Execution (The Divine Book 6)

Published by Quirky Algorithms

Seattle, Washington

This novel is a work of fiction and a product of the author's imagination.
 

Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by M.R. Forbes

All rights reserved.

I could feel Elyse and Rose's hands on my arms, though my body slumped forward, hanging from their grip as every muscle lost rigidity. The demon's voice was soft in my mind, and at the same time the power of it was almost deafening.
 

"You made a promise, diuscrucis," Abaddon said. "I have no wish to return to this horrible place."

I blinked my eyes, fighting against the threatening unconsciousness.
 

"Can you hear me?" I asked, pushing my words inward to the place where I could feel him. It was a dark place in my soul, a place I had closed off to heal.

"Yes. I hear you. What has that demon done?" he said. "Diuscrucis, I will not be controlled."

It was the connection that allowed us to speak. The one we had forged inside the Box. It was the promise I had made, to see him destroyed so completely that his soul would no longer be tormented in Hell, or brought back to this world to even greater torment. These things had bound us, linked us together through that black pit. The distance from Hell to where I was had been too far. Now we were together. Closer than I would have guessed.

"A summoning spell," I said. "I tried to stop it. I was too late."

He howled in my mind, the power of it nearly knocking me out.

"I can't help you if you kill me," I screamed at him.

"I hate this place. I hate this body. I hate this power. I hate. I hate."

"Landon?" Rose said. Her voice sounded as if it were a million miles away. "Landon? What's happening?"

I ignored her.
 

"Abaddon, I will keep my promise. I will find a way. Tell me where you are."

The demon's power eased in my head. He could have destroyed me had he wanted to. The connection was strong enough, and he had the ability. He didn't want me dead. Maybe I was the only thing in the world that he didn't want dead.

"Dark. It's still dark. I don't know. Find the demon. Make him tell you."

"I will. You have to back off. You're going to destroy me. I can't even stand up right now."

The pain lessened immediately, my blurred vision regaining focus. I found my legs, getting them under me and using them to stand. Rose and Elyse sensed my return and released their grip.

"Landon?" Rose said again. "Are you okay?"

I looked over at her, blinking a few times. There was a sudden dark hue to the world that I had never noticed before. It hung in front of me, like a shadow that was in the wrong place.
 

It was Abaddon. Watching me? Or just leaving me a reminder?

"Keep the promise."

I would never be free of him until I freed him from the universe.

"No," I said to Rose. "I'm not okay. None of us are okay. Abaddon is free. We have to stop him."

"Free?" Rose asked. "What does that mean, Abaddon is free?"

"Nothing good," Elyse said. "Abaddon was made in the likeness of the Beast. He has the power to destroy every living thing on Earth. The question is, how did he get out of Hell?"

"Randolph Hearst summoned him," I said.

"Hearst?" Elyse replied. "That lowlife? He doesn't have the power to pull something like this off."

"Not on his own. I'm betting he had help."

"Gervais?"

"No. Gervais wouldn't want to share in a play like that."
 

I turned my attention to the UPS delivery man. Alyx was still holding him up against the wall, the strength in her tiny hands almost comical. The man didn't move. His face was bleached white, and he had a stain on the front of his pants.

"You son of a bitch," I said. "What's your motive, Gervais?"

"What?" the man said. "Look, mister, I don't know who you think I am, but-"

"Cut the shit," I said, moving in closer to him. "You remember Alyx, don't you?"

She bared her teeth for me. They elongated into fangs as she did.

The man looked terrified, and he tried to run, his legs moving futilely along the ground while she held his neck.

"Judging by what Abaddon said to me, he didn't come across at full strength. I know you know what the hell is going on here. I know there's a reason you came to deliver that message personally, and I know there's a reason you let it happen in the first place. Stop playing games, or Alyx here is going to play one of her own."

The man's eyes shifted from me to Alyx, and back. Then he sighed loudly.

"Oh, fine. Have it your way, Landon."
 

He morphed in front of us, returning to the thin man with the curly black hair and the accent that I loved to hate.

"How did you know it was me?"

I smiled. "I didn't. I figured if I was wrong, at worst I would have scared the crap out of a deliveryman."

"Bah, I should have guessed. What did you mean, judging by what Abaddon said to me?"

"You aren't the one asking questions here. Tell me what your game is, Gervais. I know you will because you don't want to die, and you aren't powerful enough yet to prevent Alyx from killing you."

"Can you at least put me down?" he asked. "I will explain everything I know, but it would be so much nicer to sit and chat."

Alyx looked at me. I nodded. She released her grip, and Gervais fell to the ground. He reached up and rubbed at his neck.
 

"That's going to leave a mark," he said.

"Where have you been for the last three weeks?" I asked.
 

"Oh, here and there. You know how it is for demons."

"Gervais," I said.
 

He gave me his little French laugh and shrugged. "You defeated the Fists of God and kept your part of our bargain. You didn't need me around anymore."

"You tried to take Zheng's memories. His knowledge of how to make them."

"Well, of course, I did. That is how this works, isn't it, diuscrucis? I already told you I want to return to my former glory. I can't do that unless I have an ulterior motive. In this case, I was hoping to take our friend's memories and use them to make Fists under my control. It was a bit of a risk, but it was win, win as long as you defeated that stupid Angel."

"And now you hacked your bonded promise so that Hearst could bring Abaddon back into this world. Why?"

"I want to use his power."

"I don't need you to tell me that part. Hearst summoned him. Hearst is in control of him. That's how it works, isn't it?"

"Yes. Mostly. There are ways." He smiled the annoying, mischievous grin that I hated so much. "There are always ways. So, let me tell you why you want to keep me around."

"Good idea," I said. "Though after the last time, I'm considering taking my chances without you."

"As well you should. But it would be a mistake. You see, I know where he summoned the demon. I know where they are keeping him. You're right when you say he isn't at full strength just yet. Except it isn't because his power didn't come across. It's because they are holding it. They don't want Abaddon free in this world. They don't want to destroy every living thing. If they did, what would they feed on? No, they have managed to contain him and his power. Now they will work to extract that power and use it to their own ends."

"You seem to know a lot about it," Rose said.

"Of course I do, my flower."

"How?"

He changed shape again, turning into a fat man with a short beard. "I can be anyone as long as they are human. This one was one of Hearst's. He had access to the Solen Intranet." He changed back to himself. "It is funny, the things that can be found on intranets these days. Such high security from outsiders, but nothing once you are inside. Especially if you're the administrator."

"So you got Hearst's secret hideout for Abaddon from the intranet?" I asked, skeptical.

"No. I got the names of a few demons who had access. That is the thing about lesser demons, Landon. They are very easy to seduce if you have the right body." He morphed into Rose's sister again, sticking out his hip and grabbing his breasts.

"You asshole," Rose said, her face twisting in anger.

"Gervais," I said, putting out a hand to hold Rose back.
 

"It was a little distasteful, what I had to do for the information, but worth it in the end. A demon with sexual mores is a bit too ironic for me in any case."

"Get to the point," I said.

"Ah, yes. The point. The point is, I know where they are storing Abaddon. You do not. Therefore, you need me to help you."

"I wouldn't have if you had kept our first bargain."

"No."

"And if I make another bargain with you, you're going to renege on that, too."

"Likely."

"So why wouldn't I just find Abaddon on my own? I'm sure Hearst would be happy to tell me where he is."

"Go ahead, Landon. Go to Hearst and ask him about Abaddon. See what you get from him. Why don't you take your harem with you? I will wait here for you to come back and ask me to make a deal." He paused, looking smug. "You will come back to make a deal. I'm certain of it."