Moments later, I awoke. His torso was still on top of me, crushing my soul further into the abyss. My neck was free of his vice-like grip, but my throat hurt and my chest felt aflame. Heaviness and weakness took over. I could barely raise my arm, let alone fight the out-of-focus predator before me. Mustering up all my strength, I scrambled to the side for a weapon, anything that could help. He watched me scrabbling around, appeared to thrive on my fear. My bloodshot eyes sobbed as every panting breath was hard to come by. It hurt to breathe and ached to move. But I couldn’t lie here and do nothing. I had to fight. I’d die fighting, again, if I had to.
His forked tongue licked the side of my face, blistering the cheek as it swooped. My screams fell silent, my mouth agape. I gargled on my blood, spluttering for breath. His chest was heavy, burning my breasts as he pushed down on me. My lungs were pierced, and my airway occluded. What hope did I have now?
Every moment he spent on top of me, he appeared more out of control, more carnivorous in nature. His forked tongue slithered across my chest; he took pleasure in drawing blood, biting me ravenously. I screamed, biting at the hand he used to shut my mouth. He yelped, pulled back, and punched me in the face. Black and white floaters speckled before my eyes. My mind was dazed and confused. I fought back the pain, trying to remain conscious. I couldn’t let him take me the way he wanted to. His rubbery skin charred at my own. His crackled finish gave way to a red-hot inner core that gleamed through the crevices, threatening to ignite every part of me.
I heard footsteps in the distance and my heart raced, thumping through my chest. It pounded from one beat to the next. “HELP!” I yelled as he tried to muffle my voice. His burning hand gripped my lips tighter, so my screams went unheard. My eyes filled with terror with the realisation that no-one would be coming to save me. This time, I was all alone.
I lay cold, broken, and forgotten. My body trembled at the touch of his scorching soul. I struggled further as he gripped me, squeezing intensely, blistering my skin with his infernal hands. I screamed inside as blood fled from my body, giving up. I hoped to pass out from the pain. My heart cried out. Salted tears fell upon my blistered cheeks. I closed my eyes and died inside.
He groaned as he mounted me; my insides wailed in pain. The stench of my flesh burning suffocated me. I gagged, vomiting all over his hand. He didn’t seem to bother as he freed my mouth and placed both hands on my wrists, cuffing me into position. He looked down and laughed in my face. Saliva dripped from his grotesque mouth, landing on my cheek. He pushed in deeper, faster, and harder. I lay bloody, pained, naked, and dying. Adrenaline fled as I shook with fear. My eyes flickered as my body spasmed, entering a stage of shock. The weight of him writhed forward and back and my insides shrivelled as my womb turned to a crisp. Tears glassed over my eyes. All breath left my soul and I closed my eyes to my own death once again.
I’d love to say that I did die. I’d like to say I didn’t feel every movement his body made on my own. But that would be a lie. Every touch, every lick, every time he ground me back and forth, I died inside even more. I lay there wanting my heart to give out, wanting my lungs to collapse and give in.
“Don’t worry, Evie, I’ll be having fun with your little girl before the sun rises,” he said, grinning, pushing his hips forward and back. My body tensed, fists balled. I scrambled about for another weapon. No-one would touch my little girl. Reaching to the side, I could feel a sharpened bone digging into me. Clambering under his weight, I gripped it and, swinging with all my might, I smashed him over the head.
“BITCH” he yelled, rolling off me and holding his head.
I screamed and kicked out at him. I lifted on my knees, raised the thigh bone above my head, and swung it down. Crash. His skull cracked, blood oozed from his scalp. He appeared dazed, confused.
I raised the bone once again, but he gripped my hand before I got a hit in and swung me round and kicked me down to the ground. As I clambered about in the mud, he gripped my hair, yanking my head upright and throwing me backwards. “Stay down, bitch!” he yelled, kicking me in the side. More ribs cracked, and I lost the bone in the darkness.
Never. I jumped up. I landed a right hook smack in his face. Blane grabbed my neck and lifted me high off the ground. The strength of him shook me. I kicked and punched at his leathery figure with all my might. This was it, this was the end. I had no moves left to make.
Out of the fog, footsteps strode across the ground, crushing the bones of fallen soldiers underfoot. Lucian. He had been badly beaten, bloodied, and broken. His eyes widened in fright when he saw me. Rushing forward, he smacked Blane in the back. Blane yelped, dropped me, and turned to face him.
My fight or flight took over. Adrenaline surged as electricity pulsated through my body. I was angry, tense, pissed off, and disgusted in what he’d done to me. If he dared to lay a finger on my child, I’d rip him a new asshole. That was it, there was no going back. He had to die, they all did. There was no compromising any more. No talking it out with that sister of mine. She was the reason he’d attacked me. She was the reason my friends had died. Heck, she was the reason our own mother had given her life to save my own. And now what? I was meant to sit here and take it? Be a good girl and watch while all my friends were slaughtered? No, fuck that. Fuck them all but most of all... “FUCK YOU, BLANE!”
I ran forward; light surged through me. Darkness encased my soul. My eyes blackened at the thought of dealing death’s final blow. No one would hurt me ever again. Blane’s eyes widened. Lucian stepped aside as I ran past. Leaping in the air, I landed a full fist into the chest of the all-powerful, original fire demon. Feeling his heart pulsate within my bloodied, beaten hand, I smiled. Yanking out his heart gave me the freedom I desired. Showing it to him gave me the revenge I needed. The colour drained from his face. His eyes flickered, and his body stuttered and down he fell, one limb at a time. He was dead. I relished in it. Holding his heart up to the sky, I screamed. No-one would hurt me now. No-one would ever take anything else from me. My mind emptied, and darkness streamed through my veins. I was free.
“Baby...” Lucian said, walking warily over to me, his hands held up in defence. “Taylor, it’s me, Lucian.”
“I know,” I stated, looking at him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I am now,” I said, grinning in triumph.
“Did he hurt you?”
I nodded, biting down on my bottom lip as tears welled in my eyes.
He grabbed me, held me tight as I sobbed in his arms. Taking Blane’s heart from my tightly gripped hand, he said, “it’s okay now, Taylor, he’s gone. I’m here.”
I cried.
“You’re hurt,” he said, biting open his wrist and giving me his blood.
I’d forgotten the taste of it, the rush of warmth as it cascaded down my throat. There was the taste of metal that caressed my tongue, the sickly aroma of iron drifting through the air. I wanted it, needed it. And with his gift of blood came the gift of life as my body mended. Ribs reformed. Lungs inflated. And womb revitalised. I was alive once again; fully, completely, and utterly alive. He pulled me up, wrapped his coat around me, and held me tight. His eyes searched my own, looking for any sign of life left within me. But my light had been taken, my body dirtied and my soul corrupted. There was no sparkle left in my eyes anymore.
CHAPTER 127: LILITH
Glorious giggles exuded out with an array of callus cackles. My gleaming white dress was dirtied as I rolled about in the bloodied remains of my last fresh kill. I’d been left behind, but it didn’t matter. My mind was made up. I was happiest here, bathing in the blood of the innocent. Silly humans, since when did they think they had a chance of taking on me?
Daddy dearest had already marched on. He was all big and battle ready. Why oh why wouldn’t he sit and snigger anymore? When did that stupid serpent suck up all his funny side? He was such a bore now-a-days. A shrivelled mass of his former self. Hell, he didn’t even like my mind games any more. Tut tut. I mea
n, what was the point of pulling off the wings of a fly if you weren’t going to sit and watch it struggle? It was like he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was kill. He’d even taken the fun side of killing out of the equation. Oh, dreary, deary me. Jesus and I used to love making blood angels. Where was that cute critter of mine? Oh my, the little man sure had an upgrade the day he bumped into sweet little old me. I bet Cain took him, he was mean like that. What... just because I tore apart his mistress he had to go and hide my pet Jesus from me? That was plain old mean. Wait till I found him. I’d spank him until the days went black and blistered. Looking at the battle, that day might come sooner than I thought it had.
Yawn... doesn’t daddy realise if he killed everyone then they’re would be no-one to play with anymore? Maybe that was the point. Hmm. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted everyone dead so he could start again with his whole seven days of shitty creation. Like that had turned out well. Yawn. Damn, buggery damn. I was so tired. Would it be wrong of me to fall asleep while they ran about and played bang bang shoot? No, I didn’t think so. Oh, EJ. Hmm... where was my loveable monster. “EJ?” I shouted. Nothing. “EJ,” I yelled.
EJ stomped over groaning, one hand holding a butchered angels head and the other holding its former wingless body. See, EJ got it, he took the wings off the fly. I clapped “Weeeeee, EJ, look what you did, can I play?” I asked, jumping up and dancing. EJ jumped up and down, threw down the carcass, and danced with me.
CHAPTER 128: ADAM
Galloping forth over the crushed bones of the town’s former residents, we rode. Allentous strode forward, engaging the enemy with a swiftness only a true steed could master. Before us the ground shook, thousands of invaders stormed forward to battle. Even with our army of souls, we did not have the numbers to win the fight. Lilith’s army was a creation of their own; mutated humans matched with the essence of beast and behemoth. Friends fell, celestials bled, and silvered blood streamed over the ground to mingle with the littered remains of humanities fallen. With my sword raised, I charged, taking down monster after monster, beast after beast.
It almost became too easily as Allentous rode high, swooping through the crowds. But then, I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t see the signs. We were stuck in the middle of their forces, caught in a trap and captured on all sides. Creatures parted the way allowing our forces to interject. We were surrounded, equally matched on every side.
Charmeine was holding the front line and Gabriel at the back. The rest were the angels following suit, guarding every corner, every angle. There was no way out, no triumph in the war to end all wars. My mind was a disarray of revelation. What could we do now? Even if the angels spread their wings, soared into the sky, and flew away, their beasts would be on top of them before they rose six feet off the ground. Plus, the army of souls would perish like lambs to a slaughter. But surely it was better for some to survive, than none? My head pounded as I dismounted Allentous. It was no use, I had to try and talk to my sister. Lilith had to see sense. I couldn’t let Elysium fall because of an old family feud.
“LILITH!” I yelled, standing my ground, tense and ready for battle. “I DEMAND TO SEE LILITH!”
The cackling of a cold-blooded killer shrieked through the air. She was near. I’d bet my life on it that those were her sinister sniggers.
“LILITH DAMN YOU. STOP THIS AT ONCE!” I demanded.
The crowds parted as a delicate, blond female strode into view. With each step she took, her white dress flowed, her bosom bounced, and her hips swayed with the finesse of a cat. She stopped, silently ready to pounce. “Brother,” she exclaimed. “It’s been too long.” She said with a snarling of words.
“Sister,” I glared, “it is me you want, leave my land be.”
Her hand gripped at her stomach as a bubbling of babbles broke free. “Oh, brother,” she giggled, “it isn’t you I want, it’s all of you!” She said with laughter. Immediately she stopped, smirked her devilish grin, stamped her right foot, and raised her arm in the air. “CHARGE!” Hordes of brutish beasts trampled the ground around her. I jumped on top of Allentous, drew my sword, and sliced down the factions of her drivelling army. Bodies piled high, equal on both sides, but no matter how hard I fought, how much I pushed forward, I couldn’t reach my sister.
With the exhaustion of swordplay, my heart wallowed. I sat tall on Allentous, looking over the scene acted out before me. It was no use; we were out-matched and out-numbered. We would die alone on the battlefield, trampled into the Earth cold and forgotten. I could not demand this of my people, no matter how much they loved Elysium or how much they fought for their home. Elysium couldn’t survive without its people. We had to retreat and hold the fort. We stood a better chance there, but the choice wasn’t just mine to make. I turned, looked at Charmeine, and mouthed the word to her. Her face was drained, she was exhausted. She nodded. I gulped and yelled, “RETREAT!”
Galloping over, I picked up Charmeine. We paved a path through the enemy for the few remaining survivors to escape through. But as we fled, we saw a bountiful sight; the bony remains of a million-dollar skeletal army. A frozen flame led the way. I knew the man. I had seen him before through the pool of reflection. The ice demon was a friend to our kind. He was a Darkwater, a brother to Lucian and a saviour to us all.
“CHARGE!” Julian yelled, storming forward, waving to me as he past us.
My jaw dropped. I grinned from cheek to cheek and said, “You heard the man, CHARGE!”
CHAPTER 129: TAYLOR
The screams of broken souls pained me as I tried to shut them out. This war, this battle... it was nothing more than a family feud... thousands would die because of it. I was tired beyond recognition. My body was healed but the trauma I’d experienced had taken its toll on me. Lucian had me hidden, wrapped in his trench coat, and smuggled out of the crowds and out of the battle. I was relieved he was there, safe and by my side. I knew I’d lost it back then, but I didn’t regret it for a minute. Blane had to die, heck, all of them did. It was the only way to secure the safety of my children. But it saddened me to know that that meant my sister would perish, my father would be banished, and my mother’s soul along with him. It was the only way. I couldn’t see a happily ever after happening in my shitstorm of a story. My life... I sighed, a story of tragic circumstances. Jeez, what I’d give to go back to the simple fifteen-year-old in London, working at the old vintage clothes shop, trying to score a date with the local jock, Matty Armstrong. Everything had been so easy back then, but granted, I know it didn’t feel it at the time. I’d been a mess of teenage hormones, living the life of a crush, and hoping the cool girls at school would welcome me into their world. I was popular, yeah, but that was only because my family lived on the upper East side. We had money, but that didn’t buy me friends. Not real friends. Not like these guys. These friends were the ones willing to die for me. Shit, half of them already had. I was a bad friend. I smirked. Jeez, it wasn’t something to laugh about, really... but fuck it. We’re all going to die anyway, right?
“What did you say, Taylor?” Lucian asked.
“Nothing much, just thinking,” I said. I looked up and smiled. “Do you know where you’re going?” I grinned, I was sure we’d just gone around in a circle.
“Yeah, well, yeah, of course I do.”
“Hey, there’s Nic!” I yelled, running forward, towing Lucian behind. In front of me, Nic had shifted into the form of a lion. He was in the middle of a battle as he pounced on the enemy, ripping it to shreds. He must have heard me because he turned around. But as he did, one of Lilith’s henchman flung an axe through the air. It hurtled towards him. “NIC! NO!” I yelled. It was too late, he wasn’t quick enough. But Lucian was. He ran full steam ahead at Nic, just in time to push him out of the way. But not quick enough to miss the silver tipped blade himself. The axe landed directly in his chest, shoving him backwards as it hit. He gulped. I screamed, running towards him as he dropped to his knees and fell head first onto the blood-soaked ground below.
My body screamed, my heart pumped faster. I was there by his side, flipping him over as Nic shifted back into his human form. My eyes soaked with the blur of salty tears and my hands shook with fear. The blade had gone straight through and his blood was spurting out everywhere. It’d hit his heart, it must have. Sweat poured from my temple. Nerves ignited the light within me. I screamed, hammering down on Lucian’s non-beating heart. Yanking out the axe, I began chest compressions. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Nothing. Arms locked I kept going. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. No sign of life. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. His eyes began to glaze over. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. His body cooled to the touch. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. “COME ON, LUCIAN!” I screamed, hammering down. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Nothing. Two breaths, no sign of life. I continued compressions.
The Celestial Rose BoxSet Page 77
