by Jason Fuquea
He groaned with the force of his frontal assault. The sword came down with greater than unnatural force. I reached up catching the fiery blade with one hand. The sword cut into my hand and I gripped it tightly through the pain. I pulled down on the sword bringing the Demon to his knees.
I walked forward sliding the blade along my hand it cutting me deeply. My blood coating the sword extinguishing the fire. My blood leaking across the hilt burning the Demon’s fingers. He let go of the sword and I flung it away continuing to walk toward the Demon.
“What would you have me do to earn the rightful status of Queen? I was once told that minions and Demons would serve their Queen without question, you are a true Demon and while you will serve, what do you ask of me?”
“My blade should have killed you; the Demon fire is a death sentence to any Demon.” He gasped.
“My son I am so much more than a Demon, so much more than you can understand, but that does not change my question. What do you need of me?” I replied.
“Nothing, my Queen.” He stated humbling himself before me, bowing down with his head touching the onyx floor. I shook the blood from my hand and walked to the throne, my hand healing as I walked. “Anyone that wishes may challenge me now, otherwise I will consider my crown satisfied,” I stated openly.
I sat for the next few days learning about the lives and trials of the Demons and minions, how they came to be placed here, and their thoughts on our purpose. I learned how Angel became a minor Demon able to cross the threshold when the moon cycle allowed.
Angel is a fallen Angel. She was corrupted thousands of years ago when angles walked with humans. She took the side of humans that raised up against God and ended up cursed to remain here. Contrary to historical beliefs, true Demons have never walked the earth. I’m the closest thing to a Demon to set foot on the humanly plane. Lilith, after being cursed, never left this prison until binding with my soul, and she was the strongest of all Demons.
I spent about two weeks with the Demons until the moon allowed Angel to cross back from the underworld. Angel and I walked to Adventure Travelers, the witchy crafted goods store where I killed Amanda and first met Katie.
We walked through the door and with a jingle Shanetta who is working the desk looked up, her eyes going wide. “Alice, I love the dress, what brings you and your… friend… to our little shop today? She asked with a concerned look toward Angel then back to me.
“Where can I find Katie, is she around?” I said.
“She’s not here, but I’ll call her and see if she can come meet you.” She suggested.
“Ask her to meet me at the Royal, if you would?” She said ok and Angel and I left.
The Royal is just a few blocks from Adventure Travelers. Angel and I made good time, it’s 7:00 pm on a Saturday so the place is hopping. Luckily, I didn’t feel as out of place in my dress seeing a few Witches with similar ones on.
We sat at the bar and Mr. unobservant was here again. He has a full bar of patrons and his back to all of them.
I knocked on the bar counter loudly to get his attention. “Two waters please, sir,” I said in my best Southern accent. He became pale at the sight of me.
“Holy Hell, you’re the chick that drug the Vampire into the street.” I nodded. He pointed at a black and white picture on the wall, apparently, someone got a good picture of me dragging John’s frying ass up the sidewalk. It was framed and had a heart sticker on the side.
I knew this was a witch bar, and apparently, they’re not scared of showing support for the anti-vamp side. I thought the sticker was cute.
“Is water all you want? It’s all on the house, your money is no good here.” He said.
“In that case, bring us two of the strongest mixed drinks you have, we’re waiting on a friend,” I said smiling. A few minutes later he finished making two zombies and placed them in front of us, a mint leaf and straw in both.
“I’m Taylor by the way.” He said.
“I’m Alice and this is Angel,” I replied.
Angel took a sip with the straw, then took the straw out and chugged the glass. I guess she liked it, not sure what impact alcohol would have on her, my guess is not much. I sipped, and oddly it didn’t taste like piss. Not great, but drinkable. We almost looked like normal girls just having a good time out in a gastropub that’s full of Witches and waitresses. “What a crazy life,” I thought.
We sat at the bar drinking and talking for about twenty minutes then someone said, “I didn’t take you as a drinker, Alice.” A female voice approached from behind.
“I’m taking up a lot of bad habits these days Katie.” I laughed.
“You should work on staying out of the paper too,” she giggled at me.
“I know, I know,” I said half smiling. “I wanted to give you a heads up, I think it’s about to get really bad here in New Orleans, you may want to get out, or at least get ready for what’s coming.” I told her over the pub noise.
“What do you mean?” Katie Asked.
“I’m going to give Dominus Strum an ultimatum.”
“What the hell do you mean, an ultimatum,” she said.
“He’s going to have one week to move all the Vampires and himself out of New Orleans or I’m going to wage war on him.”
“Alice, you’re out of your mind, you’ll get yourself killed. You know he has Witches, Werewolves, and God knows what else on his side. I know your something else, but seriously, you can’t take on a city of Vampires all alone,” she huffed.
“I know Katie, I’m not going to be alone, I just want you and your sisters to be ready or leave, just not caught off guard.”
“Thanks, I guess, seems like all hell is about to break loose. I’ll talk to the other coven leaders and decide what we’re going to do. When are you going to give him this ultimatum?” she asked.
“Tonight, if at all possible. One of his lieutenants already tried to kill me. He sent three Werewolves after me.”
“Those weren’t the three heads in Jackson Square surely?” Katie said shaking her head.
“Yep,” I shrugged at her. “Katie, this is Angel.” Angel smiled at Katie.
“Another Demon?” Katie asked.
“Something like that,” I said.
I could smell it. A putrid stench slowly creeping its way into the pub. “What’s that smell? I said aloud.
Katie sniffed and said, “O shit, Sollicitus.” she whispered to us then stood and yelled, “Sollicitus! Run! Witches Run!” Blackness crept in. Witches, humans, and the waitstaff all screamed and ran. “Run Alice, they are not afraid of Demons they are warlocks turned into Vampires.” Katie said while running out.
“I will never run,” I said, “I am not to be trifled with, by Witches and Vampires.”
I stood up turning when a sudden piercing pain pinched my shoulder. I looked down and an ivory spear point was sticking through my skin. I bled. A thin spear had been thrown and lodged itself through my shoulder. I guess they were wanting to stab me through the heart.
“Angel, pull that out please,” I said. Angel grabbed ahold of the spear, it burned her where she touched it, but she didn’t let go and yanked it from my shoulder dropping it. I reached down and grabbed it picking it up, I could see the magic radiating from it, it’s spelled. I took the weapon and snapped it in half, absorbing the magic. I discarded the pieces. My wounds already healed from the cowardly assault.
Darkness magic is now surrounding Angel and me, light vanishing, a black velvet blanket engulfing us. I can see five figures walking from the road into my line of sight. Like all magic, I can see through the magic into the truth of things. I can make out five ugly cloaked figures. Their faces were human, but warped, somehow off-center and twisted.
“Are the five of you sure you want to be doing this?” The Sollicitus stopped at my words. “Yea, I can see you, through your feeble magi
c. I said.
“You have been found guilty of crimes against the Vampires, Dominus Strum the Vampire Chancellor for New Orleans has ordered your head to be delivered tonight,” the Sollicitus said.
“First, you five should know I don’t like to be touched, so keep your hands off, and no more throwing things at me, that thing stung a little,” I said in my sweetest Southern accent.
“Do you think this is a game little Demon, do you think we have not dealt with your kind before?” You are arrogant and will soon see the errors in your ways.” The sharp voice finished.
Of all the things he just said, one of them I knew was a lie. They had never dealt with anything like me before. The five Sollicitus fanned out equal lengths apart slowly moving toward me. “It looks like they are getting into some geometric pattern ready to cast, just like Katie and her Witches did.”
I was right, they all started to chant, and I knew If they all focused on me it would be a problem. “Silentium,” I commanded, walking toward the five Vampire Witches. Sound is now gone from the world, and their words void and powerless. No noise, music, or sound of any type is audible.
“Decipula,” I thought at the now voiceless witch Vampires. Wide Demonic bands reached around their heads and mouths first covering their upside-down A’s stamped on their foreheads, then their mouths, and feet, finally tethering them to the pavement around the waist.
The darkness dissipated and I removed the silence. “You have been bullies for far too long and the days of being executioners and doing the work of a monster are over,” I said.
Fear is now showing in all their eyes. I commanded the Demonic bands around the mouth of the Sollicitus that addressed me to release.
“You are no Demon, what are you,” he said.
“I am something else, entirely.” I said looking down at the Vampire warlock. “Release him, I commanded to the bindings.” Powder and ash formed in place of the other Demonic bindings.
The Sollicitus stood and composed himself. “I will kill you for what you have done here,” he yelled at me.
I grinned. “So do it.”
He waved his hands in the air and started chanting what looked like a warding spell. I allowed him to cast it. I could see the magic crisscrossing and running around the forming barrier.
He pulled a hooked sword from under his robes, getting ready to make his attack. “A sword and shield,” I huffed and motioned him to attack me. He swung down with vamp speed, I caught the flimsy metal thing easily as if he had tossed it to me in a game of catch. I crushed my hand around the blade with a crunch.
“Nothing can do that, that blade is over a thousand years old, and is unbreakable,” he shouted. I threw the wrinkled metal away to clink on the ground.
I punched at his ward, and with a loud crash could see shimmering cracks radiating throughout. “This is impossible, you cannot do this to magic.” He gasped. I punched again, putting my back into it and with a thunderous cracking sound, the ward sizzled, with pieces of the magic falling away. He is now helpless standing before me.
I said, “Sollicitus, go run and tell Dominus Strum it’s time to go. He has one week to get every Vampire out of the city or I’m coming for him, and it will be a reckoning he cannot imagine. The other four Sollicitus here are mine.
“Angel, cut his right eye out, then let him go to his master.” Instantly the Sollicitus yelled and started to plead as Angel went to work on his eye socket. She was not quick about it, using her crescent-moon blade to scrape and dig deep without caution. The Sollicitus moaned and cried, begging for her to stop.
Angel took her time and once satisfied she handed him both an eye and an ear saying, “Run along, little Vampire, unless you have something else to say?” The Vampire turned and staggered away without hesitation.
“Damn, she took his ear too,” I snickered.
We have an audience now; the barman and Katie are back along with some other onlookers taking pictures and sending texts. “Taylor, could you get us three more Zombies?” It’s going to be a long night waiting for the grill to start.” I said.
“Grill? We got a grill in the back; you don’t have to wait until morning.” Taylor answered.
“No, sugar, the grill that starts at sunrise,” I said, as we all laughed.