by Turhan
“Ophelexa has been looking for you two, that’s why she’s been sleeping with your brother, to get a lead to find you both. She’s convinced you guys have the ability to end their campaign to impregnate the girls.
“We’re ready to meet her,” Elektra replied. “But it ain’t gonna end with her sailing off into the sunset.” she looked around at the rest of us. “Let’s go finish this.”
“I’m ready,” Amber said.
“There’s one last thing, just before leaving her at the theater, she told me “You still don’t know everything.”
“Well, we need to know what “everything.” means,” Kira said. “I’m ready too.”
We packed up the few supplies that we had with us, and before leaving, Amber asked Golleenia our Grphyn protector to search for Xenakaz, he should have been back by this time.
“Are you okay?” Sin-dy asked me. “I had to let you know before she did.”
“No, I’m really not, but I’m interested to hear what she meant too.” Kira was right, what exactly is the “everything” she was talking about? We had to find out.
We left Crystal Mountain in search of Sector One where Sedah Hall is, knowing that’s where our showdown with Sarine and Ophelexa would be. With Sin-dy back from New York, finding it was going to be easier.
If this worked, then within days all the girls of Sarturas would be returned home, to our world. Either that or life as we all knew it was never going to be the same again, for anyone. The final battle was ahead of us, time would tell if we were all going to make it out alive and if my dreams of having my family back home safely with me and Sin-dy was going to be a reality.
I reached for Sin-dy’s hand as we forged ahead.
Chapter 20
Crushed
“We’re almost there,” Sin-dy saw something she recognized. We had flown as high as possible and finally reached Sector One. It was time to make our descent. “We’ll have to wait until dark, then we can land on the roof that I escaped from.”
Dark or not, it was still going to be a big risk, I didn’t know for sure but I assumed demons could easily see at night time, who knows, maybe even better.
We still hadn’t heard from Xenakaz and without him it was going to be a lot more dangerous for us, we had to rely on Jasmine’s power over glass to trap both Sarine and Ophelexa and that was assuming they were both at Sedah Hall.
“This isn’t going to work,” Kira said. “We’ll never get inside without being seen, there are demons everywhere.”
We were outside the walls of the city and inside what looked like a military workshop, it seemed to be an abandoned building that was used to fabricate all kinds of weapons, there was no sign of anyone.
“Hmm, that looks kool,” Elektra said.
Amber pushed aside the surrounding clutter that was partially hiding what Elektra was looking at, it was a ring with an etching on it, a seven pointed star. At each point was a different colored small gem. She slid it over her thumb.
“Thanks Aunt Elektra, you’re right it is kool.”
Elektra smiled and playfully bumped her butt against Amber’s, “You’re welcome babe.”
We made ourselves as comfortable as possible for the next couple of hours. Nightfall arrived and Kira was anxious to get going. “How about it? Is everyone ready, I’m sick of this place, I just want to go back home already.”
“It won’t be long sis,” Elektra comforted Kira. “We’ll be oughtta here in no time, I’m ready too.”
We opened the door, made sure there was no one outside and flew to the top of Sedah Hall. “I’m glad there weren’t any of those pesky winged guards out here,” Kira said.
“Yeah, but once we’re inside it won’t make a difference, there’s probably hundreds of them in there,” Sin-dy replied.
Jasmine had started walking around on the roof, away from the opening that Sin-dy had escaped from previously. “Elektra, can you make the roof see-through? Like you did with the wall, back at Rock Island.”
“Damn, that girl’s got a brain, why didn’t I think of that?” Elektra knelt down, placed both hands on the roof and there it was, we had a bird’s-eye view inside of Sedah Hall.
The rest of us began walking across the roof top.
“There aren’t as many as I thought there’d be,” Sin-dy said.
“Maybe a lot of them are out there looking for us,” I replied.
“Yeah and preparations for the Impregnation Ceremony has a lot of them out across Sarturas. They never thought we’d be here, right above them,” Kira said.
“I see the bitch,” Elektra whispered, “but it doesn’t look like there’s any sign of Sarine.”
“She has two guards posted outside her room,” I said.
“I can’t see through the roof here,” Kira was standing over a large area that didn’t respond to Elektra’s power of seeing through walls. “Sis, come over here, maybe you need to be closer for it to work over this section?”
Elektra placed both hands on the roof, she was only able to make it see-through in a small area around where her hands were placed.
“Someone has Xenakaz!” Jasmine was pointing. “I just saw two guards, there.”
Sure enough, Xenakaz was in the room below us. “This has to be Sarine’s room, Elektra said. She’s probably torturing him for information.”
“We have to go to Ophelexa first,” said Kira. “If she sees we have Tulaqan, she can have Sarine called to her room, both of them will be salivating over that sword.”
We moved back over Ophelexa’s room and Elektra had made sure she was still in there. Sin-dy looked at me. “Are you okay, we know that she’s Enya but how do you feel?”
“She took two years of my life and plans to kill my daughters, she means nothing to me.”
Amber touched my hand. “Dad, we’ll be okay.”
“Let’s do this,” Kira said. “I want to get back to Davina.”
Elektra placed her hands on the roof one more time, and we waited until it was certain that Ophelexa was in her room and that no extra guards were nearby. We descended down into Sedah Hall and quickly made our way in the direction of Ophelexa’s room.
“I’m going to change into a demon for a couple of minutes,” Sin-dy whispered. “When I get the guards distracted, you guys can jump them.”
She walked out of sight of where we were standing, Elektra provided us with a view of what was going on by putting her hands on the corner wall that we were huddled behind.
Sin-dy was talking to the guards and had turned them away from us by pointing in the opposite direction. Not wanting to be heard walking, Kira and Elektra elevated themselves slightly above the floor and seconds later they had frozen one guard and fried the other, the guards didn’t know what hit them.
Elektra had already placed her hands on the door to Ophelexa’s room, she was there, sitting down looking in a mirror as a maid-servant brushed the back of her hair.
Kira looked around at us. “Let’s go.”
We pushed the door open, rushed inside, and subdued the maid-servant.
Sin-dy was still in the form of a demon, she had her hand around Ophelexa’s throat. “How does it feel? Enya.” She changed back to herself. “You never did get that front horn on your head looked at, did you?” Sin-dy had cut Ophelexa’s horn back at the ‘meeting place’ several days ago just before Ophelexa had dragged her away to torture her. “Make one move and I’ll chop the other one too, understood? Enya.”
“I have an idea,” Jasmine said.
She weaved her magik and transformed a window into blocks of glass that surrounded the feet of the maid-servant and Ophelexa, they couldn’t move.
“Way to go Jas’,” Elektra smiled.
“We’re going to keep this simple, babe, Enya,” I said. “Do you recognize the sword hanging from Amber’s back?”
It took Ophelexa by surprise. “It’s true, you really do have it!”
“It can be yours if you do something for us.”
She was trying to hide her excitement. “If you put the sword down and leave right now, maybe, you’ll make it out of here alive, hon.”
Kira was getting really impatient. “Unlike my brother, I’m not going to keep this ‘simple’ bitch, listen to me. You’re going to call Sarine in here and tell her in exchange for Tulaqan we’re going to spare her life and she’s going to agree to release every girl in Sarturas. If you don’t, I’m going to freeze your ass, and all the fires of Hell will never thaw you out.” She reached under Ophelexa and froze the stool she was sitting on, then shattered it. Ophelexa fell to the floor.
“My sister means business, Awfullexa,” Elektra mocked, as she pushed over another stool for her to sit on. “And my brother’s done with you, consider Tulaqan as your ‘Dear John’ letter.”
“I don’t have time to waste either,” Amber kept up the pressure, she took Tulaqan from its sheath and wielded it above Ophelexa’s head. “I’m going home with or without your help.”
Elektra smiled. “It’s a family thing, Oph’ we tend to back each other up, time to make a decision.”
“Release my maid-servant!”
Amber re-sheathed Tulaqan and Jasmine turned the glass block around the maid-servant’s ankles into a beaded necklace that she hung around Ophelexa’s neck.
“I like it,” Kira said, “Make the wrong decision and Jasmine will lose a couple of beads and choke you.”
Ophelexa told her maid-servant to do as we had demanded. Within minutes Xenakaz was at the door. “We’re outside, Sarine is with me, I told her you really do have Tulaqan, we’re going to come in.”
Sarine was behind Xenakaz as they walked into the room, Kira was behind the door and closed it once they were inside.
“Let him go,” I ordered.
Sarine looked around at us and didn’t seem impressed. “I command every living thing in Hell, one whisper from me and you will all be cast into the pit, I’ll suck your souls for all of eternity,” she hissed.
Kira acted quickly, she was still behind them and froze the floor beneath Sarine making her fall flat on her back. “Suck this!” Amber quickly unsheathed Tulaqan, stood astride her and put the blade up to her mouth. “We don’t care how powerful you are. One ‘whisper’ from me and you’ll be in ‘the pit’ forever.” It had given Elektra the chance to push Xenakaz away
Sarine knew she was outnumbered and that we had the power to back up our words.
“Hey Jas’ can you?” Elektra tilted her head in Sarine’s direction.
“My pleasure.” Jasmine formed a glass block around Sarine’s whole bottom half of her body.
“What is this,” Sarine struggled.
“Just one of our gifts,” Kira said. “Don’t make us show you what else we have.”
“We don’t have time to negotiate,” I said. “You know what Tulaqan is capable of, it’s yours if you release all the girls, we’re going to take them home.”
“I’ve been planning this for centuries imbecile, I’ll never give them to you.”
Kira stepped forward. “Yes, you’ve been planning this for a long time, but having Tulaqan in the wrong hands will undo everything. Try telling your father that the very sword that could take his life was squandered on your ridiculous aspirations to become Queen of Heaven.”
Sarine struggled and hissed.
“Stop having a hissy fit and acting like a brat,” Elektra goaded her. “Or we’ll put the sword into the hands of the rebels, then we’ll see what ‘daddy’ thinks of your amazing plan.”
Xenakaz was still recovering from being tortured by Sarine’s guards, but stood and walked over to her. “I have been at your father’s side since we were cast down to Hell. He would never forgive you if you risked his life and sovereignty, it’s time to move on, give up the girls.”
“You traitor−”
“No,” Xenakaz cut in. “None of us can go on like this. Agree to their terms or it’ll be the end of you.”
“I’ve had enough,” Kira pushed in front of Xenakaz and grabbed Sarine by the neck with both hands. “I’m going to choke you and Ophelexa right now.”
Kira’s patience had run out, Sin-dy pulled on her and they both fell to the floor.
“You’ll be sorry for that,” Sarine promised. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“I don’t have time for this either,” Amber said. “We’re going to go back to Heraclese, return the sword to him and release his armies, we’ll see how much time that gives you to fulfill your plan.”
“I’m with her,” Jasmine said.
“Me too,” Elektra chimed in.
Amber made her way to the window followed by the rest of us.
“Kira spat in Sarine’s face as she walked by. “Rot in you know where.”
“STOP!”
Amber was a master strategist. I didn’t know if she was bluffing but it paid off. Sarine was ready to deal. There was only one way this could work. We had to take Ophelexa and Sarine back to Sector Seven, staying at Sedah Hall would just keep us in harms way.
Kira walked back. “Stop what? Try saying something to keep us interested.
Sarine looked at Kira with hatred in her eyes. “I’ll do as you ask, Tulaqan, for the girls.”
“No! They can’t have my,” Ophelexa held her words in check, she was about to say something but deliberately chose to hold back.
Sin-dy slapped Ophelexa. “What is it Enya? Is this what you meant by “You don’t know everything?” ”
“You’ll find out, but not right now, only when it’s going to hurt you all, as much as possible.”
“I want Tulaqan first,” Sarine said. “Right now.”
Kira replied. “You can have your sword but before we do anything, both of you are going back to Sector Seven with us. Once we have all the girls released to the Third Millennial Templars only then will you be set free.”
“I don’t trust you−”
Xenakaz interrupted. “Then you’ll have to take my word, you know I’ll honor it, you have no other choice.”
Sarine nodded in agreement, I couldn’t believe that after all we had been through, this was about to happen. All the girls would be released, my daughters would be with me back in New York, Sin-dy and I could make a life for ourselves and Kira’s dream of having her daughter back would become a reality.
“Amber,” Kira said. “Can she have Tulaqan?”
“Here, Aunt.” Kira took the sword from Amber and walked over to Sarine. “We have one other thing to take care of before we leave here.”
She turned as though to walk away from her, but suddenly whipped around, pulled her arm back and holding the hilt of the sword she used its pommel to strike Sarine squarely on the jaw. “That’s for taking Davina from me at Moon Rising a year ago.”
Sarine was reeling from the blow. “I’m going to keep my promise, you will pay for this.”
“How are we going to get them out of here?” Jasmine asked.
“I know how,” Amber replied. “If you make the glass cube to keep them in, I’m going to summon a friend to help us.”
Amber put her hand over the Grphyn arm-band and somehow communicated with Golleenia. “She’ll be here soon.”
What happened next took us completely by surprise. Our world was about to be shaken to its core.
We were all caught off guard. Sarine grabbed Kira as she turned away and had her arm around her neck, she was choking her. Sin-dy pulled on Sarine’s arm but to no avail, Elektra began pummeling her on the head but it still didn’t stop her. We all attacked Sarine but it was of no use, we couldn’t break her hold on my sister, she just kept up the pressure, Kira’s life ebbed away from her, Sarine finally let her go and Kira’s body slumped, lifeless to the floor, she was dead.
“I always keep my promises,” she said. “Now it’s time for you to keep yours, let’s go to Sector Seven, I want Tulaqan, you want the girls.”
“You fucking bitch, I’m going to kill you!” Elektra lunged at Sarine blasting her with her e
lbow right on the mouth.”
“Go ahead, kill me and see if any of the girls make it out of here alive,” Sarine taunted all of us as we pulled Elektra off her. We were devastated. There was a loud rustling of wings outside, Golleenia had arrived. We didn’t have any more time to react to what had just occurred. Everything was happening too fast.
“Quick, Jasmine!” Sin-dy shouted.
Jasmine formed the glass around Ophelexa and Sarine with a loop on top of the cube.
Amber was at the window. “Golleenia! We need you to take those two back with us to Sector Seven.”
“Stand back!” Golleenia ordered.
She crashed through the walls of Sedah Hall into the room, placed her powerful talons over the loop and took off.
I picked my sister up off the floor, we had to get out right away, guards were at the door and we had to leave, fast. The term, bittersweet. didn’t do justice to our feelings, with my sister dead in my arms, the joy we had felt that the girls were to be released was completely gone, we were crushed.
Nothing could catch Golleenia, she would arrive soon and there would be celebrations at Sector Seven. But for us it was going to be a painful time of mourning. Flying back, the comforting voice of my aunt Victoria echoed in my mind, I looked over to Elektra, she heard her too.
“Fate, is a twisted angel, she can change a thousand times.”
Chapter 21
Cat Got Your Tongue?
Kira’s soulless body lay there on a soft bed of red roses, surrounded by hundreds of white candles. We were outside in the gardens of Sector Seven, and even the unexpected light mist in the air seemed to be mourning her loss. Elektra was kneeling, holding her sister’s hand and wept quietly. Amber was there too, with her head on Elektra’s shoulder. I stood back withholding my emotions inside of me as Sin-dy held me closely. We watched as Jasmine came in with Jade, who threw herself down and cried uncontrollably, this was truly the worst moment of our lives, we were devastated.
The steady beat of wings drew our attention to the sky above us, it was Golleenia, she had already delivered Ophelexa and Sarine, who were now being guarded by Xenakaz’ forces.
