The Halo of Amaris

by Jade Brieanne

  He didn’t make it, not even close. A wash of raw power stopped him in his tracks, and he staggered back as six figures dropped from above to land on a set of marbled columns arranged in front of the stairs. Key’s eyes flashed gold as he realized what was happening, and the temptation to spew a string of curse words was overpowered by his escalating fear. He backpedaled away from the columns and ran back toward his group.

  Key considered himself to be a pretty strong fighter, one of the best, actually, but there was no way he was going to beat a Pharaoh, a Kabaka, a Samurai, a Joseon-era General, and a pair of Persian Immortals.

  “New plan,” Key screeched. Without taking his eyes off the warriors staring at them from across the courtyard with the sort of glee that came with too much power and seldom having a chance to use it, Key waved a hand at Rooke and said, “Rooke, take them as far back as you can but within my sight. If any of you see an opening for the entrance, take it. Reaching the threshold will call the Nonpareils off. Tahir and I will take them on, so don’t worry about us. Just find a way inside that damn building!”

  Okay, it was a ridiculously impromptu plan that was more than likely going to get them all killed, but that was the best he had on short notice. Key brought his wakizashi up and settled into a fighting stance.

  The four others scuttled back, protesting; the loudest from Jon as his training kicked in and he reached for a gun he didn’t have anymore. Aiden and Rooke were able to wrestle him back.

  “Hey!” Tahir called out with a smirk as she mirrored Key, unsheathing her sword and coming to stand beside him. “Before our inevitable deaths here, I just want you to know—”

  Key cut her off. “If you have time to be sentimental, you have time to focus.”

  Tahir scoffed and slid her foot back into position. “Sentimental, my ass. I was going to tell you I was the one who broke the taillight on your car. Reversing is not my thing.” Tahir waggled her eyebrows and cackled loudly before she took off for the columns.

  “Crazy kid,” Key said softly as he raced after her.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Hatshepsut Ma'at-ka-Ra Hatshepsut, the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt.

  Choe Yeong, legendary General to King Gongmin in fourteenth century Goryeo Dynasty Korea.

  Kato Kintu Kakulukuku, the first Kabaka of Buganda.

  Tomoe Gozen, famed twelfth-century onna bugeisha.

  Bohktar and Delir, two of the deadliest Persian Immortals to ever exist.

  Six of the mightiest warriors of their respective times, and all granted the title of Nonpareils of Antris after proving their worth on earth and eons of service to Caeli. As the strongest cumulus of Mutraian power recognized by The Above, they were sequestered in a place where they could find rest during times of peace. That is, unless someone was to bother them.

  Key grimaced. Apparently they’d picked an awesome day to rile them up.

  The six Nonpareils stood in formation atop their stone columns, eyeing the six before them with what Key hoped were interest and curiosity. Still, the Nonpareils were here to do one job.

  With a heavy robe covering her long, snug, black-woolen clothing, dark pants, and thick leather boots strapped to her feet, Hatshepsut Ma'at-ka-Ra Hatshepsut looked more in need of reverence than of fear. Key knew better. Known as The Woman King, she knew more ways to kill a man than seemed necessary. As she stepped down from her column, Key wondered what method she would use on them.

  She stopped the two angels charging headlong for her with a simple phrase. “Why have you fallen?”

  Key knew there was no correct answer to that. They were not supposed to be here—they were trained on how to get out of Antris, never how to survive if confronted. It could be that facing the six strongest Mutare to ever exist was not a survivable task.

  Key sank low, his wakizashi at the ready, and Hatshepsut grinned. She reached for the bow strung across her back and nocked an obsidian-tipped arrow, aiming and releasing it with rapid-fire precision. Even with over a hundred feet between them, Tahir was only able to narrowly avoid the arrow aimed for her head when Key swept her feet from under her.

  Rolling back into position, Tahir reached for her dagger. The distance between her and Hatshepsut was too great, though, so she sprinted toward her instead.

  The other five Nonpareils stood calmly behind Hatshepsut, an array of different looks on their faces.

  “Stop toying with them, Hatshepsut,” Tomoe laughed. “Clearly they are trying their hardest. Be respectful.”

  “They are nothing but trespassers.” Hatshepsut glanced over her shoulder as she fired an arrow off without looking. “I’m not going to stop having fun on account of being respectful.”

  Key ran flank of Tahir as she reached Hatshepsut, despite the arrows being fired in her direction. He gripped his sword as Tahir lunged for the pharaoh, ready to spot any opening she would create.

  Hatshepsut’s black, fiberglass-covered shield deflected Tahir’s sword easily, and she landed a solid kick to Tahir’s torso. As Tahir fell back, Key jumped into his attack, his wakizashi aimed for the pharaoh’s side. As quickly as she’d disposed of Tahir, she blocked Key and spun, the blunt edge of her shield catching him across the face.

  Key took a step back to wipe the blood from the cut across his nose as Tahir dipped into an attack. He hoped Rooke was coming up with a plan because they weren’t going to last long. They were being toyed with. He really didn’t want to see what would happen when Hatshepsut got serious.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  From the lip of the courtyard entrance, Jin watched as the woman handled both angels with horrible ease. Her own feet were filled with lead, and she was breathing in shallow pants while a horrid chill ran down her skin. She looked down at her shaking hands. Why am I so weak? Why can’t I help? There had to be something she could do.

  Rooke looked up from his communicator, frowning. “I can’t get through to anyone.”

  “You’re able to contact people from here?” Jin asked, wincing when the woman kicked Tahir across the face.

  “No…but it was worth a shot.” He looked at the five motionless Nonpareils. “We’re going to have to make a run for it. If one of us can get through the mausoleum entrance, it’ll knock the Nonpareils out of combat mode.” Rooke’s hand flitted to the short sword across his back and he gulped. “The fact no one has been down here in centuries is working in our favor. They seem distracted by the fight. I can divert them away from the entrance and one of you can make the run for it.”

  Jin stiffened at his decision. Not on her own accord, but the whispers had not left her head yet. They weren’t the same disjointed mix of voices as before. No, this one sounded very much like she did. Identical even.

  You are a warrior. Warriors fight! These are your people! How dare you sit in cowardice?

  None of what the sharply authoritative voice said made sense on the surface, but something about the passion behind it spurred something deep inside. She surveyed the mausoleum entrance, and with a deep breath, knew what she had to do. It was crazy, insane, but at the moment she just didn’t care. She turned and looked at Aiden with a brilliant smile. “You remember how I told you I was the fastest person on my track team in high school?”

  Aiden frowned at her. The confusion was good because it would slow him down. Before he could answer, Jin took off, running for the mausoleum at full speed. Aiden screamed after her, but she ignored him as her feet pounded against the cobblestones. She didn’t have to wait long before she was accosted by two Nonpareils dressed identically to the woman handling Key and Tahir with ease. One had an easy, jovial smile, while the other frowned at her. Both had thick lines of kohl lining their almond eyes, and flawless, tan skin. The smiling one had hair that flowed down his back, while the other had a close-cropped cut and a bright, multi-colored band wrapped around his head.

  “Bohktar and Delir, my lady,” the smiling one said. He reached out, grabbed her shirt and hauled her into the
air. “Might I asked where you think you are going?” When Jin didn’t answer, his smiled slipped and he growled in her face before tossing her away.

  Jin hit the ground with a grunt and rolled away from Bohktar, scrambling across the ground in a different direction, away from Rooke, Jon, and Aiden. Bohktar’s leather boot came down hard against her back and Jin shouted out in pain. “I asked you a question!”

  Bohktar raised his foot again, and Jin wrapped her arms around his leg and held on tight. Bohktar rolled his eyes and tried to shake her loose. “You don’t have the right to be here! None of you do!” He reached for her again, both hands jerking her up by her shirt before wrapping his hands around her neck. “You itching for a fight?” He grinned. “I haven’t fought in decades.”

  Aiden was yelling behind her and she hoped that he would stay back. It wouldn’t make sense if both of them died on account of her. Bohktar’s grip tightened, and Jin clawed at his hands, fighting for air. Bohktar inhaled, probably to yell at her again, but he paused and his eyes narrowed.

  He dropped her like she was on fire, his eyes widening. Jin stared up at him from the ground, sucking in air through her bruised throat. She raised a hand to her collarbone, fingers searching. The chain. Where was the—

  Delir stepped up next to Bohktar and stared down at Jin as if she was seeing her for the first time. “You smell of wet earth…”

  “Hatshepsut! Stop!” Bohktar turned towards the woman. “Spirit essence.”

  —chain? The pocket watch. Jin gasped, and both hands searched her neckline. Not there, not there—she rolled, searching, frantic now, only relaxing when she found it in a crack between two dark cobblestones.

  Hatshepsut turned toward Jin, her hands uncurling from around Key’s face before she flung him away. Stepping over him, she cleared the space between them in a few powerful strides, her long, blue-black hair fluttering behind her. She ducked low to stare into Jin’s face, and Jin tried to breathe through the pharaoh’s wildly intimidating aura. Hatshepsut assessed her for a long moment before she inhaled deeply. Jin watched in astonishment as Hatshepsut’s frown morphed into a wolfish grin.

  “Oh, Lion in a peculiar guise,” she said jovially.

  Jin frowned, perplexed, but the woman either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She stood and turned to the other Nonpareils, calling out commands in a heavily accented language that Jin didn’t recognize. The other Nonpareils accepted her command and drew back to the columns. Hatshepsut’s eyes skimmed over them all as she spoke.

  “Those who have fallen may rise again. You are granted entrance.”

  Chapter Fifty

  Anger flowed off Aiden in waves. His jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists at his sides. Jon and Rooke must have felt it, because they were quick to untangle themselves from holding him back. He’d deal with them later. The safety of everyone else made absolutely no sense when they’d rearranged the heavens to save her. They should have let him go to her.

  But before he flayed his former detainers, he had to deal with a bigger problem. He didn’t hear anything but his pulse in his ears as he stormed towards Jin. He didn’t care that these crazed, overpowered maniacs had stopped their attack. He didn’t care that Jin’s watery smile might have been an indication that everything was okay.

  He just didn’t give a shit.

  “Are…you…out…of…your…mind?” he howled as he reached her. Aiden hauled Jin up by her arm, only stopping his rant to inspect her for any injuries. Her neck was bruised in the shape of long fingers. “Why would you do something like that?”

  She glared back at him defiantly, standing her ground even if her eyes showed all the fear and foolishness of her decision. “I did what I thought was necessary!”

  “What part of I’ve seen you die don’t you understand? That I was so sick with grief that I wanted to die? You held me together by a strand just…hours ago and you turn around and do this?”

  “Aiden, I…I…” Jin’s words fell away, leaving her mouth open. “I wasn’t thinking about that…”

  “Of course you weren’t!”

  Someone cleared his throat behind him, possibly Jon, and Aiden whipped around to find ten pairs of eyes focused on them. He fixed Jin with a long, hot glare before he turned and walked away from her, ignoring her pleadings just like she’d ignored his screams.

  Aiden approached Key. The angel was still stooped over as he recovered from the battle and he winced as he looked up at Aiden. “You okay?”

  “I’ll never be okay,” he said as he helped Key to his feet. Aiden glanced at the now-placated warriors atop the columns. “What stopped them?”

  Key glanced forward. “Jin.”

  Hatshepsut came up to them, and although Aiden could feel the power radiating from her, it was calm, almost soothing. “You six before me,” she said, her voice smooth and confident. “Tell me who you are. I want to remember this day.”

  Key bent his neck to the side and grimaced as a few bones popped. He walked up to her and took a knee. “Kithlish, first son of Dominion Angel Yushiva and Kofi of the Ashanti.”

  Tahir and Rooke followed their leader and knelt as well.

  “I am Tahir. Fourth daughter of Sa’ib, also a Dominion, and Rukiyva, a descendent of Manasseh.”

  “My name is Rooke. I am the eleventh son of Hassa, second wife of Throne Angel Ne, adopted child of Penume.”

  “These are humans traveling with us to Caeli. Aiden Choi,” Key said as he motioned toward him, “Jonathan Kim, and—”

  Hatshepsut grinned. “And we already know who she is now, don’t we?”

  Aiden frowned, and Key gave one of those hand waves that said he’d explain later. A hand wave that Aiden, for one, was tired of seeing.

  Hatshepsut looked down the line of her Nonpareils. “Choe Yeong.”

  A man who stood to her immediate right stepped forward. He stood a head above everyone else, with a stern face and a head full of brilliant white hair that kissed his shoulders.

  “Choe Yeong will escort you as far as you need to go. He knows the labyrinth like the back of his hand,” she said with a somewhat knowing smile. He ignored her.

  Without the thick robes the other Nonpareils wore, Choe Yeong’s sinewy arms shone under the lanterns surrounding the clearing. Even while the raw edges of his snug cotton shirt made him appear less impressive than his peers, Choe Yeong walked as if he were a king.

  He made Aiden feel…powerless maybe, like this man lived power while he, on the other hand, only existed. As Choe Yeong passed by him, Aiden realized he was taller than the other man, if only by a hair. That pleased him, however ridiculous the victory seemed.

  Choe Yeong led them up the steps in complete silence. They crossed the threshold and Key laughed humourlessly.

  “After all of that, and we’re just invited in,” Key he said as he thumbed the corner of his mouth, wiping away the blood.

  “At least you’re alive,” Tahir pointed out.

  “Yeah, sure,” Key scoffed.

  * * * *

  The inside of the mausoleum was like nothing Aiden had ever seen before, not in Seoul, not in Manhattan, not anywhere. As Choe Yeong guided them through the twists and turns of its passages, Aiden could see this was something far grander than a simple burial chamber, that this place belonged to someone very important. The typical polished limestone had been replaced by resplendent gold brick and smooth jade, with opulent ornamental tiling and a shiny marble floor.

  By the time the group reached the center of the structure, Aiden judged they’d descended several feet underground. The sounds of falling water grew louder and louder the farther they walked, and the smell of wet earth filled the air.

  When Choe Yeong’s booted feet ground to a halt, they were standing before a large statue of a golden lioness atop a dark stone tomb. A grieving angel was at the lioness’s feet, her dress cascading and pooling over the floor. A jade plaque was centered across the tomb, the name “Aria” chiseled into it.

  A
iden was drawn to it, his gazed locked on the massive monument, and he couldn’t stop himself as his fingers reached for the surface of the golden lioness’s paw, unaccountably sad.

  Before he could touch it, Choe Yeong’s deep voice rang out in the silence of the crypt.

  “No one is to touch that,” he ground out as he set himself between Aiden and the tomb. “No one is to ever touch that.” His posture was tall and confident, but his anger and weariness showed in his dark, almond eyes. Aiden withdrew his fingers, not wanting to piss off a man who was stronger than all of them combined. Still, as Choe Yeong glared at him, Aiden didn’t retreat. He straightened his shoulders and stared back at the man, who chuckled derisively and rolled his eyes, a move that didn’t fit his image at all. His gaze shifted from Aiden to Jin.

  As he gazed at Jin, his eyes softened and the corners of his mouth dipped. The look was gone between one blink and the next, and he broke their eye contact with a grunt. Lifting a sheathed short dagger, he pointed behind the golden lioness to a red torii gate. “On the other side, you three will find home.”

  Tahir let out a whoop of relief, and Rooke practically skipped around the monument toward the gate. Key and Jon were next, approaching and walking through it before disappearing.

  As Jin and Aiden stepped up to the gate, Choe Yeong’s voice, grave and serious, reached out to them again. “You.”

  Jin and Aiden turned toward him.

  The general’s glare was centered on Jin but he directed his words towards Aiden. “What she did today was foolish. Sometimes she needs to be protected from herself.”

  Choe Yeong spoke as though he knew her and that was odd, but his words resonated inside Aiden, firming something that had maybe been a bit broken.

  “I agree.” He grabbed Jin’s hand and walked through the gate.