Chapter 11

 

 

 

“Fire!” Michael shouted and raised his fiery, glowing shield. It had enlarged, sparkling in the cold air. His wings had appeared, too, sparkling in orange-reddish flames, glowing brighter than the sun. He’d summoned his large flaming sword through an incantation, channeling his fiery magic. The sword resembled a katana with a curved blade and runic symbols. Holy moly! The space around him glowed in fiery-red, orange colors, and the strong smell of brimstone wafted in the air, thick and pungent. In a split second, a protective, white-blue, shimmering barrier rose between the bloodthirsty hellhounds and us. The spell blasted several of them while they were in midair, flying toward us. The barrier threw them backward, but many of the hellhounds escaped the blast and managed somehow to pass through the barrier, flying over our heads. I ducked and retreated, the others either did the same or charged at the monsters.

I had to use my magic—no time for sugar talks and dodging the threat. I had to meet the danger face to face. I connected with my magic deep within my thread. Its raw power and song surged within my core to my fingertips. It felt alien and strange, since I didn’t use an external source like ley lines to channel and shape it. The magic begged to be released from its safe harbor, and I had no reason to suppress it, like I had all my life. It felt empowering for a change to be who I was without the fear of punishment. I didn’t wait another second as one of the hellish creatures pounced toward me. I fired a glowing ball the size of a Frisbee, hurling it at the big clump of pointy fur and fangs bared at me, snarling at my face. The hellhound smelled like napalm, his scent giving me nausea, and I wondered if the creature would combust when the fire met his body. Just in case, I cast a protective barrier around me. I had barely created it when three other hellhounds pounced, thrusting their enormous bodies on me. The shimmering wall threw them backward, and their distended bellies and ruffled furs smashed against the nearby pines with a dull sound. Their pal, who I’d sent a fiery magical ball at, burst into flames, his body blazing in dark red fire. Smoke mounted, and with the smell of napalm heightened, I almost gagged. There was something eerie and spooky about seeing the hellhound burn to death. The vibe rang, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

A nearby screeching of wings caught my attention, and I nearly lost it when I saw a green-red serpentine creature the size of a large jeep crash to the ground thrashing the nearby trees with its long tail. The creature looked like a mixture between a large lizard and a dragon, his eyes glowing in crimson. He breathed out a series of scorching hot flames. They engulfed the hellhounds closest to him, the fire swallowing them like a toddler would a chocolate bar. The smell of more scorching flesh infiltrated the surrounding air, and the sight of burning fur flashed in my eyes while smoke filled the space. The group of hellhounds that had attacked me lurched toward me again, but before the shimmering barrier could reel them backward, I hurled a bigger fireball at them. My magic sang in my veins as it begged to be released. The blast caught the monsters in the air and their bodies exploded, dust and debris raining down. The odor of napalm intensified, mixed with Michael’s strong scent of brimstone and gasoline. The once-terrifying hellhounds looked more like scared puppies. I stared at the peculiar serpentine creature, my mouth open. Could it be…Enki? He’d transformed into his inner animal. From the moment I first saw him, I knew he was a serpentine shifter.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when something rustled, swishing in the air, dangerously close to my thigh. I instinctively dodged, shooting a new magical ball. It was too late, though, as a sharp pain pierced my leg and stars danced before my eyes. The monster had passed through my barrier. Some could; others couldn’t. I must have let out a scream because Raphael jumped to my side, his wings flapping in the air and making a sweeping sound as he joined me. He threw blue-purple elemental magic at a horde of hellhounds behind me. Their leader was snarling at us, his fangs smeared in blood. Cold shivers ran through my body: it was my blood. A gust of Raphael’s magic drifted toward me and enveloped my body, penetrating my skin. Warm, thrumming heat stirred within my chest and spread down my limbs. The throbbing pain reduced and snapped shut in no time. I raised my brows in surprise, and a sense of deep gratitude for Raphael beat in my chest.

A new hellhound jumped from hell knows where, landing before me. I gritted my teeth and dug deeper for my forbidden magic. It rose sizzling on my skin, tingling the thread in my center. I unleashed an even bigger fiery ball. The odor of brimstone, gasoline, and napalm had intertwined, merging in the space, causing my eyes to dampen from the smell. The blast hit the impudent hellhound in his demoniacally ugly face, reeling him backward. His massive body caught fire midair and exploded, various body parts showering across the forest. It was then that I remembered my newly acquired weapons, Slayer and the enchanted knife, so I took the knife out. I sized-up the battle scene fully, taking advantage of the fact there were no hellhounds prowling toward me.

The archangels, Michael and Raphael, were shooting elemental magic as Michael ignited a burning circle of fire around us. The serpentine monster, Enki, had breathed out another of his combustion flames at half a dozen hellhounds, their painful growls indicating they were losing ground and dying a painful death. Only Loki stood aside from all the mess, leaning on the back of a nearby pine tree. Rage seethed in my chest: did he intend to join our fight or watch idly like a coward? Two hellhounds emerged, enclosing me from both ends, growling, their fangs glistening in the dim space. One of them tried to attack and bite me, but I unleashed another of my magical blasts, and the monster exploded. When I infused my magic with emotions, especially strong ones like anger, it grew ten-times deadlier. I hurled the enchanted knife at the remaining hellhound, but he dodged the throw, leaping at me. The barrier vibrated as his body crashed through it, his fangs biting my arm, plunging deeper into my skin. Surging pain exploded in my mind. I pushed a magical blast at him, and it decapitated his head.

I took a deep breath and glanced at my arm. A stream of blood gushed out of the wound, my skin blistering and throbbing. Thank the fates it wasn’t serious. Raphael would heal me later. I spotted a hellhound a few yards from me, prowling toward me, so I called the enchanted knife back. It flew, landing in my palm. I said, “maraigh,” and the blade pierced the hellhound’s heart before he could pounce at me. The animal dropped to the ground; his dying eyes locked on me. Creepy, I thought. I tried my best to shake the shivers sending goosebumps down my skin. I called back the knife, wiped it clean, and sheathed it. It had worked like a charm, but I decided I’d better use my own magic I’d been repressing all my life.

My eyes fell again on Loki, regarding his bored expression while he observed the nearly finished battle. Only a dozen and a half hellhounds remained, and the others were busy finishing them off. I shouted at Loki, “You, asshole!” The rage in my voice ripped through the space and a nearby hellhound stopped in his tracks, visibly dissuaded from attacking me due to my outburst. I didn’t care. I wanted to take account of Loki’s indifference and passiveness. The hellhound drew nearer to me, snarling, his eyes gleaming in scarlet, and I hurled another of my magical balls at him. It hit him in the chest, and the smell of charred fur rolled off him. The creature let out a crying howl and exploded with a boom.

“Yes, dear, I love you too,” Loki said in response to my yelling. “You’ve got impressive fighting skills. And, by the way, you look hotter when you blast these buddies.” He winked at me, and that was the last straw. Rage boiled my blood, seething like the deadliest poison.

“Don’t you care?” I snapped back at him while hurling a magical ball at a few hellhounds trotting warily at me. The fire and sizzling magic set their heads on fire, the explosion disembodying them. Interestingly, not one of the hellhounds attacked Loki. They didn’t even growl at him. What the hell?

“I thought you were on our side. Why don’t you bust your ass and fight these monsters? You think you’re better than us?” In my anger, throwing my hands as I pointed at him, I shot an unintended ball toward Michael’s fiery glowing shield. His shield took my magic, absorbing it, and it reverberated in blue-red color. Michael narrowed his eyes, giving me a puzzled glance. I could feel in my thread that he’d absorbed my magic and hurled it to the nearby group of hellhounds. They howled in pain as a flaming fireball blistered their fur, and an explosion erupted, engulfing their bodies.

By a brief calculation, fewer than ten hellhounds were left, and some of them were either bleeding or seriously injured. Hellhounds were basically the animal version of demons: when weakened enough or inflamed, they turned to dust and got sent to their Hell or their master who’d summoned them.

“Tut-tut, Aiyana. This is not a way to speak to a god. Haven’t they taught you better at school?” Loki shot me a mixture of a reprimanding and mocking look. His eyes had changed color, from serene-ocean-blue into pitch-black holes. I lashed my anger again on a nearby hellhound, blasting his brains. The serpentine Enki successfully terminated the largest remaining group of hellhounds, unleashing a wave of scorching flames. Only several hellhounds remained, their movements slowed as fear overtook them. Their eyes had lost their murderous gleam. They looked more like bigger and uglier Dobermans than the bone-chilling monsters that had first attacked us.

“Bite me! Fight like the rest of us.” I glowered at Loki.

“No one bosses me around, much less a magical outlaw,” Loki said quietly, each word pulsing with pure malice.

“If you don’t fight, why are you even here? Go back to Eden Hall!” Much to his displeasure, I continued to boss him around. I wouldn’t bow down to him and his prima donna attitude. I surprised myself by my courage and outspokenness at his behavior.

Loki’s dark eyes gleamed with a burning crimson hue. He pursed his lips and moved forward, leaving the shelter of the pine. Walking toward the few remaining hellhounds—I’d just killed two as well as Michael three—Loki closed his eyes and concentrated hard, a deep scowl furrowed his brow. The air around him shimmered, and he exploded, shapeshifting into a snow-white wolf the size of a bear with fluffy fur and big, glowing, red eyes. Low-level shifters could take a minute or two to turn into their inner animal, but not Loki or Enki. They literally exploded into their innate animal. Loki sniffed the air and, pouncing swiftly, landed among the hellhounds. The white wolf growled at them, his nostrils flaring. I expected a fierce battle, but the hellhounds’ reactions left me speechless: they whimpered, tucking their tails, and ran away, retreating deep into the forest.

“This came in handy,” Michael said in approval, lowering his shield. Its glow intensified and then fizzled out with a low snapping sound like a champagne cork. His wings also disappeared, leaving no trace of his fiery feathers. Raphael’s wings had vanished too, I noticed as I darted a quick glance at him.

Loki transformed back into his human form in a second. Enki followed suit.

“I can’t believe you busted your ass and helped us. Even for a little while,” Enki noted and glanced at me, a smile of amusement dancing on his face. The serpent was still lurking inside him, staring at me from behind magic-charged eyes. “Maybe you need more bossing around, huh?” He turned to Loki, but the latter ignored him and turned his back on Enki.

“Now satisfied, Your Royal Highness?” Loki retorted to me, strange flames gleaming in his eyes.

“Yes, much better.” I couldn’t help but smile internally.

In a little while, we resumed our climbing, trekking up the mountainous hills. But not before Raphael healed my wound. He put his strong yet soft hand on my arm, and an invisible energy hit my skin, buzzing and dancing on my flesh, penetrating deep within my bones and blood. With a sizzle, the energy infused the wound and snapped it shut. The smeared blood disappeared, and the site looked unharmed. Only a dull pain twinged when I moved my arm.

“Thank you. Quick and helpful. I owe you a drink at my bar.” I winked at him and added, “Once we get out of here, of course.” I grinned at his handsome face and butterflies fluttered in my chest. Did I just ask him on a date? Was I flirting? I banished those thoughts. He was an attractive guy, and he had healed my wound, so of course I’d enjoy his company.

Raphael beamed, and the color of his clothes vibrated, turning a shade more purple. A smug satisfaction danced in his blue eyes. I decided that moment was convenient to question him about the Norse god.

“Umm, can you tell me, what’s the deal with Loki? Why didn’t he engage in the battle? That is until I raised hell for him doing nothing.”

The archangel’s face darkened. A deep crease formed on his forehead. “It’s a long story, but in short, he’s blood related to the hellhounds. That’s why he wasn’t eager to kill…or even fight them.” My eyebrows crept up, but before I could fire a question about his family line and who he was related to, Raphael added, “the hellhounds were originally his family’s security officers—their guardians. Loki, the trickster god, loved those ‘fluffy puppies’ as he used to call them back then. It’s not easy for him to turn against his own former friends and guardians. Those he once adored.”

“But how on earth did Drogo claim those hellhounds?”

Raphael shrugged. “It happens. Such familiars can serve both the light and dark side. Drogo weaseled them out of Loki’s guardianship.”

“And what about Loki? Is he on our side?” This and similar questions burned in my mind, and I genuinely wondered which team he played for.

Raphael gave me a long, reproachful look, his blue eyes glowing with a steady heat I could feel sizzle across my skin, but it was an endearing type of heat.

“Yes, he’s on our team. Drogo and the other fallen angels have gone too far. Loki is mischievous and sometimes ambiguous, but he’s not a monster. He’s made his choice. His allegiance lies with us. Don’t question it ever again,” Raphael said. He quickened his pace, leaving me behind. I got the hint: he didn’t want to talk any more about Loki and his backstory. Besides, my doubting of Loki had annoyed him.

The other two concentrated on climbing the mountain slope unfolding before us, and I followed their example and pushed forward, leaning on a nearby taller sandstone for support. Its energy buzzed against my skin, a wave of shimmering, rejuvenating waves engulfed me, washing over my body like a tsunami. Pleasant warmth spread in my chest and down my legs, and a whirlwind of images attacked my mind. Ugly, repulsive men with black wings flew around us. A screeching thunder-like sound pierced the silence, booming in the space.

A large, bearded man with enormous dark wings sweeping the ground under his feet landed inches from me. He smelled of poison. The scent of kerosene wafted in the air, and I gagged, sucking in a breath of air. His magic tasted like a deadly cocktail of broken glass, rotten scorpions, and poisonous snake venom. He wore a dark armor suit with an unknown sigil painted on his chest: an inverted triangle with two dark, curling, horizontal lines intersecting it. I hadn’t seen the symbol before, but I wasn’t a member of the Black Court. The energy of freezing winters, cold Siberian nights, and lingering death pervaded the space, hitting me hard in the chest.

His lips curled into a vicious smile as he saw me suffocating in pain.

“Aiyana Carter,” his voice whispered, and an ominous echo resounded, penetrating down to my bones.

I let out a scream, holding on to the ground. He cackled with malice, visibly pleased from my distress. His evil laughter echoed in my ears for a long time. My heart shrank in horror, pounding in frenzy, and I thought for a long moment I was dying from a heart attack. And then the world went dark.