Good Intentions (63 page)

“Who’s this?” Onyx asked. Molly was on her feet then, checking Alex’s neck and shoulders. “Just someone else they were holding prisoner.” He looked at the woman, then at the giant hole in the entrance. “Think you can probably get away now,” he grunted. Then Harrow came fall ing through the ceiling to land with a crash on the SUV. Rachel dropped through the hole he had made to drive her flaming sword straight into the demon’s gut. Alex looked up to cal to her, but interrupted himself with a yelp of pain. “Gah! What was that?” he asked. “You’re healed,” Molly said. She pul ed her hand off his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to be gentle.” Alex blinked. The pain where Lydia had slashed at his neck and shoulders vanished. “You two are witches or something?!” Onyx opened her mouth to reply, but there was an awful scream from upstairs. Alex didn’t wait for an answer to his question. He vaulted up the staircase. “Help Rachel!” he barked. “What?!” Rachel yel ed to him. Harrow used the distraction to grab at her arms, but she stomped her foot down on his snout right where Drew had punched him to such surprising effect. The demon let out a pained and exasperated cry, but it continued to fight. Molly and Onyx ran after Alex. “Good luck to you, then,” Diana murmured. She threw off her flannel shirt as she rushed for the doorway. In moments, she was in wolf form, running out into the night. Harrow wrapped his tail around Rachel’s leg. It tugged her off-balance just long enough for him to swat her roughly across the head and shoulders with his long arm. “You know how this ends,” the demon hissed. “There is no victory here. There is only a span of recovery for one of us, be it in Heaven or the Pit.”

Rachel swung her blade at him again, only to be blocked at her wrist by Harrow’s hand. His other hand punched her, sending her fall ing off of the SUV. Battered but not finished, the demon crawled off its back, crouching on the vehicle as if to pounce. “It is a lesson this city’s protector has learned well .” The angel got to her feet, grabbing onto the side of the SUV with both hands as if for support. “I’m not Vincent,” she huffed, “and I’m not playing by his playground pussy rules.” With that, she heaved the wrecked SUV over, crying out at the effort as she flipped it end-over-end onto the stairs with Harrow under it. It was one more thing the demon never saw coming; his eyes went wide just before he was crushed under the vehicle. “Really is a waste of fuckin’ time fightin’ you here, though,” Rachel spat. She snatched up her sword again, vaulted onto the ruined banister of the staircase and then onto the steps above the landing to hustle after Alex and the witches. She didn’t linger to see Harrow’s hands reach out from under the vehicle as he fought to claw himself out again. * Wade’s new plan was to lie low while the cars of vampires screaming to get away from the chaos rushed by. With any luck, he figured, they would be more interested in survival than they would be in picking unnecessary fights with unknown attackers. Rachel would doubtlessly pursue any car that held Alex, so there was no reason not to let them go unless they saw her. For the first couple of passing cars, he had been right. Unfortunately, someone in the gravel parking lot in front of the mansion spotted movement by the pick-up. Wade didn’t know they were exposed until he had taken a bul et to his leg and Drew was hit in the back. They both staggered and fell , and as more bul ets began to slam into his pick-up truck Jason and Taylor dragged them to cover.

“Shoot back,” Wade groaned, holding his gun up to them. “Y’al gotta shoot back or they’l run up here.” Jason obeyed. Wade had been right; there were already several figures advancing on them in the dark. They spotted Jason as he rose over the hood of the pick-up. He fired off several bursts, forcing them to dive to the ground. He even managed to clip one of them in the head. The vampire slumped to the ground, enraging the others. Then Jason’s bul ets ran dry. He pul ed the pistol out of Wade’s waistband, ready to fire until the last bul et, but something stopped him. There was a hand on his shoulder. He was no longer tired, nor aching, nor fearful. “You have done enough,” the voice said. “You have al done enough.” Taylor looked up in awe from where she sat with Drew’s head in her lap. Four figures in white stood among them. Their wings were even brighter than Rachel’s. Light was shed from something above each one’s head. Of the group, three of them moved forward, walking straight through the pick-up truck toward the vampires, who seemed not to see them at first. A fourth knelt down beside Taylor. Her face was just barely visible under the bright light around her head. She seemed twice Taylor’s age and very beautiful, with long black hair and gentle, patient eyes. The woman took Drew’s hand. “You are safe,” she said to him soothingly. Drew looked up in awe. The pain left his back. So did the weakness and al of the worry. The woman then turned her attention to Wade, putting her hand on his forehead with the same results. The bul et in his leg was gone. The blood on his pant leg was there, as was the hole, but the wound disappeared. He felt fine. Jason looked on with his jaw hanging open as the other three angels, swords drawn and ignited, cut through the group of vampires as if it were al happening in slow motion. There were screams and pleas for mercy, and then there was silence. The three angels then looked back at him. One of them waved. They al quickly faded. “Who are you?” Taylor managed.

The woman smiled. “I should not tel you. We should not have shown ourselves or intervened like this, and we will have to answer for it. But…” she seemed about to say more, then shook her head. “When you see Rachel again, tel her that she has been a very bad influence on her colleagues.” The angel reached out and touched the side of Taylor’s face. “My name is Julia. I have always been with you, Taylor. I have loved you al of your life. And I always will .” Taylor’s breath shook. She couldn’t think of words to say as Julia leaned forward to kiss her forehead, relieving al of her pain and al of her fear. The angel looked upon Taylor with unconditional love before she stood and walked away, fading into the night. * Lorelei’s talons dug into the floor as she was dragged to the portal. They left long, deep scars in the carpet and even the concrete beneath them, but they only partially slowed the arm pulling her through the hall . Slashing at Baal’s hand and wrist had done no good; the wounds were vicious, but healed almost instantly. He wouldn’t give up. Moreover, several other arms reached out now, grabbing at her legs, her hips, her shoulders. Like Baal’s, they were impossibly long. The portal would only be open for a scant few more moments, but Baal and his minions wouldn’t give up. Crossing directly from hell like this was an immense effort. It would not have been done lightly, nor would Baal let it go wasted. Lorelei felt the heat of the Pit on her legs and her waist as she began to pass through the portal. “Lorelei!” Alex yel ed. She saw him rushing to her, armed and furious. He fired at the monsters behind her as he ran. Molly and Onyx fol owed only a few yards behind, rushing up with their eyes wide with shock at what they saw.

The bul ets had no real effect. Alex dropped the gun, snatching her wrists just as she was dragged through the portal. He dug in for every bit of leverage he could to pul her back. “He’s too strong!” Lorelei cried out. “Don’t let him take you, too! Alex, no!” “Hold on!” Rachel cried out from the end of the hall way. Her wings folded in as she landed, rushing headlong to aid them. A battered, charred monster appeared behind her, moving with even greater urgency. Harrow bounded over her, shoving down on her shoulders as if vaulting off of a pommel horse. Rachel stumbled face-first to the floor. Harrow batted Molly and Onyx aside. The demon roared again, tackling Alex just as the young man thought for the briefest of moments that he might somehow be winning this unreal tug-of-war. Alex was knocked off his feet. He tumbled after Lorelei into the portal. What had seemed like a horizontal plane suddenly became a long fall down a shaft. Alex still had hold of Lorelei’s wrists. Baal’s hands over her were gone, as were the others. Harrow’s wings spread out behind him, slowing his fall . He wasn’t the only one so capable. Lorelei threw her arms around Alex, spreading her wings out as they descended. She tried to flap them, to create some sort of lift, but she was too weary. “You shouldn’t have done this,” she said to him, her head buried against his shoulder. “I won’t let you go,” he said. “I’d rather die.” She clung to him fiercely. “Fear no evil, my love. It is your only chance here.” Above them, watching the group fall , Molly and Onyx saw the portal begin to shrink. Onyx threw her wand against one side of it, trying to hold it open on instinct and magical will power alone. Molly quickly fol owed, stabbing into the ripples in space created on her side of the portal with her verawood wand. “Can you pul them back?” Onyx asked. “Not without letting go!” Molly grunted.

“Just hold it open!” Rachel shouted behind them. She leapt in, a sudden rush of light and wind rushing past the two witches. Winged shapes rushed up to meet the angel, shooting past succubus, mortal and great demon alike. small er flying things with poisoned tails and claws already dripping with blood beset her. Rachel’s wings pushed against the air, slowing her descent while she swung her blade wide. The first of the little beasts was instantly incinerated. Others pressed in. Far below her, Lorelei and Alex fluttered down until they were struck from above. Harrow swung at them with one of his monstrous hands, bashing them both and ruining the hold Lorelei’s wings had on the warm air around them. Their fall ended with a sudden, merciless impact. Alex picked himself up off of the ground. Monsters of a hundred different sorts surrounded them. None of them looked alike; there were scales and boils, mottled fur and rent flesh, baleful red eyes and things with nothing at al in their eye sockets. Horns, tails and wings were everywhere, but beyond that very few of them bore any real resemblance to one another except for the hungry, frightful demeanor with which they al regarded him. Lorelei struggled to rise beside him. The succubus had landed on her back. As she tried to get up, a large, burned white foot slammed down on her chest from above. Harrow landed there, growling menacingly. As before, Alex didn’t think; he just acted. The gladius was in his hands again, slashing at Harrow fiercely. The demon raised his hand as if to block it, but the blade bit deeply into his skin. He shrieked, jerking the limb back, then shrank back yet again as Alex swung and struck home at Harrow’s side, drawing more dark blood. The demon’s foot came off of Lorelei, leaving her coughing and rol ing to one side. Alex stepped over her protectively, ready to swing at the thing again without really understanding how he could possibly have hurt something so fearful. “This has entertained me,” said a voice like a dozen different animals al calling out in the night. It was a cacophony that only barely made any sense to the ear. Alex risked a look over his shoulder to see eight feet of black, soot-covered horror with an iron crown standing over him. “I will al ow you to leave my realm,” Baal sneered. Alex kept his guard up. He tried to stay wary of Harrow, standing with the two demons to his either side with Lorelei at his feet. “Fine,” Alex said. His voice trembled, but he did his best to sound resolute. “We’l be happy to leave.” “Just you. The succubus stays. She is mine.” “Fuck that noise.” “Look around you, boy,” the demon lord rumbled with a voice that seemed to put a tremble into the ground around them. “She is home here.” Baal gestured with his broad arms at their surroundings. The whole land was smoke and ash and glowing embers. The demon hordes around him watched hungrily, congregating in a ring around them that was ten or twenty yards in diameter but many demons deep at every direction. More appeared with every breath. “That is your home,” Baal said. He pointed past Harrow. Alex risked a glance, where he saw that the portal was suddenly at ground level. Molly and Onyx were both there, still standing in the hall way holding on to its edges. “Your friends hold the door for you. Take the opportunity to leave while I am still merciful. You cannot hope to prevail here.” Lorelei coughed. She reached up to touch Alex’s hand. “Fear no evil,” she whispered hoarsely. It made him blink. He opened his mouth to speak to Baal, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of movement. Alex lashed out with his blade, striking Harrow’s huge tail even as it snaked out to grab at Lorelei again. The tail jerked back, flinging blood everywhere as it withdrew. He had hurt the monster again. Alex swal owed. “If I’m not a threat to you,” he ventured, trying hard to master his terror, “how come I’m not already dead?” “You would question this charity?” Harrow hissed. “From you guys?” Alex nodded. “Hel , yes.”

“This is your last chance,” Baal warned. “Leave my realm. Now.” Lorelei’s hand squeezed his tightly. Alex turned his gaze directly toward the towering demon lord to his right. “Make me,” he said. Baal’s eyes narrowed. “Harrow,” he began, but didn’t finish. “Cuntface!” Rachel screamed, diving down on Harrow once again. Her sword hacked straight through his shoulder. The beast howled as his arm crumbled and fell away in flames, but Rachel had to commit so much to the blow that she left herself open for retaliation. Harrow caught her by the head with his remaining hand to slam her face first into the ground. Alex was distracted only for a split second; his memories of so many battles over so many lives were still too clear to let much of an advantage slip. Baal rushed at him, fast enough to bowl him over. Alex had his weapon up. The young man was carried off of his feet as Baal came on, but his sword was turned perfectly to meet it. The blade sank deeply into Baal’s gut, releasing soot and ash over Alex’s arms and chest. Baal screamed as he heaved Alex up, slamming him down into the ground again. Alex fought on. He dug around with his sword, gripping it with both hands even as the demon pounded and clawed at him from above. Baal roared with a fury that shook the land around them. Yet al the while, the demon lord was plainly wracked with pain. Beyond them, Rachel recovered and pressed her foe. She swung left and right against Harrow, driving him back as he tried with his remaining arm to fend her off. She feinted with another thrust, causing him to lurch back, and then drove her blade into his foot. With his backward momentum arrested by his impaled foot, Harrow fell onto his back. Rachel rushed forward, yanking the sword out of his foot even as she jumped onto his torso. She swung in a broad, circular arc. Harrow’s final howl was abruptly silenced. Alex was left gasping and choking for breath by Baal’s assault. He stabbed and kicked and tried to get free, but his efforts faltered as his body was thrown down against the ground time and again. Baal grabbed Alex’s wrist, slammed it down onto the ground, and then brought his other fist down upon the gladius. The blade snapped in two. Alex punched and struggled, only to be shoved down onto his back by the demon lord’s huge hand. Baal dragged his