Raven's Breath (The Women of Purgatory) (21 page)

"Don't worry about Death. I'll take care of him." I wasn't sure how, but I knew Heaven had chosen me for a reason and with Michael and Garrett by my side, I had no doubt that we could stop him.

"Look. Right there!" Garrett exclaimed. "Do you see that?"

Far off in the distance a swirl of phenoms was amassing into a large tornado that looked to be "touching down" in the middle of the sky.

"That has to be it." I said.

"All right. Once we are close, remain behind me while I gain access. Raven, you keep Garrett out of the way until I'm able to immobilize Holli and possibly Svell if necessary. Then head straight for Death. Use your ribbons to ensnare him. The perk he gave you may just be the one thing that will allow us to stop him in the end."

We all nodded at one another and took flight. Michael with his sword aloft, looking like the fiercest warrior I'd ever seen, and me, carrying Garrett just like when we'd flown above the rooftops for fun.

When we reached the spinning vortex of phenoms, Michael paused just beside the point of the storm. There was a slight warble at the very tip and it was precisely in that disturbed space where Michael thrust his sword.

Suddenly the sky started to tear, creating a hole into Death's castle just as we'd hoped. The phenoms poured through the opening and filled the chamber in one massive tumble. It was the perfect distraction.

Michael dove inside and I followed, placing Garrett against the far wall closest to the door. Even though we couldn't see either of them yet, we all heard Death bellow and Holli scream.

I spun around, looking from side-to-side, pin-pointing where everyone was. I spotted Michael, in the center of the room, just below the metal structure. He had his sword poised at Holli's neck.

"Wait!" I screamed.

I knew I was supposed to leave Holli to him and focus on stopping Death, but seeing her there, with that petrified look on her face, there was no way I'd be able to focus until I knew the truth.

With one pump of my wings I flew to the center of the storm, motioned for Michael to back off, and grabbed Holli by both arms.

"Tell me the truth! Who are you?"

"I don't know what you mean?" she sobbed. "Raven, please. Help me get out of here."

It was only then that I noticed that she was tied to a pole that rose out of the floor.

I reached for the chain that was running between her wrists and the steel rod.

"Don't. They're spelled," she said in a rush.

"That's right, they
are
spelled, which means she's not going anywhere." Death's voice boomed from behind me.

Michael and I spun around, and though it was hard to see through the thick frenzy of buzzing phenoms, I finally spotted Death creeping towards us from the right side of the room.

"There," I whispered to Michael, gesturing with a slight tilt of my chin.

"Got him."

Michael pushed off and disappeared into the cloud above me. I expected him to land behind Death any second, but when he didn't, I decided to make my move.

I threw out my ribbons and smiled a wicked smile when they attached with ease.

"Seems you're plan isn't going to work after all," I taunted.

I felt a slight tug on my ribbons but held tight, even as Death leered at me.

"You think you've beaten me? ME?" His voice echoed all around me as he threw his hands into the air. My ribbons fell from him as he shifted from man to shadow and back again. Suddenly, I was the one stuck, caught within the confines of the swirling black souls that radiated out from his entire body. Apparently, Garrett's theory had been correct; Death had been absorbing all the phenoms into himself.

Dammit! Where are you, Michael?

"No! Please stop. Don't hurt her," Holli pleaded.

"Don't worry, my love. In a moment, you won't care about her at all."

I struggled and strained, flaring my wings, trying anything to break free from the phenoms.

Death approached Holli, holding out his hand. His scythe materialized out of the swirling black smoke, the deadly tip glowing blue the closer it got to her temple.

Panicked, I increased my efforts, wriggling and writhing but to no avail.

"I took your memories with the help of your father, as a way to gain access to what I needed, but also to help free you from your immortal ties, as was our deal. No longer will you be stuck in Hell, just as I will no longer be stuck serving my endless sentence here."

"What are you talking about?" Holli's tears flowed in earnest.

"I'm talking about the chance for us both to live again. Really live, Holli, on Earth. Free to enjoy life, and eventually death, as it's meant to be. Once I remove most of your soul, you'll no longer be immortal, but I'll leave you with just enough so that you can join me topside, where we can live out the remainder of our very long lives."

Holli's head shook back and forth while tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "You're crazy. And I don't understand why you're doing this or what you're even talking about."

"Just hold still, my dear, and everything will become clear."

I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping for a boost of strength, or to simply offer a distraction and delay what was about to happen.

It wasn't me, however, who gave Holli a small reprieve.

It was Krev.

36

"What are
you
doing here?" Death demanded.

"Do you think I would miss this fairy-tale ending?" Krev's voice sounded funny, odd and layered with a strange accent.

"How did you get in here?" Death asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"The same way the archangel did. I tore a hole in space." His eerie smile sent chills up my spine.

I looked up to the ceiling to see Michael, unconscious and tied to the steel structure high above our heads. His wings were frayed and torn around the edges where a shimmering green rope cut into them.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

Krev's laugh was sinister. "Hel's father, of course."

Loki
.

"That's right...I can tell by the look on your face you've got it all sorted out." A shimmer in the air revealed the God behind the mask. The image of Krev disappeared and was replaced by the Norse God of Mischief; blonde, handsome, and evil through and through.

"Wave hi to Daddy." He wiggled his fingers at Holli, who looked like she was about to pass out.

I pulled as hard as I could against the souls still holding me captive but couldn't move an inch.

"Loki. My friend. You surprised me. I had no idea you'd taken on the guise of one of my Reapers."

Death was trying his
damnedest to sound at ease, but I'd been around him long enough to know when he was feeling strained. And right now...I could tell he was feeling
very
strained.

"I was just about to free your daughter's memories. Would you like to do the honors instead?" Death offered.

Loki moved towards Holli, and I couldn't breathe. I certainly didn't want to meet the Goddess Hel, but more importantly, I didn't want to lose my friend.

"Wait. Please. Why do you need to take her soul? I mean, if she can travel to Hell, why don't you just have her bring you another demon to use? Then you can take her topside with you, whole and unharmed." I wasn't really sure if what I was suggesting made any sense or helped Holli in any real way, but as long as I could keep them talking, and Death's scythe away from her, I'd say anything that popped into my head.

"Because, Raven. If I want to make sure all my hard work pays off, I can't settle for anything less than the most potent souls of both Heaven and Hell. It's the only way to make my visit permanent, or at least until I die a natural death at the end of my very long life on Earth."

Panicked by his words "the most potent souls" I stole a quick glance at Michael and prayed Death wasn't planning on reaping his soul as well.
Keep him talking
.

"Why would you want that? You spent your entire existence creating the Reapers and performing your job. A job, may I remind you, that is probably the most important in the world. You alone are in charge of maintaining the balance in the universe. Doesn't that satisfy you in the slightest?"

"It used to. Until I saw that in order to do my job, it was I who had to pay the highest price. The longer I served as Death, the less
I
became." The muscles in his jaw clenched and his knuckles turned white around his scythe. "To say it's been a miserable existence would be an understatement. So, when Loki approached me with an alternative, I simply couldn't pass it up. I've served this sentence for far too long."

I took a deep breath and couldn't deny the twinge of sympathy I felt. Even with as powerful as he was, a
pparently, being Death came with a downside.

"I'm sorry you feel as though this position has been a punishment, but you have Holli now. Why can't you just stay here and keep things the way they are?"

I hated offering that as an alternative, but again, I was desperate and would say anything to stall them.

"Because, part of the deal is to free my daughter from the confines of her position as well," Loki interrupted. "Hel will walk the Earth again, and I for one, can't wait to see the chaos she brings with her."

Loki's triumphant laugh was interrupted when Garrett came crashing through the door with Svell hot (or cold?) on his heels.

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Garrett dove out of the way, leaving the ice-hellion to slide directly into Loki, who yowled in pain when his entire right arm turned to ice.

"Call off your dog, Daughter," he commanded.

"Never!" Holli screamed, then nodded her head at Svell. The beast turned and blew out a massive breath of crystallized ice, freezing both Loki and Death right where they stood. The instant their connection was severed, all the phenoms fell to the floor, covering it in a layer of black fog.

Silence reigned for a split-second before Holli exclaimed, "Garrett! Thank goodness you're all right."

I pushed off the ground and flew to Michael's side, leaving the lovebirds to comfort each other. The green rope holding Michael had lost its luminosity so I grabbed it and tugged.

It fell away easily, dropping to the ground.

I glided us back to the floor and laid him on the tile, displacing the fog with the mass of our bodies.

"Michael, please wake up." I ran my hand down his cheek and placed a kiss on his lips.

Garrett and Holli joined me, standing silently off to the side. "Is he dead?" Holli asked.

Tears filled my eyes and I shook my head. "No. He can't be." I lowered my head and prayed my words were true.

Svell came to stand next to his mistress, his frosty breath tickling the back of my neck. We all remained still and after a few moments, were covered in a light dusting of frost.

Michael inhaled and the chilly flakes slid from his rising chest. "Michael!" I threw myself across him.

"Raven." He coughed. "Are you all right?"