E nodded, because he knew the passage in the demon bible, but it was vague. Demon scholars had been trying to decipher it for centuries. “Go on.”
“It is said,” Reaver continued, “that when Satan was booted from Heaven, he took a piece of it with him in hopes that it would allow him to return someday. He kept it hidden, and then, during a skirmish battle between good and evil, the angel Hizkiel took it back. But thousands of years of corruption had altered it. It could not be allowed back in Heaven for fear of taint. But neither could it be left on earth for demons to use as a way to open the celestial gate between Heaven and Hell. So it was decided that it should be put into the keeping of humans, since ultimately, the power struggle between good and evil has always been about mankind. Should they fail to safeguard it, their downfall will be their own doing.”
Eidolon had a bad feeling about this, especially with Wraith landing smack in the middle of a conflict between good and evil. “So it’s been left in the keeping of a human who has been charmed?”
“Yes. Many humans. Serena was the most recent. Theoretically, it should always be safe.” Reaver shook his head. “I don’t think even another Marked Sentinel could bypass the charm. Sentinels have come up against each other in battle, and their charms made them both untouchable even to each other.”
“It wasn’t another charmed human who took it,” Eidolon said. “It was a fallen angel. Name of Byzamoth.”
“Byzamoth?” A concussion wave shattered the windows in the office area, and the hospital shook with such force that Eidolon wondered if humans would register the rumbling on their Richter scale.
Shade moved toward the angel. “Hey, man, check up. We kinda like having a roof over our heads. One that isn’t crumbling.”
“It’s a little late for that,” Eidolon muttered, but now that Wraith was no longer dying, the hospital should get back to normal. Too bad the lack of staff couldn’t be so easily fixed.
“Byzamoth.” Reaver’s eyes flashed blue fire. “Is Wraith sure?”
“That’s what he said. Why? Who is this guy?”
Reaver shoved a chair aside so hard it flew into the wall and impaled itself in the plaster. Eidolon had never seen him so riled. Hell, he’d rarely seen him even mildly annoyed. “He was an angel of Destruction. Now a demon of Destruction. He fell during the first war in Heaven. If he has the necklace and the charm—”
“He doesn’t. Wraith has the charm.”
Reaver barked out a bitter laugh. “It’s a sad day when I’m relieved that Wraith is the one who took the charm.”
Shade scrubbed his hand over his face. “Okay, so what does Byzamoth want with this stuff? If he’s a fallen angel, he doesn’t need an invincibility charm.”
“No, but he needs the blood of a charmed one to work the amulet and open the gate between Heaven and Hell. If he had possession of the necklace and the charm, he could use his own blood at his convenience. Since he’s not charmed, he needs the blood of the Sentinel who guarded the amulet.”
“But Serena is no longer charmed.”
“Exactly. So once he knows that, he’ll need the blood of the one she passed it to.” Reaver finally stopped pacing. “The good news is that if anyone can take care of himself, it’s Wraith.”
“And obviously, the charm won’t work against Byzamoth.”
Reaver nodded. “I don’t think anyone anticipated the loophole.”
“That loophole being that an angel could bypass the charm… even a fallen one.”
“Obviously.”
“So what, exactly, will Byzamoth do with the amulet?”
“He’ll open Heaven to the forces of evil. Demons will swarm inside.” Reaver wobbled as he sank down on an office chair. “Humans have always been focused on the Apocalypse. They see it as the end of days, but for believers, it’s not such a bad thing. They know that after the battle of good and evil, the righteous will go to Heaven.” Reaver’s voice went as thin as the air in the darkest reaches of Sheoul. “Humans think the Apocalypse will be the battle of battles. Hell on earth. But with that pendant, Byzamoth will open the gate between Heaven and Sheoul, and the resulting battle will take place on many realms, on an unimaginable scale. Heaven could… cease to exist, souls will default to Satan, and humans would be trapped in a hell so terrible it can’t be conceived of.”
Reaver’s eyes grew haunted. “Boys, this is much bigger than an apocalypse. This is the end of existence for all but the victor.”
Shade, Eidolon, and Reaver spent the next hour arguing about what to do, but it always came back to Wraith