Children of the Apocalypse Complete Trilogy, page 22
part #1 of Children of the Apocalypse Series
“No one can die.” I muttered and pushed my plate away. “Next time we go to a burger joint.”
“You haven’t been very hungry since you got back. That could be part of your problem.” Ruthie took another bite. “I don’t think this is that bad.”
Food just didn’t appeal to me, but what I wanted was a thing of tea. I snorted. I didn’t even know where to find more of Dad’s tea. For all I knew, he grew it somehow in his world of dead plants. I took a sip of my water, but it didn’t satisfy the need. I recalled the host had mentioned they had tea, but no one was anywhere to be seen in the dining area.
I took a bite of the pizza and managed to swallow the greasy food. If I could convince my stomach it was hungry, maybe I could get it to jump-start again and make it want to be hungry. We finished eating and boxed up the leftovers for the next morning’s breakfast.
I paused at the door on our way out and read the sign there. “’In a famine make sure not to waste food.’”
“There are signs like that all over now.” Pete said and handed me my mask. “You left this on the table.”
I put it on, hooking the elastic behind my ears. “Let’s just get back to the hotel and get some sleep. The sooner we’re rested the sooner we can get out of here.”
The walk back to the hotel lacked any people wandering the streets. Our footsteps were the only sound in the city of walking dead. Not quite zombies, but not really alive either. The woman at the hotel and the employees at the restaurant were still living and weren’t waiting for their souls to be reaped.
The reception desk was empty when we walked in. The boys headed towards the elevator while Ruthie and I went to our room. I opened the door and noticed the pictures above the bed were no longer crooked. My gaze slid to Ruthie who summoned her staff. I called my scythe and moved around the room.
My heart pounded as I moved so I could see around the wall that divided the bathroom. No one there either. Ruthie tapped open the bathroom door with her staff and signaled it was empty. The tension in my shoulders lessened.
“Housekeeping maybe?” I glanced around to see if anything else had been moved.
Everything else stood exactly where it was when we had left the room. I let my scythe disappear and sat on the bed. “Maybe you’re right, maybe I am just a little bit overly paranoid.”
“No, I thought the same thing when I noticed that the pictures weren’t crooked. It’s the right time to be paranoid, but you have to react accordingly. You didn’t freak out and start attacking random things. That means you reacted properly.”
I pulled my facemask off. “The only time I think clearly is when I’m channeling all my emotions into thoughts of fighting. I don’t know how to explain it. Like, back in my father’s house, when I summoned my scythe with all intentions of destroying something, the fog from my head cleared.”
“It’s because you have control in that area of your life. It might have been your choices that led you to hell, but you can’t control your healing. You couldn’t control your father’s choice. You can’t control the emotions going through you. Fighting, that’s something you can control.”
“You should have seen her face when Lucile locked her father away.” Lust’s voice came from the balcony.
I spun around, my scythe in my hand. “What do you want?”
“Didn’t you hear?” He stepped in and held his hands out. “I’m here to take you back to hell and lock you away. Since Death is gone, I can’t kill you. A nice little angel at the pizza place told me all about you tonight.”
I snarled. “Lucile said she’d let me go if my Father went into the seal willingly.”
“And she did. We never said we wouldn’t take you back.” He rushed forward. Two swords appeared in his hands as he tried to bring them across my body diagonally.
I brought my scythe across my body, the metal clanged as he hit the handle and I kicked him in the chest.
He stumbled back a few steps and chuckled. “I can feel all that anger inside of you. All that grief and pain. I’ll tell you what. Come see Sloth and I tomorrow at your next check in.” His eyes went to Ruthie. “Alone, or I’ll make sure the Trickster takes Ruthie’s wings as well.”
“No way I’m going to come see you.” I narrowed my gaze. “I know how this crap works. I come alone and you seal me away.”
“Maybe we can work out a deal. One where you benefit as well and aren’t stuck in hell.” He faded away and I turned to Ruthie.
“I don’t get it. I thought he was on a mission.”
“Fighting isn’t his strong suit, seduction is. You’re not going tomorrow night.”
No kidding. “I know. Though…” If I was able to get him alone maybe I could take him out.
“The answer is no. Sloth will be there and he’s an ass and despite his name, he is not lazy.” She put a hand on my shoulder. “You have to face the emotions and feelings and deal with them in your way. Not fall for the temptation they are offering.”
I let my scythe disappear and nodded. “I just need some sleep.”
“Probably the best idea.” She went to her suitcase and pulled her pajamas out.
I grabbed my own clothes and changed. Lust was an emotion and if anyone could help wipe away what I felt, it would be him. I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes. The only thing he could offer me in return was lust, but I had to question if that would be better than what I felt now. I’d seen the girls at the college, the ones diving for frogs in the freezing water just to get with Aeron. Sexy wasn’t so bad, sex drive either.
Sleep pulled me under as the thoughts swirled in my mind. What harm could listening to Lust’s deal cause?
14
“Lust? When were you planning on telling us he showed up?”
We pulled up to our second hotel. The other border crossing gave us no problems and the drive went smoothly. Ruthie had just happened to tell them about our visitor.
“I wasn’t planning on it.” I got out of the car and slammed the door behind me. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“He wants her to meet him and Sloth tonight.” Ruthie came up to my side. “It is a big deal, because he’s using her emotions to tempt her. With a promise of being able to get rid of them.”
“He didn’t say that.” I pulled out my suitcase and then Ruthie’s. I moved away so the guys could pull theirs out. “He just told me to meet them. But don’t worry, it’s not like I’m stupid enough to do that.”
Aeron leaned against the car and crossed his arms. “This might be the chance we need.”
“What on Earth are you talking about?” Ruthie threw her hands in the air. “You’re talking about pitting Sammy against two Sins on her own.”
Aeron nodded. “Sammy’s already been to hell, she knows where one of the seals is. If we can get in there, she might be able to tell us where the other seals are. Solidify the locations and get them back to the archangels.”
“We could also do that by getting into the portal at the City on Fire.” Ruthie shook her head. “Her meeting them means she’d have to go through hell alone. Again. We don’t want that.”
“No.” Kaleb tossed Aeron his duffle bag. “You don’t want that as her guardian angel. Since you hold that title, couldn’t you follow her in there?”
“We didn’t try that when she disappeared. Is that an option?” Pete turned to Ruthie.
I raised a brow and looked at her. She sighed. “It’s an option, but I don’t have permission to be in there. I didn’t use that option because I didn’t know where she was and an angel walking around in hell alone is bound to meet Camille and have their wings sawed off. We weren’t even sure if that’s where she was at, at the time.”
I cringed at the thought. “But if I go to hell willingly then you can follow me, and we’d be there together.”
“Yes, as long as they don’t take you to Lucile’s lair and you’re able to help me fight off whatever comes our way, but I don’t like it. Who’s going to talk to Michael?”
I looked to Pete. “Isn’t your mother an archangel?”
“How did you know that?” He raised a brow. “We lived in the human world.”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. Something just told me.”
“I could go talk to her and see if she’s willing, but she doesn’t have the same pull that Ruthie does with Michael.” He looked at Ruthie. “Really, I think that might be our best option.”
“Going in through the gateway alone requires a sacrifice. Without the Sins we have no way of getting in without killing something. I doubt we can easily get goats since we’re in such a famine.” I pointed out. “Not to mention getting out.”
“If we kill a demon inside hell it counts as a sacrifice. Just like when your mother was killed in the fight with Camille.” Ruthie started towards the hotel.
I followed her. “So using them as our ticket in is the best option. Won’t you need a sacrifice to get in?”
She shook her head. “No, because my job is to follow you and help guide you to the right choices. For that reason our souls are bound and I can go wherever I want with you.” She looked over her shoulder. “Just a matter of consequences. Going in to Lucile’s lair, where you were and where Death’s seal lays would have been instant death for me.”
“I just have to figure out how to not go into a seal and how to escape Lust and Sloth when we get to hell.”
Ruthie held the hotel door open for me and the guys. I followed behind them, the door shut with a whoosh behind us. People moved through the lobby, some looked down at their phones, others moved at a fast pace with suitcases moving behind them. Most of them were dressed in suits and shiny shoes. The women wore pencil skirts and button up shirts.
“Boy are we out of place.” Pete looked around. “Only hotel open and apparently it’s the center for corporate workers.”
I looked at our jeans and t-shirts and back to the professionally attired adults. “I’m sure they are thinking the same thing. At least they’re not empty shells, because those people were creepy.”
“I’m over the medical mask thing too. It only adds to the creep factor of everything.” Ruthie marched towards the check in desk. “We have a reservation under Zadkiel.”
“Oh yes, we have two rooms for you on the fourth floor.” The receptionist dug through a drawer and pulled out five key cards. “You’ll take the elevator up to the fourth floor, your rooms are at the end of the hall, they have a connecting door.”
Ruthie handed over her credit card and the guys and I started towards the elevator. “At least this one isn’t as suspicious as the other one.”
“And we’ll know if you get any unexpected visitors again.” Pete leaned against the wall and waited for Ruthie to join us. “We all could have taken Lust if he was alone.”
I rolled my eyes. “I thought we all decided this was a prime opportunity.”
“It is, but still, one Sin gone would have been better. Or even information from him would have been better.” Aeron punched the button to call the elevator when Ruthie started approaching.
I crossed my arms. “Can’t kill him if there’s no Death here to claim him.”
“A valid point, but it doesn’t mean we can’t hurt him.” Aeron turned to face the doors as they opened.
We all got in and I pulled my arms tighter around me. “So how do we approach this?”
“We eat and then send you out to find Sloth and Lust. We hope our plan works and whatever they have to offer works for you.” Kaleb pressed the button for the fourth floor. “We go from there. If they take you right to hell, okay. If they don’t, we work with what they offer.”
Ruthie met my gaze through the mirrored walls. “Whatever happens though, you have to make sure you don’t take whatever temptation they are offering.”
“My mother tried to convince me to run away for my safety. I’m sure they are offering something similar, something that will make the emotions in me go away. I’ll be fine.”
Pete pushed against me as the elevator car came to a stop and I cringed. My feet swiftly carried me out the moment the doors opened. He put a hand on the small of my back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
“I’m fine, next time I’ll just opt for the stairs.” I forced a smile, not that he could see it with the stupid medical mask covering my face.
The sound of our shoes echoed on the tiled floors of the hotel. I frowned. “Most hotels are carpeted, it helps cut down on the sounds.”
“A lot of them opted to replace carpet with hardwood or tiles because it made clean up easier and more sanitary.” A janitor leaned on his mop at the end of the hall. He gave a small nod. “It helps with the risk of infection spreading. It also helps keep business up since the hotel can claim to be one of the most sanitary. Not that it’ll matter when the world ends.”
I looked down at the floor and realized we had walked over a floor he’d just finished cleaning. “Sorry for putting footprints on your clean floor.”
He chuckled. “Just don’t bleed on it and we’ll be fine.” He went back to mopping and we went into our rooms. Ruthie went straight to the connecting door and undid the locks. She flung open the door and came face to face with Kaleb.
“Let’s order in this time. Because going out doesn’t seem to work well for us.”
Ruthie looked over her shoulder. “Sound good?”
“Like I want to go wandering around right now. Yes. Let’s just order food.” I sat on the bed and fell back with a thump. My body sunk into the white comforter. “No pizza though.”
“Chinese?” Pete’s voice came from somewhere near the connecting door.
Everyone made a sound of agreement. I closed my eyes. “You wouldn’t think driving took that much out of you.”
“Just the way traveling is. I think it would be better if we didn’t have to stop at every damn state border right now.” Ruthie said.
I opened my eyes and rolled over on my side to see her sitting on her bed. “Too bad we can’t just plow through them.” I grinned. “Can you imagine that? The military chasing after a bunch of college students.”
“I think you’ve been spending too much time in a car.” Ruthie laughed. “They probably have a grenade launcher they could use to take out the car.”
“And in today’s news!” Pete jumped on the bed, nearly bouncing me off. “Five college students survive being hit by a rocket launcher.”
I snorted. “See, it’d be fun.”
“It’d be crazy.” Ruthie shook her head.
Aeron came in and sat on the wooden desk. “I think I’d rather face a rocket launcher than go into hell.”
“Me too.” I cringed.
Kaleb focused on the floor. “I agree and having been there, I can’t believe we’re planning on sending Sammy back in there.”
“I’m going to be fine. I won’t be alone this time, nor am I going in passed out from being drunk.” I sat up. “We have three of four seals to locate and I think I know how to find the other ones. We get the locations, we come out and we tell the angels.”
Kaleb looked at me. “You’ve seen the fears that can come from there.”
“I have, and I’ve faced one that could come to pass if we don’t do this.” I frowned. “Holy shit.” I looked at Pete. “What was your Father’s greatest fear?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it was me taking on the responsibilities before I was ready. Why?”
“I know how to get to Pest’s seal. It’s green and black and I saw it when I was having visions of my father being killed.”
They all stared at me with wide eyes. Ruthie moved so that her whole body was turned towards me. “You fear taking your dad’s spot?”
“I’m eighteen, I don’t really want to become a reaper at that age. Okay?”
“Horseman,” Aeron corrected. “And if you fear that then we haven’t been doing a good enough job teaching you about the responsibilities you’re supposed to have.”
I raised a brow. “So you’re just willing to step into your father’s footsteps without hesitation?”
“Yes.” He stood up and put his hands on his hips. “As would any of us.”
I jumped off the bed and met his narrowed eyes. “You can’t speak for everyone here.”
“Both of you back down.” Kaleb looked up from his tablet. “We’re all just hungry and grumpy. Food will be here soon. I just ordered.”
I didn’t take my gaze off Aeron. “You do not get to dictate how I feel or what I’m afraid of. No one is fearless.”
“You can’t run from the responsibilities.” One lip lifted in a half snarl.
“I never said I was. I said I feared it.”
He turned away from me. “Call me when the food is back and make sure that someone convinces Sammy she can’t use the Sins as a way out.”
I threw my hands in the air and flipped him off. Kaleb raised a brow and set his tablet down on the desk. “He’s wrong, you know. You’re not the only one who has anxieties about becoming a horseman. I think after years of being groomed for that spot we’ve just become accustomed to the idea.”
“And I would like those centuries of being able to come to terms. That’s it. I’m eighteen. I don’t even know who I am most of the time and now I’m fighting demons, taking trips into hell and facing the Seven Deadly Sins. All I wanted to do was finish college and make my mother proud.”
I sat back on the bed and hung my head. “I don’t plan on trying to use the Sins as a way out and away from my problems. I plan on using them to get into hell. Now we know how to access two out of four. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that was a seal.”
“Everything seems like an illusion in hell, it’s hard to tell what is real and what isn’t. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Kaleb leaned back against the edge of the desk. “You’ve saved us some work. Now we just need to know about Famine and War.”
I snorted. “I bet if we ask Aeron he’ll tell us his father fears nothing.”
“I don’t know what my father fears.” Kaleb sighed. “He wasn’t one to talk about fears.”
