Judgment (The Alternate Earth Series, Book 3) (18 page)

Their actions bring me up short, and I come to a complete stop.

Levi and Gabriel phase to points unknown, while Lucian continues to fight Xavier and Noel. From the excited expression on his face, he seems to be enjoying the exertion of the fight immensely.

When Nina joins the battle, I hear Lucian say, “Three was company, but four is definitely too much of a crowd.”

With one mighty kick in the gut, Lucian sends Noel spiraling straight into the leviathan’s gaping maw. I watch in horror as her body is sliced in half by one of the leviathan’s teeth. The two halves of the Watcher tumble into the transparent stomach of the creature, where its gastric juices immediately begin to dissolve her flesh. I’m not sure if what’s happening to Noel can kill her or not, since she’s technically immortal. However, I do know that she can’t possibly phase out of her predicament in her current condition.

Screaming Noel’s name, Xavier abandons the fight with Lucian, leaving Nina to take care of Lucian alone. Xavier charges towards the leviathan, sword raised, as if he intends to gut it, but the creature does something I didn’t expect it to do.

It phases up to the blazing red eye in the sky and slinks back through the portal, returning to Hell.

I hear Lucian begin to laugh with glee just before he phases away, too.

I stand there, stunned and nauseous by what I just witnessed. I don’t know what to do. I feel completely numb because I don’t understand what just happened.

“Why did they do that?” I ask aloud, not really expecting a response, but getting one from Lucifer anyway.

“I believe I know what’s he’s doing,” Lucifer tells me as he comes to stand beside me. “It’s just further proof that he and I are not the same, but I feel confident I understand his thought-process in this situation.”

Xavier and Nina phase back to us.

“How do we get Noel back?” Xavier demands of Lucifer, still breathing hard from the fight with Lucian.

Lucifer shakes his head. “There is no getting her back. She’s in Hell now.”

“There must be a way!”

“There isn’t,” Lucifer says calmly in the face of Xavier’s wrath. “You’re going to have to accept that fact and move on.”

“Can you go there and bring her back here?” I ask Lucifer.

“This isn’t my reality, Jessica,” Lucifer says. “It’s his Hell, not mine.”

“Why did Levi and Gabriel throw their trumpets into the leviathan?” Nina asks, looking as bewildered by the turn of events as I feel.

“He mostly did that so all of you could witness it. Lucian seems to be a bit of a drama queen.”

“But why do it at all?” Mason questions. “Why not blow the trumpets and end all of this here and now?”

“He’s waiting,” Lucifer replies ominously.

“Waiting for what?” I ask, dreading the answer, but needing to know it.

“I can only guess, but I think my supposition is an educated one,” Lucifer begins. “If he truly wants to bring Hell to Earth, he will need to feed it all the negative energy he can before he blows the trumpets and that will take some time to cultivate. The sixth one will open an even larger and more permanent door to Hell. Once Gabriel blows the seventh and last trumpet, Judgment Day will take place, and every soul that seeks sanctuary away from the Earthly plane will end up in Hell, since Heaven is closed off. With all those souls and all that negative energy, he can do pretty much whatever he wants. If he accomplishes that, it will feel like a final victory against our father.”

“Couldn’t he have just phased the trumpets to Hell himself?” Malcolm asks. “What was the point in having the leviathan take them there?”

“Like I said, he wanted you all to see where they were being kept. Of course he could have taken them there himself, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted you to see it for a reason.”

“What reason?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“I assume,” Lucifer says, “he wanted you to know that they were being kept somewhere you can’t reach them, no matter how hard you try, Jessica. He is in control of what happens here and when it happens.”

“When?” I ask, catching that turn of Lucifer’s phrase. “Is the when important?”

“He’s telling you that he can wait you out,” Lucifer explains. “He can wait until you are either dead by his hand or by natural causes. I imagine he wants to kill you himself one day. I suppose he isn’t that much different from me in that regard. He likes to play with his opponents as much as I do. He could wait a hundred years, and it wouldn’t make a difference to him one way or another. He might even do it just to spite you, Jessica. Lucian knows you want to go back home, but he also knows you probably won’t if this world is still in peril. He’ll either wait you out or try to pick you off one by one, so you can’t make the portal to go back home.”

I don’t doubt a word Lucifer said because it sounds exactly like something he would do to his own adversaries.

“No,” I say, refusing to believe that I will be stuck on alternate Earth indefinitely. “There has to be another option. We didn’t come here to lose. You told me that there is a way to save this world. Were you lying to me, or do you know how to do it?”

“I don’t lie to you, Jessica,” Lucifer says. “And, like I told you earlier, you won’t like the solution.”

“How do we save this world?” I demand. “We need to know.”

“Are you prepared to do whatever needs to be done?” Lucifer asks, sounding uncertain that I have the willpower to go through with what he’s about to suggest.

“I hope I am,” I reply, swallowing hard and trying to steel myself to hear Lucifer’s answer.

“Very well.” Lucifer pauses before saying, “You will need to sacrifice one of your friends if you truly want to stop this apocalypse.”

I stare at Lucifer as my mind refuses to accept what he just said. I automatically begin to shake my head.

“No,” I tell him. “We’re not sacrificing anyone.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t like the answer,” Lucifer tells me, standing his ground.

“Who?” Mason asks, but, from the way he asked his question, I think my husband already knows the answer; he just wants Lucifer to confirm it.

“Gabe has to permanently take Gabriel out of the equation,” Lucifer says. “With one touch, your friend can remove the only person who can sound the final trumpet and bring about Judgment Day. Moreover, I think the ascension of an Archangel’s soul will be enough to heal the rift between this Earth and Heaven, allowing human souls a chance to go there instead of Hell. You have to see that it’s the only option left, Mason, even if your wife refuses to see the logic.”

“What logic?” I ask, on the verge of losing my temper. “You just said I have to kill one of my best friends! There is no logic in that!”

“Stop thinking with your heart and use your brain for once, Jessica,” Lucifer says. “Lucian has put the trumpets in a place you have no way of getting to. That takes them out of play in this game of his. You could wait until he brings them back, but what if he decides to wait until you’re all dead first? Do you honestly want to live here for the rest of your life? Do you want to doom your friends to live here on the off chance that he brings the trumpets back into play before you’re all dead? If I were him, I would wait; even if it meant that the veil between Earth and Heaven was repaired before then. In the end, it would be worth it. He can continue this holy war for a very long time and force people to his side by wearing their spirits down. If you want to end this war now and ensure the safety of this world forever, Gabe has to touch Gabriel and eliminate the threat he represents. You have to recognize what I’m saying is true.”

“If we sacrifice Gabe, how are we supposed to get back home?” I ask Lucifer, knowing he wants to go back home just as much as the rest of us. “We need him to go back.”

“Not really,” Lucifer says. “You have me. Remember, I’m an Archangel, too. I suppose my father saw this eventuality happening and made sure you had a spare wheel handy, as it were.”

“No,” I say stubbornly, even though the others around me remain conspicuously silent. “There has to be another way. We can kidnap Gabriel and take him back to our world with us.”

Lucifer laughs. “Good luck with that. Do you think he’ll simply roll over and let you take him?”

“The dagger,” I say to Mason. “We need to find where they put the dagger so we can put him into stasis again. Then we’ll take him with us back to our Earth, and hide him where no one will ever find him.”

“It could work,” Mason says, thinking through my plan. “But we have no idea where the dagger is now.”

“If Sophia went back to prove herself to us, this might be her way to do it. She’s the one who took it out of Gabriel. Maybe she knows what Lucian did with it.”

“For all we know, she could be dead by now,” Mason tells me.

“I don’t think so. I think she went there to infiltrate Lucian’s group for us. We just need to get a message to her.”

“I think I know how to do that,” Nina says. “We can send Dillon back with a message.”

“We can’t ask that of her,” I say.

“She’s sorry for the role she’s played in this,” Nina tells me. “This will give her a chance to make up for it. No one will suspect her of acting on our behalf. Peyton and Will will just be happy to have their child back. They won’t ask many questions.”

“It could work,” Malcolm says, sounding hopeful. “If we can get the dagger, we can eliminate Gabriel as a threat and not have to sacrifice Gabe to do it.”

My heart feels lighter now that we have a plan. Sacrificing one of my friends simply isn’t an option for me. Lucifer might not have a problem with doing such a thing; he can justify the means to anything as long as he gets what he wants in the end.

I just hope our plan works and nothing happens to screw it up.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Before we phase back to the castle to set our plan into motion, we all agree not to mention the alternate plan involving Gabe to the others just yet, not until there’s no hope left.

While Nina speaks to Dillon about what we want her to do, Mason explains to everyone else what we just witnessed and why we’re sending Dillon back to her parents. I’m careful to keep my emotions hidden while the others are brought up to speed on our current circumstances. As Mason continues to explain everything, I notice Gabe look over at me with a certain understanding of the situation in his eyes. It’s almost like he was waiting for this eventuality to come about.

Without us having to say it, he’s already deduced the only other option left open to us, but he doesn’t say anything during the meeting. He waits until it’s over before approaching me.

“Can we talk in private?” he asks me in a whisper, keeping his eyes on JoJo while she’s busy consoling Xavier over the loss of Noel.

I nod my head as we quietly slip from the room and walk out the front door together.

As we stroll around the castle, Gabe says, “If this plan of yours to get the dagger doesn’t work…”

“It’ll work,” I tell him, refusing to believe otherwise.

Gabe grabs my arm and stops walking, forcing me to stop as well. I turn to face him, but can’t seem to make myself look him in the eyes.

“Jess…” Gabe says, refusing to say anything else until I do meet his gaze. “I’m not afraid to die.”

“It won’t come to that,” I say stubbornly, steadfast in my belief that we’re all supposed to make it back home. “There’s no reason my plan shouldn’t work. Even if it doesn’t, we have time to come up with something else. I’m not about to lose you, Gabe, and I’m not orphaning your child even before he’s born.”

“He won’t be an orphan, Jess. He’ll have JoJo and all of you to look after him.”

“Your child needs his father, too.”

“I can’t argue that point, but I don’t want my child to be born on this Earth either. I’ll do what needs to be done to make sure that he, JoJo, and the rest of you get back home safely.”

“How can you be so calm about your own death?”

“It’s not something I want,” Gabe says, looking to me for understanding, “but, ever since we came here, I’ve had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I won’t be making it back home. Do you remember when we were down in the salt mines and I told you the vision I had about JoJo and my son?”

I nod. “Yes, I remember.”

“I think the reason I didn’t see myself in that glimpse of the future is because I simply wasn’t a part of it. I believe this is my destiny, Jess, and so does Gabriel.”

“You know I can’t just sit by and let you martyr yourself for us. I have to try everything I can first.”

“I know that,” Gabe says, leaning into me and kissing my cheek. “And I love you for the way you care about me…all of us really. You’ve always acted as our protector. Now it’s time you passed that mantle of responsibility to me. Let me protect those I love most in this world, Jess. I can handle the weight.”

I start to cry, simply unable contain the emotional effect Gabe’s words have on me.

Gabe brings me into his arms and allows me to cry on his shoulder.

“I don’t want to lose you,” I tell him through my tears, “and JoJo will never forgive me for bringing you here.”

“JoJo is a lot stronger than you think. She’ll be fine. Maybe not right away, but she’s a fighter. I have faith that she won’t let her grief overcome her, and you shouldn’t either, Jess,” Gabe tells me, rubbing my shoulder to bring me comfort. Gabe lets me cry for a little while longer before saying, “Hey, can I tell you a secret?”

I raise my head and wipe the tears from my eyes. “Of course you can.”

“I think I’ve seen visions of the far future,” Gabe tells me, looking confused by his confession. “I haven’t even told JoJo this, but ever since we used the inner realm to see Caylin’s descendant, I’ve seen other moments involving the girl.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised to hear this. “Why do you think you’re still having visions of her?”

Gabe shrugs. “I’m not really sure, but seeing her gives me hope for the future of our world.”

“Why are you telling me this now, Gabe?”

“Because I want you to have hope for the future, too, Jess. Everything we’ve done and will do leads towards the future I’ve seen. Always remember that death is never the end for us. It’s just a natural transition into a different state of being. If I can save the lives of the people that I love, then at least my death won’t be a wasted one. It will mean something.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I tell Gabe, wiping at my tears. “We haven’t lost all hope just yet. We need to see if my plan will work first.”

“Agreed,” Gabe says with a faint smile.

I can tell from his expression that he’s already accepted his fate. But I haven’t. I have to try everything within my power to save him before I let him sacrifice himself for us.

When we go back into the castle, I see that we really haven’t been gone for that long. Dillon is still speaking with Nina in the foyer.

“I’m going to go spend some time with JoJo,” Gabe tells me, giving me a peck on the cheek before he leaves.

Nina sees us and watches Gabe walk away. When she looks back at me, she raises an eyebrow in question.

“We talked about it,” I tell her. “He came to his own conclusion.”

Nina simply nods her head and doesn’t say anything else about the matter.

“Dillon is ready to go back to Peyton and Will,” Nina tells me.

“It’s the least I can do,” Dillon says to me. “I’ll tell Sophia that you want to know where the dagger is, but how is she supposed to get in touch with you if she’s able to find out?”

“Tell her to leave a note by the old safe house by the wharf in New York City,” Nina tells her. “It’s burnt down, but she can leave a message on the pillar straight out from where it used to stand on the docks. I’ll check it every day until we hear from her.”

Dillon nods. “Ok, I’ll tell her that.”

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” I offer, feeling a need to give Dillon a way out, and hating the fact that we’re using her to do our dirty work for us.

“Don’t worry,” she replies, “it’s not like they can do much else to me, and I like this world, even if it is a crazy, messed up one at the moment. I don’t want to see it destroyed any more than it already has been.”

“I’ll phase Dillon as close as I can to the White House without being seen,” Nina tells me. “Then I’ll come back here to help with the leviathan problem.”

“Has a plan been devised?” I ask.

I feel a bit ashamed of myself. I’ve worried over Gabe so much, I completely forgot we had a few hundred floating creatures from Hell terrorizing the world. Add in the fact that these creatures can apparently phase, and you have a nightmare scenario. The faster we intercept them, the better. I assume the same rules apply to them as far as phasing goes. They should only be able to travel to places that they’ve been to before. Given that fact, our window of opportunity to destroy them becomes easier.

“They’re discussing it in the library now,” Nina tells me.

“How is Xavier?” I ask her. “I know he and Noel were close.”

“She was his best friend, and that’s saying a lot for Xavier. He doesn’t easily give his trust to people. She was probably the only person in the world he trusted completely. If I were him right now, I would feel like getting revenge for what was done to her.”

“Me, too,” I say with a nod. “Ok. I’ll go see where they are in their plans. We’ll be waiting for your return.”

Nina lays a hand on Dillon’s shoulder and phases.

When I walk back into the library, I see JoJo and Gabe sitting with Xavier on the couch. Malcolm’s doppelganger in this world looks shell-shocked. If he’s anything like our Malcolm, I’m sure he’s blaming himself for what happened to Noel.

“Jess,” Leah says, coming to stand next to me with her staff in hand, “it looks like you and I are up again, but we’re going to have a little company this time around.”

Chandler and Zack come to stand with us.

Zack has the sleeves of his leather jacket rolled up to his elbows, making access to his dagger tattoos easier.

“Let me guess,” I say to my friends, “Chandler will act as our pied piper and attract the leviathans to us while Zack daggers them to make sure they can’t phase away. Then, Leah and I finish them off.”

“That’s the plan,” Mason says coming to stand next to me. “With Chandler weaving his songs, the leviathans should remain calm and not attack you. At least, that’s the theory we’re operating on.”

“It’s a good plan,” I tell Mason. “When do we start?”

“Now, if you’re up for it. The sooner we get rid of them the better.”

“Let’s go,” I tell everyone. “I could use a distraction until Sophia gets back in touch with us.”

I hear weeping, and turn to look out the doorway of the library. I see a young brunette woman sitting outside on a bench next to the stairs, being consoled by an older woman.

“What’s wrong with her?” I ask.

“Her husband had a dragon tattoo,” Mason informs me, not having to say any more than that.

“How many died here?”

“Twenty,” Leah answers sadly. “If it helps, they all went fast, from what we were told. It doesn’t sound like they suffered for very long before they died.”

“No,” I tell Leah, “it doesn’t really help, but I guess it’s better than knowing they died in agony.”

“Is everyone ready?” Nina asks us, walking into the library and inadvertently hiding the crying woman from my view.

“Yeah,” I tell her, “we’re ready.”

Nina phases us to different locations surrounding the Washington D.C.-area. On our second try, we find a group of leviathans terrorizing people in a small suburban neighborhood.

Chandler immediately begins to play his flute to draw their attention. It starts out as a pleasant tune, which I assume he believes will lure the leviathans to us, but I don’t think it was the sort of attraction he intended. To anyone else, the song Chandler is playing would soothe the soul, but the leviathans just look pissed off.

“It’s not working,” I tell Chandler urgently. “You need to try something else.”

Chandler quickly changes his tune, but it seems to have an even worse effect on the three leviathans heading our way.

“Crap,” I say, trying to think of a way to solve our problem.

“Chandler,” Mason says, “try a song that’s meant to hurt someone, and keep it directed solely at them.”

“Isn’t that just going to make them angrier?” Leah questions worriedly.

“You can’t think of these things like you would animals on Earth,” my husband tells her. “They were made in Hell. The rules aren’t the same for them.”

Chandler brings the flute back up to his lips and plays a tune that, quite frankly, hurts my ears. If I didn’t have to hold on to my sword in preparation of destroying the leviathans, I would have slapped them over my ears to protect them from the discordant sound. Fortunately, the change in tune seems to work on the leviathans. Their descent slows to a crawl, giving us all plenty of time to prepare for them.

As soon as they get within range, Zack pierces them all with his daggers to keep them from phasing. He is able to throw them a lot farther than Leah and I can project our Heaven’s Fire. It doesn’t really matter how far away the object Zack wants to pierce with his dagger is. As long as he has line of sight, he can direct the daggers to their intended targets.

When the leviathans get within range, Leah and I combine our flames and obliterate the leviathans without much effort.

“That just seemed too easy,” I say, feeling as if we must be missing something.

“Don’t question small blessings,” Zack tells me, remaining the ever-eternal optimist of the group.

We hear the crash of something heavy striking wood down the street from us. A leviathan is butting its head against a two-story colonial home, obviously trying to get to the people hiding inside of it. A few brave souls, presumably neighbors of the people who own the home, are lobbing anything they can find at the leviathan in a vain attempt to distract it. I don’t know whether to be impressed by their bravery or concerned by their stupidity. What exactly is their plan once they have the leviathan’s attention? Either way, their tactic isn’t working: the leviathan has a one-track mind, and really seems to want the people seeking shelter within the house.

We all run down the street to help. As we’re running, Chandler plays his music in an attempt to draw the leviathan away from the house. The creature does rear its grotesque head when he hears the tune, but it quickly returns to what it was doing and continues to smash its head against the roof of the house. Zack stops in the middle of the street to aim a dagger directly at the leviathan. I watch as it flies through the air and pierces the creature’s stomach. I try to keep my eyes away from the lifeless bodies floating within its gut, but I know the horrific imagery will stay with me for the rest of my life.

When we get to the house, Chandler plays the very first tune he tried which angered the other leviathans. It has the same effect on this one, causing it to rear its unsightly head and fly directly towards us. The leviathan opens its mouth, releasing the overpowering stench of rotting corpses. We’re so close to it, Leah and I just barely have time to light our fire to destroy the Hell-spawn before it gobbles us up, too.