Twenty-Four

Shadow stood before another set of burnished doors, this time made from a variety of metals in a complex design, wishing the others would hurry up.

Despite their best efforts, they were unable to open the gate that had trapped them inside. The mechanism that triggered its release was hidden from view, and they had unwillingly conceded that they needed to proceed. At least they knew there was another way out—admittedly through Black Cronos. They had just spent the last ten minutes walking through another long hall decorated with carved panels depicting the Igigi’s flight from the Anunnaki. The carvings were elaborate and stunningly intact, and recorded a more detailed version of the founding of their city than what had been displayed on the tablet.

Shadow was the least overawed of all of them. Catarina, Estelle, and the Nephilim had lingered, virtually speechless as they studied the images and the story. The Nephilims’ wonder had been compounded by the fact that they were mentioned frequently, as were the Fallen, and she watched them wrestle with their emotions as they drank it all in.

Gabe was especially shaken. When she had woken earlier after a short but heavy sleep, it was to find Gabe wide awake, staring at the roof of the tent, a sheen of sweat on his brow that had nothing to do with the heat. His eyes held shock and anger, and it was with much effort that she had finally persuaded him to tell her what was wrong.

Remiel.

Neither could decide what that meant. Was Gabe’s father watching their every move? And if so, why hadn’t he physically appeared?

They had decided not to tell the others, but Gabe was clearly distracted, and she was sure the others had noticed, especially Nahum. Perhaps they had put it down to finding the city. For all of their wishes and expectations, it had surprised everyone. But now time was marching on, and Black Cronos was already ahead of them.

“Guys!” she shouted. “We need to get on! We can come back to this later.”

While they tarried, she studied the doors. There was no sign of any cog mechanism, and she laid her hand on one of them and pushed. As if on oiled hinges, it swung open easily, and gripping both swords, she stepped into the blackness beyond.

The torch light from behind her illuminated a short distance ahead. She had stepped onto a broad balcony, but below was a black void that even her keen eyesight couldn’t penetrate. On either side, a fretted stonework balcony stretched into darkness, and she sensed huge space ahead of her.

Sheathing one sword, she pulled her battery-powered torch out, but the beam barely pierced the dark. By this time the team had lined up next to her, and Estelle’s witch-lights revealed that they were overlooking a vast city carved out of the rock, and in front of them a broad sweep of steps led down into its heart.

Catarina found her voice first. “Oh, my God. This is enormous. This is far more than I was expecting!”

“This surpasses anything they built for the Anunnaki,” Ash murmured. “I wonder if they managed to get light into here somehow?”

The city comprised of a variety of buildings, some of which were huge, while others were smaller dwellings. Holes in the distant cave walls suggested other tunnels or even houses built into the rock itself. The buildings staggered downwards like an inverted pyramid to a flat section at the bottom. Something glassy was reflected in the witch-lights, and Shadow realised it was a series of waterways at the bottom. In addition to the buildings were enormous, carved statues—all half man, half beast, with the heads of eagles, wolves, bears, and other animals.

Barak pointed to the opposite side of the city. “There are tunnels to the rear. Perhaps they lead to other parts of the city.” He turned to the others, a question in his eyes. “They must have buried their dead down here, so it may even be a burial ground.”

Gabe nodded. “It makes sense that it would be beyond the city proper.” He turned to Nahum and Barak, who still had their wings extended. “Fly over the city, and we’ll progress on foot for now.”

But as they approached the top step, torchlights flared again, illuminating the perimeter of the city, and a few spots below.

“Fuck it,” Niel muttered, swinging his torch. “Things like this don’t work after hundreds of years without something maintaining them. We’re walking into a trap.”

Ash shook his head. “I’m not so sure. They designed ingenious systems of lights and hydraulics…” But he stopped speaking, instead staring beyond Niel.

Shadow stepped to his side, wondering what he was looking at, but instead was distracted by a statue at the top of the stairs that seemed to shift in the firelight. She blinked to clear her eyes, thinking it was a trick of the light.

But it was no trick, and gripping her swords, she yelled, “The statues are coming to life!”

“They aren’t bloody statues!” Gabe yelled back, lining up next to her. “It’s the Igigi!”

As another huge gate dropped behind them, trapping them inside, the Igigi moved with lightning speed. He lifted the long spears in his hands and lunged at Gabe and Shadow. Both leapt out the way, weapons raised to defend rather than attack. But other Igigi where appearing out of the darkness, their immense shadows advancing before them as they hunted down the Nephilim.

Catarina screamed, and Shadow felt rather than saw the effects of Estelle’s magic as she repelled another attack. But Shadow could only concentrate on her own battle. She had seen many odd creatures in her life in the Otherworld, but there was no doubt that the Igigi advancing on her was very odd. It was easily eight feet tall, with the body of a man but the head of a wolf. Its skin was of burnished gold and its eyes gleaned like silver.

Its movements were so swift that Shadow barely had time to react. She needed to up her game. She drew on her fey magic, normally shielded from the others, and instantly felt her speed and perception increase. But Gabe had insisted they not kill the Igigi if they encountered them, and she kept his words in mind while she ducked and defended. If only the Igigi knew that.

Several Igigi were advancing on either side, and the team was trapped within the narrow confines of the balcony. Shadow had the feeling that the Igigi had purposefully waited to lure them into the city’s gates before attacking.

As her opponent’s spear came within millimetres of plunging into her stomach, she leapt over the balustrade and onto the rooftops below. Fortunately, the first was only a few feet beneath the balcony. The city, as she had noticed earlier, staggered downwards to the flat centre below, and she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, hoping that the Nephilim were protecting Catarina. She certainly couldn’t get close to her. But she had achieved some breathing space from her attacker, because she was far nimbler than it was. She was now several levels down, trying to decide how to evade the creature and return to her team.

But then the wolf-headed Igigi bellowed and followed her onto the rooftops.

Gabe was battling his own Igigi as they almost fell down the broad set of steps. Nahum was flying overhead, and she saw him swoop down to collect Catarina, but her rescue was short-lived. An eagle-headed Igigi with enormous wings soared through the cavernous space and attacked Nahum, forcing him to veer away dramatically.

Ash, Zee, and Niel were all fighting back-to-back as half a dozen Igigi surrounded them, and Estelle, like Shadow, had dropped onto the rooftops, protecting herself with blasts of magic. Barak was nowhere to be seen.

A sudden movement from above made Shadow throw herself on the flat rooftop, face-up, and with horror she saw an eagle-headed Igigi swoop down on her. She had just enough time to roll into a gap between buildings, and found herself on the street level, dwarfed by the huge stone edifices. A warren of lanes—much like the lanes in old Mardin—spread out in a web around her.

She raced through them, trying to find a way back to the stairs, and heard Gabe yell something unintelligible in what she presumed was the Sumerian language. She followed his voice, but found the path blocked by another Igigi, its silver eyes watching her dispassionately.

Barak was high above the city in the cavernous recess of the roof, which was as beautifully finished as the rest of the city. Niches had been cut in the walls, and while many were empty, others were not.

Three Igigi emerged from their perches, their enormous wingspan buffeting the air as they advanced on Barak, weapons drawn. They came at him from all sides, but he dropped like a stone, plunging from their advance to find airspace below. His smaller size gave him greater agility, and he was thankful that he was born to fight, whereas they were not. But they were still quick and strong.

He glanced below, noting his brothers similarly embattled, and was relieved to see that Estelle was managing to defend herself. But how long could this last, for any one of them? They desperately didn’t want to kill the Igigi, but wounding them was inevitable in their effort to get away.

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind, his wings half crushed between the steely grip of his attacker, and he yelled in Sumerian, “Stop fighting! We’re here to help!”

“You should have thought of that before you invaded our home, Nephilim!”

Barak brought his fist up and smashed behind his shoulder, smacking his opponent in the face. But he didn’t lose his grip, and they plunged towards the water at the base of the city.

Estelle was casting several spells, but they all seemed to bounce off the advancing Igigi like they were wearing some kind of spell-resistant armour.

She grunted with frustration, presuming it was their supernatural abilities that offered them protection. At least the blasts of power were keeping them off-guard. Just. Like Shadow, she scrambled across the rooftops, but nowhere near as agilely. Wishing she had Caspian’s mastery of air magic, she kept running and slipping, her hands now starting to bleed as they caught on the jagged edges of tiles and rock.

This was a nightmare. And they were being driven further and further into the city. She couldn’t be sure, but she had the horrible feeling they were not planning to kill them, but capture them, and that couldn’t be for any good purpose.

As two Igigi advanced on her she realised she needed an ally, and unfortunately, Shadow was it. She clambered to where she had last seen her, and then dropped from the roof into the street below, shrouding herself in a shadow spell as she raced down the lane. Little light illuminated down here, and by the time the Igigi pursing her had reached where she had been, she’d be long gone and invisible.

Drawn by Gabe’s voice, she rounded the corner to see Shadow up ahead, her path blocked by a wolf-headed Igigi wielding a spear in one hand, and a curved sword in the other. Estelle took a moment to study the strange being. His thighs were thick with corded muscles, as were his arms. He wore ornately engraved armour—breastplate, arm and leg guards—and a long cloth with embroidered edges was wrapped around his waist. Everything about him reminded Estelle of Anubis. He advanced on Shadow, looking impregnable, his bulk blocking the way ahead.

Shadow was backing up, but wasn’t running, no doubt assessing her options. Estelle decided to help, aiming a spell at the section of wall next to the Igigi. The stone blocks exploded, blasting the creature backwards. Estelle hurled a ball of energy at him, forcing him back further.

Estelle hissed, “Shadow, over here!”

Shadow spun around, eyes narrowed, and ran to her voice, Estelle lifting her cloaking spell for the briefest of moments. “Was that your handywork?” she whispered. “Great timing.”

“I know. I’m a witch.” Estelle decided to answer as cockily as Shadow did. As the thundering of footsteps sounded overhead, Estelle draped them both in her shadow spell and turned. “This way.”

Niel yelled at his brothers, “We need to join the others—take to the air!”

Zee grunted as he ducked and rolled. “All very well, brother, but that’s not so easy right now!”

Niel swung his axe, trying to get the Igigi surrounding them to back off rather than hurt them, but that was not easy, either. “Any ideas, Ash?”

“A time machine?”

“Not funny.” Niel arched backwards to avoid the brutal thrust of a spear, and swung his axe up, shattering the spearhead and earning him time and space. He glanced around him in the brief seconds of respite he had before another attack, and noticed something odd. “There are no others coming. They’re either hiding, or this is it.” He brought his sword up to form a cross with his axe and repelled another attack.

“A final guard, you mean?” Ash said, panting heavily now.

“Exactly. If we can get through this…”

“Gabe is on the stairs,” Zee said. “We need to get to him. If we strike as one coordinated force now, we’ll make enough room to escape. Let’s extend our wings together—one powerful thrust will send them all back.”

As they fought to give themselves enough space, Ash yelled, “Now!”

Nahum clutched Catarina to his side, noticing she felt like a wounded bird fluttering in his hands.

He was shaking her around like a rag doll, and knew he had to get her onto the ground, but he couldn’t leave her. She was far too vulnerable, and he wasn’t sure where the safest place was. He’d managed to fend off one attack, but noticed they were being herded to the city centre—a large square surrounded by canals.

In fact, he realised as he studied the area, down there were no other Igigi at all. No one was emerging from the buildings or streets. The whole place was deserted, like a ghost city. But was it a trap? He had a sudden idea.

“Catarina, are you okay?”

She was breathless when she answered. “Hardly, but I’ll survive—thanks to you.”

“I’m going to check the tunnel at the back. Hold tight.”

She managed a grunting laugh. “Like I’d let go!”

He soared to the tunnel, grateful that he seemed to have passed by undetected, for now. The tunnel entrance was huge and once he arrived there, he could see passages leading off it. It was a maze down there. He strained to hear anything, but the noise of the fight in the city behind him smothered any other sounds. And if Black Cronos was down there, they weren’t close…yet.

They needed a truce, but right now, Nahum wasn’t sure they were going to get it.

Gabe gripped his sword and backed down the steps, aware of other Igigi advancing on him.

Scanning the area, he estimated there were at least twenty Igigi of various types moving in on them from around the city, and several more overhead. He was furious with himself. Although they had debated their existence, he had seriously doubted that they were really alive, and now they were under attack and struggling.

His first appeal had been ignored, so he tried again, speaking in their language once more. “Stop fighting us. You are under attack by another group, and we are here to help you!”

The snake-headed Igigi he was fighting laughed. “You have never helped us before, Nephilim. It is because of you we are here.”

“Not true!” he shot back. “It is because of your rebellion against the Anunnaki that you are here. We had our own orders to follow.”

While the Igigi wasn’t actively attacking him, he kept advancing, and Gabe kept retreating down the broad stairs. A blast of falling rubble came from his right, indicating that the other Igigi had not stopped fighting, and he saw Ash, Zee, and Niel all take to the air as they forced their attackers back. Within moments, all of them landed behind him.

A flurry of wings from above had him ducking, but it was Nahum and Barak, both swooping down, with Nahum clutching Catarina tightly in one arm, his sword in the other. But Shadow and Estelle were nowhere in sight. The only clue to their whereabouts were the few Igigi fanning out across the rooftops, and he hoped they were hiding somewhere. Winged Igigi landed on the steps behind them, and Gabe realised they were surrounded.

He turned to the others, sheathing his sword and shouting, “Put your weapons away!” Niel hesitated, a mutinous expression on his face, and he added, “Niel—do it!”

Glaring at him, Niel did as he asked, but his fingers hovered over the butt of his axe—just in case.

“See!” He appealed to his opponent, extending his empty hands and gesturing to the others. “We wish you no harm. We’re here to help!”

The snake-headed Igigi didn’t answer, instead stepping back to make way for an enormous Igigi who landed with surprising grace for his size. He was winged and had the head of a hawk. His shoulders were huge, his wings much bigger than Gabe’s own, and he cocked his head, a steely glint in his eye.

“You should be dead, Nephilim. How are you here?”

“A quirk of fate.” He decided to be honest in the hope that it earned him some trust. “We died in the flood, and had a second chance when a portal allowed us to come back here. Only my six brothers and I returned.”

His eyes narrowed. “Only seven from all the hundreds? Then you’ve fared even worse than us. Your name?”

“Gabreel of the House of Remiel. Greetings from my house to yours.” He straightened up, throwing his shoulders back and drawing himself up to his full height. He often tried not to look imposing. He knew his height and build were threatening. But this was an Igigi, and trying to shrink away from who he was would do none of them any favours. “And your name?”

“Gishkim, named after my ancestor, the great Hawk Igigi who led the rebellion and the flight to independence.”

Gabe nodded as the memories flashed through his mind. “I remember your ancestor. He was powerful and wise. I apologise for this intrusion, and seek permission to be in your city.”

Gishkim’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Gabreel, son of Remiel. You are mentioned in our stories. You and your men pursued us for weeks. Many of our dead fell at your hands.”

“And many of mine at yours. We were different men in those days. They were the years when our fathers had more sway—before we sought our own independence.”

“I know something of this. Scraps of news filtered down to our city when we dared venture to the surface. Before the flood that killed you.” He glanced around him. “A flood that almost killed us, too.”

Gabe nodded. “We had expected you to be dead.” In fact, how the hell had they survived down here without sunlight for all these years? It seemed impossible.

Ignoring Gabe’s confusion, he said, “So, you have come to raid our city.”

“No! We have come to help defend you against an attack from a mutual enemy.”

“Even though you thought us dead?” Gishkim looked amused. “The dead don’t need defending.”

“It’s complicated. You are under attack right now. Your back gate has been blown wide open, and men are—”

Gishkim cut him short. “We know. Others have gone to intercept them. They will not get far—like you.” He shook his head, a sneer starting on his lips. “Always so superior, Nephilim. You forget we have strengths, too.”

“But those are no normal men,” Gabe said, his eyes not leaving Gishkim’s golden ones. “They carry odd weapons and unusual powers.”

“And you are the sons of the Fallen, and yet we have captured you.” He gestured to the Igigi who surrounded them, spears and swords drawn. “But your team is different. Two humans, and someone from beyond our world.” He glanced around, perturbed. “She is missing, as is one of the humans. Where are they?”

“I have no idea. Hiding, I suspect, in fear for their lives.” Gabe just hoped they weren’t injured, or about to do something catastrophic. He fought back his impatience. “But you don’t understand. It’s not your riches the others want. It’s you!”

A distant explosion rocked through the city, and everyone swung around to look towards where the tunnels led further underground. Gabe closed his eyes briefly. Please let that not be Estelle and Shadow.

Gishkim immediately dispatched half a dozen Igigi, and then gestured to the Nephilim. “You’re coming with us.”