The Blood Bracelets #2: Demon Born

Chapter Thirteen

'I'm guessing Angels are exceptions to the rule when it comes to Doorways in and out of the Immortal Halls?' asked Kael as they stepped onto the street.

'Something like that,' Seth replied, 'but Rafael and Michael still would have felt it, so we need to hurry. Doorways can't be opened into churches so I dropped us here. The church is up ahead.'

Seth pointed, though it wasn't necessary; they were only a block away from the church on the corner of busy Swanston and Flinders Street and even though it was reaching late in the afternoon, the sky had darkened with storm clouds to such a point it almost seemed like the evening.

Despite the threat of rain, large groups of people were crowding the intersection as cars and trams flew past. To Kael's left was the iconic Flinders Street Station, where handfuls of teens sat atop the steps leading into the station and beneath the row of clocks that decorated the station's arched entrance. Kael had heard rumours that the clocks had demonic significance, but whatever demon they were linked to or whatever realm they reached to Kael didn't know. Dealing with Infernums was bad enough.

Looking back to the church, Kael saw hazard tape criss-crossing the main entrance that Taryn had broken on her last visit. He glanced down at his blood bracelet, but it was still cold and lifeless against his wrist; it offered nothing.

The fact that no repairs to the church had taken place yet didn't escape Kael, and he wondered if that was the Immortals' way of ensuring the church was used by mortals. He knew Asmodeus had been parading around in Christian Xavier's body purely because of the convenience of being police chief commissioner, but Kael doubted the lack of repairs was Asmodeus' doing. Unless, of course, Asmodeus wanted the church empty and unguarded for Fury's use – whatever it was.

They didn't waste time keeping themselves hidden as they approached the entrance and ripped aside the hazard tape, because despite the amount of people out and about around them they were most likely too distracted to notice two men entering a church, regardless of whether it was off-limits. The people of Melbourne, Kael had noticed, were masters at ignoring the unusual.

Kael slipped in between the broken doors first, and he wasn't sure whether he was disappointed or relieved to find it empty. One glance at Seth told him the Angel wasn't sure what to feel either. There was something unpleasant in the air though, something oddly metallic. Kael couldn't quite pick what it was.

The altar at the front of the church was still broken, but a sheet of flimsy steel had been placed over certain areas and more hazard tape had been cast around it. There were tools and other equipment laying around on the pews, though Kael still couldn't see any actual repairs had taken place. It was as if the workers employed to fix the damage had been dismissed rather quickly.

The church itself was dark, only stormy light coming through the stained-glass windows above them. Silhouettes caught Kael's eye, keeping him tense, but one quick look told him they were merely the silhouettes of the statues and ornaments decorating the church. But the familiar sensation of demonic energy brushed across Kael's skin like a winter breeze, raising Goosebumps across his skin. He shook off the feeling and tugged aside the bright hazard tape, then lifted one of the steel sheets off to reveal the large fissure underneath. Nothing was visible in the crack's depths though; all Kael could see was darkness, but the demonic energy was most definitely coming from within it.

Seth crouched down beside Kael, leaning over to touch the edge of the fissure. His eyes lit up, even the whites consumed by the golden hue as if his eyes themselves were made of solid gold.

'Something very powerful is sealed under here,' he murmured.

'You're saying it's still sealed?' said Kael, because he couldn't distinguish whether the demonic presence was due to the creature still sealed or merely remnants of the creature being there.