“Yeah, well, should have…” Ishtar looked down. “You going to twist that?”
“Yes,” said Persephone. “Goodbye, Ishtar.”
“Fuck you, bitch,” said Ishtar, lunging forward and sinking her teeth into Persephone’s face.
Persephone twisted the dagger and Ishtar burst into an explosion of silver dust.
“Fuck you, too,” said Persephone.
She knew she should get up, should get back to the fight before Lucifer’s Descended came back to face her. Instead, she lay where she was, letting her body heal as she looked up at the stars above her through the glittering cloud of dust that had once been her best friend.
Nyx, she thought. I hope you’re okay. I hope you get God’s ear and he stops Tribunal and forgives you for entering Heaven. I hope this was all worth it.
Epiphenia plowed backward through the liquid surface of Jupiter. Her armor was mostly torn from her body, her exposed skin cracked and burned and slick with the bright green that was her blood. She tried raising her defenses again, but Tribunal smashed through them without effort, ripping her body and mind open with each strike.
“It’s a pity we don’t have more time,” Tribunal sent. “I could spend eons tormenting you.”
Epiphenia curled into a ball, making the shield around her body as small as possible as she gathered her strength one more time. Tribunal’s power smashed into her again and again, driving her deep beneath the surface of Jupiter.
“But since I don’t have time for that,” sent Tribunal, “I’m just going to kill you. Now.”
“Yes,” sent Epiphenia back. “But not here.”
A massive burst of power slammed down where Epiphenia lay, igniting the gray and brown clouds around them into a deep, red mass that grew and grew as the power of the strike dissipated.
In Heaven, Arcana leaned on Raphael’s hand and rose unsteadily to her feet. She could feel her body getting stronger with every second, but still wasn’t strong enough to stand by herself. Her voice rasped when she spoke for the first time. “Don’t just stand there! Help her!”
“We can’t,” said Raphael. “We’re not allowed out of the Gate.”
“Then get God to help!”
“Tribunal won’t allow us to do that, either,” said Raphael quietly. He looked through the Gate where Nyx and Michael stood, toe-to-toe, locked in combat. “We can’t do anything except watch.”
Persephone was just coming to her feet when Epiphenia fell out of the sky like a rock and blew a crater into the valley where Persephone stood. Persephone ducked and covered her head as debris rained down on her. When there was nothing more than dust in the air, she rose and walked forward to the edge of the pit. Epiphenia was lying in the center of the crater, her broken body slowly healing itself—far slower than it had ever healed before.
Persephone slid down the side of the pit and took Epiphenia in her arms. The Angel of Earth cried out with the pain of it, but clung onto Persephone. Persephone felt something she barely remembered. Friendship, loyalty—those she was used to. But this? This was…love. This was different. Why now? she thought. We’re going to die.
“You have to get out of here,” Epiphenia said, her voice nearly too faint to hear. “He’s coming.”
“If he’s coming,” said Persephone, “there’s nowhere to go to anyway.” She looked up and spotted a streak of light coming through the sky. “Too bad, though, I was hoping to have a chance to take on Lucifer.”
Epiphenia clung harder to her. “I’m sure you would have beaten him.”
“Doubt it,” said Persephone, “but it would have been fun to try.”
Epiphenia managed to raise her head and turn it a bit. “Is there any sign of Mother?”
Persephone shook her head. “Haven’t seen anything, haven’t heard anything, and when God’s involved, you tend to hear things.”
“I suppose,” said Epiphenia. “I never met him.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re going to either,” said Persephone, watching the streak of light growing larger and closer. “Tribunal’s nearly here.”
Above them, the streak turned into a fireball, bigger than Persephone had seen since the creation of the Earth. She tightened her grip around Epiphenia.
“I’m sorry,” said Epiphenia. “I didn’t stop him long enough.”
“I’m sorry, too,” said Persephone, and closed her eyes to the coming light.
This is stupid! Nyx thought. Michael was fighting against Tribunal’s control. Nyx could see the strain on his face, could see every muscle and sinew resisting every cut, parry and thrust. And even so, he was still faster, stronger, and better than Nyx. Fleetingly, Nyx wished for a tenth of the strength that she’d had before, when Tribunal had filled her with the power of Creation.
She launched another string of attacks, hoping to break through Michael’s guard. Nothing worked. She screamed at him, defiance and rage and helplessness going into the wordless howl as she attacked harder and harder.
Then Arcana charged Michael from behind.
For the first time in eons, Nyx saw Michael move at full speed. The Warrior of God spun and parried her cut to his legs, then tipped his sword point up and rammed it into Arcana’s chest so fast that Nyx could barely see it move. Arcana’s mouth went wide, and in the microsecond before Michael started moving again, she drove herself onto the blade up to the hilt and grabbed his arms with both hands.
Nyx dodged around him and dashed for the Gates of Heaven.
Michael threw Arcana off himself, letting his blade stay in her chest as he lunged after Nyx. Nyx jumped and spun in the air, hoping the whirling of her body would be enough to stop Michael from grabbing her. It wasn’t.
Michael’s hand snagged around her ankle.
Nyx’s armor vanished from her body at the same moment that she twisted and swung her sword behind her, its edge keener than any scalpel’s blade. Michael twisted to try to throw her aim off, but it wasn’t him she was aiming at. Instead, her blade sliced neatly through her own knee, leaving Michael holding the bloody remains of her lower leg. He threw it aside almost as soon as she’d cut it off and lunged for her again.
His hands wrapped around her neck at the moment her foot touched down, just inside the Gates of Heaven.
Chapter 18
Persephone raised her head and blinked in surprise. How the fuck am I still alive?
The Earth around them was on fire. Anything that had been alive was roasted, and the ground itself was scorched so hot that it had become glass, save for a small circle around Persephone and Epiphenia.
“Impressive,” said Persephone. “I thought you were dead.”
“Almost,” whispered Epiphenia. “But not yet.”
“Yeah, well,” said Persephone, watching Tribunal, once more in the flesh, striding toward them with a twisted sneer on his face. “I think that’s all we’re going to get.”
There was silence in Heaven.
Michael’s hands slipped away from Nyx’s throat and fell to his side. It had been his duty to keep her out of Heaven, and he had failed. And now that he had failed, there was no reason to try to stop her anymore. He breathed a sigh of relief. “I will go help Arcana.”
Azrael, Raphael and Gabriel moved through the crowd to stand in front of Nyx. “Welcome,” said Gabriel. “Surprised to see you, though.”
“Me, too,” said Azrael. “God forbade you Heaven.”
“Then God can come down and kick me out,” said Nyx.
“Which is interesting,” said Raphael. “Because God should be doing that right now.”
As one, the gathered Angels looked toward God’s mountain. There was no sign of movement.
“Very interesting,” said Azrael. “Now what can we do?”
“Very little,” said Arcana. She stepped back into Heaven, leaning heavily on Michael’s shoulder. “If the Queen of Hell setting foot on Heaven’s soil doesn’t get God’s attention…”
“Nothing is going to,” said Michael.
r /> “Maybe if we were to knock on his door,” said Nyx.
“Tribunal prevents us,” said Michael. “Otherwise, we most certainly would be on the mountain right now.”
“He’s not preventing me,” said Nyx.
“Or me,” said Arcana. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” said Raphael.
“Creation is at stake!” snapped Nyx. “We can’t wait!”
“We can,” said Raphael. “In fact, we must.” He sent to every Angel in Heaven at once. “Come to the Gates. Fast.”
“Having them here isn’t going to do me any good,” said Nyx. “Come on, Arcana.”
Raphael laid a hand on Nyx’s shoulder and let all his power flow into her. Her leg, which had been slowly growing back, was suddenly there again. And still the power kept flowing. Azrael laid his hand on Raphael’s shoulder and let his power flow as well. Another Angel stepped up and laid his hand on Azrael’s shoulder, than another. One by one the Angels of Heaven formed a web, reaching out with hands, wings, and occasionally feet to let their power flow from themselves to Nyx. Raphael, God’s healer, stood strong and let all the power flow through him. Michael added his own, a burst of strength so strong it nearly made Nyx dizzy. After a moment’s hesitation, Arcana laid her hand on Nyx’s shoulder as well. “You go to the mountain,” she said. “I’ll wait here with everyone else.”
The sky and ground was soon thick with Angels, and more of them came every second. Still the power poured into Nyx, stronger and stronger.
The first Angel collapsed to the ground, sliding gracefully from standing to lying. Another Angel stepped in and took that one’s place. More Angels collapsed, their power, their very life essence flowing out of their bodies and into Nyx. Nyx felt stronger and more powerful than she had since she created Epiphenia. And still more Angels came. I hope it’s enough.
“Oh, it won’t be enough to stop Tribunal,” said Raphael. More power flowed through him and more Angels collapsed to the ground.
“I’m surprised he’s not up here, destroying you, in fact,” said Azrael.
“Let’s just count ourselves lucky on that,” said Michael. He started wavering on his feet and, just before he fell, said, “God be with you, Nyx.”
“That is the point,” said Nyx, smiling at the big Angel. “Sleep well.”
“Oh, they’re not asleep,” said Raphael. “None of them. They’re all drained of all divine energy.”
Nyx’s eyes went wide. “They’re dead?”
Raphael smiled benevolently. “No one dies in Heaven, Nyx. You know that. But until they are once more in the presence of God, they shall be… inert.”
“Which is good,” said Azrael. “If it is the end of everything, I know they would rather have given everything to help, than be left standing to watch it all fail.”
“But to finish my point,” said Raphael. “This won’t stop Tribunal, but it might be enough to break his shield, if done at the right time.”
“Then let’s hope this is the right time,” said Nyx. “Because he’s either going to be up here in a moment, or he’s already destroying Creation.”
“We can’t see beyond the edge of Heaven,” said Raphael. “Can you?”
Nyx tried to reach out with her senses. “No.”
“Unfortunate. I would love to know what is going on down there.”
“That’s two of us.”
Well, thought Persephone. Not how I expected to die.
She lay on the ground, her wings pinned to the Earth by spikes Tribunal had made from her femurs, just after he’d waved a hand and caused her legs to explode from her body. The legs were slowly growing back, but Persephone had no doubt it would not be in time. She had tried pulling the stakes out and Tribunal had made her arms vanish from the elbows down, leaving two stumps that sprayed silver ichor onto the smoking, scorched Earth.
Can’t see what Nyx saw in him, thought Persephone as she watched the blood flow tapering down from her wrists. He seems more Ishtar’s style. She forced her head to come up and found Tribunal standing before Epiphenia’s writhing, screaming form. Definitely Ishtar’s style.
“How does it feel, little aberration?” Tribunal asked inside Epiphenia’s head. “How does it feel to be helpless, useless, and in such agony that you wish you could die?” He pulled back one foot and kicked her in the stomach, sending a burst of power into her body as he did. Epiphenia’s scream choked off in a gasp of wheezing and coughing. Tribunal pulled back and kicked her three more times. “I remember when I was human,” he sent. “I remember watching three men do this to another until he died. And still it was more merciful than the death that was granted me.”
“Oh big deal,” shouted Persephone. “You got crucified. Suck it up.”
Tribunal stopped kicking Epiphenia. His eyes, when they turned on Persephone were filled with anger and madness. “What?”
“Try a thousand years in the Lake of Fire,” said Persephone. “Then you can whine about how hard it’s been for y—”
Persephone’s tongue ripped from her throat and floated out. Persephone shouted in shock and pain. Tribunal hung her tongue in the air in front of Persephone’s eyes. Persephone let out a wordless bellow and struggled harder against the bones that pinned her. Tribunal smiled and Persephone’s tongue exploded in front of her face.
“Be quiet when your betters are speaking,” he said. “I am glad you are awake, though.” He drove another boot in Epiphenia’s side. “I want Epiphenia to have someone to hold her up while Creation dies around her.” Tribunal delivered one more ferocious kick to Epiphenia’s body and stepped away. The femurs holding Persephone in place dissolved, then her wings ripped from her body and flew onto the smoking plain around her. “Now crawl over and hold her up, and I’ll let you die peacefully instead of screaming.”
Persephone crawled. She reached Epiphenia and turned her over. The Earth Angel’s skull was broken and misshapen, her face twisted and unrecognizable. “Fuck,” said Persephone. “She’s not even conscious.”
“Of course she is,” said Tribunal. “I made sure of that.” He turned away, and the earth underneath him rose, driving him high into the sky on a pillar of rock. “Now watch, the pair of you.” He cast his eyes toward Heaven and began laughing. “That silly bitch Nyx thinks she’s going to see God before I end it all.”
Epiphenia moaned in agony. One part of her broken, jagged face slipped back into place.
Persephone winced in sympathy. “This sucks. Sorry we didn’t die.”
Epiphenia’s face twisted again, into what Persephone was pretty sure was a smile.
Above them all, so far away it wouldn’t be seen for a thousand years, a dozen stars went supernova.
“I am sorry you left,” said Raphael as another thousand Angels slipped away from consciousness and onto the ground. “We all were.”
“Yeah, well.” Nyx looked around at the many, many still bodies that now lay stacked around them. “This sure as fuck wasn’t how I wanted to come back.”
“Tsk, tsk,” said Raphael. “You really must do something about your language.”
“You’re worried about this now?”
Raphael smiled. “Not really.”
There was a jolt, as if the entirety of Heaven shifted slightly.
“Oh, dear,” said Raphael. “I do believe Tribunal has started.”
“Fuck! I have to—”
“I know,” said Raphael. “Look around.”
The last of the Angels fell to the earth, leaving a carpet of white wings and robes and armor that stretched for miles in every direction.
“Good luck, Nyx,” said Raphael, and fell to the ground.
Nyx rose into the skies of Heaven and flew to God’s mountain faster than any ever had before.
Tribunal looked up into the night sky. He could see it all. Not just the stars visible to the eye, which the lights of the burning Earth would have drowned out for any mere mortal. He could see all of Creation, spread out before him: every star, every pl
anet, every speck of dust in between. He could see every living being, from the largest animals in the oceans to the smallest amoeba floating in the black oceans of a world so far from Earth that its star would die before the light of it reached Earth. He could feel the wind on a thousand worlds and see the rain’s first fall on a planet once made of molten rock. He could see all of time laid out behind him and the way the universe had moved since time had begun flowing.
He saw it all, and he hated it.
He raised his hands to the sky—puny, human hands, from the puny mortal shape that had once been his. He would wear it one last time, just to watch it dissolve with the rest of Creation. And when Creation was gone, when God was absorbed into Tribunal, and all was darkness and still, he would build his own Creation.
He reached out, grabbed the threads of the Universe in his hands, and pulled.
The world—indeed, all of Creation—lurched. Tribunal closed his eyes and let his mind wander through the design, examining how God had put it all together. It was beyond elegant, beyond anything Tribunal had thought possible, even in the thousand years he’d spent sitting at God’s side, learning all that he could. Creation was truly God’s greatest masterpiece.
And there, in the middle of it, was the one thread that could begin unraveling it all.
Tribunal smiled and reached out his hand.
“Hey, asshole!”
Given that he had ripped out Persephone’s tongue, the sound of her voice caught him off guard. He looked over his shoulder. She was standing again, her arms and legs whole. Her armor and sword, once black, now gleamed green and silver, and her blade danced with a green flame bright enough to blind any mortal eyes.
“Dance with me,” said Persephone. “Fight me. Just you and I. Let’s see who wins.”
Tribunal raised one finger, and Persephone was engulfed in flames. Her hair and wings went up like naphtha-soaked tissue. Her skin began to boil and melt away almost at once, and her eyes exploded in their sockets from the heat.