by J. L. Weil
“I’d never bring a friend down with me.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
I gave Melody a brittle smile. “We’re going back out tonight.” I needed answers and if the council wasn’t going to give them to me, the witch would.
10
SCORPION
The massive staircase seemed to be suspended in the sky, yet regardless of the warnings the knowledge awoke, my boots found nothing but firmness underneath with each step onto the blueish stone. We were well above a magnificent forest of mountains and tall trees, wildflowers of unreal colors—as my one glance down, over the edge confirmed. I didn't make that mistake again.
Conflicting emotions thrashed in my chest. Nerves, fear of the unknown, anticipation, sense of duty, and an excitement so wild that it made the fire I carried burn brighter than the flames of hell—or should I say Infernum?
Yet, unlike other people, the fear of what I was to face didn’t deter me. Instead, it drove me forward, it fueled me, urging me to go faster and uncover the secrets I sensed no other human had ever known.
Was I the first mortal to be in this supernatural realm?
God, I could hardly believe my own thoughts.
Briefly gazing behind me, my eyes marveled at the vast, stone portal that reminded me of the pyramids of Egypt. Stones so big and perfectly crafted, that no man could have possibly cut, carried, and used them to build, no matter what history said. I guess now we have our answer. Supernaturals had done that.
A magical blue fire raged at either side of the portal, suspended midair, like the staircase. I assumed whatever power had created this place had to be godly.
Dragging my gaze to the front, I felt Serenity pat my arm reassuringly while she held it. As we began to approach the top, a round platform came into view, reminiscent of an altar, where seven thrones could be seen. Perched all around the farthest edge of the floating platform, each seat seemed completely different from the rest, but my eyes widened as I took in the beings occupying each throne.
They were the ones I’d seen in the artwork that framed the hallway leading to Ambrose’s office.
Unconsciously, I took a step back from the shock, pulse racing, when we stopped in the center of the space.
“Ethan, allow me to introduce you to the Aereum,” Serenity announced, calling me by my given name, and opening her arms wide. “The powerful supernatural council that oversees life in every form and the nine realms. One voice for each race, all represented.” My mind barely registered Serenity leaving my side while my gaze traveled around the circle left to right.
“My name is Cianán—”
“Fae King of the Summer Court… from the painting,” I whispered amazed, distinctly remembering the red headed man.
Standing, he smoothed his golden suit and offered me a superior smile—there was no other way to describe it—evidently pleased by my recognition. His arms began to move before him in a circular motion and he keenly watched me, as though drawing something invisible to him.
What I could only describe as ripples of wind rushed into the space, making the hair of the ladies’ present float around them, and mine rustled at the top. Air, he was commanding air. Excitement seeped through me while I observed the circle his hands formed become smaller, and smaller, until a visible rush of white and blue bands whirled between them.
Winking, he pushed the wind blast he had created down, and the bands expanded over the floor until the thrones lifted, floating a few feet above the platform. They wobbled in the air, but it was clear he was completely in control.
“Shit!” I fought to maintain my balance as my feet rose from the stone floor too, the wind currents reaching me and making me hover. Incredulous laughter burst from my chest, my boots landing on the floor a moment later.
Wiping his hands clean, Cianán sat in his golden throne, more than pleased with my reaction. His gaze shifted toward the muscular man to his left, and the massive, seven-feet-tall being stood, smoothing the white suit he wore much like the Fae King had.
“I am Albán…” he let the name linger, expecting I would recognize it, even when I hadn’t seen his face in the artwork.
“Priest of the Order of the Drag—No!” I yelled senselessly, when he turned and dove right off the platform, arms wide open.
The next second, a magnificent platinum dragon as tall as a building swooped up to the sky, and I staggered back from the start, unable to deny what my eyes were seeing. He sent a strong breeze our way while he flew around us once, twirling mid-air—the sun gleamed over his almost metallic scales. Albán roared, a burst of ice erupting from his mouth, and something landed right between my feet.
Chest heaving with exhilaration, I reached for the sharp ice spear that would have surely killed me if he meant me any harm.
“Don’t touch,” Albán warned landing next to me, once again a man.
His suit covered him as though it had been part of his skin, and I noticed the silver embroidery along his jacket sparking with blue magic. He reached down while I swallowed—justifiably intimidated by the dragon shifter—and when his fingertips touched the spear, the ice melted, absorbed back into his body.
“Show off,” the Fae King huffed, folding his arms over his chest, and Albán chuckled.
“You started it.”
One by one, the members of the council introduced themselves, and I witnessed, mesmerized and a little terrified, while each of them demonstrated what they could do. When my gaze settled one the last throne to my right, I noticed Serenity sat on it. She extended her arms to either side of her, without bothering to stand, and suddenly a ray of what looked like golden electricity burst from my chest, connecting with her hand.
She began to levitate while multiple beams of gold shot out from each of the beings around her, all connecting to her like a plasma sphere, to which she was the core of the power, and all of us simple conductors.
Slowly, she rose above us, eyes glowing a bright amber while an intense tingling coursed through me over and over, though it didn’t hurt. Instead, it felt mildly weakening. She was channeling all of our energies at once, but it wasn’t just ours. My gaze followed the new threads to the trees and river below us, the flowers, and even the crystals along the mountain.
Serenity was connected to everything. The energy she took from us sharp and ready, just waiting for her command.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, earning a few chuckles from the Aereum. For them, this was nothing unusual, but for me… it had irremediably changed the way I viewed the world.
A light zap hit my chest when she let go of our connection, returning what was rightfully mine without taking even an ounce of my “power”—I supposed we could call it that.
Silence descended over the altar while they watched me, and it became clear they were waiting for me to speak. Clearing my throat, I straightened to my full height, suddenly wishing I was in full uniform, instead of wearing the academy sweats I’d been given. Taking a deep breath, I offered them a formal military salute—the only recognition I knew to give to my superiors.
I was in complete awe and utterly floored by those beings.
“I am Commander Ethan James, Ex-Delta Force, and current Secret Service. But please, call me Scorpion.” I frowned, realizing I had no impressive feat to demonstrate like they had. “I would be more than pleased to display my abilities for you, but I’m afraid I don’t have access to any of my weapons.”
Their chuckles returned.
“Though, I assure you that aside from being the top sniper in the force, I am proficient in hand to hand combat, after being trained in Krav Maga from the age of five. As Delta Force, I led—”
“We know, child,” Cressida, the Almighty Oracle remarked. “I have been watching you for quite a while. A few of us have.” She briefly glanced at Serenity.
“Right. I’m sorry, I just thought—”
“At ease, soldier.” A sensual and eerie voice reached me, calling my attention to the Queen of the Sea, an
d I took on a relaxed military stance—legs apart hands held behind me.
Her caramel golden hair fell in waves over her chest, covering her breasts from my eyes while water flowed around her gleaming pink and gold tail, in a continuous stream. She’d remained in her full mermaid form after conjuring the water from the river below, in order to transform her legs and demonstrate her power.
“No need to apologize, Scorpion. We are all well aware of your potential. That is the very reason the powers that be want you here,” she cooed. “Now, tell me. You are single, yes?”
A slow grin took over my lips. “I’m anything you want me to be, beautiful.” Okay, so maybe I should refrain from flirting with the mermaid goddess, but damn if she wasn’t hypnotizing.
Though, not nearly as stunning as my gorgeous vampiress...
Woah. Where the hell did that come from? She is a freaking vampire, dude. Get it together!
“Iara…” Ambrose called in a warning tone, and she pouted.
“You never let me have any fun.”
“He’s human… not to mention our subordinate.”
“Oh, I know exactly what he is.” She played with a golden strand and winked at me. “I am well acquainted with the male form of his kind.”
“We get it, Iara. You love human men,” Horus mumbled, frowning.
“That doesn’t mean you can have this one,” Serenity chided, appalled. “He is too important to us, and the gods.”
“Her race is the closest to humans, so she has a soft spot for them,” Cressida explained, regarding Serenity’s protective behavior toward me, and bringing the conversation back around to her. “Scorpion, I assume Serenity has partially explained why you are here.”
“Oh, even his nickname is sexy, and dangerous,” Iara cooed, but I forced myself to ignore her, focusing my attention on the Oracle.
“Yes, ma’am.” I straightened again, trying to ready myself for what was about to be revealed. “She said a great threat is coming, one that will require the most powerful beings you can find, and that based on my experience, she believes I should be the one to lead them.”
Cressida’s feathery white hair swayed as she nodded. “Your human abilities, and leadership skills are impressive. If anyone has the potential to lead and guide the different races—and let’s say… challenging personalities—we need to bring together to achieve our goals, we are certain that is you. The gods placed that destiny in your soul, that is why you entered the world. That is your calling.”
Wow. What did one say to that? I was born for this… “Thank you, ma’am. It’s a true honor for me to be here.” I bowed my head to her.
“Good, because what we ask of you is no small feat. Tell me, Scorpion, are you willing to give your life if needed be?”
Cressida’s ominous words fell on me like a ton of crushing rocks, yet, wasn't that the same thing asked of me the moment I joined the military? “Yes, ma’am. I offer my life and service to the Aereum,” I vowed without hesitation, seeing her answering smile.
“So, it shall be,” she agreed. “Ambrose, bring your daughter to us.”
“Of course.” Nodding, he stood and walked by me, giving me a cryptic side-glance, then crossed the stone portal back to the academy.
Who was his daughter?
When my attention returned to Cressida, her eyes had turned fully white, glowing with the brightness of two moons in the darkened sky, and a strange fog exuded from her outstretched palms, forming a large cloud above her—just like in the painting. The center of the cloud began to disperse, suddenly showing a battle of Monsters and Gods among the white mist, creating a window to the past.
“Thousands of years ago, beings from all the realms united. Beings seeking only one thing, the destruction of men and their rise to power. Forever tipping the scales of the universe in their favor,” the Oracle recalled, her words materializing into slow motion scenes inside the cloud.
“The Bello Regna,” Albán clarified, “the Battle of the Realms.”
“Guided by nothing but greed and an insatiable hunger for dominance, they let evil ways contaminate their essence, dooming their souls, until death and destruction was their only reason for existence,” Cianán elucidated, holding both hands before him—the weight of his statement visibly fell on him, darkening his features. “They became an Damanta—the Damned.”
A gust of cold wind rushed into the floating altar, just as the throws of battle rose, screams of pain and roars of anger echoing around us as though we were standing in their midst.
“Foreseeing that the Damanta’s quest for supremacy would mean the end of humanity, and many other races, the gods—Egyptian, Norse, Greek, among others—joined forces, using their given abilities to fight the Damanta. But they soon realized they had acted too late—their enemies’ power had grown to the point where they could no longer be killed,” Iara explained, explosions of magic reverberated with her words.
“Instead, they used their magic to create a place to imprison the nefarious creatures, who committed heinous acts against the other races—ones they were meant to peacefully coexist with. And so Infernum was formed, otherwise known as the Underworld,” Serenity informed me, burdened by the fact.
Ambrose returned in that moment, and to my surprise, Renna stopped next to me—seeming suspicious, confused, and maybe even a little bit pissed off by my presence there. My eyes connected with her piercing blue ones, and the memory of the kiss I stole from her returned, causing a delicious shudder to rock my spine.
My gaze fell to her lips, getting wicked ideas at the sight of her so close to me. It was not the time, and most definitely not the place, but I couldn’t help it, I wanted to taste them again—maybe even let my hands explore her enticing curves. I was forced to repress my amusement when I noticed she had the same reaction to me. With a slight shudder, the little hairs on her arms stood on end, goose bumps covering her fair skin.
Talk about scorching hot chemistry.
Vampire…
The word thundered in my rational mind, urging me to get a hold of myself, just as Renna became rigid, taking a step away from me. She was fighting the effect I had on her, and the knowledge kind of made my day. My logical mind screamed for me to get away, but the rest of me had other ideas… reckless, dangerous, and deliciously naughty ideas.
A smirk took over my lips.
“You are just in time, child,” Cressida greeted, calling my attention to the scenes playing above her like animated paintings. Her eyes still glowed pure white, no irises to be found while she glanced toward Renna and I.
“Creepy,” Renna and I muttered under our breath, in unison, and I grinned at her, receiving a vicious glare in return.
The air around us shifted when the scene suddenly changed from the cold, blood and death riddled battlefield, to a fiery mountain along a deserted land—becoming almost sweltering. Ire-filled rivers of lava roared in rage as they slowly made their way along the scorched earth, now turned black with molten rock and soot.
Uphill the magma flowed, in an unnatural way, visually mesmerizing as the red, bright orange, and yellow glowing streams carved trails along the mountain until the face of a demon skull could be seen. The glowing magma ran up along its cheekbones and into the two eye sockets, illuminating them eerily. It then seemed to come out of the tip of the two curled horns protruding from its forehead, where it evaporated into thick black smoke—a few blops of the red liquid fire dropping to the ground.
Its mouth was poised open into a silent scream that was half agony, half rage, becoming the entrance to the mountain, and like a lens zooming in on its target, the image within the fog closed in on it. The speed of the scene accelerated, taking us into its mouth so fast that both Renna and I slightly jumped from the scare.
“What the hell is going on?” she demanded. “Why are you taking him to Muspelheim? He’s human. He shouldn’t be seeing that, even I haven’t.”
“You mean you’ve never seen this before?” I asked, trying to proc
ess what I was witnessing.
“Silence!” the Oracle snapped, causing our heads to whirl toward her again.
“No,” Renna begrudgingly whispered, her chin tipping up in defiance as we both focused on the bubbling fire river inside the black rocky mountain—the images now played in real time.
The suffocating scent of sulfur permeated the air around us, expelling from the bubbles of lava that exploded, and our hands flew to our face, covering our noses and mouths—eyes instantly watering with the hot toxins. Dread fell over us both as the scene stopped once again, reaching a vast gate that was at least four stories high, in the center of the blazing cavern.
Igneous magma rock curled and swayed along the vast door that stood before us. Its cooled charred bands resembled the bodies of the Damanta, writhing in agony to the point of death, while the orangey-red glow could still be seen just underneath—pulsing with life as though trying to break free.
A round, metal seal with strange ancient markings was set in the center of the door, glowing with almost blinding golden magic that resembled the light of the sun itself—the Gods’ power. My gaze followed the startling image all the way to the bottom, where a slow crack advanced along its center, making its way up the rigid, single plank door toward the golden seal. The door slightly vibrated.
“The demons vanished to Infernum, have been fighting for centuries, attempting to unbind their powers and use them to try and liberate themselves. At last, they are accomplishing it,” Cressida announced ominously.
“The Geata an Damanta—the Gate of the Damned is being torn by their fury and need for vengeance. And when that happens, humanity will be the first to perish,” Serenity added with great sorrow.
My mind awoke at the name, a memory coming to life. “The Geata an Damanta is ripping open. They are forcing their way here, and if they come, life as you know it will end. They are going to kill us all and take the world.”
“That’s what he meant,” I blurted, finally connecting the dots, and a million thoughts rushed through my head. “The reptilian man I captured said the gate was ripping open, and when they came, we would all be dead. He was a demon, wasn’t he?”