Everlong: (Book One of the Everlong Trilogy) (22 page)

As I neared the coastline, the sun's early morning rays were extinguished by a thickening cloud bank which rolled towards me from the east, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. It wasn't my mistress' perfume, but a murderous aroma (a blend of iron, rusty copper and citrus; the scent of freshly spilt blood) that, I assumed, could only be coming from Hyperion himself. Beneath me thunderous waves were whipping up, raging against the jagged rocks, black walls of water standing like sentries protecting the rocky outcrop from intruders.

And right on top of the vertical cliffs stood Hyperion, burning brightly against the darkening sky like a miniature sun; a star plucked from the sky and speared to the earth. Beautiful and horrific, he looked like a General surveying newly conquered territory, his red claws clasped around a staff of iron. The ring of black that surrounded the interior of his aura was becoming stronger, I could see it burning ever deeper into his flesh.

I landed clumsily at the side of him, my anger raging inside me; I wanted to die, I wanted him to end it. And I would make him do it.

Hyperion didn't turn to look at me, but continued to study the demented waves.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' he said.

'What?'

'There used to be a castle, here on these rocks. If you look closely,' he said, pointing his staff at a crumbling wall of weather-worn stone, 'you can still see some of what's left, even after all of this time. Go on, take a look, I promise I won't bite. Yet,' he said, turning his head to look at me. 'No? Not playing? Okay, suit yourself. How did you find the book I gave you? Did it inspire you?' He flashed me a fiery smile.

'Is that your idea of a joke?'

'A joke? That's how you see my attempt to help you achieve your greatest desire? Well, that's gratitude for you.' He put a clawed hand to his hip, 'Haven't you even looked into it?'

'Yes,' I snapped back, 'I'm not a pure angel, I can't fall, I have no place to fall from-'

He pulled a face. 'Well, that's what She wants you to believe, it suits their purpose, don't you see? Keeps the little people in their place. If I were you, I'd try and look at the bigger picture, learn to think outside of the box,' he said, tapping the side of his forehead. 'Anyway, I haven't got time to solve all of your problems for you, not when I have my own to think about. Maybe you need to try and start thinking for yourself a bit more. I know as an Angel of Death it's not your thing, but you know, everyone has to start somewhere.' He gave a shrug.

'What-'

'Shhhh!' he hissed, holding his fiery hand up to stop me speaking, 'I need to think.' He rubbed his forehead, like he was trying to smooth out the creases of his thoughts.

Above us the sky ripped open with a flash of lightning, and for a moment I could see we were standing on the edge of a small peninsula, adjoined to the mainland by jagged cliffs, a wooden footbridge being the only safe passage across. On the mainland, directly in front of me, great walls of crumbling stone zigzagged across the rugged landscape, and, nestled in behind them, amongst the grassy knolls and rocks, I could make out the buildings of the modern village.

'Here's a question,' he said, 'See that village over there?'

'Yes.'

'How long do you think it would take me to destroy it?' he asked, pointing his finger at the mainland, 'Go on, take a guess, it isn't a trick question!' He swept around to face me, his body leaving a trail of ghostly fire that hissed and spit in the bitter air.

Icy cold dread slithered down my back. 'You wouldn't.'

'Wouldn't I?' he said, flashing another smile. I could feel his breath brushing the skin on my face, leaving me cold, and yet hot, at the same time. My pulse raced, my breath quickened. Would he really destroy the village?

Yes, he would.

And I found the idea strangely enticing.

I was staring over a precipice of horror, knowing what was about to happen and not being able to stop it, being horrified by it but also captivated by it. And although I hated myself for it, the darkest part of me craved for the destruction. It wanted to be within the realm of death again.

'So,' he purred, 'how long do you think?'

I stared into his raging eyes, fighting the dark part of me, the destructive urge, that was pulling me in to those pools of fire.

'You're sick!' I said, pulling my eyes away from his. I turned away, I wouldn't be seduced by those eyes.

'No ideas?' he said. 'Oh come on, Josh!' he sulked, stamping his foot on the floor, 'You're being no fun at all!'

I wouldn't look at him. I couldn't look at him.

'Join me,' he said, raising his blackened hand to welcome me.

'NEVER!' I spat.

'Don't be so sure,' he said, 'I can sense that somewhere deep inside of you a war is raging.' He stepped towards me and stroked my face with his hand. It felt so good.

'I could give you everything you have ever dreamed of and more.' His voice was like honey. 'Evelyn-'

I felt myself drawn back to his golden eyes. 'No,' I said, but the word was weak, even to my ears.

'You could be with her, I could make that happen. For you.'

I felt myself falling into the pools of fire that were his eyes.

'I've told you,' I whispered, 'I can't be a Fallen-'

'I'm not talking about the Fallen.' He removed his hand from my skin, but I didn't want him to. I almost craved his touch. 'There are other ways. If you join me-'

'No,' I mumbled, but I was struggling; I was almost on my knees, begging for him to help me be with Evie.

'See that tree over there,' he said, pointing his staff towards a solitary tree, its bark covered in thick prickles, its branches twisted and deformed like his soul, 'that is the Thorn tree. The tree that grew from Joseph of Arimathea's staff when he planted it in the ground, the Joseph of Arimathea who brought the Holy Grail here from Jerusalem-'

'The Holy Grail is here?'

'Yes, and that tree is the marker. The Holy Grail is underneath us, Josh, waiting for us to claim it.'

'Why would I want the Grail?'

'Because if you place the Spear of Longinus over it, the blood of Christ will drip from the spear into the cup. That blood could make you immortal, would break the hold that Death has over you. And if Evelyn were to take a sip...'

He had my attention. What if this was a way I could be with Evie?

'You would be free to live your life with her. Just think of all the possibilities...'

It couldn't be that easy. Could it?

'You're lying.' But what if he wasn't?

'But you know I'm not. You know that if you place the Apocalyptic Relics together you can resurrect the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, don't you? Well, the same relics could bring you immortality. A life with Evelyn. And if Evelyn were to take a sip...Think about it...You and Evelyn, together, forever. You help me and I will set you free.'

That is all I had ever wanted.

'This is just the beginning Josh, come,' he said, holding out his hand to me again, beckoning me to take it, 'join with me.'

Lightning ripped the sky open above me.

What if he was right? What if the Grail could make me truly immortal, an immortal without a master. I could be in control of my own destiny. Maybe then I could make Evie love me. 'And what would you want in return?' I asked.

Hyperion stepped forward, his face tilted, his eyes sparkling with a deadly fire. 'That's the beauty of it Josh, you have to do nothing.'

'Nothing?'

'Exactly.' He lifted his staff in the air and the sea around us began to furiously rise up, great swirling masses of water standing to attention like soldiers of war.

'Don't do this,' I pleaded, barely audible over the thunder of the waves and the booming wind now thrashing around us. 'You don't have to destroy the town. If the Grail is beneath us, leave them, we'll go and claim it.'

He turned and smiled at me, his face wild with excitement, his eyes blazing.

The frenzied waves rose higher. The black clouds began to spew out their load. The air was volatile, excited at the prospect of Hyperion's rebellion. And in the midst of all this violence, Hyperion burned like a star.

A raging fire rising up in the darkening sky.

Lightning tore the sky in two, shocking me awake. I felt like I'd been asleep for a hundred years and was only now seeing the truth; whatever I did - whether I joined him or not - he was going to destroy the entire village. Could I really live with that?

'YOU CAN'T DO THIS!' I screamed after him, but my cries were lost to the orchestra of the storm.

Further he rose into the sky, the black frenzied waves rising with him. The darkness closed in on us until the only thing that was visible was Hyperion's brilliance, his arms outstretched; a burning crucifix alighting the night's sky. His hands were open as if he were pleading to God for help. But he wasn't pleading with God, he was defying Him.

Hyperion's voice became the storm. 'Come with me,' he thundered, 'taste the blood on your lips. Devour the spoils of war...We can be Gods Josh, you and I!'

If I joined him, this is what I would have to become.

'NO!'

I unsheathed Heaven's Will, my dagger, and, despite his fiery brilliance, I raced into the sky after him.

Too consumed by his own selfish desires, Hyperion didn't see me until I was on top of him, my left arm clamped around his neck, my right hand holding the dagger, ready to strike. I held on tight, fighting against the pain of his fiery flesh scorching my skin.

I stabbed him once in the shoulder.

Blood exploded from the wound.

The world shook as he screamed, a thousand suns exploding, obliterating all other sound. Hyperion's body ignited. My head was filled with the pounding of blood, the smell of burnt flesh, and a bloodcurdling scream.

It was my scream.

I couldn't hold on to him.

I let my body fall away from his, praying for Her to take me.

Praying that this would be it.

I wanted to die.

I fell through the air, until Hyperion caught me in his fiery net.

'YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!' he screamed.

I smiled, my body relaxed as relief swept over me.

His face drifted out of focus. I was losing my mind.

Hyperion grabbed one of my wings in his claw-like hand and pulled. A sickening crack filled my head as Hyperion tore my wing clean off my body.

I closed my eyes and let myself fall, let my destroyed body plummet to the earth, praying that She would let me go. I wasn't strong enough. Didn't want to be strong enough.

I fell, my remaining wing flapping aimlessly in the wind as I hurtled towards the churning ocean. It reached up to me like a gigantic hand, promising me peace and solitude in its embrace. A watery grave of redemption.

But I didn't get that far.

I was falling, falling, falling.

Hurtling through the darkness, my body tormented with pain.

I don't know how long I fell; the seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, possibly those hours extended into days.

The only two constants were the pain and the darkness.

And through the darkness I heard Her screeching and cursing.

'Did you think it would be that easy?' She shrieked, 'Did you think you could escape me?'

I couldn't answer. I didn't know how to. Words had left me.

'You were supposed to kill him, Josh, how you have disappointed me. But then, you keep doing it, I should be used to it!'

The pain intensified and I was begging for Her to take me, but She just laughed.

'Not yet,' she sang to me, 'it's not over. Not yet.'

Evie

Dan had come around. They'd fought for a bit. I think a few things got smashed. I don't really know for sure because I kept out of the way, holed up in my bedroom and I didn't venture downstairs much, except to get drinks, crisps and chocolate. Not that they missed me; they were too busy shouting at each other or, making up, from what I could gather from the banging of a headboard and the groaning.

At times, I hated my life.

Being second best to my dad's memory would've been one thing (how do you even compete with a ghost?) but all her men too? Having to sit and listen to that?

I was trapped in a living nightmare, counting the hours until Cassie took off again.

But she didn't. And the banging seemed to go on. And on.

Like the demonic beast's war drum.

And I was alone.

But so close to someone who should have cared. But didn't.

The beast inside me was stirring. It slithered inside me, trying to get out, wanting to cause chaos. It whispered to me from the darkness, taunting me with its sadistic thoughts. And when I ignored it, it started to prod at my gut with a sharp stick. It had no intention of letting me go that easy.