Demon Within (34 page)

Groaning and giving her another squeeze, Kai released her and stared down into puffy eyes. She was his undoing, she could ask for the world and he’d try with every last breath to give it to her.

‘Are we having our first tiff?’ He grinned.

Wiping away her tears Eloise snorted. ‘It’s not funny.’ But then she started to giggle. ‘Well, maybe a little.’

With a defeated sigh, Kai looked skyward. ‘Okay, you win, you can stay. But, you still need to see if Ellanor and Nissa want to leave, agreed?’

Eloise nodded and sniffed. ‘I’ll go and speak to Nissa now but I should talk with my father first.’

She looked behind Kai and saw her father and Roulan sitting at a small table under the terrace. Her father seemed distant, as if he were in a daze. Eloise worried for him, all traces of anger she felt towards him had gone but she still wasn’t ready to forgive him. Roulan was another matter. Pulling reluctantly from Kai, she gave him a smile, then started to make her way towards her father and brother, but distracted by an approaching rider into the courtyard, she paused. It was Teila, and she appeared to be in a hurry.

‘Did you send for her already?’ She turned back to Kai and frowned.

‘No, I didn’t.’

He moved towards Teila’s horse as she halted and held the reins until the stable hand came forward. Nodding, Kai greeted Teila with a concerned look.

‘Teila, what brings you here?’

‘Help me down, please.’

Quickly holding out his hands to aid her dismount, Kai handed over the reins to the stable boy.

‘We need to talk.’

Teila watched everyone scurrying around and seeing the warriors gathering with their supply of weapons, she turned to face Kai. He frowned at her cool demeanor.

‘Your warriors are wasting their time; they’re all going to die.’ Icy eyes bore into Kai. ‘You can’t stop him.’ She added.

Kai was feeling irritated. ‘Who?’

‘Adramelech, he’s coming for you.’

Eloise stepped closer to Kai and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling under his arm as he held her; she didn’t like what she heard.

‘What?’ Kai snapped. ‘Why?’ He rested his free hand on the hilt of the fighting knife at his side. ‘And how do you know so much?’

Raising her head higher, her chin pointed outward as she glared under hooded lids in disdain at his questioning.

‘Where’s the woman who claims to be your mother, I need her to hear this.’

Kai’s lips pressed together. Breathing hard, his nostrils flared at her arrogant manner.

‘Eloise, would you tell Ellanor to join us outside, please?’

Reluctantly letting go of him, Eloise nodded. Quickly running inside she called out for Ellanor. Both Caster and his wife emerged from the dining room at hearing Eloise.

‘Sorry, but I need you outside please.’

‘Of course.’ Frowning, Ellanor and Caster followed Eloise out into the courtyard. Standing at her son's side Ellanor felt unsettled beneath Teila's penetrative gaze.

‘Where are you from?’

Blinking in surprise at Teila’s blunt question, Ellanor hesitated before replying. Caster took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m from a town called Dryden; it’s in the Eastland Marshes, why?’

The surprise on Kai’s face as he turned to look at his mother made Ellanor uneasy.

‘What?’ Shrugging her shoulders, ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’

In a calm voice, Kai addressed his mother. ‘Dryden was burned to ash a few days ago.’

Ellanor covered her open mouth with her hand as she gasped. ‘Are you sure?’

Teila’s brow arched.

‘You think it is an accident that Darkmide suffered the same fate?’

Lowering his head, Kai took in a deep breath. Things were starting to unfold that were too much of a coincidence, as Teila implied.

‘It was Adramelech. He’s looking for revenge, I’m sure of it now.’

Caster didn’t like Teila, he hadn’t from the moment he’d first met her and he was about done with her contemptuous attitude, especially towards his wife.

‘I think you’re making more out of this than there is.’ Caster continued and took a step closer towards Teila; his temper was starting to flare. ‘I don’t like the way you speak to my wife, she’s done nothing wrong.’

‘You have no idea! She’s upset the balance by luring a seraph to her bed! Contact between humans is forbidden…and now we’re all paying the price for her immoral behavior!’

Teila’s hurtful words made Ellanor gasp, even Kai was becoming irritated by her rudeness.

‘That’s enough!’ Kai barked. ‘You think he’s coming for me, right?’

Nodding, Teila scowled. ‘I’m sure he blames your mother for his fate. I’ve consulted the rest of my order and have looked into the archives from previous events. Fallen angels were punished severely for joining with humans. Adram, as he was before he was fallen, was one of the vainest and most arrogant of the seraphim. He started with Dryden, where it all began…then moved to Darkmide, where you spent most of your life.’ Teila looked out towards the courtyard. ‘And I’m sure Blackhill will be next.’

It was as if she’d rung the bell herself to announce his arrival when the ground started to shake, causing everyone to falter and gasp.

‘What’s happening?’ Eloise cried, clutching Kai’s arm, she stopped herself from falling over.

The tremors grew stronger with each moment, the building started to break apart and tiles from the roof slipped down, shattering against the ground as they fell. People started screaming and shouting for each other above the loud rumbling, and it was getting warmer, dryer. Suddenly hit by a wave of heat followed by a foul smell, everyone covered their faces and started coughing.

‘I can barely breathe!’ Ellanor coughed, together with almost everyone else.

‘He is here!’ Teila’s wide eyes glared as she searched the courtyard. ‘It’s the stench of Hell, of burning flesh and sulfur!’

Kai spun around and charged towards the center of the courtyard. He frowned at the chaos and disarray and called out.

‘Everyone leave. NOW!’

Drawing his fighting knives from his sides, he turned back towards the terrace where Eloise and everyone waited.

‘GO!’

Kiera and Jace came running from inside the building. They looked around in disbelief as other buildings started to fall apart and crumble. The temperature around them rose with each passing moment; fear and panic ripped through the courtyard as cries and shouting grew louder.

‘Where’s Sabe?’ Kiera called to Kai above the noise and confusion, but he didn’t hear; he had his attention focused on the large crack that appeared towards the edge of the courtyard. The cobbles started to break apart as smoke rose up between them. Sparks crackled and flew high into the air; anyone caught in their path was burned instantly, their clothing or hair catching fire.

Jace stood amongst the disorder by Kiera’s side with poised sword. His eyes darted from one corner of the yard to the other as more cracks appeared in the ground. A noise, like a high pitch scream echoed all around making everyone cover their ears. Their faces contorted to fend off the ear-piercing noise, but nothing could mute the deafening shriek.

It was over as quickly as it began. Silence; no tremors or shaking, just calmness. Those who’d fallen to the floor picked themselves up and looked around in confusion. Uncovering their ears with surprised and quizzical glances to the person next to them, everyone breathed out and hoped whatever it was, was over.

Turning towards the outer staircase and seeing Nissa stumbling down the broken stones, Sabe hurried to help her.

‘Sabe!’

Nissa’s outstretched arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her into his arms.

‘What’s happening?’ Her eyes looked around at the mayhem.

‘Not sure, but you need to take shelter with Eloise and Ellanor. Come on, quickly.’

Carrying her over towards the terrace and setting her down, Sabe gave her a tender kiss, then left her with Eloise while he hurried to Kai’s side.

‘Is that it? Or is there something…’ Sabe didn’t finish.

Erupting between the cracks in the cobbles, large boulders, rocks and fire balls launched high into the air. Spreading over a large area and in every direction; everyone ducked to avoid the glowing rubble as it fired across the yard. A deafening noise, like the crack of thunder, but amplified by a thousand times ricocheted around, buildings shook, and any damaged by the initial quake, fell to the ground in a pile of rubble.

Burning pitch and tar spewed from the ground; screaming as it hit them, those caught in the line of fire clutched their burning flesh and fell to their knees in agony.

Kai raised his hands to shield his face, but a splatter of blistering tar landed across his cheek; he cried out in a loud roar. A spray of burning rocks and rubble flew into the air and his head followed where they landed behind him, narrowly missing everyone. He was boiling with rage and anger; his cheek burned where the tar stuck to his skin. Ellanor gasped and covered her mouth as she saw her son turn from a beautiful man into something demonic.

Wide eyes turned wild; gone were the vivid green and gentleness, replaced by fiery red pupils. Kai’s mouth widened to show lengthening teeth, sharpening into harsh points. His body trembled with furious rage as his arms stretched his swords outward. A thunderous noise caused everyone to turn away from Kai’s demonic state… to stare at something far worse.

A figure taller than Kai with blackened skin; cracked and revealing glowing flesh beneath it, monumental and massively tall, posed in the center of the courtyard. Flames poured from its mouth and nostrils, spiraling high. The remnants of once feather covered wings, pointed outward from its back; a bony framework covered in burning tar with thick black smoke curling into the air from the tips. Directed towards the ground, a long sword burned and scorched everything it touched.

‘How do we fight that?’ Sabe couldn’t move as he stared at the flaming demon.

Stunned at the display, his eyelids closed slowly. Taking a deep breath, he knew they were all going to suffer the same fate as Darkmide and Dryden.

Unable to get up from the floor after injuring her knee when she fell, Teila shuffled towards the terrace. ‘It is Adramelech!’ She called to Ellanor. ‘Give Eloise the pendant! Now! Give it to her!’

Snapping her head towards Teila, Ellanor pulled the chain over her head then tugged the sleeve of Eloise’s dress.

‘Take this!’

Eloise couldn’t drag her focus from the demon and in a daze held out her hand to Ellanor. Folding the pendant in her open palm and closing her fingers to cover it, Ellanor clasped her hands around Eloise’s.

‘She’s right; I think this is for you.’

Suddenly jolted, Eloise frowned and opened her hand. She placed the chain over her head. The pendant settled against her chest and her fingers smoothed over the cool gold. Seeing Kai in his enraged state, she knew she couldn’t stop him, nor did she think she should. If he was going to fight the demon, he needed to be at his worst. For the first time since knowing of his affliction she wanted him to turn.

Adramelech pointed his sword towards the warriors gathering behind him and laughed. Sending a wave of fire from the tip of the burning blade across the yard, warriors ducked or threw themselves out of the way to avoid the flames. Some were lucky, others not so. Screaming and burning alive, two men rolled on the floor in agony, their bodies erupting in a blistering inferno. People watched in horror at the grisly scene. Some tried to get to the burning warriors but were greeted with searing flames as Adramelech drew his sword across the ground making an impenetrable wall of fire.

‘You’re here for me! Fight me!’ Kai flexed his arms and faced the burning demon, His eyes flared bright red, the same as Adramelech’s.

He marched forward. ‘Fight me! He ground out between clenched teeth. ‘Come on!!’ Kai brought the blade edge of one of his fighting knives to his chest and in a slow movement, cut his skin, drawing blood. His chest rose and fell with pained panting sounds.

Eloise charged forward. ‘Kai! NO!’

The demon snapped its head towards Eloise with narrowing brows when the pendant around her neck glimmered. Deep and loud, his voice mocked her.

‘You’re trinkets are useless.’

Pointing his sword at Eloise, Adramelech’s sinister laugh drowned Kai’s war cry as he charged towards him. Jumping high, Kai’s legs peddled the air as he slammed both knives into Adramelech; one landed in the weak flesh to the side of his neck, while the other sliced down his shoulder.

Distracting the demon from Eloise, Kai called for aid while he twisted the knives in the softer flesh of Adramelech’s shoulder.

Kiera charged forward and together with anyone else that used a bow, started firing arrows at the beast. Jace joined Leon and his father in the attack, taking turns in swinging at burning, muscular legs but still they couldn’t make any mark. The demon was temporarily distracted from his target as he fought of the attackers. Arrows bounced off Adramelech and fell to the floor. The warriors from behind and to the sides charged. They struck the demon’s body with their swords or daggers; still to no avail. Kiera screamed with rage when their efforts seemed futile.