Gello and Lilith backed away, both of them grinning viciously as they watched the Angel. The shape within the haze condensed, then grew, Samael's body writhing and lengthening. Out of the dispersing fog, a new form rose, that of a giant snake. But this was no ordinary snake. In addition to being monstrous, most of the scales on its body had eyes embedded in them. Yes, eyes. The eyes were pale green with slit pupils, just like Samael's eyes in his Angel form, but their lids were thick, covered in tiny scales, and had no lashes. Thank goodness; I think lashes would have been a tad much. Samael reared up, the eyes on his belly closing before they came in contact with the ground.
“Fuck, yeah!” Viper whooped. “Another snake god!”
“What's with the eyes?” Pan whispered.
“I don't know, but they're fucking creepy,” Horus whispered back.
“Where are you, you bastard?” Samael's voice came out of the fanged mouth. Those creepy eyes opened wide and started to glow. “He's still here!”
Samael slithered over corpses and debris, into the palace.
“Get him, Daddy!” Gello shouted gleefully and chased after Samael.
The rest of us looked at each other. Arach shifted into his weredragon form, and Odin went werewolf, then we all ran after the giant snake. All but Salem, who was too large to fit in the palace, even with walls missing.
“Uh, I'll just wait here,” Salem called after us.
Samael shot through Buckingham Palace, across the quad, then through the East Front. When he burst out of the grand doors, the crowd of reporters screamed even as their cameramen focused on him. On him and Jerry.
Jerry waited in the courtyard before the palace, surrounded by his human soldiers. The King's Guard aimed their rifles at Samael. The rest of us surged out around him, completely unconcerned. Bullets couldn't hurt us. But guns weren't the real weapons Jerry was using.
It was the Press.
The reporters rallied and every microphone there pointed in our direction, doubtless streaming live all over the world. Azrael waved a hand toward them, and the cameras sparked, then smoked. Equipment fell to the ground, useless, but the damage had been done. The first images of Angels and Demons had been recorded by humans.
“Hold!” Azrael shot into the sky between our forces.
Samael came to a stop and hissed up at my husband.
“Give me five minutes,” Az said to Samael. Then, to Jerry, “Stand down, Impostor. Surrender, and we will be merciful.”
“Not happening. You'll have to fight these men to get to me, Azrael. And even though you've wrecked their cameras, there are witnesses here. They will see your wicked acts.”
“No, they won't. Because I will not hurt these humans.” Azrael lifted his hand, and the rifles flew away from the guards.
The guards flinched and cried out, but then rallied and pulled their swords.
“He has deceived you,” Azrael said to them. “The healing he has given you is temporary. You are not immortal. Now please, stand aside. This is not your fight.”
The guards lifted their swords.
Azrael shook his head as he brought his hands together. When he drew them apart, the humans rolled away like tumbleweeds, their swords clattering out of their hands. The damn reporters took out notepads and started scribbling.
“This is a truly desperate act. Have you run out of backup plans already?” Azrael landed before Jerry. Then he whispered, “Surrender, Jehovah. Your son should not have to witness your death.”
“I am God Almighty!” Jerry roared. “I do not surrender.”
“God Almighty?” A new Angel landed before Jerry—buff, blond, and handsome. “You're pathetic.”
Jerry jerked back. “Abaddon?”
Abaddon, the Destroyer, Angel of the Abyss, drew his sword and pointed it at Jerry's throat. “Oh, you remember me. That's nice. I thought you'd forgotten all about me after tossing me to Earth to guard a pit of locusts.”
“I never forgot about you. I sent you there because I believed that you were the only one who could—”
“Nope!” Abaddon cut him off. “I'm not falling for your lies, Jehovah. I saw you on television, spouting nonsense about being King Arthur. I was going to stay out of it, but then I saw Azrael. I watched him stand up to you, and I knew I couldn't let him face you alone.”
“Abaddon, I—”
