Ascension of Evil (Battle for Souls Book 3) (28 page)

Once her wounds were sealed, Alexander squeezed her hand then disappeared to help the other wounded.

She quickly climbed to her feet, issuing the new orders to her remaining troops. Then with no other choice remaining, she allowed her demonic side free rein. She stepped away from Sammy and Boon, lifted her sword into the air, and widened her stance.

The skies opened and she concentrated on the love and memories of her family and friends, earthbound and angelic, and harnessed the power of Heaven.

Inside her body, her demon rage merged with the power of light from Heaven. Her heart pounded. Her eyes burned. Steam pumped through her blood. Fire flared from her eyes and hands, instantly striking down the surrounding demons.

Squeals, howls, and cries of agony echoed across the beach until every demon fell and seeped into the sand.

Satan roared with fury and flung his body forward, slamming all four fists onto the beach ten feet from her. He could throw a tantrum all he wanted but he wouldn’t escape.

“Not today,” she muttered, her gaze meeting his. His eyes swirled with smoky faces—all the lost souls trapped within him.

She ignored the urge to run. Courage—doing the right thing in spite of paralyzing fear over your own death or that of your loved ones—was something she’d lacked during the last war. But finally, she’d found hers.

Facing Satan, she raised her hands to release her own blend of Hell’s fire and Heaven’s light at him.

Satan lowered to his knees and blew a steamy wind over her, paralyzing her movements.

She tried again.

Nothing. All the energy she’d mustered faded.

She collapsed, severing all connection to the warrior angels. Exhaustion flooded her body. She barely had sufficient energy to breathe.

Satan leaned over her, blocking out all light with his massive grey shadow.
I will spare the others if you agree to—

Never! I will not agree to anything. I want you back in Hell where you belong. Go and rule your own kingdom. Leave mankind to their choices. Their lives are short. Upon their death, their soul will enter the correct realm.

Warrior angels landed at her side, ready to take on Satan.

“No,” she said. “I will not allow another soul to fall in this battle. The fighting is over. The demons are gone.”

Steam rolled across her body from his mouth. “Yes, but the price we agreed upon was a soul.”

What?
Gabby searched the crevices of her mind. She didn’t remember agreeing to any such thing.

Appius glided down at the water’s edge. “You say you were willing to die for mankind, yet you hesitate,” he scoffed.

“My deal with you from two thousand years ago is done. The price was paid,” Gabby said. “I never agreed to this. I never would’ve agreed to such a—”

“My price is the soul of the one who broke his promise.” Satan reached out and grabbed Appius with his thumb and index finger. “You failed me.”

“No, that’s a lie. Everything’s working out as I’d planned.” Appius froze, no doubt realizing his error. “I am a ruling council member, which gives me the right to return to Heaven no matter what.”

Grace floated down to Gabby’s side. “Correction, you
were
a council member. Heaven has notified me that your seat has just been filled.”

Appius continued to struggle as Satan backed into the water. “By whom?” he demanded.

“Me.” Grace smiled.

“No!” Appius screamed.

Satan held tight and disappeared beneath the waves.

The sea calmed, the clouds slowly dissipating to reveal the late afternoon sun.

Arms wrapped around Gabby and pulled her close. Grief filled her even as the soothing calm of Alexander’s touch seeped in. Finally, it was over. But so many were lost.

She choked down the sorrow gripping her throat. “Boon died protecting me. Sammy, too.”

“Shhh.” Alexander kissed the top of her head.

The lead angel knelt by her side. “You have earned our respect once more. Many fell, but will rise again because of your bravery.”

“Th-the curse is lifted?”

Grace lowered to her knees as well and nodded. “You did well.”

Relief flooded her. She relaxed into Alexander, reveling in his touch.

Herak offered his hand to Grace. “Have I earned your forgiveness?”

Grace took his hand. “For what? For trying to rule over mankind, or for breaking my heart?”

Gabby’s dad hobbled into her line of sight and collapsed to his knees. She pushed free of Alexander’s arms and stumbled to his side as he crawled a few more feet toward her. “Daddy? No, no, please, Daddy. You can’t.” Blood coated his shirt and he was sickeningly pale. “I can’t lose you, too. Don’t leave me. Why does everyone leave me?”

He lifted his hand to her cheek. “You are the best daughter a father could ever dream of. I know I didn’t have much to do with it, but I’m proud of you.” He coughed and rolled on his side, expelling blood.

Alex! Help!

“Please,” she pleaded. “Give me time to figure out how to ascend to Heaven with you. Stay with me.”

“I’m old and tired,” he muttered.

Alexander fell to his knees by her side.

“Alex! Heal him.”

Her dad shook his head slowly. “No, son. I’m tired. My body aches. If I stay, I’ll only drink again, and I couldn’t bear to do that to you. I tried, G-Bear. I really did.” Tears of shame filled his eyes. “Once I lost your mother…I wasn’t strong enough, not like her or you.”

Gabby rocked, holding him in her arms as sobs raked through her chest. “Alex, please.” It came out as a half plea, part of her already knowing there was nothing Alex could do. Alex just wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rocked with her.

Gabby pulled free of him and stared into the all too familiar fading eyes of death.

“I can see her.” Her dad smiled. “Your mother. She’s waiting for me.”

With all her heart, she wanted her father to stay. Wasn’t losing one parent enough? Yet she didn’t want him to continue suffering anymore. This life had been cruel to him. He deserved his rest. “Go in peace, Daddy.” Her lungs constricted, protesting at her own words, but she had to let him go. “I’ll always love you,” s he whispered as she felt his soul slip away, his body going limp. But she didn’t stop rocking him in her arms. As long as she held him, she could pretend he was still there, just sleeping.

Grace settled a hand on Gabby’s head. “He’s at peace now, together with your mother. They will watch over you from Heaven, as will I. You’ve managed to free all the lost souls that were trapped or used by hell. Carson, Gremory, Avery and all the others from Kemp are now able to find peace.”

She knew it was only her father’s body in her arms, but she still had trouble letting him go.

The general knelt on the opposite side of Bruce’s body. “We’ll give him a military burial. Full honors.” He waved over two men with a gurney. Alexander pried her dad from her arms and Gabby dropped her face into her hands, unable to watch.

“If my work is done here, why am I still tied to Earth? Will I be left here alone? Are you all going to return to Heaven and leave me here?”

“There must always be a guardian on Earth,” the head warrior angel said. “It is your destiny. Your daughter will become the Chosen One when you return to Heaven. This is your last mortal body.”

“M-my daughter?” Gabby looked to Alexander. “But if you go…”

Alexander smiled and helped her up. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve felt no pull to return home. And even if I did, my place is beside you.”

“You, too, will remain as her healer,” the warrior angel explained. “Someday, your daughter will mate with a healer as it has been for all time.”

Forras joined them then, a young woman by his side.

Gabby grinned, remembering her face from the reflection in the trophy case. “Charlotte?”

Charlotte smiled back and gathered her into a hug. “Yes. I feel like we already know each other.”

“But… how?”

“Forras can’t return to Heaven yet, so I’ve joined him here. We both have a purpose here during this life.”

Alexander crushed Gabby to him and, for the first time, she knew it wouldn’t be their last. He kissed her forehead then glanced at Forras. “Do you know what sort of purpose you have?”

Forras’s chuckle was strangely light, filled with fun and teasing. “Yes. Producing a healer for your daughter.”

Epilogue

Gabby rocked in the chair on the front porch of her home, enjoying the cool morning air. She still missed smelling Grace’s cooking wafting through the screen door. Charlotte sat beside her, knitting a tiny hat while Gabby’s attempt grew ever more tangled. “I think you’ll need to knit one for me, too. I can’t seem to figure this out.”

Charlotte laughed as she looked at Gabby’s mess. “When you’re right, you’re right,” she snickered.

Chuckling, Gabby looked out over the ocean and saw Alexander and Forras pulling up to the dock in the boat. Her pulse quickened at the sight of him. They had never managed to fix her dad’s boat, that wreck was too far-gone to salvage. So, after receiving the check from Grace’s estate, he’d decided to purchase that oversized toy.

Forras helped secure the shiny craft’s lines to the dock then they carried the day’s catch up the beach. They looked like old pals and she couldn’t believe how they’d bonded over the last year.

Forras took the steps two at a time and dropped the fish in a waiting bucket. Patronus darted up to them from around the house, jumping with excitement. “Don’t worry, boy. Plenty for you, too.” He patted the dog’s head as Alexander sat beside her.

When Charlotte moved to get up, Forras rushed to her side, reaching for her. While she’d gotten big over the last month, she wasn’t as big as Gabby. But then, Gabby had less than a month to go.

“You look flushed. Are you okay?” Forras asked.

“I’m fine. Stop worrying. Come on inside. You need to clean the fish so we can get supper on. Randy and a few of the hunters will be joining us.” They disappeared into the house, allowing Gabby and Alexander a few minutes of peace.

He put his hand on her belly and rubbed. “Has she kicked today?”

Gabby’s heart tightened. “Oh, she’s a fighter, all right.”

“What is it? You okay?” Alexander leaned forward and brushed her hair back from her eyes.

“Now you sound like Forras. I’m fine. It’s just—” She rubbed her belly, trying to settle little Elianna down. “I already love her so much. I want to wrap her in a bubble and keep her safe for eternity, yet… How can I give her life, raise her just so she can fight demons?”

“There is no reason to think she’ll have to fight. Everything has been calm so far. Satan is back where he belongs. There was two thousand years between Herak’s war and Appius’s war. It could be another two thousand before anything happens again. And besides, we have an entire family in Heaven watching over us.”

“I know. But I still worry.”

“Sweetheart, we’ll teach her everything. It won’t be like the life you spent without any knowledge. If anything does happen, she’ll be ready.” He pointed toward the doorway. “But, I can tell you right now, she’s not going anywhere near that son of
theirs
until she’s at least thirty. And even then only with me tagging along on their dates.”

Gabby laughed and her belly shook. She settled into his arms. “Do you regret it?”

“What?”

“Staying behind with me. You could be in Heaven right now.”

He lifted her onto his lap and cupped her face. “I thank God every day for allowing me this time with you. There’s nothing to regret when I live with pure joy every day.”

THE END

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Other works by Ciara Knight:

Battle for Souls Series

Rise From Darkness

Fall From Grace

Ascension of Evil