Armageddon Special Edition

Chapter 2

2

In my dream, I lie on a secluded tropical beach, warm white sand pressing into my back. A line of leafy palm trees stands guard behind me, their great green fronds slowly swaying in the breeze. Knitting my fingers behind my neck, I stare up at the countless stars dotting the night sky. So beautiful.

“Hello, my Queen.” Lincoln settles his toned body between my legs, propping up his naked chest on his long, ropy arms. The motion makes his board shorts rub my bikini bottoms in just the right way.

“Hello, yourself.”

A mischievous gleam twinkles in his mismatched eyes. “No one here but us.”

“And no work. No kid.” Maxon’s back in Purgatory, getting spoiled rotten by my parents.

“So, what do you want to do?”

Heat slowly prickles through my core. “Oh, I can think of a few things.”

Suddenly, an eerie howl echoes through my mind. On reflex, I press my hands to my ears. The beach, starry sky and Lincoln all disappear. I become trapped in a black and empty space filled with heart-wrenching screams.

Damn, damn, DAMN, damn. It’s happening again.

I grit my teeth in frustration. My nightmare is back. Only this time, I have a new plan. I won’t bother questioning my igni while I’m still dreaming. With a concerted effort, I force my eyes to open, seeing my quiet room in Arx Hall. Lincoln sleeps soundly beside me.

“Hey, my little ones,” I whisper. “Was that you screaming just now?”

A mish-mash of igni voices ricochet through my mind. Some are lyrical and high-pitched, while others sound as pleasant as fingernails down a chalkboard. Within the mix, I can clearly make out the words ‘yes,’ ‘danger’ and ‘secret plan.’

I slowly exhale. Finally, an answer. It’s true; my igni have been trying to contact me this entire time. Unfortunately, that means all the physicals I underwent yesterday were a total waste. Knew it.

“So, there’s a secret plan against me. Who’s causing trouble now?” I get a constant stream of death threats and conspiracy rumors. I hardly pay attention any more.

My igni reply with something that sounds like “Chirp-squawk-Armageddon.”

A heavy weight settles into my stomach. Armageddon’s been quiet for years. This is so not-good. My pulse kicks up a notch.

“What do I need to do?”

This time, their words are crystal-clear. “Talk to Nefer.”

“Okay. Never heard of anyone by that name. Where can I find this Nefer?”

A long series of squeaks and growls are followed by one word: “Hell.”

“No problem, guys. I’ll reach out right now.”

About once a week, I meet with the damned in order to gather extra evidence for Purgatory’s Soul Trials by Jury. It took me years to master the skill of dreamscaping so I could safely contact any spirit in Hell, but it’s been worth it. I’ve saved thousands of innocent souls from Armageddon after seeking out new testimonies.

Settling onto my back, I close my eyes, careful to keep my movements gentle and quiet. Lincoln’s still asleep and until I know more, he deserves to stay that way.

Okay, Myla. First things first.

Before doing anything, I need to secure approval for my dreamscape from Anubis, the demigod who’s the Gatekeeper of Hell.

“All hail and summons, Anubis.”

A rolling basso voice sounds inside my head. “Greetings, Great Scala.”

Anubis has ultimate power over anything that enters or leaves the fiery down-under. Plus, he hates Armageddon, so Anubis never lets the King of Hell know when I’m dreamscaping in his realm.

“I hereby request permission to enter your realm via dreamscape.”

“Granted. Be well.”

“Thanks.” With the permission secured, I focus my thoughts on the name given to me by my igni. “Nefer, I summon thee to a dreamscape. Wherever you are, lie down and close your eyes. When you open them again, you’ll be in a dream version of Purgatory’s Arena. I’ll be there too, and we can talk.”

A woman’s alto voice echoes through my mind. “I shall heed your summons.”

When I open my eyes once more, I find myself dressed in my white Scala robes and waiting inside Purgatory’s Arena. Everything is empty and silent. Nefer stands before me.

“It is an honor to meet you.” Nefer is a lady angel, willowy and tall with coal-dark skin, long white robes, and great black wings that arch over her broad shoulders. Her sharp, angular features are accented by thin braids that curl down to her waist.

“You as well.” And that’s all the chit-chat that I have time for. “My igni say you have something important to tell me.”

A small monkey scrambles out of nowhere, climbs up onto Nefer’s shoulder, and chitters away in her ear. The creature has chocolate-brown fur and glowing yellow eyes. “Kiya here is one of the first animals,” explains Nefer. “He extends his greetings as well.”

My mouth falls open in shock. First animals are the original creatures from the Garden of Eden. They’re smarter than most humans and can perform magic on almost anything organic. I bow slightly at the waist. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Kiya bounces on his haunches before scrambling away across the Arena floor. Once he’s gone, Nefer refocuses her attention on me. “Before I say more, you should know that I’m a prisoner and all my information comes from my jailers. They’re less than trustworthy.”

“What’s your prisoner type?”

“Class 1 Solitary. Well, almost solitary. Kiya stays with me.”

Which means Nefer’s important. If you have to be trapped in Hell, then Class 1 Solitary’s the place to be. In Purgatory, we call it Club Dead. “I’ll keep that in mind. Please continue.”

“I heard the cell block commanders talking when they came through on an inspection. They said Armageddon had come up with his finest scheme yet.”

My breath hitches. Block commanders aren’t the rank and file. If they’re talking, you should listen. My heart pounds harder in my chest. No wonder my igni were so worried.

I work hard to sound casual. “And what’s the old demon up to this time?”

“He’s gotten some kind of gift. An acquisition, they called it. Armageddon will use it as the centerpiece of his new scheme.” Her large blue eyes fill with sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Great Scala. This time, he means to destroy your family.”

All the oxygen gets punched out of my lungs. Family? That can’t be true. I suppose at one time, the word ‘family’ could have meant all sorts of people. Like my parents, maybe, or Lincoln. But now, I have a Mommy reflex. The word ‘family’ immediately leads to one thought.

Maxon. Please, don’t let him mean Maxon.

At that moment, the Arena floor heaves and shifts, sending me reeling. My mind empties. I wobble from foot to foot, trying to stay upright while the ground beneath me shudders and moans. Finally, my brain catches up with the latest turn of events. What’s happening now hasn’t taken place in years, but the signs are unmistakable.

Anubis will be here any second.

An ear-splitting rumble echoes through the stadium. The earth shimmies, buckles and then, it bursts wide open. A circular wall rises from the ground, enclosing Nefer and I as if we were lambs in a pen. A shifting network of dark green vines form the structure around us, the slender cords slithering around each other like snakes.

Nefer turns to me, her eyes wild. “End this dreamscape. Now.”

“You aren’t going anywhere until I get my answers.” My mouth thins to a determined line. “This may involve my son.”

Along one section of the wall, the snake-like vines pull back to reveal Anubis, a tall man with a lean frame, broad shoulders, and ebony skin. His head is shaved bare, accenting his intelligent eyes, full mouth, and strong jawline. His outfit is the classic fashion of ancient Egypt: a simple white kilt with leather sandals and a bare chest.

Anubis steps onto the Arena floor and pauses, his liquid-brown eyes locking with Nefer’s. The air becomes charged with emotion, but I can’t define the mix exactly. Love? Hate? Fear? Whatever it is, Anubis’s visit promises to be a huge time suck, and I need information fast. When I speak again, I work hard to keep the frustration out of my voice.

“Greetings, Anubis.”

No reply. Lots of staring at Nefer, but no reply. Damn.

“I’d introduce you two, but it looks like you already know Nefer.”

At last, Anubis speaks. “I know her.” Still, he doesn’t so much as glance in my direction. Instead, Anubis keeps looking at Nefer like she’s a tall glass of water and he’s a man who’s very, very thirsty.

“Okay, it’s obvious that Nefer is somehow—” I fumble for the right words. “Well, clearly she’s interesting to you, Anubis.”

He nods.

“But Nefer was just sharing some important stuff that she overheard about my family. She needs to keep telling me all about it.” I stare at her in a way that says ‘start talking, honey.’

“That’s right.” Nefer’s voice comes out in a dream-like whisper. “I have something important to say.” She doesn’t do any actual saying, though, and that makes me want to punch her.

My family, Nefer.

My tail taps out an anxious rhythm on my thigh. “Nefer, will you please—”

“Silence!” Anubis raises his left hand, and the slithering vines creep out of the wall toward me. “Give Nefer and I a minute to speak.”

“Or what?” The vines coil closer to my chest. A particularly greasy cord starts winding its way up my arm. “You’ll bind me with vines?”

“Don’t test me. My power here is absolute. All I ask is one minute.”

Unholy Hell. Even Armageddon can’t touch Anubis when he’s in a gateway like this one. My options are limited.

“Fine.” I slap away the vine with my palm. “One minute.”

Anubis steps closer to Nefer, the lines of his face etched with worry and pain. “Why didn’t Kiya ever come to see me?”

Nefer stares at her feet. “That’s not easy to explain.”

“Please try. You owe me that.”

A memory flickers through my mind. There were rumors about Anubis pulling some strings with Onyx, the last Queen of Hell, to get a prisoner placed in Club Dead. Everyone knows Anubis rarely takes an interest in specific spirits. But when it came to Nefer, he must have been quite interested, indeed.

“Kiya never came to see you—” Nefer inhales a shaky breath. “He never came because I never sent him.”

Anubis’s dark eyes widen with disbelief. “That can’t be true. That was our signal. You send Kiya and I break you out of prison.”

“That was your signal, Anu, not mine. I was never certain.”

“Of what? That Kiya could find me? Hell is the burned-out shell of the Garden of Eden.” Behind Anubis, the vine-wall slithers, emphasizing his point. “Kiya can still travel through it at will without being seen.”

“That’s not the part I was worried about.”

My jaw tenses with frustration. This conversation’s taking way too long. “Thirty seconds, guys.”

Anubis actively ignores me while Nefer nervously shifts her weight from foot to foot. Good. At least, one of them wants to end the conversation as much as I do.

“What would it accomplish to send Kiya?” Nefer asks at length. “Your powers only cover the gateways to and from Hell. If you free me, that means taking me out of the netherworld, and Verus’s prophecy was most specific. I can’t leave Hell until I’m its Queen.”

What the what? Words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Verus said you have to become the Queen of Hell? Really?”

“Yes. Otherwise, the netherworld could fall apart.”

“Nonsense.” Anubis’s large brown eyes harden into thin, angry slits. “How can you place Verus’s imaginings before us?”

“They aren’t imaginings.” Nefer’s voice comes out husky and low. “And I’ve made my decision. There’s nothing else for us to discuss.”

“Whatever you say.”

That’s all I needed to hear. My pulse kicks harder, knowing I may get the answers I need.

“Let’s get back to business.” I gesture to Nefer. “So, you overheard something…”

“Yes,” says Nefer. “Armageddon has created an alliance with a new soul called Aldred. He’s one of your Earls, isn’t he? I thought the name was reserved for thrax nobility.”

“Oh, yeah.” I chuckle, but there’s no humor in it. “I know exactly which soul you’re talking about.”

Aldred was the last Earl of Acca and a first-class asshole. Over the last two decades, he constantly tried to steal the thrax throne from Lincoln’s family. The guy raised a pack of crazies, too. His daughter Adair agreed to be possessed by the King of Hell, all for a chance to steal my Scala powers. The minute we took the crown, Lincoln and I executed the old bastard. He even went straight to Hell, did not pass Go, did not get a trial in Purgatory. I was so happy that I wouldn’t have his evil-ness polluting my Ghost Towers, I told everyone not to investigate. Go me.

I scratch my neck, confused. “Not sure how much damage a ghost can do, especially one in Hell. What could Aldred possibly have that Armageddon would want?”

“He has something of value, make no mistake,” replies Nefer. “That’s the acquisition I spoke of before. Aldred used it to make a trade with Armageddon: his prize in exchange for a comfortable eternity in Hell.”

“That sounds like Aldred, alright. No idea what he traded though, eh?”

“Not a clue.” Nefer snaps her fingers. “Although, they did say how Armageddon hopes to use it. Whatever Aldred gave him will become the centerpiece of a plan that smacks of Helen of Troy.”

Her words turn over in my mind. Helen was the famous royal ‘face that launched a thousand ships.’ When she was abducted by Paris, the Spartans invaded Troy to get her back.

That can only mean one thing. Whatever Armageddon has, he thinks it will give him the power to abduct a royal…and then, to start a war. That’s what happened with Helen of Troy, after all. Armageddon can’t leave Hell, so he’s scheming to bring all the armies of the after-realms to his doorstep, using an unsuspecting royal as bait. It’s exactly the kind of sick and twisted plan that made him King of Hell in the first place.

Which means it’s really happening.

My heart sinks. Again, my Mom-reflex kicks into high gear. Forget invasions, war and the rest of the after-realms. All I can think about is Maxon. He’d be the perfect royal for Armageddon to kidnap. My boy is beloved in Purgatory, Antrum and Furonium. Tears prickle in my eyes. My child could be abducted into Hell. That’s not possible. I won’t let it be possible.

“You’re worried,” says Nefer.

“I should be.”

“Certainly, you receive threats all the time?” she asks.

“Not like this.” I exhale a long breath. “I need more information.”

And when I say ‘need more information,’ I mean ‘contact Cissy.’

Over the years, my best friend has created one the premiere spy network in the after-realms, all under the guise of her role as Purgatory’s Senator of Diplomacy.

“I wish I could be of more assistance,” says Nefer. “But I’m afraid that’s all I heard.” Bit by bit, she shifts to face Anubis once again. This time, it’s her turn to look mighty thirsty. “If you’re through with me, you may end the dreamscape, Great Scala.”

“There are two ways I can do that,” I explain. “Everybody goes home, or I step out and leave you both alone. What do you want?”

Nefer worries her lower lip with her teeth. “I don’t know. Would you like to be alone, Anu?”

A muscle twitches along the Gatekeeper’s throat. “All these years, I tortured myself over the reasons why you didn’t send Kiya. Perhaps escape wasn’t yet safe. Or Kiya was gone. Or worst of all, you were hurt. But in all that time, I never thought—” Anubis shakes his head. “The truth is so much worse than anything I imagined.” He steps toward the wall. “You two do as you please. I’m leaving.”

Nefer’s voice cracks with grief. “I’m sorry, Anubis.”

“So am I,” he says.

The last thing I see is Anubis stepping into the vine-wall, his shoulders slumped with hurt. A knot of sadness tightens my throat.

Talk about an unhappy ending, for all of us.

Nefer and Anubis clearly aren’t riding off into the sunset any time soon. As for me, I’ve got the King of Hell targeting my family and no idea what he’s up to.

With a reluctant sigh, I close my eyes and end the dreamscape.