Christina Henry - Black Howl

From the moment I’d learned I was Azazel’s daughter, my life had been an unending battle. The faces of the dead swam before my eyes. Patrick, my best friend, killed by Ramuell. The people slaughtered by the nephilim at Clark and Belmont. The murdered wolves of Wade’s pack.

Even the living had not been left unharmed. The victims who screamed in padded rooms at the Agency were proof of that.

All of them had been caught in the cross fire of a battle they hadn’t even known of, a battle for supremacy over all creatures. A battle that Lucifer was determined to win, and that his enemies were equally determined he lose.

For the first time the power of the Morningstar came when I called, easily, naturally. I rose up above the others, my wings outspread, the light of the sun moving through me.

The demons covered their eyes, fell to their knees. I raised my arms, hands open, and let the magic in my blood take over. The clearing was filled with light.

When it was over, all the demons were gone.

I fainted.

I woke up in Gabriel’s arms, everyone huddled around me at the edge of the forest.

“What?” I croaked. My throat was very dry. I felt like I hadn’t felt in a long time—like my magic had run out, and that it would take a good long time for it to come back.

“You fell out of the sky,” Beezle said. “For some reason, everyone’s concerned.”

“I can get up,” I said to Gabriel.

“I am not sure that you should,” he replied.

“Well, we all know how Maddy feels about what she should do,” Beezle said.

I pushed to my feet and immediately stumbled. My legs felt like jelly.

“You see how well she listens,” Beezle said.

Gabriel put his arm around me. I did not want to admit that the only reason I was upright was because he was holding me there.

The mansion was silent before us. The snow on the lawn had been melted away by my spell. No creatures crawled through the broken windows.

“Do you think I killed them all, or is Azazel just marshaling his forces for another round?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s more determined to kill you than ever,” Beezle said.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” J.B. said.

“Azazel will have closed his lands by now,” Gabriel said grimly. “I have seen him do it only a few times, but it is a spell that he has in place to prevent the escape of prisoners. We will not be able to leave by foot or by air. He cannot allow us to leave and notify Lord Lucifer of his plans.”

We all looked helplessly at one another. Would we be trapped here like rats running around a maze, fighting until Azazel managed to wear us down?

“Gabriel, there has to be some way of getting out of here. You lived here with Azazel for years. A secret tunnel that leads off the property?” I asked.

Gabriel shook his head. “There is only one way that I know of to leave this place once Azazel has activated the security measures.”

“And that is?”

“There is Azazel’s personal portal.”

“And where is that?” I asked, dreading the answer.

“In Azazel’s quarters. The east wing, on the very top floor.”

“Well, that’s like asking to get caught,” Beezle said. “You want us to go back inside? Why do none of you pay attention when we watch horror movies?”

“Because it’s hard to hear the narrative when there’s a little gargoyle screaming, ‘Don’t go in there,’ at the actors,” I said.

“What narrative?” Beezle said. “It’s just people making stupid decisions and getting chopped up by a maniac. Like we’re going to be when we go back inside Azazel’s house and head straight for the only exit.”

“You know that he’ll expect us to try something like that,” J.B. agreed.

“Does anyone else have a better idea?” I demanded. “Or do you want to let Azazel run us ragged on the grounds until we can’t run any farther?”

No one answered. We all knew there was only one choice.

“Okay,” I said briskly, addressing Gabriel. “I’m assuming if that’s the only way out, then Azazel will have those windows on the upper floors well guarded.”

“That is a safe assumption, yes,” Gabriel said.

“So the best way back in is through the broken windows.”

“You could pass through the walls, since you’re the Hound of the Hunt,” Beezle said.

“I could, but the rest of you couldn’t. And my power is temporarily out, anyway,” I said. “What’s next?”

“Up two flights of stairs and down a long passageway to Azazel’s quarters,” Gabriel said. “Which are guarded by a phalanx of his most trusted soldiers.”

“This might be the dumbest thing we have ever done in a long line of dumb things,” Beezle said.

“Much as it pains me to agree with you, you’re right,” I said. “But I really can’t see another option.”

Samiel tapped me on the shoulder. Would the invisibility spell make a difference?

“Not with Azazel,” Gabriel said. “It may protect us from any lesser demons.”

“Don’t bother,” I said. “I’m sure that Azazel will know that we’ve entered the building.”

“Yeah, what with the smashing and the mangling that usually follows in your wake,” Beezle said.

We walked slowly over the lawn. I limped, leaning on Gabriel. The wolves trotted ahead, sniffing the air. I was exhausted down to my bones. The house seemed like a giant repository of menace, and I was suddenly afraid for all of us.

J.B. and Samiel flew ahead to check inside the broken windows. Samiel looked back and gave us a thumbs-up.

The bottom sills of the windows were only a few feet off the ground, so the wolves were able to leap through easily. Gabriel lifted me inside, as my wings had disappeared along with my magic.

The throne room was completely destroyed. The fires had been extinguished, but there was a lot of scorched and charred wood everywhere. Three-quarters of the ceiling plaster had come down completely, and the remainder looked like it was going to fall any minute. Bodies of demons and soldier-angels lay everywhere under the rubble. There was nothing stirring, and no sign of Azazel, Antares or Focalor.

“Do you think Nathaniel was smashed underneath the falling ceiling?” I asked hopefully.

“Nah, he’s a cockroach like Antares,” Beezle said. “And like you, come to think of it. Everyone tries to kill you but you keep popping back up.”

“Real nice, Beezle. I’ll remember that the next time you’re crying for a doughnut,” I said.

“Perhaps the two of you would like to cease your bickering until we manage to get out of mortal peril?” Gabriel asked.

We picked our way over the debris until we reached the doors at the back of the throne room.

“This way,” Gabriel said, and led us through into a hallway. A number of other doors opened off the hall, and at the end of it was a wide staircase.

Everything was silent and still. I’d expected more activity—that Azazel would be gathering troops and making plans to destroy us. But there was no noise behind all of the doors that we passed, and there was no movement in the hall.

Gabriel still had his arm slung around me, propping me up. I was so tired I could barely lift my feet. Beezle made a concession to my extreme exhaustion by letting Samiel carry him instead. The wolves scouted ahead. J.B. and Samiel brought up the rear.

Wade and Jude stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waited for us to catch up. I looked up the flight, and then at Gabriel, and saw that he was thinking what I was thinking.

If we got caught on the stairs, we were dead.

“I had better carry you,” he said.

He put his arms under my shoulders and knees and held me like a baby. It was pretty much impossible to piggyback on an angel. The wings get in the way.