Angelbound (50 page)

Lincoln nods. “Then you have my full support.” I have a sinking feeling that he’s lying through his teeth too, but I love that he has my back.

Walker turns to me, his face drawn with worry. “You saw the old Scala at the iconigration. He almost collapsed sending a few dozen icons to heaven. Even at his best, he could only move a few hundred at a time
in one place
. You’re talking about five thousand demons across all of Purgatory.”

Anger boils up my spine. “You’re being a downer, Walker. I’m a first-generation archangel, whatever that is. Plus, I’m an Arena fighter, a Lewis, and someone with a lot to lose. I can do this.” I slap on another super-confident face in spite of my insides, which positively writhe with nervous energy.

Verus retakes her seat. “Armageddon doesn’t know there’s a new Scala. He won’t be expecting one to attack.”

“Exactly.” I turn to the Oligarchy. “And what if I’m able to do it? Will you agree to change how Purgatory is run?”

The Oligarchy’s coal-black eyes flare red. “
How
would it change?”

“This land returns to quasi rule,” says Verus. “And we set up a special force of ghouls, thrax, quasis, and angels to help patrol the borders.”

My eyebrows pop up.
Clever Verus
. I nudge the angel with my elbow. “Nice idea.” Her mouth rounds with a smile.

The Oligarchy fold their skeletal arms over their chests. “Never.”

I huff out a breath. Patience is not my strong suit, and what little I had was wasted today on Adair. Now that little word pushed me over the edge. I flash Lincoln a red-eyed look of rage. I try to whisper my question, but maybe don’t do the best job. “Can I kill just one?”

A smile gleams in Lincoln’s eyes. “I got this, Myla.” He turns to the Oligarchy, his face becoming stony and unreadable. “Think this through, mighty Oligarchy.” His voice sounds so calm and confident, even though I know he’s nervous inside. How does he do that? “You’re trapped in a bunker. Any minute now, Armageddon could break in. When he does, he’ll keep his promise to kill you all.”

The Oligarchy shift uncomfortably in their seats, exchanging nervous looks.
Yay, they finally accept the truth about Armageddon.

Lincoln gestures to me. “Once Myla sends the demons to Hell—and I have every confidence that she will—you’ll lose control of Purgatory, but you’ll keep your lives and the Dark Lands. That’s the offer on the table.” He leans forward, bracing his arms against his knees. “If you don’t agree, then once Myla wins, we’ll offer you the same terms as Armageddon. Death.” His voice lowers to a growl. “Do we understand each other?”

I love it when Lincoln’s bossy. My lust demon comes up with the super idea to jump the Prince right here and now, but I have to overrule it. Shame, though.

Armageddon’s army sends another volley of who-the-hell-knows at the ground around us. More cans and bottles tumble to the floor. Bits of concrete dust waft down from the ceiling.

Lincoln shakes his head. “Armageddon isn’t far now. Every moment we delay
makes it harder for Myla…And you.”

Moving in unison, the four ghouls brush white dust from their blood-red robes. “The Oligarchy agrees.”

Sheesh, finally.

“Excellent.” Verus lets out a satisfied sigh. “I’ll draft up binding documents for the treaty.” She turns to me and Lincoln. “Great job.”

“Thanks.” I slump into my chair, the reality of this treaty washing over me. To save Purgatory, I agreed to send Armageddon and his army back to Hell. Anxiety and adrenaline fight their way through my system. Minutes tick by while everyone scurries around with last-minute preparations and I freak myself out by thinking of everything that can go wrong with this plan. Finally, I decide that I’ll go crazy if I sit around here any longer.

I turn to Lincoln and exhale a long breath. “Time to face my demons.”

Lincoln gives my hand a squeeze; there’s no question he’ll go with me. We share a sad smile. In a few minutes, we’ll waltz out to Armageddon’s army where I’ll test my new Scala powers on all of Purgatory.

Not exactly a sure thing.

“Wait, Myla.” Mom steps into the main chamber from the antechamber. She’s now wearing her Senator’s robes. She looks regal, lovely, and strong. Cissy stands beside her in white robes with purple trim, the gown of a junior senator. Zeke wears black body armor with the quasi seal on his shoulders: a circle on interlocking stars. Adair’s nowhere to be seen, which is nice.

I gasp. It’s like they stepped out of a history book from the Ryder library.

“What’s this about, Mom?” She once said something about the bunkers holding Senate robes, but I can’t imagine how dressing up could help now.

“Verus just told us about the treaty.” Mom makes a regal gesture around the room. “I am still the Diplomatic Senator of the quasi people. I will request parlay with Armageddon, then go outside with my guard and junior senator. Hopefully, we can distract him for a time while you get started.”

I frown. “Will he really respect a Senator’s request for parlay?”

Cissy grins. “We have the Scala and Scala Heir in our bunker. He’ll talk.”

I glance about. “Where is Adair, anyway?”

Cissy fidgets in her robes. “Uh, she started getting hysterical.” Cissy makes her ‘eek’ face. “So I maybe slipped her a sedative. There was a medicine kit on one the shelves.”

Zeke chuckles. “My girl totally roofied her.” He keeps shifting positions to show off his muscly self in his cool new armor. Lincoln and I exchange a look.

Mom taps Zeke on the shoulder. “Let’s stay focused, Mister Ryder. We need to get ready to head outside.”

If Mom’s calling him Mister Ryder, that means he’s driving her crazy. I curl my mouth into a Cheshire cat grin. Welcome to the end of her comments on how I should have dated Zeke.

The Oligarchy frown. “Your plan is flawed. Maxon Bane is dead.”

I bite my lower lip, thinking. “Armageddon smells Scala power. As long as he doesn’t see me, he’ll think the Scala’s nearby. It should work.”

Lincoln smiles. “It’s genius.” He bows slightly to my mother. “Excellent
addition to our little operation.”

“Thank you.” Mom’s voice is level; she’s in Senator mode now. “We’ll say we knew of his plan and have prepared for a counter-attack.” My stomach goes all goopy with pride. It’s so freaking cool to see Senator Lewis live and in action.

Mom points to a spot along the back of the room. “There’s a secret exit behind those shelves. It opens to the great dune behind the rock wall. We’ve checked the periscope. Armageddon’s troops are deployed on the low sands in front of the wall. If you stay behind the dune, you’ll be hidden.”

I picture Mom, Cissy, and Zeke facing Armageddon. My mouth droops into a frown. “I don’t know Mom, that’s too dangerous for you guys.”

Zeke shrugs. “It’s a lot less dangerous than sending you out there alone.”

Lincoln nods. “He’s right.”

I scratch my neck, trying to think of every contingency. This is all going so fast, we’re bound to leave a stone or two unturned. My gaze lands on the four ghouls seated across from me. Those four blockheads certainly need some extra consideration. “And what about leaving the Oligarchy here. You know, by themselves?” I don’t trust them alone for five seconds.

Verus takes to her feet. “Levi and I will remain in the bunker with WRD-7 to ensure the Oligarchy finalize the treaty and–” She takes a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “Maintain their focus.”

The Oligarchy turn to face Verus. “We shall never waver.”

In a miracle of self-restraint, I stop my eye roll before it starts.
Sure, you guys would never waver.

Lincoln gives my hand another squeeze. “What do you say? Do we have a plan?”

I scan the faces in the room, everyone appears set and focused. Closing my eyes, I take a quick internal inventory. I’m jacked up on nervous energy, but that’s typical before a fight, comforting even. “Yeah, let’s get rolling.”

Mom heads to the bunker’s exit with Cissy and Zeke behind her. Meanwhile, Lincoln and I explore the shelves along the back wall. It doesn’t take us long to find the panel that Mom told us about. With a light shove, the shelves easily slide away, revealing a low and dark tunnel in the concrete wall.

Here we go.

Dropping onto my hands and knees, I crawl inside the darkened hole. Lincoln follows closely behind me. Sensing him nearby—feeling his movements in sync with mine—steadies my frayed nerves. Forever ekes by as we scramble inside the passageway, following a never-ending series of turns and straightaways. Finally, we reach a panel of sand at the tunnel’s end. Dim light reflects through the granules. My heart jumps into my throat. We’re close to the surface.

I set my fingertips inch-deep into the sand. It’s warm and fine. An odd calm flows through me as my mind captures every aspect of this moment, taking a kind of picture that I may treasure (or be haunted by) for the rest of my life. I’m outside myself, knowing that I pause at the tunnel’s end, about to test my new powers, and with so much at risk. After that, the moment’s gone, collapsing into one great crush of nerve-jangling panic. My fingers tremble in the sand. The best thing I can do is move on. Fast.

Gritting my teeth, I press my body through the sand and emerge onto the Gray Sea beyond. A fierce wind howls through my ears and whips my hair about. Low gray clouds hang overhead. The stench of sulfur hangs in the air. I belly-crawl to the top of the dune with Lincoln close beside me. We lay side-by-side on the warm sand and peep over the lip of ridge.

My breath catches. The scene before us can’t be real. About twenty yards below, hundreds of demons are arrayed in concentric circles on the desert floor. Armageddon stands off to one side, his tall body leaning against the black stone wall. At least he’s far enough away that I don’t feel his aura of terror. I swallow past the tightness in my throat.

I quickly catalog the body position of all our enemies. None see us in our hiding-spot. Instead, they’re all focused on the massive Manus demon at the center of the crowd. This gorilla-like monster is the largest creature I’ve ever seen. Hoisting its long arms high above its head, the Manus slams its fists onto the desert floor, scooping up piles of sand and throwing them off to one side. With each throw, I feel my heart sink a little lower. He’s almost uncovered the circular metal portal that marks the doorway to our bunker. Not good.

My eyes grow large with understanding. So that’s what’s been rattling over our heads. The Manus demon’s trying to break in, or scare us into coming out. I scan its boulder-sized body and trunk-like limbs. Dang, that thing looks tough to kill. Who knows how hard it will be to move to Hell?

The circular door springs to life, igniting into a ring of white flame. The Manus demon leaps out of the fire’s path. The muscles around my throat tighten. Those
flames are Mom, Cissy, and Zeke, about to face a horde of demons. Hells bells.

Armageddon sneers. “At last.” His three-knuckled fingers twitch at his sides, anxious to touch his victim’s flesh and suck out their souls.

If he lays a finger on them, I’ll lose it.

The great circular door lifts from the sands. It’s a flat disc held up by four white pillars. On the floor between those columns stands my mother, Cissy, and Zeke, their bodies twitching as Armageddon’s aura slams into them. Adrenaline rockets through me. Every fiber in me wants to leap down the rock face and start kicking ass. I dig my hands and feet deeper in the warm sand, trying to root myself to the spot.

Armageddon steps to the edge of the circular platform, his nasty grin stretching wide. “Greetings, Senator.” He grins. “Come out to parlay?”

Straightening her shoulders, Mom speaks in a calm voice that echoes through the desert. “I come here today on behalf of angels, ghouls, thrax, and quasis.” She’s doing a really good job of fighting the terror of being close to a greater demon. “This unwarranted invasion of our–”

Lincoln gently sets his hand on my upper arm. “We’re on.”

I inhale a shaky breath. The distraction’s working. Now it’s all up to me. My body almost vibrates with fear. I’ve never felt this scared before.

I wiggle my body into the sand. The warm granules press comfortably against my belly. Closing my eyes, I raise my hand and call out to the igni. My heart thuds so hard, my pulse booms in my ears.
Please, let the igni hear me.

Child-like laughter sounds in my head. A few tiny lightning bolts spin about my
palm. My body tenses with excitement.

Lincoln’s voice rings in my ears: “Great, Myla. You’re doing it.”

The laughter grows louder. Then, it’s drowned out by Armageddon’s voice. “I have a surprise for you, Camilla.”

My eyes pop open.
What’s he up to?

Mom folds her arms over her chest. “What could you possibly do to surprise me?”

The King of Hell snaps his fingers once.

Although I’m aware of my mother and Armageddon, my consciousness stays fixed on the power dancing about my hand. The igni multiply, their thin bodies tickling my skin, their voices growing louder.

A dark spot appears in the Gray Sea sky. It grows larger, turning into a massive pair of flying demons with the eagle bodies, lizard heads, and bat wings. In their claws they carry a giant metal box. With a great thud, they drop their burden onto the gray sand.

I squint through the fierce wind. A rusted container about eight feet square sits on the desert floor. My attention’s drawn to it; something important lies inside.

Fewer igni circle my palm. Their music fades from my mind.

Armageddon knocks on the metal container. “
This
is for you.” The sides of the box fly open, killing a few demons in the process. Armageddon doesn’t glance in their direction; instead his focus is riveted on the body chained to the box’s floor.

I can’t help but stare as well. A figure crouches along the bottom of the container, heavy chains wrapped about his hands and feet. He has matted hair, a
grizzled beard, and cocoa skin that’s covered in purple bruises and oozing wounds. Scraps of gray fabric hang about his broken body and dirty wings. He’s an angel, or what’s left of one.