Betrayal - A Demon Squad Story (2 page)

Forcalor’s gaze snapped away as a handful of warriors descended upon us. The duke stepped to meet them. “Stand aside, Scarlett. I could not bear the scorn of your mother’s spirit should these heretics harm you.” He dropped the first of the rebels before he finished speaking. The second fell but an instant later, a reddened geyser spewing up from where his head had only just been.

Valore’s blood still staining my hands, his treason fresh in my mind, I could not bring myself to hold back. Those who would slay the innocent in their sleep were no kindred to me. I darted out from behind the duke and let my blade loose. While named Slayer of Demons, Everto Trucido’s sharpened edge worked just as well on the flesh of angels. The third of the rebels would learn this firsthand.

His hand glistening with golden energy, I took it off at the wrist. I silenced his scream by burying my blade beneath his chin, pinning his tongue to the roof of his mouth as the steel slid through to crack the dome of his skull. His eyes rolled in their sockets and I felt his weight upon my sword arm.

Forcalor finished the others before I could draw my weapon loose. “Come, child. We must reach Uriel before he is forced to seal the Garden and we are trapped outside.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me along. “To Eden, my brothers,” he screamed as we ran. Thunder roared, competing with his voice. “Rally to Eden if you would live!”

As we closed upon the Garden, it was clear Gabriel had known where we would make our stand. Generals on high, He and Michael sent wave after wave of their rebellious legions to assault the gates of Eden. Uriel held strong, an army of desperate angels at his back, though it seemed only a matter of time before they were overcome.

Uriel’s cherubic face out of place on the field of death, he was no less a warrior for his boyish appearance. Dressed in full battle regalia, save for a helm, his sea-green armor reflected his position in the Angelic Choir. An image of the Tree of Life was impressed upon his breastplate in the finest gold, its roots circling his limbs, and winding their leafy way to his fingers and toes to begin the journey upwards once more. His fiery sword, not simply enwreathed in fire, but made wholly of the flickering tongues of God’s flame, which set light to the sun, laid waste to any who dared come too close.

Rebel angels melted away at its touch as those allied to Uriel stood at his side and defended the flanks. For all his majesty, it was clear the battle was already turning against the guardian of Eden. He looked frayed and worn, as did Forcalor. It was not the fight itself tiring them, but the nature of the enemy and the field upon which the conflict arose. Never before, not even in the days before Lucifer’s fall, has there been blood shed upon the soil of Heaven.

God would never allow such treason
. A quiet chuckle slipped loose at the thought as I was once again reminded of our abandonment. We were alone, even here in Heaven.

A massive
boom
shook me from my sickened reverie, and I glanced up to see Gabriel and Michael joining the fray. The storm of their might showered Uriel and his forces with a rain of magical fire. Uriel stumbled back toward the open gates, defending as he went.

“
I have to help him,” Forcalor growled through clenched teeth as a wave of rebel angels followed on the heels of the archangels’ attack. He said no more as he raced to bolster Uriel. I followed at his heels. Gabriel’s forces were upon us before we reached the gates.

Forcalor flung aside the first of his attackers. I wasn’t so fortunate.

My stomach churned at what I must do, and I felt as though my sword couldn’t move fast enough. I cut down several of the heretics as they closed, but for every blow I delivered, I received three in turn. There were simply too many.

Bursts of energy exploded all about me and I felt my hair catch fire, the flesh of my scalp blistering as I drew left to skewer yet another angel I’d once loved as a brother. The look in his golden eyes slowed my hand further. The blood spilling from my wounds did little to help.

Though I fought on, I could feel myself weakening. My ribs ached with every breath, a furnace in my lungs. Everto sat heavy in my hand, my knuckles showing white beneath the crimson coat of blood. My magic reined in for defense, to keep the fiery assault at bay, I could not hold the rebels at range. Dozens of bodies littered the ground about me, the courtyard tiles slick with the fluids of dead and dying angels.

And yet they still came.

I could hear their muffled shouts of anger, their cries for my head. Each speared my heart in turn and fueled my desire to rid them from my home. Sadly, passion is no shield in time of war. My vision blurred by weariness and the fog of battle, I didn’t see the angel who’d slipped past my guard until it was too late.

I spun to meet his blow, but he moved faster. His blade crashed into my left hand. I felt my fingers snap, the bones in my palm crushed under the pressure. White light filled my eyes and I felt my legs wobble beneath me. It had only been by luck that I’d turned his sword aside, the flat connecting with my hand rather than the edge. It made little difference in the pain, though I’d die with all my fingers.

No adrenaline to fight the agony that raged up my arm, I crumpled to my knees as the rebel angel closed. His gaze locked on mine and I saw him then for who he truly was; Jatar. We had been lovers once, and I’d believed friends after. He laughed as he stood over me, putting the lie to my belief. The remnants of my heart burst inside my chest.

“
Gabriel will reward me greatly for slaying the demon-bitch who poisons the Kingdom.” His words were daggers, carving away the moments we’d had together. He drew his sword above his head and grinned as though we had never been anything but enemies. I couldn’t bring myself to try and stop him.

The hazel of Jatar’s eyes suddenly turned red, then an abysmal black, before bursting from their sockets. His face melted away like so much candle wax, his body dropping into a heap on the tiles. And for all his intended cruelty, I couldn’t help but mourn his loss.

Uriel stood where Jatar had just moments before, the sky ablaze behind him. He held out his hand to me. I could feel the heat of his sword as its fury washed over me.

“
All that remains of Heaven is Eden, and I worry that too shall soon fall. I must close the gates before the battle bleeds into the Garden, but I would ask a sacrifice of you, Scarlett.”

As he helped me to feet, I could only nod.

A sad smile broke on his face. “Flee to Earth and find help, if there is any to be had. We cannot win this war alone.”

I suddenly regretted agreeing. “But my place is here, by y—“

“
Then you will die with our beloved Kingdom,” he said without rancor. “We are lost, but by sealing Eden we might buy some time for the miraculous.”

“
God has left us. There are no more miracles in the world,” my words were like gravestones, tumbling heavy from my mouth.

“
Perhaps, but do not give in to despair. You fought for Heaven despite the odds against it, for though He might be gone from our world, the Father still lives within our hearts. If it is His will that we are to fall, then so be it, but I do not believe He would cast us aside so easily.”

I met Uriel’s eyes and saw the conviction that burned inside their depths. He truly believed there was still hope. I couldn’t refuse him his request, though I didn’t share his faith. I agreed to do as he asked. After, he turned back to the battle, clearing the way for me to reach Eden.

Slowed by my wounds, I stumbled through the gates and made my way across the Garden. Every step was agony to both my flesh and my heart. I could hear the battle at my back, its roar slowly fading as I left it behind. It felt as though I too was abandoning Heaven as God had, leaving my people to die as I did nothing to save them. But I’d given my word to Uriel that I would seek out help, and so I would.

As I stepped through the Earth-side gates of Eden and fell into the bright blue sky, I could think of only one person I could turn to who might help to win Heaven free of its enemies.

God help us all
.

A Note from the Author:

Thank you for taking the time to read Betrayal. While the Demon Squad books are all voiced by Frank “Triggaltheron” Trigg, the world has enough unique viewpoints outside of Frank’s that I felt it would be a good experiment to try to bring another to life. As Scarlett plays such a pivotal role in At the Gates, she was the perfect test subject.

While different than usual, I hope you enjoyed this little foray outside of Frank’s head.

And for those of you who feel it can’t be Demon Squad without Frank, I’ve added a bonus story just for
you
.

~

Thanks to Bastard and Mihir for all their wonderful ideas, and for telling me what they really think whether or not I want to hear it.

Tim Marquitz

http://www.tmarquitz.com

Prohibition Black and Blues

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something inherently uncomfortable about having the barrel of a gun named
Tommy
shoved in your mouth.

“
You tell Capone and Lou to keep their fingers out of North Side pockets, or Bugs is gonna cut ‘em off, you get me?”

“
Mmeha, mwii watchuh.”

“
What?”

I rolled my eyes toward the gun and raised my eyebrows. It took Paulie a couple of seconds, but he got it.

“
Damn it, Jimmy. Take the gun outta his mouth so I can figure out what the Hell he’s saying.”

The monolithic unibrow of the caveman standing in front of me wiggled like an angry caterpillar, and I could have sworn I saw a dim light flicker in the windows of his eyes. He grunted and took a step back. The barrel yanked loose of my mouth with a wet pop. The grey steel was shiny with my spit, and I ran my tongue over my teeth trying to get rid of the taste of gun oil. It wasn’t the worst thing I’d had in there, but I can’t say I wanted a second helping. Paulie growled to remind me he’d asked a question.

“
I said, ‘Yeah, I gotcha,’ Paulie.”

“
See there, Jimmy? I told you Frank was smarter than he looks.”

I almost blushed at the compliment.

“
You go on home now, and tell your uncle what I said. If he don’t convince Capone to keep his business out of Bugs’ territory, folks on the south side of the line are gonna get shot.” Paulie laughed and Jimmy joined in, chuckling like a gelded donkey.

The two turned away and started toward their car. As Paulie opened the driver’s side door of his black Model-T, he glanced over at me. His smile bent his cheeks wide. “Hey, Frank, I’m curious. What kind of name is Ceefer anyway? It sure don’t
sound
Italian.”

I smiled right back. “It’s an old family name.”

“
Well, you just make sure old Lou gets the message.” He slid into his seat.

Jimmy shook his head. “Lou Ceefer. Sounds foreign, Paulie.” He laughed as he hopped in the other side of the car. The barrel of his gun poked out the window after he closed the door. I could see them grinning behind the windshield.

If they only knew.

Lou Ceefer, my uncle, wasn’t much for subtle. Of course, when you’re the Devil, you don’t have to be. That’s why he sent me.

He’d ordered a torch job on a speakeasy Moran had just opened, right across the north-south line. In a better neighborhood, with the cops on the take, Bugs’ place was drawing Capone’s regulars
and
their money across the split. That didn’t sit well with Capone.

Don’t let it ever be said that Lucifer doesn’t look out for his own. You make a deal with the Devil, you can bet your soul he holds up his end of the bargain.

I’d been casing the place, waiting for the night crowd to finally drift home, when Paulie cruised past. On foot, trying to be inconspicuous, I couldn’t get off the street before the headlights hit me. On my way
toward
the club at four a.m., Paulie stopped to take a closer look. We’d bumped into each other a few times, so he recognized me. He knew I wasn’t out sampling the night life. That’s when I got to be cozy with
Tommy
.

Fortunately for me, Paulie isn’t smart enough to figure out who Uncle Lou is, let alone put it together he isn’t human, or that, by extension, neither am I. While a machine gun burst in the mouth would hurt worse than President Harding’s economic policies, it wouldn’t be fatal. Messy, certainly, but not deadly. Sure, I’d be on a liquid diet for a day or two, but I’d get over it.

Paulie probably thought I was just some punk kid following my uncle into the business. Guess he figured he could scare me a little and maybe I’d beg Lou to back off, afraid I’d get hurt or something. He’d thought wrong.

As the Ford roared to life outside the empty speakeasy, I waved to Bugs’ goons, keeping the dumb smile on my face. It’s always best if people think you’re slow.

I strolled toward the driver’s side, casually stuffing my hands into my coat. “Hey, Paulie, you think Bugs might need another guy? You know, some extra muscle, or something?” It also helped if they thought you were a coward.