Ascension of Evil (Battle for Souls Book 3) (17 page)

“Are we going?” Herak asked.

“Yes.” Her legs stayed frozen in place as she watched her love and two friends stumble down the narrow, dirt pathway to the outer barrier. Then she started up the mountain, praying the demons concentrated on Herak and her, leaving the others untouched until they regained their strength.

“Come.” Herak lead her back inside the cave to the tapestry hanging on the back wall. He lifted the faded red and black material and gestured her through an opening in the stone.

Gabby retrieved the sword from behind the trunk. Clutching the velvet material housing the sword in one hand, she ran her other down the cool, damp wall. What it must have been like to live in a cave, unable to speak or see anyone for two millennia. Her only hope was he’d do anything to prevent returning to this cave. “Remember, if you try anything, Boon will seal you back in here for another two thousand years. Got it?”

“I understand, but you do realize those demons will slaughter us the minute we reach the top of that peak.”

“Not if you turn me over to Satan first.”

Chapter Twelve

Alexander’s heart pounded with each labored step, not just from the physical exertion of his weak human form, but from the anxiety of leaving Gabby behind. Yes, he’d learned that protecting her twenty-four-seven only led to heartache and disaster, but it didn’t make it any easier.

“She’ll be okay, son.” Grace patted the arm she clung to as they traversed down the mountain. Her body wasn’t designed for this kind of arduous hiking.

Boon shuffled ahead, slipping and sliding over pebbles. “Are you sure, Grace?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s use those trees ahead for coverage,” Boon said, pointing to a small corpse of stunted trees. “Hopefully, they won’t be able to track us from their altitude.”

“How dangerous are those demons?” Seeing Boon’s jaw twitch, Alexander instantly regretted his question.

“They are Herak’s own personal creation. Each of their tails has a spike made from a feather from Gabby’s wing. Hit by it enough times and your wings will be shredded. You’ll be grounded for eternity. Herak created them to subdue angels and force them to serve him during the war.”

Alexander shivered. The thought of being grounded again terrified him, but he couldn’t imagine working for Herak no matter what his situation. “What happened to those angels?”

“Those
are
the angels.” Grace slipped and dug her nails into his arm to stay upright. “Some of them anyway.”

The path narrowed and the trees shrouded them in shadow. They’d soon find out if their plan would work as he watched the demons spread across the sky, trying to track both Gabby and them. Alexander helped Grace over some gnarled roots, and they made their way to the rocky ridge where they’d entered. “Do you remember it all?” he asked softly.

Grace nodded with a distant look in her eyes. “Yes. Everything,” she said in a hollow voice.

“Did you know that Gabby and I were…together?”

“No.”

Boon leaned against a tree, waiting for them to catch up. “No one did, not even me, and I was her next-in-command for the warriors. She trusted me to lead armies of angels in battle, but didn’t trust me enough to share that she’d fallen in love with you. Not even when I confided in her about Sammy.”

“I thought you said Forras was her second.” The words nearly choked the air from his throat. He couldn’t imagine Forras ever serving side by side with her.

“He was her second, in charge of Guardian angels. As a matter of fact, you reported to him.”

Alexander’s gut wrenched at Boon’s expression of triumph. “You enjoyed telling me that, didn’t you?”

“Maybe a little. Let’s go.”

Grace squeezed his arm and they moved forward. “You didn’t technically report to him. You were a healer. Her healer. One of the few left with your abilities. That’s why she couldn’t tell anyone about your relationship. She couldn’t chance it. If word got out, you would’ve been used against her. But despite her caution, that’s what happened.”

Boon pushed from the tree and took her other arm. They all knew they had to get to that barrier as fast as possible. If only he had the strength to carry her.

Grace tripped, and they both lifted her upright. They reached the steep rocky terrain leading back up to their entry point. Despite the fact time moved slower outside Herak’s island, he couldn’t stand to be away from Gabby another minute and Grace would never make it. “Listen, Boon. What if you go ahead and lift the barrier imprisoning us, while we stay hidden here? It shouldn’t take long to regain our powers. Once we can fly, we’ll be able to meet at the top of the ridge and then help Gabby.”

They all looked to the sky and saw the demons still swarming around Herak’s cave. They either hadn’t followed or time within the walls of this land had its benefits.

“Once the barrier is down, those demons will be able to attack. Stay hidden. Alexander, if you try to play hero before your powers are restored, you’ll only distract Gabby and ruin whatever plan she has. Trust me. She’s always had a gift for strategy, but a weakness for the ones she loves.”

With a sharp nod, he took Grace’s hand and guided her to the coverage of a large canopy of trees. “I promise. Now, go.”

Rocks skittered down the ridge as Boon traversed up the rocky path. Alexander found some soft dirt and lowered Grace to the ground. He sat and closed his eyes, searching for a connection with Gabby, but there was nothing. After feeling her presence for over two years, it was distressing not to sense where and how she was.

“She’ll be okay. Those demons are no match for the Chosen One. I’ve seen her in battle.”

“You speak of a time Gabby nor I remember. How does a teenage girl suddenly become an elite warrior who saves the world? I know that’s what’s happening, and that Heaven is in control of this, but I can’t imagine how scared and confused she must feel. I want to be by her side, to comfort and fight for her.” Alexander rubbed his throbbing temples. “It should be me fighting and her home safe with her father.”

Grace patted his hand. “You struggled with that the first time around, too. Always thought it was your job to protect her. Looking back, I should have known something was going on between the two of you. It wasn’t until the Roman battle that you became so obsessed with protecting her. One day, you fled the battlefield and raced to her side to heal a wound in her wing.” Grace chuckled. “Oh, she was angry with you. Threatened to send you back to Heaven until the war was over if you pulled a stunt like that again. She ordered Boon to take you back to the field to heal those wounded in battle.” Her words trailed off in an eerie pause.

Alexander squeezed her fingers. “What is it?”

“That was the day she made the deal. She didn’t just send Boon away to make sure you did your job and stop watching out for her all the time. She did it so Boon would be out of the way and she could make her deal with Satan.” The lines on Grace’s face deepened. “She is always strategizing something.”

Alexander sat cross-legged and focused on the pebbles in front of him. If he caught a glimpse of her in trouble, he wouldn’t be able to remain in hiding. He sat, waiting for a loud noise, swirling lights, or some sort of spectacle to occur when Boon opened the door to the outside world. He felt nothing, heard nothing. Only the oppressive silence and a single bird’s song.

A bird’s song?

He jerked upright. “Grace, can you feel your wings?” Grinning, he sighed at the internal soft brush of his wings waiting for release. The burn in his biceps eased and his muscles tightened.

Boon slid quickly down the side of the ridge toward them. A demon swooped low with talons open to snatch Boon, but missed as Boon dropped to his knees and tumbled over rocks and roots until he landed at the tree line.

Alexander jumped from the ground and ran to help him. The fatigue in his legs had subsided, or else adrenaline had taken over. He grasped Boon’s hand and pulled him to the shadows. The winged creature looped upward, its dragon-like snout blowing steam. Its wings flapped several times as it hovered above the canopy.

Alexander scanned Boon’s wounds, but his energy didn’t surface to heal him.

Boon grinned. “Just cuts and bruises. No need.”

Grace marched to them, with a visible difference in her strength. “You okay?”

“Yes.” Boon sat up on his knees and looked up, squinting to see through the leaves.

A rumble echoed at their feet and the demon dove through the branches, squealing. Two more creatures swooped in, surrounding them. A tail swiped from above and shredded several branches, clearing a path for the other one to get through. It clamped a branch in its teeth and shook it until it cracked in half. Hungry, dark eyes glared down.

Alexander concentrated on releasing his wings, but there was no response. He scanned the area for a weapon. If only he had one of Bruce’s semi-automatics, he could buy them some time.

The beast broke through the last few branches and dove. Alexander stumbled out of the way, his hand slid on a jagged edge. The creature circled for another pass, Alexander grabbed the jagged rock and threw it as hard as he could. It smacked the demon’s head, and sent it spinning into the trees. The other creature zoomed around the treetops then glided between two large gnarled tree trunks.

Alexander searched for another rock, but the winged monster was too fast. A branch swung in front of his face and slammed into the demon, sending it back several feet. Then Grace lifted the branch over her other shoulder, readying herself for another attack.

The beast Alexander had hit with the rock recovered quickly and flipped over a lower branch, launching toward Boon. Grace swung and caught its neck between two branches. It screeched and flailed. Tan and brown stripes ran down its cheek. Gray coated its skin, its dark eyes warning of its rage.

From above them, a scream echoed. “Gabby?”

“Not yet, son. You don’t have full strength. You’d be a liability,” Grace warned.

The creatures disappeared from sight and returned to the mountain peak to attack Gabby.

He couldn’t stand here, helpless, while she was slaughtered by these evil beasts.

Boon’s wings shot out in a glory of black power. Strips of cloth ripped from his body and settled on the dusty ground.

“It’s my duty to protect her. Not yours, healer.” He shot through the trees, leaves raining down in his wake.

Grace reached Alexander’s side and they watched Boon speed to the mountain peak. “Relax. You’re trying too hard, Alexander. Close your eyes and think of something calming, happy.”

He shut his eyes and forced all thoughts of failing Gabby from his mind. He envisioned happy times with her. With all the demonic possessions, alcoholism, and betrayal, there weren’t as many as there should have been. But then he recalled their night together, in her bedroom where he’d shared a piece of his soul and felt hers in return. The memory of soft skin, body heat, and kisses warmed his insides. To be back in her arms again.

His wings pushed against bone and skin until they finally released and he sighed in relief.

Grace smiled, her wings spread wide. “Let’s go.”

Without another word, he jumped from the ground and flew to the swarm of minions hovering in the sky. Sensing their presence, the back line swirled around to face them. Pungent odors of death and high-pitched screeches assaulted him. Tails coiled over their bodies, like a scorpion ready to strike. He swallowed hard and plowed through them like a linebacker. They rolled off him then flew around to face him again.

Razor sharp fangs punctured his forearm. He punched it in the forehead with his other hand and it released its grip.

Grace had one by its tail and arm, fighting for control. Alexander jerked upright and planted the heel of his shoe to the creature’s chest. Freed, Grace turned in time for the next attack.

A larger one, with a protruding brow, shot in front of him. It hissed and its arms and wings curved into a cat-like arch, ready to take down anyone who tried to pass. The other demons backed off as this one blocked their path to Gabby still on the mountain peak.

Grace backhanded one that tried to ram him from the side. “Go. Be with her. I’ll handle this one.”

Alexander moved closer to challenge the demon roadblock. The beast huffed steam in warning for him to back off. Grace swooped between them. The sparkling tip of his tail taunted them, moving from side to side, waiting to strike.

“No, I’m not leaving you here alone. Boon will protect Gabby. We’ll finish this and then we’ll join them.” He forced himself not to leave to rescue Gabby. It was tough and still felt foreign, but he’d learned the dangers of acting impulsively.

Grace smiled then extended her wings over her head and dropped a few feet, distracting the dark eyed creatures. Alexander grabbed the larger one’s tail. It jabbed at his face for freedom. He ducked and wrenched the slimy, muscular tail. The creature squealed. Claws punctured his leg. He grunted in pain but managed to kick its dragon-like head.

Grace returned to his side and placed her palm on its forehead. “Return to the Earth,” she commanded. The creature disintegrated into black ash, trickling through his fingers.