Lived just like they did, he supplied, an icy bleakness filling his tone. Still think Im pretty great?
I didnt know what to think. Part of me was appalled and the other part was weeping. How old had Adrian been when Demetrius yanked him out of this world and raised him in a demon one? If hed been very young, would he even have known that everything he sawor didwas evil if it was all hed ever seen of normal? Maybe finding out was what had made him switch sides and work with Zach. Maybe that was why he hated demons with such pathological single-mindedness now.
And maybe his twisted upbringing, combined with whatever his ancestor had done, made Adrian feel like fate had doomed him. In some ways, I couldnt blame him.
I still think you are what your decisions make you to be, I said at last. I also think if these guys made it out of a demon realm, then my sister can, too, so lets do this.
With that, I pulled the ski jacket over my tank top, slipped the thermal pants over my shorts, replaced my sandals with the knee-high fuzzy boots and put on the gloves. Finally, I released my long brown hair from its ponytail. If it was cold enough to warrant ski wear, my ears would need the covering.
All Adrian did was toss the now-empty duffel bag into the back of the Jeep.
Youre wearing that? I said, gesturing to his long-sleeved T-shirt and regular jeans.
A diffident shrug. Im used to the cold.
I left that alone, forcing a smile as I glanced at Tomas and Costa. See you guys soon, hopefully.
I didnt get a chance to hear their response. Adrian wrapped his arms around me, walked us rapidly toward the tall, oblong rock and then plunged us through it.
Ive always loved roller-coaster rides. The wild exhilaration of being propelled through turns and loops so fast that your face felt heavy and your body molded to your seat was second only to the rush of relief when the ride was over. Being transported through a gateway into a demon realm was sorta like that, only with a lot more noise and nausea. It took a few moments to settle my heaving stomach once we were on the other side, and during that time, I was grateful for the icy air. Then I opened my eyes and realized I still saw...nothing.
Adrian? I said, panic setting in when rapid blinking didnt make the blackness disappear. Somethings wrong. Im
Youre not blind, he said, his deep voice almost as comforting as his hand closing over mine. Sunlight doesnt exist in demon realms. Thats why theyre so cold, too.
Id never been in total darkness before. It wasnt just frightening and disorientingit was dangerous. For all I knew, we were standing on the edge of a cliff. Even if everything around us was flat, I couldnt judge the length of my steps because I couldnt see the ground. When I tried to walk, I ended up staggering.
Adrians arm went around me, clasping my left side to his right one.
Close your eyes and concentrate on moving with me, he said, the confidence in his tone easing my fears. Dont worry. I can see where were going, and Im not going to let anything happen to you.
We began to walk, first in hesitant steps while I learned to trust the feel of his body instead of my sight, and then at a normal pace. Surprisingly, it did help to keep my eyes closed. Since I wasnt trying to see, I focused on his smooth strides, the flexing muscles that preceded a change in his direction, and the reassuring way he instantly adjusted his hold to support me if I faltered.
It didnt take me long to be grateful for the parka, boots, gloves and pants, too. Even with them on, the cold seemed to seep into my bones, but just like the darkness, it didnt appear to bother Adrian. He didnt so much as shiver in his light clothing, and his hand felt warm in mine. How many years had it taken for him to adapt to this dark, frigid wasteland? Once more, my heart broke for the child hed been. Even without demons, growing up in a place like this would have been awful.
After what felt like an hour, Adrian paused. I did, too, of course, sniffing at the new, fuel-like smell in the air.
You can open your eyes, he said. The towns up ahead.
At first all I saw was a black-and-gold spotted blur. After a few blinks, my eyes adjusted, and I made out a blaze of light in the distance, showing lots of smaller structures surrounding what looked like a wide, soaring building.
Thank God, I breathed, so glad to be able to see that I didnt care if I was looking at a demon town.
Dont say that. Its a real giveaway that we dont belong.
Adrians face was hidden by darkness, yet his tone made me imagine that he said it with one of his wry smiles.
Good point, but arent we avoiding the town? I asked, whispering in case someone was out in the blackness with us.
Cant. Whats known of the weapons location is that it was hidden in a wall, and the only walls are in town.
Is that all we know, or do the demons know exactly where it is?
He snorted. No. If they did, they wouldve used it for themselves a long time ago.
Why didnt the demon that hid it do that?
Adrian paused, seeming to choose his words, which meant Id just be getting part of the truth again. As it turns out, only a few people can activate the weapons true power. Minions cant, and neither can the average demon. Zach said that the demon who hid it was on his way to tell a more powerful demon about it when Zach killed him.
Wait. You said demons could only be killed with the weapon Zach didnt have, I emphasized.
Wait. You said demons could only be killed with the weapon Zach didnt have, I emphasized.
A shrug I felt but couldnt see. Archons dont need it to kill demons, and other demons dont need it to kill their own. The rest of us do, which includes you and me.
Figures. Couldnt Zach have gotten its location before he silenced its hider forever?
Another pause, longer this time. My temper flared. Could you for once just answer me with the whole truth?
Fine. His tone thickened. For all I know, Zach did find out where the weapon was. Even if he didnt, his boss knows, yet here we are. Know why? Because neither of them really cares if we live or die trying to find it.
His brutal analysis stunned me. But thats...theyre...theyre on the good side, I sputtered.
His laughter was like glass grinding together. They win or lose this war, Ivy. Not us. We can only depend on each other, because to Archons and demons, were just pawns that they move around for their own purposes.
But Zachs your friend, I argued softly.
You dont understand Archons. Theyre not fluffy beings sprinkling supernatural happy dust everywhere they go. Theyre soldiers whove been relegated to the sidelines until the pesky issue of humanity has been settled. Frankly, I think Zachs reached the point where he doesnt care what happens to our race, as long as he finally gets to fight.
What Adrian described couldnt be true. Good couldnt give a complicit shrug to evil, and the faith of billions of people from every race, background and creed couldnt be worthless to whoever the Archons boss was.
Youre wrong, I said, still softly but with an undercurrent of iron. We do matter to them. It just might not look that way sometimes, from our side of the fence.
The harshness was gone from Adrians laughter, replaced by a despairing sort of anger.
Thats why I still hide things from you, Ivy. If you cant accept the way the boards set up, youre not nearly ready to learn the endgame yet.
Maybe youre the one whos not ready, I replied, my sense of resolve increasing. I get why. Youve had it bad for so long, all you see is darkness even when the lights are on.
Bad? His voice changed, becoming a whisper that seared me even in the frigid temperature. You dont know the meaning of the word, but youre about to find out.
chapter thirteen
I had braced myself, but no amount of mental preparation wouldve been enough. At least, when I finally did throw up, it matched the reaction any human would have at seeing how demons lived inside their own world.
At first, the town reminded me of a medieval fiefdom, with the overlords manor overlooking the serfs much cruder lodgings. In this case, wigwam structures were laid out in tight clusters along the lowest part of the hill. Smoke billowed from their open tops, reminiscent of pictures Id seen of sixteenth-century Native American life. Very few people seemed to be in the wigwam village, and the ones we passed looked away when they saw Adrian. They were also skinny to the point of appearing wasted, and their clothes consisted of shapeless leather tunics that couldnt have been nearly warm enough in these frigid temperatures.
This area is for laborers, the lowest level of human slaves, Adrian said tersely. Next are overseers and merchants quarters.
Those must have been the plain but sturdy huts that dotted the hill about a hundred yards higher than the wigwam village. Torches were interspersed among the narrow paths between them, and their interiors glowed from what I guessed were fire hearths. They looked like ancient Southwestern pueblo houses, with the addition of leather flaps covering the doorways and windows to keep the heat in. Once more, no one attempted to stop us as we walked through. In fact, anyone we passed seemed to avoid eye contact with Adrian, and he strode by as though he owned the place. I practically had to run to keep up, and since the hill was steep, it was quite a workout.
After we ascended about three hundred yards, we reached gray stone gates that surrounded what was clearly the towns epicenter. Torches lined the exterior of the gates, but I smelled fuel and heard the unmistakable hum of generators, which explained how this area appeared to have electricity. The added lighting made it easier to see, and once I did, I stared.
This wasnt a mini city located at the top of a hill. The city was the hill. The closest thing I could compare it to was a gargantuan pyramid. The base had to be a mile long, with courtyards I couldnt fully see from my lower vantage point. Massive balconies with elaborately carved stone columns showed people milling around inside the pyramid, and one entire side of it seemed to house a huge stadium.
Further up, the corners had huge faces carved into them. One was a lion and one was an eagle, with the predators mouths open as though about to devour their prey. The very top of the pyramid blazed with so much light that it looked like a star had landed there. I couldnt make out much detail, though. It had to be as high up as the sphere on the Empire State building.