by Nicole Fox
Luna slammed her wine goblet on the table; she felt that something was wrong with her, a break in her magical force. She felt like she bled magic as fire coursed in her veins. It was as if someone plunged a dagger in her heart. The sudden loss of power was like a bandage ripped off her, and she could not help herself but twist and sneer her lips and burst out at her dining companion, "Tatum, you’re nothing like us. You’re nothing except his human wife. You’re not special. Not Tatum… she’s better than us.”
“Mother,” Ruby interjected. “Watch your tongue!”
“You haven't changed one bit, you foolish girl! Still pining for him. Cormac offered you everything. But, deep in your soul you still want him. It's always about him." Her long nails grabbed the tablecloth.
“Who is him?”
“That would be me.”
Silke’s covered her mouth in fear. The sound of the voice sent Ruby huddling next to Tatum.
"Azael?" a startled Tatum asked in disbelief. For once Tatum was speechless, she gazed upon Azael in shock. “How did you get out?”
"You idiot, can't you see?"
Ruby grasped for Tatum when she witnessed Luna's eyes turn to blue, "What's wrong with her, Tatum? Her eyes changed…is she a chameleon? My mom can’t change her eye color to blue."
"All you had to do was to stay pure and chaste. How hard is it to remain innocent? It would have been perfect," Murale screamed, "You just had to lay with him. You snuck around for twenty years behind my back! Everything could have been perfect."
"Who wants big eared brats with Blane?" Luna asked rising from the table but sat down when Murale directed a hateful glance in her direction, "Just saying." Luna mumbled.
"Murale and Luna, we need to flee here," Langston began gently, "Calm" – Langston stopped mid-sentence and his mouth dropped open as Luna's very face began to change and transform into a beautiful redhead woman with demented eyes.
Tatum rose from her chair, grabbing Ruby. She pushed behind her back. Silke hid behind Langston, "Who is she?"
"Mummy?" Ruby asked.
"That's not your mother, Ruby. It's Eris, Azael’s wife and insane consort." Langston calmly explained as he wiped his hot forehead.
"She's mad."
“Such compliments, Langston,” Eris whispered sweetly.
"At least she did the right thing! She did not crawl back into any god’s bed. No, she didn't fall for their charm! She had a bit of self-respect, Tatum and Silke. Not you. You fell for their sexual prowess and fake charm." Murale pointed a finger at Silke, slamming his other fist on the table. “I molded you into the image of your mother, pure and good. You are nothing like her.”
"I haven't done anything wrong with Blane."
"You gave yourself to him, and you lied for twenty years. You allowed his seed to nestle in your womb. I could kill you, but I won’t. I will make you pure again. That beast growing in your belly must die."
Langston whipped a dagger out of his pocket, “You will not harm her. Her mother named me their protector, and I will fight you with my final breath.”
“Go, Langston,” Tatum shouted.
Silke didn't know what to say to her father. Any feelings for her father drifted out of her heart and were replaced by a deep desire to protect her child. “You made an alliance with the beast that slaughtered my mother. You attempted to slaughter your grandchild in the theme of purity. You know nothing about good, Murale. You are not my Father,” Silke screamed.
Tatum tightened her arms around her Ruby when Azael stepped forward and attempted to touch her hair, "What do you want?"
Eris moved wildly around, a crazed look in her eyes, "You... Tatum, I want you. I always need company when my lord is with Serena. Think about how much it would hurt him if I had you. He stole Azael’s place. Ruby can offer her virginity to Azael, and we can be one big happy family."
Ruby scowled. "That's dumbest plan ever, almost as dumb as placing Azael into a cave. You should have killed him, just stupid."
"Shut up, girl."
"No, it's stupid. You need attraction to have sex, you moron. You stole my mother. Where is my mother,” Ruby demanded.
Tatum gave Ruby a hard look as she attempted to shield from them, "Rubes, careful." she warned. “They are dangerous.”
Eris tossed her hair, ignoring Tatum and concentrating on Ruby. "Let's see, you made Cormac your little seahorse rushing around searching for his beloved Ruby. He’s not here. Azael smells you, and he wants you more than he ever did Serena. I don’t care about Silke and Murale’s sick obsession for his daughter. That’s too weird for me. I bring Tatum, she can keep you company, Ruby,” Eris offered.
"Did you think about this? Silke’s unborn is safe inside of her. I could have drafted a better plan,” Tatum remarked.
Eris' chest began to heave as sweat poured down her face, a droplet suspended on her nose. “I killed babies years ago. It gets boring after a while. Helena fights me, eh."
"You killed babies. Poor defenseless babies," Silke remarked wonderment.
Silke screamed when Murale jumped on the table and crawled towards them. She grabbed his plateful of crackers and tossed it at his head. Murale hissed in her direction, "That didn't work."
Langston’s instincts kicked in, pushing Silke towards Tatum. "Tatum take Silke and Ruby out of here," and was startled when Ruby ran from the room.
"Hey, don't leave us. Toss a chair or something, Langston," Silke yelled after him.
"See, Tatum," Murale hissed, "she ran from you… you were a horrible friend. In their time of need, you just thought about getting yourself in Keir’s bed. Just like before. You didn’t protect your mother from Azael, and she died in the woods after an encounter with him. She just couldn’t take it anymore," Eris tautened. "Poor Tatum. How about seeing her life force floating away?” she cracked. "Where is the new love of your life? You need him, but he’s not going to help you. They can't help you now."
White rage formed in Tatum. She had to protect her newfound family. Her eyes looked around the table for something. She grabbed a fork and plunged it into Murale's hand. His face contorted in pain as the fork sank into his flesh. Murale’s blue eyes flashed in admiration, "Finally, a sign of life. So much better than sleeping with my son, Tatum." She looked at Silke, "That wasn’t a stupid move. She has a brain."
Silke shook her head in disagreement, “It was a stupid move."
Tatum couldn't believe her ears, "Really, Silke, I know he’s your father. But really, agreeing with the monster."
"I'm a god!"
"Silke and Tatum follow Ruby’s example,” Langston ordered, watching Silke and Tatum leaving the room, while keeping an eye on Murale, whose blood pooled on the table, “You were never good enough for her. You broke her spirit, Murale.”
“You’re just upset that I broke more than that," Murale proclaimed with an eerie calmness, "Just let them come with a good little soldier."
"Tatum?” Ruby called breathlessly from the doorway, "Come with me… I had to get Cormac’s sword."
Tatum's brows knitted together, "You know how to use a sword? You know how to fight?"
"My father is the God of the Sun," Ruby reasoned.
Tatum quickly ran around the table, grabbing her hand, and dashed deeper into the house. Murale's laughter filled the temple. Tatum shouted at the attendant to flee and hide in the woods.
His blue eyes glazed with insanity as he yanked a silver fork from his hand. He waved the fork in the air; droplets of his blood flicked around the room landing on the floor, drapes, and table. He smirked when the specks of blood began to bubble.
"I need a little help. I'm coming for you, but I will win this day. Do I sound like him, heroic?"
Ruby stumbled as Tatum clasped her hand tightly. She stopped to catch her breath. She realized that they needed a plan. “We need a place to hide." She sighed in defeat. “Where can we go?” Ruby looked over Tatum’s shoulders, blinking and clutching her head.
"Ignore the voice."
<
br /> “Where will we go?”
"Keir’s den."
The breaking sound of glass interrupted Murale's demented soliloquy as Baby crawled into the dining area.
“See Silke, I told you spiders are good pets. “
Baby shot silky string around Eris’ legs. She raced in glee and began cocooning Murale’s scaly little friends.
“This is where we go hide, Silke.”
"Silke, listen to me, darling," Murale cajoled, "Just come here, Silke, darling, we can run away, have a good life. I'll take care you. Make you forget about Blane. Just the two us again, fine, you can keep your death spawn growing in your belly. I can make you happy... exalted."
Ruby and Tatum pressed against a wall. Sweat beaded on Tatum's brow as she listened to her friend's frantic heartbeat. Ruby wrapped her hand tightly around Tatum's.
"No answer. How rude. You're making me mad!" Murale tapped her foot impatiently. "Do you want Father mad? Do I need to act like your Father, and beat you? Do I need to smack your face, Silke? Or should I be nice and brush your hair. I could make myself look like Blane…”
Tatum bit her lip when Murale's footsteps came closer, "Ruby, do you think Cormac can love you? He doesn't love you. He loved HER! She was his obsession. His reason for living, she was his everything. What … are you?"
Ruby motioned her head towards the staircase.
"You're nothing except some innocent… virgin. He just wants to suck the life out of you, Ruby. He wants that… will he want you after he takes it? Doubtful! That's why, he's waiting… it's like wine to savor, fermented. I can help you stay away from him. Just give me Silke. I just want Silke. "
Tatum looked around the corner. She saw Murale was still in the other room. She pulled Ruby in the direction of the steps. She couldn't lose Ruby after so many years of being friendless. She was small… tiny, and she wasn't going to let anything take her away.
"Or, maybe, just maybe, he does want you. He's just toying with you in your mind. He’s still about frozen. I’m controlling him. He can’t move unless I tell him. Soon, he will be back to normal. He will hunt you, Ruby. Something about Virgins…" Murale cupped his pale face with bloody hands, "For Azael this is just a game of revenge, or he is testing you? Did you like Cormac? He's quite handsome, soft and sweet like you. Perhaps, that is the real game that is being played. You, Cormac, and Keir, together again..."
Tatum and Ruby rushed towards the steps. Tatum screamed when something bit her leg. Ruby blue eyes widened when she spotted a gnome sticking to Tatum's leg. Her sword blade slashed the creature in two. His shoulders sank when he saw an army of them in the corridor.
"Tatum, we have to run. Don't look back."
Tatum and Ruby rushed to towards the den. Their chests heaved in the darkness as they hid quietly in corner.
Silke’s chest heaved as she dropped to her feet by a white door, her hand resting on her belly. To her chagrin, she noticed the door had a spell blocking their entry.
"What’s the spell?"
"Your mother," Langston supplied quickly. “Just think of mother, quickly, Silke.”
“I’m thinking.”
"Silke," Langston implored, "Look," he pointed to a scaly army of gnome-like creatures. They were little with leathery brown skin and teeth- sharp huge shiny teeth. They swarmed towards them. Silke’s mouth dropped open as she scooted behind Langston.
“So, they look worse when they are fully formed.”
Langston wheezed as he grabbed a broom to bat away the little things. He gasped when the little things jumped back up, thick drool oozed from their mouths. "They are not dying," he screamed.
"My baby can’t handle this," Silke muttered.
Langston eyes widened in horror, "I dealt with worse monsters, but full sized. Annoying things.”
She thought Tatum; the lock clicked open as the door popped open for them. Silke was too scared to be amazed by Keir's attachment to Tatum. She pushed Langston onto the steps as she slammed the door loudly.
Closing her eyes, Silke blew into Keir’s basement pit. Sparkles of light formed to guide their way. She paused when she heard movement in the basement.
“Who’s down here?” she commanded.
Ruby appeared with a tear-stained face. It’s Tatum; she was bit by one of those things.”
~~~
Music greeted Keir, Cormac, Luna and the knights as they stepped out of the portal. Their eyes widened at the destruction around the house. Luna covered her mouth with a shaky hand. She couldn't believe the blood, broken chairs, torn drapes, spider webs and broken glass around the temple.
Baby scampered into the room, whining when she lay submissively at Keir’s feet.
“What’s in your mouth?”
Baby opened her mouth to reveal a half-eaten creature.
“What is that? I wish that you could talk.”
He couldn't feel her. He didn't like this new feeling of nothing. Keir's lips tightened as he motioned Chan to move forward. Luna screamed when a gnome jumped on her shoulder and bent to gnaw on her neck. Cormac grabbed it and tossed it into the air. Chan sent a fireball to engulf the creature.
"What the hell was that?"
“Whatever Baby was eating. Chan, can you?”
“I’ll enjoy this,” he replied as he started the creature with fireballs.
Keir desperately wanted to call out for Tatum, Silke, Ruby and Langston, but knew it was too dangerous to alert Murale and the beasty things to their presence.
"Cormac, Blane, go to my den ... chambers, everywhere search for Silke, Langston, Ruby, and Tatum ... my family," Keir ordered, "Find Tatum."
"Cormac, check the upstairs. Chan watch over Luna." Keir command. Keir knew he had to set aside worrying thoughts of Tatum and the others, this had to be just another job, no emotions. Thinking of them would cause him to make a mistake. "Watch out for those things."
Chan waved a hand. A loud popping sound rang through the house. A terrible smell floated around the walls. "I hate pestilence.”
"Keir, follow the music." Luna gave Keir a bright smile of encouragement as she stepped behind him.
~~~
Blane yelped when something whacked his legs causing him to fall the final few steps in front of him.
"Oops," Silke gushed, dropping to the ground, effectively joining Blane, who rolled on the floor in pain.
"I'm terribly sorry." She brushed the hair out of his eyes as he smiled apologetically until she recognized her husband. “It’s you, should have gone for your head.”
"I don't need a new kneecap," he muttered. “It’s good to see you and our baby intact, Lovely.”
Ruby threw herself at Cormac’s legs. "Up," he ordered. Cormac hugged his wife tightly, kissing her cheeks. “My mom is not my mom. Where’s my father?”
“Killing those damn things.”
Cormac touched the red fluid dripping from the banister, realizing from its feel that it was blood. It was the sweetest smelling blood that he had ever encountered. Instantly, he knew that the blood belonged to Tatum. He pulled his sword from his sheath, his eyes darting around he noticed a line of red drops. Cautiously, he tracked a bloody trail. Stealthily and determined he continued up the room, spotting another droplet of blood. His eyes narrowed as he followed the trail that led him to a sofa. He placed a hand on the doorknob. He jumped back when Langston bounced out waving his sword.
Cormac's eyes widened as Langston faced him. He was impressed with the older man’s stance, especially for a nursemaid. Langston withdrew but kept a firm grip on his sword. A harsh look carved on his face. Cormac knew that Langston was ready for a kill be it someone or something.
"Langston, it's Cormac," he called calmly, attempting to get Langston into a relaxed state of mind.
Langston’s mouth opened, licking his dry lips. He dropped his arms as if they held the weight of the world. Loudly, his sword clattered against the floor, relief flooding through him, "Where’s Keir?"
Cormac grabbed Langston’s
sword, “He’s downstairs.”
“It’s safe? It was a walking nightmare… Azael, Eris, and a demented Murale,” Langston muttered.
Cormac exhaled as he flicked over Ruby; he knew she was able to resist Azael. He had forgotten about Eris and her colorful destructive ways. “We weren’t prepared.”
"We hid in here. One of those things bit Tatum." Langston frowned when he remembered Tatum. Cormac’s face grew concerned. "Where is she?" he asked breathlessly. Langston flung open a closet door. Cormac spotted a trail of blood and found Tatum at the end of it, her head resting on a step, her eyes closed, and soft moans escaped her lips.
"How long has she been like this?" Cormac inquired as he lifted Tatum into his arms. His fingers brushed her damp hair when her brow as she moaned in pain.
~~~
Keir and Luna found Murale sitting on the sofa drinking a goblet of red wine. He raised his goblet in acknowledgment to Luna and Keir.
"Bale's brews up decadent batches, just perfect for reunions," he gushed, "You found your way back to your family, Luna. Cheers to you, and back with them, where you belong. It wasn’t always about you. It’s about my child and her inability to be chaste. Please forgive me."
He gazed affectionally upon his son as he viewed him with contempt. "You loved me once, Keir… well just as much as you can. Only one person mattered in your life. It was your mother. Then, it was Silke. Or did you love them both equally? Now, it’s your little wife. So devoted. No love for your weary father.” Murale took a sip of wine; he swirled it around in his mouth, knowing he tasted the end of life as he knew it for so very long.
Luna stared deeply into his wide blue eyes, as he asked himself, "How could I have missed the darkness in your soul? You blinded me with your charm and dazzling smile looked everyone else. You caused so much pain. How could you do it?"
Murale shrugged, “Nobody said stop.”
"Where is my wife?" Keir demanded. He didn’t want to chat with his father about his growing madness. He needed to see Tatum.
Murale arched one of his brows, "Oh, Keir, returning to your roots, all that passion for Tatum. You used to scream… I want mummy, sucking your thumb. I just ignored you."