“
Stop talking and run!” Michael said out loud.
The wall started to glow, illuminating brighter by the second, and hands were reaching out, penetrating through from within. The demons escaped and started to enclose them. They ran as fast as they could as wicked laughter and then soft, fast droning whispers resonated throughout the cave, echoing and humming painfully in their ears. They stopped abruptly, covering their ears from the sharp pain–even Vickie was slumped over–except for Claudia. Claudia stood bewildered, not knowing how to help or what to do. She heard the foreign words, but could not understand what they were saying. It was driving her insane to see her friends curled up, vulnerable.
Unexpectedly, heat started to creep from her inner core and emanated throughout her body. Then she felt her hands radiate the familiar heat, and with anger she yelled as loud as she could, “Stop!” Her cry screeched painfully, echoing, bouncing off the walls of the cave.
There was dead silence. Everyone stood up to see the demons had vanished. Their eyes filled with amazement and confusion. They found themselves in the middle of the cave, near the pool of water. When they looked up, they saw Austin, bound against the wall with the golden divine cuff. His head drooped weakly, and his arms extended out like Jesus on the cross.
“
Austin.” Claudia’s heart dropped at the sight of him.
“
Let’s get him down,” Holly said, all choked up, and horrified thinking what he must have been through.
When Caleb and Davin moved cautiously towards Austin, Aliah emerged from the darkness of the shadows without warning. Michael folded Claudia into his wings, hiding her. Everyone else swiftly backed away, holding their weapons close and tightly as they gasped from icy sharp chills within, causing them to be motionless.
“
Ahhh,” Aliah said softly. “You’ve done well Nicholas. You’ve brought your friends right to me. Licen,” he said, and with a snap from Aliah’s fingers, Nicholas’s bonds were broken. Moving to stand next to Aliah, he gloated victoriously.
“
I knew it was a trap,” Holly muttered in revelation through her grinding teeth.
“
It’s okay. Remember, backup is coming,” Caleb reminded, but he was trembling inside while trying to maintain composure.
Aliah glided closer. His striking black and white wings overwhelmed them. “We finally meet. I had to kill so many girls just to find the one and only Claudia Emerson. You can’t hide her beneath your wings forever. Give her to me and you can all leave freely.”
Nobody said a word. Taking small steps to move even further away, there was nowhere to go as the demon spirits and now fallen were already there. Given this opportunity, Claudia gripped tightly to her bow that Holly slipped though Michael’s wings. Claudia closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and talked her way out of being petrified. She gathered her courage and told herself,
for my friends, Mom and Gamma.
“
Thanks for setting my children free. You see, I’ve waited thousands of years for someone brave enough and someone with an absolutely pure soul to set them free. This is going to be a fabulous day. So I’ll tell you again before I change my mind; give her to me and you can leave.”
Drawing their weapons and standing there in a defensive stance, they were ready to give it all. They were not only ready to fight to protect Claudia, but to fight for humanity and for what was good. “Stay together,” Michael instructed.
“
Since you give me no choice…then die!”
Claudia dove out of Michael’s hold and shot the first demon in her line of vision. Like lightning, it shot out brightly, penetrating right through. They were different from the white demons she had seen before. They appeared almost ghostlike, translucent, but their skeletal parts were visible. These demons were fragile compared to the other demons with claws, but skillful with swords that magically appeared in their hands. With one slice through their skeletal parts, they crumbled to the floor.
Many demons swarmed around the alkins and venators. Trying not to bring attention to herself, Vivian slowly bent down to scoop up pebbles that she could gather in her hands. She threw them upward, scattering them, confusing the demons. As the demons’ eyes followed the pebbles, the alkins and venators took the opportunity to attack.
The demons quickly retaliated, and they were just as skilled with their swords as the alkins. Claudia was placed in the center of the alkins and Holly as they fired back, but they always had one eye on her. As the clanking and slicing sounds of the swords echoed, all their fast movement created a dust storm. In the confusion, they were forced to separate.
Davin and Caleb leaped from boulder to boulder, trying to lure the demons and fallen away from Claudia. When they landed, they flipped behind them and took them out. Holly managed to find Vivian and they stood back to back. To baffle the demons, Holly completely enclosed both of them with her wings. When they got close enough, she unexpectedly opened her wings and they both fired.
Claudia successfully shot several demons coming towards her, but all she could do was watch, afraid she may shoot her friends. Everything was happening so fast, she couldn’t tell who was who. All she could do was whirl in circles and point her bow, ready to shoot anything that looked unfriendly.
Nicholas fought along with the group of demons and fallen that enclosed Michael, thinking Michael would be easily defeated. But he was dead wrong; he was unaware of Michael’s secret weapon, his sharp razor wings. Michael swiftly opened up his wings, spinning like a tornado, decapitating the fallen and demons. In shock, Nicholas tried to run, but Michael captured him, pulling him up by the back of his shirt as his feet dangled.
“
Please, don’t hurt me,” a female voice called out innocently from Nicholas’ mouth, hoping to sweet talk his way out.
“
You’re pathetic, possessing a woman’s body. You don’t deserve such beauty.” With Michael’s last words, he flung Nicholas into the pool of water. Nicholas called out in agony, but Michael speedily headed over to Claudia, worried, knowing she was using a weapon. Even though Michael knew everyone had one eye on her, he needed to be close to her.
“
I got your back,” Davin said, killing a demon who’d escaped Claudia’s blow, then returned to help Caleb.
Holly tried to reach Austin, but she had to go through Aliah. Aliah was extremely angry, seeing most of his demons vanish into thin air.
Then, unexpectedly, Aliah ordered the demons and fallen to stop, and surprisingly brought out Trinity. Holly wanted to dive for her and mutilate her, but she couldn’t get close enough without having to go through Aliah first.
Trinity looked confused. She could clearly see her friends, but showed no expression on her face. “Look who I found wondering about,” Aliah said.
“
She lied to you,” Davin said to Michael.
“
No. She isn’t with him. Look into her eyes. She is being compelled,” Michael replied.
“
A beautiful addition to my legion, don’t you think?”
“
Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with you!” Michael demanded.
“
Why, Michael. You can’t keep all the beautiful creatures to yourself. This one belongs to me. Let’s have some fun. Trinity, drive this sword into Austin’s heart.”
“
No!” Claudia and Holly screamed. Caleb held Holly back from dashing toward them. “Let me go! I’ve already lost Patrick. I can’t lose Austin too!” But no matter how much she begged, Caleb held on tighter.
As instructed, Trinity moved forward. Her body was abiding the commands, but her mind was desperately trying to stop, for she could see clearly what she was about to do. Aliah’s hold on her was too much for her. She couldn’t fight his order. She moved closer, inching towards Austin. Michael telepathically instructed Davin to guard Claudia and when Aliah turned to watch Trinity position herself, Michael darted for her. Trinity stumbled to the ground and wakened from the trance. Confused and dazed, she hid behind a boulder, panting in fear. The boulder was large enough to block everyone’s view of her. She wanted to stay there, lost in the darkness, unsure of which side she was on.
After pushing Trinity out of the way, Michael tried to retreat, but Aliah grabbed his wings and pinned his arms from the back.
“
Michael!” Claudia screamed.
“
Well…well. I’ve caught me an alkin. You think you fools can out smart me? I am one of God’s first angels. You are no match for me. I may have been locked up, but don’t underestimate my powers in Between.” Aliah elevated Michael and bound him against the cave, adjacent to Austin. Then one by one, he bound the others in the same way. Claudia was left alone, standing in the open.
Aliah glared amusedly at Claudia. “Here we are, alone at last. Before I take your soul, let’s play a little game. I’m in the mood to be generous, so before I kill all of them, which one shall I save?” Aliah pointed his sword to Michael first. “This one? Or shall I let this one live?” he asked and pointed to Austin.
Austin was gradually coming to. Peeling his heavy eyelids open one at a time, he saw himself afloat and tried not to panic, especially when he saw Aliah pointing the sword at his chest. His pulse escalated when he saw Michael and the others bound. He knew he was back in Specus, but couldn’t remember how he got there. Then in the dead center, he saw Claudia alone with fallen and demons he couldn’t identify.
“
So, who is it going to be?”Aliah asked again. “I can tell you care for both. So as a gift to you before I take your soul, one life will be spared. It’s the least I can do,” he chuckled cunningly.
How could she choose? She felt hopeless, drained from the possibility that no one would survive today.
“
You’re too slow, my dear,” Aliah said, moving towards her.
Cold chills blasted through her painfully as if thousands of needles pricked her all at once. She wanted to run, but her feet were planted from being terrified; she became paralyzed.
Just when hope was drained out of everyone’s hearts, Katherine and Samuel appeared. Then relief settled through all and hope became alive once more.
“
Aliah!” Katherine called out loud, feeling disgusted by his doings. Seeing her son, unconscious and bound, shattered her heart. She had to stay calm, in control in order to think straight or her emotions would get in the way. “Your day of glory ends today!”
Aliah laughed out loud as if Katherine had told him a riddle. “Woman, you do not know who you are standing next to, do you?”
Katherine was confused. The only person who was standing next to her was Samuel. “I won’t be standing alone. The others are coming. It ends today.”
Before another word was spoken, Samuel held his sword behind Katherine. “I didn’t tell the others. They have no idea we are here right now. It ends today for you.”
“
Samuel, what are you doing?” Katherine shouted, feeling bewildered.
“
I’m tired of you, Jeremiah, and the others. You are all pathetic and weak.”
“
Samuel,” Katherine cried, devastated by his betrayal. “Please. Think about what you are doing. Let the others go. You can have me.”
“
But I already have you. You have nothing to negotiate with,” Samuel gave a menacing smile, pulling her towards Claudia.
“
What do you want?” Katherine asked.
“
The same thing Aden wanted…power. But he’s gone. Now I have a second chance. When Aliah takes over, I’ll be by his side. Where will you be?”
“
I will never stand by you,” Katherine fired back. “You took the crystals and Aden’s sword from Crossroads, didn’t you?” Katherine accused, recalling the stolen items. “Then you’re the one who helped Alexa Rose escape from Crossroads so she could help Aden open the gates of the Abyss. You erased her memory of doing it.”
“
Really? How did you ever guess? And we all thought Michael did it,” he said with sarcasm in his tone. “It’s too bad Aden’s dead, but I found his replacement; someone even more powerful.”
“
You are pathetic,” Katherine glared at him with disgust. “You also told the watchers to leave that night they were guarding Claudia?”
“
They were so easily convinced. And Trinity, your little protégé, all I did was promise her Michael: betrayal, all in the name of love.”
Michael’s question was answered, a name he had been waiting for from Trinity just before his friends showed up at Island of Eden. It was Samuel who had given her the order.
“
What did you do with Michelle and Gracie?” Katherine asked in fury.
“
Don’t worry,” he replied smugly. “I let them
live. I bound them so they wouldn’t inform the others. They’ll have to face Aliah for their deception, not me.”
“
So that’s how Aliah found out they betrayed him. You told him about the girls.”
“
Very good, Katherine. Now… no more talking. We have a ritual to witness.”
Austin’s eyes grew fiercely wide seeing his mother helpless. He had to find a way to set himself free. There was only one hope. “Michael,” he whispered. “Tell Claudia to get the bonds off of us.”
“
You know she can’t. Bonds can only be broken by the angel who placed it.”
“
Yes she can. She has her father’s blood. Tell her to concentrate on the bonds and say ‘licen’. She has to believe. Her powers are within her. She has no idea the power she holds. It’s our only hope.”