Lore

by Sandra R Neeley

  “Yes! And I am that love. I am your love, Evangeline.”

  Her smile grew again, only it was not as strong as before. “Okay.”

  “Come along, we must hurry,” Lore said, taking her by the hand.

  They had made it a few steps when she pulled back, refusing to walk any further.

  “What’s wrong?” Lore asked.

  “I am supposed to follow Destroy, and then Murder is supposed to follow me,” Evangeline whispered. “It’s the rules of the game. And we must win! I want to see the sun.”

  “Very well. Destroy, get up here! Hold her hand. All of you stay close,” Lore ordered. He moved forward a few steps and looked over his shoulder to be sure all was as it should be. Destroy was so close he was touching him, Evangeline was right behind him, and Murder brought up the rear, practically on top of Evangeline. Lore’s mists enfolded all of them, keeping them all from being seen.

  He didn’t need both Destroy and Murder there. But Lily had insisted that he bring Murder, so he had. They followed him for almost ten minutes. He was fatiguing quickly. He should not have touched her. It was the whole reason for bringing Destroy. He would carry Evangeline for him, touch her when needed to spirit her away so that Lore didn’t have to. Evangeline was not only his love, she was his soul. Being so close to her and not being one with her drained him. His body, his real body, wanted its soul back. And expended much of its energy to join with its soul.

  “Lore?” Destroy whispered.

  “What?”

  “Your mists are just barely purple.”

  Lore looked down at himself. “We must hurry!” He was unnerved. He couldn’t lose all his powers and get them all trapped down here. “This way. I think we should go this way.” They turned a corner and rushed along it until from nowhere dozens of demonic creatures stepped in front of them.

  “Go back!” Murder shouted, and all turned to follow him, but there, they were cut off as well.

  One of the demons lifted a weapon and launched a short, thick arrow at them. The arrow went straight through Lore’s mists and hit Destroy. This was why he wanted Destroy right behind him rather than Evangeline. She was insulated in front and behind with Gargoyles.

  Destroy looked down at the arrow as it bounced off his chest and landed on the ground. He sent up a silent thanks to Rowan.

  “Protect her! Block her from their arrows!” Lore shouted.

  Destroy and Murder both slipped back into battle mode, the training of their pasts flooding back effortlessly. They stood together, surrounding Evangeline from every angle, leaving no space for her to receive injury.

  Lore gathered his mists as best he could and threw spheres of energy at the demons, causing them to scream upon contact and scatter. But there was an endless number to take their place. Lore threw more and more at them.

  Murder wielded his blade, his saber had never let him down, and he was sure it wouldn’t now. One of the ugly little creatures was brave enough to dart forward and slash at him with his own blade. Murder didn’t even think, instinct took over, and he slashed with his saber, easily separating the creature’s head from its short stubby body. Then another and another came forward.

  Destroy was caught between trying to keep Evangeline from harm and taking up a stance with his own blade beside Murder. Destroy’s weapon of choice was a scythe, and he wielded it ruthlessly.

  It all happened so fast. There was no time to think. The horrid little creatures began to herd them together, moving in from both sides. Finally, the group closest to Murder broke ranks and attacked. Just afterward, those facing Lore did the same.

  Destroy stepped away from Evangeline to swing his scythe and took out several. The three males were fighting as one unit — elite, efficient, deadly. But the Dark One’s minions were just too many. They were moments from being overrun.

  Evangeline screamed. Destroy spun and saw that one of the creatures had managed to slip through and was reaching for her. Destroy brought his scythe up, then swung it down in an arc, slicing the bastard in two. Each half falling to its own side.

  Murder roared, causing the corridor to tremble, and the shale and charcoal of the ceiling and walls to rain dust down upon them.

  “Go! Go now! Take her and run. I’ll hold them off!” Murder bellowed.

  “No! We are not leaving you here!” Destroy screamed back at him.

  “That’s an order, sentry! Go, go now!” Murder screamed, just before roaring again and running toward the oncoming creatures while swinging his sword.

  They swarmed him, and seconds later he was lying on his back, looking at Destroy while the minions tried unsuccessfully to cut and slice at him. The protection spell Rowan had placed on the vials must be strong, Destroy realized. But then, Destroy noticed that there was a purple hue surrounding Murder. It wasn’t Rowan’s protection at all. It was Lily’s.

  “Go! Take her,” Murder shouted again, just before a unit of guards in full battle gear ran from behind Murder, past him and down the corridor toward them.

  Destroy’s heart hurt, he was furious, wanting to go to Murder, but he’d been ordered. He turned, swept a near hysterical Angel into his arms, Lore threw another ball of light at those who were advancing from his end of the corridor, then, enveloped Destroy in his mists and spirited them away.

  Destroy locked eyes with Murder as he faded from view. Murder was lying on the ground, his head supported by one of the guards, and he nodded at Destroy. A sign of approval.

  Destroy screamed. “Noooo!!” As the guard supporting Murder’s head took hold of the protection vial around his neck and yanked, crushing the bottle in his hands, then forced Murder to swallow the contents.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  It was early morning, and Enthrall was relaxing on his couch while Felicity and Shane were sleeping in. He took a sip of his favored tea, while turning the page in the book he was reading.

  Then, all hell broke loose.

  Lore was shouting instructions to, “Keep your eyes closed, sweet!” Destroy was roaring and clasping a screaming woman with long, blonde curls and huge white wings to his chest, and for a split second he could hear the sounds of battle surrounding them, until the pale, very pale, lavender mists swirled away and dissipated.

  Enthrall threw his teacup in the air, his book went flying and he jumped up, fangs and claws fully engaged, a roar on his lips.

  Destroy thrust the female at Enthrall, who accepted her to keep her from falling to the floor. Destroy immediately turned on Lore. “Take me back, now! Take me back!”

  “I cannot, Destroy. I am done,” Lore said, resignedly.

  “Back to where?” Enthrall demanded.

  “Not acceptable!” Destroy snarled. “Now! Take me back to Murder right now! You can’t leave him there!”

  “I can’t!” Lore shouted at Destroy.

  “Mist up that purple crap and take me back! I demand it! Take me back now!”

  “What the hell is happening? Where is Murder?” Enthrall screamed at them both.

  “Destroy, he is my brother! Do you think I wanted to leave him there? He demanded it! We had no choice. If we’d have stayed, we’d have all been stuck there,” Lore explained.

  Destroy slowly began to understand. There was no way to get back. He sank to the floor, tears in his eyes. “Take me back, Lore. You must. Take me back, so I can kill those bastards and bring him home!” Destroy begged.

  “It’s impossible. I can’t.”

  Destroy looked up at him. “You want promises, favors, I’ll give you any you want. Just take me back. We can’t leave him in Hell!”

  “Somebody tell me what the fuck is going on, right now!” Enthrall bellowed.

  Lore looked at Enthrall, standing there, holding a sobbing Angel in his arms, her eyes still squeezed shut. “Please put her down, Enthrall. She’s terrified.”

  Enthrall looked down at the sobbing woman in his arms. He turned and set her on his couch. Lore went to her and sat near her. “Do you hear me, Evangeline? Al
l is well. You can open your eyes now.”

  She shook her head rapidly and curled into a ball, though she did crack open one eye and peek at him.

  “What did you do, Lore?” Enthrall demanded.

  Lore answered, without ever looking at him. “I freed my Angel from Hell.”

  “No, he didn’t!” Destroy accused, rising off the floor. “He had us steal her! Had us sneak into the pits of Hell and steal her. When we were discovered, because of course we were discovered — it’s Hell! — Murder sacrificed himself for us to make a getaway, and LORE LEFT HIM THERE!” He screamed the final words of his explanation.

  The veins in Enthrall’s neck were standing out — he was beyond furious. “You left Murder in Hell?!”

  Lore had been unwrapping Evangeline’s wings and removing the pillow case from them, revealing an unbelievably beautiful pair of pristine white wings smudged with dark streaks. He looked up at Enthrall. “I did not invite him to come along with us. I needed only Destroy for this. He insisted. He knew the risks, and he ordered us, particularly Destroy, to go without him. He knew what he was doing!” Lore stood from the couch, facing them both, rage and heartbreak clear on his face. “If you, either of you, think I’m not broken over this, you are pitifully mistaken! Murder is my family! My heart is shattered! I want nothing more than to go after him, but I can’t!” He raised his hands to call his mists, and nothing happened. “I have no more powers! It’s not that I won’t! I can’t!” Lore bellowed, his chest heaved, and tears filled the corners of his eyes.

  Enthrall was speechless. He stood there taking in the sights before him. Lore was an emotional wreck, Murder was gone, Destroy was murderous and particularly focused on Lore, and a stunningly beautiful, yet filthy Angel, covered in black streaks and charcoal stains, lifted her hand in the sunlight streaming in through his living room window.

  Destroy stared at both Evangeline and Lore with disgust. His lips pressed into a flat line, and his nostrils flared. “I hope the sunshine is worth it,” he spat with resentment. He stalked out of Enthrall’s house, forcefully slamming the door behind him as he bellowed across the space between his and Enthrall’s homes. He had one hope left. “Rowan! Rowwwwaaannan! Wake up now! Right now! I need you to send me to Hell!”

  Enthrall realized they had an audience. He looked over his shoulder and found Felicity and Shane silently watching them, their eyes still heavy from sleep. He turned back to Lore and just watched him.

  Finally, Lore raised his eyes to meet Enthrall’s. “I couldn’t leave her there. They were keeping her hidden from me in Hell! They treated her like a prisoner. She did nothing wrong. Just loving me, that’s all she did!”

  Enthrall scrubbed a hand down his face as he looked at the delicate creature now sitting upon his couch, running her fingers through the sunbeams streaming in.

  “I understand. I do.”

  “Do you?!” Lore screamed.

  “As best I can, I do. She shouldn’t have been there. Someone needed to free her.”

  “And who, but me, was going to do it?” Lore asked on a whisper. “She’s my mate, Enthrall. She’s my heart.” He looked at the female lost in the sunshine beaming down on her. “She carries my very soul inside her.” He looked back at Enthrall. “She is my soul.”

  Chapter 8

  Destroy slammed into his house, a deep roar on his lips.

  Rowan was running down the stairs, straight toward him, her night gown flowing out behind her she ran so fast.

  “Destroy! Destroy, you’re home!” she threw herself at him.

  He caught her, and held her to him, burying his face in her hair while a cry of anguish left him.

  Rowan realized that he was hurting, he was distraught. She tried to pull away from him to see his face, but he refused to loosen his hold on her. So she held him as tightly as he held her, kissing him anywhere she could reach. “Tell me — tell me, Destroy. I’ll help if I can.”

  Finally, after minutes of wandering in a circle, clutching her to him and roaring indistinguishable words at the ceiling from time to time. She figured out that whatever it was, Lore was the cause.

  “Is he dead, Destroy? Is that it, is Lore gone?” she asked, her stomach dropping at the thought.

  “Not yet! But the day is young!” he screamed.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s Murder! He left Murder behind!”

  Horrified, she pushed hard enough against his chest to make him let loose of her enough so that she could see his face. “Left him where?” she asked.

  “In Hell! The bastard took us into Hell to steal an Angel, and he left Murder there! He left him there!” Destroy set her on her feet and looked intently at her. “I need you to send me back to Hell, so I can bring Murder back. Can you do that, Row? Can you?!”

  Rowan recoiled at the request. “No! Of course I can’t do that! I’m an elemental witch, Destroy. My powers are not strong enough to send you to Hell or to bring you back. I’m nothing compared to Lore. I’m not capable of such things.”

  Destroy watched Rowan, no word, no sound, just letting her words sink in. Then, he threw his head back and roared until the very energy it took had him swooning. He stumbled over to the couch and collapsed onto it. He sat there, his head in his hands, staring at the floor while shaking his head slowly back and forth.

  Hesitantly, Rowan approached him. She knelt on the floor before him and reached out a hand to stroke his shoulder.

  “I’m so sorry, Destroy. I wish I could help. If I was capable, I’d send us both back there to help him.”

  Destroy raised his head and looked into her eyes. “It’s not your fault. Don’t think that it is. I just can’t believe we left him there. And I can’t stop imagining what they’re doing to him. It’s Hell, Row! He’s in Hell!”

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Murder lifted his saber in the air and plunged it through the first of the little demons attacking them. Another followed suit, outraged that he’d dared to kill his fellow minion. Murder ran him through as well. Then as one, the entirety of them let out a battle cry and ran toward him. At the same time he heard those on the opposite end of the corridor closer to Lore make the same cry. He could only imagine they, too, were attacking. He knew Lore was releasing small forces of energy at them in the form of balls that would scorch and burn on contact. He knew Destroy was behind him, still guarding Evangeline, but now swinging his scythe with glee. And the image of a small, precious, silver-haired child, tracing her fingers down his horns and across his throat, all the while telling him she’d see him again and it wouldn’t be long, played in his head as clearly as if it was happening right this instant. Lily had been letting him know that he’d not be forgotten. She’d see him again. He smiled, put his faith in the child and her uncanny abilities, and allowed himself to be taken down by the horde of little creatures swarming them as he bellowed for Destroy and Lore to take the Angel and go. He had to. He had to create enough of a diversion for the others to get away. And it worked. He felt the magics of Lore’s mists as they began to swirl. He managed to crawl just free enough of the vile little creatures to turn over and see Destroy grab Evangeline, and Lore gather his mists to carry them away. Then he nodded to Destroy to let him know it was what he wanted. Just as he nodded, he felt the vibration of thundering footsteps pounding him. A group of guards charged by him, running toward the now dissipating form of his friends.

  Someone lifted his head and shoulders from the ground and slid in beneath him. Murder looked up to find a pair of cavernous navy blue eyes looking down at him through the face shield of one of the Dark One’s official guard. Before he knew what was happening, that guard had grasped the vial hanging from ‘round his neck, snatched it free, broken the bottle open and was busy sifting the spelled earth through his fingers. Quickly the guard threw away the few pieces of glass and held his hand above Murder’s mouth. “Swallow it. Hurry, you must swallow it to absorb the protection from it into your body. You’ll need all you can get.”<
br />
  Murder was stunned. This guard was a female, her voice gave her away.

  “Hurry up!” she chided, her eyes rising to see if her fellow guards were still preoccupied with his friends.

  Murder let his eyes drift to his friends as well, and saw Destroy scream out ‘No’ when he saw the guard snatch his protection vial from his neck, but then they were gone.

  Murder refocused on the guard currently holding his head on her lap and her hand above his mouth, encouraging him to swallow the small amount of spelled earth that had been sent with him as protection. He looked into her eyes again and without thought, opened his mouth and swallowed as soon as she dropped the small bit of dirt onto his tongue.

  He started coughing and spewing. It was dirt…

  The other guards, having been unable to stop Lore and Destroy from escape, turned on him. They came at him with a vengeance. Some held him down as the others pummeled him. He curled in on himself as their blows rained down. He was unable to fight back. He felt their blows, but they didn’t truly damage him.

  Then one, he must have been their leader, drew his weapon and pressed its tip against his throat. “Tell me how you penetrated our wards!”

  Murder didn’t answer, just lifted his chin and stared him down defiantly.

  The guard kicked him in the ribs. “Speak! How did you slip past our safeguards?!”

  Murder grinned at him and shook his head slowly.

  The guard pulled back his arm in preparation of plunging his weapon into Murder’s neck, but the guard that had encouraged him to swallow the protected dirt, stepped in front of where he lay on the ground. “Are you insane? You wish to destroy him before our Master has a chance to interrogate him? You well know he will penetrate his mind and take any information he wants. If you kill him, Master will focus his displeasure on you instead.”

  They had a stare down, and finally the guard agreed. “Fine! But when it is his time, I claim the right to end his life. Take him to Master’s favorite chamber. Strap him down well. We’ll see how long he can hold his tongue among Master’s favorite playthings.”