Semiramis The Vessel

by Maya Daniels

  “Oh, dear goddess. They ate her,” Jez says faintly, and I snort.

  Well, I try to snort, but it sounds like a whimper. That little sound is all it takes for everyone to start running towards the cars with Lucifer carrying me like a baby cuddled to his chest. I want to protest because I’m a badass and all that, but those little suckers did a number on me, so I only whimper and curl up more, breathing in Lucifer’s scent which calms me. His arms are glowing and I’m guessing he is trying to heal me. I’m so on board with that. My blood is running down his chest and for some stupid reason I think, Oh, no, we’ll leave a trail, which is definitely ridiculous since the tank is full of bloody water and whoever it is that screwed with the piranhas already knows we drove here. Our two cars are the only ones in the parking lot. Subtle we are not.

  Regardless of all that, I lift my head even though it weighs a ton. I look over Lucifer’s shoulder to see how much of a blood trail we are leaving and frown. Around the tank there are saplings of new trees growing that weren’t there when we got here. As he runs, before turning a corner, I notice more of them following our path. Shit! I’ve lost so much blood that I’m hallucinating. I hear Remi say something and Lucifer grunts but I don’t understand a word anyone says. With that last thought, and seeing the cars ahead of us, I do the only thing a badass would do. I pass out from the blood loss.

  17

  Lucifer…

  Whoever is here, they’re hiding themselves too well for my liking. I know they’re here, but I can’t see them. I was going to play along with Alexia’s plan of retrieving the potions and getting out without any harm to humans, but this goes beyond anything I expected. I have grown soft and careless. With that thought, my power blasts around me, making the witches stumble, but I have no time to stop, because Alexia is bleeding out in my arms. To their credit, they say nothing, just right themselves and keep running. The whimpers coming from the woman in my arms break my heart. She is a tough little creature and hearing her like this makes me want to level this planet and everything in it. Another blast bursts from me, making Remi stumble and fall to her knees but she doesn’t complain. She pushes off the ground in one smooth move and keeps running.

  “Try not to kill us while you’re at it,” she says breathlessly and I grunt to acknowledge her.

  We were turning around a bear habitat when I felt Alexia stir in my arms, looking behind us. Now suddenly she goes limp and my breath stops. Pressing her tighter to my chest, I don’t stop running because I can see the cars ahead. I’m trying to feel a heartbeat from her—anything to tell me she only passed out and is alive. It’s a faint thump on my skin, but I feel it.

  “I’m taking her with me in your car, Remi. You drive but someone needs to drive her car,” I huff. Not because I’m out of breath, no. It’s because I’m scared out of my mind for Alexia.

  “On it,” Faith says, as we exit the zoo, and she veers off, heading for the Mustang.

  “Faith!” I call out, throwing her the keys that I pull out of Alexia’s pocket, and without missing a beat, she snatches them out of the air.

  As we reach the cars, all around us the darkness that surrounded the parking lot lights up in an eerie green glow of dark magic, the same glow I saw in the water before the piranhas attacked Alexia. Shadows start forming in the glow. My mind races to find a way for us to escape this place without anyone else coming to harm. I already know that despite her condition, Alexia would hate for anyone else to be injured.

  “Get in!” I thunder at the witches who stopped to stare at the magic forming around us. They scramble as fast as they can, jumping in the cars, and I crawl in the back seat with Alexia on my lap.

  “Don’t just sit there, Remi, drive. I’ll put up a shield,” I tell her.

  My power surges, encompassing both cars in a bright golden glow, and I can hear the shadows hissing as we head straight for them. When my power and their magic connect, it feels like I was dumped into a sewer. It’s nasty and sticky. It’s disturbing to feel it connect with my own power, but I grind my teeth and push harder so that the cars can get past it easier. Evil, red glowing eyes watch with hunger through the windows, but I can’t make out what they are. Tiamat is pulling out the big guns now that she’s lost the warlocks.

  I crane my neck to see if the Mustang is following and breathe a sigh of relief. Faith is right on our tail. After a minute, struggling with the evil pulling on my power like a popped bubble, we exit the eerie green glow and I sag in the seat. As Faith exits as well, I feel like I can take a breath for the first time since I saw Alexia’s blood in the water.

  “Are you clear?” Meda speaks for the first time since we left the house.

  “Yeah I think so,” Remi answers, looking at me through the mirror.

  I nod my head but I can’t talk right now. I concentrate all I have on Alexia. I must heal her before she bleeds to death. As I take a breath to start healing, I stop dead in my tracks. Before my eyes, her wounds close up, slowly but surely. The blood has stopped flowing and only the rips in her clothing stand witness to her injuries. How is this possible? Is she healing herself? My heart starts racing at what this means. She cannot be mortal if she’s self-healing. This could be a game changer. Does she know she can do this? I do not think so. She would’ve said something, I’m sure. That leaves me wondering. Should I tell her? Or should I tell the witches?

  “Oh, thank the Great Mother. You healed her.” Jezzinta breathes, twisting in the passenger seat to see Alexia better.

  I don’t say a word, just nodding my head. My mind is still whirling with the implications of this. Maybe I should’ve spoken to Inanna more before I tried to fight her. Alexia is making me act out of control and I am not thinking clearly. I shall go visit Inanna again after I make sure the witch gets some rest. It’s not just the path that has changed for Alexia. They have changed her, and I cannot be certain she will like it.

  Just as when we were going to retrieve the potions, the city flies by and I don’t pay attention to it, looking through the window but seeing nothing. Humans, like a blur of annoying insects, go on with their mundane lives, not knowing that the woman in my arms has fought hell and heaven alike to do right by them. They’ll never know it, either. They will continue praising gods that have better things to do than listen to their cries for help unless there is an offering they can use to their advantage. It is not lost on me that I was in that category, too, until the witch walked into my realm like she owned it, demanding I do what she wanted. I smile, looking at her beautiful face resting on my chest. There is blood everywhere, but that only makes her more alluring. She is unlike anyone I have ever met. Woman-child. Fearless like a goddess, yet the simplest things make her heart melt like a youngling. Of course, I would not dare say it to her. I have trouble getting the stubborn witch to let me into her heart, and I do not need more complications in that battle of wills. It’s a battle I will win.

  The car slows and I look away from her to see the reason for it. I’m on alert, but there was no reason for it. The witches drive like bats from hell, all of them. We’re turning into the path that leads to the cottage. As we pass the wards, I feel that they are somehow weaker. I felt it when we were leaving, too, but didn’t say anything so as not to worry Alexia more. No wonder Tiamat tried to attack her. She has found a way in. As we near the house, I let my power flow out of my body and place a shield around the wards already there. It should keep us protected for now—at least while we are here, which will not be for long.

  “I’ll get things ready so we can clean her up.” Jezzinta jumps out as soon as the car stops and rushes inside.

  “I’ll get tea ready.” Meda bolts after her.

  “You didn’t heal her.” Remi’s words slam me like a bull. She hasn’t even unbuckled her seatbelt.

  “Of course I did”

  “Don’t play games with me, Lucifer. I might not feel your energy but I sure as hell feel hers. She healed herself. I felt it.”

  “I do not think she know
s this,” I say, defeated.

  I cannot lie to Remi. She is too aware of Alexia, almost like a guardian of her life-force.

  “No, I don’t think she does, and I’m not sure we should tell her, either,” she muses, more to herself than me.

  “You will hide things from your sister?” I mock her halfheartedly. I actually agree with her on this.

  “I’m not hiding shit, angel. I’m just going to play dumb unless she asks outright,” she huffs.

  “I cannot disagree with this,” I tell her honestly.

  “Well, I don’t know what your reasons for not telling her are. Mine is very simple. If she knows, she’ll use it as a joker in her argument for none of us to go with her. That shit ain’t happening, I’ll tell you that much.”

  “I thought manipulation was the gods’ and angels’ way of dealing with things.” I can’t help but laugh, making her chuckle as well.

  “Yeah, yeah, but to deal with this jackass, we mortals must learn your ways, too. She needs us. Not to save her from others. She needs us to save her from herself. If our lives are needed for her to finish this journey, we will all gladly give them, no questions asked.” she points at Alexia and shakes her head sadly.

  I cannot argue with that sentiment, either. I’m sure there would’ve been a lot more words exchanged, but we both stop and exit the car when we see Inanna standing at the doorway, waiting on us. I’m sure she heard our exchange and my gut twists. Why is she here? This cannot be good news. Cradling Alexia’s body close to my heart, I walk towards her, dread dragging my feet

  18

  Alexia…

  I can’t remember the last time I’ve slept this well and the bed has felt this comfortable. Wiggling contently, I burrow deeper into it and sigh. The grunt I hear was not something I expected, and I freeze. Slowly, as though from a distance, voices trickle to my ears and I can’t understand them at first. Breathing evenly, I play possum until I know where I am and who’s here with me.

  As I control my breathing, the voices get louder and clearer until I can hear everything.

  “So you decided to come here?” Lucifer says angrily.

  “Of course I decided to come here. You are forgetting that she is part of me. She has a destiny she must fulfill. It’s not up to you or me to change that, no matter how much we wish we could,” Inanna answers.

  “Do we know this for sure? I mean, it’s not like Tiamat left us alone until now. Are we sure she actually sent her minions through a portal here, where there are billions of humans?” Remi’s voice is rising with each word like she can’t help herself and she practically screamed the last words.

  I silently agree with her, even if I’m not hundred percent sure what they are talking about.

  “Yes, I am sure. That’s why you were attacked tonight. They’ve been tracking you and working on breaking the protection wards around the property,” Inanna informs them calmly.

  “Why not tell me this when I came to your temple?” The softly spoken words don’t fool me at all, because I can feel Lucifer vibrating with anger.

  I guess it’s not a bed that’s comfy but Lucifer’s lap, since now I can feel how my body is draped over him with my head resting on his chest. I decide from now on I’m going to use him as a body pillow.

  “It was a bit difficult to tell you anything when you came with only one thing on your mind, angel. You needed to fight someone because you felt powerless to stop what has started unraveling. I gave you what you needed.”

  “I need nothing from you!” he snaps and I feel the gravel of his words vibrate in his chest.

  “I would beg to differ on that one,” she informs him promptly and I can’t help it. I snort.

  “You can stop pretending that you’re sleeping, love. I knew the moment you woke,” Inanna says softly, like talking to a child, and I bristle at the patronizing tone.

  “We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen,” I mock her, opening my eyes and looking right at her.

  She stands in the middle of the living room, and with all the bullshit we have dealt with, I find this the most bizarre thing ever. Her hair is loose, falling around her bare shoulders. The dress she wears looks like it’s been painted on her body like poured oil, shimmering black and pooling around her feet. If this was the first time I’d seen her, I would stare dumbfounded and probably reevaluate my sanity while wondering if she were real.

  “Stop that. It doesn’t become you,” she sniffs.

  “It doesn’t? And what does become me, mother?” I ask while trying to sit up.

  Well, that is going to happen, because Lucifer is like a dog with a bone. He tightens his arms around me with a growl. Seriously?

  “No one is taking me, Lucifer. I need to sit up. My neck hurts from looking up at her. Let me up.”

  “No!”

  That’s all I got. A no. Apparently, we have one word conversations now. I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. I wiggle and push harder, grinding my teeth.

  “Let me go!”

  “Let him hold you, Alexia. You were badly hurt, and he couldn’t protect you in time. He needs the contact to stay calm,” Inanna, ever the helpful, informs me and my hackles go up.

  “There is something wrong with all of you!” I huff.

  I get raised eyebrows from everyone in the room. My sisters stand around Inanna like the dutiful daughters they are, and I want to laugh. It must have shown on my face, because they’re frowning now. All of them, the goddess included. Talking about entities, I collect as much energy as I can in me and zap Lucifer’s arms with all I’ve got. He jolts hard and jumps up. I topple onto the floor like a sack. I don’t care; I can sit up now.

  “Witch!” He growls again and tries to come closer.

  I jump up, and taking a step back, I call fire to my palm and wiggle my hand in his face.

  “Stay back or I’ll burn your ass this time!” I warn him.

  Taking a deep breath after he stops and frowns, I turn to the rest of this gathering.

  “Let’s get one thing straight so we can move on to the more important things. First!” I point my flame burning palm towards Lucifer’s face, making him take a step back. It makes me grin like a fiend.

  “I don’t need you to protect me, angel. I think somewhere along the way we blurred some lines. I thought we were equal partners in all this. I’m not some damsel in distress who needs saving and I have proved that more than once, thank you very much!”

  He opens his mouth, I’m sure to inform me I’m wrong, but I make the fire brighter and he closes it with a snap. Good! I don’t need a discussion of rights and wrongs.

  “Second! If you want to be a sexist jerk, get the fuck out of here, or out of this world, for that matter. Don’t misunderstand and think I don’t appreciate what you’ve done, because I do. But, before you came, I managed to deal with Enlil on my very own. So, let’s get the idea of poor little Alexia needs saving out of our heads, shall we? If you want to work with me, together, then by all means let’s do that. I don’t need a bodyguard. All the entities invading my body and mind at one point or another made sure of that. Or did we forget that little bit? Awwww, we did!” I finish mockingly.

  They’re all staring at me, awestruck, but I don’t care. I’m on the roll here and I’m going to get everything out in the open before I go attack the rest of my secret stash of chocolate.

  “Third! Unless any of you have decided to speak the truth and tell me what the fuck is going on, I suggest you get the fuck out of my face. That goes for everyone! I’m tired of half-truths, things you all know but don’t say for one bullshit reason or another. So this is your chance. Any information you wish to share is welcomed this moment. After this, I don’t want to hear one word of what should or shouldn’t happen and what I should or shouldn’t do. Speak now or forever hold your peace!” I look around expectantly.

  “Who died and made you the one in charge?” Remi, of course, has to butt heads with me.

  “Funny, but so not the time. I meant eve
rything I said. Speak, because the moment I turn around, I will not listen to a word. And no more sneaking around, either. Everyone will speak in front of everyone else. I’ve had it with secrecy! I thought we were working together, not against each other.”

  “I think you’re just angry, love. With everything that has happened and the attack tonight, you need to rest first, before we talk. You lost a lot of blood and need to heal properly.” The love that shines in Inanna’s eyes does not help at all. I feel like she slapped me.

  “Angry?” I whisper the word. “You think this is anger I feel?” I look at her unblinking, and she frowns.

  “Of course it is. Not that anyone blames you for it.”

  “Anger!” I repeat like a dumbass.

  “It’s okay, Al,” Daisy speaks for the first time. “You should rest. You scared us to death when Lucifer brought you in. You lost so much blood.”

  “You think this is anger, too?” I turn on her.

  She takes a step back and with wide eyes, nods jerkily. I look at each of them and they all nod at my question. Even Lucifer gives one jerk of his head. I feel like the planet was dumped on my chest. My lungs are struggling to get air and I start panting like a wild animal. Who are these people, these creatures staring at me? Are these the people that love me and know me better than anyone else?

  With a heavy sigh, I scrub my hands over my face. The fire I brought up is long extinguished by now. I know I lost a lot of blood, but for whatever reason I don’t feel hurt, or tired for that matter. I just feel like weight is crushing my chest from their confused faces.