by Karen Swart
“Impressive Kas, you’re a natural at this,” Lada pitched in too.
“If you trained Max you can train anyone,” I replied, trying to escape bad memories.
Memories I knew would never leave me. I would carry them with me to my death, maybe even beyond.
The others were still stuck in the lab so we started supper. We ate and chatted the rest of the night, enjoying our time off from hunting. Soon we were all tired and retreated to our rooms. Walking my room, there was no negative impact, like yesterday. I was tired and didn’t really give a crap. With a quick shower I made my way back to the bed. Dropping down, I wished for a peaceful dream instead of another nightmare. When the darkness claimed me, I was in paradise.
Chapter 7
When I woke this morning, the bitter taste that had plagued me was gone. For once I didn’t have any nightmares. I got out of bed, intent to go to the bathroom, and stopped dead in my tracks. There, sleeping in the chair in my room, was Chax.
What the hell? What is he doing in my room?
Pissed I stomped over to him, ready to whack him, but stopped. He looked so peaceful and kind of cute. I stood there and looked at him, and I mean really looked at him.
For once his defenses were down. He was just normal, and even more attractive. With a groan I marched to the bathroom. When I returned to my room, he was awake and stalking about.
“Morning,” I greeted as I leaned against the door, observing him.
He stopped and looked at me, a relieved look crossing his face, but was quickly replaced with that usual blank look.
“Morning. Did you sleep well?” he asked as he moved towards the door, ready to bolt at any moment.
“Yes, thank you. Did you sleep well in that chair?” I questioned, intrigued by what his excuse was going to be.
He was unsettled by my question and looked out of place for a moment.
“You were distressed, sleeping close by helps to calm you.” He reached for the door, opened it and then stepped out.
“Thank you,” I called out before the door shut. He stopped and looked back at me, his eyes captured mine and I could see the impact those two words had. Self-consciously I rubbed my hand over one arm, trying rub away the goosebumps that just spread over me. His eyes dropped and followed the gesture, making me pause and holding my breath. Then as if coming to his senses, he nodded and then closed the door. I was left in utter shock. He would sleep in a chair just to be close to me and give me some peace.
Holy crap! I know nothing about him.
Shaking my head, I started to dress and get ready for the day. I hoped they would have some good news.
I needed to get out there and at least try to stop Ballen. Images of the battle crossed my mind. I needed to do something today. I marched down the stairs and found the gang all together, their bodies cramped into the small kitchen. As I walked in, my eyes focused on the pair making breakfast. Max and Nanini were behind the stove and counter, working together without uttering one bad word to each other. I sat down at the table, fascinated by the scene in front of me. Max reached for the spices in the cupboard and gave Nanini what she needed. She took it with a small smile and poured some of the spices into a pan she was stirring. They looked like Caim and Zurita, like a real couple. My eyes traveled to Chax, who had been watching me. Our eyes locked for a moment, the sparks between us threatening to combust.
A blush formed on my cheeks and I quickly looked away.
Will we be next?
Looking back at them, I tried to envision Chax and me in their places. I just couldn’t picture that. We were so different; no way would we get along like the others. Confused, I watched as a group chattered on about the presence of silver balls on the table. There were colors bursting from small slits, throwing light across the examiners’ faces.
“What are these?” I asked Ben, who was next to me.
“It’s what we made last night. We call them freezers. Demons and Fallen alike won’t be able to shift if you drop them.” Ben beamed at me.
“What?” I almost pounced on him, I was bursting with excitement.
“You see, the trick is to drop them to the ground around your target, blocking the target in. Then a charmed net will cover the area and lock whoever is standing in the middle to that spot. They can move and everything, but can't shift. We tested it earlier this morning.”
My smile must have said it all, because everyone started to laugh. I looked over at Chax, but he just looked at me and said nothing.
“Does this mean we can start today?” I asked him.
He looked angry but nodded.
“Indeed. But we will need to plan this properly. The princes will call for re-enforcements. So, while you battle a prince, we will need enough Fallen to keep them away from the net.”
Before I could ask more questions, Max placed a plate in front of me.
“Eat up. We have a long day ahead of us.”
I picked up my fork and began eating, my mind mulling over what I had learned so far. So, we will have a huge battle, while I try to kill a prince. Well, that sounded more like my life. We finished our breakfast and while we waited for everyone to finish getting dressed, Fallen started shifting in. When I walked outside, I noticed Chax’s yard had begun filling up with a lot of Fallen. I waved at Don and his team as I made my way over to a familiar face.
“Hi Seth,” I said as I came to a stop in front of him.
“I am relieved to see you are all in one piece. Did he hurt you?” he asked, looking around nervously.
“Not really. It was Okay. Don’t stress,” I reassured him.
“Kasadya!” Chax yelled.
I turned to face him, finding his face scrunched up in anger.
“That would be my queue. See you later.” I said, leaving Seth before I made my way to the obviously mad Chax.
“Yes?” I asked, wondering what I did now.
His eyes were locked on Seth behind me, and then he turned around and walked off without telling me what’s wrong. I followed behind him at his command, finally stopping when he showed me into his study.
Oh, this doesn’t look good.
I stepped inside and watched him enter, closing the door with a heavy hand. He stood there, staring at me, for a long moment. My nerves were on edge, my mind a jumble of questions.
“When the battle starts you will listen to my every command. Do you understand?” He instructed as he turned around towards the desk.
I stood there, looking at his back and matching his pissed off mood.
“I have killed one before.” I said lividly.
“Yes, but I also believe that it was after you ended up in his den.” He turned around and glared at me.
I was about to say something, but just shut my mouth.
Why bother. “Yes,” I replied instead.
He walked over to me, and I prepared myself for a surprise move from him. What surprised me was his hand reaching for my face and cupping it. We looked at each other for a moment, and just when I thought things couldn’t get any stranger, he leaned down and kissed me. His lips softly caressed mine, his scent enveloped me sending my own senses into a frenzy.
I was completely caught off guard.
Holy crap! Chax was kissing me and it felt freaking awesome!
When my mouth opened, I felt his tongue touch mine. Something strange happened and before I knew what hit me, I had my arms around his neck and I was kissing the crap out of him. A knock at the door stopped us. We broke apart and I stood there gasping for air.
Oh no! It’s happening to us now!
My fingers found my lips, grazing over the spots where they still tingled from his caresses. Chax recomposed himself and opened the door to find Michael standing there.
“We are all accounted for. Shall we begin?” Michael asked, surveying us.
Chax looked at me and questioned, “Are you ready?”
My brain was still stuck on that kiss, so I stood there with my jaw hanging open.
“We shall begin,” Chax replied when he noticed that I wasn’t going to react to his question.
He closed the door again and moved back to me.
“Listen to me in battle. Trust me,” he pleaded.
I nodded, not trusting my voice. He turned around and opened the door, indicating that I should lead the way. Still in a state of stupor, I walked out to the front of the house where everyone was waiting. I stopped and let him take the lead. Still frazzled from our kiss, I knew I wouldn’t be of much use for a few more minutes.
“I will shift us to the agreed location. We must bide Kasadya time to take the prince’s head. Your duty is to give her that time!” Chax bellowed to the others.
He shifted us all to an open field with no houses in sight, a few trees were on the south side the rest were long yellow grass. I turned in circles, taking in the full view of the field, as the blood began to leave my body.
Oh crap! It’s the same field as in my dream.
“Kasadya,” Chax said next to me, his hand on my shoulder.
“It’s the same field as the one in my dreams. This is where everyone dies,” I whispered.
He moved to stand in front of me, cutting off my view.
“If we succeed, your dream will never come true. I need you to concentrate on the present. When she shifts him in, kill him Kasadya.” His face pleaded for me to understand.
I hoped to hell I was able to do this. With a nod I followed him to the others. Max, Ben and Abby were standing in an almost complete square, waiting for us. The rest spread out around them.
Looking around, I could see some of the Archangels between them. I was watched by everyone. Some nodded in support, while others merely stared. Chax stopped when he reached Max and the others, motioning with his head for me to go to the center.
“I have already spoken to the princess so be prepared, they will not be announcing their arrival,” Chax warned me.
I nodded and pulled out my swords. Looking around, Max and Ben smiled at me.
“You take him down Kas,” Max instructed.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and prepared myself for the impending battle.
The air shifted and I knew they were about to appear. I stepped back and transformed, ready to take him down. Luxuria shifted in, followed by another. She had barely landed before she shifted out again, leaving the male by himself. He looked around, but Chax and the others had already dropped the silver balls. The prince’s face turned to me and I could see his shock.
You’re trapped buddy.
Suddenly chaos broke out around us. Demons were shifting in and the Fallen were giving me the time I needed. I moved swiftly towards him, but he blocked my swipe with his own sword.
Turning around, I refocused my attention, my own glare meeting his.
“Luxuria will pay for her betrayal!” He bellowed before launching his attack.
I ducked and brought up my sword, slicing his thigh. With a roar, he came at me again, his swords missing me by an inch as I was already back on my feet.
“It’s just me and you,” I said to the demon prince.
He attacked again, but before I could reach him, he disappeared. Pain sliced through me and when I looked down, I saw my blood dripping down my side. I whirled around, looking for him.
Where the hell is he?
“Chax, where is he?!” My heart was pounding in my throat. More pain raced through my leg. When I looked down, I found a deep cut oozing blood.
“Chax!” I yelled again. I spun around, searching for the jerk.
“Go born, it’s the only way!” Chax replied. I froze.
What? He’s joking, right?
I tried to find Chax in the chaos around me, but it was difficult. Pain shot through my back and I cried out.
“Now Kasadya!” Chax yelled again, but he didn’t need to.
My vision was already red. Unlike the first time, I didn’t disappear into the born form. It was like we were there together. She had no voice, but I could feel her. She turned her red vision on the field, searching for our attacker.
Moving around in front of us was what looked like a heat wave. And it was in the shape of a man.
Gotcha!
I stormed forward and started my assault, swords glided through the air meeting his. With no warning, my hellhound swung out and jabbed one of my wings into his body. He lost whatever charm he had to stay invisible. She stood up and pulled him from the ground, his feet dangling and the sharp bone of my wing lodged in his shoulder. She brought him face to face with us and roared at him. He was scared, his eyes bulging.
Hi there! Meet my kick ass hellhound born you ass!
We punched together, our fist hitting his torso with immense force. The sound of ribs cracking, rewarded us.
He flew back, landing with a thud. He scurried around, desperate to get away from us. We stepped closer. He started to scream for help from some demons nearby who were fighting with a few Fallen. They took one look at me and started shifting out. They must have known that he was so toast. Abandoning him was their only option. He turned around and glared at me.
“Mercy, Hellhound,” he pleaded.
I started laughing, but it sounded deeper, more evil. I stopped a foot from him and looked down at his simpering face.
“You’re going to die today. And I am sending all of you a message,” I said as I sneered at him.
With two precise moves, his head was cut clean off, sliding to the ground with a sickening thud. I looked up and saw the Fallen looking at me; my eyes searched the crowd until I found him.
The entire time I could feel him too. I heard him talking to me, encouraging me, telling me to be careful. Chax stood there, bloodied but alive, and smiled at me.
“I-” I was about to say something, but then wham!
Something slammed into me, nearly knocking me off of my feet. The feeling was familiar, bringing memories of the cave and Ira to the forefront of my mind. But this hurt way worse. I roared and fell to the ground, trying to get them out of me.
“Michael!” I heard Chax scream, but my own scream of agony burst from my mouth.
I was freaking dying!
My body shook, the ground following the motion. I heard someone curse and a fight going on somewhere in the distance.
Another bolt shot threw me and I arched my back, trying to relieve the pain that assaulted my body. A burning sensation was spreading up from my feet towards my head, making everything worse. In desperation, I cried out “Chax hel…”
The next bolt was so strong that the moment it hit me darkness claimed me. I drifted off into a dark world filled with nothing, and for once I was pleased. The pain was gone and I could breathe again. But it also brought the loneliness with it. The void was always empty, with nothing inside it but me.
Chapter 8
The moment I cracked open my eyes I wanted to kick myself. The pain was overwhelming. With a groan, I rubbed at them, desperate to wipe the pain away.
“Kasadya?” I heard Chax say next to me.
“What happened?” I croaked out, my throat on fire.
“You defeated Avaritia and received divinity,” he replied.
I could feel his hands slide behind my back before he pushed me upwards. My body felt like a truck had taken a test drive over it, eliciting a groan from deep inside my chest.
“Here, you will be thirsty.” Chax said.
I reached out and tried to open my eyes again to see what he was offering. Squinting them, I could see a huge jug.
To hell with what was inside it!
I grabbed it and brought it to my mouth, the juice soothing the burning sensation that had claimed my tongue. I downed the entire jug and released a relieved breath.
“Thanks, I needed that.” I thanked him.
He settled me back onto the bed and I heard him rustling about. Peeking through my eyes, I saw him pouring more juice into the jug before he returned it to me.
“Here is some more if you need it.” He off
ered.
This time I sat up on my own and took the jug from him. My eyes started to function again, fluttering to remove the acid that plagued them. I took a few more sips of juice. I looked at him and almost choked.
“What happened to you?” I croaked.
He shrugged and a small grin formed on those perfect lips.
“I haven't washed yet,” he replied.
He sat back in the chair that he called his bed the other night, his eyes focused on my bruised form.
“How do you feel?” He asked concerned.
He was looking at me like I was about to sprout an extra eye or something.
“Like a train hit me. Is this going to happen every time?” I was dreading the answer.
The whole divinity thing was a real pain in the butt. Hell, it was a pain everywhere.
“Yes, unfortunately it is the process. Those that will follow will be even worse.” He explained with sympathy.
Oh good. I can pass out again.
I gave him the jug and lay back again, not impressed with any of this.
“Is there no other way?” I questioned, a slight whine in my voice.
“No, sorry,” he replied, rubbing his hand over his face.
In that moment, I finally saw just how tired he was. The bruising under his eyes told me that he hadn’t slept in days.
“Have you been sitting here all this time?” I asked.
He turned his face away from me and looked around in the room.
“Yes. You were in a bad shape. Your life is my responsibility,” he stated.
Wow, that sounded so duty bound.
“Well, hell. Sorry for the inconvenience,” I blasted back at him.
He pinned me with an annoyed look. “Kasadya, I was worried about you.”
