See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(54)
A clap of thunder resounded, shaking the earth as it echoed repeatedly in the distance. The church shook, causing rubble to fall to the earth. I looked wide-eyed at the Guardians around me. As one, they whispered a word, something I’d never heard. Within a second, it happened, they began to transform. Some of them shifted into the great berserkers, some into wolves, some turned into creatures that seemed made of fire. All around me monsters reigned, only these monsters were there to help me. I couldn’t lose heart now. The time had come.
The thunder clapped anew, ripping a tear in the fabric of the corporeal plane, revealing Sonneillon. He pulled his monstrous form through the tear, leaving it shredded in his wake. What other manner of beast would be able to make it through? Was he truly the only demon we would face? I stood, frozen to the ground as Emmanuel emerged behind him.
As the demon stepped through onto our plane the world seemed to quake. As if the very fabric of our world knew that the existence of such a being would be its demise. With each step Sonneillon took, the world became blackened. Nothing could live in the presence of such hatred, nothing could survive. The blackened earth spanned out beneath him, reminding me of the man I’d seen in my vision. Veins of darkness seemed to snake out from him as he stepped, seeking out a weakness that could be exploited. Just before the demon fully emerged, movement in the corner of my eye distracted me.
Aberto moved to intercept Emmanuel, engaging him in a battle that could have no winner. Emmanuel had been Aberto’s brother, the way that Conall and Ian were Kennan’s. I couldn’t imagine them having to fight. Yet, I couldn’t imagine them turning their backs on the world the way Emmanuel had.
“You will not succeed!” Aberto shouted, as his arms glowed brightly.
“I already have," Emmanuel choked out as Aberto threw him to the ground.
Aberto stood over him, a flaming sword in hand, “This is the end.”
“I’ve done what I set out to do. Know this, I was not alone," Emmanuel choked out as Aberto plunged the flaming sword deep in his chest. With a flash of light, Emmanuel faded from my sight. I hoped that whatever judgment awaited him would be merciless.
Uriel had said he served a purpose. I still could not understand how bringing this demon to our plane could be of any good to anyone. Nothing made sense. An earth shattering roar shook me from my thoughts.
Sonneillon had made it through to our plane. He was so much more than I’d envisioned. He towered above us, his dark skin lit from within by some unholy flame. Bottomless pits of eternal flame shone from his face as he opened his maw to roar once more. An ancient fear, buried deep in my soul, awoke. Everything in me shouted for me to run, to hide from the demon, or submit to his will.
Hate churned within me, endless pain tore through my soul as the sound of a thousand men screaming filled my ears. The world was on fire, and I was powerless to calm the flames. The world would burn, of that I was sure. As the demon approached me, the darkness spread, snaking around me with relentless precision. I couldn’t breathe as the weight of the lives that would be lost crashed in upon me. The screams erupted in my ears, a chorus of metal grating upon metal, an eternity of pain endured in the pits of hell.
“Izzy, move!” my aunt shouted as the beast lumbered towards me.
Conall jumped to intercept, tearing deeply into the demon’s flesh. It did little to slow him down. I knew that I had to run, that I needed to avoid the demon. I remembered Uriel’s words; that I would know what to do when the time came. He’d been wrong. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I couldn’t think straight as the fear coursed through my veins. How could I have been so na?ve? I couldn’t defeat this thing. I couldn’t stop the darkness.
Frozen, I stood. The hate snaking about me, making it impossible for me to move. Visions flashed behind my eyes. Countless cities burning, black eyed men chasing down those that had yet to be taken. The world would end, the hate was too strong.
“Izzy!” Kennan’s voice shouted, the only thing that could break through the fog. I began to run as the demon approached. I still didn’t know what to do. I fought back the voices that screamed in my head. I had to focus.
Ten Guardians surrounded the demon, holding it back. They pressed it towards the tear between the planes. Pushing the beast back toward the opening, a glimmer of hope formed in my heart. If we could get it back through to the other plane, then it could end without any one dying. Just as my hope appeared, it was dashed to smithereens. In that instant, Sonneillon bellowed, a great flame rising from his gut as he threw the Guardians from him as though they were mere flies to be swatted away.
The Guardians tumbled to the sides, only to be replaced by more. The minutes passed slowly, an endless futile assault against the demon. Nothing could slow it down. Still, it moved in my direction. I waited for inspiration, to know what I should do. Nothing came. I was useless.
Fear snaked through me, freezing me once more. The visions multiplied, brother killing brother, destruction, pain, fear, hatred. Everything good in this world disappeared as the demon made its way slowly towards me. His advance was unhindered by the attacks of the Guardians. I swallowed back the fear, I had to move. I knew a sacrifice was required, but I knew not what I needed to do. I slowly moved one foot after another towards the beast. Praying that some sort of divine inspiration would make its way through the cacophony in my head.
“Izzy, NO!” I heard Kennan shout as the demon closed the distance between us. Kennan threw himself in the demon’s path. Fighting it back as it moved closer towards me. The demon picked Kennan up as though he were a ragdoll and ripped him in two, throwing the pieces to the side as though he were nothing.