Soul Savers: Faith Part 25

"He's the first male born to the Amadis from both Jordan's and Ca.s.sandra's direct bloodlines," Noah explained, his voice low but nonetheless easily heard. "He's the only one ever in existence who could break the curse. He's done just that by choosing to sacrifice himself by giving himself willingly, without desire for power or l.u.s.t or anything else in return except for freedom of the Ames men."

"Which he is one, too," I insisted.

Noah turned back toward Lucas and Dorian who now floated above the center of the pit. "His commitment set us free. Keeps us free."

My whole body trembled, my heart beating louder than the Shaman's drums. "No. This can't be!"

I sprang into the air and flew toward the center of the valley while keeping to its outer edge, close to the mountain. My eyes took in everything, my mind searching the thoughts of the thousands of Daemoni before me. Their excitement escalated, fed by the sickest, most malevolent images that brought bile up my throat. Demons dropped from the sky, their leathery wings beating against the air a few feet above the Daemoni's heads. The darkness of black magic and evil from the pit rose and curled over my skin and feathers like a shadowy, acidic fog that made my nerves raw. I jumped when Tristan dropped in next to me.

My eyes landed on two women and two men at the far edge of the pit, directly across from us. Rene and Cruz curled their bodies around Victor and Edmund. The Weres' eyes glowed yellow like the cats they were, excitement filling them as they gazed at Lucas and Dorian with a deep hunger. Their lips curled away from their fangs, and their claws lengthened, shredding Edmund's and Victor's s.h.i.+rts. Victor, like all of the vamps among the Daemoni, let out his fangs, and millions of demonic eyes glowed red or yellow as they watched. Unable to contain themselves a moment longer, Rene and Cruz burst into their feline forms, and Weres everywhere transformed, too.

Roars and howls sounded around the valley, and all coherent minds concentrated on the chant of, "Do it! Do it! Bring us our lord!"

Not even Tristan had the power to silence them. Not this many at once. Tristan, Owen, and I together were still no match for Lucas and his dozens of sorcerers scattered in the crowd, thrilling for the moment to use their darkest of magic. We could only watch in horror until Tristan saw our opportunity ... or first blood was drawn.

"Do you think Dorian and Lucas are s.h.i.+elded?" I asked him.

"Probably. And shooting anything to find out could be seen as first strike."

I didn't even want to fight. We certainly wouldn't be the ones to throw the first punch.

Lucas's hand wrapped around Dorian's wrist, and he turned in the air so they both faced Tristan and me. His eyes locked onto mine, and his lips curled upward in a grin that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Dorian's gaze came up to us.

Don't do this, I begged him. You can get away!

"No, Mom, I can't. This is what I want. This is what I'm meant to do."

No, it's not!

His eyes pleaded with me to understand, but I refused to accept his decision. I fisted my hands and yanked, trying to use my power to pull him to us, but he didn't budge.

"So glad you came to witness this, my daughter." Lucas's voice, usually icy and smooth but now low and gravelly, beastlike, easily carried to us. "Your payment for everything you've taken from me is much appreciated."

A growl rumbled in Tristan's throat, and my own echoed it.

Dorian, he's using you.

He tipped his head in a small nod. "But I had to free the others so they could fight for you."

My throat constricted, and tears blurred my vision. I know. And we thank you for it. But you don't have to do this. Please, Dorian. He's opening the Gates to h.e.l.l.

The corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly, and his eyes hardened as they held mine. "He's going to try. You must stop him."

I blinked the tears away and stared at my son. At the man he had become, hovering bravely by Lucas's side.

"He's so much like you," I said to Tristan.

His large hand wrapped around mine. "No. I don't have the courage he possesses in his little finger."

"He won't forget the stupid curse and just break free."

"Of course he won't. He's our son, ma lykita."

Lucas threw his white-blond head back and bellowed out a terrifying laugh. "Oh, no, you're mistaken. Dorian is no longer yours. He's mine now." He leveled his head, and his gaze fell on his army. "Are you ready, my children? My brethren?"

The Daemoni and the Demons roared in response. The flames in the pit jumped and grew, leaping higher as though trying to taste the sky. The evil voices fell back into their chant, only louder and faster, their feet stomping and their fists pounding the air. The Shaman's drums beat steadily. Dark magic spells soared through the air.

My eyes darted over the scene. "What is he doing? I can't read his thoughts. His mind's just full of excitement and antic.i.p.ation for the power he'll have."

"I imagine Dorian has to make some kind of official declaration of his allegiance. See. There are the Ancients." Tristan nodded to the left side of the pit, where several cloaked figures stood. The Ancients. The originals. Demons themselves.

Lucas lifted his hands above his head, barely quieting his followers. "The time we have been waiting for has finally come. The soul we needed has given himself to us. After millennia of bowing to the humans and allowing the Angels and Amadis to dictate over us, we can finally be free!"

The crowd cheered. My own army prepared for the battle that was obviously about to commence, no matter how much I wanted to prevent it. Weres burst into their beastly selves. Vampires let their fangs protrude and their nails lengthened into claws. Magical energy sparked over the fingertips of our mages. But still, I held back my order.

"There has to be a way to stop this," I whispered to Tristan as electricity crackled across my own palm and fingers.

"Unleas.h.i.+ng your power will only start things. Are you ready for that?"

I closed my fist before I lost control of the charge building inside.

"I love you, Mom and Dad," Dorian whispered.

We love you, too, little man. Always, I replied, my wings closing around me as though they could protect my heart from the commitment in his eyes and voice.

"Let us call to our lord and welcome him!" Lucas bellowed as he turned himself and Dorian in a circle. "Let us give our lord what he needs!"

The Daemoni and the Demons let out a collective sound that made my skin crawl and lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. As the terrible, Satanic screech continued emitting from their mouths, they all turned toward us, and crouched, ready to pounce.

The noise undulated and then transformed into clearly audible words. "The blood of our enemy."

"The blood of our enemy!" Lucas confirmed, his voice echoing over the valley and against the mountains. Then one hand waved toward Tristan and me, and his other darted out toward Dorian as though to grab him by the shoulder and show off his claim, so quick even I didn't see the blur of movement. At that millisecond in time, the world stopped. Time stopped. No, not stopped. It ceased to exist in natural terms, as some movements came in the slowest of slow motions while others flashed by.

Dorian's eyes, locked on mine, widened for the briefest fraction of a second that lasted minutes, and then tightened. His mouth, full like his father's, flattened with determination. Lucas's lips continued moving in slow, exaggerated motion, the syllables drawn out and lost on me, silenced by the whir in my ears as the most horrific feeling a mother could have slid down my spine, over my soul. My focus centered entirely on Dorian, and I entered his mind, finding memories of Tristan, me, Mom, Owen, and the rest of our family flas.h.i.+ng by in quick succession.

"Love ... you," he whispered before his mind blacked out.

Then his head began falling to the side as a thick line of crimson stretched across his throat.

Chapter 24.

My breath froze in my lungs. My heart toppled along with my stomach. My brain refused to translate what my eyes witnessed, because it couldn't possibly be right. Lucas couldn't have possibly slit Dorian's throat.

Could he?

No. No, no, no. It didn't make sense. I was missing something. Lucas had no reason to kill Dorian. He had every reason to keep him alive, on his side. So what the h.e.l.l just happened?

These thoughts ran through my mind in a millisecond that felt like hours. Lucas's lips were still moving, his hand hadn't even reached his side yet. The blood on Dorian's throat hadn't even started dripping.

"THE BLOOD OF OUR YOUNGEST ENEMY." The words he'd been speaking while cutting my son's throat finally reached my ears and computed in my brain.

Jolted me into action.

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed as I whipped my wings out. Several feathers, hard as steel, shot out of the edges, turned over, and flew like arrows toward Lucas. I wished I would have known they'd do that earlier, especially when they pierced through his s.h.i.+eld. Before he knew what hit him, my purple ones and many of Tristan's silver and black ones peppered into Lucas's chest. His fireball disappeared, and he hung in the air, holding Dorian's slackening body and staring at us open-mouthed.

Tristan and I launched ourselves toward him and Dorian, while the Daemoni and Demons fell eerily silent. For the briefest of moments, I was sure all anyone across the valley could hear was the sound of Tristan's and my wings whoos.h.i.+ng through the air. Thoughts were confused and jumbled as each side still tried to grasp what just happened.

It had all been so quick, but I knew. And I opened my mind to all of the Amadis and the Normans waiting with bated breath.

FIGHT! I ordered.

And with a roar, s.h.i.+elds dropped and the battle began.

As Tristan and I advanced toward the pit, the confusion and shock in Lucas's eyes cleared and his mouth crept into a vile grin. Then he opened his hand and released Dorian. My son's body plummeted downward, into the pit of flames. And Lucas followed.

"NO!" I screamed again as I flew faster through the valley. "Dorian!"

A spell of black magic whirred toward me, but one of Owen's green streaks blocked it before it hit my s.h.i.+eld. I hadn't reached the edge of the pit yet when two Daemoni vampires leapt into the air and grabbed at me, dragging me downward. I spun out of their holds while releasing the guns from their holsters and kicking each vamp in the head as I did so. With perfect clarity and focus, I aimed my guns at their hearts and shot them both. They fell immediately, their hands scrabbling at the silver bullets lodged in their chests. A dark gray werewolf lunged at me, its claws catching my calf and raking through my leathers and skin as its muzzle snapped and snarled, trying to latch on to me. I trained a gun at its head and pulled the trigger. With an arf, it went down. Before I could push myself higher into the air, two more Daemoni blocked my way. A paw with extended talons headed for my face, but I blocked it with my forearm, ducked, and spun. With flying fists, elbows, and feet, I fought them off of me, and then shot them in the heads for good measure.

Remorse immediately tried to trickle in and slow me down, but I had to shove it away. Whether the souls had hope or not, I had to choose between my life or theirs, between my son's life or theirs. I would choose my son. I couldn't waste time, breath, or concern worrying about them when I had to reach Dorian and Lucas.

I rocketed myself higher into the air to avoid more Daemoni obstacles. Below me, Tristan fought off several others, but I had to leave him. I had to get to Dorian.

Thinking the air was safe was a critical mistake-Demons chased me now. One of them shot a ball of fire at me, Owen's s.h.i.+eld around me sizzled as it was devoured, and the fireball slammed into my leg. My leathers singed upwards, but no heat burned my skin. Rather, icy needles shot into my flesh, like the freezing cold of h.e.l.l had done while I was down there. Another ball of h.e.l.lfire hit my other leg, and then a third burnt off my leather jacket, leaving me in my vest and leather pants that barely covered my b.u.t.t now. When a fourth ball soared at me, I kicked it away with my combat boot. I couldn't see where it went because two Demons zoomed in on me.

Nails as long as pencils and sharpened to vicious points grasped onto my limbs and dug into my skin-one around my left wrist and the other on my right ankle. Their thin wings whooshed against the air as they flew in opposite directions, trying to rip me in two. I twisted around and shot them both. The silver bullets penetrated their thick hides and lodged into their flesh, eliciting ear-piercing screams. They dropped back for a moment, but mere bullets wouldn't kill them, and they continued to fly at me. I shot at them again, slowing them, and I swerved around other Demons as I soared toward the pit. The Demons followed, but I didn't care. As far as I was concerned, I was leading them back home.

I sped straight for the center, leaning forward to angle downward. As I headed for the flames that had swallowed my son's body, I thought, They're in your hands now. And as soon as those words crossed my mind, an epiphany hit me. By going after Dorian and trying to stop Lucas, I was leaving my people behind to fight the battle here. But I wasn't leaving them on their own. I felt this truth in my heart and in my soul. I knew that what they were doing-fighting for the world, for humanity, for good-was the right thing to do, and somehow, no matter what happened, everything would turn out right. The way it was supposed to.

The way G.o.d willed.

My faith may have only been the size of a mustard seed, but that was all I needed. That was what Sheree had been trying to remind me with her tiger mind. If that tiny amount could move mountains, then my people's faith would surely win this war. And finally, my own belief was added to it. So I did what I hadn't done in way too long.

I prayed.

Dear G.o.d, Angels, whoever's listening, I'm so sorry for losing my faith in you. I'm so sorry for being arrogant and proud and dismissing your work around me. Please forgive me. I know only because of you, are we even alive. But my people need you. Please help them. They cannot fight this battle alone, but with you, they will find victory. I leave them in your hands. I trust in you to protect them. To protect my son, too. And if it is your will, I trust in you to protect me as I once again go to h.e.l.l and do as you have asked of me-stop Lucas and Satan.

With that, I tucked my wings behind me to make me more aerodynamic as I shot downward toward the flames. As they grew closer, though, a clawed hand grabbed at my ankle, stopping my plunge. The Demon whipped me to the side, tossing me into the air. I twisted around and shot at its horned head while kicking my leg free. I stared it in its black eyes as I repeated my prayer aloud. It covered its pointy, bat-like ears and let out a high-pitched screech as it soared away.

I fell backwards through the air, face up as lightning streaked across the formidably dark clouds hanging low in the sky. But something else caught my attention ... made me gasp. Before I turned to dive into the pit of flames, I gave my wings a steadying flap to hold me for just a moment longer as I stared in awe at the glorious sight all around me. I finally saw what everyone else had known because their hearts and souls had been open to what I could not see with my eyes.

Angels.

Angels everywhere. With huge, white, feathery wings and long, flas.h.i.+ng blades, Angels fought in the battle side by side with my people. Thousands, no, millions of them. Some slayed Demons while others fought with the Amadis and Normans against the Daemoni. The odds had flipped over to our favor, at least two to one.

Seeing with my eyes what I had felt moments before-that my people and the Normans were protected and would win this battle-I flipped over, closed my wings tightly against my back and sailed downward, into the fire. Like forked tongues, the flames leapt and licked at me, but as I came close enough to touch them, they suddenly separated, opening into a hole that became a wide tunnel through the fire. Ahead, Lucas's and Dorian's bodies continued falling. I flew for my son.

Chapter 25.

A thirst for blood like I hadn't felt in years tore through me. Alexis and I both shot Lucas, and our feathers sank into his chest with several satisfying thuds. But it was too little, too late. Our son's body sagged, and then it dropped from Lucas's grip, straight for the fire below them. Down, I presumed, to Satan, who waited for Dorian's blood to open the Gates and free him from h.e.l.l.

The look that had been on Dorian's face at that devastating moment would haunt me until my final day. Steadfast, determined, knowing. And, I believed, expectant. Expectant that his mother and I would stop the madness Lucas intended. But we were failing our son. I was failing him. We'd never get to him in time.

As we soared for Dorian and Lucas falling into the fiery pit, Alexis gave the order, and the battle began. Our people sprang into action, and so did the Daemoni. Were-animals roared ferociously. Vampires hissed and growled. Claws and fangs found their marks, spells streaked through the air, and metal clanged against metal.

And the Angels fought, too.

Many brawled with the Demons, while others dropped down to help the Amadis and the Normans against the Daemoni. With the Angels fighting alongside us, we'd win this battle and this war ... as long as we could stop Lucas. And save our son while we were at it.

The Daemoni didn't make it easy, though. They attacked both of us as we flew for the center of the fire-filled sinkhole. Powerful magic blasted into Owen's s.h.i.+eld around me, disintegrating it on impact, which was just as well. My powers were stronger when not s.h.i.+elded. With a wave of my hand, I paralyzed the three vampires that attacked me, while pulling shuriken out of sheathes in the straps across my chest. I threw the stars at the bloodsuckers and were-beasts targeting Alexis, and their razor edges sliced across their throats and lodged into their chests. They dropped away, leaving only two for her to fight off so she could push ahead. With a twist of my wrist, I killed the three paralyzed vamps, as well as the other Daemoni that came in my way. I'd forbidden myself from using that power since my conversion, but this was war. There was no time for combat, no time to contemplate the condition of their souls.

Alexis reached the center of the pit before I even crossed its outer edge, and without hesitation, she dove down through the flames. I froze for a moment as I watched my wife disappear, headed back to h.e.l.l.

I shouted profanities as I threw my power at the bodies rus.h.i.+ng toward me.

But they didn't fall away. In an instant, dozens of Demons, immune to my powers, had appeared, hovering over the pit, blocking my way. Their oily bodies and black eyes reflected the orange and yellow of the flames. I flicked more shuriken, decapitating several, and when I exhausted my supply, I reached behind me and released the swords on my back. And I charged, swinging and arcing, dropping heads two at a time. For every Demon I slayed, however, another appeared.

I growled with frustration. Why had Alexis been able to pa.s.s through, but they seemed intent on preventing me from doing the same? Had they not been fast enough to stop her? Had it been a mistake? Or did they purposely allow her but not me? Why- The realization struck me at the same time a Demon's claw did.

"NO!" I roared as I swung a silver blade through the new attacker's neck.

With renewed rage, I arced the swords furiously, side to side and back and forth, cutting my way through the pack of Demons. I had to reach the opening. I had to stop Alexis, or the hope for not only our son, but the entire world would be lost.

Blow after blow of the Demons' claws and weapons pounded into my body, but I pushed on. Several Angels flew down and helped me, decommissioning the evil beasts to clear a path to the opening. Through the murderous red haze clouding my vision, I was surprised to see Rina and Sophia swinging swords and decimating Demons.

"You must follow her," Rina said as she spun and slid her sword across a Demon's horn, lobbing it off. It screeched in agony. Her sword swiped again, and the creature's entire head fell. "She needs you."

Sophia decapitated another on the opposite side of me. "She must stop Lucas, but she needs your help."

"Be what she needs, Tristan," Rina added, "and she will do what needs to be done."

I threw an angry look at her. "Like Dorian needed to do?"