Keely grabs his hair and brings his mouth to hers in a rush. They pant against each other and she feels like she cannot take one second more or she will explode, but she doesn’t want to stop. She doesn’t even want to pause. She finds the button on his pants and tugs. Bites down on his tongue just hard enough to keep him in place as he tries to pull away. He groans loudly and rolls, bringing her with him so she lies on top of him. She sits up, straddling his hips. Smiles at him as she unbuttons her shorts.
“Are you sure?”
“Do you really need to ask?” She laughs and kisses him.
“I know you want to, I feel that. I only worry if this will make it more difficult for you.”
Keely goes still. Stares down at his concerned face. “Nothing could make this more difficult for me, Asmoday. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to leave you. Not now. Not ever.”
Keely lowers herself so her head rests over his heart. “What if I were to stay down there with you?”
Asmoday pushes her off him harder than he intends. She falls back on her butt hard. “NO!”
His anger is so intense it almost scares Keely. She gets to her feet quickly as his eyes blaze with furry. “I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself like that,” he spits. His eyes are slits as he glowers at her. “You are too important. You are everything.” He runs his hands through his hair and exhales loudly. Tries to soften his expression. “I can do my part as long as I know you live the life you were meant to. What good will dying along side of me do?” He shakes his head sadly. “You have to understand how that would torture my soul.” He meets her gaze. “Promise me. Give me your word right now that you will not abandon your purpose for me. For anyone.”
Keely picks up her shirt and puts it on as she walks toward the door. Asmoday blocks her path. “Keely, please promise me.”
She stands on the tip of her toes and kisses him deeply. She hugs herself to him. “I won’t,” she says and pulls away.
Keely gets through the door before Asmoday understands what she has said. He cuts her off on the steps, one hand on the railing, the other on the wall so she can’t get past him. “You won’t what?”
Keely rolls her eyes. “We’re supposed to be sleeping. We should get back to the room.”
“You won’t what?” He raises his brows and ducks his head so he can look in her eyes. He feels her determination. Knows she thinks she’s right. “You will not make the promise?”
She stares at the wall. He grips her arms and jerks her to get her full attention. He puts his lips close to her ear. “You will not just break my heart. You will kill them all. Lila. Bryon. Nick. Your mother. Her husband. Even the Angels. I am not worth one life, let alone all of them.”
“But I can go and come back…”
“You cannot. You know it as well as I do. Now give me your word.”
Tears burn her eyes, but she refuses to cry anymore. “It’s not fair.”
Asmoday hugs her tightly. “I know.”
“I promise I will walk up those stairs. But if there is any way for me to come back for you, I’m doing it. Just so you know.”
Forty-One:
Keely opens her eyes. The room is dark. She feels around until her fingers hit the table. Glide up the lamp. Search for the switch. With a click, the room bursts with color. It takes several seconds for her eyes to adjust. And she’s alone. The couch is empty. She stands quickly making her head dizzy. Moves to the room where her friends should be sleeping, but two empty beds await her. She runs to the other room, panic making her clumsy. She fumbles with the door twice before it opens. This room is empty as well.
They left her. How could they leave her? It doesn’t make sense. The light behind her casts an elongated shadow across one of the beds and up the wall. It moves, growing smaller though Keely stands still. Her heart pounds in her chest. The sound is loud in her ears. She tries to turn around. Wants to run as the shadow moves closer to her, but she’s glued in place. No sound comes from her mouth as she tries desperately to scream.
Keely is seized from behind. She falls back against her attacker as they both hit the floor. The hard arms release her immediately and she is thrown to the side as a blur of white moves past her. Apophis yanks the door, pulling it closed just as something hits it loudly. The floor shakes and the door vibrates. His hands are white on the knob, his lips move quickly speaking a language Keely has never heard before. Though she doesn’t know the words he says, she understands their meaning. He’s sending the Demon away.
Apophis’ voice grows louder. Demanding. Commanding. A lock of his hair falls loose in the front, hanging across his sweaty forehead. His blue eyes fade to white and his skin grays. The door stops shaking, but is replaced by impossibly loud pounding, as if someone were kicking it. Apophis looks back at Keely with unseeing eyes. “Help me,” he shouts.
Keely thrusts herself forward and places her palms against the door. It burns, but she doesn’t pull away. Together they chant his words over and over. Each time she utters them, their meaning becomes clearer. The pounding slows, becomes weaker. Her voice grows stronger. She can no longer see the door in front of her. Instead, she sees a massive creature inside her mind. It’s not a shadow like it first appeared. The eyes are terribly blood shot. Its needle teeth are brown with rot. She can almost smell the stink of its breath. Feel its rage. Purple veins protrude from the skin like thick wires running in mazes up and down its form. The Demon’s chest is three times the size it should be, bloated to the extreme. The flesh there is ripping and thick yellow liquid oozes slowly out.
Keely is screaming the words now, wanting the image erased from her mind. The Demon staggers. Its hands drop to its sides. Closes its eyes. When they open again, they are clear and bright. Alight with every color Keely can name and many more she cannot. They’re her father’s eyes. The creature’s mouth doesn’t move as the Demon King’s voice fills her head.
“My daughter. Open the door and allow me in.”
Apophis says something, but Keely doesn’t hear him. She shakes her head. “No.” Her head feels light. She closes her eyes tightly. “Just go away!” she screams.
Above her, two more hands touch the door. Asmoday’s chest heaves against Keely’s back with each breath he takes. “What’s happening?”
“My father. Where were you?”
“Awake,” he pants.
Apophis begins the chant again, the color fading from his eyes once more. Asmoday joins, followed by Keely. Their voices merge together becoming one. In her mind’s eye, the creature shakes violently. His body falls to the floor leaving her father standing as if he dropped a coat from his shoulders.
“I will wait for you to come to me then. Your mother says hello.” He laughs silently as a blinding light swarms around him. “See you then, my children.”
Keely stares at the door. “Is he gone?”
“I think so,” Asmoday says, but his hands remain firmly in place.
Apophis pushes himself back and swoops his hair back in place with one finger. He pulls the cuffs of his jacket and smoothes the front.
Keely turns to him, letting her hands slide down the door. “What the hell was that?”
“Not my dream, Kitten.” He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at her. “And I am fairly certain he wasn’t here for me.”
“How did you get in my dream?”
“I needed to speak with you and your Angel army knocked me out. I had no other choice.”
“Talk to me about what?”
“I found a spell. It’s not commonly used because of its—affects. Let’s just say it takes more than it gives.”
“O.k.?”
“I placed it on the Demons I sent for you while you were with the Watcher. When Demons are injured, their bodies return to a realm immediately to heal.”
“Yeah?”
“This spell keeps them from returning. They can fight longer this way. It makes them much more efficient.”
“And?” Keely raises
her hands in exasperation.
“I placed it on Mianna and she never returned.”
“If you don’t get to the point real soon, Apophis, I swear I’m going to lose my patience.”
“She knows the spell. If she shared information, we could be up against a lot of Demons that will just keep coming at us.”
“Then we kill them.”
“Yeah, that’s not really an option,” he says scratching his chin. “They can’t be killed either. At least not right away. But they’ll weaken until they’re able to return to a realm.”
“How long does that take?”
“Until the spell wears off.”
Keely takes a deep breath trying to calm herself. “And how long is that?” she says through her teeth.
“It lasts two hours. Give or take.”
“Give or take what? An hour?”
He nods.
“You’re an idiot. What are we going to do?”
“I can deactivate the spell, but it only works on one at a time. We could try slightly larger groups, maybe three or four at once.”
“You can teach us how. If we all do it, it shouldn’t take long.”
Apophis shakes his head. “No, I can’t. It’s a Demon spell. Only Demons can use it. Only you and Asmoday, but I don’t know if I can trust you with a spell like this. I mean, look at Mianna. Who knows how many Demons she gave it to?” He meets her eyes with a triumphant smile clear in his own.
“So, to give us the spell, you want something from us first? What a shocker. What do you want?”
“The thrown.”
“No,” Asmoday spits.
Apophis shrugs and pulls a cigar from his pocket. He rolls it on his bottom lip. “That’s the deal. You can take it or leave it.”
“He wants to be King,” Asmoday says carefully. “He wants us to kill your father and give him reign.”
“If he dies, wouldn’t that go to Apophis anyway? Oldest child of a king is always first in line, right?”
“Not if the King names someone else as their heir,” Apophis says dryly.
“Who did he name?”
Apophis’ eyes drag over to Asmoday. “His prodigy.”
“Asmoday? You’ll be King of Demons when my father dies?”
“Yes.”
Keely shakes her head. “O.k. And who would it go to next?”
“Since I do not have children, it would go to whomever I choose as heir.”
“Then, can’t you choose him?”
“I cannot allow him to have that much control. You have no idea of the things he can do with it.”
“I’m supposed to bring peace, right? So it doesn’t really matter. He can’t do that much damage.”
Asmoday closes his eyes and Keely can feel the struggle inside of him. She takes his hand. “I know you don’t feel right about it, but what other choice do we have? If you don’t do it, we’ll die.”
He squeezes her hand. His eyes brush over her face and he sighs. “I do not have a choice, you’re right.” He glares at Apophis. “All right. Teach us how to deactivate the spell and I give you my word. The throne will be yours.”
Apophis smiles hugely. “Great. Only, let’s do it my way. You offer me the throne and then I will teach you.”
Asmoday clenches his jaw. “You know what? I want to amend this deal. Negotiate, if you will.”
Apophis nods his head tightly.
“I will name you as my heir as long as you name me as yours.”
“And what assurance do I have that you won’t turn around and kill me as soon as I’m King?”
“I pledged my allegiance. I am unable to kill you no matter how much I may want to.”
Apophis smiles. “Agreed. Now give me the thrown.”
“I renounce my claim to the throne, naming in my stead Prince Apophis.”
“That’s it?” Keely scrunches her nose.
“That’s it,” Asmoday says. He looks back to Apophis. “Now you.”
“I name Prince Asmoday as heir to my thrown. For now.”
Asmoday glowers at him. “Show us the spell.”
***
Keely’s eyes fly open as she feels someone touch her.
“It’s just me,” Nick says. “Elijah said to wake everyone up.” He examines her pink cheeks and places his hand to her head. “Are you feeling o.k.?”
It takes her a moment to consider. Her head is woozy. Her body aches. She’s very tired. “I think so.”
“You’re really warm.”
“I’ll be fine.”
The bedroom door opens and Asmoday nods at Keely before he gestures for Nick to come with him. They go back into the bedroom and Asmoday leads him into the bathroom closing the door behind them.
“What do you want?”
Asmoday leans his hip against the sink and explains about the dream visit he and Keely had with Apophis.
“You have got to be freaking kidding me. As if we need another obstacle.” He drags his hand through his hair. “Can you do it? Can you counteract the spell quickly enough for us to kill them?”
“Yes. But my job is to get Keely inside, so it will only be until then.”
“It’ll have to do. I need to tell the others.”
“There’s one more thing.”
Nick glances over his shoulder at Asmoday. “What?”
“In order to get the spell, I had to promise Apophis the thrown.”
Nick grimaces. “Perfect.”
“I planned to give it to Keely, but he would just kill her and take it anyway. It buys her time, but we both know there’s only one way to ensure her safety. The first chance you get, kill Apophis.”
Nick’s lip twitches. “Done.”
***
The bite of pizza sticks in Keely’s throat. She washes it down with water and pushes the paper plate away from her.
“You should try to eat, Keely. You need energy,” Micah says.
“I did try. I can’t.” She bites her lip and stares at her hands. Micah moves closer to her, his shoulder touching hers. “How are you handling all this?” he asks.
She shakes her head and pitches her voice low. “There’s this horrible tug-of-war going on inside of me. Part of me just wants to go get my mom and get this over with. Then there’s this other part that wants to put it off as long as possible. That hopes if I put it off long enough, I won’t have to leave Asmoday behind. I mean, what if he dies? What if while I’m on the steps something attacks him and he needs my help? How can I just keep going? He acts like this is all so simple. Like it’s no big deal, but I feel how angry he is. He feels cheated and I don’t blame him. I feel the same way.” She swallows hard. “He thinks he’s going to die and he’ll be at peace, but I don’t want him to die. And then what’s left? Of me, I mean. He has a piece of my heart and that piece will be gone. And I’ll be left in this peaceful world where everyone is happy, but I’ll be ripped apart. That’s not even to mention that there are two more pieces of my heart out there belonging to two other guys that are helping in all this. How will I feel about them when this is over? How will they feel about me when I’m broken? I’m so confused and I’m so scared. And all I want is for this all to go away!” She throws her bottle of water. It hits the wall, streaks of water trailing down.
The room goes quiet. All eyes are on her. Keely can’t take it. She stands up, prepared to run—anywhere—but Asmoday is there. He pulls her into a hug and darkness envelopes them. As the room disappears, his lips meet hers, kissing her softly. When she opens her eyes, they’re back on the roof. She means to apologize for her outburst, to thank Asmoday for saving her, but Asmoday kisses her again. His arms tight on her back, crushing her against him. She can taste his tears, salty on her tongue and she knows he’s crying. Crying for her. For them. For what they could have been.
Keely pulls away. Runs her thumbs under his eyes, drying his tears. He catches her hands and holds them against his chest. “You are always my hero, Asmoday. You always save me from myself. What am
I going to do without you?”
He pulls her back against him and hugs her. “You will do what you did before me. You will be with Nick, you will go to school, and someday, you will get married and you will have children. Just do not name any of them Asmoday. It is a terrible name.”
Keely feels as if she swallowed rocks. He’s telling her to be with Nick. To marry him and have his children. Right now, her mind is incapable of thinking that far ahead.
“You will be happy again. I promise you that. Nick will make sure of it. He loves you, which is why I loathe him. He will be there for you and you will see it was meant to be this way. Without me around you will be able to remember how much you love him. I want you to know you have my blessing. I want this for you. I need you to be happy.”
She buries her face in his chest. “I can’t promise you that.”
“Promise me you’ll at least try.” He runs his hand over her hair.
“I’ll try,” she lies. Closing her eyes she adds, “Asmoday is a beautiful name.”
***
“I was thinking, there is this thing I am able to do… I can alter my appearance. Look as if I am someone else. I wonder if it may be beneficial for Keely if I double her,” Asmoday suggests.
Elijah and Ramuell consider Asmoday thoughtfully. “It would likely only confuse us more than it would offer her any extra protection,” Elijah says first.
“And you both must enter the stairway regardless,” says Ramuell.
Asmoday nods. He catches Keely’s eye and knows she’s remembering when he shifted to a perfect replicate of Nick. He drops his gaze and clears his throat. “I need everyone to join hands. If we’re connected, Apophis and I can probably move the group as one,” Asmoday says. He takes Keely’s hand and the rest follow until the chain is complete. She looks across the circle at Elijah. He looks proud and fearless with his golden armor and the sunlight on his face. He actually looks like an Angel. Noticing her gaze, he smiles and winks. “Let’s do this thing,” he calls.