, his expression flickering between sorrow, anger, and stubborn defiance.

  After a brief battle of wills and a quick aside with Xander, whose calm reserve and quiet assurances seemed to break the stalemate, Kagan relinquished Mira. He knelt and laid her on a marble bench along the wall, pressing a kiss to her forehead before standing to face Divinity. His tone was quiet, steadfast. His voice cracked as he uttered the words. “I’ve never asked for anything. Don’t make me beg.”

  Divinity gave a curt nod. She sensed his pain and the amount of pride his admission had cost. Things were progressing better than she’d planned. A small smile touched her lips while she waited for the warriors to depart the room. Yes, all was moving according to schedule. She stepped toward Mira and placed a hand on her forehead, sending a wave of healing energy through the girl’s depleted form.

  A knock at the entry interrupted her regeneration. Jaw clenched, she pounded across the floor to yank open the front door.

  Lucifer lounged against the doorframe, a lascivious grin plastered on his mottled face. “’Ello, dearie.”

  How dare he desecrate her sacred ground? Divinity joined him on the porch. A strong wind swirled around them and clawed at their clothes, driven by her anger. “You bastard! We had an agreement, damn you. Now the first Seal has been opened, and the girl is dead. You will pay for this disobedience!”

  Light radiated from Divinity’s being, in pace with her increasing fury. She leaned farther in until her nose was millimeters from his. The insolent creature thought to challenge her? Lucifer shrank away, shielding his face. “I was not the one who broke the Seal, nor did I kill her. It was the work of your half-breed Nephilim.”

  She scowled, the air vibrating around them with shimmering heat. “They are not my creation. The Nephilim will be punished. Severely. Our agreement was to protect the Seals. You failed.”

  He bared his jagged teeth and hissed. His forked black tongue flicked out over his thin lips and his eyes sparked red with taunting. “Fix it, Divinity. Do it. Return her pitiful life. You want to.” He glanced over her shoulder and shrugged, his countenance transforming to its usual pimpish smarm. “Besides, she doesn’t appear dead to me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? She’s—” Divinity swung around. Through the nearby window, she saw an angel kneeling beside a now alert, sputtering Mira. She spun back to face Lucifer. “What did you do?”

  “Me? Nothing.” Lucifer ignored her accusing stare and withdrew a clear glass jar from inside his suit coat. The container’s warped lid was screwed on crooked. New dents appeared with each strike of the sparkling blob of light imprisoned within, struggling for freedom. “Here. I believe this yours. For the time being.”

  Divinity took the jar and scanned the peeling masking-tape label stuck to the front. Letters scrawled in a black marker read: Argus’s Soul. She bit back the smile threatening to blossom. The frenzied blob inside the container stilled.

  “This is not over, Devil.” She walked to the entrance and swiveled toward him again, planting a stern expression on her face. “You and I will be talking later.”

  “Depend on it, dearie.” She slammed the door on his oozing smirk.

  “What’s going on?” Divinity approached the being at Mira’s side. “The girl was dead.”

  “Not sure,” the angel said. He rose to his full height, towering over Divinity. “I walked through and she was sitting here. Asked me who I was and then requested the Scion, Kagan.”

  Divinity crouched in front of Mira and enfolded the girl’s chilled hands in hers. “Mira, do you know where you are?”

  Mira shook her head, her gaze full of confusion. Divinity waved to a passing handmaiden and soon a glass of brandy appeared. She pressed the snifter into Mira’s trembling fingers. “Drink.”

  After several minutes, the jitters ceased, and Mira began to peer around the place with curiosity. Divinity smiled and handed Mira’s empty glass to the angel before helping her stand. She slipped an arm about Mira’s waist and led her toward the den. “Mira, dear, you and I have much to discuss.”

  • • •

  Mira sat in a high-backed leather chair and focused on the dancing flames in the fireplace while Divinity spoke.

  “Do you understand what happened today?”

  She tried to force the memories to the surface. Flashes of the holding cell at Tolbert and the long, dark trek to the auditorium bobbed to the forefront of her mind. Being strapped to a table. Zoe’s panicked calls for help. Oh, God! Where was Zoe?

  Her brow furrowed. Kagan’s voice drifted through her muddled thoughts. His lips brushing hers as she shivered on the hard stone. Cold. Bone-deep cold. Like she’d never be warm again. The last recollections were of chanting, pain, and endless darkness.

  “Do you love him?” Divinity asked as she sat forward in the wing chair across from Mira’s.

  Love him? Kagan? Yes, yes, yes. Mira’s heart thundered. Her mind screamed in rebellion. She stared at Divinity, unable to answer.

  Divinity pinned her with a level gaze. “Your current state is temporary, Mira. I’m not sure what conspired to revive you, but whatever it was I don’t trust it.” She got up and walked toward the large mahogany desk, her expression contemplative. “Your rebirth has put me—and you—in a very tenuous position.”

  Mira frowned. Temporary? She was going to die again? She swallowed hard against the lum
p in her throat. She thought of Zoe and Xander and her other new friends. Above all, she thought of Kagan. How could she leave him? Did she love him? Hell, yes, she did. Her rational mind be damned. She found Divinity watching her.

  “You must make a choice, and there is little time for deliberation. If you understood the true feelings of your heart, the decision would be easier. For both of you.”

  “Both of us?”

  “Kagan will be affected by your actions as well.”

  Mira dropped her gaze. Great. One more crappy choice in a life filled with shitty luck. Best to deal with the problem fast. Like ripping off a bandage. “What are my options?”

  Divinity pulled a large leather bound book from a nearby bookshelf and returned to her seat near the fireplace. “Let me show you something first.”

  • • •

  Kagan zipped through his shower, washing away the accumulated metallic stink of Nephilim blood. A quick, fizzing tingle charged his belly. His nerves rapid-fired with wild excitement, filling him with ecstatic, zinging energy. Mira! He dressed pronto and rushed from the room.

  Xander strode out from an opposite doorway at the exact moment Kagan entered the hall.

  “I need to go, Xan. Something’s happened to Mira. I can feel it, feel her,” he said.

  Xander kept pace beside him as they raced toward the foyer. “Promise me you won’t get your hopes up, all right?”

  He slid a sideways glance at Xander, tamping down the sudden rush of anger brought on by his friend’s words. Dai! Hope was all he had left. Kagan inspected Xander closer and noted his drawn features and the dark circles beneath his eyes. “The accident still haunts you, doesn’t it, amico?”

  “Every day.” Xander’s clipped answer echoed in the now empty foyer.

  Kagan stalked to the bench. No trace of her. “Where the hell is she?”