But what of the Greater Demons?
What of Behemoth whose entire existence was dependent upon Chaos Blood. She had used so much to stabilise him, he went against so many of nature’s laws. She had worried over how much she had used fearful that that much Chaos might destroy him. But it had worked, and Eden had had its Guardian, keeping away even the Gods.
Still he had outlived his use, the Gods had been destroyed, Eden hidden away and Humanity brought to heel. It didn’t really matter what happened to him in Hell. Still it was a pity he had been such a useful Demon to summon. No one did destruction on such a massive scale like Behemoth.
Well, at least she knew why she was having odd feelings from her magic. Chaos Blood had expired, those that were dependent on it had probably died.
Now if only she could solve the mystery of Agra.
Nuriel moved among the police officers and crime scene investigators. They all moved readily out of her way, one rushing forward to walk with her.
“What do we have Tom?”
“A mess that’s what we bloody have. Bloody media filmed nearly the whole thing. I would think it a hoax if I didn’t see the ruins myself.”
“A miracle and counter-miracle it would appear. But who would burn down a Cathedral?”
“Muslims”
“Tom how many time do I have to tell you the actions of September 11 and fundamentalists are not the beliefs of Islam. They distort their own teachings. The Quran clearly states suicide is a crime against God. It may be fundamentalists, but I doubt it, far more likely anti-Christian protesters. But what are they protesting against and why not claim responsibility.”
“There has been a spate of Mosques being burned down, perhaps it is in response to the flaring anti-Islamic sentiment sweeping the south. You know you sure do know a lot about Islam.” He eyed her up with distrust.
She pulled out her crucifix on her necklace “I’m Catholic you idiot, we’ve been through this before. It doesn’t hurt to understand other religions, it is the only way peace can ever occur. Now has anyone claimed responsibility?”
“No one has, and there are no markings either.”
“Hmm” was her only response as she stopped at the edge of the Cathedral ruins, at what had been the front door. This had once been a beautiful building that she had visited many times before. Poor Raphael, he had only raised it hours before it was destroyed again. It could only be Demons, they were the only ones to magically burn down a cathedral. They had to be powerful to counteract the still strong Angel powers remaining after it was resurrected.
She stopped as she let her senses open. Yes, magic had been used by two people. Both were remarkably strong. They held a similar flavour though distinctly different. The feminine had the sense of Vampires to it. But that couldn’t be right, Vampires hardly had any magic at all.
She placed her hand on the charred pillar. She could sense the lingering strength of Raphael, the destructive powers of Hera then underneath she felt the sharp sting of Demon magic. But it was laced with great age and power, it wasn’t purely Vampire power. Somehow a powerful sorceress had survived all this time as a Vampire. Not a good sign. Worse yet the male sense was nearly as powerful, though very young. Hera was recruiting sorcerers, young and old. She had to be empowering mortals.
“Any conclusions Detective Kelly?”
“The same accelerant was used as the last time, though there was less used. Keep any eye out for any active anti-Christian groups in the area. Perhaps check the Voodoo. After all, mosques have been getting burned down, perhaps churches are next, and they are connected. Check in with neighbouring districts and states, see if this is an isolated matter or part of a pattern.”
He nodded as he rushed off. She felt eyes watching her, someone knew she was an Angel. She looked around casually trying to locate the source, but it eluded her. However she did notice Hera’s lingering powers, it blanketed the whole city effectively making any attempts to pinpoint others useless. Hera had a presence in this city, she was interested in it. Which meant the Angels would be too.
She pulled out her phone and called the station.
“What can I do for you, Sarah?”
“Do a search across America for any unusual activities. Any unexplained absences, damages to religious buildings or so-called miracles.”
“Do you believe it has a connection to the arson?”
“Yes” Why did Humans ask so many questions, couldn’t they simply do as they were told.
“You’re in luck there has been a spate of mosque burnings all across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, New York and Chicago. There have been incidences of church burnings in San Francisco and New Orleans. There has also been a massive surge of disappearances in New York, California, Louisiana, and Illinois. There have been noticeable spikes across all the states.
As an aside there have been reports of whole towns disappearing in Mexico. But we don’t have access to that data. And there has been a spate of strange seizures occurring to overweight people in Texas.”
“Thank you, Jean you have been most helpful.”
“Glad to help detective.”
She hung up deep in thought. Hera had to be here, it explained so much. She was digging her claws into America, and apparently Mexico. She had clearly aligned herself with the Demon races, not unexpected and was empowering them. She had at least two powerful sorcerers, very troubling. She was also destabilising faith in the States. The missing were either being eaten or turned, which either way meant their numbers were increasing. She would have to investigate Mexico when she got time, she would get a legion to go there for their own safety. It sounded much worse there.
“Victoria what are you doing out here?”
Victoria turned to face her cousin Margaret, dressed in all the finery that was the birthright of the British Royal Family. Margaret looked far more the princess than Victoria did, she also behaved like a spoiled princess. Everything had to be her way, she was the centre of attention at any party and regularly used Victoria as some sort of limelight attracter. She got very annoyed because Victoria was forever slipping away for peace and quiet.
Victoria might be the Princess of Wales, the next in line for the crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and what remained of the Commonwealth but she was not like the rest of her family. Perhaps that was why the British public adored her. Even the government and politicians liked and respected her, she was often requested for public events. She was respected because she was currently studying medicine with plans to go into the defence force. She was often compared to her great-grandfather and his sister. It wasn’t a comparison she was easy with, but it was high praise indeed.
They had been among the last royals eagerly embraced by the public. Her father and Grandfather were not cut out to rule, even self-governing Britain. Royalty was nearly purely ceremonial these days, just like the other European royal families but it was a tradition such countries were proud to have. But Britain disdained their wild royals. Her grandfather had partied hard into an early grave at thirty, it was just as well he had married young and produced an heir. Her own father was not long to follow. He had never been comfortable with the media’s attention and invasion or the expectations of him.
While she didn’t love the media’s attention she could deal with it and she had an active interest in running her country. She attended parliament and was welcomed by the politicians. She was an intelligent young woman whose opinions were well respected, and who measured all sides of an argument. Her humanitarian work had won her public appeal. She worked tirelessly with various charities within Britain, seeking to improve her country. Her favourite being the RSPCA, she had always had a soft spot for animals. She donated a lot of her personal income to her charities. She also assisted in aid work to Africa, that had become part of her family’s duty, not that she minded.
She didn’t really enjoy partying, she enjoyed it occasionally for it was nice to let off steam, but not t
he parties the other nobles and royals attended. They were but a few articles of clothing away from a drunken orgy at all times. And the number of drugs disturbed her. They were so frivolous, spending their millions on parties, ships, and other material possessions. She felt sorry for their accountants. Hers, on the other hand, loved her, she had a canny business sense and had turned her own inheritance into her own billions. The public didn’t know it, but she had major shares in over half of all British companies and had lesser amounts of shares in the rest. She owned vast tracts of land all over the UK of which quite a few had been turned into nature reserves. The public loved her, and yet they remained unaware of all she did.
To top it off were her horse riding skills, something the royal family said marked her as one of them. Quite a few of them had won various awards, and she was not the first princess to win gold in the Olympics for equestrian. All of which made her cousins very jealous. She had everything they envied, money and the public love.
“I’m just watching the moonlight on the glaciers.”
“You watched them all day Victoria, come and party.”
She sighed. That was exactly why she was out here, she didn’t feel like drinking and being sober she couldn’t stand them. They were all pretentious pricks boasting about who had the best bloodline or greatest wealth. She beat them hands down, not that she joined such stupid conversations. She couldn’t wait for this cruise to be over. “It’s nice out here.”
“It’s cold. How are you not freezing without a jacket?”
She glanced down at herself, dressed in a long emerald dress, then glanced at Margaret’s skimpy little black dress. The answer was pretty obvious, she was exposing nearly all her skin to the brisk arctic night. Inside Victoria was overdressed, out here she felt comfortable. She was not some slut to have her dress finishing millimetres below her privates and just above her nipples. Sure she showed off her assets but demurely. There was that old saying about legs or breasts but never both.
Ironically her designer was called London Victoria, she found it amusing his parents had actually called him London. But he had the most fascinating designs, old style elegance it was pegged as. He had all sorts of older twists that resulted in stunning creations. He found it amusing that she was his best client, and had often said it seemed his whole brand seemed perfectly suited for her, even the name.
“Because I don’t dress like a slut Margaret.”
Her face twisted in fury as she slapped Victoria.
She resisted the urge to grab her face, Christ that hurt. “Feel better now? It isn’t going to change the way people see you or what they say about you. If you want that perhaps try closing your legs sometimes. With all the activity it sees I’m surprised it hasn’t been closed for maintenance. It definitely needs it.”
“You’re just jealous you frigid bitch. They all call you a prude.” She spat back.
Victoria laughed with genuine amusement “Frigid? The sheer fact I’ve had sex means, I’m not frigid.”
Margaret gawked at her.
“Oh you were under the quaint notion I was a virgin. I’ve travelled the world. I’ve enjoyed beautiful men from Australia, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, France and even Africa. I just don’t flaunt the fact that I’ve done them.”
She sneered “Oh so perfect Victoria isn’t so perfect then.”
“I’m just not a drunk slut who throws herself at every man at a party. I prefer to actually know someone before I sleep with them, and you know what it works. I don’t have bad sex stories, I’ve had amazing sex with hunky, smart and sensual men. I’ve not had nights I can’t remember, never worried that I might have slept with someone I shouldn’t have or wondered whether I used protection or not.
Nor do I live in fear that the family will find out about my drug habits. But then you, Henry, Catherine, and Andrew all worry. Don’t complain that your parents wish they had had me instead. Don’t complain that the media splashes your vagina and drug fucked face all across the globe. Grow up Margaret and actually take some responsibility for your own actions.”
“You’re just a snotty bitch who thinks she’s better.”
“No, you are and a slut to boot.”
She slapped Victoria again then smacked her shoulders. She had been standing against the railing and with the shove toppled half over, struggling to grab onto something to support her.
Margaret stopped shocked before a vicious smile grew. She glanced around, there were no witnesses, before savagely pushing Victoria over the edge. As soon as she heard the splash and Victoria’s scream cut off, she started screaming “Help! Help! Somebody help! Person overboard. Victoria’s fallen in.”
She took great satisfaction in the amount of time it took for people to come running and for life rafts to be thrown out. Someone wrapped her in a blanket, and she gratefully sank into their embrace all the while forcing out tears.
Well, that was one way to solve a problem.
Victoria fell backwards her eyes locked onto her cousin’s victorious smile before she hit the water. The initial hit stunned her, then the cold took away all her breath. It was fucking freezing. She had minutes until she died from hypothermia if she didn’t drown first.
She struggled to swim, but her legs got ensnared in her dress. She desperately pulled at her dress, trying to rip it open. She continued to sink as the ship got further away. She was going to die, she knew it. She was sinking unable to swim and was losing feeling in her limbs. She was still ripping at her zipper and her petticoats to no avail. She vaguely registered that one of her high heels had come off. Her hair wound around her face, obscuring what little she could see in the black waters.
She was so cold, so desperately cold. She couldn’t move her arms or legs anymore, she couldn’t even feel them anymore. Her lungs were on fire, her body demanding air, but it would find none. She was going to drown.
Somebody help me, anybody, please find me she thought desperately knowing it was completely futile. In these black waters, they wouldn’t be able to find her. Her time was at an end anyway. She reached up desperately, trying to kick her numb legs as her mouth opened involuntarily and the ocean rushed in. She felt the raging cold rush in, felt herself choke on it and felt it extinguish the burning in her lungs. It was all fading away so fast.
Then suddenly there was air, blessed air to breathe in as she coughed up the contents of her lungs all over her hands. How was she on her knees? Why was she dry? Was she dead? Was this the afterlife? She struggled to straighten, but she was so weak. She pulled her hair out of her face so that her eyes could focus. Maybe she was dead, and you started death completely weak. It made sense in a way. She had no idea what she was thinking about anymore, it made no sense to her anymore.
“You are not dead Victoria. You very nearly were, but you haven’t died yet.” A woman said to her, she had a beautiful voice, she found it very comforting.
Finally, her eyes started to focus. There was light and in front of her was a huge black window, a curved black window. With fish swimming past. Where the Hell was she? She managed to stand up and look around. She was in some kind of bubble, completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It was darker than the night. She looked down at the water she had coughed up, it hadn’t pooled on the floor but drained through it. How was this possible, was this some sort of high tech material? Did the government really have access to technology like this? She was definitely going to have to examine that once she got out of here.
The woman laughed, it was musical but for some reason reminded her of Britain and warm fires.
“No government has access to such technology. For it does not exist to them, they do not accept magic.”
Victoria was about to laugh, magic ha, but then glanced around herself. She turned around, there was only the bubble, no submarine dock, nor a single sign of technology. Only the bubble and the strangest woman she had ever seen lounging on a white sofa. She had six wings!
“You certainly make a convincing argument.”<
br />
She laughed again seeming to fill the air with warmth “You are certainly an interesting character Victoria. It would be appalling if I didn’t make a convincing argument for magic considering I live and breathe it. Besides this is nothing special, more visual than anything.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Humans so rarely do. Magic simply doesn’t exist in your world anymore, you explain and rationalise everything with science. But magic is real Victoria, very real.”
“So I’m alive, in a bubble under the Atlantic Ocean due to magic?”
“Precisely”
“And are you some kind of sorceress, benevolent spirit, Nymph, Sprite, Fairy..?” she waved her hands about running out of ideas.
She laughed again “No, they are far too weak to describe me. I am Brigid the ancient Goddess of Britain and Ireland.”
That sounded familiar “Brigid as in the voice people in Australia heard when the River Murray flooded?”
“The same one.”
“But Gods and Goddesses don’t exist, I don’t even believe in God.”
“As well you shouldn’t, he does not exist. He is a lie the Angels made in order to strengthen their religions. The world and Heaven are ruled by Angels not Gods. They slaughtered and imprisoned my kind in a war long ago. Since then their religions have spread across the world, rewriting history and spreading their lies.”
“Wait what? So God doesn’t exist, but the Gods of myth and legend did, or may still exist. But the Angels of the Abrahamic religions overthrew them and have since ruled the world. Where did you come from then?”
“I was imprisoned in Heaven, but an Angel set me free.”
“So why are you here? Why save me?
“Would you rather I had let you die?”
“No. But why save me?”
“You are the heir to the British Empire.”
“The United Kingdom. The Empire was granted its freedom a long time ago.”
“You are heir to the British Empire. Britain is my land, and it will be truly great once again. I have already claimed several colonies, and I will claim more. I will reclaim my homeland. With mine and Hera’s release, the War will break out again. The world will know the truth.”
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