CHAPTER 59

"You can be so infuriating sometimes!" She ripped the book in half and threw it to the ground. "We. Are. All. In. Danger!"

"Oh." He scratched the top of his skull, which caused a scraping sound that reminded Beth of fingernails on a chalkboard. "I see. Perhaps we should check on our gentleman caller? I shall accompany you."

Beth nodded, then looked at the others. Tink made a face as if she remembered something, then she bolted out of the room.

"Let's go then," she muttered, then led Death to the front door and opened it.

Murray was hovering above the ground, his face stretched out in a soundless scream. She and Death moved down the stairs together as he unfolded his scythe. Cecilia appeared, hovering just off to the side as they walked toward Murray.

Off in the corner of the yard, the Jabberwock let out a hiss. The beast had been sitting there ever since it had gotten knocked away, and its attention was now upward. The fog was impenetrable, hiding away the sky.

"Murray?" She called out to him from a distance, but there was still no recognition. When she looked back over her shoulder, she half expected the house to be gone. "Murray, can you hear me?"

"He is not present." Death poked the man in the shoulder with his scythe.

Cecilia put a cold hand on Beth's arm. "Who are they?" she asked, then pointed out into the fog.

Beth felt like she was going to be sick. She didn't see anybody, which meant that Cecilia was seeing spirits of some sort through the mist.

"What do you see?" she asked.

"There are three of them," Cecilia answered. "They're so bright, it almost hurts to look at them. And it looks like they're riding—"

"COME!" Murray's voice was like a blast of thunder, sending a shockwave out through the fog. Beth cried out and covered her ears as her dress billowed out behind her.

"That was rather rude, don't you think?" Death closed his scythe and smacked Murray on the head with his staff. "You could at least give us a warning."

A dark shadow appeared in the fog, standing nearly ten feet tall. Beth's heart raced as it came toward them with the sound of clopping hooves. The fog parted to reveal a large horse with fiery eyes, but her attention was caught by the rider. The figure looked to be wearing a high-tech space suit with a gold, mirrored visor. When the horse came to a stop, the figure reached over its shoulder and drew a bow. A black cloud circled the figure, then dispersed when it lowered its bow.

"Death," she muttered, taking a step back. There were a lot of things she was mentally prepared to deal with, but a horse-riding spaceman hadn't been one of them.

"Now this is a surprise!" Death put away his staff. "I didn't expect—"

"COME!" Murray's eyes were blazing with light, and Beth let out a shriek of alarm. Glowing eyes appeared in the mist, and a red horse emerged. Its mane and tail were made of fire, and a large man sat on the back, carrying the thickest blade Beth had ever seen. The horse snorted, sending flames along the ground. When they stopped, the man held the enormous blade in one hand, blade down, and dropped it. The sword slammed into the ground and stuck, like a giant stake.

"Oh my God," she muttered, then covered her ears just as Murray shouted again. This time, a black horse came from the fog, and its rider was carrying a pair of scales. His features were gaunt, and when he smiled, Beth could see far too many of his teeth. The horse was carrying assorted goods that emanated a dark aura.

"This is such a surprise!" Death looked at the riders in excitement. "I never expected to see my siblings so soon! What are you doing here?"

As one, they raised their hands and pointed at Death.

"What the actual fuck is going on out here?" Lily's voice was incredulous, startling Beth. The succubus stood at the bottom of the steps, her hand still on the railing. "Who invited the sexy cowboys?"

Cecilia, who was looking skyward, let out a gasp. She shot across the yard like an arrow and tackled Lily hard enough that the succubus crashed into the front door with a loud protest.

The air around Beth was suddenly heavy, and a shadow formed over the group like a giant cloud. When she looked up, she saw a swirling mass of wings, eyes and gears descend from the sky. The being was larger than the house, and no matter where she looked, her brain struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. What initially looked like an eye became a wing, then a gear, then a mouth.

"DO NOT BE AFRAID!" The voice sent a blast of pressure that forced Beth onto her knees, her hair swirling around her face. She let out a gasp as all the air was forced from her lungs, and she collapsed onto the ground. The house shuddered as if caught in a windstorm, and when she looked up at it, she saw Lily push through Cecilia and throw herself into the house. Her skin was smoldering.

"Oh. Oh my." Death knelt and offered Beth a hand. Her legs wobbled beneath her. "I'm afraid that we have a problem here."

Once she was on her feet, she cast a wary glance at the being up above. "This isn't a social visit, is it?"

"No. No, it is not." Death pulled his cowl over his face, then turned to look at her with fiery eyes. "It would seem that the Apocalypse is upon us."

The swirling mass of wings up above roared. Murray tipped his head back and opened his mouth, and a beam of light briefly connected him with the angel. Bands of golden light appeared, each one blazing with runes as the creature sent beams of energy into Murray's body. He shuddered as they brightened, and Beth wondered if he would explode.

When the bands dispersed, they sent a shockwave out that chased away the nearby fog, revealing the stone walls of the yard. Murray stood on his tiptoes, a quartet of blazing wings made of fire spread wide behind him. When he tipped his head forward, his pupils were widely dilated and one eye was stuck looking to the right while the other looked at Beth.