"You'll be happy to know, dear sweet grandmother that I did what you wanted. I remembered his name. That's why I can do this-” Celeste placed a hand on Nyx's forehead and the color began to drain from Nyx's dark hair.
"No," Nyx screamed, seeming to forget the pain in her hands. "No! You can't!"
"But I can," Celeste assured her as she drained Nyx's powers. "I will take your power, as you took my mother's. If it wouldn't throw the entire planet into chaos, I would take your life. But unlike you, I'm not a heartless selfish waste of flesh. At least, not yet anyway. We’ll just see how this goes."
"I will take him from you," Nyx said, her eyes darting towards Karim who stood by looking nervous. "I still hold dominion over him, even you can't take my dominion from me."
Celeste looked back at Karim, her expression filled with sudden sadness, her heart aching.
"You did that centuries ago. And he is no longer yours to rule, he and all of the Seven no longer answer to you. They answer only to themselves. I can do that too." Celeste winked before rising, leaving Nyx a crumbled heap on the floor. She stood looking at her, her once powerful grandmother, the one person who she believed would protect her above all others who had betrayed her over and over again. The anger and pain dissolved as she noticed for the first time the tiny lines around her swirling grey eyes, the small frail frame and hair that rapidly faded to a deep grey.
"I banish you to the realm of darkness. If you ever set foot into another realm, I will end you. Go." Celeste waved her hand as if dismissing Nyx, only to have her slide across the room, through the heavy steel doors which slammed behind her.
Slowly, Celeste turned to Karim. He held his arms out and she went into the warmth of his embrace, silent tears damping his t-shirt.
“Thank you,” he kissed the top of her head and held her.
***
Zeus, with his short white blond hair and perpetual surfer vibe, rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily, his shoulder slumped. He leaned against the desk, his legs crossed at the ankles, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his shorts. As usual, he wore a vibrant Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops, his skin deeply tanned from hours in the sun. His features remained youthful, but his eyes, those vibrant and twinkling eyes were ancient. He looked at the family and shook his head before he began to speak.
"A decision has been made and I must admit, it is not one I agree with, not by a long shot. The Council was deadlocked, 8 voted for death, 8 did not. Since we could not agree it was taken higher and the decision has been made and is out of my control. It has been decreed that, in order to avoid a war between the Collective and the Dark Fae that would more than likely devastate the human world, Lilith will have her powers stripped, she will be flogged, ten lashes for each charge by someone you deem appropriate and she will be imprisoned in the Faery realm. With the way their time works, her sentence of three years will be more like seventy, after which she will be allowed to act as High Regent of the Collective as decreed in Arbor's own hand in her will. We can't prove whether it was forged, magically or otherwise, we cannot dispute it. These conditions must be met as restitution. I'm sorry guys, I tried but some of my brethren -”
"Are fucking idiots!' Remy exploded. "Are you kidding me? That's it? That's all she gets for the damage she's done? She has destroyed my family! She killed Arbor. She should be skinned alive - " Zeus lifted his hands in acquiescence.
"I agree. But what can I do?" he asked. "She has a very powerful mouth piece, someone speaking for her who obviously has more pull than I do. Than any of us, apparently. I fought for her to be executed immediately. She deserves to have her head removed from her body. I can promise you this, if she steps out of line, so much as a harsh word, a finger, an eyelash in the wrong direction; I will personally strike her down where she stands. I will leave nothing but a scorch mark, but as of now, my hands are tied."
"I bet I know who," Celeste said. "This is fucking ridiculous. Know what - " Celeste stood, silently removing the bars from her uniform and tossing them to the floor. She removed the holster from her thigh and dropped her sheathed sword with a clatter. "Fuck the Council and the Collective. I have done everything that has been asked of me for the better part of two centuries, I have been poisoned, drowned, raped, tortured, murdered, kidnapped and beaten. I have seen my brother kidnapped and raped, his lover tortured, my mother killed and that evil little munchkin twat of an ass hat gets a spanking and sent to her fucking room? Are you all high?" she yelled towards the hidden door through which they'd all retreated.
"I know you can hear me, you weak willed cowards! This is why I spend so much time with humans because they understand the consequences of their actions. You immortal cockstains treat life like a fucking game. She killed Arbor, Arbor who was beloved and didn't have an enemy in any known world. It was like murdering a fucking baby bunny. That alone should be worth her head. I don’t need this shit. I am the motherfucking Caelestis, the Progeny of the primordial, Daughter of War God Anhur and Goddess Nemesis, Former Queen of the Dark Fae. I'm an Amazon Warrior and I could end all of you with a snap of my fingers. That makes me the biggest, baddest motherfucker in this bitch and I don't need this shit. All of you listening back there can kiss my perfect ass as I walk out the door." She yelled as she walked out giving everyone the finger.
"Well, with that said, fuck you guys, I'm going home." Remy said, tossing his own holster and sword to the ground, limping after her, Nicky at his side.
Lisette eased over to Zeus a smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. “I guess she told you.”
“And she did it spectacularly,” Zeus agreed, trying to stifle his own smirk.
***
Remy stood on his balcony, the cold December air chilling his face as he stared out into the darkness. He could hear the waves from the lake lapping at the shore, and see the twinkling Christmas lights that decorated the occupied homes and businesses around his building. He inhaled the fresh cold scent of the air and sighed turning to look back at the darkened bedroom.
Briar lay sprawled across the bed, his back to him, his head buried beneath a pillow. Remy couldn't understand how he could sleep that way, but on Briar it was adorable. His back had healed; leaving thick scars that wrenched Remy's heart every time he saw them. Briar had told him time and time again that he didn't blame him, but it still hurt to know that he'd been the cause of them. It was his fault Briar had been released from service with the Grey as well.
After Celeste's major meltdown, Remy had quit and they had subsequently decided to release Briar as well, citing his injury as the cause, but he knew the truth. Julian Onder had taken Briar into his pack as a tracker and enforcer, a right hand to the Alpha. It had been done as a favor to Remy, but Julian had praised Briar for his ability. He didn't even mind that the big man was gay, which in most packs would have made him an outcast.
"Do I look like a Neanderthal, kardeş?" Julian had clapped Remy on the back, "Briar is a one man war machine. I would be stupid not to have him to my right. And he's fast, for such a big wolf, he is agile and quiet. It's freaky."
Remy walked back into the room, closing the sliding glass door behind him. He went to the bed and pulled the pillow from Briar's head so he could see his angelic face. He slept peacefully, his naked body partially covered by a sheet, the fresh tattoo marking him as Julian's second on his massive bicep.
He leaned over and brushed his lips against Briar's taking care not to wake him. "I will never love anyone like I love you, álainn,” he whispered before slipping an envelope on the pillow beside him. He picked up his duffel bag, giving the sleeping giant on last look before leaving the apartment.
On his way down in the elevator, he reached into his pocket for his phone and dialed the one person he always would.
"Hey, Ce, I'm taking off for a while. Didn't want you to worry. I'll call you in a few days. Love you, mi cœurtendre."
***
She came downstairs, pulling her damp hair into a ponytail, only to pause halfway
down when she saw him. Karim stood in the living room, a heavy duffel bag over his shoulder as he waited for her to make her way across the room.
“Where are you going?” she asked, wrapping her arms round his neck.
"I have to go to meet with the Seven. We have a lot to discuss. I’ll be back in a few days,” he whispered, running the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip before giving her a searing kiss. She held onto him, deepening the kiss, wanting to remember his taste, his scent, the feel of his body against hers.
“But I just got you back,” she whined.
"I will be back in a few days. It takes more than a looming boogeyman to get rid of me.” he whispered. He reluctantly backed away, reaching for the elevator call button. The doors slid open and he stepped in for the last time, his eyes shimmering with tears.
“I love you,” she said.
"I love you, Calie. I will always, always love you," he said as the doors closed.
Celeste waited until she could no longer hear the hum of the elevator, before she sat heavily on the sofa, her head in her hands.
Slowly, the guest room door opened and Nicky stepped out. He gathered her close to him and kissed the top of her head as he reached for the television remote. She cuddled closer, resting her head on his chest as she let her sadness pour out of her in wailing sobs.
“He’ll be back, Ce,” he assured her. She looked up at him and shook her head.
“No, he won’t,” she sniffed. Instead of trying to convince her otherwise, Nicky turned on the television and settled in for a cheesy 80’s movie marathon. He would be content to hold her and let her wallow, that was what she needed and Nicky always gave her what she needed.
"Thank you," she said after a long while.
"Anytime," Nicky said, kissing her forehead. Katie had been right. Boyfriends would come and go but best friends were eternal.
EPILOGUE
She sat with her back to the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest in the cold, damp cell. The gown she wore barely covered her legs and she was freezing. Her hair, her crowning glory, had been shaved off when a case of lice had infected the cells in the lower recesses of the Collective, leaving her with a shiny, white pate that made her look sickly. The overhead lights made her look paler than she already was, and gave her white eyes a jaundiced glow. She hated this place, hated that they had put her here without her magic, without so much as a book to keep her mind occupied during the unending hours of isolation. She had thought the lashing would have been the worse, but that had only been the start. Those wounds, though deep and stinging, had kept her in the infirmary for a month, but they had healed and now she was relegated to this fresh hell. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, as she did every night when the only sound in this hell was the wind whipping through the halls.
"Hey," she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice, low but very clear, whispering in her ear. She was on her feet looking for the source of that voice but saw that she was still alone. She ran a hand across her eyes and sighed.
"Lilith."
She nearly screamed, backing up until her back was pressed to the freezing cold metal of the heavy cell door. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes darting around in fear. Was she hearing things or had it happened? Had she gone insane?
"Sweetheart, it's me. You haven't gone insane." She recognized the voice then, the soft charming lilt of her father. She spun around looking for him when she saw him shimmer in the corner of the room. Looking over her shoulder carefully she noted the red light on the camera monitoring her every move. She went back to her cot, sitting as she had before, her eyes on that shimmer in the corner of the room, her mouth hidden by her folded arms.
"How did you get in here?" she asked and heard his familiar chuckle. She rolled her eyes and regretted that question. Duh, she thought, of course he could do what he wanted. He was the prince of darkness after all.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to let you know that you are protected, puellam. You will survive this and you will be better for it. This little exercise will teach you patience and you will need that for what's to come." She sighed.
"So you're not getting me out of this cesspool?" she mumbled, dumbfounded.
"Of course not. You make it through this and you will be the High Regent of the Collective," he said.
"A lot of good that will do, they took away my magic. I have no power and they have made sure I can't have any real power over the Collective.”
He tsked, and she could just picture him wagging a finger at her.
"What they took was only the tip of the iceberg, my sweet naïve child. They also took your mother's power and we both know that she is more powerful than ever." She sat up, her ear pricked by what he'd just said. She looked at the camera, and settled back into her slumped position before she spoke again.
"You said is, not was," she said, watching the shimmer as it floated across the cell. She could picture him tapping his bottom lip with his index finger. He chuckled and sighed.
"Did I? Must have been a slip of the tongue." He assured her. "You just hold steady, sweets. You are destined for greatness. And if you have faith in me, trust me, I can assure you that you will have all of the power you desire. More than you ever even imagined."
"And what will you gain from this?"
He moved to a blind spot right beneath the camera and materialized. She gasped, but kept her head down trying to mask her surprise with a cough. He had a scar, one she hadn't seen before, running from his hairline across his right eye down to the corner of his mouth. That scar had ruined any chance of Alexander ever being elected to political office. She had ruined him with one slash of her blade; a blade made from the same stone and fire as the Nephilim themselves.
"I get to pay that little k'ats back for what she did to me, for what she did to us," he said. "I get to kill the Caelestis."
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