by D. C. Gomez
“Constantine, we are clear. They are all yours,” I heard Bartholomew say over the headset. In true Constantine fashion, he let it rain bombs from his drone and blasted the beast to pieces.
“Isis, Eric has traffic cleared for you. Just followed the sirens,” Constantine told me in my headset. “We will take care of the rest.”
“Thank you, Jesus,” I said out loud as I drove like Shorty down the streets of Texarkana.
“You have some amazing friends,” Genevieve told me as she climbed back to the passenger seat.
“So do you, princess,” I told her, not taking my eyes of the road.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Death was right about sending us to Reapers. Our headquarters had turned into a full military compound. Constantine had rifles on two sides of the building, shooting at anything that moved. We rushed inside after taking out two more hell beasts. Were any of those demonic creatures even left in hell?
I pulled in the parking lot, not bothering to park Shorty’s truck with the other vehicles. Instead, I left it in the middle of the lot as we all rushed up the stairs.
“Constantine, what’s the status?” Katrina asked first.
“Those demons are unleashing hell on us,” Constantine said with an evil grin. “Feeling bad for your boss. He is missing the war of the year. Die you fools.” Constantine grimaced as he pressed some buttons in his controllers.
“Let’s avoid that conversation,” Katrina told him. “What do you need from us?”
“Genevieve, please have a seat,” I told the princess. I wasn’t sure how you handled a pregnant elven princess, but I didn’t want her to pass out on me.
“I’m not fragile, Isis,” Genevieve rolled her eyes, obviously offended.
“True, but you are pregnant,” I replied.
“Let me explain something. Pregnant does not translate to invalid. Now, how can I help?” Genevieve snapped.
Okay, then, I thought. I think I better just keep quiet from now on.
“Well, now that we settled that, we have a battle to finish,” Constantine announced. “Isis and Katrina, you two are on the roof. Father Francis, I saw your amazing work downtown. We need you to bless a few more things for the girls.” Constantine pressed more buttons, an almost too-wide smile planted on his face.
“When I took my vows as a priest, I wanted to lead people to God and fight the forces of evil,” Father Francis told Constantine, a little out of breath. “I never expected I would be fighting it in hand to hand combat.” He shook his head.
I grabbed a few bottles of water from the fridge and passed them around. Katrina and I were used to the hard days of being a soldier. Poor Father Francis was a priest, and not even a Chaplain in the military. This kind of life style was totally new to him, but he was holding up really well.
“Let’s get moving children,” Constantine said. “Genevieve, I need you to take the controls for the South side. Those fools keep trying to break in our door. Bartholomew—”
“Way ahead of you, Constantine,” Bartholomew interrupted as he passed out earmuffs to Katrina, Father Francis, and me. “Here. These will protect your hearing but will also make it easier for us to communicate. The headsets kept cutting off for some weird reason.” He took up his position at the computer station. “Ladies, I’ll take the North side, you two get East and West. Give them hell.” Bartholomew put on his headphones.
“You guys ready?” Katrina asked Father Francis and me, and she looked like a kid on Christmas morning. I had never seen her so excited as she bounced on tip of her toes, ready for action.
“As ready as we are going to be,” I told her.
“This is a whole new level of exorcism that nobody ever covered in seminary,” Father Francis replied.
The three of us rushed around the corner towards the bedrooms. The emergency ladder to the roof was at the end of the hallway. My hands were shaking in fear of what we would find on the roof. I had to take several long breaths to calm myself before I found myself puking in the hallway.
“Isis, give me ten seconds,” Constantine said through my earmuffs. “Let me clear the roof for you.” I totally forgot Constantine was still manning his drone. “Clear,” Constantine yelled, and we rushed out the door.
I had no idea what those demon things were throwing at us, but the roof was covered in some weird slime. I avoided it like the plague. Katrina took over the machine gun on the East side and I rushed to the one on the West. Father Francis did his prayers on both sides as fast as he could, and we were lucky he did because before we knew it, the enemy had started coming from every direction.
“Father, stay inside,” I told him. “When we need you, I’ll call.”
After a nod, he ran back to the door.
“Isis,” Katrina said, looking over her shoulder. “Kill them all...”
“And let God sort them out,” I finished the motto.
Katrina opened fire on the incoming demons. I was pretty sure God had given up on that group. There was nothing to save here. I took the safety off the machine gun and started firing at the beast that was scaling my side of the building.
I couldn’t believe it, but we fought all night. Many times, we had to reload the drone as well as the machine guns. When the drone was down, the beast took advantage of it and landed on the roof. It wasn’t fair that they were able to fly. In those occasions, I was grateful for my scythe. More than one of those beasts turned to ash due to a swift cut. The fighting continued until sunrise. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. As the rays of the sun came up, the beasts evaporated back to hell. I wanted to cry tears of joy for that.
Katrina and I climbed back into the building, looking like we had been run over by a train. Father Francis was waiting for us at the foot of the stairs. He wasn’t looking much better, but he was smiling brighter than the sun. He gave both of us hugs, then he led us back to the loft.
“Nice job ladies. Father, if I consider converting, you are the man I’m going to,” Constantine told us. I had no idea how that cat was so fresh and relaxed.
“Can I pass out now?” Bartholomew asked, and I realized he had dark circles under his eyes and his face was paler than I’d ever seen it.
“Isis, I’m ready to be an invalid now,” Genevieve told me. She looked exhausted, but still better than the rest of us.
“I second that,” I told her before I dropped on the couch beside Katrina.
“Please tell me they are gone for a while,” Katrina told Constantine. “Even my eyelashes are tired.” Katrina dropped her head on my shoulder.
Everyone was too tired to move. I don’t remember when I passed out, but I was sure it didn’t take me that long. I woke up in my bed under my covers. I didn’t care who brought me, but I was so happy they did. I had no clue what time it was, but I didn’t want to move to find out.
“Good morning, Isis,” Death told me.
I guess boycotting to get up is out of the question, I thought.
With a groan, I turned the lamp on my night table on and tried to adjust my eyes to the light.
“How do you feel?” Death asked, scooting the chair she sat in closer to the bed.
“Like I was run over by a bus, at least twice,” I told her, trying to stretch my sore muscles.
“You had a rough couple of days, but you did well,” Death told me.
“No, the team did well,” I corrected her. “I could never have pulled that off by myself.”
“I’m glad you realize that,” Death said. “You are part of a team. Most Interns feel they have to do everything on their own. Don’t let that be you.” She smiled at me and got up. “I do recommend getting up. You have a lot of people waiting for you.” Death adjusted my hair and kissed my forehead. I wondered if moms had the same power over their kids. All my pains had disappeared, and the soreness was gone.
“Thank you,” I told Death with a sigh of relief. At least I could move again. “What time is it?” I asked her as I enjoyed being pain free.
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“Eight in the morning,” Death told me with a smile.
“Really? I have only been asleep for an hour.” That was amazing. I was pretty sure sunrise was around seven.
“Eight in the morning on Friday, dear,” Death told me. “You have been out for at least twenty-three hours.”
“What?” I screamed as I tried to jump out of bed.
“Relax, Isis,” Death told me. “You weren’t the only one. Most of your friends are still in bed. I just needed to give you a message from Jake.” I stopped pacing my room like a maniac. “He says thank you. It appears Ralph’s little coup lost its fire after sunrise. Jake is doing a little house cleaning of his own. He owes you one.”
“Do I want the devil to owe me a favor?” I asked Death.
“Sure. As long as you never use it. Claiming that favor will open a whole Pandora’s Box we are not ready for,” Death told me.
“Good to know.” That was one thing I didn’t need in my life.
“Constantine has set you up a final mediation meeting with the vampires and elves,” Death told me from the door.
“What am I supposed to tell them?” I really didn’t want to meet with either one of those groups.
“I’m sure you will come up with the best course of action for everyone.” Death winked at me.
Not the advice I was hoping to hear. We found the princess, but what was I supposed to do now? I couldn’t turn her over to either party. It wasn’t like Genevieve was a sack of oranges with no say in the matter. I really didn’t want to think about it, but I had no choice. I headed for the shower and prayed inspiration would hit me between the shampoo and conditioner cycle.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The loft was deserted. After all the commotion we had the other night, the quiet was almost eerie. I walked to the fridge and found a simple note on the door from Bob. Get an Eric shake from the fridge and meet me at Abuelitas for part two of mediation. I grabbed my shake and decided to drink it at home before heading out. The way my days were going, if I left the house, I might never have a chance to finish it.
The door opened, and I figured it was Constantine since I didn’t see anybody else. I had no clue how that cat got the door opened.
“Why are you still here?” Constantine asked me as soon as he made his way around the kitchen island. He hated talking to humans from the floor, so he jumped on the kitchen island and glared at me.
“Decided it was safer to finish my shake here before tackling the world,” I answered as I sipped my shake. The flavor today was passion fruit and it was pretty yummy.
“That is actually not a bad idea,” Constantine replied. “You still better hurry. Your meeting starts at nine. It would suck for the host to be late.”
Was Constantine kidding? Why was I the host?
“Why are things never easy?” I looked at my watch. I had ten minutes to get to Abuelitas, so I gulped down the rest of my shake and ran out the door.
It was a blessing the meeting was only at Abuelitas, or else I would have never made it on time. I pulled into the parking lot to find a large tent set up in the back. I guessed Abuelitas was not big enough for everyone’s ego to fit. I parked Ladybug next to Bob’s truck and went around the building to the back. I had no idea why we needed a tent this big, but I didn’t care. As long as we were finishing this here and not in Kansas, I wouldn’t complain.
“Well it’s about time you joined us.” I was greeted by the lawyer representing the vampire’s emperor. Lovely, just what I needed, the lawyer-puppet show.
“What can I say, gentlemen? I like making an entrance,” I announced to all the lawyers staring at me.
The inside of the tent was dark, and it appeared it was sun-proof. The only things giving off any form of illumination were tiki torches and white Christmas lights. This was a huge fire hazard, but as I walked to the center of the room, I understood the need. We had another large stage in the middle of the room, and Arthur stood on the right side. He was a brave vampire. That boy risked turning into a pork rind for the sake of love.
On the elven side stood Iason with his dad’s lawyer. I guess I should be grateful the heads of each house stayed home instead of creating another war in my city. I crossed the room and climbed the stage, wondering how my godmother had handled the pressure last time.
I looked around the tent and saw Katrina and Bob standing across from me. Genevieve stood between them, looking as regal as any queen. I smiled and waved, not really didn’t know what proper regulatory proceedings were, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to put this silly war to rest.
“Can we start now?” The vampire emperor spoke through his lawyer. It was creepy to hear his voice come out of this poor human.
“Yes, we don’t have all day,” the elven King added. I didn’t know when he had connected with his lawyer, but it was definitely his voice coming out of the lawyer’s mouth.
“This is a great start. At least you both agreed on something,” I told them. “Going to be a fabulous meeting.” I clapped my hands together like a cheerleader.
Katrina covered her mouth with her hand, and I knew she was hiding her smile. She shouldn’t have tried. Arthur and Iason had no problem showing off their smirks.
I grinned. At least I knew who my fans were.
“Reaper, get on with things,” the emperor told me.
“Fine, fine,” I told them. “Don’t die on me.” I flashed him another smile.
He rolled his eyes at me. The nerve.
“Like we promised, here is Princess Genevieve,” I told the group of men and pointed at the princess.
“She is coming home with me,” the elven King yelled.
“No, she is Arthur’s betrothed,” the emperor jumped in. “Obviously, after last night, you can’t protect her.”
That got both parties yelling at the top of their lungs. Each side called the other one names I was afraid to repeat. They were vicious, throwing insults that I considered completely inappropriate. I put my fingers to my mouth and whistled at the top of my lungs. That got them quiet.
“Well, that was exciting,” I told them again with another smile. If I kept that up, I could apply for Vanna White’s job. “I’m sorry to inform both of you, but I really don’t care what you think should happen here,” I told them, and they glared at me with hate in their eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You both can get as mad as you like. Genevieve almost died because of your pride and failure to communicate. She is not a thing you get to decide what to do with. Genevieve has a choice here.”
Both lawyers and their representative rulers stared at me in shock.
“Genevieve, please come up here,” I asked Genevieve and she joined me on the stage. “This is your life we are deciding. What would you like to do?” I wanted Genevieve to pick her own future.
“Father, I love you,” Genevieve started, her voice shaking with emotion. This was not a good sign. “David, you have always been nothing but gentle to me. I love you too.” Wait, the emperor’s name was David, who knew? Genevieve took a deep breath. “But I can’t go with either one of you.”
My mouth dropped open. “Wait. What?” I slapped my hand over my mouth. I hadn’t meant to say that.
Genevieve turned around to face me. “Isis, if you let us, we would like to stay here in Haven.”
The whole room was looking at me now.
“Here. Why?”
“Now that the world knows I’m pregnant, there is no safe place for me and my child,” Genevieve answered, rubbing her stomach. “Anywhere we go, war and destruction will follow. After last night, nobody will ever dare to attack Haven again. Not with Death herself leading the troops.”
“Fair enough. But you don’t need my permission. Haven is open to everyone,” I told her.
“Yes, but Arthur and I have another request to ask.” Genevieve looked me straight in the eyes. “Would you be our child’s godmother?” Genevieve waited, hope lighting her eyes.
“Of all the people in the world, you want me?�
� I blurted. “I know nothing about kids and I’m a walking disaster everywhere I go,” I told her.
“The Reaper has a point there,” Emperor David told her.
“Genevieve, the Reaper is also mortal. Are you sure about this?” the elven king asked his daughter.
He was right. The facts didn’t lie.
“You were raised by your godmother, right?” Genevieve asked me, and I just nodded in answer. “Kids don’t need perfect parents. They need people who will love them unconditionally. You would die for your friends, Isis. I want someone that if something happens to Arthur and me, they would love and protect our child that same way. I can’t think of anyone as unselfish and loving as you.” Genevieve took my hands in hers, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was such a wimp when it came to this kind of stuff.
“Yes, I promise to love and protect your child as my own. Like my godmother did with me,” I told Genevieve, my voice cracking and raw.
It didn’t matter how angry I was at my godmother. I knew she would kill or die to keep me safe. I wanted to be that person to someone else, and now I could.
Genevieve hugged me. We were both sobbing when we parted.
“Emperor, I ask your permission to relocate with my family.” Arthur fell to his knees, begging Emperor David.
“Get up, Arthur. I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Emperor David told him. “I’m going to be a grandpa, the old-fashioned way. Who would have believed that?”
“Does this mean we need to ask permission anytime I want to see my grandchild?” the elven king asked me.
I rolled my eyes. “I guess we are all family now. You can come and go as you please,” I told both sides. “Just make sure to obey all Haven rules so Constantine doesn’t turn you all to ashes.” I might as well be honest with them. Constantine would shoot first, ask questions later. I didn’t need any special guests dead in Haven.
“Thank you, Isis.” I got another hug from Genevieve. “By the way, thank you for saving Noah. He is a good kid and will be staying in Haven as well,” Genevieve whispered to me.
