He released me so fast, I almost fell back and dropped the Sword. His painful cries and groans confirmed I was in complete control. He was wrong. I was no adolescent, and my new powers were fully operational.
“Hurts to be on the receiving end of that one, doesn’t it, Caleb?” I said with a curl of my lip as I glared at his bent form. He was doubled over, holding the sides of his head, shaking it from side to side, but I knew from experience no amount of shaking would release him from the searing pain slicing through his skull.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” I said as I walked up to him, dragging the Sword over the concrete behind me, sparks flying from the tip. When I leaned over, my lips practically brushed the outside of his ear, I didn’t worry he would take advantage of our close proximity because no way was I letting up on my power over him. “Oh, how the tables have turned,” I added.
“Bitch,” he hissed, spit dripping from his mouth onto the floor. Veins popped out on his forehead as if they might burst from his head at any second. I almost wanted to continue the torture in hopes of seeing black blood spew from his ugly skull. But there wasn’t time.
I lifted the Sword and positioned the blade across the back of his neck. “Actually, I prefer the sound of Queen Bitch, don’t you? It’s too bad you’re so weak, Caleb. I might have made you my king if you were strong enough to keep up with me.” I inched closer, my lips touching his ear. “But you’re just a soft wannabe, and it’s time for your delusion to end.”
“No,” he cried, struggling to stand, only to be met with pressure I placed on the blade at his neck.
“Yes, Caleb. Oh, and I almost forgot—this is going to hurt you way more than it will me.”
With that, I lifted the Sword and let gravity bring it down through his neck, the blade cut through flesh and vertebrae like a tender piece of meat.
***
Caleb’s head hit the concrete floor with a thud and rolled a few feet until it stopped at the wall. Blank eyes stared back at me while black blood oozed from his severed stem. It was a grisly sight, but to me it was picture perfect. If I hadn’t known the angels were on their way and might wonder where Caleb’s head was after seeing this gruesome scene, I might have taken it to mount on a wall somewhere for my own sick pleasure.
For as long as I could remember, I’d been haunted by the person, or thing, attached to that head, and now, it was over. I was triumphant, but I could hardly believe Caleb was gone. It had happened so fast. The power had come easily. Too easily. That was when doubt crept in about the possibility of some twisted scenario yet to play out. The battle between Caleb and I should have been epic, long and hard, exhausting to the point we would both be near death before one of us finally won out. At least that was how I’d always imagined it would be. But my powers soared far above anything my imagination could conjure up. The quickness with which I ended him solidified my true destiny.
I was the ultimate ruler. I was born to reign supreme. I no longer cared whether good or evil was my calling. Those were simple thoughts for the weak-minded. The strong only thought about what made them more so. I had more strength and stamina than all of them now, but I needed to do one last thing to cement that fact. And to do that, I needed to get out of Hell fast.
With one quick look at Caleb’s severed head, I squeezed hard on the hilt of the Sword, closed my eyes and allowed the blackness to whisk me away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I transported back to the castle… Caleb’s ex-domain. Still not sold on residing there once this was all over. The place was big, roomy, palatial, plenty of room for me. I’d have other options soon too, residences as spacious, but that decision could wait until after the final phase of my plan was complete. Only a few more loose ends to tie.
In the room where Braydon had been imprisoned, I figured it would be the safest location for the time being because some demons had been left at the castle. Caleb always covered his bases and wouldn’t have left his possessions unattended, although I was sure he expected to return to them. They were my possessions now, or they would be as soon as I did away with the remaining demons. I wasn’t worried, though. Demons were merely pesky mosquitoes to me, irritating insects that would disappear with a simple swat of my hand, unlike the angels, who were now my biggest threat. I’d get to them soon enough. Only one more important thing to do.
Using utmost caution, I exited the room and headed down the long corridor. I could have simply transported where I needed to go, but I wanted to catch any demons lurking in the castle along the way. None appeared around the dining hall or any of the hallways, but when I came to the main staircase leading to Caleb’s chambers, I spotted six of them. Three were positioned on the second floor, two mid-staircase, and one in the center of the foyer. They were all guarding the path to my destination.
When they saw me approach, their armored bodies stiffened in place. I stopped in my tracks, regarding them, making sure I had them all in my sights. They glared back at me, and even if I couldn’t see how tense they were, the suffocating energy emanated from them. They were ready to pounce.
I knew I could kill them as easily as I had the others, but this time I had other plans.
“Your king is dead,” I announced, holding the Sword upright in front of me so they could see the blood-stained blade. “You can join him, or you can join me.” I paused and studied each one of them in turn. Glances skittered back and forth between the Sword and me. “I’m giving you a choice, but do not falter in your decision. You’re either with me or dead. There is no in between.”
I heard the thoughts of a demon sneaking up behind me before I heard its movements, so I spun, swinging the Sword about eye level, easily slicing off his head. Being stealthy hadn’t mattered. Without faltering a fraction of a second, I returned to face the demon from the middle of the foyer. He’d taken the opportunity to step closer but stopped in his tracks when the tip of the blade was inches from his neck.
“I’d give you the chance to re-think that decision, but I honestly don’t care enough,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. I jumped forward, shoving the Sword into his throat, swiftly cutting off whatever he was attempting to say.
Another one’s thoughts contemplated jumping over the railing above, believing the element of surprise was a good opportunity to strike. I gazed up at the three demons leaning against the rail on the second floor, and zoned in, his pensive eyes giving him away.
“It won’t work,” I said with an exasperated sigh as if the whole situation was starting to bore me, which it was. “But I dare you to try,” I added with a wink. He glared at me, and I waited for him to finish his relenting thoughts. Once I was sure he’d abandoned his idea of heroism, I switched my gaze to each and every one of them, reading their thoughts as I went. They all now accepted the power I’d gained and the stupidity of going against it. I was surprised. I had expected more of a fight but decided they were weaker than I thought… or smarter. Either way, it seemed I had gained my first army. Granted, it was only an army of five, but it was a start.
To be honest, I didn’t feel the need to have an army, and gaining their support was more about doing away with obstacles than it was having others to back me up. Although, I had to admit, having someone watch my back while I might be busy doing other things, like ruling over the universe, could come in handy. But since they’d been Caleb’s protégés, I couldn’t completely trust their loyalty.
“Good,” I said. “I’m glad we could all come to a quick agreement. But just in case any of you has thoughts about changing your minds…” I shot a blast of searing pain into their heads and they all sank to their knees, ten hands instantly raised and trying to ease the torture. I let them suffer for a few intense minutes before I backed off. Damn, I liked this trick. They remained on their knees but slowly raised their eyes to mine. That image burned into my memory. It was where they were meant to be.
“That was a sampling of what your previous boss endured for attempting to c
ross me. Let it be a reminder of what you could experience if you so much as think about defying me. Is that understood?”
They all nodded, some more enthusiastically than others. I made a mental note of the less enthusiastic ones.
“Good, then we shall proceed with your first test. All of you are going to let me pass as I go into the room upstairs. Once I’m in, you will continue to guard this area. If anyone tries to gain entry, you are to restrain them by whatever means necessary until I return. Got it?”
They all nodded again. It wasn’t good enough for me.
“And I’d like you all to address me as my queen.”
A pause, as if they were processing, and then another nod from all of them.
“Yes, my queen,” I prompted.
They mumbled their acquiescence to my liking, so I grinned and climbed the stairs.
This all seemed way too easy, but I liked it.
***
My first stop was the room where Nergal’s body lay imprisoned in glass. He was in the same prone position, looking as dead as ever. But something was different. The first time I’d walked into this room, I was hit with a tidal wave of power. It had called me to Nergal’s lifeless form, magnetized me to it as if my very essence depended on reaching him. His presence had been alive, huge, so, so powerful then. Now, he appeared small, old, and decrepit in his glass case, similar to an ancient unwrapped mummy on display. I knew then I was doing the right thing.
I know why you’re here, his voice said inside my head.
I moved toward him.
You’re making a mistake.
I stared down at him through the glass.
It’s unnecessary. You already have all the power you need.
“I know,” I said, with a smile. “I thank you for that, and for helping me see my rightful place. You taught me well, Nergal. And I know ultimate power isn’t merely about being stronger than all others. That’s only part of it. To maintain that power, you have to continue to be stronger than others, constantly ensuring no one can ever gain the same mastery over you. There’s only one way someone else would have that chance.”
But you have the Sword. Without the Sword, no one can ever steal my essence and match your power. You know this.
“Yes, I do, but I also know even the best can falter once in a while, you know, like when you lost the Sword.”
I pressed a button on the side panel of the case and the glass opened with a hiss. A putrid smell overpowered my senses, but I breathed through my mouth to avoid vomiting. This would soon be over. I grabbed the hilt of the Sword with both hands and held it up above my head, the blade aimed down toward Nergal’s throat.
You need me to guide you, Cassandra. You know nothing of the power you hold, nor how to rule over such a vast, rebellious universe. Without me, you will fail.
I glared down at him. Even though his eyes remained closed, I imagined looking right through his glowing blue orbs. “You’re the one who failed, Nergal. It’s my destiny now to finish what you weren’t capable of. Perhaps that was Fate’s plan all along.”
Perhaps you’re just an ignorant little bitch.
I imagined his features blazing, and I chuckled knowing he lay before me vulnerable and lifeless.
“That’s Queen Bitch to you,” I said.
I never gave him the chance to address me as such because I slammed the Sword into his throat. It went through his flesh, the bottom of the coffin, and even through the stone podium before I finally stopped my thrust. The hilt lay against his throat, and I took my hands from it. For a long time, I stood there, looking at him, relishing in the sight of his Final Death.
It was a momentous occasion and I wanted to remember the image forever. Ingrain the scene in my memory so I could view it again and again. I had sealed my final fate. Nergal was gone. The king was dead.
All hail the queen.
After dislodging the Sword from Nergal’s neck, I closed the case and stared through it one last time. Final Death already seemed to be affecting his body, hardening and cracking the skin as if his essence had been the moisture it needed to give it life but was now slowly dissipating. I wondered if I came back later, would I only find ash where a full six-foot-plus of flesh once lay? How fitting that would be.
I wiped the Sword on a nearby tapestry. His body had long been dead, and I only wiped the blade as a useless precaution of any essence being transferred to it. Doubting it could be that simple, I was anything but careless given current circumstances.
Upon leaving the room, the demons turned toward me from the same positions where I’d left them. They contemplated me with questioning eyes, whether wondering what I’d done in the room, or what was going to be required of them now, I didn’t know. As far as I was concerned, their business wasn’t about what I was doing, but what they would do for me. My first order… “Search the castle for more demons and either recruit them or imprison them until I return.”
I assumed Caleb had other cages with which to hold many, and I was sure these goons knew where they were. When they answered, “Yes, queen,” I knew I didn’t need to waste any of my time confirming it.
Once they all left the area, I stood at the railing and looked out over the large, empty room. The castle was quiet, but a soundless echo seemed to fill the silence, pulsing with a foreboding symphony of sound, urging me to embrace my fate and continue on with my mission. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, filling my lungs with strength and determination, repeating a mantra in my head—I am indestructible—until the power of it billed every molecule in my body.
I was ready to face them… ready for them to bow down before me. And if they didn’t, I’d destroy them all.
Nothing else mattered.
The universe was mine to control.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I knocked on the Sanctuary doors, stepped back, and half-turned to see the open courtyard and keep an eye on the door. I could have transported inside, but figured I had a much better chance of not being ambushed out in the open where I had a better vantage point. The interior included too many rooms where angels could hide. Not that they’d succeed even if they tried.
One door of the double entry opened, and Michael, a high-ranking angel, peered out at me.
His eyes scanned me up and down, and then they grew wide when he realized I carried the Sword.
“Hello, Michael,” I said, hoping the gleam in my eye wasn’t too obvious, or at least interpreted as excitement for obtaining the Sword. I needed to play it cool long enough to have the right people in the right places. “Get your boss. We’ve got a few things to discuss.”
In a similar manner to the demons, Michael’s gaze juggled between my eyes and the Sword, as if contemplating my motives with it.
He finally caught my gaze and said, “He’s not here.”
I knew exactly where Hadraniel was—scouting through the remains of slaughtered demons in Hell in the hopes of finding me.
The other door opened and a few more angels appeared beside and behind Michael. I recognized some of them but didn’t acknowledge them more than a glance.
“Well, I suggest you go and get him. I believe I have something he wants.” I held up the Sword and the angels flinched back in response. “Don’t you think?”
Michael leaned over and whispered in one of the angels’ ear.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Detri. And please hurry. I’m getting quite bored out here.”
A few of them glared, but I returned their animosity with a smile.
Detri disappeared, along with two or three others, leaving me standing out there with Michael and about four other angels. Each of them wore armor and carried weapons. They’d either recently been out fighting, or were preparing to. Or maybe they’d all been instructed to stay on alert due to the recent events in Hell. I expected Braydon had informed the leaders.
“Would you care to wait inside, Cassandra?” Michael asked.
“And what?” I replied with a knowing look. “Get a bite
to eat or a drink? No, thanks.”
Any normal guilt-filled person would have cast their eyes down, knowing they’d just been exposed, but not Michael. No, his eyes sparked with conceit. One might think he was proud of being one of the backstabbing bastards who signed, sealed and delivered me to Caleb by drugging me. I shot him a smug look of my own, telling him he’d failed miserably.
“I thought you might want to visit with your parents,” he said. “You know, catch up and whatnot. If you follow me, I can take you to them.”
My heart pumped harder for a brief moment at the mention of them, but I took a deep breath and sealed up that wall. “Why don’t you go get them and bring them out here. I’m sure they’re dying to see me. Or wait, do they even know I’m alive?”
He pursed his lips to the side, scrunched his eyebrows, and rubbed his finger over his chin with an exaggerated flair as if thinking. “Hmmm. You have a point. I’m not quite sure what their guards have told them.”
“So, they’re under guard?”
“Not all the time. Their cells keep them in line so we don’t worry as much about having to guard them. Your boyfriend, however, turned out to—”
“Cassandra. What a pleasant surprise.”
I stepped away from the door and turned to see Hadraniel making his way across the courtyard with at least fifteen or twenty angels in his wake, Braydon among them. Hadraniel held a welcoming smile as if seeing a long, lost friend. It burned my blood, and I gripped the Sword tighter. I wanted to carve that smile right off his face. Braydon’s, on the other hand, appeared more heartfelt, relieved even. I had conflicting emotions about that but couldn’t deal with them at the moment.
“Which surprised you more, Hadraniel?” I asked. “The fact that I’m not dead or that I have the Sword?”
“You have it all wrong, Cassandra,” he said flashing his trademark smile. “I fully expected you back. It’s the reason I sent you.”
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