Ascension of Evil (Battle for Souls Book 3) (5 page)

“How is she?” Sammy leaned into Boon’s side.

A twinge of jealousy threatened to spread through him like a disease. He shook it off and took a piece of apple pie. “Not good.” He sighed. “I wish I could do more.”

Sammy handed him a fork. “Shouldn’t you be with her?”

“No. That’s not a good idea right now. She’s distraught and, honestly, so am I. Why would Heaven reject our bonding?”

“Heaven didn’t.” Boon put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You two are joined, just not in the way Sammy and I are.”

“What does that mean? If I rise to Heaven, will she go with me?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think Heaven is where you are meant to be right now.”

Alexander’s throat tightened. He never knew words could slice through him with such ferociousness. “I remembered. Heaven, the bliss, freedom, everything.” He balanced his plate of pie in one hand and gripped the side of the counter with the other, in hopes of making the world stop spinning out of control.

Grace touched his arm and a mild breeze through his soul soothed him. He welcomed her calming presence. A little touch of Heaven on Earth. “Grace, what are we going to do? Gabby doesn’t believe she can lead an army of angels. If she doesn’t master her gifts soon we won’t stand a chance in this war.”

“Then we must make her see she is the Chosen One.”

Alexander sighed. “We need to figure out what happened between us first. What we have to do to earn Heaven’s full blessing.”

“Patience, my child. In time, we’ll figure everything out.”

“Patience? We both know I’m not blessed with much of that,” Alexander huffed. Time was a luxury they didn’t have. If the war came and he fell to darkness at the hands of Satan, would Gabby fall with him?

He froze.
That’s it.
That was why they hadn’t bonded. “Perhaps we didn’t bond because she’s The Chosen One. It would be to big of a risk to bond her to a healing angel during wartime.”

Grace nodded, “It’s possible, but let’s keep that to ourselves for now. Until we know anything for sure, we don’t want to upset Gabby more than necessary.”

“I’ll go see her first thing in the morning and make sure she’s okay,” Sammy offered.

“Thanks. I’m worried. Things were crazy earlier, but I thought something was…off with Bruce,” Alexander said, recalling the faint scent of alcohol he’d smelled on Bruce’s breath while he healed Gabby. He didn’t want to accuse the man outright. Bruce had worked so hard to remain sober.

“You sensed it, too?” Boon shook his head. “Evil surrounds him.”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure it’s a demon in the traditional sense. I think he’s drinking again, and if Gabby finds out it’ll kill her.” There, he put the words out there and no one argued. If it was true, it was one more complication for Gabby to deal with. Not what she needed right now.

Boon snuggled Sammy back into his side and that familiar twinge of envy snapped at his gut.

“I’ve been scouting and there haven’t been any signs of demons,” Boon said. “We may have some time to work this all out. Maybe we should move Bruce and Gabby back to the house again.”

Alexander’s stomach flopped. The idea of her sleeping under the same roof all night, without touching her, drove him insane. His pulse quickened with the image of her parading around the house in her nightgown.

Grace sat down at the table. “I think we better come up with a new plan.”

“We need to start training again first thing in the morning,” Alexander said. “Boon should continue handling the training while I scout.”

They nodded, but they all knew that was just a temporary fix. They needed to find out more. According to Boon, the last war wiped out nearly all the angelic warriors, and in certain sections of the world, the human population. Of course, the humans blamed it on disease.

Alexander stabbed another piece of pie. “Boon, you were in the last war. What else can we do?”

A haunted shadow crossed Boon’s face. He visibly shook and Sammy pulled him close.

“Train. All we can do is prepare and pray we’re ready. We weren’t last time and…” Boon’s voice trailed off and Alexander knew it hurt too much to finish the thought, let alone the words.

“You told us that if you had known more at the start of the war it wouldn’t have been so devastating.”

“Yes.” Boon stared at nothing for a moment before continuing. “The war lasted so long.”

“Then this time we need to know more before going into this war.” Alexander leaned over the counter and took a bite. The cinnamon and hint of nutmeg coated his tongue with a little bit of Earthly bliss.

Boon’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Alexander Lohr, you’re not suggesting—”

“We go talk to Herak.”

Boon left Sammy’s side and moved with purpose toward Alexander. Grace maneuvered between them. “Now, boys.”

“You’re insane.”

“Am I? He has inside info on how the demons will fight. If we use him—”

“Use him?” Boon leaned around Grace to get into Alexander’s face. “You want to trust the most vile human ever to walk this earth? Who lead Hell in the last war that nearly destroyed humanity?”

Alexander huffed. “You trusted him when we flew to get the medicine that saved Sammy’s life.”

“That was different. We weren’t planning battle strategies. The man separated Sammy and me for over two thousand years? He nearly destroyed the entire planet, and you want to involve him in this war?”

Alexander stood firm, his shoulders back, his spine erect. “Yes.”

Chapter Four

“Dad, I’m home,” Gabby called out. The dim light above the stove cast a yellow glare across the kitchen’s linoleum floor. From the kitchen doorway, she saw a dark figure rustled on the couch in the living room a few feet away.

“Dad?”

Something was wrong. He knew to answer her immediately. They had a deal—call out then shoot. Never wait too long for an answer. Unfortunately, there was no gun in the kitchen. She made a mental note to correct that as soon as possible.

She slid a knife from the butcher block. Gripping it tight, she stepped into the living room. A faint sting covered her skin, but nothing happened. The great powers that usually burned or froze things in a matter of moments remained dormant. Yeah, so much for being the great commander of the angelic army. She couldn’t even command her powers at the threat of an intruder.

She flipped the light switch. The bulb flickered twice before it illuminated the room. A loud snort echoed. There lay her father on the couch, passed out. The all-too-familiar bottle of whiskey rested by his hand, hanging limp off the side of the brown and tan plaid sofa. The distinctive smell grew stronger with each step, until it finally overpowered the pine tree scented air freshener plugged in down the hall.

Her heart constricted. She collapsed on the floor by his side, the knife clanking against the top of the coffee table. She stroked his damp hair from his forehead. He’d been sober for almost a year this time.

Something must have happened. He wouldn’t have started drinking for no reason. No way would he give up now, not after everything he’d made it through.

He stirred. Talk about not being fair. If anyone needed or deserved a drink, she did. Not that she would ever touch the stuff, knowing what a mess it had made of her father.

Sighing, she stared at him. When had he gotten so old? She shook her head. Once he’d slept it off, she’d find out what had tossed him off the wagon then send him back to a rehab facility.

She grabbed the bottle and knife then spun on her heals and marched to the kitchen to wash out the remaining drops of caramel liquid. After all remnants were washed away, she tossed the bottle in the garbage and slid the knife back into its slot. With a long sigh, she started the
alcoholic
house search for his hidden stash, but found nothing. The normal signs of alcoholism weren’t there. Well, if you ignored that he was passed out cold with eighty-proof breath.

She stepped onto the back porch to get some fresh air. The flood light mounted under the eaves illuminated the backyard. Shoving the door open, she shuffled to the edge of the top step. Dust and dirt swirled into her face. She rubbed the grit from her eyes, searching the swaying trees for demons, as was her habit. After so many demon attacks she had every right to be paranoid. The green grass leading to the tree line still reminded her of the inferno she’d created last school year. It was amazing how fresh it looked now after being disintegrated into black and brown swirls.

Through the trees, she caught a glimpse of moonlight sparkling on the Gulf. She loved the ocean at night, even when a storm stirred up the waves and a strong breeze swept through the area.

Eyes closed, she inhaled and smiled. The scent of a nearby magnolia tree danced in the air. Warmth pulsed behind her eyelids. She blinked several times, figuring she must be tired.

Distant cries drew her attention and she focused on where she thought they were coming from. The colors of the forest muted to grayish-green. Mist swirled in lava-red and black, swooping up and around her body. Breath hitched in her throat as she waited for a demonic creature to show its face.

The ground rumbled under her feet. She lost her balance and caught the railing before she made her way to the patch of grass below. A shimmer of red and orange erupted from the ground in front of her only a few feet away.

“Who’s there?” she demanded.

No answer.

Déjà vu hit with the memory of the last time she stood in this exact spot, when she had nearly burned her father to death.

No, not this time. One way or another she would control her powers.

The red and orange blurred together as an image took shape of a horrific battle scene. It played out before her like an old drive-in movie. People fell into a fiery abyss, slain angels littered the earth, and Hell reigned.

She gulped, the horror of what she was seeing strangely drawing her closer. The scent of burning feathers churned her stomach. The metallic taste of blood invaded her mouth. Screams echoed, cries pierced her skull. She pressed her palms over her ears to stifle the noise.

The angels were outnumbered twenty to one. Demonic creatures swatted them down with ease. But the angels fought back, stomping them like pesky bugs, only to have the creatures rise and fight again.

More and more of Hell’s minions rose to join the fray even as the angels’ numbers dwindled. The ground turned ruby red with the blood of the fallen, the skies black as though even the sun had given up.

The image flickered twice as the crevasse sealed, leaving the grass beneath her feet unmarked. The moon broke through the darkness and the smell of the pine and Magnolia blossoms returned.

She fell to her knees, clutching her head. “Is this what’s to come?” she cried into the night, but no answer came. “We’ll be out-numbered. Why would you send us to our death?” She rocked on her knees, begging to the surrounding night. “Mother, please. Tell me what to do. I know you wouldn’t abandon me here on Earth.”

Join your enemies
, a whisper floated in the air.

She shot up and looked around. She sensed no aura nor did any demonic creature come crashing through the woods. Warmth bathed her skin in a golden glow. The smell of lilac perfume tickled her nose as a sense of weightlessness lightened her heavy heart. “Mother?”

Common enemies should become your allies. Forras, you need him.

“Gabby!” Alexander’s voice broke the trance. Her mother’s scent faded, overpowered by the smell of trees and grass. Someday she’d have her close again, for more than a few seconds.

She pushed to stand, her legs barely supporting her weighted soul.

Alexander clutched her shoulders. “Are you okay? What happened?” He looked her up and down, his eyebrows raised with concern. She knew he checked her for wounds.

“I’m fine.”

Boon and Sammy stood near the tree line, poised to attack.

“It’s okay. No demons around tonight.” She sighed at the irony of her father back inside fighting his own demon.

Boon and Sammy clasped hands and exchanged a loving look. Her stomach tightened with need. She wanted to experience that with Alexander.

Still alert, Boon searched the area as he approached. “I sense a demonic presence. Are you sure?”

“Yes. Well, there
was
a demonic presence. I think Hell sent me a warning that we don’t stand a chance. We’re doomed to lose the war.”

Boon’s eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t let them mess with you. Remember, you are their biggest threat.”

Threat
? She shook off the self-doubt and focused on what needed to be done. “It wasn’t just the demonic propaganda. I also saw my mother. Well, not saw, but felt, heard, and smelled her. Okay, that sounds crazy, but you know what I mean. She came to help me.” Her heart fluttered at the realization her mother still watched over her.

They exchanged concerned glances. Alexander raised one eyebrow with that I-can’t-believe-she-fell-for-that look.

“It’s true.”

“Gabby.” Boon paused, and she knew he was searching for the right words, ones that wouldn’t tick her off. No one wanted to make an out-of-control, slightly imbalanced, weapon-of-destruction mad. “Demons manipulate and trick us. It’s part of how they fought the last war. They make people believe things. Twist their emotions, so people will react and do crazy things. Remember when the Prim—”