A pang of sympathy hit me then. When Sadriel ran from us the first time we asked for help, it was out of shame. DEAD was stretched thin as it was. I didn’t want to ask how many staffers they even had. It might feel like I was rubbing it in.
Samyaza nodded firmly. “Then that settles it. I’m at your disposal.” He turned to the rest of us. “You can all manage without me, but this concerns lending aid to earthbound nephilim directly. I can’t just stand by while they’re dying, knowing I can give Sadriel and her people my help.”
“I agree,” I said. “Maharani says to trust the Lorica, and I do, but there’s only so far they can reach. The international agencies are on the case as well, but it can’t hurt to have an actual satellite group literally watching from the skies. DEAD needs all the help it can get.”
There was a moment of uncertainty, and then Sadriel broke into a smile. “Thank you, brother,” she said, resting her hand on Samyaza’s arm. “If we are to help, then we should leave. Now.”
Samyaza took her hand, nodding at me firmly, one last, reassuring glance. “Lead the way, sister.”
The pair of them vanished in twin beams of light. Raziel looked up into the clouds, like his eyes could see something we couldn’t. Apollo, for whatever reason, seemed to be watching the sky as well.
“Something was healed here today,” Raziel said softly. “Mason? I shall remain at your side. I suspect that we have alternate plans that don’t involve locating more nephilim.”
I held my breath for a moment, then began to explain. The gloom of the day only went darker, like Artemis could hear everything we were discussing and getting progressively pissed off. It was entirely likely, actually.
Florian clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m with you, to hell and back, if that’s where we’re going. You know I’m with you.”
I clapped him back on the arm, smiling. “I know you are, buddy. Always. So that makes us, and Raziel. But we still need to track down Beelzebub.”
“Already on it,” Apollo said, his voice and his gaze distant as he stared directly at the sun. “You’re not going to love this. I’ve been following our disgusting fly-ridden friend since he fled the locker. For whatever reason he’s in – uh, let’s see here. Nicaragua.”
Lina looked at him, mouth agape, then around at the rest of us. “Who are you people, really? And why was that gorilla wearing an apron?”
Raziel placed a hand on her shoulder. “In good time,” he said kindly. “For now we must discuss logistics. Where in Nicaragua?”
Apollo squinted like he was peering through a telescope, or at a tiny little screen on some device only he could see. “A place called – let’s see, Masaya Volcano?”
“Oh, of course,” I said, tapping away at my phone. “Because why make any part of this easy? Here. It’s in a national park over there. There’s something here about how it’s called la – wow, I hope I get this right – la boca del infierno.”
Raziel groaned. “Heavens above. It means the mouth of hell.”
22
“Yeah,” I said, checking my phone again. “Mouth of hell. Exactly what it says here. This is way too on the nose, even for someone like Beelzebub.”
“It’s how things work,” Artemis said, swaggering into the conversation, a pitcher of frozen green slush in one hand, a can of cherry cola in the other, which she offered to Lina. She accepted gratefully, taking one huge gulp as Artemis continued. “It’s like entities and domiciles, too. I have tethers in many places, so it stands to reason. So does Beelzebutt. This volcano might be just one of them.”
Lina wiped at her mouth, chuckling. “Beelzebutt.”
“Then we should get going,” Raziel said. “Everyone, prepare as you will. We leave as soon as humanly possible.”
I bit my tongue against an oncoming retort, realizing it wasn’t the time to point out that Lina and I were the only actual humans present, and even then, we were only half. But everyone broke for different corners of Paradise, Artemis to assemble her weaponry, Florian to continue communing with nature and replenish his energies, and Apollo to – well, he was staring off into the distance again.
“I’m coming, too,” Lina said.
“Listen, Angelina.”
“It’s Lina.”
“Right, sorry, Lina. I know we just met, and you don’t know me from Adam, but you’ve got to trust me. Trust us. In some messed up, distant sort of way, you and I, we’re family, and I don’t need more of my family getting hurt just now.”
Her eyes trailed up and down my body, head to toe. “Look, I’ve heard about this nephilim stuff, and I’m still figuring out, but I kind of doubt we’re related.”
“It’s complicated. We’re probably cousins. Samyaza’s probably not your dad or he would have brought it up. Look, we’ll talk more later, okay? You’re with friends now. You’re safe, and I mean to keep it that way. Priscilla will take good care of you.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Priscilla?”
“The gorilla.”
She smirked. “Priscilla the gorilla?”
I frowned. “Real rich, Angelina the angel.”
“Eww,” she said, thrusting up her hands. “Point taken, got it. I’ll stay, if that’s what you want. Okay. I understand.” She yawned hugely, rubbing a hand against her eyes. “Actually, I think I might be pretty tuckered out.”
“I don’t blame you. It’s been a long – wait, day, week? How long did they keep you in there?”
“A few hours, actually. They caught while I was figuring my way around town.”
“Alone?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I mean, you know about the missing dad part, and my mom – she wasn’t great. Part of why I left. It’s weird, you know? It’s like something was pulling me here.”
The breath hung in my throat for a moment. That was exactly how I’d found myself coming to Valero
