Queen of the Immortals

by T. R. Hamby

  Michael cleared his throat. “The instruments needed for your procedure,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So she can have them forged Up There. Then she can bring them down, and Berg can use them on you.”

  Why hadn’t Mel thought of that? It was lucky that Michael had….of course, Mel wasn’t surprised. Despite what Michael had said….he couldn’t seem to keep his nose out of Mel’s business.

  The three looked at each other.

  “So now….” Michael said.

  Andreas. Mel and Nora had been discussing him all day. There was no way he could perform the procedure without knowing some degree of Mel’s true nature.

  But how to do it? The knife trick, maybe. Nora loved performing that. Or they could show Andreas Mel’s skin, show how a mortal blade simply bounced off of it.

  The thing was, they didn’t have time to allow Andreas to process this great news. The surgery needed to be done soon. Angels were out there, and they would be doing some damage any day now.

  The four discussed it well into the next night, bouncing ideas off each other with no success. None of them could find a suitable alternative than to just shock Andreas with the horrible truth. There was nothing that could lessen the blow.

  And then the answer came, with a sudden knock at the door. Mel went to answer it, annoyed to find Michael at his heel. Who could it be at eleven o’clock on a rainy night?

  It was Serene.

  Serene

  Her brother wasn’t in London. Persephone should’ve seen that that was a load of shit.

  Serene had come for her. She had gotten word from an old friend that Persephone was on Earth, and within two months Serene had closed up her shop, sold all her things and flown straight to London.

  This wasn’t good. This really wasn’t good. Serene had known Persephone since she was a child. She had never been right….always cold, always manipulative. All five of those children had been little beasts, but Persephone had been the most disturbing.

  She had enjoyed making the other children do her bidding, and she was good at convincing them to do so. She was a bully, and she liked watching others suffer. Persephone should have known better than to forget Serene’s knowledge of that. After all, she had practically raised her. A bad seed.

  Persephone was going to destroy. She was going to hurt, she was going to abuse. She was going to murder.

  Serene raced through the rain, getting drenched anyway. She knew where her uncle’s house was; she had been keeping tabs on him for years now. She counted the numbers on the doors, until she slid to a stop in front of 796.

  She hesitated. She knew her father was in there, and she hadn’t seen him in about forty years. Longer, even. What would he say? What should she say?

  Guilt rose in her like bile. She had known better. She had known better. Her father had already borne so much pain, so much remorse. Why did she have to make it worse by refusing to see him?

  Well, her reckoning had come. She couldn’t stand out in the rain all night. She would lose her nerve, and that was a very un-Serene thing to do. No, the time was now.

  Time to go home.

  She slipped through the gate, up the stairs, and pounded on the door.

  A long pause. Then the door opened, and there was Kira, blue-eyed, hair tousled, staring at her shocked. He didn’t look the least bit different, from his hair to his bare feet.

  And then to his right….

  Her father, Michael. He still looked the same, blonde-haired, dark-eyed and broad. He stared at her, struck, and she met his gaze, terrified he would be angry, that he would tell her to leave….she deserved it….

  But then she was being swept into his arms, and he was shaking.

  “Jesus, Serene,” he moaned, and he pulled away to look her over. “What is it? Are you hurt?”

  Serene shook her head, though she felt a pang at the question. There was something….something wrong….but no. Not now.

  “No, Mica--I--I have a lot to say,” she said lamely, brushing her soaked hair off her face.

  He held her face in his hands. “You’re all right?”

  “Yes, Mica, yes.”

  “Christ,” he breathed, and he looked so….ecstatic.

  He let out a breath and held her again, kissing her sopping hair.

  “Let’s….come inside,” her uncle said, and the two broke away and moved farther into the foyer.

  Serene looked around. They were in a large foyer with oak flooring. A large living room was to the right, and an equally large kitchen was to the left. A grand staircase led to the upstairs bedrooms, and beautiful art pieces hung on the walls--her uncle’s touch, she assumed.

  Michael turned to her, squeezing her hand. He still looked bewildered, as if unsure whether to believe she was really there.

  She looked at her shoes, flushing. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and her insides burned with shame.

  She had been so distant from her father….so cold.

  But he lifted her chin. He looked happy, relieved, and he pulled her into another embrace.

  “You never have to be sorry,” he whispered, squeezing. “You’re my Seri.”

  “Who is that?” a woman’s voice called from upstairs.

  “Shit,” Michael said, glancing upwards.

  “Take her to the kitchen; I’ll handle upstairs,” her uncle said.

  “Kira,” she sighed, throwing her arms around his neck.

  She couldn’t help it; he was her only, and therefore favorite, uncle.

  He laughed, though he only used his right arm to squeeze her. “My little Seri. God, I never thought I’d see you again. You are so beautiful. And Australian, apparently.”

  Serene pulled away, grinning. She hadn’t seen Mel in several hundred years. Unlike her aunts, Judith and Agatha, Serene had been able to visit her uncle, having not taken sides in the War. But it had been a long time.

  “Go sit with your father,” Mel said, kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

  “The kitchen’s here,” Michael, said, though it was obvious.

  Serene took his hand, and he smiled, his eyes sparkling. She felt both guilt and joy at seeing him so happy, and she hugged him again when they got to the counter.

  He kissed her cheek. “You look so beautiful.”

  “I’m soaking wet, Mica,” she chuckled, and he helped her out of her jacket.

  “Whatever. How are you? You’re speaking English. And you’re Australian.”

  He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down, loving the smile on his face. He got some mugs from a cabinet and put the kettle on the stove while she talked.

  “I’ve been on Earth about forty years,” she said quietly, again feeling shame burn inside her. “I landed in Sydney. No idea how I got there. An old friend took me in, taught me English, had me work in her record shop.”

  He leaned on the counter, fascinated, taking in every word she said.

  She shrugged. “I lived with her for about ten years before she decided to return Home. She missed her family. She gave me the record shop, and I’ve been running it for the last three decades.”

  Michael grinned. “They’re great, aren’t they?”

  She nodded quickly. “Yes, the music is wonderful down here,” she said enthusiastically. “Especially the seventies--”

  “God, the seventies.”

  “I wish I had been here for that. Although I prefer today’s inventions.”

  “The cell phone.”

  She laughed. “And the laptop. God, those boxy computers.”

  The kettle whistled, and Michael took it off the stove, poured some tea. He handed Serene a steaming mug, and she immediately took a sip, her tongue unaffected by the hot water.

  They were quiet a moment, sipping their tea. Michael wasn’t looking at her now, but was studying the marble counter. His expression was sad, and Serene knew, with another wave of shame, that he was wondering why she had abandoned him. She imagined him visiting Home, wondering where she was, a
sking her mother if he could see her. Discovering that she had disappeared to Earth. Knowing he may never see her again.

  Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked down at her mug.

  “I was avoiding you,” she whispered.

  She paused, swallowing back the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry. I was angry for so long. I blamed you for everything. That’s why I came down here. I was trying to get away from you.”

  She brushed at her eyes. She couldn’t bear to look at him. “But….I don’t know why….it might have been my friend; she always blamed Father for your actions….but I started to….I guess I started to forgive you. I hate what you did….but I never hated you. I was just angry. I know that isn’t an excuse, but--”

  “Serene,” he interrupted, and she finally looked at him.

  His eyes were red, and he was brushing at them impatiently. He took a steadying breath and looked at her.

  “I know,” he simply said. “I know.”

  “But do you forgive me?” she asked desperately, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks.

  He got up, and she stood too. He came around the counter and pulled her into his arms again, held her so tight she could barely breathe. She buried her head into his chest, remembering so vividly when she was little, when he would hold her when she cried, and tickle her when she was happy. He had loved parenting much more than her mother, and Serene and her brother had spent far more time with him as they grew than with her.

  It had been so difficult to see him after the War--so remorseful, so desperate for her love and attention. She had been so angry with him, so angry with Father.

  But that was all behind them now. It had been long enough.

  They talked for a while longer. About Serene’s record shop, how she liked Sydney. Rome. Michael’s surprising musical talent.

  “How’s Gabriel?” he asked, and he looked down again, his face pained.

  Gabriel, Serene’s brother, had refused to see him altogether, for nearly a thousand years.

  She sighed. “I saw him about a year ago. He’s well….still no mates. No children. He’s fighting now.”

  Michael frowned. “Sparring?”

  “Yes. You know, as a trade. He learned from the best.”

  His lips twitched. “That sounds like him.”

  Serene smiled sadly. Gabriel hadn’t taken it well when she had told him she was feeling more forgiving towards their father. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t visited her since.

  They were quiet again. It was a comfortable silence, one she had always enjoyed with Michael. Even when he had been jovial--those days before the War--he had had his quiet moments. She had missed that.

  Tell him, a voice in her head said. She felt another pang, a stab of fear.

  No. No, it wasn’t true. Everything was fine; nothing was wrong.

  Then Michael said, abruptly, “I’m in love.”

  Serene stared at him, shocked out of her worries. “You mean--with a human?”

  He was cautious. “Yes, Seri.”

  She let out a breath. “I only thought Kira could….could do that.”

  “So did I.”

  “How? After all these years? You’ve been around humans for millennia.”

  Michael smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Serene shook her head, flabbergasted. She couldn’t help but feel a hint of anger towards Father. Clearly he had allowed this….hadn’t he? He was always so flippant about these things. His plans versus his Creations’ actions. It was infuriating.

  “Do you….” Michael said, cautious again. “Do you want to meet her?”

  She stared at him for a long moment, unsure. She had met her fair share of his mates, back when he wasn’t reviled, knowing they would move on when the time was right. Angels didn’t mate for long.

  But a lover….a partner who he actually loved. It was so different, so alien.

  She finally gave a small nod, and they stood up again.

  “Will she like me?” she couldn’t help but ask, although on the inside she wondered, Will I like her?

  He kissed her brow. “Don’t worry, Seri.”

  He took her hand and led her to the stairs. They went up to the second floor, looked around, and then went up a smaller flight of stairs and through a door.

  It opened into a sort of apartment, with large windows, a little kitchen, and a neatly-made bed on the far wall. A TV, a couch and a couple recliners sat in the middle of the room. It was small, but beautiful, like a little attic in a dollhouse.

  Serene took a deep breath. There were three people sitting in the living area: two women and her uncle. One woman was tall and thin, with short pale hair and deep blue eyes. The other woman was tan-skinned, petite, with dark curly hair.

  Serene was stunned. She could feel the Presence of all three of them, strong and distinct in the warm air. How was that possible, when Michael had clearly said his lover was human?

  “Gilla,” Michael said, holding out a hand.

  The tall woman stood, clearly nervous, and approached them.

  Michael took her hand. “This is my daughter,” he said, and there was pride in his voice. “Serene. Serene, this is Gilla.”

  Gilla looked her over, clearly awed. She hesitated, then waved, flushing.

  Serene smiled. There was something about Gilla’s nervousness that soothed her own.

  “You’re….very beautiful,” she said quietly.

  She turned even redder, and made a gesture with her hand. Serene frowned--she was using sign language. Was she deaf? But no, she couldn’t be; Serene had just spoken to her….

  “It’s a long story,” Michael said, and there was an edge to his voice. “I’ll explain in a minute.”

  Serene nodded vaguely, and looked back at Gilla, who suddenly looked downcast. But she turned to Michael and signed again.

  Michael chuckled. “She says you look like me.”

  Serene smiled and giggled. “Thank you. I get that all the time.”

  Gilla nodded, smiling. She signed something else.

  Michael cleared his throat, and Serene heard emotion in his voice. “She’s asking if she can hug you.”

  Serene flushed. She was just as awed with Gilla as Gilla was with her. She almost felt shy, and she took a step forward, slipping her arms around Gilla’s neck. She was just a couple inches shorter than Gilla, so the two women didn’t have to stoop or rise to embrace. Gilla squeezed, and Serene felt….light. Happy.

  They broke apart and grinned at each other. Gilla signed again, and Michael chuckled.

  “She says you need a towel. I’ll get one.”

  He left, and Serene saw Mel and the other woman get to their feet. Gilla gestured, and the two approached the living area.

  Mel was grinning. “My favorite niece,” he said, giving her another hug. “I almost forgot what you looked like.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” Serene sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.

  Mel had been a wonderful uncle, always coming over to play with her and her brother, showering them with presents and helping Michael teach them how to fight. When she had asked why he didn’t have children of his own, Mel had always said he preferred being her uncle. She had found herself feeling the same way….

  He kissed her cheek, and then stood aside, taking the hand of the woman beside him.

  “This is my love,” he said proudly, “Eleanora Rossi.”

  “Nora,” she said.

  She too looked shy, but Serene detected a fieriness about her.

  She frowned, again stunned. “What, you too?” she exclaimed, looking at Mel.

  He chuckled, though he looked sober. “Yes.”

  “I didn’t think….”

  “I know.”

  Serene looked at Nora, who shifted nervously. All this time it had seemed that Mel would never love another human. Now both him and her father were in love. How strange. Maybe living with humans for so long was starting to change them.

  Did that mean she could lo
ve too? The thought was horrifying. The last thing she wanted was to be tied down like that.

  Nora shifted again, but she was smiling hopefully. “Can I hug you too?”

  Serene flushed again, and nodded. The two embraced, and Serene smiled. There was almost something….maternal about Nora, something comforting. Something strong and present.

  Michael returned with a towel, and promptly threw it at Serene’s face.

  “Mica!” she laughed, yanking the towel off her head. “Really? How immature can you get?”

  “What? Your hair is wet,” he snickered.

  But he grew serious again. “Let’s sit down. We have a lot to tell you.”

  Father had made deals with both Nora and Gilla in exchange for Immortality, costing Gilla her voice. There was also something special about Gilla, but what exactly was still unclear. All they knew was that Father favored her.

  There were evil Angels about to wreak havoc on Father’s Creation, and the four of them were tasked with hunting them down and destroying them. London was their first assignment.

  So far they had no leads, and--

  “I have one,” Serene said, interrupting Mel, who had sounded like he had been headed for a rant about Father.

  The four stared at her.

  “You do?” Michael said, shocked.

  “What is it?” Nora asked.

  Serene rummaged around in her pocket and extracted a wet and crumpled piece of paper. It was a newspaper clipping, and she smoothed it out on the coffee table.

  “I’ve been following the news,” she said gravely. “And I found this.”

  The four leaned closer to look. The article was titled, 24 YEAR-OLD CROYDON WOMAN MISSING; LAST SEEN AT LION’S CLUB.

  They were quiet. Then Mel said, “It’s a start.”

  “That’s not all,” Serene said quietly.

  They looked at her, and she said, “I had a friend, hundreds of years ago, who had a child called Persephone. I was close with that friend for….a while, so I helped raise her.”

  She took a deep breath. “She was the coldest, most….morbid child. She wasn’t like the other children. She liked to pick on them, needle them, bully them. I think she truly damaged some of them, emotionally. She made them do things for her, turned them against each other. She was constantly in trouble, but her mother would eventually let her get away with it.