Alan Price and the Statue of Zeus (The Nephilim Chronicles Book 3) (18 page)

Alan hated the idea looking back of every few minutes but he had to. Sooner or later, he would have to choose a place to make his stand. To his dismay, he knew Cratos and Seraphim would stand with him. Already Alan was trying to devise a plan that would force Seraphim to continue on with the army but nothing was coming to him.

Alan chanced another look over his shoulder. Sodom’s army of Fallen angels, spurred on by the whips of their masters, was almost within hearing distance. Already, the ground shook under the pounding of so many feet. Then Alan could hear them. Faint shouts and cries crossed the distance separating their parties.

Fear of the end gripped Alan’s heart. Not for his own safety, the Horseman within him relished the idea of a fight. The thing bothering Alan now was the possibility that his friends may not make it to the safety of the Temple despite his best efforts.

Then another cry, this time a cheer, ripped from the throats of the angelic army. Alan followed their line of sight as the peak of the Temple crested the next hill. Hope filled Alan’s heart as he ignored the violent pain in his chest and yelled again, “Run, we’re almost there, run!”

Minutes that felt like hours passed as Sodom’s army closed the distance. The enemy army also saw the Temple and realized their window of opportunity was quickly closing. The Temple was so close now, Alan could see the marble steps leading into the haven. A small figure of a girl waving them in also took shape. A smile formed on Alan’s face despite the circumstances.

Something whistled by his ear and hit the ground in front of him. Alan looked down to see a black arrow still vibrating from the force of the impact buried deep in the sand. Soon more arrows and javelins buried themselves around Alan. Cratos moved to help Alan, but Alan waved him off and pointed to wounded angels and Nephilim who were falling behind, “Help them!” Alan shouted as his blue wings sprouted from his back and formed a protective shield over his head and shoulders.

Cratos nodded as he grabbed a stumbling angel in his right hand and another in his left. His cargo looked alarmed at first then only slightly less concerned as Cratos ran for the Temple carrying them like children.

Arrows whistled around him, bouncing off his wings and hitting the ground in every direction. Alan’s heart pounded. There was no time to look behind him again. He could only assume how many yards separated them now. Whooping and blood-curling screams spurred Alan on. Alan saw a young woman fall in front of him and, without missing a step, Alan picked her up and continued to run.

Artemis was on the very first step to the Temple only yards away now. Her eyes shone pure white as her hands lifted to the sky and she spoke words Alan didn’t understand. As if she were reciting a spell in a different language, she chanted the alien phrase over and over again.

Between the pain, the adrenaline and his own exertion, Alan thought he would pass out at any moment. With one last leap, Alan propelled himself forward and twisted in midair. He landed on the Temple steps on his back, his cargo landing on top of him.

A deafening boom followed Alan’s narrow escape as the vanguard of Sodom’s army crashed against the protective barrier around the Temple. Artemis stood in place smiling at the gnashing and roaring army outside her walls. “That will hold them forever if need be,” Artemis said turning her back on the enemy and addressing the panting group of survivors behind her, “Welcome to the Temple of Artemis. Friends of the Light are most welcome to stay.”

The entire time Alan watched Artemis, her eyes remained pure white, almost shining as if some other form had possessed her body.

“Oh, it kinda creeps me out seeing her eyes like that,” Alan looked down to the woman he had scooped up and saved while running. Danielle adjusted crooked glasses and grinned back as she stood on unsteady legs and offered a hand to Alan. “I owe you one, Price. Thanks for the save.”

Alan grinned at his friend and accepted her hand. “Did everyone make it?”

“We are all safe thanks to your efforts,” Esther said joining Alan and Danielle. “But you must come quickly. I am afraid there is still no time to rest.”

Alan looked at Esther with a raised eyebrow. He was beyond exhausted; his chest felt as if it were in a trash compactor and his stomach was doing backflips in protest. “No time even to get something to eat?” Alan asked defeated.

“I’m afraid not,” Esther said as a shadow crossed her face, “Gabriel has awoken.”

---

“The chains holding him are tempered with Celestial Steel. Gideon retrofitted another one of his collars and guarantees that it will inhibit even Gabriel’s power. Artemis has him secured in the Temple’s strongest cell and I have a dozen of my best warriors watching him day and night.”

Esther continued to rattle off details of Gabriel’s imprisonment. All Alan could think of was his friends. Michael was dead, or at the very least lost. Raphael had not awoken from his coma and an army stood outside their Temple cutting them off from the outside world.

The weight of responsibility weighed heavily on Alan’s shoulders as he fought back the weariness he felt.

“Alan,” Esther’s voice cut through his thoughts like a blade, “are you listening?”

“Yes,” Alan lied, “sorry. Gabriel is awake and secured.”

Esther frowned as they wound their way through the Temple halls and descended yet another flight of stairs. “Yes, he is. After we find out what he knows, we have to figure out a way past Sodom’s army. Michael—Michael’s gone now and the burden of leadership falls to us.”

Alan could hear the fatigue in every word Esther spoke. He wished he had answers to help her; the unfortunate truth being that Alan was just as lost as Esther. With the angelic army decimated and the leaders of their force lost or gone, things were looking darker by the hour.

“Are you sure you wish to speak with him alone?” Esther asked as their path ended in front of a thick steel door guarded by a company of battle-hardened angels.

“Yes,” Alan said as the angels returned salutes with Esther and nods of respect to Alan. “He may give me some piece of information he wouldn’t otherwise.”

Esther frowned, “How so?”

“He wanted to recruit me to fight with him. Maybe I can use that to leverage information.”

“I understand. Just be careful Alan. He’s a master manipulator and will tell you anything to ensure his release.”

“I will.”

Alan walked forward as the angels guarding the cell parted for him. Two of the sentries reached into their long white cloaks and produced large stone keys. Together they inserted their keys into a set of locks and turned in unison.

Alan heard a series of tumblers clicking. The sound reminded him of distant rolling thunder. The air so deep in the Temple’s bowels was damp and clung to the roof of his mouth with every breath.

Slowly, the solid steel door to Gabriel’s cell drew open. The guards, along with Esther, unsheathed their weapons and readied for an attack. Nothing but a faint glow of torchlight fell through the open door.

Alan took a deep breath of the musty air and stepped inside. To his right and left torches were placed in holders along the stonewall. Directly in front of him, Gabriel was shackled to the far wall. Long chains connecting to his wrists and ankles gave him just enough leeway to lie down or relieve himself. He wore a dark grey, steel collar around his throat.

“I wondered when you’d come,” Gabriel said with a smile. Despite his ragged state, it seemed the Archangel was not willing to admit defeat yet. His hair was matted and his clothes singed and torched in a dozen different places yet still he held the air of a king.

“What did you do to Michael?” Alan asked.

Gabriel laughed out loud. His chuckle sounded almost painful as the sound drifted past his collar. “Come now. You already know what happened to Michael. And he should be the least of your worries. Three of the Four have been chosen. Your army is in shambles. You are hedged in on every side. The hour is late, Alan. Soon the fourth Horseman will be chosen and the conflict that arises every thousand years will be upon us.”

“The Apocalypse won’t happen,” Alan said with resolve. “even if the other three choose the side of the dark, or are manipulated or forced into doing so, I won’t.”

Gabriel shook his head again. “You really don’t see it, do you? I couldn’t care less about the Apocalypse. This has and always will be about the fall of the angelic army. I’ll see them all burn, Alan. If you burn with them, so be it.”

Alan let Gabriel’s words sink in as he considered his options. It sounded as though Gabriel was telling the truth. The side of Light was in shambles. Even if they somehow managed to beat back Sodom’s army, the deed would be done. The angelic army would be only a shadow of their former selves with a fraction of the power.

“You know what I say is true,” Gabriel said with a smirk. “Whatever you do now, if and when you are able to unite the paranormal plane with the human plane again, the day of angels watching over the earth is over. How many warriors do you think will be left?”

Alan straightened his posture as resolve took hold. “As long as I am alive, there will be enough of us to watch over humankind. If you decide you have any information of use, shout for the guards. Other than that, I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Alan felt disgusted. He looked at Gabriel’s grinning face one last time as he turned to go. “These chains will not hold me for ever, Horseman,” Gabriel shouted at Alan’s back. “I’ll find a way out. I always do. And when I’m free, there will be no one powerful enough to oppose me!”

Alan walked from the cell motioning for the guards to close the door. Gabriel continued to scream as the steel doors began to close. “I’ll come for you then! I’ll come for everyone you love and the human race will bow under my rule! You can’t hold me forever!”

---

Alan stumbled more so than walked to his quarters. Too tired to think, he hardly noticed Seraphim waiting for him in his room when he arrived. Her red hair fell over her scar. Alan smiled at her, wondering why she had come to him yet at the same time glad she had, whatever the reason.

Seraphim motioned to a plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that stood on a small wooden table. “Artemis left those for you. You’d think she was your mother. She had a stern talking to both Cratos and your three hounds about giving you time to rest. You should have seen her berate Cratos, her head was tilted up almost to the ceiling as she lectured him.”

Alan smiled at the thought and sat on his bed. He wasn’t sure what he felt more; tired, hungry or dirty.

“I know you must be exhausted,” Seraphim said as she took a seat next to him, “however, I feel like I need to explain something to you before I lose the nerve and retreat back into myself like I always do.”

Alan’s hand was halfway to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but in the wake of Seraphim’s words, he retracted his attempt and forced his stomach to submit.

“I uh—I …” Seraphim looked into Alan’s eyes as she struggled to find the words.

“Just tell me,” Alan said taking both her hands in his own. “I can accept it.”

Seraphim took a deep breath, “There are things that you don’t know about me. The reason why we can’t—shouldn’t be—together is not only due to the difference in age between us. There are things that I have done that would effect the way you feel about me if you knew … I …”

Alan kissed her, cutting of any other words that may or may not have come out. Releasing his lips from hers, Alan gave her a smile, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. All I know is that I learned to love and respect this Sera, the woman I know now. Nothing else is important.”

Seraphim flushed, her jaw moved up and down as she struggled for the words. Both their attention was drawn to the still-open door as Danielle walked in on them. Her eyes looked from Seraphim to Alan, then to their interlaced hands. “Oh,” Danielle’s face turned a bright shade of red, “I didn’t mean to—the door was open—I just came into see how your wounds were …”

“It’s okay,” Alan said rising from the bed.

“No,” Danielle averted her eyes and backed out of the room, “Uh—I should go.”

“Danielle,” Alan said walking towards his oldest friend.

“No, I’m fine,” Danielle left but not before Alan could see the tears form in her eyes.

“She loves you, Alan.”

Alan turned back to Seraphim and shook his head. “No, we’re just friends. She’ll understand.”

“Is there such a thing as ‘just friends’?” Seraphim asked.

Alan was about to respond when Cratos walked into the room followed by Artemis who shook a stern finger at the bull-like man. “I told you, he needs to rest.”

Cratos looked at Alan then Seraphim. “My apologies, Horseman. However, it is my duty to my nation and Queen to see that you are safe. What’s more, we require a plan to find out what happened to Michael and wake Raphael from his state if it is possible.”

Alan looked at Seraphim wishing above all else to continue their conversation. In turn, Seraphim smiled and moved towards the door. “I should report to Esther and see if she requires assistance.”

“You don’t have to go,” Alan said.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Alan watched as Seraphim left. He collapsed back onto his bed massaging his temples and trying to figure out what Michael would do in his current dilemma. A small arm crossed over his shoulders as Artemis took a seat beside him. “We’ll figure this out together.”