Raising Hell

by L W Rogers

  I stop a couple of metres from it, feeling the decay and death that linger here and crouch to the ground. I hesitate briefly before I gently place the tips of my fingers on the earth beneath them. I tense in preparation for what is to come. Nothing. Not even a blip. Odd. I really thought that this would be enough. Ugh, my subconscious is pushing me to get closer and I try to resist it, to ignore it, but I know it is the only way.

  I gingerly walk closer to the cindered tree, my heart racing with the anticipation of what is to come. I stop just in front of the tree stump, which emits plumes of smoke into the night sky. I crouch and place my hand on the steaming hot stump, my fingers beginning to burn from the touch, but no vision comes. I can feel myself instantly relax as I let out a sigh of relief. I take my hand off the stump and admire the damage that it has done to my hand. Small blisters are forming at the tips of my fingers. It hurts like hell, but it won't last long. I’ll be healed before the sun comes up.

  "Cadence!" a voice shouts, causing me to jump to my feet with fright, turning in the process. It’s just Helena, with some of the coven behind her.

  "What on earth has happened here?" she asks, shocked at what she is seeing. It’s not the gorgeous, serene garden she is used to. As I begin to walk towards her, I see Maggie amongst the small gathering and instantly feel a little relief.

  Gasps begin to ripple through the group as I get closer, some having their hands to their mouths in a state of shock. I briefly look back at the carnage and can see why they would react like this.

  "Goddess! What has she done?" Helena speaks out.

  "It wasn't me..."

  "No Cadence, your face." Maggie interrupts me. She looks fearful, as do many of the others.

  "What? Have I burned myself?" I ask, unsure what is going on.

  "What did you do Cadence?" Helena asks again in accusation.

  "I have no idea what you are going on about?" I’m about to push through the group to go inside, but Helena stops me by grabbing my arm. She turns me to face the conservatory windows, forcing me to look at my reflection. The moon shines down like a night light, showing me and the coven what they all saw. I have been marked by darkness. Intricate swirls of black and red weave their way up the left side of my neck and onto my face. They branch out like a tree, only stopping at my jaw-line. I gulp. I know what I’ve done, but I am not about to admit it to the coven.

  I turn back to see their faces. There is judgement written across all of them, even Maggie's. It hurts a little to see this, but I am in no mood for this shit right now. We all have a job to do.

  "You can deal with whatever this is later," I snap at them, "For now, my mum is currently dead, cold and alone in her room and she needs the burial she deserves before it’s too late." I push myself through the group and into the house. I can hear their mumbles and the clattering of feet as they enter the house behind me. I head upstairs to my mum’s room. Gasps follow from behind me as they all take in the sight of her.

  I hear whispers of prayers to the Goddess and such. I roll my eyes in frustration. That isn't going to do much now. Where was the Goddess when my mum needed her? I can feel anger begin to bubble within me, causing my hands to heat to a dangerous level. I have to force myself to calm down.

  "If you could all head downstairs and to the front of the house, I will bring her down." I tell them.

  "We can help." Helena tells me.

  "No need." A wicked smirk forms as I begin to levitate her. Helena gives me a look of shock and there is fear in her eyes, but she doesn't say a word. They all head out as I bring mum down.

  The rest of the coven have arrived and are already being filled in by the others on the revelations from tonight. There are more judgemental looks as I make my way outside to face them all. They spread themselves out into a semi-circle surrounding the front of the house. The whole coven is here. That’s a lot of faces glaring back at me. I place my mother in the centre in front of them, still levitating above the ground. We need an altar to lay her on as the preparations are made. I don't want her lying on the cold gravel below.

  Normally I would ask Maggie. Being an earth element, she could do all this for me, but it doesn't feel right. As selfish as it is, I want to see what I am capable of and I also want to teach the coven a lesson. They need to know that I am now coven leader and more powerful than they can imagine. I feel their eyes on me, burning into my soul.

  Focusing on the ground beneath my mum, I use my hands to gesture in an upward motion as if an invisible force is pulling from the ground. The ground shakes, causing the coven to look beneath them. A large mound of earth begins to rise from the ground, stopping just below my mum. With a few swirls of my hand, flowers begin to bloom, until the whole mound is covered in a bouquet of colours and scents. I slowly lower her onto her bed of flowers.

  I look to the coven. They all have the same, concerned, fear stricken look on their faces. Not one says a word.

  "Now it is with great sadness that we have all been brought together tonight. Your coven leader, my mum, has been taken from this world too soon and with such brutality that I vow that I will find the witch responsible for this and make her pay," I tell the coven with conviction.

  "A witch? How could you accuse a fellow witch? That's not an accusation to make without proof," Helena speaks up.

  "I know this, because I saw it. The Goddess has gifted me with the power of sight." Gasps and murmurings follow at this revelation.

  "I saw and felt this witch and her power. She did this. She used dark magic. I will find her and I will stop her."

  The coven whisper amongst themselves some more. No one questions my new gift, maybe out of fear.

  "Now please. Let’s begin," I tell them, as I invite the coven leaders to make the same circle that we had previously done for Hannah. I take the position of fire, as I normally would, invoking my element as I have always done, even though I know I don't need to do that anymore. I allow Helena to continue with spirit. She calls upon it as she always has, but gives me a look that makes me feel like she knows I could likely invoke her element too. We continue the ritual as usual and when all the elements depart their corresponding witches step back to join the others. There will be no burial today. My mum’s instructions were always very clear, she was to be cremated and her ashes spread across her garden. I step closer to her, wanting to say one final goodbye before her physical body departs the earthly plain. Her eyes are closed. She looks like she is sleeping. Tears now fall fast and hard as I take her hand before my final goodbye. Her hand is stiff and cold. The all too familiar pain from my first vision comes flooding back as a second one hits me, forcing me to my knees.

  Snippets flash through my head. There is nothing that makes sense. There’s a cup of blood, the same pentagram from the conservatory, and the familiarity of me being in someone else’s body. Yet something is different. It doesn’t look the same, it feels off. I can sense a spirit around her, not of this realm. Lingering...watching. Before I can get anything else, I get thrown out of the vision and back to reality. I feel an arm around me, trying to steady me as I get to my feet. Maggie.

  "Oh Goddess, Cadence - your eyes!" Maggie looks so worried. I wipe my eyes, brushing away the tears. I look down at my hand to see crimson streaks smeared across them. I dab at my face only to find more of the same. Blood. My eyes are bleeding. Nausea washes over me. I feel Maggie's arms around my shoulders, supporting me. Everyone else keeps their distance. It’s clear they’re worried or scared.

  "Was that another vision?" Helena shouts from the crowd. I nod, unable to formulate a sentence. My head is raging with pain. I just want to rest. "What did it show you?"

  "Can she not rest for now? You can see the toll it’s taking on her," Maggie snaps at Helena, which is very out of character for her.

  "Very well. But we need to know soon." And Helena was back to being her bitchy, authoritarian way.

  I compose myself as best as I can. Maggie holds my hand in support as she can sense what I nee
d to do. She doesn't flinch when she feels the heat build between our palms. With my free hand I entwine my fingers with mum’s stiff digits. Flames begin to spread throughout her lifeless body until they engulf her, forcing us to step back. Maggie keeps a hold of me, even though I know it must hurt her. I look briefly at her and our joined hands and she looks at me with compassion and understanding. I can feel my eyes begin to fill again, small tears escaping as I do my best to keep myself together.

  The coven departs without a word. I must have really pissed them off for them to not even offer their condolences or a goodbye. I try to apologise to Maggie for her hand and she brushes it off. She leaves not long after the others. I sit a few feet from my mother’s burning corpse, waiting for the flames to extinguish so I can spread her ashes.

  I cradle my knees under me as I let all the emotion of the past twenty four hours flood through me. How am I supposed to get through this without her?

  A shiver runs down my spine. It’s the same sensation that I experienced from my vision, that of a spirit hovering over me. I look around me, but find nothing. Not that I expect to see a spirit. After all they’re invisible to the human eye. Still, I can't shake that feeling that there is someone else with me, watching. Maybe it’s my mum? It’s comforting knowing that she could be watching over me.

  "Mum? If it's you, I’m so sorry this happened. I will find out who did this to you. I promise. I love you." The tears are now accompanied by a howl of grief. There is no stopping it, so I just let it flow.

  Chapter 14

  Blaine

  I am many things, but a runner isn’t one of them.

  At least that is what I convinced myself up to this point in time. I fear that whatever Lailah may tell me now has the potential to change my viewpoint. However, there is a certain level of bravado in my response. Let’s put it down to a glass half full attitude on my part. If nothing else, I have always been an optimist.

  “And why, pray tell, should I don my running shoes?”

  Lailah’s eyes spit bright fire at me once again.

  “Do not take what I am saying lightly, Blaine. Your attitude now could well be the end of you.”

  I smirk at her. Feel free to call me a fool right now. Most would be concerned by the graveness in her voice, but I’m doing a great job of masking my unease. Lailah releases a frustrated sigh.

  “I – no, YOU don’t have time for this, Blaine. This situation is far more serious than you think. My suspicions became aroused when I was listening in on a conversation between two high ranking Angels. Whilst I was listening, I could have sworn that one of them noticed me. Up until that point my levels of stealth were impeccable. Now I could be mistaken, but I think they’ve been suspicious for a while. There was something in his eyes that made me think that there was an unwarranted level of duplicity at work. I wasn’t sure whether he was deliberately trying to warn me, or if he’d slipped up and gave me an unintentional sign that things were not as they seemed -”

  “How can you be sure? It’s all well and good telling me to run, but so far you have no proof.”

  My level of frustration is rising. I won’t be uprooted by hints and supposition. I’m going to need something more concrete before I flee from my home.

  “If you’d let me continue, Blaine, I was just getting to that point. So, anyway, my fears were confirmed when said Angel cornered me as I was about to leave to try convincing ‘the woman’, as you so kindly put it, to join our cause. Her name is Cadence by the way. Top marks for your listening skills as usual, Blaine. But I digress. He warned me that my movements were noted by several of the higher-ups and that they agreed a course of wilful misinformation was necessary. So each time I overheard them they peppered their conversations with just enough of the truth to make it seem real.”

  “Okaaaaaaay...so how do you know that he’s telling you the truth? He could be lying too, you know.”

  “I don’t, I guess. But he shared such things with me, Blaine. Things I’d never heard before. He provided confirmation of rumours that have been buried as myth for years; things that I shouldn’t know. He says that he has become disenchanted to the point he wishes to help us stop the corruption that is going on. He says that something huge is coming, and that once unleashed it will change everything we know and love about the Earthly realm in an irreversible way.”

  “Why should this bother me? It doesn’t affect my home. They say change is a good thing, right? That this is how humans grow, is it not? Did he give you any details?”

  She frowns as she tries to remember.

  “You’ll have to forgive my recall skills. I am in a weakened state after all. Each time they’ve beaten me, my light wanes. I’m not recovering quite as I should. Now, where was I?”

  “You were saying that there were fairytales being told, blah blah blah,” I mock. She throws me a look so withering, that if she was running at full capacity I’d probably be decimated on the spot.

  “Myths, Blaine, NOT fairytales. Look we’re running out of time. The guards will wake soon and you need to be gone by the time they get here. They may even be overhearing every word we’re saying. It’s vital that you listen to me. You have a disaster to prevent.”

  “The guards won’t hear you.”

  Uh? Oh, I’d forgotten he was there.

  “Why not?”

  “The same way you could only hear us once you stepped into the building. It’s designed in such a way that no one can hear what happens within these four walls. I know this place better than anyone.”

  “Yeah, I was wondering about that. How -”

  “We don’t have time for that right now! And how long have you been listening for, Satan? Oh, never mind. Blaine, there is a prophecy which was circulating as a rumour. There would be a child born. This infant would be in possession of such power that it could destroy life as we know it. They have been hidden from the powers that be. The suggestion is that God can’t even find them which is why this is not common knowledge. Imagine the Creator not knowing something when he’s supposedly omniscient. It would undermine his position.”

  At this point, there is a barked laugh.

  “And we wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

  “No one asked you, Ousted Satan. Although, maybe your input would be useful. Have you heard of this rumour?”

  The question is met with an eerie silence.

  “Are you going to answer me? Or is your complete lack of words at this point all the information that we need.”

  “I have. It’s true.”

  I’m stunned by his admission. It’s one thing hearing an unsubstantiated rumour; it’s another actually having that rumour confirmed. This is something that could have a catastrophic effect on so many different levels. If the information leaks that God had kept such news from the human race – His supposed favourites - surely they will be quick to rebel against Him? At the very least they would become disenchanted with Him. I can almost hear the march of the millions, all headed in the opposite direction. It would be great for the quota of souls down here, but not good for maintaining balance. What I don’t understand is why he wouldn’t tell them; at least if they are forewarned they can prepare or they could have searched for the child. Surely he or she cannot be that powerful? Why the secrecy? Unless...

  “I can answer that question too,” Satan interjects.

  “Go on.” Lailah stares at me blankly across the cell. I don’t think she has any more idea than I do at what is coming next. Whatever Hell’s most talked about prisoner has to say is not going to be good.

  “Because the child is mine.”

  So this is turning into a daytime talk show moment.

  “I don’t understand. How could that possibly be a problem? God has the power to control all things. Why would he be bothered by the strength of what is basically another daemon? Unless the mother is human, but then the offspring would have even weaker powers, surely?”

  I hear garbled mutterings from next door.

 
“Sorry, I can’t hear you,” Lailah states in a monotone. I’m guessing she is in agreement with me. A daemon child or human child, it doesn’t matter - both are a limited threat.

  “I SAID, BECAUSE THE MOTHER IS AN ANGEL!” he roars.

  There’s a gasp, followed by an audible gulp from the other side of the room. Somewhere in my head I can tell this is bad, but it’s not computing.

  “I don’t understand...”

  He sighs in exasperation, before unleashing the devastating truth, “It means that you are dealing with an unknown entity, and a powerful one at that.”

  “What the hell were you thinking? Don’t answer that!” Lailah cuts in, the rage evident in her voice. “I can guarantee you that you won’t find any others in the history books. Angels and daemons have both procreated with humans, but never with each other. Adding a human parent into the mix either dilutes or eradicates any signs of the kinds of power that the celestial or daemonic parent possesses, but the mix of an angel and a daemon? We could be talking near omnipotence at the very least. There’s no way to gauge how dangerous they are because there is no reference point.”

  “Hey hang on now! Technically I’m an angel like you!”

  “Keep telling yourself that. The blackness in your veins says otherwise. We were made very differently.”

  “Shut up you pair!” Yes, that was the sound of me losing my shit. Call it anger, fear, or merely me grasping for some silence to process this information, I really don’t care. What I am bothered about is the situation we now find ourselves in. We have important information, but our hands are tied because we don’t know anything about this child. However, there is a small glimmer of hope shining from this unholy mess.

  “So if you are the father, maybe you can give us more information. If we’re going to find this child then we’re going to need some basic details. What sex was the baby? How old would they be? Do you have any idea of where they are now?” I list off the questions like I may actually get answers. He must have some, surely?