Chosen (The Chosen Few Trilogy #1) (39 page)

I had been
five seconds from my
daughter’s
side when Ashka
slit her throat.

I
would have failed to reach her in time.

Y
ou fucking ten-time failure!

I went up to Lucy, stopped
,
and reached
out a hand. She smiled
.

I met Tanya
’
s shocked eyes.

For once, neither of us could think of anything to say.

After a few seconds respite I surveyed the situation. Loki continued to bellow his ruinous incanta
tion. A deadly struggle,
ten bodies deep, was taking place around his circle. Vampires and lycans and elves
endeavored
to reach him, only to be beaten back by the sheer number of demons defending him. The Gates of Hell continued to belch forth abomination
s.
Over by the road the
Trevochet
’s
and Devon had been rescued and saved by Belinda and a company of Delta force. Lysette was attempting t
o read the minds of the wounded
to determine how best to heal them. Devon was trying to hear her above the pandemonium. Belinda was shouting and directing the assault on Loki
’
s circle even as she checked Johnny
Trevochet
’s
vitals and spoke reassuringly to Devon. She was truly our leader, a shining jewel, and she was now entirely focused.

Above us the skies sparked with magic. Thunder splintered our
ears;
lightning dazzled the air leaving a burning stench in its wake. Every now and again that rotting fish stench struck us anew and made us gag.

As the battle ebbed and flowed Jade pulled herself away from the general melee and came
over to us. “Loki,” she panted
. “
Is now summoning Gorgoroth.
He seems powerful enough to attempt anything he wants.”

“Eleanor said som
ething similar about
Johnny and I
.
” I reminded her
.

It w
as time to go on a little faith
and start believing
n
ow
that
I knew that Lucy could defend herself.
M
y dau
ghter? One of the Chosen?
H
er newfound abilities lifted a massive burden from my heart.
I could
now
focus on saving the world.

I
ventured
as close as I dared to the chaotic struggle around Loki
’
s circle. Tanya walked by my side,
dispatching
the occasional demon that spotted us and tried his luck.

I concentrated my power, gathering it as I went, making Loki my target.

But in that ironic instant
the grotesque circle was
broken. I
heard Loki’s chant cut
short. I saw a fearless, leather
-
clad figure stand up to him.

And I heard Loki
’
s words.
“
Ah, Eliza. I hoped
we would meet again.
”

The vampire didn
’
t waste
time, just leapt forward and sent a ser
ies of jabs and flurries at
his body. And I saw now why Loki was their best, maybe the best of all of us, as he parried her every strike without losing ground, and connected solidly with quick jabs of his own.

I watched as he wore even Eliza down.
The battle quieted it seemed, as we all watched.
I dared not strike at him
because m
y power wasn
’
t that accurate. Or maybe it was. I had honed it pretty well back home. But, the truth is, I didn
’
t have the confidence to risk it.

I
n another moment Eliza,
realizing
her predicament, launched a stunning
volley of blows at Loki, and
even the great Destroyer stumbled backwards. I watched in awe. Beside me I heard Tanya catch her breath, and that single act, coming from her, was the highest accolade I could imagine.

Then Eliza stumble
d
over a half-dead demon. Loki leapt upon her, fists lashing out with deadly precision. I unleashed my power strike, but nearly cried when it smashed against Loki and rolled harmlessly away.

T
he evil bastard was protected
by a de
monic shield. I saw him
straighten, a triumphant grin splitting his face, and then with one hand he hauled up Eliza
’
s slumped body by the neck.

He cried,
“
It is over!
Your best has perished!
The summoning is complete.
T
here is nothing you can do to stop the coming of Gorgoroth- the
World Ender. You will all die
!
”
With that Loki flung Eliza
’
s body aside and regarded the desperate heaving fray around him.

A blood-curdling grin
twisted
his face.
“
And n
ow, it is my time!
”

Loki leapt into the battle.

I looked away, sickened. I couldn
’
t see Loki anymore, but I could see Eliza
’
s unmoving body. Loki had exploited
a millisecond
of weakness by killing her in less time than it takes to speak his name.

How could we stan
d against something that ruthless
? How could we fight alongside our loved ones and hope to compete with that?

I glanced past the circle and its pitch battle. Belinda was guarding the
Trevochet
’s
now, along with a phalanx of marines. Johnny
Trevochet
beckoned me over.

“
It’s about time,
”
he said.
“
That we
work together
. To end all this,
”
he pointed at the skies.

I nodded, distracted as
,
a
t that moment
,
there was a whoosh like the scream of a jet engine and pillars of fire flashed among us. I
cried
out as the hairs on my arms were singed. I saw Lucy pull a face and hit everything with a curtain of water. Including us.

The fire died away. I wiped water from my eyes, spluttering.
“
What the fu-
”

And then I saw Kisami, the traitor, rushing straight at Lysette Cohen. Her back was to him. She had no time. I
panicked by shouting
a warning when I
should have launched a power strike.

Lysette turned around s
traight into a bolt of fire, but Giles tackled her
to
the ground. The bolt passed overhead, splitting the air between our little
groups
with a sound like a volcanic eruption.

“
Traitor!
”
I heard the cry, and other expletives go up around us.
Kisami just stood
there laughing
,
moulding fire like putty in his hands.

I caught Johnny’s eye. He nodded. I crouched so our shoulders touched. We gathered our power and flung a savage surge straight
at him as he threw fire
at us.

Our combined power overwhelmed his, and sent the fire straight back at him. An expression of horror flitted across his face as he saw his clothes burst aflame. In another moment he had c
ollapsed to the ground
, smothered by the searing heat. Then, from out of nowhere, a
b
loated clo
ud formed over his body
, then burst in a deluge of water that doused the flames.

Johnny and I stared at each other in shock. When we turned back Kisami was struggling to his feet. On
ce upright he glared
, face blackened and seared by flame, a shattered vessel brimful of sin.

I flinched when I heard the rifle report. Kisami spun to the left, and I saw that the back of his head was missing. A second report rang out and Kisami slumped amidst his own spraying blood, landing heavily in the sand.

There were a few
snipers stationed on the roofs of nearby hotels
and
lying prone atop
the
vans, all waiting to take pot shots. I
t had been the local Mayor’s
idea, and a good one. Kisami
’
s mistake was presenting a target.

I met Johnny’s eyes and my whole fear of failure showed in my expression like a shining beacon.

“We will try,” Johnny touched my shoulder. “Us two. Together.”

Belinda grazed my left ear with her lips. “Make it count, sweetcakes.”

Make it count.

When we all went down. . .

It was time. I was in Miami, at the end of the world.
I had a chance to dictate the outcome of events.
I studied the roiling skies. I saw a mass of noxious cloud, simmering with evil intent
.
Tentacles beyond count now lashed down towards the ocean and the beach, as if scouring for life. I joined hands with Johnny and concentrated my gaze up into that black, unspeakable maw.

“
Now!
”

We flung power strikes at it. When they hit, the cloud mass shrunk inwards and then snapped back. I heard a repugnant whine, something so vile I had to force my hands over my ears. I struggled to focus.
Johnnny’
s hand on my shoulder helped.

I mustered my reserves again. Belinda st
oo
d beside me
to
lend support. Then, Johnny and I unleashed a blast more powerful than I could have imagined possible, something of feral and primordial strength, and at the same time I thought
mend!

Our power struck the
lesser Gods and forced
their emerging bodies back into whatever Hell they occupied. Tentacles swung wildly. I fell to my knees, but managed to maintain my bond with Johnny, and we sent yet another blast into the skies.

We made the Gods flinch
.
The holes that were their
wombs, the birth-tunnel between our world and theirs, contracted almost
to
closing point.

I heard Lucy’s inspiring war-cry.
“Slam it to ‘em, dad!”

I nodded at Johnny.
“
One more.
”

We lifted our heads to send out a colossal strike, but at that moment I saw a flash to my left and suddenly Jondal was among us. The Destroyer struck out with a razor-edged staff, killing two marines, and then striking at Johnny. Belinda thrust Johnny away, and our bond was lost.

Above us the two lesser Gods shrieked like hordes of the damned and expanded some more.
H
uge tentacles slithered out of the clouds,
smashing into the facades of the nearby hotels. Concrete
was ripped away in destructive
swathes. Glass and metal smashed and shrieked. I tried to shrug away a sudden feeling of weariness.
This was Hell on earth, in all its apocalyptic sincerity.
Devon nodded at me and a rush of pure strength flowed through my veins.

Damn Jondal! We had almost won the day there.

I turned around, looking for Johnny. Maybe we could try again. But then a horde of new demons attacked us, fresh from the gates of Hell, and it was all I could do to help keep myself, my daughter and my companions alive.

50

NEW BABYLON- THE MALL

Marion Cleaver strode forward, firing left and right, blasting Wayclearer demons until the percussion of his shotgun and the shocking cadence of his enemies
’
screams blended into a single sound in his mind-
the sound of
Josh Walker’s dying scream. The world around him shattered and shattered again with an endless series of explosions-
pulverized
concrete, breaking glass, the tortured wrench and squeal of tearing metal.

He advanced at a steady pace, face
s
et hard, keeping one eye always to the progress of his colleagues.