Into the Void (The Godhunter, Book 10) (27 page)

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to challenge your captors to outdo your past torturers. Most of the inquisition resembled a boring interview with a British butler but on the occasions that I refused to answer, Aban relished his attempts to find new ways to bring the pain.

The blessed steel didn't help either. The cuts he made burned like salt in a wound and took long minutes to heal, longer even when there was more than one cut to deal with. I didn't care though, there were some things that I wouldn't divulge, no matter what they did to me. Like the chant to get into my territory or how I had forged a bond with Azrael. After those few instances, I decided to shut up completely because they kept going back to those questions anyway.

So I was a bit of a mess when the legions of Hell stormed Heaven.

“
What was that?” Sachiel stood up and spread his hands for balance. The whole house was shaking.

“
I have no idea,” Aban's face showed the first signs of concern.

“
Well, go and see,” Sachiel pushed him toward the door.

The ground shook again and a thunderous blast echoed in from the street. Then there were shouts, the pound of thousands of footsteps, the roar of wings beating against the air. I heard a terrible screeching and bits of stone started to fall from the ceiling. A blast of some kind sent debris flying in from the open doorway and Sachiel began to look worried.

“He's here!” Aban shouted as he came running into the room. “Azrael and his father have breached Araboth and are walking the streets of gold with an army of demons! We have to flee!”

“
I'm not going anywhere,” Sachiel's fear was obvious but he pushed it aside and picked up a long slim blade. “He won't hurt us as long as we have her.”

That's when I began to laugh. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Even when Sachiel wrapped his arms around my chest and held the blade to my throat I laughed. It drew blood and it burned but I didn't care. I laughed. I was being rescued by my boyfriend, the Angel of Death, along with his father, Lucifer. They were storming Heaven through the secret passages Lucifer had made to sneak his mistress out to Hell, back when he'd actually built Heaven. What could be more funny than that?

“Shut up, you crazy bitch,” Sachiel hissed.

“
Teacup,” I gave one more giggle. “What happened to your teacup? I'm gonna need it soon.”

“
Sachiel!” Azrael stood in the doorway.

No, Death stood in the doorway. His eyes were blazing stars set within a dark sky, the whites of them gone completely black like the hollow sockets of a skull. The bones beneath his skin were showing through in stark white, like they'd been painted on his flesh by the hand of a master artist. Behind him, his black wings rose like a hood and his hair seemed to disappear into that darkness. He wore a golden breastplate engraved with strange symbols, gold gauntlets, a pair of worn jeans, and nothing else. The tattoo on his cheek burned blue and his scythe was out, the writing glowing as bright as his cheek. His skin caught the light from his eyes and tattoo, gleaming over the curves of his muscles like the touch of a lover's hand, and the bones exposed beneath seemed only to enhance his masculinity. Strength revealed, down to its very foundation, for all to see. Sparks dripped from his eyes like tears and the floor sizzled wherever they fell. He looked like vengeance itself, like the God of Vengeance. My sweet Angel of Death.

“You're gonna get it now, Sachi,” I sang, my heart rejoicing in both Azrael's arrival and his dark appeal. I couldn't help it, I was enthralled by his magnificent beauty. I'd gladly be abducted daily if it meant I could see Azrael like that every time. “Maybe I won't need that teacup after all.”

“
Don't come any-” Sachi never got the rest of the words out. His head was on the floor before he could finish, his eyes staring up at me in shock. His hand fell away much slower, the knife clattering to the floor beside his body.

“
Carus,” Azrael dropped to his knees beside my chair and undid the shackles. A wave of magic rushed through me, my power reasserting itself after being suppressed. “Are you alright?”

He brushed my hair back, inspecting the remaining cuts and bruises with his deadly sparkling eyes. I just launched myself against him and held on, sucking in great gulps of vanilla orchid scented air as the dark solace of his wings wrapped around us. Now that the bad guy was dead, I could give into my fear.

“Do you have her?” It was Luke.

“
Yes,” a muffled response from Azrael. His face was buried in my hair. “She's safe.”

“
We're searching the house for any others,” Luke said with a relieved tone and my heart melted to hear it. “Watch over her, I'll take care of this.”

“
I will,” Azrael pulled back and looked me over again. “What happened?”

“
First let me just say... damn, baby, is this how you normally look when you get angry?”

“
This is how I look when I'm in a murderous rage,” he grinned as his bones faded out of sight once more.

“
It's a good look,” I touched the skin around his dimming eyes. The whites had already returned to normal. “Some angel named Aban took me from the beach,” I stood and stretched my cramped limbs. “He injected me with Net and brought me here, where I met that asshole,” I pointed to Sachiel's head. “Gabriel showed up too and I got confirmation that they're behind the sonar attacks.”

“
Why did they take you?” He glanced up when the sounds of a scuffle floated down to us.

“
I don't know,” I frowned as I found Sachiel's teacup on the floor. I picked it up, tossed the remnants of his tea over his corpse, and tucked the cup in my robe's pocket. I figured it would make a nice memento. “They were questioning me, asking me all kinds of things about my life and the people in it. They wanted to know how I was able to attract you.”

“
They what?”

“
Well that's not exactly how they said it but it sounded pretty insulting,” I grimaced and resisted the urge to kick Sachiel's head across the room. “Assholes. Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” I yelled at the corpse.

“
Vervain,” Az's eyes started to fade even more and he gave a little laugh.

“
What?”

“
I love you,” he said and pulled me into his arms. “I warned them. I told them that you'd be safe or there'd be hell to pay.”

“
Technically you were talking about when I was in Shehaquim,” I grinned against his lips.

“
Whatever,” he gave a little grin himself. “I would tear Araboth down around their heads if it meant saving you.”

“
Right back atcha, babe,” I leaned into the kiss and let it envelope me as he did, completely. It was a forceful slashing of tongues, flavored by blood and sweat, and it was one of the best kisses I've ever had. Our bodies were pressed as tightly together as our lips were, and magic tingled to life between us, our bond or my Love magic- I didn't know and I didn't care. It was him and I together, with nothing to come between us, and that was all that mattered.

“
Are you about done yet?” Nothing except his father, that is.

“
Dad,” Azrael groaned as he lifted his mouth from mine.

“
Don't you ever say that word while we're kissing again,” I laughed and then broke away from him to go hug Luke. “Thank you, Luke.”

“
It was my pleasure,” Luke kissed my forehead and hugged me back. “No, really,” he laughed and let me go, “it was so much fun. You gotta come see this. We burst into Araboth and took them so unawares that they all just laid their weapons down at our feet. We marched through Heaven unmolested. Isn't that a trip?”

“
Totally,” I giggled and shot a grin back at Az while his father pulled me outside.

Sure enough, the golden streets were filled with a long line of demons going back as far as I could see. There were angels along the outside of the streets, watching the horde with wary eyes. The demons were in their demonic forms and they all grinned at me when I exited the building, looking just as excited as Luke was. Luke grabbed my hand and lifted it into the air like I'd just won a boxing tournament. The demon horde cheered.

“I thought you said there wasn't a fight?” I whispered to Luke. “What's with all the scorch marks and broken stuff?”

“
Well they abducted my daughter-in-law,” Luke lowered my arm. “I couldn't let those poop heads get off scot free. Plus, I really like blowing stuff up. It's been forever since I was able to rain fire and brimstone down and I've never done it in Araboth.”

“
Well, I'm glad to have been a part of it,” I chuckled. “Those darn poopy pants did deserve it.” Wait, did he say daughter-in-law?

“
Poopy pants,” Luke grinned. “I like that.”

“
Thank you,” Azrael came up beside me and spoke to the crowd of demons. “Thank you for helping me save Vervain. I can't express how much this means to me.”

“
Party at your place?” I whispered to Luke.

“
Definitely,” he grinned at me.

“
Was there something you wanted to say, Carus?” Az looked back at me with an indulgent smile. Probably since I was talking during the middle of his big speech. How rude!

“
Yes, I have something to say,” I strode forward, out into the middle of the golden street, the sunlight of Heaven shining bright on my face. I looked over the demons who had saved my life and smirked. “Let's leave Araboth to these assholes. Tonight we dine in Hell!”

They all cheered, whooping and laughing, snickering and leaping in delight as the angels of Araboth looked on in dismay.

“Language, Vervain,” Luke clucked his tongue at me. “It's so unbecoming.”

“You just couldn't resist, could you?” Azrael shook his head as we walked hand-in-hand up the gold street. It turned out that we couldn't leave just yet, we had to go pay a visit to Jerry and get him to stop Gabriel. Gabriel, who had escaped.

“
I wouldn't be me if I did,” I grinned at him.

“
You only like that movie because it has Gerard Butler all buff,” he speared me with an intense look.

“
No, I only like that movie because all the men are buff, even the old ones,” I laughed, “and because you get to see Gerard Butler's butt. Hehe, it's even fun to say it. Gerard Butler's butt. Yay, go Sparta!”

“
You're such a child,” he gave me a fake disapproving look.

“
And you think Scarlet Johannson is hot as Black Widow,” I accused.

“
Well,” he blustered like an Englishman.

“
And she is,” I finally let him off the hook. “Though I think Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft takes the cake.”

“
There's that too,” Azrael laughed.

“
Admiration doesn't equal affection,” I nudged him. “It's okay to look. I don't care where you work up your appetite, as long as you eat at home.”

“
You are the strangest, most wonderful woman,” he shook his head.

“
And you are- what the hell is that?” I stopped walking.

“
What?” He looked up and rolled his eyes. “Oh
that
,” he took my arm and started leading me up a long flight of stairs. “That's the throne.”

“
The throne?” I glanced over at Luke, who was walking beside us. “Did you build that too?”

“
Of course,” Luke huffed. “You think the wino did it? Please.”

“
Nice job,” I was getting dizzy from staring up at it.

At the top of the sparkling white stairs was a golden throne. It was glowing in the sunlight but there also seemed to be another light source coming from somewhere behind it and one beneath it. Above the throne swarmed angels, well I think they were angels. They looked kinda scary, some had the faces of lions, some of oxen, and some of eagles. Then there were the ones who looked like regular angels but were covered in eyes, like that thing in
HellBoy
2
except with eyes everywhere. I mean
everywhere
.

We reached the last step and came out onto an open platform in front of the throne. Between us and the throne itself was a panel of glass set into the floor, with something shimmering beneath it. We started across it and the shimmering thing shifted, flowing about in misty shapes until one became a little more solid and a little face peered up at me. I gasped and clutched my bloody robe tighter around my legs. I know, I was in front of the throne of god in Araboth and I was worried about a little ghost peering up my robe. Ridiculous.

“Umm,” I pointed down toward the face and it vanished, fading back into the other swirls of mist.

“
That's the Guf,” Azrael waved a hand and the mist thinned enough so that I could see a tree.

“
Hey, isn't that...?”

“
The Tree of Life,” Az nodded. “The Guf is like Hvergelmir and the Tree of Life is similar to the tree that feeds Hvergelmir.”

“
Damn,” I thought about it. “It's the same thing. In Norse traditions, the tree is called the Tree of Life too, and the moisture that drips from its leaves is actually souls. They fall into Hvergelmir, the Well of Souls, the Norse version of the Guf.”

“
That's right,” he grinned at me. “Things get a little intertwined sometimes.”

“
Yeah, I've heard that before,” I looked back down at the tree. “So how does the Tree of Life in your Heaven fill...” I trailed off as I watched a fruit lift from the tree and float up into the Guf. It burst when it hit the waters beneath us and then formed into another misty shape that began to swim about with the others. “They're all souls,” I whispered and stopped walking.

I knew Luke and Az were waiting for me but I was entranced. I dropped to my knees and put a hand to the glass. These were people, the essences of them, and this was what I was in search of. A soul. Odin's soul. Light flared in the mist and another soul drifted by, brushing up against the glass and my fingers. It swirled and looked back at me. I smiled and I swear it smiled back before fading into the mist.

“She's easily distracted,” a whiny voice observed.

I looked up and saw that there was a man sitting in the throne which I'd previously thought was empty. That was a neat trick. He was large, wide and tall though not as muscular as Odin had been. He had long hair of golden brown trailing over his shoulders, a long brown beard, and eyes completely white, no irises at all.

“Is he blind?” I stood and started walking with Az and Luke again.

“
He might as well be,” Luke huffed.

“
I can see all, Godhunter,” Jerry said, “and I hear pretty damn well too.”

“
Jerr,” Luke nodded to the man.

“
Seducer,” Jerry growled.

“
Still on about that?” Luke sighed. “You lost, man, you lost her ages ago. Get over it.”

“
Get over it?” Jerry roared and stood. “Get over it? You stole my wife from me and now you've stolen into my territory and wrecked havoc. You're a thief!”

“
And you're a poopy pants!” Luke yelled and pushed Jerry back into his throne. “You could have held onto her, all you had to do was be nice to her but oh no, you rather mope about and drink all day long. Then she gives you the chance to be the hero. She brings you an evil plot hatched by one of your sycophantic angels and you tell her you don't care. I didn't steal Holly from you, you buffoon, you gave her to me. Handed her over wrapped with a nice bow.”

The strange faced angels flying above the throne started to sing Holly's name then. “Holly, Holly, Holly,” they sang and sang until Jerry looked up at them and told them to shut up... with expletives involved.

“Language, Jerry,” Luke tutted him as he'd done to me earlier.

“
Get out,” Jerry snarled at us but mainly Luke.

“
No can do, old man,” Luke hooked his thumbs in the belt bands of his jeans and rocked back on the heels of his boots. “You see, you may not care but I do and I'm not leaving Araboth until you hand Gabriel over or make a blood vow that you'll stop him and any other angel under you, from plotting against either mankind or mermankind ever again.”

“
What?” Jerry huffed. “I'm not giving you Gabriel. Who's going to pull the souls from the Guf?”

“
It's not like that's a hard task,” Luke rolled his eyes. “You stick your hand in and a soul swims into it. You don't even have to fish around or anything. Then you just hand it over to Lailah. A trained monkey can do his job.”

“
He's my friend, friendship being something you wouldn't know about.”

“
Oh please,” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “I was more of a friend to you than any of these ninnies will ever be.”

“
Until you stole my wife!”

“
Until you mistreated the most wonderful woman in all creation!” Luke shouted, his voice thundering through Heaven and echoing back to us.

Everything went still, as if the territory of Araboth were waiting for its master's command. Luke's eyes went wide, he'd heard it too and I bet he must have started thinking about how easy it had been for him to invade Araboth. Heaven was his, all seven of them, no matter who ruled in his stead.

“Now, I'm going to say this just once more,” Luke said softly, confidently. “You will give me that pansy Gabriel and I will take him back to Hell with me where I will lay upon him all the evil at my disposal. Or you will give me a blood vow that none under your command will ever move against a human or merfolk ever again. If they do, they will be mine to do with as I see fit,” Luke held up a hand when Jerry started to sputter, and the throne beneath him began to quake. “If you do not comply to these demands, I will tear down this Heaven around your ears and every other Heaven that dares to offer you solace. You shall have nowhere to go, a hermit wandering the Earth.”

The silence permeated Araboth as all waited for Jerry's answer.

“I make a blood vow,” the words seemed to be pulled from Jerry's lips. He took a blade from the air and sliced the pad of his thumb with it, a bead of blood welled up and he brushed it across his lips. As he spoke, the air in front of him tinted red with blood and magic. “None under my control shall ever harm or seek to harm a human or merfolk ever again. If they do, they shall be given into the keeping of Lucifer Morningstar and he shall do unto them as he pleases. So sayeth the Lord.”

A pop like my ears were acclimating and then the magic dispersed.

“Thank you,” Luke said somberly. “Goodbye, Jehovah.”

“
Goodbye, Lucifer Morningstar,” Jerry said in a quiet voice. “May you never step foot in Araboth again.”