by brett hicks
“Please…go…”
I nodded.
“Vivi, you come with me, I need to find a sylph and fast, then we are going to get Seri! I have a plan.”
Vivi shook her head and sighed.
“Your plans scare the shit out of me, and I’m not easily scared.”
I ignored her attempt at humor and I spun to the door.
“Jeff, you know where Seri was, you’re coming too, besides I need you to steal me a car and drive us to Brooklyn Kingdom in record time.”
The puka looked so gleeful that you might have mistaken this as a Christmas present!
“Vivi I don’t see why you think her plans are so scary. She’s a bloody genius!”
Vivi muttered, “Out of the mouths of pukas… That is a terrifying thought!”
I snorted, and Jeff was to giddy to care about Vivi’s sassy comment. Besides, pukas didn’t seem to give a fuck about what others thought of them. They liked fun, mischief and they seemed to be adrenaline junkies.
Ok, I guess I could see how that might concern the elf girl!
***
Fifteen-minutes of literal death-defying stunts later, and Jeff deposited us at the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge. I could see the wards up now, they sizzled with power, but unlike the others, I couldn’t seem to communicate with these.
Vivi stepped out on shaky feet, looking very green around her gills—poor elf girl didn’t stand a chance with a deranged puka at the wheel! I had never thought it possible to hear a dark elf shriek like a banshee, but Jeff had managed to elicit that exact noise from her no fewer than four times in fifteen-minutes!
Vivi eyes Jeff with revenge etched into her every expression. The puka looked very smug, smugger than any puka in history. He must have been the only one to ever to coax such panic from a dark elf. Jeff was bouncing on his heels with energy.
Crazy bloody pukas!
Even above the hustle and bustle of the early morning traffic, which was still thick, I heard the beat of massive wings. A pair of sylphs came into view from their perches on the ends of the bridge on the Brooklyn end. Watching out for anyone who would try to break the boundary.
I held up the golden feather, it glowed in my hand and both the guards rushed over to me. I looked around and noticed none of the humans had taken notice of the two obvious angel-looking inhumans.
Glamor?
“Who are you, and how do you have out Lord’s feather?!”
The voice was gruff and the emotion genuine anger. I held up my hands, holding tight to the feather in my right hand.
“I’m Thea Salvo, and I am looking for your lord’s oldest son. Chase sent me to fetch his son. He was stabbed from Dean Sylvester’s sword and the effect is killing him. He wishes to speak to his son before he dies.”
The man rushed me grabbing me by my throat, lifting me off the ground. His grip was like hot iron. He clenched my small neck in a death-grip.
“What. Have. You. Done!?”
Each word was bitten out with a lethal anger so rich and primal, it would have made me shrink in my skin, if I had not been hanging out with a psycho queen, and kin to a powerful princess.
I choked out, “Nothing!”
The other ripped me from his grip and helped me to the ground.
“Steady brother, she speaks true. His Lordship would never gift an enemy his boon. He has only ever gifted one other feather! Go fetch our Lord Arius, and I will stand watch and learn what I can.”
She was stern, but there was something very calculating in the golden-haired angelic woman. She had a gilded blade strapped to her hip and several silver circular wheel-like weapons, like throwing discs hollowed out in the center. Sylphs were terrifying enemies, if my brief observations were anything to go off!
Thunder crackled through Brooklyn minutes later, the whole sky thundered and roared. Many cars stopped still, some slamming into one another. The young Sky Lord was coming, and he was pissed!
Shit, the chick should have gone! Meat-head must have riled him up!
Thirty-Two:
If the other two were like angels, then the six-two muscular man who descended wearing a real Roman style toga with whites and golds, was an archangel. He was so beautiful, his glowing features hurt to behold for longer than a moment, and I was supposed to be a Princess!
I doubted that many had the power to look on this young Sky Lord without going blind! I averted my gaze for a moment, allowing my eyes a moment to recover their strength. He was powerful, insanely powerful. Thunder crackled along the skies of Brooklyn.
“Answer truthfully little necromancer, or all of your kin’s subjects will be put to sky-blades!”
I swallowed and nodded.
“I come in peace, your father was brought to my hidden bunker refuge. We were hiding after the human police showed up the site of the Harlem battle.”
“I already know all about your ascension to the thrones of the divided kingdoms of Manhattan Island. The birds speak the secrets of the earth-bond.”
I licked my lips and blinked. What the hell did he expect me to say to that shit?
“Well, your dad sent me, he was stabbed by Dean Sylvester with something called a necrotic blade. I don’t know exactly what that is, but the wound on his shoulder is beyond anything I have ever seen.”
He landed with a clap of thunder and I hopped back a step, readying myself for an attack. He extended his hand and held it palm up.
“Show me his boon, and then you will take me to my father.”
There was zero room for brokerage in his tone. I did as he asked and held out the feather to him and he sucked in a deep breath. His eyes closed for a moment, and then he replaced the feather in my hand.
“Never lose this, it is the final boon of the current Sky Lord. I will not harm you, or your subjects, now take me to my father.”
I nodded, and I cleared my throat.
“I can have Vivi take you to him, but I must go to Seri. She is in great danger.”
He shook his head vehemently.
“You shall stand at my side, where I can see you, until I have spoken to my father directly, then you will have my assistance. I am sure you were going o ask me for winged escorts?”
His eyebrows raised in question, and I nodded my confirmation. That had been the new plan.
“We leave to your bunker, and then we shall retrieve your kin, that is our deal.”
I closed my eyes and sighed.
“Fine, deal, but she had better be alive!”
My tone was farm sturdier than it should be, considering the thunder that was still rolling over Brooklyn.
“And, stop with the fireworks show! Humans are bond to notice this is not nature thunder and lightning!”
My firm chastening tone had his two guards taking a step towards me, but he flicked his gaze to them and they halted, obeying his silent order.
“We shall ferry you. Do try not to struggle.”
I was about to ask him what he meant, when he picked me up like a toy and we shot into the sky with a speed that I thought impossible for a humanoid body. We were already over Harlem by the time he slowed to ask directions.
Shit, no wonder Seri doesn’t want to fight these fuckers! Thunder and wind elements, plus all this speed and agility!
***
Flying on the Sky Lord taxi service was far less frightening than the puka taxi service had been, and even faster. I might have peed myself a bit, if not for the fact that I was confident that I could survive the fall, somehow. I doubted I would be dancing soon, but I would have lived.
Inside of five minutes we were back at my bunker. Arius was very good at taking directions, even from a frightened and slightly confused passenger in his arms. Vivi had much more dignity about this means of travel, clearly not her first time in the arms of a sylph. Jeff just whooped in excitement and asked the surly man carrying him if he could go any faster. Apparently, nothing could kill the mood of a damn puka!
Arius and I entered the massive titanium d
oor of the bunker, followed closely by his guards and mine. Everyone stepped out of the path of the radiant Prince of the Skies. He strode at a brisk pace that I nearly had to sprint to match on my smaller legs.
Arius knelt beside his father, who looked up at his son with a widened smile of relief.
“My…son…”
He coughed and wheezed.
“Father, tell me true, did Dean do this to you, or did this young necromancer manage the wound?”
His words cut like a whip, but Arius was a sharp minded nobleman, he would not trust anything short of his father’s own words.
Lenard sighed and shook his head.
“She is innocent of all charges my son. Dean Sylvester meant to stab me in the back, and through my heart, but the wind spoke to me of his treachery, even as his blade sang towards my flesh. I managed to evade an instant death-blow, but as you know, that sword of his is not something most could survive.”
Arius nodded, his look was solemn.
“So, Libby, was it not Seraphina?”
“It…”
Lenard hacked and coughed.
“Was not… they know who killed our beloved Libby. He is named Henry, of the Boston necromancer line of witches.”
Fire licked down my spine at this latest information. Henry was from Boston?! My home, meaning…
“He followed me all the way from Boston?!”
I couldn’t help but to cut in. Lenard looked to me and nodded.
“Aye, that would be my guess, child. You did not know this?”
I shook my head and I looked at him with great confusion twisting my features.
“No, no one told me his family is form Boston! Damn Seri and her bloody secrets!”
Lenard sighed, and his gaze was back on Arius again.
“My son, take the mantle, place your hand on my wings, and I shall transfer the powers of the sky to you. It is your time; the Grand Junction has already begun…”
He turned and coughed and hacked. His breathing becoming increasingly labored.
“Father, by wind and cloud, by thunder and lightning, I swear I shall have retribution for this cowardice against you!”
Magic roared off his oath. Lenard smiled at his son, such brilliant pride shone in his dulled gaze. Something passed between them and I watched in awe as the gilded wings all came loose from Lenard’s back and they married themselves to Arius’s already impressive wings. They glowed with a renewed vibrance.
“Go now my son and help this child. Her path shall be harsh, and her destiny is shrouded from all prying eyes. Save her…”
His words trailed off as a death rattle rose form his lungs and he expelled a haunting final breath of air and his half-lidded gaze became dead. Arius leaned in and tears peppered his eyes, his light green eyes took in his battered father and he swept his hand over his father’s eyelids, closing them gently.
Patty held her head low, not daring to look at the grieving new Sky Lord.
“Sky Lord, sir, I give you my word, we shall clean him and attend to him, until you return once more.”
Patty must have realized we would be leaving to retrieve Seri. Arius looked up at her through his tears and she quivered violently, but stood, refusing to run or flee his power. He nodded slightly.
“Thank you, milady.”
He rose to his impressive height and his subjects looked at him, while trying to wipe their own eyes. Lenard was the ruler of all skies for three-thousand-years. He was loved and respected by all accounts I had heard thus-far.
“Come, we have a vampire to save. Call in the others, and have the prisoners freed on the Manhattan side of the border.”
The young female bowed lowly to her lord.
“Aye, Sky Lord, I am yours to command, forever.”
The young man bowed and repeated a similar vow of loyalty. Arius turned his light-green gaze on me.
“Come little necromancer, I assume you will not wish to miss this?”
I nodded, and I cleared my throat.
“You would be correct.”
Thirty-Three:
Dawn was breaking, and she fought her way back to the shore, her back now to the bridge connecting to Harlem. Seri heaved mighty and labored breaths. Blood drenched her left shoulder, and her gut, she had taken several wounds form vampires attacking her.
The zombies and ghouls now out swarmed over Liam, Bix and herself. It was like trying to fight the tide, it just never stopped flowing in and out.
Dean stayed back, well out of her reach, like the coward he was. He chipped away at them with an army of mindless dead things between him and her. Seri had never longed to be close to the bastard before now, but only so she could drive a blade through his rotted hollow heart.
“We have to make for the bridge, hurry!”
She was cut off by the sound of sirens and the sight of flashing blue-red lights. Seri swore in tangent to herself.
This cannot be the signal that she was speaking of! She’s not that crazy!
Liam looked up at the sky and marvel in his eyes. He looked at the scene he had seen ten-thousand times before, but never had it looked so wondrous to behold in all his life!
The cops surrounded the horde of zombies, their faces were twisted in varying shades of rage, confusion, and fear.
“NYPD, freeze!”
They began shouting, and Dean flicked his wrist. Seri rushed towards the five zombies barreling towards the officer who had boldly given the command. Seri’s sword parried the blade in its hands.
“Officers, these are not men! They are already dead! I will explain everything once this is over!”
One of the cops swung his gun towards Seri and at that moment three more zombies rushed him, drawn by his sudden movement. Their bloody and broken bodies were something horror movies could never reproduce. They were reanimated victims of a melee battle. Nothing could look as grotesque as the wounds inflicted on flesh and bone by a bladed weapon in the heat of battle!
Liam and Bix slashed and hacked the zombies down, guarding the ignorant officer.
“Please, fire, they are not human, nor are they breathing!”
The leader nodded dumbly to Seri, as he watched a disemboweled zombie staggering towards them reaching maddeningly for them, for any flesh he could steal.
“Shot the heads, body shots will not do anything.”
Seri instructed, and a moment later, the cop barked, “Fire!”
Gunshots rang out into the morning. The sun was rising over head as bullets erupted into the skulls and bodies of the zombies. The NYPD held high standards for marksmanship, thankfully, that had been what Thea had been counting on when she had somehow managed to get the police out to Randall's Island. Thea had utilized the one option that no one else would have every thought to, the police. She had called the human authorities in to help!
Seri didn’t know if she was going to kill the girl or fuck her brains out! She knew she was likely to bite her either way, but that’s ok, they are vampires, and biting is allowed!
Dean snarled, and his magic rose. Seri tried to block his path, but he was too far off and she was exhausted.
The sky crackled with lightning and winged sylphs crashed into the ground, ignoring the human police, who had stopped shooting to gape at the angelic beings before them. Sylph blades hacked off heads and severed limbs.
The leader dropped a bundle of fix-six raven-haired beauty in tattered black camo pants and a black tee shirt that was torn. She was battered and battle-worn, but she was healthy and whole.
Thea strode forward, and she extended her hand and Dean’s magic clashed with her own. She snarled at him showing fangs in her battle against his raging powers. His death magic was attempting to rush past her, and slam into the humans, thus killing them.
“Officers, please take cover. That man, and I do use that term loosely in his case, is going to try to kill you! He is what we call a necromancer. He is the one who raised all these dead! Please take cover, in case she loses control of him!
And, please don’t shoot the winged people, they are allies to all who do not wish them harm.”
The lead man was a forty-something detective of some sort, considering he was dressed in plain clothes and wore a golden shield around his neck. He watched the spectacle of the magical lights the light blue of Thea, clashing with the hazy dark green of Dean.
Seri sighed, and she gestured to a few of the sylphs.
“Please, protect the humans from any stray magic. I will help dispatch the remaining zombies and ghouls.”
She heard the disbelieving sounds of men from behind her and she sighed to herself in exhaustion.
Dammit Thea, they bought us the time needed to get the sylph here, but shit! This is all going to hell in a handbasket! The Grand Junction has indeed started now!
The Grand Junction, Seri had never heard anything positive spoken of the convergence of events and people, which leads to the human discovery of the inhuman world. The point in future-history so muddied in fear, decisions, and converging forces, that no seer can peer into its dark point, or beyond. No possibility beyond this very night can be seen!
Liam had hidden this from her for three-hundred-years, but now she knew why. She would never have saved Thea, even feeling pulled to the young woman, she would have let her die, and with her, New York would have fell to her enemies, likely exposing the humans to the worst cruelty of her world in the process, and the Grand Junction would have still been realized, even in Thea’s death. Seri would have been chained to a bed and raped and impregnated, then dispatched.
Thea is the only hope that this does not go utterly wrong!
Seri realized now, the convergence on this girl, her choices, and the fates of her allies were the hope of humans, not just the local domain of inhumans! They held the burden of carrying the weight of humanity on their slender shoulders!
Thirty-Four:
Power raw, cold, filthy pounded against me. Energy like nothing I had ever imagined before. The rot, filth and stink of his power was something that no words could begin to describe.
My power answered to his, defying his every whim to push past me, to kill the innocent police officers—police officers I had called here!