by Ibanez, Dawn
Pan found a window and looked out of it. People below were being slaughtered and his magic soaked it up like a sponge. His eyes scanned the crowd and saw a familiar pair of wings. A smile slowly crossed his face as he watched her move. She was exactly as he remembered. Long lean limbs, skin the color of a white rose, beautiful wings that carried her gracefully in the air. Her plum colored hair was a cloud around her as she moved towards a young man with short blonde hair.
A frown crossed Pan’s face when he saw the way she smiled at the young blonde. He would chalk her indiscretions up to being trapped for so long. Morrigan told him herself, humans tasted so much better than other demons. Pan’s dark eyes widened when he realized exactly who Morrigan was about to feed from. He quickly turned, about to run down to the street when he saw Victor standing behind him.
“I once considered you a friend,” the former monarch said lowly. His eyes were cold as Pan stepped closer to the window.
Pan glanced out of the window again and frowned. The blonde Morrigan approached was none other than Alex, and he currently held a gun on her. “I won’t explain myself to you,” Pan said trying to move around Victor. When the vampire blocked his way, Pan growled. “You, of all people, could understand why I would do this.”
Victor nodded sadly. “There was a time when I tore the world apart looking for those that killed my Christine.” When Pan stepped back, he stepped forward. “But you know all about that. You hid away the person behind all of it.”
“She is my wife. Don’t stand there and act as if you would have done things differently,” Pan spat. He reached into his jacket and palmed a dagger. Just as he was about to pull it out, Victor slammed him against a wall.
Victor’s eyes were chips of emerald ice as Pan coughed. “Do not assume I will allow this foolishness to continue,” he said darkly. He grabbed the dagger from Pan’s hand and used it to pin his hand to the wall. “You have betrayed me on too many fronts.”
Pan pulled on his Magic. “I am truly sorry you feel that way. But I will kill you before I let you stop me.”
Pan’s magic flared out and threw Victor across the room. He turned to the window and saw Morrigan was still fighting with Alex. With another glance at Victor, Pan jumped out of the window to find a way to his wife.
Victor sat up and pulled himself out of the fixture he fell into. His heart was heavy as he stood, knowing that once Pan was taken care of, he would have to find a way to save Madison from herself.
Chapter 17
Casper caught a glimpse of Ashton Nicodemus. The Necromancer was fighting Athol, and it looked like he was winning. Casper moved from behind the tree he used for cover. Ashton had been allowed to run around unchecked for entirely too long. He growled low in his throat when Athol was thrown back, nearly to Barry’s feet. It had taken all of his self-control not to charge in fangs bared. Casper tightened his grip on his sword and stepped out of the tree line.
Ashton laughed when he saw Casper. “You?” he questioned. When Casper didn’t say anything, Ashton continued. “Is this because I had her first?”
It was a petty shot and they both knew it. “There’s a lot you need to answer for,” Casper said simply. He tilted his chin up when the air around him started to thin. His eyes glowed brightly before Ashton was lifted up into the air and thrown back.
Ashton climbed to his feet and glared at Casper. The cut that formed on his forehead was healed as the tree beside him started to die. “If you think that’s going to stop me, you’re going to be mistaken.”
Casper smiled before rushing Ashton. Dark eyes blinked as Casper appeared in front of him. “I know it’ll take a lot more than that to hurt you,” he growled before slamming his knee up into Ashton’s face. As he stumbled back, Casper grabbed on to Ashton’s neck and ran him through. “But I want you to hurt,” he said before ripping the blade from him chest.
As Ashton fell to the ground, Casper’s eyes glowed again. Ashton cried out in pain when he realized his wounds weren’t closing. Wide, wild eyes looked at Casper as the Vampire knelt next to him. “How?” he choked out.
Casper tapped the side of his head. “Telepathy,” he said simply. “You seem to forget, I’ve fought several Mages over the years.” Casper leaned over to Ashton’s ear. “You don’t know how I wish I could take my time with you. Consider yourself lucky I can’t,” he said before standing. When Ashton started to reach for him, Casper swung his sword and severed his head.
Barry ran over to Casper with Athol close behind. Barry looked at the corpse at his feet and slowly inhaled. “Part of me wants to wonder if he’s really dead,” he said lowly.
Athol nodded once and snapped his fingers. Both Casper and Barry stepped back as Ashton’s body caught on fire. “Now we know for sure,” he said simply. When Casper chuckled, he shrugged. “He was mortal. It doesn’t matter how powerful he was, he cannot survive beheading and burning.”
Barry shook his head before looking around the area again. His eyes widened when he spotted Lily clawing a man across his chest. “What the hell?”
Athol grabbed his arm before he could charge after her. “It isn’t what you think,” he said. His eyes darkened as two others started to attack the Succubus.
“What they hell are they?” Barry asked. He nearly flinched when Lily ripped off an arm. Just as she turned to strike at another, the woman that opened the Gate appeared.
“Those are the Unseelie Princes,” Athol said darkly. He stood and watched as Lily and Siobhan fought the three viciously. They stood back to back as they moved in perfect sync. Every move looked almost as if it were choreographed. Athol’s eyes narrowed when Lily wrapped her tail around Siobhan’s waist and took to the air. He inhaled when he saw the Unseelie King toss a fireball at them. The simple fireball erupted and quickly gained the power of a nuclear bomb. Athol raised a protective barrier and looked around. He could see Lily holding Siobhan as she screamed and fought.
Barry spotted a form on the other side of the Unseelie King. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw Jimmy being protected by his jewels. Once he was sure his brother was alright, he looked to the sky and checked on the woman he loved.
* * * * *
Lily shook Siobhan. “See, he’s fine,” she shouted as she pointed to Jimmy. She wouldn’t look into why the Fae was so worried over Jimmy. She just needed a moment to think. The Unseelie Princes were bad enough. The King brought them forth to fight just as Siobhan attacked. Now with one blow, the Princes were down, and the King stood laughing as his demons escaped the island. “I need you to focus!” she shouted.
Siobhan growled as her eyes remained locked on the Unseelie King. “I am perfectly focused,” she said darkly.
Lily barely held back the urge to slap her. Killing him was the only thing Siobhan seemed to care about. “Listen to me,” she said forcing Siobhan to look at her. “If he gets off of this island, there is no telling how much destruction he’ll cause. And he’ll start with those that we hold dear. Don’t you have someone you want to protect?” she asked.
Siobhan blinked as she looked toward the ground again. She saw her brother fighting against the hordes of demons, and Dori’s father cutting a path to Athol. Siobhan turned her eyes back to Lily. “Get me over him, and drop me,” she ordered.
“No, not going to happen,” Lily said before dodging a flying harpy. “He’ll kill you.”
Siobhan shook her head. “You don’t know the history here. I have to kill him.”
“What is so important? Why would you damn the world? For revenge?”
Siobhan’s eyes glowed as her features started to change. “Yes,” she hissed before raising her knife to Lily’s tail. “Now, you drop me, or I make you drop me.”
Lily pressed her lips together as she opened her tail. As Siobhan started to fall to the ground, Lily followed her. Her claws were ready as various creatures flew up at them. Lily was impressed when she noticed Siobhan cutting and slashing at everything in her way. Lily dropped below Siobhan and quickl
y grabbed her when a flying serpent spat fire at her. Just as Lily released her again, Siobhan shot a blast of energy at the serpent.
Siobhan landed gracefully in front of her father. Her eyes glowed as they took in each other’s appearances. “This ends now, Father,” she said in a demonic voice. When he laughed at her, she tightened her grip on her weapons. “You’ll finally pay for what you’ve done.”
The Unseelie King shook his head. “You’re like a broken record. You’re going to pay for what you’ve done,” he mocked. When her eyes narrowed, he slid off of his horse and approached her. “But I’ve done a lot of things. Why don’t you remind me of how I slighted you?”
“You murdered my mother,” Siobhan growled. When he frowned at her, she went on. “I saw you standing over her body with her blood on your hands. When the Queen looked for you, you ran back to Abaddon like the coward you are.”
In a flash, the King had her by the throat. “Be careful about what you say and to whom you say it, little girl,” he growled as he lifted her off the ground. “That promise to your mother is the only thing keeping me from gutting you, but do not think it gives you freedom of your tongue.” He shook her for a moment before dropping her to the ground.
Lily ran over and helped Siobhan to her feet. She carefully reached into her jacket pocket and fingered the blade Father Daniel had given her. When Siobhan looked at her with serious eyes, Lily nodded once. If the blade had the power to kill one of the Horsemen, it should have more than enough power to kill the Unseelie King.
Siobhan attacked. Centuries of pent up anger and frustration poured out of every move. The blows her father landed barely registered as memories flooded her.
“Down!” Lily shouted.
Siobhan dropped to her knees and watched as Lily’s arm stretched over her. Tears slowly filled her eyes as the knife sank into her father’s chest. Energy shot out in every direction and bathed everyone in a hot white light.
As everything faded, Lily looked over her shoulder and saw Barry trying to run to her. She gave him a loving smiled and closed her eyes as everything around them vanished.
* * * * *
Alex had the Succubus in a tight stranglehold. There was no way he would be able to live with himself if he allowed another one to feed off of him. Especially when things were so grim. He started to turn his gun on her when he felt Death Magic surround him. Alex screamed in pain when the arm holding the demon broke. He fell to his knees as she stood over him.
Her dark amethyst eyes glared at him. “You should have taken my offer,” she said softly. “I’m known to be so kind to my lovers.”
“Morrigan,” Pan’s voice called.
Alex frowned as he looked at him. Pan looked much younger than the last time he saw him. Decades younger. Instead of having long snow-white hair, it was mostly black with very little grey. The lines on his face were also filling in rapidly. Alex also noticed that he was nursing his hand. “Gramps?” he asked breathlessly.
Pan glanced at Alex before looking at Morrigan. It wasn’t his fault she turned her attention to the boy. But as his eyes raked over her form, he couldn’t help but be pleased. She was still just as beautiful as the first time he saw her. He smiled when she looked at him with a blank expression. “It’s me, Pengfei.”
Recognition appeared in her eyes. She smiled as he walked over to her and wrapped her in his embrace. “I knew you would find a way to release me,” she said softly. Her smile fell as she traced a gentle hand over his wrinkled features. “Time has not been kind to you, my Dearest.”
Alex fought his way to his feet. “You know this crazy bitch?”
Pan turned hard eyes on Alex. “She’s my wife,” he said in a harsh tone.
A look of disbelief crossed Alex’s face. “Your wife,” he echoed. It only took another moment before he started putting everything together. He shook his head slowly as he watched the pair. “You did all of this for her?”
The look of devotion that crossed Pan’s face was disgusting. “She needed to be free of that place.” Pan touched Morrigan’s hair. “I needed to have the love of my life back.”
Alex couldn’t help but snort. “Please. She didn’t act like the love of anyone’s life while she was trying to jump me a few minutes ago.”
Pan’s eyes flashed. “You will mind how you talk about her,” he said in a growl. When Alex rolled his eyes, Pan’s temper flared. “You don’t have Madison to hide behind, boy.”
“I don’t need to hide behind her,” Alex said smugly. When Pan started to pull on his magic, Alex looked behind Pan. “Grandfather looks like he wants to have a word though.”
Before Pan could say anything, Victor’s sword appeared at his throat. Victor looked at Alex and frowned at the boy’s broken arm. “Alex?” he asked in concern.
Alex shook his head and smirked. “I’ll be fine,” he said. He turned his eyes to the Succubus that was slowly trying to move away from them all. “Aren’t you going to try to help the love of your life?” he asked.
Morrigan laughed. “I never said he was the love of my life,” she said. When she saw the hurt look on Pan’s face, she laughed harder. “You thought I could fall for you? You were just a means to an end. I wanted freedom, you wanted me. It really was nothing personal.” Her eyes then turned to the Vampire hold him captive. “But you,” she breathed. “You would have been my crowning achievement. I could have fallen for you.”
“You don’t mean that,” Pan snapped. He ignored the way the sword bit into his neck as he tried to reach her. “You said that you loved me. You married me.”
Morrigan moved away from Pan as if she hadn’t a care. “Mortal marriage means nothing to me,” she said simply. “I fully expected you to be dead by now. Who would have thought you found a way to survive this long?”
Alex watched as she gently levitated in the air. “He’s a Necromancer. We can pull life from the people and things around us,” he told her. He ignored the look of interest that flashed in her eyes. “We can become damn near immortal.” Alex held back a shudder of revulsion as she quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and caressed his face. He looked into her eyes and swallowed bile. “You’d like that power, wouldn’t you?” he asked lowly.
Morrigan smiled at him. “Would you be willing to share with me?” she asked in turn. Her eyes brightened when Alex wrapped his good arm behind her back.
He stared into her eyes. She was nothing more than a power hungry user, just like Cord had been. “You’re like him, aren’t you?” he asked in a whisper. When a look of confusion crossed her face, he continued. “I met an Incubus a few months back. All he was after was more power and the next high.”
Morrigan giggled. “He sounds like fun. Can I meet him?” She leaned forward and licked the side of his face.
Alex’s eyes were cold as he looked at her. “He was murderous junkie that was put down when he trapped me and my ex in one of his orgies.” Before Morrigan could reply, Alex pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of her skull. He didn’t flinch as he pulled the trigger. The press of the claws in his arm lessened as her face exploded.
“What have you done?” Pan screamed.
Alex watched as Morrigan’s body fell to the ground. His lips pressed together when he saw Madison appear in front of him. “Mom,” he said tightening his grip on his gun.
Madison growled as she stepped closer. “This was supposed to be my kill,” she told him. When Alex puffed his chest out, she grinned. “Not bad, Jailbait,” she whispered touching his broken arm. She looked at Victor as she quickly pushed her magic into Alex’s wound. Her eyes turned to Pan. “It’s all for nothing now,” she said with a shake of her head.
Pan struggled against Victor. “I’ll kill you boy,” he growled. “I swear to you, I will kill you.”
Victor rolled his eyes before slicing his throat. As the old Necromancer fell to his knees, Victor quickly stepped back and removed his head. The vampire looked at the demon posing as his daughter. “Will you r
elease her now? Vengeance has been had. Both Morrigan and Pan are dead and there is no need for you to be here.”
Madison’s crimson eyes glowed as she laughed. “That’s cute. You think I can release her like she’s some tiger in the wild.” A flux of power brushed over her making her move away from Alex. “Unfortunately, Madison and I are a matched set now. Too much time has passed and we’ve been getting along like real BFFs. So I’m keeping her.” She turned just in time to block the blade coming at her. Her eyes narrowed as she looked into Dylan’s angered eyes. “You must really want me to kill you,” she growled before kicking her away. As Dylan moved back, Madison noted that her sister carried a scythe with ease.
“You mean throwing me off of a building wasn’t trying to kill me?” Dylan asked outraged.
“Oh please,” Madison drawled. Her ruby scythe appeared in her hands when she saw Crispin and Nico run down the streets towards them. “Besides the fact that I knew the Gargoyle would catch you, you would have only broken an ankle. And possibly a nail.” She rushed forward and attacked Dylan. “But you just don’t seem to know when to stay the fuck out of my way!”
Dylan pushed her back and tripped her. Madison rolled to her knees, she swung her weapon and growled as Madison’s own blade blocked her. “You want me to just stand by and watch as you try to kill us all?” she asked in outrage. “I’m supposed to just stand by and smile while you almost kill Dad? Say it’s okay when you traumatize the boys after you nearly kill Troy? It doesn’t work that way Madison!”
Madison’s eyes glowed as she jumped to her feet. “How is it supposed to work, Dylan?” she challenged. When they locked blades again, Madison quickly turned hers making Dylan spin around. “I’m supposed to play nice with everyone but they all treat me like I’m the town pariah? I have to become the fragile princess kept happy in the tower while everyone else around me lives? I refuse to be a damn trophy. I would rather be a nightmare.”
