by Jack Crosby
Khloros came flying into view, trying to hit the skilled illusionist, but she was gone. Pissed, I slammed my scythe into Allen’s already dead body. Had she influenced my ability to see his death properly too?
Astrid put a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be okay Derrick, we’ll get her. Whatever she was for that matter.”
I wish I knew the answer to that. “I’ve never come across something with the ability to affect dreams and even visions. She screwed up my ability to see how Allen was going to die.”
“That’s not good is it?”
Removing the blade from Allen’s stomach, “No, it’s not. She gave off no brimstone smell, no sense of power, not a damn thing. Whoever she is, she’s old.”
I found a patch of wet grass to wash my blade off on. Inspecting it to make sure no more Allen bits were attached, “Nothing more to see here. We should get back on the road.”
We continued driving well into the late night and into the early morning. Khloros was really freaked by the girl Sabrina, even going as far to say she was Lucifer’s daughter. “I am telling you, that redhead had the marking of the Fallen One himself!”
Newsflash, I knew Lucifer, quite well back in the very olden days. In fact I had to put down his son Damien, and that’s not something I enjoy talking about. “I don’t know what the hell she was, but I highly doubt she is one of his offspring.”
Astrid wasn’t helping my cause. “Master Khloros, why do you think that?”
“The Horsemen are strong, but we are not at the pinnacle of the celestial table. If we are being completely honest princess, we rank probably in the middle, maybe a bit higher.”
I took exception to that. “We are higher than the middle pal! Demons fear us and for good reason!”
We were passing another small town. I was getting hungry and while my horse droned on, started looking for a place to eat. “The Almighty, Lucifer, and Abaddon could thumb us away like we were nothing. Arch Angels and Arch-Demons tend to have more power than us, but we can overcome it with superior skill.”
“I did a number on Beelzebub. I think there was a little more than skill there.”
“If you say so. But I distinctly remember a certain Lust demon that shot him in the back.”
I pulled into a fast food joint. “That she did. Astrid, in all my years, the one thing I can tell you is having someone you can trust at your back is the most important thing.”
“You must be lucky to have so many who would willingly stand behind you.”
Roxanne, my brothers, Astrid, even Veronica, yeah I guess I was lucky. “You’ve been hanging out with the horse too much. You’re getting smarter than me.”
She smiled and together they both said, “Well, that’s not too hard to do.”
“Bastards.”
Chapter 27 – A Wolf in the Cat House
We’d made it to Azerbaijan before I decided it was time to bring up a topic she was obviously avoided. “So, who’s the traitor Astrid? And don’t tell me you have no idea, because you’re way too smart not to.”
“I really don’t know. I’m not lying to protect anyone, but I really don’t know who in my people would send me to the demons. No one would have any reason to.”
That was the heart of the matter, the reason for doing it. What could a demon offer a Nyx to get it to sell out Astrid? This was a worthwhile question to ponder over the endless landscape of this… “Endless…” a though to no one in particular, then it hit me. “They’d be after immortality of course!”
She still didn’t look convinced. “Yes it is something we’d all like back, but our limited time in peace was more worthwhile than a lifetime as a sex slave to those monsters.”
“To most of you, I believe. But you can’t tell me there aren’t some Nyxes who aren’t royally pissed about losing that.” It all made sense, especially if they sent a Greed demon to do the influencing. “Astrid, listen to me closely. It is very important you remember someone, anyone who had either an obsession with living forever or even just a vague interest.”
She just stared at me. “That would be all of us. The entire community is bitter about having such a short life span.”
“It seems we have hit an impasse Grimm. This just furthers my assumption from the other day.”
She put her head close to the dash, as if that would get her closer to Khloros. “You mean about me not going home?”
“Yes Princess Astrid. For all we know the entire Nyx community could be behind this.” She started to rebut, only to get cut off. “You are a proud member of a very old race. Unfortunately, pride is a sin that runs deep and can be easily exploited. My rider and I have seen it too many times.”
“He’s right.” I put my hand on her leg. “If a particularly strong Greed demon got in the ear of someone, it’d be all over but the crying.”
“There’s a story you should hear.”
I looked out at the never ending road in front of us. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
She cleared her voice. “Here goes…”
**Astrid – Shangri-La**
“Astrid, what are you doing?”
I looked over at mother, who was walking out of her room, once again with a different male. Leopold, the large white tiger mother kept as a companion looked up from his spot on the ground. The animal, sensing a fight, got up and left the room. Wishing I could do the same, “I am reading. It is something I like to do in my free time.”
She barely acknowledged me. “It is time you take your station seriously. When will you lay with a man and produce your eventual heir? This is how it is always done.”
“All in due time.” I was in no hurry to do my part though. Even though she didn’t believe me, the memory of my soul mate’s face was burned into my mind.
“Please tell me you are not wasting time because you think your beloved is out there searching for you.”
Even as she said it with such distaste, “Just because you are blind to the power of love, do not think I’ve given up on it.”
She slapped me, hard across my face. “Do you know who your father was?”
“No.”
“Neither do I to be honest. Males are in this world to give us children. You are my heir and it is your calling to produce the next in our line so it never dies out. Our legacy will be unending. Do I make myself clear?”
I gave her a disgusted look. “As you wish, mother.” With that, I got up and left. Today would be a lovely day to go exploring outside the walls of this oppressive place.
**Death – Present**
“Damn, that’s not something you’d expect to hear from a mother.”
“What would you know of mothers Grimm?”
“Shut up Khloros, I’m trying to be consoling.”
Astrid started laughing at our back and forth. “It’s okay you two. My mom is a bitch, that’s for sure. She’s also my mom and it’s really hard to be the queen and a mom.”
As a perpetual early twenties guy who had no real parental figure, except the Almighty himself, I doubted I could make her feel better, but I’d try. “What do you want to do? Do you want to go home or is there somewhere else we can take you to be safe?”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. At first I wanted to go home, even after seeing you because I was frightened to be so exposed.” As she talked, her voice got louder, “As we’ve traveled and I’ve seen so much I realized the world isn’t a bad place. Especially when you are surrounded by friends.”
As the sun was setting over the horizon, it gave off a very cool glow. “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. You don’t want to go back? I’m not going to make you.”
“I want to stay with you, if that’s okay.”
Her eyes melted my heart. “I don’t know what the future holds for me after this, but if we can make it work, we’ll try.”
With this discussion closed for the time being, we decided after traveling for so long, we needed to get some sleep. Khloros, the damn idiot he was
proclaimed he could keep going, but I felt my partner’s power running on empty. “No complaints, just find us a place to stay.”
It took another hour, but we finally found a small lodge to stay at. The local lady running the joint spoke Russian so I was able to negotiate with her. With key in hand I headed back to the car. “I got us a nice room and dinner included. I don’t really know what it’ll be made up of, as I didn’t recognize the meat she said, but I do know there will be fruit and breads.”
Astrid gave me a skeptical look, but when we got to the table, there certainly was a lot of bread and fruit. I tried the mystery meat because it wasn’t going to kill me, and it wasn’t half bad. And also in Europe, everyone drinks, so the beer was freely being handed out. By the time the tap was cut off, old Astrid was a wasted mess.
Slurring her words, “Ssstake me to thy room peasant!!”
“Was that English?”
“Dothnot thalk to royalty in such a manner!!”
And with that, she passed out in my arms. Smiling awkwardly to the rest of the room, in my best Russian, “My girlfriend doesn’t hold her beer well. It’s going to be a long night.”
Two of the men sitting around found this funny and wished me well. Turned out I needed it. As soon as we got into the room, she started puking. Thank the Almighty I got her to the toilet in time or else my cleaning bill was going to be fucking jacked. Like the good guy I tried to be from time to time, I held her hair as she barfed. “Let it all out and you’ll feel so much better.”
And she did. After about another hour of heaving, I got her into the shower and washed her down. The weird thing was her Nyx magic made the clothes, but they were as real as anything. It doesn’t have much to do with anything; I just found that fact odd.
The worst part was holding the wet, naked Nyx and not jumping her. However, she was in a compromised situation and that wouldn’t be cool, not at all. So I cleaned her off, got her dry, and put her to bed. We’d need to get some new clothes in the morning, but after all that work, I was beat too. Stripping down to my boxers, I collapsed as well.
It was a dreamless night, which was the weird part about me waking up. Normally I can sleep through the night unless I’m interrupted by an odd dream. As the fog lifted from my mind, I realized I had been interrupted. Sitting on top of me was Astrid.
It was then it dawned on me we were having sex. I looked up at her lithe body, the way it was arched back and she had a hold on my ankles. Her eyes were closed as she was working me, so she didn’t know I was awake. I didn’t know how long she’d been riding me before I woke up, but I was close. I reached up and tweaked her hard nipple, making her involuntarily meow like a cat.
Her yellow eyes cut through the darkness, pleading with me not to make her stop. I didn’t say word and let her keep going. Her panting got louder and she squeezed her hard as she experienced her orgasm. With nowhere else to go, I climaxed to, lifting myself up and unleashing everything I had.
Chapter 28 – Once is Never Enough
Her feet were wrapped around my head, not letting me get away. “Oh no you don’t! You’re done when I say you are!”
We’d been going at it like rabbits most of the night. For Astrid it was like unlocking the key to the best time of her life. For me, it was amazing sex. Her eagerness to make me happy was noted, but she was starting to run me dry. “I don’t know that I can again.”
I was once again proven wrong as she coaxed more out of me. It was close to dawn before I was allowed to collapse on the bed. Purring, which suited her, “That wasn’t so bad was it?”
Between huffing and puffing, “Not at all. You’re a damn pro, that’s for sure.”
“It’s just basic instinct for a Nyx. I knew exactly what to do.”
How the hell did I get surrounded by all these sex demons? And more importantly, why weren’t they around a long time ago? “I’ll say. I’m ready for a nap.”
She snuggled up, her body still warm from all the activity. “I’m worthless to the Arch-Demons now. They needed the blood of a maiden princess and I think we both know that’s no longer the case.”
Oh shit. “Ha! Hahaha! That’s certainly not the case!” I couldn’t stop laughing. “Well damn, why didn’t we do this sooner?!”
She looked insulted. “I would not have had sex with you just to get the demons off my back! This was an important gesture, showing you of my feelings for you!” Wuh-oh. “How dare you treat this act so informally!”
She got up and snapped her fingers. A pair of jeans and a new hooded sweatshirt appeared on her body. Fully dressed, she stormed out of the room. As the door shut, a new pair of clothes appeared on the bed next to me. “Damn, that’s pretty impressive.”
It looked fucking cold outside, but I got dressed and went after her. Again, this was my fault and I needed to make things right as Iran wasn’t that far from here. As I left the front lobby, I saw her sitting inside Khloros. Son of a bitch, just what I needed. My phone went off and I saw it was a message from him – get over here right now. This was going to be as pleasant as a sandpaper condom. Don’t ask, seriously just don’t.
I opened the driver’s door and got in. Thankfully the heat was running. “Hey everyone.”
“Princess would you like the honors or shall I take them for you?”
Her head was buried inside her hood. “I’m glad one of you is polite.” She petted the car, which made me roll my eyes. That damn horse. “I’d like the honors of ripping him a new asshole if you don’t mind.”
“Listen, what I said up there, it wasn’t really a serious suggestion. Just a heat of the moment little joke. I’m sorry.”
There were red rings around her eyes, but she wasn’t crying. “That’s the problem with you. Everything is a damn joke. I mean my God, you’re brother, two of your closest friends, and your horse’s friend have been captured by Kyrule and you’ve barely said a word about it. Quit putting up this shitty emotional wall and let it out.”
So this is what’s been bothering everyone. I bet all of you think I’m a real jackass too. In a low, dangerous voice, “I care very much for my friends and brother. Just because I don’t show it the way that is expected…”
“Shut the fuck up with that! Khloros and I both agree that you need to…”
“Need to what?! Accept the fact I failed them?! Openly blame myself for not being strong enough?! Son of a fucking bitch, what do you people want me to say?!”
“That Grimm, you need to say that.”
“Derrick, no one blames you, but you. Khloros and I have been waiting for the moment you told us how you felt, but you kept it bottled up.”
My heart was racing and my skin felt all clammy. “This is the second time a demon has gotten the better of me. People keep turning to me for help and protection, but I keep letting them down.” The car seemed to be shrinking all around me. “I need to go for a walk.”
Quickly I got out of the car and briskly walked down the road. The cold air felt good against my skin, but the gravity of what they were trying to do hit me. Like a small burning cinder, it erupted like a wild fire once it hit fuel. Whatever happened to War, Pyrrha, Veronica, and Roxanne was on me, no matter what anyone said.
This was worse than dealing with Beelzebub. My faults were finally starting to catch up to me. I’d been on Earth too long, I got emotionally connected to people and lost sight of a goal, and I just didn’t give a damn anymore. Pick one and it applied to me. My indifference and self serving ways were the downfall here. If I’d taken my responsibilities more seriously, maybe none of these people would be in so much danger.
“Arghhhhh FUCK ME!” I dropped to my knees, the fury of my failures physically causing me pain.
Through it all, I felt someone touching me. A small voice whispered in my ear, “It is going to be okay.”
There was no one with me. “If this is your doing witch, I will kill you!” My celestial fire kicked in and my chains appeared.
“Peace Death, it is just I, Mich
ael.” The Arch Angel appeared before me. “Someone told me you needed counsel, so here I am.”
I bowed to him, the great angel who had bestowed Roxanne her gifts. “I’m sorry you are seeing me in such a state.”
“Please old one, I have seen everyone at their weakest, and you are no different. I come to you this early morning to bring you news it is okay.” He held out his hand and helped me to my feet. “The Almighty knows you are an imperfect being, but that is okay.”
I was doing my best to calm down. “Michael, I’ve failed on so many levels.”
“Failure is only true if you give up. Have you given up yet?”
“No, I haven’t.”
He put an arm around me and we began to walk back towards the lodge. “The road ahead is one that will be full of trials and tribulations. I can already tell you one of your companions is lost. Which one before you ask, I do not know.”
I saw Khloros and Astrid as we approached. “How do you know this?”
“Rumors have reached the Gates of Heaven itself. The Arch-Demons are confident in their victory and are now content to brag. What I need,” he stopped and looked me straight in the eyes, “is the Horseman who bested Beelzebub.”
“Even he wasn’t as strong as I was before.”
It was like he was reading my thoughts. “Physical strength no, but the Death, or should I say man named Derrick Grimm, I see in front of me has grown. No longer are you just a mindless monster. You have friends and allies.”
“A lot of damn help that’s been. Look where it’s gotten them.”
He gave me a stern look. “The Death of old would not go to such lengths that you have lately. When you embrace your new found power, you will see you can still be just as effective in the field of battle.”
We’d reached the main drive into the lodge. “The girl is no longer a maiden. Even if the Arch-Demons capture her, she won’t be of any use to them.”
He tapped me on the heart. “An unexpected happening that was caused by love. If that is not the power of the Almighty, I do not know what is.”
