When Angels Die

How they'd fallen asleep, Johnny would never know. He awoke to the sound of pigeons cooing on the roof outside and a church bell chiming ten. He blinked, tried to move, but discovered that he was wrapped around a warm, naked body.

Blackheart.

Blaze waited for the holy-shit-God-just-kill-me-please feeling of horror and regret to hit him, but he felt nothing. Well. He felt something, but it certainly wasn't regret.

He propped himself up on one elbow and slipped his arm around Blackheart's waist, pressing a kiss on his bandaged shoulder. "Hey. You awake?" he whispered.

Blackheart made a sleepy noise in his throat and slowly began to shift. "Mm. Hm?" He rolled over onto his back, and Johnny felt like he could die right then and there when he saw those blue eyes blink and look up at him. "Hmm. Hey," Blackheart murmured, smiling slightly and putting a hand over his eyes to shade them from the sunlight.

"Hey," Johnny answered, grinning. "It's morning."

"I know."

"Your mom must be wondering what happened to us." Blaze sat up and grabbed his pants from the floor, pulling them on.

"I doubt that," Blackheart said with a yawn, not moving. "I think she knows exactly where we are."

"I was trying not to think about that."

"How do you think I feel?" He suddenly began to laugh. "I bet the whole goddamn neighborhood heard me lose my virginity last night."

Johnny shook his head as Blackheart continued to laugh it up. At least he wasn't crying about it. That would be worse. The idea of a virgin demon was something Blaze had never considered, and he would have never guessed it, especially not someone as young and handsome as Blackheart. But then again, Johnny thought, Lilith was definitely an overprotective mother and she'd probably die before seeing him make the same mistake as she did long ago. That and the fact that demons were immortal, and therefore had no need to have sex for survival's sake, made it almost understandable that Blackheart would be a stranger to the carnal acts of humans. Blaze tried to put it out of his mind and concentrate on the day ahead of him, because thinking about last night was only getting him hot and bothered.

He sat down to pull on his boots and Blackheart rose up behind him, beginning to playfully bite him. The demon seemed to be in the mood for mischief, but Johnny was determined to be the adult in this situation. "Hey. Ow. Knock it off, what're you doing? Stop that. You've got pointy teeth, kiddo. Is that my shirt? Give it back, we need to get dress — ow! Okay, that's it. Come here!"

Blackheart laughed as Johnny tried to wrestle his shirt from him, but Blaze ended up biting back and they both got tangled in each other's limbs, and before too long Blackheart had his fist between his teeth to keep from shouting as Johnny made love to him for a fourth time. They lay beside each other afterward, hot and breathless, grinning like a couple of unruly teens who'd just gotten away with something naughty. Unfortunately, during the naughtiness the bandages on Blackheart's shoulder had come loose and created an awful tangle around his right arm, but the demon just shrugged and decided to pull the whole thing off.

As the gauze fell away strip by strip, Johnny caught his breath: a pale, smooth shoulder met his astonished gaze, perfect and unscarred, as uninjured as it had been before the fight with Belial. In fact, all of the marks and bruises on Blackheart's body from his hellish imprisonment were gone, and his pale skin seemed to glow with health and newness.

"When did this happen?" Johnny asked, brushing his hand over the demon's shoulder.

"I don't know," he answered coyly, then drew the man forward to meet his lips. "Maybe while you were fucking me last night . . ."

Johnny responded by pushing Blackheart onto his back and letting himself melt into the soft, warm wetness of his mouth. He would never get tired of this, not even if he lived forever — eternity just wasn't long enough.

The church bells were clanging to the sound of eleven o'clock by the time they both crawled off the chaise and hastily pulled their clothes on. With a breathless rush they smoothed their disheveled hair, tucked in their shirts, and tried to keep their hands off each other as they went down the stairs. On the second floor landing Johnny had about all he could stand of Blackheart nipping at his ear, and slammed the demon against the wall to give him a hard, punishing kiss. After a few more seconds of juvenile thrills and groping, they pulled themselves together and went down the stairs, trying to keep their faces straight.

Lilith looked up from a pile of tourist pamphlets, smiling. "Good afternoon," she said archly. "Sleep well last night?"

"No," they replied in unison, completely serious.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Johnny put a hand over his eyes, thinking that Lilith was probably a lot sorrier to hear that. He sat down at the makeshift table and picked up one of the brochures. "So what's this? Are we gonna go sight-seeing?"

"Something like that," she said, grabbing another pamphlet. "If we can find a holy site, like a catacomb or a small church somewhere, we might get lucky. No respectable priest or angel would hang around a crowded tourist area." She pursed her lips and she thumbed through the brochures.

Blackheart came up behind Johnny and leaned on his shoulders, reading the pamphlet he was holding. "Catacombe di Priscilla?" he asked.

"Sounds like the burial plot of the Presley family," Blaze said. "It doesn't look like much from the photos. Wanna check it out?"

"I've got some other places I'd like to visit first," Lilith said, giving a glance at Johnny's brochure. "But yeah, I'll add that to the list. Make note of the address. I don't want to go on a wild goose chase all over Rome. If we can start from here and work our way outward, it'd save us a lot of time. And the sooner we find someone who can help us, the better off we'll be."

Johnny nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. There's just one problem."

Lilith waited.

"I don't think the three of us will fit on my bike."

"Then we'll walk," she answered curtly. "Trust me, you don't want to negotiate with the traffic here. It's bad. We'll make much better time on foot." She stood up and grabbed a handful of fliers, shoving them into the pocket of her trench coat. "I'm ready if you two are."

"Sure," Johnny nodded, standing up. He had to admit he was a little bit excited about walking around Rome, but business first. He and Blackheart followed Lilith to the door. She stepped out onto the street, but just as Blaze was crossing the threshold, Blackheart grabbed his jacket and yanked him back inside. He pressed Johnny against the wall and kissed him urgently, like it was going to be the last intimate moment they would ever have, and it was all Blaze could do to keep control of himself. They parted with a gasp, and Blackheart smiled wickedly, still grasping Johnny's collar. "That should hold me over for now." He stuck out his tongue and licked the man's lips. "But I'm going to need more of this tonight."

Johnny leaned his head back on the wall and closed his eyes. "God," he groaned, "I've created a monster."

† † †

Mephistopheles strode along the narrow walkway overlooking an immense fiery chasm, glaring down at the overseers whipping enslaved souls as they labored below. Rizfadael followed dutifully at his side. The lord of Hell tapped his cane as he walked, and Malinda trailed behind him, watching the activity down below.

"Have you been able to find them again, Rizfadael?" asked Mephisto.

"Not yet, my lord," the angel replied hastily. "I was only alerted of their absence not long ago, and your forces are hard at work picking up on their trail."

"Lilith," Mephisto scoffed to himself, "were you really foolish enough to use your powers to flee Phoenix? Or are you trying to deceive me, lead me down the wrong path . . . ?"

"Daddy, what's that?" Malinda interrupted, pointing to a massive tangle of gigantic gears and sprockets; moaning souls pushed against them, mercilessly whipped by their masters, and the heavy metal gears rumbled as they turned.

"That is the great timepiece of the underworld, my dear," Mephisto said to her, "the clock which counts the hours and minutes here in Hell."

"Why is it moving like that, Daddy?"

"Because it is counting mortal hours right now, my child, not the hours of our world. It will tick faster again, once you and I return to Earth."

The little girl continued to gaze down at the clockwork as a very worried-looking demon approached and bowed before Mephisto. "My lord!" he barked. "We have found Lilith and Atrocor once more."

"Excellent. Where are they?"

"It appears they are in Rome, sire."

Rizfadael's mouth fell open in shock. He sprang forward and grabbed the demon by the collar. "Do you lie?" he snarled, his wings unfurling in his fury.

"N-no, I swear!" the demon stammered. "They are moving throughout the city as we speak."

Mephisto stepped up beside Rizfadael. "What is so important in Rome, Rizfadael?"

"Sabbris is there, my lord," he answered, letting the demon drop from his grasp. "She has the heavenly documents that reveal the location of the Seventh Seal."

Mephisto's face became dark with rage. "Lilith. You cunning bitch."

Rizfadael was close to panicking. "She and your son must have discovered that you only have five of the Seals, and now they're out to find the seventh before you do. How could this have happened? How could they have known!"

The angel suddenly had a gloved hand wrapped tightly around his throat, squeezing hard. Mephisto's black eyes stared straight through him. "Go to Rome. Stop my wife and son. Bring Sabbris and the holy documents to me."

"But sire!" Rizfadael choked. "The documents would disintegrate upon entering Hell!"

"Then make sure that they don't get them!" He threw the angel to the ground and stepped over him. "Incompetent fools. If you want something done right, you must do it yourself." He stared down into the chasm, at the great hellclock. "Daemnos!" he thundered, his voice echoing through the hot, smoky air. "The time is now. Start the clocks at normal pace!"

Whips cracked and souls screamed, and a loud groan of metal filled the cavern as the gears began to turn more slowly.

Mephisto stepped back and placed his cane on Rizfadael's chest, pinning him down. "You had better not disappoint me, angel," he threatened lowly. "Get those documents. I will meet you at the Holy See. Come with them, or don't come at all." He lifted his cane and Rizfadael scrambled up. The angel bowed quickly before he spread his wings and flew up into the darkness.

Malinda walked up to her father and took him by the hand. "Is it time to play the war game, Daddy?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"Yes, my dear," Mephisto smiled. "It's time."

† † †

Streaks of sunlight broke through the cloudy afternoon, and Johnny stood awkwardly in a crumbling garden of an old cathedral, staring at the decrepit statue of some saint that was covered in thorny rose vines. Lilith was speaking with the old priest, her voice low and steady. Blackheart had begun to wander, bored with his mother's conversation. The priest kept glancing back and forth between the three strangers, as if he were afraid to lose sight of them. Anyone who came to this church asking about holy, paranormal sightings was likely up to no good.

Johnny sighed and took a seat on a stone bench, staring up through the trees and wishing that this whole ordeal was over; this was the third site they had visited so far, and they had either been greeted with slamming doors or looks of terror. No one wanted to talk to them. Perhaps they could sense the two demons' unholy aura, or maybe it was the way they were dressed. And so far they had found no one who could point them in the right direction.

Johnny looked up to see Lilith walking toward him across the grass. She looked tired and harassed, and he rose to his feet to meet her. "No luck, huh?"

"None. This was the first priest to actually take us seriously, and he knows nothing about any miracles or holy hauntings anywhere in Rome." She sighed. "I don't want to jinx us, but this doesn't look good. I think we're going to be here for a long time before we find an angel, Johnny." She looked around the garden. "Where's Atrocor?"

† † †

Blackheart's explorations had led him into a cool, shady flower garden, and that was where they spotted him. He was crouched down in a small bed of pink and white azaleas, looking like the shadow of death amongst such bright colors, his black coat trailing on the green grass.

From between the trees came Lilith and Johnny, and the demoness caught her breath when she saw her son; she put her hand to Blaze's chest, stopping him where he stood. He looked at her questioningly, then followed her gaze.

Blackheart was watching the butterflies flutter between the flowers, staring with rapt fascination, head cocked and eyes deep with memory. He reached his hand forward slowly, toward a brilliant blue butterfly as it drank nectar from one of the azaleas. His finger brushed against its legs, and the insect stopped feeding to crawl onto it. Blackheart lifted his hand and brought it close to his face, and the butterfly walked across his knuckles, its long tongue probing his skin. He smiled and stood up, letting the butterfly scramble onto his other hand to investigate. The jewel-blue wings batted slowly, so much prettier when they were attached to a living body. The creature lingered another moment before it took to the wind and flew off to find another flower.

When Johnny turned to look at Lilith, she had tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Before he could ask her if she was alright, she called to her son in a hoarse voice, "Atrocor. It's time to leave."

The smile faded from Blackheart's lips when he heard his mother's voice, and he turned to look one last time upon the dancing butterflies before following Johnny and his mother out of the garden.

† † †

Sabbris sat up with a jolt, almost flipping her chair over backward. She grabbed onto the table and waited for her heart to stop pounding. The holy papers and her own handwritten notes were scattered across the table in a terrible mess. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, wondering how long she had been asleep. She had been having the strangest dream.

The angel stood up and stretched, looking out the window. The sun was high, but it was beginning to grow dark and cloudy. Perhaps they would get some rain soon. Sabbris hoped so. The rain usually brought good news from above. It was the only way she could keep in touch with her home these days; she had been in the mortal world for so long now . . .

She glanced back at her messy table, and decided that she was working too hard. She hadn't been outside the monastery in two days, and her legs were beginning to get stiff. The angel deftly wove a braid in her hair, slipped on her sandals, and opened the creaky wooden door to her barracks. She greeted the old nun in the foyer and said that she'd be returning soon. The nun nodded and warned her to be careful. Rome could be dangerous for a young girl, even in the daylight.

Sabbris stepped onto the sidewalk and stretched her arms above her head. It was a beautiful day, warm and breezy. Which direction should she take? She looked down the street both ways before deciding to go left.

She had no idea of the chain reaction she had now set into motion, simply because she had decided to walk left. She carried on, unaware, and ventured from the safety of the monastery at Catacombe de Priscilla.

† † †

Even though Johnny, Lilith and Blackheart stood out among the colorful Italian crowd like three black clouds, the people ignored them, mostly because demons could be ignored by people if they so pleased. They had little trouble making their way down streets and winding alleys in search of the next destination on their list, but the air was warm and all the walking was beginning to get tiring.

"Isn't there a better way to do this?" Blackheart grumbled, sitting on a short stone wall in the shade of a large tree.

"No," Lilith said firmly. "Unfortunately they have yet to invent an angel radar, and until they do, this is the only way."

"Cops still have to hoof it," Johnny said helpfully, sitting beside Blackheart. "Even with all the technology the police force has, sometimes the only way to get the job done is by knocking door to door and hoping for a lead."

"Well it's stupid," Blackheart mumbled, and began to play with the ring on his finger. Still such a kid, Johnny thought with a smile.

Lilith flipped through the travel brochures, trying to find out which direction they should take to get to a particular street, when her son suddenly raised his head. "Are you wearing something?" he asked her.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" she answered, trying to find the right pamphlet.

"Like perfume. Are you wearing any?"

"No. . ."

Johnny frowned, watching Blackheart as he stood up, sniffing the air. "What is it?" he asked. "You smell something?"

"Ozone," the demon muttered. "But sweeter."

Across the street, a young woman with blonde hair dropped a few Euros into the guitar case of a street musician and turned around to discover she was being watched.

Through the passing cars and milling tourists, Blackheart saw the angel go stock still, and even from that distance he could smell her fear. But mostly, he smelled her.

"Honey?" Lilith asked, "what are you-"

Blackheart sprang forward with a shout of, "You! Angel!" and ran into the busy street.

Sabbris turned and bolted down the sidewalk as fast as she could go.

Johnny put a hand to his mouth and swore, "Jesus Christ!" while Lilith dropped the brochures. Cars honked and brakes screeched as Blackheart dodged high-speed traffic; people shouted as they were pushed aside by an apparently suicidal young man dressed in black. "WAIT! Don't run!" he shouted after the angel. "We need your help!"

Johnny and Lilith spotted a break in the traffic and began to run after Blackheart, forcing aside anyone who stood in their way.

Up ahead, Sabbris' feet pounded on the concrete and she dared to look behind her. The demon — she was certain it was a demon — was still fast on her heels, his dark coat flapping behind him and a terrifying look in his eyes. He shouted to her again, begging her to stop, but there was no way she was even going to consider it. She had to get back to the monastery; it was sacred ground there, he wouldn't be able to follow.

Sabbris bolted around a corner and sprinted down a narrow alleyway, taking a shortcut and hoping to throw off her pursuer. It didn't work. She turned her head and saw him barreling after her, followed by two others . . . And one of them had an even darker aura than his. She was being chased by two demons, probably three, and they were starting to gain on her.

The angel fought back her tears of fright. She couldn't run if she started to cry, and she wasn't going to let herself fall into demonic hands just because she was easily frightened. If she let her emotions get the better of her, they would catch her and probably torture her to death, cut off her wings, any number of horrible possibilities. That was enough to keep her running.

She burst out of the alley, stumbling over a pile of garbage but managing to keep her feet beneath her. Across the street she could see the monastery — almost there. Drawing in a deep breath, she raced across the pavement. The demon behind her yelled angrily, "Angel! You're starting to piss me off!"

And you're about to piss off indeed, she thought triumphantly as she slammed into the wooden doors of the monastery and fell to the floor, gasping. The nun sitting behind the counter looked up in shock, then backed against the wall as Blackheart came to a stop inside the foyer.

Sabbris looked over her shoulder and yelped, "No! No, you can't come in here! This is sacred-"

The demon reached down and hauled her up by the arm. "Do you know who I am?" he demanded, shaking her angrily.

The angel cowered, trembling in Blackheart's iron grip. "I know wh-what you are," she stammered, cheeks wet with tears.

"That's not the same," Lilith snapped, entering through the doors with a panting Johnny at her side.

Blackheart stared at the angel, and for the first time seemed to see the terror he was causing her. He felt his heart clench with newfound sympathy. He released her slowly and allowed her to put a healthy distance between them. "I am Atrocor," he said stiffly. "You may call me Blackheart."

Sabbris was still breathless, and now confusion was added to her fear. "Wha-? Blackheart?"

He turned. "This is my mother, Lilith, and my friend Johnny Blaze, a Ghost Rider."

"You-you're all demons!" she cried, taking a few more steps back and entering the grassy courtyard. "And you're their Prince! Get out!" She swept her arm in front of her, as if trying to shoo them away. "Go back to Hell! You're not welcome here!"

Blackheart moved forward into the garden. "Stop screaming. We're not here to cause anyone trouble. You least of all."

Sabbris' bottom lip quivered, but she stopped screaming. She studied Blackheart, noticing the sheathed sword he wore on his belt. "You mean you're not here to kill me?"

"No." Blackheart smiled as nicely as he could to show that he meant it.

"Were you sent by Rizfadael?" she asked.

Johnny frowned. "How do you know Rizfadael?"

Sabbris blinked with surprise. "How do you know him?"

Lilith glared at Sabbris. "I think you need to tell us what's going on, missy. If you're involved with Rizfadael, you need to tell us now."

In the middle of the green courtyard, the angel looked at the three intruders fearfully. "I'm doing a job for him here," she answered hesitantly.

"Are you on Heaven's side?" Blackheart demanded, his voice dark. "Or are you a traitor like Rizfadael?"

"No," said Sabbris in a small voice. "My loyalty is to the Father alone."

Johnny sighed in relief, and Blackheart took his hand off the hilt of his sword. "That's good to hear," he said. "But why are you involved with that bastard? You know he's working for my father, don't you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I . . . I'm a double agent. I'm working to translate these documents that will reveal where the Circle of Fidelity is. Rizfadael thinks I'm going to hand the answer over to Mephistopheles, but I'm not. The information is going back to Heaven."

"Why?" Blackheart smirked. "Don't they know where it is?"

Sabbris looked ashamed. "Well . . . no. We've, um. Lost it. I mean, misplaced it. Yes."

"You lost a sacred seal?" the demon asked in mock amazement. "Your people must be terribly upset."

"No, we. We're just in a hurry to get it back."

Blackheart nodded. "Well, perhaps we can help each other. You see, we need a message to be delivered to your superiors. If you do that for us, we will help you out as well."

"What kind of message is it?" Sabbris asked doubtfully.

"A short one: the last two Seals have been found, and we bring them with us." At that, he drew the Sword of Valor from its sheath, holding it in his right hand — the hand that also wore the Ring of Fidelity.

Sabbris gasped and nearly lost her footing. "The Sword! And . . . and the Circle — a ring, of course! Why did I not see this sooner? And you, the Firstborn. It's just like the prophecy said. But how-! How did you-?"

"It's a long story," Lilith muttered. "Look: we don't want Mephisto to get these Seals any more than you do. That son of a bitch has spawned another child, the child, the Antichrist, and any day now he's going to show up with that brat and all hell is going to break loose. I bet your dear Rizfadael didn't tell you that, did he?"

Sabbris shook her head, mortified by this news. "No. I, I knew my job had something to do with the Seals, but Armageddon." She put a hand to her forehead, feeling overwhelmed. "I need to tell Michael right away. Forget the documents — they're worthless now." She gazed at Blackheart. "So you . . . You're on Heaven's side?"

"We're on our own side," he answered, slowly twisting the silver ring off his finger and approaching her. "Take this," he said, putting the ring into the angel's hand. "Tell your lords that we are seeking asylum on Earth, nothing more. Our connections to Hell are already severed, and we will cause no trouble for your kind any longer."

Johnny smiled to himself, his spirit lifting. That light he had known was in the demon's heart was now shining like the brightest star in the sky.

Blackheart stepped back. "Take the ring to Heaven. Tell them of our plight. Send down your armies before Mephisto rises to destroy this world. Hurry, angel."

Sabbris held the ring tightly in her fist and nodded resolutely. A pair of shimmering white wings opened from her back, spreading wide. Johnny stepped up beside Blackheart and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank God," he breathed. "It's over now."

"SABBRIS!" The scream came from the side of the courtyard, and they all turned to see Rizfadael, wings unfolded threateningly, storming toward them with madness and rage in his green eyes. "You lying bitch!" he bellowed, and Sabbris froze in shock. "Don't you fucking dare! Give me that ring!"

Lilith plowed into Rizfadael from the side before he could reach Sabbris, and would have knocked him over if the furious angel hadn't been so strong. Thunder rumbled overhead and Johnny launched himself forward, aiming his fist at Rizfadael's face. Blackheart stepped in front of Sabbris defensively, holding the sword ready. "Go!" he called over his shoulder. "Go, before it's too late!"

The panicked angel jumped into the air, wings beating powerfully, and with astonishing speed she streaked up into the sky, disappearing. With a roar Rizfadael threw Lilith and Johnny off of him; they rolled in the grass and got back on their feet as he began to stomp toward Blackheart. "You meddling brat," he snarled. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Give me the sword now!"

"Take it from me," Blackheart dared, holding the blade like a baseball bat. "I'll do to you what I did to Belial."

Rizfadael sneered wickedly. "Yes, you made short work of that incompetent fool — just like we had planned."

Blackheart's eyes widened. "What?"

"Oh?" the angel laughed. "You didn't know? How pathetically unsurprising. You really think you're going to stop your father and save the world, don't you, Atrocor?"

"That's the plan," Blackheart muttered, and the two began to slowly circle each other.

Rizfadael grinned. "Well you're too late — he's already here, and the Child is with him. You'll never stop them, even with that pretty little sword of yours. It's worthless in your hands, Atrocor. You've lost. Give it back to me and I'll see that it is put to good use."

The demon gritted his teeth, holding the sword tightly in his hands. "No."

The smile on Rizfadael's face faded and he bared his teeth. He clenched his fists in rage as the feathers of his wings began to spread, making him appear larger. Fear coursed through Blackheart's veins but he stood his ground, ready to fight.

And then, a burst of brilliantly white light surrounded Rizfadael — a heavenly halo, and it blinded all in its presence. Lilith clapped her hands over her eyes and Johnny yelped in shock, throwing his arm over his face; Blackheart hissed and turned his head, and was struck head on by Rizfadael. The sword went sailing from his hands, landing on the grass. The light dissipated and angel and demon rolled together on the ground, snarling and kicking and biting. Blackheart found himself pinned beneath the bloodthirsty Rizfadael and struggling to pry the hands from around his neck.

"Don't fight it, Atrocor," he snarled, digging his fingers into Blackheart's flesh. "It's much easier to give up and die!"

Lilith clambered to her feet and ran to pick the sword up from the grass as Johnny threw himself onto Rizfadael's back, grabbing his left wing and jerking it as hard as he could. The angel roared in pain and rose up, sending Johnny tumbling away. Rizfadael's face contorted in horror when he saw Lilith charging toward him, sword raised, and he tried to dodge the diagonal cut aimed at his chest.

The Sword of Valor sliced through blood and bone and feathers, and a pair of severed wings thumped onto the grass, still flexing and twitching. Gasping for breath, Blackheart sat up just as Rizfadael unleashed an earth-shattering scream of torment, blood spurting from the mangled stumps on his back. He lifted his head to glare at Lilith, who was frozen with astonishment at the sight of the mutilated angel.

"You . . ." he growled, then launched himself at the demoness, grabbing her hands that still clutched the sword. "You're dead!"

"Mother!" Blackheart cried, watching the two fight for possession of the sword. Its blade swung to and fro dangerously, and Blackheart staggered up, disregarding the danger, and lunged at Rizfadael's legs. Johnny darted forward and locked his arms around the angel's waist, trying to pull him away from Lilith.

Everything from that moment on seemed to happen in slow motion: Rizfadael wrenched the sword from Lilith's hands, then lost his balance as he tripped over Blackheart and was pulled backward by Johnny. The blade swung in a wide arc. Rizfadael threw himself forward to avoid losing his balance. And the Sword of Valor plunged into Lilith's chest.

Rizfadael fell forward onto the ground, his hand slipping from the hilt. Johnny landed on the angel's back and pinned him down triumphantly. Blackheart lifted his face from the grass and turned to see his mother sink to her knees, dropping the sword she had pulled from her chest, a sheet of black-red blood coursing from the wound it had made. His eyes went wide.

He didn't remember screaming, but Johnny said he did. Lilith's blue eyes blinked once, slowly, and she fell onto her back. Blackheart and Johnny immediately rushed to her side, and Rizfadael, still bleeding heavily, began to crawl away on his belly.

"Mother," Blackheart croaked, sitting beside her and gently lifting her head. "Mother?"

Her lips trembled, shiny with blood. She tried to say something but it came out a wet gurgle, drops of blood spattering onto her pale face.

Tears of shock flooded Blackheart's eyes. "Mother! Mother!"

The blue of Lilith's eyes clouded over, filled with distance, and she was utterly still. In the courtyard of the monastery, the world was silent.

Johnny had seen it happen before his very eyes, and he knew what was coming; he wrapped his arms tightly around Blackheart as the demon's body began to tremble. The first sob of grief ripped through the silence, and Blackheart let out a broken wail.

Johnny began to rock back and forth, trying to find some words of solace, but he couldn't seem to think. His mind had stopped working. He blinked and tears trickled down his face, and even though he was silent, the screams inside him were as loud as Blackheart's.

The demon stopped fighting against the embrace and became limp, and Johnny loosened his grip. Blackheart slumped against the man's chest, sobbing. "Oh God, I'm dying . . ." He raised his bloodstained face. "What is this pain!?"

"Sorrow," Johnny whispered, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. "You're grieving."

Blackheart's face twisted with sadness, his jaw trembling. His tears made trails of white through the dark blood on his cheeks. He stifled a sob and squeezed Johnny's arm for support. "I, I can't b-breathe," he gasped raggedly. "Help me, Johnny."

"Hold onto me, kiddo. Do you feel me holding you? Feel it. Feel the warmth. I'm here. Slow down. I'm not gonna let go." Blaze knew he was babbling, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. It seemed to be working: Blackheart stopped panting and was now breathing normally, his panic attack over. Now he just wept. Johnny took a deep breath and placed his hand over the demon's heart. It was pounding hard, and he could almost feel the anguish burning through to his palm.

Blackheart stared at his mother's corpse for several moments. And then, like Belial, she began to wither and sink into the ground. Johnny was forced to tighten his grip again as Blackheart lunged forward, trying to dig his mother's body from the grass. "No!" he cried. "Don't take her! Don't take her from me!"

A few seconds later, all that remained of Lilith was a dark stain on the ground.

Blackheart burst into tears, struggling against Johnny's arms. "Let me go!" he screamed. "Let go of me! Where is he? Where's Rizfadael? Where is he!?"

Sorrow had turned into rage, and even Blaze was powerless to stop it. He fell back as the demon broke from his grasp and staggered to his feet, searching the courtyard for the angel who had killed his mother. He spotted Rizfadael crawling away into the shadows, and with a snarl he stalked toward him, picking up the Sword of Valor as he went.

"Blackheart, don't!" Johnny yelled. "It won't bring Lilith back!"

"But it will make the pain easier to bear," he muttered, coming upon Rizfadael and kicking him hard enough to roll him over onto his back. Blackheart placed his foot on the angel's chest and pressed down, driving the stumps of his wings into the ground. Rizfadael howled in agony, then shut his mouth when he saw the fire burning in Blackheart's eyes.

"It was an accident," the angel stammered. "Have mercy, Atrocor. Have mercy!"

Blackheart's face, tear-streaked and bloody, was utterly emotionless as he lifted the sword above his head. Rizfadael's mouth opened in horror. Johnny closed his eyes and turned away.

The blade pierced the angel's throat and drove into the ground. There was a hollow snap and the head came free, pouring blood from the neck. The green eyes blinked one last time, and the rigid body beneath the demon's foot went lax.

Blackheart stepped away and turned to see Johnny staring at him hollowly. They looked at each other without a word, both aware of what had been done. Blackheart let the sword slip from his fingers and he walked toward Johnny, who opened his arms and pulled him close. The demon wrapped his arms around Johnny's shoulders and buried his face into the crook of the man's neck, weeping soundlessly.

Blaze held Blackheart against his chest, and wondered what on Earth they were going to do now.

A bright light suddenly grew behind them and Johnny turned, wincing against the heavenly rays. "What is that?" he asked, but Blackheart only recoiled from the glare.

The brilliant light began to fade, and two beings stood in the courtyard. They were angels, unlike anything Johnny had ever seen before: they were clad in garments of white and yellow and blue, lightly armored, carrying swords on their belts. The male was tall, strongly built, and auburn curls fell to his broad shoulders. His expression was severe but his eyes were just, and they stared hard at the mortal and demon before him. Beside him stood a female angel, white-haired but youthful, tall and strong like her partner. She was the archangel Gabriel, and her companion was Michael.

Blackheart began to shake, gripping Johnny's jacket tightly in fear. Johnny stared in awe, and knew who they were without thinking.

"Atrocor," Michael commanded, holding out his hand. "You have been summoned for judgment."

Blackheart shrank against Johnny, utterly terrified.

"Come with us," Michael said, "or die here."

"Go to them," Johnny whispered, even though he was certain that if he let go of Blackheart he would never see him again. These angels were going to take him away and kill him. Isn't that what happened to demons who killed heavenly beings?

Slowly Blackheart let go of Johnny and walked toward the glowing forms of Michael and Gabriel. He paused and turned around to gaze one last time at the man. His face, once stricken with fear and uncertainty, was now calm and serene. And when he spoke, there was no doubt in his voice at all: "I love you, Johnny."

So this was how it was going to end.

Blaze took a step forward to beg the angels for mercy, but Blackheart had already turned around and taken Michael's hand. Gabriel stepped beside him, and she and Michael closed their white wings over themselves and Blackheart. The light of Heaven glowed violently, and when it faded, they were gone.

Johnny Blaze stood in the silent courtyard, hopeless. Alone.

And heartbroken.