by Zoe Knights
Eddie wanted to scream, wanted to run, but she could do nothing, her legs glued to the spot as were her eyes as two demons spawned in the darkness.
Their flesh was grey and rotten, clinging to bone and sinew. Ugly, torn bat-like wings draped from their shoulders, while their eyes were hollow, dead holes gaping from their abhorrent skulls.
And then the fight broke out.
Sam grasped Neeshka’s fur, flinging himself onto her back, his vast wings startlingly white against her shadowy form. They vanished through shadow, both sets of eyes gleaming red as they reappeared behind Devna, and Neeshka struck her, her huge claws scraping jarringly along her armour.
Sam jumped from the hellhound’s back, his eyes still glowing with fire as he prepared to fight. Devna bared her wings, each long feather sharp like a razor.
And she used them as such. She spun, curling her body into a ball while her wings spanned out, dagger-like feathers slicing through the air, catching Sam’s arm and drawing blood with his shout before he darted out of the way.
He was fast… agile. He jumped, flew, ran and evaded her attacks. Yet he did not use his wings to fight. And Eddie realised his feathers, though bared like Devna’s, looked far softer – younger and untrained.
The demons had taken over fighting Neeshka, shadows rippling around the hellhound as she vanished and disappeared, attacking again and again from different sides in a terrifying display of otherworldly violence.
The demons wielded dark silver blades that were curved and jagged, their edges glinting in the brief rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees. They appeared unable to step through shadow as Neeshka, but their skills with arms were frightening.
“You manipulated those humans!” Sam shouted at Devna as he was forced to roll over icy dirt to dodge her attack. “You think that doesn’t count as interfering in their lives?!”
“I do what is asked of me!” Devna screeched back, bringing her elbows to her chest, drawing her wings around her front before releasing them suddenly and sending a huge gust of wind at Sam, thrusting him heavily with a crunch into a large pine. “I hurt no one. And my plan has succeeded! Your humanity will never be a shield again!”
Sam gasped for breath that had just been knocked from his lungs, darting behind the tree he’d crashed into as Devna launched at him again.
Eddie’s heart thudded with adrenaline, and she scrambled through the dirt strewn snow, searching for anything she could use to fight. She found a stick, thick and strong, while rather sharp on one end. Blood pounded in her ears, and she grasped it, the bark rough against her palm.
She took her chance on the demons that did not cast her a second glance, thrusting it at the back of one that had just missed another blow on Neeshka as she once again vanished through shadow.
She must have hurt it, for it wailed an awful screech that curdled her stomach and before she knew it, the creature had turned. Dead empty sockets now faced her.
She gripped her stick tightly, though fear threatened to freeze her legs.
It launched at her so fast she barely saw it, and her heart jumped to her throat. She cried out, holding up the stick before her in defence, but it was knocked carelessly to the ground by a blade and then –
Neeshka appeared between them, sending the grey fleshed creature flying, but she bellowed as the demon’s blade had caught her flesh above her haunches.
Eddie’s eyes went wide, her heart stopping in her chest while Sam’s cry tore through her eardrums.
She looked to him, and couldn’t breathe. For his eyes shone gold, his wings, now stretched wide behind him, glowed with power and he raised his hands as two shockingly bright bolts of light crashed from the heavens, engulfing both demons.
Eddie was thrown back by power, falling amongst twigs and dirt touched snow while the stench of burning rot reached her nose and she retched and gagged.
Her eyes saw the melting mess of what had been those demons. Shock lit both her eyes and Devna’s, but then Sam fell to the ground, collapsing in a heap.
Eddie jumped to her feet, racing over to him before Devna had the chance.
Several more rays of light shone down, all in quick succession, but not wielding power, instead four angels suddenly surrounded them. Two female, two male. They all wore armour with carvings and trimmings of gold and silver and grey-stone. Theirs each had space on their backs where huge, stunning wings formed proudly, each angel’s feathers a different shade of colour.
“What have you done, Devna?” demanded one of the males, burly and blonde with wings the colour of gold. “What is this mess you have created?! You were to call me before-”
“I have him incapacitated and ready!” Devna cut in petulantly. “I was the one to force his reveal! I will take him to our Lord.”
The angels ignored her, two launching at Neeshka while the other two stepped toward Sam.
Eddie threw her body over his. “Get away from him!” she cried, the only thought in her mind was that she must not let them take him. “I know you can’t hurt me! I’m human! And I will not let you near him!”
But then, there was a sound… a hiss and thrum. The scent of ash and coal tainting the air.
“Step away from my son,” his voice was enchantingly beautiful and yet it sent a cold chill straight down Eddie’s spine.
Everyone stilled.
Through the trees Eddie saw him, eyes glinting – black and dead. But he was stunning. Every feature perfect. His golden skin flawless, glowing. And yet he was terrifying in his beauty.
Lucifer…
A hushed whisper spread through the angels.
Lucifer rolled his shoulders, jet black wings darker than night spread behind him, power emanating from his very presence. He did not wear gold or silver armour like the others. His body was cloaked in elegant, obsidian metal. Thin and precisely designed in a way that gave him such manoeuvrability they appeared to flow around him.
“Gabriel, Raphael,” Lucifer crooned softly, his head tilting from his tall red headed sister with wings the colour of lavender, to his dark skinned brother with sleek, caramel feathers. “Uriel… Michael,” his gaze travelled slowly between his small and elegant raven haired sister with pearly blue wings and finally onto his burly, blonde haired brother who had spoken to Devna. “Do not make me hurt you,” Lucifer finished quietly. “Step away from my son.”
“It is five against one and a mutt…” Michael spoke. “Do not interfere, Lucifer. Your son is a bane on us all.”
Eddie felt certain she should die from panic alone. She gripped Sam’s arms beneath her in a vice, fear clouding her mind as she did not know who to be more afraid of. Neeshka shadowed them, her jowls dripping as she growled at each angel, not leaving Sam’s side. A wound gaped above her haunches, but blood did not coat her fur, instead, a strange shadowy substance, thick and gloopy yet strangely translucent.
“Michael…” Lucifer tutted the name. “Such high talk for an archangel who allows such acts to be committed before an innocent human. A powerful little thing for a minor angel, I’ll admit. But, you allow her to smite-”
“That wasn’t me,” Devna spoke suddenly, her dark eyes flickering between Michael and Lucifer fearfully. “That was him.”
Eddie felt Lucifer’s cold eyes briefly gaze over her form before they settled on his son. He smiled. It chilled her to the bone. “Like father like son…” he murmured softly. “Now – you have your final warning. Step away, and I will show you mercy.”
There was a moment of silence that sat thick and heavy in the freezing air. Eddie didn’t breath, she didn’t think she could. She waited with wide eyes as five angels stared down just one, yet their fear was palpable, and in Lucifer’s gaze there was none.
A rustle of leaves breezed through the trees, a twig cracked… and it began.
The angels attacked first, all in vicious unison. But, Lucifer was ready. His huge, black wings spanned out, a sharp gust of wind forcing the angels back as he launched from the ground into t
he air, his feathers splaying out like swords.
He shot forward with the power from the wind, hurtling back toward the ground. He aimed his blackened wings at Gabriel, grazing her arm as she spun from his blow and her eyes glowed bright white. Holy light, similar to Sam’s smite, surrounded Lucifer, and a pained shout tore from his throat before shadow rippled around him and he vanished. Gabriel fell back, looking exhausted from the effort of such an attempt.
Now Lucifer was behind Raphael, his eyes glowing like embers but the angel was ready, using his wings as a shield, encircling his body so that Lucifer’s black, sword-like feathers clashed against them with a mighty sound like steel on steel.
Michael flew around behind him, his wings emanating with gold, then he hunched his shoulders, directing the full length of his wings toward Lucifer and several golden feathers flew like daggers from their girth.
One skimmed Lucifer’s skin, but he twisted, contorting into shadow once more.
Devna tried to get closer to Eddie while the older angels fought Lucifer, but Neeshka’s chilling growl ripped from her throat and the hellhound launched at the girl Eddie once thought a friend.
She took this moment to pull at Sam’s unconscious form, dragging him with exceeding difficulty away from the fray.
The stench of rot from the smote demons still hung in the air, while Neeshka’s vicious growls and the clashing of feathers like steel echoed through the forest.
The smaller angel, Uriel, nearly got close to Lucifer’s form, she was fast, her blue wings blurring through the air as she moved too quickly for Eddie’s eyes to capture. But Lucifer’s arm whipped out, his hand grasping Uriel’s neck and in horror, Eddie watched as her skin blistered and burned beneath his touch.
Uriel’s cry tore the sky and Lucifer threw her at Michael who charged toward him. The angels collided and both winged beings cascaded into a pine tree, the force creating a deafening crack that echoed through the forest.
Raphael and Gabriel, made an advance, wings bared, their eyes glowing gold.
But, Eddie’s attention was snatched away as she heard Devna howl in pain as Neeshka caught her flesh between her arm and her shoulder. Michael gathered himself from the ground and rushed to her through the air with such speed and virility, Eddie was not shocked when the hellhound was sent crushingly to a heap ten meters away by the force of his wings.
Her heart jutted in her chest, but Neeshka was still moving.
Now Michael’s eyes were for Eddie, or at least the limp body of Sam she still held within her arms.
He took his chance to launch at her while Lucifer fought the other three angels.
Her eyes went wide, golden eyes and wings rushing toward her.
From the of the corner of her gaze, she saw Lucifer rise from the ground, black wings surrounding him before he launched downward, shadow rippling as it swarmed his body. He appeared before her and Michael clashed against his wings. Red eyes consumed Eddie’s vision…then everything went black.
She could still feel Sam in her arms. She could still hear her heart beating madly in her ears. But this overwhelming, all-consuming blackness surrounded her and then-
She couldn’t breathe. Her stomach lurched, and the ground beneath her limbs disappeared with frightening suddenness while the beat of her heart seemed to slow to an impossible stillness.
Then, ground came rushing up to meet her, breath tore her throat as she gasped it in while sight returned to her once more.
But where she was, she did not know.
Sam was still with her, her hand tightly clutching his wrist. The air was stale and… dirty. She felt like ash coated each breath. And the colour… there was no colour. She blinked and blinked again. But, everything was grey, cold and barren. Dark stone walls surrounded her, an archway behind her where a glimmer of light beckoned.
Before she could see where it led, her heart stopped, cold, chilling fear shooting down her spine as Lucifer knelt down before her.
She stared at him, his black eyes consuming. The fallen angel tilted his head, observing her.
It took everything in Eddie’s power not to look away. She clenched her jaw, fear pounding in her temples, but she gazed determinedly back. For somewhere in that face she saw familiarity. She saw Sam.
“I hope you have not stolen my son’s heart, little girl,” Lucifer crooned quietly, now tilting his head the other way. “He will not like what I must do to you…”
Fear clawed at Eddie’s heart, stealing her voice and she could not move, stuck under the stare of this being she could not understand.
His arm reached out, and panic threatened to overwhelm her, but it was not for her. He grasped her hand, prying her fingers from Sam’s wrist before picking up his son.
“But, not yet…” crooned Lucifer softly, turning away with Sam’s unconscious body and moving to a doorway behind this strange, glinting archway. “Guard her,” his cold voice echoed around the colourless chamber, to whom he spoke Eddie could not see. He turned once, his black eyes meeting hers one last time before he smiled with chilling wickedness. “Welcome to Hell…”
Welcome to Hell
25
Eddie kept her eyes closed. The creatures guarding her were like those she’d seen on earth. They stared at her relentlessly with empty black sockets, and clicking sounds echoed from their throats. She tried to think of how she could get out of this, but no ideas were coming. Instead, just to cope, she found herself naming all the different shades of grey she didn’t know existed.
Her fingers clutched the necklace Sam had given her, his feather anchoring her with its soothing warmth.
To think she’d been at Oakland Abby only… hours earlier. It was surreal. Impossible. Terrifying.
Images of the battle she had witnessed fought in her mind, Sam’s golden eyes and white wings in the moment before he’d killed those demons the most prominent of all.
And Devna. Devna! How was it possible that she was an angel? All this time? Pulling the strings behind some zealous humans? She’d have thought being thrown off a roof would have been the biggest of her concerns that day… but now it barely crossed her mind.
“Out,” she heard Lucifer’s low, furious hiss from the doorway. There was a sudden sound like a surge of flame, and the two demons guarding her scuttled off in a panic.
Eddie quickly hid her necklace beneath her school jumper before Lucifer walked in slowly, a goblet in his hand.
He came over to her, his footsteps echoing eerily before he knelt down to where she sat.
He held out the cup made from black glass.
“Water,” he said his voice cold, but soft. “Drink.”
Eddie did not take it.
His eyes flared like ambers, the first colour she’d seen in all the shades of grey. “Drink,” he insisted lowly.
She took it, heart pounding, and she drank. It tasted metallic, bitter and made her tongue feel strange like she’d just licked a battery.
Lucifer stood back up.
“Stand.”
Eddie stared at him, his eyes darkened.
She got to her feet, glaring determinedly at the Devil.
“Do you speak, child?”
Honestly, Eddie wasn’t sure. She felt like her vocal cords had seized and were now frozen in her throat. “What are you going to do to me?” she managed finally, though her voice was hoarse.
Lucifer smiled slowly. “Not too pathetic after all…” he crooned softly. “Come.”
He turned abruptly, leading out of this chamber.
Eddie followed uncertainly, her eyes darting around, attempting to form bearings. Black stone formed the walls, carvings and engravings detailing the skirting, while stunning arches and pillars stood tall around her. Torches hung in brackets, lighting intricate tapestries and paintings with strange, grey-blue flame.
It was eerie, chilling and all cast in shadow. Yet… Eddie could not deny a strange sense of beauty from it all.
“Where is Sam?” she demanded after a whil
e, her hard stare aimed at Lucifer’s back.
“My son is of no concern to you,” Lucifer replied coldly. “In,” he touched a wall to his right, and the dark grey stone shimmered, then vanished to reveal a scarce room.
Eddie slowly walked through, feeling a chill shoot down her spine as she passed him.
She looked around her, she was certain the walls must be forged from obsidian. There were no windows and a single bed, its frame crafted from black metal with sheets that looked rough to the touch and of a material Eddie did not know. This room lacked any form of beauty.
“You will remain here,” Lucifer told her quietly, standing in the doorway. “Until I have rectified this mess.”
“And then what will you do to me?” Eddie asked with as much bravery as she could muster.
Lucifer’s cold eyes observed her for a long moment. “I will have Azrael remove all memories of this experience and of my son from your mind. You will be returned to earth to live out your…insignificant existence,” he said, his tone apathetic and detached.
He went to turn, but Eddie stopped him with her furious cry.
“No!” she shouted at Lucifer. “You… you can’t do that,” she continued quietly this time, but with the same level of ferocity. “You can’t make me forget Sam.”
Lucifer exhaled slowly. “I care not for the woes of some human,” he said without emotion. “This is a courtesy for which you should be grateful.”
He turned swiftly, exiting her cell and the cold, black stone appeared instantly behind him.
Eddie’s heart pounded in her chest, and she stared at the stone for a long moment before a furious cry ripped from her lips. She turned to examine her prison. And to search for escape.
Immediately she investigated the wall that he had opened. The moment she touched it, her necklace hummed and warmed to an uncomfortable level of heat and she gasped, taking her hand back.
She pulled out her necklace, holding it with her other hand and frowning. Hesitantly, she touched the wall again, and this time, her hand went straight through!
She pulled it back quickly, her heart pounding.
