Evil with a D

Chapter 31

Megan started to grow nervous the further they went into the park. She faltered when Malphis stopped, leaning to peek around him. A small gasp left her at the sight before them. A crack had opened in the ground smoke rising from it looking like a volcano was getting ready to blow.

Allen stood in shock, jumping when Megan took his hand. Allen shifted closer as he gave her hand a light squeeze. Megan jumped in turn when a rumble filled the air, the sound of rock and dirt shifting. The smell of rotten eggs and death hit them a second later causing Megan to shudder and Allen to gag. The area around the newly made crater started to glow as smoke billowed up from the opening.

"Aren't you supposed to be closing it?" Megan finally asked.

"I will, just give it a minute." Malphis' eyes narrowed in concentration.

"We should've brought backup." Allen whispered.

Megan hesitated before nodding. "Why're we waiting exactly? For swarms of demons to just walk out?"

"No, just a few."

"What? But...Mammon?"

"That coward will never walk out first. We have to cut off his army to get the snake to the surface."Malphis tilted his head in thought. "Odd."

"Odd? What's odd?" Allen frowned, exchanging a look with Megan.

"The gate isn't going to answer to me."

Allen and Megan stared at Malphis in shock. "I'm sorry, did you just basically say you can't close the gate?" Megan finally breathed out.

"I did. I see how he did this now."

"W...what..." Allen narrowed his eyes when dark shapes started to climb from the crater, the smoke making it almost impossible to make out any details of the creatures.

"They had an angel to help open the gate." Malphis hissed out as he shifted so he blocked them fully.

Megan jumped when there was the sound of feathers and clothes rustling followed by something heavy landing next to them. Michael stood, wings tucking in close as he smiled at Maphis. "Brother, how are you?"

"Annoyed. Why are you here?"

"You obviously need help. I've brought back-up." At least a dozen other angels started to melt from the shadows around them, their appearance drawing the attention of the demons. They all bared their fanged teeth, black sunken eyes searching the new arrivals. Their stretched graying skin clung to their bones giving them the look of walking skeletons with skin. "Do all demons look like that?" Megan whispered as she shifted closer to Malphis.

"No." Both answered, shooting each other a look before Malphis continued, watching the demons stalk toward them making inhuman hissing and growling sounds. "These are free demons. People who've let their sins overtake them turning them into what you see. Most people in the Below look fairly normal, though some have started to take on certain traits."

Allen frowned at Malphis. "They really look normal?"

"Yes. Unless they do something that causes the change. If they go Below and continue to do what they did here it will force the change and they'll slowly become like these demons."

Allen was silent, seeming stunned by this revelation. "How about we stop grabbing like old women and deal with the army." Michael said, his voice deceptively sweet.