Daystar (25 page)

Helion nodded.
 
“I am going to kill him.”

“Rip out his heart for me.”

Helion clenched his jaw and nodded.
 
“He dies before you do.”

“Helion—”

Helion’s strange eye pulsed and darkness spread across his cheek like spilled ink.
 
“
He dies before you do
.
 
That is how it will occur.”

Berith knocked on the tree trunk, catching their attention.
 
“It is time.”
 
He looked away.
 
“Belial, you do not need to come.”

Belial jumped from the tree and hid her pain.
 
“You need me.”

Andy shook his head, his worry for her apparent.
 
“No we do not.”

Belial folded her arms.
 
“Who can you guarantee to come?
 
Can any of you guarantee an audience?”
 
They shook their heads.
 
Belial choked back ooze.
 
“I can bring Uriel.
 
He will come if I am bait.”

No one could disagree with her.
 
Helion stood behind her.
 
“As soon as Uriel comes, we move her behind the shield.
 
The sight of her will be enough to keep him there; she does not need to actually fight.”

Andy searched Belial’s eyes for answers.
 
He nodded.
 
“That is acceptable.”

Apple and Berith linked hands.
 
“The fact that more of us will be there will be cause for him to call for others.”

Whitney looked between them.
 
“Are we just knocking some heads about or are we going all out?
 
Do we get to kill anyone?”
 
The others turned to her.
 
She had a sheen to her skin, a super-hard coral exoskeleton.
 
Her fingers tapered into blades of obsidian.

Berith smiled.
 
“You are fierce, Whitney.
 
We fight to distract, though if you have the chance to kill then please, by all means, kill.”

Whitney smiled.
 
“Oh good.”

Apple looked her over.
 
“When did you become bloodthirsty?”

Whitney frowned.
 
“Dahlia told me everything.”

Belial struggled not to throw up.
 
“Can we get this going now?”
 
She looked to the sky.
 
“Shall I go alone at first?”

Helion grabbed her hand.
 
“Absolutely not.”

Apple stepped up to her.
 
“We go together.”

Nix appeared by her side and put her arm around Apple’s shoulders.
 
“Just us girls until Uriel appears.”

Belial nodded and leapt into the air.
 
Apple followed behind, Whitney and Nix were right after her.
 

Apple reached for Belial’s hand as they soared up through the atmosphere.
 
Belial pulled away.
 
Apple frowned.
 
“I know you are sick with something.”

Belial went rigid.
 
“I am fine.”

Apple flew ahead of her and looked back.
 
“You are not.
 
I do not know what is wrong, but something is wrong.”

“How would you know?”

“Blood is my area.
 
Yours is infected.
 
If you would let me see—”

“No!”
 
Belial held back tears.
 
“No.”

“Why?”

“It is none of your business!”

“I just want to help, Belial.”

“You
can’t!
”

“How do you know?”

“You are not a healer!”
 
Belial met her gaze.
 
“If I thought for an instant that you could do anything I would let you help me, Apple.
 
I would, but I do not think you can do anything for me.”

Apple sighed.
 
“You are right.
 
I am not a healer, but I cannot just do nothing about this.”

The foursome crossed through the shield.
 
Belial gazed at Apple.
 
“You can sense I am worsening?”

“Yes.”

Belial nodded.
 
“Then keep a close watch on me.
 
That is what you can do for me.”

Apple frowned.
 
“Of course.”

Belial flicked open her gunmetal gray wings.
 
She forced a smile.
 
“Plug your ears.”
 
She screeched.
 
She let the sound die.
 
“Uriel, I am here for you!”

Uriel flashed into view.
 
“I heard you call for me, dear.
 
Have you given up?
 
Are you ready for me finally?”
 
He spotted Whitney, Nix, and Apple.
 
“Playmates?”

Belial swayed.
 
His presence made the darkness inside her throb.
 

Uriel noticed.
 
He touched his chest.
 
“So close, so near.
 
Come to me.”

Apple’s eyes darted between the pair.
 
“Belial, get back.”

Belial’s vision doubled.
 
Her body responded to his nearness, wanted to become closer with him.
 
She was revolted.
 
“I cannot.”

Uriel smiled, triumphant.
 
“I knew you would come to me eventually.
 
Your heart calls to you.”

Belial pointed her body away.
 
“I wish you dead.”

Uriel leapt for her.

Apple collided with him.
 
She grabbed the scruff of his neck and threw him away.
 
Her hands flicked out fast and a whip of blood slashed in his direction.
 
“Whitney, pull her—”

Whitney slammed into Apple.
 
She had a fresh cut beneath her eye.
 
Apple moved Whitney aside and turned to face the new threat.
 

Samuel bowed.
 
“Greetings Archons of Hell, Heaven says hello—”

Nix bound him in shadows that sucked his light away.
 
She threw him towards the stars.
 
“Fuck off!”

Uriel used the distraction to dive for Belial.

Helion, Andy, Titan, and Berith joined the fight.
 
Helion snatched Belial from the air and dove for the shield.
 
Belial grew still at Helion’s touch.
 
Black liquid dribbled out of her mouth.
 
Uriel flashed through space and grabbed Helion’s ankle.

Whitney landed on Uriel’s back.
 
“Don’t touch my man!”

Uriel tossed her away.
 
Whitney turned around and threw out her hand.
 
A meteoroid the size of a car slammed into his chest, throwing him back towards space.
 
Helion passed through the shield into safety.

Whitney’s eyes burned silver and a ring of giant glass shards formed around her.
 
“Who wants some!”

Titan mimicked her creations, creating a similar ring of rock.

Nix wove together a net of night.
 
“Is Uriel coming back?”

Berith flew by her side, his eyes out for his brother.
 
He held his black sword at the ready.
 
“He will definitely be back for more.”

As if cued, Uriel recovered and swung around.
 
He held two glowing swords.
 
His eyes caught on Berith’s blade.
 
His face showed a slight tremor.
 
“The bitch brought you weapons?”

Berith smiled.
 
“But of course.”

Uriel sneered.
 
“At least she gave you
something
before she gave herself to Him.”

Berith masked his emotions.
 
“Less talking, more fighting.”

Uriel’s eyes flicked over Titan and Berith.
 
“We have both Primangels now, what is the point in this?”

Berith smiled.
 
“When have you ever needed a point to fight?”

Uriel’s eyes narrowed.
 
“What is going on—”

Whitney slammed a shard into his crotch.
 
She followed it up with a glass-covered fist to his face.
 
“Pervert!
 
Rapist!
 
Abusive son of a bitch!”

Uriel licked the blood from his face in shock, realizing that Gabriel’s pendants were useless against them now that they had wings again.
 
He tore off the pendant and whipped it into Whitney’s face.
 
He parried her blows and caught her on the chin with a punch of his own.
 
“Stronger than before, good.
 
I want the exercise.”

***

Andrealphus, Nix, and Appleadris circled Samuel.
 

Samuel whirled his whip, ready to strike if one came near.
 
His eyes were drawn to Andy.
 
“It is you.”

Andy knew exactly what Samuel was.
 
“Ah, it speaks.”

Samuel sneered.
 
“A greeting for one’s sibling?”

Apple flicked her wrist and slashed at him with a bone whip.
 
Samuel hissed and darted out from between them.
 

Nix caught him in her net.
 
She flung him back.

Andy flew for him and grabbed on to his wings.
 
He punched Samuel in the ribs and threw him towards deep space.

A meteoroid flew past their heads as Titan leant his aid to Whitney.

Apple reached out and grabbed hold of the blood in Samuel.
 
She wrenched and his body came under her control.
 
Apple grinned and forced Samuel to turn towards Uriel.
 
“Attack that one.”

***

Ladriam danced from foot to foot, her eyes caught on Lucifer as they had repeatedly over the course of her dance.
 
She faced the fire.
 
“Why does this one wear a neck halo?”

IT IS HIS DESIGN.

“His design?”

TO OBEY, HE WAS CREATED TO OBEY.
 
THE HALO AROUND HIS NECK IS A SIGN OF THAT PURPOSE.

“Oh.”
 
Ladriam skipped over to Lucifer and leaned down to look into his eyes.
 
“He is pained.
 
Why are you pained, Archangel?”

Lucifer could not answer.
 
He sent all of his emotion into his eyes, willing her to remember.
 
She stared at him confused.

Ladriam turned and danced away, but her eyes went back to him once more.
 
“He is mute?”

The fire swept down from the throne and came between them.

LADRIAM.

She grinned and turned towards the throne.
 
“Yes?”

I SEEK TO GIVE YOU A GIFT, TO MAKE YOU PERFECT.

“What have I done to deserve a gift?”

The fire reached out and brushed her face.
 
She fell down into Raphael’s arms, asleep.
 
The fire swirled around the pair and addressed Raphael, KEEP HER SLEEPING WHILE I RESTORE HER WINGS.

The fire rushed through the air and stabbed into Lucifer.

YOU SHALL SEE HER PERFECT AGAIN, LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR.
 
THAT IS MY GIFT TO YOU, TO GAZE UPON HER PERFECTION.

Lucifer snarled, but his lips would not move.
 
He bit his tongue until blood dripped down his chin.
 
His hands shook in rage and despair.

THEN I WILL HAVE HER AS MY QUEEN AND YOU WILL BE HER PET, BY HER SIDE WHILE SHE IS BY MINE.
 
WHAT DO YOU SAY?

“Fuck you!
 
Fuck your—” Lucifer’s ability to speak was cut-off as quickly as it came.
 
He choked.
 
Lucifer stared at Ladriam, her sleeping face serene.
 
He could not even shed tears for her.

Michael watched him and sneered.
 
“So pathetic.”

DO THE OTHERS EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS IN THE OTHER REALM?

Michael shook his head.
 
“Just a scuffle, no doubt without real consequences.
 
They do not need Archangel support, if that is what you ask.
 
Uriel cannot stay away from Belial.
 
It seems she cannot stay away from him either.”

I DO NOT WANT HER BROUGHT BACK HERE.
 
IF SHE IS, EXECUTE HER.