Dark Destiny (41 page)

“What is it?” she asked.

There was a moment of silence. “I thought I felt something.”

Wednesday, 8:05 am (Purgatorium)

Obsidian landed hard on the massive, triple-pane architectural glass of the TransAmerica tower’s top floor. The force of his landing created air ripples, yet didn’t crack the glass. His tattoos glowed white as he channeled some of his power into his legs and feet. Gravity shifted as he crouched comfortably on the glass. Cold wind battered at him from multiple directions, trying to push him off to a grisly final death. Lightning arced through the dark sky. Thunder rumbled, sending a slight tremor through the building under his feet. The tower groaned in complaint.

He touched the dark glass, sliding his hand along the pane. “The Angels have infused the building. It’s completely unbreakable from the outside.”

A gentle thump came from behind him, followed by light footsteps, so light they could have been rain drops falling.

“水滴石穿, 绳锯木断,” Kei said from behind him.

“Kei. English,” Obsidian replied.

“I said, ‘Dripping water pierces a stone; a saw made of rope cuts through wood.’”

Obsidian grinned. “I have
no
idea what that means.”

Crouching down, his knees hovering an inch above the glass, Kei peered through the window below him and rubbed his hands together. “It means, ‘Patience and persistence can break through anything, no matter how great the difficulty.’” A look in Kei’s eye appeared, the one Obsidian loved. One eye narrowed slightly more than the other. Confidence filled his face. A smile.

Finally, Kei spoke again. “We shall not break it from the outside, but from within.”

Jared landed beside them with a thud. More graceful than Obsidian, considerably less so than Kei. The three of them crouched together in a perfect triangle. He shot Kei a questioning look. “That time it was in English and I still didn’t understand what you said.”

“Watch and learn, young one,” Kei answered.

Kei turned his right hand palm up and inspected his forearm, searching for something. The static tattoos were full of color, each one intricately placed with another in story form. On his forearm alone, Obsidian counted at least fifty various shapes. Then, Kei found the tattoo he searched for. An orange Asian koi fish. He placed his left palm on top of it as he focused his energy. His white, barbed tattoos glowed brighter, while underneath his left palm an orange light shimmered like flames.

“但愿人长久，千里共婵娟 (
Wish us a long life to share the beauty of this graceful moonlight. Even if it is thousands of miles apart
),” whispered Kei, and he pressed his left palm, glowing a bright orange, flat against the window pane. Ripples spread out across the surface, a shimmering glass pond that re-solidified the instant he withdrew his hand.

“You’re going to break the window with a
fish
?” Jared asked.

“Small as it is, the koi still has all the vital organs,” Kei said.

“What?”

The fish fluttered within the glass. It swam in small circles before moving away from them, disappearing into an invisible ocean.

“We should stand back,” Kei said.

Obsidian grunted, then stood.

All three Shades took a step back, completely synchronized.

The fish dove deep into the abyss, almost vanishing from view. Just when it was about to disappear entirely, it swung around and came darting with increasing speed back toward the window. It grew bigger and bigger, quickly snaking its body back and forth.

The glass exploded in front of them as the fish collided with the window.

Wednesday, 8:08 am

A maniacal laughter echoed throughout the top floor of the Transamerica Tower. Relaxing on a leather sofa with one leg crossed over the other, Gabriel held a small paperback novel. A cartoony, muscular snowman, sporting a pair of sunglasses, dominated the cover with awesomeness. A toothy grin covered his face.

“A snowman with abdominal muscles? Such an amusing play on words. This human author is quite funny.
Ab
dominal Snowman . . .”

His moment of levity fleeted as an ominous presence snapped his attention to the room’s three huge floor to ceiling windows that stood in place of the external wall. Beyond the glass, he watched the reflected lights from the city dance and glitter on the dark waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

He stared at the window in apprehension for a few seconds before tossing the book onto the sofa. His jaw clenched as he sprung to his feet.

“Raphael,” he called out. “Prepare the Revenant. We need to move.”

With hard, measured steps, he made his way to the window.

“Barachiel,” he said to his cherub, his faithful companion throughout all of time. “Shift me into the World of Souls.”

At your command
,
sir,
said Barachiel. His voice was formal and clipped.

Shining blue ripples tore through every corner of the corridor. The modern decor and expensive furniture of the Tower faded away, replaced by the dusty corridors and decaying walls of Purgatorium. The bright glow of fluorescent lighting dulled into the scant flicker of candlelight.

The hairs on the back of Gabriel’s neck stood at attention. Something was here, close. Right next to him! He turned to confront the intruder and came face to face with Cleo staring back at him with a distant expression, devoid of all emotion.

She spoke in a voice that was hauntingly lyrical. “Stop.”

The instant the word came out, his knees locked and his fists clenched tight. Pain ripped through his body, every nerve set ablaze.

Try as he might, he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. Cleo’s influence was more than any creature could handle, including an Angel. His hands trembled under the strain of resisting her compulsion. Anger radiated from him, causing the temperature in the room to rise a few degrees. He flexed his fingers a millimeter at a time in a desperate attempt to call forth his blade. The faint outline of his broadsword fizzled into existence. He growled, the air sizzling around his right hand as the broadsword completed.

Cleo’s mouth spread into a wicked smile. “Burst.”

The ensuing explosion blew out the windows of the Tower, blanketing the streets in flaming shrapnel and broken glass.

Wednesday, 8:09 am

Raphael fixated on the thick wooden door, knowing his brother was on the opposite side. He couldn’t just leave him behind. Biting down on his lip, he whispered, “Gabriel.”

“What’s wrong?” the girl asked, her voice trembling.

“My brother, he . . .” Though his will was shaken, his tone remained calm. “He can’t do this alone. I must help him. You’re safe for now. The dead can’t pass into the Living World.” He swallowed hard. “Don’t move from this spot. I’ll be back to check on you shortly.”

The girl nodded assent.

“Amblin,” he said, turning to the Revenant, “relocate me to the World of Souls.”

On it
.

Purgatorium ripples spread throughout the room, and three ghostly figures materialized around him. Their shadows danced in the flicker of the expanding waves.

Raphael, be careful. There are Shades in this room!

The figure closest to him took hold of his wrist.

“Grab the girl!” another yelled.

The Shade who had grabbed him reached out with his other hand and clutched the Revenant’s arm. Raphael panicked. By tapping into Amblin’s transition from the Living World, if they maintained contact, Sara would be pulled into Purgatorium right along with him.

“Stop the transition!” Raphael screamed, trying to shake the Shade’s firm grip from his arm.

I can’t
, Amblin whispered.
It’s too late . . .

When the ripples settled, Raphael got a clear view of the Shade holding his wrist. It was the one he knew as Kei. When the transition was completed, the Shade released his grip on both him and the Revenant and leapt backwards. Kei winked and slammed his palms flat on the floor. Glimmering circles of light swelled around his hands as his short swords slid out of the abyss.

Raphael, behind you!

In the nick of time, Raphael
blinked
a few feet to his left. The building rattled as Obsidian’s staff came down on the spot where Raphael had just been standing. The marble floor buckled under the weight of the thunderous blow. The enormous Shade yanked his staff from the broken marble chunks and turned to face the Angel. Kei stood at Obsidian’s side, blades radiating energy.

Raphael, be careful. I have counted 487 different tattoos on his body, all of them equally deadly
.

“Thanks,” Raphael muttered.

Both Shades moved on him simultaneously, Obsidian swinging wildly, Kei moving like a ninja. Raphael reached into the ethereal, his blade forming in his hand in a heartbeat. He barely tightened his grip before quickly raising it to parry an attack. He blocked a side swing of the staff, flashes of lightning dancing as he slid his blade along the dark wood and used the momentum to block Kei’s sword.

Raphael leapt back, the second blade cutting the air where his legs had been. The attacks kept coming, faster and faster as both Shades worked in unison. With each blow, Raphael was pushed farther back. He flipped over a thrust of the staff, rolling to his feet and turning, no longer with his back to the wall.

Obsidian stomped his foot.

“What are you waiting for Jared?” he thundered. “Take the Revenant and go!”

“Run!” Raphael cried out to the girl, barely blocking a blade from piercing his eye. Jared charged, leaping toward the girl. Instead of panicking, she narrowed her eyes and darted to the right, like a matador sidestepping a bull. Jared flew past her, sliding over her bed, crashing to the floor and out of view.

Raphael attempted to
blink
in front of her, but something was, once again, blocking him. The moment of concentration almost allowed Kei to cut off his hand. Something or someone in the room had to be suppressing his abilities. It had to be that Seal Witch. A quick scan of the surrounding area confirmed his suspicions. Hovering in the air in the far corner of the room were a pair of glowing violet eyes.

“Of course,” he said to himself, moving towards her as Jared picked himself off the floor. His peripheral vision caught sight of Obsidian’s staff just in time. He ducked and came up again to parry Kei’s flashing blades.

From his right, a sound like a canvas tearing grabbed his attention. He snuck a quick peek to see that the girl had taken one of the four paintings of the horsemen off the wall and slammed it into Jared’s head. The wooden framing littered the floor while she attempted to wrap the canvas around his head.

Unsure of what to say, he yelled, “Good job!” while attacking the other Shades in turn. He was relentless, rolling under Obsidian’s swing and thrusting at Kei as he stood, pushing the tattooed Shade farther back with each slice. “Make your way to me if you can!” Raphael yelled to her.

“Get her out of here now!” Obsidian screamed.

The Revenant gasped, and Raphael’s heart ached to reach her, but both Shades now stood between him and the girl. His attacks turned frantic as he saw Jared tear the canvas off his face, grab her and lift her up into his arms. She squirmed, clawed at his face, and kicked at his legs and groin, but he was too strong for her.

Between flashes of colliding ethereal energy, Jared ran at full speed, twisted his body, and slammed his back into the brick wall, punching through it like a wrecking ball.

Jared and the Revenant disappeared from view.

Gabriel’s voice rang out in a cry of pain.

Raphael
, Amblin said, her voice panicked,
another Seal has emerged.

Shivers ran in icy waves down Raphael’s back. He shifted his weight and asked aloud, “
Another
one?”

With wide eyes, he turned part of his attention to the closed door, keeping one eye on the two menacing Shades, and whispered, “Which one is it?”

Vlad.

Raphael swallowed the lump in his throat, pushing it down into his stomach like a heavy lead ball. “Damn.” The Fourth Seal.

Dealing with any of the five Seals was a nightmare, but there was something about Vlad that caused Raphael’s gullet to constrict, his palms to sweat, and his pulse to race. In the Kingdom of Light, it was rumored that when it came to sheer physical strength, Vlad could not be beaten. Raphael wasn’t even sure Michael could match Vlad when it came to brute strength, but he kept that thought to himself.

In front of him stood the two remaining Shades, one blocking the room’s closed door and the other standing before the jagged, gaping hole in the wall through which the third Shade, the young one, had burst through with the Revenant. Neither Shade made a move; they merely stood ready. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, and he felt a tremendous urge to close his eyes and meditate for a few moments. But he knew if he did, the Shades would grab the chance to attack him. Possibly even kill him. These bodies were such an inconvenience.

Well, on the bright side, at least it’s not Nero, right?
The pep in Amblin’s voice did little to lighten the mood.

“Nero,” Raphael said. “Right.”

Exactly! He probably would have ripped up everybody by now. Angels, Shades, whatever. You name it, it would have been in pieces!

“Amblin,” he warned, rolling his eyes.

Sorry. Not helping, am I?

“No.”

Okay. But, imagine if the Blood Countess was here. She would—

A boom erupted in the room next door, followed by shockwaves that caused the building to vibrate. Small bits of ceiling plaster fell to the floor. Some of the dust clung to the air. The tray with the Revenant’s food rattled a moment, as did the glass chandelier above them. Neither Raphael nor the Shades shifted their gaze. Their eyes remained fixed on their respective targets.