Splendor and Darkness (Rebel Angels) (17 page)

She closed her eyes, composing her thoughts, or at least allowing herself to think. “Why have you brought me here?” His hand cupped her chin and she gasped. Opening her eyes, she met his ink-black gaze, struggling against the compulsion residing there. She hadn’t heard him move, hadn’t sensed his nearness.

“I want you to spend eternity at my side.”

Chills broke out on her arms. “You want me to
Fall
.”

“I want you to transform.” He moved closer, towering over her. “You understand transformation. It’s nothing you haven’t experienced before. Fallen angels forfeit their souls and become connected to the Netherworld. I have found a way to survive without the collective energy of the Netherworld. I made my discovery too late to salvage my own soul, but I believe you can transform with your soul intact.”

She shook her head. Lies! Half-truths and insinuations were the tools of his trade. “You think, you believe. Until I try and I am damned.”

He spread his arms wide, his expression challenging. “Do I look damned? Am I surrounded by filth and evil?”

“Regardless of your surroundings, you are evil to the core.”

Growling, he took her face between his hands and bent toward her. His lips brushed hers as he spoke. “And you are so much better? Even as an angel you dealt in death. You have always craved the darkness, understood its allure.”

“You cannot force me to
Fall
. If that is your purpose, release me now and save us both the aggravation.”

He laughed and pushed her away. “Brave words, my dear, but our interaction has just begun. You have wandered too long in the shadows. I will help you accept the dark.” His gaze never left her face.
“
Kaleb
.
Have you prepared my second gift?”

“Aye, Father. Everything transpired as planned.”

Kaleb
moved out from behind a large tapestry, his smug smile very much like his father’s. Lailah pressed her hand to her pounding heart. Daniel had known. Why hadn’t she listened? Her stunned brain shook off the stupor and fear dried her mouth.
The hunting party.
What had become of the others?

“How did it go at the castle?”
Kaleb
asked casually.

“Despite my shield Anna spotted the horde, but
Makatiel
will be busy for some time to come.”

“
Gadrayel
will summon reinforcements,”
Kaleb
predicted cheerfully.

Tension gripped Lailah’s belly. If
Kaleb
doubted the outcome of the battle, why did he sound pleased?

“Of course he will,” Enos agreed. “But it could take days before the battle is over and they interrogate
Makatiel
.”

“
Makatiel
?”
Each word they spoke filled Lailah with dread. They were entirely too calm.

“Aye, your former prince.
Surely you remember
Makatiel
.”

Clutching the trailing ends of her sleeves, she stared at Enos, refusing to contribute to his amusement with her curiosity.

“The Guardian Angels will capture him, though there is no telling how many he will destroy before they succeed.” Enos walked around her in a lazy circle, his hands clasped behind his back. “He will enjoy their interrogation, but eventually he will reveal what they want to know. Who is his master, and where have I taken the Empowered One?”

Her gaze flew to his at the phrase.

“Oh aye, I know about the Empowered One. In fact, I seem to know more about him than the Council of Ancients. But we’ll return to that in a moment.
Makatiel
, being the selfish bastard he is, will lead the Guardian Angels back to me.”

“Only we’ve relocated in his absence.”
Kaleb
chuckled. “He has no idea where we are.”

Lailah licked her lips and looked from Enos to
Kaleb
and back. “You sent him in to distract the Guardians, knowing he would betray you in the end.”

Enos shrugged. “
Makatiel
no longer concerns me. He is in the hands of God.”

She flinched from the sarcasm in his tone.

“Now on to the Empowered One.”
He nodded and
Kaleb
pulled the tapestry to one side. Nate was chained to the wall, gagged and bloodied, his clothing reduced to tattered rags.

“Nay!”
Lailah lunged forward. Enos caught her around the waist, drawing her back against his chest.

“I sensed this one’s potential shortly after his birth. I have orchestrated his entire life to make him susceptible to my will, but he is stubborn.”

“You hid him from
Gadrayel
, like you concealed the horde.”

“Very good.
I shielded his true nature, so
they
wouldn’t interfere.”

Nate twisted in his chains, his gaze bright with hatred and defiance.

Lailah stopped struggling. Demons thrived on conflict. She needed to understand his purpose. “What has he to do with my transformation? Release him. This is between you and me.”

“Actually, it will be between the three of us.”

Nate clenched his fists until his fingers went numb. The gag bit into the corners of his mouth and the bitter taste of blood lingered on his tongue. He had allowed
Kaleb
to bear him away from the forest, ensuring Will’s safety. But the moment their surroundings stopped spinning, Nate had launched a brutal attack.

Knowing the fight was lost before it began hadn’t stopped Nate from trying. In the end,
Kaleb
had had to summon help to secure Nate in the shackles. That fact was small consolation with Enos wrapped around Lailah like a cloak.

“I think she needs a demonstration.”

Kaleb
nodded and walked from the room.

Lailah twisted in Enos’ grasp, her fingers prying at his forearm. “If this is between the three of us, then release Judith and Anna.”

“You will understand everything soon, my dear.” He cupped her breast, his gaze lifting to watch Nate’s reaction. “Judith is expendable, but the child is not.”

She stopped struggling and closed her eyes. Fragmented images from his vision returned to mock Nate. Lailah wasn’t yet chained to the bed, but this was the same room. If he was truly the Empowered One, his gifts were useless.

Your gifts are not yet active. You are far from useless.

Nate waited for Enos to react to the strange male voice. He continued pawing Lailah, his face pressed against her hair. Her eyes remained closed and her posture hadn’t changed.

I am sending my thoughts to you alone. Blink your eyes if you can hear me.

Nate blinked several times to be sure.

I am Sariel. Do you know who I am?

Nate blinked again.

Don’t try to respond. Enos will detect your thoughts. Cooperate for the time being. We are formulating a plan.

Kaleb
returned, dragging a gray-green creature by the arm. Its grotesque features and putrid stench identified its origin. Only something from the Netherworld could smell that bad.

“That is not worth the effort. Could you not find a fledgling at least?”

“We are a long way from the main gate here. I shall hunt later, but I thought this would suffice for the demonstration.”

Enos released Lailah and picked up the gray-green demon by its misshapen head. It shrieked, its spindly legs flailing wildly. As Enos gazed into its eyes, the creature exploded in a puff of dust, leaving a cloud of eerie green light. Enos inhaled the cloud, absorbing it through his eyes, mouth and nose.

Lailah shook her head, backing away from Enos. Terror filled her gaze and the color drained from her face. “You’re a leech, one of the Ravenous.” She whispered the word with such dread, it made Nate bite down on the gag and jerk against the chains. “I don’t understand. They were all destroyed.”

“Ravening is not a nature. It’s a skill. It’s one of many I’ve managed to acquire.
Kaleb
has learned how, and you will too. You will be more powerful than you ever dreamed—free, immortal, indestructible.”

“But you must complete your transformation,”
Kaleb
said. “You don’t have far to go.”

“Nay!
I will not Fall.”

“You are so fixated on that word. It’s just a word. I found you alone in the dark. I gave you back life’s splendor.”

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “You offer me darkness of all eternity. I’m not a fool.”

“That has yet to be seen,” Enos sneered. “My patience is wearing thin. I thought I could explain this to you logically and… Well, no matter, there are always alternatives.”

Enos grabbed her by the hair and yanked her against his chest. Her cry echoed off the stone walls and Nate’s heart lodged in his throat. He twisted and tugged, ignoring the pain stabbing up his arms.

“The Empowered One dies today. Either I absorb his energy, which will give me enough power to bow you to my will, or you cooperate and I’ll give his power to you.”

“You can’t force me to
Fall
.”

“With his power, I can. The choice is yours, slave or treasured mate. One way or the other, you will be mine.”

“You know, Father, you could use the child to motivate Lailah.”
Kaleb
grinned, and bile rose into the back of Nate’s throat.

“I know you had your heart set on a family, but you could use Anna’s power to complete Lailah’s transformation. Then, when your reluctant mate is being more reasonable, you can implant Nate’s essence inside her.”

“Nay!”
Lailah threw herself against Enos, punching and slapping, kicking and spitting.

Enos wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms against her sides. She pounded her head against his chest and continued to kick. Laughing, Enos turned toward his son. “You see why I must have her. Such spirit is hard to find.” He tightened his arms until Lailah went limp in his embrace. “That’s better. We will find more constructive avenues for all this passion once your transformation is complete. I was hoping to raise Anna as our own while I search for suitable breeders, but
Kaleb
has a viable idea.”

“Breeders?”

“Aye.
Human women—like
Kaleb’s
mother—who will carry my children.”

“You’re mad.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, but the fire had not left her eyes.

“Nay, I’m a demon who is not content to wallow in filth and bow to a
Fallen
angel who was created long after me. The Grigori were the original angels. It is only right that I purify Hell!”

Golden light flashed through the chamber and three angels appeared in front of Nate. Daniel and
Gadrayel
stood on either side of a massive, golden-haired angel Nate had never seen before. Their wings shifted, overlapped, creating a solid iridescent shield.

“Oh Sariel, we’ve been through this before,” Enos muttered. “You don’t have the stomach to kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to see you are locked in the deepest pit of the Netherworld for attempting to ‘purify Hell’.”

“As usual, there’s a flaw in your plan. Each creature I’ve devoured has increased my power. You’re no match for me anymore.”

“As usual, you’ve underestimated my recourses.” Sariel waved his hand behind his back and Nate’s chains released. “I’ve got the Empowered One.”

Sariel and
Gadrayel
rushed forward. Their flaming swords illuminated the room. Enos and
Kaleb
poised, ready for battle, long, lethal swords materializing in their hands. Daniel grabbed Lailah and dragged her toward Nate as the angels attacked.

Daniel’s expression commanded attention. His angelic radiance wavered and his wings drooped. “Sariel believes we can trigger Nate’s abilities if we saturate him with our angelic energy. In its pure form, he would not be able to absorb it, but because of our unique nature—”

“I understand.” She took one of Nate’s hands between hers. “I have so little left, but what I have I give freely.”

Tingling heat spread up his arm. “Wait! What will happen to you?” She didn’t answer and the burning flow continued, making it impossible for Nate to protest.

Her hand slipped from his and Nate gasped in a breath. He only had time for one. Daniel’s energy slammed into Nate, knocking him back against the wall. Fire exploded through his chest, shot down his legs and flared from his eyes. He groaned, slumping against the wall, legs trembling.

Understanding expanded within Nate, shocking him with its clarity. By concealing his true nature from the Council, Enos had locked Nate in a sort of twilight, never allowing his abilities to mature.

I sensed this one’s potential shortly after his birth. I have orchestrated his entire life to make him susceptible to my will…
All the death and unhappiness that had been heaped upon him, had Enos arranged every tragedy?

Power sizzled through Nate’s body and purpose filled his mind. Pushing away from the wall, he rolled his shoulders and tightened his fists.
Gadrayel
trapped
Kaleb
in the corner with a flurry of jabs and lunges too fast for the human eye to distinguish.
Kaleb
yelped and his sword clattered to the stone floor.

Without turning from Enos, Sariel manifested a second sword and slid it toward Nate with a measured kick. Nate bent, picked up the sword and advanced without breaking stride. Sariel furled his wings and moved out of his way.

Enos snarled. His features contorted as his demonic nature surged.

Pouring energy into the sword, Nate ignited the flames. He swung in a precise arc, but Enos blocked the attack. The impact jarred Nate’s shoulder and he quickly adjusted his stance.
Retreating
a half-step, he disengaged their blades and swung at the demon again.

Enos parried then launched his own attack with several skillful jabs. Nate blocked each attempt, anticipating his moves. “Did you push my father down the stairs?”

Enos grinned. “I see. They loosed some memories along with all this anger.”

Nate accepted the rush of fury triggered by Enos’ smug tone. He absorbed the energy and channeled it into the sword. The flames flared. Enos yelped and jumped back. “Did you kill my brother?”

Enos laughed. Nate swung, hit the demon’s sword and swung again. The second swipe cut deep into Enos’ arm.

“That hurt!” Enos spun, swinging his sword in a tight circle. Nate deflected the blow, knocking the sword out of the demon’s hand.
“Fine.
It’s more of a prop anyway.” His eyes ignited with yellowish-green light and he lifted his hand, palm out.

Nate pointed his sword toward Enos and seared his palm with the flame. Enos screamed, shaking his scalded hand.

“Did you arrange the ambush?” Nate remained composed, his features an expressionless mask.

“Nay!
That was
Makatiel
.”

“Of course.”
Nate narrowed his eyes. “You needed me alive.”

A moment of silence followed. Nate stared at the demon, not allowing emotion to hinder his concentration.

Kaleb
lunged for
Gadrayel
, planting his shoulder firmly in the angel’s midsection.
Gadrayel
stumbled back and
Kaleb
grabbed his sword.
Gadrayel
blocked the escape with his wing, but
Kaleb
twisted to the side.
Gadrayel
swung. Instead of lifting his blade to block,
Kaleb
tossed it to his father. The angel’s sword stabbed through
Kaleb’s
chest, dispersing his energy.

Enos screamed in fury and raised his son’s sword, prepared to fight. With one final lunge, Nate pierced the demon’s heart. Enos burst into a cloud of dust that showered the entire room. Nate coughed, fanning the air in front of his face.

His sword dematerialized as Nate spun to face Lailah. She stood against the far wall. Daniel had wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her wide, sightless eyes stared into the distance.

“Nay!”
Nate’s steps faltered and his heart missed a beat. “It cannot end like this. I will not allow it!”

Sariel moved in front of Nate. “It was the only way.”

“I do not want this power if they must pay the price.” He sidestepped Sariel and pulled Lailah into his arms. She pressed her face against his throat, her breath warming his skin. Nate trembled with frustration and regret. “What has Daniel sacrificed?”