Master of Darkness

by K T Kaye

  Jason, in demon form, had been happily enjoying himself. The orc demons lacked taste, but the larger demons had been quite delicious. Slightly chewy but enjoyable none the less. Demon Jason had just been about to devour another demon when the kraken swam past him.

  It was at that moment that Jason remembered that they were underwater.

  The kraken’s ability to swim confused him greatly as he, as well as the other demons, walked and fought the same way they would have done if they were on land. Although he knew that the answer to his question would be magic, Jason still felt a strong urge to ask Angel about it anyway. Demon Jason turned and noticed Angel lying limp under a pile of rubble.

  Demon Jason roared Angel’s name and raced towards her. As he did so a large three headed shark-like demon tried to stop him. But demon Jason didn’t stop. He slammed his spiked tail into the shark demon and scratched it with his claws. The shark demon struggled and bit into his side. Demon Jason roared out in pain and slashed his claws, slicing off one of the shark demon’s heads. Demon Jason kept on slashing his claws until the shark demon finally fell dead.

  He then swiftly made his way to Angel. He nuzzled Angel’s small head; her response was nothing more than an inaudible murmur. Demon Jason carefully dragged the rubble from Angel. He gently placed her into his mouth and carried her into the forcefield. Once inside the forcefield demon Jason transformed back into normal Jason.

  “Angel!? Angel!?” Jason yelled.

  He grabbed Angel’s body and tried to shake her awake. As he did so blood from his wounded side dripped unnoticed onto Angel’s skin. Jason’s blood ran down Angel’s arm into her sword wound. The blood sank into Angel’s injury.

  The wound glowed black as Jason’s and Angel’s blood mixed together.

  The glow faded as Angel’s eyes snapped open.

  She sat up quickly, which she soon regretted as the pain in her lower body intensified.

  “Angel? Are you okay?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know. Did you put me in your mouth?” Angel asked.

  “Err yes. Yes I did.”

  “That’s gross! That’s so gross!”

  “But it saved your life,” said a third voice.

  “Your Highness!?” Angel exclaimed as she stared at the King of Atlantis, “What are you doing here? I thought you’d left!”

  “This is my kingdom. I should fight for it until the end.”

  “While that is a noble idea, it’s also an extremely stupid one! If you die…”

  “If I hadn’t been here who would have kept the demons distracted long enough for the Master of Darkness to pull you from the rubble?”

  “Well thank you for that,” Angel looked at her watch, “Less than two minutes. You two should leave.”

  “What about you?” Jason asked.

  “I need to stay and keep this forcefield going. I’ll go through right before the kingdom collapses.”

  “But Angel…”

  “Jason don’t worry. This isn’t a suicide mission. If I could leave now I would, but the forcefield would collapse and the demons would get through. I’ll join you soon. So please just go. Now!”

  Angel shoved Jason through the portal.

  “Now you your…” Angel cried out as a trident cut through her stomach. She stared in horror as the King withdrew the trident, his eyes clouded over.

  This was not the King.

  This was a demon using the King’s body. The King tried to stab Angel again, but she twisted out of the way.

  “Your Highness you need to fight this.”

  “The King isn’t here right now,” the King’s lips moved but it was not his voice that spoke. This voice belonged to a demon. It was cold and emotionless, like Angel was talking to an answer machine.

  “Then I’ll just have to take you instead,” Angel tried to grab the possessed King, but he wriggled out of her grasp.

  He aimed the trident at her, sending a large wave in her direction. The wave knocked Angel to the floor. The King stabbed her again and again. Angel yelled out in pain as she grabbed the King’s arm and pulled him to the floor. She pulled herself on top of the King and punched him.

  “Your Highness?”

  “The King isn’t here right now,” the possessed King threw Angel off and returned the punch.

  At that moment the one-minute alarm on Angel’s watch went off.

  “Fantastic,” Angel muttered spitting out blood.

  Angel pulled out her wand. With a flick, a magic rope wrapped around the possessed King’s body. Angel dragged herself and the King towards the portal. But the King merely laughed and broke free of the rope.

  He grabbed Angel, pulling her into a tight embrace. His hands ran down Angel’s body and unsheathed her sword from her belt. The possessed King then pushed Angel to the floor and stabbed her sword into his own chest.

  He then grabbed Angel once more and the two of them fell through the portal.

  The water cascaded into the portal room.

  The water crushed and drowned the demons.

  It dragged down monuments and destroyed family homes. Corpses of Atlantis citizens were washed, along with dead demons, across the seabed. The waves wild white horses swiftly trampled a once historic kingdom.

  Soon all that remained of the mystical city of Atlantis was a pile of blood-stained sand.

  31

  ‘THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING’

  Jackson was having a dreadful day.

  He had been in a meeting with the Colonel when Roger’s body had teleported into the hospital wing, quickly followed by the injured Ethan. He didn’t have time to process the loss of Roger as Captain Hardwick had received a call, moments later, from Angel saying that an army of demons was heading to Atlantis.

  This led to several failed attempts to enter Atlantis and many long hours of waiting around for news. Finally survivors had started arriving at the gateway portal in the Emperor’s palace. Jackson, Alpha Squad, and the other squads from the base were there to greet them and get the injured to the hospital. Jackson was helping an injured family of water sprites into a pool of water when he heard someone shout his name. He looked up and saw Rowan stood close by. Jackson ran up to her and pulled his wife into a tight embrace.

  “Are you okay? Is everything…?” Jackson’s questions were stopped by a kiss. Jackson returned Rowan’s kiss desperately, allowing the warmth of his wife’s body to ease his weary heart.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly behind them and the couple quickly pulled apart. The Queen of Atlantis stared daggers in Jackson’s direction.

  “Your Highness,” Jackson bowed his head politely to his mother-in-law.

  “To say your sister isn’t blood related,” the Queen snapped, “She acts just like the rest of you Nights. Rude, arrogant with no respect for laws or regulations.”

  “Angel? Where is she? What happened?” Jackson asked quickly.

  “She’ll be here soon,” Rowan reassured, “She’s going to come through last. Jackson…are you okay?”

  Jackson wanted to lie.

  He wanted to say that he was fine, but he couldn’t get the words to leave his lips. Instead he simply shook his head. Rowan pulled him close, despite the Queen’s protests, and Jackson sobbed into his wife’s shoulder.

  * * * * *

  On the other side of the room Alexander stepped through the portal. He was quickly greeted by Araminta.

  “Willow?” Alexander asked.

  “She’s been transferred to the hospital wing at the base,” Araminta explained, “Angel did a decent job healing her, so she should pull through.”

  “Is the Colonel here?”

  “He’s over there, with the Emperor. Were you the last one?”

  Alexander nodded. His eyes fixed on the Emperor.

  “Are you going to keep staring or are you going to say hello?” Araminta asked.

  “Neither. What about Ethan?”

  “Also at the hospital wing. As is Roger.”

  “Has D
avid…?”

  “He’s been informed.”

  The two vampires fell into silence as the minutes passed. The portal suddenly became active again as McLean and Becks stepped through.

  “Angel?” Alexander asked quickly, not even allowing the pair to catch their breath.

  “She’s still there. Demons broke through the door. She said she’d stay with Jason to hold them off,” Becks explained. Alexander swore louder than he intended and scratched his head in frustration.

  “You two should go get checked out by the healers,” Araminta said after giving her fellow vampire a sharp look, “Where’s the King?”

  “He was right…Oh where is he?” Becks looked around in surprise, “He was right behind us.”

  “Did he press the switch?”

  “He did.”

  “How long do they have?” Alexander asked.

  “Seven minutes.”

  The next seven minutes were the longest in Alexander’s prolonged life, and he wasn’t the only person who had started to grow restless. The Queen paced the portal room and Jackson itched his body as his anxiety rose. The Colonel and the Emperor quickly joined the anxious party as they waited for someone to pass through the portal.

  After what felt like a lifetime, someone finally did. Jason fell through and landed flat on his face. Araminta raced over to him.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  Jason nodded, looking around, “Where am I?”

  “You’re in Transylvania…”

  “Where is the King?” the Queen shouted at Jason.

  “He’s…oh! He was right behind me! he’ll be here soon, they only…only have two…min…”

  “Jason you’re bleeding!” Araminta exclaimed.

  “Am I? Oh yes I am,” Jason muttered as he collapsed to the ground.

  “Jason!”

  “Get him to the hospital wing,” Alexander ordered. Araminta quickly carried Jason away.

  A few moments later Angel and the King fell through the portal.

  The Colonel ordered the portal to be shut down as strong waves followed Angel and the King through. Angel rolled away from the King. Her body was covered in blood.

  Alexander was by her side in an instant. He gently lifted Angel into his arms. Alexander’s soft touch was a welcome relief to the intense pain that was racing through Angel’s body.

  “Angel! Angel are you okay?” Jackson asked as he dropped next to his sister. Angel stared at her brother, nodded, and smiled slightly. She then turned to Alexander whose eyes were searching her body intensely.

  “Your eyes are red,” Angel muttered raising her hand to Alexander’s face.

  “What?” the vampire asked.

  “Your eyes are red. Ah, it must be all the blood. Sorry this must be really difficult for you.”

  “Why are you worrying about me right now!? You’re covered in stab wounds and you’re not healing. We need to get you to the hospital wing.”

  “Husband!” the Queen screamed as she turned over the King’s body and found Angel’s sword sticking out of his chest.

  “Don’t touch him. He’s been possessed. We need an exorcist,” Angel spluttered, “Rowan! Your father is possessed. Don’t let her touch him.”

  “Nonsense! Oh he’s still breathing. Darling? Darling, who did this to you?”

  The possessed King raised his hand and pointed at Angel.

  “He stabbed himself. He’s possessed. Look at his eyes!” Angel cried.

  “Liar! He isn’t possessed, your highness, your highness!” the Queen screamed as the King took his last breath and passed away.

  Rowan pressed her hand against his neck trying to find a pulse. There was none. She desperately tried to do CPR, but it was too late, he was gone. Rowan got to her feet and stumbled backwards, tears running down her face. Jackson raced to her side and pulled his wife close. The Queen screamed and burst into hysterical tears.

  “You need to get away from him, the demon might not be,” Angel muttered.

  “You murderer!” the Queen yelled.

  “I didn’t kill him, he was possessed. He stabbed himself,” Angel gasped as she pulled herself, with some help from Alexander, into a sitting position. The Queen rushed over to Angel, dropping to her knees in front of the shapeshifter. She grabbed Angel by her collar and yelled in her face.

  “Liar! Was this your plan from the start!? It was, wasn’t it? You planned this. You planned to kill the King and destroy my kingdom!” the Queen slapped Angel’s face.

  “Mother that’s enough!” Rowan shouted, “If Angel says that father stabbed himself then he did.”

  “You! My own flesh and blood! You’ve been bewitched by them. You’re no longer talking sense,” the Queen turned to the Emperor, “With your permission, I would like to have this…this thing placed under arrest.”

  “I don’t,” the Emperor began but then Anita, who had been watching the scene closely from the shadows, whispered something into his ear. The Emperor paused for a minute, then smiled, “I give my permission.”

  “You can’t do this!” Alexander shouted as the Emperor’s guards surrounded him and Angel. The vampire got to his feet and pushed the guards out of the way. Jackson joined him.

  While the pair fought against the Emperor’s guards, Angel’s eyes didn’t leave the Queen. Angel watched as a slight smile tickled the corner of the Queen’s mouth. Before Angel had chance to contemplate the meaning of the smile, the pain her body had gone through finally caught up with her and she fell unconscious.

  * * * * *

  Jason woke up in the hospital wing, craving mint ice-cream. His vision was fuzzy at first, but it soon returned to normal. Jason was then able to clearly see Araminta who was stood, talking to a healer, by his bed.

  “Jason. Are you okay? Can you hear me? Can you see me?” Araminta asked quickly.

  “Mint ice-cream! Huh…what…what happened?”

  “You fainted. The healers have sorted out your injury. Jason are you okay? You’ve been through a lot today.”

  “It’s been a really long day,” Jason sighed, “You know I’ve been stabbed like five times! I’ve turned into a demon. I’ve ate other demons. One demon went into me, which personally I think is really disturbing! That same demon showed me its mind and took me to hell. Did I mention that I’ve eaten demons!?”

  “You did yes.”

  “And turning into a demon isn’t fun. Well it’s kind of is but it’s also really weird! I suddenly crave flesh, like I really crave it! And it’s really tasty! That’s weird isn’t it? I shouldn’t find demon flesh tasty, but I do!”

  “Turning into a demon must have been a strange experience for you.”

  “No kidding! I have a tail! Not right now but when I’m a demon I have a tail. Which is really handy for knocking demons out of the way but also rather hard to control. It gets in the way, you see, and the zombies kept trying to bite it, now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say! The zombies were trying to bite my tail. Zombies are awful! They smelled, and I couldn’t eat them, they just tasted horrific!”

  “Jason are you aware that you’re talking really quickly and rambling on slightly?”

  “Yes I am. You see I’m currently on the verge of having a mental breakdown and a rather large panic-attack. Angel said I was free to have one once we got back to the base. What happened to Angel? Did she get back okay?”

  “She’s been arrested,” Willow called from the bed opposite Jason’s. Willow was pale and weak, but her wound was healing well.

  “Willow! You’re okay!”

  “Yeah, I am, but could you decide whether you’re having your panic-attack internally or out loud please. Your internal one is giving me a headache.”

  “Don’t read my mind then!”

  “I can’t help it! You’re too loud!”

  “Well I’ll try and panic quietly. Did you just say Angel’s been arrested?”

  “Yeah. The King of Atlantis died with Angel’s sword sticking out of his
chest.”

  “What? But Angel wouldn’t have…”

  “No she wouldn’t,” Araminta agreed, “Angel says that the King was possessed and stabbed himself. Jason, what exactly happened?”

  “Possessed!? I don’t know. See it was a bit weird. Angel sent the King through first along with Becks and McLean. But then he suddenly turned up behind us and said he’d never left. Angel then ordered me to go through, well actually it was more like she shoved me through, the portal and the King was supposed to come with me. But he didn’t.”

  “So the King could have left Atlantis but he, on two occasions, chose not to?”

  “That sounds dodgy to me,” Willow muttered, “Also Angel has no motive. Why would she kill the King? And why would she do so with her own sword? Do you think…do you think this was Jet’s plan all along?”

  “Maybe but it seems a bit farfetched.”

  “Where is Angel?” Jason asked, “She was badly injured. The roof collapsed on top of her and she’d teleported so much that her powers were fading.”

  “She collapsed when she arrived. She’s in there,” Araminta pointed to a door on the opposite side of the hospital wing, “It’s a private room. There are guards blocking the entrance and no one, except selected healers, is allowed in.”

  “What about Ethan?”

  “He’s in another private room. His family is with him.”

  * * * * *

  Alexander stood and watched as Jackson wept over Ethan’s comatose body. Rowan was talking quietly with a fellow healer. Alexander couldn’t hear what they were saying, but then he wasn’t really paying attention. His thoughts were elsewhere. He couldn’t get the Emperor’s face from his mind. Alexander was certain that the Emperor had originally intended to refuse the Queen’s request to arrest Angel, so what had Anita said to change his mind so quickly.

  “How is he?” Jackson asked as the healer left the room.

  “Well to be honest the situation is a bit complicated,” Rowan said as she sat down opposite her husband, “On paper Ethan’s injuries are practically beyond repair. Most of his bones are broken and he suffered an intense blow to the head. He also…he also drowned. However…”