by Ibanez, Dawn
Dylan dodged and parried Madison’s precise swings. She quickly wrapped her arms around Madison’s body and pulled her close. “Grow up, Madison,” she spat. She fell back when Madison slammed her forehead into her chin. “We didn’t treat you like a trophy or a nightmare. You closed yourself off from us. You turned your back on us when all we’ve done was try to help you.” She blocked another blow and tripped Madison. “And all you’ve done was punish us for something that we didn’t even do to you.”
Madison kicked Dylan’s knee out from under her. As Dylan fell forward, Madison banished her scythe. She quickly moved and pinned her sister under her. Without a thought, Madison wrapped her hands around Dylan’s throat and leaned forward as she cut off her air supply. “And none of you have been punished enough,” her demonic voice growled. She started to blink rapidly as Dylan struck at her wrists.
Something in Dylan’s heart died at the words that escaped Madison’s mouth. Her eyes glowed vibrantly as she threw Madison off of her and into a car. “Fine,” she said as she stood. Dylan picked up her scythe and transmuted it into a pair of swords. When Madison started to move, Dylan waved a hand. Chains wrapped around Madison’s chest and arms, pinning her into place. “You’re Maleficent,” she said darkly. Her eyes were filled with rage as she glared into tear filled cinnamon colored eyes. “Then I guess that makes me the Queen of Hearts,” she said before rushing at Madison. “And I want your fucking head!”
Madison looked into her sister’s eyes and smiled as tears fell down her face. “I love you, Dyl,” she said whispered.
The momentum from Dylan’s arm didn’t stop. Madison tilted her chin back as she felt the bite of steel at the side of her throat. Her entire body warmed as everything around them went white.
Chapter 18
Sloane fell to his knees as he finally called his magic back. He, Eric and Tina spent the better part of the morning at the construction site across town molding and working on a way to close the Gate. He sat up and wiped away the sweat forming on his brow. A sigh escaped him as he stood and brushed his hand along the side of the large horn he constructed. “Aside from the building, this is the largest thing I’ve ever had to craft,” he told them.
Eric smiled as he thought of the apartment building his husband owned. His smile then faded when he remembered the danger his sisters and brothers were in. “Okay, so there’s a song of suffering that the first horns blew. This should amplify the song of creation Lily found in her research.”
Tina nodded as she looked around the area they were in. It was a typical quarry, but now there was a metal horn standing five stories high. “Do it,” she said as the ground rumbled beneath her feet again. “We’re going to have a hard enough time trying to suppress all of this.”
Eric kissed Sloane and smiled at him. “Here’s my shot at being on American Idol,” he joked.
Sloane laughed as he stepped back with Tina. “That’s so lame,” he chuckled. “You’d do better on The Voice.” His attention turned to his mother-in-law when Eric cleared his throat and started to sing the melody he memorized.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly another Gate opened in a flash of white. Tina instantly summoned various guardians from her gems, as well as weapons. Her eyes remained focused on the four figures that appeared before them.
Sloane lowered his arm from his eyes and gasped when he looked at the new arrivals. “Oh fuck, we had it wrong,” he said in a breath.
“What?” Tina asked in a whisper.
Wide eyes remained focused on the four men in front of him. Each stood with feathered wings of various colors. “The girls weren’t the four horsemen,” Sloane said as one focused his attention on him. “I think they are.”
“You would be correct,” the one with blood red wings said. As he stepped forward, the guardians Tina summoned each fell to their knees in a respectful bow. “What you have sealed away or summoned, you would think of as our children.”
Tina felt her anger rise the closer he came to her. “Two of those girls are mine. I gave birth to them. And I know I was never with anyone that looks like you.”
The man with red wings frowned as he looked at Tina. “War, she doesn’t know any better. Stand down,” the man with dove grey wings ordered.
War looked at Tina and flexed his wings. He tried not to smirk when Tina started to blink and loosen the grip on her weapons. “I said what you would think of as our children. When each of these four were born, part of our essence, for lack of a better term, was born with them.”
“Seals were made to either enhance their natures when the time came for it. But it appears that at least one became a little overzealous,” the one with the grey wings commented. He then turned dark eyes to the one still staring at Sloane. “Death tends to have that little flaw.”
Tina looked at War and Death for a long moment before noticing the only one with white wings. He stood completely transfixed on Eric. “Back off of my son,” she ordered.
Famine turned away from the object of his fascination and smiled. “Sorry, habit.”
Conquest shook his head slowly as he sighed. “Brothers, we have to seal the Gates to Abaddon,” he said moving away from Tina.
For the first time since his arrival, Death looked away from Sloane. “They will do well during the judgment,” he said before vanishing.
Tina’s heart sank. “What is he talking about?” she asked Conquest. When he stayed silent, she came forward and grabbed his arm. “They’re my daughters, and my son is love with another. Please, tell me.”
Conquest looked into her eyes for a long moment. “You will come with us,” he declared. When Eric and Sloane started to protest, they all vanished in a flash of white light.
* * * * *
Siobhan groaned as she opened her eyes. She wasn’t lying on the forest ground like she hoped. A vast landscape stretched out in front of her. Lavender eyes scanned the area and saw another blonde woman standing a few feet away. A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as the stranger turned, and was nearly mirror image of her. “What the hell is this?” she asked backing away.
“This is the part of me that lives in you,” Conquest said as he appeared between the two women.
For a moment, Siobhan was struck speechless. The being in front of her was beautiful. His body looked as if a Grecian artist had crafted it. Dirty blonde hair fell around his shoulders in waves. Eyes the color of the darkest night looked her over, assessing her the same way she did him. A heavy blush crossed Siobhan’s face as what he said started to sink in. “A part of you lives inside of me?” she asked. When he nodded at her, she folded her arms over her chest. “That’s rather rude. You could at least buy me dinner first.”
Conquest laughed at her. She was terrified. Her hands had been shaking and she had no idea how to react to him. But she still found the courage to talk back to him. With a wave of his hand, the doppelganger vanished. As she blinked at him, he watched her with careful eyes. “Why did you accept the demon?” he asked.
She wanted to lie. There were things in her past she wanted to stay buried. As her lips parted, she knew she would only tell the angel in front of her the truth. “Because I wanted revenge,” she said lowly. When his eyebrow arched, she continued. “My father raped my mother and got her pregnant with me. After years of being apart, he came for her again. Only this time he killed her.” Conquest continued to frown at her, she shook her head. “We may not have had the best relationship, but she was my mother. I couldn’t let it go. I needed to see him dead.”
Conquest nodded as he thought about what she said. Siobhan never wanted crowns, power or glory. She had been ready to saddle herself with an entire kingdom that would kill her in her sleep, simply to avenge her mother. “If it is decreed that you must carry the demon inside of you, what would you do?”
Siobhan looked at him for a moment. This was another test. “I’ll deal with it,” she said slowly. Just as she was about to move around him, he stepped in her way a
gain. “What do you want me to say? Dealing with the hand that was dealt to me is something that I learned over the years. I can’t tell you that I can control it, but I can also tell you I don’t want to unleash it.”
His stare held her captive. “You don’t want to unleash it,” he echoed. “What will you do the next time someone slights you?”
“I have my own powers. The only thing that thing inside of me did was whisper in my ear. It wanted revenge. To conquer and rule and to stand against any that would try to stop me.” Siobhan moved away from Conquest and tried to breathe. After a moment, her shoulders fell. She turned to him and held her chin high. “I’ll accept any punishment you feel is appropriate. But if you’re asking if I want that piece of you back, I’ll be honest and say no.”
Conquest looked at her for a long moment. “Accepted,” he said simply. When Siobhan opened her mouth to question him, he touched her face. “Now, we will hear the others,” he said quietly.
* * * * *
Dylan fell forward as she appeared in the vacant white space. She looked around wildly as she balled her empty hands into fists. Adrenalin pumped through her system when she laid eyes on a monster of a man. She stayed silent as he approached her. His pale brown eyes stayed focused on her as he held up the diamond box that contained her seal.
“I don’t know if I should be impressed by your ingenuity and your strength, or if I should be dumbfounded by your anger,” War said softly. He watched the way she pressed her lips together and nodded. “You’re gathering information to fight your way out,” he said with a sigh. “Very well, I’ll give you want you want. This is your judgment. I am War, the second Horseman.”
“I thought I was the second Horseman,” Dylan said.
War shook his head. “You have a piece of me in you. At any given time you can tap into my power and use it as your own. It can come in handy if you know how to control it.”
Dylan’s hands shook as she forced them open. “I lost control,” she admitted with a frown. She then looked at the box War held. “But the seal shouldn’t have any effect on me.”
“The seals are like a key,” War explained. “You already have the power inside of you, and any of you could have reached it at any given time. The seals would have been like a shortcut.”
Dylan ran a hand through her hair as she took a slow breath. “What happens now?” When he looked at her, she clarified what she meant. “Do you strip me of your power? I’ve already proven I can’t control it. Am I sentenced to death because I tried to stop Madison?”
War looked at her with curious honey colored eyes. “Do you want to be executed?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I like my life. I love my life actually.”
“Including the part where you had to fight your sister?”
“Of course not.” Dylan’s eyes started to harden as she looked at War. “I love my sister, but that thing was not Madison.”
A sad smile crossed his face. “That was the part of your sister that had always been kept behind the smiles and sarcasm. Just like this is the you under the calm intelligence.”
A mirror appeared in front of Dylan’s face. She stood horrified as she watched her final bout with Madison. A gasp escaped her when she saw Madison look at her with normal eyes. “She was back,” she whispered. Tears filled her eyes as her sword met Madison’s neck. “I killed her for no reason?”
War looked at her. “You let your temper and your fears get the better of you.” He saw the destroyed look in her eyes and pulled his shoulders back. “You dropped the ball, Dylan, and your punishment has been decided.”
Dylan barely registered his words. She fell to her knees as Siobhan and another man appeared next in the room with them. “I killed her,” she breathed.
Siobhan knelt next to Dylan. “I don’t think she’s dead,” she said softly. When Dylan looked at her, she offered her a small smile. “Have confidence. Your sister is very hard to kill.”
* * * * *
Lily appeared in the empty white room and glared at the angelic looking man in front of her. “What have you done with Barry and the others?” she asked sharply.
Famine smiled at her. “They’re safe. Or as safe as they could be with the Gates to Abaddon still open.”
“You haven’t closed them?” she asked. When he shook his head, she barely held back a growl. “Of all the irresponsible...” she trailed off as she started to pace. “Why are you waiting?” she demanded.
“You know who I am?” he asked in turn.
She stopped moving and rolled her eyes. “I’m guessing you’re the Nephilim Famine. You and your brothers are the last beings that have Angelic and Demonic blood and can travel from Realm to Realm. When any of the Gates open, you four show up and pass judgment.” She noted his stunned expression and shrugged. “I like to read,” she said plainly.
“It’s because you crave knowledge,” Famine said at last. When she showed no reaction, he started to circle her. “I’ve been watching you. Lilavanti, the good little Succubus. You never feed enough. You try to hide behind bulky clothes and glasses that you’ll never need. Do you really think you can be content living the way you were?”
“No,” she answered honestly. She saw the way his eyes gleamed and smiled sweetly. “But I could be happy with Barry.”
Famine’s good mood changed. “It won’t last,” he argued. “I’ve seen so many young couples pledge their love and promise forever. Then somewhere down the line, be it years, or months, even weeks, it always turns to dust. Your mage will be no different.” He saw the way she pulled her shoulders back. “Deny it all you want, you know I’m right.”
Lily felt his words like a blow to the heart, but she wouldn’t show Famine how his words hurt. “You don’t know that for sure,” she argued.
“Please,” Famine cut in, “if I’m so wrong, explain how Maury Povich, Bill Cunningham and Jeremy Kyle still have paychecks.”
A frown crossed her face at the mention of the daytime talk show hosts. She shook her head, knowing that he was only trying to distract her from her point. “I’m not a fool. All of this could be over in an instant. A few years from now, Barry could find someone he would rather be with, or I could. But what you are missing is that he loves me right now. Wings, tail, big clothes and all. I will not walk away from him willingly.” Her cold jade eyes locked with Famine’s crystal clear ones. “I will fight you with everything that I am if you’ve allowed him to be harmed.”
He looked at her for a long moment. In all of his eons of existence, he never met one of his incarnations that cared nothing for themselves. A smile crossed his face as he reached out and touched her cheek. “Your fate has been decided,” he said quietly.
Lily blinked as the room around them changed slightly. There were two other winged men standing over Siobhan and Dylan. She was sure they were Conquest and War. Lily looked at them both and went to Dylan’s side. “What have you done to her?” she asked War.
Eyes the color of honey looked at the Succubus. “I let her see her mistake,” he said in a deep voice.
Lily knelt in front of Dylan and wiped away her tears. “It’s okay, Dylan.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. I killed her.” Dylan looked into Lily’s eyes. “She was back, and I killed my sister.”
Lily hugged Dylan as she glared at War and Famine. They stood and watch silently as the vampire broke down. She could easily curse them both, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. Lily turned her attention to Dylan and shook her head. “Madison’s fine,” she said softly. When Dylan started to shake her head, Lily pressed a finger against her lips. “All of us are going to be judged. Only Madison is left. She’s the last Horseman. You’ll see, she’s fine. You did not kill your sister,” she told her.
Siobhan looked up at Conquest and frowned at him, as well as the other two Nephilim. “You boys are dicks for making her think that,” she commented.
War knelt next to Dylan and brushed her tears away. “Watch,” he
commanded as he pointed to the center of the room.
* * * * *
Madison fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. Her hand went to her throat and tried to slow the flow of blood coming from the wound. She looked around the white room and saw a paler version of herself scream and thrash against an invisible barrier. Madison slowly made her way to her feet as she came close to the barrier. “What is this?” she asked her doppelganger. When the demon slammed her fist against the barrier, Madison backed up a step.
“She’s a little testy at the moment,” a male’s voice said from behind.
Madison’s shoulders fell as she slowly turned. “I’m really dead, huh?” she asked as she looked at the man with long black hair and midnight colored wings. “You’ve come to take back your magic and send me on my merry way to Hell.”
Death shrugged as he approached her. He couldn’t help but notice how she barely stood up to his shoulder. “I’ve thought about it,” he said reasonably. “When I saw that you and I were becoming closer and closer. I’ll be honest and say I wanted to smother you in your sleep.”
“You should have,” Madison mumbled. She turned from the thrashing Demon and slowly walked away.
“Really?” Death asked curiously. When she stopped walking, he appeared in front of her. “Without even knowing when I would have taken you out, you would accept your death?”
Madison looked at him with tired eyes. “What do you want me to say? That I love my life? I don’t. I love the people in my life. I would give or do anything for any of them. But do I want them to walk around scared of me all the time? Do I want them to wonder what’s going to send me over the edge? No.”
The Nephilim saw the tears that came to her eyes and touched the side of her neck. In an instant, the wound at her throat was healed. “I’m sure you know of countless other Necromancers that have delved too deep into the magic that I came for. Do you know why I spared you?”
