The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Fine.” Then she turned her gaze to Sophia who stood with her arms folded also and said her own,

  “Fine!” It was only my brother who said,

  “I think that would be best,” in his usual calming manner.

  “Right, good, so now that’s all done and dusted and the royal trio have been reprimanded let’s begin should we?” This time is was Sophia’s turn to growl, however Pythia just ignored her and lifted up the paper to examine it.

  “Umm…”

  “What is it?” I asked getting impatient.

  “You have taken Keira’s blood recently.” This wasn’t a question as the Oracle rarely needed to ask anything of anyone. I nodded all the same.

  “Then come here.” She ordered and I stepped back up to her and stared down into her chocolate eyes that matched her perfect youthful skin.

  “Bite.” She said motioning to my own hand and I now knew what she recognised the paper needed. So I raised my own hand and bit into the flesh feeling little pain. I fisted my hand to get the blood pumping and dripped it over the paper she held out. It didn’t take long before she was proven right.

  She held it up to the sun beaming through the windows and we all watched as our combined blood, Keira’s and mine, dripped down the page. Then one word started to shine through like the paper was almost burning with the name.

  “Impossible.” Vincent said behind me as I was left speechless.

  “It can’t be…can it?” Sophia asked looking from each of us until finally my lips formed a name I had not heard in centuries.

  “Eveleen.”

  “Yep, looks like the past really does like to bite you in the ass!” I ignored Pythia and turned to Vincent and asked him the only question I needed to know as I now knew where the Nephilim had taken her.

  “Where was Lucius heading?” The answer I got back was the right one…

  “Afterlife.”

  Keira

  Chapter 40

  The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

  I woke up to the sound of pained whispering voices all around me. I winced as though I had hit my head and that’s when everything started to come rushing back to me.

  Alex.

  I shook my head at how blind I had been. All this time people had warned me against him and I had been too damn stubborn to see it. Well this time I had my eyes wide open and the blinkers were off as I prepared myself for the fight ahead. So what did I see when I first opened my eyes. I saw the broken pieces of a storm beneath my body and when turning my head to the side one image of something mighty was all it took for me to know where I was.

  “Finally you’re awake. I had feared I hit your head too hard and you would be waking an even dumber shit than before.” Alex sneered as he walked from behind the colossal fossilised tree at the centre of this crypt I knew lay at the heart of Afterlife. Alex had brought me home and I could only guess why.

  I lifted myself up and felt my head where there was no doubt it had been split open from my attack. However, I was at least grateful to know that thanks to Draven’s essence back in my system, my skin had healed. Unfortunately for me though, it still left me a bit wobbly on my feet.

  “Me dumb? You’re the dipshit who brought us to somewhere Draven will know I have returned the second you crossed the threshold. And what do you think he’s going to do, shake your hand and thank you?!” I snapped back straightening my body with fake confidence that this was true.

  “You just don’t get it yet do you, Keira? This…” He turned around the huge room that was like a miniature football stadium and held out his arms as if he commanded the space.

  “… has all been planned down to the very last thread. Every single thing was planned and executed perfectly. So you see, I am not only hoping he will come, I am expecting nothing less and when he does, he will do every last thing I command of him.” He finished raising his head and looking down his nose as if he was the royalty in the room and soon everyone would be on their knees at his feet.

  “You’re insane!” I spat the insult at him with my nose wrinkling in disgust. However it mattered not what I said as he just started laughing at me and the sound was like a cheese grater along my skin.

  “Let’s see shall we…now get over there and open the fucking door!” He ordered motioning to the one wall that wasn’t covered floor to ceiling with coffin sized holes carved out of the stone. I remember thinking back to that night and how the place reminded me of some supernatural morgue.

  “Now!” He shouted and I jumped as his bellow echoed around the room, making it sound as though there were ten of him.

  “Not a chance but you go right ahead, that is if you think you have what it takes.” I said knowing that considering he was a half breed there was no way the vine covered door would grant him entrance. His response was to snarl at me which curled his lips back in an ugly grimace.

  “You want to play this game…oh then I will play…but…” He said dropping his once cool demeanour and now bat shit crazy was setting in. He started skipping backwards like some freaky jester who now spent his days in a mental hospital. Then he held up one finger and his creepy jogging backwards started going back around the tree. I frowned at what he was up to and wondered how I had missed this level of insanity all those months we had been together.

  I decided to follow him around the Jurassic stone tree where I heard him laughing in a way that sounded more like high pitched hiccups.

  “…but to play our game I think we need more players, don’t you?” He continued as I came round the tree to his side and I gasped at what I saw.

  “LET HER GO!” I screamed as the sight made my heart drop.

  “Uh huh…I think not, I think my new play thing likes my apple tree dagger, don’t you dearie…? Umm, I know!” He had bent his knees, staying on his feet next to the frightened body of a quivering girl I knew. He put one arm around her tied body and she whimpered and struggled in vain. I watched in horror as he pulled the same dagger I had seen in all the pictures out from the waistband of his black trousers and pulled it to hold at the front of her.

  “I think we should see if this little apple has a rotten core.” He said smiling and holding the point to her chest.

  “NO!”

  “Or maybe let’s peel her first and see how sweet her flesh is.” He carried on, this time bringing the blade to her outstretched tied arms like he was going to take a slice of her skin off.

  “Stop! Please! Jesus Christ just stop and I will do it!” I shouted letting my shoulders slump in defeat.

  “Of course you will. Now get fucking doing it!” He lost it at the end making the body he held captive shake and sob even harder. I looked into her terrified eyes and tried to convey with one look that everything was going to be alright. But the truth was that I had no clue if everything was going to be alright, I only knew that I had to get him as far away from my friend and doing that meant letting him into the one place I knew he needed access to.

  “I’m sorry RJ.” I said letting a tear overflow down my cheek before turning round and walking towards the dead vines that protected the door lay hidden beneath.

  “Mhha!” My head snapped round and I shouted,

  “RJ!” I started to run back to her when I saw her body slump sideways.

  “Get back to it, your Goth bitch still lives…for now.” He added the threat and I breathed a sigh of relief that at least with her now being knocked out she wouldn’t be sat there against the tree terrified. I watched as Alex stood up and threw his dagger around before shaking it back at the entrance towards the Temple. So I did as I was told, wishing I could just use the powers I knew were locked inside me, all I needed was the key.

  The closer I got to the stone vines the more I was drawn back into the past and what happened that night.

  “Yes…reach for us…touch our souls…yes…do it.” The same whispers I heard when waking and also back all that time ago started to filter around the room as if trying to pinpoint me. They se
emed to come from everywhere all at once and even Alex looked around as if he hadn’t expected it.

  “Do it!” Alex barked from only a few metres behind me as I took my last steps towards the huge wall. I looked up at the twisted and entwined network of what looked like stone snakes that were guarding this place for good reason. I couldn’t say that I was looking forward to this next bit, so naturally hesitated as my hand reached out to what looked like the exact same place as last time.

  “Yes…yes…free us…let us live again…touch…touch…touch…”

  “Now!” I closed my eyes tight as I thrust my hand forward and waited for the sting.

  “Ahhh!” I hissed as the vine I touched uncurled from its brothers and wrapped itself around my wrist. Then I felt it tug me closer and it penetrated my palm over and over, almost as if tiny pins were branding me, which I guess was exactly what it was doing. It was all over after a few seconds and as soon as my hand was released I stumbled backwards passing Alex who was staring up at it in demented awe. He watched as the vine that had ensnared me in its trap started to pulsate and turn a lush green colour, like my blood had just breathed life into it.

  “Why isn’t it opening?” He snapped at me looking back over his shoulder. I looked down at the hand I was now clutching and after wiping the blood across my denim shorts I saw the same mark that represented the Prophecy.

  “Give it time, asshole.” I said letting my hate seep into my tone and just before he could respond, the vines started to move. And like last time they writhed around as if trying desperately to escape the ‘infected’ one and pretty soon the doors beneath were revealed.

  “Ah! Perfect and just how I imagined!” Alex said clapping in crazed glee.

  “Yeah, it’s just peachy.” I muttered sarcastically and started walking back over to the passed out RJ and leaving him to it.

  “Where do you think you’re going!?” Alex said chuckling when I screamed out because he had once again pulled back my head by my hair. Then he turned us and propelled me forward but thankfully at least letting go of me.

  “I can’t help you in there!” I said trying to reason with him, but that in itself would have made me laugh if I wasn’t faced with my dire situation.

  “Oh trust me, I think you can.” He replied and gripped the top of my arm as he went past, dragging me to the now opening doors and into the blinding light. I closed my eyes against the power of it and let myself be pulled through the tunnel of light that was like walking into Heaven itself. Although with this half breed crackpot next to me I doubt they would have answered the door!

  “You know it makes me wonder just what else you would have done if I had succeeded in my first choice of hostages.” He said as he pulled me through the brightest part at the end. Coming out the other side was like that fuzzy blurred feeling you get after staring at the sun.

  “What do you mean?” I almost hated myself for feeding into his sick game but I had to ask.

  “That old fucking Viking Ragnar, the big bastard was sent to ruin my fun by protecting your sister, her thick headed husband and the brat…now the look on your face seeing them tied up and screaming would have made the sweetest sight, don’t you think?” On hearing this and having the worst image alive planted in my mind I lost all reasoning but one…attack.

  “YOU SICK FUCK!” I screamed turning round and lashing out at his face, trying to grab his head to bring down to my knee. Unfortunately he ducked backwards so it was only the tips of my fingers that came into contact with his face. I was however, glad to see I had inflicted some damage as I looked at the three bloody lines my nails had caused.

  “You bitch!” He said backhanding me to the side and I flipped with the strength he possessed. The landing was so painful it knocked the wind out of me and I clutched my side as I gasped for air.

  “Now get up!” He said dragging me up and I grimaced when I felt his own nails bite into my arm. The only thing I could hold onto as we made our way through the first section of the prison was to thank both Heaven and Hell for creating such a man as Draven, knowing how he had protected my family from this mad man. One I myself had welcomed in their home was one I would never forget, however it was one I would also never forgive in regards to my own stupidity.

  “I don’t get it, why are you even doing this?” I asked thinking if I could first understand why, then maybe I would discover a way of stopping it.

  “Do you remember when I told you about the apple?” I frowned up at him at the same thinking that there went my hope in getting any sense from him.

  “Ah but I know you do. Well let me tell you another story.” He said whispering this last part in my ear making me cringe away from him in disgust.

  “So where are we in time…um, well why don’t we start from the very beginning of time, or mortal time at least. Back to a time when the skies rained with blood of dead immortals and therefore gave birth to their weaker offspring…you mere mortals.” I actually rolled my eyes at this point and couldn’t refrain from saying,

  “Yeah, I already heard this story, dickhead!” His response to this was to push my cheek into the side of the tunnel we were walking down and I felt the dripping wet stone pressing painfully into my face. Then I felt him get really close behind me and his voice dipped to one that filled me with more fear. This was Alex’s other side coming out.

  “Adam and Eve were the first pure bloodlines to the mighty Titans and therefore the key to their release. So a serpent found its way into the garden that was meant to protect them and keep them safe from the traitorous world all around them. Only someone discovered a way in…and do you know why?” He asked getting closer until he was pretty much speaking over the cheek that wasn’t being squashed into the stone.

  “It wasn’t for eating the forbidden fruit at all…it was for becoming the forbidden fruit.”

  “You make no sense, you crazy shit!” I snarled back at him only my voice was pained despite my bravery.

  “The serpent wasn’t there to convince her to eat some fucking fruit! He was there to impregnate her with his seed, planting her with a truth. He came to her a creature of trust and then transformed into a man with the knowledge of sin. He couldn’t have her corrupted and the bloodline weakened. There were others out there that were being born to the Earth. Mortals that had already started to water down their precious blood. But in this garden they had remained safe as was Satan’s will…” He let go of my head and spun me around to face him as if he needed my eyes as audience.

  “But powerful beings were getting restless. And one in particular wanted his key intact. So whilst innocently eating an apple she was taken against her will, forced to sin and destroyed the garden along with their safe sanctuary. Did you know if you cut an apple a certain way it forms a Pentagram? Did you know that Keira? Did you know that a Pentagram can be seen from two angles? Did you know that?!” He said getting louder with each time he asked me this.

  “No.” I said looking away only to have my chin wrenched back.

  “And did you know that one view is all the good and purity taken and the other is the devil from Heaven that took it away and fucked it!”

  “Get off me!” I tried to move my head after he sickened me further by licking up the length of my face.

  “It’s all about the seeds, that and what was born from those seeds. Oh how I did love my mother.” He said making me gasp at the impossible.

  “It can’t be! No!”

  “Oh I am not the original, but like him I did murder my brother.” He said laughing.

  “Now come on, enough stop and chit chat…soon it will be time for the main event!” He yanked me away from the wall and started to once again pull me down another tunnel.

  “But I don’t understand…you said.”

  “Oh but I see I will get nothing done unless I explain to the stupid blonde.” He laughed at his own unfunny joke. We were just coming through the last door and I knew the light at the end was the Temple.

  “My mother was
Eveleen, and like many before her she was the last pureblood to be reincarnated into the same body. It’s the Titan’s blood you see, once it finds the same resurrected soul the body would relive again. So along comes the serpent to try and plant his next seed but it doesn’t work after the first time…that was until the last time. I like to think Eveleen was his favourite…she deserved that I think.”

  “Oh God! That means…”

  “I am the last in my bloodline after my mother was dispatched for good this time.” He said smiling but I could see the anger rooted under the surface and it wouldn’t let him go.

  “You’re…”

  “The last Cain and the only key to releasing Hell on Earth and you know, I really, really want to.” The way he said this I knew it wasn’t some frenzied uncontrolled plan, but one fuelled by hatred and crippling determination. This wasn’t just about me or even some quest for power. This was about changing the whole world because of revenge, because of…Oh God…I just figured it out.

  “Draven killed your mother…didn’t he?” Alex turned back to me and he became a shadow with the light behind him, making his presence even more menacing now I knew his plan, but more importantly, where his plan had grown its roots from.

  Then those roots grew deeper with one truth…

  “And my father.”

  Lucius

  Chapter 41

  Caliburnus

  I could barely believe I was back in this town let alone stood outside the one place I vowed I would never set my eyes on again. Well, not unless I had a sword in my hand and was about to face my enemy but oh, how things had changed and all in the name of one troublesome little blonde.