by K. H. Kate
"Well, look at that love. You did kill your father to save him, not bad..." Demos trailed off, baring his teeth into a snarl. His face was even worse than mine, half of his skin missing from his cheek. Lex not only killed Fallon, he was also going after Demos.
The said man was gargling some hellhounds when his eyes found mine. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.
"You really thought I'd let you grieve alone?" He flashed me a pained grin and ripped the heart of the demon near him. In a minute, the door opened again with 5132, Mikhail, and Zach in tow.
Screams began to ripple through the crowd before me. 5132 multiplied herself and now was fighting left and right. Mikhail held a knife, plunging whoever stopped in his path. Bodies littered the floor behind us. Not only that, but I also noticed Cone helping Lex when his shadows failed him. It was hard to tell how much damage they've done.
I watched as Zach approached a wide-eyed demon. He pulled his trinket open, letting the trapped souls devour the demons until there was nothing left. In the middle of that was Rose who Allegra was channeling as she was still weak. When Rose saw me near Jonathan, her eyes widened.
"What's wrong?" She asked, running through the bloodbath to reach me.
I couldn't even say the words without shaking. "I-I've done something horrible. You've to switch their bodies now."
"Actually it was the smart thing to do." With that, she started the spell for Demos to get his body back.
While they were at it, I noticed a demon cornering me but Mikhail finished it for me. My eyes searched for Lex next but I had to stop to watch Condessa fight with the angels with a weapon in her hands. My eyes narrowed seeing the shape of the object.
It awfully looked like a scythe.
Finally.
I didn't forget what Demos wanted. The Hell reunited.
As if I summoned it, I heard his voice. "Hell is breaking!"
I could feel it too.
Just like that time in the pit, I felt my body fighting to stay in one place. It's almost like every cell in my body wanted to dematerialize from here. Demos had stopped to watch the destruction, his face a mask of shock and anger as he went through the change to get his own body back. As soon as he got it, almost immediately his whole focus returned to the altar.
I couldn't let him do this. I shoved my way to the bottom steps of the altar where I lost my baby. Someone yelled out to step back but I continued to wobble there. Finding him take a bowl of Condessa's blood for the ritual, I jumped right into his body. We both flew off the altar to hit the ground. My stomach felt like it could rip me open. The bowl flew out of Demos's hands and I forced myself to move, to make a grab for it.
But soon enough he yanked me to himself, the bowl now forgotten. I wanted this to stop but he stared at me with a new look. As if he was seeing me for the first time in forever. Then he smiled. "I never had you, did I?"
"No." I whispered, pleading with him to stop this. It almost hurt to breathe, the few warlocks that came here to fight, I could see their body fighting to stay alive. What would happen to them will happen to me. Even without my magic, I was born a witch.
"I can't stop it now." He raised his hands and I closed my eyes, waiting for the blinding pain to return. To find my death. But nothing, only pin-drop silent welcomed me. When I opened my eyes, nothing prepared me to see the sight.
"Back off, Demos." Condessa let out a squeak when Zed moved behind her, using the scythe to make her gulp.
Even Lex stopped to look up. "Zed?"
Zed kept his eyes on Demos who still looked frozen with his hands raised. Only when Zed screamed again that he stood up.
"Yes, keep backing off."
"You betrayed your friends." Demos chuckled, shaking his head as if he still couldn't believe what's happening. "You are on my side."
"I am not anyone's side, you piece of shit. You want your sister to live, you release Prophesy." Hearing him, I had to swallow hard. Even when he was leaving me in Demos's hands, he didn't sound like this. An unpredictable man who could do anything for his beloved.
Demos seemed to think so as he sobered up. "Is this about Prophesy? She doesn't even want you. Prophesy, do you want this man?"
"No. I only listen to my King." Prophesy whispered out but I could see the hesitation in her eyes. Did she know just how much Zed had done for her? He sold me out, betrayed his oldest friend for her.
"See?" Demos raised his hands in surrender. "She doesn't want you but if you let Condessa go, I'll break my connection to your beloved. How about that, hmm? Another deal, perhaps?"
"Huh." Zed's hold tightened in an alarming position, making Condessa cry out. "Should I tell them the entire truth? He had an anchor here to balance Hell. The anchor he kept here all the time was Condessa. Without Condessa, there is no Demos. Isn't it?"
Demos's face finally paled. "You don't know what you are talking about."
Eros and his two other brothers came forward. "What is the meaning of this?"
"You didn't know it too?" Zed let out a sadistic smile. "So, if I drag this Death's scythe through her neck, would Demos still be here? Or would he be thrown in the pit of Hell with dear old father?"
Lex finally opened his mouth, the shock still echoing through his gaze. "What are you talking about?"
"Condessa was meant to be asleep forever. As a demon King, having him tied to her meant he could rule Hell forever too. Lucifer knew it. The witches knew it. They didn't think he would be greedy enough to want to be the King of Hell. Do you remember when Hell released the souls to attack the Coven, what did he call Allegra? He called her the third piece. It wasn't that hard to figure out his plan after that." He shook his head. "I contacted Jonathan and made a plan of our own. I pretended to be on your side. I was the one who told you where to find Allegra, I gave Emie to you, didn't I? So that you can bring us right back to Condessa. And now you will watch her die unless you free my beloved."
If possible, Demos looked ready to kill. "I saw through her eyes. Our kind fell, brother! Ask Prophesy."
"They did." She smiled. "They did now."
"You bit-I can't let go!" Demos let out a roar. The demons still huddled around not knowing if they should come forward or let their leader go on. But what did he mean by that?
Zed shared the same thought as his eyes hardened. "What do you mean by you can't?"
"Even if I tell her that she's free, she'll never be free from me." Demos snickered, making Prophesy glare at him. "Her mind works for me, her heart beats at my command. You think a little word will bring back the woman she was?"
Zed smiled. But something in that smile made me recoil. He should be angry. He should start shouting so why was he so calm? It revealed why when his mouth opened in a whisper.
"Then guess we'll both lose someone today."
"No!"
One minute Zed was holding the scythe against Condessa and the next, blood covered both of their faces. High-pitched, wrenching screams filled the air but I could only look at Zed who kept touching his chest in pain.
And the scythe that was stuck in there.
"F-Fuck! I didn't see it coming." He choked out, laughing.
I couldn't move. My eyes trailed down to see Condessa on the floor, blood flowing from her neck. To my behind, Demos lied in the same state as if both siblings had the same end.
"I feel it." Prophecy stumbled back. "I feel our bond."
I wanted to laugh. At the same time, I wanted to cry.
Zed let out a chuckle, the sound making my heart clench in pain. "You feel the connection right when I am dying. Figures."
Looking away, my eyes met Lex's who froze mid-step, shocked. He inhaled, slowly making his way to Zed. I was afraid to see the expression on Lex's face. It was like the first time I had met him. There was no humanity, no emotions.
Lex breathed out slowly. I looked at Allegra next, begging with my eyes to do something. I couldn't let him die. He's Lex's friend, my friend.
"Even I can't save him. It's Death's
scythe, Emie." Allegra let out a shaky breath.
"Is no one here can help him!?" Lex shouted loud enough to scare all of us. Rose opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. I immediately kneeled down to touch Zed but he gently pushed me away.
"Zed-Don't fight me with this! I saved you once, I can do it again."
"It’s ok, it’s ok."
“Nothing’s ok!” Fuck. The scythe was supposed to destroy one's soul for good.
That meant...
Prophecy croaked out. "What about me?"
Zed tightened his hold on Lex. "They'll keep you safe. It was nice meeting you, Prophecy."
"My name is Estyn."
"Estyn...I-" His eyes closed and everything went silent.
I froze, hovering over him.
A short laugh escaped from Lex. "No, no, no!"
He grabbed Zed's shoulder, shaking him with his fists. "How can you do this to me!"
When he didn't open his eyes, Lex looked at me for an answer but I didn't have any.
Zedkiel and my baby couldn't be gone on the same day.
Life couldn't be that cruel.
"Alexei-" Rose started but Lex pushed her hands away. "Didn't you ever see a dead person before? Leave now!" He stared ahead, holding Zed in his arm tightly.
And I was afraid if he would ever let go.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
There were bodies everywhere.
Some recognizable, some not.
Some didn't even have bodies to mourn.
Cries filled the air everywhere I looked. I didn't know how I reached the Coven amid that. I only remembered staring at Zed as his body was taken away by the Moon clan. Even now, I couldn't believe what just happened. How did I never saw it coming? How was it possible that my friend, my master was now six feet under without me?
"You ok?" Rose asked timidly, wavering between staying beside me or leaving. When she didn't get an answer, she nodded. "I understand, Alexei, this must be hard on you-"
"You know nothing." I couldn't feel anything but anger. Even my shadows refused to come forward to take my pain away. And right at that moment I never felt this alone. "You didn't know him hence you don't deserve to feel grief for him. You were gone, he was all I had since then and I lost him."
"Alexei, listen to me-"
"Leave." I spat out, unable to meet my mother's knowing eyes. "I'm not in the mood to rekindle today. I want to be left alone if you please."
"No! I'm not leaving you alone. You need someone with you after everything that happened today." Did I really need someone? I couldn't even be there for my beloved, so why did I deserved to be consoled? No, Rose was wrong, I didn't need anyone. I needed to feel the guilt, the things I did that brought us here today. I needed to remember what I was.
Darkness.
And a creature like me could never bring anything but pain and chaos.
"I was such a fool." Laughter trickled through my mouth, bitter and careless. "I did this, I couldn't shut my stupid mouth and it led to his death."
"No son, never say that! You are not the reason for anyone's death. You didn't know. It's their fault, not yours."
I gritted out, hating how small I sounded. "Then why do I feel like it?"
Like empty.
Detached.
And so lost.
"Because that's how fate works. You never know who you are going to lose."
Rose might be talking about Zed but the fact that my child was also one of the people I lost had me undone. I breathed in and out before my fists raised to hit the wall repeatedly. Rose yelped, clearly shocked at the furious way each hit brought out my pain. Before she could say something though, we both heard a small voice.
"Can I come in?"
Emie looked way worse than me. Bruises marred her skin, her eyes delivering just what she wanted to say. It's not just me who was hurt, she lost someone too. So, I silently tucked my bloody hands inside my pocket and nodded. She didn't need to see just how I was handling my loss.
In a minute, she was near me. But unlike every time, her steps were almost wary as if she didn't know how she ended up there. Rose only glanced at us once before she was leaving us to our own world.
For a second, there was nothing to talk about.
We stared at each other with everything we couldn't say aloud.
Only when I couldn't take it anymore that I opened my mouth. "How are you?"
"We only have twenty clans at most. The others...they are gone. Children, babies, all dead. How will we ever get over that, Alexei?" Her voice broke. "This isn't what we envisioned. This isn't how it was supposed to end. Death is everywhere, even now I can hear him breathing down our neck."
I suspected as much but to actually hear that...
"I don't want to talk about that."
"Then should I talk about something else? What about a funeral?" Emie looked away, more interested in looking at the wall than me. "They wanted you there, Lex, no, they needed you. You refused to go, you didn't even pick up anyone's phone."
"How are you?" I asked again, desperate to hold onto something. "Tell me."
"I'm not ok, Lex. God, I'm not ok, I am trying hard to stay put together for everyone but I don't think I can anymore." I understood, of course. That's the main reason I skipped the funeral, for them. The Moon clan didn't need to see me unhinged. And I would have if I saw his body again.
"You don't have to put on a mask, little soul. It's me, you can cry if you want." The moment I said that tears prickled into her eyes, matching my own. I raised my hands to touch her again but an unwanted flinch had me step back with a sigh.
"I'm sorry! I don't know why-"
"Yeah, no, I get it." I chuckled, giving her even more space. She couldn't even bear my touch. "You blame me for what happened."
"No! I don't-Lex, Lex, listen to me." Her voice raised the more my eyes flashed cold before even that left, making me look emotionless. It's me now that couldn't bear to see her face. Though I couldn't even let her go without a word.
"I feel robbed, little soul. And I don't know how to fix that, fix you."
She smiled, a bittersweet one. "I don't want you to fix me. I just-I don't know what I want. I want you with me at the same time I can't breathe if another person looks at me like you are doing right now. Like everything's over."
My fists clenched in anger. "Everything's not over."
"But it feels like it." Her eyes shot to mine. "You are not the only one who is angry. I am too. It's my fault as much as it's theirs."
I couldn't be anymore quick as I grabbed her face. How could I let her down? "It's not your fault. Fuck, it isn't! Get that into your thick skull."
"If only I listened to you and waited, maybe I could have saved this baby." Her voice cracked, catching on a dangerous edge. "And, Zedkiel..."
I didn't want to talk about Zed. Not when the pain and guilt were still there.
"I am sorry. I have to go."
I pushed past her who called my name out in despair. But I only heard those words, if only, if only...I didn't know where I was going neither did I care that I was making a scene. Out in the hall, everyone paused when I flew past them. Only when Zach stumbled into my path that I slowed down.
"Hey, Alexei, I was looking for you-"
Zach's words sounded like drunken slurs suddenly. I could feel pain in my temple. Even my eyes felt hazy as I tried to look for the nearest way out. Was I having a panic attack? No, creatures like me didn't get one so why was I feeling like that?
"There's have to be a way out! I can't let her do this to me, to our clan, master!"
Zed stood above me, scared for me but refusing to believe my words. "You are hexed, Alexei. You don't know what you are talking about. Let me check your health."
"She hexed me because I know of her true color!" I clutched my throat in an attempt to lessen the pain but the more I tried to breathe, the more I felt like I was going to die. "Why don't you believe me?"
No.
My eye
s widened, the memory so old yet so painful, I almost forgot our native tongue...why did I have to remember that today? Why couldn't my eyes open?
"Keisha didn't hex you, Alexei, someone else did. Here, take this." He fed me something but all I could see was Keisha standing not far away from us, waiting for my demise. Time and time, I kept rambling to him of her wrongdoings but as if he was the one hexed, he said nothing. When I could almost feel my last breath wanting to be escaped that Zed shook my shoulder urgently.
"This is more powerful than I thought. Your soul...it's absent. I have no idea how but I have to do this, Alexei. I am so sorry, my friend. Do you have faith in me?"
"I found this on Zed's desk-" Zach kept talking but I couldn't hear anything. Past and present mingled together and I had no idea what was happening to me. I could only ask for help silently as my past flashed through.
I opened my eyes, once, too blurry to see anything clearly. But I could most certainly say this without any hesitation. "Yes, I have."
I felt a hand running through my hair and a soft rumble of someone's chanting. Was Zedkiel going to save me? One minute, I was in Zed's chamber, lying on his floor in a heap of blood and the next, I found myself in a cemetery. I had to hide a shudder.
"Shhh...It’s going to be alright. You'll be avenged. I promise." I heard him whisper before a hand wrapped around my throat and I had no choice but to thrash out. Why was Zedkiel doing this to me?
"No, master, no!"
"Goodbye, my friend."
"Alexei!" I clearly heard Zach's scream of terror as something rolled down my lips. Finally able to open my eyes, my hands reached out to wipe my mouth only to come up with red drops of blood on my skin.
Fuck, what was happening to me?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
I wanted to run after Alexei.
To chase him down.
Make him listen.
But I struggled with my own sorrow, too deep to be buried with a shake of my head. No, it crawled inside my chest, making me choke on every breath I took. Just as I decided to lay on the bed to pretend I wasn't grieving, I paused, alarmed to find pain everywhere in my body.