by Amanda Jones
Surprise at this revelation momentarily distracted Luc, but he quickly got back to his initial question. How are you here? Why have you come?
“So many questions — I see some things don’t change,” Metatron replied with a touch of humor in his voice. “I’m here because Satan has upset the balance in his attempt to bind himself to the Chimera. We are unsure if he is aware of this; however, once he put his plan in motion, the traditional rules no longer applied. Angels can cross over into Sheol, as demons are now able to cross into the heavens. Once the balance is restored we will once again be barred entry. As for why I’ve responded to your call, I’m here to offer you a choice.”
What kind of choice?
“Essentially, I’ve been authorized to offer you what you’ve always wanted — free will, freedom from service to any power, the ability to live your immortal life as you choose among the humans.”
What’s the catch?
“Should you choose to accept this offer, you will no longer be able to enter Sheol. You must allow events here to unfold as they will.”
But what about Katia? I won’t be able to help her, will I?
“No, I would be required to deposit you in the human realm and leave you there.”
I can’t do that, I love her. I can’t just abandon her here.
“There is one other option and that is why I said I’m offering you a choice. You can accept your freedom with the stipulations I’ve already outlined or you can go after your Katia. I will even take you there. But if you choose that course, you must forfeit your immortality. Essentially, you will be entering Halja as a human soul, unable to heal quickly and with limited strength. As you’re aware, that is tantamount to a death sentence. Should you die in Halja, your soul will belong to Satan. You would be trading your life for the opportunity to save hers.”
Luc laughed internally at the dark humor in this situation. Here he was being offered everything he’d wanted for millennia and now none of it seemed important. He knew from the depths of his soul that he would be willing to suffer anything in the hope of saving Katia from being bound to Satan forever. She had given him her love — a gift more precious than anything in this world or the next — and Luc knew that it would be enough to sustain him for eternity. The only thing left to do was to make his decision known to Metatron.
Make me human. Strip me of my immortality. I’m going after her.
“You’re willing to give up everything you’ve ever wanted for this woman?” Metatron asked incredulously. “That is certainly not something you would have done before.”
Can we stop discussing it and do this? I need to get to her.
“As you wish.”
Luc felt the warm brush of Metatron’s hand over his brow. He immediately began to regain control of his frozen body. Sitting up quickly, he felt dizziness overcome him. Blinking at the light in the room, Luc took in the appearance of his old friend. Metatron had always been the formal one, the quiet one, the observer of life. His strict adherence to the rules and his constant drive to be the epitome of angelic perfection were what had made him the perfect choice to act as the Voice of the Deity. From his pristine white robes to the golden curls in his hair and sky blue eyes, Metatron was who humans pictured when they thought of angels. Though the other angels Luc had recently met had clearly modernized their appearances, Metatron had clearly held to the old styles of dress and manner.
As he sat there staring at the angel, Luc felt his immortal strength leach out of his body. Weakness, something he’d never felt before, and definitely not something he liked very much, was present. For the first time in his long life, Luc felt vulnerable. He was now subject to the passage of time, physical ailment, and injury. Glancing down at his chest, Luc watched as the blackened tracks on his chest retracted and his sigil disappeared as though it had been drawn back into his body. There were now no longer any outward signs that he had ever been one of the Deity’s angels. As the last of his strength left his body, Metatron spoke the two words that sealed the deal.
“Deus vult.”
“God wills it,” Luc whispered to himself.
“Well, Morningstar, or I suppose I should just call you Luc now, welcome to the human race.”
“Yeah, thanks. Don’t take this the wrong way, Metatron, but I’d like to get to Halja now, if you don’t mind,” Luc said pointedly. “Time to get this show on the road.”
Smiling wryly, Metatron replied, “Always the impatient one.” Metatron waved Luc forward to stand beside him. “As you wish.”
Rising, Luc stood beside Metatron and placed his hand on the angel’s shoulder. He only had time to take one deep breath before the pair disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
Chapter Thirty
Katia
Katia crept quietly down yet another steep stone staircase that she hoped would lead her to the dungeon and her brother. The hairs on the back of her neck had been prickling since Amir had deposited her in an out-of-the-way corridor half an hour before. Halja was certainly an impressive structure with its labyrinthine hallways and staircases that made one feel as though all hope of arriving at one’s destination was lost. It really was a fitting feeling when traipsing around in the epicenter of Sheol itself. Fear snaked up her spine as she continued onwards. This really was the Devil’s playground — she was the new kid that hadn’t been invited to play and didn’t know the rules of the game. Katia could feel the tension in her shoulder blades as she made her way further into the bowels of the castle. She had yet to meet up with any minions and was keeping her fingers crossed that it would stay that way. The idea of running into a pack of demons that were tied irrevocably to the Devil himself was enough to make Katia want to run in fear, but somehow she knew soul-deep that her brother would be freed and she would return to Luc.
She couldn’t put her finger on where the feeling came from, Heofon knew this mission looked doomed from the outset, but it was just sitting there like a shining beacon of hope that she had only to reach out and touch. She had just reached the landing and taken one step into the next corridor when a crossbow bolt slammed into the wall inches from her head. The battle instincts she’d skimmed from Amir kicked in and she immediately dropped to the floor, rolling and grabbing for the semi-automatic pistol strapped to her leg. As she swung up into a sitting position, she pulled back the slide and fired one of the charmed rounds directly into her assailant’s head in one smooth movement. Her senses took a moment to catch up with the superhuman speed with which she’d managed to dispatch her demonic attacker, but when they did she found herself on her feet again staring down at his face. Red eyes open and unseeing, a trail of blood seeping from the bullet wound in his forehead. He’d had blue skin that was leaching into a mottled gray that matched the stone flooring like some kind of hellish chameleon. He definitely looked dead, so this demon was not immortal, thank goodness. She didn’t relish the idea of decapitation, but to free her brother she knew she would do it if she had to. You never really know what you’re capable of until the situation arises, Katia mused. Before today she’d never thought she’d have been able to kill, but when the time had come she hadn’t flinched. Her eyes flicked to the side and she saw the crossbow lying on the floor. Figuring it couldn’t hurt to get a look at what had almost lodged in her head, Katia reached up and wrenched the bolt out of the wall and examined it. Much like her rounds, these bolts appeared to be charmed. Along the side of the bolt in a similar script to her ammunition were the words in nomine diaboli. In the name of the Devil. Katia needed no translation, and it was clear that these bolts had been charmed to slow down any immortal that had the temerity to breach the Devil’s lair.
The sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere down a far corridor jerking Katia out of her head and into action. The sound of the gun firing had obviously alerted someone to her presence. Keeping the weapon in her hand, Katia took off down the hallway at a run; the sound of her motorcycle boots hitting the stone floor pounded in her ears. Katia swept her g
aze back and forth across the hallway as she ran, her surroundings becoming more and more sparse as she delved deeper into the heart of the castle. Attention on high alert, she began to pass large open barred metal doors at varying intervals that opened into pitch black cells. Dried blood caked the mortar between the stones that made up the floor. A hissing noise and the occasional burst of heat blasting down the hallway told her that she was nearing a boiler room. As she continued farther into the prison area hands began to reach towards her through the barred doors. Blackened and torn skin, blood dripping from open wounds, the prisoners called to her, begging for release from their own personal hell. Katia slowed her pace allowing her to peek at the haggard and drawn faces as they peered out at her in panicked hope. Her brother wasn’t here.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she walked past one door then another. Katia had to keep reminding herself that these were prisoners who had willingly sold their souls to Satan. This was the ultimate test of her willpower, her heart kept telling her to release them from their cells but logically she knew she only had the time and ability to save one — her brother. Suddenly, a pair of very small hands reached out through the bars of one of the cells. Katia felt her heart constrict in her chest. A child. What on earth was a child doing in the prison of Halja? Surely even Satan wasn’t able to lay claim to the soul of one so young. Katia’s breath caught in her throat as she turned to peer through the bars. Her feet became rooted to the ground and tears prickled behind her eyes. Children. Three of them. Two were holding each other, tracks from their tears streaking their dirty faces. The other was reaching through the bars of the cell as though Katia was their only hope for salvation.
“My God,” Katia whispered as she moved towards the cell slowly as though she were in a waking dream. The children couldn’t have been any older than ten or twelve. Katia was drawn in by the sadness in their eyes that stood out in their gaunt little faces. Katia’s hand lifted and reached out towards the small one that was outstretched. As she drew closer, the other two children moved to join what must have been their sibling pressed against the bars.
“Save us,” they said in unison, their voices slithering out into the silence. At the otherworldly sound, Katia paused and frowned. Something didn’t feel right.
“Please, help us,” said the little girl with her arm outstretched, a fresh tear tracking down her face. Katia started moving once again, drawn in by the sadness in the little girl’s eyes. As her hand slid into the little girl’s a sense of dread washed over her just seconds before that small hand clamped down on hers with the strength of ten men and yanked her off her feet, slamming her face-first into the bars of the cell. Pain exploded in her head as she crashed down to the floor. Dragging herself up off the ground and shaking off the daze, Katia caught the flash of red eyes from within the blackened cell as she heard the scraping of the door as it was opened. The children were demons. Free of the pull of their influence, Katia could now feel the static charge in the air denoting the presence of the supernatural. As they emerged from the cell, eyes flashing like laser beams, they chattered amongst themselves.
“She came as predicted.”
“Such a shame we aren’t allowed to kill her.”
“She would be such fun to play with.”
Katia lunged for the gun she had dropped, but was brought up short by a swift kick to the side of her head that flung her into the opposite wall. Stone dust rained down upon her with the force of the impact, her insides felt like they’d been put through a blender, a slow trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Wiping off the blood with the back of her hand, Katia scrambled to her feet and unsheathed a charmed throwing dagger from her arsenal.
“Oh, look. Kitty has claws,” said a little boy that looked as though he’d stepped out of the pages of Oliver Twist, an evil grin playing around the edges of his lips. Without warning, he launched himself at her, teeth and nails sharpening into points as he flew through the air towards her. Operating on instinct alone, Katia threw out the arm holding the dagger at the last moment. She was propelled backwards by the weight of his flight, landing hard on the stone floor. She heard the loud crack of one of the flags beneath them as they struck, her head bouncing painfully as stars shot through her field of vision. A strange warmth began to suffuse the hand that was pinned between her body and that of the tiny demon. Realizing that her attacker was oddly still, Katia raised her head, wincing at the stabbing pain, and shoved him off of her. As the body rolled to the side she saw the dagger protruding from his chest, his tar-like black blood running from the wound she’d inflicted. The once piercing red eyes faded to an innocent brown as she looked on.
Looking back down at her bloody hand, Katia realized she was shaking. It was one thing to shoot a demon cleanly from a distance, but this kill had been up close and personal. A shocked gasp from the waif-like little girl jerked her attention back to the duo still standing with shocked stares at the scene in front of them. Grabbing the hand of the child beside her, the little girl narrowed her eyes on Katia and muttered something in a language Katia didn’t understand. A split second later they disappeared, leaving Katia staring at the space they had occupied only moments before. Still shaking, she dragged herself slowly to her feet. Wiping blood on the pant leg of her black jeans, Katia stared back down at the demonic child at her feet. In death, the innocent, childlike face began to morph into something far more sinister, with blackened veins tracking like a roadmap under his skin, the skin wrinkling, and hair greying to show his true age. Katia gagged at the sight before her and spun away as her stomach rebelled. A bright flash of light nearly blinded her. Katia blinked rapidly to clear her field of vision and gasped as her eyes finally focused on Bellerophon, her father, standing directly in front of her.
“Wh…what are you doing here?” She asked in complete confusion.
Bellerophon smiled and moved towards her, pulling her into a hug. “I’m here to help you, my child.”
“But you can’t be here. Luc told me that angels cannot enter Sheol. Something about upsetting the balance.” She replied as she grasped her father and hugged him back hard.
Bellerophon leaned back to look Katia in the eye. “The balance is no longer in force. As soon as Satan put his plan in motion, we were able to intercede in the doings of Sheol. The only beings still affected are the Deity and Satan himself.” Bellerophon cupped Katia’s cheek lightly and kissed her on the forehead. “Satan knew you’d come for your brother; you were meant to be here. We’re unsure if he’s aware yet that we can breach his dominion, but either way we weren’t going to allow you to undertake this venture on your own. The Deity wants the balance restored. The only way that can be accomplished is through the rescue of your brother and the binding of your joined soul to a being other than Satan.”
Katia breathed a relieved sigh. “Thank you for coming. How did you know I’d be here?”
Bellerophon smiled. “Amir alerted the light to your plans.”
Katia let out a relieved nervous laugh. “I could kill him. He made this rescue mission sound like a lost cause. How many angels are coming?”
Bellerophon’s face settled into seriousness. “There will be several of us, though I’m unsure of exact numbers. Don’t underestimate the amount of danger you are in. We are able to render assistance, but the most difficult task will still be up to you. You will have a decision to make that will change the course of the world as we know it. All that has happened has been fated up to that moment; the rest will be yours to decide.”
Katia frowned in confusion. “What do you mean everything has been fated?”
Sighing, Bellerophon replied, “What I mean by everything is exactly that…everything. My relationship with your mother, your birth…along with other events that have culminated in the events of this moment. There is a fine line between fate and free will. Soon you will exercise your free will to determine the fate of the human realm. You and your brother are the lynchpin on which the future of humanity rests. Your
joint decisions will set the path for the next phase of history.”
Katia let out a huge breath she hadn’t been aware she’d held. “So no pressure or anything.”
Bellerophon rested his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. “I have faith in you, my daughter.”
“So, do we really have any control over our lives or is everything already decided for us?” Katia asked.
“Free will exists within a framework. There are major events that are fated, created by the light and the dark in order to open up opportunities for certain special individuals to make choices based on free will that will alter the course of the world. You and your brother happen to be two of those chosen by fate.”
“So the fate of the world depends on us…and Satan knows this, so he drew me here to force the issue?” Katia asked.
Bellerophon simply nodded. “I’m sorry that this has fallen to you, but you will choose what feels right and that is all we can ask of you.”
“I’m glad you have faith in me because, at this point, I’m absolutely terrified,” Katia replied, looking up at her father with trepidation in her eyes. “What if my brother and I make the wrong choice? What if we can’t agree on the right choice? We don’t really know anything about each other. We’re basically complete strangers that have to somehow make a life-altering decision for everyone.”
Her father looked down at her with a slight smile and reached out for Katia’s hand. “I have a feeling you will both be of the same mind when the time comes. But now we have to go find him. You cannot move forward and fulfill your destiny without Keir. Time to go.”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Katia nodded and took her father’s hand. “Time to go,” she whispered.
