“Plans for me?” Xavier repeated, but Michael only fixed him with his powerful glare.
“Let’s not ruin the surprise.”
It was a shock to hear what Michael had to say. He ran with the big guns in the Kingdom and I had doubted my rescue was high up on his agenda. But it seemed that Lucifer was playing a more dangerous game than I’d realized. Michael seemed to think we were on the brink of war and that Heaven needed to reaffirm its dominance. I still had no idea how he planned to break through the portal, but he seemed confident in his abilities.
“The portal?” Ivy gently reminded him, anxious not to lose any more time. “We are here for a reason.”
“Very well,” Michael said, and from beneath his flowing robes he withdrew an object so bright and glorious that Xavier had to turn his face away.
The long, flaming sword pulsed in Michael’s hand ready to do his bidding. It burned blue at the edges and looked almost too elegant for its purpose of destruction. Along the golden hilt were etched letters in a language no human could possibly understand. The letters seemed to ripple and glow with a soft blue light. The sword was alive — as if it were blessed with a spirit of its own.
“The Sword of Michael,” said Gabriel in a strangely reverential tone I’d never heard him use before. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”
“It actually exists?” Xavier asked.
“It’s more real than you know,” Gabriel replied. “Michael has gone up against them before.”
Xavier thought for a moment. “Of course,” he said finally. “It’s in Revelation. ‘And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.’ The dragon was Lucifer, right?”
“Correct,” Gabriel replied. “Michael was the one who cast him into Hell at Our Father’s command.”
“Good job,” Xavier said and Michael raised an eyebrow. I smiled at how informal his manner was compared to my siblings’. “And you reckon you can bust back in?”
“Let’s see, shall we?” was all Michael said.
He drew himself up to his full height in the middle of the tracks. The sword in his hand vibrated so loudly it caused the nearby birds to take flight. “Hey, man,” Xavier called out, sounding uncomfortable. “Sorry for calling you a douche. My bad.”
Michael nodded delicately to indicate there were no hard feelings. He raised the sword above his head so the sunlight poured off its silver surface in streams.
“In the name of God I command you …”
His voice started off booming and then began to peter out. I was fading away, back to my Hades. I tried to linger. I needed desperately to stay and see whether Michael’s sword would unlock the portal. But the jarring sound of a hotel phone ringing tugged me mercilessly back to my body.
“HELLO?” I asked, fumbling for the receiver and almost dropping it.
“Mr. Thorn is waiting in the lobby,” said the receptionist. I noticed her tone had changed from last time we spoke. Then it had been respectful. Now it was smug.
“Tell him I’ll be right down.”
I hung up and flopped back onto my bed, exhaling loudly. I didn’t know what to think. Could Michael really be about to burst through the portal and rescue me? I didn’t dare believe it. I dithered helplessly for a few moments, wondering what to do. I knew one thing for certain: I couldn’t let Jake find out what I’d just witnessed. I needed to go along with the deal as if nothing had happened. I hoped my skills as an actor were up to the challenge.
I met Jake in the lobby of Hotel Ambrosia. He’d shed his customary biker jacket and replaced it with tailcoats and silver cuff links, probably in a bid to play the romantic hero. But we both knew that despite the lavish dress-ups there was nothing romantic about the arrangement we’d made. Tuck and Hanna stood just inside the revolving doors looking forlorn as I was bundled into the back of Jake’s limousine and we sped off down the tunnels of Hades. I waved at them through the back window, trying to convey the same message of hope I’d been given.
The car finally pulled up at the mouth of what appeared to be a cave. I climbed out and glanced around.
“This is your idea of a romantic location?” I asked dubiously. “Why didn’t you just choose a broom closet?”
“Just wait.” Jake smiled secretively. “You haven’t seen it yet. Shall we?” He held out his arm and escorted me into the dark. I held on to him as he glided us through a short tunnel that opened as if by magic onto an expansive stone chamber. It had been arranged especially for the occasion. For a moment all I could think about was how strangely beautiful it looked. I stopped on the spot and stared openly.
“You organized all this?”
“Guilty as charged. I want to give you a night to remember.”
I looked around in amazement. The floor of the underground cave was filled with shallow milky water the color of opals. Rose petals and candles floated on the surface, casting a soft flickering light against the fissured stone walls and sending shadows dancing across the water. Candelabra hung in midair, enchanted by Jake’s dark power. At the far end of the cave was a flight of broken stone steps that led to dry land. In the center sat a vast bed lavishly covered in gold satin and fringed pillows. The stone outcrop was decorated with intricate hanging tapestries and portraits from a forgotten world. Gilded mirrors covered every bare space, reflecting the murky light in a spectacular glittering pyramid. The notes of an operatic aria filtered from hidden speakers. Jake had transformed this dank, dark space into a fantastical subterranean world. Of course, the setting didn’t change anything.
My eye caught sight of something, half concealed by the water. It was a marble statue of the armless Venus de Milo. Through the fog, I could see a dark liquid trickling down her stone cheeks and landing with a rhythmic drip into the water below. It took me a moment to realize that the statue was crying tears of blood.
Before I could say a word, Jake softly clicked his fingers and an ornate gondola appeared before us.
“After you,” he said, gallantly offering me his arm for support. I stepped cautiously inside the waiting vessel and Jake slid in beside me. The gondola steered itself across the glittering water until it nudged against the stone platform. I stepped out, not bothering to gather up the hem of my dress, which dragged up the stone stairs. Jake drifted over to the bed and let his fingers trail across the coverlet. He beckoned me to his side.
Now we stood facing each other in silence. I could see a hunger in Jake’s face that made me shiver. I didn’t feel anything other than hollow. My emotions had completely shut down; my body was running on autopilot. I knew I needed to stay calm and detached while I waited for help to come … if it came. I didn’t allow myself to consider what would happen if Michael’s plan didn’t come to fruition. I knew if I did that I would scream or try and fling Jake away from me. So I stood still and waited. Jake reached out and ran his long, slender fingers down my arms. They worked skillfully and a few moments later the strap of my gown fell down exposing my shoulder. He leaned down and pressed his hot lips against my skin, moving along my collarbone and into the hollow of my throat. His hands came up and tightened around my waist, pulling me toward him. When he brought his lips to mine, his kiss was urgent. I tried not to think about the way Xavier used to kiss me — softly and slowly, as if the kiss were its own reward, not a prelude to anything more. I felt Jake’s tongue forcing my lips apart and pressing into my mouth. His breath, as hot as molten lead, was suffocating. As his hands began to crawl over my body, he seemed not to notice how unresponsive I was. Then, in one fluid movement, his hand reached out and opened the zipper on the back of my dress. It crumpled to the floor before I even realized what was happening and I stood before him in nothing but a transparent silk undergarment.