“Because I used to be one, laddie.  Long time ago.”

Harry understood.  It came to him in a flash of inspiration.  “They called you wormwood.”

“That they did, but I prefer you to use my rightful name; the name given to me by my lord.”

“And what’s that?” Kath asked, obviously not yet understanding what Harry did.

Lucas turned to the woman and grinned, pointy teeth shining.  “Please allow me to introduce myself.  I am Lucifer, the Prince of Hell.  Pleased to meet you.”

Harry frowned.  He should have been shouting ‘bull’, but somehow he knew it was true.  Somehow the reality of the situation just could not be denied.  He was trudging through the snow with the Devil, pursued by murderous angels.  There was just one more thing that didn’t make sense.  “Why the whole Irish jig then, Lucas Fergus?”

“Would you prefer I had horns and a red suit?  Let’s just say that Ireland is close to my heart.  Good, fun-loving, people that love a good time.  Although I can take many forms, and appear however I wish, Irish is my favourite.  Plus the chicks dig the accent.”

“Why are you here?  Are you helping the Angels?”

Lucas shook his head vehemently, snow falling from his hair.  ”Those righteous do-gooders?  Hell no.  They may be my brothers, but we parted ways a long time ago for good reason.  Any of the choir that were any fun joined me in Hell.  It’s the place to be, as long as you haven’t been sent there for, you know…treatment, as it were.”

“So, we’re all going to Heaven or Hell after this?”  Kath sounded hopeful.  She obviously thought she was destined for Heaven.

“Afraid not, luv.  After the final sin was committed, God forsook you all.  You’re all coming downstairs with me to whichever level you deserve.”

“Level we deserve?”  Kath sounded worried.

Lucas nodded.  He seemed to be getting a bit impatient now as they continued through the snow.  “The levels dish out appropriate punishment.  A murderer gets murdered.  Over and over.  Forever.  A rapist gets raped.  A bully gets beaten.  You get the general theme here, right?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Kath shut up and stayed that way, seemingly lost in disturbing thought.

“That just leaves you,” said Harry.  “You still haven’t told us what part you have to play in all this.  You’re the Devil, which means you’re evil and can’t be trusted…doesn’t it?”

Before Lucas had chance to reply, Harry realised that, once again, they were surrounded.

Chapter Thirty-FIVE

“They’re not going to give up are they?”

“No,” Lucas confirmed.  “Not until they have you.”

Harry raised the broom in front of him, hoping it would work as well as last time.  “What will they do to me?”

“Send you to Hell.”

Harry nodded.  “Thought so.”  He eyed up the line of Angels, wondering which one he should go for first.  He decided to do as he did last time and aim for the middle, but before he had chance, a pillar of fire zigzagged towards him, sending him into a sideways dive.  The snow cushioned his fall but was still jarring enough to knock the smut-handled broom from his grasp.

Harry looked up just in time to see another wall of flames arcing in his direction.  He rolled over, barely managing to dodge the burning death, but found himself even further away from his only weapon.  ”Lucas,” he shouted.  “The broom.”

Lucas nodded, searched the snow, located the broom, and then went for it.  He was too slow though and Kath got to it first.

“Great,” said Harry.  “Throw it here.”

Kath drew her arm back and looked as though she was going to hurl the broom in his direction, but then she didn’t release it.  Instead she held it in front of herself and started to examine it.  “Without this, you have no way of defending yourself, right?”

“Yes,” said Harry.  “That’s why I need it, now!”

Kath walked away from him and, incredibly, started making her way over to the row of Angels.  Specifically, she approached the one in the centre, the one that Harry had intended to attack.  She held the weapon in front of herself, keeping the Angels at bay despite the fact that none of them moved an inch.  “You just want Harry, right?  What will you do for me if I give him to you?”

She waited for an answer from the thing, but received none.

Kath jabbed and wiggled the broom in the Angel’s face, not getting close enough to hit, but making her willingness to do so clear.  “I asked you a question, so have some manners.  Remove your hood and answer me!”

Harry was in shock.  Firstly, that the woman was betraying him, but secondly that she was addressing an Angel like an impolite five-year-old.  It was surreal.  Even more surreal was that the Angel did as it was told.  It removed its hood.

Beneath the old, grey cloth was something Harry had not expected.  Maybe if he thought about what an angelic stereotype would look like it would have been less surprising, but seeing the beautiful face appear from beneath the tattered hood was not what Harry had expected.  The Angel had shining yellow hair that fell in thin tresses across a flawless complexion.  His eyes were a breath-taking cyan and the darkness seemed to light up around their gaze.  The Angel’s piercing blue orbs were currently studying Kath.

Kath was immediately mesmerised and Harry could see the same shock in her face that he no doubt had on his.  She still held the broom out in front of her, but it was slowly lowering as though the weight of it was becoming too much.

Lucas moved up beside Harry, “That would be Lord Michael himself.”

Harry considered for a moment.  “You mean from the bible?”

“No, I mean from real life.  That is God’s Field General himself, Archangel Michael.  My brother, the Angel of death.”

Harry looked at Lucas.  “If he’s your brother can’t you make him stop?”

“You really don’t understand family do you, Harry boy?  One thing about Michael is that the only person he listens to is his Daddy.  That’s why he was always favourite.  Bloody eejit!”

Harry didn’t have time to play agony aunt, something was happening up ahead.  The Angel in front of Kath – The Archangel Michael.  Jeez! – was producing something from within his cloak.  Something long and metal that ignited in flames as it was pulled free.

 ”There she is,” said Lucas.  “The beauty herself.  You know that back in the day that sword belonged to me?  Bastard took it from me during the Holy war.  Still, I guess it looks better on him anyway.”

Harry shook his head.  “What the bloody hell are you talking about?”

“The fiery sword of damnation.  The very sword that turned Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes.”

This is really it, isn’t it?  The end of the world.  God has finally called last orders and I’m stuck here facing down the Angel of Death with his flaming penis extension.  If it wasn’t so goddamn insane, I think I’d be laughing my ass off.

Harry watched as the Angel raised his sword, burning the cold air and changing it to a thick, acrid smoke.  Kath was still mesmerised and Harry wondered if she was under some kind of thrall or if she had just gone into shock after finally realising the situation she was in.  The answer was unimportant as Michael brought down his flaming sword in a vicious snap.  It hissed and spat as Kath’s blood congealed on its shaft, turning to black powder and peppering the snow.  Somehow Kath managed to turn around and face Harry, and for a moment he thought he had only imagined the sword going through her neck.

Then her head started to tilt forward, independent of the rest of her body.  Harry saw that the blade had indeed gone through her, so seamlessly that she obviously hadn’t felt a thing.  Kath’s head fell to the snow, spewing it’s fluids into the air like a decorative garden feature.  Her body remained standing however, gushing blood more heavily, spraying it into the air like a gory water cannon.  The cracked end of her spine pocked from her neck, flapping its severed spinal cord like an agitated cobra.  Harry winced when Kath’s lifeless body finally fell forward and buried itself in the snow and turning it red.