Scorn of Angels (32 page)

The bathhouse shuddered as Ishtar flung Persephone into one of the pillars. Rock and brick shattered and spewed out into the steam room, chipping the walls and making the bodies of the dead shudder with the force of impact. Persephone pushed herself off the column, her whip snapping into Ishtar’s face as her sword lashed out to her belly. Ishtar dodged both and returned the attack. Blades, whips, and teeth flashed at one another as the two struggled for supremacy in the bathhouse.

Ishtar caught hold of Persephone’s armor and slammed her against the wall. She drove her knee into Persephone’s ribs again and again like a jackhammer. “I was always better than you up close,” Ishtar said, grinning.

“Cocksucking doesn’t count,” growled Persephone, smashing her elbow into Ishtar’s face and transforming her sword into an oversized karambit whose hooked blade she ripped across Ishtar’s breasts, scoring the armor and reaching the flesh underneath. Ishtar hissed in surprise and shifted her hips, throwing Persephone into the outside wall with enough force to send her through it. Persephone hit the next building, bounced, and rolled. She came up spitting blood and teeth, and smiling. “You’re going to die, Ishtar. I’m going to breathe your dust.”

Suddenly an explosion rocked the Earth and sent them both to their knees.

Tribunal landed in a fireball that sent the Descended flying in all directions. The force of the blast threw those on the ground through the air and smashed them into the buildings that were crumbling around them. Those in the air flew hundreds of yards through the sky, some losing control and hitting the sides of mountains, others managing to ride the winds up and over the peaks that surrounded the remains of the city.

And when the flame and dust cleared, Tribunal, a short, whipcord thin man with a sparse beard and cruel eyes, wearing a robe of red so dark it was almost black, stood in the middle of a crater, surrounded by all the surviving Angels of Hell.

Ishtar and Persephone struggled to their feet. Tribunal’s presence was so overwhelming they could barely feel the divine force flowing from each other. They looked together to the mountains, where a huge fireball was rising in the sky.

“So,” said Ishtar. “He’s here.”

“We’re fucked,” said Persephone.

“You’re fucked,” said Ishtar. “I switched sides, remember?”

Persephone shook her head. “I used to think I was the idiot in the group.”

Ishtar turned to look Persephone in the eye. “Join us, you silly bitch. You can have Paradise.”

“You’re just rock stupid, aren’t you?” said Persephone. “One, Tribunal will kill us all and unmake Creation. Two, Lucifer is the biggest rape-loving dickhead to ever walk Creation. And three, if we survive the next hour, I’m going to kill you myself, you betraying bitch.”

Persephone took off toward the mountains, the wind from her wings blowing dust into Ishtar’s eyes.

“Fine,” said Ishtar, taking to the air after her. “Be that way.”

Nyx was the first to move, her reaction born out of anger and eons of training. Faster than any other Descended could hope to match, she flew toward Tribunal, her blade in front of her, her mouth wide in a scream of hatred.

Her sword, sharpened divine steel, shattered against Tribunal’s chest. The force of her charge rebounded into her, sending her flying backward and down. He sneered down at her. “You feeble creature,” he said. “Did you really think that anything you could do would be a match for me?”

Nyx pulled herself to her feet. “Had to try, asshole.”

“I’m sure you did,” said Tribunal. “Lucifer?”

Nyx spun and used her whip to catch Lucifer’s sword and redirect it away from her head. In the same move, she darted in and caught his wrist and delivered a devastating kick to his knee. It buckled backward, and she wrenched the sword from his hand. She slashed open his stomach, spun, and attacked Tribunal once more.

This time she didn’t even get to make contact.

The urge to drop the sword and throw herself at Tribunal’s feet came with such overwhelming force that Nyx was already scrabbling in the dirt before she realized he was taking control of her mind. She crawled to his feet, overcome with remorse and fear and deep, deep sadness for her actions. “Please, Master! Forgive me!” Tears poured down her face as she realized how completely wrong she had been to oppose this man—this God—who had been her lover, her partner, and her divine inspiration to build one of the greatest religions the world had ever known. It had been his wisdom that had brought her as far as she had come, and his guidance that would have brought her to Paradise, if only she hadn’t betrayed him.
If only I had sacrificed Epiphenia! If only I’d had the courage to do what he’d asked, he would have forgiven me for all my
weakness.

In a far off galaxy, a star winked out.

“Now that is the way she is supposed to be,” said Lucifer, grinning down at Nyx. He pulled back a boot to kick her and found himself frozen in place.

“Don’t,” said Tribunal, and the contempt and disgust in his voice made Lucifer feel as if his very presence was a disgrace to all Creation. “She is a disgusting, depraved, worthless piece of shit. And you, Lucifer, aren’t even worthy to look upon her.”

Lucifer began weeping as he realized the truth of what Tribunal was saying. Nyx had betrayed Tribunal, true, but
he
had failed Tribunal repeatedly. He fell to his knees. All he’d had to do was destroy humanity—puny, weak humans—and he couldn’t even do that. “Please, my Lord,” he begged. “Please, let me make it up to you. Please! I’ll take my Descended now and destroy humanity for you! We’ll kill every last one of them! I swear we will!”

“How?” said Tribunal. “Your forces are outnumbered five to one. You’ve been defeated in Hell. You’ve been trapped on Earth. How can you possibly think to do anything for me?”

Lucifer bowed his head.

“You’re not even worthy to lick my feet, Lucifer.” Tribunal turned his gaze back on Nyx. “Whereas you should most certainly be licking my feet, Nyx. It’s the least you can do after your betrayal. And do stay on your belly. It suits you.”

“What the FUCK is everyone standing around for?”
Persephone’s sending rang loud in the head of every angel.
“He’s going to destroy Creation! Fucking
ATTACK!”

She came down at Tribunal like a bolt of black lightning, moving at full speed, her sword held in front of her like a spear.

Tribunal waved a hand and Persephone crashed into an impenetrable wall of air. Her neck, spine and arms snapped under the impact, and her skull crushed in on itself like a melon thrown from a roof. She slid down and landed on the ground in a heap.

Stretched out on her belly, pulling herself along by her fingertips, Nyx brought her face level with Tribunal’s feet, now filthy with the mud, blood, and ichor that covered the ground. She delicately extended her tongue and, using the gentlest of touches so as not to disturb him, began cleaning the dirt from his toes.

“KILL HIM!”
Persephone sent
. “KILL HIM
NOW!”

Tribunal waved his hand in the air and a half-million Angels froze on the spot. “Pathetic,” he said. “You really think you can kill me? I AM THAT I AM!” The words were God’s and though the blast that came with them was not as powerful as God’s voice, it was enough to make the Earth shiver, and to strike fear into the hearts of the Descended. “You can no more destroy me than you can yourselves. I am all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-seeing. I am that which will destroy Creation and recreate it in my own image!”

Another star winked out in the sky, then a third.

Tribunal looked down at Nyx again. “You took over your precious Hell again, didn’t you? Made it your own?” He shook his head. “You try to stand above your place. But I will fix that.”

Nyx could see Hell inside her mind. Nyx’s troops mercilessly and methodically attacked Lucifer’s surviving supporters, while the demons were harrying them from above and below. Through Tribunal’s eyes, Nyx could see all of Hell, and every battle happening at once.

“See what disaster you have created here,”
sent Tribunal.
“See how your hubris and pride have led to so much
suffering.”

Nyx, unable to speak from the horror of what she had done, nodded her agreement. And still her tongue gently removed the layers of filth and grime from Tribunal’s feet.

“But that will end now,”
sent Tribunal.

Every demon in sight exploded at once, and a rain of black, acidic demon blood covered the city and plains of Hell. The forces on both sides of the conflict reeled back in surprise.

“All this pain,”
sent Tribunal.
“All of it is your
fault.”

Every Descended who had supported Nyx screamed in agony as their wings were torn off like the wings of flies in the hands of cruel, angry children. As one, they were raised fifty thousand feet into the never-ending darkness that was the sky around Hell, and as one they were sent plummeting to the ground.

Their bodies exploded when they hit, bones shattering and silver blood spraying over the spiked, unforgiving surface of Hell.

A new opening appeared in the skies of Hell, closer and bigger than any other seen before. As one, Lucifer’s forces rose and flew toward it.

The Earth behind Tribunal opened up, and the first of Lucifer’s Descended flew up into the sky.

“This is what will happen,” said Tribunal. “You, Lucifer, will now do penance for your failure. You and your Descended will be first to slaughter these that oppose my will.” His gesture took in all of Nyx’s forces, still frozen in the air. “And then you, Lucifer, will lead your Descended over the Earth, to slaughter all of humanity, from the oldest woman to the youngest child. Then, and only then, may you come here and beg forgiveness at my feet as Nyx is doing.”

“Enough,” said Epiphenia.

She rose out of the earth, a hundred yards away from Tribunal. Her red hair, her pale, green-shot skin, and the green of her armor glowed in the darkness. Her sword blade was dancing with green and white flames.

Tribunal sneered at her. “So. It lives.”

“It does,” agreed Epiphenia. “And it will destroy you.”

“I am God,” said Tribunal.

“You are a godling,” said Epiphenia. “An aspect of God, and a fairly pathetic one at that. Ungrateful, vain, self-centered, stupid. And did I say pathetic? Whereas I am Creation made flesh.”

“You are nothing,” said Tribunal, seething with rage. “Lucifer, you have your orders. Go!” Lucifer launched himself into the air and his armies, blades and whips already moving, converged on the helpless Descended. Tribunal smiled. “And as for you—”

A blast of power ripped through the sky and the Earth, whipping Tribunal’s cloak and robes and sending dirt and debris flying in every direction. As one, Nyx’s Descended came alive and, seeing the forces bearing down on them, fought back viciously. This time it was Nyx’s army that was outnumbered, and more of Lucifer’s Descended were coming through the rift from Hell with every moment.

“Really?” said Tribunal. “You think this will make a difference?”