Charis and I started for the door. We had almost reached it when a shadow fell from the steps and spilled into the room. There were no footfalls to be heard, but someone was definitely coming. I focused my Sight, and took a few steps back.

  “Signore,” Dante said as he entered the basement. He was wearing his red velvet robes, his slight frame lost in their volume. “I have news.”

  The entrance had been uncharacteristically straightforward. It had to be important. “Good or bad?” I asked.

  “Ah. That depends on who you ask.” He pulled the hem of his robe wide, reaching under it with his other hand. “After I left you at the farmhouse, I made my way to the Library of Alexandria. Not the mortal one, of course, that one burned centuries ago. There is another in Purgatory, one that still contains vast troves of information, written down by those sent to my realm to earn their way. That’s where I found it.”

  He located the target of his search, and slipped it from the robes. It was a small piece of torn parchment, not more than the size of a fist, the edges frayed and worn. He held it out in the palm of his right hand.

  We gathered around him to look at it, Izak getting to his feet to join us. Burned into the papyrus was a pictogram of a pyramid.

  “I don’t get it,” I said. “A pyramid?”

  Dante laughed, excited. “Yes,” he replied. “Do you know what this means?”

  “Uh, no,” I said.

  “Dante,” Charis said. “I don’t want to question you, but how do you know this has anything to do with the Beast?”

  He raised the index finger of his left hand, and then reached down and flipped it over. “This is why I am excited, signore,” he said. “It is good news for us. Not so good news for the Beast.”

  The single bit of scripture burned into the corner of the small rag was familiar, even if I couldn’t read it.

  “How?” Charis asked, the word coming out as more of a gasp. The writing was Templar.

  “It was more simple than you would think, and in this one case I believe Mr. Ross’ betrayal served a more beneficial purpose. You see, as Lord of Purgatory, I have an innate knowledge of every bit of text stored in the Library. I’m like the Google of the Middle-Ages.” He laughed at his joke. We didn’t. “Anyway, Mr. Ross knew this, and so at some point prior to being released, he went to the library and destroyed anything there having to do with him. There wasn’t much, I know, because I had taken a personal interest in the Beast before. Still, he made sure there was nothing.”

  “What about Avriel, and his Box?” I asked, interrupting.

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, signore. I am limited to knowledge that has been passed on by those sent to Purgatory. The Box is an angelic device, one that had been missing for thousands of years, though I am sure Mr. Ross knew where it was the entire time. In any case, the neutral have no experience with it.”

  It was disappointing, but not unexpected.

  “Do not be too disappointed,” Dante said, reading my body language. “I remembered when I saw you last, you mentioned the name Malize. It is one that I had never heard before, and one that I have been having difficulty remembering since. Still, after coming up with nothing on the Beast, I sought out anything that might refer to him. In all of the Library, there was one single piece of parchment with his name on it. When I found this, it was pressed between the pages of an illuminated copy of the Bible.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “Revelations?”

  Dante nodded. “The facing page was an illustration of the artist’s concept of the Beast, in this case a dragon. There is no other writing on the parchment, so I assume the script says ‘Malize’. That I found it where I did could not be an accident.”

  I looked over at Charis, who looked as shocked as I felt. “If he can’t leave the cave, how would this have gotten to Purgatory?” I asked her.

  “Someone must have brought it from the cave,” she replied. “Just don’t ask me who.”

  “How many people know about it?” I asked.

  “Not many,” she said, “and none of them could enter. Only the Divine can go in.”

  “I believe we have enough mysteries to handle right now,” Dante said. “How it got there is not so important. What is important is what it means. It is clearly a suggestion to seek answers in a pyramid.”

  I felt Izak tap me on the shoulder. When I turned towards him, he brought his hands together in a pyramid shape and brought them down, over and over again. Then he held his hands out to his sides.

  “Izak’s right,” I said. “There are over a hundred pyramids in Egypt, and that’s assuming he’s referring to an Egyptian one. Oh, and that’s only the ones that have been discovered. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to get a hint, but time is one thing that isn’t on our side.”

  Dante pursed his lips, but didn’t say anything. Nobody said anything, until a few uncomfortable moments of silence had passed.

  “It is what we have, signore,” the poet said. “If we must, we will search every pyramid on this Earth, because what will happen if we do not is untenable.”

  “He’s right,” Charis said, putting her hand on my shoulder and squeezing.

  I knew it was true, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating. The pompous, arrogant, evil smile invaded my consciousness, leering at me. There was no way I was going to let the Beast win.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s been a rough couple of days. We’ll head to Egypt to see if we can find the path we’re being led towards. I think we should make a pit-stop in Paris and get our hands on Avriel first. We have the Box, which means he’s the Beast’s most probable next target.”

  “Agreed,” Charis said. “We need to reach him before he does.”

  Dante smiled. “Excellent,” he said. “I will return to Purgatory to see if I can find anything to help you narrow your search. I’ll let you know as soon as I find something of value. Here, take this.” He handled the piece of papyrus like it was an infant, passing it carefully over to me.

  With that he was gone, vanishing in the space between one moment of time and the next. The three of us stood together, saying nothing, until Izak broke it up by returning to his spot on the floor. I took the parchment and focused, finding the weakness and age in the structure, and putting it back together, strengthening it enough so that I could fold it up and stick it in my pocket. I could imagine Dante making his angry face at me for doing it.

  Charis’ hand was still on my shoulder, and she squeezed it again as she leaned up and in, her lips brushing against my ear. The move reminded me of when she had given me the Grail, and her warning. Even then, when I believed she was the enemy, her closeness had electrified me.

  “You wanted to talk?” she asked. “In private?” Her breath was warm, and it smelled like cinnamon.

  “I did,” I said, reaching up and taking her hand, holding it in my own. I turned to face her, so I could look into her eyes. I could see the flames behind them, the red soul of the demon Vilya watching everything from her place within. I hadn’t looked in a mirror lately, but I was sure my eyes were red these days too. I took a deep breath, my heart throbbing in my chest, every muscle feeling a charged ache from being near her. Privacy would be good. I leaned forward, tilting my head and placing it against hers. “But now I can’t remember what I was going to say.”

  Our noses were almost touching. I could feel the heat from the blood running through her face, and smell the mixture of her breath and hair and skin with the heightened senses Ulnyx provided. It was intoxicating.

  “You don’t need to say anything,” she replied. Her mouth was right there, her lips parted, inviting mine to join them. Never before in my life had I wanted anything else as much.

  I pulled back. I regretted it right way, because I didn’t know when I would get another chance, but I also knew it was what I had to do. She knew it too, because she didn’t get mad, or embarrassed, or shy.

  “You owe me,” was all she said, and then she smiled. The ease of it made me smile too. “So I guess we’re headed to France. You know where Avriel is?”

  “I know where I left him,” I replied. Hanging from a meat-hook, being tortured by one of the most powerful demons ever created. I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of going back there. I had promised the angel I would end his misery, and then reneged because it didn’t suit me. I didn’t regret that decision, I just hated that I was going to have to take the consequences head-on. Being Divine didn’t take away every level of my human cowardice. This would be a lot easier if Josette were around to help me talk to him.

  Charis let go of my hand. “We should get a move on then,” she said.

  I nodded, but hesitated. “Josette.” I called out for her, focusing and reaching for the frayed ends of our connection, trying to pull them together, to smooth them out. Chaos raced along the trail, my mind pulled in so many directions. Avriel, the Beast, Gervais, Sarah, Rebecca. Why did it always come back to Rebecca? Even when I let go and accepted my growing attachment to my counterpart?

  “You saw what happened, between the angel and I?” I asked.

  “You did what you had to do,” she said.

  “Tell that to Avriel. You needed Vilya back to get us through the rift. I need Josette back if we’re going to convince him to help us. He was called ‘the Just’ for a reason.”

  “Landon, there isn’t time,” she said. “Especially if the Beast’s next move is to bring Abaddon under his sway. If he gets the demon on his side, and sends him for Sarah…”

  She didn’t need to finish the sentence. I knew what would happen. Sarah would try to Command him, and if she failed, she would be taken, and we would be destroyed. Abaddon had caused Izak to run. She would fail.

  “I’m close,” I said. “I just need a chance to rest for a little while.” It was a lie. I had no idea how close I was, but the feeling that I needed Josette was becoming more concrete in my soul. Or was it my backbone?

  “Landon!” The shout came from the top of the steps. Obi. I tapped Charis’ eyes with my own, and we rushed up the stairs, Izak not far behind.

  The first thing I noticed was the blood, running in a tight red line, following the seam of the hallway’s stone floor. My first thought was that Obi was hurt, but it was wrong. The second thing I saw was the former marine, kneeling close to the floor, cradling a woman in his arms. Thomas was standing behind him, a nasty gash in his cheek. The second thought was confusion, and the third anger. The woman was Divine, an angel, Melody. Her toga-like dress was stained red along her stomach, and her tucked wings hung limp behind her, the blood using them to run down off her body to the floor, creating the line I had followed.

  The fact that she was bleeding could only mean one thing. She had been attacked by one of her own, with a blessed weapon. The fact that she still had her wings, meant that her attackers had traded in theirs for a different set.

  “There’s holy water in the rectory,” I said, running over and dropping to my knees opposite Obi. “Thomas, go.”

  The angel looked dazed. He glanced down at me, and then turned and headed off to get the healing agent.

  “Melody,” I said, my voice soft. “Can you hear me.”

  Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open when I spoke to her. A small smile made it onto her lips. “Landon,” she said. “I came to… to warn you.” Her voice was broken and weak. The rectory wasn’t far, but she was as close to gone as I could imagine. Thomas wasn’t going to make it.

  I reached down to her stomach, finding the hole in her garment where the sword had stabbed her. “You aren’t going to die today,” I said, closing my eyes to focus on the wound. We needed to hear whatever she had to say, and I knew Obi had the hots for her. Then there was the third reason to heal her. A selfish reason.

  I had healed Josette once this way. It was the only other time I had even tried it, but the action felt familiar as I concentrated on the wound, finding the torn internals and willing them back together, knitting the muscle and tissue and staunching the bleeding. I could hear activity around me, a subliminal understanding of speech and motion, but I didn’t pay it any mind. I pushed my energy into her, feeling her flesh grow warm to the touch, and knowing that she would live.

  My eyes opened, and I pulled back my hand. I was weak, but not weak enough. The selfish reason. I wanted to pass out, to find the sleep that was the only thing that would put Josette and I back together again. It was denied to me, but at least I had saved her.

  “What do you think you’re doing, laddie?” Father Tom was leaning over me, yelling into my ear. Charis had a grip on his arm, trying to pull him away. Obi’s face was stretched tight with concern, and Thomas was holding out a paper cup filled with holy water. “You have no right to touch the flesh of such a creature.”

  I flipped my gaze over to meet his, and didn’t back down. I managed to maintain my calm as I spoke. “I just saved her life,” I said.

  “You did,” Melody said, her voice quiet but strong. I looked away from Father Tom to check on her. Her eyes were open, staring up at me with a reverence and respect I didn’t deserve. “Thank you.”

  “Melody,” Obi said, leaning down over her. “I’m happy to see you, but can we meet under better circumstances next time?”

  “Now what fun would that be?” she replied, reaching up and tapping his cheek.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “A little out of sorts, but I’ll survive, thanks to you.”

  “Father Tom, do you have a bed, or another couch?” I knew the one in his office was already taken.

  “She can swap with me,” Sarah said. She had come up behind the priest, her face haggard but more relaxed than it had been since the day she had been taken. It was good to see, even knowing it wasn’t going to last.

  “Come on then,” Father Tom said. “Clear a path. Carry her in, and be gentle boy-o.”

  Obi lifted Melody as he rose to his feet, and carried her easily past us and into the Father’s office. The priest genuflected when they passed.

  “I can’t even begin to understand the Lord’s plan for me in all of this,” Father Tom whispered as we shuffled into the office behind them.

  The Beast was loose, Abaddon was free, and angels were attacking angels. I wasn’t convinced the Lord had any plan at all, or that His eyes were even open. Maybe there was some twist of fate involved, and maybe there wasn’t. We were all here, now, and we knew what we had to do. “I’m the last person who can answer that for you, Father,” I said,” but I’m thankful for your hospitality.”

  Obi laid Melody on the couch, still warm and indented from where Sarah had been laying. Melody fluttered her wings once and sunk into the leather, squeezing the former marine’s hand before allowing him to withdraw.

  “Okay,” I said, resting with my back against the desk. “What the heck is going on?”

  Melody turned her head so she could see me. A bead of moisture began to form under her eyes. “They don’t believe in the Beast,” she said. “They don’t believe he’s real.”

  My eyes shifted to the splotch of red on her stomach. “They attacked you,” I pointed out. “You’re saying they weren’t servants?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know if those blokes were servants or not. After you fled the farmhouse, I had a little chat with the two you left eating dirt.” She smirked. “They dragged me back to Heaven, and brought me before Kassie.”

  “She’s the Head Inquisitor,” Thomas said, before I could ask.

  “Kassie forced me to Confess, again. She was anything but gentle. I told her everything I knew about you, from the first time we had met in the airport.” She shifted her gaze to Izak. “They made me tell them who he is. They’re scared, knowing he’s with you. They thought he was out of play.”

  Izak’s grin was priceless. He might have softened up since meeting Josette, but he took delight in his reputation.

  “They said I was sullied, and would need Cleansing.”

  I heard Thomas gasp behind me. “Cleansing?”

  “When Confession isn’t enough,” Thomas said. “It’s an… interesting … form of torture. It’s supposed to purge impurities from your soul. The Inquisitors created it as a way to get information without being cast out for cruelty.”

  Heaven got more interesting with every bit I learned. Even with all of their black and white rules, there was still room for a lot of grey, and it didn’t sound pleasant at all.

  “The details aren’t important,” Melody said. “Kassie ordered me to be Cleansed. My interactions with you, and your demon, and my…” She paused and looked at Obi. “My growing affection for your sidekick supposedly poisoned me.”

  “Man, why do I have to be the sidekick?” Obi asked. “I’m bigger than you. And smarter.”

  “Let’s see you turn into a fourteen foot tall beast monster,” I replied.

  “Boys, can we focus?” Charis said, her tight smile betraying her amusement. I still thought levity was the best cure for tension, and I could always rely on Obi to instigate.

  “So you escaped?” I asked.

  “They were bringing me to the Cleansing chamber. I used a move Obi taught me, getting free and making a run for it. I was almost away, but Kassie managed to head me off. We fought. I lost.”

  “But you didn’t fall,” Sarah said.

  “I didn’t use my weapon against her. I knew what it would mean. I never expected her to stab me, but she was furious.”

  “So she fell?”

  Melody shook her head. “Inquisitors have extra leeway, as long as their motives are pure. She didn’t stab me out of malice, but because she thought I was a threat to all of the seraphim. She’ll have to answer to an archangel, and likely Confess to be sure her actions were appropriate, but it isn’t an automatic out. Anyway, Obi had given me a cell. I called him, found out where he was, and came to him.”

  “That’s why you went outside?” I asked. He nodded. “So, you came to warn me. About what?”

  “Kassie,” she said. “The Inquisitors are convinced you have a Canaan Blade, and they’re going to come down on you hard to get it. They may even get Gabriel involved. Like I said, they don’t believe the Beast is real.”