Her look turned to a glare at my honesty, but she knew what I was getting at; her effort would be a Band-Aid on a severed limb-useless. Despite that, she couldn’t help herself. It was in her nature and nothing was gonna convince her otherwise.
A sliver of a smile graced her lips and she nodded. Then with Katon in tow, she ran off toward the nearest building that hadn’t yet come down. Once they were gone, I let out a big sigh.
The continued search for Eden’s key was gonna put us at odds with Azrael, and that was a sobering thought. Even with the power Baalth had gifted me, plus Katon and Scarlett at my side, we didn’t stand a chance if the Angel of Death chose to step in.
While the threat of abject failure and horrible death were par for the course in my life, it didn’t stop my asshole from puckering up in brown-eyed fear. Once more I was sticking my neck out and risking slaughter in order to save the day and keep from being killed.
Irony is a motherfucker sometimes.
Chapter Ten
My whirlwind day a case study in the effects of sleep deprivation, I stopped off to grab a stout cup of coffee on my way to meet the one person who might know where Adam had been buried: Longinus, the Anti-Christ, newly resurrected thanks in part to yours truly.
A quick phone call put me in touch with his daughter, Karra, my first true love. It was an awkward call, the sound of her voice triggering all sorts of sloppy memories, but I muddled through it without having to change my jeans.
She arranged for me to meet her father at my house, which made things easier. With the backroom gate, he could pop in without drawing the attention of my neighbors.
After McConnell pulled his Three Little Pigs routine and blew my house down, they kept a wary eye on me. Even with Michael Li smoothing things over, his mental adjustments made with a light touch, there’d been enough weird crap in the area to make them suspicious. The storms would only make things worse.
Despite DRAC’s best effort to keep things under wraps, news of the annihilation had hit the networks. Appearing worldwide, the storms left havoc and death in their wake-and a whole butt-load of questions no normal human could reliably answer. Though, to give the networks credit, they were doing their best to bullshit their way through it.
The people in my neighborhood were no doubt wondering what I’d done to cause this, so it would be best if no one in full plate armor and satanic regalia, wielding a sharp pointy stick, came knocking on my door in broad daylight. You can only use the medieval re-creation excuse so many times before people start to ask uncomfortable questions about where you’re sheathing your sword at night.
So, back at home, I hung out with Chatterbox as I waited for Longinus to arrive. To lighten the mood, I popped a Nasty Savage CD in the player. Me and the zombie head rumbled our way through Fear beyond the Vision. Chatterbox, sans balls, or anything from the neck down for that matter, provided the air raid siren falsettos. For a head without lungs, he sure could belt out the tunes.
We’d just gotten into Metal Knights when my senses pinged on my gate becoming active. I shut the CD off, much to Chatterbox’s wailing chagrin, and willed the portal to receive our guests.
A few seconds later, Longinus moved down the hall, his arms tucked in front to keep them from becoming wedged against the walls. Karra was a little ways behind him. Chatterbox glanced at them, then lowered his eyes, his chin tucked as though he were attempting to bow.
Even more massive than I remembered, Longinus moved with leonine grace, his wild mane of black hair flowing down his back. As he entered the living room, he straightened out and it was like having a door slam in my face, the light dimmed in his presence.
The deep bronze of his face made him look like he was made of rich leather, his dark eyes ageless. He took a moment to look me over, then smiled wide, his face coming alive above his thick black beard.
“Triggaltheron.” He proffered his hand and I took it, his steely grip a humbling experience. “I had not expected you to seek me out so soon.” There wasn’t any censure in his tone, but I suddenly felt guilty like I’d called a girl before the three day rule was up.
Suddenly unsure, I cast a quick glance at Karra and saw an easy grin brightening her lips. She winked and it did a lot to assuage my uncertainty.
“Well, neither did I, but it seems a couple of rogue archangels had other ideas.” I waved them to a seat, hoping my sofa would survive his bulk.
He laughed softly, letting Karra take her seat first. Once they were settled, I plopped down in my old Lazy- Boy, which let out a loud squeak.
“I presumed your call had something to do with that mess up there.” He gestured skyward. “While I knew I’d returned to a different world, I would never have imagined a Heaven overthrown by Gabriel.”
“Times have changed, and not for the better. At least in the old days, you knew who the bad guys were. Nowadays, it’s every supernatural for himself.”
Longinus nodded and settled back with a chuckle. Karra slipped into view, no longer blocked by his barrel of a chest. I found myself staring at her, the past washing over me in pleasant waves that prickled my skin. She met my eyes with a sweet smile and leaned forward, her lithe body uncoiling. My face heated, I looked back to her father before my body found another way to show its appreciation.
“I wouldn’t have come to you with this, but I had nowhere else to go. Gabriel’s war is turning the world on its head and I need to stop it before it tears Earth apart. I need some information that might help put an end to it all.”
“I’m loath to involve myself in the affairs of Heaven, but I will honor my pact to you and tell you what I can.” He stood and paced to the middle of the room, his face sullen. Karra’s expression seemed to echo his. “I cannot, however, bring myself to assist you directly. Though the old order has been cast aside, I have no forgiveness in my heart for those of the Kingdom.” His steely gaze settled on me. “With that in mind, ask of me what you will and know that I will answer truthfully in gratefulness for your part in my resurrection.”
I didn’t even bother to sigh, having expected no less. Things never came easy when you had to deal with demons, no matter what they said they’d do for you. “I need to know where the earthly remains of Adam are buried.”
While I knew I might be blowing my favor and breaking a part of my promise to Asmoday, there were more important things to consider. Besides, he was a demon…he’d understand getting screwed, even if he didn’t appreciate it.
Longinus looked at me through narrowed lids. “An unexpected request, for sure.” He stared at me for a moment longer, and just when it became really uncomfortable, he continued. “You seek to enter Eden?”
No point in lying, I answered, “Yes. I hope to offset the balance and help Uriel and Forcalor drive Gabriel away from the Garden and out of Heaven.”
A crooked smile fluttered to his lips. “For certain, a valiant plan, Triggaltheron, but there is something you must know before you throw yourself upon the willing spears of your enemy.”
That sounded positive.
“As it is, the Tree of Life struggles to maintain its integrity. The insertion of additional forces into the Garden may well be the tipping point that sounds its knell.”
Hey look, another challenge. Never enough of those in my life. I sunk deeper into my chair, rubbing at my temples. “Will the storms worsen?”
He shook his head. “They will end with the Tree’s death.” He paused and I could imagine the guillotine slicing down. “However-” Kchunk! “-the ruin of Earth is the least of our concerns. Should the Tree of Life fall, the children of Heaven and Hell will suffer for its destruction.” A slow, deep sigh oozed from him. “We will all become mortal.”
It took a second for his words to sink in, my mind unwilling to register their meaning. Thoughts tumbled from my mouth, in no particular order, and I took a second to string them into a coherent sentence. “We’d be human?”
