by M. R. Forbes
His head tilted to the side. "The diuscrucis?"
I nodded.
He smiled. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? That car with you?"
I nodded again.
"Come on. We better get to the house ahead of it. I'm Francois, and you are?"
"Alyx."
He put his finger up and then leaned in a little closer. "My vision isn't what it used to be. You're one of them, aren't you? Do you know Onyx?"
"I'm not sure," Alyx said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I was taken when I was a pup," she said. "But I had a sister named Onyx."
Seven
We met Obi in the driveway of the cottage where the werewolf pack was living. It was a relatively small building, at least one hundred years old, though it was kept in impeccable condition. A brick face, a thatched roof, and thick shades were all that could be seen from the outside. There was a minivan sitting in the driveway already, and it almost made me crack a smile to think of a van full of weres driving into Rouen for groceries.
It turned out that Francois was a fiend of no small power, a secret gem of a demon who had decided he preferred the company of Onyx to the trappings of power that so many of his like-kind were enamored with. In a weird turn of events, he had accepted her as his master, even though his control of hellfire proved he could have easily claimed that control for himself. He wasn't like other fiends, and he said that Onyx wasn't like other weres, either. She didn't eat human flesh or blood except to stay alive, and that blood was typically stolen from hospitals or purchased on the black market from others who had stolen it from hospitals.
Why?
Because Ulynx had dedicated the Delta Pack to the Diuscrucis, and the Diuscrucis wasn't in favor of it. Onyx and her followers were all that was left of the Great Were's once powerful pack.
That was my fault, too.
"This looks like something right out of Little Red Riding Hood," Obi said as he climbed out of the Bentley. "How many big bad wolves do we have?"
"Eight," I said, quoting Francois. "All that's left of Ulnyx's original pack."
"How many did there used to be?"
"Four hundred," Alyx said. "At least when I was with them."
We still weren't sure if this Onyx was Alyx's sister. The name was common enough among weres that it wasn't guaranteed. I could tell by the look on her face that she was eager to find out.
"Obi-Wan Sampson," Obi said, holding out his hand to Francois.
"Francois," the fiend replied, not taking the hand. "No offense, but my touch is caustic to humans." He turned his hands over, showing off the demonic runes tattooed into them.
"Yeah, no problem," Obi replied.
Francois led us up a few steps to the front door, knocking three times, pausing, and then knocking six times. He waited a few more seconds before opening the door.
"Onyx, my love, we have visitors," he announced.
It was dark inside the home, but the smell of the weres was unmistakeable, even to me. I immediately heard motion upstairs, following the sound to the corner of the house and down.
She appeared in front of us a moment later. She wasn't a spitting image of Alyx, but she was close. Similar height, similar build, similar facial features. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the Great Were.
"Alyx?" she whispered in a soft growl. "Is that you?"
Alyx's face changed as well, a smile spreading across it. "Onyx?"
"It is you," Onyx said, rushing toward her. The two sisters embraced, whining to one another as they hugged.
"I thought you were dead," Alyx said.
"I thought the same of you. Who? How?"
Alyx separated herself from her sister. "I want you to meet Landon Hamilton. The Diuscrucis."
Onyx turned to me and then fell to her knees. "My Lord," she said, bowing her head.
Alyx looked at me with pride. I was embarrassed.
"Please, you don't have to kneel to me."
"You are the leader of the pack," she said. "It is my honor."
I had gotten a similar reception from Alyx when we met. All because Ulnyx had tried to steal my body after I destroyed him the first time.
"Man, I wish a woman would do that for me sometime," Obi said.
"Shut up," I replied. "Please, get up."
She listened this time, getting back to her feet.
"What are you doing here in France?" she asked, returning her attention to Alyx. "Where have you been all of this time?"
"A prisoner," Alyx said. "Landon set me free."
"Truly?"
"Yes. Whatever you have heard, the Diuscrucis is more powerful than that."
"I have heard that you have been to Hell," Onyx said.
"You heard that already?" I replied. "How?"
"We are here to hide from the war, Diuscrucis," she said. "How can we if we don't keep tabs on it?"
"Hide? I don't understand."
"There are so few of us left and only one male to mate with. Ulysyx. He is almost beyond breeding age, and so far has delivered only one pup. If we are dragged into the fight, we will be extinct before long."
"Then I'm sorry to say; I'm here because I need your help."
"You need us to fight?" she asked, her face falling. "I will do as you command, but the pack-"
"Not to fight," I interrupted. I could see the relief. "I need to get to Italy within the next four hours."
"You need a rift?" Francois said.
"Yes. Can you make one?"
"No. I can power it, but I don't have the materials to build it."
"I thought you just needed some rocks?" Obi said.
"Riftstones are more than rocks. They must have a minimum sulfurous component, or they can't make the proper connection. Stones like that are not easy to come by on the French countryside."
"We need a rift," I said. "I was hoping you would know where we could find one, and a demon to power it."
"As Francois said, he can power it," Onyx said. She put her hand on his shoulder. "You will need to go into Rouen with them. Talk with Gerard."
"Gerard?" Francois said. "I-"
"Do not talk back to me," Onyx growled, baring her human teeth at the fiend. The message was received.
"Yes, Master," Francois said. "I will take them to Gerard."
"Who is Gerard?" I asked.
"A fiend," Francois replied. "One of many who have wished to recover the area in the aftermath of Gervais' demise. He has a rift you can use."
"We'll leave immediately," Onyx said. "Let me alert the others." She opened her mouth, emitting out a series of shrill barks.
"You're coming with us?" Alyx asked, pleased.
"Of course," Onyx replied. "I haven't seen you in ages, sister. I still remember the night you were taken. So many of us were killed that night." She lost some of her enthusiasm to the memory. "It still wounds me to think about. But you're here, now. I never thought it would come to pass. If you have business with the Diuscrucis, you will be leaving again. I want to know you once more before you go."
"Me, too," Alyx said. "I never believed I would see anyone from my pack again, let alone my direct family. I'm thankful to God for the opportunity."
"God?" Onyx said, confused "What does He have to do with it?"
"Everything," Alyx said, leaving me as surprised as her sister was.
It was one thing to say a prayer for the deceased, another to openly embrace His name. It was a new development and had come out of nowhere. Barely three hours had passed since we had nearly spent the afternoon having passionate, lustful sex. Did she regret her actions as much as I regretted mine? Was that why she had been so willing to accept my decision, or would she have come to the same conclusion regardless?
It didn't matter. It was where she was right now. It was to be expected that once she embraced her freedom, she would begin testing it.
I was proud of her for that, even if I didn't completely agree with her assessment. I had been upset with my moral c
ompromise, not because of the judgment of an absent father.
Onyx responded with laughter. "I don't know where you got that idea, sister. We are creatures of Satan. God cares nothing for us or our kind."
"I don't believe that," Alyx said. "Landon says we are free to choose our own path. We don't have to be evil."
"No, but we do need to partake of human blood to survive. Does God agree with that?"
Alyx was silent.
"Believe me, sister; he doesn't," Onyx said. "That is why we must beware of the angels in Rouen. They have hunted us before, and they will continue to hunt us until the end of days. That is the way of things."
"Things can change," Alyx said softly. "Right, Landon? I don't have to hate the angels."
She was looking to me for affirmation. For comfort. For all of the things she was, experienced with the world wasn't one of them.
"It's something you have to live with," I said. "But remember that the angels don't always know the will of God. Keep in mind where we're headed and why. They seem to be speaking for God less and less these days."
"Man, I don't know what this war is coming to if a Great Were becomes more devout than the Heavenly Host themselves," Obi said.
Or a fiend serves a were who doesn't eat human flesh. Or a spirit is trapped in a magic suit of armor.
End of days?
It sure was starting to feel like it.
Eight
Obi drove the five of us into the city. I had never been to Rouen before, and I was amazed by how the place maintained a middle-ages feel despite the passage of time and some of the modern conveniences that came with it. I remarked on it to Onyx, who only scoffed.
"The Cathedral is visible everywhere, which means the angels can see us wherever we try to hide."
What would the angels think of a car containing a fiend of Francois' power and a Great Were? I knew they wouldn't leave well enough alone if we lingered too long.
"Bring us to Gerard and we'll be out of here before they can figure out why we came," I said.
"Gladly," Onyx replied.
She had spoken only briefly with Alyx on the trip, and the warmth of their reunion had quickly turned cold in response to her sister's sudden faith. I couldn't really blame her. God was a tough pill for some people to swallow, let alone a demon, and I was pretty sure she blamed me for Alyx's attitude. My guess was that she was only helping me now because of an obligation to what she believed I was, not because she wanted to.
"Stop the car over there," Onyx said, pointing to one of the few spaces within the city that would accommodate a car the size of the Bentley. "There are no motor vehicles allowed on the streets where Gerard's shop lies."
Obi followed her instruction, pulling over to the side. We piled out of the car, and all of us save the former Marine looked to the sky as we did. I didn't see any angels, and by Onyx's reaction, I knew she didn't either.
"Let's hurry," she said. "We have a clean break."
She led us down a narrow street, then another narrow street, and through to a third. All of the buildings looked the same here; tightly packed and old. There were small storefronts at the ground level, selling everything from food to hats to musical instruments.
"Gerard owns a butcher shop three blocks that way," Onyx said, stopping suddenly. "Francois will take you the rest of the way."
"You aren't coming?" Alyx asked.
She seemed somewhat oblivious to her sister's disinterest. Maybe that was just how their kind was? I had never seen them interact as families before, but I had relived some of Ulnyx's memories. It hadn't seemed that way to me then.
"I need to return home. Good hunting to you, sister."
She turned to leave. As she did, I noticed the streets were empty.
Damn.
I scanned the sky in search of angels. When I didn't see any, I looked to Alyx. She shook her head.
"I don't smell anything," she said.
I gathered my power, preparing for Onyx or Francois to turn on us. What other option was there? Except they didn't. They were as confused as I was.
"What the hell?" Obi said.
Seconds passed while we waited for something to happen. I had never experienced anything like it before. The people left, the Divine came. The fighting started. It seemed almost comical when you thought about it too much, but that was how it was supposed to work.
It came from nowhere, literally materializing in front of us.
"Shit," I said.
The Fist of God pointed its right hand at Francois. Scripture-laced bolts fired from its wrists, the proximity sending them straight through the fiend's chest and out the other side. He fell over in a burst of sulfur and blood.
"No," Onyx said, changing as she did.
Alyx changed as well, while Obi grabbed a small knife from his left boot. It looked ridiculous next to the two weres, especially next to Alyx, but it was all he had.
The Fist vanished.
"Oh, come on," I said, reaching out with my power and wrapping it around us. "Where are you?" I shouted.
I waited for Gervais to answer. He didn't. The Fist re-appeared when it butted up against my shield. This time, Zifah was seated on its shoulder.
"Nice trick, isn't it, Landon?" he said.
Onyx charged the armor. It disappeared again, and she pounced on empty air.
"An invisible knight?" Obi said. "Man, I thought things couldn't get any weirder."
"You have no idea," I replied.
The Fist appeared behind Onyx; the other wrist pointed at the were's back.
"Landon," Alyx said.
The bolts fired. I threw my power at them, catching them before they could strike her, turning them back on the Fist. It turned to the side, letting them bounce off harmlessly.
Alex pounced, her claws reaching for the demon. The Fist vanished again, appearing a moment later on the other side of the street. Alex wrapped herself around nothing, sliding on the street, spinning around and growling.
"Really, Landon," Zifah said. "Save your energy. I didn't come here to fight."
"Then what did you come here for?" I asked. "You used me."
"I'm a demon. Using people is what demons do." He cackled. "Gervais sent me here to warn you to stay away from Sarah. He's taking care of things, and you need to stay out of the way."
"Taking care of things?"
Onyx had recovered from her pounce, and she charged again, coming hard and swiping at the Fist. It raised its arm, catching the blow and deflecting it with ease. Its other arm swung around, hitting the were in the gut and sending her through a nearby store window.
Zifah laughed at the outcome. "I know what you're thinking. Gervais wants Sarah's power. That's it exactly. When he finds her, he's going to take it."
"That's his daughter," I said. Not that it mattered to the demon. Josette was his sister, and that hadn't been enough to stop him.
"Yeah. That's what I said, but you know Gervais. Anyway, he wanted me to show off the Fist of Gervais to you, so you would know you can't win, and you should leave well enough alone. I messed up a couple of times, went to the wrong place, killed a couple of demons I probably shouldn't have." He laughed again. "You stand out like a sore thumb as long as you have Alyx with you." He looked at her. "Hey, sexy."
Alyx ignored him, keeping her eyes focused on the Fist. If Gervais wasn't attacking me outright, it meant he wanted or needed something from me. Even if it was just the opportunity to gloat.
What else was new?
"Rebecca, are you in there?" I said. "Can you hear me?"
The Fist didn't react. Zifah was amused.
"She can't hear you. She's barely even there."
I knew they needed some way to control the armor. Considering Zifah was sitting on the thing's shoulder, I was willing to bet he was doing it somehow.
"I'm surprised Gervais trusts you with his toy," I said.
"Why wouldn't he? We have a deal."
"A deal between demons?"
"Norm
ally I would agree, but it goes like this: Gervais gets Earth, I get Hell. It works for me."
"What about Heaven?"
"Heaven gets destroyed."
"Then Hell comes to Earth, and you get nothing."
"I know the leftovers won't be much, but I'm small. I don't need much. I just want to see the look on my father's face when Gervais tears his head off."
"So you're good with being number two?" I asked.
"It's more than I ever got before."
"Maybe we can work something out?"
"A counteroffer?"
"Yeah."
"Like what?"
I thought about it for a few seconds. There was nothing I could offer him that trumped control of Hell, and Gervais knew it. That's why he trusted him with the Fist.
"I didn't think so," Zifah said. "No hard feelings, Landon, really. I like you. But I have to do what I have to do, you know?"
"Yeah," I replied. "So do I."
The smile vanished. "What does that mean?"
I reached out with my power, grabbing the knife from Obi's hand and flinging it toward the demon. It moved faster than any human-thrown object could. It almost moved fast enough.
Zifah screeched and climbed behind the armor, narrowly avoiding the blade. The Fist vanished again.
It didn't return.
"Was that smart?" Obi asked.
"Probably not, but I think he made the point he wanted to make."
As long as I was with Alyx, I could be tracked. I already knew that. More importantly, I had barely held my own against the Fists before, and now it seemed that Rebecca's power had given it the ability not only to disappear but to teleport as well.
Fantastic.
Gervais didn't need anything from me. He was gloating. Rubbing it in my face. He had tricked me, killed Rose, and won himself a prize I couldn't compete against, and in his arrogant assery he wanted to make sure I knew it. His hate for me ran that deep.
Son of a bitch.
Onyx climbed from the storefront, rushing over to the pile of ashes that were all that remained of Francois. She leaned over them and howled.
A shopkeeper appeared a moment later, followed by a few more mortals. They saw Onyx as a human, leaning over nothing and crying. They ignored her, returning to their business as if nothing had happened. All except the owner of the store that had been damaged, who pulled out his cellphone to report the vandalism.
