“I judge you Caius, and these Baku,” Apollyon roars at him. His angry voice rolls off of the valley walls.
Caius laughs, “Do you actually believe these are all of my pets?” With the ruined bridge swinging behind the angels the Vampire King laughs at the look of surprise on their faces. A horde steps from the rocks and trees behind him. They are massive beasts that walk upright at eight feet tall, with hard scaly hides. Their arms end with three fingered clawed hands big enough to crush a man’s head with ease. Orange burning eyes look back at the battered angels as the beasts lick their serrated teeth.
“What have you done?” Liam gasps.
“You shall see, but alas I must be going. I have more gates to destroy.” Caius leaps into the air, giving the silent order to attack. The fourth gate is in Syria, and time is against him. With a murmur of a spell, he opens a rift and a blast of cold air welcomes him. Unfortunately, he can’t stay and watch the angels die, this time. His laughter follows him as he disappears.
The thermal basins surrounding them are full of geysers and to Liam’s mind, it is the only weapon that will work against these hybrids. His eyes catch Apollyon’s, “Let’s boil them!”
He nods along in agreement. Apollyon pushes his power into the earth and watches the creatures of Caius’s making rushing towards them.
“Now?” Zach asks.
“Not yet,” Liam whispers. When the first wave is almost on them, Apollyon jumps into the air and brings his two massive hammers together sending a concussion of flame and energy towards the front line. Instantly on fire, they fall to the ground, rolling and screaming. Those behind never lose a step, they leap over the dying brother’s intent upon the Angel blood.
“Now?” Cass yells as they continue feeding their power into the now hot ground.
“NO!” Liam snarls and wipes at the sweat on his face. Pockets in the earth long ago dormant release a stream of rocks, and hot white steam, burning any creature near them. The geysers whistle a tune of death and just before the animals reach them Apollyon swings his two mighty war hammers onto the ground and cracks it open. A molten river of death explodes forth welcoming those who are not fast enough to their end.
“Now!” Apollyon roars and all the weapons erupt in blue flames. “Push all your power into me!” Apollyon aims all the power into the center of the magma chamber, and it responds with a huge explosion of lava. The Angels shoot towards the sky, to avoid the eruption and watch from a distance as the earth cracks apart beneath their feet. Like ice melting, it dissolves, and the creatures scream and snarl as they fall into the river of doom.
Those that take to the air are either caught in the surge of steam, rocks, and lava or destroyed by the waiting angels. Apollyon struggles and falters in the sky. Still, on fire, he turns away from his brothers and flies in the opposite direction.
“What’s happening to him?” Cass demands.
Liam doesn’t answer but follows him at a safe distance. The flames dancing along his body have shifted from blue to white and are flaring as though still being fed. A thunderous sound of a powerful waterfall calls to Apollyon. He dashes towards the waterfall as it roars three hundred feet into the river below. A bright full moon illuminates the canyon, allowing them to watch as Apollyon shoots through the misty rainbow and into the falls. The falls react instantly with a release of steam and water setting off an explosion powerful enough to muffle the excruciating scream of the angel immersed inside of it.
The three remaining angels land and wait for Apollyon to emerge.
“Holy fire does not burn the bearer, normally.” Liam murmurs.
Cass turns away, ashamed of his earlier behavior. Would he have joined Caius? “What of the gate?” He asks quietly.
“I can’t sense it?” Zach answers and stares into the waterfall. Stepping towards the stones along the edge he is about to go inside when Apollyon emerges. They all watch as he flies towards them, unsure of what this means for the guardians of the gate.
“It was destroyed,” Liam answers looking to Apollyon for confirmation.
“It was. We only have one gate left.” Apollyon states, “Let us hope the Herald can protect it.”
Chapter 24
Caius arrives in time to watch from the shadows as Anya lifts the second body of the fallen angel to her and inhales his essence into her soul.
Her eyes are glowing with golden light and she understands her place in this now. She is to be a vessel of the damned. A cell until it is time to release them to be judged. The angels have failed. What a feeling to carry such evil inside of you.
‘This is my only chance to convince her to join me,’ Caius thinks. With a power like hers, he would be invincible.
Anya is trembling in the cold darkness of the cemetery when she senses him. Climbing to her feet, she smiles, “I know that smell, come out and face me, Caius. Oh, and bring your pets too, I could use some appetizers.”
“You are truly remarkable, Anya. Or should I call you by another name?” He is handsome for a tall, soulless demon. Blonde, muscular and delicious if she remembers correctly. Her mouth fills with saliva at the thought of draining him.
“Do you wish to thank me now or later for gifting you such power?” He asks strolling casually through the few tombstones that remain.
“Thank you? Caius, you cursed me, this is no gift!” Her eyes never blink as she tracks his movements.
“Not a gift,” he snarls and moves closer.
