Queen of the Immortals

by T. R. Hamby

  She looked firm, her face set. “Father took Sydney.”

  There was a silence. Michael let out a breath.

  Mel stared at her. “What do you mean?”

  Agatha was impatient. “I mean he’s gone, Mel. Father took him.”

  “Explain to me,” Mel hissed, and there was a faint chill in the air.

  Agatha shivered, and the chill dissipated. She gave Mel a hard look. “This morning Serene woke up. She couldn’t find Sydney in his cradle; she couldn’t find him anywhere. We looked in all our houses. Then Father….he spoke to Serene. He told her Gabriel stole Sydney, and that Serene would have to kill him to get Sydney back.”

  She ignored the moans that came from Michael and Barry.

  Barry felt his heart pound. Gabriel. No, not him. Please.

  Mel took a shaky breath. “Agatha. Why would Gabriel steal Sydney? This is all Father’s doing.”

  “I don’t care,” she shot back, her cheeks red with rage. “I don’t care what Father’s doing. I’m going to kill him,” she growled, looking directly at Michael, “and Father will bring Sydney back.”

  Her chest was heaving, and she continued icily, “But I don’t need a reason anymore. I’m done….I’m done allowing this to go on. He doesn’t deserve to live.”

  “This is my son, Agatha,” Michael burst out, “my grandson. Serene--my children.”

  She looked cold. “Maybe your death will save their lives.”

  There was a moment when it looked like Michael was about to rush past Mel and offer himself over.

  “No--Michael, stay back--Agatha,” Mel said, “please. We can find Sydney. We can fix this.”

  “I told you, I don’t need a reason--”

  “This is your nephew!” Mel shouted, and the room descended into a deep freeze.

  Barry stumbled backward, his heart racing. Fear was overwhelming him, making him tremble, making his knees weak. Up ahead, Agatha was also shaking, but Barry barely noticed.

  Then the feeling began to fade, and he breathed deeply, relieved.

  I’m here, Them’s voice said. Don’t be afraid.

  Mel was beside himself with rage. “This is your nephew, your great-nephew, your niece! You’re just going to let Serene kill Gabriel while you get revenge on Michael?”

  “Mel, stop--you’re hurting her,” Michael said quickly, grasping his arm.

  Agatha was cowering against the counter, shaking like a leaf. Mel was breathing heavily, and, with apparent difficulty, allowed his anger to wane. The room warmed, and Agatha looked up at him.

  “You hurt me,” she whispered.

  “I know. I’m sorry,” Mel moaned. “But I can’t let you kill Michael.”

  “You know what he’s done--”

  “Don’t remind me what he’s done,” he growled harshly. “I know better than anyone what he’s done.”

  “Don’t judge my anger, then,” Agatha shot back. “He deserves to die for what he did to us.”

  Barry couldn’t be silent anymore. “Hold up,” he said, and she eyed him beadily. “Why would God take Sydney? Why does he want Gabriel dead?”

  I know why, Them whispered bitterly. Father knows that you’re speaking to me. He must have guessed.

  Barry shivered, his heart dropping like a stone. Agatha and Mel argued again, but he didn’t hear.

  God knew what they were up to, and he was angry, angry enough to want Gabriel dead, to steal an infant.

  It was bad. They were in trouble.

  “Mel--Mel,” he said, and Mel paused in his ranting to look over his shoulder. “She’s talking.”

  And he told them what Them had said.

  Michael was pale. “But I betrayed Father,” he insisted, fear in his voice. “He should be after me, I….I lied to him….”

  I….think it’s revenge, Them said gravely. Father wants to punish him. And….Michael loves his children. If Gabriel dies….

  Michael can’t bear it, Barry thought, and he shivered.

  He resolved not to say anything, no matter how angry Mel got. But it didn’t matter; the look on Michael’s face told Barry that he had figured it out.

  “Oh my god,” he moaned, backing into the wall, “my son….my child….”

  Mel whirled around, seeming to forget about Agatha, and grasped his shoulders.

  “We’ll protect him,” he said firmly, looking into his eyes. “It’ll be fine; we’ll keep him close. None of us will let anything happen to him.”

  “Father’s after my baby, Mel!”

  “Breathe. We’ll get him close; we’ll get him safe. It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

  “Agatha’s right, I should--”

  “Don’t you fucking dare. Don’t do that to me. Gabriel won’t thank you for it. Think of him; think of Gilla. You can’t make decisions in this state.”

  Michael was breathing heavily, on the verge of hyperventilating. Behind Mel, Agatha was watching, a strange look on her face.

  Barry was breathing heavily too, his hands shaking. The sight of Michael’s firm exterior dissolving into panic was overwhelming.

  They’re outside! Them suddenly cried. Gabriel’s outside!

  “Gabriel,” Barry said, and before he could move the door burst open.

  In came Gabriel and Gilla, looking almost frantic.

  Michael darted to them and pulled Gabriel into a rough embrace. Gabriel returned it, though he looked a little bewildered.

  “You know?” he breathed.

  “Yeah--are you hurt?”

  And Michael pulled away, checking him over, gripping his face. Gabriel was suddenly soothing, squeezing his father’s wrists.

  “I’m fine, Mica,” he said gently. “Promise. No broken bones.”

  Michael nodded shakily and held him again. “I love you.”

  Barry realized he had tears in his eyes, and he brushed at them impatiently. He heard a sniffle, and looked to this right. Agatha had tears flooding down her face, and her shoulders shook as she held back a sob. With a sudden jerk she fell backward, and disappeared.

  Gabriel

  Killing the Blanchardstown Angel had been all too easy, and Gabriel was grateful. All the other Angels they had hunted down had nearly killed them. This had been a breath of fresh air.

  It took Gabriel and Gilla most of the night to find the Angel. Gabriel incapacitated him, and Gilla killed him with a simple twitch of her Blade. The end.

  They then returned to the hotel and went to bed. It had been three in the morning, and they ended up sleeping for hours. Gabriel was woken up by a call from Michael at around six.

  “You still alive?” he asked grumpily.

  Gabriel moaned slightly. “Yeah. You didn’t talk to Gilla?”

  “She’s not answering.”

  “Oh. She’s sleeping, then. We had a late night. Got the Angel. Is Barry there?”

  “Can you please at least text me when you’re done with that shit?” Michael hissed. “You could’ve been dead.”

  Gabriel sighed. “You’re right; I’m sorry. How’s it going? Nora?”

  A pause. “We haven’t found her yet. She tried to escape last night.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah….Them told us. Barry’s out now looking for the house.”

  Despite the horror of what was going on, Gabriel was soothed at the mention of Barry. “He’s all right, then?”

  “He’s fine. Good.”

  Gabriel couldn’t help but roll his eyes. His father was even worse at conversation when he was stressed.

  “Look, get some sleep,” Michael said, sighing again. “Get some breakfast when you wake up; relax. When you’re ready, just text me. I’ll Call for you.”

  Gabriel nodded. He didn’t want to argue, as much as he wanted to help. It was probably best not to crowd them anyway.

  “Okay, Mica,” he said gently. “Just Call if you need me. I’m here.”

  It was the closest he could get to telling Michael he loved him. Their family, including Gabr
iel’s mother, had never been big on the whole “I love you” thing. Although, he could see the appeal now. He and Barry said “I love you” all the time.

  He went back to sleep, and when he woke again Gilla was knocking on the door; it was ten a.m.

  They went to the dining room for breakfast. Gilla ate, sharing her mushrooms with Gabriel. A group of nuns sat nearby, and they stared at the tattoos on his face and neck.

  “What god do nuns worship?” he asked curiously.

  Gilla, who had been texting, glanced at the nuns at the next table. “Jesus Christ.”

  “Oh, right,” he replied, remembering. “The Christian god.”

  “You know, they sort of worship Angels too,” she replied, a mischievous look on her face. “They pray to them sometimes.”

  “I remember. They call my father an ‘arc angel.’”

  “They call you an arc angel too.”

  “God, really? That’s embarrassing.”

  She smiled, amused. Although it had been a serious mission, she and Gabriel had enjoyed themselves, hunting down that Angel together. Gilla was sweet, but she had spirit, too. There was a sort of….righteous anger about her that Gabriel admired.

  “Michael’s not answering,” she said, staring at her phone. “They must be busy. I hope there’s no fighting happening.”

  Gabriel frowned worriedly. But then he reassured himself--if they needed him, they would Call. There couldn’t be any fighting going on.

  He looked at his own phone, but all that was there was a selfie Barry had sent early last night. Gabriel and Gilla had been out then, with their phones on silent.

  “Anything?” Gilla asked, worry still in her voice.

  Gabriel looked at her and shook his head. “No. Let’s go up and pack some things. They’ll probably be ready for us soon.”

  So they went back upstairs.

  But they felt a Presence as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. They looked at each other, frowning.

  “Must be Mica,” Gabriel said, and together they rushed to the door.

  But it wasn’t Mica. It was Serene.

  “Serene?” Gabriel exclaimed, closing the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”

  She was standing in the middle of the living area. She had a strange look on her face. Her dark eyes glittered in the morning light.

  “Father told me I would find you here,” she said shakily. “Where is he?”

  Gabriel stared at her. “Who? Mica?”

  “No, Gabriel,” she hissed, and there was anger in her voice. “Where is my son?”

  Her question didn’t register.

  She didn’t give Gabriel time to understand. With a fierce cry she charged him, producing a knife from her pocket.

  Gilla stepped forward and seized her wrist. Serene kneed her in the ribs, and the two collapsed to the floor, rolling, scratching.

  Gabriel stared for a moment, then remembered himself. His heart pounded, and he raced to them, grabbing Serene and yanking her off of Gilla.

  “What are you doing?”

  “My son, you idiot, my son!” Serene shrieked, struggling.

  She thrust out an elbow, and it knocked sharply into Gabriel’s eye. Gabriel swore and staggered away.

  “You took my son!” she cried, and tears began to splash down her cheeks. “Sydney’s gone! You took him!”

  Gilla rose to her feet, brushing at a bloody nose.

  “Why would I take Sydney?” Gabriel breathed, horrified. “What happened? He’s missing?”

  “Of course he’s fucking missing,” she spat, livid. “You took him.”

  “Why would I take your son, Serene?” Gabriel shot back.

  She faltered, but replied, “I don’t know; you tell me! Maybe it’s revenge--”

  “Revenge for what? For what you said about Barry? You really think I’d steal your child for that?”

  She shrieked and threw the knife. It spun through the air, and Gabriel caught it deftly, anger surging through him.

  “Father told me you did it!” she growled. “So don’t bother fucking lying! I know.”

  Gabriel felt his heart drop.

  Oh no. It could only mean one thing: Father had found out about their interactions with Them. Now he was punishing them….maybe trying to kill them.

  Fucking shit.

  He took a shaky breath. Then he slowly bent down, placed the Blade on the floor. Then he straightened and held up his hands. He looked at Gilla, who did the same.

  He looked at his sister. “Okay. Let’s talk. Okay? Just listen.”

  “Fuck you,” Serene spat, tears still running down her cheeks. “I want my son.”

  “We’ll help you find him--if you--if you just listen, for Christ’s sake,” he growled, as Serene continued to interrupt him.

  “You took my fucking son!”

  “No, we didn’t! Serene, use your goddamn head. Why would I kidnap Sydney?”

  She finally seemed to consider the question. She brushed at her eyes, trembling, and she looked so pained that Gabriel’s heart ached.

  His nephew was missing. A child that was barely two weeks old.

  Serene took a shaky breath. “I woke up, and he wasn’t in his cradle. I looked everywhere….”

  She sobbed, before continuing, “Father spoke to me. I’ve never heard his voice before….he said you stole my baby. He didn’t say why, just that he saw you take him.”

  She looked down, breathing heavily. Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “He said….if I kill you….I’ll get him back.”

  Gabriel felt his insides go cold. Serene had been sent to kill him. It was true; Father was trying to kill.

  He glanced at Gilla, who looked pale and horrified. He felt the same way, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

  Then he said, “All right….Serene, I didn’t steal your son. I would never. Okay?”

  She looked almost convinced. Almost. “But Father said you did,” she hissed.

  “He’s lying. Is that really a shock?”

  “Where’s my son, then, Gabriel? Why is he lying?”

  “He’s trying to punish us for working with Them,” Gabriel replied, trying to stay calm.

  Serene laughed harshly. “Not this bullshit again.”

  “It’s true,” Gilla said, her cheeks pink with anger.

  “You’re relying on the word of an addict,” she said, and Gabriel shook with fury.

  “He’s telling the truth,” Gilla replied calmly. “She’s been leading us to Nora.”

  Serene was momentarily distracted. “Nora?”

  “She’s been kidnapped too,” Gabriel said bitterly. “Them is helping us find her, and we’re close.”

  “That’s why we’re here in Ireland,” Gilla said. “That’s why I can speak again. Them gave me my voice back.”

  Serene stared at her, speechless. It seemed she had just realized that Gilla was speaking to her for the first time.

  She frowned, bewildered. “It can’t be real,” she whispered.

  “I could be lying,” Gilla said coldly. “Gabriel and I could have been cooking this up for months.”

  Serene began to cry again. “Don’t be cruel.”

  Gabriel took a steadying breath. “Look--we can help you find Sydney. Them can help us. We’ll go to Mica; we’ll tell them what’s going on.”

  She sobbed, looking unsure. “Father will kill my baby.”

  “We’ll figure it out, Serene,” Gabriel insisted. “Please….don’t kill me. I love you.”

  She looked at him, and they stared at each other for a long moment. There was desperation on her face….and fear. Horrible fear.

  She shrieked, yanking another knife from her coat, and launched it at Gabriel’s face.

  Gabriel ducked, and the Blade buried itself in the wall. He darted to Gilla, grabbed her hand, and yanked them backward into space.

  They smashed into a metal surface, and then landed hard on the ground.

  Gabriel swore, clutching
his ribs. He was lying on muddy, grassy earth, and above him was an overcast sky. He sensed that it was cold.

  He eased himself into a sitting position, and looked around. They were surrounded by hills, and nearby was a stone house. The car Michael had rented the other day had been what they had smashed into--the first place that had popped into Gabriel’s head as he had Traveled the two of them away from Serene.

  Gilla sat up too, wincing. “The car?” she breathed, clearly shocked. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  “Well,” Gabriel sighed, getting up, “to be fair, I was trying to get us inside the damn thing.”

  He could feel Presences coming from the house, and he stooped down and helped Gilla stand.

  “Michael,” she said.

  “Maybe Nora, too,” he replied as they raced toward the front door.

  But it was mostly Barry who was on his mind.

  Barry

  Agatha was gone, having vanished into thin air.

  Barry didn’t give this much thought; his mind was focused on Gabriel. Once Michael finally let him go they embraced. Barry felt almost a franticness, knowing Gabriel’s life was on the line now. They had to protect him.

  “You’re crying,” Gabriel whispered, drawing away to study him. “What’s wrong?”

  Barry let out a bitter laugh, brushing at his eyes. “Gabe, you’re in danger. God’s taken out a hit on you.”

  Gabriel took this in, and it was clear he didn’t quite understand. “Yeah--he told Serene to come after me--but once we find Sydney, it’ll be fine.”

  Barry sighed. This would require an explanation, and he felt too exhausted to give it.

  “Let’s sit down,” Mel said quietly, and the group gathered at the wood table in the kitchen.

  Both Michael and Barry insisted on sitting beside Gabriel, creating a sort of Gabriel-sandwich.

  And they talked. Gabriel and Gilla detailed their encounter with Serene. Gabriel believed that they had bought themselves time; he knew his sister, and believed she was just putting on a show for God.

  Then Mel and Michael told their story, with Barry chiming in here and there. Slowly Gabriel’s face fell and darkened, until there was a dangerous scowl left behind.