Canopus and Keel - The Hive.

by Stephen Jarrett

  “Keel will try and lead the angel, I mean Skyclade back here. The plan stands. We trap it inside.” He looked around as the residents filled up the corridor, some were hugging each other, others were talking in groups. “Girls you are going to have to take them out alone.”

  “We can do it. Just tell us the way,” replied Julia.

  “What about those sigils, that made us see things?” whispered Drexel.

  “Keel said they were created by the angel, controlled by her focus. If she has been taken over, then maybe they have been deactivated.”

  “That’s a big maybe.”

  Canopus sat down on the desk and explained the route out to Julia and Melissa. Before they left, he hugged them both, “If you see anything strange just run, OK.”

  The girls nodded.

  Canopus reached into his boot and pulled out his silver knife, he handed it to Julia, “I want this back, you hear me? And this.” He gave her his flashlight.

  “You got it Cannon.”

  Canopus gave the signal to Drexel.

  Drexel stood up on a desk, “Now listen up ladies and germs. These two girls are my deputies, you follow them out, they know the way. Once you are topside, you get as much gasoline as you can, and you pour it down the all the entrances to the tunnels. Once myself, Keel and Canopus are out. We are going to send a fireball so big down these tunnels they are going to fry till Christmas.”

  The crowd of residents looked at Drexel and gave a weak cheer.

  Carver shook Canopus’ hand, “Good luck.”

  Canopus nodded and gave Carver his handgun, “You know how to use one of these?”

  Carver nodded, “Unfortunately yes. Did two tours in Afghanistan.”

  “Girls stick close to Carver.”

  The twins saluted.

  “Let’s go!” shouted Melissa to the residents.

  The crowd of residents, followed Carver, Julia and Melissa out of the room and into the tunnels, leaving Vince, Drexel and Canopus alone.

  “Didn't feel like adding me to your little speech?” asked Vince.

  Drexel looked him in the eyes and rubbed his chin, “Nah. Also, why are you still here?”

  “Keel promised to help me find Debbie. I’m not going anywhere without her.”

  Drexel grunted, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small revolver, “Then take this kid and try not to get yourself killed.”

  TWENTY-FOUR.

  Keel slammed her bloody hand into one of the deactivated ‘captis hexes.’ One by one the hexes turned from orange to purple and disappeared into the wall, hiding from view.

  “Captis hexes, how cute. They won’t stop me. even if you do change them from human to ethereal,” said Skyclade standing at the end of the corridor. The hair of Lillian Fox was now red, as were her eyes. She dropped her white gown to the floor revealing a naked golden body streaked with red veins.

  “Where are my worshippers?”

  Keel stepped back, “So what are you now. SkyFox? LillyClade? SkyLilly?”

  Skyclade stepped forward, a hex blared with light, pulling her towards its position. Skyclade skidded towards the wall and held out a hand, which struck the centre of the hex. Rock quickly grew around her hand holding it in place.

  “That’s question one.” Skyclade clicked her tongue and the hidden hexes revealed themselves and tuned into black swirling holes. Skyclade’s hand appeared at the centre of all the hexes on the wall.

  The closest hand grabbed Keel by the hair and passed her down to the next hand. Holding her breath, Keel quickly jerked her head backwards from the grip of the hand. A thick bloody clump of hair tore from her head and Keel fell to her knees.

  Skyclade, withdrew her hand from the rock. She sniffed Keel’s hair and then dropped it to the floor. The hexes and other hands disappeared into puffs of smoke.

  “I warned you what would happen in the morgue.”

  Keel pointed to the dead residents lying along the corridor, “Is that what you do to worshipers? Kill them?”

  “Never, my sweet little topolino.”

  Keel stood up, “Why did you say that? Use that word?”

  “It’s what your darling father would call you isn’t it?” She tapped her head. “There is lot about him inside here. Where he is, for one.”

  Keel stopped and drew her gun, “Where is he?”

  “That is question two. He is in Limbo. Lillian Fox sent him there.”

  There’s no such place.

  Skyclade stepped closer, “When I was inside Vince, I could only allow a small part of me to show. As humans are filthy little animals, it was the animalistic part of me that became amplified in Vince. It’s why I was just a whisper in his mind, it’s why Skyclade had to kill, constantly. It was very tiring. But now in this form, I can finally breathe and allow all the facets of a Zeph to shine through. I can finally and truly be, Skyclade. Worship me and I will tell you all about Limbo.”

  The gun shook in Keel’s hand, “I don’t believe you, my father isn’t alive.”

  Skyclade breathed deeply, she was now only a few feet from Keel, “He is not alive as you would call it. But his soul is burning with power. In Limbo, he is causing quite a commotion, for now.”

  Keel couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her father causing trouble even after death. Her smile turned to dread, “What do you mean? for now.”

  “And that is your last question.” Skyclade reached out and took Keel’s handgun gently from her hand.

  “Ariadne, the mistress of the labyrinth has his soul scent and is drawing close.” Skyclade gently rested her hand on Keel’s head and pushed her down, “Kneel before me, sweet topolino.”

  Keel dropped to her knees.

  “Say my name, let me into your heart.” smiled Skyclade.

  Keel held up her hand, carved into the palm was a hex.

  Skyclade stepped back, “How do you know that shape?”

  Keel withdrew her silver machete and sliced it straight through Skyclade’s chest. Skyclade fell to the floor, golden blood poured from the wound.

  “It’s a hex the Vrondi showed me, before you pushed them away. They knew you were a Zeph long before me. This hex protects your mind, stops you being controlled.”

  Skyclade crawled away from Keel and placed her hands around the cut. Light blazed around the wound, searing the skin shut. ‘You are a fool, this will not stop me.”

  “No but it will slow you down,” Keel replied, raising her machete.

  “Wait! No!!”

  Keel watched as the red veins covering Skyclade’s body started to vibrate under her skin. Skyclade looked at Keel, the red in her eyes was fading, “Help me.”

  Skyclade continued to plead as she was suddenly pulled by an invisible force, backwards across the floor and into the darkness.

  Keel picked up her handgun and pointed it at the wall of darkness at the end of the corridor.

  “I was right,” said a voice, “A Zeph, does taste delicious.”

  Lillian Fox, stepped from the shadows and strolled towards Keel.

  “Now, where were we?” she asked.

  Keel turned and ran.

  TWENTY-FIVE.

  Keel ran as fast as she could in the darkness. She rounded a corner and saw the faint glow of the sodium lamps in the distance, behind her she could hear the slow footsteps of Lillian Fox following her. No matter how fast she ran, the angel always seemed to be just behind her.

  A blast of blue energy shot past Keel, scolding her cheek. She dared not to look back.

  “Run little topolino. The cat is coming,” sang Lillian Fox.

  Keel ducked as another blast of energy whizzed past her face. She ran faster and faster, down corridor after corridor, until she finally burst into Cakeland’s tunnel and straight into Canopus, knocking him to the floor.

  Panicking, Keel stood up and grabbed Canopus’ hand, “We have to get out, she’s back?”

  “Who?” Canopus asked.

  “Her,” replied Drexel poi
nting at the tunnel entrance.

  Lillian Fox bowed to them all. “Who wants to die first?”

  Drexel felt the controller in his pocket and placed his thumb on the switch, he looked up at the mines above the entrance, “Why don’t you come and get me first? Or are you a scared little angel bitch?”

  Lillian Fox roared and shot across the room towards Drexel, hands grabbing air.

  Drexel waited until the angel was inches from his body and then smiled.

  “Gotcha.” He clicked the switch twice and a massive explosion shook the room.’

  TWENTY-SIX.

  All Keel could hear was ringing in her ears, all she could see were clouds of thick brick dust swirling around the room.

  She squinted looking for Canopus but it was him that found her first. He mouthed something but it was impossible to hear the words. She saw Vince lying on the ground, his eyes were open. For a second she thought he was dead, but then he shook his head and slowly sat up.

  Seeing Canopus and Keel, Vince crawled over. He hit a hand against his right ear, “Can you hear me?”

  Keel nodded, the ringing was subsiding.

  “We need to make our way out to the entrance,” said Canopus, spitting a tooth to the floor. His shirt was drenched in blood, as the wound from his neck had reopened.

  “Where’s Drexel?” asked Keel, spitting out little pebbles of mortar.

  “I can’t see him, but he knows what to do,” Canopus replied.

  Vince, Canopus and Keel moved as fast they could to the entrance. Canopus would occasional stumble but Vince always held him up.

  “After this I think my body plans to give up, it’s had enough of me,” said Canopus with a weak smile.

  The sodium lamps burned bright through the clouds of dust and the trio followed their glow to the tunnel entrance.

  Breathing hard they fell to the floor.

  Keel looked up, the mines placed by Drexel were still positioned over the broken rock. Scrabbling for her gun, she leapt to her feet and pointed it at a figure stumbling towards them.

  It was Drexel.

  Drexel walked forward, smiled and then fell to his knees, tears in his eyes. In the center of his back was a large smoking hole. Falling to the ground, he let out a long rasping breath. “Don’t let me down bruther,” he whispered, blood trickling down his chin.

  As Drexel’s head cracked against the stone floor, he opened his fingers, inside was the remote.

  “One down,” said Lillian Fox standing behind him.

  “No! “Shouted Canopus.

  Keel fired her gun at Lillian Fox, who held up a hand and froze the bullets in the air. They dropped to the floor.

  “Come on, again? I’m a divine being.” She held up her hands and conjured a blast of blue energy which she threw at Keel.

  Vince leapt in front of Keel, using his body to block the energy blast. The crackling energy engulfed his body and he fell to the floor, eyes burning in their sockets.

  Vince was dead.

  Keel landed hard, energy burning across her right arm and leg. Eyes defiant, she looked up at Lillian Fox and then back to the remote in Drexel’s open hand.

  “That’s two,” smiled Lillian Fox.

  “Now!” shouted Keel.

  Keel ran towards Drexel’s body, while Canopus charged at Lillian Fox knocking her to the ground. With all his strength, he punched the angel in the face, again and again. With every punch Lillian Fox laughed as golden blood shot from her mouth and nose.

  “Enough,” the angel said and with a click of her fingers Canopus flew backwards off her body.

  She turned her bloody face to Keel and flicked her teeth with her tongue. Keel spun backwards, landing on Canopus.

  “Now,” said Lillian Fox, floating back to her feet, “Who is number three?”

  Keel picked Canopus off the ground and flashed him her palm, inside was the remote.

  Lillian Fox laughed and held out her left hand, the remote flew from Keel’s grip into her palm.

  “This is not how it is going to end,” said Keel calmly, eyes defiant.

  “Oh yes it is. I win, you lose. Don’t cry little topolino. You never had a chance, you are after all, just a weak pathetic human.”

  Lillian Fox held up her right hand as it filled with energy. “Give my love to your father.”

  Drexel eyes flashed open and with a trembling hand, he grabbed Lillian Fox’s leg, pulling it hard. The angel fell to the floor as the blue energy from her hand shot across Drexel’s body, scratching his skin with deep burns.

  Drexel quickly grabbed the remote from Lillian Fox and held it away from the angel as she scrambled to her feet. He turned to Canopus and Keel, “Tell people I said something courageous, will ya?”

  Drexel clicked the remote.

  “No!” screamed Lillian Fox.

  The mines exploded, engulfing Lillian Fox and Drexel in flames and throwing their bodies back into the tunnel.

  As the rock face collapsed sealing the angel and Drexel inside, a heavy wall of smoke, brick and dust, washed over Canopus and Keel.

  TWENTY-SEVEN.

  Keel opened her eyes and looked into the double face of the same girl, “Julia? Melissa?” she whispered, the double face merged into one.

  “It’s Julia. Melissa is with Cannon.”

  Keel tried to talk but everything went dark.

  TWENTY-EIGHT.

  Keel watched as large plumes of black smoke rose from the drains, the smell of burning gasoline filled the air. She sat down on the grass, wincing at the pain shooting across her body.

  Canopus sat down next to her. A large bandage was wrapped around his head and his left arm was in a sling.

  “The doctors tell me, that after all the operations I need, I will have more metal in me than a robot.”

  “Robots are made of metal. That would be impossible,” commented Keel.

  “Well, let’s just say it's a lot.” He looked at Keel’s serious face, “You did it. You avenged your father. Samuel can now rest in peace.”

  “She still alive for now. Trapped with the body of Drexel.”

  Canopus looked away. “Yeah. But she’ll die out, right?”

  Keel looked at her watch. It was broken. “Without a source of energy, in about seventy-two hours.”

  “And I’m guessing you are just going to sit here, that whole time.”

  “You and me both.”

  Canopus nodded and held Keel’s hand. She placed her head on his shoulder.

  WOODSTOCK, NY.

  Canopus turned to Julia and Melissa, “Remember, let me do the talking. I’ve explained everything to Beth but sometimes it’s hard to know how she will react.”

  Keel pulled out her keychain and held the small key next to the large purple crystal, she placed the key in the door lock and opened the front door to the home of Canopus.

  Standing in the hallway was a tall dark-skinned woman in her fifties, she had long black hair and dark brown eyes. Even though she was smiling, tears were sitting on her cheeks. She ran to Canopus and hugged him, covering his face in small kisses. She then grabbed Keel’s stiff body and pulled her into the embrace. Releasing them both, she turned to the twins. “Julia and Melissa?”

  Julia raised her hand, “Julia.”

  Melissa, raised her hand, “Melissa.”

  Beth frowned, “Well I know that you aren’t children but you sure look like ones. Now, I’ve told the district that you will be homeschooled, so that takes care of education, unless you want to go back to school?”

  Both girls shook their heads.

  “That’s what I thought. There are towels in the spare room. This is your home now. Mi casa es su casa.”

  “We really don’t know what to say,” said Julia. Both girls gave Beth a hug.

  Melissa saw a glint of gold and her jaw dropped open with awe, “Holy crap, are these the Cannon’s trophies?” said Melissa, heading into the living room.

  Beth looked Canopus in the eyes, “Boxing fans?”
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  Canopus smiled.

  Keel grabbed her satchel, “I’m going to check the defenses.” She then left the house and walked around the perimeter, checking the protective sigils and hexes that she had placed before they left.

  “How is she doing?” asked Beth.

  Canopus shrugged, kissed Beth gently on the lips and walked into the living room, “Aha yes, I won that trophy against, Jimmy Fix-it James”

  Satisfied that the sigils weren’t damaged, Keel sat on the back garden steps and watched the sprinklers turn on and off, spreading jets of water across the lawn.

  The sounds of Melissa, Julia and Canopus laughing in the house, drifted through an open window and washed over Keel. She hugged her knees and closed her eyes.

  She needed to think.

  If what Skyclade said was true, then being killed by an angel would place Vince and maybe even Drexel in Limbo with her father. Also, if her father’s soul was in trouble, hunted by this Ariadne, she needed to warn him.

  She sighed and took out her father’s grimoire, carefully turning the pages of dense notes, looking for any mention of Limbo and the name Ariadne.

  A tap on the window startled her and she turned around and saw Canopus holding up two beers.

  Keel closed the grimoire and waved. Placing the grimoire back in her satchel, she stood up and headed back towards the front of the house.

  Placing her hand on the front door, she paused. If this Ariadne, the mistress of the labyrinth, wanted to hurt her father, then she was also an enemy to herself and Canopus and that would mean finding a way to stop her, even if it meant travelling to Limbo herself.

  But how?

  Was it only an angel that could send you to Limbo or was there another way? She would spend tonight with Canopus, Beth and the girls but tomorrow she would contact the Coven. Canopus wouldn’t like it but she had to find a way to enter Limbo and rescue her father.

  Making up her mind, Keel pushed open the door and headed towards the laughter.

  LIMBO.

  Vince was in a wooden room. In front of him was a large door with a dented door knob, old and worn. Vince hovered his hand over the knob and grasped it, pulling the door open.