Ruby Rising

by Leah Cook

  “Scott?” I whispered, “Can you hear me?”

  When he didn’t move I took a step towards him, alert and waiting for Mikayla to show. She was here somewhere; I could feel her anger hanging in the air like a storm cloud.

  “Scott?” I whispered again. This time I heard a slight groan but he still didn’t move. At least he was alive. I circled around him, looking for injuries, blood had run down his face and dried into dark lines as fresh blood still oozed from his mouth and the cuts on his head. His stomach was bruised one of his ribs was on an odd angle and was pushed so tightly against the skin it looked like it was going to burst through his chest.

  There was no way to reach him without entering the circle, I took a deep breath and stepped in. It almost surprised me when Mikayla didn’t jump out from behind a tree straight away, or have my father show up suddenly. Maybe she wasn’t as predictable as I thought.

  I reached for Scott’s face and had to stand on the tip of my toes to reach. I reached for his ropes around his wrists and then stopped suddenly. The ropes were loose around his wrists, not binding him or holding him in place. What the hell? He was hanging on the cross.no nails, no visible binds of any sort holding him in place.

  “Scott?” I took a step back as he lifted his head to mine, smiling a smarmy grin that wasn’t his own. His eyes were that beautiful emerald green that haunted me and turned my stomach to knots. “Scott? No! Not again!”

  “Hello Ruby,” he said. But the voice that came out of his mouth wasn’t his own; it was Mikayla’s. As I took another step back and he grabbing my wrists in strong hands to stop me from retreating any further. I watched in shock as his face began to change, morph grotesquely into a blurred mess of mottled skin. In less than five seconds it was no longer Scott holding me, but Mikayla.

  “I said hello, Ruby. Have you forgotten all those well taught manners of yours?” Her smile tortured me. “After all, I was inside you, remember?”

  My mind whirled, I couldn’t think straight. My breathing increased and I felt my body heat up in response. I wasn’t in control of my powers and my fingers were burning. Just when I thought I was going to lose it, Mikayla let go of me and I took even deeper breaths as my body shook with the anticipation of release.

  “You have more control than I gave you credit for. No wonder He wants you so badly.” The slap to my face came from nowhere, it was hard and fast. My face stinging, my blood boiling with rage. I closed my eyes and reached for the cross around my neck, gaining strength and clarity in the few seconds I touched it.

  “Are you Scott?” I asked. “Or are you Mikayla?”

  “We are the same now, he is in me. He did manage to return for a while, after you blew up my house, because I needed to heal. I did underestimate you, but rest assured, I won’t do it again.”

  “So when we had sex, it was him and not you?” I needed to know.

  “It was all in your head, Ruby. The sex.” She smiled at me, “I mean I was there, but the sex was an illusion. It never happened." She leered at me and I thought she was going to hit me again, but something changed her mind as she continued to speak. "When you stopped for your little shower show I forced Scott into me. You’re still a virgin, Ruby, pure as Snow White. When I worked out that he wasn’t going to do what I asked, what had been ordered, I didn’t give him the satisfaction of being with you. I knew he had fallen for you and I that it would punish him much more to have to watch it, to see what he wasn’t ever going to have. He did love you, in some weird way that I just don’t get. I could have let him fuck you I suppose, but I knew it would kill him more having to watch it in my, sorry our, head.”

  “But I felt it…it was real!” A tear fell free down my face, I roughly brushed it aside, knowing that I was giving her the reaction that she wanted.

  Mikayla laughed and leaned into my face and her lips crashed onto mine, kissing me with such brutality I knew my lips would bruise. I didn’t move, I didn’t even flinch when she ran her tongue over my bottom lip before biting down on it.

  “You make me sick.” I said as she pulled away and I wiped the blood she had drawn from my lip away.

  “Oh, but Ruby, I know what you like, remember, I’ve been in your head.” She walked slowly around me, and for the first time I noticed a small group of people had formed a circle around us. They all wore black robes, their hoods low on their faces obscuring their identities.

  “You’re all cowards!” I shouted at them. “Show me who you are so I know which one of you to kill first!”

  “Oh Ruby,” Mikayla laughed from behind me. When she kicked the back of my knees I fell to the ground without a sound. “You think you can take on the Devil himself and actually win? How do you think you’re going to do that? With your pitiful magic? You haven’t learnt enough to kill me, or even put a dent in me.”

  “I put a dent in you at your house didn’t I?” I heard her fist coming and rolled before she made contact, flipping myself onto my back I kicked her with both my feet with every bit of strength I had. Before she could recover I drew the dagger from my pocket and landed on her, pinning her legs with my weight and my own legs as I sat across her hips. I held her around the throat and lifted the dagger above her heart.

  Surprise filled her black eyes, but she still had a small smile on her face, just the corners of her mouth twisting up. “I dare you.”

  I started to bring the dagger down and for a split second I saw fear in her eyes, she didn’t think I had it in me. I was forced backward, no one held me, and nobody had pushed me. I was forced backwards by something unseen. I landed at the foot of one of the hooded people. Looking up, I couldn’t make out their features, just the glint of green in their eyes. I scooted backwards needing to put some space between everyone else and me. In that moment I knew what it felt like to be truly alone.

  I took a deep breath and faced Mikayla again, my body pulsed with energy and this time I didn’t hold back. I let the anger and fear and every ounce of hate I had build up inside me and I aimed it all at Mikayla. When I felt it go out from me it sounded like I had released a nuclear bomb, deafening and silent at the same time. As it radiated towards her, I watched her smile again and she lifted her hands, as the wave hit in front of her and went around her. The only acknowledgment that I had hit her was her hair gently swayed, like I had simply blown air at her. She’d blocked it, although someone behind her hadn’t been so lucky. One of the hooded people had been blown into the trees with such force they’d been impaled on a thick branch halfway up a large tree. When the hood slipped off blonde hair cascaded down her face as blood pooled below her feet. I recognised her from my psychology class and from the camp. I watched as blood rose from her mouth as she gargled indecipherable words. She implored Mikayla for help with her eyes. Mikayla stood watching never moving to help her dying friend. In less than a minute, her body went limp. As her blood stopped flowing and I knew she was dead.

  “How can you be both of you?” I yelled at Mikayla. “How can you be two people at once, two people in the same place at the same time? Camping? The lake? My house? How can you be you and him at the same time?”

  Her mouth curled up at the edges again. I wanted to rip her face off, I wanted to wipe the smug little grin right off her face, forever. “I wasn’t at first, when he did what he was told. Scott was very helpful, he did everything he was told. Everything Ruby. Until you, then he started to question me and what I was asking him to do. What I wanted from you. I knew then that I was losing my hold on him. Once he went to you at Julie’s” she spat the name. “I knew that he was gone. The only way to keep him was to kill him. His body is over the side if you wanted to know. But I was always in his head, always part of him, you were never alone.” She pointed over her shoulder at the rocks that defined the edge. It was a long drop, littered with rocks and trees. I shuddered as I thought of what he went through before he died. “I’m surprised at you being so stupid; after all, I can’t conceive on my own Ruby, even I’m not that talented.”
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  “You’re sick, you know that don’t you? You don’t deserve a child.” I braced myself as she ran at me, knowing what was coming, I saw her ball her fist and raise it back. I flinched and looked down, waiting for it to come but it never did. After a few seconds I looked at her, he arm was still in the flowing motion of a punch, but between me and her was what I could only describe as a shield. I could feel it radiating off me, I could feel her pushing against it. When she knew she couldn’t get through it she lowered her arm and took a step backwards.

  “You learn fast, just like He said you would.” Mikayla said, giving nothing away by her face or tone of voice. She was simply stating a fact.

  I felt the shield dissipate, making me feel vulnerable again. I prayed to God that I would be able to do it again if I needed to.

  “What element was that?” I sneered at her.

  “You think this is all simply elemental still? There is more to this magic, yours and mine, than basic genetic elemental gifts!” Mikayla yelled.

  I watched as Mikayla lifted her hands and flicked her fingers at me. I mimicked her action and forced her fire-ball back on her. It was suspended between us as each we both tried to force it closer the other. Like a weird version of tug of war, without the rope or the team mates.

  I urged my will out of my body, pushing the ball away from me, forcing it towards the one person that filled me with hate. But soon I could feel the heat as it inched closer to me. I felt my own power slowing, my body wet with sweat from the energy and concentration this was taking.

  I knew if I gave up, Mikayla would kill me, despite having orders to the contrary.

  “Enough!” A loud voice boomed through the darkening sky. The fire ball disappeared and everyone in the circle around us fell to their knees.

  From behind Mikayla stepped a tall man in a blood red robe. He hadn’t bothered with the hood, after all, I already knew who it was.

  “Hello Ruby.” His eyes were black, even blacker than Mikayla’s although I hadn’t thought that possible until now. It wasn’t just the iris that was black, but his entire eye ball. With a snap of his fingers I fell to my knees as he walked towards me. “You might be able to put on a show for young Mikayla here, but as for me? You’re going to have to do a lot better than that.”

  I was rigid, my arms stuck to my side, no matter what I did, I couldn’t move from the position I was in. On my knees. Completely at his mercy.

  “Hello, father,” I spat the words at him, my eyes looking directly into his own and seeing nothing but darkness, hate and pain.

  As he stood in front of me, he smiled, much like Mikayla did, with one corner of his mouth turned up slightly. I willed a shield, believed in it and even saw it in front of me, it made no difference to him. It simply wasn’t strong enough to protect me. I wished I had played around more so I was able to use these gifts properly. I wished I had more time to see what else I could do. He slapped me and before I could recover he slapped me again, and again. I was rigid and couldn’t fall to the ground even though I wanted to. I refused to cry, refused to let my tears fall down my face. I refused to give him the satisfaction even as the slaps grew in fierceness. With a final brutal blow with a closed fist I fell to the side, still in kneeling position with my arms still glued to my sides. I felt his hands on my face and a fog seeped into my head. I screamed and fought, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it, eventually everything went black.

  CHAPTER 26

  I kept my eyes closed when I realised I was in the back of a car, my hands were tied behind my back and my legs were tied as well. I also realised I was in my underwear. At least I wasn’t naked, I thought. My head swam for the agony threatening to split my skull open. Evidence of the brutality of the slapping I had received. It had been harsh and unrelenting. Proving his point that he could hit me if he wanted, that he could do so much more whenever he decided. I knew my lack of clothes was a lesson in humility, to degrade me, as his daughter and as a woman.

  Nobody spoke but I knew Mikayla was in the car. I could feel her there. I kept my breathing even, trying to see if the ropes were even slightly loose at my wrists. It was tight, I knew I was already bleeding as even the slightest movement caused me significant pain. Robert, who I no longer saw as my father, enjoyed this, seeing me in pain. I realised he was a sadist, relishing in inflicting pain on others. I had called him Dad my entire life, but he didn’t deserve that title. He was the Devil himself, I knew that, but to me, he was just Robert. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe if I could reduce his power over me it would help me to believe I could at least hurt him, if not kill him myself.

  “Welcome back Ruby,” Mikayla said from the other rear passenger seat. “Hope it doesn’t hurt too much.”

  I opened my eyes and turned my head to face her, quietly enjoying the fact that I could move of my own accord again. I stretched my neck to the side, trying to work out the kink that had settled in.

  “Where are we going?” I asked quietly.

  Mikayla lent in to me and using the tip of a finger she ran it leisurely down the side of my face. As gentle as the action was, it was more invasive than the slapping I had received from Robert.

  “Somewhere private,” Mikayla’s lips were touching my ear as she whispered. “We’ve been waiting a very long time for you.”

  Suddenly a thought occurred to me. “How old are you?”

  Her laughter was hot on my neck, sending a shiver through me. “Not as old as Him of course, but only by a few hundred years or so.”

  “How many people have you killed? How many are inside you, like Scott?” My voice grew stronger with every word as anger raged inside me.

  “Too many to keep a track of, but they are all stuck here, in me. No afterlife, no heaven and no hell. They all asked to become part of this you know. They all wanted something in return however. A small price to pay for their soul though.” Mikayla licked the injured side of my face, I pulled my head away grimacing in disgust but she grabbed my chin pulling it to her with a vice like grip. There would be finger prints to add to the damage already inflicted on my face in the morning, matching the imprints around my neck. “You know, as much as you like to think that you are different, you’re just the same as they were. Just a little more powerful. Imagine what your child will be like, His power, His hate, and His passion! All that combined with your powers and the magic that has ran through generations of your family?” She groaned against my face, it was a sexual sound making my heart thunder in my chest. The small blush that crept into her cheeks a giveaway of her arousal. “At least you have the decency to be scared now, I wondered what it would take to finally hear your screams as you writhe in agony beneath Him.”

  “paulo unus, enough.” The deep voice was quiet but forceful, sending Mikayla to the other side of the car, still smiling. “You will get your explanations in time, Ruby. For now, however, you will sleep.”

  “No!” I felt the fog come over me, even without him touching me. I would rather be awake, knowing what was happening then let them have such power over me. I was powerless and fought it as long as I could before falling into the darkness.

  I heard yelling from another room, as I woke on the carpet of an empty room. A long window ran across the top of the wall, I couldn’t see out of it or reach it. I was no longer tied up and I rubbed my wrists. Each one bore bruises and sores about an inch wide around them, I reached for my ankles and saw they were the same. My head felt groggy like I was a little drunk. As I sat up I barely contained the urge to heave. Breathing in deeply through my nose and out through my mouth I concentrated on emptying the blackness, the darkness that had engulfed me, breathing in ‘good’ air and eliminating him from my body.

  I couldn’t understand what was being said around me. They were speaking in a language I couldn’t even begin to understand. I knew the voices though, it was Robert and Mikayla, and it was definitely heated. A few minutes later I heard a pause in the conversation.

  “She is awake,” Mikayla said. />
  “Do not forget your place, paulo unus, you might be my oldest child, but you are still not assured unlimited time here on earth. I can send you back to infernum with a single snap of my fingers.” There was a pause, “she is not to be raped. By you or anyone else. Her time will come on Friday night. If you let anyone in her before then, all this will have been for nothing and we will need to wait until the next Chosen One is born. And you know how much I despise waiting, unless you need a reminder?”

  There was a short silence before he spoke again.

  “Do you forget your place?” He was yelling at her now, his voice echoing around me. “You have served me well over the years, you have earned your place beside me. But don’t take me for a fool!”

  “Yes Stella Magna, please forgive me.” Mikayla’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “I do not forgive, we leave that up to their Christus.” He spat the last word.

  I was trying to work out the words, there was something vaguely familiar about it. I rolled the word Christus around my mouth, until it clicked. It was Latin for Christ; I had heard it at my old school once. Our language teacher decided it would be good to teach us one of the ‘forgotten languages’ as she had called it, we had only learnt it for a semester.

  I stood as I heard the door unlocking, Mikayla walked in first followed closely by Robert. He still wore his blood red robe; it looked ridiculous against the plain clothes Mikayla was wearing. Even as I stood before them still in my underwear I stifled a laugh, but it didn’t go unnoticed. Mikayla was on me in less than a second, her hands around my bruised neck, I fought for control, staring into her eyes. I put my hand across her face and pushed, forcing her head back. I felt a familiar swell urging through me. This one was a strong pulse, stronger than I had felt before. I willed it at Mikayla, full force. Suddenly light pulsed from my hands where I touched her face. She screamed at me but kept her hands locked around my throat, I was starting to black out, but fought the darkness that threatened to send me into oblivion once again. I forced everything I had at her. Brilliant white light filled the room blinding everyone. I felt her hands rip from my neck as she was forced backwards from its power. Opening my eyes I saw her hit the wall with a thud before landing back on her feet, ready to come at me again, except for the hand that she held to her face.