Revelations: The Black Chalice (Revelations Series Book 1)

by Lauretta Hignett

  The imp leered. “You lie. That’s ok. I like tricks.” He frowned again. “But you have part-human there. I bet it that Nephilim friend.” He stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. “That Nate. His energy all over this circle.”

  “Okay, yes, Nate is here. Can you please not tell Nimue?”

  “I no tell her. She know anyway. This circle stinks of goody-two-shoes.” He did a little wiggle. “She will be cross. I go get her now. This fun to watch.” He danced out of the flame and disappeared. The fire died down a little, and there was quiet for a second.

  I looked down at my bare arms, and moved one hand over, and gave myself a hard pinch.

  Nope, not dreaming. This was real.

  “Sorry,” Nate called out from the corner. “I probably should have stayed out of the circle.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Alex muttered. “But for now, shut up.” He was focused on the sigil.

  Suddenly, the flames grew brighter, almost touching the ceiling. Alex stood taller, his face grim. He appeared to be bracing himself.

  A figure appeared in the flames. A woman—tall, graceful, with long, flowing red hair. Her face was exquisite—perfect high cheekbones and rosy, full lips. Her eyes were luminous, but had the intense stare of a hawk. She unfolded herself from the flames and stood, terrible and glorious, in front of Alex.

  She spoke. “Aleksander.” The sound was almost the complete opposite of what the imp sounded like—it was seductive, smooth, and deep. Then, she cocked her beautiful head to the side and said, a little sharper, “Why have you drawn a circle?”

  Alex clenched his jaw. “I’m on holiday.”

  “I can keep the souls away.” Her lips turned down slightly. “I suppose Nathaniel is with you.”

  “He is.”

  She lifted her chin. “I do not know why you bother with him.”

  Nate stood up from the corner. He looked a little less concerned about staying out of sight now that the imp had fetched this terrifying demon. He lifted his chin. “Hi, Nimue,” he called out, his voice steady.

  She narrowed her eyes at the sound. “I do not know why he bothers with you,” she called out. “Ugh, it is annoying not being able to see him. Not that I wish to.”

  Alex cleared his throat. “Uh, we have a problem.”

  “What is it this time?”

  “The Four Horsemen. I have seen them.”

  The demon raised her eyebrows. “Have you?” She pursed her lips.

  “You don’t seem surprised.”

  “Of course I’m not surprised. Nothing ever surprises me,” she said idly, inspecting her nails. “Was it who we thought?”

  “Yes. Keyes is in the lead. And good old War, Famine, and Plague are with him.”

  “So it begins.”

  “Well. Do you know anything about it?”

  She waved her hand and smiled. “Yes, I do. I have heard whispers amongst the souls. I feel it in the spark of energy that runs within us. I could feel it deep within my being.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them again, her eyes glowed red. “I knew that the time was coming. The Great War will soon be here.”

  Alex frowned. “That’s not particularly helpful.”

  Nimue gave an exasperated hiss. “Well, what do you want from me? I assume you wish to try and stop this? It cannot be stopped, Aleksander. The path has been set.”

  “We can’t let it happen. Not just to the humans. We could all die, Nimue. We could all be snuffed into non-existence.”

  “As you know, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, Aleks. And how many times have I told you not to call me Nimue?”

  Alex’s voice rose to a shout. “The point is, we can save everyone. We can… tip the scales, or something.”

  “They have already been tipped. That is the point of the appearance of the Horsemen. Things have been set in motion that cannot be undone.”

  “It can’t be the end! You know what this means? Death and destruction, for either one side or the other, or both!”

  “The world cannot continue this way, Aleks. We must fight.” Her voice resonated around the room, deep and thrilling, and I shivered. “And if we lose, everyone loses. If we win…”

  “There is no winning or losing—can’t you see? Whatever happens, millions of people will die.”

  “And they will be set free!”

  “You don’t know that for sure, Mom!”

  I gave a squeak. “Mom?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The demon snapped her head toward me, her eyes aglow. “Who was that?”

  Alex had his head in his hands. He groaned softly.

  I felt so stupid. The word had just slipped out of my mouth; the exchange had taken me completely by surprise. I had no idea on God’s green earth that this terrifying, glorious entity in front of me was Alex’s mother.

  “It’s no one, Mother.” Alex mumbled from inside his hands.

  She sniffed imperiously. “Sounded human. Have you got a female there, Alex?”

  “No, Mother.”

  “You do. Is this why you’re so intent on stopping the apocalypse? Have you got another human girlfriend?”

  Alex, with his beautiful big shoulders and imposing height, visibly cringed. “Can you please just tell me what you know about the End of Days?”

  Nimue frowned. “Fine. But don’t get too attached, Alex. Chances are they are all going to die. Hopefully, anyway.”

  “Mother!”

  She huffed. “The souls are at a fever pitch, and the balance has been tipped. There is no more room for any tortured souls—we are mere months away from them erupting out of hell. The demon armies are ready; we are ready to sacrifice ourselves if need be.” Her expression fell, her mouth downturned. “Will you come to me when it happens, Aleks? Will you fight the angels with me?”

  “We’ve spoken about this before, Mother. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Her face twisted with distaste. “Hmmm. I suppose it’s the influence of that half-breed friend of yours. He’s too much like his father, Aleks.”

  “He’s not. He agrees with me on a lot of things. His father is still very hard-line.”

  “I remember,” Nimue said bitterly. “Whoever would have thought that creatures such as us would choose to be enslaved over freedom and mercy?”

  “He’s not a slave,” Nate said softly. “He made a choice, the same as you.”

  “He made the wrong choice,” Nimue snarled, and the flames grew larger with her anger. “He chose slavery and weakness over freedom and mercy.”

  Alex put his head in his hands. “I didn’t call you here to fight, Mother. I just wanted to find out what you knew about the apocalypse.”

  Nimue’s hard stare returned to Aleks, and softened. “It has begun,” she said. “As we knew it would. As it was foretold.” Her voice grew firmer, and she lifted her chin. “And now, we will finally have a chance to end all this.”

  Her words sent icy vibrations down my spine, and I shivered.

  Unfortunately, Nimue sensed my movements. She whipped her head around to face me. “Who is that? Aleks, you better not be messing around with human girls. You know that you can’t get too close.”

  “I know.” Alex’s voice was strained. “Thanks, Nimue. I’ll call you later.”

  “Just… you know… “ She waved her hand airily. “What do the children say these days… hit it and quit it.”

  His eyes flared wide for a second. “Mom.”

  “Pump and dump, then. Smash and dash.”

  “Mother!”

  She sniffed superciliously. “There is not a thing wrong with casual sexual relations, Aleks. Just be sure that you don’t lead her on.” She wagged her finger. “And, more importantly, be sure to pleasure her properly.”

  “Okay, we’re done here.” Alex picked up the vase on the coffee table next to him. Bye, Mom.” In a smooth movement, he dumped the whole thing on the circle, washing away the sigil.

  The fire died
immediately, and the vision of Nimue with it.

  Alex breathed a huge sigh of relief once the flames were gone. The color in the room went from tinted red back to its normal cool blues and greens. But Alex’s cheeks still looked a little red.

  It was only in the silence that followed that I could hear Nate laughing.

  “Ohhhhh, man.” He was doubled over in the corner, clutching his sides. “Your mother is a firecracker.”

  “It’s only funny because she’s not your mother,” Alex muttered. He moved toward me slowly, as if he were worried I was going to run.

  “I’m sorry about her,” he said, lowering himself down to sit next to me on the couch.

  “You probably should have warned me.”

  “Yes. I just thought you might run screaming if you knew in advance that my mother was a demon.”

  I mashed my lips together. “You were probably right. And for a evil hellbound entity, she was very funny.”

  He looked at me, a crinkle forming in his brow. “You’re taking this very well.”

  “How else am I supposed to take it? I already believed you when you told me you were half-demon. It was going to be either your mother or your father.” I yawned hugely.

  “You’re tired.”

  “Your powers of observation are commendable. I’m too sleepy to freak out about anything. This all still feels like a dream. No doubt I’ll freak out after a good rest.” I stretched out. “I have to go. I have to be up in five hours for a staff meeting.”

  The crease between his eyes deepened. “Eve. You don’t need to go to your staff meeting.”

  “Of course I do! The meetings are compulsory. I’m on thin ice as it is. I don’t want to lose this job.”

  Nate picked up the coffee table, placed it gently where the sigil had been, and plonked himself on it, facing us. “Um, Eve, I don’t know if you were paying attention, but the apocalypse has begun. You are going to lose your job, no matter what.” He shrugged. “And your life, probably.”

  “Nate,” Alex growled.

  “What?”

  I waved my arms, interrupting them. “That’s besides the point.”

  “Eve, it is the whole point.”

  “Alex, the world is not going to end tomorrow morning.”

  “We don't know how much time we have.”

  “Your mother said a few months. I need to live somewhere, and eat, before the world finally ends. So I have to go to work this afternoon. I’m not like you. I don’t have infinite funds and immeasurable strength,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And if I’m going to survive the night, I’m going to need some sleep. So I have to go.”

  He looked alarmed. “You can’t. It’s not safe.”

  “Safe? Where exactly is safe?”

  He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the couch. “Stay here. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  I suppressed a smile. “So my dorm bedroom, with Clover and Andrea, is unsafe. But the lounge room of a half-demon is meant to be safe?”

  He turned to me, his mouth downturned. The look on his face had a blazing intensity. It took my breath away. “I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said in a low tone.

  “I believe you,” I said quietly. “But I should really get back. Clover might worry.”

  There was a whoosh of air in the room, and I had to push back my hair as it flew around me and tickled my face. Nate had disappeared. As soon as I realized he was missing, there was another whoosh, and I had to smooth my hair back again.

  “I wouldn’t worry about Clover,” Nate said quietly. I noticed he was blushing. “She’s… a little tied up at the moment.” He nodded in my direction. “Eve, you should stay here. Just in case. There’s no one in your dorm room. Alex will look after you.”

  Strangely, I didn’t feel like I needed the endorsement of a Nephilim to trust Alex. “I know he will,” I replied. “I just… I don’t want to impose. You guys probably have a lot to discuss. Plans, and stuff, to avert the apocalypse…” I tried to stifle my yawn and failed. It felt good to breathe this deeply. I was strangely relaxed.

  “I’m going to go and check the whole resort, Nate said. “Maybe even do a sweep of the caves. There’s more answers here; I can feel it.”

  Alex nodded, and Nate disappeared again.

  We were alone. Alex didn’t say anything; he just watched me carefully. The expression on his face was neutral, but there was a challenge in his eyes.

  I was too tired to argue. “Fine, I’ll stay here.” I swept my legs up underneath me and settled back against the soft cushions on the sofa. “But you have to tell me a bedtime story.”

  He stood, and grew blurry in front of my eyes. When I could focus again, he had a fluffy comforter in his arms. He would have dashed upstairs, snagged it off the bed, and come right back in a fraction of a second.

  I rolled my eyes at him, and he smirked back. “Show off,” I muttered. It was going to take me awhile to get used to how fast he could move.

  He spread out the comforter around me, like I was in a cocoon, and sat on the other end of the sofa, facing me but not touching. “What story would you like?”

  “Duh. Your story.”

  He frowned. “I suppose I should.”

  “Yes, you should. Start from the start.” I closed my eyes.

  Alex settled in beside me. When he spoke, I could feel the gentle rumbles of his voice run through the soft cushions and comforter, and vibrate through me. It was so soothing, so relaxing...

  Chapter Eighteen

  In the beginning, God made man. But that was only the start of the story for man. The real story goes back much, much further. More than millennia, more than eons. Before time.

  To when there was just God.

  To understand this story, you need to understand what God is. He’s not a bearded man in the sky. He’s a supreme consciousness; an all-powerful pure energy that encompasses everything, and is all things. God is pure love and pure light.

  So in the beginning, God is all there is. God is the universe, and He becomes self-aware. He can create life, and life is so beautiful.

  So He creates, and feels great joy in His creations. They are beautiful, functional, intelligent, ever-changing, and developing stronger.

  But there is darkness in life. Violence. He sees that from the very beginning, and it horrifies Him. He—

  Chapter Nineteen

  “She.”

  I opened my eyes, annoyed with myself for interrupting, but the pronoun was making it impossible for me to completely relax.

  And I’d been so relaxed. There was just that one thing bugging me.

  “I’m sorry? She… what?”

  And once my eyes were open, the tender look on Alex’s face made it even harder for me to concentrate. I imagined that he had been looking off into the distance while he told the story; but he’d clearly been watching me.

  “She,” I repeated. “God. God is a she.”

  “Okay,” he said, nodding slowly, the corner of his mouth sliding up in a smirk. “To be fair, officially, God has no gender.”

  “Yes, but look at the way you just described her. Creating. Nurturing. Horrified by violence. It makes more sense to refer to her as female, rather than male.”

  He smiled widely, showing perfect white teeth. “You make excellent points.” He nodded. “I admit, it’s only because of centuries of patriarchal anthropomorphism that I’m referring to God as a male.”

  “So we’re due at least two thousand years of referring to God as a female before we can achieve any kind of balance, right?”

  “You’re right.” He nodded again and gave me another beautiful, quirky half-smile. “And I would beg your patience and just ask that you ignore my using the masculine pronoun, because I’m so used to it, but that’s not going to wash with you, is it?”

  “Nope.” I shook my head and smiled back. “It wouldn’t be fair. You’ll just have to try harder.”

  “Okay, I will.” He leaned back, getting comfortable, and
started his story again.

  Chapter Twenty

  God has created life, and She is pleased with Her creations. But the darkness in life scares Her.

  At first, it seems like cruelty might be a necessity for life to survive and to adapt. She watches it in the newly formed bacteria, how it moves and devours its neighbor, destroying it. Millennia later, She watches as it rips apart its rivals with teeth and claws, for food, for shelter. For a higher status in the pack.

  As the animals evolve, it gets worse. The innate darkness in this new life that God has built does awful, terrible things, and not just for base survival. It wants to secure for itself greater comforts, and sexual gratification, separate from the drive of procreation.

  God is horrified, as much as God can be. How is it that something that is pure love and life can create something that is so destructive, so petty, and so selfish?

  God wonders where this darkness comes from. If it comes from within Her. But God does not know where She Herself came from. There is only one universe, as far as She knows. She wonders how She was created.

  God is confused by the darkness. She is unsettled. She wonders if everything She creates will have darkness within it.

  And She is lonely.

  So God takes a part of Herself, and creates the angels. She designs them as beings of pure light. They are all goodness and love and respect. They are completely obedient, and there is no darkness within them at all.

  They are God’s perfect and willing servants; they exude beauty and purity.

  But they are frozen in time, unchanging, immortal. They cannot reproduce; they do not evolve. She knows that they will never grow to become their own universe, they are merely part of it; an extension.

  So God turns back toward the earth, and hopes that in evolution, a species will grow intelligent, and strong in soul, to eradicate the darkness within itself.

  But it just gets worse.

  The angels watch, wary, as a dominant species emerges. This species appears to be evolving into their own image: tall, smooth, hairless skin except for at the crown, long-limbs and two wide eyes.