The thing then roared, each head’s throat screaming at once to create a symphony of evil.
Jackson did not wait long. Springing forward, he swung his Divine Sword overhead, and separated one of the heads from its neck. The slithering stump of a neck spewed thick black blood as the head rolled to a corner. The demon squealed and brought everything it had at Jackson, snapping at his legs, arms, and chest with its many heads.
Swinging the blade back and forth, Jacks did his best to block the attacks, but there
were so many at once. Black teeth bit at him, ripping into his body armor. A little while longer and they would tear through.
Mustering all his strength, Jackson jumped up. His wings burst forth, and he managed to spear one of the demon’s heads right in the mouth as it tried to follow him. He could feel its final screams travel down the blade before he pulled it out. And yet, still, the demon was not slowing down in the least. The thing was actually becoming more vicious.
“The main one, Jacks!” Sylvester yelled, pointing to the largest of the heads, which had a particularly menacing set of black-red eyes and a cavernous mouth like the jaws of hell themselves. “It’s the only way.”
Jackson nodded, fiercely trying to slice his way in. But the demon was not dumb. It knew how to guard itself. Jack was still far from being able to strike when three of the heads went for his legs at once. Grunting, Jackson was knocked down to his knees, and another head slammed him down onto his chest from behind. The remaining heads were poised to make the fatal blow, saliva dripping from their terrible maws.
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
Smoke wisped out of the barrel of Sylvester’s revolver. He had emptied all the rounds of ammunition, aiming right at the eyes of the demon’s main head.
The demon squealed, thrashing, as its heads coiled back in to tend to the injury. Still, the bullets would feel like a fleck of dust stuck in its eye—irritating but nowhere near fatal. But it could be enough to slow it down.
“Now, Jacks!” Sylvester shouted, struggling to reload his gun. The demon lunged toward Sylvester with one of its heads. The detective put up his arm to protect himself, and it was bent back at an unholy angle as he was smashed down to the floor, and then against the wall. Sylvester slumped to the ground, not moving.
“No!”
Jackson had been able to get to his feet. He would only have a moment. The demon was still partially blinded and distracted by Sylvester’s gunshots. But the other heads were still going to keep Jackson at arm’s length.
Jacks reached back and launched the Divine Sword like a javelin harder than he had ever thrown anything in his life.
His aim was true. And perhaps something forged in the weapon itself kept its course straight. The sword struck the demon’s left eye, plunging in all the way to its hilt. Fountains of black blood came pouring out as the demon shrieked and dropped to its knees. Suddenly, the entire tunnel was filled with the brightest light. Every single speck of dust—and every centimeter of the demon—was now clearly visible in the light. The blinding illumination flashed off the blade of the Divine Sword and then was gone.
Gasping, Jacks dropped down to his knee, catching his breath. The demon’s final death quivers filled the tunnel with rumbling. But Jackson knew it was dead. The sword had told him that.
After a few moments, Jackson was able to stand up. He moved quickly over to where Sylvester lay, crumpled against the wall. He feared the worst.
But Jacks was relieved to find that, though he was unconscious, Sylvester was still breathing.
“Detective Sylvester!” Jacks said. He lightly slapped him on the cheek, to no effect. Jacks picked up the revolver off the floor and put it in the detective’s overcoat. He then pulled him up to sitting. It’d have to do for now.
Jacks approached the steaming demon carcass. Its bulk almost filled the whole hallway. Carefully, he began climbing the heap. Its scaly skin was now hardening, although it was still scalding hot. The soles of Jackson’s boots steamed as he walked on the skin.
The demon’s lifeless main head was facing him, its eye sockets totally empty.
“You have something of mine.”
With a satisfying tug, he pulled the Divine Sword out of the demon’s skull and wiped it clean against the hardening scales of its wings. Taking one last look at the unconscious Sylvester, he climbed down on the other side of the deceased Dark Angel and looked forward, down the dim passageway.
At the end of it was the main hall, where he had spent much time with Gabriel. The inconstant light from torches or candles was burning there in the distance, pointing the way toward the chambers—where Gabriel would likely be waiting.
Jackson walked down the dark hallway toward the atrium, more determined than ever. He ran his forearm across his face to wipe away the sweat that had accumulated during his struggle with the demon. He couldn’t be sure he was ready for Gabriel, especially after all he’d been through. But he might never be ready, so now was as good a time as any.
Two torches burned along the wall. From far above, at the tallest point of the arched main hall, a ghostly red glow shone through the skylights. Angel City was burning. The dim red light illuminated the sandstone frieze that had been recovered from an ancient Angel ziggurat, which told the story of the Angels defeating the Dark Angels during the great Demon Struggles of long, long ago. Jackson wondered how many thousands of years had passed since then. And now they were back here again.
To the right of the atrium lay the Council chambers, its doors wide open. Here was the huge, chapel-like space where Gabriel had made all the decisions with the Council. It was the place where he had decided to doom Angel City.
Jackson saw flames flickering from within. With slow, precise footsteps, he approached the open door. The torchlight cast his long shadow across the chamber’s threshold.
Although Jackson couldn’t see anyone yet, the voice he heard was unmistakable.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Jackson,” Gabriel said. “By all means, please come in.”