by Deanna Chase
The children gasped as the adults threw themselves to the dirt floor. Panic swept the room.
Luc and I revealed ourselves at the same moment.
“Neph,” he hissed, then shot at me, but missed by a hair’s breadth. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and I heard a man scream as he sat up clutching at his foot.
Luc circled behind the Vamp who was trembling now. He shot again and again; one of the bullets grazed my cheek before I finally reached him. I grabbed his wrist and crushed it. He dropped the gun and his chest rose with what would probably have been a loud scream of warning, when Luc gripped his neck from behind and tore out his vocal box.
The body collapsed to the ground. I sat on him, ripped my claws through his chest and tore his still beating heart out. I squeezed. Blood filled my nostrils, sprayed my face and eyes.
I coughed, trying to wipe it off but only smeared it further.
As if watching the vamp die spurred the humans into their primal instinct to survive. They jumped up, pounding on the door.
“Let us out,” a woman screamed.
Another man moaned, “I don’t want to die.”
Anger whipped through my body with the speed of thought. My claws grew longer, sharper, Lust roared to life and demanded to be let loose.
“You ask for mercy,” I said, voice guttural and full of demon, “and yet you give none. None you shall receive.”
My limbs reshaped, forming into something monstrous as I began to lose control. I advanced with slow, deliberate steps. Many started running down the stairs.
“Pandora,” Luc said, at my side. I snarled. “Keep it in,” he warned. But I shoved it off. He hadn’t been here last night and for the first time in my life it felt good to let the demon take over. For the first time I didn’t want to fight it. I wanted to kill them all.
The rest of the group followed downstairs, leaving the kids behind. Luc ran after them. Grunts and groans followed in his wake.
I laughed.
A child whimpered. A small sound and yet it was like slamming headlong into a tree. I blinked. Lust wanted blood. Yes, blood.
No, another voice.
I frowned.
Blood! Screamed the demon, raking her claws down my sensitive innards. I clutched my stomach.
The children. The children. The voice grew louder, the light overcame the darkness, and then a picture formed in my mind of a little girl in a pink dress. “Briana.” Her name was the anchor that brought me back.
“The kids,” I croaked, and the voice was my own. I licked my lips and looked at them, at their faces shiny with tears and I smiled. “It’s okay.”
Several started to wail and shake like saplings in the wind.
“You’re safe now.”
But they did not trust me, not a single one. They’d seen who I really was and to them I was more the monster than the vamp had been. The older children hugged the younger ones to them and postured, warning me back.
I couldn’t leave them unprotected and yet I couldn’t stay. I held up my hands and took five steps back. “I will not touch you, but please you must listen to me, those people that brought you were going to do terrible things to you, there are more kids downstairs and I have to save them, so I will need to leave you.”
A child, looking no older than seven or eight asked, “Can we go home? Can we leave, please?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but no, you must stay here for now and I need you to do something for me. Can you do something for me?” I asked, my tone gentle and soothing, hoping to get them to trust me.
The boy spoke up again, clearly the more brave of the pack. “What?” There was wariness tinged in the little voice, but not fear, as if he’d seen the worst of humanity before.
In some ways he reminded me of myself and I felt a growing affinity for the scrawny red head.
“I need you to gather the children in a tight circle. I’m going to ward you, so no one can hurt you guys.”
He cocked his head, as if mulling over my words. “How can we trust you? For all I know you’re just trying to make me think you’re nice so you can hurt us yourself.”
“Pandora.” Luc touched my elbow, materializing beside me quiet as a stalking cat.
I nodded. We needed to go. Though I knew from personal experience how loud it was in the sacrifice room, someone might have heard and could be right now gathering troops to bring down the intruders.
“Listen, kid...” I could tell this little guy was tough, probably grew up in the city and he’d likely respond better to a firm command then gentle cajoling. “You need to man up and trust your instinct. What does your gut tell you?”
He notched his chin and the light of knowledge filled his big blue eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief. He gathered the children.
“Pandora, hurry,” Luc whispered viciously.
I growled. “I will not leave these kids without guard.”
His anger punched at me like a fist. I ignored him and turned back around.
Once the kids were in place I set a ward, taking longer than normal to make sure no one could penetrate through who meant them any harm. The silvery webbing of my magic settled around them like the pulsing light of jellyfish in deep waters.
I nodded at the boy and he nodded back.
“You wasted valuable time,” Luc snarled and raced me down the stairs. I had to step over the twisted and mangled limbs of broken bodies. He’d killed them all and what’s more, I didn’t feel a thing.
“You might be a heartless bastard but I’m not.”
“You can’t save them all.” In less time than it had taken me yesterday, we were at the bottom of the stairs. He grabbed the latch and wrenched open the door, it swung in on silent hinges.
“Maybe not,” I said, “but I’m damn well gonna try.”
Chapter 24
I raced ahead of him and glanced at the cages with every intention of ripping them open and pulling the kids out. I stopped and turned in a giant circle. Fear lodged in my throat like a greasy ball of wax.
“Dora?”
I looked at his confused expression. “The kids, Luc. They’re gone.”
The cages were empty. And no matter how far down I ran, it was the same, cage after cage, row after row. There wasn’t even a tingle or awareness of para close to me.
“They must all be gathered. Please, please,” I chanted, begging God to just this once hear the prayers of an abomination.
Yesterday had been loud. The song of the worshippers had been so deafening it’d vibrated up the soles of my heels. Today it was as silent as creeping death. It gave me the chills. And unlike yesterday there was no golden light to follow; everywhere I looked it was pale misty blue.
I tried to recall the tunnels I’d taken through the convoluted maze to get to the large antechamber. I had to backtrack several times.
“How big is this place?” Luc finally asked, glancing around.
“Huge. Massive.”
We were in the room Billy and I had crouched on the beams, watching as the kids were yanked from out the arms of the adults. Where were the kids? Were we already too late?
“Did you notice different routes into the chamber, or was there only one?” he asked.
“Uh.” I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking. “Yes. A group had led a procession of sheep in from the sides.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “Then it might be best if we split up here. You take the straight ahead and I’ll go left. Hopefully we can circle around and come at them from both sides. Pandora, whatever you do, do not engage until I give the signal.”
I turned. He clapped my shoulder. I glanced at his hand, then at his solemn countenance.
“Keep to the shadows.”
I smiled softly at his use of our ancient battle cry. It’d been centuries since Luc and I had fought side by side, it felt good.
“And you.”
I went north and ten paces in I smelled the sulfur, stronger than before, it almost seemed to coat my body with a st
icky residue, clinging to my pores. I gagged at the stench of rotten eggs. This was different than yesterday. I frowned, fighting my nausea and began to wrap myself in glamour. I was getting close now.
Ahead, I finally saw the entrance to the room. It was pitch black with thousands of shadowy figures standing unmoving inside.
I crept in, keeping to the walls. The electric slide of parasites radiated up my arms and settled in my brain with an explosion of awareness.
Then the light spewed like a volcano, spearing the room with its red-hot intensity. The statue of Molech, red hands glowing and ready to accept its deadly offerings snared my eye.
Cries rang loud as red robed figures, both vamp and human, tore off their clothing and began to writhe and sing in exultation to their god.
The room looked as if it’d grown in dimension and proportion. As if by magic it was three times the size it’d been last night. At its center was a steel cage filled with children and more sheep, but what was odd was that not a single one—man or beast—uttered a sound.
I fought to breathe against the excruciating crush of panic.
A black robe walked up to the cage. Was it the same person from yesterday? Was that Vyxyn?
The black robe swung the door open and yanked out a lamb. Oh God, where was Luc? I scanned the room.
I couldn’t find him.
The animal was unnaturally quiet, as if thralled. It didn’t utter a sound even as the black robe picked it up and slung it over its shoulder. The black robe turned and carried the lamb toward a gray slab of stone.
Yells, chants, and whistles erupted. The thunderous volume vibrated the very rocks.
In all the chaos another figure darted in, this one dressed in a red robe. It was wrapped in glamour so tight that no one else seemed to notice it. This time it yanked out three children. But these screamed. Cried and kicked, and in the tussle one of the kids managed to shimmy up the figures robe. I caught a flash of its naked ankle and the undeniable mark of nephilim.
I couldn’t wait for Luc, not another second. I shoved through the group intoxicated by the promise of bloodshed. I screamed for Luc. But over the madness it didn’t matter. I doubted anyone heard or cared. To them I was another voice in a crowd.
The red robe slapped one of the children’s faces, spinning the little girl around until she dropped to the ground. A scarlet trail leaked from her lip.
“Oh, Luc!” I screamed. Then I saw him racing out of a tunnel toward the slab and the black robe.
I kicked vamps out of my way. But still they pressed in on me. I wasn’t gonna make it in time. “Oh please, please don’t let this happen.”
My panic began to give way to a burning anger and I could feel my claws sharpen, my eyes turn.
The red robe straddled one of the children. Jubilant screams and songs rose up around me. Eerie howls of glee shivered down my spine like cold, wet fingers. The air sizzled with the lust of both human and vamp.
I was almost there. I shoved two more people out of my way. The kids battled for their life. They bit and kicked at the red robe. Pounding small fists into the back of its head, even as the knife came crashing down into the body of the one it straddled.
“No!” And something inside me snapped, Pandora was gone and in her place something wicked came.
I swatted, clawed, and killed until finally I reached the robe. I pummeled my fist into its head, snapping its head back and unmasking the neph.
I blinked. So shocked it startled the demon to silence.
“Pandora, please,” Kemen held up his hand, “this isn’t what it looks like.”
“Pandora gone,” Lust growled, “you’re next.”
I reached for the sword in my scabbard and pulled it free.
Kemen stood, kicking at the children who screamed and cried, “Why did you hurt us? Why?”
Something was wrong. I could sense it, feel it. I screamed at Lust to go away, but she was firmly in control.
No. Stop. This is wrong, not Kemen. I tried to shake Lust’s grip, tried to regain control of my body, but I was too weak and she was too strong.
Kemen didn’t even move, or try to defend himself. He stared at me with huge sad eyes as I skewered his belly with my blade.
Lust threw her head back and laughed, kicking him to the ground. She straddled his body, smearing his blood on her hands.
Noooooo! I shouted over and over until my throat grew hoarse, I could feel myself growing stronger, begin to take back control of my body.
Lust sensed it and panicked as she started to lose dominion. Her panic spurred her on. She sharpened her claws and sank them deep into his chest. Ripping out his heart. He jerked, but was still alive. Hand covering the hole in his body as he tried to stem the flow of blood.
“Pandora...” His voice was feeble, weak.
Lust licked her lips. There were two souls inside my body. Pandora and Lust. And we were waging war against each other.
I slapped at the demon, kicked her. Fighting my way out of the little black box of consciousness she’d trapped me in.
She stood and poised the tip of her sword at the base of his throat.
“Neph, don’t.” A new voice, a low growl. I knew that voice. It washed over me, slamming Lust with a wave of sexual desire.
“Bi...lly,” and for a fraction of time the voice was mine, but then Lust took control again and growled, “not stop us.”
I grabbed a hold of Lust’s soul with my vaporous fingers and squeezed her. She hissed. “Pandora. Let go,” she huffed.
No. You will not kill him. You will not.
Then she slammed her awareness against mine and it was like having ten thousand bolts of electrical impulses run through my brain, frying cognizant thought and any control I’d had. I cried and jerked. My grip on her went slack for a second. That was all it took.
She cackled and swung the blade at Kemen’s neck, loping it off.
I shrieked, and pummeled her as I slipped into the madness of grief. Then a body slammed into me, arms wrapped around mine. Then another body, and another.
Little arms around my neck. Mouths on my calves biting and grinding. I grunted, trying to shake them off.
Clapping.
“Well played, neph, well played,” said a small bell like voice. A little Asian girl walked up to me, wide grin splitting her face. I drowned in her black liquid gaze, lost to the tumultuous swirl of silver dancing through them.
The discovery of shock hit my demon full in the face. The little girl was really a demon in disguise and I’d recognize the evil glint in her eyes any day. Her name was Chaos, second in command to Wrath.
Lust’s fear raced through my body like venom pumping through blood. I’ve always had the awareness of sharing my body with another, but for the first time in my life I felt alone and abandoned. Lust had tucked tail and run. Hiding so deep in my consciousness I could no longer sense her.
Chaos snapped her fingers and a shimmering net, its luminous strands nearly invisible, spread around us. The humans and vamps continued on in worship, not one glancing in our direction. It was like being suspended in a different plane of existence. A realm separate and yet part of present reality.
“Oh no,” was all I could say in that moment when the reality of my circumstances finally hit home. The kids crawling on me weren’t kids at all, but more demons. LCD’s to be exact. That was why I kept smelling sulfur, because this cavern was crawling with full blooded demons. How many of the kids I’d seen had actually been kids?
Oh my God. Oh my God. OhmyGodohmyGod…
The one on my back stopped moving, as if waiting for Chaos to give them some form of acknowledgement.
“Hello, sister,” Chaos spat. The “s” in sister flickered with the sibilant sound of a snakes tongue. She grabbed my chin, yanked my head down and pierced my flesh with her black-clawed hand. My blood trickled down her chubby fingers and she giggled.
“Chaos,” I snarled, the horror of my mistake only just beginning to take root. Kemen ha
dn’t been killing children. He’d been killing LCD.
Chaos was in a form I’d never seen her use before. But Lust recognized her brethren. Of all Wraths creations, Chaos was top of the pecking order.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
She lifted a delicate brow. “Me?” But I could tell by her smirk she knew exactly what I was talking about.
“You were the black robe yesterday. You were the one that stabbed me. That’s why I didn’t sense you. It was you.”
God, I was so stupid. Of course it was a demon. A true demon. I should have known by the sulfuric stench, neph smelled of sulfur, but never so strongly.
She sighed, squeezing her hands together as if she’d discovered a juicy secret. “My how observant we are. I think you deserve a cookie for that.” She laughed, and the sound of it chilled my blood.
“The black robe today? He was a ruse. You were the one all along.”
Her lip curled. “Of course I was.”
“How long have you been following me?” The eyes on the rooftop, had it been her and not Billy all along as I’d assumed?
“Please.” She glanced at her nails. “Don’t flatter yourself, Pandora. I have better stuff to do than follow you around all day.”
Then she clapped her hands, and the sound of it was thunder. “Have fun boys.”
The LCD on my back squealed, and as one they began attacking me. They wrapped their fingers in my hair. Pulled and tugged. Ripping out hair in chunks. Others grabbed a hold of my arms. My legs. They tried to force me to the ground.
“Dora,” Luc screamed, his fear sliced through me.
“Lu—” I tried to call back, but a hand shoved down my mouth.
Chaos gave a lazy smile as she licked my blood off each of her fingers with long strokes and moans of appreciation. She made no move to join the LCD upon me, as if to do so were beneath her dignity.
I bit down on the hand and the LCD howled. A fist connected with the back of my head. Fingers shoved their way into my eye sockets, threatening to gouge my eyes out.
Now when I needed to call on the power of my demon, Lust wouldn’t respond. It was like she’d gone catatonic in Chaos’ presence.
A set of sharp teeth clamped onto my neck and pierced the flesh. My heart slammed against my chest. They were going to kill me and Lust wouldn’t help me.