The entire purpose of coming to Purgatory had been to locate Joseph Luxton, the only being anyone knew of who could identify the angel responsible for trying to create a nephilim army. That was why Tessa had agreed to come along for the journey. But now, Cain told her they had to make a choice—if they were going to pursue the best chance of finding Luther, it would mean exposing themselves to the forces of Purgatory. That would make finding Luxton all but impossible.
“There has to be another way,” she said.
“Wish there was,” said Cain. “But if you wanna find Cross, we gotta get our hands on an agent.”
“Why can’t you find him?” asked Asmodeus.
Cain shrugged. “If I knew, I’d tell you. Maybe the agents are keepin’ him hidden from my senses. Or maybe it’s something else.”
“Can you still sense Luxton?” asked the demon.
“Yup, I can still feel him. Without Cross, the connection’s been weakened, but not broken. Not yet, at least.”
“So we have to choose,” said Asmodeus.
“No, we don’t,” said Tessa. “The choice should be obvious to everyone.”
“Agreed.” Asmodeus gave a nod. “Then let’s continue on our journey. We’ll find Luxton and escape Purgatory.”
Tessa couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Are you insane?”
“It’s been suggested, but don’t believe it applies to our current situation,” said Asmodeus.
“When I said the choice was obvious, I meant we’re going after Luther.”
Asmodeus scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You just said you wanted to find him!”
“That was before Cain told us we could only do so by sacrificing our opportunity to get to Luxton.”
“You’re such an asshole,” said Tessa.
“Well, I am a demon.”
“I’m not leaving Luther to rot in Purgatory,” she said. “We have a chance to find him, we’re going to take it.”
Asmodeus slid his hands into his pockets. “In case it’s slipped your mind, allow me to remind you that Luxton is the only way we know of to find the angel behind all this. This is bigger than Luther Cross. We have the fate of the entire world to consider. If your positions were reversed, do you believe he would give up this opportunity to rescue you?”
Tessa knew Asmodeus was right. Luther would probably do the practical thing; he’d focus on the mission and do what needed to be done. They’d all come into this willingly, with the knowledge they might not all make it out. Logically, of course, Asmodeus made sense.
But then, she also thought about how important Luther was to the world. If not for him, they never would have learned about the nephilim plot. He still had a crucial role to play—she wasn’t sure how she knew that for certain, but she could just feel it. And more importantly, Luther was her friend. He’d saved her life on several occasions and had given her the means to grow more powerful.
“I’m not changing my mind on this,” said Tessa. “If you want to go after Luxton, then you can do it without me.”
“Very well.” Asmodeus turned to the rooftop entrance, glancing at the third, silent member of their party. “Come along, Cain.”
“Dunno about that.”
Asmodeus looked over his shoulder, his eyes smoldering. “Care to repeat that?”
“Cross an’ I made a deal. I may be an immortal, bloodthirsty killer, but I’m still a man of my word.”
Asmodeus growled as he turned to face Cain. “You know what’s at risk here.”
“A slap-fight between angels an’ demons never interested me much to begin with. I’m only here because of something I was promised.”
Asmodeus’ gaze lingered on Cain for a few moments, before he turned to Tessa. When he narrowed his eyes at her, Tessa felt her blood go cold. The muscles in her fingers tensed and she began gathering magical energy as a precaution. It was an involuntary gesture, something she’d picked up in her time going up against the supernatural.
The demon held out his hand and hellfire emerged from his palm. It cut through the air and Tessa raised her arms, lightning arcing from her fingertips. Asmodeus conjured a shield with his free hand, the lightning harmlessly striking an invisible barrier.
The hellfire snaked around her body, pinning her arms to her sides just as it took the form of chains. They burned against her skin, but she wouldn’t give Asmodeus the satisfaction of screaming.
“Now you’ve gone from being an annoyance to an interference, and I won’t tolerate that,” he said.
Tessa grit her teeth, trying to summon the magic in the air around her. But without the ability to use her hands, she couldn’t really direct it anywhere. It hung there in the ether, like it was just out of reach.
But then she was surprised when she saw Cain step up behind Asmodeus. The hunter drew his revolver and pressed it to the back of the demon’s head. Asmodeus’ facial expression shifted from one of anger to frustration.
“Cain,” he said. “What are you doing?”
“Let the girl go.”
“And why would I do something so stupid?” he asked. “She’s become a hindrance to my goals.”
“I don’t care. If it comes down to a choice between a demon and her, I’m sidin’ with her,” said Cain. “See, I don’t know if she can be counted on. But you? I know you sure as shit ain’t trustworthy.”
“Fine. Pull the trigger. See how ineffective it is.”
Cain pulled back the hammer. “You sure you wanna take that bet?”
“Cross couldn’t kill an archdemon with his little pop gun, why would yours be any different?”
“Because I’m different,” said Cain. “I’ve killed a lot of things in my unnaturally long life. Humans, animals, monsters, demons. Even bagged an angel once. So no reason to believe an archdemon would be any different. After all, you’re nothin’ more than a mutilated angel.”
Tessa thought she saw something pass over Asmodeus’ eyes. A look she’d never seen before from him. Something she would swear looked like fear. Whether Cain was telling the truth or not, Asmodeus seemed to suspect he was.
“You kill me and you’ll suffer. The Infernal Court—”
“Has no idea you’re here. You didn’t want ’em knowin’ about this little field trip,” said Cain. “I kill you in Purgatory, far as anyone else is concerned, you just disappear. And I also know you’re too self-servin’ to sacrifice yourself. Especially when you know it won’t do you any good. So I’m gonna tell you one last time. Let. Her. Go.”
Tessa tried not to struggle against the hellfire chains. Every movement she made only caused them to burn even more. She could feel the sweat running down her face and wanted nothing more than to wipe it clean. And though she tried to relax her muscles, they couldn’t help but tense in this situation. Asmodeus still didn’t make any move to release her, but his eyes had drifted, trying to peer around to look into the face of his potential killer.
Cain pushed the barrel harder against Asmodeus’ head. “I won’t say it a third time.”
Asmodeus grunted and let his arms drop to the side. Instantly, the chains vanished in a puff of smoke and Tessa breathed easy now that the pain had stopped. She could relax again, though what she wanted was to fry this demon to the bone. But just as she raised her hands, the electricity arcing between her fingertips, Cain met her gaze and shook his head. She wanted to ignore him, but if he could kill a demon as powerful as Asmodeus, she figured it was better off to follow his lead.
“There,” said Asmodeus. “She’s free and you’re screwing up the entire plan.”
“Fine by me.” Cain lowered his gun, but he didn’t holster it. He kept his grip on it, probably just in case Asmodeus tried to sucker-punch him.
“If you’re going to ruin all this in order to find Cross, then that’s your business. I still have a job to do,” said Asmodeus. “I’ll find Luxton myself.”
“And how will you do that without a tracker?” asked Tessa.
“I’ll take my chances,” said Asmodeus. “Certainly better than dying with you morons once your plan goes south.”
Asmodeus walked up to the edge of the rooftop. He jumped over the edge and black, bat-like wings emerged from his back, creating an updraft that raised him into the reddish sky. Tessa watched him fly off into the distance. What he had planned was anyone’s guess. But she had more important things to worry about. Like why exactly Cain had rescued her.
The first killer holstered his gun and lit a cigarette. Tessa approached him, though she did so cautiously. What did you say to an immortal killer who’d just saved your life from a powerful demon? She supposed there was only one thing.
“Thanks,” she said, though her voice was a little lower than she intended. “But was that really because you don’t trust him?”
He hesitated for a moment so he could take something out of his pocket. Tessa couldn’t see what it was, but he looked at it for what seemed like forever before placing it back in his pocket. Then he just replied with, “Yup.”
“Do you think Asmodeus can find Luxton on his own?”
“Dunno,” said Cain. “He’s an arrogant bastard who lies like a bearskin rug. But he might know a thing or two that could give him an edge. Either way, we got our own plan to worry about.”
“Right,” said Tessa. “So, tell me more about these agents.”
“Purgatory is basically a prison, an’ like any good prison, you gotta know where the inmates are at all times. That’s where the agents come in. They can find anyone in Purgatory at any time.”
“So where do we find one?”
“Well, here’s where it gets difficult,” said Cain. “Y’see, they stay hidden. Only show their faces when someone’s breakin’ the rules. And the only real rule in Purgatory is don’t you dare try to escape. If you do, they’ll show their faces.”
“You know how to get out of here. So, if we try to fake an escape, would that way out be closed to us?”
Cain flashed a smile at her, one that suggested he was impressed by her. Tessa knew how dangerous he was, but there was something about him that seemed different now that it was just the two of them.
“Clever girl,” he said. “You’re absolutely right. But we’re not gonna try that. My escape plan involves a trump card I’m not playin’ yet. There are other ways to weaken the dimensional barrier, though. If we do it sloppy and loud, they’ll know.”
He finished his cigarette and flicked it over the edge of the building. Cain turned to her and reached under his coat. When he brought it out again, he held a dagger in his hand. The blade was bright silver and had Enochian script imprinted on its surface. Tessa involuntarily took a step back.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
“Blood spell.” Cain got down on both knees and held out his free hand. He pressed the dagger to his palm and Tessa winced as she watched the blade cut into his skin. Thick crimson oozed from the wound and Cain sheathed the dagger. With his other hand free, he dipped his fingers into the blood and started to draw a sigil on the rooftop.
Tessa was reminded of the last time she’d performed a blood spell herself. The memory of the panic she had felt that time, watching as a possessed Dakota was ready to tear Luther apart, caused her heart to speed up. Everything back then had happened so fast, and she’d almost felt like she was outside her body as she performed the spell. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
Cain finished the sigil and held his hand over it, closing it into a fist. He began to speak in an ancient tongue. Tessa knew some of the ancient magical languages, but she’d never actually spoken Enochian. Still, she recognized the sound of it as the words came from his mouth. Rivulets of blood dripped from his hand, and they seemed to slow as they grew closer, striking the center of the circle.
The sigil began to glow, first a bright red, and then it burst into flames. Tessa was so shocked by it, it made her jump. Cain stood up and reached beneath his coat to draw his gun. He looked at Tessa and gave her a nod.
“Get ready for some fireworks.”
24
I didn’t trust the man standing in front of me. Sure, he had the face of Alistair Carraway, spoke and moved in exactly the same way, had all the same mannerisms. But just like I knew the construct my dreamscape had created of Wayne Cooper wasn’t really Wayne, I also knew this wasn’t the real Alistair.
But there was a question nagging at me. Was this Alistair just another construct created from my memories, or was he something else? Someone sent by the ruler of Purgatory to capture me or kick me out before I could find Joseph Luxton?
For the time being, I’d decided to play along. I watched Alistair walk around the training room of the Sons of Solomon. He smoked his cigarette as he examined the weapons on the rack. Time passed, or at least that was the sensation I felt.
“You said there’s work to be done out there. So are you gonna help me find the exit, or would you rather sit here twiddling your thumbs?” I asked.
“Exit, eh?” Alistair chuckled. “Funny you say that, Luther. There is no exit.”
“But you—”
“No exit from what you are,” he said. “You’ve been fighting it your whole life. Trying to have it both ways.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let me show you.” Alistair walked from the weapons rack, moving right past me. I turned and watched as he approached the large double doors to the room. He pushed them both open, and a bright light was behind them. With a look over his shoulder, he said, “Follow me down the rabbit hole.”
Alistair stepped into the light first. I slowly approached the doors, staring into that bright light. It was so blinding, I had to use my hand to shield my eyes. Something inside me was telling me not to go in. Maybe it was the demon, wanting me to stay locked in this room so he could be free.
I wasn’t about to let that happen, so I followed Alistair into the light.
As soon as I stepped through the doorway, the light instantly faded. The new room took shape around me. We were standing in the library of the Sons of Solomon. It was completely dark, with the only light coming from Alistair’s cigarette—and also another source, deep within the library.
Alistair walked past the tables and down the aisles separating the bookshelves. I followed him towards the dim light. It was tucked away, towards the back of the massive room. That was where we found a row of desks pushed up against the wall. Only one was occupied, with a young boy no older than ten sitting at the desk, his eyes fixed on an old, massive grimoire. A small, glowing orb hovered just above the pages, giving the light he needed to keep reading.
“Look familiar?” asked Alistair.
Of course. It was me.
“I used to come down here late at night,” I said. “My abilities were still growing. Couldn’t even see in the dark back then. The lux spell was one of the few I knew, and even that tired me out. But no matter how tired I got, I couldn’t stop reading.”
“What were you searching for?” asked Alistair.
“Answers,” I said. “The Sons didn’t tell me a whole lot about my origins, especially at that age. I didn’t even know I was a cambion until I was a teenager. But when you’re born with red eyes and all the other kids in magic school had to work twice as hard to get half as good as you, you start asking questions.”
“And how did the Sons feel about that?”
The sound of the library doors slamming open caused me to jump. I spun on my heel, readying my gun. Alistair put his hand on my arm and pushed it down. When I looked at him, he just shook his head.
“Relax, son. This part’s not interactive. We’re just watching a film.”
I watched as a man in a black robe walked down the aisle. He was bald, with a silver beard and glasses. Hanging from his neck by a gold chain was a pendant with the Seal of Solomon engraved into its surface.
“Brother Thomas,” I said, recognizing the old monk immediately.
He walked right through me, as if
I were a ghost. I turned and watched as he approached the desk where the young me sat. For a moment, he stood there, staring down at me. It took a moment for the kid to finally realize he was being watched, and when he looked up, Thomas forcefully grabbed the book and yanked it off the desk.
“What do you think you’re doing, Luther?” asked Thomas. “You’re not permitted to read these texts without permission—you know that!”
“I-I’m sorry, Brother Thomas…” the young me said.
Thomas’ face looked just as angry as I remembered, the light from the orb casting just enough on his face for that look to give a ten-year-old kid nightmares for weeks.
“What’s the meaning of this?” asked Thomas. “Do you think the rules don’t apply to you?”
“No, it’s just…” The boy sighed. “I just wanted to know more about who I am.”
“You know who you are, boy.” Thomas clasped the book in both hands and whispered under his breath. It vanished, transported back to the shelf where I had taken it from. “You’re one of us, part of our order.”
“But I’m not,” said the boy. “The other kids, they all know who their parents are. But every time I ask any of the monks about mine, you change the subject.”
Thomas sighed and knelt down in front of the boy. He reached a hand out and placed it on the kid’s shoulder. “I understand it’s difficult, Luther.”
“No, you don’t. The others always avoid me, ’cause of my eyes. And I hear them whispering about me.”
“What do they say?”
The boy shook his head. “I dunno. I only hear bits an’ pieces. But they call me a freak, say there’s something wrong with me.”
“This is the part where he reassures me,” I told Alistair. “But only after he hesitates.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, son,” said Thomas, following the hesitation. Just as he had when I’d lived this memory the first time. “The other children, they’re just jealous of you because you can do things they can’t.”
Alistair leaned against the wall, staring at the constructs while drawing on the cigarette. He exhaled through his nostrils and said, “Nice sentiment.”
Devil's Descent (Luther Cross Book 2) Page 16
