This was the second temple constructed to his mother. The first, originally erected to worship Lilith as a goddess of protection, had fallen into the ruins of ancient Sumeria. Yep, she’d fooled humans for hundreds of years, soaking up their adoration, gifts, and sacrifices. She was a real piece of work, his mother.
The temple Ares was now entering recognized her for what she was: the first succubus and a seriously evil bitch.
In centuries past, people had left gifts of food at the original temple. Ironically, before Ares learned the truth about his existence, he’d gone with his human brother, Ekkad, to worship Lilith. Ekkad had asked for protection for Ares and his family. Ares had requested protection for his army, not because he didn’t believe his family needed the goddess’s help, but because Ares truly believed that he alone could safeguard them. Ekkad had laughed, calling Ares a soldier to his bones. Ekkad, whose own bones had been twisted from birth, leaving him crippled and in need of Ares’s protection despite the fact that Ekkad had been nimble of mind and one of the brightest men Ares had ever known.
Ares’s defense of Ekkad had started at an early age—Ares had been five years old when he’d begged his father to let the newborn babe live, when the man had been determined to drown the deformed infant. Ares had continued to champion his brother through the years, earning beatings when he showed too much affection, because caring for someone affected judgment.
That had proved true in the most horrific way, and not even thousands of years could scour away the pain of losing his sons and Ekkad. Ares’s love had cost them their lives, and not a day went by that he didn’t regret his decision to keep them close instead of sending them away.
Ares hit the main chamber in a clomp of boots that made everyone gathered around the life-size statue of Lilith turn toward him. Most of the two dozen worshippers were humans engaged in sexual acts meant as offerings to Lilith, and as he strode toward his prey, the side-effect of his presence took root. It always began with verbal insults among the humans, but would soon escalate into bloody fights. The longer he remained with the humans, the worse the fighting would become, until no one was left standing.
No doubt, his mother would be amused to see both sex and death taking place in her temple.
“Ares.” Tristelle, a female Unfallen, pushed away the male human kneeling between her thighs. Less than thrilled by the rejection and feeling the effects of Ares’s proximity, the human launched at another man, nailing the guy in the face with his meaty fist. Tristelle didn’t seem to notice, pulling her black robe closed as she hurried toward Ares. “I’ve been offering to your mother for days, praying that she would bring Pestilence to heel and stop the Apocalypse in its tracks.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Ares ran his palm over his face. “My mother wants the Apocalypse to start. She would have sacrificed you right here in her shrine, and her worshippers would have used your blood as lube.”
Ares stepped aside as two women engaged in a catfight nearly collided with him. “Come outside or these people will tear each other apart.”
“You care about these insects?”
The fact that she’d called the humans insects probably explained why she hadn’t earned her way back into Heaven. Granted, they were demon worshippers, so… yeah, insects… but angels were supposed to work on the assumption that all humans were redeemable. Ares knew better.
“No.” He started up the stairs. “But it’s hard to talk when blood is flowing around you.” Plus, his entire body quivered with the desire to do battle with a couple of the larger males, one of whom was a ter’taceo, a demon in human skin.
“How did you know I was here?” she asked, as they stepped out into the moonlight beneath the Iraqi sky.
“I remembered your penchant for forcing false angels to serve you. It wasn’t hard to locate one who had recently been your slave.” He spun around and gripped her upper arms. “You’ve always played for both teams… working to get your wings back while sucking up to Lilith in hopes of earning a place at her side should you enter Sheoul.”
She gasped in outrage. “I would never. How dare you—”
“Shut up. I’m far from stupid. Now, tell me why you’re really here. You don’t care about the Apocalypse. Humans don’t mean that much to you.”
Genuine fear flashed in her eyes. “It’s your brother,” she admitted. “Pestilence is tearing up the Unfallen community to prevent another transfer of your agimortus. Many have entered Sheoul and become True Fallen so they can no longer bear the symbol and he won’t destroy them. We need your mother to tell him to stop killing us.”
Tell him to stop. As if it would be that easy. Tristelle must know that, too, and this was a Hail Mary move if he’d ever seen one. “You’re wasting your time, but you’re not wasting mine. Tell me where I can find Sestiel.”
“I don’t know—”
Ares grabbed her by the robe’s lapels and slammed her against the cave entrance. “Tell me.”
“He made me promise.”
Ares released her. “Then I can’t help you. When my brother comes to rip your heart out through your mouth, give him my regards.” He opened a Harrowgate.
“Wait!” Tristelle stepped in front of him. “I can’t tell you exactly where Sestiel is, but he mentioned Albion.”
“Great Britain,” he muttered. Angels were always calling locations by their ancient names… Ares had no idea why they couldn’t catch up with modern times. But it couldn’t be a coincidence that Cara had mentioned flying to England in the voicemail. Dammit. He wished he’d gotten her message sooner, but he’d been traipsing around the globe and Sheoul in remote locations that had made it impossible to get a cell phone signal.
“Yes, there. He has a hellhound to mask his location, but he said he can’t remain with it all the time. He’s been part of the movement to stop you.”
Ares frowned. “Stop me?”
“Not you specifically. All of you.” She tugged her robe more tightly around her. “A few months ago, before Reseph’s Seal broke, all of you were attacked by hellhounds, were you not?”
He stiffened. “Yes.”
Her gaze darted nervously around them. “Sestiel is responsible. He and a couple of other Unfallen. They sensed trouble in the fabric of the world, and when the demon, Sin, started the werewolf plague, Sestiel formed a plan to render all of you immobile. He sent the hellhounds after all of you.”
“So that if our Seals broke, we wouldn’t be able to wreak havoc on the world,” he murmured, more to himself than to Tristelle. As much as being paralyzed by hellhounds for all eternity would have sucked, Ares had to hand it to Sestiel. It had been a good plan, and one that might have earned the ex-angel his place in Heaven had it worked. “Will he try that tack again?”
“Perhaps.”
Ares ran his mind through dozens of scenarios, and yes, now that Sestiel had a hellhound in his possession, he could use it as leverage to gain the cooperation of the animal’s pack. If so, he’d have to visit the only summoning circle outside Sheoul that was dedicated to hellhounds.
Looked like Easter Island would be Ares’s next stop.
Battle kicked impatiently on Ares’s arm. You’ll get your fight soon enough, buddy. “How many of you are left?”