Guardians (Chosen Trilogy Book 2) by David Leadbeater

one knee, exhausted. But even then I could feel the power inside me, needing some kind of release. The feeling unnerved me. Could it fire me up from inside? Immolation didn’t sound like a nice way to go. I wanted to help, but lacked the physical energy. As I knelt there I felt the power diminish.
    Natalie crawled to my side. “Are you all right?”
    “I think so. But damn, that is one scary bastard.”
    “Thank God Cheyne was prepared this time.” Natalie’s eyes filled as she said the words, her husband’s death never far from her mind.
    I touched her arm. “We will avenge him.”
    She sniffed. I whirled as Beelzebub’s scrambling’s grew more frantic, I heard Cheyne shouting something about the artefact.
    “ Find it. We must find it to have any chance! ”
    Then, with a burst of horrendous strength, the hierarchy demon surged up like a fiery black dawn, all rage, fire and destruction. Tanya bore the brunt and was hurled off her feet, sprawling against a wall. Belinda fell to her knees but pushed against the fury, still trying to stay up close with the creature.
    “Our glorious reign will soon begin ,” it growled, the sound of a thousand knife-blades grating together. “Bow down now and learn your rightful place, pathetic humans!”
    I tried to get up, but the creature flexed its huge wings and started to rise up. The downdraught staggered us all and rattled the glass that covered the pyramid. Nearby parked cars started bleating as their alarms were triggered.
    Beelzebub took flight.
    I stared up, my eyes filled with powerless despair as it streaked away, deep and insane laughter rumbling from the depths of its belly.
    Belinda shook her head. “That’s another artefact lost. If we don’t pull this together, guys, we’re gonna be in a world of hurt.
    Literally, I thought.

TWELVE
     
     
     
    Emily Crowe stood tall atop a high outcrop, surveying her kingdom. Around her Death Valley spread in all its archaic splendor, truly a land from ancient times and the one best suited for her task.
    Not only that but the final artefact, the one that wo uld be hardest to procure, lay not far from here.
    And she was not alone. Melissa, her trusty sidekick, sat at her feet, staying silent until spoken to. And now, standing on the valley floor a few feet below her , were two great hierarchy demons—Baal and Belial. They were here to facilitate and help, to make doubly sure everything went to plan. They were here to lend support and add their infinite power to Crowe’s brilliant strategies. They were here to initiate the beginning of hell on earth.
    Melissa hugged Crowe’s leg. Crowe kicked her off with a snap of disgust. Baal looked up at her, the black holes that were his eyes swimming with visions. Crowe had already begun her call to arms. Many people were starting to arrive at Death Valley, and they were gathering in groups.
    They had brought tents. Camper vans. Coaches. They had come on foot, by car. They were following her call right down to the bare bone. Summoned by dreams of violence, drawn by malicious thoughts of terrible intent, they followed their hearts, ending up in Crowe’s backyard. She remembered all the songs she used to sing, all the verses she had written that had seemed so innocent at the time.
    “ Carry me down, by unholy light, let’s quit this town, and visit hell tonight. ”
    And more. Chanted back at her by their legions of fans. No doubt some were here right now.
    Oh, the corruption a rock band can cause . . .
    She laughed. Dozens of people heard her and looked up, faces glowing. Ba al and Belial had them now, wrapped in their spells, and if any of these people had been harboring second thoughts, if any of them had been a little unsure of why they were here, those thoughts were long gone now. Two hierarchy demons were more than enough to control their minds.
    Crowe gazed across the vista. At the far end of their little site more vehicles were already arriving. At that moment, she saw