Archangel's Fire Page 14

  “How is that possible? I thought stuff like this was destroyed,” I whispered, taking in everything around me. Statues and exquisite paintings lined the walls. Parts of the floor were covered with a soft material colored in beige and maroon. Everything was pristine. It was as if the desert with its unrelenting heat and sand didn’t exist. When I spotted the marble statue of three women in a fountain, I gasped. This was just like the guardian’s temple. It had the same polished marble floors. The same intricately carved pillars circling the fountain.

  “The demon lord only destroyed everything outside of Vegas,” Big John murmured.

  “Of course he did,” Cade grumbled.

  As we passed the fountain, I couldn’t tear my eyes from one of the statues. The way she stood holding her head high and proud. Her long fingers. And her face. Her stunning, perfect face. It was Tovah.

  I was so confused. Why would the demon lord have Tovah’s likeness here?

  A loud ringing pulled my attention away from the statues. The strange sound came from a cluster of large black boxes. A mass of the fallen, hunters, and humans stood around, mesmerized as wheels with pictures whirled around.

  “What is that?” I asked Lukas.

  “Slot machines. A person places money in there in the hopes of getting more.”

  “People are allowed to do that? Why?” I gazed at an older man who was dressed in what could only be described as rags. His disheveled hair was a stark white against his tanned face. His eyes were glazed as he stood transfixed in front of the machine, hitting the button every second. “How do they get the money? I thought they were slaves?”

  “They are. Some of them just don’t realize it,” Lukas said with a low growl. “The hunters pay people for their services, but most only pay barely enough to get by. Some people think they can actually win more on those things. And the demon lord encourages it.”

  “Covet. It’s part of the curse, keeping everyone wanting more,” Cade explained. “As long as they focus on that, they don’t have time to rise against him.”

  “That’s right,” Lukas said, looking surprised at Cade. “That’s why you’ll never see any of the demon lord’s witches gambling. They’ve found a way to protect themselves from the curse.”

  “If they’re protected from the curse, then why do they stay with him?” I could never do that, join sides with a person who was killing my own people.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that the rebel witches refuse to leave the city and that they watch over the book just in case the demon lord decides to move it.”

  “We need to find them,” Cade said.

  Lukas shook his head. “We won’t find them. They find us.”

  The moment we reached the steps leading to the coliseum’s entrance, I felt it. My hand gripped the metal rail as a tingling sensation swept through my body as if I were waking from a long sleep. It went by fast, only lasting a second when it stopped.

  Shaking my head, I continued to climb the stairs when I felt it again. My hands shook as the sensation grew stronger. Then I heard a stranger’s voice coming from inside my head.

  Senna.

  My eyes darted around for the source as I forced myself to walk up the stairs. We were almost near the entrance and I could hear the roar of the crowd coming from inside. There was no way Cade or Big John could hear me over the noise if we got separated.

  When I lifted my foot to take the final step, I heard my voice being called again. What happened next was so fast it lasted less than a second.

  A strange heat hit against my right cheek and I found myself turning my head. Two young men and a girl stood far across the walkway. All three were dressed in black-hooded tunics with skintight pants tucked into knee-high boots. For a moment, I thought they were statues. They were so still. Everyone appeared to be walking around them.

  The moment the girl moved, everyone around her seemed to speed up. The hunters whizzed by, clearing a path for the trio as they headed to me. Yet, I could see every single movement the girl made. It was as if she was making time slow down for her and speeding it up for the others.

  The girl tilted her head up just enough for me to make out her face beneath the shadow of her hood. Her blue eyes were so light they glowed. Her lips, painted a bluish black, moved slowly as if talking to her companions. The tall, lithe figures flanked her sides protectively, moving in step with her. Their hoods remained low across their faces, revealing only clean chiseled jaws and sculpted lips like hers.

  Blinking, I touched my foot to the step and they were gone.

  I shook my head, wondering if I had imagined things. It was possible. My head was pounding and the constant loud ringing coming from the machines was not helping. I was scared to death that at any moment we’d be caught.

  There was another roar from the coliseum. I looked to one of the open set of double doors directly in front of us, and there they were. Somehow, the trio moved the long distance from across the packed lobby to the entrance within a blink of an eye. I snatched Lukas’s hand.

  “What is it?” Lukas asked alarmed. The girl was studying him. Her blue lips curled into a smirk as her eyes drifted up and down his body. For some reason, I felt I had to protect him from her, even though she looked about my age and was only slightly taller than me.

  “Over there.” I directed my head to where the trio stood. There was only empty space. What the hell?

  “Never mind, I thought I saw—” My voice caught the moment we stepped inside the coliseum.

  It was massive. I arched my neck, taking in the three tiers of seats that circled the arena filled with hunters and the fallen. It was so bright for a moment I thought we were outside. When I looked up, I saw why. The entire ceiling was made of glass, letting in the unrelenting sunlight.

  I bumped into Cade’s back when he stopped suddenly.

  “Cade?” I whispered, wondering if he saw the strange trio I’d seen earlier.

  His jaw tensed as he stared up at the colorful flags hanging proudly from the top tiers. His eyes were focused on the largest one that hung in the center. It had a picture of snake wrapped around a pair of gold and silver keys. Behind it was the only place in the arena with empty seats.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Cade shook his head, his face twisting with disgust. “Nothing, stay close.”

  I studied the flags as we moved across the coliseum floor, wondering what would make Cade so furious. Each of them had some variation of a serpent sketched on them. I inched closer to Big John and whispered, “What do the flags mean?”

  “They represent the esteemed angelic houses. The leaders of each house are considered royalty for our kind,” Big John said. “Those are not the true emblems of the original houses, though. They’ve been changed.”

  “Each house sits in their own section. The demon lord and his lead hunters sit there,” Lukas said, flicking his eyes to the large flag. “They’re not here yet.”

  I gazed up, taking in the menacing snake looming over the auditorium. The flag belonged to his brother, his family. No wonder Cade was upset.

  Then I saw her again. She materialized in the row right above the demon lord’s flag. She pushed her hood off, letting it fall onto her back. She was stunning. Strands of blue hair draped to the side of her forehead. Black lined around her pale blue eyes. An intricate tattoo peeked from the cowl of her robe. A silver ring hung at the end of her slightly uptipped nose and at both corners of her perfectly shaped lips—lips that curled into a sultry smile as she stared down at Lukas.

  She knows him.

  This time, I knew I wasn’t imagining things. I was about to tell him when the same mysterious voice echoed in my head. Don’t. Focus.

  “We have to hurry,” Lukas said, urging us to move faster. “The first game is starting. The hidden door is right behind the seats over there.” He tilted his head to the opposite side of the arena.

  “It’s too late,” Cade said as everyone on the floor moved back, forming a circ
le around the center. “Should we go back? Lukas?”

  “Nevada,” Lukas mumbled under his breath.

  I glanced over at Lukas, puzzled. He appeared to be in a daze as he stared across the arena. I followed his gaze, wondering if he’d seen the girl and her companions. They were nowhere to be found.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He kept his eyes closed as he spoke. It was as if he were speaking to someone else. “It’s too dangerous. It’ll look suspicious. No one leaves the games.”

  There was a loud cheer, and suddenly everyone in the arena started stomping. Boots slammed down on the floor, making the floor tremble beneath my feet. The hunters made a strange guttural sound deep within their chest in rhythm.

  The crowd moved faster. Cade reached for my hand, but it was too late. Hard bodies pressed against me as everyone attempted to find a good position on the floor closest to the center. I stumbled, falling as I was shoved aside. I kept my head down and dared to elbow my way through the crowd to try to get back to Cade and the others.

  Two flags, similar to the ones hanging on the top tier, were carried into the coliseum, and the arena thundered. The crowd parted, making way for the two groups of hunters. I stood on my tiptoes, searching for Cade, when out of nowhere someone, or something, shoved me forward. I fell on my hands and knees at the inside edge of the crowd.

  “I’ve got you,” Big John whispered when he picked me up.

  I sighed with relief to see Cade and Lukas standing close behind him. Lukas’s eyes darted around the arena, searching for a way out without being noticed.

  From where we stood, I could see where the so-called games were to be played. Two men with swords strapped around their waist were in the center of the arena. Their backs faced me as they spoke to the group of hunters who walked in with them. When they took off their robes, exposing their bare torsos, it was obvious they were not hunters or the fallen. They were tanned and thin like the scavengers, but lithe and muscular. Symbols matching the flags they stood next to were etched onto their backs. They were slaves fighting for their masters.

  The fighter with short red hair turned. His green eyes danced as he looked at his dark-haired component.

  There was something familiar about the way the other fighter stood. His head hung down as if he were defeated already. I didn’t understand why. He was at least a head taller than the other fighter and much more muscular. I eyed the black bands wrapped around his wrists and forearms all the way up his powerful biceps. If I were to bet on who’d win, it’d be him.

  When he turned, I gazed into desolate amber eyes that had haunted me since the day my sister died.

  “Sylas!” I slapped a hand over my mouth, shocked at what I’d done. I prayed no one had heard me over the stomping and the cheers.

  Half a dozen hunters standing close turned, ready to tear me apart.

  24

  Cade snatched my arm. My hood flew back as he jerked me to him. “Silence, woman. I’ll give you a name to scream out tonight and it won’t be a weak dog’s.”

  The hunters grunted in appreciation, clapping their hands on Cade’s shoulder before turning their attention back to the center of the arena.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered under his breath.

  “No, it’s my fault. It’s just…I know him.” Sylas was alive! I couldn’t believe he was here. A flood of emotions swept through me. I wanted to run to him, throw my arms around him, and cry into his chest with joy.

  Sylas must have heard me cry out his name because he turned in my direction. Amber eyes studied me with curiosity. I’d been a little girl when he last saw me. Would he remember?

  I could see the wheels in his brain turning as he tried to figure out who I was. His eyes drifted to my right where Big John stood before darting to where Lukas was. He looked between the three of us. Slowly, his brow furrowed and his nostrils flared.

  He knew and he wasn’t happy.

  Keeping his eye on Big John, he spoke to one the hunter holding the flag, who I presumed was his master. The hunter nodded and Sylas immediately made a beeline to us, his face lit with rage.

  “Sylas,” Big John said with surprise when he approached.

  “You need to leave,” Sylas growled at Big John, eyeing Lukas and me. “And take them with you. I can’t believe you brought them here.”

  Where was the kind, sweet Sylas who was in love with Hannah? He was different. Hard. He wore the look of a man who didn’t care about the world.

  “Tovahiel sent them,” Big John said.

  “Tovah will have them killed.” Sylas looked down with empty eyes as he barked at me. “Leave. Now.”

  Tuning on his heel, Sylas marched back to his master. My heart dropped. This wasn’t the man who picked wildflowers and lovingly wove them into Hannah’s hair. I didn’t know this man.

  Then I spotted a flash of pink peeking from one of his bands.

  It was Hannah’s hair ribbon. I’d recognize it anywhere.

  When Sylas turned back to face his opponent, he glanced at me one last time. The familiar sensation surged through me like an ocean wave. I was drowning in a sea of such immense longing that I couldn’t breathe.

  A vivid image of Hannah flashed through my mind. I clutched my chest as pain seared through me, carving out pieces of my heart like a knife as the memory grew stronger.

  Hannah looked up at Sylas, her face so much in love as his thick, calloused hands gently wove ribbons and wildflowers through her hair. When he was done, he threaded his fingers into her hair, cradling her head, and gently drew her to him.

  I could feel my heart cracking into a thousand pieces at every soulful look, every tender touch. Their love was a thing of beauty. And when his lips lightly touched her in a sweet kiss, my heart shattered.

  I jolted out of the vision and looked into Sylas haunted face. Carefully, he tucked the loose ribbon under his bands. Hands that had only known love then curled over the hilt of a sword. Hardening his face, he swayed, calf muscles flexing as he placed his weight from one leg to the other.

  This was not the sweet Sylas who had placed me on his shoulders to pick off the best apples from the tree branches so Hannah could bake us his favorite apple pie. He was a hard-edged warrior. A stranger. A man lost without Hannah.

  Horns blared through the coliseum, followed by the roar of the crowd. On cue, Sylas took a menacing step toward his opponent.

  “Red! Red!” yelled the group of hunters, siding with Sylas’s opponent.

  Red pounded his chest, letting out a roar before he charged to meet Sylas, leaping into the air with his sword held high. Metal clashed against metal when Sylas’s sword met his.

  With a grunt, Sylas shoved Red back, swinging his sword. Red howled when its tip sliced over his muscled abdomen. Red’s green eyes narrowed as he charged at Sylas again.

  Minutes crawled like hours as they fought. I held my breath, praying Sylas wouldn’t get hurt. And for Sylas’s sake, I prayed harder he didn’t kill his opponent. How many times had he been forced to kill? How many deaths by his hands had eaten away at his soul? I knew eventually Sylas or Red would die. It was what the hunters wanted. Blood.

  They were getting tired. Red’s face was a deathly white as he swayed. Blood dripped from his forehead. He blinked as if trying to focus his vision. Sylas stumbled, wiping the sweat drenching his face.

  Taking a breath, Sylas gritted his teeth and lunged forward. Red’s leg hooked out and Sylas fell, dropping his sword. Sylas swiftly rolled away as Red plunged his sword again, again, and again. I bit down on my lip, fighting back a scream as Sylas deftly managed to keep away from death’s door while the crowd roared.

  “Sy-las! Sy-las!”

  “Red! Red!”

  Sylas was barely up on his feet when Red attacked again. Sylas moved too late and Red’s sword sliced across his back.

  I choked back a cry at the anguish cutting across Sylas’s face.

  Cade’s fingertips touched my h
and. His jaw jutted out, and fury blazed through his eyes. Even though he kept his eyes on the fight, I knew what he was trying to tell me. He hated what was happening and felt helpless to do anything about it.

  Sylas stumbled forward, trailing blood across the coliseum floor as he fought desperately to get to his sword.

  The blue-haired girl appeared again. I watched as the girl and her two companions floated around the circle’s edge, watching as if in anticipation.

  There was a loud rumble from the crowd, and I looked back at the center of the arena in horror. Sylas had managed to get not only his sword back, but also a dagger.

  In one swift motion, he threw the blade. It sliced through the air and plunged into Red’s stomach. Blood dripped through his fingers as he clutched his abdomen falling to his knees.

  The crowd thundered.

  “Sylas! Sylas! Sylas!”

  Tears filled my eyes as I watched in disbelief. Sylas marched to Red with his sword held high. He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t.

  Blood dripped out of Red’s wound, rolling in streams down his body and pooling onto the floor. His green eyes widened with shock as Sylas aimed the sword at his neck.

  Before I could even think about what I was doing, I ran to them. “Sylas, no! You’re better than this.”

  An eerie hush washed over the coliseum and I froze, realizing what I’d done. I was alone in the middle of the arena for all to see. Yet, even though I could feel every single pair of eyes in the place boring down on me, the only pair I cared about were right in front of me.

  Like a man waking from a nightmare, Sylas looked at me. Really looked. Gradually, his face shifted to the man my sister fell in love so long ago. His sword slipped out of his fingers onto the floor, the clanging sound reverberating through the silent area.

  Then all hell broke loose.

  “Now, Lukas!” Big John swung his trunk-like arms, shoving back four of the hunters standing next to him.