“See what disaster you have created here,” sent Tribunal. “See how your hubris and pride have led to so much suffering.”
Nyx, unable to speak from the horror of what she had done, nodded her agreement. And still her tongue gently removed the layers of filth and grime from Tribunal’s feet.
“But that will end now,” sent Tribunal.
Every demon in sight exploded at once, and a rain of black, acidic demon blood covered the city and plains of Hell. The forces on both sides of the conflict reeled back in surprise.
“All this pain,” sent Tribunal. “All of it is your fault.”
Every Descended who had supported Nyx screamed in agony as their wings were torn off like the wings of flies in the hands of cruel, angry children. As one, they were raised fifty thousand feet into the never-ending darkness that was the sky around Hell, and as one they were sent plummeting to the ground.
Their bodies exploded when they hit, bones shattering and silver blood spraying over the spiked, unforgiving surface of Hell.
A new opening appeared in the skies of Hell, closer and bigger than any other seen before. As one, Lucifer’s forces rose and flew toward it.
The Earth behind Tribunal opened up, and the first of Lucifer’s Descended flew up into the sky.
“This is what will happen,” said Tribunal. “You, Lucifer, will now do penance for your failure. You and your Descended will be first to slaughter these that oppose my will.” His gesture took in all of Nyx’s forces, still frozen in the air. “And then you, Lucifer, will lead your Descended over the Earth, to slaughter all of humanity, from the oldest woman to the youngest child. Then, and only then, may you come here and beg forgiveness at my feet as Nyx is doing.”
“Enough,” said Epiphenia.
She rose out of the earth, a hundred yards away from Tribunal. Her red hair, her pale, green-shot skin, and the green of her armor glowed in the darkness. Her sword blade was dancing with green and white flames.
Tribunal sneered at her. “So. It lives.”
“It does,” agreed Epiphenia. “And it will destroy you.”
“I am God,” said Tribunal.
“You are a godling,” said Epiphenia. “An aspect of God, and a fairly pathetic one at that. Ungrateful, vain, self-centered, stupid. And did I say pathetic? Whereas I am Creation made flesh.”
“You are nothing,” said Tribunal, seething with rage. “Lucifer, you have your orders. Go!” Lucifer launched himself into the air and his armies, blades and whips already moving, converged on the helpless Descended. Tribunal smiled. “And as for you—”
A blast of power ripped through the sky and the Earth, whipping Tribunal’s cloak and robes and sending dirt and debris flying in every direction. As one, Nyx’s Descended came alive and, seeing the forces bearing down on them, fought back viciously. This time it was Nyx’s army that was outnumbered, and more of Lucifer’s Descended were coming through the rift from Hell with every moment.
“Really?” said Tribunal. “You think this will make a difference?”
“No,” said Epiphenia. “But that will.”
Tribunal looked down just in time to feel Nyx’s fist connect with his nose. The punch, reinforced with Epiphenia’s power, smashed the bones on his face in a spray of red blood. The force of it sent his body flying backward to land in an awkward heap on a pile of broken mud bricks and stones. Nyx stood before him, her wings spread wide, and Arcana’s head, which had been attached to Tribunal’s belt, dangling from her fist.
“Persephone!” Nyx screamed. “Hold them here! Epiphenia!”
“Go, Mother!” shouted Epiphenia and sent her power into Nyx. Nyx rocketed skyward, directly to Heaven’s Gates.
“Stop her!” Tribunal shouted, his voice strangely nasal. He cast his power toward Heaven, to block the entrance and keep Nyx out.
A massive force caught his power, engulfed it, and slammed it back on him. The force of it crushed his body into paste. Tribunal, now pure spirit, rose up out of the bloody, messy remains of his flesh and faced off against Epiphenia. “I will destroy you,” he hissed.
“I know,” said Epiphenia. “But I will hurt you first.”
And as Nyx raced toward Heaven with a thousand Descended hot on her trail, and Persephone rallied the remains of Nyx’s army to fight Lucifer’s forces, Epiphenia’s blade whirled through the air and smashed into Tribunal with all the power of Creation behind it.
Chapter 16
PERSEPHONE’S BLADE CUT through the head of one of Lucifer’s Descended with a single swipe. “Kill them all!” she sent again. “Keep them from killing the humans!”
When did I start to care so much about the humans? she thought. But the idea of the Descended destroying them wantonly made her furious.
“Spread out!” Lucifer’s bellow shook the ruins around them. He threw himself into the air after Nyx. “Kill these fucking traitors and then kill all the humans! Move!”
Two-and-a-half million Descended Angels screamed out their battle cries, and the sky shook with the unending thunder of their blades clashing and whips cracking. Wings flashed and silver blood sprayed over the earth.
And in the midst of it all, not moving a muscle, Epiphenia and Tribunal faced one another, their eyes locked. The power that was flying between them was so strong that any Descended that happened to be thrown into its path was instantly turned to dust.
“I will destroy you,” said Tribunal again. Epiphenia said nothing and threw more power. The air between then glowed brilliant white with the force of it. And in Kabul the humans marveled at what must surely be the sun rising in the middle of the night.
It was afternoon in Heaven. The light was pleasant and bright, and the presence of God cast a warm glow over everything as it always did. The souls and Angels went about their business happy in their ignorance that everything was ending, and that all time would be rewritten.
Archangel Michael stood at the Gates, welcoming souls with a kind word and a gentle touch. Tears streamed down his face, and he did nothing to staunch them. Several souls asked him what was wrong, but he could only shake his head and smile through his tears.
On the mountain where he, Gabriel, and Raphael had sat and talked so many times before, Azrael sat in silent contemplation. He was the Angel of Death and release from suffering. He had been among the most feared among the angels, and the most welcomed. For a thousand years, at God’s command, he had stayed away from the Earth, letting the souls find their own way to Heaven or Hell without his guidance. It had been God’s will, and God’s will was to be obeyed, happily.
Only Azrael wasn’t happy.
Tribunal was not in Heaven. And why that was important to Azrael he could not say, but it was. Tribunal had gone down to Earth. And shortly after Tribunal had left, Azrael had found himself not only thinking about the Earth, but also feeling what was happening there.
There was suffering. Terrible suffering, and it wasn’t just humans who were feeling it. Thousands—no, hundreds of thousands—of Angels were suffering, too. They were Descended Angels, it was true, but they were still Angels, and Azrael could feel the pain of each one. He longed to follow Tribunal; he longed to go down to the Earth and see what was making his brethren suffer so much. But he was not allowed. No Angel of Heaven was allowed to visit the Earth.
So why are all the Angels of Hell there? Azrael wondered. They were blocked, too. Has something changed?
He wanted to talk about it, to tell all of Heaven, but something blocked him from speaking whenever he wanted to mention it. It was extremely frightening.
And then, something did change, and all of Heaven felt it.
Nyx reached the outer Gates of Heaven and threw herself against them. The barrier Tribunal had placed on them was still there, and just as powerful as it had been before. “Epiphenia!” she sent. “I can’t get through!”
“Soon,” sent Epiphenia. “Be ready!”
“Easy for you to say,” muttered Nyx. She turned in the air and looked d
own to where a thousand of Lucifer’s Descended were winging toward her. She hesitated a moment, then tied Arcana’s head to her belt by her hair. “Sorry.”
“You’re forgiven,” sent Arcana. “Assuming you get us out of here alive.”
“Yeah, well.” Nyx drew her sword—Lucifer’s sword, really—and whip. “Let’s hope so.”
The first of the Descended was nearly as fast as Gabriel, God’s messenger had been. He was not, however, a good fighter. Nyx took both his wings in a pair of cuts and let him fall, screaming, to the Earth below. Like that will kill him, she thought, as the next six Descended came upon her. Whiner.
Her blade clashed with theirs, and more silver blood sprayed into the stratosphere.
Well, Persephone thought. This is going badly.
“Fall back!” she sent to her army, for they were hers to command, now. “Attack in waves, in and out. Keep them busy for as long as possible!”
Her army responded, the Descended tearing away from the battle, only to swing back and attack again. After each attack, there were fewer of them, but it kept Lucifer’s army too busy guessing where the next attack was coming from to launch out after the humans.
Just like the poor bastard cavalry in Jerusalem, thought Persephone, remembering how the Muslim defenders had fought so desperately against Nyx’s Crusaders in the hopes the women and children would escape. Wonder if we’ll fare any better? Do we deserve to?
She shook her head. No time to think that way.
“There you are, bitch!” crowed Ishtar, falling on Persephone from above with four other Descended behind her. “Time to die!”
Persephone spun in the air and lashed out, her whip opening a cut on Ishtar’s face. “Keep fighting!” Persephone screamed as her world narrowed to the blades in front of her. “Don’t let them escape!”
Tribunal had to exert effort, now. He was pouring all the power he could at Epiphenia, but it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t break through her defenses, couldn’t destroy her and clear the way to fulfill his true desire. Stupid thing, he fumed. How dare she stand against me? How dare any of them!
He turned his power to blast upward at Nyx, who was trapped before the Gate of Heaven, but it was immediately reflected back at him, staggering him with its intensity.
Twenty yards away, Epiphenia smiled. It’s time, Mother.
With a thought, she gathered all her power and hurled it at Tribunal. The force of the blast burned through his defenses and started ripping at his form, ethereal though it now was. He roared in pain and surprise and threw up a wall of defense that stopped Epiphenia’s power dead.
“NOW!” sent Epiphenia. She turned her power upward and directed it all to the Gates of Heaven in the microsecond that Tribunal was distracted. The blast ripped upward through the sky, turning half the Descended racing for the Gates into dust and narrowly missing Nyx. It slammed into the force that blocked the Gates of Heaven, smashing it wide open. “GO NOW!”
The Descended Nyx was fighting stared, mouth wide at the Gates of Heaven. Nyx took the moment to cut off the Descended’s left wing, sending him spiraling down to the earth.
“Good luck, Mother!”
“Kick God’s ass!” sent Persephone. “And hurry!”
Nyx drove herself up and through the Gates of Heaven, which she had not passed in longer than the universe had existed.
Persephone twisted in the air, intercepted Ishtar’s blade, and ran her own right back along the length of it, trying to drive the point into Ishtar’s face. Ishtar flew backward and parried, then charged forward once again.
Bitch. Ishtar thought as she struggled to kill the person who had once been her best friend. It was a chant in her head now: Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. She parried the blade and cut low, hacking for Persephone’s stomach while her whip sought Persephone’s eyes. Persephone dodged the whip, parried the blade, and used her own whip to lash four feathers out of Ishtar’s left wing.
“I will kill you, bitch!” snarled Ishtar. “We could have had everything! We could have had Paradise! And you fucked it all!”
“Wrong,” said Persephone through tightly clamped teeth. She lashed out with blade and whip, was parried and countered. She redirected the attacks and returned with her own. “You betrayed us, Ishtar. And I will never forgive you for it!”
“I don’t need your forgiveness! I don’t want your forgiveness!”
Persephone twisted and cut, her blade scoring deeply into Ishtar’s arm. “Then stop talking and fight!”
Ishtar snarled and swore and launched a fresh series of attacks, while all around them, Descended Angels fell from the sky, screaming in pain from severed limbs and hacked-open bodies.
The fight was going badly, Lucifer realized. His army was winning to be sure, but it was taking much longer than it should. He could not fail—he would not fail. Tribunal wanted his army to kill all the other Descended and destroy the humans before Tribunal got done with Epiphenia. It was the only way he could make up for his failure to stop Nyx.
Lucifer’s sword appeared in his hand. He looked down at it and realized what it meant. That bitch is gone. She went through the Gates of Heaven.
A deep, heavy rage possessed Lucifer then. An envy-filled hatred for Nyx and everything that she had become, everything that he should have been. It was so deep and so strong that it threatened to explode Lucifer’s chest. He roared, and for the first time since Nyx had cut him open and stolen his sword, joined the battle.
“We will destroy them, my master!” screamed Lucifer as he launched himself skyward and hacked one of Nyx’s Descended in two. “We will destroy them all!”
Then Tribunal and Epiphenia vanished, and the brilliant white light that had been driving out from each of them disappeared, plunging the broken remains of the city of Firozkoh into darkness.
Tribunal looked around. The air was gone, replaced with a thick, freezing gas that stunk of sulfur. There was no vegetation, no life, and no sign of humanity. There was not even solid ground to stand on. The thick gas around them just coalesced into a liquid that was not water. There were only two people present—himself and Epiphenia, both standing lightly on top of the mass of liquid.
Tribunal looked up, his gaze piercing through the hundreds of miles of clouds and into the sky beyond. When his eyes turned back to Epiphenia, he seemed surprised. “Why?” he asked, “are we on Jupiter?”
“Because you and I both know that we can’t fight this fight on Earth,” said Epiphenia. “Not without destroying it.”
“And you don’t want to destroy the humans?” said Tribunal. “How touching.”
“Most humans are far more deserving than you, you spoiled little princeling. In any case, you don’t want to be seen destroying the humans,” said Epiphenia. “And since Earth is God’s favorite playground, he might just notice if you unleash the sort of power you’re going to need to destroy me.”
“Say what you like, “ said Tribunal. “I’m going to destroy all of Creation, including you.”
Epiphenia smiled. “Good luck with that.”
Tribunal smiled back nastily, and the gasses around them swirled and turned red as he launched his attack. Epiphenia raised her own energy in defense, and once more the battle began.
Persephone and Ishtar broke apart and stared at one another in the darkness. All around them, the Descended stopped fighting each other and went still. For the briefest of moments, there was silence. The Descended on either side looked at each other, unsure whether to continue their battle.
Then Tribunal’s voice erupted in their heads. “I will return. And when I do, let none of the traitors be standing.”
“Shit,” muttered Persephone. She raised her sword.
“You heard him!” bellowed Lucifer. “Kill them all!”
Must do something must do something must do something… Persephone blocked a dozen cuts from Ishtar in the time it took to think the thought. If only we could get rid of them and keep them from coming back at us…
Persephone pulled out her whip, cracked it, and opened a pit to Hell. She spun away from Ishtar, cut off the nearest enemy’s wings and threw him down. He fell, screaming with rage. Persephone caught two more before they realized what she was doing.
“You don’t need to kill them!” she sent. “Just drop them down to Hell again!”
In the space of a heartbeat the one pit became fifty, then a hundred, then a thousand, until there were so many they merged into one giant pit into Hell, bathing the area with a glowing red light. Persephone’s Angels changed tactics, killing where they could, cutting enough to send others down into the pits, or, if they were falling, dragging others with them.
It isn’t going to be enough, Persephone thought, as more of her own Angels fell and Ishtar once more charged. But it may buy us a little more time.
On the surface of Jupiter, Epiphenia and Tribunal hammered at one another with so much power that the gasses around them lit on fire and the planet, so much bigger than the Earth, shook. Tribunal was raising the amount of power he used with every moment, and for now, Epiphenia was matching him.
I won’t be able to much longer, though, Epiphenia thought as she raised her own power, sending it to him from a dozen different directions. He repulsed them all, though he wasn’t having an easy time of it. She could see from his face that it was becoming a strain. When will he use it? Epiphenia wondered. When will he bring together his true power and use it on me?
And how much more time can I buy Mother?
The path to Heaven is easy for a soul. Those who are destined for Heaven feel the pull, the strong desire to be in God’s presence. They rise up through the Gates and begin the long, slow climb to Heaven. They grow lighter and more filled with the love of God and the joy of knowing that they go to an eternity of bliss.
For Angels, the journey back up to Heaven is a time of cleansing, of releasing all thoughts of Earth and Creation, and focusing their entire beings on nothing but the joy of being in the divine presence of God.