Page 59 of An Unexpected Ascension (A War Between Worlds #1)

The Angel

The edge of Ambrose’s blade digs into the skin of my neck while his other arm wraps around my waist. There’s a sickness in the way his heartbeat escalates and makes his excitement known.

Lucifer steps forward, placing himself between us and Lynx. He must know what it would do to him to watch me suffer.

“What does it matter to you? She was condemned the moment she touched that tree. Is your ego really that big that you might have done the damning yourself?”

The Devil challenges, then brings his gaze to the others, pivoting on his feet.

“Do you, Kao, agree with what this God stands for? To eradicate your own people? To let them fall at your feet like nothing but wasted skin and bones?”

The God of Nature stiffens, discomfort clear in the hardened features of his face.

“And you, Amadeus. Do you believe it is just to allow rotten soul after rotten soul into a house that was meant to be pure and free of evil? For a God whose entire purpose revolves around love, you sure do accept the blackest of hate.”

Amadeus scowls but doesn’t dare meet Lucifer’s gaze. No, the shame is written all over his face and in the way his chin dips to his shoulder.

It’s only Garroway that rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“Do you forget that we are Gods?”

A bead of sweat rolls down the side of my face and splashes against the blade still held at my neck. The metal slips with how slippery my skin is, and a small sting emanates from the cut.

Lynx fights through shivers of pain while he stumbles to his feet and pushes himself to stand. There, he trembles as he straightens to his fullest height before Achaz. With an unnatural movement, his head snaps towards me. Only, he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Ambrose.

I watch his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallows, then wince with another bout of pain.

“Save your energy, son.”

“Fuck... You...”

He spits between ragged gasps.

“My sister?—”

Achaz draws up two fingers and simply brings them down, dragging Lynx back to his knees with the movement.

“You welcomed her rapist like he deserved it.”

He seethes.

“Yes, and our gift to you was his soul, was it not? Are you saying that didn’t satisfy your complaint?”

As my demon tries to bring himself back to his feet, Achaz twists his hand, eliciting a breathy sob from Lynx. My heart stutters in my chest at the sight.

Suddenly, this feels like checkmate. Like we’ve lost. All our pieces on the board have been wiped out. The queen is captive and the king... There’s nowhere for him to go.

If Lynx conjures the Mortifier and impales Achaz right now, he’ll have to deal with the rage of the other Gods. This is starting to feel like it was always a means to an end. He knew all along that one way or another, his eternity would vanish along with his vengeance.

And I can’t let that happen.

Jutting my elbow backwards, I dig my bone into Ambrose's ribs, and he hisses in pain. His hold lessens just enough to slip from his grasp causing the blade to drag along my flesh in a jagged trail.

Except, that isn’t what brings me to my knees in the very next moment.

Fingers curl into my hair and I’m tugged backwards into my captor. With a forced effort, Ambrose shoves his knife into the side of my neck. At first, the shock steals every bit of pain and awareness from me. Even takes my breath. But it doesn’t last long because the sharp pain like acid eating away at flesh begins to seep in.

The agony is unbearable. It’s surreal. It’s the only thing I can focus on as my vision tunnels and the world becomes bleary.

Lynx’s screams are muffled and diluted, the battle cries become noise in the wind, but Ambrose’s snickering turns to a haunting lullaby. It molds into the new soundtrack of my existence.

He yanks the blade from my neck, allowing my blood to coat me in a warm bath and as he plunges it back in, I fight to keep consciousness.

The roar that bursts from my demon’s chest rivals that of Greygore’s, earsplitting and a promise for Hell. When he lunges forward towards the God before him, I claw at Ambrose’s arm in an attempt to have the blade removed enough to speak. My fingers slip and without any grip, I fail, so I merely mouth a single word.

Don’t.

A wicked grin splits Achaz’s face in two as Lynx aims for him and once again, time suspends. I watch the world spin in slow motion. Every movement pronounced and foreboding.

The God brings his hand up and his fingers press together while Lynx lowers his shoulder mid-air to prepare for impact. A single snap sounds out, and I still, paralyzed with devastation.

Lynx disappears.

He’s gone.

My body slumps to the ground. The sheer will to keep going evaporates along with my demon. Silence casts over Primordialis as if this little pocket realm understood the gravity of what just happened, and the universe seems to take this moment to mourn a vital soul.

“No,”

the Devil whispers in disbelief. “No!”

“It’s over,”

Achaz states.

“You and I are at a stalemate. Neither of us can die, but claiming your Second should suffice as a win if you ask me.”

“How can you feel so little?”

Lucifer breathes as if the loss of his friend is a weight crushing his chest.

“These people.”

He flicks his hand out towards the battle that still rages on.

“They’re like toys. We fight over them, we grow bored of them, then we throw them away to make room for the new. What use is it to grow attached to these meaningless objects?”

“You were never human. That I know. So how can you understand such a sentiment?”

There’s no fight left in Lucifer now, only raw acceptance.

Something inside of me sparks to life at Lucifer’s accusation. Like kerosene to smoldering coals, it ignites a wildfire in my heart burning bright with a deep, brilliant hatred. He needs to know. This God needs to know that he will pay for what he’s done.

“He's wrong.”

I croak, the words cutting through my throat like glass, but I shuffle to my knees anyway to stare down the wretched God.

“You do know such sentiment.”

“And I thought this day couldn’t get any more entertaining.”

He chuckles, waving me off.

With a hand on my neck to staunch the bleeding, I rasp.

“So you claim you have no love for your sons?”

“What a stupid question, girl! Of my own kind? Pfft!”

“Then—”

I straighten up as much as I can without swaying, staring Achaz in his eyes when I say.

“—you should know, I’ve killed them.”

He scoffs.

“Gods cannot be kill?—”

The tip of sharpened bone pierces through Achaz’s face.

My jaw drops at the sight of his right eye dangling like an ornament on a Christmas tree.

A crimson waterfall cascades down the front of his body as his flesh begins to disintegrate, and the damning wonders of the unholy weapon eat away at him little by little.

Pieces of his face begin to fall, plopping onto the stone floor with lewd sounds and the other Gods watch in horror.

Garroway launches to his feet as if wondering whether to flee or stand his ground.

Kao and Amadeus simply lower their gazes away from the God they’ve so weakly followed.

The heat at my back dissipates with Ambrose’s retreat, but it’s not from the sight of the melting deity that scares him.

No, it’s his son, draped in Achaz’s intestines like a sash.

Lynx stalks forward, each one of his steps deliberate and promising.

Not a single deity makes a move, all rendered speechless at the sight of the demon wearing the God of Life’s innards.

As he prowls toward me, there’s a smug little grin gracing that beautiful face of his; a face I never thought I would see again.

He kneels down, unwrapping the strand of intestines from his neck and tying it into a makeshift crown before placing it on my head.

Then, without a word, holds his palm out with a half-eaten fruit as an offering.

A white void blankets my mind and static rings between my ears as I take the fruit with trembling fingers.

“Do it,”

he whispers.

And so, I do.

I bite into the fruit, choking it down while the wound in my neck slowly mends and watch as he pushes back to his feet.

Behind me, I can see Ambrose turning to run straight for the chaos of the battle, hoping to get lost in it.

Except, he doesn’t get very far.

Lynx snaps his wrist and a dagger flies through the air, landing snug in the back of his father’s head.

His body drops to the ground with an audible thud and just for good measure, Lynx buries the Mortifier in the center of his spine.

Like the feral demon he is, he spins around, resting the tip of the sword in the ground and leans his weight on the hilt.

His eyes are alight with absolute abandon as he brings his sights to Garroway.

“Who’s next?”

Garroway clears his throat and raises his chin in false bravado.

“Look, I’m sure we can work something out. Another arrangement perhaps? What is it that you want?”

“Well, I want my fucking sister, but seeing as Achaz made that entirely impossible, I guess the next best thing would be balance.”

“So, you want a seat at the table?”

Amadeus inquires.

Lynx chuckles as he meanders back over to the temple, towards Achaz’s golden throne. He runs a finger down a vine, molded and carved into the arm, then tosses his gaze over his shoulder.

“No.”

“I’m sorry, then what exactly are you asking for?”

Kao presses.

The God in green taps his fingers along his thighs nervously as he grows impatient, but Lynx just smiles.

“Lucifer will take his place.”

“What?”

the Devil and Garroway both question simultaneously.

Though, with two very different expressions. Lucifer’s more curious while the latter’s crumples in disgust at the idea.

“You pretend as if his intentions aren’t pure hearted. Just because he was sentenced to eternity in Hell by an unrighteous God, doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the seat. AND—”

He cuts in before Garroway can let out a single word.

“—don’t try to justify reasoning to let yourself ascend to claim the power over life because you, Garroway, are nothing but the opposite of what life stands for.”

“And if we refuse this proposal?”

Garroway challenges through clenched teeth.

Lynx snickers.

“Proposal? My friend, this is my demand. I hold this unholy weapon, and you will accept Lucifer’s ascension.”

“Fine.”

Kao sighs.

Lynx looks over to Amadeus and he nods his agreement. A sly smile sneaks up onto Lucifer’s face as we watch the confliction war on Garroway’s face. His brown eyes narrow between the two and with clenched fists he finally grumbles his agreement.

“Now end this.”

Lucifer gestures to the demons and angels still mutilating one another.

With a flick of Garroway’s hand, both armies disappear. The mangled flesh stamped into the ground now all molded back into single bodies and the blood contained in its rightful owner.

The world now glistens as if the war didn't happen. The only things missing are Achaz and Ambrose. Rightfully so.

And I am just too exhausted and terribly numb in the moment to even begin to process... well, my eternity thus far.