Ascension of Evil (Battle for Souls Book 3) (22 page)

You were betrayed by someone you thought you could trust, an angel on the high council. For whatever reason, he led you down the wrong path. Somehow, we are all back together, so that has to mean something.

You don’t know that.

I know that I love you, and that means everything.
Alexander lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Gabriella Lohr, you are and always will be my one true love. Unconditionally. Nothing will change that. I will never leave you and I’ll love you until the end of time…no matter which realm we exist in.”

Sobs threatened to break free and overtake her, but she shoved them back. She leaned her head against his shoulder and took one long breath to steady herself.

She laced her fingers through his and clutched his hand tight. “The angels were sent to darkness. That was the deal. I had to betray them. Satan knew that if I betrayed everyone, I’d no longer be the Chosen One who led the angels. We’re alone. No angels will follow me to war after I betrayed them. There is no hope for us. Satan will rule over all of mankind because of me.” A sob broke free and her body trembled. “How could I have been so stupid?”

Alexander held her and let her cry. An old familiar darkness crept in, but she knew he kept it at bay. All those months she had been buried in sadness, taking pills to survive the pain of her mother’s death. The loneliness of her father checking out and turning to the bottle. None of it compared to this.

We need to speak with Grace. There is always hope.

Shame filled her. How could she face them? She couldn’t even look at Alexander.

He leaned down, lifted her chin, and stared at her, eyes wide. “Listen to me. You were and always will be the Chosen One. That hasn’t changed. Why would Heaven have brought all of us back together, have you born again as a product of all worlds—a hunter, demon, and angel—only to have us fail? Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes we need help getting out of them. I love you. As for Grace, she won’t judge. She loves you, too. Sammy and Boon love you. Heaven above, even Forras loves you.” At her arched eyebrow, he grimaced. “So, it’s a little—okay majorly screwed up, but we’ll get through this together. You just have to have faith.”

Gabby wanted to believe, but why would anyone follow her after she’d committed such a treacherous act. Why hadn’t Heaven struck her down and sent her straight to darkness? Of course, it did no good to question. She’d learned that long ago.

Alexander was right, for whatever reason, she was meant to do something in this war.

She sat up, hanging her legs over the edge of the cot. “I’ll go and tell the others.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll go together. Remember, we’re stronger as a team.”

“I can’t believe you still want to be with me after—”

He leaned down, his nose almost touching hers. “Always and forever.” He pressed his lips to hers, and the world tilted once more. Soothing calm with a mixture of hope and excitement filled her.

She lightly tapped his shoulder. “You need to stop trying to heal my sadness.”

Eyebrows raised, he quirked his head to the side. “What do you mean?’

“Just now, you were—”

“I was kissing you. Nothing more.”

“Oh.”

His lips curled into a triumphant smile. “I’m glad you like kissing me.”

She tugged her clothes on and for a brief moment sat on the edge of the cot, watching the man she belonged to fully. He smiled and took her hand, leaning in to kiss her. She put a finger up, stopping him. “We’ll never leave here if you start that again.” She chuckled and led the way out of their tent, the whole time dreaming of returning to his arms and—

“Yes, that and much more.”

Heat flooded her cheeks.
Stop reading my mind
.

Don’t have to. You’re shouting it at me,
he teased.

They walked between some army vehicles and a few tents before a guard appeared at their side. “Where are you going?”

Alexander stepped between the guard and her. “To find our friends.”

“You need to return to your tent, sir,” warned the twenty-something, brown-haired guy with “Mitchell” written on his chest.

“Mitchell, I’d advise you to move out of our way. We have urgent business with the others. Although if it would make you feel better, you’re welcome to escort us.”

Mitchell’s eyes shifted. “Okay, but to your friend’s tent only.”

Gabby glimpsed the command center a few tents straight ahead, but Mitchell stepped in her line of sight and gestured for her to move.
I’m getting a strange feeling. Why would he block us from the command center?

I was thinking the same thing. Let’s speak to Grace first. Then we’ll investigate what’s going on.

They went the long way around, almost to the far end of the compound. Grace’s tent had a light on and the flap was open. “Grace?”

“Yes, child. Come in. I didn’t expect to see you or Alexander here so soon.”

Alexander nodded and remained in the doorway. “We got that feeling from Mitchell here.”

“I’ll wait to escort you back to your tent. There could be demons lurking about.”

Alexander chuckled.
Is he serious? Who stands a better chance fighting a demon?
“Please wait outside. When we’re ready to return, you can escort us.”

Mitchell’s eyes shot wide, and his mouth dropped open, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he pivoted on his heels and left the tent.

Grace gestured for them to sit in some chairs and lowered into one herself. “What was that about?”

“Don’t know.”

Grace folded her hands in her lap. “By the looks on your faces I assume this isn’t a social call.”

Gabby straightened and took a deep breath. “I’ve remembered a few things about the last day of Herak’s war. I’m afraid I did something terrible.” Her voice shook, and she cleared her throat.

“Go ahead,” Grace prompted.

“Well, um, you know that I made a deal so that you all could return to Heaven, and I remained on Earth as penance?”

Grace nodded. “Yes.”

She swallowed hard. “I remembered that Boon was also part of the deal. He remained on Earth with me so that he could be Herak’s keeper.”

Grace lifted her eyebrows. “It wasn’t Herak that sealed his fate? Have you told Boon?”

“No, not yet,” Alexander said.

Gabby picked up a pen off the table and rolled it between her fingers. “There’s more.” She flicked the top on and off. “I-I, well…”

He covered her hand with his. “It’s okay.”

She took a deep breath. “As part of the deal, the warrior angels were sent to darkness. You see, they won’t be returning to fight. Even if they were released, I’m not worthy for them to follow me. I betrayed them.”

The plastic pen snapped. Alexander tugged it from her grasp and squeezed her hand tight.

After a minute of silence, Gabby snuck a peek at Grace. She sat there, expressionless. “I’m so sorry, Grace.” Only a whisper escaped her lips.

“I’m not sure it is entirely your fault,” Grace muttered.

“No, it wasn’t.” Herak’s deep voice startled her and she glanced over her shoulder to see him in the doorway.

Standing, Alexander moved to the tent flap and scanned the area around them. “Where’s Mitchell?”

“He’s taking a nap.” Herak’s beard moved up with the curve of his grin.

Alexander shook his head. “What do you want?”

“I think it is you who wants something. To return the warrior angels to your side. Well, I believe there is a way. It’s risky, but I think there is a more pressing problem at the moment. Did you know General Beck is meeting with a master demon as we speak?”

Chapter Sixteen

Alexander listened to the sounds of the night and sniffed the air, searching for the taint of demon. Nothing. And that was strange. He should have at least smelled the orange blossoms that perfumed the air around Kemp.

Herak smoothed a hand down the front of his ill-fitting fatigues. “Why do you think they routed you so far around the command tent?”

Bruce sauntered through the opening dressed in fatigues of his own. Unlike Herak, his uniform fit right, and he looked like one of the guards. Sammy and Boon filed in behind him. “Bruce.”

“Alex.” Bruce nodded then kissed Gabby on the cheek and sat down. He looked between both of them, and Gabby blushed.

She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and sat next to him. “At the very least I should’ve sensed if a demon was near, shouldn’t I?”

“Not if you were otherwise occupied,” Herak snapped.

Bruce ran his boot back and forth on the floor and didn’t look up.

Great, everyone knew she and Alexander had been intimate. It didn’t matter, they’d done nothing wrong. They were married and over two thousand years old on Earth. Besides, now wasn’t the time.

Bruce adjusted his belt. “Why would the hunters’ general be conspiring with a master demon? That doesn’t make sense.”

Herak opened his mouth, but Grace waved her hand to interrupt. “We can speculate that he is making a deal to turn over the Chosen One in exchange for Satan calling off the war on Earth.”

“General Beck would never be stupid enough to agree to that.” Boon leaned against the edge of a desk and wrapped his arms around Sammy, clasping his hands together in front of her. “Who would do such a thing?”

Alexander froze. Gabby toyed with the ends of her hair, her anguish palpable.

“Well, actually—”

“Satan is a powerful being,” Alexander blurted out, “the universe’s most talented liar. Anyone could be sucked into something when they believe all is doomed.”

Gabby gave a half smile. “It’s okay, Alex.”

He wanted to spare her from having to tell the story all over again, from reliving the worst mistake of her existence. That was what it was, a mistake. He went to her side and stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

“What is it?” Sammy turned in Boon’s arms to face them. “Gabby, you okay?”

“Yes, well, no. I mean, I did something horrible.”

“During the last war, there was an angel who manipulated Gabby.” Grace leaned forward with her elbows on her thighs. “When an angel comes to you and suggests a plan that will save all of mankind and everyone you love, it isn’t unreasonable to trust them, right?” No one moved, standing there in complete silence.

Gabby covered Alexander’s hand on her shoulder. “I made a deal at the end of the last war.”

Herak threw up his hands. “Yes, we know that.”

Alexander squeezed her shoulder in encouragement. “Let her finish.”

“Not only did I make a deal with Satan to sacrifice myself and remain on Earth so that he would return to the underworld, but I also imprisoned the warrior angels in darkness.”

Sammy gasped.

“And in order to seal Herak on the island, Boon had to remain behind as his keeper. You see, Boon, it wasn’t Herak who cursed you to remain on Earth without Sammy…it was me.”

Boon’s gaze fell to the floor then roamed the room as if to find the truth in what she said.

“No, it can’t be—”

“I’m so sorry. I believed the angel who brought me the agreement. That it was the only way to save Earth and Heaven. A permanent stalemate was better than total annihilation.”

Boon kept his gaze anywhere but on Gabby.

Alexander wanted to shake him and tell him it wasn’t her fault, but he couldn’t change things. It was up to Gabby to earn his trust back.

“We don’t have time to settle your differences at the moment,” Herak said.

Sammy looked between Gabby and Boon, and Alexander knew she struggled with which side to take, but ultimately she’d always choose Boon, just as Alexander would always choose Gabby.

His heart ached to make things better for her. He could do nothing other than support her as she sat in a room with her best friend giving her a cold stare, her second-in-command seething with hatred, and an old man—a former god-like, demon flying creature who had tried to kill everyone in the first war.

He looked to Grace to see which side she fell on, but her eyes were blank, showing nothing. If he didn’t know better, he’d say no one was home.

Bruce leaned over and patted her knee. “It’s okay, G-Bear. We’ll figure something out.” His face was almost gaunt from not eating and sleeping. Heck, they all looked rough. How much longer could they keep going like this?

“I know all of you must hate me, and I don’t blame you, but right now, it isn’t about me. At the time of the last war, Earth had just under two hundred million people. Now, if we don’t work together and stop the war, over seven billion will be slaughtered in a matter of days.”

Alexander cleared his throat. “It’s critical we discover the true timetable. Do we really have a few days or is that just a lie to keep us here? We need to silence the master demon and convince the hunters they’re not only dealing with the wrong side but signing their death warrant.”

“Gabby, we don’t hate you,” Grace whispered.