Plague of Angels (41 page)

“Then let’s hope He stays for a while,” said Persephone.

They flew strong and steady until they breached the top of the hole and came out onto the plains of Hell. It was dark by the pit. There was no hellfire anywhere close to light them. Nyx stared into the distance, searching for any sign of Angels or demons, but there were none around. She flapped her wings faster, gaining speed. Persephone stayed beside her. They raced over the jagged broken surface of Hell. The pit was far away from the plains where they tortured the souls, far away from the black Hell-stone cities where the Angels lived and played. Nyx knew exactly where they were, and which Angel cities had once held the greatest number of her supporters. She winged towards one of them, moving so fast her wings became a blur. Persephone struggled to keep up. Nyx didn’t need a large force, just one strong enough to break through Lucifer’s lines and get her to Lucifer. Once she was in his presence, she knew she could defeat him.

There was a sudden blaze of light, and a blast so powerful it knocked both Angels from the sky and sent them tumbling to the razor-sharp, jagged rocks below. They tore flesh and feathers as they skidded slowly to a stop, and when they looked up, they saw Tribunal standing before them in a blaze of light. Tribunal, the most beautiful of all, the most powerful of all.

Instantly, Nyx felt all her love for Tribunal – for the man and the God – come blazing to life inside her. She pulled herself to her knees. “Forgive me, Tribunal. Please forgive me!”

“Forgive you?” said Tribunal. He reached down and put His hand on her head. The touch of him, alive, real, and pure divine flesh, sent a tremor of pleasure through her so strong she started gasping. “Why must I forgive you, my love?”

“I couldn’t do it,” said Nyx. “The Angel. I couldn’t kill her. I didn’t even want to kill her. Please, I didn’t know.”

“There is no reason to beg forgiveness,” said Tribunal. “As soon as the Angel came into this world, I felt her. I knew then that you would not be able to kill her, as I had requested.”

“I am so, so sorry,” said Nyx, tears streaming down her face. “So sorry.”

“Nyx?” said Persephone. “What’s the matter?”

“Be silent,” said Tribunal to Persephone. “Nyx is my servant, my lover and my queen and she has the right to speak in my presence. You do not.”

“Fuck you,” said Persephone. “I’ve talked to God himself.”

“I AM GOD HIMSELF!” The word echoed through Hell, and the force of it sent Persephone to her knees. “I am made from Him, I am of Him, and I am Him! And you will be silent, or I will order you to dismember yourself with your own sword, and you will do it.”

Persephone believed hHm. She looked at Nyx, waiting to see what to do next.

“I have only a short time here, my beloved,” said Tribunal to Nyx. “Only a short time before God the Father realizes I am gone, and calls on me to account for my whereabouts. You must listen to me.”

“I listen, my beloved.”

“Lucifer has taken your Angel, and holds her in your palace,” said Tribunal. “He tortures her mercilessly. He rapes her, he cuts her, and he makes her scream, just to enjoy the sound of it. You must rescue her.”

“But…” Nyx was still weeping and couldn’t stop. “I still can’t sacrifice her.”

“No need, my beloved,” said Tribunal. “You do not need to sacrifice your Angel. That will not happen here.”

“Oh, thank you,” whispered Nyx. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, beloved.”

“Time is short,” said Tribunal. “Gather your forces, bring them together and launch an assault on your palace. I shall go protect your Angel until you arrive.”

“I hear, my beloved,” said Nyx. “I obey.”

Tribunal’s light blazed brighter, and vanished. For the first time since her return, Nyx could sense all of Hell. She could feel every Angel in it, and knew that Lucifer could feel her as well.

“So,” said Persephone. “He’s an asshole, isn’t he?”

Nyx knocked Persephone to the ground with a single swipe of her hand. Persephone hit hard and lay there, stunned. “Don’t,” warned Nyx. “Don’t ever speak of Him in that way again.”

“All right,” Persephone slowly pushed herself upright.
Even though He is an asshole.

“He said he’d protect her until we can get our troops ready,” said Nyx. “So we get our troops.” She pointed. “The City of Iswednokkurn. There are a thousand Angels here who will serve me, and the rest will probably just stay out of the way. We go there, we get troops, and we do it in a hurry.”

Tribunal’s presence was in Hell again, and once more Nyx could not feel anything else. “He’s there! He’s protecting my Angel! Hurry, Persephone!”

Nyx launched herself and Persephone, taking a moment to wipe the silver blood from where Nyx had split her lip and another to swallow her own misgivings, followed.

Iswednokkurn stood on the edge of a tall black crag overlooking the plains of Hell. The screams of the damned were audible from there, but only barely: a continuing discordance that grated in the mind as one walked the streets.

How did I ever like it down here?
Nyx wondered as she went from house to house.
There’s none of the abundance, beauty and enterprise of earth. No music.

She didn’t need to do much persuading of Angels. As son as they saw she had returned, they flocked to her, black or red armor on, swords and whips at the ready. They had been sorely abused by Lucifer, and more than one had surrendered themselves to him, swearing loyalty to end their suffering. But none of that mattered now. The Queen of Hell was returned, and her Angels were loyal to her once more. Together they would crush Lucifer, and put Hell to rights.

Persephone was made Nyx’s second in command. The captains of her army assembled together and heard her instructions. There would be no time for strategy, no devious plan. The longer they took, the more warning Lucifer would have, so speed won over strategy. “We fly in straight,” said Nyx. “We drive through his armies to my palace and I tear Lucifer limb from limb. And once he is destroyed, then I will once more rule in Hell.”

And in Paradise, too,
Nyx thought.
If Tribunal will still let me.

A thousand dark Angels gathered around her, weapons ready, thirsting for blood. Nyx looked over her army, knowing it would be dwarfed by the legions that Lucifer would send at them.
It doesn’t matter,
Nyx told herself.
We don’t need to defeat his armies, just break through them. Once I’ve defeated Lucifer, Hell will be mine once more.

“Follow,” she said, and spread her wings wide. She hurled herself into the sky and her black-winged army followed after.

She lay in a small black cell, buried deep in the bowels of Lucifer’s castle. Her wings were torn off, and one of her arms missing. Lucifer took great delight in watching them grow back, then tearing them off again. She, unable to resist his strength, let him. Her mind was rage.

The door to her cell flew open, and a dozen demons swarmed over her, biting her flesh and ripping out chunks as they forced her to the ground. One, larger than the others, kicked her in the head until her skull split and ichor spilled out. She lost consciousness.

In Nyx’s throne room, Epipheneia hung, still and silent, staring at Lucifer and the being beside him who had so much power.

“Why are we waiting?” Lucifer demanded. “Why not kill the little bitch and get it over with?”

“Because her creator must be here to see her death,” said Tribunal. “Even now she has assembled an army of Angels and is coming to fight you.”

“How is this good news?” asked Lucifer.

“Your army vastly outnumbers hers.”

“With Nyx that’s not necessarily enough,” said Lucifer. “That bitch is wily.”

“That bitch,” said Tribunal, “Wants the little bastard creature she created.” He walked over to the Angel. “Poor thing. Not of Heaven, not of Hell. An Angel of Earth. Useless everywhere.”

“That poor thing killed a dozen of mine,” said Lucifer. “I’d be careful if I were you.”

“I don’t need to be careful, do I?” said Tribunal to Epipheneia. “You won’t hurt me because you know who I am, don’t you?”

“I know who You were made from,” said Epipheneia in her lovely, melodic voice. “And I know who You think you are. But You are not him.”

“Look!” said Tribunal, pointing at her in mock surprise. “She has some knowledge after all.” He sneered. “Tell me: who do I think I am?”

“You think you are God,” said Epipheneia serenely. “You are not. And when you try to destroy Him, He will destroy You instead.”

Tribunal slapped her across the face, hard enough to twist her head half off her neck. Epipheneia didn’t make a sound. She turned back to the front and once more stared at them.

“You will not speak,” Tribunal said. “Or I will be very displeased!”

“You’re going to kill me anyway,” said Epipheneia. “Why should I care about Your displeasure?”

“Because death can take a very, very long time,” said Tribunal. “Once the ritual is complete, Lucifer can take as long as he wishes with you. He may rape you, dismember you, dine on your flesh if he wants. He will be able to do whatever he wishes, just as long as you never leave this hall again. So be silent.”

Epipheneia’s blue eyes bored deeper into Tribunal’s brown ones. “You lie,” she said. “You’ve always lied. There is only one way for me to die in this ritual and we both know it, little Godling.” There was a hint of mockery in her voice, but only a hint. Her expression remained grave and calm.

Tribunal glared at her, then turned to Lucifer. “She is astute, I’ll give her that. Are your armies in place?”

“All of them,” said Lucifer.

“Good. Because Nyx is almost on top of you.”

“What?”

“Even now she is winging towards the palace,” said Tribunal. I suggest your armies rise up. Now.”

Lucifer spun and shouted at the Angel near the door. “Tell them to go! All of them! Now!”

The Angel ran from the room. A moment later a horn rang out, then another, then a hundred.

In the skies of Hell, Nyx and a thousand Angels winged toward her palace.

Her palace had not been built for defense. She had built it long after the wars in Hell had ended and Lucifer and his minions were under her control. It had been built to frighten the souls who came to it for judgement, and to provide pleasure for the Angels who stayed in it. There were huge windows open to the night, what went on inside visible to all. The rooms were large enough to fly in, and many large enough for a dozen Angels to have sex in mid-air while they did. The palace would be easy to take, hard to defend, and the closer Nyx came to it before they met resistance, the easier it would be for her to reach Lucifer and gut him.