Airs & Graces (32 page)
Uriel’s arrows continued to fly. While he wasn’t the only one shooting, he saved his shots for the Fallen, or the largest of the hell beasts, taking fewer shots than anyone, but making every one of them count. Likewise, when the Fallen did manage to use their powers, trying to fell the lines with varying enchantments of weakness, paralysis, or fear, Uriel would take the time to cast his own light over the victims, dispelling the effect. The only such thing he didn’t target was Lucifer’s enchantment on me. It’s possible he wouldn’t have been able to entirely get rid of the anchoring effect anyway, but they also certainly didn’t want to create an opportunity for Adelaide and me to run again.
Gabriel fought in his own fashion. Mostly defensively, letting others watch his back, while he looked for opportunities. His way wasn’t about cowardice, more about knowing what he was good at – which usually involved landing the killing blow at an unexpected moment, when the enemy was distracted. He alone moved about the line, helping one, then another of the heavenly host, finding the points where the line was the closest to failing and engagement was heaviest, sneaking into the fight, and dropping a hell beast or two, or wounding the Fallen enough to force them back. Every time our enemies showed signs of rallying, there was another blast on the trumpet, held in his off-hand, shaking their morale, causing horrible pain among Hell’s denizens, and drowning out the noise of their leaders.
The others were all useful, and their presence appreciated, but their levels of skill in an actual fight varied. Admittedly, those most eager to jump at Gabriel’s summons included some of those most interested in actually fighting the enemy – but not everyone with the enthusiasm also has the skill. Then there was the separate problem, for good or ill, evidenced on both sides: even among those with experience and a talent with their weapons, quite a few hadn’t had good cause to get into a fight that really challenged them in a long time. Along with only a very few others of our number, I had the significant edge that my time in Hell had been my only break, and my skills were tested regularly. I held a point in our defensive line furthest from Michael and dropped as many Demons as anyone. I crossed swords a time or two more with the Fallen among their number, but they weaved in and out, engaging, and then falling back at any wound or near call.
“Michael, fall back! They’re just keeping us busy!” I shouted, projecting my voice into an echoing boom that carried through the haunted complex.
“Mind your place, Tabbris!” he shouted back. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before he saw the same thing I did in their efforts, willingly throwing away the lives of lesser creatures in order to keep us occupied, but after all they’d been through, thanks to me, he wasn’t about to be seen by anyone paying me any mind. The others listened, though, and tightened ranks, trading any hint of aggression for greater defense.
The next thing through the portal was a hail of arrows, dozens upon dozens of poison-tipped, black-feathered missiles flying out with more care for sheer volume than accuracy. Raphael’s presence, among the few healers he led, kept the results from being worse, and Adelaide wasn’t hit – for which I was extremely grateful – but the volume of the assault was still unexpected, when the place had already seemed filled by the swarm.
The next thing out of the portal was sound. Baying, growling, howling, and less identifiable noises heralded the arrival of packs of the hounds of Hell. They emerged in swarms, but didn’t charge into the fray. Instead, they started trying to circle, out of reach, making sure we were hemmed in. Individually, no hound was a threat to any of the Angels, but as packs, they were every bit as, if not more, dangerous than Demons. The Demons may attempt wolf pack tactics and wearing down prey, but their petty natures get in the way. The hounds have no such intelligent motives.
Following the hunting hounds came the hunters, currently all armed with bows, though that would change. All of these were Fallen, led by Samyaza, the leader of the Grigori faction of the Fallen, with five lieutenants backing him: Yequon, Asbeel, Penemue, Kasdaye, and Gadreel. The last of those immediately turned his attention to me. Where I protected free will, his focus had always been on teaching humans more and more efficient means of warfare. He sowed mindless fear of endless enemies, and the only defense he offered was that of mutually assured destruction. Safe to say, we’d never gotten along – and unlike a lot of those present, he’d never allowed his skills with any of his weapons to diminish.
“Give us the girl, and this can all end,” Samyaza offered, gesturing for his followers to lower their bows. Tellingly, some did so, if only to free up hands to draw swords instead. The Fallen who’d been in charge of testing us fell back, mingling with the others, and in some cases, did their best to weave through the hounds very carefully. While the packs’ attention was on our band, they only gave their loyalty to a very few masters, and were not always the most reliable forces for others. “If not, we’ll have some fun, and take her anyway,” he continued. While I had no doubt he thought she had the keys, and Lucifer doubtless wanted Iaoel, the way he phrased it, combined with his band’s reputation regarding mortal women, made me despise him all the more.
“You can’t have her,” I responded, before Michael or anyone else could get a word in.
“Oh, but I will,” Samyaza responded with a cheerful leer in Adelaide’s direction. “And maybe we’ll get to drag you back to Hell with us, and you can hear all about it. Seeing as you’ve become so close.”
“You can’t have the keys,” Michael responded, making his priorities clear. I was pretty certain he wasn’t going to bargain for Adelaide, either, regardless – less on caring about her one way or another, and more on not giving an inch when it came to Demons and the Fallen.
“Oh good,” the hunter responded. “Go.” He gestured forward, and the packs, the remnants of the monstrosities, and the Fallen who’d been here before charged. Samyaza and a number of his Grigori drew their bows, while others joined the frenzied rush.
This time, there was no stopping or deflecting all of the arrows. Others were able to protect Adelaide, but some of our host fell, unable to do anything but try to fight off the fell enchantments on the missiles. The rush of the pack had a similar effect. Our line held, but barely, and one of the Angels who stood with us was dragged into the midst of a whirling frenzy of teeth and claws, and plenty of others came away with injuries of their own. Even Michael was gradually forced back, much as he initially tried to fight his way towards Samyaza and the archers.
Gabriel fell back from the lines, blowing his horn for all he was worth, focusing on nothing else. The pain and shock of the sound bought us some room from most of the beasts, but where they faltered, the more powerful Fallen surged in and filled the space, attacking us with frenzied vigor, trying to get to Adelaide and her supposed keys – and to Gabriel and his horn. They could withstand the noise, but it certainly wasn’t doing them any good. Unfortunately, no more help arrived.
I kicked away one of the hounds, launching him into another of his pack, the two clawing and tearing at one another in their bloodlust and efforts to untangle themselves to come back at me. A moment later, Gadreel was on me. I deflected his first attacks and locked blades with him. I barely heard Adelaide’s panicked shout over the chaos, but it was just enough that I managed to shove him back in time to cut down one of the Fallen seeking to stab me in the side while I was fighting one of his leaders. Gadreel was right back on me within moments, slashing viciously. Knowing I was focused on defense, he attacked with zeal, then stepped back out of reach while others stepped into the gap on the attack. He was trying to either wear me down, prepared to take advantage of any mistakes, or bait me into breaking the defensive formation to pursue him. The second wasn’t going to work. The first, if this took too long, eventually would. They’d closed the power gap remarkably fast and still outnumbered us by a wide margin. Worse, the Grigori had brought their own healers. Penemue wasn’t Raphael, but he and his acolytes might be enough that much of the damage we inflicted might not last.
Arrows continued to hit our location. With the charge, they were less inclined to loose flurries of arrows again, but aimed shots from their best archers were another matter. Raphael’s power helped in limiting the damage – and mitigating if not outright undoing some of the Hellish toxins on the arrows – but it still wasn’t replacing our losses nearly as quickly as they were making them. While I couldn’t look away from Gadreel and his opportunistic assault for long, from behind and beside me, I could hear the sounds of despair from some of the host. While Judgment Day had been on everyone’s minds, the cold war mentality had taken hold in many corners, and some of the initial enthusiastic rush to help was turning into a rout. Or it would have, had Gabriel not chosen the site well. Aside from very clearly abandoning the field with powers, which no one had done yet, there was no easy retreat. Everyone was fighting for their lives, and, in some cases, desperation will do in place of morale. It would have to serve here. Even if, technically, none of the Angels would die here, no one wanted to end up with their Grace in the hands of Hell. As I’m certain Iaoel would testify, having that in enemy hands could be worse than dying.
Gadreel lunged, trying to bind my sword with his own again, in hopes one of his allies would take advantage. He pressed in closer this time, trying to put his weight and strength into it so I couldn’t shove him away. I did one better, and smashed my forehead into his face when he leaned too close. He was too quick and too skilled to give me an opportunity to finish him off, despite catching him off guard, but he did stagger enough that I was able to kick him towards some of the hounds. Seeing him trying to pull away from the maddened pack, his technical allies, gave me an idea. Fending off one of the lesser combatants among the Fallen, and a couple of the hounds, I managed to get Gabriel’s attention.
He resumed darting in and out through the ranks, helping where he saw opportunities, blasting the horn when he didn’t, until he reached my spot. “Actually got a plan to get us out of this shit-storm, Tabby?” he shouted.
“We need to stop those arrows. Get them to follow my lead!” It seemed suicidal, and I couldn’t explain further. For Gabriel to hear at all, I had to be shouting. I didn’t expect great results in anything except getting the message out. Gabriel was good at what he did. The others, I was uncertain of. It was possible that they were desperate enough that any hint of a plan might be seen as better than waiting for an arrow with their name on it. On the other hand, I was sure I didn’t inspire a lot of trust. Since I couldn’t communicate the idea, though, I had to try it, and see who followed.
There was a short delay while I fended off three more attackers, getting one leg a bit torn up by a hound’s jaws before I was able to behead it, a few teeth ending up broken off in the wound. I hoped it would be enough time for Gabriel to pass word on. At least Adelaide heard and responded, showing up just behind me. I didn’t know if she’d seen what was to come, or if she just trusted me – but either way, she moved in right behind me, a hand on my shoulder, letting me know she was there and would remain under my protection, whatever came.
As soon as Gabriel returned to my side, I launched into action. I blocked an attack from one of the Fallen, then hit him under the jaw with my off hand, setting him staggering out of my way. Seeing Gadreel, a bit worse for wear, and angry, I charged. When he swung at me, I blocked his blade, and kept coming, burying my shoulder in his chest and driving him backwards. Keeping my blade between him and my body, I just focused on forward momentum, using the big Fallen’s body like the head of a plow, pushing him back through his own ranks, letting his back protect me from counterassault.
Gabriel got the idea quickly enough. Unsurprising, with how many times we’d fought and worked together. He disarmed one of the nearest opponents, taking his hand off at the wrist, and grabbed for his throat, sword coming up under the Fallen’s chin. Instead of killing him, he drove his enemy backwards, driving him into the packs, as I did with Gadreel. Just as I was starting to think ranks would close around me, and someone would drive a blade into my back, or possibly through Adelaide, others followed up. Swords and shields were lowered, and they crashed into the hellions ahead of them, forcing the enemy backwards into their own ranks.
The packs responded exactly as I expected. As soon as the cramped quarters got even more cramped, and bodies started backing into their midst, willingly or no, they attacked, and nothing Samyaza or the other leaders among the Grigori could say was going to stop them. As fearsome and relentless as they were, once they were allowed their bloodlust, the hellhounds weren’t easily reined in.
The tactic could only last so long. We’d gained some room, and the packs were attacking everything in reach, but that still included us, and now we were more vulnerable, further from the walls and in the midst of our enemy. Gabriel and I took to the whirling melee well. The same couldn’t be said for everyone. A couple more of the heavenly host fell, and while significantly more of the enemies dropped under our rush, they had a lot more people to lose, too.
I could hear Michael bellowing. He wasn’t far behind now, fighting his way through the enemy ranks. I had a suspicion that Gabriel didn’t even tell him there was a plan. Regardless, Michael wasn’t going to let others steal his command, or the glory of taking down the enemy leadership. It didn’t matter why he charged, only that he did. His presence also took considerable attention off the rest of us.
Gabriel moved to guard my back as we spun and whirled. Adelaide did a remarkable job staying between us. In the one or two times I dared look at her, her eyes were closed, trusting entirely in her visions in terms of which way to step, and when. Occasionally, she shouted commands, and through that guidance, between us, we managed to always avoid being flanked.
