Evenstar (2 page)

Andy peered through the shield.  “We’ll make it work somehow!”

Tokala ran up and leapt at the shield.
 
His long black hair whipped around his face.
 
The Lilliam prince hit the bright surface and fell back.  He rubbed his head.
 
“Only humans and angels can get in, it repels any related to Lucifer.”

Andy grimaced.
 
“There has to be a way inside!
 
Maybe there’s a weak point or a hole?”

“We don’t have time to search!
 
Michael is going to
kill
her!”
 
Belial shook her head.
 
“Where’s Helion?”
 

Andy and Tokala turned, looking.
 
Andy pointed.  “Whitney’s inside the shield, the blast must have parted them.”

“Then find Helion!
 
He can get in.”
 
Belial climbed up the side of the dome.
 
She fixed her gaze on Dahlia.
 
Michael tossed her down like a doll.  He held his spear towards her heart.
 
Belial held in the scream that wanted to burst from her lungs.
 
She watched in horror as Lucifer lost his body of flesh and passed through the shield, his ethereal form a blur of light.
 
Lucifer threw himself in front of Dahlia.
 
Michael lunged and impaled him on the end of the spear.

Belial raked her nails on the light.
 
She could not lose her flesh as Lucifer had, but she was damn well going to try.
 
She closed her eyes and went white, becoming less opaque.
 
Her skin shifted silver.
 

“Belial, no!”
 
Andy leapt and grabbed her by the ankles.
 
He tore her off the shield and threw her to the ground.
 
“Don’t even think about it!”

She scratched at his face.
 
“I have to try!”

Andy sliced his arm open with one of her nails.
 
He pulled out a pendant; her sigil was inscribed on the metallic surface of the lamin.
 
He held it over her face.
 
“I
order
you not to.”

Belial’s luminescent body lost its glow.
 
“
Andrealphus
!”
 
She reached for her lamin, but he jumped back and pushed it into his healing arm.
 
She shook with rage.
 
“Why?”

Andy’s face fell.
 
“You’ll die if you succeed and I can’t lose you.
 
I just
can’t
.”
 
He took off around the perimeter of the glowing shield to put space between them.
 
Belial screamed in impotent rage and threw herself at the net.
 
She was unable even to try the trick again, compelled by the pendant to obey his order.
 
She pounded at the light, frustration made her movements frantic, uncoordinated.

Through tears, Belial watched Dahlia stab Michael in the eye with her hairpin.
 
The Archangel howled.
 
A crazed smile lit up her face.
 
“Stab him again!
 
Fuck him up, Dahlia!”
 
Belial cheered as Dahlia punched Michael, throwing him across the lawn.
 
Dahlia ripped the spear from the ground and heaved it.
 
The spear flew through the net and over Belial’s head.
 
Belial whooped and raced after the weapon.
 
She tore through the phosphorescent forest following its brighter light.
 

The spear sailed through trees as if they did not exist, its point so sharp it cut and bent light and sound.
 
Belial watched it strike the earth, shining like a beacon in the bluish shades of the empty forest.
 
She was close, but she was not alone in the chase.
 
The flapping of wings accompanied her overhead.
 
She flinched and ran faster.

Uriel leered.
 
“Little Belial, darling, I see you down there lovely as ever, but I like you better naked and winged.
 
These clothes you wear do not please me at all.”

Belial snarled and sprinted for the spear.

Uriel landed on her back, flattening her to the ground.
 
Belial was teeth and claws, but the heavenly forged pendant around Uriel’s neck made him invulnerable to her attacks.
 

Belial tried to throw him off.
 
“Fight me fairly, you coward!”
 

Uriel flipped her over and grabbed her jaw.
 
He pried her mouth open.
 
“Such filth has always come from this orifice.
 
I do not like it.”
 
He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Let me remove it, darling.”
 

Dahlia’s wail ripped through the forest.
 
Archangel and Fallen froze in agony.
 
Belial threw Uriel off her and crawled away as the sound buffeted her ears.
 
Her mind was awash in fear, pain, and regret.
 
She thought of Andy.
 

Uriel grabbed her ankle and pulled.
 
He dragged her back under him, fighting against the sound of Dahlia’s scream.
 
He got a hand around Belial’s throat; his fingers tore at her skin.

The sound ceased.
 
The forest went quiet.
 
Uriel grinned, triumphant.
 

Berith smashed a meaty fist into Uriel’s chin, throwing the Archangel into the air.
 
Uriel plowed through trees, disappearing into the forest.
 
Berith hauled Belial to her feet.
 

Apple was behind them, closed lipped with red eyes blazing.
 
She held her bow ready.
 
The crimson-eyed Lilliam princess scanned the forest for Uriel, but the Archangel did not appear.
 

“Thanks!”
 
Belial ran to the spear.
 

Berith called after her, “You cannot touch it!”

“I know that!”
 
Belial broke a branch off a tree and flipped the spear further into the woods.
 
She followed, tossing the spear farther away with each strike.

Uriel blurred through the trees after Belial.
 

Apple fired an arrow at him, drawing Berith’s attention to the movement.
 

Berith snarled and intercepted the Archangel in the air.
 
The brothers crashed to the ground in a pile.
 

Uriel spread his wings and jumped up, landing a fist in Berith’s stomach.
 
He laughed.
 
“Big brother, does your back still hurt?”
 

Berith struggled to reach the pendant at Uriel’s neck.
 
“I have never felt better, little brother!”

Uriel pushed Berith’s hands away.
 
“No, that is mine.”
 
An arrow glanced off his cheek.
 
His invulnerability held.
 
He looked up and noticed Apple for the first time.
 
“Ah, what is this?”

Berith threw the Archangel back.
 
“Do not look upon her!”

Uriel kicked his brother in the stomach, sending Berith flying.
 
He grinned at Apple, his teeth sharp.
 
He salivated.
 
Apple pulled another arrow from her quiver.
 
Uriel took a step closer, his eyes locked on her.
 
“You love Berith.”

“Yes.”

“I take love.
 
I take what is his.”

Apple smiled.
 
“I have heard, but I am my own.
 
I am no ones.”

Uriel smirked.
 
“Not for long.”
 
He dove for her.
 

Belial leapt on Uriel’s head.
 
She raked his face with her nails.
 
“You siblings and your second best syndrome!
 
Always stealing what isn’t yours!
 
You’ll never be anything but poor copies!”
 
She scratched his chest with her black talons, trying to catch the pendant.
 

Uriel grabbed Belial’s arm and twisted, breaking the bone.
 
He laughed.
 
“We just take what is rightfully ours, darling, what you were never good enough for!”
 

Uriel swung her into a tree.
 
Belial’s ribs broke, puncturing a lung.
 
He snapped a leg bone like a twig.
 
“But Belial,
you
are good enough for me, though I will need to break you again.”
 
He lifted her over his head and threw her with every ounce of strength he possessed.

Belial’s body smashed through the forest.
 
She reached for trees, anything to catch her, but the force of the throw was too great.
 
She had time enough to close her eyes before she slammed into the side of the manor.
 
Her body crashed through room after room, bones shattering on impact, her skin and clothing torn.
 
She broke through a window and fell into the backyard.
 
She landed in a limp heap on the grass at the feet of Jacob, Tracy, and Celeste.
 
Belial’s body was mangled, almost unrecognizable.
 
Her legs were torn down to the bone, her clothing blood splattered and in tatters.
 
Her chest did not rise or fall.
 
She had no pulse.
 

Tokala broke off from battling humans and ran to her.
 
He touched her face and looked at Dahlia’s terrified human friends.
 
He grabbed Tracy’s hand and placed it on Belial’s lacerated chest.
 
“Stay with her, luck charm.”
 

Tracy nodded numbly and made no move to get away.

Tokala touched Belial’s legs and closed his eyes to aid in her healing process.
 
A boom made him look back at the scene beneath the shield.
 
Furcas floated above the ground, surrounded by light and halos, he held Michael’s spear at bay.
 
Furcas stood between the Archangel and Dahlia.
 
His face bore a grim determination.
 
Furcas watched the Archangel’s every movement.
 
Michael raised the spear and swung; the blade tore through Furcas like paper.
 

Tokala cringed, looked away, and concentrated on Belial.
 
An iron knife plunged into his upper back.
 
Tokala spun around gasping.
 
A lone human Solomon Soldier stood behind him, grinning even as he bled to death from other wounds.
 

Jacob knocked the man to the ground.
 
He punched him out of fear until the man stopped moving.
 

Tokala’s limbs went numb and lost mobility.
 
“Knife…out…get it out.”

Jacob pulled the knife out of Tokala’s back and tossed it away.
 

Tokala blinked as his vision blurred.
 
Iron poisoned his blood.
 
Slow cold ooze filled his body, pulling him into dreams.
 
He coughed and slumped down next to Belial.
 
Tokala looked up one last time as his world went dark.

***

Helion saw Belial smash through the house.
 
He felt Whitney’s pain from where Uriel had flung her like trash beneath the shield.
 
He looked between the two, Belial his injured twin sister and Whitney his wounded lover.
 
Helion did not know what to do.
 
Everything was going wrong.
 
He looked at Belial and guilt consumed him.
 

Paimon shouted in the background, his howls drowning out the sound nearby.
 
Helion covered his ears.
 
Everything felt like the war again, confusing, bloody, pure anarchy.
 
A low whine escaped his lips.
 
He looked to Whitney and whispered, “I am sorry.”
 
He ran for Belial.

Andy tackled him.
 
“Where are you going?”

“Belial!”

Andy saw Belial over Helion’s shoulder.
 
His eyes took in her ruined legs and face, gouges running up and down her body.
 
Andy wanted to scream, to run to her, but he could not.
 
He tore his gaze away.
 
“She will heal on her own.
 
We need inside that net!”

Helion reluctantly looked back at the dome.
 
“How?”

Andy pulled Helion to his feet.
 
“You’re still an angel.
 
You’re not one of the Fallen.
 
You can get in.
 
Just get me in there too!”