Book of Enchantresses

by Mary Ting

  Holy shit. What in Hell …

  It shrieked as it came for me, drooling. Mesmerized, I stood there with my bow aimed at the target. But I didn’t shoot.

  Loose the arrow, damn you. What’s wrong?

  I tried to release my finger, but it wouldn’t budge. So close. So close.

  Someone help me. Why can’t I move?

  Just before the impact, the demon puffed into smoke. Jonah’s face appeared. He had broken the demon’s body, but how?

  “Kill it when it opens its mouth. They take physical form when they do,” he said, frowning. “Don’t hesitate. If you wait even a second, they will enter your mind to paralyze you. That is how they get control. Now focus.”

  As soon as I caught them opening their mouths, I fired an arrow, and those that were close enough, I slew with a strike through their bodies.

  On the other side of the divider, Samyaza swung his swords like a master swordsman while Uriel stared at the book.

  Whatever he was doing, I hoped it was working toward getting us out of here.

  Then Uriel unleashed his mighty wings. A handful of his feathers flew out like bullets and stabbed the demons in their chests just as they parted their jaws.

  Black ashes like misty clouds floated down, and screams of agony filled the air. We slew plenty, but more kept coming.

  “You can’t outrun my soldiers,” Lucifer boomed. “I will take what’s mine.”

  “How many soldiers does Lucifer have?” Daniel gritted through his teeth, guarding my back.

  “Enough for us to stay here forever.” Jonah swung his sword, cutting a demon across its chest.

  Uriel and Samyaza soared across the lava, landing a few feet from us.

  “We’re getting out of here. Stay close.” Uriel placed a hand on the book and muttered ancient, angelic words.

  The shadow demons swirled around us like black clouds, faster and faster. I didn’t know if the burst of wind came from the demons or from the magic of the book. Wings whipped my hair as I could do nothing but stare in awe.

  The black shadows blended into a tunnel of darkness. Soon we would be out of that damn place. So close. We were almost home.

  Then a scream erupted from beside me.

  I didn’t have to look to see who had yelled. My heart jumped out of my chest as I reached out for my friend. But too late. A hideous, monstrous hand had grabbed Suri and yanked her out of the tunnel.

  The swirl of darkness disappeared. I thumped hard on the ground and bolted up. “Suri? Suri!” I frantically searched those who were getting up, hoping what I had seen in the tunnel was my imagination. But when Kai bent over on his knees, his head pressed on the earth, I knew it happened for real.

  “My fault. My fault. I should have held onto her.” Kai pounded his fist on the ground harder with each spoken word.

  Not only were they partners, but he’d loved her. I could see it in his eyes and the way he looked at her, cared for her.

  “We’ll get her back, Kai.” Jonah placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

  Kai pushed him away and stood. “I’m going back. I’m going after her. None of you have to come with me. Just tell me how to get back.”

  Uriel shook his head. “You can’t. Once you’ve been there, you can’t go back.”

  Kai’s eyes grew wider, gleaming with fear. “What? This can’t be. There has to be a way.”

  “Please.” I stood before Uriel. “Even if it means something bad, we have to know. We can’t just leave our friend in Lucifer’s hands. Will he kill her?” I bit my lip.

  Uriel regarded me for a long moment. And though I was probably imagining it, he seemed to be staring at my eyes. But his thoughts seemed far away.

  I wondered if he regretted not finding out his love was pregnant. I wondered what he thought of me. Was he proud of what I had become despite not having my biological parents to raise me? Or was I some kind of nuisance he wanted nothing to do with?

  “Uriel,” I said, my voice a bit louder. “Please. Did you not hear me? I’ll do anything.” I probably shouldn’t have said the words that spilled out next, but I was desperate. “You would go back for Abigale or your brothers. You would find a way. Are my feelings and wants not as important? I know I mean nothing to you, and you don’t care about me, but think of Suri. She’s alone. She’s in the hands of a monster.”

  Uriel gave me a sideways glance, and then opened and shut his mouth. He seemed confused and lost for words. He raked his hair back. “I’ll see what I can do. We’ll have to negotiate with the witches. We can’t use the same portal, and we can’t use my power to go back. I’m prohibited from going back by using my own powers. Or I’ll—”

  “Or you will be judged and locked in Hell,” I finished for him.

  “Where are we?” Samyaza glanced about.

  “Nephilim Unification. One of the units. That building in front of you is our station.” Daniel strolled toward it, leaving us behind.

  I eyed the beautiful book in Uriel’s arm. In the sunlight, the rays caught the glimmer of the gold embellishment, and the book looked more inviting. The intricate twists and lines of the design were extraordinary.

  He hugged it against his chest as if someone might snatch it away. “NU? I’ve heard of it.”

  “Good.” I trailed behind Daniel. I didn’t bother to check whether anyone followed me. “You can meet the man who took care of me.”

  I shouldn’t have said it, but it felt good. My emotions were all over the place, and I didn’t know how to express my confusion, anger, bitterness, or the need that came from nowhere … I longed to know Uriel better.

  Chapter 20

  Nephilim Unification

  Keira

  The guards by the door straightened their backs when I entered. Their eyes grew wider when Uriel, Jonah, and Samyaza passed.

  I glanced down at myself and grimaced. Dirt and mud caked my clothing, and black ashes had attached to the grime. I looked like I’d rolled in volcano ashes. I pretty much had.

  As I strolled between the other gaping Nephilim, I ignored them and headed to Ezekiel.

  The door to his office was wide open.

  “Ezekiel.” I spotted him sitting at his desk hunched over.

  He peered up and scrubbed his face. “I thought you were taking …” He rose, blinked, and slightly parted his lips. His eyes popped wider when he saw the others, and then he frowned at me.

  “Keira, you brought guests? You should have warned me.” He couldn’t stop staring at the three angels as he came toward us. “You must be Uriel.”

  “Yes, I am,” Uriel replied with his high-authority voice. “This is Jonah and Samyaza.”

  Ezekiel shook their hands. “I’m Ezekiel, head of this institute. We have many headquarters throughout the world, headed by Trinity Order, just in case you didn’t know. Please, let us go somewhere to talk privately.”

  After Ezekiel closed the door, we took seats around a rectangular table large enough to accommodate all of us.

  Ezekiel’s forehead creased once the shock faded. “How may I help you?”

  Uriel turned to us, as if waiting for someone to speak. When no one answered, he started, “We went to Hell and fought Lucifer. One of yours is still there. I have no idea why we are here.”

  I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Going to Hell and fighting Lucifer—Ezekiel would not comprehend that.

  Ezekiel furrowed his brow, smiled, and then furrowed it again, trying to understand what he’d just heard. Ezekiel opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and then opened it again.

  “Did I hear you right? You went to Hell and fought Lucifer, and one of mine …” It didn’t take him long to figure out who. “Suri. Bleeding hell. Where is Suri?”

  “We … there were shadow demons … and then a tunnel. We had to get the …” I searched for the book in Uriel’s hands. Gone. He must have hidden it somewhere. “We were getting out, but they took her.”

  I didn’t make sense. The words would not flow
. The guilt of leaving her behind rippled through me again and again. It hurt too much.

  Ezekiel pounded his fist on the table. “Keira. This is your fault isn’t it? You lied to me. You were searching for your …?”

  Oh, God. Not here. Not now. And especially with Uriel present.

  My face grew hot. If Ezekiel blabbed about my parents, I would stop him, even if I had to be rude. I didn’t want Uriel to know how I had longed to find my real parents.

  “You dragged everyone here with you. I don’t know how you convinced them or how you even found Uriel.” Ezekiel slumped into his seat, shaking his head.

  “You do not know what you speak of. I will go back for Suri myself. The younglings were my responsibility,” Uriel said.

  Ezekiel straightened his spine. “Very well. Thank you. When will you go?”

  “As soon as I take care of an important matter.”

  Always his brothers first.

  I shouldn’t let that bother me, but it did.

  “So now what? We just wait and hope Lucifer doesn’t kill Suri?” Ezekiel rubbed the back of his nape. “I can’t believe you all went to Hell. Why?”

  Uriel explained that he’d had to retrieve a book but didn’t give many details. He told Ezekiel he had asked us to go on a mission with him and had forbidden us to tell anyone, not even our superior. Uriel had turned the blame on himself. A noble act, but that didn’t soften my heart toward him.

  “I see.” Ezekiel scratched the stubble under his chin. “Now that we have met, the next time … no … before you decide to take them on your mission, you need to ask me. I’m responsible for them. They are not just hunters, but my family. And I cannot allow things to happen behind my back. If NU found out, I would find myself jobless. Does everyone understand that?”

  Uriel pinned Ezekiel with a hard, cold stare, but then relented. “Of course.”

  “I still don’t understand how you are here.” Ezekiel’s question was directed at Uriel. “Please don’t get me wrong. I’m awed by your presence, but you being here must mean humanity is in a dire situation?”

  “It’s a long, complicated story. Watchers are trying to release Ko and the other original watchers. The witches in hiding want sanctuary by getting a seat in Trinity Order. The vampires and the witches are now at war. And I believe the demons have allied with the witches.”

  “What do we do?” Ezekiel asked.

  “Nothing.” Samyaza waved a hand. “We wait and see. The Divine Council from Trinity Order must decide when the time comes. They will not start a war.”

  Ezekiel stared at the white wall as if deep in thought and then turned to us. “I’m not sure if they’ll do anything. Look at the demons. They hunt down humans, disregarding the rules. Humans might as well be cows roaming about a field waiting to be slaughtered.”

  “Then get more of your hunters out there,” Jonah spat, sounding offended.

  Ezekiel’s biceps tightened, along with his fists. “You don’t understand. New Nephilim births are rare, but demons will mate with any human who will have them. Lowly demons multiply like rabbits. We don’t have enough hunters. We do what we can.”

  “Then I’ll do what I can for the humans during my time here, but we are not to intervene in individual lives,” Uriel said tightly.

  “The watchers did. If it wasn’t for them, we Nephilim wouldn’t exist.” Daniel shrugged. “I’m just stating the facts.”

  “Watch it, boy.” Samyaza scowled. “You do not know what you speak of.”

  “What do you mean?” Kai asked, having had his head down this whole time.

  Jonah released a long sigh. “What Samyaza means to say is that all the oldest beings on Earth had a part creating the new world. Sin created the demons. Lilith created the witches. Cain, the vampires. The watchers created Nephilim. Archangels, well who knows if they …” When Uriel gave him an evil look, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, no one person or group is at fault. We all contributed. Now, not only are we facing the consequences for these actions, the younger generations are too. So in other words, there is not a freakin’ thing we can do. Maybe not in this generation, but soon, the human race will cease to exist. Supernatural beings will populate the Earth. A disgusting thought, but it’s inevitable.”

  “That’s what the demon keeps telling me,” Ezekiel muttered under this breath.

  “Excuse me. What did you say?” Jonah gave a sidelong glance.

  “We captured a demon a while ago,” Ezekiel said as if it were no big deal. “We tried to get answers out of her, but we’ve been unsuccessful. I tried everything, but nothing works.”

  “Where do you keep this demon?” A frown deepened on Uriel’s face.

  “In our basement.” Ezekiel angled his eyebrows.

  “How long have you had it?”

  “Weeks? Or more. Why?”

  “Have you ever held a demon prisoner before?”

  “No. Our first one.”

  Uriel shifted his body, poised to get up. “This demon you speak of is a rare kind of demon then. Demons do not like to be contained. Most would go insane and end up killing themselves by ramming their heads against the wall. May I take a look?”

  “Yes. Then this one must be different.”

  I followed everyone to the basement, Ezekiel leading the way. Down below, our side of the room stayed dim, but Kelly’s side turned a little brighter. I lagged behind and stood in the darkness where the demon could not see me.

  Kelly was crouched in the corner, her dress crusted with dried blood, most likely from the last human she’d eaten before we captured her. Though her face was hidden behind the greasy, tangled mop, I had a hunch she knew exactly where everyone stood.

  “Welcome, my friends.” Kelly slowly rose, her legs twisting in an unnatural way. “You’ve brought more company.”

  Ezekiel ignored Kelly and turned on a few switches on the monitor in front of him. “We tried everything to get her to talk, but she won’t tell us anything.”

  Daniel spotted me in the shadow but didn’t urge me to join them. He simply smiled and returned to the conversation.

  “Where is Keira? She has not come to see me in so long.”

  Icy chills gripped my spine, but I kept quiet.

  “Oh, where, oh, where can she be?” Kelly’s guttural demon voice grew raspier as she neared the glass divider.

  Goosebumps covered my arms.

  “Keira, I know you’re here. I want to see you.”

  “What does she want with Keira?” Uriel asked.

  Ezekiel turned on more switches and leaned into the monitor. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure it out. The demon calls Keira the gatekeeper.”

  “Oh, Keira. Where art thou, gatekeeper?” She slammed her palms against the glass, one eye smashed against it as if looking through a telescope. “I have a poem for you. Try to figure it out, sweetheart. Two brightest stars in the sky fall. One falls from the light. One falls from the dark. But there is a price the stars must pay. One will live. One will fall. Or forever lost to pain. Fear not, for there is release. A child of love and scorn is the key. For the gatekeeper, she will be.”

  I stopped breathing. Lucifer had said those exact same words. I hadn’t thought about it much. But hearing the same riddle from Kelly, I didn’t know what to make of it.

  Why were we here? Had Lucifer sent us here somehow? Was he connected to Kelly?

  In a blink of an eye, Uriel stood before the demon. “Who told you to say that?”

  Kelly jumped back as if Uriel had frightened her. “You! You stay away from me. You are the reason why I’m here. You did this to me.”

  “Did what?” Uriel frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Kelly folded her arms to her chest, trembling. “You banished us from this world.”

  “I banished a lot of demons. So why are you still here? Did Lucifer send you?”

  “I have no master. I belong to no one.”

  Uriel growled. The glass vibrated with his anger.
“One last chance. Tell me what you want with Keira. Or I’ll go in there and banish you again. This time for eternity.”

  Kelly bared her teeth. “She is the gatekeeper, I told you.”

  “What does that mean?” Uriel’s fingers curled on the glass, making a squeaky sound.

  “I won’t tell you, or you’ll take her away from me.”

  Uriel closed his eyes tightly as if he was holding himself together. “Ezekiel. Open the door.”

  “But—”

  Uriel flashed a how dare you question me gaze. “She won’t escape. I promise you.”

  The door slid open.

  Uriel’s eyes glowed like the sunrise. Kelly scooted back to the corner, covering her face. I covered mine too until the light dimmed.

  Chapter 21

  Revelation

  Uriel

  The light in my eyes didn’t affect my vision, but it blinded Kelly. Predictably, demons did not like the divine light. Its power imprisoned them, rooted them in place.

  “Stay back, murderer.” Kelly swatted her arms. “You took my life. You did not come for me. You love your brothers more. You did not love me as you said.”

  At these words, my steps faltered. She … she couldn’t possibly be. I had grabbed Abigale at the precise moment when the Book of Watchers closed. We’d died together and became the two brightest stars. We were supposed to return in a different body, but I had planned to be with my brothers and Abigale would have a life she deserved.

  We were to come back through two vessels, one each as humans, not … not … oh dear God. Please, let this be a mistake. Let her be wrong. Let this be Lucifer’s trick. But he had repeated the same poem as if he knew.

  No, not if. He knew.

  Lucifer’s soldiers must have witnessed something I hadn’t. How could he know so much in Hell while I had struggled on Earth to find where Abigale had gone? And Keira, she had been here all this time, and I had no idea she was my daughter.

  I failed to protect the ones I loved. No, I hadn’t wanted to know. The guilt of both worlds haunted me. Coward. That’s what I was. I couldn’t face what I had done. Who I had created.