Apart from the occasional interaction with Lilith and now with the King and Queen, Nushka had not seen any of her kin since she was a youngling. She had not been visited by a single Deity in all her reign as Queen of Moor. Given she had refused their offers of visits early on in her reign, it had been at least a thousand years since a member of her family had requested to visit her realm.
An unfamiliar tightness stirred in Nushka’s chest at the sight of her brother. They had played pranks together as younglings, delighting in their mischievous natures. But Lilith, at every turn, was there, thwarting their fun. Had things gone differently, Thorn and Nushka may have been close, had her heart not shriveled and the idea of affection and love had not become so abhorrent. Yet her chest tightened at the sight of him. She did not know what to make of the weakness, so instead of acknowledging the feeling any further, she downed the rest of her wine and then refilled her glass.
Thorn briefly made eye contact with Lilith and Nushka before pouring himself a glass of wine. He looked exactly as Nushka remembered him, though slightly older, perhaps a little wiser. The resemblance between Archè and Thorn was uncanny.
“Greetings, Mother, Father, Sisters,” he added with a wink. “My apologies for my tardiness. I had some time-sensitive work to attend to.” He directed a reassuring nod to Archè that made the King of the Gods relax his shoulders a little.
“What have I missed?” Thorn asked casually, addressing no one in particular.
Aria’s smile broadened at the sight of her son and she placed her hand upon his, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.
“You are just in time, my son. We have missed your company. We were just enjoying a late lunch before the festivities this evening,” the Queen assured him sweetly.
The trill of her voice was a little higher than usual, a dead giveaway that she was hiding something from him. By the sudden tensing of Thorn’s shoulders, he gathered as much too.
“Where is Chiara?” Nushka interrupted, suddenly aware her sister had not yet made her usual dramatic entrance.
Aria turned her attention towards her, obviously happy for the change of subject given her quickness to respond.
“Chiara is terribly busy; the Afterworld is practically bursting at the seams. She sends her apologies that she could not be here, but she will arrive in time to attend tonight’s celebrations. What a delight it will be to have all my children in the same place for the first time since you were younglings,” she cooed nostalgically, beaming with glee.
Beside her, Archè grunted his agreement as he took a sip of his own goblet. The King had hardly muttered a word all meal, their presence seemingly an inconvenience more than a joy.
“I see…” Nushka pondered, “and where is my ward? I would have thought she would be joining us… or are the deceased unworthy of a seat at your table?”
Archè raised a bow at her insinuation, and Nushka cursed herself for the slip of the tongue, reminding herself of the role she was meant to be playing. An act she was failing dismally at. Though perhaps revealing some of her true personality would also help convince them of her genuineness. The Rulers of the Gods may not be so keen to welcome someone who was wholly contrary to their memories. Such an act would have likely garnered their suspicion further.
“Agnes is resting and preparing for tonight’s festivities in one of our guest suits. She is safe and comfortable, I assure you,” Aria soothed her. “It was the King’s idea. Such a magnanimous gesture of him, I think you’ll agree.” She batted her lashes adoringly towards her husband.
The sight almost made Nushka spit her wine, and the screeching of her claws on the glass momentarily resumed. Nushka forced herself to nod approvingly, while internally she began fretting that their plan had been ruined. Though, she rationalized to herself, if that were the case, she would likely be making small talk with the few Deities that resided in the prison of the Gods, rather than sipping on wine and pretending to play nice with her family.
Even still, Nushka gnawed on her lip. Archè would not blindly accept Agnes’s redemption without further investigating the truth of it for himself. Perhaps that explained why Thorn was so late to the family meal. She had a feeling he had been enlisted to do the King’s dirty work on more than one occasion. She scanned the King’s and her brother’s faces for any signs of their tells, but found none.
“Now that everyone is finally here, I believe it’s time to eat,” Archè announced, motioning with a flourish of his hand for the nymphs to begin serving their meal.
Platters of cold meats, fruits, cheeses, and fresh bread were brought out to graze upon for the first course. Followed by seasonal roast vegetables and a suckling pig which the King, to Nushka’s surprise, carved himself. The Goddess of Blood and Bone would never stoop so low as to do such a menial task.
The nymphs made sure to keep the wine flowing—a fact that made managing her family’s company entirely more tolerable.
Dessert was Nushka’s favorite; a platter of various cakes and a caramel fountain to dip fresh strawberries and other fruits into. It had been an age since she had tasted food so rich in flavor and so expertly prepared. The cooks in the castle of bone were all former mortal chefs who had been unfortunate enough to earn sentences to Moor. Their cooking was nothing compared to this. Nushka wasn’t even sure if Lilith had staff on hand to prepare her meals for her. It had never occurred to her before now to ask. The Goddess of Darkness seemed to savor every bite as if in answer to Nushka’s unasked question.
Only a full stomach could help to curb Nushka’s temper at the stupidity of the whole gathering. The Royal family hadn’t been together in eons and here they were pretending to play at happy families. Aria’s behavior was suspiciously sweet, as if she thought one meal could make up for banishing her daughters to different realms for all eternity.
As conversation slowed and the meal drew toward its close, Archè excused himself from the table, claiming he wanted to rest before the night’s entertainment. He insisted that Thorn escort him to his suite. Nushka had noticed the King’s glazed eyes during the meal, his attention clearly elsewhere. Her shadows had whispered to her of his foot’s incessant tapping beneath the table, the way his fingers twitched. Something was preoccupying his thoughts and it involved Thorn. Nushka was desperate to know if their plan was fated to end in disaster. If the King of the Gods was onto her, there was no chance of success.
Aria excused herself next, after first explaining that two of her own personal handmaidens would be in to escort the sisters to their guest suites and to help them prepare for the night ahead. Nushka insisted she would like to see her ward prior to retiring but Aria was quick to shut down the suggestion, again reassuring her that Agnes was safe and comfortable and that she would see her that evening. The possibility that Aria was deliberately keeping her ward from her caused Nushka further alarm.
Zeri pawed its way out from beneath the table to join them as the Goddess of Darkness and the Goddess of Blood and Bone rose from their seats.
“Leave us,” Nushka said to the remaining staff waiting by the sides of the room.
A few of the nymphs seemed uneasy about the prospect of leaving the room unattended. The order no doubt contradicted some fundamental rule they were expected to abide, but they reluctantly did so anyway. None were stupid enough to risk earning either Deities’ ire. They all knew exactly who Nushka and Lilith were and what they could do, even if many of the staff had never seen or met either of them before. The servants whispered; the halls could talk. No matter which realm you visited, gossip always travelled.
“Shall we?” Nushka offered Lilith a clawed hand.
When the room was finally clear, Lilith grasped her sister’s outstretched hand and Zeri grasped a hold of its master’s skirts. In a whir of Nushka’s darkness, the Goddesses—Zeri in tow—left the spying eyes of The Land of the Gods and entered the scorching heat and chaos of The Pitts of Moor.
*
20
The Goddess of Dar
kness
The dry heat of The Pitts of Moor was unbearable. In all her long years of existence, Lilith had never encountered a more repulsive place. She instantly regretted the voluminous evening gown she wore, but with a flick of her hand the multiple layers of tulle beneath her silk skirt disappeared, floating away into the ether. The realm was not a place for ballgowns and tiaras, but the long-lived Deity would never stoop to wearing anything more practical. Her clothes were her armor after all.
Smoke and ash hung in the air, sending Lilith into a coughing fit. How Nushka had endured living in such an abhorrent realm for so long, deprived of fresh air, she could not fathom. Side-by-side the Goddesses stood at the entrance to a towering castle of bone. The Goddess had never beheld Nushka’s seat of power before, and she couldn’t help the shiver that rippled over her skin at the sight.
Spread out across the volcanic plains, seemingly immune to the conditions, was the Goddess of Blood and Bone’s gathered army. Peuchen flew in formation on dragon wings of deepest purple, their barbed tails flowing ominously behind them. A herd of chimera gathered at the base of The Pitt’s jagged mountains. Smog and noxious gases filled the air, making it difficult to breathe or gauge the size of the herd.
Lilith requested on several occasions to visit her sister in Moor, but her requests had always been rejected. Nushka had been so angry at the universe, and the Rulers of the Gods for the fate that had been bestowed upon her, that she had denied anyone outside of her wicked circle access to the realm.
The Goddess of Darkness’s own work was never-ending, and as time drifted by, and each attempt to contact her sister failed, she had mentally closed the door on their relationship. The next time Lilith saw Nushka had been in her own realm. She was even more lost to the Gods than she had been before her sentence by that stage. Hardly a trace of the youngling Lilith had known and grown up with could be seen.
As the years passed by, the only time the sisters were reunited was when Nushka would deem to grace Lilith with her presence, always when attempting to invoke the rule of redemption. Of course, none of the souls that Nushka brought before Lilith were by any means good or repentant. Thus, the dance Lilith and Nushka performed together grew tiresome and the sisters grew further apart. Just as Aria and Archè had likely intended.
Each time Nushka tried deceiving her, Lilith could not fathom why her sister was so intent to give up her responsibilities and return to the coddled Land of the Gods. After finally seeing The Pitts for herself, Lilith fully comprehended her sister’s dire circumstances, and a small knot of guilt started twisting in her stomach.
The bone gates of the castle entrance creaked open on a phantom wind, and through them Hyacinth, leader of the wendigast coven, began making her way towards them. Zeri quirked its ears at the sound and watched on curiously at their master’s side as the High Witch approached.
Hyacinth’s gangly limbs and long spider-silk hair reminded Lilith of creatures of old, in another universe long since traversed. The last time she had encountered such creatures was eons before her parents had begun creating the mortal realms in this universe. Part tree spirit and part witch; they were no more trustworthy than the creator who stood by her side. Lilith wondered how many of their species awaited inside the confines of the castle, readying to cast their wicked magic upon her kin. No doubt they had a slew of devastating potions brewed and packaged neatly in glass vials, ready to use at a moment’s notice.
Their magic was different to that of the Gods. As the wendigast species were descendants of Nushka, a drop of her dark blood magic flowed through their veins. With the ability to wield nature to their will, the combination of the two magics had devastating effects. Of all the creatures that gathered in Nushka’s dark army, it was the wendigast that Lilith respected.
On Nushka’s signal, a bone horn sounded from one of the soaring turrets—a summons. A chorus of horns relayed the call, echoing one after the next, summoning one and all. Even those in the far reaches of The Pitts were called to make their way to the Queen of Moor’s seat of power. A signal that war would soon be upon them.
The ground beneath the Goddesses’ feet began to shudder, as hundreds of her sister’s followers began making the journey towards them. Screeches and roars filled the air. Each warrior, regardless of species or race, was eager for blood and vengeance. Zeri redirected their attention away from Hyacinth’s approach and began bounding around in anticipation of the approaching herd of chimera. It warmed Lilith’s heart to see her sister bonded with such a loyal beast, even if Nushka would deny holding any affection for the pet.
Hyacinth approached Nushka’s side and dipped her head in reverence. Lilith noted how the High Witch had replaced her traditional garb of the tree spirit witches with thick, leather-plated armor. Only once before could Lilith recall seeing the female dress as such. That day, the immortal had wiped out half of her own clan to cement her title and claim her crown as High Witch. Lilith had watched the entire ruthless event play out through her clouded visions. Today, Lilith supposed, the wendigast leader hoped to claim a new crown for her master.
“My Queen,” Hyacinth addressed Nushka, who paid her no heed, her attention elsewhere. “The wendigast are ready in the Hall. We march at your command.”
Nushka nodded.
“The plan is in motion,” the Queen of Moor replied. “Once I have activated your potion, I will open a portal between the two realms. You and your kin will lead the charge into the banquet hall during the ball. Bind as many of the Deities with your magic as you can. My remaining followers will deal with the rest.”
“As you wish, My Queen,” Hyacinth bowed before taking her leave back into the castle.
Lilith stepped up to her sister’s side once more.
“Is this your whole army?” she questioned. “After all your talk, I had expected more…” the Goddess of Darkness smirked.
Nushka met her banter with a wicked grin of her own.
“Perhaps once Ilbis and his descendants arrive, you will be more impressed, dear sister,” she goaded.
Surprise flared in Lilith’s emerald eyes.
“It has been an age since I have heard that name… He still serves you then?” Lilith enquired. She could not help the tinge of awe in her voice.
Ilbis was such a strange and powerful being, so incredibly unique. He was by far the Goddess of Blood and Bone’s greatest creation. She had imagined Ilbis had become so powerful in his own right that Nushka had lost control of his leash eons ago. Apparently, she was wrong.
“He pushes my limits at every opportunity, I assure you. But at the end of the day, he does not forget who holds his reins. Even if he did, he would be no match for me,” Nushka boasted, her hair whipping behind her frantically.
“I’m sure that is likely the case…” Lilith conceded. “But do you think it wise to unleash him, given his unpredictability?”
“Perhaps not,” Nushka confessed to Lilith’s surprise. “But I do not think he will betray me.”
“Betray us?” Lilith clarified with a raised eyebrow.
Nushka’s grin grew wider, more feral. “Of course, my sister,” she replied condescendingly. “I do not think he will betray us.”
Lilith was less than convinced, but if he did turn on her, she was sure she could deal with him. Unless he used his unique skillset on her first. Lilith reinforced her mental shields as a precaution.
Before a never-ending wave of all manner of wicked beasts, the two Deities watched the great army draw nearer, the sound of their collective marching rising as they approached the castle. Zeri became frenzied with excitement as its spiritual kin of sorts pressed nearer.
The flapping of the mighty peuchens’ wings sounded like cannon booms. The gusts from their wings thankfully managed to clear away some of the smog as they came to land, the army assembling on the other side of the bone castle’s draw bridge. The whole castle was surrounded by an impressive moat of lava.
Ilbis strolled cockily out of the castle bone gates
, the ground trembling beneath his feet. Power radiated off him, and hundreds of ghoul offspring trailed him. Their significant numbers amazed the Goddess of Darkness. Mandigon, and his clan of edimmu with their characteristic blue tinged skin and fiery red eyes, traversed closely at their heels.
The Demi-God Ilbis offered Lilith a curt nod as he passed her on his way to join the gathered army, the ghouls and edimmu following his lead. The wendigast would not be joining them for Nushka’s grand speech, Lilith realized. The lava of the plains likely made the tree spirits apprehensive; the Goddess did not blame them.
‘Every being has its weakness, even those with hearts as black as night.’
The Queen of Moor ascended the steps overlooking the plains and her people, readying to deliver her address. Lilith took in the ebony figure-hugging gown her sister wore and the imposing crown of bone now perched upon her head. Whom the bones had belonged to, Lilith didn’t want to know, nor did she particularly care. She had her own bone collection. Their menacing impact was long lost on her, but Lilith could see how her sister’s followers would lap up the crown. Not just a Queen of The Pitts, but a conqueror of death.
With a barely perceptible nod in her pet’s direction, Nushka gave Zeri permission to join the herd of chimera that paced at the front of the army. It would no doubt be fighting by their sides in the upcoming battle.
Nushka, Queen of Moor and all wicked beings, raised her arms and the dark army stilled.
“The time has come, tonight we strike!” The Queen of Moor declared. “Our plan is underway and soon our enemy will be vulnerable! Hyacinth and her wendigast will lead the charge. Ilbis will follow next with his subjects. Then Mandigon and the edimmu.”
“Peuchen,” Nushka continued. “I want you circling the castle in the sky. Kill any who try to escape. Chimera, you are my final surprise weapon. Gather or rip apart any who try to flee. All of you should offer our enemy a brief opportunity to surrender. If they do not, then you have authority to use your gifts upon them or kill on sight. Tonight, we will live like Gods!” the Goddess of Blood and Bone decreed.
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