Chapter Eighteen
Alex
All ten of us squeezed into the SUV. Samuel drove while Alaine rode shotgun. Eden was on my lap, Kade held Emma, and the rest of them crammed together. Dom plugged his phone into the speaker jack and blasted some upbeat rock to get us all pumped.
We parked about a half-mile from the Santa Claus House and walked the rest of the way. If we were visible, the scene would have been hilarious. Five muscular Guardian angels, one Fallen, and four Nephilim walking in a straight line, hand-in-hand.
Samuel jimmied his way into the building and when we were all safely inside, we became visible.
The room felt stuffy, and wasn’t very big, especially with all of us inside. In one corner was a Christmas tree, beautifully decorated, with boxes of fake presents underneath.
Alaine and Samuel stood in front of Santa’s chair. It was a plain green chair with white snowflake patterns on it. Behind the chair was a fireplace.
Samuel spoke first. “Before we enter the portal, I want to make sure that everyone is ready. Triple check your gear and weapons and make sure you spray yourself thoroughly to hide any scent. Our mission is to find Thomas, rescue him, and make it out safely. Emma, Kade, and Mateo will be our front line. They are going into the heart of the Underworld. The rest of us will remain hidden and be ready for battle, just in case.”
“Shouldn’t you be going, since you know the Underworld best?” Mateo asked.
“I would go, but I believe Kade and Emma belong together. I’ve watched them train and they are a force to be reckoned with. I’ve gone over the route with all three of them, multiple times. They all know their way in and out.”
“We’ve got this,” Kade said, taking hold of Emma’s hand.
She nodded in agreement.
I could tell she was a bit nervous, just like Eden. Emma had been in the Underworld before and had seen, firsthand, what dangers laid within. But since then, she’d transformed and was given multiple gifts. Gifts that made her truly one of a kind.
It was Mateo I was more worried about. He’d only recently learned about our hidden world of Fallen and angels, but there was much more in the Underworld. It was the place where evil was bred and birthed, a place where dark creatures roamed and fed.
I checked my weapons, my trusty sword and dagger, and they were sharp and ready for whatever came.
Alaine made her way over to Eden, placing two daggers in her belt, one on each side of her hips. Eden’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t practiced with weapons, and wasn’t used to them. Actually, she didn’t care to use man-made weapons.
Alaine grabbed the sides of her arms. “Your gift is your primary weapon. These are a last resort. Hopefully, you won’t even touch them.”
Eden nodded, her breath ragged. She took a few steps backward until her back was pressed up against my chest. Her hand, reaching back, felt for mine and grabbed hold of it.
“Don’t let go,” she breathed.
“I won’t,” I promised. Not unless her life was in jeopardy and I had to fight. That would be the only time I would let her go.
“I never thought I’d enter the Underworld again. Once was bad enough,” Dom said.
“Ditto,” Kade replied.
“Yeah, Ditto,” Emma echoed.
“We do share a special bond . . . the three of us,” Dom said. “However, Kade, I still believe you are a third wheel.”
Kade shook his head. “Well, this third wheel is itching to beat your ass if you keep it up.”
I was glad for their banter, because I could tell that it was serving as a distraction for everyone else, and made our nerves just a little more bearable.
When everyone confirmed they were ready and scent free, we all gathered around Santa’s chair.
“Santa’s chair is a portal to hell?” Mateo gasped, making the sign of a cross across his chest.
“No,” Dom answered. “The portal is behind his chair.”
“In the fireplace?”
Dom shook his head and Mateo’s brow crumpled.
“Are we jumping from his chair into the fireplace?”
Dom gave him a side-eyed glance. “For a mute, you sure do talk a lot.”
“I’m not a mute.”
“I know. But you should be.” Dom zipped his fingers across his lips. “Just watch and follow, little man.”
Mateo exhaled. “Fine.”
Mason was quiet and stayed mostly to himself. He did interact with Mark, but that was understandable. They’d come together.
We had the pleasure of meeting Mark on an earlier assignment. He may have had Malachi’s face, but their personalities were completely different. Mark had one of the most beautiful, melodic voices. When he sang, his music melted away your cares and carried your soul to a place of rest. If he wasn’t so skilled as a warrior, he would have been a worshipper.
“It’s time,” Samuel said. Because he was the only Fallen among us, he was the only one who could open the portal. Standing in front of Santa’s chair, Samuel spoke two words. “Patefacio portal.”
“It means ‘open the portal’,” I whispered into Eden’s ear.
She nodded, her eyes fixed on a red light swirling behind Santa’s chair.
Kade, Emma, and Mateo moved forward. Emma stood in between them and when they took her hands, they disappeared. A zap from the portal let us know they’d entered.
The rest of us linked hands. Samuel was at the front, then Alaine, Dom, Mason, Mark, Me, and Eden. As soon as we went invisible, Samuel pulled us into the portal.
My lungs and nostrils burned as I took in the heavy, humid air. The temperature was near scalding, making it hard to breathe. All around us, as far as the eye could see, was barren, dead earth. The ground was parched, large cracks spread across the expanse, steam rising from deep within.
Scanning the area, I didn’t spot any Fallen nearby. I didn’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to guard the portal in these conditions.
“We need to get to that massive dead tree in the distance,” Samuel said. “Move quickly. Stay connected.”
Still invisible, we all moved toward the solitary tree in the middle of the vast wasteland, about a hundred yards away. Eden’s grip was so tight it was cutting off the circulation in my hand, but I was more than happy to offer a limb for her service.
The closer we got to the tree, the stronger the scent of Fallen became. Samuel had told us that the massive, dead tree was the entrance. The gate into Hell.
I was ready. I had to be, especially with Eden by my side. There was no turning back.