And now the terror attacks her. Because now Keely wonders if the reason the bind didn’t break is due to the fact that Asmoday is dead. But surely if he were dead, she would know. His death must be able to snap the cord.
Her brain tries to reason with her emotions, but they just won’t listen. Her heart races. Palms grow sweaty. She has to find him.
Keely takes a deep breath and moves forward. She takes careful steps, one foot in front of the other. As she continues on, she reaches out trying to sense Asmoday’s feelings. If she can find his emotions, she’ll know he’s alive. Know how to find him.
The toe of her shoe catches on something and Keely stumbles. Her hands skid across the ground and she stops herself from performing a face plant. She lies in sticky wetness. Panic pushes her up. Hands stretched out in front of her, she rushes forward. Her hair sticks to her and she imagines herself covered in blood.
Asmoday’s blood.
Brilliant blue light shatters the darkness. Illuminates her surroundings. Keely’s eyes adjust and rake over the stone floor. Find a large puddle of blackish liquid, but nothing else. A large empty room. She looks down at herself with a stunned intake of breath. She isn’t sure what shocks her more, that she’s glowing again or that she was right. Her clothes are caked in dark blood.
“No. Please no,” she murmurs. Her head whips around searching. She runs for a door. Shoves it open and moves through quickly.
Comes face to face with her beautiful father. He’s encircled by his own radiant illumination, looking wondrous as his light hair reflects like a halo. Keely can picture the Angel he once was and the image pulls at her heart. Some part of her wants to love him. Wants him to love her back.
He smiles at her, but though it’s a gorgeous smile, something in it is all wrong. Fake. Evil. She takes a step to the side. Tries to look around him.
“Asmoday is perfectly fine. I assure you,” he says in a deep and soothing voice. “And he will stay that way as long as you do one small favor for me.” The Demon King looks down through his eyelashes as if what he is about to say pains him in some way. “I’m sure he told you about the Cimmerian Stairway and the role you play. Do your part and I will release him to you. My Keely, I hope you understand I never wanted it to be this way. I had hoped you would join me and Asmoday. I only ever wanted us to be a family. To be together.” He moves in front of her and her body freezes with fear. Her limbs scream to run, but she forces herself to stay put.
“Regardless of what you’ve been told or what you may believe, I truly do love you. There is still time to join me. You can have it all.” He offers her his hand. “Rule with me my daughter. Love me as I love you.”
Keely closes her eyes. Opens her heart. Searches for a sign of life from Asmoday. A small tug inside her chest answers her. Eyes pop open. Hand floats toward her father’s open palm.
His eyes crinkle as he smiles proudly. “Yes,” he whispers.
***
With a limp to his step, Bryon hikes over to the decaying Leech Demon and plucks his star from its chest. Abandons the one embedded in its forehead. “Would you just die already?” He removes the sword from his belt with disgust and brings it down heavily. Separates the Demon’s head from its body.
Using the sword as a cane, Bryon moves on to the next creature. His shirt is bloody and he sighs. He really liked this shirt. As he lifts the sword and swings it like a bat, he decides at least some of that blood must be his. The Demon falls. Bryon places his fingers to his chest gingerly. It throbs with every beat of his heart. He blames the sword. He hates swords. That’s why he chose throwing stars as his training weapon. Smaller, easier to handle and they actually use a skill. You have to be precise in your throw. He’s sure there’s skill involved with a sword as well, but he feels so barbaric, hacking away at Demons at such a close proximity. If he didn’t have to lift something so bulky and heavy he’s fairly certain he’d be o.k. right now, too, but his stars are practically useless on the Demons with the spell. Stupid freaking enchanted Demons.
“I hate Demons!”
“You’re preaching to the choir son,” Israfil calls with a grin. “But I do love killing them.”
Bryon laughs and shrugs. Instantly regrets it. His chest and shoulder ache with a slow burn. Pain makes him forget his smart ass retort.
“You gonna make it?” Israfil asks. He places a hand on Bryon’s shoulder causing him to wince. “Sorry. We need you a bit longer. Can you push through?”
Bryon nods. Lifts his head high. “This is what I live for, man.”
Israfil nods. “It’s a good day to be us, my friend.”
“If you say so.” Bryon heaves the sword above his head and lets it fly. Slices through the waist of a Demon. It stops short, its legs dropping to one side, its torso to the other.
“At least we’re not him,” Israfil replies.
“True story.” Bryon scours the area. They’ve done pretty well for themselves. There are at least twenty Demon bodies on the ground, not to mention the several piles of salt. His eyes are drawn to one body. His white suit turning a vivid crimson. “Shit. They got Apophis. Guess we’re on our own.”
“We’re never on our own,” Israfil reminds him.
The simple statement brings Bryon up short. He nods, remembering an Angel stands before him.
***
Lila can’t wait any longer for Dustin to come out. Coward. There are too many other places she is needed. Looking over her shoulder, she notices Elijah circled by three Demons. She reloads, but knows she’s too far away. She’s a great shot, but at this distance, the rock salt in her small, altered shotgun won’t do more than caress a Demon’s skin.
As she runs, Lila aims her gun. At ten feet away, she fires on one. Its head explodes spraying black goo. Moves her hand a little to the left, fires again. Gets a similar result. Elijah takes advantage of the distraction and sticks the last Demon in the side. It stumbles, but doesn’t fall. Keeps coming at him. Elijah curses and hits the Demon in the face with the handle causing it to take several unsteady steps back. He raises his sword again, swipes it across its neck. It clutches its throat and collapses. A low gurgling sounds from its lips.
Elijah’s chest heaves with his quick pants. He nods at Lila. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” she says as she reloads. With a sudden urge to go back the way she came, she turns to find Dustin on the stone steps. Her eyes follow his gaze, resting on her brother’s body and she screams. Elijah is right behind her as she runs.
Dustin doesn’t move. He quietly watches Lila fling herself down beside Nick. Her hands flutter around him.
Elijah presses his fingers to Nick’s wrist. “He’s alive.”
Lila shoots to her feet. “What did you do to him?” She rushes forward, shoving Dustin as hard as she can. He stumbles back a step.
“It wasn’t me,” he says quietly, nodding to Apophis not far away. “It was him. I tried… I thought—I didn’t want this.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know why I’m here.”
Lila makes a fist, fully prepared to punch him, but something stops her. Something inside just can’t manage to do it. She turns back to Nick. “Then go,” she says.
Elijah slaps Nick’s cheek twice. With a groan, Nick scrunches his eyes tightly. “Come on, Warrior. You have work to do.”
“Nick? Look at me,” Lila cries. She pulls on his arm. “Please, Icky.”
Nick opens his eyes. Tries to focus on his sister. She looks so scared. He attempts a smile, but the pain is too intense. He grimaces instead.
“Is Apophis dead?”
Lila looks over at Apophis’ still form. Takes in his blood covered suit. Chalky white skin. “I think so.”
“Good. The bastard betrayed us.”
Lila looks behind her. Dustin is gone. “Can you move?” she asks, glancing back to Nick. Elijah pulls Nick up to a sitting position. Nick hisses through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” he moans. “It hurts.”
“Sto
p,” Lila tells Elijah. “Lay him back down. We shouldn’t move him.”
“We need him,” Elijah says, his voice apologetic.
“What good is he if he can’t even move? He’s in too much pain.”
“Help me up,” Nick says quickly.
Sensing the urgency in his voice, Lila’s hand flies to her gun. She spins and fires. The shot hits one Demon and it howls in agony. Eight other Demons move past it and keep coming. Lila turns back to Nick, taking one of his hands. Elijah grips the other and together they pull him to his feet. Nick takes the dagger from his pants, holding it out in front of him defensively. Elijah unsheathes his sword.
“If they still have the spell, I don’t think we can take this many at once.”
“We have to try,” Nick murmurs.
***
“Where is Asmoday? I’d like to see him. I need to speak to him.” Keely drops her head. “I’d at least like to tell him goodbye.”
“Of course my child. I understand that. It is a shame the bond you’ve formed will go to waste. Perhaps you can tempt him into joining us.” His smile is radiant. His eyes soft and almost happy. He thinks he’s won. Keely scowls at his back as he moves in the direction of a door. “He’s just this way. I had to lock him up for his own protection.”
He waves his hand quickly by the handle and pulls it open. Keely steps inside the room. Her body brightens the small space. Asmoday lies on the floor in the corner. His body still. “Asmoday?” Her voice is choked with worry. “What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt?”
“Perhaps. There was a struggle, but I assured he lived.”
Keely stands over him. Watches him breathe. A rush of feeling takes over her. Pulls her mind away from this place. Takes her somewhere else. Suddenly it’s like she is in a dream. Like she is dream visiting, only she’s awake.
Asmoday stands before her. His lips move without sound, but Keely understands him. Her eyes stick to the gash on his head. It’s deep. She can see the white of bone. His skull. Tears pierce her eyes. Why isn’t he healing? He’s in a Demon realm. Either he should heal or die. There’s no in between here. Not for him.
His hands grip her arms. Fingers dig in painfully as he tries to get her attention. Forces her to focus. Blood trails down his head. Runs into his eye. Keely can’t take it. She tries to pull away. She wants to help him, but he holds onto her tighter. Repeats his soundless words. She nods.
Blinking, Keely is back in the room as if nothing has ever happened. She turns to her father. “I thought you said he was alive. He isn’t breathing…” She trails off trying to summon the courage.
The Demon King takes a knee beside her. She has to stand because even on his knees, he’s so much taller than her. He stares at Asmoday. Watches his chest rise and fall steadily. “He breathes, my daughter.”
Keely’s hands shake as she stretches the talisman in her hands. As her father turns to look at her, his eyes go wide with surprise just as she drops the necklace around his head. Simultaneously, it falls to his neck as he tries to get to his feet. She pulls the dagger from her pocket and Asmoday rolls over. He grips part of the necklace, pulling the King’s head back. Keely has one shot. She raises the dagger as she whispers, “Ego expello lux.”
A bright white aura surrounds his heart. Keely pitches her arm, bringing the blade down at his chest. He falls back against Asmoday before she can make contact. Asmoday’s head hits the stone floor with a wet thud. Her father kicks out at her and Keely hears the pop in her leg as her knee is forced in the wrong direction. She screams as she tumbles to the ground. The dagger slips away from her fingers.
The Demon King breaks away from Asmoday. Thrusts forward, throwing himself on top of Keely. Though his strength is weakened from the talisman, he’s still stronger than Keely. He presses down on her and grabs the necklace. Yanks it off with a snap of the lanyard.
“No,” Keely squeaks as she slaps at him. He blocks her blows easily.
“Do not think I need you, daughter. I waited this long, I can wait again. I can do it all over. Have another daughter. One that will obey. One that will not disappoint me.” He takes a handful of her golden locks. Brings her face to his as he leans over her. He kisses her cheek. “It is a shame, though. I will miss you. I thought I’d seen myself in you, but you’re too much like them.”
Her father stares into her eyes. A cruel smirk twists his features from beautiful to repulsive. His lips move quickly, his gaze on her intense. She can’t move. Her blood boils beneath her skin. A scream of agony escapes her lips and a tear slides from her eye. She’s dying. He’s killing her, somehow taking her life. Her soul. She tries to fight. Tries to scream. Tries to make him stop, but her body is useless.
Blood spurts from the Demon King’s mouth. Specks Keely’s face. She inhales a few drops as she screams again. A shadow passes over her, slams into her chest like a rush of wind and she can move again. Her father’s gaze breaks away from her and his head slowly lowers. He looks down at his own chest. His shirt sticks out to a point from his body where the light flickers. Blood forms a circle, growing bigger and bigger. “Daughter?”
Keely shakes her head and skitters back away from him. The glow from his body goes dark and he falls forward face first.
Asmoday’s hand is still extended. He drops the dagger. Keely pulls herself forward, hugging him tightly. “We’re free.”
Forty-Four:
Asmoday smiles sadly at Keely. She squints at him and pulls on his hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He moves his hands over her leg and Keely feels a second pop as Asmoday twists her kneecap back into place. She stifles a moan and bites down on her lip. He closes his eyes. Blood drips onto his shirt. “I cannot go with you.”
Keely shakes her head vehemently. “Yes you can. My father’s dead. He can’t do anything now. We changed it.”
Asmoday opens his eyes and stares at her. The pain in his gaze scares her so badly, Keely looks away. She shakes her head again. “You have to come with me.”
“Nothing has changed. You still have to go. I still need to stay.”
“He’s dead. I don’t understand. He can’t hurt us anymore. Please just come with me.” She’s shaking. She can’t seem to stop. Her nose is running and her eyes burn with hot tears. This isn’t real. She’s dreaming again. She must be.
Asmoday’s voice is a choked whisper. “I did not understand until the dream visit with Apophis. It all started to fall into place then. The prophecy, the Angels may have seen it in a literal sense, but it was metaphoric, Keely.”
She speaks through chattering teeth. “You aren’t making sense, Asmoday.” She wipes her nose with the back of her dirty hand.
“It was all meant to be exactly as it is.” He touches her cheek. “The Demon King always meant for us to fall in love. At least for you to love me. That is why he betrothed us. He wanted us to be connected as one. He needed you to be unable to leave me for you to fulfill his prophecy, but God had another plan. In His, I was always supposed to fall in love with you. You, no one else. With your father’s prophecy, the girl’s were interchangeable because he just needed them to care for me. But he didn’t realize that I would actually be able to return the feelings. He underestimated the affect you would have on me. He didn’t realize it was you, had to be you.” His thumb skims over her lips. “So you could change me. We were always meant to kill your father. This is the plan. We did not change anything. We did exactly as we were meant to do.” He smiles at her. “There will be peace now because I will stay. I will be King of Demons. I will make sure they never hurt anyone again.”
“No. Apophis is supposed to be King. You gave him the thrown.”
He shakes his head. “Apophis is no more by now. It has to be this way, Keely. Please try to understand. If Apophis were to have the thrown, there would be no peace. Only more war. You would always be in danger. It has to be me. It is the plan.”
“You’re wrong. I’m supposed to walk up the steps. I’m not suppos
ed to look back. That’s the prophecy.”
“You said it yourself, how does walking up a set of stairs bring peace?”
“It doesn’t, so just come back. You can be the Demon King from Earth.”
“No. I have to stay. You have no idea how hard it is to control a Demon. There are too many that can slip by if I’m not here. This is the part about not looking back. You have to let me go.”
“I’ll stay with you. I’ll help you.”
Asmoday flinches. His hands begin to shake. He looks away. “No. This is not the life you want. This place, what it does to people… And you want children. You cannot raise children here.”
Keely reaches for his hand. He shifts away. Moves to his feet. “I don’t need children. I need you. I love you, Asmoday.”
He drops his head. Runs his hand through his hair. It’s the first time she said those words. He hates himself for what he is about to do, but that’s good. She’ll feel his animosity through their bond. It’ll be more convincing this way. He turns back to her, his face blank. “You will only be in the way. This is what I always wanted. What I waited years for. I never wanted to love you. It was forced on me by your father. By this tie that binds us. I need to be free of it now. I am a King, Keely. I cannot have you around distracting me from my duties. I do not want to share the power with you. I want it to myself.”
Keely stares at him until his image blurs. “You’re lying. You have to be.”
“This is precisely what I mean. I do not have time to nurse your feelings. I have Demons to manage. Don’t worry, because of this bond, I will assure your safety. You will always be protected.”
Keely glares at him. Tries to understand his emotions. He’s furious. Rage and hatred fill his heart. The tears spill from her eyes. Run down her cheeks. Drop to the floor. She pushes herself up. Her leg screams in pain. Asmoday looks at her and she swears she feels something in their bond, like a quiver on the chord. Swears she sees concern pass over his face, but she blinks and it’s gone.