Imorean ran to Roxy and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. “What happened?”
She was pale and shaking. A trail of blood ran down one side of her face. “We came up through the barrier just as Raguel came up the windward side of the mountain. Zeus is dead. We were ambushed. We’re outnumbered. Imorean, Vortigern’s here! He knows!”
Imorean’s blood ran cold. From the far side of the peaks, more screams sailed to the sky. They were losing.
Roxy grabbed his wrist tight. “What do we do?”
“Find the others. Try to –” The words escaped him. Energy pulsed the air. Hot. Electric. Green. Imorean dragged Roxy to the ground and closed his eyes as a flash of neon tore over them. A roar rose up from the far side of Olympus.
“Imorean!”
He looked up. Baxter limped toward them. Blood stained one side of his shirt. Imorean shot back to his feet, hauling Roxy with him. He wasn’t going to let go of her. Not here. Not now. He slammed Michael’s sword back into its scabbard.
“Where is everyone?” he shouted. Thunder crashed overhead. The ground underfoot shook.
“Colton fell. The wings failed. He’s halfway down the mountain.” Baxter looked over the summit edge. Imorean followed his gaze. Raguel’s team – Raguel himself – holding their ground against a fleet.
“Kadia and Ryan?”
Baxter’s voice trembled. “Kadia’s hurt. A demon took a good portion of one of her wings off. Her and Ryan … they’re down there. I can’t get to them.”
Imorean took a steadying breath. Kadia, Colton, and Ryan were unsafe. But before he could get to them, he had to know exactly what was going on. He couldn’t go in blind.
“Tell me what happened.”
Roxy tightened her grip on his wrist and Imorean turned to her. “Bethany’s here.”
“What?” Imorean gritted his teeth. This was sliding out of control.
“Her and Vortigern – they killed Zeus. Imorean, without Zeus, we can’t finish this. Vortigern said, ‘no Zeus, no lightning, no artifact’. He’s not right, is he?”
Imorean took a breath. This was his fault. Their head start. The mission. He had cost them both. “We’re screwed. Unless we kill Vortigern now, we’re screwed.”
Bethany and Vortigern had beaten them. He swallowed. His knees trembled beneath him. After all this, they had been beaten. A sudden fury flashed through his veins. Vortigern would not win. He would not win. Not after all he had done.
Before he could form a question, roaring green crashed against the side of his head. “Imorean!”
“What?”
“Vortigern outbound! You are the fastest angel. Get after him! Killing him now is the only chance we have! I have to help Raguel. I will be with you as soon as I can.”
Imorean raised his eyes, sweeping the storm skies. Then. There. On the foggy horizon, he spotted a speck of black accompanied by something brown. Vortigern and Bethany. He turned to Roxy and Baxter.
“Find Colton. Get Kadia and Ryan out of here. Get safe.”
“Where are you going?” asked Roxy.
Imorean stopped. Her hand had wrapped back around his wrist. Her eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t move.
“Vortigern’s getting away. I can’t let that happen. Roxy, I’ve got to stop him. This is my fault. Because of Toddy, because of my choices, I cost us this entire mission. This may be our last chance for a long time to take him down.”
“You’re not going off on your own!”
“Roxy, we’re wasting time. I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you. I’m not leaving you.”
“Stay here with Baxter and the others. You’re their medic. They need you.”
“I’m not arguing with you, Imorean!”
Imorean looked back over at Vortigern, little more than a tiny shadow in the distance now. He had to go.
“Baxter, find the others and …” Judgement call. He had to make a judgement call now. If Ryan and the others could follow him, they could all get to safety. “… And follow on us as close as you can. We may need all the backup we can get. Either way, it’ll get them out of here. Roxy, keep up.”
Imorean launched upward. The movement tore Roxy’s hand from his sleeve. He heard her leap into the air just seconds later. She would have followed him even if he had told her not to. There was no point in trying to make her stay. It would have only wasted time. He twisted, catching an updraft and tore after Vortigern. He hoped Roxy could stay on him. Feathers stretched out. Imorean gritted his teeth. Roxy was still behind him. He was glad to have her. He stretched out his senses. Emotion. He needed to sense emotion. Sense Vortigern and he would have a clear path to trail him. Panic. Fear. Pain. No. No. Wrong. He needed only one emotion. Vortigern’s. Push. Imorean narrowed his eyes and focused on Vortigern. Only him. He was all that mattered in this moment. There! Purpose. Confidence. A touch of thrill. Imorean shook his head, resisting the urge to flare his wings and screech to a halt.
“Roxy! Take my hand!”
A nervous swallow tempted Imorean’s throat. Could he do this? He had only been on the astral plane a handful of times. Roxy had never been. But they needed more speed. They would never catch Vortigern without using the astral plane. Fingers slipped between his own. He gave Roxy a quick smile, then slammed his consciousness sideways. Stay in his body. He had to stay in his body. He gasped as his eyes opened. White fringed his vision. Below, he could see two shapes – shapes that were not quite orange. Shapes that were tarnished. Bethany and Vortigern. He looked at Roxy, trying not to meet her eyes. They would only scare her. He seized a thought and focused on her.
“Hold onto me. Tight. I’m not sure if this is going to work.”
“I’ll try!”
Imorean nearly jumped. Roxy had heard him. Her spoken words felt as though they were trying to snap him off the astral plane. Leave her, the Archangel in him screamed. He should leave her. He would be much faster on his own. In spite of his earlier attempt not to make eye contact, he looked at her. He studied her eyes. Eyes he had known his whole life. No. He couldn’t. He tightened his grip on her hand and snapped his wings out. Air slipped past him. The world moved for him. He controlled it. It did not control him. Hands clasped in his own. Roxy screamed, her voice lost to the wind. Imorean turned his attention forward. Shock. Fury. Vortigern had seen them.
Green cut across the front of Imorean’s mind, marring the white that descended over his gaze. “Keep going. I am on the way.”
Narrowing his eyes, Imorean pulled his wings up tighter and pushed faster. Catch Vortigern. He had to. Dimly, he felt Roxy redouble her grip on him, holding onto his wrist with both hands now. He blinked and pushed harder. All his energy had to go toward giving power to his wings. Movement. Bethany and Vortigern were descending. Ahead of them, Imorean thought he could make out their destination. A large terraced area. Stone structures seemed to rise from the ground of their own accord. His wings pulled in even tighter. Wind howled around them. Everything sparked white.
The air shattered like glass.
Imorean shouted as Roxy’s hand was torn from his grip. He heard her scream, vanishing into the air itself. Pulled apart. And falling. Imorean scrambled at the air. Catch an air current. He needed one. Desperate. Nothing. The ground raced up to meet him. Imorean screamed as he flared his wings. Air caught. Not enough. Too close. He was too close to the ground. And crash! All sense was knocked from his mind. Rolling. He was rolling. Sand. Damp sand. The only gracious cushion for his fall. The world flashed black and color. Black and color. Black. Slow return to color. A low whine filled Imorean’s ears. He couldn’t hear. Sticky blood trickled down one side of his face. He lay still. He needed to gather himself. Roxy. Where was Roxy? Where had she been flung to? Where was Vortigern? He pushed off the ground. Too soon. His legs were still numb. He tottered sideways and fell back to the sandy ground. Gasping, Imorean clawed a breath into his lungs and forced himself to his knees. How far had he fallen? His entire body shook with t
rembles he couldn’t stop. His mouth filled with blood. He had bitten something. Hard. Slowly, trying not to jar himself, Imorean looked around. The rain here was lighter. He could make out more of what was around him. A sloping hillside that had been terraced to support now-ruined, ancient temples. He glanced to his right. Much shorter, sharper terraces. He tilted his head. For all the world, they looked like stadium seats. Brown eyes fell to the ground around him. An oval structure. Trees fell in and held the far end in darkness. This place didn’t just look like a stadium. It was one.
“Do you recognize it?”
Imorean swallowed a mouthful of blood, throat working on reflex. In spite of the blood threatening to drip into his eye, he could make out a shape at the tree-shaded far end. It was a shape he knew well. The shape he had been pursuing. He drew a breath. Vortigern.
Slowly, Imorean reached back for his sword. “Not exactly. Where did you land?”
“Temple of Apollo. I’ve always liked it here.” Vortigern took a few steps forward. When he spoke again, his voice was low and dangerous. “You came after me.”
“Seemed like the right thing to do.”
Vortigern breathed sharply and Imorean could have sworn it was a grudging laugh.
Imorean drew the sword in his scabbard. Still he was surprised by the weight of it. “Where’s Roxy?”
“Oh, Bethany’s recovering her as we speak. You hit the ground like a brick. I wouldn’t be surprised if Roxy was a pancake now. You should be more careful when dragging your friends through the astral plane. In fact, you’ll be lucky if Roxy’s brain isn’t fried. Normal hybrids aren’t really meant for the plane, you know?”
Imorean balked. Everything in him urged him to leave Vortigern, to go to Roxy. Roxy was his friend. Roxy was important. Vortigern could wait. But Vortigern was drawing his sword. Vortigern couldn’t wait. Imorean’s breath hitched. He and Vortigern had faced off twice before. This would be their third time in single combat with each other. Something told him that only one of them would be leaving this arena. Imorean locked his jaw and lowered his stance.
Vortigern gave another quiet laugh. “Are you sure you want to face off with me without your guard? Without your precious Michael? I’m perfectly happy to wait.”
“I nearly killed you the last time we went for each other. I was alone then as well.”
“Yes … thank you for reminding me. I made sure to bring insurance this time.”
Imorean stilled. Insurance? His chest flushed cold. There could only be one thing that Vortigern meant by that. No. Trembles caught him again. Vortigern turned and motioned toward the tree-darkened space. Movement. Imorean stepped backward. He knew what, who, was there. A figure stepped forward as he, for a second time, stepped backward. Walking toward him – Imorean felt stone behind his calves, he could go no further back – was his mother.
Chapter 71
Brown eyes raised and met gray. Imorean froze. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t raise a sword against his mother. He couldn’t. Fear spiked in his chest. Where were Rachel and Isaac?
“Did you really think I’d come unarmed this time, Imorean?” snapped Vortigern, putting one arm around Amelia. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. She looked up at him, eyes doting. She leaned up, kissing him on the lips. Her eyes. Her eyes were so wrong. So clouded. So distant. Cold. Imorean flinched, wanting to reach for her. She was still his mother. Still someone he loved.
Imorean choked back a cry, a desire to plead with Vortigern for her life. He couldn’t move. The smirk on Vortigern’s lips was mocking in itself and Imorean knew that he wanted nothing more than for him to beg. He looked up as air sang on feathers. Bethany landed on the topmost row of stone seats, Roxy held tightly in front of her. Imorean bared his teeth. Torn. What should he do? Bethany’s sword held level across Roxy’s throat. His mother stood firm in front of Vortigern.
“You can end this, Imorean,” said Vortigern, walking forward.
“Don’t listen to him, Imorean!” shouted Roxy.
“Shut up!” snarled Bethany.
Imorean glanced at them, taking his eyes away from Vortigern for as long as he dared. A droplet of blood beaded around Bethany’s sword. Roxy shivered visibly, but said nothing more.
“You know in your heart of hearts that I’m right, Imorean.”
Imorean barely heard him. He took a step forward, away from the wall.
“Mom?” No answer came. He swallowed and tried again. “Mom?”
Vortigern turned and whispered something in Amelia’s ear. Imorean froze as his mother locked him in place with only her eyes.
Amelia’s voice rang out. So familiar yet so foreign. “Who are you?”
Her voice. The sound of it. The voice he had accepted he would never hear again. For that voice not to recognize him … it was worse than being stabbed.
Imorean grappled for words – words that almost failed him. “I – I’m your son. You know me.”
He froze as she pulled away from Vortigern and approached him. The sand expanse between them wasn’t nearly enough. Imorean’s hand twitched at his sides as his mother stopped just a pace away from him.
“I don’t know you.”
Imorean shook his head, the movement feeling distant. “Mom, please. Mama, it’s me. It’s Imorean.”
Desperation broke in him. He couldn’t move. Nothing held him in place, but his body wouldn’t respond. Gray eyes, gray eyes that should have been such a soft hazel, burrowed into him. She was close enough to touch.
He tried again. “I’m your son. I’m your child.”
Smack! Heat sprang to Imorean’s face. His eyes watered. His cheek stung, throbbing. He could taste blood in his mouth. Roxy’s gasp rang out loud across the arena. Imorean stumbled a few paces away, air catching in his chest. Slapped. His mother, his mother who had never once raised a hand to him, had just slapped him. He shivered where he stood.
Amelia caught him by the chin. Gray eyes bored into his brown ones. Imorean found himself powerless. “My son is dead. You are nothing. You are no child of mine.”
Breath failed. His words shook. “Mom, I’m right here. Please. It’s me.”
“My son died a failure. A runaway. He failed me – failed to come back to me. He is dead. If you are him, die again. Stay dead. I don’t want you.”
Imorean pulled away. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know him. And it was all Vortigern’s fault! Imorean tore past her, racing forward with a cry. Veins alight. His body seared. He spun, Michael’s sword coming alight with white flame. Vortigern laughed and a black-bladed weapon met Imorean’s own. Imorean screamed as black flame lashed his face. He broke his parry with Vortigern and clapped one hand to his cheek. Vortigern rubbed his fingers together, lurid, black flame ebbing.
“Weren’t expecting that, were you?” asked Vortigern. “It’s not just Archangels that have powers, Imorean. Archdemons have them, too.”
Imorean steadied himself. He couldn’t let this throw him off. The air rippled and Vortigern paused.
“Ah. Your Deus ex Machina has arrived, hasn’t it, Imorean?”
Imorean breathed. Michael. Michael was here. Michael was who he needed. Michael would have answers. Vortigern spun. Imorean scrambled backward a few paces as a wall of Vortigern’s black fire circled them both. A smaller arena. Their arena.
“Your mother will deal with your mentor, Imorean. She’ll be a wonderful little welcome party for him. Do you think he’ll avoid hurting her to keep from hurting you?”
“You can’t!” His mother. His Michael. Pitted against each other. Vortigern wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Imorean choked. Michael didn’t have his mercy. He would kill his mother. No hesitation.
“I’ll do whatever I like, Imorean,” growled Vortigern. “This is my playground. You stumbled into it. Bethany, release Roxy! Let’s see you square off with each other.”
Outside the tiny arena, Imorean heard a thud as Michael landed. The flames soared higher, rising above their heads. A hiss l
eft Imorean’s mouth as the flames defied gravity and arched over his and Vortigern’s heads, forming a burning, flickering cage. From outside, he heard Michael’s voice.
“Imorean!”
“Michael!”
The word had barely left Imorean’s mouth, when a sword swung in. He just managed to block Vortigern’s new attack. Too many. There were too many people out there that could be hurt. Too many that he loved. He had to do something. Something. Anything. There had to be some way to stop this. Outside the tiny, flaming arena, he heard Michael shout. Words he couldn’t make out. Words that were lost. Green cut clear across his consciousness. Imorean gave half a pause.
“Fight him, Imorean. Fight him with everything you have. I cannot get to you.”
Imorean doubled his grip on his – Michael’s – sword and waited for Vortigern to make his attack. Roxy screamed somewhere outside the circle. Pain. He could taste it on the air. He looked through a tiny gap in the tips of flame. Bethany against Roxy. Blood welled through Roxy’s shirt. Michael and Amelia. His mentor versus his mother. Confusion. Imorean felt within himself how torn Michael was. His duty or his student.
Vortigern’s sword tip slashed across Imorean’s chest. Blood blossomed to the wound. Imorean fell back a step. Vortigern took the offensive. Imorean parried and blocked, hands trembling as he scrambled for defensive moves. Flame seared his clothes. He yelped and leaped forward, just dancing around the edge of Vortigern’s sword. Vortigern or the fire. Imorean paused. He couldn’t get out of here. He didn’t have many choices for escape. Teleport? Too unstable. There was no telling where he would land. He couldn’t leave Roxy and Michael. Vortigern had given him options. Death, the fire, or a surrender. Imorean raised and blocked as Vortigern slashed at his hand. His chest ached. He could feel his own blood running down his clothes. Resolve. He pulled himself upright. Fight. That was the only way out of this. Astral plane. Now. White overran his vision. Veins came alight. Imorean lunged sideways as Vortigern crashed in. Miss.
Angels Falling Page 46
