A fallen angel plus a human equaled no future for sure. Even if she desperately wanted to believe there could be one.
Amon’s voice seemed to bounce off the walls. “Fine. Azzy will come too, but that is all. The rest of you have your orders.”
“What if we want to look for our family?” Cole asked. He’d been so quiet during this talk Jasmine had almost forgotten him.
Amon rubbed his chin, then dropped his hand to his side. “If you’d like to find your family, you have permission. The only thing I will say is do not go anywhere alone. Also, make sure your powers are ready for anything.”
Lamia rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Amon. They aren’t alone. We will help them find their families if that is what they want.” Then she said something under her breath.
“What?” Jasmine asked. “I didn’t hear that.”
Lamia glared at her. “I can’t believe he’s going with you.” She put her hands on her hips. “Scratch that. I can believe it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jasmine asked.
Lamia took a step closer.
Caim stood from the couch, inserting himself between Jasmine and the fallen angel. “Enough, you two. We don’t have time for cat fights.”
“No, we don’t.” Amon moved to the back of the room. “Everyone who is going, pack a small bag and get ready. We will leave soon.”
“And thank you two for volunteering.” Jasmine folded her fingers together. “It means a lot.”
Amber’s short teal hair bobbed as she abruptly stopped. “If my family still lived, I’d do anything to stop what happened to them. Your mom is still here. A demon has her, but we have a chance to stop that. I’m glad you let me be part of it. It gives me a sort of revenge for what happened to my family.”
Jasmine raised her brows. “What happened to them?”
Amber shook her head. “Not yet. It’s too soon. I just—I can’t talk about it.” Her voice broke.
Jasmine nodded. “I get it. But if you do need to talk, I’m here. We’re all friends here. I know it seems like we were thrown together, and we kind of were, but it’s more than that. We are definitely a family.”
“Thanks,” Amber said before disappearing upstairs.
A beeping sounded from the TV, so loud Jasmine wanted to cover her ears, but she turned, watching a man with short brown hair come on the screen.
“We interrupt your program for national news. The attacks that started in Idaho have spread. We have reports from multiple states now, and more pouring in by the moment. The President has issued a state of emergency for the country. The Army has been working tirelessly to assure your safety. Stay tuned for news as it comes. This is Brian Masterson, reporting directly from the White House.”
“Well, that’s just fan-fricking-tastic.”
Amon frowned. “Why do you say that so much?”
Jasmine shrugged. “It’s just something I’ve said since forever ago. I don’t like to swear much, so I came up with a phrase that gets my frustration across without swearing.”
“It’s a bit strange, I think. And it makes it sound like you take nothing seriously.”
Jasmine had never thought of it like that. She took everything seriously. Too seriously, probably. But she didn’t want anyone thinking she made light of situations because of her favorite phrase.
At the same time, why should she change? Did her words really make anyone uncomfortable? Did they hurt anyone? No, they were words, and not very mean ones at that.
She sighed heavily. “Well, I do take things seriously.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she pressed her lips together and went toward the stairs.
“I suppose we now know that the demons are attacking other places besides here,” Lamia said.
Jasmine kept walking, until she heard Gazardiel’s voice. She turned and listened to his words. “Yes, they are. And there’s a reason for that. I have just arrived to inform you that Lucifer is here. On Earth. They’ve managed to free him, and that means nothing good for any of us.”
Cue creepy music…
The odds kept stacking against them, didn’t they?
Chapter 2
The Start
Jasmine packed a small bag with a couple changes of clothes, as well as a hairbrush and the most important thing: her toothbrush. Nobody needed to be around her morning breath.
After she got the necessities, she went downstairs and rummaged through the almost bare cabinets in the kitchen. Shopping hadn’t been high on their priority list. Jasmine hadn’t really been eating a whole lot either. She found some packs of cheese crackers and a bag of Cheetos and threw them in the bag. There would probably be places to stop along the way, but she had no clue what shape they’d be in. She really had no clue what shape the world would be in for that matter.
A knot formed in her stomach. She hadn’t been this nervous in a long time. What would Bael do to her mom before they could get there?
It would be so much faster to fly, but there wouldn’t be an airport within one hundred miles in working order. The demons had been here for at least two weeks, and she still had no way of knowing how far out their attacks had ventured.
Two weeks. Had only that much time passed since Jasmine’s world flipped upside down? Even longer for her. Her life changed when she’d met her first demon on her sixteenth birthday, the same day she lost her dad. Then her eighteenth birthday released every demon from Hell, well, almost all of them. Birthdays would never be a day of celebration for her, no matter if they stopped the demons or not. They would bring back all the memories of the most horrible days of her life. She didn’t think she’d ever celebrate a single one in the future.
Jasmine slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and walked mindlessly to the now empty living room, taking a seat on the sofa and tossing her bag on the floor at her feet. More thoughts hit her, slamming her back into the sofa. Had Gazardiel been telling the truth? Did the demons have one hundred days to kill every human on Earth? Would that mean Earth turned into Hell? If so, they had a lot of time left. And they’d already covered a lot of ground.
Jasmine slumped, her feet sliding under the coffee table. A puff of air escaped her lungs, strands of her long dark hair flying around her face, settling over her eyes. She tucked both sides behind her ears, shaking off goosebumps. She hated the feeling of hair tickling her, anything tickling her really.
It only reminds me of Beau.
“Jasmine. Have you packed?” Amon’s loud voice startled her, making her jump and the cushions almost suck her in their cracks. She swallowed, taking in his tall body hovering in the doorway. His eyes lingered on hers, but he kept his face neutral.
She placed a hand over her heart. “Jesus, Amon. You scared me to death.” She paused, controlling her breathing until her heart stopped racing, then kicked the bag at her feet. “I’ve packed, have you?”
Amon sat beside her. His arm touched hers and warmed her skin. “I have, although I feel rather silly taking Beau’s clothes now.”
Jasmine looked away. Her heart thumped like a wild bird flapping through the sky. Butterflies swarmed her stomach, pattering all through it, but behind all the excitement, a pang of sadness lingered. Amon in Beau’s clothes…she didn’t know how to feel about it. He needed them and had used them since coming to this house, so he shouldn’t change now. Beau wouldn’t want him to walk around naked. She rubbed the back of her neck. She didn’t need to think about a naked Amon, not right now. Thank goodness her eyes hadn’t met his or else he might be able to read her thoughts, and she wouldn’t be able to live with that humiliation.
Jasmine shrugged. “Beau can’t use them anymore.” Immediately her heart sank.
“I suppose you are right. But it still feels strange.”
“I think it would be bad if it didn’t feel strange. I mean, I’d be worried about you if it didn’t affect you.”
Amon grinned sadly.
Jasmine looked away again. After a few moments, he place
d his hand on her shoulder and she glanced back at him. “Don’t worry. We will save your mom.”
She nodded, a lump forming in her throat.
“Bael won’t hurt her.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “The problem is…he probably already has.”
Amon wiped the tear away. “You can’t let yourself think like that.”
She laughed wryly. “It’s kind of hard not to. Bael has hurt anyone and everyone I’ve ever loved. In some way or another.”
Amon’s eyes were shadowed with sadness. “I understand that more than you know.”
Jasmine’s gaze met his. They were close, so close she could feel his warm breath against her skin. When his arms snaked around her, she didn’t pull away, not even when her skin burned with his touch. How can I feel this way about him when I’m crying and thinking of the losses I’ve endured? It makes no sense.
Needless to say, Amon could fuel her flames like nobody else could.
A throat cleared.
Jasmine yanked away. Azzy and Amber stood in the doorway, their eyes swooping around the room but never landing on the two people wrapped up in each other on the couch. Jasmine would have laughed if she hadn’t been so mortified.
Amon hopped off the couch. “Is everyone ready?”
“Sure am.” Azzy turned his head, looking straight at him. “But are you?” He winked.
Jasmine smiled, even as her cheeks flamed.
“Well, let’s not waste any more time, then.” Amon rushed past them, ignoring Azzy’s eyebrows wiggling.
Jasmine saw them, though, and it took a few seconds for her to gain her composure. When she did, she jumped up and followed Azzy and Amber out the front door.
***
Jasmine had never been more ready to leave. She sat in the driver’s seat of Beau’s black SUV, tapping her finger on the wheel as she waited for Amon, who stood on the porch talking with Caim. Everyone had been ready to leave. Amber had forgotten something, though, so she’d run back in the house. Then, Azzy had to say goodbye to Lamia, so he’d disappeared.
Soon after, Caim had come out and Amon had gotten out of the passenger seat, leaving Jasmine sitting alone in the SUV. Patience had never been her thing.
She sighed, slamming back into her seat. She had to stop the incessant tapping, so she pulled her hands back, folding them on her lap. That only left her knee free to bounce up and down like it had suddenly turned into a basketball.
The door handle chilled her skin when she grabbed it and pushed it open. She marched up the steps, planting herself beside Amon and Caim. “We leaving or what?” Perhaps she sounded like an impatient child, but she didn’t care.
Amon frowned at her. “Soon. There’s no need to worry.”
Jasmine blew out a breath. “Really? Because last I checked, there are a million reasons to worry. The biggest one is Bael, you know, having my mom…but yes, I see your point. No need to worry.” After she clenched and unclenched her fists, she met his laughing eyes, wanting to smack him, but she held back. “Let’s hit the road, Jack. Now.”
Amon quirked his brows. “My name isn’t Jack. I’m sure you know that.”
Jasmine couldn’t help the laugh that escaped, or the ones that followed.
Amon held his chin higher. “Ah. Another saying I’ve not a clue what it means, I reckon?”
Caim winked. “I do believe you hit the nail on the head.”
Amon looked perplexed.
Jasmine laughed harder. “Okay, let’s get a move on before Amon’s head explodes from all the things he’ll never understand. We have a long drive awaiting us.”
Amon rubbed his chin, then disappeared inside. Caim poked her shoulder. “Take care of him, Jasmine.”
“I will. I promise.” And she meant that, even though she had a feeling he would keep her safer than she ever could him.
***
On the road, it became apparent Idaho had transformed into a state of ruins. Starting in her hometown, her heart fizzled into nothing as she drove past Ma and Pa’s, the building black from burns. Irreparable. A stale smell floated through the air, a little smoky and a little flat, like a fire no longer burning. A lump smacked the back of Jasmine’s throat but she kept going, forcing herself not to stop the car.
The stoplight came and went, and soon they were on their way out of town, but nothing changed. Debris littered the streets. If the buildings and homes weren’t still standing, Jasmine would have thought a tornado had ransacked each town, but she knew it hadn’t been an act of nature. It had been demons. Red-eyed monsters that had no compassion for anyone or anything.
If she could only close her eyes and forget everything…but she couldn’t. Especially since her hands gripped the wheel. If she shut her eyes, she’d wreck the vehicle, maybe harming everyone inside. She couldn’t risk it, so she forced her eyes wider and took everything in. Every burned building, each broken window, each dead body…and there were so many lining the streets, the sidewalks. Forms strewn atop roofs and mangled beyond recognition. Her stomach lurched.
Battle scars painted over everything, marking each town as a spoil of war. Of an apocalypse. Scars that would never heal, only darken and deepen until they covered each obstacle top to bottom, front to back.
The smell of putrid, burning flesh wafted through the small crack in her window, making Jasmine roll the thing up. It didn’t staunch the smell, only locked it inside with them. She took a deep breath and the scent of burned hair hit her. She moaned, cracking her window again, but she would never be able to find fresh air again, she feared.
The aroma of death wrapped around them, jumping through the vents and down the back of their throats. Smells. Sights. Everything stirred up the same conclusion. The demons were doing a lot better in their mission than she had been with her own. How would she ever stop them? She’d been training, but that wasted time and she learned little about herself. About her power.
Jasmine would have to do the best she could, no matter the situation. She had a feeling she could do this, if only given the opportunity.
The farther she traveled, the better it would be. Maybe the smell of fresh air would hit her again. Maybe she wouldn’t see death every time she blinked. Maybe everything would be better.
Although, she highly doubted it.
She clenched her hands tighter around the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. I will kill every single one of them for what they’ve done. It might be the last thing I do, but I will do it.
A promise had been made, and she had every intention of keeping it.
Idaho took little time to get through. Mainly because they’d been close to the border of it, but as Jasmine saw the sign ‘Now Entering Wyoming,’ it did nothing to take the terror away. Her jaw ached so bad from gaping at the sights around her, but she couldn’t shut it.
Wyoming looked the same as Idaho had. Until something new struck her. The first burn pile.
Jasmine pulled the SUV to the side of the road and parked. After she shut the engine off, she hopped out. Her shoes crunched over the dry dirt under her feet. Everything had a dusty tan hue, reminding Jasmine of a desert, but patches of grass popped up every so often. Smoke billowed around her as she moved forward, so thick she choked on it.
Her friends’ footsteps followed her, but she couldn’t look at them. Her eyes felt like they had sticks propping them open or glue fastening her lids to her forehead. She couldn’t blink, not even if she wanted to. Which, right now, she didn’t.
Another cough escaped as she stopped in front of a pyramid-shaped pile. Her hand covered her nose and she gagged around the smell of death. Nothing, not even her hand, could block it out. Her eyes poured water from the sickening scent. Before she could stop herself, she fell to her knees and threw up everything in her stomach. She wiped the corner of her mouth as Amon came up behind her, laying his hand gently on her shoulder.
Jasmine jerked away from him. “Don’t. Not right now.” More hacking followed by dry heaves. “This is jus
t sick.”
“I can’t believe this.” Amber’s soft tone floated through the air, making it seem like she didn’t want to upset the dead.
“I can.” Amon turned, facing the group. “Bael and his demons will do worse by the end of this.” He gestured to the pile. “These bodies were put here so we would see them. He wanted to affect us, so he did. But we have to take a stand and not let it.” He pressed his lips together and straightened his chin. “Killing is what they do. We know that as well as anyone. Sure, seeing it displayed in such a manner sickens me, but we have to try as hard as we are able to put it behind us and focus on what comes next.”
Jasmine couldn’t see Amon, only past him at the pile of dead bodies. Pulling herself to her feet, she stumbled forward, something shiny drawing her attention to the ground. Bending, she picked up a small pin. A lump formed in her throat as she read the words, engraved in pink. Best Mom Award. A ribbon for a mother. A woman someone loved, cherished above all others. She couldn’t stop the tears from dribbling down her cheeks. Her stomach fell to the floor. This could be her mom. In one of these piles. A fate she’d never wish on her worst enemy.
An arm stuck out from the pile, covered in brown and green camouflage cloth. “The Army too? They killed them.” Jasmine had known they wouldn’t stand a chance, but seeing it…right in front of her…even the Army couldn’t stand against the demons. And if they couldn’t, how would a mere girl with some blue flame powers?
As if mirroring her thoughts, Amon said, “We knew they killed them, Jasmine. We just didn’t know they would make a bonfire out of the dead bodies. Their intention was to hit as close to home as they were able, and, obviously, they did that.”