by A. J. Downey
“Raphael, right?” I asked the new Angel. He nodded and smiled some. Pleased, I think, that I readily identified him.
“We’re really hosed aren’t we?” I whispered to Tab. Even if this somehow went down well, if what Lucifer had said was true, I’d never really gotten out of his sight. Raphael and the rest came armed for a fight, and whether we did this conversation at the frat house, or here, it wasn’t just Tab they were expecting.
“It depends, Adelaide…”
“On?”
“What you chose.”
I reached out blindly with my left hand, found Tab’s in the dark, and gave it a squeeze. “I won’t let you down,” I said. I caught the smile that caused at the edge of my vision, but another Angel was coming forward, out of the dark, to step up beside Raphael.
“Uriel,” I said, recognizing the redheaded linebacker from the frat house couch. Except he looked super badass in copper chainmail, holding a longbow that was nocked but not drawn, with a wicked-looking arrow.
“Hello,” he greeted, inclining his head. He smiled at me, and I gave him a tentative smile back.
Michael came out of the dark next, and my heart picked up speed. He looked down his nose at me imperiously, and I swallowed hard.
“Give me the keys,” he said imperiously, and I smiled bravely.
“Ask nicely,” I demanded, and Gabriel grinned like a fucking maniac behind the Archangel of Archangels’ back. Michael frowned.
“Give me the keys, please,” he said, scowling.
I shook my head. “Sorry, Mikey, you’re just going to have to go fuck yourself,” I told him. He opened his mouth to speak and the light flared bright and brighter. I put up my hand to shield my eyes from where it came from, the ground shook with a furious peal of thunder, and the light swelled, then dimmed down to something tolerable… It was my amulet, and it had just reacted as hard as when Lucifer had joined the party the couple of times before, although with how fast the amulet calmed its shit, I was betting that this was bad. Really, really bad.
“Oh shit…” I breathed. Tab’s wings snapped out, his sword cleared his sheath, and my knife cleared mine. I tucked myself into his side and gave Iaoel a swift mental kick, but she was alert. I got a sense of a mixture of dread shot through with a hopeful sort of glee.
“Shit. Lucifer maybe,” I said, and Michael snarled.
“How do you know?” Raphael asked.
“Because the last time the amulet reacted that strongly, that loudly, it was him, and Iaoel is entirely too fucking happy about it. Seeing as those two were butt buddies…” I didn’t finish my thought. I didn’t need to, because they were coming, and the Archangels were suddenly standing with us instead of against us.
“Protect the keys!” Michael barked.
Tab said in a low soothing voice, “Stay by my side, Adelaide.”
“I got you,” I said and gave him a half smile like I actually had any ability to back him up. My inappropriate humor was back in full force.
“The girl has the keys,” Tab lied. “So if you wish to protect them, protect her.”
There was no more talking after that, because there was a rumble, and light blazed, lighting up the cement and pipes and high-domed ceiling and the stuff of nightmares hanging in mid-air about twenty paces out.
The next step started with a sound somewhere between tearing metal, and the worst death metal band ever. I covered my ears, for all the good it did. Then it was like the air was torn apart, little crackles of reddish lightning signaling the start of some sort of portal opening, belching brimstone-smelling smoke. It just kept expanding out, a portal of roiling viscous blood; opening up, yawning wide. I felt myself go pale, flashing on the memory of Tab being dragged back into just this kind of Hellmouth. It was so much worse close up.
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!” I heard myself say, voice strangled by fear.
“Whatever comes next, whatever comes now, remember your training. I’ll be right here. You’re not alone.”
“I got you, Tab. I mean it, I’m not going anywhere either. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I do.”
“They’re coming,” Gabriel intoned. Uriel leapt, the backdraft from his wings causing me to duck as he took flight. The portal exploded outwards into the room, and there hadn’t been a nightmare invented that was bad enough to cover the creatures that came pouring out. It was going to be a bad way to die, but I wasn’t going to go down without fighting. A massive arrow took flight, the snap and twang of the bow echoing above the howls and cries of the slavering creatures pouring out towards us, and one of the beasts at the fore crashed, sliding forward with an arrow in its chest, leaving an oil slick of black blood in its wake.
Iaoel started in, a vision overlay taking over my sight, and I cried out, “Tab! Incoming from the left in three – two – one! Now!” He swung up and out and met a creature who had leapt down at us from the wall. A trumpet blasted, and light glimmered from above. I glanced up and saw Gabriel, one of the long, old fashioned trumpets to his lips, cheeks bellowed out as he sent out another deafening blast. The creatures from Hell fell to the ground, writhing, and I cried out, covering my ears with my forearms, as the rent in the fabric of worlds above us tore even more, letting more pure white light into the dank underground. It sounded like a flock of birds, but it wasn’t… Gabriel had called in some of the cavalry.
The noise and din doubled and redoubled, and I took a deep breath and stayed with Tab as the fray intensified around us. It was going to be a long, nasty; drawn out fight, and we were in it for the long fucking haul. The good news? Iaoel was on fucking board with the ‘keep Addy alive’ part of the plan. Halle-fucking-lujah. At least there was that.
Chapter Ten
Tabbris
I was too busy to comment on Adelaide’s guess as to who was coming. Her warning proved to be perfect timing, and I cut through the attempted ambusher cleanly. I didn’t expect to see Lucifer anywhere near this fight. He might be the Prince of Lies, but I believed he genuinely wanted no part of a battle with Michael until the time was right. He wasn’t done playing the long game, and this wasn’t the final gambit. It was an attack, but he didn’t need to accompany the legion he set on us. This was either to frighten Adelaide, to convince her I couldn’t protect her, to turn her more against the Archangels, or to weaken us – or some of all of the above.
What did follow the Demons and horrors of Hell through the portal, though, were plenty of other Fallen. None of them were Lucifer, certainly, but it was still more than a sufficient number to have Adelaide’s amulet glowing as brightly as it had in Auschwitz. Unlike the Demons, any of these could be a threat to anyone of our number, even singly. Worse, their joining the fight hadn’t lessened the numbers of the Demons any.
Adelaide continued to do her part, trusting that the Archangels’ self-interest, as far as protecting the keys was concerned, would keep her well-guarded. She called out placements to me, and I whirled and spun, cutting Demons down faster than I would have on my own. In training, keeping up these visions had tired her quickly, but she showed signs of improvement – and despite Iaoel’s presence, even with the confirmation from Adelaide that she was active currently, I didn’t once think to doubt that it was Adelaide in control.
I lost track of her words the first time I clashed swords with one of the Fallen. Listening over the howls of the Demon brood was one thing – and sometimes difficult enough. My ears were now filled with the sound of the blades, blessed and damned, striking off one another. Focusing on combat where a single wrong move could spell the end of the fight, while still having to fend off Demons, took all the concentration I had.
The enemy had numbers on us by a huge margin. Even with Gabriel’s call, only so many had responded. Thankfully, with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, we had an edge in power that no single one of our current enemies could match. Gabriel had also chosen the site well. He’d suggested to Adelaide it was merely for the sake of our – to him – delicate sensibilitie
s, but it was also somewhere deep and solid enough to make sure we could fight defensively, without worrying about something just tearing through the walls at our backs. We circled around Adelaide, with the archers and better healers also on the inside of the circle, so our swordsmen could protect them, while those who were the most capable in weaving protections and blessings guarded us from the arrows and enchantments of the enemy.
While not a bad swordsman, Raphael took his place among the healers, sitting in a meditative stance while the battle raged around him. Bathed in the warmth of his healing light, even when our enemies did score hits, or their enchantments started to set in, they often didn’t last long. He wasn’t one I’d had the opportunity to fight alongside, at least against foes who posed any real threat, so I had to say that the effect was reassuring.
Even if Gabriel’s “bull” analogy had been about intelligence, Michael was fitting the image aptly. He crushed and cut his way through enemy ranks, leaving the defensive lines free to make sure nothing escaped his wrath, daring anything or anyone to challenge him. He never got too far away, always remembering the goal and falling back to take his place in the circle, before rushing into the fray again. While he was a better tactician than that when he needed to be, he clearly didn’t feel like anything here was enough of a threat to him, personally, to warrant an excess of caution, and perhaps he was hoping to send a message. I guessed that he was also hoping that Adelaide was right and Lucifer was, indeed, listening in or watching. Our foes were, to their credit, smart enough to bait him a few times, leading him away to try to create a gap in the line, or trying to lead him into a trap where he wouldn’t have his back guarded. For now, the line held, and, unfortunately for our opposite number, while their tactics possibly should have worked, they also demonstrated that Michael’s confidence in himself was also not unfounded. He came back with some new cuts, but nothing that wouldn’t heal, and never anything to compare with the harm he dished out.
Uriel’s arrows continued to fly. While he wasn’t the only one shooting, he saved his shots for the Fallen, or the largest of the hell beasts, taking fewer shots than anyone, but making every one of them count. Likewise, when the Fallen did manage to use their powers, trying to fell the lines with varying enchantments of weakness, paralysis, or fear, Uriel would take the time to cast his own light over the victims, dispelling the effect. The only such thing he didn’t target was Lucifer’s enchantment on me. It’s possible he wouldn’t have been able to entirely get rid of the anchoring effect anyway, but they also certainly didn’t want to create an opportunity for Adelaide and me to run again.
Gabriel fought in his own fashion. Mostly defensively, letting others watch his back, while he looked for opportunities. His way wasn’t about cowardice, more about knowing what he was good at – which usually involved landing the killing blow at an unexpected moment, when the enemy was distracted. He alone moved about the line, helping one, then another of the heavenly host, finding the points where the line was the closest to failing and engagement was heaviest, sneaking into the fight, and dropping a hell beast or two, or wounding the Fallen enough to force them back. Every time our enemies showed signs of rallying, there was another blast on the trumpet, held in his off-hand, shaking their morale, causing horrible pain among Hell’s denizens, and drowning out the noise of their leaders.
The others were all useful, and their presence appreciated, but their levels of skill in an actual fight varied. Admittedly, those most eager to jump at Gabriel’s summons included some of those most interested in actually fighting the enemy – but not everyone with the enthusiasm also has the skill. Then there was the separate problem, for good or ill, evidenced on both sides: even among those with experience and a talent with their weapons, quite a few hadn’t had good cause to get into a fight that really challenged them in a long time. Along with only a very few others of our number, I had the significant edge that my time in Hell had been my only break, and my skills were tested regularly. I held a point in our defensive line furthest from Michael and dropped as many Demons as anyone. I crossed swords a time or two more with the Fallen among their number, but they weaved in and out, engaging, and then falling back at any wound or near call.
“Michael, fall back! They’re just keeping us busy!” I shouted, projecting my voice into an echoing boom that carried through the haunted complex.
“Mind your place, Tabbris!” he shouted back. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before he saw the same thing I did in their efforts, willingly throwing away the lives of lesser creatures in order to keep us occupied, but after all they’d been through, thanks to me, he wasn’t about to be seen by anyone paying me any mind. The others listened, though, and tightened ranks, trading any hint of aggression for greater defense.
The next thing through the portal was a hail of arrows, dozens upon dozens of poison-tipped, black-feathered missiles flying out with more care for sheer volume than accuracy. Raphael’s presence, among the few healers he led, kept the results from being worse, and Adelaide wasn’t hit – for which I was extremely grateful – but the volume of the assault was still unexpected, when the place had already seemed filled by the swarm.
The next thing out of the portal was sound. Baying, growling, howling, and less identifiable noises heralded the arrival of packs of the hounds of Hell. They emerged in swarms, but didn’t charge into the fray. Instead, they started trying to circle, out of reach, making sure we were hemmed in. Individually, no hound was a threat to any of the Angels, but as packs, they were every bit as, if not more, dangerous than Demons. The Demons may attempt wolf pack tactics and wearing down prey, but their petty natures get in the way. The hounds have no such intelligent motives.
Following the hunting hounds came the hunters, currently all armed with bows, though that would change. All of these were Fallen, led by Samyaza, the leader of the Grigori faction of the Fallen, with five lieutenants backing him: Yequon, Asbeel, Penemue, Kasdaye, and Gadreel. The last of those immediately turned his attention to me. Where I protected free will, his focus had always been on teaching humans more and more efficient means of warfare. He sowed mindless fear of endless enemies, and the only defense he offered was that of mutually assured destruction. Safe to say, we’d never gotten along – and unlike a lot of those present, he’d never allowed his skills with any of his weapons to diminish.
“Give us the girl, and this can all end,” Samyaza offered, gesturing for his followers to lower their bows. Tellingly, some did so, if only to free up hands to draw swords instead. The Fallen who’d been in charge of testing us fell back, mingling with the others, and in some cases, did their best to weave through the hounds very carefully. While the packs’ attention was on our band, they only gave their loyalty to a very few masters, and were not always the most reliable forces for others. “If not, we’ll have some fun, and take her anyway,” he continued. While I had no doubt he thought she had the keys, and Lucifer doubtless wanted Iaoel, the way he phrased it, combined with his band’s reputation regarding mortal women, made me despise him all the more.
“You can’t have her,” I responded, before Michael or anyone else could get a word in.
“Oh, but I will,” Samyaza responded with a cheerful leer in Adelaide’s direction. “And maybe we’ll get to drag you back to Hell with us, and you can hear all about it. Seeing as you’ve become so close.”
“You can’t have the keys,” Michael responded, making his priorities clear. I was pretty certain he wasn’t going to bargain for Adelaide, either, regardless – less on caring about her one way or another, and more on not giving an inch when it came to Demons and the Fallen.
“Oh good,” the hunter responded. “Go.” He gestured forward, and the packs, the remnants of the monstrosities, and the Fallen who’d been here before charged. Samyaza and a number of his Grigori drew their bows, while others joined the frenzied rush.
This time, there was no stopping or deflecting all of the arrows. Others were able to protect Adelaide, b
ut some of our host fell, unable to do anything but try to fight off the fell enchantments on the missiles. The rush of the pack had a similar effect. Our line held, but barely, and one of the Angels who stood with us was dragged into the midst of a whirling frenzy of teeth and claws, and plenty of others came away with injuries of their own. Even Michael was gradually forced back, much as he initially tried to fight his way towards Samyaza and the archers.
Gabriel fell back from the lines, blowing his horn for all he was worth, focusing on nothing else. The pain and shock of the sound bought us some room from most of the beasts, but where they faltered, the more powerful Fallen surged in and filled the space, attacking us with frenzied vigor, trying to get to Adelaide and her supposed keys – and to Gabriel and his horn. They could withstand the noise, but it certainly wasn’t doing them any good. Unfortunately, no more help arrived.
I kicked away one of the hounds, launching him into another of his pack, the two clawing and tearing at one another in their bloodlust and efforts to untangle themselves to come back at me. A moment later, Gadreel was on me. I deflected his first attacks and locked blades with him. I barely heard Adelaide’s panicked shout over the chaos, but it was just enough that I managed to shove him back in time to cut down one of the Fallen seeking to stab me in the side while I was fighting one of his leaders. Gadreel was right back on me within moments, slashing viciously. Knowing I was focused on defense, he attacked with zeal, then stepped back out of reach while others stepped into the gap on the attack. He was trying to either wear me down, prepared to take advantage of any mistakes, or bait me into breaking the defensive formation to pursue him. The second wasn’t going to work. The first, if this took too long, eventually would. They’d closed the power gap remarkably fast and still outnumbered us by a wide margin. Worse, the Grigori had brought their own healers. Penemue wasn’t Raphael, but he and his acolytes might be enough that much of the damage we inflicted might not last.
