by Mia Bishop
Last thing she wanted was to be weaponless against him. Sure she had fangs and claws and speed, but there wasn't one inch of that creature she wanted to willingly put her mouth on, let alone take a bite. She rushed for him again but this time he was prepared, before she knew what was happening he hit her striking arm with such force that it sent her flying backwards. The shock of the blow deadened her entire limb and her hand opened allowing her dagger to fall to the ground.
"Shit." She growled as she dove for her weapon. As soon as she hit the ground he was on top of her. The Beast wasn't the savviest fighter, but his sheer size and speed were enough to keep her pinned as he reigned down blows to her head and body.
She tucked herself into a ball and tried to roll out from under him. It was pointless, if the Beast wanted her to stay put she wasn't going to be moving any time soon. She opened an eye to try to find something, anything to defend herself with and instead of finding something useful he slammed his knuckles into her temple with a bone crushing thud.
Stars burst behind her eyelids. Her mind was ready for surrender, even an immortal life has an underlying need to spare itself any more harm, but her body was on autopilot. Her hand reached out, searching the nearby ground for her blade. There was nothing there, but this was exactly where it had landed.
She rolled over and tried to squirm to safety, but the Beast roared with laughter as he brought both fists down on the small of her back. "Where do you think you're going? We're just getting started."
"Screw you."
"Maybe we'll give that a try, you never know, you might like it."
Again she reached into the darkness hoping to make contact with something cold and sharp. The sound of metal sliding along gravel danced through the air a moment before her fingertips touched the cold, hard steel. Someone in the darkness had given her exactly what she needed, a blade. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt.
She rolled over and thrust the end under the Beast’s chin catching him off guard. Pinning him with the tip of the blade biting into his flesh.
"What the fuck? Where did you get that?"
She glanced up at the instrument in her hand. It definitely wasn't her dagger. The blade of black metal jutted out and gold inscriptions ran down the blade. The ornate hilt looked heavy, its intricate designs swirled over the dark metal and a glowing blue jewel was set in the end of the hilt.
Whatever this weapon was, the Beast recognized it and, even better, he seemed to fear it. She slid away from him, still holding the point to his throat. "You know the old saying: Ask and ye shall receive."
He refused to look at the weapon and curled his lip. "It's merely a trinket, nothing useful, it won’t save you."
Bluff.
She could feel it deep inside, he was lying.
She swiped the sword and the Beast jumped back. This was her advantage. She was on the offensive again with the Beast backpedaling. In five steps Abby had him pinned at the wall, even his fur trembled as the tip of the blade neared. Suddenly, the Beast roared and spun to the right. She hadn't been ready for it but she kept herself upright as he tried to get past her. She stabbed the blade into the nearest chunk of flesh she could get to. The Beast's eyes widened.
The black weapon was impaled in his back. She twisted it causing him to roar again. With this weapon it might be possible to actually kill him, he wasn't unbeatable. She slid the blade out and raised it, readying to take her killing blow when her entire world flipped upside down by a familiar voice uttering three simple words.
"Stop this, Abby." Chloe pleaded as she stepped out of the shadows.
"Where have you been?" Abby stood slack-jawed staring at her friend. "We looked everywhere for you."
"I know, but it's time to stop and let him go."
"What? Are you insane?
"I won't let you destroy him."
"What in the fuck are you talking about?" Her fingers flexed, fighting the urge to lash out at Chloe. This was crazy. "He is the enemy. He is trying to start the Apocalypse, release Lucifer, and enslave mankind."
Chloe shook her head. "I'm not human, remember? And neither are you. The problems of mankind don’t extend to us, Abby. Don’t you see? This isn’t our fight, it’s theirs. Let them fight it."
Abby paused and met Chloe’s gaze. She wasn’t the same carefree Striga Abby had met in the desert. The sheen to her beautiful blonde hair had dulled and her eyes were sunken under the weight of dark bags. The transformation wasn’t just physical. Chloe would never side with the Beast or with the armies of Hell if she were in her right mind. “Chloe, come back with me and we’ll sort this all out.” She flicked her wrist, itching to take the Beast’s head, “I have to kill him, if he dies we can stop this all right now.”
“If you harm him then you make an enemy out of me.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“Yes, you will. I’ll never forgive you for it.”
The weight of that statement crushed Abby. She stood staring at her friend unsure of what to do next when she noticed movement to the right, deep in the shadows. Jack blended in with the shadows. Abby cast a sideways glance in his direction and subtly motioned for him to stay where he was. If one thing was going to set off Chloe it would be him. She had to find a way to talk her down from this madness.
“Chloe, I need you. Please. You’re my friend.”
“Yes, I am, but I won’t aid you in this. I’m tired of being used by people.”
“I’m not trying to use you.”
“Arveda is. Jack is. Hell, God himself thinks of me as nothing more than a containment vessel. I’m a spiritual storage unit. Nothing more.”
“You are everything,” Abby shouted. “To me. You’re everything. I have nothing and no one without you.”
“You have Nico, he loves you. Even if he won’t say it.”
Tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes now spilled over. Finally, she whispered. “Nico is dead. Rosa…” She paused and swallowed. “Rosa threw him into Hell.”
Chloe stood emotionless. “I’m sorry for your loss. But it’ll all work out.”
“It will not all work out, Chloe. Snap out of this. Whatever he’s done to you, snap out of it.”
“He’s done nothing to me. He’s opened my eyes to see the reality of the situation. My mother is the enemy, Jack is the enemy. You—”
“I am your enemy?”
“No, but you are her ally, therefore I can’t help you.”
Abby pointed a finger at the Beast, “This creature is the reason Lucas is dead.”
“No, Rosa and Hannah are the reason Lucas is dead and I’ll have my revenge on them. I won’t let anyone else use me anymore. I’ll choose my own side. When I do, I’ll stand and fight for what I feel is right. I won’t bow down to my mother’s wishes, or to Jack’s. I’m not her vessel and I’m not his long-lost love. I get to decide who and what I am and until I decide I won’t aid you or anyone.”
“You’re aiding him right now. You’ve chosen your side.”
Chloe shook her head. “I’m not aiding him. One day I might be the one who takes his head but until I know who is right and who is wrong I won’t let you do something I might come to hate you for.”
“You could hate me for avenging Nico and Lucas?”
“The Beast didn’t kill either of them.” Chloe straightened her shoulders and nodded to the Beast. “And I would hate you for taking away my chance at happiness.”
“Happiness?” Abby’s throat grew tight. “With this creature?”
“No, not with him. The happiness he’s promised me. He will give me what I desire most.”
“He can’t bring Lucas back.”
Chloe’s eyes cast downward. “That’s not what he’s promised me.” She looked back up, tears shimmering in her dull blue eyes. “He’s promised to make me forget.”
“You want to forget Lucas?”
“Not Lucas. Never him. I want to forget Arveda, my sisters,” there was a long pause before she added, �
�and Jack. Everything about who I am and this place. He will give me absolution from my memories.”
“That means you’ll forget me too.”
Chloe shook her head. “Rosa assured me that I will keep my memories of you and Nico, but I won’t remember my family and the hurt my mother has caused me. And most importantly I won’t remember Jack and what he thinks we mean to each other.”
Abby glared. “Rosa did all of this for him, she killed Lucas and Nico, and now you are siding with her and this creature?”
“The Beast wasn’t here when Lucas died, he didn’t throw Nico into Hell. And for the last time I am not siding with anyone other than myself. Having my memories and free-will stripped from me for two millennia is a far worse betrayal than me sparing his life.”
“This makes no sense, you’re going to let him do to you exactly what Arveda did. Why are you willing to let him do it but you are condemning all of us for Arveda’s actions?”
“This time it’s my choice. When my mother erased my memory it was without my permission. She robbed me of so much. She wanted me to forget who I had been and in the process she stripped me of who I might become. She wanted Jack to be forgotten, now I will make sure both of them are nothing but strangers to me.”
“Chloe, please don’t do this.” Abby’s sword arm started to quiver under the weight and the Beast stiffened as if knowing his time might be up. “Lucas left you a note, please take it out of my pocket and read it. I’m begging you to help us, help me. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
Chloe’s head dropped, her voice suddenly becoming sorrowful. “I know it wasn’t. I’m sorry, Abby.” With a snap of her fingers the paper from Abby’s pocket appeared in Chloe’s hand.
“Lucas loved you. This was his fight, remember? He wouldn’t have sided with the wrong army. He was pure goodness and light and he was standing against all of this. You loved him, you can’t turn your back on what he stood for.”
Tears started to splatter against the dirt covered road, Chloe’s shoulders shook. “For all I know I only loved him because Arveda made me.”
“No, that’s not true. You loved him willingly. You did, I know it. Don’t let the world be destroyed just because of Arveda’s manipulations.”
Chloe’s shoulders slumped, as soon as her eyes met Abby’s she snapped her head to the side as a streak of fiery red hair came around the corner. Meri stood bloody and bruised with Lobo at her side. “Chloe, this ends now. Get your ass home and stop acting like a child.”
Abby’s eyes widened. “No.”
The words came before she even knew what was going to happen. Chloe’s eyes narrowed and the blue of her irises turned black. Something deep inside of her knew something was coming. The younger Striga shot her hands out hitting everyone with a blast of energy. Abby flew back into the wall and the sword clattered to the ground. Meri was the quickest to get back on her feet and ran toward her sister. Chloe’s arm shot out and something opened, as if reality tore itself a new door at her wordless command. The younger Striga walked through the door and disappeared as the Beast pushed off from his spot and lunged for his new escape route. Meri paused as soon as Chloe opened the portal, but a second later she regained herself and sprinted to head off the Beast. Lobo frantically followed as she came within striking distance of the creature. The Beast turned his head, bowed and flexed his neck at the precise time Meri was too close to change course.
Abby leapt to help, but Meri’s body came to an abrupt stop as a single horn sunk into her chest and protruded out of her back. He roared and thrashed his head in victory as Meri’s impaled body hung on his horn. Blood ran down his face, his inhuman snorts echoed off the buildings.
The world went into fast-forward. Abby cried out. Lobo still ran for his mate as the Beast flicked her limp body off his horn and continued through the portal. Abby doubled over, retching and wiping away the tears. Lobo slumped to the ground. He sat holding her body and staring into the empty space the Beast had parted through.
Abby tried to crawl over to him, maybe there was a chance Meri was still alive. “The healers, we need to—” Her words trailed off, Meri’s body transformed to some sort of winged and feather covered woman. Her green eyes flickered and with her next breath she shifted back to her human form. “What the—” Lobo’s head turned slowly, lips curled up, teeth bared, and snarling. She backed away and held her hands up. “Lobo, please. It’s just me.”
Seconds turned into minutes as Abby whispered plea after plea to Lobo. A shrieking cry splintered the silence and Lobo answered back with a howl and growl that made the hair on Abby’s neck stand on end. They were never going to get him to leave the alley. His eyes were wild like a wounded animal and as Abby looked closer she could see his fangs elongating and claws growing long and sharp.
Lobo growled again but this time he turned his attention towards the sound of heavy boots crunching along the gravel. Abby stood up, squinting into the darkness. She could make out a silhouette of a man. Tall, muscular, with a familiar gait. Even with her perfect night vision she could only make out the vaguest of details, except his armor, that shown brightly from the void. She reached for the black sword and gasped, “You.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
The light of the moon was the first thing Nico saw. Its pale glow bathed everything in an eerie yellow light. Shouting echoed all around and he quickened his pace as he was able to make out Chloe and Abby arguing. The creature who’d saved him jogged to keep up, “Nico, don’t forget, you’re different. Not all of them will accept you.”
He paused, “Good different or bad?”
“Well, which ever you choose to make it. You’re a personification. You need to maintain balance.”
“Personification of what—” His question broke off at the sound of a scream from a nearby alley and Nico sprinted towards it, “I don’t have time to think about balance right now.”
Nico slid to a stop at the opening of the alleyway. Meri’s bloody body lay on the ground with Lobo cradling her head in his lap. It took several nudges from Nico’s savior to make him snap out of this new hell was currently witnessing.
Throughout their troubled friendship there was always one thing he was certain of, in this crapshoot called life Meri would always outlive him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She fought hard, she loved hard, and she was loyal to a fault. He’d held out hope that she would survive until he saw her change. The Striga had briefly reverted to her true form for a moment before her soul left her body. It broke a part of Nico he didn’t even know existed.
They’d fought together and against one another, they’d argued, but in the end they always stood by each other. Now she was gone leaving everyone who knew her devastated.
“Will you help them, Nico?”
“I can’t disrupt them now.” Nico whispered.
“If not now, then when?” the man asked.
“I didn’t think your kind was into fortune-teller bullshit.”
“I think you don’t even know what my kind are.” He smirked.
Nico turned to face him, taking in the full sight of his savior. He tapped his chin. “Your glowing eyes give you away. You’re a Nephilim, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “I didn’t realize you knew any of us.”
“One or two.” Nico cast another glance down the alley “How did you end up in Hell?”
“Not all of us work for the Church.”
“You’ve sided with Lucifer? Then why help me on behalf of God?”
“I haven’t sided with anyone. I’m out for myself and my wellbeing rests on both sides staying where they belong. Good in Heaven, Evil in Hell, Purgatory for everyone else.”
“That’s a lie, you work for the Order. You’re a Dark-Soul.” Nico scratched his temple “Wait? How do I know that’s a lie, how did I know you’re a Dark-Soul?”
“You are the Personification of Justice. You can hear a lie. You can hear the truth, and your perception is quite exceptional”
&nbs
p; “So, you are lying?”
The Dark-Soul smiled. “Of course I am. You should know that the Church has spies everywhere, even in Hell. But my cover can’t be broken. My work isn’t done there.”
“But Rosa knows.”
“Yeah, she’ll have to be dealt with. That’s why you need to snap out of your fog and get everyone together.”
A scream cut through the air, Nico bristled. He knew exactly where that scream had come from. “Arveda.”
“She’s going to want blood for this. The Striga are not to be trifled with when it comes to their grief. You’ve already seen what grief did to Chloe, she turned her back on everything and everyone. Arveda might just obliterate New Mexico off the face of the planet. Meri was…” he paused and let his eyes wander to Lobo cradling Meri’s lifeless form. “Meri was to be Arveda’s successor. She was the embodiment of everything her mother had been in her youth. She was the favorite, with the exception of Chloe. Now the old Striga has lost both of them, she won’t take it lightly.”
“What do we need to do?”
“Get everyone to safety, Rosa will be coming for you.”
Nico smirked, “She can’t come for me, the Gates are closing. My sacrifice will seal her in there.”
The Dark-Soul shook his head. “Rosa doesn’t use the Gates to enter Hell, she’s been here long before you opened them, remember?” He glanced down towards Meri, “Not everyone in Hell needs the Gates, otherwise you’d never have to worry about demons. That entrance is needed for the Beasts, the Horsemen, and the full army.”
Nico nodded and took a step forward, then paused. He turned his head slowly, giving the man a curious look. “Did you just say Beasts? As in plural?” The man didn’t say a word but the twitch of his lips as they curled into a sly smile revealed more than Nico needed to hear. “Fuck.” He turned back to the street and started walking out of the shadows.
