Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 48

Ash

He slowed his pace, his steps careful and precise, as the tunnel began to close in upon him. He could now brush both hands on either side of the stone walls and reach up to the damp cold brick above.

Ash wiped the sweat from his brow, unsure if the temperature had risen or if his own body was on fire. He swallowed down his ever-growing fear and worry for Rose. The echo of her screams resonated within his skull, the pain so raw and honest. Selfishly he wished she were next to him now, holding his hand.

Get a grip with yourself, you are no coward...I'm Melissa's only hope...

He steeled his heart and clenched his teeth and made a few stumbling steps forwards, only to flinch and raise his hand to shade his eyes at a shimmering light in the distance. Blinded for a moment, the shape of a door, twenty or so yards away, materialises out of the darkness. The uneven floor abruptly changed to a flat metal surface and the walls dropped away. A welcoming cool breeze brushed his face. He smiled closing his eyes for a moment to savour the moment. He had made it and was alive.

For now...

He reached out to either side and touched metal railings. His gaze remained on the door. Each step echoed around him like he wore metal buckets for shoes, he glanced around nervously praying not to be heard.

He hurried the last few yards as he made it to the door and peered up at the source of the light, a white crystal encased in a rusty steel cage, hanging on a metal bracket above.

He place his ear against the steel door and caught a deep rumble of a large gathering of people on the other side, his stomach churned and twisted in distress. He tried to recognize any individual voices, though he gave up after a minute as the low humming changed to a single union of chanting.

This is it...bloody time to be the man you always wanted to be...

He gasped in shock and snapped a hand to his chest, a sudden stabbing pain in his heart, the intensity taking the breath from his lungs. His legs buckled under him, forcing Ash to lean against the door for support, venerable and exposed, as he waited for the feeling to fade.

He dropped to a squatted crouch, one hand to his heart the other against the door staring down at his feet, his vision fading in and out of focus, while he slowed his breathing and his mind, trying to fathom what the hell was going on with him.

A fucking heart attack? Really?

As he climbed to his feet, the door handle squeaked and twisted before his eyes, the door slowly swinging towards him. In horror, he slipped to the side and hid behind the open door and held his breath, his heart in his mouth.

A large hooded figure dressed in a blue cassock of the Gabriel order stepped through and walked a few yards onto the metal bridge and peered around as if searching. Behind the shadow of the door, Ash tried to lean as flat as he could.

Please, please don't turn around, please...

It all happened in slow motion, for a second Ash thought he had avoided detection, only for the monk to pause and raise its head to sniff the air and snap its gaze towards him. Blood-red feline eyes widened in triumph. It hissed as it lunged, the unnatural speed unavoidable as was the sheer power of the Daemon, striking Ash and pinning him against the stone wall. The force was enough to knock the wind out of him, as the beast held him firmly by his neck. Its full weight was against him, crushing his windpipe in an iron grip. It spat in his face and hissed an over-large toothy grin inches away. The dark saliva burned as it trailed down Ash's nose and chin.

"Ahhh, to be the one to take the black heart of the damned...To finally revenge your betrayal and punish you accordingly to Lord Baal's law." It hissed at him, the accent old and foreign. The words sounded defiled, corrupted on the Daemons tongue.

Ash could only splutter and convulse, the pain unbearable, his vision fading as his life force died. He strayed one last glance at his killer to see hungry feline eyes oozing pure venom towards him, its black-stained tongue wetting its pale lips in anticipation of Ash's demise as it reached within his cassock and revealed a crimson-bladed knife. It flickered and burned in blood fire.

A moment, a second or two after, Ash felt his own heart ignite within his chest and a liquid fire crawled under his skin and into his veins. The pain caused him to scream out in agony as his world went black...