“I’d rather you talked to Xavier right now. Whatever Adair did back there, I’ve never seen anything like it. If anyone knows what tricks she’s pulling, it’s your father.”
I check my wristwatch. Almost 8PM. Dad doesn’t need much sleep, so he’s probably working out right now. “Alright.” I finally release Walker. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” A low hum sounds as Walker creates a new portal. He steps through it and disappears.
Lincoln enfolds me in a huge hug. “Are you okay?”
“I feel fine, now.”
“Sorry I had to break the containment field, but I couldn’t think of any other way to make her stop. She looked so scared when I held up the long-sword, I figured she’d panic and run.”
“And you were right. It was a good plan.”
I pause, rubbing my temples with my fingertips. All the events of the past two months swirl through my brain. Adair following me around…becoming Thrax Diplomat to Purgatory…causing trouble with my Tower Wardens…and now, stealing my igni. There’s a pattern here, a systemized plan of attack. I need some battle strategy advice.
And Dad’s the greatest General in the after-realms.
Chapter Nine
Lincoln and I turn down another creepy-dark hallway in my mega-mansion home, our footsteps echoing in weird ways on the black marble. After the Ghost Tower igni-steal with Adair, we’re hitting the gymnasium to talk to my father.
As we close in on the gym, the corridor echoes with familiar noises: the unmistakable thwacks, rips and slashes of a battle. Based on the way the punches sound when they connect, the opponent’s one of the dummy demons that Dad brought in for battle practice.
Lincoln arches his right eyebrow. “Xavier has faux-demons in here?”
“Oh, sure. He brought in his best equipment from Heaven. You won’t believe what he’s done with our gym. Gutted a whole wing of the building to build it.”
A sense of pride bubbles up through me. It’s so cool to have a badass archangel demon-fighting Dad.
We reach the gymnasium’s open door and stop. Inside, the place is huge, white and topped with a high ceiling. Padded mats cover the floor in four quadrants, each one holding different equipment. Every weapon imaginable lines the walls.
I scan the room, ready to say my hellos. What I see stops me cold. Dad spars against one of the dummy demons, which has seemingly come to life for the battle practice.
Only, it’s not just any demon. It’s Armageddon.
I grip Lincoln’s palm more tightly. Part of me knows the King of Hell isn’t really battling my father right now. Dad’s fighting an enchanted mannequin that comes to life for practice only. But dang, whoever enchanted that thing did a good job. It’s freaking terrifying. Armageddon stands seven feet tall with gangly thin limbs and black skin that’s smooth as polished stone. His long face is divided by a blade-like nose and ends in a pointed chin. He moves with lightning speed, trying to place his hands anywhere on Dad’s exposed flesh. Armageddon’s preferred method of attack is to touch your skin and suck out your soul.
My attention turns to my father, and my jaw falls open with wonder. Dad’s baculum are ignited as two short-swords. His movements are a blur as he blocks Armageddon’s attacks. With each volley and thrust, intense emotions wrench across my father’s face: rage, anguish, and fear.
A heavy sadness settles into my body. To save Mom’s life, Dad spent twenty years in Hell, and Armageddon tortured him the entire time. Dad has the power to heal, so Armageddon tore off my father’s wings off every day, torment that only got worse when his wings regenerated.
Sensing our presence, Dad pauses in his volley. He calls out one word: “Halt!” The sparring dummy freezes, turning from a life-like version of Armageddon into a putty-colored model of the same shape and size. My father turns his attention to me, panting for breath. “Hello, there. I was wondering when you’d stop by. I suppose your mother told you about the Bloodstone Amulet.”
My mind stalls out for a moment. In all the excitement of Adair in the Ghost Tower, I forgot all about the amulet. Dad was making an emergency trip to visit Emperor Tempest and try to borrow it.
“No, I haven’t seen Mom all day. What’s up?”
“I have the amulet with me. Would you like to try it on? See if it works?”
A chill of foreboding crawls up my back. This necklace will tell me if I’ve lost any of my igni. I steel myself, ready for anything. “Sure, let’s have a look.”
Dad walks over to a nearby cabinet and pulls out a small velvet box. “Here it is.”
I turn the item over in my hands. It’s a smooth disc of red stone, unmarked on either side, that’s held on a long silver chain. I set it around my neck.