by Hadena James
Everyone suddenly turned to look at Levi.
“The situation is imploding, for whatever reason, that is not what I would expect. I would expect Kagutsuchi to run to the aid of his Witch. Instead he asks if he is missing something. Doesn’t that seem bizarre to anyone else?” Levi looked at me.
“Oh holy hell,” I hung my own head. “Kagutsuchi, you said Jasmine fixed the potions and what-not, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Have you always hated me for being a Half-Breed?”
“Yes,” Kagutsuchi answered.
“Why then would you agree to work with Jasmine?”
“Because she sees the world as I do.” He answered.
“No, she doesn’t. She sees the world as Chiron did. Even Sonnellion doesn’t believe I would raise an army and storm the palace, so to speak.”
“Sonnellion?” Kagutsuchi crooked his head to the side. It looked unnatural and painful.
“My life is complicated, essentially, my dead uncle begged me to kill him when he was resurrected.”
“Sonnellion cannot be resurrected.” Kagutsuchi closed his eyes. “That would be…”
“Exactly, so while you are running around doing Jasmine’s work, thinking you are fighting for a higher cause, the truth is, Jasmine is trying to bring about war,” I told him.
“No, I don’t believe that.” Kagutsuchi answered, opening his eyes. “I will not fall for your tricks.”
“It isn’t a trick, Kagutsuchi,” Mammon stepped into the chamber some.
“Isn’t it?” He seemed confused for another moment.
“No,” Mammon came all the way forward and put a hand on the Elemental’s shoulder.
“How do you know?”
“Do you think she is the only one who still speaks to Sonnellion?” Mammon gave him a strange look. “Not only that, but the True Prophet sides with her.”
“But he is her brother and damaged.” Kagutsuchi seemed to gain some confidence back.
“I was damaged,” Daniel’s voice came from somewhere. “The Prophet damaged me. Brenna fixed it.”
“What?” Several people said in unison.
“There has never been a Witch that is a True Prophet. Turns out the Witch center of my brain is where the Prophet tried to lodge.” Daniel stopped. “I can’t explain it. I just know that when the Prophet entered me, it fractured my mind. Brenna was able to heal the fracture.”
Daniel entered the room, my mother and siblings at his side. They were a frightening bunch.
Chapter Forty
“You are being used and lied to, Kagutsuchi. We may not have always seen things from the same point of view, but in this instance…” Mammon spread his arms wide.
I don’t know what my uncle did. There was an audible pop and the air in the room seemed to change with it. A strange, gentle wind blew through the chamber. We all stood in awe as Sonnellion appeared before us.
He was bigger yet. Nearly the size of my father. His stout arms and legs as big around as my waist. There was no hood. No horrid, missing flesh face. And the rack of horns that jutted out were terrifying for some reason.
“Sonnel,” Lucifer collapsed to his knees as he looked at his brother.
“It has been a long time, Lucifer,” Sonnellion smiled at him.
“Please, Sonnel, please forgive me.”
“I forgave you eons ago. It is I who should beg for forgiveness, not you.” Sonnellion turned to look at Mammon.
“Why did you summon me?” He asked.
“Because we need you,” Mammon answered.
“We have never met with a group before,” Sonnellion seemed to take it all in for a moment. “Especially one as mixed and diverse as this.”
“No being alive or dead, understands how hate corrupts a soul like you do, brother,” Mammon answered.
“You expect me to impart wisdom on the subject, Mammon?” Sonnellion cocked his head to the side. “Being dead doesn’t remove hate.”
“No, but love does,” Mammon countered quickly, “and you understand both.”
“How can…” Kagutsuchi seemed taken aback by Sonnellion’s presence.
“Being dead does not necessarily mean that you are gone for forever. A powerful Witch or a handful of others can bring you from the ether. Brenna and her siblings can conjure me with a thought. Mammon as well. However, with me, it may have something to do with blood. To everyone else, I appear as a Human, to them a Demon.”
“You seem to be getting bigger,” I eyed him suspiciously.
“No, I was just always smaller,” Sonnellion answered.
“So, you did get bigger.” I shook my head.
“This is my real size, my real look; this is what I looked like before I died. Only Mammon can conjure me like this. To everyone else, I am smaller.”
“Weird.” I gave up on it, deciding his size didn’t matter.
“Gabriel,” Sonnellion seemed to notice him for the first time.
“Sonnellion,” Gabriel gave him a curt nod.
“Still angry,” Sonnellion sighed. “Let’s get on with this; we both grow weak as I stand here.”
“Kagutsuchi believes all Demon-Witch half-breeds are evil.” Mammon pointed.
“Why?” Sonnellion raised an eyebrow.
“For the same reason I think there is something fundamentally wrong with Leprechauns. Tiny Elders just seem unnatural.” I interjected.
“Only you,” Leviathan laughed and tried to cover it with a cough.
“It is my turn to make a judgment,” Sonnellion looked at me. “Hate will tear you to pieces, niece. Just because something seems odd or weird or different, doesn’t mean you should dislike it. Be open to the possibilities it brings. Leprechauns are small for a reason, I’m sure.”
“Great, now turn that pointed dagger at Kagutsuchi.” I brought us back to the real reason of the conjuring.
“Fine. Why is a Witch-Demon half breed any different than any other half-breed? How is it different than a Vampire-Elemental half breed? Does the being not possess the power of both breeds? Does the being not struggle with their powers? You have singled out the children of Lucifer for your hatred. But do you truly understand why you hate them? Do they instill fear? Do they instill a sense of impending doom? Is it because they are all gifted beyond their comprehension? Or do you secretly hate Lucifer? Why his children, Kagutsuchi? Why his half-breed brood over any other half-breed brood? It is a question you need to ask yourself and one you need to honestly answer.
“I spent eons wondering why my own brothers sided with the other Elder breeds before I realized what it was for me. I had feared Gabriel and Anubis and Vishnu. Not only did I not understand what they were capable of, but they weren’t Demons and I had known nothing but Demons. And they were teenagers. I did not realize at the time that their pranks and practical jokes were not meant to be malicious. I had never dealt with teenagers before.
“Then there was my own evil to contend with. I had been the youngest, the one that everyone had lavished with attention and affection. The new Elders, the young Elders, they were my competition. I felt I was no longer the favorite of my brothers. They had new companions, new friends.
“I had to ruin that. I had to ruin them. When I flew into that rage, I didn’t think about what I was doing. I didn’t consider the consequences. They were as immortal as I and I never considered what something like that would do to them. I couldn’t see past my own blind hate and anger.
“I look back and realize that if I had opened my eyes and my heart, I would be a part of this. I would not be the boogeyman; I would be standing with my brothers. I would be fighting with them. I would have had centuries and centuries to adjust to young children and teenagers. I could have been a part of the lives of my nephews and nieces. I might have found my own mate. I might have had children of my own.
“Instead, I have Brenna. She looks like me. Some genetic fluke. I watch her from the ether and realize that she is the closest thing to a legacy that I will ever have.
And I feel her heart. I know she tries to hate me for what I did because she loves Gabriel and I hurt him. I know she tries to hate me for hurting my brothers, her uncles and father. But she can’t. Despite all the evidence that I am evil and bad and should not be loved, her heart still loves me. Her heart still tells her that I am her uncle. That despite all that I have done, she knows there is good in me and she loves me for that.
“What will your legacy be, Kagutsuchi? Will you let hate destroy you? Will you become the Elder that dies trying to kill Lucifer’s children because you have been led astray? Have you thought of all the repercussions of your actions? Have you considered what something like that would do to Lucifer? To the Brothers?
“And have you considered why I can be conjured but Chiron cannot? Will you join him?”
“Why can’t we conjure Chiron?” Kagutsuchi asked reluctantly.
“Because Chiron does not reside in the ethereal. I suppose you could call where he resides, Hell, but I am not sure that is accurate. His soul cannot be brought forth. His soul cannot be returned to this world. His hate was stronger and purer and more toxic than my own. His hate ensured that he could not return to Earth. His hate ensured that he could never do anything to another living soul. Mine was not that strong. Yes, it was there, to some degree, it still is. But my deeds were not as evil as Chiron’s. My deeds did not deserve the punishment that his did. If you go through with this plan, how stained will your soul be?”
Chapter Forty-One
“You lie,” Kagutsuchi finally said.
“I am dead; there is no need to lie. When I am resurrected, I will be a monster. My soul will be even more twisted in another body. I have asked Brenna to make sure she kills me, releases me from that fate. Preferably before my soul is as twisted and stained and corrupted as some others. All four of us will be worse than when we first walked the Earth.”
“What?” Kagutsuchi narrowed his eyes at me.
“The Four Horsemen.” Sonnellion brought everyone’s attention back to himself. “I don’t understand the resurrection, but I know it is destined to happen. I know the three souls that wait with me. And as the time draws closer, their souls become stronger. That is your real enemy, Kagutsuchi. Not the children of Lucifer, but those that would resurrect the dead.”
“The half-breeds are the only ones with that sort of power,” Kagutsuchi returned to me.
“I am not capable of necromancy,” I informed him. “I cannot create a Zombie anymore than you are capable of creating a kraken.”
“But the double soul spell,” Kagutsuchi said.
“Oh, I can cast it, but it causes me physical pain to do so. I have done it once, while dying. If that magic never touches me again, it will be too soon. My sister on the other hand, has no quarrels with casting dark magic. She is the one that created this curse. It has a bit of soul in it, meaning that either she used her own or more likely, she used the soul of that young Witch over that to make it stronger. So far, we haven’t found a way to break it. That is the magic my sister will cast.”
“Much like my curse, Kagutsuchi,” Anubis finally spoke. “You talk of Brenna as though she were the devil, as though she were evil incarnate, but she isn’t. I have seen that magic up close and personal. Do you think I would stand by her if she were casting dark magic?”
“Anubis…”
“No, you will listen, Kagutsuchi. I understand hate and fear. I should fear Brenna more than any other being on this planet; she could kill me with just a push of magic. She could destroy my soul with it. She is powerful enough to break the curse I wear, but smart enough to know that she can’t. She knows the dark magic that is tied to it and knows that even with a coven of Witches ten times as powerful as she is, she cannot break my curse. You forget, my Witch used my own soul to create this monstrous face and head. And by breaking the curse, my soul would be destroyed. Even while we stand here debating your hate, several of us know her secret. A secret we have been keeping for months.”
“Anubis,” Leviathan made his name a warning.
“I think he should know,” Anubis answered.
“Then I will tell it, not you,” Mammon stepped forward.
“Kagutsuchi, as Overlord and a warrior in the First War, you killed. What did it do to you? Were you sick over it? Did you weep into your pillow when you closed your eyes? Did you worry about it while you were awake?”
“Yes, as much as any Overlord.”
“Brenna killed Chiron. She dreams of him every night. She thinks about him all the time. She did not kill him in cold blood. She did not kill him without a moment of hesitation. She did not kill him and forget. She has talked with most of us about it, looking for a solution to end the suffering she endures because she fought for her own survival and won. Yet, you follow the orders of a Half-Breed you claim to hate who would willingly cast dark magic. A Witch that would willingly wrap your own soul into a spell and use it on someone else. I don’t give a damn if you like Brenna or hate her or fear her that is your choice. But to follow her sister’s orders, to do her sister’s biding…” He paused. “You should be smarter than that.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Kagutsuchi seemed to think about that for some time. The rest of us stood around and waited for him to come to some sort of decision. Sonnellion stared at me.
“What?” I finally whispered.
“If I had lived long enough to have a daughter, I would have wanted one like you. Strong, smart, powerful, everything that I expect from my blood.” Sonnellion told me.
“I don’t know what to think of that,” I admitted to him.
“Don’t think anything of it, it was not in my destiny,” Sonnellion shrugged.
“This hasn’t changed my mind,” Kagutsuchi finally said.
“Nothing that is said will change your mind, only actions and inactions can change that.” Sonnellion told him. “No amount of argument would have swayed me back then either. Only time has made me realize that I was at fault.”
“Sonnellion,” Mammon said his name softly.
“Of course, brother, until we met again,” Sonnellion gave everyone a small wave and disappeared. I somehow found that even more unnerving than his pleas that I kill him later.
“Jasmine is right, you will try anything,” the red-headed Witch spoke for the first time since the arrival of Magnus.
“Whatever,” I turned my attention back to Kagutsuchi.
Normally, his skin glowed ever so slightly. It has a faint orangish glow that reflected his status as a Fire Elemental. The glow had faded some though. His features more distinct without it, he looked like a man in deep need of guidance.
His eyes seemed very deeply set in their sockets and faint dark circles could be seen under them. His lips were thin, pressed tightly together. His cheeks sallow and sunken.
He did not look well.
“Kagutsuchi, are you all right?” I asked him.
“Fine,” he shook his head. I noticed something as he did, a faint tendril of magic, sickly yellow in color. Sonnellion hadn’t touched him. He couldn’t siphon off his power. So why had he been touched by it?
“Kagutsuchi, I think you need to sit down,” I gave a look to Anubis. Anubis moved in, grabbed the arm of the smaller Overlord and led him to his normal seat at the Council table.
Fear suddenly appeared in those sunken eyes. He turned to my father, a plea on his face.
“Lucifer, I do not… There is something wrong,” Kagutsuchi said as he collapsed onto the table.
Lucifer began to rush forward. The other Demons moving with him.
“Stop!” I ordered, still staring at his magical aura.
“What is it Brenna?” Mammon asked.
“A spell maybe, a curse more likely,” I frowned. I hadn’t felt the magic before. I could feel it now, radiating from him, trying to drain him of his life force.
More Witches suddenly appeared in the doorway of the Chamber. Their faces were covered with the same spell that had once covered the red
-head’s. Suddenly, it became clear. It wasn’t a single Witch; it was a Coven doing Jasmine’s work.
She had used the red-head because he was Magnus descendant. The others I imagined also had power. I recognized none of them as Great House Witches.
“This day just keeps getting better and better,” I commented dryly.
“Magnus, feel free to join the others over there,” one of the Witches pointed towards us.
Magnus grumbled but moved, leaving his grandson in a heap on the floor. His eyes were narrowed, his lips pursed together. I imagined he was probably grinding his teeth.
“What the hell do ya think you’re doing?” He said, taking up a spot next to me.
“Righting the natural order of things,” the Witch responded.
One of them cast a spell. My uncles and father got an odd look on their faces. They stopped moving completely. I watched in horror as they slowly turned to stone.
“Demons neutralized,” the Witch that had cast the spell said.
“Don’t try it on her,” the red-head was attempting to get up off the floor. “Every spell you cast at her makes her stronger.”
“We know,” the one I took to be their leader said.
“You’ve all been conjuring Sonnellion to use his power,” I made it a statement.
“Yes, the mark has been very helpful there,” the leader returned.
“I’m sure it has, but you realize you are making him stronger with each conjuring.”
“He’s dead, that’s impossible.”
“With most dead, I would agree with you. But Sonnellion isn’t most, he isn’t even among the few, he is unique, a stand-alone, so to speak,” I told them.
“Another lie,” the red-head spat the words at me.
“If I’m lying, why is he now appearing in Demon form and not as the Human boogeyman of Witch Legends?”
They all seemed to consider this for a second. One shuffled his feet. A weakness had just appeared. Maybe they weren’t as solid as they thought.
“That is of no consequence to us,” the leader finally spoke. “We came after Pandora’s Box, nothing more. When we have it, you can return your Demons to form and we’ll all go about our lives.”
