“What do I need to do?”
You’ve been spending too much time with Sariel. No bargaining, no demands, no payment. So I shall give you a gift once we are done. Call up your powers, focussing on Hell.
She watched him as he concentrated. His features had been shifting all the while, but now they settled onto black hair, black and gold wings and lighter skin. Black and gold horns grew from his head as flames danced across his wings. His veins became traced in the fiery glow of magma, the very thing she needed for her offspring.
The Lifestream surged up so fast and thick around her claws that even she could not sense what was occurring on her own paw. Orange glowed within the Lifestream, slowly that same orange glow flowed through her veins. She felt warmth flow down her arm, then into her chest. She felt it flow downwards into her uterus. She let out a grateful sigh as a great pressure was relieved within her. Fire raced all across her and Lucifer, burning up the Lifestream that was being sucked into her paw.
They stood there, Angel and Dragon, bathed in the flames of creation. The crystals underneath them melted, and magma bubbled up around them.
Slowly the flames died around them and the powers were released. Tiamat remained half-submerged within the still glowing pool of magma.
Lucifer opened his eyes feeling stronger and calmer. Whatever Tiamat had done it had helped his body assimilate the vast amounts of toxic Chaos within it.
Thank you, Lucifer, you have done a great service. I have helped your body as you have helped mine. I look forward to seeing you in your full glory. Remember this, Lucifer, you are now the High Lord of Hell and the Prince of Darkness, for better or worse. You cannot turn away from your own powers, to do so is to spite yourself. You need to master these powers if you are to survive. Otherwise, you shall falter and many others too. Believe in yourself, High Lord, you have an interesting future ahead of you.
She certainly knew how to confound a guy. He sensed a smile as she placed him back on the ground. As he was teleporting, he heard her words which confounded him even more.
There is a sun that burns brightly of which you can tame. But suns burn out or burn those around. The decision is yours but when you realise you’ve made the decision it shall be too late.
Then she was gone, and he appeared within Buckingham Palace. Damn seers always had the most obtuse way of speaking. He pushed it from his mind.
Chapter 5
Victoria opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps. Damn maid had taken one look at her vomiting and ran. You would think she had never seen a person vomiting before, still she supposed it wasn’t something one associated with royalty.
“My you are a sorry sight” she glanced at Sorcha and Sariel standing in the doorway before she was distracted with vomiting. She couldn’t get sick, she had an Empire to run and build. It had to have been something she had eaten. “It must have been something I ate.”
Sariel stared in hesitation, she had never seen anyone sick before, Sorcha, on the other hand, strode across the bathroom to kneel down gracefully. She laid a hand on her brow, green magic flared, and Victoria closed her eyes in relief.
“It wasn’t something you ate.”
She opened her eyes again “So I’m coming down with something?”
“You could say that.” Sariel came to kneel down beside them, taking up Victoria’s hand.
“What is it then?” She half caught the knowing smiles between Sariel and Sorcha. She closed her eyes “I’m pregnant aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are” They both hugged her.
She looked at them with a combination of horror and joy.
“Whatever is the matter, Victoria? Are you not glad?”
“She’s not married.” Thankfully Sariel understood.
“This might be difficult to explain to the public.”
Sorcha studied them both “It is a custom to be married before the child is born?”
“Usually, before the child is conceived. It won’t be classed as a legitimate child otherwise.”
“Then this is a problem, we must have a legitimate child on the throne.” She reached down to Victoria’s abdomen and more green lights flared.
“You didn’t just get rid of it did you?”
“No. I have put it in a slowed state, we should be able to fast track your wedding and have the baby born comfortably after you are married.”
“You can do that?”
“”My dear, I am the Queen of the Fae, there isn’t much I cannot do.” She glanced at Sariel “Now this secret does not leave this room. As far as the world will be concerned your heir will be perfectly legitimate. But we really should hasten your marriage.” She helped her up “I will return in the hour, summon your wedding planner, we have much to prepare for.” As was her style she swept out gracefully.
“Congratulations” Sariel squealed as she gave Victoria another hug “I’m so happy for you” her attention drifted elsewhere as she picked up a mental communication “Sorry, I have to go but congratulations” she gave her a final hug before disappearing into shadows.
Victoria looked at herself in the mirror, all trace of her ill feelings were gone. A slight smile tugged at her lips as she placed her hands over her womb. She was going to be a mother. Cathair was going to be so excited. Brigid was going to be delighted.
She was going to be a mother. She was only nineteen!
Tiamat opened her eyes as Hecate entered the caverns. She shifted her body within her magma pool, altering the light patterns reflecting around the caves. What brings you here Wanderer?
“I am ensuring that no mortals stray anywhere near your valley. I was also curious as to what you had extracted from Lucifer.” She studied the magma pool “Could you not have done this yourself?”
Hecate, you know better than that. I am a Primordial Goddess of Salt Water. I am mistress of all oceans and seas but beyond that I am not. Magma was never part of my power spectrum. It was however needed.
“You actually managed to get him to use his Hell powers? He has been avoiding them like the plague since he woke up. Not even Samael or Sariel have been successful in getting him to use them.”
My dear, I would be a sad day when I cannot get what I want. Lucifer is very young compared to me, he is also distressed and rootless. He is vulnerable. That needs to change.
“And it shall do. He is to be trained by Nyx, Erebus and Hades about his new powers. Sariel will follow which will allow his Chaos poisoning to diminish.” She paused she was a seer she knew words that rung with prophecy “Why does it need to change?”
Because much of fate rests on his shoulders. His decisions will affect us all.
“The vote is unanimous Britain has been expelled from the European Union. Its invasion of another EU member is beyond the realms of acceptable and now it has invaded another. Ireland and Iceland have both been forcefully annexed. The Union has also come to the unanimous decision to impose sanctions upon Britain.” President Gertrude Jacques addressed the European Parliament. Everywhere she looked heads were nodding. The vote had been unanimous after all. Britain’s actions in Ireland had angered the parliament in the last few months but the invasion of Iceland this morning had been the final straw.
Security guards escorted the British diplomats from the chambers who put up no resistance. They had seen this coming for quite some time and were not surprised. Gertrude looked around the chambers once the doors slammed shut.
“It is time for the Parliament to discuss our own actions in response to this threat against two of our members. We have been cut off from Ireland. However, there are a great number of Irish and British refugees who managed to leave before the Purge was enacted. There are also concerns into breaches of Human rights. We still have not ascertained what has happened to those who were Purged.”
“They were killed” the politicians jumped at the sudden appearance of two six-winged Angels on either side of the president. They were composed of shining light and wore Roman style armour. They glanced arou
nd the room with blazing eyes. “Mortals of Europe, a new threat sits within your home. Your one-time ally has changed beyond redemption, and its actions are threatening all of you. Britain is a warmongering menace to not just Europe but the world. How long will it sit contently at your borders without eyeing up the rich prize that you are? One only has to look at the speed it is expanding to know that it is a hungry wolf. It has swallowed up Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and South Africa. From there its borders are only growing and rapidly.” Raphael made an image of the world appear in the chambers. Britain and its empire were coloured in blood red. “Currently, all of its borders are expanding. Twice now it has expanded into members of the European Union. How many more will it take before you will defend yourself and set free your conquered members?”
“It is not that simple-“
“It is.” Uriel flared into fiery brilliance “It is that simple. Britain is a danger to all of you! Its military power continues to grow, and it has already made clear plans to claim France. Victoria was crowned as the Queen of France. Once on the continent what is to stop it from expanding further. Two states have been annexed another is within its scope. What happened to defending your own? Two of your members have been invaded, and you have done nothing.” Uriel’s voice rolled around the chamber painfully.
“It was one of your kind that started all of this by murdering King George.”
Uriel and Raphael turned to stare at the member who had spoken. If looks could kill, they would have been in Hell. Lights flared around the chamber as more Angels appeared. Their eyes blazed with light and hostility.
“Britain’s actions are the result of Brigid. She is the driving force behind its sudden and rapid expansion. Before she appeared, Britain was a loyal ally. Its invasion of Ireland came as a surprise to the world, even Britain. All these developments have occurred in a short amount of time. If Brigid is removed, then Britain is no longer a threat. We are here to ensure that she is removed.”
“By any means necessary” Uriel’s voice held nothing but condemnation.
The screams rent the air and no matter where people ran or hid they could still hear it. Minotaurs brayed in an attempt to cover up the noise, Lilin tried to block out the noise with their magic to no avail. Even the Human slaves looked about in more fear at the unnatural noises. Whatever it was, it was not Human.
Asterion marched along the walls of Knossos in frustration and concern. He knew what was causing the screams that were reaching even Heraklion. Only a citizen of Hell could make noises like that and even though he was one of those he was unnerved. He didn’t understand why she was making the noises, he had tried to get close, but the powers sweeping her chambers, and the sheer pain in the screams had sent him packing. And every other male in the region.
The females had flocked at the sounds, but even they had started running as those unnatural noises echoed throughout the palace. Everyone was on edge, and many fights had broken out because emotions were running high.
“She will be alright, Asterion.”
He turned round snarling to see Lilith standing on the battlements. She didn’t look worried, merely concerned. “What is wrong with here?” he snarled.
“She is in labour, though she is greatly distressed for a Divine. More so than I have ever heard.”
He pointed her in the direction of her sister. She strode off with her ground eating strut, the click clack of her heels was enough to get people looking out of rooms and up from their arms. She was an island of calm in a sea of distress.
Lilith strode into the room where her sister crawled back and forth shrieking to the world. Besides the screams, it was evident she was in a lot of pain. Her body was a clash of her natures. Hell, Heaven and Sacred Mother were all warring within her. It was, however, preventing her a smooth labour as she should have been having. The Divine did not usually have painful labours, offspring was usually birthed in a matter of minutes. The mothers recovered in even less time.
Eisheth was not having a Divine labour. Instead, she was having a Divine nightmare.
“Eisheth”
She turned snarling on the intruder, but the snarl died when she saw her sister “Lilith?”
She was beside her in a second, her hand grabbing hold of her paw and the other went to her scaled brow. “Yes Eisheth”
“Help me, please” she gasped out between Angel teeth and a Demon tongue. Her wings twitched violently as they continued to shift between Angel and Demon.
“Breath with me. In…and out. In…and out”
She waited until Eisheth’s breathing was in control. Tremors still racked her body, her serpentine tail was whipping around in a frenzy. She started pouring her powers into her sister, washing out Hell with her Angelic and Lilin powers. “Now focus your powers. You are a child of Heaven, not of Hell. You are a Sacred Mother, let my powers help you.”
At another time, Eisheth would have wondered why Lilith’s Sacred Mother powers could so easily overpower her own, but she was currently just thankful that her pain was subsiding. Scales faded, and darkness retreated. Light infused her body as she shifted fully into an Angel. Her screams stopped as her pain ceased. She shuddered as her body settled.
Lilith shifted to between her sister’s legs as a horned head crowned. She eased out the Minotaur boy, wiping away the strips of flesh off of his horns. He had caused his mother a great deal of difficulty and pain. Lilith wrapped him up in a towel then turned her attention to his twin. She was sliding right out despite her wings, Angels were more than able to birth Angels. It had been the Demonic Minotaur that had caused his mother to react so badly and the sheer difference from his sister.
The little girl turned to look at her with fiery red eyes. Then again perhaps the twins had inherited both of their parents’ Hell powers. She cuddled them both against her while Eisheth closed her eyes and surged her magic through her. Her body rippled as she focussed.
Her skin returned to its bronze gleam, her face resumed its Angelic features except for her slitted red eyes. To also counter her Angelic face were two red horns nestled among her beautiful black hair. Her clawed paws returned to hooves and delicate hands with long nails and retractable claws. Finally, her wings settled back into feathers of black, grey and red. Her tail had shrunk back down to its normal size. Water flooded across her followed by fire. She shook her hair and wings out then opened her eyes.
“Thank you, Lilith” she kissed her sister on the cheek before looking down at her children. They glowed with their full-blooded Divinity, and they both reflected their duel nature of Heaven and Hell. They had red eyes and black hair, he had an impressive set of horns while she had small nubs. They both had cloven hooves while she alone had wings. Her Angelic ancestry was clear while his Minotaur nature was dominant.
“You two are more hassle than any other child I have ever birthed.” She took them off of Lilith, they instantly reached up to start suckling. “But two more perfect children I have never birthed. Lilith, they’re beautiful.”
She smiled “That they are, Eisheth. What are you going to call them?”
“Azar and Pyrrhus” as she said their names fire bloomed in their eyes, their hair and down their spines. The tips of their tails flared with blood-red flames.
Lilith smiled at her niece and nephew, they would grow up to be very powerful.
The clip-clop of hooves alerted them to Asterion’s entrance. He seemed hesitant as he approached. Eisheth’s screaming had horrified him and terrified the entire palace. Now she smiled at him expectantly, would he be happy with their offspring?
He picked up their son first, he was from an age when sons represented the strength of the father. He looked at his son, he was almost a carbon copy. His son watched him with fiery red eyes and grabbed onto him with impressive strength. He turned his attention to his daughter who looked at him with the same fiery eyes and smiled sweetly. He fell in love with her then and there. She was a carbon copy of her mother, but she held onto him with t
he same strength as his son.
“They’re perfect.”
Eisheth smiled at her mate. Her place at his side was cemented. Now the future was full of potential. She wrapped her arms around him, and she felt him shift to allow her a more comfortable position.
Lilith watched them, and she smiled, she was happy for her sister. She had finally found her place in the world. She was happy and confident and no longer following in her sister’s footsteps, she had cut her own path. She was now one of the rising power couples among the Divine. Their empire was spreading across all of Crete amidst violent battles and dramatic changes to social order. A non-Human empire was a rising star in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Humans were learning the hard lesson. But for the Minotaurs and Lilin, it was a sanctuary that was calling to all the Daemons in the Mediterranean.
Especially now the Angels’ presence was being felt in Europe. She wondered how long until they lit the Fires above Amsterdam. Or Paris. Agrat and Asmodeus were far less subtle than herself, she felt sure the Angels would go to Paris first.
“It shall be on the Winter Solstice, it is a most auspicious time for Fae bondings.”
Victoria’s wedding planner glanced at the Fae Queen “Which year, next or the one after?”
“This year.”
“That is only three months away!”
“The Fates have decided upon this date, that is when the wedding will occur.”
“A royal wedding in less than three months? It cannot be done.”
“Rosalie, this is the approved date of the wedding. Remember we have to be respectful of Fae customs. They had ordained the best date for the wedding and once that date had been seen it must be met.” Victoria had no idea if they had really asked the Fates about the date or if that was Sorcha’s way of cutting off all argument. The wedding needed to be hastened so that the child within her could resume its natural growth. Thankfully her morning sickness had disappeared, she was not looking forward to it returning.
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