Chapter 82

• Taking her by the hand, he led her to the Vatican. St. Peter's Square and the Basilica had been remodeled to look more like a castle, with all the statues of saints and angels removed. Soldiers patrolled the area like ants, not all of them human. Demons, clear as day, could be seen moving in and out of shadows, no different from the gargoyle statues on the roofs of cathedrals. This world was nothing more than an illusion, so nothing so much as glanced at them as they made their way to the entrance. About to step inside, the gonging of church bells echoed across the city. Helena looked up, hearing powerful wing flaps, and felt her jaw hang slack.
• The sky was filled with demons, flying over Rome like migratory birds. Among them was a dragon, right out of a fantasy novel, as large as a 747 and with a body like sterling silver. Helena couldn't quite see from this distance, but it looked like there was someone on its back. Was that ... Xavier?
• "Come on, let's go inside."