The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “So let me get this straight…he’s not in love with her and she is all good?” I asked and one look to Sophia combined with Pip’s giggling meant this was far too much to hope for.

  “Ok, someone please explain.” I asked thinking any minute now and a Mount Vesuvius sized migraine would hit.

  “So RJ seeing what she did obviously didn’t go down so well.” I asked.

  “Oh man, she proper freaked and I mean Jack Torrance style! But it wasn’t like we gave her an axe or anything so she could break down doors shouting ‘Here’s Johnny! At us, no she kinda just started screaming ‘this can’t be real’ and shit, so then we knocked her out…but not like hit her or anything just…”

  “I think I get it Squeak.” I said wondering if this day really could get any worse or should I expect it to start raining black cats and broken mirrors anytime soon.

  “I’ll take it from here Mrs Ambrogetti, thank you.” Vincent said and she blushed.

  “I made her sleep and we were just trying to figure out what to do when she wakes when Seth walked through the crypt. It was obvious he was leaving… that was until he saw your friend.”

  “And then BOOM! Instant attraction…or will it be more like fatal attraction seeing as he’s the broody, loner killer type? Do you know if she has any pets…say like a pet bunny?” I couldn’t help it this time, I burst out laughing at my crazy friend and nearly kissed her for at least lightening the mood.

  “So what happened?” I didn’t want to ask, I really didn’t as I very much doubted there was little I could do.

  “He walked over to her, picked her up and simply asked us the way. Ragnar showed him to a sitting room where he lay her down and he has not left her side since.” Vincent said answering my question.

  “Has anyone tried approaching him?” I asked and turned to Sophia when she started speaking.

  “Yes, Zagan and I went in there whilst you were with Lucius and tried to explain what needed to be done before she awoke.”

  “And what needs to be done?”

  “She needs to have her mind believe it was all a dream and wake up in her own bed.” Zagan spoke this time and I nodded thinking this was definitely the best option by far, however I was waiting for the massive ‘but’ to follow, so beat them to it guessing for myself,

  “And I gather he wouldn’t let you.” I watched as Zagan, Sophia, Vincent and even Ragnar all looked at each other.

  “Uh…not exactly.” Sophia said and thankfully quickly continued,

  “No, he told us, you can try but it won’t work and I quote ‘She is different’. So we tried and he was right, nothing…after that all he said was ‘Leave her to me’ which left us little option to do much else.”

  “But what if he hurts her?” I said in a panic getting up to go to her. Lucius looked at everyone and must have gathered for himself enough to know this wouldn’t happen because he placed a hand on my shoulder and said,

  “I think there is evidence to believe this is the last thing on his mind.”

  “He is right, from the short time we were in there it was clear he would guard that girl with his life.” Ragnar said with his arms folded.

  “Well durr Odin, he so wants to Marvin Gaye her!” Pip said holding herself and swaying to something she started humming.

  “Translate?” I asked Adam who smirked before saying,

  “She means the song he sings ‘Let’s get it on’ and before you say it Pipper Winifred Ambrogetti no one wants to hear about that time.” He added when she got excited for a second as the obvious ‘that time’ popped into her head.

  “What did she call me?” Ragnar asked his son.

  “Our old Gods father. Think yourself lucky you got the God of War because she called me Loki the God of Mischief earlier…fucking God of mischief….I couldn’t have had Thor could I…I even look more like the dude from that movie for…”

  “Have you finished?” I asked Sigurd who was muttering to himself and Pip patted him on the arm and said,

  “Ask daddy for a hammer for your birthday and I will upgrade you to the hot one.”

  “I think I am dreaming…Lucius am I dreaming or are all council meetings like this one?” I asked looking up at him over my shoulder.

  “No, just all my council meetings are like this one.” He responded wryly, shaking his head when looking at the trouble maker in question…Pip.

  After this meeting was finished everyone left knowing the plan. A decision had been made that Seth should be allowed to deal with RJ. I didn’t like it but there wasn’t much I could do. The guy could scare the monsters from under your bed and he had just saved my life for the second time, so how bad could he be?

  I could only hope that what everyone had told me was enough to keep her safe but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for what she was about to go through when she woke. I remembered it well and how hard it was to take but at least I had my gift on my side…if you could call it that.

  Having years of seeing the impossible does somewhat help the situation but granted I wasn’t thrown into the deep end quite as much as she. For starters I hadn’t witnessed my first battle till after Draven told me he loved me, so that counted for something didn’t it? Yes, this should be a rule, no battles until after the third date at least.

  I decided this was one of those things I had to put to the back of my mind and deal with later because I needed to have my full wits about me or this could go very, very bad…and to be honest, I was terrified. So I walked to the only place I could find my sanctuary…

  Draven’s bedchamber.

  “Hello old friend.” I said running my fingers down the door panel and looking down at the handle as though it would bite my hand off. I don’t know what I was so afraid of but this room held so many memories for me it was like opening a vault that I had locked away with the firm intension of never opening again.

  Only now, here I stood ready to throw myself back into this life, starting once more with a quest for truth. Well at least this time it was a quest for truth when Draven wasn’t the one being forced to lie to me, for reasons he himself had created. No, it was in fact trying to find out if there was a traitor amongst us as well as trying to free Draven from Hell.

  “Alright mister, I’d better be winning girlfriend of the freakin’ year or we are going to have words!” I said out loud before opening the door. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe a part of me had been expecting it to have been changed completely in my absence. I had thought a lot about this in the time we had been separated, more time than I would like to admit. But I always wondered if he, like I, would find it too painful to look at the room the way it was when we together.

  I remember telling him in his office how I could never walk back in this room without him loving me. It had been so hard to get the words out but I had been so terrified of opening my eyes and finding myself standing in this room. It seems so silly now, after everything we had been through in the last twenty four hours. It was just a room. The only way it could hurt me was if I myself let those memories hurt me. Because for all that time apart I still tortured myself with the past. I still tortured myself with the memories of what we did in this room. The declarations of love, the laughter, the mind blowing sex and even the arguments…they weren’t just in this room, they had forever lived on in my mind.

  And the mind is the most dangerous place of all.

  So no, the room hadn’t changed, not one bit. Huge tapestries still hung on the walls, injecting colour of the past against the stone. Masculine heavy wooden furniture still sat in its place and even the couch I had first been placed onto that night was where it had always been. I would remember that night till I could no longer remember my name. The very first time I set confused eyes on this room and my mark was still stained on the fabric from a wound given to me from the first of many enemies to come.

  But I was wrong. The room had changed. One very significant change and that was this time I wasn’t the one injured. This time I wasn’t th
e one lay on the bed or couch helplessly waiting for Draven to fix me. No, the room had changed alright and the proof of that lay on the bed in my place.

  “Draven.” I whispered his name as though he was just sleeping and would soon wake up rested and fighting fit like always. But after a few more steps closer to him I knew this would never be the case. He even looked different. His skin was much paler and the dark shadows under his eyes gave his handsome face a tortured look. He didn’t look peaceful in his slumber at all and I wondered if he was trying to fight his way back to us.

  “Try…try and fight. I need you…oh Christ how I need you…” I said collapsing next to him. I sat by the bed and my movement must have made his arm fall down for the next thing I knew I was holding it to my chest and crying into his skin. I convinced myself a few times that I felt him move but it was nothing more than hope playing a cruel game with me. As I said, the mind was a dangerous thing and mine was making me suffer.

  “I love you Dominic.” I said into his palm before kissing it like somewhere in that locked abyss he could escape from and he could hear me. Like my voice could act as a beacon in the darkness. I waited and I waited but it became obvious…

  My light wasn’t bright enough.

  I don’t know how long I remained there but I must have nodded off because Sophia had come in and told me I needed to eat something. I decided even if Draven did wake the last thing I wanted was for him to find me looking the way I did right now. So this was when I let Sophia lead me to a different room so that I could shower and eat.

  I didn’t want to leave him but I needed to face the heart breaking reality that my presence wasn’t doing what I had prayed for. It wasn’t like in the fairy tales or the movies where it takes just a few words of love spoken and the fair princess or handsome knight wakes. It isn’t just the sound of your voice that breaks the spell or a single kiss that makes their heart beat again. No, it was a twisted dream I lived in believing that was all it took. Not in this world…not in my broken world. And speaking of broken worlds…

  “Are you decent?” Lucius asked from behind my borrowed door attached to this borrowed room.

  “Yes, come in.” I said as I had finished my shower, washing with products I hadn’t remembered using, eating food I couldn’t remember tasting and dressing in clothes I hadn’t remembered picking. I was on autopilot, flying in a mission I only hoped I would come back from.

  “That’s a shame.” Lucius said joking at finding me dressed. I rolled my eyes at him as I zipped up my hooded sweater. It might have been summer here but it was a bit cooler than Italy had been…although thinking about it, wouldn’t I be better off with some kind of metal warrior woman bikini, considering I was going on a mission to Hell? Lucius had gone to stand by the shaded part of the room and had poured himself a glass of wine from the decanter there.

  “Is it hot in Hell?” I asked making him start spluttering out the first sip of wine he had taken. Then he started laughing and shaking his head at me.

  “You know this is not a good idea, right?”

  “I know but sometimes the only idea you have left doesn’t mean it’s a good one, it just means you have no other choice…do or die remember.” He turned away from me and looked out at the view without getting too close. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke again.

  “I wish…” He started to say something then shook his head and decided against it.

  “I will look into things my end but I have decided to leave Adam and Pip here in case they are needed and if this goes down the way I suspect it will then…” I didn’t let him finish. I walked over to him and put my hand on the arm he had at least re-bandaged and was now hidden by a black sling.

  “Then that’s why if things go bad then you need to come back… you will be needed here. If I don’t make it, and Draven doesn’t wake up then you have to take his place. You were his second in command once and not only that you are the only one that can keep the balance of both sides.” I said knowing that I had convinced him to come back for only one reason and that was because of what I had decided to do to save Draven.

  “I hope your loyalty for those you love doesn’t get you killed one day.” At this I laughed,

  “Well I survived you didn’t I, surely that counts for something.” At this he smiled looking down at me and then he pushed a piece of my damp hair behind my ear before he whispered softly,

  “That it does, love.” I swallowed hard before laughing nervously.

  “Then stop being a pansy ass, I think that sling has made you soft…should we swap it for a pink one?” I teased making him fake a growl at me.

  “Come on, we’d better get going, I have a Hell to get to.” I said turning but then I felt his hand on my arm holding me back.

  “I have to tell you something.” One look at his face and I knew it was going to be one of those ‘oh shit’ moments…I wasn’t wrong.

  “You’re going to react to some things down there.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked frowning up at him.

  “Aurora doesn’t know this, nobody but Dom and I know and you must keep it that way.”

  “Lucius, what are you…”

  “We changed you Keira.” He blurted out as if he had been trying to tell me this all along.

  “What do you mean…tell me?” I said feeling my heart begin to pound in my chest, readying my body and mind for his confession.

  “When we gave you our blood, when we saved you…when I gave you…” He took a deep breath and hit me with the truth of what I now held inside of me.

  The blood of our enemies…

  “I gave you the Venom of God.”

  Chapter 58

  Nothing Can Hurt Me Now

  When I first found out that I was going into Hell to save Draven the last thing I expected was that I would first need to take a flight back to England. But that was exactly what I was doing now. I was sat opposite Aurora on one of Draven’s private jets making our way to Birmingham airport.

  It had been an emotional goodbye between us all. One made more so when I came to saying goodbye to the man I loved who couldn’t say it back. I decided to write him a letter telling him all the things I wouldn’t be here to say in person for when he awakened. And all I could pray for when that happened was that he understood why I was doing this. I needed him to know my plans from my own words and he needed to know that I would stop at nothing if I could save him…as he had done for me.

  Turning my back on him lying in that bed for the last time was beyond hard, it was excruciating. I had spoken to Vincent and Sophia separately before our official goodbyes explaining to them what I had done and to try and help Draven understand that we had no other option.

  But from the looks on their faces, they weren’t looking forward to the task. As Vincent predicted from Draven’s diminishing health, he doubted his brother would wake from this until his Demon had been reunited with him. One look at Draven I was inclined to believe him, as with each passing hour he was looking worse for it. No, time was of the essence and this long haul flight was the last thing we needed!

  I sat for the best part of our flight silent and frustrated. Of course this wasn’t helped every time I looked up and saw Aurora’s calm face, as if she was simply on her way to the Bahamas or something.

  Actually she looked more like she was on her way to a business meeting in her dark grey suit. This was complete with a ridiculously tight pencil skirt, power bitch hair style scraped back into a tight bun and what I knew were Louis Vuitton shoes, only due to their red soles and hearing about them enough from Libby over the years.

  She also wore a pair of black leather gloves and I really did wonder if I had to remind her we were going into Hell, not staying the night at the Plaza in New York. I looked away from her after getting aggravated and thought back to this morning.

  Hearing what Lucius had to tell me wasn’t easy at first knowing I had that asshole’s blood in me but then he got to the benefits and I had to say
, it certainly eased my fears about where in Hell I was off to.

  He told me what it meant having this blood or more importantly what it meant to have this power inside me. In reality I didn’t feel any different but he assured me that being down there, in the lowest level of Hell, then that wouldn’t be the case.

  The only good news in all this was it would mean being a mortal in Tartarus wasn’t going to suck as much as it sounded. Because I would be the only being down there with the power of Titan blood. Even Titan descendants like Aurora didn’t have even a tenth of the power that the first generation had. I put this down to all the incest hence weakening the Godly gene pool.

  But whatever it was it didn’t matter as long as I kept this just between the three of us. Only Lucius, Draven and now I knew that there were now three beings in the world that held the key to unleashing the Titans and that thought was a truly frightening one. So not surprisingly I tried not to focus on this part and more on the bit about being kick ass down there.

  Before I left I had found Sigurd outside getting on his bike before I too had to leave in the Limo that Sophia had provided us to get to the airport. I ran over to him and asked,

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m leaving, got shit to do.” I frowned up at him and was about to rant at him about honour and the fate of mankind and…well anything else I could guilt him with when he burst out laughing, bursting my rant bubble.

  “You should see your face Lille øjesten, you look ready to self-combust…chill out honey, it’s my back up plan.” He winked at me, turned the key and then kick started his bike until it roared beneath him.

  “Back up plan…why, where are you going?” He grabbed my chin playfully giving it a little shake as he said,

  “The Cheshire Cheese.” Then he was off and out of sight as he kicked up the gravel and summer dust behind him. I didn’t understand why he hadn’t just travelled with us as he knew we were leaving for England, so I could only assume he needed to see someone else first.