Read Online Arianna Rose: The Gates of Hell (Part 5) by Jennifer Martucci, Christopher Martucci - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Martucci, Christopher Martucci
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could reveal what he was about to reveal. He raised his hands slowly, then with arms outstretched, focused his thoughts on Gehenna, a sinister realm of fire and destruction, of complete chaos and waste.
A jolt snapped f rom his core as he labored and struggled against the molecular structure of the universe, against gravity, space and time. Though easier each time he undertook the endeavor, opening the portal was still a task that caused beads of sweat to trail from between his shoulder blades down to the small of his back. But he breathed deeply and met the challenge, reaching out with every ounce of strength he possessed, and battled until a section of air before him became visible, quivering and shimmering like heat radiating off pavement on a sweltering summer day.
In the past, h e’d instinctively stepped back, away from the gateway, and waited. He had not been afraid in the least. He’d simply recognized the necessity of self-preservation. But this time, self-preservation needed to be forsaken. He needed to keep the portal open longer so that more of his brethren could pass through.
With arms trembling from exertion, Darius managed to plant both feet and keep himself upright when the first wave of beings began to blast past him.
Light burst briefly from the shimmering air, along with a rush of energy that threatened to topple him, and created a phenomenon similar to a camera flash. The flare, though expected, still made him feel as if his retinas had been scorched. His eyes refused to adapt to so much light passing through, and spots appeared in his field of vision. But soon, the dark blobs subsided and he was able to make out face after hideous face flying by.
Demons in every size , color and shape tore through the gateway. Some looked human while others were monstrously disfigured. But all shared the same purpose: kill at their master’s will. Darius tried to focus on them, to make out the details of some of them, but the task was too tiring.
Before long, they were just a blur of limbs flickering . And then he was barely aware of them, the burden of holding open the portal too taxing to allow his concentration to vacillate. His strength faltered. His powers drained. The tunnel began to spin in lopsided circles, and his hearing alternated between jumbled voices and a shrill ringing.
All to o quickly a gush of light exploded and the portal collapsed.
“Dammit! That wasn’t long enough!” Darius shouted in a rare display of frustration. Frustration was equated with vulnerability in his mind. And vulnerability held no place in the role of a leader. He inhaled and slid a hand through his closely cropped hair then squared his shoulders. “We need an army, after all,” he added with composure.
“My lord, when you open the seventh gate, they will all stay open for good,” Naberius commented in his choppy, guttural way of speaking.
Heat licked up Darius’ collar, his anger nearing a crescendo.
“You will have your army,” Naberius added. And something in Darius, overextended seconds earlier, snapped.
“You think I don’t know that?” he screamed, spittle spraying. “We need warriors now to ensure that seventh gate opens, Naberius!”
Though he could not see what he looked like at the moment, Darius had a fair idea of what his appearance was: wild-eyed, red-faced, veins bulging at his neck as well as one, lightning bolt shaped vein in his forehead, spewing saliva and panting like an animal. He was certain he didn’t resemble a leader.
W orking his jaw from side to side, he inspected the ghouls he’d brought forth through the portal. “Listen up,” he hissed. “You are here to do my bidding, to follow my orders until the realm of Earth is ours. After we have claimed it, you can do what you want. But until then, no one is to pursue his own agenda.”
Behind the demons, Baal grunted and made a small nodding gesture.
A jolt snapped f rom his core as he labored and struggled against the molecular structure of the universe, against gravity, space and time. Though easier each time he undertook the endeavor, opening the portal was still a task that caused beads of sweat to trail from between his shoulder blades down to the small of his back. But he breathed deeply and met the challenge, reaching out with every ounce of strength he possessed, and battled until a section of air before him became visible, quivering and shimmering like heat radiating off pavement on a sweltering summer day.
In the past, h e’d instinctively stepped back, away from the gateway, and waited. He had not been afraid in the least. He’d simply recognized the necessity of self-preservation. But this time, self-preservation needed to be forsaken. He needed to keep the portal open longer so that more of his brethren could pass through.
With arms trembling from exertion, Darius managed to plant both feet and keep himself upright when the first wave of beings began to blast past him.
Light burst briefly from the shimmering air, along with a rush of energy that threatened to topple him, and created a phenomenon similar to a camera flash. The flare, though expected, still made him feel as if his retinas had been scorched. His eyes refused to adapt to so much light passing through, and spots appeared in his field of vision. But soon, the dark blobs subsided and he was able to make out face after hideous face flying by.
Demons in every size , color and shape tore through the gateway. Some looked human while others were monstrously disfigured. But all shared the same purpose: kill at their master’s will. Darius tried to focus on them, to make out the details of some of them, but the task was too tiring.
Before long, they were just a blur of limbs flickering . And then he was barely aware of them, the burden of holding open the portal too taxing to allow his concentration to vacillate. His strength faltered. His powers drained. The tunnel began to spin in lopsided circles, and his hearing alternated between jumbled voices and a shrill ringing.
All to o quickly a gush of light exploded and the portal collapsed.
“Dammit! That wasn’t long enough!” Darius shouted in a rare display of frustration. Frustration was equated with vulnerability in his mind. And vulnerability held no place in the role of a leader. He inhaled and slid a hand through his closely cropped hair then squared his shoulders. “We need an army, after all,” he added with composure.
“My lord, when you open the seventh gate, they will all stay open for good,” Naberius commented in his choppy, guttural way of speaking.
Heat licked up Darius’ collar, his anger nearing a crescendo.
“You will have your army,” Naberius added. And something in Darius, overextended seconds earlier, snapped.
“You think I don’t know that?” he screamed, spittle spraying. “We need warriors now to ensure that seventh gate opens, Naberius!”
Though he could not see what he looked like at the moment, Darius had a fair idea of what his appearance was: wild-eyed, red-faced, veins bulging at his neck as well as one, lightning bolt shaped vein in his forehead, spewing saliva and panting like an animal. He was certain he didn’t resemble a leader.
W orking his jaw from side to side, he inspected the ghouls he’d brought forth through the portal. “Listen up,” he hissed. “You are here to do my bidding, to follow my orders until the realm of Earth is ours. After we have claimed it, you can do what you want. But until then, no one is to pursue his own agenda.”
Behind the demons, Baal grunted and made a small nodding gesture.
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