death."
Beelzebub shook his head, released his embrace, and stepped toward the altar. He placed his hands between the burning candles and leaned forward, as if lost in reflection.
"She will seek refuge with Michael," he said, voice low. "It's likely she's in his camp already. If you fly into that fort, Zarel, you will not leave it alive."
Zarel growled. Does Beelzebub doubt my strength? She felt rage fill her. She was among the greatest archdemons in Hell. I am Zarel, Queen of Hell. I fear no one. "I fought the legendary Laila," she hissed, "and she fled from me. There are none among the angels with power enough to harm me."
Beelzebub shook his head, the candlelight dancing on his armor. "You could beat Laila in a duel, here in my court. If you fly to her now, Michael will be with her, and Raphael. That's Laila and two archangels, and thousands of troops surrounding them. Even you cannot take them on, Zarel."
Zarel leapt onto the altar and slammed her fist down, raising a shower of wooden splinters, sending candles flying. "So you'll just let her join Michael?"
"We don't know for certain that she'll join him."
"She will, now that we tried to kill her. She knows you killed her dad, and she wants revenge. She wants your throne. If she joins Heaven, she could shift the tide."
Beelzebub grabbed Zarel's wrist, and she snarled and struggled to release herself, but could not. There were none whose strength eclipsed her own, except for Beelzebub, she knew. That is why I married you. That is why I love you. Still she struggled against his grasp, screeching, flames rising from her nostrils.
"First of all, Zarel, calm your temper. This church is our home now, and I'll not have you destroy it. If you do not calm yourself, I'll chain you to the floor again."
She growled and hissed, snapping her teeth, trying to bite him, but he held her back. She knew her words had touched a nerve. She could see it in Beelzebub's eyes. He knows I'm right. Since Armageddon, Heaven and Hell had beaten each other into a bloody, uneasy standstill. With Laila returned, that would change. With Laila fighting for Heaven, Michael would gain the advantage. We cannot allow that.
"She is not untouchable," Zarel said, smiling caustically, the demon blood still smearing her face. She could feel the cut Laila had given her lip, where her own blood had beaded. She made me bleed. Very few can do that, girl. She felt the exhilaration, the bloodlust, the power burn inside her. Finally she had an enemy worthy of her, someone to kill beyond these shades, these weak demons who filled their church. Zarel flapped her wings, rising into the air, tongues of flame dancing around her. "She can be killed, even now, even if she fled to the angels. And I will kill her, Beelzebub. Very soon, I will kill Laila."
* * * * *
Laila and Michael walked among the ruins of a human city, black and red ash hiding the stars. The night was silent, the only sounds their footfalls over rubble. Scattered fires burned among the ruins, vestiges of war, or maybe cooking fires of human survivors. It was hard to imagine any survivors in this town, Laila thought, gazing around. The place was a pile of bricks, twisted metal, and fluttering shreds of burnt cloth. As she stepped over a broken tricycle, her boots scattered the bones of a human child.
"A lovely place you brought us to," she said, wrapping her cloak around her. Volkfair padded beside her, sniffing at the ruins, maybe smelling skeletons buried beneath the rubble. Dust flew around them.
"A private place," Michael said. "We can talk here." He stepped around the rusty frame of a burned bus. "It's been a while, Laila," he said, the godlight of his halo gilding his wings. "I'm glad to see you again. I'm sorry about what happened last time. I wanted to tell you that."
Wincing in his glow, Laila swallowed and tightened her jaw. "I don't need your apologies," she said. She spotted a skull in the rubble and kicked it, sending it to clank
Beelzebub shook his head, released his embrace, and stepped toward the altar. He placed his hands between the burning candles and leaned forward, as if lost in reflection.
"She will seek refuge with Michael," he said, voice low. "It's likely she's in his camp already. If you fly into that fort, Zarel, you will not leave it alive."
Zarel growled. Does Beelzebub doubt my strength? She felt rage fill her. She was among the greatest archdemons in Hell. I am Zarel, Queen of Hell. I fear no one. "I fought the legendary Laila," she hissed, "and she fled from me. There are none among the angels with power enough to harm me."
Beelzebub shook his head, the candlelight dancing on his armor. "You could beat Laila in a duel, here in my court. If you fly to her now, Michael will be with her, and Raphael. That's Laila and two archangels, and thousands of troops surrounding them. Even you cannot take them on, Zarel."
Zarel leapt onto the altar and slammed her fist down, raising a shower of wooden splinters, sending candles flying. "So you'll just let her join Michael?"
"We don't know for certain that she'll join him."
"She will, now that we tried to kill her. She knows you killed her dad, and she wants revenge. She wants your throne. If she joins Heaven, she could shift the tide."
Beelzebub grabbed Zarel's wrist, and she snarled and struggled to release herself, but could not. There were none whose strength eclipsed her own, except for Beelzebub, she knew. That is why I married you. That is why I love you. Still she struggled against his grasp, screeching, flames rising from her nostrils.
"First of all, Zarel, calm your temper. This church is our home now, and I'll not have you destroy it. If you do not calm yourself, I'll chain you to the floor again."
She growled and hissed, snapping her teeth, trying to bite him, but he held her back. She knew her words had touched a nerve. She could see it in Beelzebub's eyes. He knows I'm right. Since Armageddon, Heaven and Hell had beaten each other into a bloody, uneasy standstill. With Laila returned, that would change. With Laila fighting for Heaven, Michael would gain the advantage. We cannot allow that.
"She is not untouchable," Zarel said, smiling caustically, the demon blood still smearing her face. She could feel the cut Laila had given her lip, where her own blood had beaded. She made me bleed. Very few can do that, girl. She felt the exhilaration, the bloodlust, the power burn inside her. Finally she had an enemy worthy of her, someone to kill beyond these shades, these weak demons who filled their church. Zarel flapped her wings, rising into the air, tongues of flame dancing around her. "She can be killed, even now, even if she fled to the angels. And I will kill her, Beelzebub. Very soon, I will kill Laila."
* * * * *
Laila and Michael walked among the ruins of a human city, black and red ash hiding the stars. The night was silent, the only sounds their footfalls over rubble. Scattered fires burned among the ruins, vestiges of war, or maybe cooking fires of human survivors. It was hard to imagine any survivors in this town, Laila thought, gazing around. The place was a pile of bricks, twisted metal, and fluttering shreds of burnt cloth. As she stepped over a broken tricycle, her boots scattered the bones of a human child.
"A lovely place you brought us to," she said, wrapping her cloak around her. Volkfair padded beside her, sniffing at the ruins, maybe smelling skeletons buried beneath the rubble. Dust flew around them.
"A private place," Michael said. "We can talk here." He stepped around the rusty frame of a burned bus. "It's been a while, Laila," he said, the godlight of his halo gilding his wings. "I'm glad to see you again. I'm sorry about what happened last time. I wanted to tell you that."
Wincing in his glow, Laila swallowed and tightened her jaw. "I don't need your apologies," she said. She spotted a skull in the rubble and kicked it, sending it to clank
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