by Tara West
The giants swore, many stomping their feet, and shaking the ground beneath me. Good thing my bony boyfriend held me tight, or I would have fallen on my ass.
Again, Og silenced them. “Demons keep other two warriors. Demons demand we return angel or warriors be cast down.”
This time, Aedan and I did fall on our asses when the giants stomped so hard the ground felt as if it would split open. Aedan shielded me as pebbles and debris from the cavern’s ceiling rained down on us. I winced as I heard a few shards hitting his bones.
When the tremors died down, I assumed Og had silenced them, but I kept my face buried in Aedan’s robes, too afraid to look.
“Og have no choice,” the giant bellowed. “Nephilim give them what they want.”
I fell back as Aedan released me, jumping to his feet and thrusting his fist toward the king. “Like hell you will!”
Well, holy fuck. Why did I get the feeling Aedan wasn’t about to win this argument?
Katherine O’Connor
The cat I rode was scraggly and thin, its striped orange and black fur faded and matted, unlike the giant creature with the shiny black fur that carried my master. This was the first time in a century he’d bidden me to ride without him. I missed the feel of his strong arms circling my waist and breasts, and I especially missed the looks of envy from the other demons.
I gently patted the pocket inside my robe, feeling the hard length of the blade I’d dipped in a jar of Scorpius’s venom, my means for justice. The gaping wound at the base of my skull still oozed and bled, dampening my white robe with stains of shame. Other demons rode by on bigger cats, sneering and laughing in my face. There was a time when my master would have beaten them for insulting his “fair one.” Not anymore.
I gritted my teeth in anger, keeping my eyes centered on my master’s tail. I refused to acknowledge their taunts. Let them have their fun now, but I would soon have my revenge.
I recognized this outcropping of large boulders and crevices. We weren’t far from where my master’s demons had first ensnared the three giants. From here, we had a good view of the fiery lakes and the Stones of Souls just beyond. I could barely see the outline of the pyramid’s tip and remembered with fondness my short foray into their world: the food, the soft silks, the healing water. What I wouldn’t give to return and live peacefully among them. But that was not to be my fate, and though my master had controlled it for too many years, today I would set my own destiny. My skin blistered and boiled at the thought, but not as bad as it once had. The hold of Master’s blood bond had weakened. Perhaps his demon blood had spilled out of me when he cut that gaping hole in my head.
The deep horn’s bellow resounded across the valley, the same horn we’d heard on approach, only this one was much longer, followed by three short bursts. My breath stilled when I saw them, giant winged creatures carrying clubs as tall as men. I lost count of their numbers as they flew out from a dark void just beyond the pyramid, like bats escaping a cave.
Beside me other demons whispered five hundred, a thousand, though it mattered little. I knew from keeping one of their own as a slave, their size outnumbered their wit. My master’s slaves would make easy work of bringing them down. Those they did not kill, they would capture. Master thought once he had Aedan’s bitch in his clutches, she would be able to control the giants. It was a fool’s plan. If she’d been able to manipulate them, she would not have allowed them to give her to Scorpius. My master had never been a fool. I wondered why he was playing one now. Had his thirst for power overshadowed his common sense?
This war would all be for naught.
As the creatures approached, I recognized their king at the helm, carrying the bound and gagged body of their angel. The giants had tied her hands behind her back and put a sack over her head. Good. It would make my plan so much easier.
They landed at the base of the mountain, shaking the ground with such tremors, boulders dislodged from the sides of the slope, crushing a few tigers and demons as they plummeted to the ground. My heart beat wildly as a great cloud of dust rose, obscuring my vision. My master’s army of demons squealed and hissed behind me, and I knew many would seize this chance to flee.
Had I not been so determined to seek revenge, I would have fled, too. But where would I go? Scorpius would find me, and then what? Be cast down into the Pit as one of his lesser slaves? No. My only option was revenge. Send the bitch to the fourth dimension and then be sent to follow her when Scorpius stung me. At least in the fourth dimension my body would regenerate anew. My fair face and my baby would return. Then I could sting the bitch again, casting her even lower. Though I’d heard horrific tales of bugs and pestilence in the fourth dimension, perhaps I could find a new demon master who would protect me and treat me with the reverence I deserved.
When the dust finally settled, I gaped up at the Nephilim. Stupid lummoxes though they were, their presence was disarming. Some stood at the edge of the lakes of lava while others hovered above them. They hadn’t just assembled an army, but an entire fighting brigade. They had cannons and carts full of lead balls. There were archers at the rear with flaming arrows big enough to knock gaping holes in our chests. They all wore breastplates and skull caps of iron and leather, and they each had a gleam in their eyes that said they were ready for war. And here I’d thought the beasts’ life of leisure had made them soft.
The black tiger my master sat upon roared at the giants, its hair standing on end as it scraped its claws atop a flat rock. If my master was afraid, he did not show it. His tail rattled above him as he tilted his chin, his wicked eyes glowing like sunbursts.
Below him, his two Nephilim prisoners struggled against their restraints though it did no good. The tendons in their wings had been cut. If they escaped they would not get far. Two giant cats circled the prisoners, growling as their fangs dripped with venom.
“Bring me the girl,” Scorpius yelled at the Nephilim army before waving at his prisoners, “Or watch your kin be eaten by my pets.”
King Og grunted and set down the bitch’s body. She kicked against her restraints, a plume of yellow feathers rising into the air.
Scorpius sent two demons to fetch her, but two giant warriors strode forward, waving their clubs at the demons.
“No take angel,” King Og bellowed. “First release Nephilim kin.” His heavy mouth turned a frown. “All of them.”
I swore under my breath. I knew he was referring to the two giants Scorpius had cast down years ago.
A wide grin split Scorpius’s face in two. “Release the giants!” he hollered.
Shadow and three other demons worked quickly to untie the prisoner’s restraints. The first giant stood, glaring at Shadow before knocking him off the slab. Shadow didn’t have time to react as he tumbled to the ground before rolling into a crevice, disappearing from view. I smiled inwardly. Served the demon right for bringing that bitch to my master.
The giants’ wings hung limply at their sides as they climbed down the slab. The venomous tigers jumped in front of them as they were about to rejoin their kin.
Scorpius peered down at the giants with a confident grin. “Give us the girl, and I will let them pass.”
Og shook his club at Scorpius. “No angel!” he stomped a foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum. “Where our other two kin?”
Scorpius heaved a disinterested sigh. “Very well, then. In a show of good faith, I will let you have these two giants, and I will release the others when you give us the girl.”
He whistled to the tigers, and they backed away, disappearing into the outcrop of boulders before returning, dragging two heavy sacks. I knew what was in those sacks: straw mostly, and a few large demons making it look like the crudely sewn bags contained actual giants. As stupid as Nephilim were, I knew Og would fall for Scorpius’s ruse.
One of Og’s giants picked up the flailing girl, tossing her up onto Scorpius’s rock with a thud. I winced as I heard her bones crack. So much for Scorpius’s hope that they worshipp
ed their angel. From the looks of it, they couldn’t care less about her.
Now was my chance to make a move. I kicked my cat’s sides, ignoring his growls as I prodded him forward. We worked our way slowly toward my master. I slipped off my tiger’s back when we neared the slab, gently padding up to my master as I reached for the knife in my pocket. Other demons had crowded behind Scorpius, squealing and hissing as he lifted the sack from her head.
As soon as Master saw the girl’s wide, frightened eyes, he smiled. “Welcome back, my fair one.”
I screeched at that, losing all sense of self control as I whipped the knife from my robe and charged her. Master spun, throwing out all six arms to stop me, but I slid underneath him and fell on top of the girl, driving the knife into her heart with one fluid thrust. She flailed beneath me like a fish out of water as the venom rushed through her veins, and then she stilled, her lifeless green eyes staring up at the sky. I smiled triumphantly, my chest swelling with sadistic satisfaction as she disappeared beneath me. I had succeeded. The bitch was lost to both my master and Aedan.
I collapsed onto her ashes when my master’s tail struck the back of my skull. I released the hold on my knife as his tail struck me again and again. And then I felt myself falling away, dissolving into the air like a dandelion in the wind.
Ash
Peering out from beneath the cart’s heavy blanket, I swallowed hard as I watched the demon bitch from Hell stab my nettle’s chest with a huge knife.
Sheesh. What did I ever do to her?
“Wow,” I whispered to Aedan. “Your wife really doesn’t like me.”
His red orbs flashed bright in hollow sockets. “She’s not my wife anymore. ‘Till death do us part, remember?”
I sucked in a gasp when my nettle disappeared, leaving behind a few golden feathers I’d painstakingly plucked from my wings and slipped beneath the restraints on her back. Scorpius’s eyes glowed like twin suns as the tail stretched over him stabbed Katherine in the head. In the head! Lord strike me down if I ever complain about PMS cramps again.
The back of my throat burned, remnants from my morning meal threatening to spill down my toga as I watched Katherine disintegrate too, leaving behind a small pile of dust.
I ducked underneath the cover and scooted closer to Aedan. “What just happened?” I breathed into the darkness.
His glowing eyes illuminated his profile as he continued to peer outside. “She’s off to the fourth dimension.” His voice was glum, and I wondered if he would mourn her.
I reached for him, clutching the hard planes of his arm through his heavy robe. “Aedan, I’m sorry.”
He turned to me, the embers in his eyes dancing like twin torches. “Ash, you are the only woman I care about.”
That warmed my heart, but only for a moment. It went cold again as the reality of our situation hit me square in the chest. We were about to wage a war against a powerful demon, one who had the ability to cast us even farther into the depths of Hell. I’d known my ghosting job was hazardous before I signed up, but come on. This went far beyond another bad day at the office. If and when we returned to Purgatory, I was demanding a raise. Oh, yeah, and a paid week off. Make that two weeks. Plus two tickets to the Purgatory Bahamas. I licked my parched lips as I envisioned myself sipping a Piña Colada on the beach with Aedan by my side. That sounded real nice. Now all we had to do was not get killed again.
When I heard the trumpet blare and Og’s thundering call to fight, I knew our time was up. Aedan threw back the covers and jumped to his knees, scythe in one hand, while he latched onto my wrist with the other. His glowing red gaze tunneled on me. “Stay by my side.”
My knees weakened. “If I get cast down, will you come find me?”
He pulled my hand to his heart and nodded. “Always.”
I felt a renewed sense of confidence with Aedan by my side. Then I froze as giants stormed past us, swinging their clubs in the air as monster tigers with long fangs sprang toward them.
Holy buckets!
Those cats were the size of elephants, like prehistoric saber toothed tigers, and there had to have been at least a hundred of the beasts attacking the giants. Unfortunately, the four biggest ones were protecting Scorpius, keeping the Nephilim at bay as they tried to strike him with their clubs.
I jumped with Aedan into the fray. Jack, Sarge, and five large warriors encircled me, acting as shields and giving me enough berth to strike demons with bolts of lightning as we made our way to the front line. Our goal was to get me to Scorpius so I could finish him off for good. I only hoped the brave giants didn’t get killed protecting me, and if anything happened to Jack, I’d never forgive myself. His two Dogzilla jaws enjoyed snapping the heads off demons, and when one of the cats hissed and raised his claws at Jack, my dog shredded the beast in a few heartbeats.
Sarge alternated between chopping off demon heads and blasting them into dust with his scythe, wielding that thing as if it was an extension of his hand. His experience on the battlefield showed. Despite all the demons who surged against him, he showed no sign of weakness.
Goliath thundered past us, laughing ominously and turning demons and cats to stone in his wake. Demons crawled over each other trying to flee his magic. They were like cockroaches under Goliath’s shoe.
I cringed every time a giant was struck, but at least they’d come prepared. Each one carried a vial of healing water tucked beneath their armor, pouring the life-saving liquid on themselves or their friends as they became injured. So far, I hadn’t seen a Nephilim turn to ash.
Another battle cry sounded, and Nephilim swooped down from the sky, picking up demons and tigers and dropping them into the lava. The earth shook, splitting open before my eyes as hordes of demons poured from a crevice deep within the ground. They crawled, walked, and slithered into the battle, biting, clawing, and slicing at the giants. I didn’t have enough power to zap them all, but then flaming arrows began striking down the demons, knocking off their heads and punching gaping holes in their chests. Headless bodies fought each other as they kicked their heads around in the dirt.
The demons kept spilling out of the crevice, and I feared they’d soon overpower the giants, who were weakening under the tigers’ attacks.
A flash of fire caught my eye, and I saw him, that magnificent, scaly dragon, pushing through the throng and burning demons who got in his way. Callum was so badass, just like his brother. My heart did a little flip when he paused to look over at me, flashing a wicked grin. I waved my fingers at him, mouthing a “thank you” as he continued to burn his adversaries. I had no idea where he’d come from, but I was so grateful he hadn’t been captured by Scorpius or banished to the fourth dimension. I hoped his luck wouldn’t run out.
Aedan forced me to stop as he poured healing water on my palms. I hadn’t even realized they were burned and bleeding until he turned over my hands. The giants and Jack formed a tight circle around me until the water finished its magic. Then we strode forward again, and that’s when my heart came to a thudding halt. A tiger had Callum in its fanged jowls, biting down and shaking him around as if he were a chew toy. Panic seized my brain when the tiger tossed his lifeless body onto the slab with Scorpius.
“No!” I screamed as I hiked up my toga and raced past my guards.
But it was too late. Scorpius looked up at me, his ominous eyes gleaming, right before his tail stabbed Callum through the chest, digging deep into the center. And just like that, Callum disappeared in a cloud of dust.
I clutched my aching heart, feeling as if it, too, had crumbled to ash along with my friend. I fell to my knees, sobbing as my guards surrounded me. Aedan grabbed my arm, saying something soothing into my ear, but I didn’t hear him. The sounds of war faded into nothingness, more like static in my brain, as I focused on only one thing, my grief for Callum. He was gone, and how would I ever save him?
A pool of sorrow welled in my chest, so heavy and thick I feared I might drown in it. Callum had risked his soul to fight
evil, and what had it gotten him but more misery? Why? Why had he been cast farther into Hell? He was a good man. He didn’t deserve such a fate. How could Scorpius have been so unjust? And how could God have let this happen?
I straightened my spine as I glared up at Scorpius. His cat guards were lying flat on the stone slab, looking as if they’d been crushed by a giant. But Scorpius did not show any signs of fear. Standing tall on his platform, he was nearly the height of the giant who’d tried to pound him with his club. Scorpius managed to evade the attack, grabbing onto a meaty hand with all six arms, laughing as his tail stabbed the giant’s wrist. It took me a moment to register that giant was King Og. If he banished the king, who would lead the Nephilim?
Scorpius will lead them, a warning hissed in my ear.
A spark lit somewhere within my pool of sorrow, and like a match to kerosene, my anguish exploded into a lake of rage. I fluttered to my feet, balling my fists and channeling all my energy into his glowing eyes. With a roar, I unleashed my magic, shooting a bolt so powerful, my hands exploded into bursts of light. A sonic boom rent the air, and a wave of wind ruffled my feathers and tossed my hair as demons and giants flattened around me.
“Stop, Ash, stop! You’ll destroy yourself!” Aedan screamed above the din, though his face was pressed into the dirt.
I didn’t care about my safety. All I cared about was enacting revenge on that six-armed freak. He would pay for all the people he’d haunted, all the souls he’d stolen, and all of the friends he’d tortured. Most of all, he would pay for banishing the only good demon in this miserable pit, the brother of the man I loved, and my friend.
Dreams and smoke intermingled until they were just a haze of voices and shadows. A giant creature with sad eyes and a soft smile held me as we flew over a lake of lava. When we landed, he handed me to a skeletal man with glowing eyes. Though these creatures were nightmarish and strange, somehow, I sensed I was safe. Weird, right? I should have been terrified. I should have been screaming, but I wasn’t.
