Rebel Angel: A Sainted Sinners Novel (31 page)

Suddenly Kirael was at her side. Not touching her, not speaking, just… there. She glanced at him, feeling her face burn.

“I don’t want her to die,” she admitted to Kirael.

“I know,” he said.

“I just… I don’t know how to end this,” she said.

“Say what you need to say to Mercy. Then… I think you have to let her go,” he said, looking pained.

“Right. Right.” She took a breath, then looked down at Mercy again. “Mercy…”

She stopped, took another big breath, released it. This was harder than she could’ve imagined.

“Mercy, I’m so sorry,” she blurted out, wiping away tears. “I’m so sorry that this happened to you. I know we didn’t have a great life, growing up. I know you took a lot of the burden, protecting me, taking care of me. I just… I know you’re hurting. That’s why I…”

She paused, took another breath.

“That’s why I never tried that hard to stop you, when I first found out you were sneaking down to the Gray Market to score drugs. I just figured… you’d had it rough, maybe you deserved to let loose.”

She let her head drop, sorrowful.

“I am so, so sorry for that, Mercy. I wish I’d tried to stop you back then, before you got hooked. I wish I’d been able to keep you off the street. I wish I could have been strong enough to stop all of the bad things that happened to you. When we were kids, after you got in with the Vampyres… It’s killed me, watching this happen to you.”

She carefully laid Mercy’s hand back on the bed, then reached out to brush back a lock of her sister’s hair.

“I’ve been so angry with you,” Vesper admitted, her tears flowing freely. “I’ve hated you, as much as I love you. I feel so guilty all the time, and I can’t do anything about it.”

She straightened, wiping her face with her sleeve, then sighed.

“Maybe this is what you wanted, to be free of it all?” Vesper told Mercy. “I hope you are at peace, big sister. I love you, a lot. More than you knew, I think.”

Silence lapsed. There were a million more things she wanted to say. Stories she wanted to recount, regrets she felt she should name.

And yet, she didn’t say any of them. She just stood there, staring at Mercy for several minutes.

Finally, she looked up at Kirael, then at the doctor.

“I think…” she started, feeling that strange kind of empty she only ever felt after a lot of crying. “I think I’m ready.”

The doctor nodded, turning and pressing several buttons, turning off some alarms as they started to blare. Everyone stood and watched as Mercy’s chest rose and fell, rose and fell…

And didn’t rise again.

Vesper heard a distressed sound coming from her own throat. She reached out for Kirael and he was there, taking her hand, grounding her.

A monitor started beeping, showing that Mercy’s heart had stopped beating.

“God damn it, Mercy,” Vesper whispered, shaking her head.

Then, like a dream, the whole scene faded before her eyes. Vesper blinked, looking around. They were in the same small clearing, except now there was a glowing white portal beckoning to them.

“Is that it?” she asked.

“I think so,” Kirael said, nodding. “I suppose we made it through.”

Hand in hand, they walked to the portal, stepping through it. They ended up in another stone tunnel, and Vesper let out a breath.

“Thank god,” she sighed. “I’ve never been so glad to leave anywhere, I think.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Kirael said. “We’re almost to the Atrium, but we haven’t yet begun to fight.”

On impulse, Vesper gave him a quick, tight hug.

Kirael arched a brow. “What was that for?”

“Just… I’m glad you’re here with me, that’s all.”

He looked for a moment as though he wanted to say something, but then he just shook his head. “Me too, Vesper.”

Then he turned and led her onward, deeper into the viper’s nest.

K
irael pulled
up short when he saw the softly glowing night sky at the end of the tunnel. The Atrium was only a stone’s throw away now

“Okay, remember the plan,” Kirael told Vesper. “I am going to take you to the brothel. You’re going to extract your sister without drawing too much attention to yourself. I’m going to go do what I need to do and try not to get killed.”

“Then you’re coming back for us, unless you get caught,” Vesper said, worry creasing her face.

“Yes. If I get caught, it would actually be better for you two. It would provide a huge distraction, no one would even notice you escaping.”

“Assuming we could figure out how… this place is a giant stone labyrinth, and I absolutely cannot drag Mercy through any of the levels we went through.” Vesper’s brow knitted. “I hadn’t considered it, but what if she can’t even walk?”

“Let’s cross that bridge if and when we come to it, okay?” Kirael said.

“Right. Yes. Think positive,” Vesper said, but he could already hear the defeat in her voice.

The last level had really shaken her, and Kirael wished like anything he knew what to do or say to bring back her confidence. He needed her at her best if they were going to pull this thing off.

“Okay,” he said, holding out his hands. He summoned two garments into his hands: a full cloak for himself, and an oversized head scarf for her.

Head scarves were worn by the few unfortunate humans who served in Hell. Blood slaves like Vesper’s sister, or kidnapped lovers of powerful Fallen. The scarves were different colors, depending on the human’s worth.

He’d chosen navy for Vesper, meaning she was not important enough to draw attention, but that she belonged to someone who would be upset if she were hurt or killed.

It also covered the twin short swords strapped to her shoulders, a convenient second use.

For himself, he chose a simple dark cloak, something that a mid-level demon might wear. Lucifer despised ugliness in any form, and would not have it present outside the levels. Any demon without beautiful humanoid features often wore a cloak in the Atrium to avoid Lucifer’s sudden and violent tempers.

Kirael and Vesper both put on their respective garments, making sure their weapons were close at hand.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” Vesper said.

“You have your watch?” he asked.

She pulled back her sleeve, showing off the chunky plastic wristwatch she’d worn for the mission. Kirael pulled back his own sleeve, showing his watch, and they took a moment to sync the times.

Then he ushered her down the tunnel and out into the Atrium. He heard Vesper stifle a gasp, and understood perfectly why.

The Atrium was stunningly beautiful, a blanket of dazzling sky above and little clusters of buildings below, all done in different styles.

“Are we supposed to be in Rome?” Vesper whispered.

“Lucifer grew jealous of humanity’s ability to create things of such beauty. He took a little piece of each great city and replicated them all down here, in one place. Rome, Paris, Constantinople, Cairo, Jericho, Beijing.”

“Wow. Which part is Mercy in?”

“Constantinople.”

“And your errand?”

“None of them. The Fallen live in a replica of the same palace we inhabited in Heaven.”

Vesper glanced at him, surprised.

“Keep your head down,” he warned her. “It’s best if we don’t talk.”

They walked for several minutes in silence before they reached the brothel. The scenery changed, shifting from the column-filled piazzas of Rome to the soaring red-roofed majesty of Constantinople.

Kirael raised his hand to point at a building as they passed it. A neat chalk X was drawn above the door, as their informant had promised.

“Okay,” Kirael said, drawing Vesper over to the side. “In and out, as little contact as possible. Keep your head down, don’t speak unless spoken to, unless you absolutely must. Then you go to the safe house.”

“Got it.”

“Vesper,” he said, gripping her shoulders. “If I’m not back in an hour, you and Mercy have to find your own way out.”

She looked up at him, her emerald gaze darkening. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You won’t have a choice. I promise, if I don’t return, I will be dead. They’ll have to kill me to keep me from coming back to you, do you understand?”

Her lips trembled, but she nodded. “Yes.”

Glancing around, he decided to take a risk. Leaning close, he kissed her lips, quick and firm.

“Go,” he said. “Be careful.”

I don’t know what I will do if something happens to you
, was his thought, but he didn’t dare voice it aloud.

“You too,” she said.

Pulling her head scarf down to cover more of her face, Vesper turned and vanished around the corner, heading for the servants’ entrance.

Kirael forced himself to walk away, to keep his pace normal as he left Constantinople. He moved to the very edge of the cityscape, skirting the whole area in an attempt to avoid any Fallen or high level demons. He even hunched down a little, trying to make himself smaller and less noticeable.

Soon he was past the city and closing in on the palace. He’d explained it to Vesper as being an exact replica as the palace of the Heavenly Host, but he’d left out one detail: it was all done in black.

Black marble, black metal, black stone, sitting on an eerie black cloud. The product of Lucifer’s too-literal early interpretation of what it meant to rebel against Heaven, in Kirael’s opinion.

Looking back on the Fall, much of Lucifer’s behavior reminded Kirael of an angst-filled teenager, seeking to test boundaries and anger authority figures. At the time, he’d thought Lucifer was going to create a new world, a world that was just and righteous.

Instead, Lucifer had shown himself to be rotten down to the very core, corrupting everything he touched. Ruling Hell with a malevolent, violent cronyism that made even the earliest humans look like a wise, peace-loving tribe.

Kirael walked right into the palace. Between his cloak and the shambling walk he adopted as he made his way up the grand black marble staircase, no one even spared him a glance.

Inside, it was as though the palace of Versailles had been redecorated by a Goth with baroque leanings. All heavy, dark furniture, endless hallways running up and down the length of the place. There were communal dining and lounge areas in the middle of the palace, but Kirael wasn’t going near those.

As he headed all the way to the right side of the building, various demons and Fallen rushed to and fro, carrying out their daily tasks. Lucifer’s quarters were located at the very back of the palace, built into the bedrock of Hell.

Lucifer’s chamber was the most fortified place in all of the Atrium. Numerous guards and locked vault doors guarded the room. Plus, if the alarm was raised, the whole palace was packed to the gills with Fallen ready for battle.

Kirael kept his head down and pushed forward. He needed the Book, the reason he started this whole mad crusade in the first place. He didn’t slow until he turned down the hallway where Lucifer’s rooms lay.

The guards were midlevel Fallen, standing calmly outside the door to Lucifer’s antechamber. Kirael walked right past them, then summoned his sword.

Whirling, he took them both down in a matter of seconds, practically in near silence. He took care not to kill either of them, instead knocking them out.

Vanishing his sword, he pulled out the set of keys that the Shkisa demon passed on to him. He unlocked the heavy black wood door, then stepped inside. Dragging the two guards inside, he summoned a length of cord and tied them both hand and foot, ensuring that they wouldn’t be a problem.

Kirael stood and looked around. He’d never entered Lucifer’s rooms before; only Belial was allowed the privilege. The antechamber was empty except for three huge doors. One gold, one silver, one black.

This, Kirael had not anticipated. The gold, he assumed, was the bedroom. It would be very much like Lucifer to have a lavish, color-saturated private chamber reserved for himself, while everyone else lived in monotones.

He walked over to the black door, raising a hand. Before he could even lay a hand on it, all the hair on his body rose, prickling with alarm. He backed away, surprised.

Whatever was in that room… Kirael wanted nothing to do with it.

Pulling out the keys again, he saw that only one was silver. He made quick work of unlocking the silver door and letting himself inside.

His jaw dropped a little when he saw the room’s contents.

The door was obviously a bolt-hole, because inside was a strange scene. A stunning green pasture, sun shining down, horses roaming in the distance.

The only two things in the immediate area were a tree and a glass structure that held a heavy book, pages bared. The Book of Names, Kirael assumed.

The tree caught his interest for a moment, though. It was perfectly lifelike but black as night, with shining red apples hanging low. He walked closer to the tree, the sudden desire to taste that fruit blooming within him.

He raised his hand, even going so far as to cup his fingers around the apple, but something stopped him. His interest was too strong, too sudden. It was pure, carnal temptation.

Not quite understanding what he was feeling, Kirael forced himself to step back. He had to drag each foot to move back another step, the tree’s lure was so strong.

Lucifer
, he thought.
This tree is… or has… his essence, somehow.

Turning, he propelled himself toward the Book. He made it to the Book, flipping it closed in a swift movement. His fingers trailed over the engraved title, inscribed in Aramaic, but it was certainly the right tome.

Kirael hefted it, running his fingers over the smooth black leather. He held it out in his hands, attempting to vanish it, but no luck. The book weighed on him, in a strange way. The more he looked at it, the stronger his desire to return to the tree became.

I’ve got to get out of this room
, he realized.
I have to get back to Vesper, protect her.

The image of Vesper’s face, the way she’d looked at him just before he left her at the brothel, helped him focus. The twenty steps to the door were some of the hardest Kirael ever took, but he managed it.

Stepping through the threshold was like emerging from the depths of a frozen lake. He sucked in a deep breath, taking a moment to stop and catch his breath.

Straightening, he held out the book, this time managing to vanish it. One of the guards was awake, wiggling and calling out. Kirael looked at him.

“I know you. Drishael, right? Listen, don’t make me knock you out again. I’m already out the door anyway.”

Drishael looked at Kirael, then at the other guard. He stayed silent.

“Good man,” Kirael said, leaving Drishael behind on the floor. He pulled up the hood of his cloak again and slipped out of the antechamber.

As he left the hallway, turning off into another part of the palace, he passed two more Fallen. No doubt they would soon notice the missing guards, which meant that Kirael needed to get out of the palace, fast.

He trotted down every empty hall he found, wondering how much time he had to meet Vesper. He exited the palace, trying not to feel too excited. After all, he still had to escape Hell with two others in tow.

Glancing up at the clock tower looming in the distance, he cursed aloud. He only had five minutes remaining to meet Vesper at the safe house. Time must have run differently in the bolt-hole, but no matter.

Tucking his head down to keep his hood in place, Kirael began to
run
.