by T. R. Hamby
“I killed a worthless woman!” Father growled.
He swung, and their Blades shattered.
The force nearly bowled them over. Mel felt stung, and retreated a few paces. He had no idea where Michael had gone, and he longed for him.
Father was livid, straightening and staring Lilith down. “I will kill her again.”
And he charged, sending his fist toward her face.
Lilith parried, grabbed his wrist, and shoved him away. He stumbled a few paces, and the two looked at each other. Father was surprised, clearly having let her small size deceive him. Lilith looked….calm.
She shouted, and they fought, striking, kicking and parrying. Lilith’s braid whipped, and the air sparked and popped with electricity. Mel watched, disbelieving, as Father began to shed his armor, slowed down by it. His dark eyes glittered, his breath came out in hoarse gasps; frustration and fear seemed to ooze from him. Lilith was nearly clinical, each blow calculated, each parry so measured.
She was in control, and Mel felt a surge of hope.
“Father!” a couple Angels on Father’s side of the clearing shouted. “Don’t just stand there; help!”
Several bolted towards them, Blades raised, and Mel started for them. But he was shoved down, and looked up to see Andreas, one hand over him, the other stretched out. Mel looked; the Angels had halted, and one by one sank down to their hands and knees, struggling. Then they collapsed, and Andreas lowered his hand.
Lilith shouted, and in one fluid motion thrust her hand into the sky. A bolt of lightning zigzagged, blue and crackling, onto her palm. She swung her arm, and electric-blue fire flashed out of her hand.
Father shielded himself just before the flames could engulf him.
An explosion.
Father cried out, and it was a shrill sound. Lilith was thrown backward, and landed in a heap on the ground. Father stumbled, staring at his hands.
“Father!” Michael’s voice cried.
Father looked--Michael was standing over Lilith’s body, his arrow drawn.
He fired, and the arrow buried itself in Father’s head.
Michael
It was very quiet. Michael stared at Father, who lay unmoving on the ground. He was reminded sharply of Mel, lying on the ground during the last war. With Mel he had been grief-stricken. With Father….
An Angel--the same little Angel who had kneeled before Lilith barely an hour ago--tiptoed over to Father’s body. She bent over him, peered at his face. She was breathing quickly, her little shoulders rising and falling like wings.
She held a hand to her mouth, and then looked around.
“He’s dead,” she breathed.
A silence.
Michael couldn’t believe it. No, he wasn’t dead. He would get up any minute, slaughter everyone in that clearing. Kill all the ones he loved….
Suddenly footsteps were racing toward him, and he whirled around, ready--
“You did it!” Mel breathed, grabbing his shoulders. “You fucking did it, Michael! It’s over!”
And the spell broke. The Angels began to speak, rapidly, while the Valkyries shouted and cheered. Voices buzzed in Michael’s ears, screaming, shouting, weeping….
“Them,” Diana’s voice moaned.
Michael, still dazed, looked around. Lilith was lying in the snow, eyes closed, perfectly still. She looked as if she was sleeping.
Diana bent over her, pressed an ear to her chest. She was crying. “She’s alive,” she breathed, brushing at her eyes. “I can’t wake her.”
“Let’s get her to the Big Tent,” Mel said, and he scooped her into his arms.
She lay there limply. Michael, not at all sure what to do, followed on numb feet. He heard others following, and heard wailing. The Valkyries were following Them.
They got to the Big Tent, by the smoldering ruins of the house. Michael halted, struck by the horrible sight. It had been their home for months….
Their home. Where was everyone?
He looked around wildly, and jumped when he saw Gilla standing right beside him. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She moaned, throwing her arms around his neck, and it was one of the most wonderful kisses he had ever had with her.
She was safe. The love of his Existence was safe in his arms. They were all free.
They were free.
He broke away and looked her over. “Are you all right?”
“Your face,” she breathed, gingerly touching his cheek.
Yes, his face. It was painful. But he didn’t give a damn.
He kissed her again, and they held each other tight.
Then….
“Gabriel! Serene!” he called, looking through the crowd of weeping Valkyries. “Gabriel!”
“I’m here, Mica,” Gabriel said, appearing on his right.
They embraced. Neither of them had dry eyes.
Michael pulled away and looked him over. He was covered in blood and gore, but he looked healthy.
“You’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Mica,” Gabriel said soothingly. “Have you seen Barry?”
Michael shook his head. “No. Where’s your sister? Agatha? Judith?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said in a small voice.
“We’ll find them,” Gilla said, but Michael felt panic crash over him like an icy wave.
“Serene!” he called. “Serene!”
“Michael,” Mel’s voice breathed, and Michael whirled around.
Tears were flowing down Mel’s face, and the look he had….
Michael shook his head. “No. No, Mel.”
Mel let out a small sob. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Please. Not my baby.”
“I’m sorry, Michael. I was too late.”
Michael roared, falling to his knees. His whole body was racked with pain, with horrible longing for his child. Gilla held him, but he barely noticed.
Serene.
Gabriel
Gabriel was numb.
Serene was dead. His sister was dead. It couldn’t be true. He had just spoken to her that morning. She was a mother to a newborn, for christ’s sake.
Please, not Serene.
His father’s sobs were too much to bear. He stumbled away, back towards the clearing. He had to find Barry. Barry would know what to do.
When he got to the treeline he found the remains of the Valkyries who had been protecting the rear of the army. Valkyrie and Angel bodies lay strewn upon the snowy ground, and Gabriel wondered why the hell the Angels were still there. They should have vanished, and yet every soul’s body was still present.
He came across two bodies he recognized. Roone, pierced with several arrows, was lying beside Theresa, who was badly burnt.
They were both dead.
Gabriel swore. He knelt beside them for a long moment. It was a grisly scene, but despite that they looked peaceful, as if they could have been sleeping. Gabriel was relieved that they had found each other in death. A small comfort.
“No!” a voice--Andreas’ voice--cried.
Gabriel looked over his shoulder, and watched as he rushed to them, fell to his knees and examined them. Then he groaned, hanging his head.
“My friends,” he moaned.
Gabriel didn’t have the strength to stay and comfort him. He got up, wiped at his eyes, and continued on. He got to the clearing, and found Angels and Valkyries still there, milling about. There was an overwhelming amount of Valkyries, and Gabriel guessed that the rest of the nine hundred had come down to fight.
If only they had kept his sister from dying.
“Gabriel,” Agatha’s voice said, and before he could look she had her arms wrapped around him. “Oh god. Are you all right? Is everyone all right?”
Judith was behind her. Gabriel looked at her, and she immediately began to cry, her great wisdom telling her all she needed to know just by looking at Gabriel’s face.
“What is it?” Agatha moaned, tears shining in her eyes. “Is it
Michael? Is he dead?”
Gabriel took a shaky breath. “Michael’s fine. He’s at the Big Tent.”
Without another word she ran off, looking desperate. Gabriel winced, his chest hurting, and carried on. Judith followed, sniffling.
“I’m looking for Barry,” he said hoarsely.
“We’ll find him,” she said soothingly.
They did. Gabriel caught sight of him lying in the snow, armor still on, the snow around him stained with blood. Gabriel ran to him, dropping beside him and moaning.
He was dead. His eyes were open, staring, and his face was ashen.
Gabriel sobbed, leaning over him, cupping his cold face. Judith laid a hand on his shoulder, but it didn’t do any good.
His world was ending.
Mel
Nora. Where was Nora?
Michael had quieted, which was somehow more horrible than when he had been screaming. Mel and Gilla helped him to the Big Tent, sitting him at the table. He stared with red eyes at the table, and didn’t breathe a word. Gilla sat beside him, and Mel, his heart already heavy with grief, went out to look for Nora.
He was scared. He needed her, craved her. But what would he find?
He trembled as he approached the Valkyries darting around beside the ruins of the house. He didn’t see her anywhere, so he returned to camp. He decided, oddly, to go to her tent. He went, and to his shock found several Valkyries keeping watch before it.
They recognized him. “She’s alive,” they said, and Mel felt his heart race.
He brushed past them into the tent. Nora was lying in her cot, ghostly pale. The blanket was tucked firmly around her, and her eyes were closed.
She opened them when he approached, and she smiled. “Hey. You’re okay.”
“But you’re not,” Mel moaned, sitting beside her and looking her over. “Where are you hurt?”
“It’s okay. The bleeding stopped.”
She grasped his hand, and he bent over and kissed her. He was so relieved, so wonderfully relieved, even though he was worried too. He broke away and stared at her, drinking her in as if he hadn’t seen her just a few hours ago.
She smiled, brushing at his hair. “I get to kiss you again.”
Mel began to cry, and she wiped at his tears. “Whenever you want, diletta.”
“Is it over?”
He brushed at his eyes and nodded. “Yeah. He’s dead. Michael killed him.”
Nora looked amazed. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’m serious. It’s over.”
“What about Lilith?”
Mel frowned. “I don’t know. She’s….unconscious. I don’t know why.”
Nora looked puzzled. Then, “Is everyone okay?”
Mel looked away, fresh tears pouring down his face. “I don’t know. Serene’s….she’s….”
“No, not her,” Nora moaned, and Mel laid his head on her chest, struggling to keep it together.
His niece. He had known her since the day she had been born, had held her, played with her. And now she was gone.
“What about Gilla? Barry?”
“Gilla’s fine. I don’t know about Barry.”
He looked up, wiping at his eyes again. “Where are you hurt, love?”
She grimaced. “My back….they stabbed me.”
Mel’s heart sank. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
“If Lilith was awake, she could heal me.”
Only if the wound isn’t fatal, a nasty voice in Mel’s head said.
No. It wasn’t fatal. Nora was fine; she would be fine.
He brushed at her curls, his heart lightening a little. “You’re so beautiful.”
She smiled. “I look like shit.”
“You never look like shit. I look like shit; I need a shower.”
“I think the shower facilities are out of order right now,” Nora said ruefully.
Mel’s lips twitched. He took her hand and kissed it. Nora smiled. There was both joy and grief on her beautiful face.
“What now?” she breathed.
Mel thought for a long moment. Then he said, “We have to wait for Lilith.”
“She’ll wake up, right?”
“I don’t know, love. She….struck Father. The same way Andreas did with Barry.”
Nora nodded slowly. “So she….she must have inherited God’s power. That’s what happened, isn’t it? Barry lost his power when Andreas nearly killed him. I bet Andreas absorbed it, until Barry was strong enough to….take it back, I guess. It kind of sticks to you, I think. It’s….loyal.”
Mel tried not to let on how confused he was. “Maybe. Your guesses are usually right.”
“All of God’s power,” she murmured quietly. “God’s. Absorbing that all at once….maybe that’s why she’s out of it.”
“Well, hopefully it’s not permanent. We need you healthy again.”
He brushed at her hair, and she leaned her head into his palm. She was so beautiful like that. Those brown eyes. Had he ever truly appreciated how gorgeous they were?
“Michael?” Nora breathed, and Mel’s heart ached.
His eyes stung, and he brushed at them shakily. “He’s not good.”
“You need to be there,” Nora said, squeezing his hand. “He needs you.”
Mel was torn. He wanted to help his brother, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave his injured partner. He laid his head on her chest again, and she brushed at his hair. He could hear her heart, beating so resolutely, so much slower than his. It was soothing.
Finally he lifted his head. He kissed her, and then stood.
“Don’t worry, love,” Nora said gently. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Mel nodded shakily.
He forced himself out of the tent and looked around. The sky was still dark, sparks of light dancing across the clouds. It was warm, humid, not at all late winter weather. The snow beneath his feet was starting to melt.
“What do we do?” a Valkyrie whispered.
Mel looked at her. He was at a complete loss, but managed to say, “Guard her. We’ll know more when Lilith wakes.”
They looked at each other fearfully. “What if she doesn’t?”
“She will,” Mel said firmly.
She had to.
He headed back to the Big Tent. A crowd of people--Valkyries and Angels--was trailing toward the tent. Mel frowned, and saw bodies being carried on stretchers. A space was cleared beside the tent, and the bodies were placed in the snow.
Mel’s breath hitched. Serene.
He slowly walked over. Each body was laid out on the ground, their hands placed on their torsos, arrows removed from their bodies.
Gabriel was there. And Andreas. Looking down on the bodies of Barry, Theresa and Roone.
Mel moaned, held his hands behind his head. No. No.
He looked around again, and found Serene. She looked so very peaceful, so very powerful in the armor that hadn’t protected her. Mel knelt beside her, touched her hair, remembered when she had been little. She had been so small. So bright.
“I’m so sorry,” he breathed, brushing at her cold cheek. “I love you, Seri.”
He thought of Sydney, and he felt sick. He had no mother now.
Mel finally rose, unsteadily. He looked at Gabriel and Andreas, who were staring almost numbly at their loved ones’ remains. He went to them.
Andreas looked up. “Nora okay?” he asked hoarsely.
Mel let out a shaky sigh. “She’s injured. But alive. Talking.”
Andreas nodded. “Can’t have my Nora leave.”
Mel uttered something between a laugh and a sob. He looked down at the three bodies. Theresa looked angelic, despite the horrible burns that had ravaged her flesh. Her long dark hair spilled over her shoulders. A ghost of a smile was on her face. Mischievous even in death.
Roone looked about the same--peaceful and sleeping.
Barry did not. On his face was a grimace, his blue eyes facing the swirling sky.
Gabriel knelt down and
took his hand.
Mel shivered, nauseous. “Did you see….him?” he asked.
Gabriel and Andreas shook their heads.
“Gone,” Gabriel breathed, not looking up from Barry’s still body.
They were quiet.
Andreas took a shaky breath. “Beautiful, isn’t she?” he whispered, his eyes on Theresa.
Mel could only nod.
Andreas let out a dry sob, then cleared his throat. He knelt down, and gently placed his hand on Theresa’s head.
Slowly a flower bloomed in her hair. Then another. And another. Soon Theresa’s body was surrounded by flowers. A bouquet appeared in her hands. Mel watched, amazed, as the flowers traveled, blooming around Roone, and Barry. Serene. The rest of the dead.
Andreas straightened, and Mel grasped his shoulder. “Beautiful.”
“That’s all I can give them,” Andreas whispered. “I wasn’t there to save them.”
“None of us were,” Mel replied quietly. “None of us.”
He then went to the Big Tent, walking on weak legs. He felt a strange mixture of overwhelming grief and numbness, and he didn’t know what to do with it. All he could think about was Nora.
He went inside and looked around. Lilith was lying in her bed. Flowers adorned her too, growing up the sides of her bed, blooming in her dark hair. She looked so beautiful, and Mel was reminded of their time together in the clearing. It was strange to think that he had once loved her so much.
Michael and Gilla were sitting at the table. Diana was standing on the opposite side, murmuring to a couple of her Valkyries.
She caught sight of Mel. “Hello.”
It was odd to see her at a loss for words. “Hello.”
She jerked her head, and he approached. “I was giving orders.”
“Yes?”
She nodded hesitantly. “We’ll spend the day laying out the--”
She glanced at Michael, who was staring blankly at the table. She continued, “--the fallen. Angel and Valkyrie. The clearing is best.”
“Some of them are outside,” Mel replied.
“Oh.”
And she faltered. “I suppose they can stay there. The rest will stay in the clearing.”
“Are there any injured?” Gilla whispered.
