by Mary Ting
“Everyone okay?”
Uriel.
I stood up and bumped against someone. Beautiful blue eyes met mine, strong arms held me steady. The warmth of our bodies touching … something within me tingled, and butterflies fluttered into a happy dance inside my chest.
I jerked back when I realized it was Jonah. “Do you mind?”
He blinked and raked his hair back, cheeks coloring.
“Where are we?” Samyaza glanced around.
I tore my gaze from Jonah to find my friends standing behind me.
“It’s … a … beach,” Daniel said slowly as if he was talking to someone incompetent.
“It’s beautiful.” Suri squinted from the sunlight. “Is it real? I mean, I’m not sure what everyone was expecting, but I never thought this. I’d thought it would be somewhere dark and scary.”
“Well, don’t enjoy it too much. Come on.” Uriel began to walk ahead of us, but he left no footprints on the sand.
Strange.
I looked over my shoulder. None of us were leaving prints.
“This is weird.” Daniel paced beside me, looking down.
“I know. Just keep your eyes open.” A sensation of being watched clawed down my back.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m enjoying the soft breeze and the scent of sea salt.” Samyaza released a long sigh and stared as if mesmerized by the ocean water undulating in and out of shore.
“Uriel, were you part of hiding the Book of Enchantresses? The witch mentioned angels hiding the book.”
Uriel didn’t respond, nor did he even acknowledge Daniel’s question. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he trudged forward toward a mass of rock ahead. Not a mountain, but a structure, possibly formed by volcanic rocks.
“Um. Why is the ocean falling and why is the sand … run!” Kai bellowed.
I looked behind me. If we didn’t get our asses moving, we would plummet to an unknown end. The land behind us was collapsing like a waterfall.
“Shit.” Jonah extended his wings.
We all did the same and took to the air. Flying was faster than walking. Uriel kept his wings tucked. I wondered why for a moment, but I discovered Uriel didn’t need his wings to fly.
But the faster we flew, the quicker the land disappeared. The land no longer dropped, but became an erupting volcano, engulfing everything in its path.
A burst of fire erupted from below. I flew from side to side to dodge shooting fireballs.
“Watch out!” Daniel pushed me forward.
The fire missed me but grazed Suri, who tumbled in the air. Kai caught her wrist. But a second fireball slapped his wing. Flames flared, and smoke rose from him.
“Kai!” Suri slammed her wings onto his.
Daniel did the same from the other side. The fire went out, but the damage had been done, and he was weakened. Daniel and Suri held Kai by the arms and pushed on while I covered their backs.
“Everyone, head to that cave,” Uriel ordered. “Samyaza. Jonah. Help me.”
Uriel whipped out his massive wings. Samyaza and Jonah hovered on either side of Uriel and copied his motion. They flapped and flapped, causing a mighty wind to push back the fireballs headed our way.
They continued until we landed safely near the cave entrance. Daniel and Suri gently placed Kai down, took out their weapons, and kept an eye out for whatever might be lurking. I stood on the precipice, watching, waiting anxiously for the angel trio to return.
The three shifted to evade the oncoming new fireballs. They dodged left, right, and sometimes awkwardly away. Finally, they arrived. But there was no sweat on their brows and they were not out of breath like us.
So not fair.
Sometimes, being part human sucked.
“Everyone okay?” Uriel asked, eyes hopping from each of us. Then he reached for Kai. “Are you in pain?”
Kai groaned, lying still. His heaving chest did not slow.
About half of one of Kai’s wings had been in flames. I tried not to grimace, but it looked so painful. He wouldn’t be able to fly on his own until his wing healed.
Damn it. He shouldn’t be here. I should have refused to let them come.
“You’re going to be fine,” Suri said. “It hurts like hell, but thank goodness it was just your wings. Damn it, Kai. That’s what you get for looking after me.”
Suri’s words might have sounded harsh, but tears swam in her eyes.
I knew that guilt. The same guilt that haunted me when I’d found out a demon had almost torn off Suri’s wings.
“Kai. First, I’m going to take your pain away.” Uriel pressed his hand over Kai’s forehead. “Then I’m going to help you sit up. You’re going to have to close your wings. You won’t use them for a while. They need time to heal. You must keep them closed. Do you understand?”
Kai bit his bottom lip and raised a thumb.
“Everyone, open your wings and block the cave. I don’t want to cause attention when I heal Kai. Who knows what is out there. Now, ready Kai?”
Light burst from Uriel’s palm, starting at Kai’s head and traveling down through his body like a scanner. Kai screamed bloody murder. Then as fast as it came, the light disappeared, and he eased, his body limp. Uriel helped Kai to sit, and then to stand.
Kai moaned when he slowly tucked his wings inward, but he seemed to be back to normal—except for the strain on his face.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble,” Kai said.
“Shut up, Kai. Stop thinking of others for once. You’re the one who saved me and got injured.”
Suri was the only person who could get away speaking rudely to him. It was her loving expression toward him. Only a partner could understand.
“We should go. Whatever is here isn’t going to let us off easily.” Samyaza closed his wings and took out his sword.
“Have we come to the right place?” Jonah ran his finger down the blade of his sword.
“Yes. It looks different, but I know where we are.” Uriel glued his eyes to the opening of the cavern as if waiting for something to emerge from the darkness.
“You’ve been here before.” Daniel sounded confused. “I know we’re in a different realm, but does it have a name?”
Uriel’s shoulder muscles tensed, and he glanced at his sword, which glowed dimly.
Not a good sign.
“This place has a name, but you won’t like it,” Uriel answered.
I slipped next to him, feeling a strong pull I hadn’t felt before. This place must be playing tricks on me. Messing with my mind and my thoughts. For a fleeting moment, I almost wanted to hug Uriel for helping Kai.
“What’s it called? It can’t be worse than—”
“Hell? This place has many names. Underworld. The Living Death. The Abyss. But humans call it Hell.”
Chapter 17
Games with Lucifer
Keira
“Hell? Did you say Hell? Like the Hell? Hell, as in where Lucifer lives?” I didn’t mean to raise my tone, but oh hell.
Everyone looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
“Yes. Was I not specific when I said Hell?” Uriel rubbed the back of his neck.
Daniel placed an arm around my shoulder. “You were. Keira gets a bit confused when she hears something she doesn’t want to hear.”
Uriel growled, actually sounded like a beast, narrowing his eyes on Daniel’s arm. Daniel dropped his arm and cleared his throat.
Oh, no. Uriel didn’t get to play pretend father and get all protective on me now. But I said nothing. Yet.
“What are we waiting for?” I stomped to the opening of the cavern.
The massive cavern didn’t seem to have a beginning or end. No path, just a black rocky surface. But a light flickered up ahead. A candle? We were too far away to tell. Now what?
Quiet footsteps lingered behind me, but Uriel sped in front with his sword ready.
“I don’t understand. Who hid the book, and why here of all places?” Suri asked.
Kai limped beside her, holding his chin high. He was almost back to normal, thanks to Uriel.
Jonah slowed and matched Suri’s steps. “Trinity Order was formed when supernatural beings brought chaos to the world. As you already know, TO created NU to hunt down demons that couldn’t blend in with the humans. Ezekiel was the one who suggested to form NU to TO, so he was designated as the head. Soon after, he went to other countries to form NU.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that?”
“Anyway, TO was run by the archangels first and then by their successors. The archangels were the ones who had taken the Book of Enchantresses from the witches and burned them. Though the next TO members were Nephilim mostly, times have changed. Currently, they have allowed several vampires and demons into their order. One of the TO demons, Lotus, is Malum’s sister.”
“Really? Malum’s sister. And as for the witches, that’s so wrong. Why? Why not just shoot them? Why such a painful death?” Suri asked.
“To make an example out of them. To show everyone they are powerless compared to the angels. Trinity Order hid the book where no one would dare to go. The archangels are the only ones who know the whereabouts of the book. The witches don’t even know where it is. Gotjawal Forest is the only place on Earth that can take you anywhere and to any realm you want to travel. It’s like the place can read your mind. Though you had no idea where to go, Uriel did. He was the only one who thought of a destination. And so here we are.”
“Oh.” Suri scrubbed her face, her eyes darkening. “So, is this book in a specific location and we just grab it? Or …”
Jonah shook his head and rolled back his shoulders. “I’m afraid not. The archangels made a mistake. They didn’t realize that in time, evil spirits would find the book. It should be simple. But I’m guessing from our first encounter so far, Lucifer knows we’re here, and he’s not going to give us the book so easily.”
Blood drained out of me. Despite the warming air, icy chills slithered through me. I was in Hell. In Hell, of all places.
I looked to see how far we’d come, but the flickering light that had been my marker was still the same distance away. What the hell? We were walking, but it made no difference.
Uriel put up his hand, and we halted. He must have noticed it too.
“Lucifer!” Uriel’s voice boomed. “It’s Uriel. Let us pass.”
Silence. Uriel’s words echoed over and over.
Then …
“Hello, Uriel. It’s been ages. So nice of you to visit your brother.”
The voice, so cunning and so welcoming at the same time, made me quake at the knees. His voice resonated all around. I felt it behind, in front, and as if he stood right next to me. I shivered.
“Yes. It’s been very long. Let me see you,” Uriel said, his voice softer.
Has he gone mad? I don’t want to see the devil. His voice is bad enough.
“Soon, Uriel. Soon. But first, let’s play. I’ve been so bored. These spirits are no fun.”
“I’ll visit another day, but this is urgent. Let me in.”
Silence.
“Lucifer. You know I can break through your barrier.”
A boisterous laugh. “And I know you can’t without your brothers. You think I’m a fool? Now you’ve really pissed me off. Play.”
Three doors appeared.
“If you pick the right door, I’ll hand you the book you want. Isn’t that why you’re here? I know you didn’t want to tell me, but you see, I have eyes and ears everywhere in the living world. Now choose, before I choose for you.”
Uriel clenched his jaw and turned to Samyaza for advice.
Samyaza shrugged and pointed to the middle door. “Whatever you decide, it’s not going to be the one you wish for. We’re just going to have to entertain him.”
Jonah cursed under his breath. Daniel stepped beside me, and then we moved to stand next to Kai and Suri.
“The middle door,” Uriel said, gritting his teeth.
All the doors disappeared.
I held my breath.
“I’m afraid you picked the right door.” Lucifer’s disappointed voice slowed to a somber one. “Well. Good luck.”
“That’s it?” I said softly.
Thump. Thump.
I jumped. The floor rocked. Something huge was coming our way.
“I knew it. The right door for him, but not for us. Good luck, he said. Go to hell, Lucifer,” Jonah bellowed, then he murmured to himself, “Oh, wait, you’re already in Hell.”
“Run!” Uriel clapped once to get our attention.
We ran behind him, but there was nowhere to run to. Every time I felt we were getting closer to the wall, the floor seemed to expand. The way we came in had been sealed.
The pounding got louder, shaking the ground even more. Then an ear-piercing roar as loud as thunder.
“What in God’s creation is that?” Samyaza blanched.
Like a giant snake, it dragged a scaled body, but at the front and back were enormous paws. Its eight heads, something between a snake and dragon, breathed fire.
“Holy mother of God.” Daniel gawked.
“Kai, you stay here.” Suri patted the weapons on her body, ensuring they were still there.
“And miss all the fun? No, Suri. I’m better.”
“Come on. Let’s kill this thing and get this over with.” I whipped out my bow, tracked the monster’s movement, and fired an arrow.
If that colossal thing hadn’t noticed us before, it did now. It howled in pain when my arrow hit true between the eyes of one head. The other seven heads snapped, squirming, searching for prey.
I flew around the back and threw out a throwing star. The heads thrashed. One giant cranium hit Daniel. He went flying, bounced off the edifice, and dropped. He recovered quickly before the fire incinerated him.
Shit. Sorry, Daniel.
When I peered up, Uriel pummeled a demon’s head with his fist. His blow was so powerful, the head slammed against another head, rippling to the next. The entire thing collapsed, but then rose, eyes beaming crimson, and fire blasted without warning, covering the ground.
“Confuse it,” Uriel said and took off again.
Daniel and I launched our throwing stars at their faces, one after the other, to hopefully distract them and do some damage. Kai and Suri caught on and did the same. This gave Uriel, Samyaza, and Jonah a chance to move over their heads without being spotted.
Three angelic swords drove through three different heads at once. Their skulls lit up as if they had swallowed tiny suns, and then boom—the heads exploded.
The trio went to the next three heads and then the final two, stabbed their heads until all eight heads burst. The body remained standing on its own for a few seconds, wavered, and then collapsed.
A wail erupted, the kind one might make when a loved one died. Not from the demon, but from Lucifer.
“You killed my pet.” His fake somber tone disgusted me. “How disappointing. But you did entertain me.”
Lines on Uriel’s forehead deepened. “I’m done playing, Lucifer. Enough.”
“Fine. No more physical games. How about mental play?”
I did not like the sound of that. Knowing Lucifer, he would want to pull out our worst fears and secrets.
“I’m not playing.” Uriel sounded like a spoiled child.
“Let’s start with Samyaza.”
“N—”
Samyaza barely said a word before his body was pinned upright to a wooden board that shot up from underground. Nothing tangible held him in place. Dark power did.
“Let me go, Lucifer, or so help me, I’ll kill you.”
“A watcher can’t kill an archangel. Oh, wait. An ex-watcher. Tell me, Samyaza, what is the real reason you’re helping Uriel? It surely isn’t to be kind. Weren’t you the first one to have sex with a human woman? First to create a Nephilim. First to disobey. You and I are a lot alike. You should join me. We would have so much fun.”
Samyaza
cursed, but he didn’t retort.
“I’m waiting, Samyaza.”
“Release me, damn you.”
“Just tell your companions the reason why you’re helping Uriel, and then I’ll let you go.”
“I don’t have to tell you a thing.”
A glint of light caught a silver dagger in the air. It pierced the board just above Samyaza’s head.
“Next time I won’t miss. Hurry. The clock is ticking.”
Samyaza’s nostrils flared as he tried to wiggle free. “I have no motives. I only wanted to help.”
“Go on.” Lucifer chuckled faintly. “What did Ko offer you in exchange for getting the information he wanted?”
“What? What do you know of this?” Samyaza raised his voice. “You’ve got it all wrong. I only spoke to him to get information about Mayra.”
“The girl who died on Marcus’s sword. Why? That’s what I want to know. My minions couldn’t find the answers.”
Jonah stood in front of Samyaza as if he needed to hear it too. I recalled Mayra and Jonah had always been together. I’d never known what happened to her. I suspected she had died, but now I knew the truth.
“Ko found out Mayra was my daughter. He killed her human mother and took her when she was a child. He raised her as his own and forced her to work for him. When I found out, a bit too late, I followed her closely, especially when she teamed up with Jonah.” Samyaza dipped his head. “I was trying to convince her to join my side. But she hated me. Ko had brainwashed her, made her think I had abandoned her.”
Jonah placed his hands on either side of his head, as if he couldn’t bear to hear it, and walked away.
I understood his pain. He had trusted Mayra, and to find out she’d betrayed him must torture him to no end. If Daniel were to betray me, I didn’t think I could bear it.
“I don’t believe you.” Jonah jerked the dagger from the wooden board and held it to Samyaza’s throat. “You’re lying. What’s the real reason? Mayra said something important to me before she died. Why would she give me information if she was working for Ko?”
Samyaza swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Jonah. I have never given you any reason to doubt me. Lucifer is playing all of us and you’re taking his bait. In truth, I only cared because she was my daughter. Ko took her from me. I promised him to get information on the whereabouts of the Book of Watchers, but I didn’t. And because I failed, he had Marcus kill Mayra as my punishment.”
