Her anger pinned me to the floor as it worked to destroy my will. I could feel it eating away at me fueled by a source greater than my own. I tried to fight back, protecting my mind the best I could from her intrusion, pulling everything I had into a protective shell. I could feel my strategy beginning to work, a moment later her trespass into my soul and mind were completely blocked.
"NOOOOOO!" An angry shout rang throughout the room.
Finally able to focus again, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw Harmony lying in a pool of blood. Victor and Mason stood where she lay. I took in the enraged look on Victor's face as he lifted Mason up off the ground with one hand wrapped around his throat, using strength beyond any I had ever seen. The bloody scalpel Mason clutched in his hand clattered to the floor. Confused, I tried to sort through what I was seeing. I watched horrified as Mason's air supply began to run out. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I watched his face take on a peaceful expression, losing the dazed look he had worn before. I reached out with my emotions and could feel the tangible peace Mason felt as I finally peered into his soul. His thoughts were much like the ones I had glimpsed in Harmony, but instead of manifesting into anger, he remained pure, always believing in The Light, despite being surrounded by so much darkness. I could see how he had struggled against Harmony's oppression over the years, but lacked the support of a superior being. My heart wept for the boy that had been left alone to fend for himself amongst so much evil. Within moments, I had a glimpse into his entire life. I pulled my emotions together and sent all the love I could gather his way, showering him with more caring than he had seen since his parents had been brutally murdered so many years ago. His eyes met mine, accepting the only gift I could give him as his eyes glazed over and time resumed its normal speed.
I was watching him so intently that I never saw the person that rushed by me until he crashed into Victor and Mason, knocking them both to the ground. Bewildered, I realized it was Mark that had rushed to the aid of Mason. Within seconds, every Daemon in the room rushed to the aid of their earthly master. Three of them grasped onto Mark pulling him away.
Victor pulled himself to his feet, looking at the two lifeless bodies on the floor. There was no need for me to seek out his emotions, I could feel the rage that surrounded him. For the first time since I met him, Victor was no longer the controlled, dominating person I had come to expect. He kicked at Mason's body one last time with little respect.
"You did this," he said, practically spitting the words at Mark. "You and your whore of a girlfriend," he continued, striding toward me as I backed away. My injured leg threatened to buckle out from under me as I tried to keep distance between us.
"Stay away from her!" Mark yelled, still struggling against his Daemon restraints.
Victor ignored him, continuing to stalk me. His eyes glowed brightly red and I shuddered, realizing he had finally accepted The Dark One into himself. He had Descended. I was shocked to realize that the death of his lackey was the straw that had broken the camel's back. I couldn't help wondering what was so special about Harmony that her death would make him become something he had rejected for years.
"Why?" I finally asked him as I bumped into the concrete wall, running out of space to retreat.
"Why what?" he snarled.
"Why would you do all this," I said, sweeping my hands out to indicate the lifeless bodies of Harmony and Mason. "Now you decide to Descend? Why torture your own flesh and blood if all you were going to do was Descend in the end? Why turn her into a monster?"
"She was NOT a monster, she was a work of art!" He yelled in my face, showering me with his rancid saliva as he backhanded me.
Reeling from the blow that lifted me off the ground, I worked to hold my footing. I could hear scuffling behind him, but I could not see around Victor's bulk. I cringed as I thought about what the Daemons were doing to Mark. I raised a hand to my cheek, feeling the swollen skin that stretched from my lip to the corner of my left eye.
"Is that the best you got?" I mocked, using a tone I was sure would get under his skin. I fought back a small smile as my words had their desired effect.
"You are as foolish as you are insolent, standing there so proud. Are you expecting some kind of miracle? Perhaps you're wondering where your Archangel is. He won't be swooping in to save the day. He cannot enter this area. It's sacred," he said, wrapping a hand around my throat much like he had Mason. "You have to be invited by a greater being, and just put it this way, I won't be calling your Angel in anytime soon."
"Sacred?" I asked, not understanding.
"I chose this space for my lab specifically. It is centered directly over a gateway The Dark One himself uses. The folklore surrounding the mountain is true, although instead of aliens like the locals believe, it is The Dark One and his loyal servants that inhabit this space."
"If that's true, why would he allow you to build this monstrosity on his sacred ground?" I asked, trying to make sense of his words.
"Because my dear naïve girl, I have given him what he craves the most over the years."
"What?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"Forgotten Souls."
"Forgotten Souls?" I asked as bile climbed its way up my throat. "You give him humans that are still alive?"
"Well, just put it this way, they're no longer human once they make the journey through the gateway," he said, using the same mocking tone I was completely sick of by now. His fingers tightened slightly around my throat, limiting my air supply. "Would you like to see what Forgotten Souls feed on when they come back?" He asked, shifting our bodies so I could see the mayhem behind us.
The Light inside me extinguished as I reached out with my emotions and discovered the Daemons were feasting on my friends' souls.
"NO!" I shrieked, trying to squirm out of his hold.
His fingers tightened further, "Yes my dear. They take what they have lost, their souls. They may not be the sharpest tacks, but they are loyal servants, and will follow me wherever I choose to go."
My oxygen level declined as I scraped feebly at the back of his hand, trying to break free. My vision began to cloud, and for the first time since we had entered the mountain, I called out in vain for Haniel. I knew all was lost and my only regret was that Victor would continue to wreak havoc on the earthly realm once we were gone. I closed my eyes, praying the end would come quickly.
"Let go of her!" A voice thundered across the lab.
My eyes flew open in time to see Victor's incredulous expression as he released his deathly grip on my throat.
I slid down the wall, trying to catch my breath. The ground beneath me began to shake and shudder as Victor turned toward the voice.
"How are you here?" Victor asked, sounding confused for the first time.
"I was invited by someone far greater than you," Haniel said, looking at me briefly. "She holds more power than you could ever dream realize."
"You think you can defeat me?" Victor asked, glaring at Haniel with hatred.
"You are already defeated. I am merely here to send you home," Haniel said as the quaking beneath our feet intensified.
I watched in amazement as the concrete flooring in the center of the room gave way, sinking into oblivion below it.
Join the others, I heard Haniel's thoughts in my head.
I glanced at my friends and was relieved to see that Haniel's appearance had spared them from the Daemons onslaught. John and Jacob clutched their unconscious Guides, dragging them to where Mark stood on the far side of the room. Using the wall for support, I slowly crept along the perimeter of the room as the flooring in the center of the room continued to sink away.
"You think I will just jump in there willing?" Victor asked belligerently, inching toward the doors that led to the lab.
Knowing his intention, I reversed my direction and headed toward the doors to ward off his escape. I was so intent on my mission that I gasped when a hand snaked out and grasped my own. Glancing down, I saw Mark's long lean fingers wrapped securely around my wrist.
I don't think so, his thoughts flashed through my mind. Haniel has this.
Looking up, I saw he was right. Haniel continued to stalk Victor, closing in on him.
"You are nothing Angel," Victor said as he finally reached his destination and grasped onto one of the door handles behind him.
I wanted to shout out a warning to Haniel, but saw he was one step ahead of me as Victor pulled on the doorknob in vain.
"You will not be leaving the mountain that way Victor. The Light has made a deal with The Dark One," Haniel said, continuing his slow advance.
"The Dark One does not make deals with The Light," Victor said, looking scared for the first time.
"He made an exception this time. You see, he feels that someone like you must be stopped from ever walking in the earthly realm again."
"What could The Light possibly offer The Dark One that he couldn't obtain himself?" Victor asked.
"The Angel that watches over his most treasured celestial beings," Haniel answered, finally reaching out to grasp Victor.
Haniel's words took a moment to sink in.
"No!" I screamed, trying to break Mark's hold on me so I could race to Haniel's side. How could The Light offer up Haniel for us?
Mark's grip on me tightened, holding me in place.
"No, no," I said again as tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I struggled against Mark, trying to use my new gifts against him to break his hold, but realized his gifts matched my own. I could not break away from the one person who was equal to me. I watched Haniel with grief-stricken eyes as he slowly dragged Victor across the floor.
Haniel's eyes met mine as he held a vice-like grip on Victor's flailing body.
"It is the only way Krista," he said sincerely before he jumping into the empty space, dragging Victor with him.
Victor's screams slowly faded away, but mine remained as I watched Haniel disappear into total darkness.
Mark released his hold on my wrist as I sank to my knees sobbing. Disbelief flowed through me as Haniel's death pierced through me like a sword. How could The Light value Haniel's life so much less than ours?
Through dazed eyes, I watched as Mark, John and Jacob used their strength and Mark's new powers to shove the Daemons down the gaping hole in the floor. None of them put up much of a fight, confused that their master had disappeared on them. Within seconds, only our group remained in the huge room. The floor began to shake and shudder again as the hole in the center of the room began to grow. I approached the hole in the floor, wanting to jump in myself.
Mark jerked me backwards just as the floor collapsed where I had stood. "Dying won't bring him back!" He yelled over the deafening noise of the building caving in around us.
I looked at him blankly, trying to make sense of what The Light had done.
"We have to leave!" Mark said, shaking my shoulders.
I nodded, knowing he was right. Even if I jumped in the hole that took Haniel, it wouldn't change anything.
I saw John and Jacob scoop up Kieran and Kim into their arms, sprinting along the perimeter of the room toward us. Mark grasped onto my wrist and pulled me from the room toward the double doors. He used his broad shoulders to ram into the doors, flinging them open as we ran. John and Jacob sprinted behind us, cradling their Guides in their arms. Glancing back, I saw that the floor continued to crumble away, nipping at our feet as we raced down the endless hallway.
"Hurry," I yelled at Jacob, finally coming to my senses as I watched him struggle to keep up.
My words seemed to give him the burst of speed he needed as he caught up to us just as we burst through the heavy door, depositing us into the early dawn air. The door behind us collapsed as the mountain sealed itself away, leaving nothing but rubble behind.
Victor's lair had disappeared into where it rightfully belonged, taking the monster that had haunted us for so many years with it.
We sat on the ground that continued to rumble, trying to catch our breath. Glancing around at my friends, I was relieved to see Kim and Kieran starting to come around in the arms of their Protectors.
"Krista?" A voice called out behind us.
Turning around, I saw Lynn and Robert stepping out of the woods approaching us with their entire party still intact.
Jumping to my feet, I limped toward them as fast as my injured leg would allow.
"Are you okay?" Lynn asked, openly crying.
"Yes, are you?"
"Yeah, we never made it into the mountain. We got to the back entrance, but Haniel couldn't enter. He tried everything and finally disappeared for a while to confer with The Light. When he came back, he said we needed to wait until you called for him. He said once that happened, we were to make our way to this entrance and wait for you," Robert said. "Where is Sam?" He continued in the same breath.
"She's at the hospital with Shawn. I'm sure she's okay," I said, trying to ease his anxiety.
"Krista, where is Haniel?" Lynn asked, looking around anxiously.
I shook my head, unable to answer her question. Hot tears tracked down my cheeks as the impact of his death hit me full-on.
"No," Lynn said, unwilling to believe. She turned to John for a more suitable answer, but he merely nodded his head, confirming what I had been unable to say.
I closed my eyes as my friends expressed their anguish.
"What are you doing here?" I heard Lynn demand.
Opening my eyes, I saw her studying Mark harshly.
I started to explain, but Mark held up his hand. "Let me," he said, pulling me into his arms, giving me the comfort I so desperately needed. I sank back into his arms gratefully.
Mark plunged into an explanation, highlighting everything our group had missed. I watched the play of emotions cross their faces as they realized Mark had never crossed over, along with their pain when he explained the sacrifice Haniel had made for all of us.
We were here because Haniel had given his life for us.
Mark's words stalled as an imposing figure stepped out of the woods. For the briefest moment, I thought it was Haniel and my heart leaped to my throat, but to my dismay I could see it was a different Archangel.
"Krista, Mark," the stranger nodded, "you are to accompany me. There is someone who wishes to seek your acquaintance," he said formally, sounding much like Haniel had when we first met him.
My heart wept as the pain of losing Haniel hit me acutely.
"Why?" Mark asked.
"That is a question only he can answer," he said, waiting for us to join him.
