Salvation : Book 3

CHAPTER 31 : Brother

Plumes of black smoke curled up from the city of Alon, rising to the gathering storm clouds. Green flames towered the buildings, they hissed and crackled as the buildings cracked and crumbled. The air smelt of sulfur, the putrid stench of the demons that ravaged the realm. A loud ragged shriek tore through the night and Kane turned to me. The sound was familiar and it made my heart wrench and my breath hitch.

  "What was that?" Kane asked.

  "Demons," I told him as I turned to Adrian. His eyes met mine, we shared the same worried gaze.

   "We should start moving," He said and I nodded in agreement. He looked apprehensively at Kane. "Keep close," he ordered. We ducked behind the ruins of a fallen building, it provided us with cover, keeping us hidden from the winged demons that patrolled the city. They shirked even louder, their shill tones resounding through the chaotic night.

   "Wait," Adrian said with urgency, stretching his arm over my chest. I stopped and so did Kane who moved behind me. Three black skinned, razor clawed, sharp teethed grotesque and macabre creatures, moved past the desecrated street ahead of us. They were growling and snarling as they prowled, searching for their next victims.

  "They're coming," Adrian whispered before he turned himself invisible. I grabbed hold of Kane's hand and cloaked the both of us. They couldn't see us, but my heart still spiked when one of them turned it's blood red eyes in our direction, I held my breath as it scanned the area. Finding no one it turned away and I sighed deeply.

   "Okay, let's go," Adrian said once the demons were out of sight. The street was evidence to scenes of sudden and hideous violence. Blood was spluttered on the walls, bodies crumbled and sprawled on the paved streets. It was exactly the way I'd seen it in my vision and the thought sent a chill down my spine.

    "Do you think he's still there?" I asked as I checked behind us. There was no one there but I couldn't shake the feeling we were being followed. A tingling went down the back of my neck and I rubbed my neck nervously.

    Adrian frowned, his eyes narrow as he peered out to the next street. "He has to be. We need him," he said and I nodded. I really hoped it wasn't too late. It couldn't be too late.

Two days earlier...

Adrian helped me to my feet and I leaned against him, my leg still hurting. He teleported us from the room on the second floor, from the room my grandfather's body laid on the tiled, blood stained floor. He was dead. My grandfather was dead and I hadn't even known he was my grandfather. I had so many questions and I feared the only person with the answers was gone.

    We appeared in a large spacious room, the walls were high and curved like in a cathedral. The floor was stone with spiral runes carved into it. There were no windows in the room and I suspected we were underground. The room was lit by torches mounted onto the walls, they burned bright yellow flames.

   In front of us were several arched entrance ways, lined with runes. They held spiraling portals. A large group of people were lined up, disappearing through the portals.

    "Marcus," someone called from behind us. We turned to find Jack making his way to us. He looked exactly the way he had when he'd appeared in front of me in the kitchen earlier that night. His skin ghostly pale, his hands coated in blood and his eyes frantic with fear. He hugged me like I had him, when we teleported into Alon. "You're alive," he said lowly, in a whisper like a relived sigh.

     I hugged him back, sighing too, letting go of a long breath I'd been holding. I was alive, I almost wasn't. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes but I wouldn't let them fall, the night wasn't over. "Where's Paige?" I asked Jack. He let me go taking a step back.