His son's consolations only seem to make things worse. He swings his body up and out of the chair, runs into the living room, perhaps to find another bottle of booze. Except, he hits his shin against a glass table and trips forward. He all but lands face first against a bearskin rug.

In the middle of

this commotion, he accidentally hits the ON switch to a small counter radio. The AM radio host's words blare over Clyde's painful cries: "...economists are calling this the worst economic crash of the century..."

Clyde holds onto his shin and cries, "Quickly, turn it off!"

"Don't," I say, running forward.

Ash has the radio in his hands.

"Don't do it," I repeat. "It's important."

Ash turns the volume dial all the way up.

Clyde winces and says, "He said this would happen."

"Odin?" Heimdall asks.

He shakes his head. "Lucifer. He must have shifted into Odin's image. He forced the vision into my head, and I took the bait. Odin visited me much later. Still, I have managed to hide from the devil, and now it's all come to the moment I worry about everyday."

The news continues: "... City officials say the explosions in the area are nothing to worry about, but all citizens are to stay indoors for temporary curfew..."

I blink my eyes wildly. I feel dizzy as my mind tries to fill in all of the blanks. I think I know what they're saying, but I honestly can't believe it. This isn't the safe world I grew up in. This isn't what I envisioned.

But it's all happening, isn't it?

My teeth are chattering as fear stokes the flames inside my heart. "Temporary curfew?" I ask. "Ash, what are they saying?"

The radio answers my question for me. "... That is the news for today. Martial Law will remain in effect until further notice..."

I did this. I disrupted the world's finances. With a few clicks, I helped facilitate the largest crash the economy has ever experienced. I thought it would help us. In the end, it only helps Lucifer succeed.

What have I done?

Clyde manages to get back on his feet before Loki and Heimdall can take charge. He grabs the radio back and throws it against the wall, cracking it in half. The sound drops in tone and volume.

We heard all we need to hear. The city is in full lockdown, and it all has to do with my old firm. With Jackson.

With us. Did we do this? Are we the bad guys?

Upon seeing the broken look on my face, Ash flips out. He grabs his dad and pins him to the wall.

Shouting, spitting, face red and puckered, "How do we turn them on?"

"Turn what on?" he asks.

Ash is relentless with his anger. Both Loki and Heimdall take hold of his shoulders to pull him away, but he's as solid as a freight train. "The angels," he growls. "Tell me everything."

In between terrified breaths, Clyde says, "He never told me a thing. He made me house the angels in cement and told me to leave town for good. Said dark forces would kill them if they were allowed to roam freely. He said they'd kill me and my family too. That’s why I left.”

"Bullshit!" Ash cries and forces his hands harder into his chest.

"I didn't believe him. I couldn't. But then you came. The pregnancy. Everything he told me would happen came true. I had to leave. They were going to kill my family... I couldn't let them take my baby boy."

Emotion hits hard. The realization that, maybe his father did really love him is hard to grasp.

Ash trembles, and it looks like he is trying to pick a side in all of this. Slowly, he lowers his father as huge breaths of air escape him. The energy in the room is dying down, but it still feels like anything could explode within seconds.

Tags: Penelope Woods Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net