Requiem: Book One in The Apocalypse Trilogy

Chapter 14

Sweat trickled down Lawrence’s forehead. His fingers dug into the wound in his leg, where the bullet had been lodged days before. Lawrence knew he should have removed it right when he had been shot, but it was the least of his problems. Clenching his jaw, Lawrence managed to pull the bullet free. He held it up to the light. Etched into the bullet’s metal, were Enochian symbols.

Lawrence frowned and tossed the bullet away as he set to work binding up his wound. He ripped a strip from the poor excuse of a blanket they had given him and he wrapped the fabric around his leg. Only being able to use one hand was tiresome and a bit more difficult than Lawrence had imagined. When he finished binding himself up, Lawrence laid back against the pillow and closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead.

Tomorrow was his trial.

Lawrence wasn’t worried about the trial, in fact, he had a feeling that Lorelei would save him and keep him from going to the chopping block. He wasn’t quite sure why Lorelei even cared about his well being, she probably didn’t, but she had said that she trusted Lawrence. Hopefully that would be enough to prevent the mortals from killing him and sending him back to Hell. The thought of being sent back did not settle all too well with Lawrence.

High pitched screams came from outside, followed by the sounds of gun shots.
Lawrence quickly sat up, straining to hear outside of his cage. Listening to the war raging on around him, a terrifying thought came to him. What if Lucifer had sent in troops to retrieve him? Lawrence doubted Lucifer would know his location and care enough to come hunt him down, but a small voice in the back of Lawrence’s mind knew better than to doubt the King of Hell.

The guard watching over Lawrence stood from his seat in the far corner, removing the pistol from his side. Lawrence flicked his gaze toward the door right as it was kicked in. Walking through the door, was Kent. At first, the guard untensed, lowering the pistol for a split second before he realized that Kent was not alone. Stepping through the threshold of the door, were two Demons; the very same two Demons Lawrence came across in the forest.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Lawrence breathed irritably and he set to work tugging on his handcuff, knowing this would not end well for him.

Before the guard could raise his pistol once more, Kent shot the guard, point blank in the skull. The guard dropped like a rag doll, crumpling in on himself as a pool of blood began to form around him. The scent of the gunpowder and the coppery blood filled the jail as Kent and the two other Demons came toward Lawrence’s cell.

Lawrence flicked his black gaze upon them as they stood at the entrance of his cell. The two Demons wore devilish grins on their faces as they stared back at Lawrence with the same black glass gaze. Kent stood among them, a cruel smile plastered on his lips and his brown eyes glimmered. The symbol on Lawrence’s collarbone burned, begging to be released upon the threats before him, which Lawrence would have gladly done, had it not been for the Enochian binding spell.

“Decided that being the good guy was too boring for you, was it?” Lawrence asked Kent with a smirk, trying to hide the panic that radiated inside of him.

“I guess you could say that. Afterall, Lucifer knows how to swing a good deal,” Kent said.

“Working for Lucifer now, huh?” Lawrence chuckled. “You didn’t seem the type to let someone ride your a.s.s everywhere you go. Or is that a secret, dirty pleasure of yours?”

Kent’s face grew red with anger and he pointed the pistol at Lawrence through the bars. “Who said I was working for him? Perhaps he was the one who came to me asking if I could do something for him, given the right price of course,” Kent growled.

“Let me guess,” Lawrence said, tapping a finger against his bottom lip. “He offered you immortality? Or maybe, just maybe, he offered you safety? Whatever he offered you, cannot possibly be worth the job he gave you to do. Do me a favor; the next time you decide to make a deal with the Devil, read the guidelines of the contract, because I can guarantee that you got royally screwed over. Now tell me this,” Lawrence said, straightening himself. “Since it seems to me that I will not be breathing in the next five to ten minutes, enlighten me. What did Lucifer offer you in exchange for this job he so graciously sent you on?”

“Oh, he gave me quite the deal. In exchange for bringing Lorelei to him, and killing you as a bonus, Lucifer offered me not only immortality, power, and protection, he also offered me a spot as one of his Generals of Hell,” Kent said with a nonchalant shrug, as if he did not just sell his soul to the Devil. “So win win for me.”

“Really? And here I thought you were such a loyal friend to Lorelei. Perhaps I have been mistaken,” Lawrence said, catching a glint of guilt in Kent’s eyes when he had mentioned Lorelei. “Now, enlighten me on this as well. What would the King of Hell want with an ordinary mortal?”

“She’s not just a mortal--” The first Demon began when he was cut off by the second Demon.

“She happens to be the Prophet.”

✝ ✝ ✝ ✝ ✝

It felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room as the two Angels stared each other down, their wings extended like white dagger blades. The air in the room was hot and humid, causing Lorelei’s lungs to burn when she breathed in. Lorelei had never seen two Angels fight, although it would be a spectacular show of strength and divinity, Lorelei preferred them not to tear her room or the entire town a part.

“Archer,” Lorelei said softly, slowly making her way in between the two Angels. “Relax.”
Upon hearing his name, Archer flicked his glowing blue eyes at her. There was something in his eyes that caused a chill to trickle down Lorelei’s spine. This was a side of Archer she had never seen before.

Had Archer mended himself together once more? Was this the real Archer she was staring at now? Lorelei wasn’t sure, but all she knew, is that if this was the true Archer, the Archangel whom she saved and had now been promoted to her Guardian Angel; Lorelei painfully realized that she wanted no association with Archer if this was who he really was.
Archer frowned, his eyebrows pulling into a soft V as he tilted his head to the side, as if some invisible voice was speaking to him. His frown deepened as he continued to listen and Lorelei slowly turned to look at Jadis. Jadis was frozen, his head tilted up toward the ceiling and his eyes were wide.

“Jadis--” Lorelei started, when her door was violently kicked in.

Her father came rushing through the threshold of the door, clutching a rifle in his hand.
The sound of splintering wood was enough to snap Archer and Jadis out of their trance-like state. Samuel’s eyes were wild as he approached his daughter, taking her by the arm roughly.

“Lorel, we’ve got to go,” Her father said as he began to haul her toward the door.

“Dad, what’s going on?” Lorelei demanded and she planted her feet firmly against the concrete, preventing herself from moving farther.

Her father’s wide gaze flicked from Jadis, to Archer, and then finally rested on Lorelei. “It’s Kent.”

The way her father had said his name, only sent shivers down her spine. Whatever was going on outside of the walls of her compound, was something terrible.