Just a Little Death (Children of the Apocalypse Book 1) (24 page)

My smile faded. No, I was right where I needed to be, and no amount of temptation from the Sins was going to change that.

The Seals

Concrete barricades crossed the road to keep cars from going further. The City on Fire lacked the patrol populated cities had, that had been replaced by signs warning about poisonous gasses.

Pete pulled the car to a stop outside the barricade and we all got out. Kaleb pulled gas masks out of the trunk for us and handed each of them out.

“We don’t know what the effects of the gasses are if we breath them in. It’s best we play it safe. We go in, we do our thing, we get out. Do we all understand?” Aeron paced in front of us. “If something goes wrong, we all pull out.”

I pulled off the medical mask and replaced it with the full gas mask. Panic seized my heart, squeezing it until it skipped beats and sweat beaded on my forehead. I could hear my own breathing inside the mask and the rubber suctioned to my head. The edge of the plastic visor fogged up with my erratic breathing.

“Deep breaths, Sammy.” Pete moved in front of me so he could see my face. “It’s not covering your whole body, it’s not closing in. Take a breath.”

I closed my eyes. He was right. I wasn’t in a full suit and I could still move freely, despite what was stuck to my face. “I’m okay, we’re good to go.”

We’d made the plans on our last leg of the drive over. We all went in, but I would go further and go to the church that was down towards the end of the main street. Ruthie would stick as close to me as she could without tipping anyone off, and the others would talk to the gatekeeper.

We climbed over the barrier, the heat from the fire burning below the city climbed up my body causing the hair on my arms to stand up. The street had been cracked down the middle and raised like a miniature mountain from the force of the gasses below. Smoke escaped from full holes in the ground where the road and sidewalks had crumbled to the forces of nature and the fire.

The idea of walking above everlasting flames cautioned my footsteps and I found that I watched my feet more than I did what was in front of me.

“Just keep following the road.” Aeron called out. I knew he was talking to me, but avoiding my name meant that the Sins wouldn’t know we were all in on the plan. I let my feet carry me through the city. I tried to convince myself the crackling and roaring noises I heard were in my head. None of the reports from the place said fire could be heard, but of course, not many people dared to venture that far into the city.

The black asphalt gave way to white concrete, pure and untouched. I looked up at the white paneled church. The bell tower cast a shadow over the street, just as pristine as the sidewalk. The buildings around were dilapidated and soot stained, but not the church. I took a deep breath and turned around.

Lust and Sloth stood there, both with their weapons clasped in their hands.

I flung my arm out and summoned my scythe. “Are we not playing nice now?”

“We were concerned you weren’t alone.” Lust took a couple steps forward. “Gas masks for the likes of you?”

“Unlike you, demon, we’re still susceptible to things like that.” I snapped back. “Now put your weapons down and let’s do this.”

They both let their weapons disappear. I took one last breath and sent my scythe away. Lust held his hand out. “Lucile is waiting for us.”

I flicked my wrist. “Show me the way. I don’t want to touch you.”

“Scared?” He asked with a wicked grin.

“Cautious,” I corrected.

He turned and started down the alleyway next to the church. Our feet scuttled against the cracking ground. The further away from the street we were, the darker the scorch marks and the stronger the smoke became. A gaping black hole appeared in the side of the building, opening to the stone halls hell was known for. I gathered every bit of confidence I could find. I pulled off my gas mask and tossed it to the side before walking into the gateway.

My feet hit the stone ground and I wondered why no gatekeeper came to greet us. The hole closed behind us and I spun to face the two Sins. “What? Can’t take me directly to Lucile’s lair?”

“You can’t go there directly.” Lust grabbed my wrist. “So eager to sign your abilities away?”

I pulled away from him. “Stop touching me. I don’t like it.”

“Too bad.” He tightened his grip. “You’re up to something. I can see it in your eyes. You weren’t this determined the other night. The other night your eyes were clouded with thoughts of being free from this life.”

I held my other hand out and hoped all of our theories were true. I summoned my scythe and twirled it so the handle hit Lust in the side of the head.

He stumbled back and summoned his short swords. “You bitch.” He came rushing towards me, and I side stepped, flattening myself against the wall and sticking a foot out to trip him as he passed. His momentum carried him to the ground, his face skidding across the rough stone. I turned in preparation for Sloth to attack, but he was nowhere to be found. Lust’s arms wrapped around me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides, making my scythe useless.

I slammed my booted foot into his and threw my head back. My skull hit his jaw with a crack and he pulled away. I spun around and brought my scythe in front of me with the movement. I caught him across the stomach and blood dripped from my curved blade.

A shiver went up my back and I turned around expecting to see Sloth, but Ruthie held her arms out. “Just me.”

“Oh thank God, it worked.”

Lust snarled. “I knew you were up to something.” He twirled his blades and looked at me. “I’ll be making sure the Trickster gets your wings.” He took a step forward, but I swung my scythe out to stop him.

“Not happening.” I grabbed Ruthie’s arm, gathering what concentration I could and pictured Pestilence’s seal in my mind. I shoved all my thoughts to it. The world around us dissolved and rebuilt itself piece by piece. Lust was gone, but in front of us a swirling green and black seal made from different symbols moved over the stone wall.

“How did you know that was going to work?” Ruthie walked up to the seal. “I can feel him in there, he’s angry and terrified, but he’s alive and in there.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t know it was going to work. I figured I’d be in a flat out battle with Lust at the moment and not standing in front of the seal.” I took a deep breath and lifted my scythe up, placing the blunt end on the floor. “This is where I was taken when I was having visions of my father being killed and having to step up into his place.”

She turned and put a hand on my shoulder. “You did well. Now we have a moment of safety, until Lucile realizes what we did. We need to figure out how to find the other two.”

“Did you know either of them? Can you tell me what they might have been like? What they might have feared?” I glanced around the room. “If I had some idea, something to latch on to, I might be able to find them and then we’d have locations to hand the archangels.”

Ruthie nodded. “I know both War and Famine. They are very much like their sons. War fears nothing, no man, or demon. Not Death or life. He used to joke that when Death came knocking at the door he’d greet him like a friend.” She shook her head. “He’s fiercely loyal and, like Aeron, he expects everyone to act the same way.”

I nodded. “He’s War though, he thrives off conflict doesn’t he?”

“And conflict is in everyone’s nature, which is what makes him and Wrath such powerful creatures.”

My eyes grew as the ideas started forming in my head. “Which means he’d be powerless in a place of peace.”

“Yes, but this is Hell, I don’t think he fears peace. I think he has to accept it and accept that he is weakened with it.” Ruthie looked at me. Both our heads snapped to the side at the sound of shouting.

I grabbed her wrist. “We’re about to find out if it’s fear Lucile is using or if she just needed them weak.”

Ruthie’s eyes grew wide and the world around us crumbled into darkness. When it rebuilt we stood in a field of green grass. A light breeze blew through, sweeping my hair to the side. I looked up and saw a gold and black seal floating in the sky. “It’s not fear, she’s trying to keep them weak and powerless.”

“Risks, one day we’re going to have to talk about risks.” Ruthie pulled her arm from me.

I closed my eyes. “Who knew there was a place like this in hell?”

“Some people’s greatest fear is a peaceful world. Like all the corrupt people who profit from war and conflict.” She stepped a few feet ahead of me. “This is more like heaven for me.”

I looked at the ground. “I’m sorry, I know I’m the source of all the conflict in your job.”

“Don’t be silly, you’re not just a job any more. We’re friends, we’ve been through too much to be anything else.”

“Now, on to Famine. What do we know about him? You said he’s a lot like Kaleb, but that doesn’t help much.”

Ruthie closed her eyes. “He’s stubborn, rude, and extremely protective of Kaleb. Kaleb rarely left his side growing up.”

Maybe, just maybe, he feared losing Kaleb. “I went to a place where my mother was, when we were last in hell. Remember?”

She nodded. “You said there wasn’t a seal in there.”

“What if I was wrong? My own fear was projecting then. The walls were closing in, which means I was stuck in an illusion as well.” I held my hand out. “Let’s give it a try.”

She grasped my hand and I closed my eyes. I recalled all the grief I felt when my mother was killed and tried to use that to tether me to the room where I had found her. What it must have been like for her to see me lying on the ground dead at her feet. My warm blood coating her knees and hands as she tried to cradle me to her chest.

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes but I felt the world around us change. When I opened my eyes I found us surrounded by gold and black swirls, symbols moved past us, drifting on the air.

“You didn’t see it because the room hid the seal.” Ruthie breathed. “We knew where one of them was all along.”

The black floor under my feet slowly rolled into burnt corners and crumbled. “Ruthie, I think we’ve been found.”

She clasped my hand as the ground shattered beneath us and we fell back into a stone room. The seal of my father stood bright against the wall and I turned my gaze to the blood stained floor. I knew exactly where we were and I didn’t know how we were going to survive getting out.

“Lust said you wanted to make a deal. I’m guessing you’ve had second thoughts.” Lucile pulled away from the shadows in the room. “You’re such a silly girl, little Death. Your father would be beside himself if he realized you came back here after he sacrificed himself to free you.”

I leaned against my scythe and met her gaze. Two red lines moved through her pupils like snakes. “I had unfinished business, but now we’ll be on our way. If you’d just point us to the closest gate.” I tried to keep the shaking out of my voice.

“You think you’re just going to waltz in here, find the seals and dance your way back out?” She swayed towards me and her hands turned to claws. “I own you.”

She went to swipe at my face and I stepped back and swung my scythe to knock her hand away from me. “You own nothing.” I snarled. “You fed from my fear, but that is it.”

“By that fear I own you, every time you panic because the walls are closing in. Every time you think you might have to take your father’s place and you know you’re not ready, I’m in your head. Tempting you. Whispering to you that I can make it end, that I could take all of this away if you would just let me.”

I nodded. “But by temptation, you do not own me.” I widened my stance. “You can’t kill me because Death is sealed away. I can’t kill you either. So we’re at a standstill at this point.”

“No, we’re not.” She snapped her fingers and Envy and Pride appeared in the room. “Envy almost had you several times, and Pride, he just wants to beat you down. The moment that you fail, you’ll be locked away in your hell and your angel? Her wings will be stripped from her broken body and hung on my wall. Like your mother’s are on Camille’s wall.”

Grief struck me hard and I went to strike at her. Lucile disappeared and the clang of my blade hitting metal sounded off the walls of the chambers. Envy laughed and a crossbow appeared in her hand. “Let’s see how well you can dodge bolts.”

I took a deep breath. Ruthie turned to face Pride. “Remember, you think better when you’re fighting. Remember what you were taught.”

I trusted her to have my back and I knew she could take care of herself. I took my stance and met Envy’s green eyes. Her skin seemed to glow with the same tint. She fired her crossbow and I spun my scythe, knocking the bolt out of the air. Two quick steps and I pinned her arm above her on the wall, forcing her to drop her bow. She punched me in the stomach and I doubled over.

I kicked my foot between hers, knocking her off balance before she shoved me away. She summoned a dagger and sliced at my stomach. The dull aching pain there told me I couldn’t afford another wound in the area. I spun away from her and brought my elbow into her spine. She stumbled forward and cried out. She flipped herself around and threw the knife at me.

I hissed as it embedded itself into my shoulder. My arm twitched as the blood dripped from the wound. I pulled out the knife and tossed it away from me. I wiggled my fingers to make sure that hand could still be used. To my surprise, they obeyed me.