Milayna (40 page)

My betrayer watched, standing next to Azazel. He smirked at me. A self-satisfied sneer that said he was pleased with himself. He was too busy staring at me to see what was coming. With a flick of Azazel’s bony finger, his minions descended, scratching and clawing at Jeff. His screams of pain filled the room, and I flinched. My stomach dropped, and my mouth went dry.

The demons held him motionless, his arms pinned to his sides and legs held together.

“Have you ever heard the fable of the scorpion and the frog?” Azazel asked Jeff. Walking to him, he scraped his fingernail under his chin, drawing blood.

“N… no.” Jeff’s voice was shrill. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and he breathed in fast gasps.

“Please, don’t do it. I’ll do what you want, just let him and Muriel go,” I pleaded. I knew what was coming. But my words fell on deaf—or evil—ears. He wouldn’t let them go any more than he’d let me go.

“A scorpion needed a ride to the other side of a river, or was it a lake? Oh, I don’t know. I never can remember.”

“Please, show some mercy.” It made me nauseous to plead with him.

“He betrayed you, and yet, you still beg for his life?” Azazel tsked. He waved off my pleas and continued his story. “Anyway, unable to swim, he asks a frog for a ride. The frog, of course, is leery of his would-be passenger. ‘You’ll sting me,’ he whines. But the scorpion laughs at the frog. ‘Why would I sting you? You’d sink, and I’d drown.’ The frog thought for a moment and decided the scorpion’s reasoning sounded logical, so he agreed to give him a ride to the other side. And this, well, is the part that concerns you, dear boy. About halfway to the other side, the scorpion stings the frog. As the frog is dying, he asks the scorpion why he would do such a thing. And do you know what he said?”

Jeff shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

“He said, ‘Because I’m a scorpion. It’s my nature.’ See, the scorpion couldn’t change, or maybe he didn’t want to. Either way, he doomed the frog and himself to an early death. Well, as most everyone in the room will agree, I’m evil. It’s my nature. So in this little scenario, I’d be the scorpion and you’d be… ” He stopped and plucked a piece of lint off Jeff’s shirt before he looked up at him and smiled. “Well, unfortunately, you’re the frog.”

Realizing what was about to happen, Jeff screamed, “But I helped you. You promised if I brought her to you, you’d let me cross over!”

“Oh, you’re crossing over. Just not the way you thought. See, there’s a problem with you. You came to me for what I could give you. That’s what you care about—what I’ll do for you. Well, I want people to worship me. Adore me.” Azazel lifted his arms toward the ceiling and threw back his head as he talked. “Fall on their knees in front of me and declare their undying love and devotion. Fight to the death for me.” He dropped his arms and looked at Jeff. “Not follow me because I can give them a seventy-inch plasma television and unlimited time with his girlfriend.” He turned his back, dismissing Jeff.

With a nod of his head, one of the flying demon-angels swooped down and grabbed Jeff’s head. With one swift twist, it broke his neck. The sound of bone crunching and cracking filled the room.

The demons holding him let go. His body crumpled and fell to the floor with a sickening thud, his face slack and open eyes staring straight ahead.

“No!” I screamed. My heartbeat throbbed in my ears. I could feel heat surge through my body and pictured my hands breaking Azazel’s neck.

Jeff was a good person. Deep down, he was a good person. He didn’t deserve that.

Jake and his friends stood silently watching. Muriel bent and vomited, the spray hitting Jake’s leg.

“Hey, Jake!” I yelled. “Maybe your new bestie Azazel will tell you the same bedtime story just before one of his angels breaks your neck. Because it’ll happen. As soon as he doesn’t need you anymore, it’ll happen.”

“Whatever, Milayna. Right now, I think you have bigger problems to worry about,” Jake mocked.

“Tsk, tsk, Milayna. Are you saying I’m not a man of my word?”

My body shook so hard I had to concentrate to keep my voice from wavering. I didn’t want to show fear. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “You’re not a man.”

Azazel laughed. “You got me there. I’m not a man. I’m stronger.”

“Doubtful.”

“My, my, you have a lot of attitude for someone in your position. I’d consider treating me with a little more respect.”

“Earn it. Let Muriel go.”

“Mmm.” He tapped one long fingernail against his thin lips. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I will do this, though. I’ll kill her last. That’ll give her the best chance of being rescued.”

We’re not getting rescued. It’s two against… shit, two against all of Hell. Eh, those odds aren’t too bad.

“Okay, I think I’ve had enough chatter for one day. I’m growing bored with this whole ordeal, Milayna. It’s time for us to end this.” He waved his hand in the air like he was swishing a bug away. “Let go of her. She’s not going anywhere.”

With one final, painful squeeze, the demons let go of my arms. I stumbled forward, falling on my knees.

“Now see, if only you’d fallen on your knees in front of me sooner, this could have been avoided.” Azazel chuckled and shook his head. “Such a pity.”

I stood and brushed myself off. Squaring my shoulders and schooling my expression, I looked into Azazel’s cold, dead eyes. “I’ll never bow to you.”

“And that is why you will die.”

The floor began to shake, and I held out my arms to keep my balance. The tile broke, the pieces flying through the room like knives as they sailed past me. I felt blood ooze from a cut on my cheek. It ran down my face and neck.

As pieces flew at me, I waved them away with my hands, amazed that I could finally tap into my telekinetic power without thinking.

The floor broke open. Fissures spread across the concrete floor like fingers. The earth parted—sliced open like melted butter. The sound of the cracking concrete and churning earth was deafening. It drowned out even Muriel and the demons’ screams, who lined the wall behind Azazel. Two held Muriel as she struggled to break free. The only sound was the groaning of the building as it gave way around us.

Pieces of the ceiling crashed to the floor as supports broke. As pieces fell above me, I raised my hand and flung them to the side. The chunks of ceiling followed the direction of my hands, landing just inches from Azazel.

“Wow! You’re getting good at that. It’s such a shame all your power will be wasted. Last chance, Milayna. Come with me. Think of all the fun we could have using your powers!”

I flung a piece of ceiling tile at him, knocking him in the shoulder hard enough that he stumbled backward. Jake and the line of demons shuffled toward the door of the church, dragging Muriel with them. They moved as far away from the falling ceiling and the pieces of concrete I was throwing toward Azazel as possible.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’” He steadied himself and brushed off his robe.

I turned in a circle, watching Azazel break away the floor little by little until I stood on a small surface, the hole in the floor like a moat encircling me.

I smelled it first. The stench of sulfur filled the air just moments before the smoke coiled up from the fissure. I saw the faint yellow glow coming from below. The earth gave way a little more, and I saw them. My stomach churned at the sight. So many people, such destruction. That would be my fate.

“Bow!”

“No!” I screamed. He flung his hand toward me, and a portion of the floor I stood on gave way.

“Do it or die,” Azazel yelled.

“No.” Fear clogged my throat, choking me.

He shrugged. “Okay.” He gave a small wave. Barely a movement of his hand, like he was so bored he couldn’t summon enough energy to do more. The small area of floor I stood on cracked a little more. I took a step back. My heels hung off the back, rocks and broken pieces of tile fell into the pit leading straight to Hell.

The clock chimed. One o’clock. I had one minute until the exact time of my birth. He’d do it any second now. He couldn’t wait any longer. If he didn’t kill me before the clock read one minute past one, I’d be immune to him and his demons. I’d be stronger. I closed my eyes and waited for the visions to tell me what to do. How the hell was I going to get out of this? When they finally came, the visions scrolled through my mind like credits after a movie. Faster and faster they came. I could hardly keep up. Scenario after scenario. Around and around they swirled, blending into each other.

They stopped, and I jerked forward with the abruptness. I opened my eyes and locked on Azazel’s glare. I knew what had to be done.

“Oh dear. Sounds like your time has run out, Milayna.”

“We’ll see,” I said with a shrug of one shoulder.

Oh, geez, I’m smart mouthing a demon. Maybe I should rethink this plan. I don’t even know if it’s possible… but the vision showed me.

The floor crumbled little by little, and the smell of sulfur and rotting flesh filled my nostrils, burning the back of my throat. The screams and groans of the people below roared in the room as the demonic angels cackled and flew in circles around my head.

I forced myself to relax. I pictured my parents and brother, Saturday morning breakfasts and family movie nights. I saw Muriel, whispering during sleepovers and joking around at the mall. Chay. His blue-green eyes, the feel of his hand in mine, the taste of his kiss.

When I listened very closely, when I really focused, I could hear them on the other side of the doors, trying to find a way inside. My mother was crying, and my dad was screaming. Chay called my name.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “I love you all. So much.”

Just as I felt the piece of support give way beneath me, I reached my hand down toward the small slab of floor I stood on, making a fist as though I was grabbing hold of it. In one motion, I dropped low, held on with one hand, and swung my other hand forward in the air. The floor followed the movement and sailed across the room, with me on it, right into Azazel.

We both fell hard. My head bounced against the floor. Stars, like Christmas twinkle lights, flickered in front of my eyes. The gold-and-bronze mosaic floor blurred. I tried to move, but my body was heavy, weighted.

Oh, shit, I didn’t think that would work.

Fat, red legs scurried toward me. Damn goblins. I was so over them! I reached my hand toward them and made a scooping motion. Their fat, red bodies suspended in air, stumpy legs kicking and violent curses spilling from their mouths. I moved my hand to the pit and dropped them in, back to their homeland down under.

Just like an invisible dump truck.

I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t move. Lifting my head off the ground, I could see I was covered in debris. One swipe of my arm and the cement and pieces of ceiling tile flew off me. I jumped up and searched for Azazel.

He rushed me. I did a side sweep. He fell forward, trying to catch his balance with his hand on the ground. But his feet tangled in the hem of his robe and he face-planted in front of me.

“Sucks wearing a dress, huh?” I circled him. He planted his palms on the floor and tried to push himself up. I put my foot in the middle of his back, pressing him down. At the same time, I motioned for the barricade to lift from the door. People burst through, yelling and shouting as they stormed into the room. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw my group head straight for Jake and the rest of his little club.

Azazel used the small window when my attention was diverted, flipping and rolling out of reach. He stood with his back to me.

A chunk of plaster ceiling fell a few feet from me. I reached my hand toward it and flung it at Azazel. His back was still turned. He was close enough to the pit. If I could get one good hit in, he’d fall in and the nightmare would end.

I guided the piece of ceiling toward him, closer and closer, it was almost there. I picked up speed, moving my arm faster, putting as much power behind the throw as I could. It sailed closer and closer. It was almost to him. Just inches. Something clutched my stomach, excitement, anticipation, I wasn’t sure. But my body had a current run through it, from my toes to the tips of my hair.

It’s closer. So close. Almost. It’s going to hit him…

His arm shot out, his hand flat, palm facing the piece of ceiling. “Did you really think it’d be that easy?” He turned to face me. The piece of ceiling moved slightly as he did. “Are you really that daft, to think your powers are stronger than mine?”

I pressed against the ceiling. He pressed back. It hung between us, moving a little one way and then the other. My arm started to shake against the force.

It must be almost time. Just hold on…

A tingling began in the middle of my chest and radiated down my arm. I felt it move through each finger. A wind blew through the church. My long, red waves whipped wildly around my head like Medusa’s snakes.

The piece of ceiling started to move toward Azazel. He grunted with his effort to push it back. I pushed as hard as I could. My body vibrated from the force.

“Enough!” he screamed. He pulled back his arm and thrust it to the side, sending the piece of ceiling sailing to the left. I squeezed my hand together, and the chunk of ceiling exploded in the air. The dust carried away on the wind circling the room.