The Awakener

by Amanda Strong

  Hearing Micah’s cry, Eden twisted around Gabriel in time to see Micah double over, his shirt blood soaked.

  “Gabriel!” she shrieked. “Micah’s hurt bad! Help him!”

  Smashing two demons’ skulls together, Gabriel yelled back, “I’m not leaving you.”

  “He needs you!”

  Her guardian faced her, his eyes conflicted.

  “Please,” she begged, tears forming.

  He sighed heavily. “You’re right. They need help. Elite’s need fire to be destroyed and Sage can’t show her flames yet. I’ll go.” He turned to the angel at his right. Eden recognized him as the angel with black hair from prom night. “Aaron, keep her safe. Don’t let anything even touch her. You’re in charge now.”

  Aaron nodded, taking Gabriel’s spot. Spinning his wrists, Gabriel’s sword became a blur of fire as he flew towards them. The hooded Elites noted his approach.

  “Get him out of here,” Gabriel commanded Trent’s guardian. Micah watched Trent fight against him, but the burly, bearded angel easily dragged him away.

  Good, Trent doesn’t need to be here.

  The Elite guard took a wary step back towards the well, Astaroth’s eyes sizing Gabriel up. “So this boy does have more than mere angels protecting him after all. I recognize you, but I do not fear you, Gabriel.”

  Astaroth flicked two fingers out. Following orders, the Elite arms shot out, with three fingers on each hand pointing at Gabriel.

  Damon’s arm wrapped around Micah’s waist, supporting him. At the same time, foreign-sounding words flew from his mouth.

  Micah felt nothing. The Elite’s attack must have been thwarted, whatever it might have been.

  “No,” Micah mumbled to Damon.

  “Whatever, man. I’m not leaving,” Damon spat back. “And I’m not letting you get hit by their stupid attacks anymore. I can stop them.”

  Gabriel glanced at Damon and muttered, “That’s the man I used to know.”

  Micah stared at Damon. Wonder if he’s figured it out yet… Micah felt the ground beneath him sway. Heat was radiating off Sage. I don’t have a lot of time left. She’s desperate to ignite.

  Gabriel must have felt it too. “Your desires are your weakness.” Gabriel rose into the air, until he was eye level with the old demon.

  “Fool!” Astaroth snarled as he soared higher.

  Gabriel grinned and continued to ascend. Micah knew he was trying to nettle the demon, to push his pride far enough to break him free from the well.

  If only that’s all it took.

  But the demon’s yellow eyes narrowed and he dropped back down over the well’s mouth. He sneered. “You think I would leave this for you? You think too highly of yourself, Gabriel.”

  Gabriel remained levitated but moved near Micah and Damon. “No, but I’m pretty sure you would for him. You know he speaks the truth and you know what his soul would mean, the glory he’d bring you.”

  Astaroth’s lips curled up, desire dripping in his eyes. Gabriel slapped Damon’s shoulder. “I think it’s time for the Elites to know their place.”

  Damon grimaced. “With pleasure.”

  The words rushed out, the force and power of them felt even by Micah. The Elite crossed their arms over their face to defend themselves, but the impact was apparent. Hoods snapped back, the shrouded figures stumbling to regain footing. They retaliated swiftly with left hands shooting forward, palms facing out.

  Damon’s words shielded them again.

  Micah felt his chin hitting his chest, and his knees go weak. It’s happening too fast. I’m losing too much blood. Damon’s arm was the only thing holding him up now.

  “He doesn’t have much time left,” Sage observed, lacing her arm under Micah’s other shoulder. He felt a rush of warmth and strength shoot through him.

  “Enough Astaroth, you know you can’t win. Now it’s time to bow to the Captain!” Gabriel roared, raising his right hand.

  Immediately, all thirteen hooded figures collapsed to their knees, their white hands clutching their hoods, as if trying to block out Gabriel’s demand. Gabriel held his sword out, the bright flame sending them into shrieking wails.

  Green vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around the Elites’ robes like pythons. Astaroth squinted at Damon, his eyes studying him. Yeah, you’re realizing he’s not just a kid, aren’t you?

  Gabriel took advantage of Damon’s vines trapping their extremities. He flew toward the Elite, sword drawn. As his flames burst through the first hooded demon, sending an albino head flying free, Astaroth snarled. Gabriel worked down the line, decapitating them. When he was halfway through, Micah heard a whistle and a snap just past his ear.

  He forced his head up off his chest.

  Astaroth had unfurled his whip. Micah shuddered, memories exploding in his head. That’s the whip I saw.

  Gabriel dodged it and Astaroth’s yellow fangs gnashed at the air. His attempts to stop Gabriel’s killing spree were thwarted by Damon’s words, which intercepted the weapon, sending it far off target when it landed.

  As the head of the last Elite soared past Micah, Gabriel muttered, “So much for your Elite guard.”

  Astaroth’s robes fanned out as his wrath mounted. He slashed at them with his whip repeatedly and Damon continued to stop it, but barely. Astaroth was already calculating his counter attack.

  When the tangled ends of the whip landed just inches in front of Micah, its nine tails hooking and clawing at the dirt, Micah grimaced. He pushed the words out, “Go, it’s time.” The effort it took to speak pained him.

  Sage and Damon both stared at him.

  “No way,” Damon barked back.

  “Damon.” Micah grasped at Damon’s shirt, his fingers too weak to even gather the shirt together in his hand. “This has to be. You have to leave me, now.”

  Damon shook his head. “There has to be another way. If you had told me more—”

  “Now you know why I left some parts out.” He tried to grin but gasped for air instead. “Our friends need you for what comes next. Save them.”

  Damon hesitated, eyes raging.

  A blood-curdling cry shot through the air from behind. Damon twisted around. “They broke through, demons have Willow.” He cringed.

  “Go,” Micah urged.

  Damon sized Micah up and then glared at Sage. “Don’t you let him die. This plan of yours was flawed. And you all knew it.”

  He’s figured it out, our ruse. But how else could it have worked?

  Damon swore under his breath and gently detangled himself from Micah, and then he was gone. Micah was too weak to turn and see the chaos behind them. Sage’s hot body was pressed against him, his skin burning where she touched him.

  She fumed. “Gabriel, hurry! Get them all out here, now!”

  Gabriel was gone, shooting through the air like a bullet.

  Well, this is it. Micah mentally braced himself for it. He’d seen it so many times, but it hardly prepared him for actually living it.

  As the whip again snapped in the air, the impact almost popping his ears, Micah knew it would be the last time Astaroth missed. The nine tails landed in the dirt, being once again thwarted by Damon’s last command before leaving Micah’s side to rescue Willow. Watching the cat o’ nine tails, covered in sharp glass, rocks, and metal claws, scrape at the ground, sent terror rippling through him.

  It was worse than any nightmare she’d ever had. All of her friends shrieking in horror as, one by one, demons snatched them away. Aaron was true to his word. She was fine, but no one else was.

  She saw Damon running back. No! Don’t leave Micah!

  But she saw he was darting after the demon that tore Willow from the angels.

  She tried to make sense of it all. The demons had broken through the line. Guardians were desperately chasing after her friends.

  Gabriel’s voice rang out, “Get her out of here!” She peered around Aaron to see Gabriel was there and meant her.

  “W
ait, no! What about Micah?” Eden screamed at him, but he was already gone to help rescue the others.

  Aaron scooped her up into his arms like she was weightless. She pushed against him, struggling. A demon leapt on top of them, and he had to release her to fight it back. It was the moment she needed. She sprinted away, numb to the danger surrounding her, twisting and pulling free of the claws that grabbed at her.