Legions (31 page)

I heard Athen’s call go out
for all of our fellow comrades. I wasn’t sure if he was channeling
it to everyone or if it was actually going through the airwaves. It
was intense as I began hearing all of the responses coming back
directly to him as well. The many octaves of voices signaling their
participation in the expected battle was exhilarating.

We were only moments away
from the camp that the demons had made. Not all would be here since
they were still starting fires as fast as they could, but Cyril and
Arie had our friends back in the village ready and waiting to scope
out where the stragglers were at so we could pounce.

The air was far thicker
with smoke as we began our descent back towards the ground and our
target. They had a makeshift camp set up, and it looked like their
plan was to spend very little time in it. We circled the camp one
last time to gauge the activity, when one of the minions came
flying from the north readying himself for an attack against
Cyril.

I directed my focus on my
new target, flying as fast as I could to reach Cyril’s side and do
my best to fight. Seeing the chain dangling from the minion, I
yanked on it as hard as I could, allowing a scream to escape into
the air, alerting the camp below that they had visitors. Ripping
the chain out of the minion, the black mist immediately began
releasing into the air.

“Nice work, Ana.” Cyril
said as he shot down to the ground to begin the battle.

The wind was shifting
behind me as I felt our support arriving. One after the other began
landing in the campsite, immediately demolishing whatever and
whoever was in their range of sight. I took a deep breath in as I
attempted to land myself without wiping out or causing a
disruption. Right before my feet hit the ground, a minion slammed
itself into me, ramming me into the hard earth.

The minion had my hair
pinned back on the ground, ripping each strand as I attempted to
move. My legs kicking at the creature as I scanned for the piece of
metal that I’d become so accustomed to seeing. There didn’t seem to
be any this time. Seething in anger, I reached my hand over the
minion who had now begun grinding his foot into my shoulder but
creating the perfect opportunity for me to grab his ankle and trip
him up just enough to create an imbalance. His other foot lightened
its hold on my hair so that I was able to roll my body far away
from my attacker. The drug of victory was now pumping through my
entire body. He came barreling at me, and my body lifted over his
as his arm reached into the empty air. Spinning around in the air,
I landed on his shoulders, snapping his neck as quickly as
possible. Feeling his body crumple to the ground, I knew I was in
for another bumpy landing as I crashed to the dirt
below.

Standing up quickly to
gauge our success. I saw hundreds of our kind landing and squashing
the minions as quickly as they came. Athen came up behind me,
scoping out my victim, turning to me completely
impressed.

“Nice. He wasn’t like the
others.” He said before taking off again.

“Tell me about it.” I
yelled after him.

The minions were being
discarded as quickly as they appeared. Arie had let the others in
the village know of our success, and they began attempting to flush
the stragglers back to the camp. This win was close to being ours,
it was only a matter of timing.

***

We were in our home in
Whistler, trying our best to rest up a bit from the day’s feverish
activities. The Hemlocks outside were lightly swaying with the
breeze that was beginning to come up. Now that we had defeated the
minions and their efforts, the last few remaining fires were being
put out. On our way back up to the village, I was amazed at how
little of the forests leading up to the village had been harmed.
Compared to the images on the news, what was right before me,
looked like a little brush fire. The larger fires were set off in
the hills and that seems to be where the news crews were able to
get with their helicopters.

Even though it was spring,
I had one of our throws wrapped around me. The chilly mountain air
was never truly gone, regardless of the season. Cyril was making us
all some tea before Athen and I headed back home. We left Matilda
back at the house, knowing we had to get back to her the same day.
In hindsight, Athen felt far more confident about our victory than
I realized.

“You’ve got to come back
down with us. Ana’s got more to tell you. Azazel’s ready to meet
with her - with us. It’s gonna be big.” Athen told Arie and
Cyril.

“
Should we really though?
With her other visions?” Arie asked.

I wondered that myself but
told myself that knowing what was lurking in the shadows for Cyril
was half the battle.

“I think for this, we
should all be together. She has seen Azazel come to her in her
dreams.”

I shook my head in
agreement to what Athen was relaying from my dreams.

“Okay, well. I guess we’ll
drive you back to your car in Squamish and meet you back down
south.” Cyril announced, his grin as large as I’d seen it in a long
time. I think he felt better knowing we were willing to trust him
by our side and not be as plagued with worry that he was going to
turn against us like my vision.

“I’ve got some girl items I
want to talk with Arie about anyway, so I think this was perfect
timing.” She looked at me allowing a few of her thoughts to slip
over to my mind, none of what I expected to hear.

I shook my head in
agreement, fearing what she might be wanting to divulge.

“Awesome! I’m glad we are
back as a unit.” I chuckled, throwing a pillow at Cyril.

Thankful that they were
coming back down with us, I decided not to mention that my vision
called for everything to happen tomorrow. Since Athen didn’t
mention it, I decided I wasn’t going to either.

Chapter 33

The clanking and clashing
began getting louder and louder with every moment that whipped by.
I was hoping my family would arrive soon. I knew who I was about to
meet. I wasn’t sure I was as ready for it as I needed to be. I had
no idea how to prepare for it in the first place. Instead of the
usual ice-cold temperature I was so used to experiencing with the
arrival of the Legion members, an intense heat began to surface
alongside of my body. The rumbling and clashing was beginning to
vibrate the ground I was standing on. The earth was beginning to
shift and give as he got closer and closer. As I was scanning the
beach, boulders, and mountainside looking for this creature, I
wondered what I should be expecting – just one creature or
several?

I looked down at my legs,
realizing I still had the black leather leggings on from the woman
I shapeshifted on earlier as practice. I still hadn’t completely
gotten the hang of things. Sure that she was probably wearing my
outfit, I wondered how on earth I could be caught dead in this mess
of a look -the black leather leggings were only accentuated by a
wonderfully tacky silver top, and black stiletto boots. I was
certain some could pull off this look, but I wasn’t meant to,
especially on a beach. I did my best to distract myself from the
overwhelming amount of fear that was beginning to surface by
wondering what Athen would think of my new look.

A loud buzzing, like an
amplifier hiked up too loud, began rattling my eardrums. It matched
the same rhythm as the clashing and clanking that I was growing
accustom to. The disorienting effect washing over me created an
uneasiness that would only be solved with the arrival of my
family.

To my horror, I finally
focused in on Azazel. He was flying low enough beneath the clouds
now that I could see he wasn’t alone. He looked as wretched as I
feared. My heart fell with the realization that he was going to
make it to me before my family did. I glanced quickly over my
shoulder one last time to see if by any chance Athen was there to
help, knowing I wouldn’t dare turn my back on this monster once he
arrived.

Azazel swooped down to the
beach, walking before he even touched the sand, his silver hair
swarming in the wind. He was dressed in an all black leather
trench, dripping in silver metal chains, I did my best to push down
the feelings of defeat that were already surfacing. As he came
closer, I realized that the silver chains were attaching minions to
him like stray dogs. Those other beings I saw in the sky were these
poor chained-up beings. It was utterly disgusting to see. Standing
only a few feet from me now, I began to feel the tiny beads of
sweat beginning to form at the base of my neck from the
overwhelming heat that was rolling off of this demon. Now was my
time. I could no longer play the innocent.

“What is it you want,
Azazel?” I stared directly into his black, hollowed eyes. The
desire to fight him was building in my veins. I wanted a fight. I
wanted to destroy this demon and all of the creatures connected to
him.

“The kiss of death. How
does that sound for romantic?” His voice raspy, yet strong and
exuding victory before I even had a chance to be
defeated.

“From who?” I asked,
repulsed by the being that was standing before me.

“I think you know the
answer to that one, my Ana. If I couldn’t have your mother, the way
Remiel, your father, did. Then shouldn’t I get the next best thing
…her daughter - don’t you think, Ana?” He paused for several
seconds like he was debating whether or not to utter the next few
words. “Your sister, Lilith, agrees with me.”

The anger was rising beyond
anything I could control. I chose to ignore his Lilith comment. I
knew I couldn’t defeat this demon by myself, not with my lack of
experience compared to his – not yet anyway. The chemicals had been
fully released and I wanted to satisfy my craving. I needed a
fight.

Of course, he had planned
it this way by destroying me 5o years earlier, making my family run
in circles trying to bring me back to them. It wasn’t the humans
who were pawns in this world he created. It was us he had been
playing games with. It was me. Countless families losing loved ones
all because of me. I was no longer going to be a pawn in his
depraved game of chess.

“You won’t get that
satisfaction, Azazel.” I hollered at him, wanting victory at this
very moment.

“I think we both know you
could come with me right now and solve this entire little problem
we have here. Don’t you agree? You are even dressed for the
occasion - black leather and silver. How perfect can you get? Some
things are meant to be.”

I truly cursed my utterly
lacking shapeshifting ability now.

“You know, Azazel, what I
can’t believe is that you would let a mortal woman have that much
control over you - thousands of years of hatred building for a
woman, my mother? That seems pretty pathetic. You don’t strike me
as someone who wants to be seen as pathetic. I get that you never
forgave my father, Remiel. But his falling in love with the same
mortal woman who loved him back actually saved you. Don’t you think
it is punishment enough that my father is stuck in between worlds?
You were saved from that atrocity because you were never with my
mother!”

“You don’t understand
revenge very well do you, Ana?”

The weight of mankind’s
possible destruction was a crushing feat to digest, all because of
my father and mother’s love affair.

“I guess I don’t.” The
longer I spoke to him the better the odds that my family would
arrive. Azazel’s minions were getting restless. I knew they were
hoping for a fight. I knew they were hoping for blood.

“Say I come with you. Then
what? The fight’s over? I doubt that very much. What assurance
would I have?”

Azazel’s fingers were as
gnarled as all of the others - his nails tinged brown and
dreadfully long. Getting impatient, he began rubbing his hands
together.

“So, Ana. What’s it gonna
be?” He seethed through his clenched teeth. He didn’t answer my
question.

“I think you know the
answer to that one. You don’t understand revenge very well do you,
Azazel?” I smiled. My family was near and so were others. I could
feel them.

“If you don’t come with me,
I promise you that a war like no other will ensue.”

“I’m willing to take my
chances.”

They had arrived. Thousands
of them. He was surrounded. The hillside behind him was a constant
landing strip for my kind one right after the other. To my right,
hundreds of Fallen Angels marched through the sand to come stand by
my side. Taking in a deep breath, I felt Athen’s hand rest on my
shoulder from behind. My family was here, and they had brought
friends.

“Was there anything else
you wanted to tell us? I know we would all like to hear it.
Wouldn’t we?” My glare was as icy as it ever had been.

The minions surrounding
Azazel were suddenly cowering. The obedience I’d mistaken earlier
for strength allowed me to see a victory like never before. My
appetite had been wetted and only victory would curb it.

Azazel let out a loud
bellowing sound as he flashed into the air, with his chained
minions dragging behind him. He suddenly vanished, releasing the
chains allowing the minions to remain. Sure he would return, I
looked around the beach as more of our fellow Fallen Angels were
arriving, I felt deep inside that this was a war that could be won.
It was a war that needed the right leader, and I knew I was that
leader.