Demon Within (35 page)

Kai stabbed at the demon but a boney wing swept forward and knocked him into the air. Crying out at the heat as it scorched his flesh; Kai was thrown against the wall of a building before landing in a heap on the floor.

Adramelech laughed at their attempts, and moving his attention back to Eloise, directed a jet of flames towards her chest.

Kai tried to douse his burning body; Sabe ran to his aid and rolled him along the floor to extinguish the flames. Kai looked across the yard and watched in horror as he saw flames from the sword project towards Eloise.

‘NO!’

Kai’s screams filled the courtyard, unable to see Eloise amidst the fire and flames.

‘ELOISE!’

Those standing behind Eloise were saved as the pendant shimmered brightly before sending out a shield of light spreading wide deflecting the fire and flames Eloise gazed in awe at the brightness. She looked over to Kai and Sabe; her heart beat loudly and rang in her ears at the thought of him in pain. Distracted by shouting, she turned towards the voice.

‘You can defeat him Eloise! Use your gift! Do it now!’

Teila’s eyes widened, it was becoming clear to her now. Eloise and the pendant could destroy Adramelech, she needed to act fast.

‘How?’ Eloise’s frowned, querying what she can do with rain or wind against a fire demon.

‘You know what to do; do it!’

It suddenly hit her. Whenever Kai was enraged, he said the rain soothed his fury, calming him. Eloise watched Kai try to get up off the floor, but Sabe held him back. She’d heard him call out for her and she desperately wanted to tend him but knew Teila was right.

Facing Adramelech and holding out her arms, she balled her fists. Her eyes closed as she focused her attention.

A cool breeze channeled through the courtyard, growing stronger within moments, it turned into a blustering wind and brought a blanket of cloud overhead. Thickening quickly, the clouds turned dark. Bursting and unleashed their bounty in sheets of rain, it soaked everyone instantly. Within moments lightning flashed across the sky followed by deafening thunder rumbling around the yard. Everyone watched Eloise in amazement.

Adramelech raised his head and laughed.

‘It will take more than that.’

He directed his sword across the yard, spraying fire towards the buildings where people gathered. Everyone ran for cover to avoid the spewing flames, Adramelech roared and laughed as men and women were caught in his wake.

Breathing hard and worrying her attempts were useless, Eloise’s brows knit together and scowled. Rage took over. Her breaths quickened with each swing of his sword around the courtyard. Eloise didn’t hold back and taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes. Searching for a quiet place in her mind she felt a wave of power erupt from somewhere inside.

The temperature dropped sharply to the point of freezing. Ice crept along the cobbled yard, around the wooden frames of the doors and windows before continuing up the walls and over the roof tops. Rain turned to ice and snow, hailstones fell to the ground and bounced before finally resting, making chiming notes as they hit everything around.

Everyone shivered and wrapped their arms around their bodies to fight off the frosty chill. The warm breaths exhaled turned into fog as the vapor quickly chilled. It was eerie to watch, but when Eloise opened her eyes, she smiled.

Adramelech struggled to keep his form under the sheer cold; he couldn’t function, his movements slowed dramatically and the fire from his sword disappeared.

Crying out to the sky, his arms punched the air. A cracking sound rippled around the yard; like twigs snapping or gravel, crunching under foot. Eloise gave a triumphant cry, when Adramelech fell to his knees.

‘Attack him now!’ Eloise screamed at Kiera and the other warriors.

Kiera spun around to Eloise and grinned.

‘Fire your bows!’ her voice carried and everyone with bow and arrow aimed at the demon; no longer aflame but smoldering like one of the buildings it had left in its wake earlier.

Teila managed to pull herself up from the floor, aided by Ellanor. She was freezing and trembled under the extreme cold, but still found time to laugh at the demise of Adramelech.

Arrows flew through the air towards the demon. Unlike before, they struck at his charred flesh, chipping away with each hit of an arrow tip, chunks of tar and pitch fell to the floor. Revealed underneath, the once glowing flesh that peeked through the cracking tar, now cooled, looked like skin. More and more pieces flew off the demon. Suddenly brightness erupted from Adramelech causing everyone to stop firing. They paused and watched in stunned silence at the incredible transformation taking place, demon becoming angel before their disbelieving eyes.

Beautiful wings stretched out wide. Everyone gasped in amazement at the beautiful array of color that swirled around the form.

Ellanor started moving slowly towards the center of the yard and covered her mouth as she wept. Adram, kneeling before everyone, held out his hands towards her. His beautiful hair restored, fell around his shoulders and reminded her of their last night together, all those years ago. He saw her approaching, his eyes never leaving hers.

‘Ellanor…forgive me.’

‘Oh Adram! It’s me who should be asking you…this is my fault.’

‘No, I knew the risk, but thought I could elude the watchers.’

Ellanor looked around at the chaos and frowned.

‘Why did you have to kill so many people Adram?’

He lowered his head.

‘I was so bitter after they took everything from me. The torment and endless suffering as I burned drove me insane. I wanted everyone to hurt as I was hurting.

Watching his mother kneel and reach out to Adram, Jace was about to move forward but Kiera pulled him back.

‘Jace wait.’

Reluctantly, he submitted, but stood with his sword ready. His father moved by his side and worried what his father must be feeling, touched his arm.

‘Are you alright?’

Caster nodded. ‘I’ll be alright son; we need to see this through.’ He gave his son a reassuring smile.

Adramelech closed his eyes when Ellanor’s soft fingers traced over his cheek. It was if they’d been taken back in time to the long nights of endless conversations and love making.

‘We are both to blame Adram, I could have refused you…but I didn’t. This is on both of us and I’m sorry for all that you’ve suffered. Forgive me, please?’

‘You are still beautiful Ellanor and our son inherited your gentle nature. He’ll be free of me now.’

Ellanor frowned and didn’t understand what he meant, but watched him stand and raise his hands towards the heavens.

Adramelech called for the angel Anael who’d endowed Eloise and her ancestors with their gift.

‘I’m ready Anael, I accept my punishment… send me back to hell!’

Ellanor lowered her head into her hands and cried. She remained on the floor, unable to move and only when Jace and Caster aided her, was she able to stand.

Eloise took a deep breath and watched the storm clouds disperse. The air warmed and everywhere that was covered with frost steamed as the ice melted beneath the heat of the sun’s rays. Her body started to shake uncontrollably and the pendant around her neck vibrated. Whipping her head towards Kai in a moment of panic, she reached out her hand with a frantic cry.

‘Kai!’

He rolled onto his side, grimacing at the pain; he wanted to go to Eloise but could barely move for his injuries.

Eloise began to cry, she wanted to touch him, feel him and look at his beautiful face, but fixed to the ground, unable to move she trembled in fear. Her body burned with a bright, white heat and everyone gasped when she shattered like glass into millions of shimmering particles and glittering dust, taking Adramelech with her.

‘NO!! ELOISE!’

Kai’s hand fisted and beat the floor in frustration.

She was gone.

‘YOU PROMISED!’ His voice boomed across the yard and tears flowed across his scorched skin.

‘YOU PROMISED YOU’D NEVER LEAVE ME!

Stunned and in shock, everyone stood in silence and stared at the place where Eloise had stood. She’d disappeared, no clothing or even the gold arm bands that she’d been given as a wedding gift from Kai, remained.

Tears streamed down Kiera’s cheeks and she raced over and knelt with her brother to comfort him, but it was useless.

His cries of pain, physical and emotional, echoed around the courtyard. No one could believe they’d been spared. It was only Eloise who’d not survived. In a twist of fate, her gift had saved them, but she was unable to save herself. Seemingly too much power, amplified by the pendant, overwhelmed her, taking her life.

Kai coughed and spluttering blood out of his mouth, he lay back and closed his eyes, his breaths were shallow and his sobbing quieted.

‘Kai?’ Kiera touched her finger to his cheek.

‘Sabe…do something.’ Kiera panicked as she watched Kai drift into unconsciousness.

‘There’s nothing I can do, I’m sorry sister. He’s dying. He’s too badly injured.’

‘No! Please NO!’ Ellanor cried. Her legs gave way, only Caster catching his wife, stopped her from falling to the cobbles.

‘This isn’t right, it’s not fair!’ Kiera screamed at her brother.

‘He doesn’t deserve to die, he’s suffered enough!’

‘I know… I’d take his place if I could.’

Sabe lowered his head; even he couldn’t fight back the tears as he watched his friend struggle to breathe.

Teila called out. ‘The pendant… look!’

She pointed to the shimmering gold disc on the floor; no one had noticed it on the ground amongst the rubble and debris. It jumped around as if fastened to a piece of invisible thread and a high pitch ringing started to fill everyone’s ears. An intense brightness erupted from the pendant and formed into a body that glided across the courtyard. No face was visible, the glowing light moved around the form, transforming into an angel. Huge illuminated wings reached out, extending wide as it started to move. It had no distinguishable features, just an orb of glowing light for a head with no face to be seen.

Gliding towards Sabe and Kiera it hovered above Kai’s limp body. The air around Kai crackled and vibrated.

The form spoke in an androgynous soft voice.

‘Let me hold him.’

Both Kiera and Sabe moved to stand in front of Kai's badly broken body, shielding him from the ethereal form. ‘Leave him alone! You’ve done enough damage already!’

‘Your loyalty to Kai is to be commended, but I assure you I bring no more harm to him.’

Kiera and Sabe moved aside as the being spoke to them in soft tones that held nothing but truth.

Embracing Kai, the angel smothered him completely. Shimmering rays of light, different colors and hues, silver and gold brightened around them. It was brief and everyone watched in awe at the spectacle.

When the ethereal being started to take a human form, the glowing wings disintegrated. Kiera and Sabe gasped when the face and body of Eloise appeared in its place.

Kai‘s eyes slowly opened. ‘I thought you’d left me.’ Kai’s voice was broken as he could barely form words.

‘I made a promise and I had to keep it.’

‘What just happened?’ Sabe’s brows rose.

Voices carried around the yard, chattering then cheers, it grew louder and Eloise looked around to see everyone smiling and cheering.

‘I don’t know, but I think Anael was the cause of my disappearance and return.’ Eloise paused and traced her finger across Kai’s brow, where a scar once marred his skin. It was gone, together with all the others from his face. ‘And you’re healing too.’ She examined his face closely, searching for any hint of a scar, but found none.’

‘Your back… it’s clear Kai!’ Sabe hadn’t noticed until Kai sat up and removed what was left of his burned shirt. Reaching his hand over his shoulder and finding smooth skin, he grinned.

‘They’re all gone!’ Frowning as he touched unblemished skin with his fingertips, Kai closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. He felt different; there was no frustration or anger inside anymore. The demon was gone.

Kai rose, bringing Eloise with him. He wrapped muscular arms around her waist, pinning her against him. He nestled his face against hers and cried tears of joy at her return. Leading her by the hand into the center of the courtyard, they looked around at the devastation. Frowning at the bodies strewn amidst the rubble, Kai lowered his head and sighed. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Kai pulled Eloise into his side, drawing on her strength as he addressed everyone.

‘My friends, we’ve suffered losses today. Our friends and family have been taken from us, but we are still here to remember them for their bravery.’

Pulling Eloise against him, he slid his arm around her shoulder.

‘We will rebuild our town and raise monuments to the fallen, and a celebration shall be held in honor of our friends.’

Applause and cheering echoed around. Kai raised his hand in salute to everyone and made his way towards the terrace. Shaking Leon and Jace’s hands, then Casters, he thanked Teila for her wisdom and guidance.