San Francisco Covens: Crucible

by Manuel Tiger

  “Fuck,” I whispered as the faces continued to spray lava over the bridge making it impossible for the others to cross. I looked around and spotted something that looked like a handle jutting from the wall. I got up and ran toward it, wrapped both hands around the thick stone protrusion and tugged it down.

  The spewing lava ceased and there came a deep rumbling from within the walls that had me panicking for a hot second – no pun intended – thinking I had done something worse by pulling the lever, like possibly triggering openings in the walls above the others.

  But that didn’t happen.

  The faces suddenly drew back into the walls as a stone flooring came out of the wall from a two inch opening that ran the perimeter of the room and covered the bridge, the flooring sliding smoothly into place with the platforms.

  “You did it!” Daman said. “You fucking did it!” beside him Heather wore a relieved look as did Scott who had his hand pressed to his chest.

  “Fuck,” Bryan said with a roll of his eyes.

  Aadya said nothing as she strode across the floor with more confidence I wouldn’t have been feeling as the others followed after her and Daman and the others were marched after them.

  When she drew up to me she simply patted my cheek then grabbed my hands and placed the cuffs back on. At once that feeling of weakness returned as she grabbed me by the arm and forced me ahead of her down the new passageway.

  “You did well boy,” she said as she practically used me like a shield as I was forced to go through spider webs that stuck and clung to my face and hair. By the time we exited the tunnel I was so covered in spider webs I looked like a mummy. “And we are here.”

  I peeled away the last of the webbing from my face the best that I could and my eyes popped out of my head.

  The chamber was roughly half the size of the cavern that Carmen and her rebels had occupied. The walls were covered from floor to the slightly domed ceiling in mural after mural that no doubt had possible once been painted in vivid bright colors. Sections of it however had crumbled away leaving gaps in some of the murals. What remained and could be legible was images, scenes of demonic legions enslaving, torturing, killing humans or engaging in sex acts with humans. One scene showed a woman giving birth to a creature while another panel showed a demonic offspring ripping itself out of its human mother’s stomach.

  “Hello Rosemary’s Baby,” Scott whispered. “Does that demon have two dicks? With mouths?”

  “Hello poster for abstinence then,” Heather quipped.

  “All these murals,” Carmen said turning in a circle to take in the murals closest to us. “It shows how things were when demons ruled. Only these images seem to glorify it, to celebrate that fact.” Her tone was filled with revulsion.

  “How can anyone want this back in the world?” Daman asked. “I knew Aadya was a little off her rocker at times? But to desire turning the world back to this?”

  “Don’t you think it’s time, Daman?” Bryan said. “The supernatural has hid for too long in the shadows, forced to hide or been used by mortals that know about the supernatural,” he placed his hands on his hips. “It’s time we ruled, took back the world from the mortals.”

  “You’ll be ruling with demons from the looks of it,” Sophia said. “Or made a slave or bed toy.”

  “Hm,” he said walking over to the wall that depicted the demon with two dicks. “Double penetration has always been a favorite of mine.”

  Heather leaned in toward Daman, speaking in a stage whisper. “I know you’re a vampire,” she said. “But I sincerely hope you got tested for everything after breaking up with him.”

  “Multiple, multiple, multiple times,” Daman replied back.

  I looked toward the center of the cavern to notice there was large circular rings in the floor that seemed to grow smaller toward the center, each ring inscribed with writing that looked more like slashes, scratches and symbols.

  It was nothing I had ever seen in any history book at all.

  My eyes moved toward the walls again this time noticing the statues that were hidden within niches. There were at least six of them and they were of demonic figures holding crude swords. Vines and centuries of dust coated them, but they seemed to have been carved from black rock.

  “What now?” Eve asked as she and the other witches stood with Miss Samantha. “There doesn’t seem to be anything here but crude drawings. Where’s the great power that you spoke of? The so called lock that that stone fits into to unleash it?”

  Aadya who had been quiet all this time turned to look at her. “You’re looking at it,” she said gesturing toward the floor. “It must be activated to be reveal the lock.”

  “And just how is that done?” Eve asked, her eyes cold as steel as she stared at Aadya who seemed unfazed by that look.

  “Watch and see,” Aadya said moving toward an indention in the floor before the rings. She squatted down in front of, took the Witch Stone and placed it into that indention then rose and stepped back, an eager look on her face.

  The red glow from the stone spread like quicksilver across the floor, igniting the arcane symbols written on each one making them glow brightly.

  I felt the trembling beneath my feet as there came that familiar sound of stone grinding against stone as the rings began to turn clockwise, turning slowly then picking up speed as they began to sink into the floor one after another creating stairs as the center of the floor fell away completely to reveal another passageway.

  “They seemed pretty big on making passages in this place,” Daman said.

  “You should wish for more Chico,” Aadya said retrieving the Witch Stone. “For this is the last one before you die.”

  With those words I realized that any help would not be arriving in time. We would die and all our deaths would bring about what I was starting to think of as the demon apocalypse, an end to the world as I knew it, to how all knew it.

  I wondered what my last thoughts would be when my true final death arrived.

  As if sensing my mood Daman stepped closer toward me, resting his chin on my shoulder, my cuffs rattling as I leaned my head against his.

  “At least we’re going to be going together,” he whispered.

  “That’s not very princely,” I quipped. “I was hoping right now you would have something up your sleeve that you would pull out and save the day. That anyone would. But we’re beaten aren’t we?” I said shaking my head. “We finally get back together and we’re going to die.”

  “I wouldn’t want to leave this world without you, Henry,” he said kissing my shoulder. “Let’s go meet our fate together and hope that if there is a life after this one?”

  “We meet in that one.” I concluded. He nodded and we were once more marching after Aadya and the others down the newly revealed steps into the bowels of the earth. I glanced at the statues that loomed over us noticing that each one had something akin to a smile on their lips that I had not noticed before.

  III

  The passage was not as long as the previous one had been. It seemed to go straight down, turning and twisting like a corkscrew before we emerged into a cavern that was half the size of the one above. There was no murals on the wall and the only feature it had was that of what looked to be a tower made from black stone that rose two hundred feet into the air in the center of the chamber. A winding staircase circled around the structure and ended at the very top.

  Somehow I was expecting something more elaborate, something awe inspiring from something that would unleash hell on earth.

  My attention dropped to the floor as I noticed it resembled puzzle pieces that seemed fitted together.

  “At the top resides the great power which the Witch Stone will unlock as well as set into motion The Great Cleansing,” Aadya said. “Those of you that have decided to join me will be richly rewarded as queen and king of your race and serve as the right hand of the force that will come into the world.” She turned to face her group. “Let us proceed. Place the prisone
rs in the indentions around the tower. The girl,” she said nodding to Heather. “Comes with me.”

  “I hope a two dicked demon tears you up,” Heather spat at her as she was taken by one of the soldiers and led toward the structure.

  “Heather,” I said as she passed by me, my hand latching onto her arm. “I…I don’t know what to say. I’m just glad that I have been able to call you my friend these last three years. There’s just so much I want to say but for once? I’m having trouble putting words together. I don’t want this to be the end.”

  “And I’m glad that I have you as a friend, Henny,” she said leaning toward me and placed a kiss on my cheek. “And it’s not the end Henny. I’ll be seeing you on the other side.”

  She was pulled away and I was pulled back by one of the soldiers as Aadya motioned to the other soldiers to place us on the indentions that numbered six that surrounded the base of the tower. Six indentions, six statues of demons. I’m sure it all meant something or nothing at all.

  “Luis!”

  Carmen’s cry of alarm drew us all toward where she now knelt beside her brother who had collapsed on the ground. “He’s lost too much blood,” she said. “You can’t use him!”

  “Is he still breathing?” Bryan asked walking over and squatting down beside Luis. He placed two fingers against Luis’ neck and smiled. “He’s still alive,” he said and looked at Carmen. “You and your brother will be going into the great beyond together.”

  “You’re a cold bastard,” Carmen said attempting to strike him but he caught her hand, and looking at me, began to squeeze her left hand as she cried out. Blood began spilling between his fingers as he started to increase the pressure till I heard the familiar snap and crack of bones.

  Carmen gasped and he shoved her backwards as she clutched her broken hand to her chest.

  “You son of a bitch!” I said moving forward only to be struck across the cheek by the butt of a gun. It opened the flesh there and I felt warm blood trickling down from the wound.

  “I want to have the honor of killing him,” Bryan said rising up. “And having Daman watch as I do.”

  “You sorry motherfucker!” Daman growled but a gun barrel pressed under his chin prevented him from doing anything.

  “Fine, whatever,” Aadya said. “Just get them into positions.”

  “Gladly,” Bryan said with a grin as he looked at me.

  “You still look like an off brand Ken doll,” I said as his smile left his face. I was spun around as I, along with Sophia, Scott and Daman were pushed toward the tower. Carmen was pulled to her feet as Luis was hefted up and the two brought toward the tower by Miranda and Zoe.

  I noticed that Miss Samantha hung back with, conversing with her silently. I wondered what they could have to talk about. Everything was going as planned, as plotted. We had been the fools in this script she had co-authored.

  As I was brought closer to the tower I stared up at it seeing that it was carved with demonic faces and figures. My eyes dropped down to the circular indention I was forced to kneel in, seeing that a channel led from it and to the base of the tower. So, our blood would fuel whatever spell or ceremony would occur just as Heather’s life would.

  “Remember,” Aadya said as she started up the stairs with the Witch Stone. “Once I have recited the spell and plunged the dagger into the witch’s heart? You must cut the throats of the offerings at the same time. Not a moment too late, not a moment too soon,” she said turning to look toward Bryan who had taken up a position of standing behind me. “Nothing must interfere with the ceremony or stop it once it has started.”

  With those parting words she continued up the spiral staircase to begin not only our end but the end of the world as well.

  “Do you think the vampire council will just let you take over?” Daman said as he was placed into a circular indention a few feet from me.

  “There is no longer a vampire council,” Bryan replied as he gripped the back of my head and jerked my head back. “I sent a little gift to them that from what I was told? Lit up their world.”

  “You killed them?” he said shocked.

  “Wounded them, weakened them,” he said as he withdrew a knife from the sheath attached to a belt loop on his jeans. “By the time this ceremony is over and I have received the power promised? They will be in no position to resist me when I assume head of the new reformed council.”

  “Fucker,” Daman said as a soldier took a position behind him. The man withdrew a knife as well and grabbed him by the back of his head, arching his head back.

  All of us were now in the circular indentions, posed and Aadya had now reached the top of the tower.

  “Killing you seems a waste. Oh, your death is for a great cause of course! But a waste all the same. Then again, I could find a necromancer and bring you back to life and kill you over and over and over,” he looked at Daman. “And you won’t be around to stop it Fucker. Take that thought with you when you die Daman, knowing that I will have your boy as my play toy. Maybe I even tie him down and let every vampire in New York City fuck him every day!” he grinned and grinded his crotch against the back of my head.

  I jerked forward, but not by much since he had his fingers buried in my hair. “What the fuck did I ever do to you?” I asked as he jerked my head back, twisting my hair around his fingers to the point a throbbing pain started up.

  “You played where you weren’t supposed to for one,” he said placing the knife under my chin. “I should have killed you that day in the Gazette office instead of breaking your hand, a hand which I see has healed exceptionally well.”

  “You sorry piece of shit!” Daman growled. “If these cuffs weren’t on me? I take that knife and ram it so far down your god damn throat you’ll be shitting the remains out for the rest of your pathetic life!”

  I said nothing more as Aadya’s voice carried out over the cavern. She was speaking what sounded like Aztec mixed with Mayan and something else; the words were just strung together into a steady rhythm that rose and fell.

  “Soon, the witches will rise up,” Miss Samantha said walking over with Eve and the other witches. She looked up toward the top of the tower.

  “And the vampires,” Bryan added.

  “Yes, we will see won’t we?” Miss Samantha said leveling her gaze at Bryan, a smile given forth that seemed condescending.

  “You’re not thinking of going back on the agreement now are you witchy dear?” he said pressing the blade firmer against my neck.

  “Witches have been subjected to the whims and drama of vampires since we first appeared,” Miss Samantha said. “Bullied by them, threatened by them, even have had our families killed when we refused to work for them.”

  “I promise that such will not occur when I’m head of the vampire council of America and Europe.”

  “You’re assuming that there will still be an America and Europe,” Sophia said from Daman’s right side. “Don’t you both realize that what you’re helping to unleash here this day is going to subject you all to the rule of demons? It’s like Daman said, why the fuck would you want to do that?”

  “And as I said,” Bryan grinned. “It’s better to serve the hand of power instead of being oppressed by it.”

  “You’re a fucking fool,” Sophia said as the soldier standing behind her tugged on the back of her hair silencing her.

  “Are we good?” Bryan asked looking back toward Miss Samantha.

  “Just know Mister Graceland,” Miss Samantha said. “That you dare to rise up against us after this? We will not hesitate to remove you and your kind.”

  “Two old bitches drawing lines in the sand,” Daman said. “Shame I’m going to miss it.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh.

  Which proved a mistake.

  Bryan pressed the blade firmer against my throat. I felt it bite into my throat as I cried out softly.

  “Keep it up,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to slit your throat open!”

  It was then th
e chanting voice of Aadya stopped as a magical red glow engulfed the tower, racing down the side of it like flowing blood. That glow struck the channels connecting to the circular indentions causing them to glow bright red.

  “On my word!” she yelled down to us. “Get ready!”

  I watched the gleam of delight in Bryan’s eyes grew brighter as he drew back the knife and prepared to bring it across my neck.

  This was it, this was the end.

  Hell was coming to earth and I played a part in bringing it about.

  “Now!” Aadya yelled.

  Chapter Eleven

  An arrow struck the knife out of Bryan’s hand sending it arching into the air as another struck the soldier standing behind Daman right in the left eye. This was followed by several more arrows striking each soldier that stood behind Carmen, Luis, Sophia and Scott.

  The knives either clattered to the floor or were knocked out of the hands of the soldiers. One spun around to see where this was assault was coming from when a throwing knife struck him in the forehead and he dropped where he stood.

  I stared at the knife handle.

  It was topped by a crane head.

  No, it couldn’t be.

  I whipped my attention toward the entrance to see three familiar figures standing there.

  Nicole, Kingston and Kyle – Alistair’s right hands.

  Nicole lowered the crossbow she held. She was dressed in a black leather jacket with a gray hood, white tank top, black leather pants and boots. Kingston and Kyle were attired similar to her and that alone told me they meant business of the kind you did not want to be on the receiving end of.

  “Stop them! The spell can’t be disrupted!” Aadya screamed down to her soldiers. I noticed her right hand had an arrow through it and there was a throwing knife in her right shoulder.

  “Sorry for arriving late Little One,” Nicole said swinging her crossbow over her shoulder as she withdrew a sword from the sheath at her side. “Alistair’s spell took some time to complete.”

  I couldn’t say anything. I was just so fucking grateful to see them!