by K. H. Kate
And turned out, it really did.
As I felt the tiny droplets of blood trailing down my cheeks, even those weren't red like other demons.
I knew I wasn't the strongest demon out there, I had flaws. I could never feed without taking their souls. And punishing the lost souls roaming in hell as a Queen should? Forget about it. I gave them life instead. Life...as in it was living inside me when I was quite dead myself. Hell, at times I wondered just why Demos chose me out of all the females fawning over him back in hell.
"Your medicine." I jolted back at the voice near me. Demos. After he took over that man's body, I collapsed on the floor with him shouting my name in panic. He must have carried me to a bed.
Giving him a thankful smile, I raised my hand. He didn't take a second to hand me over the red substance I was taking since I could remember and gulped it all down my throat. The bitter taste was only there for a second before it started to kick in. No longer had I remembered what I saw in my nightmare nor did the fear had a place in my heart.
I was good as new. I could almost hear Demos utter those words in my ears. See Emeline? Even the broken can be fixed as I did to you!
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, love." He smiled, watching me get back on my feet. The rush of power surging through me was always a welcoming distraction as I tried not to think of what I saw earlier. Not that I had any memory of it. It was just a shapeless and mindless void like the place right below Hell.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked, taking a step toward the balcony. The cold air bit into my skin which reminded me once again that I was able to physically feel everything. For a while, I wondered if I should tell Demos about it but then the oddity of it made me shy away from it.
I was already a broken doll in his eyes. No need to freak him out anymore than normal.
"Roughly six or seven hours. You had a terrible fever...did you use too much of your energy to raise them?" I jerked at that, spooning around to see him. Was I really that sick? But a demon didn't...
As if knowing what I was going to ask, he let out a chuckle. "I know what's going inside this little head. You are different from anyone I have ever met, my Queen. You are special, and all mine."
Times like this I could only stare at his onyx eyes and curse my fate. Why was he so...nice to me?
The lack of any voice only made him laugh harder. Giving him a pointed stare I waited until he subdued. "You done?"
"Almost." He started going over the cardboard, picking up clothes. Surprising me, he threw a jacket in my way. "Now we're done."
I looked at the jacket once and then at him. Wearing something of the King was forbidden, even when he was in another man's body. But he wanted me to...fuck it. Wearing it, I looked back at him to watch his eyes change and immediately, a rush of power left from his body to the air. Not even a minute and there was a portal waiting for us to cross over.
Norcia.
Home to the Coven.
Our blood enemies.
"Do you know how long it'll take to find one witch?" He asked getting impatient when we noticed not even one person was out in the wildness. Before he could say more, a gentle breeze passed by me and immediately a faint smell caught my nose.
"I can feel...who is that?" I cut myself off to point out a girl several feet away from us.
"Looks like we've found our witch." Demos's happy sigh was telling me that in an hour the Coven would be dead or worse would be sent to rot in Hell.
Then why didn't it felt good? Why did it felt...like a betrayal?
"Come on, we have to follow her. She'll lead us to the Coven." Before I could argue or anything, he took my wrist to follow the girl only stopping once she disappeared into a house.
From the outside, it seemed like they were celebrating something. They even had robes for people to wear before entering the place. Demos looked at me once, nodding at the piece of cloth. It didn't take us long to get into the house with the crowd wearing similar outfits.
"What now?" I whispered as Demos let out a vile chuckle.
"We attack."
CHAPTER SIX
"What's in it?"
"Why do you care?"
"Do you even have a plan?"
"When did I not?"
Everyone had a point in their life when they either gave up or became desperate enough to rip someone's throat out. In my case, it was the latter. I was ready to see Zach in a pool of blood if he didn't answer my question with another question.
"You're testing your luck, Zach. Just answer his questions." Zed trailed off, watching my pacing form.
"Oh, please! He can't even lift..." Zach's words died down as I waved my hands, forcing Zach to cry out in shock. Shadows lurked from my hands and trapped his throat, making him impossible to breathe. Oh, I missed this.
"Let...me...go." Zach wheezed, bringing his wrist higher. The trinket dangling from his wrist didn't go unnoticed by me. Oh, so he was one of those people, using the souls trapped in the trinket to earn favors. Let's see how that turns out, I wondered with a grin.
"Guys stop!" Zed held me back but the shadows held Zach firmly in the wall. Oh, how I missed this. The game, the thrill of the unknown.
"For God's sake, not again..." Lana cursed, both of her eyes turning dark immediately. I was going to throw a comment like welcome to the life of a Reaper but at the same time, a bright light came from her hands and with a jerk, my shadows went back inside of my body.
Just when I was starting to like my new allies...
"Calm down, Lex," Zed warned just as Lana started to scold Zach for provoking the madman. I was close, so close to finding her. Nothing and no one was going to stop me.
"Lex, I mean it." Zed reminded me again.
"I will, only when I get my answers. So anyone going to tell me the plan anytime soon?" I asked, raising my hands in warning. The moment I said that someone opened the front door. To my surprise, the man that emerged from it was none other than someone I knew in the past.
"You."
The man looked at me with a frown. "I am sorry, who are you?"
"I know you." I walked closer to the man but surprisingly his scent was all long. "Wynker, isn't it? It's been too long, old friend."
Zed looked equally surprised as the name was uttered from my mouth. "Lex? What are you talking about?"
"Don't you know him? The demon who once helped our clan when the third war broke out. Back in the days, you went to get a deal out of the Red clan and someone attacked us in your absence, hello, remember that?"
Zed shook his head. "The same demon you praised for months and I never met? Ah...I think you are mistaken. This is Vermon Mikhail Hernandez, Lana's beloved and a Seeker. He is a direct descendant of Elizabeth, you know, the kid who used to work with you."
"Elizabeth as in...Of course, Elizabeth!" A series of chuckles left my lips. My my, how the time had passed. "I knew I was right! Wynker was always around Elizabeth, saying he was learning things from her. Yeah, definitely learned things with what I'm seeing right now."
"What the fuck was that supposed to mean?" The man, Mikhail as Lana called shouted in anger.
Lana was quietly observing the interaction until I found her nervously look at Mikhail. "You wanted to say something, twin?"
"Mikhail, remember I once told you how a Seeker is born? You asked your mom plenty of times but she never admitted to meet a demon and your father is a human. So what if I mistook the words Hannah once said? Maybe it's possible that only a few people in the bloodline got this gene through Elizabeth? Not just specifically the demon and the witch's child. What if this demon, Wynker, is the reason you are a Seeker?"
The man in front of me looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This isn't happening."
"Oh, it's very much happening," I added with a chuckle. "Now that you are not Wynker but his descendant, I can trust you a little bit more than I trust these two."
I heard three scoffs on my back.
"Who is this an
yway?" Just as he said that he must have noticed Zed. "Zedkiel, mind wanna tell me what are you doing here. No offense."
"None taken." He nodded. "Vermon, I am really sorry. He had no right to throw a bomb like that. But that's Alexei for you."
"Alexei, as in..."
"Yeah, yeah, King of Shadows, ruthless madman, yada, yada." I rumbled, turning back to look at Lana. "And you. Your whatever he is, was about to tell me how do I find my wife back."
"Zach might know that she's here but he doesn't know the exact location. You said she's your beloved which means you two share souls. So if we use your blood to locate your lost soul then we can find her."
Actually, it wasn't that bad from all the other idiotic ideas I heard. Now I would never admit it but this twin had some brain, unlike someone.
"You two are helping find who now?" Mikhail asked with a groan.
"My wife." I cut in. "As in Lana's sister."
His eyes widened a little. "Sister? The same sister who-" He paused to look at Zach who nodded sharply. "-killed him and was dead."
"Momentary mistake on my part, I admit." Zach glared hard at what I was saying. "Now can we get on with it? I already wasted so much time."
"Fine. If 5132 is helping then so am I." Mikhail smiled at the twin in a way only true beloved could. I looked away from the lovey-doey couple. So what they had code names and all. I had better things to think about. Like what my little soul was doing right now. What if the demon ass was also with her? No. I didn't care that he was a King. I was going to turn that demon into ashes and feed it to my shadows.
Even if it meant tearing Hell apart.
"When are we going to do the ritual?" I asked coming to their side. I had followed them out of the house and had to jog a bit to catch up. The cemetery wasn't too far from Mikhail's house which I suspected was because it belonged to the Seeker's family.
"Right now." Mikhail replied, stopping near one. I looked at the cemetery in front of me and somehow my heart skipped a bit. Didn't they find a better place for any ritual? Didn't they know spirits lurk around these places and I was not too happy to share my soul with these lonely essences?
"It's a family plot. My dad's side to be exact so expect the spirits to sleep in peace. No sorcerers to disturb them until now I guess." Mikhail sighed where my gaze went to the newly made grave. It was that bitch Keisha's.
"Give me a second." I walked toward Keisha's grave and a sinister smile crept up to my lips. Finally, she was paying for what she had done. The more I stared at the grave, the more the images of what she had done to Emie resurfaced in my mind.
"I hope you rot in Hell with that crazy demon King."
I spat out and only when I was sure that the bitch was truly dead and gone, I left to join Zed and the others.
"You alright?" He asked, making a circle in the ground with salts. Others put candles and sat in a circle, waiting to close the circle with protection. He handed me the knife I needed and raised his hands to start chanting.
"I'm freaking out." I admitted honestly.
When I was spared from that grave I resided in, Zed asked me if I truly was scared of that place. My answer was an immediate no but graves lately reminded me of little soul, of my self-made Hell. And to my shock, I realized I wasn't too kin to go back there.
Zed had an inkling as he stared at me. "The place or this ritual?"
"A bit of both." I agreed.
"Keisha is out of our lives, for good, Lex." That hidden pain in his tone didn't go unnoticed by me. Thankfully before I could voice out just what I thought of that little emotion, the circle completed, me being in the middle.
"Come on, it's time."
I still held the dagger tightly against my chest. Breathing out, I brought it to my hand, cutting my palm open. As drops of blood started to fill the ground, I could feel my soul starting to search for its other half. I focused on that energy and spread it out to the world. Others started to chant loudly causing the air to shift slightly.
"In vo in eam em, ut vet ut, tarda cut lnunc a mle in noc re me sol, me vita vitae ekiem coim."
A familiar tugging made me realize that I had found my other half. But before I could focus on that tugging, the spirits that were lurking there all flew screaming to the darkness, forcing me to rudely break the trance.
"No, no, no. You were supposed to be there." My ramble only grew when I couldn't feel that need to search inside my soul anymore.
She was right there and then gone.
"You are glowing and your eyes are green." Zach pointed out, looking at me with awe. To my surprise, I noticed indeed my hands was glowing with a faint white light. But it didn't work. The map didn't show a place. Just as my desperation increased, my eyes turned dark and the light vanished like it was never there.
"It didn't work." I whispered, curling my fists to stop myself from killing everyone.
Lana suddenly cursed making me whip around to look at her. "What!?"
"I am going to ask you a really personal question and-"
"Out with it, woman!"
I couldn't handle any more torture, any more pain of staying away from her. Lana looked slightly angry but determination had her face me with a soft look. "Did you two share souls?"
Zed started to cough where I sneered. "Of course, we are soulmates so we did."
"No, no. I mean literally." She started twisting her fingers in a weird way with a smirk. "As in did you two did the devil's tango and consummate your marriage?"
I paused, the full force of what she was asking for finally returning to my head. Shit, in the course of everything, I forgot one important task that truly bonded Emie to me. My soul...which she gave me back but I never had hers.
Curses.
I could only let out a string of curses.
"I am going to take that as a no." Dread filled Lana's face as she also shared the same outlook as mine. Little soul couldn't be found just with soul-searching.
"The Coven."
Huh?
I couldn't wrap my mind around things when Lana caught on. "You are a genius, Zedkiel! I think I know a way."
"What is it?" She looked like the place she was talking about should never be visited. Like it was Hell. I could care less that I was gripping Lana's wrist to the point she whimpered. Only when Mikhail let out a scowl that I stepped away.
"We can find Emie through the Coven. I mean ever since Allegra became the new Volkios, she has been tracking down any news related to supernatural she can get her hands on. And if Emie is here, a Reaper and with a demon King nonetheless, I bet she's the only one who will know how to find her." A moment of serious silence followed as Lana spoke, her anger was long forgotten.
The last time I heard of the Coven was too long ago. "Is this Coven still in Norfolk?"
"Actually, it's in Norcia now. Reapers are usually unwelcomed in a Coven but I can get us in there."
"Fantastic." I mumbled under my breath. Another thing to worry about. For devil's sake! It was all a sick twisted game of fate. But hell if I was waiting another minute to waste. “I’ll go to the Coven right now then.”
"Only you?"
“Who else?” I wasn’t about to bring anyone else in my mess. “Zed, I think you should stay out of it too…”
Lana threw me a glare. "Hell no! We'll all go. You said you needed our help."
“I know what I said-”
"You are capable of working alone, we get it but let us help. Finding a Reaper with the demon King is not an easy job. You’re going to need resources and we have that. Why refuse then? I can call Ivy in case we need her." Mikhail wondered aloud, tapping his knuckles against his thigh. "She can see into the future, we are going to need all the help we can get."
I didn't know how to react. I always worked alone, except when it came to Zedkiel. But a whole clan of people? Didn't they know it was easier for me to hunt the demon King down alone? If any of them went with me, I'll have to think of their safety first which will ruin my whole purpose.
> "Let them help. They are our friends. I am your friend." Zed pressed. I didn't know if it was going to be a good idea or bad. Damn it.
"Fine, you dimwits. What’s the plan?"
"You, Zedkiel, 5132, and I will go straight to Norcia through the portal. And Zach can lift Ivy in the way. Can you?" Mikhail finished, earning two pairs of eyes on him.
"Why couldn't I go?" Lana asked with a pout where Zach looked pissed. "Why do I have to leave?"
"Valentine thinks you have a bad influence on my sister." He left at just that where I wondered how on earth Valentine, the first vampire that went mad in blood lust was even alive.
Lana scoffed. "Since when do you listen to Valentine?"
"Since my sister lied to my face."
"Ok, if the family drama is over...here's the deal. I'll try my best to avoid any of you getting hurt but if you do get hurt, it's all on you." I warned to which they all agreed in their own way.
Zach was the first one to come forward, surprising the hell out of me when his lips met the twin's. My eyes immediately sought Mikhail, expecting him to rip Zach out into a new one but he had no reaction.
Not one that was murderous anyway.
"Stay safe." Zach mumbled before looking at Mikhail. "You too. Take care of each other."
I watched with fascination as Mikhail raised his eyebrows with a smile. "What? No kiss for me?"
"Get fucked."
If possible, his smile widened. "Oh, I will. Plenty of times."
"And that's the attitude that will get you killed." Zach gritted out before he left the place.
I didn't know what to say or ask. So I waited anxiously until Zed called a bright portal and we all jumped, welcoming the darkness that came with it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The sinister look on Demos's face was enough to let me knew that he was in a phase. We even had a pact about it. When Demos was in a phase, I was ordered to usually leave him be. So it wasn't safe for me to say that I suddenly didn't like the idea of attacking witches when there was a festival going on. Still, I had to try my luck.
"Now?" I asked, dreading his mood. I didn't want to see that look on his face like that time in Hell when I accidentally said that I wanted to tour earth. He didn't take it very well and practically blew a fuse saying there's only danger and filth resided on earth. That's the only time I think he was disappointed in me.