Chapter 19: Sword of Fire
"...And you know this how?" Nimrod raised an eyebrow at Mark's panicked story.
"Azazel called her. He left a message." Mark was breathing heavily, in order to not hyperventilate. He had a bad habit of hyperventilating when something really bad happened.
"Let's hear it, then." Shaking violently, Mark tapped the play button.
Azazel's snide voice came over the tinny speakers of Holly's abandoned phone.
"Hello, Holly Godwin. Yes, I still have your friend Castiel. I might be willing to make a trade. If you ever want to see him alive again, then you'll come to the inn across from Diego Ramirez' glass shop. You're probably looking at it right now. Come alone, and oh, Nimrod? Don't think about following, or I will kill both of them. Got it? Good."
Everyone got very quiet. Even Diego was still, although he didn't understand most of what Azazel's message, he still understood the tone.
"That's torn it, n' all." Groanin said mournfully. "What are we going to do now?"
No one answered him. No one could.
The silence was broken by the sound of the little bell, as someone else came in from the street. It was the old man that John had seen across the street, seemingly talking to himself.
"Hello." He said, and coughed a bit. "I'm Deamiel, by the way. Perhaps you've heard of me, Nimrod?" John, Philippa, Mark, Groanin, and Diego all stared at Nimrod. Nimrod nodded slowly.
"I believe so. You're the angel of advice, aren't you?" Nimrod was putting up a good show of calmness.
"Advice, and direction. And Monday, too, but since today is Wednesday, that little tidbit doesn't really matter, does it?" Deamiel walked over to the very same bowl that Mark had been looking at earlier, and picked it up.
"Did you have any advice for us, Deamiel? My daughter just received a threatening phone call, and now she's gone missing, probably to go get her friend." Nimrod's voice began to shake slightly, but he cleared his throat several times.
"I know," Deamiel put the seashell-shaped bowl down carefully, and looked at the piece next to it, a crystal decanter.
"Do you? How?" Philippa spoke up, slightly emboldened from having more experience with angels than her twin brother.
Deamiel coughed a couple of times, and then answered Philippa. "I just sent Holly on her way, that's how I know."
"You didn't advise her to come back?" Mark was stunned into speaking. Deamiel smiled at Mark, showing off pearly white teeth.
"If I was supposed to, I would have. I gave your little sister my honest opinion. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Will she?" Mark asked angrily. "Does she even know what she's up against?!"
Deamiel glanced coolly at Mark. "She has a lot better of an idea than you do. In addition, she's a prophet. Gabe's not just going to let her die without having something to say about it."
That made Mark shut up, but Nimrod wasn't finished. "So what are we supposed to do? Sit here idly while Holly risks her life?"
"Exactly." Deamiel looked up to the ceiling, and nodded. "That's exactly right, Nimrod. Now, I must be going. I've overstayed my welcome."
With a noise like fluttering wings, Deamiel vanished, leaving everyone with a growing sense of dread as, outside, the sky darkened and it began to pour.
The darkness inside El Sol de Mañana was almost palpable. It pressed in on all sides until Holly felt almost breathless from her claustrophobia. Deamiel's parting words seemed to echo in Holly's head, giving her hope, and the resolve to go on. She walked a few more steps into the ruined lobby, her footsteps tiny clicks on the tiled floor in the absolute silence.
"MACKINTOSH!" Azazel said, from right behind Holly, and several wall-mounted gas lamps sprang to life, illuminating the huge room with a dim yellow light. For a moment, Holly forgot all about the danger Cas was in. The tiled floor was a huge, incredibly detailed mosaic of what seemed to be a scarlet sun. Holly saw, for a split second, the majesty of the mosaic when it had been new, and more vibrant. Then she was jerked back to the present.
"What do you want from me, Azazel?" She asked.
"A trade." Azazel said, walking out in front of Holly, and smirking.
"You'll trade Cas's freedom for what, then?" Holly asked woodenly. She dreaded what Azazel was going to demand.
"Nothing much. Just your life. Here, why don't you talk it over with Castiel?" Azazel beckoned with his index finger, and a heavy wooden chair skidded noisily across the tiled floor. Sitting, chained securely to the chair, was Cas. Holly's eyes widened when she saw that Cas's mouth was covered with duct tape.
"Cas!" She almost yelled, relieved that he was alive.
"Oh, silly me. I forgot to take the duct tape off. Here, let me get that for you." Azazel walked calmly over to Cas, and ripped the duct tape away, triggering a pained shout from Cas.
Holly ran over, shoving Azazel away as she reached Cas.
"Wait Hol! Don't touch the chains! They're made of jade- you'll be bound just like me!" Cas shouted, seconds before Holly threw her arms around him in a relieved hug. Holly stopped short, and Azazel sighed.
"There you go again, Castiel, ruining all my fun. Oh, well. Continue on with your silly reunion."
"Cas, what is this place?" Holly asked her best friend. She felt something wet on her face. Holly was crying with a mixture of happiness, desperation, and fear.
Cas shrugged, using what little movement he was allotted, he was fettered so tightly to the chair. "Search me." he said. "I came here in a bottle. I don't even know where we are, really."
"Madrid. We're right across the street from where Nimrod and the others are waiting." Holly whispered.
"What are you thinking about doing?" Cas asked suspiciously. He knew Holly well enough to tell when she was about to do something monumental. Holly just shook her head, and turned back to Azazel.
"All right. Let Cas go first, and I'll let you take my life." Holly said, with an air of muffled confidence.
"You do realize that you have absolutely no chance of defeating me, don't you, Marid?" Azazel sneered. "No, I'll set my brother free when I feel like it."
Holly clenched her fists down by her sides, remembering the blessing that Deamiel had given her, and his advice.
She took a deep breath, readying herself. "In the name of Allah and Gabriel the archangel, I compel you," Holly began, her voice reverberating around the decrepit lobby, "to quit your evildoing right this minute!" Holly stamped her foot, silently reciting a prayer. Azazel laughed cruelly.
"That was what you were planning? Your God and His angels can't help you now, Marid. And I shall raise the Red Sun of Madrid to defy you!"
CRACK! Outside the boarded-up windows of El Sol de Mañana, lightning split the sky. Holly smiled quietly.
"Yes, Azzy." she said, still smiling. "That was my lifeline."
"Who dares to defy the will of Allah?" A booming voice, hardly like the kind voice Holly remembered from her dream of Gabriel, came from by the door. It was more befitting of a giant in a fairy tale, and instinctively, Holly knew that Gabriel had changed.
Azazel grabbed Holly's short hair, kicked her shin so that she fell down, and dragged her to the middle of the mosaic, in order to face Gabriel head-on.
"I do, angel scum! MACKINTOSH!" Azazel screamed, and immediately, a ring of black fire burned around Holly and Azazel. Azazel laughed again and threw Holly, painfully, onto the marble mosaic floor. Holly landed on her broken arm, and was momentarily distracted by the pain, but not too distracted to observe Azazel seem to conjure another boy, who looked strikingly similar to Cas, though far paler, but, like Azazel, was a few years the elder. The boy- though really he was a young man of about twenty- glared at Azazel with murderous grey eyes, though he was bound hand and foot with jade chains like Cas's. His mouth was covered with a strip of duct tape, and his face was twisted with pure rage, though rage that the young man was unable to act upon.
Gabriel paced along the outer side of the ring of fire. he was much different than he had been in Holly's dream. He had the same long, curly brown hair fastened in a ponytail, the same stormy grey eyes, the same nose and jaw, but he was now twice the size he had been before, and had absolutely gargantuan snowy white, feathery wings, and a halo of white fire framing his head. This Gabriel, clad in white robes rather than a Sunday suit, was truly frightening. However, wielding a sword made of flame as he did now, the archangel was nothing short of terrifying, even for Holly, who knew that he was here to help her.
Gabriel stared back at Holly, and for the first time, Holly sensed the amazing power contained within him.
"Use your power, Prophet of the Djinn. Show your dominion over flame. Break the ring of fire!" He whispered to Holly. Holly did her best to stand, and turned to look at Azazel, who was still cackling in triumph.
Then she looked past Azazel, at Cas, who was still chained up, but had duct tape over his mouth again. Their eyes met, and Holly received her first vision into the future. She saw what the fate of Europe would be if she failed.
A barren wasteland, filled only by a landscape of black sand dunes, sand dunes made of the ashes of every bit of Europe. Every building, every living thing, everything, had been burnt to ashes, just like Mr. and Mrs. Coomes had been. Mark, Nimrod, Cas, John, Philippa, Mr. Groanin, Diego... all of them would be dead if Holly didn't act, right now.
Holly blinked, dragging herself away from the future and back into the present. She concentrated with all her might on what had to be done.
"MADECASSEE!" she shouted. The circle of black fire melted away, and Gabriel charged at Azazel, holding his bright sword of fire aloft...
And Holly fainted.