Hunter switched the ignition off and angled his rigid body and laid a hand on Luxor’s knee, giving it a light pinch. “You don’t have to listen to him. It’s my choice that I haven’t ‘done my job,’” he said with a serious expression, bending his fingers into talking marks.
She turned towards him. “No, I want to meet him. It’s normal right?” she said. There was no back tracking now, no matter her reservations.
“Parents are overrated,” he said. “Say the word and I’ll turn around now.”
Luxor hated that she made Hunter think doing his job was something he had to accomplish. She hated how selfish she was, how being here was for her ulterior motive. Night after night she would lose sleep, too afraid to close her eyes. But her father was able to get to her at any place, anytime. She wanted to burn his star. She dreamt of an idyllic life without him.
Why did doing the right thing feel so wrong?
“Your wish is my command.” He ransacked the glove compartment and papers, Skittles packets flew everywhere until he reached the bottom. He retrieved a handful of knives and scooped them up into his lap. “Just in case.”
“Do you have more?” she said. “Just in case.”
“These meeting are quite civil, you expecting trouble?” Hunter said with a short laugh which didn’t sound right.
“Nope. Just in case,” she repeated. He exposed the boot at the rear of the car and exposed his arsenal. Knives, swords, bags of salt and holy water made up a great majority of weaponry. “That’s quite the bundle you have there.”
“Not nearly enough. But it’s better to be over prepared then under.”
“What’s the plan? And don’t say you’re winging it.”
“Okay, I won’t,” he said.
Luxor didn’t find any reassurance in his lack of plan, or overly calm demeanour. If anything, it spiked her anxiety. Hunter had no idea what he was walking into to. He had yet to meet her father, and if he could torture Luxor, she didn’t want to imagine what he’d do in a face-to-face non corporeal manner. Or worse. When he came to life. He would lock her mind in a self-contained jar and throw away the key. Except now she had a bargaining tool.
“What if things turn bad?”
Hunter furrowed his brows. “Is it your intuition?”
“No, it’s jus-”
“Yeah, yeah. Just in case.”
“Okay. Basically, here’s the low-down. Stick enough knives in any place you can get them, but still make sure you’re mobile enough. If you see anything stab them. Simple.”
Luxor rifled through the stash and stuck knives in her back pocket, the inside, and a small swiss army knife in her front pocket, it wasn’t much but it wasn’t like she had come prepared. “Yeah simple. Does it have to be through the heart?” A lighter grabbed her attention and she swiped, slipping it into her jacket pocket.
“That’s vampires. With demons any place will do.” He zipped up his hefty backpack and slung it over one shoulder.
“That’s it? A knife to rid them?”
“Helps they are coated in holy water.” Hunter said. “Lift your leg up.” Leaning against the car Luxor obliged. He ripped the bottom of her jeans and attached a black, calf holster and fastened the Velcro. From the back of his jeans he slipped in a shiny silver knife the length of her arm, the faded wooden handle inscribed with a series of symbols. “It’s my favourite knife, use it well. And please don’t lose it.” Whipping open her jacket, he slipped in a bottle of holy water in one side, and a jar of salt in the other. “Not fully equipped but that’ll do.”
“No arrows?”
“I’m aiming for inconspicuous,” he said slamming the boot.
Hunter flicked on the torches, passing one over, as they set off in the dark path and navigated the trail. Unlike last time where it was illuminated and joy filled the air, sinister vibes emitted along the path, growing darker the further they descended. Before it had been straight, but now it curled scrambling Luxor’s brain to the point she lost focus.
“Out of curiosity, why is it called the Red Lake?” she asked.
“I’m assuming because lots of bloodshed has been spilt.”
Luxor thought about this. Brighton Falls was a small town hidden in obscurity where the opening of a McDonalds would be a call for occasion. Mass murder didn’t fit the mould to give such a gruesome name.
“Just because it seems quiet, the concealed darkness suggests otherwise,” he said. “Think of it as the boogeymen.”
Hunter had an innate gift of picking up on her thoughts even if she hadn’t expressed them yet.
A murder of crows amassed, dark and ominous, as if sensing the stranger around their abode. Sticking the flashlight upwards, the crows didn’t hide in the branches and wait. They made up the trees. Rough bark grazed her skin on either side, she couldn’t recall it being that narrow. One gentle step in front of each other, she concentrated on her footsteps careful not to tumble, and alert of their presence. Although blind, at least Luxor was not alone, the magnetic force emanating from Hunter and the several occasions she bumped into him proved it.
A nauseous feeling gripped the pit of her gut as she dragged her feet, her legs felt like lead weights. She wanted to escape, but if she had to give Hunter up to stop the visions, she would do whatever it took. A sharp scent sprung in the air which had her staggering back. Death. Decay. And something all too common.
Luxor paused. She sniffed the putrid aroma. “Do you smell that?” She puffed out her cheeks and held her hand over her mouth.
Hunter crinkled his nose. “Sulphur. Looks like we have company.”
Just as Luxor suspected. Sulphur. Blood. Her enemy.
It was go time. Time to end the nightmare.
At the end of the clearing, the Red Lake laid out before her, calm and serene, a façade for the impending doom. If last time was any indication, she would be shortly swimming with the fishes.
“Cane, oh Cane,” Luxor sang out. Hunter creased his forehead and looked over at her. Cocking her head to this side she stared him straight on, kept a poker face on and arched an eyebrow. She wouldn’t verbalise she knew the truth about her parentage and Hunter had kept it from her, but she hoped her expression made it clear. “I’m here, right on time.” There was still a couple of minutes to go but she doubted he would let it go down to the wire.
“What are you doing? Only I can summon him?”
“Are you sure about that?” she deadpanned.
“Maybe he’s stuck in traffic,” Hunter said with no hint of humour, his eyes roaming around the area with one hand inside his jacket on the blade handle.
“Nah, he’s a dickwad, he’ll come late,” she said. “Faaa-ther,” she called out loud and shivered at having to call out that name.
Over the horizon, violet strikes boomed and licked the darkness of the sky, x-raying impending clouds and parting to a crimson hue to let in their unwelcome predator. It held a promise of grim times ahead.
Luxor cupped her ears and shut her eyes against the blinding glare.
A flock of black descended blocking about the grey skies and cascaded effortlessly to the surface. The Habitis stood erect like soldiers, both to embrace and protect their evil leader, their heads bowed, and for a while they stayed idle like robotic soldiers ready to be activated with a flick of a button. A veil dropped from the sky, and like before, he floated above the lake, his identity hidden behind the hood of his floor length hooded coat. Cane had the capacity to rob and paralyse Luxor with merely his vision. He was the evil which lurked within, an evil she was unable to rid. But his blood ran through hers.
Would genetics transcend?
Another bright streak of lightning lit up the sky and the creatures parted like the Red Sea.
Dramatic much?
The man partially peeled back the hood to reveal a lock of ebony hair. He was everything Luxor had been expecting except in the flesh, his beauty was magnified. His shoulder length, onyx hair was loosely pulled back, highlighting his high che
ekbones and chiselled features. Behind the beauty a monster lurked ready to inject fear in all those standing in the way of gaining his prize. He removed his cape, even that action highlighted a regal aura. He was a complete and utter perfect nightmare.
Cane gazed at Luxor taking in every inch as if he was comprising a list where she had gotten her physical traits from. “My darling daughter, right on time I see,” he said with a smooth voice.
“Unlike you.”
The scene resembled one from a Wild West movie, except instead of when the clock struck at high noon, thunderstruck at midnight. A time smack bang, being neither day nor night. The stillness froze all around them in this unfair fight. Two against one. But combine Hunter and Luxor’s supernatural power and it was one supernatural entity against one of godly proportions. Add with her father’s back up, the scales tipped even further, defeat an almost certainty.
“Ruling is tedious. Work, work, work but who says there’s no pleasure in the play,” he said. “And you’ve brought my gift.” He smiled maliciously, treading the water until he reached solid ground.
Indentations of his boots imprinted on the dirt. Luxor swallowed hard at his corporeal form. She had assumed he was a strong hallucination brought to life but never once contemplated he was real enough to harm her. Cane was self-indulgent, and perfect by nature on the outside. But on the inside maggots ate away at his rotted core.
“Here, he is.”
“Here she is,” Hunter said at the same time and exchanged an expression of confusion.
"Well, isn’t this a dilemma?” Cane asked Luxor. “I assume Hunter is unaware of our deal. “Never mind, I’ll take you both.”
“No,” Luxor screamed no quite sure on what. Was it Cane not holding up his end of the bargain, or taking them both?
“Fair’s fair.”
“What deal?” Hunter took a few tentative steps back.
“You for her sanity,” Cane informed him.
Beside her Hunter took a sharp inhale of breath, quickly masking it as a cough.
“It sounds worse than it is,” Luxor said quickly. “Besides you were doing the same,” she justified, knowing it wasn’t.
“It’s my job. And I asked—no, I urged—you saying we could turn around.”
“Tsk, tsk, teenage drama. Well sort of,” Cane said snidely, and snarled. “That’s not your decision boy.”
“It is when you’re not her father.”
“But I am. Our powers prove it,” he let out a series of thunderbolts which then exploded into flames.
“Who are you?” Luxor asked.
“If you haven’t learnt by now, I’ll give you a clue. You won’t find me in a book. All bow down to us.”
“It’s a wonder your head hasn’t exploded,” she quipped. “I’m not above anybody else.”
“Boldness. That’s what I like to see.” Cane puffed out his chest, his eyes glinting.
How could the colour of jewels hold such evil?
Luxor felt anything but bold. Determined, yes, but having faith in pulling off this mess she had dragged Hunter to was buried deep in false bravado.
"Answer me one question. What are you? You're not a Grigori."
"Of course I'm not a Grigori you stupid boy, Luxor knows all about her title," Cane grunted rolling his eyes.
“What's he talking about?” Hunter asked her.
“Royalty. That's what he keeps telling me.”
"I've been called many names over my existence, most to be honest are quite ridiculous but whatever. As a treat I'll name in alphabetical order. Let's see there's Apollyon, Beast, Beelzebul, Belial." He counted them off his fingers, and shuddered. "And of course, Prince of Darkness." He stared a fraction too long at Luxor, gauging her reaction.
Cane was aware of her power, it was the same as his although hers wasn't as strong and she couldn't control it. It was what made her dangerous and all the more alluring.
"Do you know what my favourite ones are?" he asked smugly.
"I think you missed psychotic asshole," she yelled.
Oh, fuck this is bad. Angel shut up! Hunter urged her mind
Hunter demanded, stiffening beside her, his tension pouring into her. Theo was silently swearing running his hands down his face which Castor found amusing.
Cane chuckled evilly and nodded. "I see panic through your eyes. You are scared little girl, no need for theatrics my dear daughter." Cane sadistically seemed to enjoy her fear, which enlarged his ego. "I was created Lucifer, The Lightbringer, but once I fell was given the name Satan, but you my darling princess can call me daddy. Together we will rule all the realms, and all will bow down to you. I'm quite surprised you all haven't figured it out by now I've been thorough with my clues. Then again, the education system is in shambles, teaching about all the pious godly entities."
Let me be anybody's daughter besides his.
"I don't believe you," she challenged him.
It wasn't purely a case of denial; she was biding time for somebody to come to her aid. They were nowhere to be seen but that didn't mean they wouldn't. If she was as important as everybody claimed then good would be restored. Or so she hoped.
Subconsciously she knew a darkness resided in her soul. But never could she imagine being Lucifer's daughter.
No, Satan.
Cane lifted his arms up to the sky, the grey clouds began to flicker emitting aqua sparks. "The eyes are the window to the soul, yours are like mine, aqua; a mixture between the blue of the sky and ocean and green of nature. You are my very first daughter, a child born from the light and innocence. Lux meaning light and a lily is the emblem of innocence. Let me ask you something? What's your birthday?"
“What does it matter?”
“Answer the question child.”
"Sixth June."
"And time?" he asked with a smooth dulcet tone.
Luxor knitted her eyebrows. At a time like this finding out those minor details shouldn't have been a priority. “Time?”
"The time you were born." He gritted his teeth, waving his arms upwards creating a sonic boom.
Luxor flinched remembering how she stared at her birth certificate until her eyes burned. Stared at the place where her mother's name was. Stared at the blank space where her father's should have been. Finally, the time and date. Sixth of June at six am.
The wheels clicked into placed and she crumbled. "Six, six, six." She quivered. Hunter's arms wrapped around her shoulders.
Cane smiled wickedly in a Machiavellian way. "A child of a new millennium with a very apt number.”
Luxor’s knees buckled and she was on the verge of collapse.
Hunter swiftly held her upright. “Don’t fall apart on me now.”
Lucifer. His blood ran through hers. All the bad things she had been told.
The accident. The classroom incident. Almost choking Scarlett. All was a result of who, and what she was. Before Luxor Unveiled Ellie had never hurt anybody.
“Hunter, bring her to me, and reveal the cloth.”
Luxor eyed him, unsure he would have her back after she betrayed him. After he knew the truth. Peeking out from his jacket she noticed the cloth he used to stop her bleeding. She moved away, slowly wishing she could invade his mind like he had done hers on so many occasions. Hunter dug his heels into the ground, his hand clutched inside his jacket.
“I want proof you’ll remove whatever hex you have on my mind,” Luxor said.
“You’ve had the power all along,” he said and pointed to the chain.
Luxor exposed the necklace, and held the trio of gems. Her hand warmed up and in a flash the environment changed to a room of brightness.
Cane had a firm hand on her shoulder and gave it a rough squeeze. Except she didn’t feel anything. “See, I may not be able to hurt you in person, but shattering your mind will give me great delight. Just like I did to my sweet, sweet Astrid’s.”
“Shut up!” Luxor shrieked. The sky lit up in a vibrant purple.
“She left, an
d not without help, and for that Hunter will also pay.”
“What are you talking about?” Luxor turned towards Hunter. “What is he talking about?”
Hunter’s lips set in a grim line. “Revenge. This goes beyond you and me. All in history.”
History. It all made sense. This was why Hunter was so adamant to help Luxor with figuring out her family tree. Why he was the only one who could.
Luxor swallowed and turned towards Cane. “Aww you suffering a broken heart? Wonders will never cease, you have one.”
His features turned to stone. “That was my downfall.”
She levelled her gaze with contempt. “No, your downfall was being a self-indulgent jerk with daddy issues. What’s wrong, didn’t he show enough affection?”
Luxor launched into a coughing fit and doubled over, holding her knees. He had a vise-like grip on her throat and applied pressure to choke the disobedience out of her. And she gave him the power. The moment she became Luxor, she made herself more vulnerable. Before he was a silent, hooded figure which petrified her but she survived his torture. But that was nothing compared to his corporal state capable of harming everybody but her.
Hunter gripped her shoulders to keep her steady. “What did you do to her?”
“Don’t go developing feelings for the girl, somebody will get hurt, and it won’t be her.”
“You really are a despicable piece of work. Come take me, just leave her alone.”
Cane clicked his fingers and Luxor slumped forward and swayed as she regained possession of her body. Hunter looped his arms around her waist and held her close. She snuggled in and inhaled his aroma. It provided a pillar of support and she leaned on him in more ways than one. Realisation dawned on her as conflicting emotions arose and she debated her decision. She had been pitted between a rock and a hard place, her flimsy plan shredded into strips. Cane played her like a marionette puppet, strung up high on strings as she danced to his tune; bouncy when he was happy or bending her backwards when his plans didn’t go his way.
Unveiled: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Page 44
