Ascension of Evil (Battle for Souls Book 3) (9 page)

Boon smacked him on the back. “Don’t worry, this should work. We just need to distract them long enough for Grace to get Bruce out of here.”

Sammy planted a kiss on Boon’s cheek. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

Grace smiled. “Don’t worry. You two won’t have to stretch too far to quarrel. I’ve seen you two go at each other more times than I can count.”

“Thanks,” Alexander grumbled. He refocused on Forras’s plan to sacrifice Gabby to Satan. “Be ready. Demons are easily manipulated and stupid, but they’ll still catch on quick.”

“We just have to clear the tree line,” Grace reassured him. “Boon will handle any stragglers.”

Boon tugged his shirt over his head. “Don’t get carried away, Sammy,” he warned, worry plaguing his stare.

Alexander stiffened, but refused to think of the harm he could cause if rage got the better of him. If he focused too much on the consequences, the anger would subside and he’d ruin any chance they had of escaping.

Shuffles raked across the shingles above. “Don’t forget the ones up there.”

“Got it covered.” Boon pulled Sammy to him. “Be careful, my love. I’ll see you at Prim’s place.”

Bruce disappeared behind the kitchen wall and returned with a handgun. “Just in case.”

Alexander nodded and turned to Sammy. The fury ebbed and drained from his body. How was he going to do this?

“You know she’s always had a thing for wounded men. Forras probably has her in his arms right now,” Sammy shouted at him. “It’s your fault I’ve been trapped here on Earth. You think you’re above the rules, that you’re special?” Her words stung, but he knew she didn’t mean them. Sammy was too sweet. She always had his back. This was just her way of nudging him to move forward.

“You know I was protecting you.” The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. No. He needed to fight, not just argue. “If you hadn’t been so caught up in finding Boon…” At the surprise on her face, he returned her stare with a mocking one. “That’s right, Sammy. I remember. You were bending the rules yourself.”

Sammy soared outside and landed with wings spread wide. “I never broke any angelic laws.”

“Didn’t you?” The day he folded and accepted his fate stirred his emotions. He’d always blamed himself, but his memory had returned, mostly. Pieces were still trickling in. Thousands of years of memories, as if they had all happened yesterday. “I remember the day I fought for you, challenged Appius and the rest of the council. I placed my eternal salvation on you, but you’d gone against angelic law to find Boon. All this time, I lived with the weight that I had caused you to fall, but it was really you who had caused my fall.”

Sammy shook her head, eyes wide. “No. Appius accused me of behavior unbecoming an angel. It had nothing to do with Boon. My innocence was proven, but we were sentenced because they believed I’d urged you to defy the council.”

He froze. “Wait, if I regained my memory when I… then you must have regained yours when you bonded with Boon. You’ve known what happened all this time and let me continue to live with the guilt?” Hot anger bubbled inside him, then stilled as realization set in. Sammy had remembered once she bonded with Boon. Did the return of his memories mean he and Gabby had truly soulbonded? Was it different from that of other angels because she was part angel, demon, and human?

Trees rustled overhead, reminding him of their purpose. “You lied. It wasn’t me. It was your determination to be with Boon that caused our fall. I have no use for Heaven and their laws now. Forras has Gabby, and she’s the only reason I’ve survived this long. The blame for my fall to Hell rests on your shoulders.”

Sammy narrowed her eyes and lunged. He met her mid-air. Deep growls roared from the tree canopy. His shoulder smashed into the passenger side door of Bruce’s old tank of a car. Demon roars from the front drive answered the ones from the trees. He only hoped the ones in the rear joined in soon to watch the show.

Sammy grabbed his hair, pulling his scalp tight. He clutched her hand and swung her overhead, onto her back on the gravel driveway. Rocks skidded across the grass and he jumped to keep her down, but she rolled back and ripped a branch from a tree. Bark rained down around them. He rolled. Dozens of eyes glowered down at him. As he jumped to his feet, Sammy rammed his side. The hood of the car crunched under his back, metal squealing as his wing tip raked down the side.

“It was your fault,” Sammy grunted. “Don’t blame me.” She pinned his shoulders down.

“You never take responsibility for anything. You deserved to fall.”

Her words sliced through him, causing his body to react. His arms rose and broke her grip. He slammed the palm of his hand into her sternum. Air rushed past him as her wings flapped to keep her from flying across the driveway. Recovering quickly, she rammed him again, and they tumbled off the car.

Jagged pebbles dug into his shoulder. More howls erupted from behind the house. “You lied to me. You act all pure and innocent, but you knew and left me in torment.” He shoved her from him.

Boon swooped down and landed between them.
Now
, he shouted in their minds.

Grace soared into the air. Demons jumped from the roof and tops of the trees, trying to stop her ascent, but they were too late. Boon snarled at Alexander, grabbed Sammy’s hand and bolted into the sky. A demon leapt from the tree, landing in front of Alexander. Two more soon joined in.

Sammy looped and returned. She rammed the side of the one beast as Boon snatched the other one by the ear. All three of them bolted to the safety of the sky.

Alexander’s mind reeled as he recalled more of their life in Heaven and the realization Sammy’d had her memories since she soulbonded with Boon. He wanted to confront Sammy and demand she tell him why she kept the truth from him. But Gabby came first. They needed to reach her before the howls of the demons warned Forras of their escape.

He knew Bruce was right. He’d told them that before their battle with Forras had ensued, Forras had been mumbling about the school. The closer Alexander zoomed to the school the more his soul swelled with Gabby’s love. He dove. His feet connected with the ground so hard it caused cracks along the sidewalk at the east end of the school, Boon and Sammy landed by his side.

Boon grabbed his arm, holding him back from opening the door. “You need to calm down.”

“Let me go. You were supposed to stay with Bruce and Grace.”

Boon’s dark lips pressed into a thin line. “Plan changed. You two needed me more.”

“And I’m not losing you to the hatred and mistrust welling inside you.” Sammy stepped up to Alexander, but he backed away.

Alexander huffed, “You better let go of me, Boon, or I’ll—”

“No, you won’t.” Steam fumed from Boon’s nostrils. “You almost gave into your rage and hurt Sammy back there. We saw it in your eyes. If you fall, Gabby has no one left. I’m her humble servant, and I will not allow you to cause her to waver from her mission.”

“If you don’t let me go, you won’t have a pawn to push around anymore with your self-proclaimed warrior hero status.”

Boon’s lip curled up in disgust. “You don’t get it. I’m nothing more than a servant. Why Heaven chose you two, I’ll never understand.”

“Us two?” What was he talking about? Gabby was the Chosen One. “Another lie? Is that all you two do?”

“All
we
do is protect you two. And neither one of you makes our job easy.” Boon released his grip. “It’s time for you to think and regain control of your emotions. Or you can just hand all the humans over to Satan now, and condemn Gabby in the process. Are we going to save her? Without us, you don’t stand a chance. The demons are closing in fast.”

The sounds of the horde’s cries and the destruction they left in their wake echoed through the woods.

Alexander took a deep breath and nodded. The fire behind his eyes cooled, and he pushed the door open. “Afterwards, you’ll tell me everything. How we truly fell from Heaven. Why you kept your memories a secret. And if you know anything about our bonding, you will tell us. No more lies or deception.”

Halfway down the hall, two figures were locked in a passionate kiss, Forras and a girl with long dark hair in a sweeping white dress. They parted, and the shape of the girl changed, her dark hair turning blonde.

“Gabby?”

Chapter Seven

Gabby’s body betrayed her, simmering under Forras’s embrace, but she sensed Charlotte’s love for him. She’d waited so long to be with him again. Gabby fought the connection between them, but finally gave in and let them have their moment.

Forras still had love in his heart, his compassion and desire for Charlotte so strong it consumed her. His feelings wavered between his love for Charlotte and his hatred of Gabby’s father, coupled with the intense desire to murder Alexander and all earthbound angels. Through their connection, she realized his hatred stemmed from jealousy. He’d tried so hard to rip Gabby from Alexander’s arms, to make Alexander experience the same loss he had, but failed at every turn. He was alone in his misery and he only wanted companionship. A brother in darkness.

Slowly, his mind filled with the possibility of being with Charlotte again. She tore her lips away and whispered, “Yes, it is possible.”

Love surrounded them. Her gamble worked, his hatred shattering as his desire to be with Charlotte again won.

“Let her go!”

Their connection broke and Gabby was ripped from his arms. Charlotte snapped back to wherever she’d come from. Sammy clutched Gabby’s arms, dragging her a few steps away as Alexander swung with vengeance at Forras.

“Stop him.” Gabby clawed for release from Sammy. Boon jumped between them and held his hands up, blocking Alexander’s path. “It’s not what you think,” Gabby yelled, thrashing for freedom. “He wasn’t kissing me.”

Alexander glanced her way, his eyes full of fire.

Breath hitched in Gabby’s throat. “He was kissing Charlotte.”

Forras shook his head and stumbled back a few steps. “You. It wasn’t…You tricked me.”

“No, Forras. Listen to me. It wasn’t a trick.” Gabby stopped fighting Sammy’s grip. “Let me go.”

Sammy released her.

Alexander shoved from Boon. “Don’t,” he ordered.

Gabby ignored him and took a tentative step toward Forras. “Listen to me. I felt the love between you and Charlotte. It matched the intensity of my love for Alexander.”

Alexander grunted, but she couldn’t risk averting her gaze from Forras for fear he’d run.

“I know how much you loved her. Still love her. She loves you, too, and only wants to be with you.”

“Lies. Another trick from Heaven. The same Heaven that sentenced me to forever be alone.” Forras’s ashen frame returned, his forehead bulging, nose expanding. The cracks of his bones altering echoed down the hall.

Boon let go of Alexander and jumped between her and Forras.

“No, step aside.” Gabby yanked Boon back and shot a sideways glance to Sammy for her to help. She nudged Boon back and stepped in front of him.

Gabby slid her fingers into Alexander’s hand and tugged him to face her. Forras growled but didn’t advance. She still saw a hint of hope in his evil stare.

She tightened her grip and gazed at Alexander. “Give me a chance,” she pleaded. “We need him.”

Alexander shook his head. “No. He can’t be trusted.” Anger still etched in the frown lines around his mouth. “You’ll be in too much danger.”

She chuckled. “I’m already in danger. Remember my destiny?”

Sammy and Boon flanked them. “We stand together,” Sammy whispered. Boon nodded.

Forras snarled. “Four against one? Hardly angelic-like.” Alexander squeezed Gabby’s hand tighter.

“Forras, I connected with you.”

Alexander’s grip cut into her hand and she winced. He loosened his grasp, but continued to keep hold of her.

“Charlotte’s waiting for you. Please, you can’t let her down. We both saw the good still in your heart and soul. You’re not lost forever. Grace says if there is love in one’s heart, they are never lost. Your soul was released from the underworld for a greater purpose.”

Forras edged back toward the side door. “I’ve never had a greater purpose.”

Howls sounded outside. Boon broke away from them and marched to the door. “We need to go.”

Alexander pinned Forras against the brick wall. “You called them here?”

Gabby could sense Forras’s surprise as he stared down the hall toward Boon. Recovering quickly, he sneered. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle a few more on my team?”

“Why, you—”

“No,” Gabby shook her head. “Forras didn’t call them here. They followed you guys.”

Alexander released him but didn’t back down.

“They’re howling because you’re confused, Forras,” Gabby continued. Unsure what side you’re fighting for.” She stepped closer, but Alexander blocked her path.

“No, don’t trust him. It’s a trick.”

“Trust me. Please.”

He shook his head, but reluctantly stepped aside.

“You know Charlotte waits for you in Heaven,” Gabby tried again. “Hell can’t help you.”