by Hanna Peach
Israel?
No. Surely they wouldn’t let the keye enter this battle?
A small smile crept over his face. The dear boy did have a poor habit of getting into trouble because he wanted to be a hero, didn’t he? After all, that’s how they had caught him skulking around the demon den in the Valley…
“Gentlemen,” he ordered the Darkened around him. “We’re making a little detour. I want to know who that girl actually is under her mirage.” He pointed out Alyx to his guards.
They complied. Samyara narrowed his eyes and kept his head down as they got closer. His guards split into two lines and surrounded Alyx.
* * *
In his periphery, Israel watched as the group of Darkened came closer. He realized too late that they were closing in on him. Israel pushed out a whip of air discreetly from his left palm towards the feet of one of the Darkened, causing him to trip. Israel spun, slashing his sword around him to ward off another Darkened. He spun and slashed again and again, trying to keep them at a distance. Then they all came at him at once. His sword pierced one of them. But he felt a hand grab at his shirt from behind. He heard, “It’s him. It’s the keye.”
Dammit. His cover was blown.
“Get him,” yelled Samyara.
Israel kicked his leg out behind him, knocking away the Darkened who had grabbed him. Another one was coming for him in front. Israel twisted in the air, kicking his legs forward and spinning like a tornado. His feet hit the Darkened in front of him in the chest, knocking him back with the force of the blow.
“That is enough, Israel,” he heard Samyara’s voice call out. “Stop or your friend gets it.”
Israel flipped back, landing on one of the tables that were placed around the library floor. He snapped his gaze in the direction of the voice. To his horror, Vix stood there, her weapon removed, her hands frozen up in a surrender position and Samyara holding the tip of his sword to her chest. Wait. Wasn’t he…? Then he spotted a second Samyara standing to one side. He remembered Samyara’s ability to split his body into more than one. He eyed each Samyara. Which one was the original?
“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you,” said the Samyara holding his sword up to Vix.
Israel kept his sword up, ready at his defense. “What if I said that I didn’t think that you were the real Samyara?”
Both Samyaras threw back their heads and laughed. Israel stayed light on his feet, his sword tip moving left and right as a warning to the Darkened who had picked themselves up and were inching towards him with their weapons. “My boy, it doesn’t matter which one of us is the original. We can both inflict just as much damage. Would you care for me to demonstrate?”
Before Israel could reply, Samyara flicked his sword towards Vix’s hand. She flinched, blood swelling from the cut across the back of her hand.
“Stop. Okay, fine. You have my attention,” Israel cried out amid the din of fighting going on around him. “What do you want?”
“Surrender yourself in exchange for her life.”
“Don’t do it, Israel,” said Vix.
Samyara’s blade flicked out again, this time at her ear. Vix whimpered as a piece of her earlobe flicked off the end of Samyara’s sword. She grasped at her ear, the blood from her lobe now mixing with that on her hand.
“Don’t make me cut her into any more pieces to prove to you how serious I am.”
Israel’s mind whirred. He couldn’t let himself be taken. But…he watched Vix straighten up, still holding her ear with one hand.
“I’m ready to die, Israel,” she said. “That’s what warriors do. Don’t let him take you.”
Israel looked into Vix’s blue eyes, and he saw the glimpse of fear behind the cool, icy depths. He imagined having to tell Xiang, Vix’s partner, that she was never going to be able to look into her eyes again. Then he imagined that Vix was Alyx and someone else had to make the choice if she should die.
No. He couldn’t let Vix die.
“Do I have your word that you will let her go?” Israel called out.
“If you come with me willingly, I will let her go.”
“Fine.” Israel let the sword go loose in his fingers as he raised his hands in surrender. It clattered off the table, then onto the floor. Then he jumped down off the table after it. “I’ll come willingly.”
“No,” cried Vix, “don’t do it!” She hissed as Samyara poked her with his blade.
“Zhair, take him,” Samyara said.
The guard named Zhair came up behind him, placed a knife to his throat and an arm around his torso, trapping his arms at his sides. The other Darkened fought off the incoming Seraphim as another Darkened patted him down for more weapons.
He let Zhair drag him to the edge of the library behind Samyara. He kept his eye on Vix and the Samyara that remained at her back the whole time. He called out reassurances to her that everything would be okay. It would be. He would make it okay. Vix looked pained and helpless as she watched him move farther and farther away from her.
Israel was jostled onto the lift. The original Samyara stepped in next to him and began to play with the control panel. With a mechanical shudder, the lift started and took them up, the ground and Vix’s screaming face getting smaller as he was raised higher towards the ceiling.
With another jolt the lift stopped on the upper floor. Samyara turned, opened the small gate onto the top balcony, and stepped off.
Down below, Israel saw Cleo creeping around to the back of the fake Samyara. If Israel could just stall Samyara long enough, then Cleo could strike at the fake Samyara, causing him to disappear and Vix to be safe. Then he could get himself free without having to worry about Vix.
Israel turned and saw Samyara fiddling with a book on one of the shelves. “What are you doing?” he asked.
Samyara didn’t answer.
Zhair pressed the cold, flat side of his knife blade into Israel’s throat as a warning. “You only speak to the master if he speaks to you first, or else...”
Israel snorted. “You can’t kill me. He needs me.”
“Perhaps, but I can still make you wish you were dead.”
“I wish I were dead already. Damn, you stink like ass. Hygiene’s obviously not important for Hellbeings.”
“Shut up. I don’t stink.”
“Do too.”
“For the love of Lucifer,” snapped Samyara, turning away from the bookcase. “Quit squabbling, both of you. You’re like damn children.”
“Yeah, child,” said Israel. “Quit squabbling.”
Zhair replied by spinning Israel around and punching him in the gut. Bloody hell. Battering ram, meet stomach.
Israel tried not to make a noise or let his face contort, but it was hard not to. “Is that all you got?” he wheezed.
Over the balcony of the platform Israel could see that Cleo was almost to Samyara. Just a little more distraction. Just a few seconds longer.
Behind him a section of the bookcase clicked. Israel turned his head to see it swing on its hinge, revealing a secret passageway and a cramped set of iron circular stairs. Where the hell were they going?
“Get in,” demanded Samyara.
Zhair grabbed him again and began shoving him towards the stairs. Israel resisted.
“Release Vix first.” Israel turned back to look down at Vix. Cleo was so close, her sword at the ready. Come on, Cleo, come on.
Samyara started laughing, causing Israel to whip his head back round. “Oh dear boy, your kind never learns. I said I’d let her go, but you never specified she had to be alive.”
Israel’s gut contracted. He snapped his head down to the library floor. Several things happened at once. Cleo lunged at the fake Samyara and he disappeared with a flicker. Vix started to fall back, her arms going limp by her sides. He heard Cleo scream and she dropped her sword as she tried to catch Vix. But it was too late.
Vix hit the floor like a limp rag, her chest now wet from where fake Samyara had pierced her body with his sword befor
e he disappeared. The blood immediately began to pool around her torso onto the cream marble floor like spilled ink.
“Never make a deal with a devil,” Samyara said. “You’ll lose.”
Israel heard himself yelling as he struggled to escape Zhair’s grip. He felt the blast of magic pouring into him, heavy and warm. His head started to slide and the feeling went down through his body all the way to his toes. Some kind of demon sleep magic. Must. Fight. Off…
Despite his determination to stay awake, everything faded to nothing as all the power in his limbs slipped away.
Chapter 33
Samyara threw open the tiny hatch at the top of the circular stairs. He was met with a gust of night breeze. He climbed up and out onto the flat gray circular roof, his beautiful black helicopter rising before him.
Over the edge of the roof he could see the slaughter taking place on the grounds. He could hear the clang of metal on metal and the cries of the dying. Thankfully, he needn’t worry about anyone seeing this helipad as it was under a mirage. Soon he would be airborne and speeding away with the keye. And it would be too late for Alyx and her friends.
A rumble of pleasure went through his body. This surprise attack hadn’t turned out too badly for him. After all, Alyx and her friends brought the keye to him. So what if he had to set up a new base somewhere else? So what if he had to start his Darkened army from scratch? He had the keye, which meant he could bring his demon followers through to Earth without worrying about hosts. Oh hee hee. How fun.
“Hurry up,” he snapped at Zhair who was struggling to move through the hatch while carrying Israel.
“Of course, master.”
Samyara heard a thud of flesh as Zhair threw Israel’s limp body onto the rooftop. Samyara grabbed Zhair by his neck and yanked him out of the hatch so that his feet were dangling. Samyara narrowed his eyes. “You be careful with him, Zhair. You are replaceable. He is not.”
“Yes, master,” Zhair choked out.
Samyara tossed Zhair aside so that he landed awkwardly on the roof. “Stop lying about and get him on the helicopter.”
Zhair wheezed in acquiescence at him and gathered up Israel’s motionless form.
Minutes later they were packed into the helicopter, Samyara in the back with Israel on his right and Zhair in the pilot’s seat. The chopper blades were whirring at full speed now. Samyara felt his stomach lurch as they lifted up off the roof.
Samyara turned his head towards Israel, who was slumped in his seat, held up by the seat belt. He thought he heard a low moan coming from Israel. “I think he’s starting to wake,” he growled into his headset to Zhair. “You didn’t blast him with enough sleep magic.”
“I did. But he must be resisting it,” Zhair said with a whine. “I can’t blast him again, I’m driving.”
Dammit Zhair. Do I have to do everything myself? Samyara leaned forward and grabbed Zhair’s dagger from his sheath. “Never mind. I’ll deal with him.”
Chapter 34
Alyx almost crashed into Jordan as she flew around the corner of the corridor that led to the library. His clothes were torn, cover in ash and stained with blood, and he smelled like smoke.
“Jordan, what the hell happened to you?”
“Talk later. Right now we have to stop Samyara from escaping.”
She couldn’t argue with that. She nodded and took off down the corridor, Jordan at her heels. She flew through the open doors into the library. Oh God, the place was in chaos. Her eyes scanned the scene for any familiar faces. Where was Samyara?
Her eyes settled on Cleo. She was shirtless, just in a bra and she was kneeling and hunched over, her hands pressing her shirt down on someone’s chest. Everything was stained with red. Red, bloody red.
“Cleo!” Alyx flew over to her, pausing only to clash her blade with a Darkened. She twisted her sword, disarming him and cutting him across his throat before she continued.
Her heart almost stopped when she saw that it was Vix lying in a pool of blood. Alyx fell on the ground by Vix, dropping her sword. Blood, oh God, there was so much blood. Jordan landed near her. He turned to clash with a Darkened, who had come charging at them.
“She’s alive, barely,” said Cleo.
“What the hell happened?”
“Samyara’s doppelganger. His sword pierced her body, but I got him with my sword and he disappeared just before he reached her heart. She needs medical attention. Now.”
“You and Jordan stay with her. Call in one of the medics who are waiting outside the walls. I need to find Samyara.”
“I’m sorry, Alyx. Samyara got away.” Cleo’s voice dropped. “And he has Israel.”
The blood drained from Alyx’s face and her limbs weakened. For a second she felt dizzy. Samyara has Israel. He has the keye. She shook her head, forcing it clear. “Not if I can help it. Which way did they go?”
Cleo pointed towards the top platform. “There was some kind of door in the bookcase that Samyara opened up at the top platform near the lift. They disappeared through there.”
Alyx took another look at Vix’s unmoving form. The only way she could tell that Vix was alive was the smallest movement of her chest under Cleo’s hands. “She’s going to live, isn’t she?”
“Of course, Alyx,” Jordan said as he yanked his sword out of a Darkened chest and came to stand over them. “That shirt is soaked. It’s not doing any good.”
He tore off his jacket and his shirt. Kneeling opposite Cleo, he replaced her blood-soaked shirt with his clothes and pressed down, covering her hands with his.
“Seriously?” Cleo said. “Was that really necessary?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you just parade around naked?”
“I could. But I fear it may be too distracting for some.”
Alyx felt a weird intensity as she watched the two of them glare at each other. Almost like they had both forgotten she was there.
“You two, focus,” Alyx snapped before Cleo could retort. “Keep her alive. I’m going after Samyara.”
Alyx grabbed her dropped sword with her bloody hand and pushed up from the marble. She rocketed up towards the platform, her insides churning and tying themselves in knots. She skidded onto the top platform with such force, she almost ran into the bookcase.
Okay, Cleo said there was a secret door up here. She remembered the secret door behind the bookcase in Tobias’s office at Aradale. The key to opening it had been through a fake book. So one of these must be fake. Her heart sank as she gazed over the huge shelf of books − which one was it? Which one?
Okay, think Alyx, think. There had to be some sort of logical way of working out which book. Starting at the top shelf, she began to scan the spines for the titles.
Chapter 35
Israel threw out curses to the empty black nothing DreamPlain. He was not staying here. If Samyara thought he could put him to sleep without some kind of fight, well, Samyara was in for a rude awakening. He was gonna fight, alright, and he was pissed. His body rumbled with the pressurized heat of a volcano threatening to erupt.
All those training sessions with the Elder when he had been in his poison-coma came rushing back to him. “Anger can be powerful. But anger, uncontrolled, can be destructive. Learn to control your anger, learn to channel it.”
Israel funneled every ounce of anger and rage into a single ball in the center of his soul. It crackled and spat but it was contained. He let this energy explode from within and the dark space couldn’t contain him. Everything went white.
Israel snapped awake into his physical body, but he made sure to keep his eyes closed. Immediately every single one of his muscles was tight and ready. But he couldn’t just react. No, the old immature him would have just reacted. But this Israel was controlled. Patient. Like a panther he would assess, then act.
He opened up his senses except for his sight and took in his surroundings − the whirring of blades, the smell of motor oil and the spicy scent of Samyara’s cologne. The feeling
of this vehicle moving through the air and of leather underneath him, the strap of the seat belt across his chest and the sharp end of a dagger in his side.
His assessment was that he was strapped into an airborne vehicle…Samyara to his left. And those blades sounded like a chopper.
Silly, silly, Samyara. You don’t put a part-demon, part-Seraphim with rock star levels of Airmagic into a helicopter and live to tell the tale. Everything inside him coiled. Today everything that the Elder taught him while he was in his coma would finally be put to use.
Israel could feel the seat and the helicopter shaking with the intensity of the magic he was building up inside, fueled by his anger. His anger − that this sonofabitch just killed Vix. His friend, Vix. Vix, who had his back from the beginning even when none of the other Rogues did. Vix, who had fought next to him, supported him, cared for him. Vix, who had become like a sister.
I couldn’t save you, Vix. But I will avenge your death.
There was a moment of stillness, of peace, the quiet second before an atom bomb exploded. Then he let go.
Israel’s magic thrust out from within him. The windows of the helicopter blew out, then he forced the pieces of glass back in to attack the two demon passengers like an angry swarm of crystal bees. Not a single piece of glass touched him. He sent a silent thank you to the Elder for making him repeat that exercise with the damned feather. The Elder would be proud of his control if he could see him now.
Samyara dropped his dagger and instinctively raised his arms to shield his face against the swarm of glass. Israel heard Samyara and Zhair’s yells through the whirring roar and rush of air. Good, they should be screaming.
Israel channeled his anger into a giant fist of wind that tossed about the helicopter midair. The helicopter started to fall and his heart fell into his stomach.
He pressed to release his seat belt. He grabbed Samyara and yanked him towards the broken window on his side. Pieces of glass broke off into his flesh as Israel grabbed the window frame and pulled his head through. The wind whipped his hair and the helicopter threw him around, making him lose his grip as it fell to Earth. Whirling, twisting, he saw the ground, then sky, then ground again.
