Ealdraed nodded. “You are correct. Runa always did everything with caution. She loved and cared for others too much. Her downfall was having a big heart.”
“How well did you know my sire?”
“Not as well as Hartwin.” Ealdraed smiled as he seemingly remembered something. “She liked to paint. At first, she painted the darkness bound to her soul. Then, she moved on to show us the world as she saw it: valleys, mountains, castles falling into ruin. I still have some of her paintings in my house in Scandinavia. You are free to come by to study them.”
Lucious remembered the painting she did when she was on the Council. All of her children gathered on a single canvas with her at the centre of it. Her smile, such a rare occurrence, created a light mood that helped him through the toughest times since her death.
“Do you believe in fate?” Lucious asked.
“Is that a trick question?”
Lucious chuckled. “No. It’s not.”
“The answer is simple, yes. I believe we are pawns in a grand scheme which we cannot see. More than on one occasion, I felt I was pushed into a choice rather than had any free will of my own.”
“Does that mean you being here is also fate?”
Ealdraed’s black gaze locked on him. “What’s happening here is a minute problem compared to the gruesome deeds the gods are committing in this realm. Orion is controlling the hunters, brainwashing them to kill the supernatural creatures of this world without questioning if they deserve to perish. He is afraid of losing his power and that fear is what drives his crusade. Iridia is busy spreading blood magic throughout the circles, making the witches turn dark and vicious. She had converted many to her faith and those who defy her die horrible deaths. And the final god, Seth, is among the humans. He manipulates countries and their leaders into serving him while he rules as one of the hidden figures.” Ealdraed bent forwards with a serious, uncompromising expression. “Don’t you see that without a strong opposition, we are boxed in? It is only a matter of time before the gods gather enough followers and unite their forces against us. Once that happens, we do not stand a chance.”
Lucious absorbed each and every word the Royal said. If this was, indeed, going on in their world, the hunters were the least of their problems. “And how would you kill a god?”
Ealdraed sat back, giving him more space. “It isn’t easy. To generate enough power, I had to form a blood-bond with four other powerful creatures. When we came up with the perfect plan and were ready to execute it, we were attacked. Our conduit, Lera, died. She was the key to killing them and sacrificed herself to give us time to escape. On that day, my dragon-shifter friend, Ruan, did not make it either.”
“Can’t you form another bond?” Lucious asked.
“Once a blood-bond is forged, it cannot be undone. We cannot start anew. It has certain benefits, but it is useless without the conduit.”
“So, your reason for finding Arthemis’ tomb is because you cannot find another way to kill the gods?”
The Royal smiled. “Yes. Arthemis is almost equal in power to one of the gods. Since Runa died, I am convinced that he will try to sire another pillar for himself.”
“Pillar?”
“Please, do not take this the wrong way. I am only sharing my past with you to allow you to see where I stand. I do not enjoy seeing my vampire brethren suffer. And I do not wish to rule over you with an iron fist. That is why we created the First Council. We hoped for our sons and daughters to learn some boundaries without our involvement.” Ealdraed stood and planted his hand on Lucious’ shoulder. “With the recent attack on London’s Council, it seems Orion is gearing up for war. We have no more time to waste. Please, give us the location of the tomb.”
Lucious saw the sincerity in Ealdraed’s bottomless dark eyes. He knew it was his duty to protect his kind. Although giving up the information would defy his sire’s will, he couldn’t be responsible for the deaths that followed suit.
“Ealdraed,” Lucious said, struggling to form the right words, “promise me you will not hurt the fates.”
“You know I cannot do that.”
“Then promise me you will do everything in your power to prevent unnecessary deaths.”
The Royal squeezed Lucious’ shoulder and moved his hand away. He sliced his palm down the middle with his nail. Black blood rushed to the surface and dripped onto the carpet. “On my bloodline, I vow to keep my word to you.”
Lucious accepted his words, swallowing nervously. “The tomb, it’s at Stonehenge.”
“Are you certain?”
“That’s all I know. I swear. Now, please, untie me.”
Ealdraed undid his restraints, letting the heavy silver chains fall with a clatter.
Once Lucious was on his feet, he swayed. The silver had weakened him. He needed to feed. The single thought about blood made his eyes glow red with hunger. He turned away from the Royal but not before Ealdraed saw the tint of his irises.
He circled Lucious. “Your eyes mark the sign of madness, yet you are able to contain it. You are full of surprises, Lucious Ellwood.”
“Will you kill me?”
“Why would I do such a thing? You are not slaughtering your kind nor have you attacked me.” Ealdraed grasped Lucious’ jaw, lifting his face and studying it intently. “You also appear to be unaffected by the change. May I ask why?”
Lucious pushed his hand away. Telling the truth could sabotage his position, but this man would know if he lied to him outright. With a sigh, Lucious said, “I’ve overcome the descent twice in a short amount of time. During it, I drank from a vampire and became incapable of digesting human blood.”
“How do you feed?”
“There is a vampire who allows me to drink from him,” Lucious explained.
“Having a single vampire as your donor may drive him into a descent of his own. You may need to find someone—”
Lucious raised his hands, stopping him mid-sentence. There was no reason for this man to be kind to him. Any vampire who was considered to be plagued by madness had to be eliminated on the spot. The fact he was still standing brought him no relief. “Why are you giving me advice? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“You are not the only vampire who managed to overcome his descent.”
“And who was the other vampire?”
Ealdraed gave a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Our father, Arthemis.”
LILIA
After all the checks and scans were complete, Lilia stood there, holding her belt and shoes, at the strange place she had come to know as the ‘airport’. Humans gathered here to go to different destinations worldwide on giant metal birds that wheeled themselves to great speeds and scaled the sky. She put on her shoes and walked to the nearest floor-to-ceiling window. As she worked on sliding her belt through the loops, she paused. Mesmerised, she watched one such metal bird taking off into the blue sky.
Once she finished buckling her belt, she waited for Maya and Ben to come back with food. No matter how much she ate, she felt hungry. The body she claimed seemed underfed. Helena must have forgotten to take in nourishments all the time.
Peeling away from the view, she looked to one side, seeing a little boy gaping at the same sight she had been focused on seconds ago. Her heart squeezed when she saw the boy running to his mother and tugging on her skirt for attention.
“Mommy, look, a plane! A plane!” he shouted in excitement.
His mother sluggishly rose from her seat to indulge her son.
All Lilia ever wanted was a family. She loved Michael with everything she had. He was a man who cast away a position of an Archangel to be by her side in secret. Even after the gods took his powers and forced him out of the Angel Realm, he returned to be with her. And Arthemis, she loved him even when they were banished…
“Mother, why can I not drink as much as I desire?” Arthemis asked.
Lilia knelt on the ground before him and cupped his pale cheeks that had a light spray of freckles on t
hem. His golden hair reminded her of Michael and his forest-green eyes matched her own. He was a beautiful little boy, even though the darkness inside of him wouldn’t stop growing.
“You must remember, my son, that human life is important. Each soul has a path to follow and a goal to achieve during its existence. Severing their life prematurely may change their fate.”
He shifted his head to one side as if deep in thought. “If I take their life, isn’t it their time to die? Isn’t such an event their fate?”
“No, Arthemis. You must realise that we are not of this realm. We are outsiders. Whoever we meet, whoever we kill, their path will change.”
“But why do humans kill one another? Why is that different to what I do?”
Lilia thought of the countless murders men and women had committed around them to prove their strength to others. She had no answer for her son. Why did humans kill one another? When she spent her time creating romantic encounters for souls from the Angel Realm, she did not concern herself with the tragedy or suffering her combinations produced. She only wished for the souls to reach happiness as she had when she met her loved one.
Arthemis grasped her wrists and pulled her hands away. His touch was gentle, but it was colder than that of a normal mortal. As years went by, and he gained inches to his height, she noticed subtle changes in his body like the sharp teeth hidden behind his natural ones, his irritation and tiredness when sunlight touched his skin, and one that frightened her the most—his thirst. They had to travel from one settlement to another, hiding what they were. The few who found out about her abilities would worship her, claiming she was a goddess of love when she bound their souls together. Their beliefs confused her at first but, soon after, she came to accept them. Yet, their faith was shaken the second her son would leave a body lying in the streets, drained of blood.
“Why must they live and thrive while we hide in the shadows?” he asked.
“Because it is the right thing to do.”
“And if I wish to make a friend or two?”
Lilia climbed to her full height, worry clawing at her chest. The light of the candles in the small room flickered with her sudden movement. “You cannot have friends here. They will never understand you. They will condemn you for who you are and what you need to survive.”
“What if I make them more like me?”
Back then, she paid no heed to his words. She did not think he would change mortals into monsters who thirsted for blood like he did. She did not even know it was possible, which was why everything was her fault. Her son, who never understood humanity, would bring disaster to this realm upon his return. The more vampires he created, the less he relied on her. He chose his path, and it was her duty to be his mother once more and finish what she had started.
“Lilia, are you ready?” Ben asked from behind her.
She glanced at him with a forlorn look. “Yes. Let us find Reaver and pray he managed to get what we need.”
6
THE FOURTH REALM
LILIA
T hroughout the flight to Vienna, Lilia stared out of the tiny aeroplane window. Everything fascinated her. Humans had a grand ability to create things with their minds and hands. Their imagination brought them high up into the sky—a dream many had thousands of years ago.
Once they got off the plane, Maya separated from them and rushed off somewhere.
Lilia caught Ben’s forearm. “Where did the demon go?”
“Don’t call her that. It’s not something she chose to become,” he replied, tearing his arm out of her grip.
“My apologies. It is what she is. I am a fate, and you are a human. I do not understand where her hurt may be coming from.”
He sighed, lifting their bags over his shoulder and striding towards the sliding double doors.
Lilia followed him close behind. Nothing was wrong with being a demon. They were powerful beings from a different realm. The fact they ate souls was the only thing she disliked about them. Such acts diminished the soul’s ability to return to this realm in the next cycle. If Maya was to remain by their side throughout their quest, she would sacrifice more than was needed. Lazarus once told her that a demon needed to eat a soul every thirty or so years in the Demon Realm. Here, Maya would need to feed once a week, creating a terrible ratio that could bring about disaster. But, Lilia kept her mouth shut since this mortal cared so much for his demon lover.
Outside the airport, she was greeted with the night’s still air. She closed her eyes, letting her powers reach out to the world around her. The Wiccan Mother was saddened. Not a single tree in this city was content to be surrounded by concrete, glass, and steel. They were forced to exist in designated places, and no one cared to ask nature if she wanted to be restricted.
Lilia wiped away a stray tear, and Ben nudged her. “What’s wrong?”
“Cities are places where the Wiccan Mother weeps.”
He studied her with a furrowed brow. “Who?”
“It is the Wiccan Mother who gave witches their powers to reach out to her. She created magic in this world to help her children grow.” Lilia placed her hand over her unsettled heart. “When I was in the Angel Realm, I heard a story from one of the gods. He said that before the first god took a seat on the golden throne, humans already existed. But, even then, magic coursed through the veins of the minority. Mortals feared those with power. They served them, boosting the greed of those beings until one of them killed his brothers and sisters, taking their energy for himself.”
“Hang on. The gods were once human?” Ben asked.
“Not human per se. They were children of the Mother. They had abilities to control the elements around them. What I cannot fathom is why she never stepped in. Why she never stopped her children from killing each other.”
“That’s fucked up.”
She raised a brow, not understanding his words.
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I mean, that’s terrible. So, where is this Mother? Is she in our realm?”
“I do not know. I wasn’t alive back then.”
“Alright, looks like Maya’s back, and she’s got a car for us.”
Just as he finished speaking, a white van pulled up, and Maya waved at them. “Get in.”
They climbed into the vehicle, and Lilia rested her head against the window. She watched the buildings around her change, some more modern than others. Human love for architecture had stayed. Perhaps, it was in their blood to try and create structures that were grander than those of their predecessors. Her mind drifted to the time she had arrived for the first time in this realm in Egypt almost four and a half thousand years ago.
The hot desert sun scorched her skin. She wasn’t used to such a harsh and hostile environment. Light in the Angel Realm was created from the gods’ magic. Never once did it hurt her. Hot air was hard to breathe into her lungs as she stumbled through the sand dunes barefoot. She could still recall the burns on the soles of her feet and the endless path ahead of her with nothing but yellow sand for miles on end. She could not sleep since her son would cry all day and become active during the night like a wild animal. It was only then that they had stumbled upon a civilisation and the pharaoh, Khufu, took pity on her and her son and permitted them to stay in his palace. As she recalled the kindness of his second wife, Lilia drifted off to sleep.
“We’re here,” Ben said, pulling up in front of a large villa on the outskirts of the city. A whitewashed wooden fence surrounded the grand holiday home with a large garden full of trimmed shrubbery and herbs. From the metal railings of the multiple balconies overlooking the garden, flowers started waking from their slumber and reached out towards the brightening sky.
Ben led the way to the front entrance where Reaver stood in his new form. Lilia’s heart jolted at the sorrowful memory. She hated the idea of having to destroy a soul and place his into the body of another. When she held on to Nadine’s crystallised soul, she could feel her loneliness. The saint had lived a wretched life a
nd would never be able to claim another body for an eternity because of her. She tucked her hands into her pockets and straightened her posture. Reaver, now in the female form, was a powerful and scheming man. She had to thread carefully.
Reaver outstretched his hand. “It’s so nice to see you, Lilia. Have you taken care of your other half?”
Not reacting to his words, she shook his hand. The second their skin touched, she scowled. There was another presence around him, Nadine’s guardian. “You’ve got an angel on your shoulder.”
He grinned. “It would seem the gods decided to grant me the status of the saint since I now possess her body. And, because of such an occurrence, I got a new friend. Show yourself, Horus.”
An angel she never wished to see again materialised behind Reaver with a tight-lipped scowl. His eyes met hers, and he looked away in disgust.
“Michael…is he truly erased?” she asked.
Horus’ shoulders stiffened at the mention of his mentor’s name. “Yes. The gods could not forgive him for saving you and Helena. It is your fault, Lilia. If it wasn’t for your return, he would have eventually been able to get his status back. He could have been an angel again.”
Each venomous word he fired her way was like having a Khopesh cutting into her chest. She maintained her indifferent exterior. She couldn’t let Reaver and the others see how much his cold words had affected her. Her mission remained the same: to end this nightmare in this cycle.
“Michael made his choice. For saving my life, I am thankful to him,” she said.
Ben, standing beside her, pointed at the sky. “The sun is rising. Maya should get inside.”
Reaver smiled at them as if he had just realised there were more guests to attend to. “Ah, that’s good. Come in. We can get down to business once you rest.”
Lilia’s expression hardened. “We shall get to it immediately. I did not come here to waste any more time.”
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