Authors: Darcy Town
Furcas’ eye opened; it was bloodshot.
He gulped, his throat swollen.
“Dahlia.
Andy is burning!”
He threw up on the floor.
Paimon ignored the vomit of alcohol and blood.
“Hey, hey look at me.”
He touched Furcas’ cheek and pulled his hand back; his skin blistered.
He shook his hand out, pulled his sleeve down, and touched Furcas with his protected hand.
“Can you feel anything yet?”
Furcas coughed feebly.
“Dahlia is in a cage.”
“I meant
you
.”
Furcas shook his head.
Paimon propped him up and leaned him against the couch.
He checked his back.
He pulled gauze away and examined the wing scars; the sutures he’d put in a few hours before came away with the gauze.
Paimon scowled.
“Again!”
He pulled out a clean cloth and wiped the blood away from Furcas’ back.
The scars oozed slowly; he pulled another red feather out.
He stared at the bleeding flesh.
Furcas turned his head.
“Are they still open?”
Paimon nodded.
“You can’t feel anything?”
Furcas shook his head.
“Nothing.
Paimon.”
He grabbed for Paimon’s hand.
“They’re burning Andy.”
“Andy can take care of himself.
You’re worse.”
Furcas coughed up blood.
“I’m fine.”
“You only think you’re fine because you have no feeling in your body, which by the way means you’re not fine!”
Furcas tried to sit up on his own.
“We need to get to the City!
We have to tell Lucifer about Dahlia!”
Paimon held Furcas in place.
“I’m working on it, but we can’t take you down the Old Road, Furcas.
Not in your condition.”
“What about the plan?”
Paimon glared at him.
“I am
not
going to leave your side and get the angels to chase me.
Who would take you down to the City?”
Furcas looked over Paimon’s shoulder.
“Belial’s on TV.”
“You’re hallucinating.
More ice please.”
“No, look.”
Furcas pointed.
Paimon turned around.
Patrons in the bookstore stopped and stared as a barista turned the volume up.
Paimon lifted Furcas off the couch and walked over.
They heard Belial scream, heard her send the humans out to rampage.
Paimon grinned.
“She’s still on plan, good girl!”
Uriel came down into the image and hovered.
The camera zoomed in on him, unsure of what he was.
Furcas blinked.
“But Uriel.”
Paimon squinted.
“Yeah, well, she knew that would happen.
This is the distraction
we
need.”
The image shifted to show the city of Phoenix.
The skyline blotted by fire and smoke.
Helicopter shots showed riots in the city and suburbs.
People looted buildings and set things on fire.
Bodies clogged the streets along with the wreckage of cars and fences.
The image switched back to the stadium.
An incensed and half-naked Belial squared off with Uriel.
The bookstore was silent, unable to understand what they saw.
The conversation between Belial and Uriel was audible.
The announcers did not know what to say, they switched back to the riot outside the stadium.
Furcas’ head rolled back.
“She’s going to get herself killed.”
Paimon smiled.
“Or get a pick-up back to the City.”
Furcas passed out.
Paimon shifted his weight.
He looked at the Chulyin.
“Get me a badass sound system.
You know what that is?”
The Chulyin nodded.
Paimon smiled.
“Bring speakers, anything that you can find.”
The Chulyin looked back at the TV.
“Are we going to do
that
?”
Paimon’s grin increased.
“Yeah, but
my
way.”
He looked at Furcas.
“We need to get this going fast.
I don’t think he can last much longer.”
“But the angels—”
“We’ll deal with them as they come,
if
they come.
We can’t sit in here forever and Belial is drawing their attention currently.”
He set Furcas down on the couch.
“It’s a calculated risk.”
***
Low-flying helicopters blanketed the stadium in Phoenix.
Cameras and guns focused on the scene below.
Belial stood on the pitcher’s mound and kept her eyes trained on Uriel.
The Archangel circled overhead, his eyes darting from side to side.
Lightning raced through the sky above.
“Where are the others?”
Belial spat at him.
“I am by myself, you shit.”
Uriel swooped lower.
“But what have I done to deserve such a present?”
Belial beckoned him.
“I owe you.”
Uriel’s feet touched the ground at second base.
His body was wreathed in blue light; his wings spread and vibrated.
He sheathed his sword and cracked his knuckles.
“Come to me, girl.”
Belial eyed his bare hands.
“No sword for me?
I’m surprised.
You so love your
implements
.”
“Just my hands for you.”
His eyes smoldered.
He flexed.
“Just me.”
Belial’s eyes burned along with his.
She spotted the pendant around his neck, flashing in the light.
He touched it.
“You want this?”
She nodded.
Uriel tucked it into his breastplate.
He smiled and threw himself at her.
Belial jumped into the air and flipped over him.
She whipped her bladed hair around scoring his armor, ripping at loose pieces.
He grabbed for her hair, but she was away before he could catch her.
He checked his pendant, still in place.
Belial leapt at him, kicked him in the ear, and flipped off.
He groped for her ankle.
She grinned, grabbed his arm, and kicked him in the side of head as she swung around.
“Brothers are so alike!”
She reached for the pendant, but jumped away as he swiped at her.
She flipped back to the pitcher’s mound.
Uriel grimaced and faced her.
“I am
nothing
like
Berith
.”
“You’re right, he’s better.
He can actually catch me.”
Uriel charged.
Belial dove at his feet, tripping him.
She jumped on his back and clawed at his neck.
He caught her by her hair and threw her out towards the grassy field.
Belial landed on her feet.
“You’re too slow, Uriel.
That armor you so love is cumbersome!
Why don’t you take it off for me?”
Uriel looked her over and stood his ground.
“I have caught you before, Belial.
I can do so again, and this time
everyone
will see you
beg
.”
Belial’s body went rigid.
A mirthless smile split her face.
“It is
my
turn, Uriel.
Mine
.”
She ripped her finger blades off and sent them flying at the Archangel as she rushed him.
Uriel ducked as she jumped.
He reached up for her foot and caught it.
He wrenched her leg, dislocating her knee with a pop.
Belial twisted herself out of his grasp and jumped away, landing with a stumble.
She pushed her knee back into place.
He did not give her time to recover.
He slammed his fist into her ribs, throwing her towards the bases.
Belial ripped up second base and threw it at his face.
She spit blood into the dirt and dodged as he charged.
Uriel missed and came to a stop, taking in her condition.
“You are hurting.”
His eyes lingered on her bruised ribs and he smiled.
“That color has always suited you.”
Belial wiped blood from her lips.
“Your blood suits me better.”
Uriel licked her blood off his fist, savoring it.
“You taste better with age.
Does everything about you taste better?”
He looked her up and down.
Belial shook.
She balled her hands into fists.
“You’ll have to live without knowing.”
“I do not think so.”
Uriel charged.
He feinted left and clawed at her bare stomach.
His nails raked her flesh.
Belial jumped onto his back and locked her legs around his neck.
She scratched at the pendant, pulled, but it was trapped securely under his armor.
She let out a screech of frustration.
Uriel laughed and punched upwards.
He hit her in the chin.
Her head snapped back.
He grabbed her hair and dragged her face to his.
He tore her neck open with his teeth.
He threw her to the ground and kicked her across the grass as blood sprayed out of her wound.
Belial got to her knees and held her throat.
She tried to stand as the wound healed.
She fell back to her knees, coughing up blood.
“Darling.”
Uriel kicked her in the stomach, launching her a few feet.
“Do you not like my kisses?”
Belial’s neck healed, but her body was painted red.
Her blood covered the grass.
She crawled backwards, her fingers on bladed points.
Her eyes darted over his figure.
Her limbs shook, and she slipped on her own blood.
Uriel saw and laughed at her.
“Just give in again.”
Belial stopped and sat back on her heels, her expression unreadable.
“I’d rather die.”
“I will not let that happen.
You are entertaining alive.
I enjoy the fighting spirit.
You were so boring the last time in comparison.
No fight then whatsoever, just a lot of crying, begging.”
Belial held a bladed hand out in front of her, warding him off.
“Fight me fairly for once, Uriel.”
Uriel shook his head, wings pumping.
“There will never be fairness between us,
slattern
.”
He kicked, breaking her arm and sending her sprawling.
He smirked.
“Tell me, does that fool Andrealphus still love you?”
Belial clenched her jaw and pushed herself backwards along the ground.
She kept her eyes locked on his face.
She held her arm, but the bone did not heal quickly.
Her blood loss weakened her.
Uriel stared at the cameras.
“I hope he is watching.”
He leaned in.
“After I am done, no one will want you but me.”
He grabbed her ankle and pulled her across the grass.
Belial dug her claws into the ground; they snapped as he jerked her towards him.
He stood over her.
Belial stared up at him, bloody and weakened.
“Uriel…”
Uriel bent over and punched her across the face.
Her head rolled to the side.
He grinned.
“You do not change, not in the end.
Weak.”
He grabbed her by her hair.
He ripped it all out in chunks and smiled as clean, soft blonde hair grew in to replace it.
“Better.
You are not a warrior, darling.”
Belial stared at the ground, panting.
Jacob, Tracy, and Celeste screamed at her from the sidelines.
She did not look up.
Uriel pulled his hands back and examined his work.
“
Almost
like before.”
Belial rolled in a blur.
She jumped up his frame, grabbed the sword from his back, and ripped it off.
She threw the sheath in his face and swung the blade in an arc.
Uriel leapt back, but not fast enough.
The heavenly forged sword tore through his armor like paper.
His breastplates and chainmail fell to the ground, leaving him bare-chested.
Belial landed on her good leg and swung again.
Uriel caught the blade and pulled, bringing her to him.
He caught her by her throat and squeezed her neck, cutting off her oxygen.
He threw his blade towards the stands.
He touched his bare chest; the pendant hung around his neck unprotected.
He smiled.
“I was going to get undressed anyways.
You have sped things along, sweetheart.”
He wrapped a wing around her and smelled her hair.
He licked her cheek.
She leaned away from him.
He slammed his forehead into hers.
He heard a shout and turned.
“What now—”
Tracy plowed into his face.
Celeste reeled on the sidelines from tossing her friend.
Tracy held on to Uriel.
She pulled on the wing that held Belial.
“You let her go!”
“What is this thing?”
Uriel laughed and ripped Tracy from his shoulder.
He tossed her to the ground, knocking the breath from her lungs.
He smiled, but his expression turned to horror.
His pendant hung from her horns, torn off by his throw.
It dangled in her face.
Tracy stared at it in shock, then at him.
She gasped and crawled away.
Uriel roared.
Belial swiped at his face sending him back.
She grabbed Tracy and launched her through the air, away from the Archangel.
Tracy soared towards the seats.
She closed her eyes before impact.
Jacob slammed into her, knocking both off course.
He secured her in his arms.
His airstream reformed around them.
He flew wildly, without control, sending both careening up the concrete stairs.
He blasted up into the air and they flew into the stadium lights.
“Come back!”
Uriel snarled and opened his wings to give chase.
Belial jumped on his back and punched him in the head.
His scalp opened up, bleeding.
She grinned.
Uriel grabbed her by the hand and tossed her.
He jumped into the air.
Celeste caught Uriel by the foot and hauled him towards the ground, her strength holding him in place while Tokala bit at his legs.
Belial raced by, leapt up Celeste’s shoulders and onto Uriel.
She brought a fist down on his left-most wing.
The snap of bone was audible throughout the stadium.
Uriel threw his head back and howled.
Belial jumped back and punched, fracturing ribs.
He fell to the ground and held his sides.
She kicked him in the face and shoved him into the ground.
She caught hold of a flapping wing, ready to break it.
Uriel pushed himself up and punched her in the stomach.
Belial brushed him off and drove her knee into his chin.
He staggered.
She kicked and snapped his left leg, then his right.
She knocked him to the ground and took hold of his ankles.
She picked him up by his feet and slammed him into the ground, wings first.
Two more cracked, shedding feathers.
She hissed.
“How does it feel?”
Uriel screamed in agony and rage.
She jumped on his chest and gripped his jaw in her hands.
She spit in his face.
“Tell me what it feels like.
Speak to me,
sweetheart
!”
She broke his collarbone with a snap of her fingers.
“Do you like it?
Does it feel
good
?”
She stabbed at his chest with her talons.
“Are you enjoying this?
I am, baby.”
She jumped off and kicked his ribs.
The force sent him rolling.
She ran after him and screeched, “How does it feel to be
helpless
?”
She kicked him.
“How does it feel to be
broken
?”
“You…”
Uriel sucked in air and fought nausea and pain. He pushed himself up on his hands.
“You can never do to me what I did to you.”
“I can do far
worse
!”
She broke his nose with a kick.
She pushed him to the ground face first and snapped his last unbroken wing over her knee.
She placed her foot between his shoulder blades and wrenched.
The wing tore loose in a spray of blood and tissue.
Uriel screamed into the ground.
She lifted the wing over her head and tossed it away like garbage.
She rolled him to his back.
She put a knee to his chest and drove her left-hand talons into his rib cage.
“I can get inside you,
baby
.
I can feel you.”
She sliced his forearm open and wrapped her fingers around the glistening bone.
“I will make what is yours mine,
darling
.
Look at me, baby.”
She ripped the arm bone out.
She bit one end off, making the point razor sharp.
She spit the excess in his face and pressed the bone against his stomach.
“Look at me baby,
darling
.
I love you.”
She jabbed him, blood welled up at its point.
“I love you.”
“Bi—bitch.”
Uriel reached for her with his working hand.
“I will kill…”
Belial grabbed his wrist and held him down.
“No, no.
Don’t be bad, you were doing so well.”
She pierced him in the stomach.
“Darling, you are so pretty when you’re bloody.”
She stabbed into his hip.
She screwed the bone into his leg, fracturing both under the pressure.
“Make some noise for me.
I want to hear how much you enjoy this,
baby
.”
Uriel spit up blood, but made no sound.
“Don’t you like hearing your own words?”
She jabbed him in the chest.
“Don’t you
like
what you created, my love?”
“You are
ruined
!”
Uriel struggled to speak, “You cannot undo the past.
I
broke
you
, you are mine!”
Belial slashed at his face.
“I am my own!”
“How you must hate yourself!”
He laughed.
His eyes glinted from pain.
“You are nothing more than my leavings!
Nothing more than trash,
garbage
!
No one
wants you but me, Belial!
You are
worthless
!
Refuse!
Waste!”
“I’ve accepted that, Uriel.
I’ve accepted what I am now, but you haven’t…”
She jammed the bone into his left hip socket and twisted.
She smiled at his pain; her eyes glowed silver.
“In the trash, all used up, I know, but you…
you
…”
Her voice dropped into a growl.
Uriel stared at her, fear edged into his features.
“Be—”
“
Come
fucking join me, darling
!”
She slammed the bone into his pelvis.
Uriel screamed.
***
Dahlia, Andy, Helion, and Whitney watched the television in horror; they were as shocked as the Solomon Soldiers that held them captive.
The fires had stopped; no one moved.
Everyone stared at Belial and Uriel.
The TV volume up as far as it could go.
Helion cried in a low whine.
“I—I—” Andy stretched towards the screen as tears poured down his face.
“I didn’t know.
I didn’t know!
I never knew!
Why didn’t you tell me about him?
Why didn’t you say anything!
I just thought you didn’t, that you didn’t want me—I didn’t know
why
!”
He squeezed his eyes shut.
“I’m sorry.”
He shuddered.
“I’m so
sorry
!”
Helion rocked on his heels.
“It was
my
fault.
My fault.
My fault.”
***
Lightning ripped across the sky over the stadium, thunder followed.
Uriel’s angels broke through the atmosphere.
They wore no pendants, but they were willing to die for their Archangel.
Belial looked up, her body covered in blood.
Beneath her Uriel still breathed, still bled.
Holes punctured him from head to toe.
Belial stood.
Her tongue slipped out between her lips.
“I will kill
all
of you.”
Uriel opened his mouth; his lips and tongue were torn, but he still formed words, “I will come back for you, Belial.”
“I look forward to it.”
She grinned and glanced down at him.
“You’re right, that does
not
get tiresome.”
She kicked him away from her.
Seven angels landed on the field, blades drawn, fully armored.
Already weakened and sickened, they did not unfold to their full height.
She stood between them and Uriel.
She grinned.
“Come to me.”
The earth opened up at the angels’ feet and swallowed them in a single motion.
She stepped back.
Hephaestus erupted from the earth and gestured for her.
“You are relieved.”
She pouted.
“
Why
?”
“Lucifer is still healing, but the rest are missing.
We need your help.”
Belial’s smile slid off her face.
“Of course.”
Jacob landed beside her with Tracy in his arms.
Celeste ran over with Tokala and the Chulyin.
Belial looked back at Uriel.
“What about him?”
Michael and Raphael entered the atmosphere with sonic booms.
Hephaestus shook his head.
“Time to depart.”
He began to glow and lost his form.
He encircled the group in light and they disappeared into the earth.