Entanglement

“You’re going to fight me, little angel girl?” Leviathan laughed. Azlynn stood her ground. She would not be cowed by this evil creature in front of her. Leviathan was again in his glamoured form; a tall man with carefully chiseled features and black hair with piercing eyes of the palest shade of slate. Azlynn knew that he must have enchanted countless mortal women, and maybe even a few non-mortals ones as well, in that striking lie of a skin.

He was broad-shouldered and well over six feet tall. He radiated power. Leviathan drew woman and demons alike to him in droves. But all Azlynn saw was a monster. Demons of all rank and power filled the cavernous room, as did the mortal beings they had stolen from Earth and brought here for their demented amusement. Tortured souls also lined the walls and lay sprawled on the floor while demons did whatever they wished to them. Azlynn felt sick and her skin crawled.

Screams, cackles, moans, and sobs filled the air. The stench of evil and malice was so thick it was almost a tangible thing. Azlynn faced her father, who was sitting leisurely in a giant throne made of bones and skin.

“No, I’m not going to fight you,” she said, voice resonating against the stone walls. “I’m going to defeat you.”

Laughter flickered around her, but Azlynn ignored it.

“You certainly do have some spunk in you, don’t you daughter?” Leviathan leaned forward, appraising her. “You must have gotten that from me.”

“I got it from my mother,” Azlynn spat. Leviathan smirked. “Have it your way. Why would I want to spoil my party by fighting my own flesh and blood?”

“Are you afraid?” Azlynn taunted, her voice cutting loudly through the din to make sure everyone heard. It was a dangerous game, trying to mock a demon. But Azlynn knew pride and power were the best nerves to strike to goad Leviathan. She was right; his amiable expression instantly hardened.

“I fear no child,” he snarled. “Fetch a weapon of your choosing from the armory and let’s be done with this.”

Azlynn did as he ordered, eyeing everything in the weapons room carefully. She wore a glamour; deciding to keep her full transformation a secret from her father, for now. Azlynn paused, her eyes landing on an angel’s armor. It must have been taken as a souvenir from the battle that locked Lucifer in the deepest circle of Hell.

Azlynn ran her fingers reverently over the metal, which still gleamed even in this shadowy place.

“I’ll do you honor, fallen warrior,” she whispered. She donned the armor, her wings sticking majestically out the back. The armor was thin and silver; and Azlynn knew it had been a woman’s armor by the way it flowed like a liquid dress. It fell to her knees; the rest of her legs were covered in silver boots of the same lightweight, but nearly impenetrable, material. Angel armor was made from dragon scales and crystallized stardust from parts of the universe that humans would never fathom. It fit her well. The sleeves were short; thick braided straps more than sleeves, really. Azlynn opted out of wearing the long gloves, but she did secure them in the thin belt that looped around her waist. She didn’t want to leave anything here; this armor belonged in Heaven.

She pulled her hair back into a braid, and searched for the long, thin blade that would have belonged to the angel who owned this armor. She found it hidden deep within a rack of other, larger swords. The hilt was pure silver, with ancient symbols of power and protection carved into it. Azlynn slid it into its proper place in the sheath at her belt and returned to the Feast.

She froze outside the arena when she saw Dante, grim-faced, and Charlotte, wide-eyed and stark naked, standing near Leviathan.

“Stupid,” she hissed under her breath. They shouldn’t have come for her. Fire was literally flashing from Dante’s eyes and it skittered up and down his arms, working to undo the chains he was bound in. Azlynn smiled to herself; it would take time but Dante’s fire was no ordinary fire. The first dragons were born from the fire of the first stars; their magic was nearly unrivaled. Weredragons were rare, and not as powerful as an original dragon due to their human blood, but they were remarkably strong. Eventually Dante’s enraged fire would burn those chains right off.

Leviathan had placed a silver band on Charlotte’s arm, and she was struggling and cursing while he laughed at her. He said something, and Charlotte gaped as Azlynn strode into the ring, armor shimmering in the torchlight.

“Ah, so you’re a traditionalist, I see,” Leviathan mused, taking in Azlynn’s attire and weapon choice.

“Let them go,” Azlynn said irritably. Dante paused in his escape attempts for a moment to drink in her face. She knew he must have been half-crazed to find her gone this morning. She gave him a reassuring look before returning to glaring at Leviathan.

“I’ll be right with you, Azlynn dear.” Her father turned back to Charlotte. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You will be my pet, whether you like it or not,” he informed her. Azlynn could see the fear in Charlotte’s eyes. Azlynn herself felt uneasy; she knew that Leviathan was planning something devious. He wanted to taunt her, hurt her, flaunt his power to cow her. And he was going to use Dante and Charlotte to do it.

Azlynn stood firmly in place, though. She couldn’t rashly charge him. He would simply snap Charlotte’s neck, or perhaps mind control her into killing herself. That seemed more his style.

“I must admit, Charlotte, that you’re not really my type,” Leviathan went on. “But it might be nice to have a Blood Mage as one of my consorts. And as entertaining as feisty girls can be, I prefer my pets to be a bit more…submissive.”

Azlynn stared, aghast, as Leviathan leaned forward and pressed his lips against Charlotte’s. She struggled for a moment, but then she responded to his kiss. Azlynn cringed and Dante just gawked with his mouth hanging open. Charlotte pressed herself against Leviathan’s chest, whimpering as he pulled away. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused.

“You will serve my every wish,” Leviathan whispered, his voice a dagger sheathed in velvet. He ran his fingertips over Charlotte’s collar bone and she sighed. Azlynn felt embarrassment and rage spark in her chest. He frowned as his fingers ran over the mark that Drew had left on her shoulder.

“Well this won’t do,” he said. “Can’t have my toys stamped with someone else’s trademark, now can I?” He covered the spot with his own mouth, and Azlynn’s stomach roiled. For a moment Charlotte’s eyes grew wide and she made a sound like she was in pain. Then the glazed look came into her eyes again. Azlynn’s heart sank as Leviathan pulled away. Drew’s mark was gone, replaced by what looked like a half-healed burn mark in the shape of an upside-down triangle.

Leviathan patted Charlotte’s head like she was a dog, then kissed her neck. Azlynn felt red-hot fury pulsing beneath her skin.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that rape still turns you on,” she said, her tone deadly.

“It’s not rape with a willing partner,” Leviathan said dismissively, letting go of Charlotte. She swayed on her feet, then sat down hard on the ground, shaking and looking disoriented.

“They’re not willing if you’re using mind control on them,” Azlynn snapped.

“Oh it really doesn’t take much of that,” Leviathan said, his grin sleazy and triumphant. “My touch is very much like a drug to mortals. Or almost mortals,” he added slyly, striding off the dais and entering the ring where Azlynn stood. “Your mother of course was not as easy as most to seduce, but eventually she gave in as they all do, and she quite enjoyed it when I-”

Azlynn flew at him. The punch she landed on his jaw sent him flying hard against the invisible wards that blocked anyone from interfering when a duel was taking place.

His jaw hung useless for a moment, before repairing itself. It was a good shot, but Azlynn knew she had caught him off guard. The next blow wouldn’t be so easy. But rage and determination were pumping through her blood, and it created a heady intoxication of raw strength and adrenaline. She didn’t even reach for her blessed sword as he came at her. Her training and anger took over. Their battle shook the walls; they could probably feel the tremors all the way up to the gateway. Almost no words were exchanged, and eventually the jeering of the surrounding demons faded to silence.

There was nothing in the world but the demon in front of her and her need to kill him. Leviathan slammed her with a jet of Hellfire, and Azlynn was barely able to throw up a wall of Angelfire in self-defense. The black and white flames collided, sizzling and crackling as they burned to hot and bright they were nearly blinding, even for her.

The flames dissipated, and suddenly he was there in front of her. He rammed his fist to hard into her gut that she felt her ribs shatter. They would heal, but the pain still made Azlynn choke and stumble back. Leviathan grinned. He seized the opportunity to weaken her. He knocked her knees out from under her, then grabbed her by her hair and yanked. Azlynn cried out in spite of herself.

“Silly girl, thinking you could defeat me.” Leviathan flung her by her hair across the warded arena. Azlynn struck the barrier and gasped in pain as the wards singed her flesh. She crumpled to the ground, her body working overtime to heal her injuries.

“Did you think you were special, little Azlynn?” he murmured, coming to stand beside her, kicking her hard in her not-quite-healed ribs. Dots danced in front of her eyes. He slammed a fist on Hellfire against her back, pressing her face into the ground. She channeled more energy into the hard shield she could create around her wings. If Leviathan damaged them too severely, she would be doomed. Wings took the longest to heal.

“Did you really think you could defeat me, daughter?” Leviathan kicked her again, forcing her onto her back. She stared up into his cruel eyes, which by now had lost their human appearance and were completely that pale, pale blue-gray. “I am the strongest, Azlynn. Stronger even than Lucifer, though he is too foolish to know it yet. I will crush you, little angel, and then I will crush the worlds you love so much.”

Azlynn flicked her gaze to the side, seeing Charlotte still slumped on the floor, looking flushed and sick, and Dante. His eyes were pleading with her. Azlynn took a shuddering breath, wincing as her battered body complained. She had one more trick up her sleeve. She met Leviathan’s cold stare.

She closed her eyes. Dante, when I count to three, use your fire. Use all of it, every ounce of strength you have. She felt him consent through the mental link. One…two…

Leviathan raised a blade made of brimstone and Hellfire and plunged it straight for Azlynn’s heart.

“Three!” she screamed. The world outside the arena exploded in red and gold flames as the blade shattered. Leviathan stared down at the broken pieces in utter disbelief. Then he looked at Azlynn, and his eyes widened. She shed her glamour entirely.

“You are nothing,” she said, her voice echoing. Azlynn’s body healed abruptly, and she flung Leviathan away from her with a flick of her wrist. “You are nothing!” she repeated. She drew her sword and wrapped both hands around it, filling the blade with both Hell and Angelfire. The combined flames burned as brilliant as an erupting sun and the sword was transformed into a torch of unimaginable, furious beauty.

“This is for my mother.” Azlynn kicked out with her right foot, smashing Leviathan into the ground with a crack of stone. She reached into the hole and dragged him out, holding him up off the ground with one hand. “This is for my friends.” She hurled him against he wards so hard the left side of his body burned to almost nothing. He roared in pain and jerked away. His body began to heal, but his skin still smoked and his once handsome face was a gruesome mask.

“This is for Earth.” Azlynn reached down, ripping his good arm clean out of the socket with a sickening crunch. Leviathan howled. Even that injury would heal, but it would take time.

Time Leviathan didn’t have.

Azlynn stood over him, wreathed in the fires of the damned and the saviors. “And this, Father,” she said icily. “This is for me.” Azlynn raised the burning sword, then plunged it into Leviathan’s chest. A terrible howl filled the air, making the walls tremble. Leviathan’s body curled in on itself, flesh burning away to gory muscle, then to bone, then to ash, and nothingness. The fire around the arena went out, and silence filled the room so completely that Azlynn thought she may have gone deaf.

Something slammed into her chest, making her gasp. For a moment she felt like she was engulfed in flame, but as abruptly as it began the feeling was gone. Azlynn faced the scene before her. Dante had slaughtered a number of the demons, and had flung a dark pelt over Charlotte, who now stood beside Leviathan’s throne in the form of a giant black Hellhound, snarling at any demon that came near her. Many of the mortals were dead; blood leaking from their ears, eyes, noses, and mouths. Leviathan’s scream. It had shattered the insides of their skulls.

Azlynn murmured a prayer for them, hoping the Reapers guided them safely to their new destination. Azlynn tensed up for another fight, but the demons made no move to attack her. Instead they watched her with a sense of stunned awe. There was a hint of hostility in some of their gazes, but they cleared a path for her as she made her way to Dante and Charlotte.

Dante immediately swept her into his arms. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he breathed.

“Wasn’t really planning on it,” she murmured back. It gave her a jolt of joy that Dante was never wary of her. Everyone else who saw her in her true form was frightened of her, or wanted to study her like a bug under the microscope. But Dante always just saw her.

“Mistress,” a gravelly voice mumbled, and Azlynn whipped around, sword drawn.

“No need for that,” the demon said hurriedly, cringing back from her.

“What do you want?” Azlynn demanded.

“I merely wish to ask my mistress what she wishes us to do with the remaining prisoners.” The demon gestured nervously to the mortals who had survived, and were huddled against the walls with terror on their faces. Azlynn blinked, lowering her sword.

“Let them go,” she commanded. “Return them to their homes on Earth, and erase their memories of this night.”

Some of the demons began to mutter and none of them moved to obey her order.

“Now!” Her shout made them jump, and they slunk away to carry out the command.

“So, a new general in the legions of Hell.” Azlynn glanced over to see a writhing snake-like demon wriggling through the carnage. He swayed up to look in her eyes. Azlynn’s hand shot out and wrapped around his throat.

“No hypnosis, Sufjan,” she said calmly. “You ought to know better than that.”

“My apologies, My Lady,” Sufjan’s forked tongue flicked out quickly. Azlynn shoved past him, and he faded into ashy shadow and slithered away.

“Come on,” Azlynn said to Dante and Charlotte. “We have to get back to Earth; we have work to do.”

She pulled them both out of Hell, more easily than she had before. She brought them to Will, who was still at the hospital, watching over Delia. Azlynn made no attempt to glamour herself as she strode into the building. There was no point now.

She swiped a pair of scrubs for Charlotte to wear, and ushered her into a bathroom to change out of her pelt. She emerged looking much more herself than she had since Leviathan kissed her.

“That sure was a fucking trip,” she muttered. “My head is killing me, and so is my shoulder. What the fuck did that creep do to me?”

“He gave you a familiar’s mark,” Azlynn said quietly.

“Yuck.” Charlotte shuddered.

“And worse, he took away the mark Drew gave you,” Azlynn said, trying to keep her voice gentle. Instead of looking pained, however, Charlotte looked confused. “What do you mean? Drew as in Will’s friend? He never gave me a mark.”

Azlynn and Dante both jerked, staring at her.

“What?” Charlotte said, looking from one to the other. “I’ve known Drew for years, but he’s just one of Will’s uptight cop friends. He never marked me with anything.”

“Oh, no,” Azlynn breathed.

“What the fuck?” Dante looked baffled. “Of course he did; you guys are soul mates.”

Charlotte laughed incredulously. “Me and Drew? Yeah, okay you guys. Someone inhaled too much Hell smoke, I see.”

“Let’s go see Will,” Azlynn said carefully. Charlotte walked down the hall ahead of them, leading the way to Delia’s room.

“What the fuck?” Dante repeated.

“When Leviathan marked her as his familiar, he didn’t just sever the link between Charlotte and Drew; he made her forget she ever had a link to Drew.”

Dante blanched. “This will kill him. Is there a way to get rid of the familiar’s mark? Would that bring her memories back of her and Drew?”

“I’ve never heard of it happening,” Azlynn admitted sadly. “No one who’s ever become a familiar has become…un-familiarized.”

“But is it possible?” Dante pressed.

“I really don’t know, Dante,” Azlynn whispered.

“Well, well. How nice to see you again.” Azlynn and Dante stopped short as they approached Delia’s room. Charlotte was rooted to the spot in the hallway in front of them.

Walden stood at the head of a group of men armed to the teeth with big guns.

And standing beside him was Special Agent Morrison.