The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set

by Zachary Chopchinski

  “Why, thank you. In the end, aren't we all? Besides, this is all thanks to you. If you hadn't drawn me from my kingdom, angered me, and forced me to think of ways to end you, I wouldn’t be here. So, technically, you’re the monster here. I mean, this is all sort of your fault. You know, if you also wanted to take the easy way out, no one would blame you. I think there’s another round in his pistol . . .”

  Gabrielle raised her pistol and fired a round over Arawn’s head. It collided with a fixture on the wall behind him and exploded on impact, sending glass everywhere. Arawn laughed once more.

  “Relax, lady. He was already dead, remember. They all are. Even your mother. Oh, speaking of which, I’m done with you for now, as well.” Arawn tapped her mother on her shoulders. She also came to life and reached into her pocket.

  “No!” Gabrielle shouted as she reached out her arm, but she was powerless to stop it. Her mother withdrew a pill and placed it into her mouth. Within moments, Gabrielle’s mother was slumped over in her chair, lifeless.

  Gabrielle’s mouth fell open. This was the second time she’d had to watch her mother die at the hands of an out of control god. She couldn’t move. The anger in her had rendered Gabrielle immobile. She could only look into her mother’s still open eyes as tears flowed from her own. Arawn shifted in his stance, which brought her attention back to him. She pointed the gun at his heart.

  “I am going to kill you!” she shouted at Arawn, not for the first time that day.

  “Not before I do,” a familiar voice sounded from behind her. In all the excitement, she’d failed to notice Fausto. He’d awoken and was standing right behind her. She turned her head to see that he was holding his knife in his hand. With his other hand, he rubbed the bump on the back of his head from where he hit the wall.

  “Hey, who doesn't like a hero’s tale? I mean, I’m guilty of enjoying the story of a triumphant hero myself. But, I’ve got to say . . . this will not be one of those moments.” Arawn smiled at Fausto, his needle teeth piercing his bottom lip.

  “I think I’ll cut out your black heart and show it to you!” Fausto shouted, lunging upward and landing on the table. For the instant that he stood above her, Gabrielle was reminded of just how much she liked Fausto. He was always fearless. Arawn raised his hands and beckoned Fausto on to fight.

  Fausto leaped through the air and brought the blade down toward Arawn’s chest. He missed and nearly sunk the blade into the floor as he landed. Arawn stepped back and let out a thunderous laugh.

  “You're a fast one, aren't you?” Arawn teased.

  “The fastest!” Fausto shouted, swiping several more times. Gabrielle ran around the side of the table in an attempt to help. Fausto was no match for Arawn, but maybe she could do something to help. Arawn jumped toward Fausto with both hands out as if he were making fun of him and Fausto swiped again at the god.

  He shouted in anger and lunged once more at Arawn, swiping the blade at his stomach. Arawn once more proved faster, jumping away and laughing as he spun on his toes like a dancer. Gabrielle tried to grab the knife from Fausto to get him to stop, and when he jerked away, he hit her in the face. Gabrielle fell backward, and Fausto muttered something over his shoulder, but she couldn’t hear what it was.

  “This is great! I’ve always heard dance aerobics does wonders for your core,” Arawn teased as he kicked one leg in the air like a prima donna. Gabrielle tried to call out for Fausto to stop, but blood trickled down her throat from her nose, and when she opened her mouth she coughed instead.

  “Are you having fun yet?” Arawn asked as Fausto panted and continued to swing and slice at him.

  “I am finished with you! Now you die!” Fausto shouted, charging at Arawn.

  “You first, I insist.” Arawn intercepted Fausto’s attack and grabbed the hand that held the knife. Gabrielle winced as she heard the pop of Fausto’s wrist breaking. He screamed in pain but defiantly continued to fight. He brought his other hand up and punched Arawn directly in the face. Arawn shouted angrily and grabbed Fausto by the throat. Fausto was the best fighter Gabrielle had ever seen, but he was nothing compared to Arawn.

  Arawn swatted Fausto’s hand as it still clutched the knife, sending it flying across the room. There they stood, Fausto hanging several inches above the floor by Arawn's single hand around his neck, and Arawn grinning in victory. Arawn looked past a choking Fausto to Gabrielle.

  “See, another one on your head.” With a small flick of his thumb across Fausto’s chin, a crack echoed in her ears, and Fausto fell limp.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Arawn reared back and threw Fausto’s body back across the room. Gabrielle rolled to her side and ran over to him, rivulets of tears running down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and held her friend. Another death in the war against an out of control god. Rage bubbled inside her chest, not only for Arawn but also for herself.

  She looked from the lifeless expression on her friend’s face to the blade on the floor just next to his head. Gabrielle sniffled and wiped the weakness from her cheek. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the knife in her hand and squeezed until her knuckles ran white. She stood and turned to face Arawn.

  “You and I have business,” she snarled, spinning the blade around in her hand so that the sharp edge stuck directly out and pointed at Arawn. The heat from her rage numbed her muscles. She felt nothing more than the burn of her hatred and the drive of her murderous intention. He was going to die tonight.

  She walked from Fausto and rounded the table. Arawn stood motionless, a wide grin plastered on his face. He was acting as though he were taunting her. She was going to cut that egotistical face off.

  “My my, look how you’ve grown. I feel like a proud father. I’ve had so much fun playing with you, Gabrielle. You have brought me so much power. I’m not sure how to thank you. I think I’ll start by killing you and making you my slave.”

  Gabrielle stood a few feet from him, staring her enemy down. As he finished his taunt, she spat at him. A small smile threatened to peek from the corners of her mouth when she saw the god wipe the saliva off his cheek.

  “I didn't come here to speak with you, Arawn. I came here to make you feel pain. I came here to do the things to you that you have done to me for hundreds of years. I came here to show you that when you deal in monsters, sometimes you make something that will bite back. I can promise you, I will enjoy this,” Gabrielle calmly said. Arawn responded with another tired sigh.

  “Still not having any fun? Very well, let’s see what you got.” Arawn raised both of his hands and beckoned her. She knew she couldn’t kill him, but she was sure going to enjoy cutting him into bits.

  “I’m not sure if something as vile as you has a god . . .” she said, looking down at the sharp blade in her hands, “but if you do, I would suggest that you pray to him.”

  Arawn opened his mouth to speak, but his time for speaking was done, this was her time to make him pay. Pushing off from her rear foot, Gabrielle charged at Arawn. His face was overcome by surprise at her burst.

  She swung at him with her blade, all of her hatred pouring from every move. She sliced in a ‘Z’ motion. Arawn leaned back with his arms out defensively. Gabrielle steadied herself and attacked again.

  This time, she lunged, the knife outstretched toward Arawn’s stomach. He grasped her hand with both of his and squeezed until Gabrielle started to yelp. In a fit of desperation, she brought her other hand across Arawn’s face in a powerful punch.

  Arawn, surprised, released her hand and staggered backward. Gabrielle brought the knife toward his chest, but once more, he lunged back into safety.

  Just as she was rearing to swipe again, Arawn punched her in the jaw so hard that Gabrielle thought he’d broken her jaw. Pain shot through her entire left side with the powerful strike, and she was thrown across the room.

  Gabrielle’s face burned with pain, but she needed to get up. She opened her mouth and then closed it. The pain in her face was overbearing, but she co
uld still move it. As she was pulling herself to her feet, Arawn landed on top of her and wrapped his hands around her throat. As his grip tightened, his eyes burned red with hatred. Gabrielle brought her knee up into Arawn’s groin and his face contorted in pain as he loosened his grip. Scrambling to get away, Gabrielle swung at his face again, her fist colliding with the bridge of his nose.

  Arawn reared back in pain, and she took a moment to swing her knife once more at him. She dragged the edge of the dagger across his cheek, and a scream escaped his thin lips.

  Gabrielle scooted herself out from under him, but before she could pull herself up, Arawn grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and punched her hard in the face. Little bright lights spotted Gabrielle’s vision as Arawn punched her a second time. Her vision grew blurry, and her eyes swelled shut, but when he went to punch her for a third time, she was able to crane her head sideways and out of the way. Wood cracked and splintered as Arawn buried his fist into the ancient wood flood.

  Gabrielle clasped both hands around Arawn’s wrist to avoid being hit again. She clenched her blade as she swung her legs upward and wrapped them around his arm, bringing her feet to press on his face and neck. He couldn't punch her with this hand if she was holding it and choking him.

  To her surprise, Arawn screamed in rage and lifted her into the air, chest level with him, and then slammed her back onto the floor. Her shoulder exploded with pain as she was slammed over and over into the ground. With every hit, she only tightened her grip, which only infuriated Arawn further. After several hits to the ground, Gabrielle heard the popping sound of her shoulder being dislocated. Her arm fell limp, but she quickly regained her grip with her other arm.

  A gasp escaped Gabrielle’s lips, and Arawn noticed her arm go limp right before he was about to slam her to the ground again. He stopped for a brief moment and then raised her higher into the air and whipped his arm to the side, throwing her across the room and into the side of the table. Chairs clattered as she knocked them over rolling across the smooth wood.

  She rolled to her stomach and tried to push herself up, but she couldn’t move fast enough. Her arm flopped limply at her side, she tried to maintain the knife in her other hand and pull herself upward, only to feel a squeezing pain in her neck. Arawn had come up behind her and lifted her from the ground and to her feet by the scruff of her neck like a wolf would its pup.

  “That is quite enough of that,” he snarled through his teeth, his chilled breath dancing over Gabrielle’s neck as he spoke. He then pulled her backward and threw her into the wall directly in front of her. The air rushed from her lungs as she hit the wooden barrier and slid limply to the floor.

  A metallic taste filled her mouth, and warm liquid ran down her lips. Her eyes were swollen nearly shut, her shoulder was dislocated, and she thought she had a broken nose and probably a few broken ribs. Arawn couldn’t win. She could not let this happen. Get it together, girl.

  A violent yank spun Gabrielle around and forced her back against the wall. Arawn pressed her against the hard surface. The look of pain and anger were replaced with a glint of victory. He felt that he had won, and Gabrielle couldn't blame him. She had fought her best, and in spite of her strengths, Arawn suffered far less severe injuries. She didn't have much fight left, but she would have to make it work.

  “I told you this wouldn't end well for you, but you chose not to listen. You chose to fight me. Well, look at all that got you. Nothing but pain and misery. You thought that you had it all figured out and that I couldn't hurt you without dominion. I’m above that now. My power has grown enough that even the Sluagh fear me,” Arawn gloated as he misted Gabrielle’s face in droplets of spit. Gabrielle forced her swollen lips to smile and then burst out in laughter.

  She gasped with every breath as blood trickled down her throat, belting out a crazed, hysterical scene with every laugh. Arawn’s face twisted in frustration and confusion. He shook her, slapping her back and shoulders against the wall once more. Her head bounced heavily around her shoulders like a ragdoll.

  “You laugh? You think there’s amusement in this? You are going to die now! You have ended. You have failed!” he shouted, his eyes burning brighter than they ever had. She slowed her laughter to a giggle and then cleared her throat.

  “You still talk too much,” Gabrielle whispered. Arawn stared in confusion, but before he had a chance to retort, she raised the hand that still clutched Fausto’s knife and buried it into Arawn’s heart with all of her remaining strength. Arawn dropped Gabrielle to the ground and bellowed so loudly that she lost the ability to hear anything other than the ringing in her ears.

  Gabrielle scooted herself as far away as she could from the howling god and covered her ears with both hands. The bracelet on her wrist was vibrating and glowing, but she couldn’t bring her hands away from her ears to look at it. Gabrielle watched as Arawn cried out in pain, and a satisfied smile crept across her face.

  With both hands around the handle of the knife, Arawn shouted as he yanked it from his chest and threw it across the room. Gabrielle’s mouth fell open as she looked at Arawn. From the wound, a bright purple light erupted and illuminated the room in an amethyst hue. Gabrielle remembered Morrigan’s death and the light that emanated from her. Arawn was dying. He was finally dying.

  “You think this is over?” Arawn shouted as he ran his hand over the wound in his chest. The light danced through his fingers, casting macabre shadow puppets on the walls. Gabrielle looked on in awe at the sight. Even a wicked, vile thing like Arawn was beautiful in death.

  “You think you’ve won? You think you’ve killed me? You’re wrong. Now you are without a weapon, without power, and without hope. Now you die.” Arawn staggered toward Gabrielle with his hands curled inward, showing his long, pointed talons.

  Gabrielle was stunned. Why won’t this asshole just die already? She thought, but she didn’t move. She just sat there, watching as the god of the underworld fumbled his way across the room toward her with a purple glowing light leaking out of the hole. She closed her hand into a fist and gritted her teeth as Arawn bent down and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt.

  Gabrielle took a deep breath. She was out of options, out of strength, and out of resolve. Just as Arawn was rearing back for another hit to her head, his face contorted with confusion. Arawn stumbled sideways away from Gabrielle, and there where Arawn once stood, with a bloody knife in his hand, was Gianni. As Arawn stumbled, Gianni swung his arm around and sliced through Arawn’s side with his knife.

  “You killed my son! You won’t take her too, you son-of-a-bitch!” Gianni yelled as he sliced at Arawn again with unnatural speed. Arawn’s face still contorted in confusion. It was like the god hadn’t predicted that Gianni would make it into the compound. He swung at Gianni, but the warrior was quicker and managed to move out of the way of Arawn’s claws.

  Gabrielle had never seen the old man fight like this. He moved like he was a god . . . like he had powers all his own. He was no longer the old soldier that led her group, he was a father avenging his son. Arawn yelled, and Gianni moved in again for another strike, but this time, Arawn had the upper hand.

  Arawn caught the knife attack and grabbed Gianni by the arm and threw him across the room. Gianni recovered with an elegant roll and came back up standing. Arawn growled a deep throaty sound, frustration showing on his creased face.

  “You will rue the day you ever met my son!” Gianni shouted, sliding over the top of the table. The gaping hole in Arawn’s chest was still there, but his energy seemed to be growing. He was moving faster, and Gianni’s attacks were becoming more and more unsuccessful.

  The purple light still poured from the wound Gabrielle had made, but nothing came from the wounds that Gianni left. He had cut and stabbed Arawn a few times, but no purple light seeped from those wounds. Not even a droplet of blood was visible.

  “Dominion!” Gabrielle blurted as she put two and two together. As if waiting for the word as a cue, Arawn slapped the
knife away from Gianni’s hand, and a metallic clink sounded as it slid across the floor and stuck into the wall on the opposite end of the room.

  Gianni stared at the god for a moment before swinging as hard as he could and hitting Arawn in the jaw with his fist. Gianni’s eyes grew wide when Arawn didn’t even flinch. Instead, he laughed and grabbed him by the throat, raising him into the air. Gianni swung viciously at him, striking him over and over and clawing at the god’s face. After a few moments, Gianni changed his attention to the hand around his throat and began to claw at the long bony fingers that choked the life from him.

  “You’re nothing more than a pesky fly. An annoyance at best, and now I will swat you like the insect that you are.” Arawn leaned close to Gianni’s face as he spoke so that their noses were almost touching. Gianni continued to gasp for air and claw at Arawn’s hands. In a moment of desperation, Gianni looked over at Gabrielle. He stopped struggling, and they had a silent conversation just as he and his son had had earlier.

  “Get out!” Gianni choked out. Gabrielle didn’t have a chance to think about her next move. Gianni turned his attention back to Arawn and plunged his fingers into the glowing purple hole in Arawn’s chest. The god screamed in pain, and Gianni plunged his hand in deeper. Arawn dropped Gianni to the ground, and the old man pulled something from his pocket and slammed it into Arawn’s chest

  Gabrielle looked on, not sure what was happening or what she should do when it suddenly made sense. Gianni used his thumb to pop a metal ring off of a small sphere and pulled Arawn close to himself, embracing him like they were brothers. Gabrielle used all of the strength left in her body and threw herself into motion. She jumped to her feet and lunging toward the door. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her mind only focused on one thing: get out. Using the shoulder remaining in the socket, Gabrielle lunged at the door and collided with it, forcing it open and herself through it.