Confronting the Fallen (36 page)

Pale, hairless and naked, the nosferatu had huge,
pointed, bat-like ears and mouthfuls of razor-sharp teeth. Their
fingers were tipped with long black claws, as were their toes. But
they were creeping silently forward, dead white eyes fixed on their
prey. It was almost comical to see them freeze as the light burst
around them and they realized that they were no longer hidden by the
darkness.

They screamed in unison; that hideous shrieking
cry that Chris had heard earlier and were suddenly racing forward,
mouths gaping and arms wide.

The group was ready for them. While Gloriel held
her light steady, the five remaining security team members rushed
forward and engaged the creatures. Chris watched in awe as George,
with an expression of fury on his face, slid under the sweeping claw
of one monster, turned and cut its head off. A geyser of black blood
spewed from the falling monster, but George was already attacking a
second monstrosity.

“Christopher,” the judge said
urgently. “Now is your chance. Run!”

Chris had been so caught up in the battle, he'd
almost forgotten what he had to do.

“Oh right! On it, sir,” he said and
headed off toward the doorway, giving the combatants a wide berth as
he ran.

His flashlight wasn't really needed. He could see
the packs scattered here and there near the stairwell. There were
also pieces of ghoul that he did his best to ignore as he grabbed as
many packs as he could.

Six was the most he could grab at once and Chris
began to drag them back as quickly as he could, As he pulled them
along though, he heard sounds in the stairwell. A slow, heavy tread
was echoing down the stairs. Something was coming.

Chris tried to ignore the sound and pulled the
packs as fast as he could. By the time he reached the sight of the
battle, the creatures were down. He turned his face away from the
headless corpses that stank almost as badly as the ghouls had. A
couple of the team members ran over and helped him with the packs and
they were quickly back at the altar.

“Well done, Christopher,” the judge
said with a smile. “This will help a lot.”

“Sir,” Beatrice said. “We could
go and get the rest of the packs. The way is clear at the moment.”

Before the judge could answer, Chris spoke up.

“Something is coming, your honor. I could
hear it walking down the stairs. Something big.”

The group exchanged glances. “Thank you,
Christopher. That answers that question. Leave the packs. We'll make
do with what we have.”

At that moment, Gloriel's light faded. She took a
deep breath and Chris could swear she sounded tired.

“That is all I can do at the moment, Ethan,”
she said flatly.

“That was more than enough, Gloriel. You
have our thanks.”

Judge Hawkes rummaged through the packs and pulled
out a half dozen more flares. He handed them out to the team. “Wait
to use them until we absolutely have to,” he cautioned. “They
are all we have left.”

Ramona handed out flasks and everyone gratefully
drank some water. Chris hadn't realized how parched he was until
then. The cold water tasted wonderful. And then they stood and waited
for whatever else was coming. Their flashlights were aimed at the
open doorway.

A few minutes passed. There was no sound and
finally the judge turned to look at Chris. Before he could say
anything though, Gloriel spoke up.

“Something is coming,” she said with a
frown. “But I cannot tell what it is. I can feel it though. I
can feel its spirit.” Her eyes glowed in the darkness. “It
is so powerful.”

There was still no sound or movement from the
doorway and Chris began to wish that something, anything, would
happen to break the tension.

“I wish Sariel was here,” he said
quietly. “Just when I need him the most, he pulls a
disappearing act. And I don't know why.”

“I believe I do, Christopher,” Gloriel
said as she watched the door. “For the same reason that I
would, given the circumstances.”

“You know?” Chris stared up at her
hopefully. “Then why, Gloriel? Why isn't he here to help us.
He's the reason we're in this mess in the first place!”

“I know, Christopher. But you see, while the
ghouls were simply monsters, corpses animated by damned souls, those
nosferatu were undead controlled by the Fallen. Lowly angels, I'll
grant you. Probably cherubs. Weak creatures. But they would have
recognized Sariel had he been present, even if his presence were
still hidden within you. And then their master would have known as
well, when we sent them back to Hell. We mustn't let our enemy know
about him. At least we must try not to give him away for as long as
possible. He is, as they say, our ace in the hole.”

Chris slumped back against the altar. “So
that's why,” he said. He felt a sense of relief. “I
thought he had deserted me.”

Gloriel looked down at him with surprise.
“Deserted you? You are part of him. He could no more desert you
than I could leave Natalie. She is my body. I am her soul. We are
one. As are you and Sariel. Never forget that.”

He nodded and pulled the sword hilt from his
pocket and looked at it. He wasn't sure if Gloriel was right but it
made sense. 'Well Sariel, if you can hear me, hiding or not, I may
need you soon. I hope you'll be ready.'

“Movement, sir,” George said and
pointed at the doorway. In the gloom they couldn't make out any
details, but Chris saw at least one figure standing just inside the
room. It seemed to hesitate for a moment and then slowly it advanced.

“Flares at the ready,” Judge Hawkes
said. The team and the judge lifted the flares and prepared to ignite
them. The figure drew closer.

“Now!” the judge said and six flares
snapped on and were tossed almost as one.

The room lit up again, their shadows grew behind
them and, walking toward them not more than twenty yards away
was...Angelica.

Chris stared in disbelief. He was looking at a
much different Angelica than the hissing Fury that he had left in
front of a mall in downtown Ottawa.

Angelica looked like she'd been attacked. Her tank
top and jeans were torn in several places. She was limping and there
was a gash across her upper left arm and several bruises on her face.
As she stumbled along, she was gasping in obvious pain.

“That's far enough, Angelica,” the
judge said loudly.

She stopped and looked around, squinting through
the glare of the flashlights pointing at her until she had located
Judge Hawkes. “Ethan,” she said, sounding relieved.
“You're still alive. Then I'm not too late.” Her voice
was weak and her speech slurred.

“Yes, I'm still alive, my dear. No thanks to
you and your friends.” The judge's tone was glacial.

“Me?” She stared at him blankly and
then laughed a bit. It sounded painful. “I had nothing to do
with this. After my humiliation in Ottawa, my superiors decided that
I needed to be taught a lesson. They locked me up and, as you can
see, had Talon try to re-educate me. I endured their abuse for a time
but, Fallen or not, I am still an angel and finally had had enough.”
She smiled grimly. Chris noticed that her lower lip was split and
began to bleed. “Talon will need to recruit some new members,
I'd say.”

“Lovely story, I'm sure. So tell me,
Angelica, how did you get here?”

She cocked her head to the side, seemingly puzzled
by the question. “Really, Ethan. I am one of the Fallen. I knew
where these,” she looked with distaste at the remains of the
nosferatu, “creatures were being sent and I took the Angel's
Road.” She looked at him curiously. “Have you not
explained that route to your recruits?”

Chris looked over at the judge who appeared
slightly uncomfortable. “None of them is strong enough to use
that conduit yet. You were the only one who ever did, to my
knowledge.”

“Ah, I see.” She shifted her weight
from her left leg to her right and grimaced. “Well, that is
what happened. I followed the creatures down after they had entered
this place, whatever it is. I wasn't sure that you had survived, but
I'm glad you did.”

The judge made no reply. He simply stared at
Angelica and Chris guessed that he was trying to decide whether to
believe her or not. While he hesitated, she looked over and up at
Gloriel.

“Hi Nat. I'm so happy to see you healed and
whole. If I had known you were with the party, I wouldn't have been
so concerned.” She sounded relieved and began to limp slowly
toward the angel. Gloriel was frowning at her. She actually growled
low in her throat.

“Angelica,” Gloriel exclaimed. “You
dare speak to me?” Her wings sprang out and up, their metallic
edges ringing loudly. “Prepare yourself, Fallen. I'll show you
the way back to Hell.”

Angelica stopped and stared up at Gloriel, a look
of sadness and grief on her face. “You still blame me for that
attack, don't you Natalie,” she said in a small voice. “I
didn't know! I told you then and I'm telling you now. They tricked
me. All I wanted was to talk to you one last time, sister. To try to
convince you to join me. Instead, they used me as bait. You were
injured. Our friends were killed.” A look of fury crossed her
face for a moment. “Oh, but they paid. I swear they paid for
that betrayal. Not one of those fiends ever made it back to Hell, of
that you can be sure.”

Gloriel hesitated. “You...you didn't set me
up?”

“Is that what you've believed, all this
time? We were closer than sisters, Natalie. As close as two mortals
can be. Can you blame me for wanting you with me when I left? Yes,
we've gone on different paths but I've never stopped loving you or
wishing that that horror had never happened.” She spread her
arms wide. “I am alone here. No troops, no other Fallen. Just
me. Human. If you want to take your revenge, then take it. I won't
fight back. Perhaps then you'll know peace.”

There was a flash and a momentary disturbance in
the air and then Natalie was standing where Gloriel had been.

“I...I want to believe you, Angie. I really
do, but...” She sounded like she was near tears.

“You can, Nat. You know me better than
anyone. Trust your heart. Trust your feelings. I know you will never
come over to my side now, but let's at least put that horrible day
behind us.”

Chris had watched the entire interaction in
disbelief. Surely Natalie wasn't falling for Angelica's lies? Because
that's what they were, he just knew it. Or were they? Here she was,
alone, injured, obviously weak. He could tell by her voice that
Natalie desperately wanted it to be true. To think that your best
friend had betrayed you must be horrible. Maybe, just maybe, she
hadn't.

A hissed whisper from behind him made him look
over his shoulder. The judge and the rabbi were taking hurriedly
under their breaths. Then the rabbi nodded and began to chant
quietly. Chris thought he was speaking in Hebrew but he really had no
clue what that sounded like, so he wasn't sure. Now what are they up
to, he wondered.

He turned back to see Angelica holding out her
arms to Natalie, who walked slowly toward her as if hypnotized. And
then they embraced. Both of them were crying.

“I'm sorry I doubted you, Angie,”
Natalie sobbed and hugged her fiercely.

“So I am, Nat.” Angelica sounded
broken-hearted. “I'm sorry...that you're such an idiot.”

Natalie pulled back and stared at her friend.
“What?” And then she shrieked with pain.

From somewhere, Angelica had pulled a knife and
Chris watched in horror as Natalie staggered back, the hilt
protruding from her stomach. “Try calling Gloriel with a foot
of cursed iron in your guts, you stupid bitch.” Angelica
snarled.

Natalie collapsed and lay on her back, gasping for
air and twitching horribly. Angelica looked down at her and laughed.

“How can an angel be so gullible? That was
always your weakness, dear. Sentiment.” She looked over at the
judge. “I don't know why you're here, Ethan. You always did
love ancient history more than people. But to leave your beloved Nest
and come here? Now? You really are a fool.”

“Perhaps, Angelica. Or perhaps it is you who
are the fool. You are alone here. As you said...no troops, no Fallen.
Just you.”

She laughed. “I don't need anyone else to
deal with you. And once you're gone, your Angelic Dominion will fall.
Cut off the head and the body dies. So, let's see if that theory
holds, shall we?”

Angelica was engulfed in flame and Chris gasped,
hopeful for a brief moment that someone had used some sort of weapon
on her. But his hope was short-lived.

Suddenly towering over Natalie was a monstrous
creature. Perhaps she had been an angel once, but now she was
something else.

She stood as tall as Gloriel had, but the heavy
brutal face held no beauty. White hair wreathed in flame hung down
her back. Two horns twisted out and up from her forehead and immense
webbed bat-like wings stretched out behind her. In her taloned hand,
the demon held a shard of metal that glowed and smoked and dripped
red gobbets like blood. A breastplate of scarred iron covered her
chest and below that, hairy goat-like legs that hinged backwards led
down to cloven hooves.

Chris stared at the thing, appalled. How could
they fight...that?

Lilith threw back her head and laughed. “And
now I will make you a sacrifice to my master. The one, true ruler
over Heaven and Earth. A glorious day for the forces of Hell. My
reward will be beyond measure. But first,” she looked down at
Natalie sprawled out on the floor, unmoving, “I'll deal with
this dear sister of mine.” She raised her horrific weapon.
“Your soul will not rise, my dear. I'm sending you into
oblivion.”

As the demon readied herself to strike, the ground
in front of her exploded upwards, pushing her back and away from
Natalie.