Covenant (23 page)

Twenty-seven

So many creatures I had encountered died with less dignity than she did. At that moment, it occurred to me why Raziel had chosen a human to be the Archon. There was something in their spirits that existed nowhere else.
—T
ROY

Nina's body went still.

Troy took the girl's tangled hair and covered her eyes with some of it. The smell of her blood was horrifically tempting, and Juno appeared to think so too. Her little limbs trembled, and she bent down to drink.

“No,” Troy said, pushing her backward. “We
do not
drink the blood of great hunters and warriors, chick.”

Juno whimpered, her large eyes averted in her shame. “Yes. I know . . . I just . . .”

“Hush,” Troy snapped. She left Nina's body and prowled nearer to Stephanie.

The girl lay near the acid pool, gasping and very much alive. Fury strutted around her, inspecting Stephanie's wounds.

There could not be more of a difference between the two humans. While Nina had held on to the peace that heralds a noble death, Stephanie's face blanked over with horror the second Troy leaned over her, gazing into her wild green eyes. It was clear from this human's expression that she was insane. Her good hand clutched in terror at the ground, as if she could push herself far away from Troy with a few fingers. Her mouth was almost slack, her breathing quickened. Judging by her behavior, most of her body was probably paralyzed.

“Who brought you here?” Troy said with a low growl.

Troy's insides felt like they'd been crushed; her bones ached, and her muscles screamed in torment from the exorcism.

Stephanie said nothing, gasping more with fear.

“
Who
?” Troy said again, spreading her aching wings.

Stephanie watched, her eyes even wider than before. “A demon,” she whispered.

“The snake?” Troy snarled.

Stephanie nodded, entranced by Troy's eyes. “He said he would take me to Angela again . . .” Stephanie made an expression like she'd just realized something important. “That was a lie . . . wasn't it? It was all a lie . . .”

Juno peered around Troy's arm.

Troy thrust her back. She set her fingers on Stephanie's neck, feeling for her pulse. The human was bleeding, but it would take her a long time to die if they left her behind. When Juno's head popped around the other side of Troy's wing, Troy signaled to her to come closer this time. Juno crept nearer to Stephanie, her little wings held low.

“We can leave you here,” Troy said to Stephanie. “Or . . .”

Stephanie stared at Juno. “It was all a lie. I should have never listened. I should have never entered the door. Angela shouldn't have entered the door either. There's no going back now . . .” Her green eyes cleared, and a soft smile touched her face. “At least it's over now. No more voices in my head. No more harsh noises interrupting my thoughts.” She looked out into the distance. “Naamah . . . Mother . . . I hope you are proud of me . . .”

Troy settled down by Juno's side. The chick sat next to Stephanie, examining her closely.

“Do you see the difference between the two humans?” Troy said to her after a short time.

Juno nodded.

“This is the way of things,” Troy said to her. “All creatures die eventually. Even Jinn and angels. We are in a sacred place to determine whether this particular human lives or dies. What is the right thing to do, chick?”

“To . . . kill her?” Juno said distantly.

Troy sighed. “Yes. She will suffer enormously if we leave her here. She was insane and does not deserve such cruelty. You must always remember that. It is what separates our race from the demons. What else will you do?”

There was a short pause. “I'm so hungry,” Juno finally said.

“But how hungry? Could you survive without touching the human?”

Juno stared, clearly at odds with herself. Finally, she nodded.

Troy looked down at Stephanie and regarded her grimly. “Remember always, chick. In this world, hunger will always exist. And hunger is like the demons—cruel and unpredictable. You must never waste food, or as Queen allow your people to starve if you can help it. But you must also learn how to be strong—and to sacrifice when it is necessary—because every good Queen thinks of others first. Your mother spoiled you and kept you from the harsh realities of the hunt too much. Now the time has come to show me that you will make a good Queen some day. Show me that you understand what it is to live as others cannot. I will leave the human's fate to you . . .” Juno bent over Stephanie. She hesitated for a second, scrunching up her nose. “She doesn't smell right.”

Troy passed a hand over Stephanie's eyes, forcing them closed. “She was possessed,” Troy whispered. “You are smelling her tainted blood and soul.”

Juno gazed at Stephanie sadly. Then she bent over her lower, and the reverent expression on Juno's face made her look remarkably like Troy's dead sister. Stephanie's suffering would now come to a mercifully quick end.

Pain raced through Troy's heart.

In her mind, she saw Hecate again and heard her cries in the nest as she and Troy jostled for food and struggled through hunger and pain to live. If Juno could exist in a better world than that, she deserved it. She and all the Jinn needed a universe where fear and famine were not ever-present ghosts. Yet change wouldn't come easy. To their own Clan, Troy and Juno were outcasts, and now the chick had no one to rely on but an aunt with poor experience caring for infants. Juno's position as the Jinn's new Queen was precarious. But Troy would make sure that, no matter what mistakes she made along the way, her sister's legacy continued. It was the one that believed in the Archon, and in her.

Jinn always kept their promises.

Troy had made so many, to her sister, to the Archon, to Nina—and most hauntingly to Sariel. Willingly, she lay down in exhaustion, closed her eyes, and remembered.

 

Juno's sacred moments did not take long. With Stephanie now dead, it was time for all of them, including Fury, to leave the nightmarish room of mirrors.

With renewed strength and determination, Troy stood and examined the room. If she strained her ears, she was certain she heard an odd muffled noise from the other side of one of the walls. There was probably an exit on that side, hopefully from the labyrinth itself. The maze would most likely have more than one way out. What worried Troy was that the exit would lead not to Sariel or Angela, but to the demon city of Babylon.

This chamber had been used in the past and was certainly connected to the city somehow.

Troy sighed, her ears flicking nervously. They had already lost so much precious time. Anything could have happened to Angela by now.

“Are you ready?” she said to Juno.

Juno was done cleaning her mouth and feathers. She sat up, Fury croaking by her side. “You're going to leave her?” Juno said quietly. She looked at Nina Willis.

Troy walked back to Nina's body. She stopped beside it. “You are right. We will take something of her with us. For the Archon.” Troy wanted to curse herself for not thinking of that sooner, but impatience and anxiety struggled constantly for mastery of her thoughts. “I will allow you to choose and take the piece, and then give it to Angela Mathers. What?
Why do you look at me like that?
”

Juno stared behind Troy, her eyes enormously wide. Fury had gone utterly still.

The air shifted ever so slightly.

Troy jumped aside, her wings flapping powerfully.

A white foot thumped down on top of Nina's body, settling on her chest. Troy dashed in front of Juno, spreading her wings protectively, rounding on their visitor with cold snarls of anger. She disliked demons, but she hated being surprised even more.

Her nerves felt frayed. Troy hadn't even caught his scent this time.

“I suppose it's going to be hard to name a winner here,” Python said smoothly. He wore a feathered snake's mask, and he tugged it off, throwing it casually aside. Then he nudged Nina's body, shrugging. “But it was an entertaining battle all the same. Just like in the days of my youth, when mother and I would watch the games together. Sometimes—just like today—I would get the chance to participate. Stack the odds a little in my chosen champion's favor. Ah, Mother, you were so much less of a bitch back then.” He stared more at Nina, and then smiled at Juno. “No appetite, little crow? How disappointing.”

“
You do not speak to her,
” Troy thundered at him.

Juno stood rooted to the spot.

Fury had flown to another perch, but Troy could sense her nearby, waiting for her master's signal when the moment came.

“And just why can't I speak to her? Because she's your runty Queen?” Python spat.

“Because your malice should be toward me alone,” Troy said. She remembered their conversation in the cavern. Troy shivered, unable to believe there'd been a moment she'd considered killing her own niece.

“Fair enough,” Python whispered. His orange eyes burned. “Well, Troy, aren't you going to ask me about Angela Mathers? Or about your cousin, that annoying half-breed my mother took a fancy to?”

A growl bubbled up from deep within her. “There is no need, because you will not take me to them. I will find them on my own.”

Python tipped back his head and laughed. “Really? But that's why I'm here, dear. To stop you from getting there. You've come quite far through my labyrinth. It's commendable. You've been entertaining enough to watch. But I think I've had enough of
this
little game. I have bigger crows to cage, bigger rats to trap.” His eyes blazed fiercely. “You've reached the real end now, High Assassin. And it's a pity. Think about what you could have been—Queen. Consider what you will be without my mercy—dead.”

“Don't flatter yourself. I always sensed this was your maze, snake,” Troy whispered. “If it weren't for the Archon, I would have escaped it long ago.”

“How loyal,” Python said with a dark cleverness in his smile. “And it was exactly that sense of nobility I was counting on.”

The rage within her intensified. He had been playing them all for fools—and worst of all, enjoying every minute of it.

Somehow, despite her better judgment, Troy had believed enough of Python's lies to think that maybe—just maybe—he was truly on the Archon's side. But Nina's death had ended that for good. If only Troy could be where Angela was now, to protect her from Python's treachery. Angela's desperation to rescue Sophia would only keep blinding her to the demon's real motives, and those couldn't be in her favor.

He would spring for Angela's throat eventually. The grim question was when?

Python regarded Troy with amusement. “I see your mind working. And it's absolutely right—there was never any way out of this for you, or for the Archon. I play every chess game well, High Assassin. I certainly have a lot of time to plan my moves ahead. But not every pawn realizes who their real master happens to be. Look at Nina Willis, for example,” he said softly. “When her half brother approached me, begging me to resurrect her body—how could I push aside such an opportunity? With Nina's unwitting help, Angela Mathers finally found and entered the door to Hell like a blind fool. It was almost laughably easy to get her inside.”

Troy could hardly breathe. There was more to that story. There had to be. It was too much of a coincidence that Nina's half brother had known how to summon Python and ask for his help.

“Her brother was smart enough to find you on his own?” Troy smirked. “Perhaps you aren't as well concealed and clever as you'd like to think . . .”

Python lost his laughter. “It shows what a naive winged rat you are. Your own Clan betrayed you. What makes you think the angels wouldn't do the same to their own kind? It was an angel who led that weak human to me. Not his own mortal cleverness.”

“What angel?” Troy said, her tone scoffing at the news. But she already knew.

Instantly, she thought back to the angel Mikel who had possessed Nina Willis a year ago.

Regrettably, Python had caught on to the ruse. His deadly eyes narrowed to something even more sinister. “None of your business,” he snapped. “Now if you wouldn't mind, before I torture you and the runt, I'm here to collect the soul that now belongs by rights to me.” He stooped down over Nina and muttered under his breath. A cold light began to outline the human's body and reflect brilliantly off the acidic water.

Troy's eyes burned with pain.

“Look away!” she said to Juno and rushed in front of her again.

Juno cowered, whimpering. The light subsided, and they could only watch in helpless horror as Python lifted a softly glowing bluish sphere from Nina's body. It pulsed, and tremors of brilliant light flowed over its surface. With the Netherworld closed and Nina already in Hell, her soul had regressed to its most pure essence. Python kissed the light in his hands. “What will the Archon have to say to me now?” he said under his breath.

Troy sensed what she planned to do next would mean certain death for both her and Juno, but there were few options left. While a few moments ago escape had still been possible, this new outrage deserved swift justice. It was now achingly clear why the demon had murdered Nina, and Troy alone stood in the way of his plans. Python had enough pawns already. Nina's soul would be one too many.

With her eyes still burning from the light, Troy leaped at Python.

Her hands reached for Nina's soul, were a second from grasping it.

Hardly concerned, Python waved his hand.

Power rippled through the ether and smacked into Troy. Her body whipped into a mirror, knocking the wind out of her as it smashed, raining shards around her body. Troy dropped to the ground, her muscles in agony, gnashing her teeth from the pain. Blood oozed from new cuts on her skin.