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The ferals finally ended their screeching discussion and disappeared one by one through the gate. As soon as the last one left, I made a move to sprint for it. No time to lose. But it was at that moment the low deep cry of a horn stopped me in my tracks. It bellowed over the hills, reverberating in my very bones. Following the horn were the cries of a crowd, snarling and snapping. Something about it made my blood turn to ice.
Part of me wanted to ignore it and run straight for the gate. To say screw it and let preservation kick in. But another part of me needed to know what exactly was happening in this shadowy realm of Hell. To do my duty as a warrior.
The warrior side won.
Crawling out from my shadowy hiding place, I circled the next hill and peered out from the side. The land hollowed out to form a huge basin, bigger than five football fields. What I saw below me took the strength right out of my legs.
Collapsing to my knees, I watched an army of thousands of demons writhe in an ugly mass. They stood in militarized lines, as if waiting for the order to charge. At the rear of the basin was a field of gigantic reptilian beasts, each with seven heads and gigantic claws that raked the ground. A large tent had been erected next to them, with long spiky poles sticking out of the top, sharp enough to impale a giant’s head.
“The armies of Hell,” I whispered to myself.
There was no way the Nephilim could withstand an army of this size. I doubted that even all the Nephilim in the world could take on this hoard of demons. And now that I was here and the gate had been left open, there was no telling how much longer they had. I had to get back. I had to warn them. I had to find Gabe.
My feet scrambled for tread on the gravelly soil and I took off in the direction of the gate, my heart pounding in my throat. I couldn’t be sure the gate would close behind me. Maybe it was permanently open. The thought made me quiver with fear. If that was the case, I had to get to the manor and warn them. Tell them to run. Maybe it wasn’t too late.
The yawning mass of the gate was only feet away when something grabbed my ankle. Its touch burned like acid, peeling off my skin. I screamed and kicked. My foot made contact with something solid which let out a high-pitched scream that threatened to burst my eardrums.
Covering my ears, I looked down to see a feral demon, its ghostly form gnashing pointed teeth. The dark shadow of its flesh faded for a moment, revealing a skeletal layer underneath and a gruesome skull for its head. A frightened scream tore from my throat. I’d never seen anything so awful. Worse than the scariest horror flick on late night TV. A creature of nightmares.
It grabbed at me again, wrapping an arm around my calf and sending me crashing into the dirt. My head hit the ground hard and little flashing lights appeared in front of my eyes.
As I tried to catch my breath, all I could do was stare at the gate, only feet away. It was so close, I could feel it. All I needed to do was crawl, but the demon clasped its hand around my other ankle, causing me to scream out again in agony.
I wasn’t going to make it.
Chapter Fifteen
The feral hissed as I kicked out of its deathly grip.
“Let me go,” I snarled, reaching for the last depths of strength I had left.
My legs felt like they’d been dipped in boiling water, but I didn’t let that slow me down. Lunging toward the gate, I looked over my shoulder to see a dozen more ferals storming down the nearest hill straight toward me. The sight sent shivers of fear down my spine. Their mouths opened wide in ferocious war cries, their arms pumped in an all-out sprint.
Reaching the gate, I didn’t hesitate. There was no time. My feet leapt forward. A warm liquid encased my body as I momentarily hung, suspended in darkness. Behind me, the doorway to Hell shrunk to the size of a pinprick. The ferals who had been hot on my trail disappeared from view, although I could still hear their shrieks.
This wasn’t so bad. At least they hadn’t pulled me right back.
In front of me, a warm light appeared. I reached for it. My fingers stretched through a membrane as thin as the surface of a soap bubble. It sent my whole body propelling forward, dumping me unceremoniously on the ground in a heap.
The scent of pine needles and dirt filled my nostrils. Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes as I reveled in the smell of home. I’d never missed something so much. I never wanted to leave again.
Leaves crunched under my knees as I pushed myself up. I squinted at the bright midday sun above, the rays bursting through the trees. Confusion and panic filled my chest. It had been nighttime when Elizabeth brought me out here. And I could’ve sworn I’d only spent a few minutes beyond the Hell Gate, hiding from the ferals. It couldn’t be the afternoon. Not yet.
Suddenly, I remembered the small army of ferals who’d escaped through the gate before me, which pushed any worries about lost time out of my head. I had to find Luke and Gabe. Their lives might depend on it. The Nephilim had never fought such a large force of ferals before now. They could be caught unawares.
I had to warn them.
My feet slipped on the rocky gravel of the entrance to the Hell Gate, but nothing stopped me from propelling forward and into the forest. Although cautious enough to keep an eye out for the swarm of ferals, I ran with near abandon, faster than my feet could carry me. Tripping over a rock, I landed hard on my wrist and felt it twist painfully. Crying out, I picked myself back up and ran even harder. The manor was just ahead. Hopefully I wasn’t too late.
Tears wet my eyes as the brilliant green lawn of the manor came into view. There were no signs of battle on the long expanse of grass, nor the dozen or so cottages that took up the southern part. Laramie’s horse stables were all intact in the north. As far as I could see, nothing was changed, except for the utter silence. No one greeted me at the manor door. No one bumped into me as I charged up the great staircase and down the corridor. It was empty. Everyone gone. Panic stuck a dagger into my lungs as I went for Gabe’s room, hoping against hope that he was there.
My feet had practically carved a path in this very route to Gabe’s room. That had been during happier times. Nights when we would meet after training and dinner was finished and we could steal some moments alone. It felt like a lifetime ago. We’d been so content. And so naive.
“Gabe?” I shoved his door open and stood in the doorway.
A dark room met me. Dim light from the partly draped window fell upon an unmade bed and a pile of clothes on the floor. If it had been lighter in there, I would’ve been able to see Gabe’s sketches lining the walls. He’d developed his skill masterfully during the l
ast century. Several of the sketches were of me. I wondered if he’d added any since the news of my parentage came out. It was probably best that I couldn’t see.
