by Swart, Karen
“I promised my brother I would not kill you, but I never said that I would not hurt you,” he sneered, coming for me. He was huge, at least a head or two bigger than me. But his steps were uneven, unsteady, perhaps a wound still trying to heal. Just one way to find out. A step before me, he swiped with his sword. I fell to the ground and swiped with my own, hitting his leg. A roar followed. I rolled out of his grip and was at his back.
“Now, no screaming like a girl,” I taunted him. He turned and his evil look was masking his face.
“I am going to hurt you real bad, hellhound. Your wings will be above my bed for eternity,” he growled, storming me. His steps were even more unsteady. Okay, got the right leg now to work it. He swiped and I arched back watching as the blade barely moved past my face, taking a step back as it passed. He was still trying to steady his footing so I had to move fast. I swiped at the same leg with both my swords.
His leg gave out and his knee landed on the ground. Swiping out, he got me on my side, the pain shooting to my ribs. I turned and backed off, studying him. With a roar he was back up on his feet and coming for me. I needed to take that leg out, permanently. I stormed forward and dived for his legs, arching my back just right and tucking in my wings I glided past his swords and held mine in place. His roar was deafening.
I got back up and looked at him, he was finally down and his lower leg was lying next to him. I almost kissed my swords, I so freaking love them. “You will pay for that!” he roared, trying to get back up. It would be quite comical to see a demon prince dance on one leg in a fight, but to his own demise he couldn’t. I moved in for my kill.
“They say you guys can’t be killed. I think it’s a question of determining your weakness and taking them on first,” I spoke, walking around him. He followed my every move. Now this is the part that I also need to find out. Can they do more than just swipe a sword? I mean, a prince of Hell must be packing something more than that to get that status. Let’s see what these guys can do, this was a perfect time for some education. I swiped out my sword and struck his shoulder. Another roar followed. “Come on, big bad prince, is this all you have? Or are you too chicken to try?” I continued taunting him, and missed a swipe from his swords.
“Now you will see my fury,” he growled. Dropping his swords, he swung out his hand to me.
A huge flame followed that gesture and I barely wrapped myself in my wings to escape it. Okay, note one: they can do fire. Now let’s get some more detail. I felt the air go cool around me and unwrapped myself, my wings were smoking from the flames but still functioning. “Is that all?” I asked, laughing.
He placed his hand on the ground and smiled up at me. “Merely the beginning, hellhound,” he finished and the earth beneath my feet gave way. Using my wings, I flew into the air just in time. Looking down, I could see a huge hole where I had been standing. Okay, they can make holes in the earth, but come on that can’t be their best.
“Come on you have to do better than that,” I provoked him even more. Suddenly I was wrapped into something and plummeting down to the earth, my face hitting it with force. I looked down at my torso and found nothing. What the hell? I tried to move but nothing happened. I looked back at him a few steps from me. He was holding his cut off leg at the edge of his knee and I watched as the flesh knitted together and presto, he had his leg back on and I was trapped.
“I was also expecting more from you, hellhound. I have never had the pleasure of fighting one of you, but from all the tales I was expecting a lot more,” he calmly said, walking over to me. He crouched next to my head and grabbed my hair; I had to bite my scream. “I don’t think my brother would notice your absence for a while. I think you would be a lovely addition to my home.”
The next thing I knew, I was shifted into what must be his home. Oh my freaking soul I am in huge trouble. Like dead trouble. Rock walls covered in red, a few lousy pieces of furniture standing around. He walked over to a chair and sat down, dropping his sword and other weapons on the table. What was fascinating about watching his movements was that his unsteady walk was now non-existent. My mind was running around that fact, on earth he approached me with a limp walk, indicating that he had an injury. But now, in his home, there was no sign of any injury not even the one I’d inflicted. Very fascinating indeed. I kept my eyes on him while my mind ran through a thousand reasons for what I’d just witnessed.
“Look at you, defeated and still I can see you reasoning the odds. Must be that human nature you are brought up with. Never really understood that notion from the fallen, sending you to earth to learn human ways,” he said, leaning back in his chair and observing me. He looked a lot like Ballen, but where Ballen was blond this guy was black haired. Same height though and same build. Strong muscles stretching and moving behind his shirt. A plus, at least this one didn’t wear open shirts to expose his physique; he wore jeans, a black shirt, and biker boots.
“Talk about human nature. You dress like them, might want to reflect on that,” I casually threw back to him. His eyebrows rose up at my remark and then he looked down at his clothing and nodded.
“It would seem so, a necessary disguise when roaming Earth. Now, hellhound, shall we begin,” he said, standing up and approaching me. I struggled in the invisible bonds holding me, my wings trapped within them so I could not whip them out. I am in so much trouble. He grabbed my hair and yanked me up. What the hell was it with him and grabbing hair?
Pushing me to a wall, I fought and went crazy but nothing happened. He turned my head and the wall came into view, which doubled up my fight to free myself. He smacked my face into the wall, my cheek splitting open from the impact. Pressing my body against the wall with his, the invisible bonds fell away and I went into overdrive. Whipping my arm to his head, I punched my elbow into him, his head reared back and his body slammed me back into the wall. I sent my wings out and felt as cool air hit my back. Turning around, I readied my swords. He was just getting back up, but stupid him his weapons were on the table, five steps from him. Reachable, but with my accurate aim and speed, not successful. He weighed his options and reached the same conclusion. So he stormed forward going for the brave approach.
I swiped out my swords and he ducked, so I quickly bent my hand and swiped down, hitting him in the face. A deep scar opened up and blood flowed from it. He punched me in the side, but I took it gracefully, returning the favour I kicked him away from me. His body flew through the air; I moved in and sliced like mad. Stepping back to assess the damage I’d done, I stopped dead and I am sure my jaw ended up on the floor.
He was crouching looking at me with a huge smile, the scar on his face healing instantly. The other I’d inflicted also healed with impeccable speed. What the freaking hell? I backed up a little, trying to think of a plan. Why the hell does he heal that fast? It’s impossible. Scenarios were running like crazy through my mind, all the while he was back up and slowly advancing on me. I needed to weaken him to take his head, but crap knows how I was going to do that. My mind raced back to Chax brother and how he struggled to heal, and then back to the club just outside a few minutes ago. And finally just a step away from me my mind kicked into place and revealed the most important part I missed in all of this.
Chax’s brother could not heal because he was on Earth, the same with this guy, until he was back at home. That’s it! They need to return to Hell to recharge; my mind went chaotic on that one. They recharge in Hell, because it’s the only way to feed on sins, which is their power. They could not directly feed on it on earth or other places. They needed to get their butts back here or they suffer. Oh wow, I could also be smart when I wanted to be. Feeling better, I grabbed him as soon as he was about to grab me and shifted us to a very special place of mine. My cave in Brazil was pitch dark as always. I let go immediately and backed off into the darkness.
“Now that we have the right place to dance, which one are you?” I whispered in the dark, shifting on every word. He was turning around, trying to find me.
“Ira,” he growled out, frustrated that he couldn’t pin me down. I shifted again a few steps to his right.
“How badly does a wound hurt on Earth?” I whispered again, a small laugh escaping me, and shifting to his left. Now for him it was pitch dark in here and no way to see me, but for me, it was heaven. I saw everything, as I returned more and more to teach others my sight improved in the darkness. I could see in the dark just as good as daylight. I smiled looking at his face betraying his fear, it hurt like hell.
I shifted and ran at the same time. Moving with super speed, I swiped at his torso, the moment my sword cleared his flesh I shifted away. Landing just behind him, where his roar greeted another swipe at his back. I shifted again, landed and shifted back. I moved past his left and swiped at his leg, a cut and it was hitting the floor. His roar was deafening. “What, not calling your brothers?” I asked just behind him, he reached behind him and tried to grab me, but I was already gone, standing paces away from him.
“Hellhound, you call for death!” he yelled, furious that he couldn’t get his hand on me.
“Just yours,” I whispered, his head whipping around and his hands grabbing at the air. I laughed again, this was freaking awesome. I landed at his back and looked down at him. He was still struggling, but not healing. Yeah I just love my job, I thought as a clean swipe took his head. For a nanosecond it stayed put, then slowly slid off and hit the ground rolling away, his body slumped to the ground. And then something super and weird happened at the same time.
The cave started to shake; thunder slammed outside, and inside a white light was coming off me. I felt my wings grow, my muscles stretched and popped, my back arched from the both painful yet very awesome assault my body was taking. The horns on my head grew too, my whole face pulling with the effect. Opening my eyes, I watched as his body was now engulfed in flames, there was a sizzling and crackling from his flesh being torched by it. An eerie but satisfying sound. A smell the same as chicken being barbequed reached me, and I stepped back trying to get away from it.
Everything went quiet and the flames died out, leaving nothing behind. I stretched my wings and they hit the side of the cave. Wow, they must be like double their normal size. With my hand I felt my horns, and where I used to have small baby horns I now had bigger and sharper horns just clearing my face. What the hell just happened? “Kasadya?” someone asked behind me. I turned and almost hit him with my wings. Luckily he ducked in time and straightened himself.
“Raphael?” I asked, confused. “What are you doing here?” I finished, closing my wings.
“Well you created a good show outside so I decided to follow the power I was feeling, it led me to you. What happened?” he asked, looking around and then at me his eyes going wide.
“I killed Ira,” I stated casually and yes my smile was evident. Michael shifted in, followed by Jophiel and two other archangels, one of which was a female. Raphael was just standing there watching me without uttering a word, I looked at the rest. “What?” I asked, looking at them. Did I mess up again?
“What happened?” Michael asked, glancing between me and Raphael. Clearly Raphael wasn’t replying, so I decided to either save myself or land myself in trouble.
“I killed Ira, and then something happened.” Michael and all the others were now standing there saying nothing, just staring at me. I was getting nervous, bummer and I felt really good after the whole strange growing thing.
“Open up your wings,” Michael instructed me. Hesitating a moment, I found my courage and opened them. Looking at them I saw that they were freaking huge, my tips touching both sides of the cave, and believe me it wasn’t a small cave. I wanted a playroom and I found it in here.
“Amazing,” the female angel whispered, moving to look at them. Michael came to stand before me and looked at my face.
“Have you ever seen this before?” he asked someone. I looked around trying to find the person.
“No, this is a first for me,” the female answered.
“A transfer maybe,” Jophiel pitched in.
Michael shook his head. “Evil cannot transfer to good, good to evil but not evil to good,” he replied, turning to face Raphael who was still just standing there speechless.
“Um guys, you are freaking me out,” I stated, moving my feet with nerves.
“Raphael,” Michael said loud to get his attention. Raphael shook it off and looked at him then back at me.
“Defined,” Raphael uttered almost so soft I didn’t hear it. Defined? What the hell does that mean?
“Impossible, it can only happen with angels,” the female angel said.
“That is the only explanation I can think of. Look at it, just like with us, she conquered an enemy and received divinity,” Raphael countered her statement. Okay, I think this is the part where I quietly slip away unnoticed.
I turned back to normal and regarded them. “It cannot be,” Jophiel said, looking at Michael who was standing there and contemplating the idea. They all looked deep in thought and I was about to shift out of there when Michael lifted his head and looked at me. Crap.
“Go back to Exsilium and tell no one about this. We will first seek guidance to determine what transpired here,” he said, looking at the rest. I took that as my cue and shifted to my room. I glanced down at my hand, which was still holding the swords and covered in blood. I hope this defined thing wasn’t another bad thing on my list.
Placing my swords on the table, I went to take a hot steamy shower. My muscles ached and pounded from the fight. Finally finished I got on my PJs and walked back to the bed. I stopped and looked at the sun shining brightly through the window. Crap, sleep is going to be over quickly. I’d better get some in before anything else happens.
Chapter 14
“Kas, come on girl you’re late!” Kali yelled at me, snatching me from my wonderful dream of a normal life. I sat up with a groan; I needed to get some more sleep in. It felt like my legs and muscles were fighting against me.
Dragging myself out of bed, I walked over to the closet and stared at it. What to wear, what to wear. Well option one, jeans and a tank top, two would be jeans and a short T-shirt. Where did the days go when I didn’t give a damn about what I wore? With a sigh, I grabbed a pair of jeans and a short pink T-shirt. Slowly, and with much difficulty, I got into them and started doing my hair. Braiding the even longer than usual mane, I looked at myself in the mirror.
Wow my eyes looked like death, huge black tire tracks were below them making me look like some sort of addict. I let go of my braid and rubbed my eyes. Yeah, as if that would work. Giving up I moved to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Slowly making my way downstairs, I heard the group talking in the kitchen and turned left to join them. I was starving and I needed a huge jug of juice. I found them all cheery in the kitchen talking about the fight. Yeah already forgot about that. I looked around but there was no Chax or Max. Good I was so not in the mood.
“Morning,” they greeted me. I replied with a short nod and made my way to the fridge. Opening the door I looked at the contents, which was more than normal. It looked like a store had been emptied into the thing. With another groan I grabbed a bottle of juice and made my way to the counter to sit down. It felt like bricks were tied down to my feet, making it agonizing to walk. Finally my butt hit the chair and I worked the top of the bottle trying to open it.
“What happened to you?” Lada asked, her eyes huge. I caught her out of the corner of my eye, I was still trying to open the damn freaking bottle. What did they do, like airlock the freaking top? Frustrated I yanked it off, taking half of the bottle with it. Juice spilled all over the counter and I looked down with another sigh. You have got to be kidding me.
“Kas, are you okay?” Caim asked coming over to help clean up the mess with a cloth.
“No, I need more sleep,” I stated, not really looking at him or anyone else.
I shoved myself away from the counter and stood up again. Slowly, and now
officially pissed off, I walked back to the fridge and got another bottle. On my way back I tried the freaking top again, but this time Ben quickly snatched it from me and opened it. He gave it back to me with a concerned look. “Thanks,” I muttered and walked back to the counter, and sat down.
“Are you mad at us?” Ryan asked nervously. I looked up and gave him the “duffus” look not really into this crap this morning, afternoon, or whatever.
“We are really sorry, but those two would have hurt you if we didn’t keep you away. And you’re not an easy person to persuade,” Ben explained, placing a plate of food in front of me.
“Like I care,” I muttered back. I am so freaking tired. They cut me some slack and I finished my breakfast in peace. Just as I was about to get up and look for a bed, Chax and Max walked into the kitchen, side by side. They stopped and looked at me, their faces scowling at me. “Hey take a picture it lasts longer,” I replied and pushed past them.
