Prologue
Sand
blew in his face, and he knew that it was the start of his torture for
betraying his Master. Guilt clawed at
his insides, making every step harder.
The sun blared bright, and blister welled up on his skin. Water was a thing of the past. He knew he wouldn't be blessed with the cool,
lifesaving liquid.
He
had no idea how long he'd been walking.
He knew only that he was trying to outrun emotions, events, that he'd
instigated. He now wished, desperately, that he'd never set eyes on his Master. That he hadn't given that fateful kiss. He could still taste the salty sweat from the
other's cheek.
Now
the demons of his guilt and the angels of his shame were taunting him.
No one cares if you live or die. Do it.
End your misssssery.
The
side of his face twitched. He blinked
rapidly to dismiss the thoughts shredding through his brain. It was no use. He was no longer favored. The demons had complete access to him.
He
didn't have the strength to fight them.
Not after wandering through the desert for days. They shrieked at him, battering at him to
bleed, to enjoy the misery of the one he betrayed.
A
lone tree with black branches rose out of the blistering sand.
It
was out of place and yet it called to him.
The whispers went into a frenzy.
Death. Pain.
Betrayal.
He
felt the despair and misery swallow him.
End it.
End the misssssery.
It
would be his act of absolution. If he
did this, the Holy Father would forgive him.
He'd be allowed to join his Master in Heaven and they would accept him
with open arms. All the pain and
betrayal he'd wrought would be forgotten.
At
the base of the tree lay a puddle of rope, rough and thick. He knew instinctively what to do with
it. Using his blistered hands he
fastened the rope into a noose and tied the end of it to the lowest
branch. When he fit the noose around his
neck, it settled like a heavy collar.
One of servitude.
If
he had been in the right state of mind, he would've known that there was no
logical way for the branch to hold him, and to have been high enough to cut off
his air. But he believed in the power of
God, in the One he wronged, and knew that it wouldn't matter with the logical.
The
noose tightened, cutting red marks deep into his neck. His feet left the ground, the length of the
rope shortening, and soon his feet dangled in the air. He gasped, the agony of not being able to
suck in oxygen blinded him.
It
took him several hours to die. He was
not granted a quick death.
As
he drew his last breath, the pupils dilating as his soul sucked out, carrion
birds were already shrieking their enthusiasm for the new meal.
His
soul, black with his misdeed, exploded from his mouth. The rope snapped and his body was heaved onto
the hard, cracked earth with the force of an earthquake. The ground splintered out from the lone tree,
the earth groaning with the impact.
Judas's
body split open. His blood and entrails
leaked out upon the ground. The liquid boiled, a burst of sulfur shot into the
air. The screams of Hell rose with it. One blackened hand, followed by another
grabbed the sand on the outside of the liquid. Slowly, painfully, it heaved
itself out and into the sand.
Akeldama
was born.
Footsteps
sound in the darkness outside the cell they keep me in. I almost hunch back in
the filth behind me, against the wall, but I remind myself that I don't want to
be the victim anymore. I don't want to hunker down in my own waste.
My scales
ripple in fear whenever the key scrapes the lock and light is cast into the
small, windowless room. Once my eyes painfully adjust to the light, I see the
worst of my owners, Drake, is the one bringing my sorry excuse for a breakfast.
One piece
of bread.
I resist
the urge to throw it back in his face. I'm a demon. With sharp teeth. These aren't used for bread.
"Filth."
Drake spits at me. He takes a step closer and laughs as I flinch. I can't help
it, and I hate myself for it. "Today you help Tomariel round up the
vampire young that has escaped."
I wonder if
they've planned this. They both know that I'm not strong enough to fight a
newborn vampire. I'm barely strong enough to pull against the chains they've
got me bound in.
"If
you live through this, we'll have to think of something else to do with you.
Tomariel may like using your body for his needs, but I would rather have you
gone. Dead, if possible. Just because you were born from the blood of the
Betrayer, doesn't mean that we should bow to you. You are nothing, a shriveling
piece of shit beneath our feet." The venom in his words hits me, mentally
pushing me to hunch in on myself.
I stare at
the floor, wishing I'd never spoken a word. Moments after my existence began,
after I was formed from Judas' blood hitting the dirt on that hill, the words
had repeated in my mind. A bloody litany, a command to rule the demons, to make
them bow to me.
Unfortunately,
the demons in this realm didn't take kindly to my words, fearing me. Still weak
from dragging myself from Hell, I couldn't fight them off. They sold me into
slavery, forcing me to do degrading and menial tasks, not feeding me. Kept me
too feeble to fight back. I can't remember how long I'd been forced into this
existence, at least a few thousand years. Allowing Tomariel to use my body in
any way he wanted and Drake to lash out at me when he was angry, which is all
the time.
My
conscious mind surrenders to the realization that I may not last survive one
more day, one more hour.
Drake pulls
on the chain around my neck and jerks me forward. I scramble to my hands and
knees, my scales scraping the floor. I ignore the pain as he leads me out of
the cell. I've grown accustomed the barbaric treatment.
The
hallways are pitch dark, lit only by the torch he carries. He makes sure to
leave plenty of length in the chain so that I walk several paces behind him. My
eyes roam over his is tall and solidly built form, a rage demon with grotesque
fists and thick arms. His craggy face wears a permanent scowl. A creature of
this magnitude is impossible to conquer and he knows it. I lack the fortitude
to do so.
Leading me
upstairs to the main level, I keep my eyes on the dirt floor and stand still at
his command. As much as I loathe him, I refrain from igniting his temper.
Another
demon, a pretty little siren, curtsies as he strides into the next room. He has
no fear of her song, since he cut out her tongue the first minute she arrived.
Her gorgeous blue eyes flicker over me, hatred seething from her eyes.
A small
spark of anger flares to life inside me. How dare she hate me when she is in
the same predicament I am? She is not better than I am. A whore slave. I am so
much more than she is.
Then I
remember that those thoughts landed me in this situation. I drop my eyes back
to the floor, watching maggots weave in and out of the soil until the anger
evaporates. My pulse slows and every breath is a struggle.
Drake returns,
followed by Tomariel. Standing beside Drake, Tomariel resembles a god. His
golden hair falls perfectly and his violet eyes are warm with seduction. Being
an Incubus, his stoic demeanor naturally draws in his prey, targeting their sexual
energy. Resentment boils inside me as I remember my inability to resist him. No
matter how hard I try.
"Akeldama,
follow me." Tomariel ignores the chain. He knows the sound of his voice
will lure me anywhere he wants to go.
I feel the
pull, try to ignore it, but it's useless. My feet respond.
We walk out
into the night, the ever present moon glowing bright. There is no sun in the
demon realm, which makes it harder for us to capture the vampire newborns. They
roam about, never sleeping or resting. The rest of the village is going about
their business, and many of them shoot me hateful glares, like I'm the vilest
thing they've ever laid eyes on. Tomariel whistles for the horse and a massive
black stallion rides up.
"Come,
Akeldama." His smoky voice mesmerizes me and he extends a hand.
Bile rises
in my throat even as the heat starts in my body. When his tan hand wraps around
the scales of my own, I feel the need rise.
I hate
myself for this.
I know
what's coming next. What we're going to do before we hunt for the newborns.
After he seats me in front of him, his arms wrap around me.
The
stallion leaps into a gallop and I feel that small moment of freedom as we eat
up the countryside of the small village. I don't know where we're going and I
don't care. I'm out of that hole. The wind whips through my hair. The nubs
where my wings used to be twitch.
Damn Drake
and his need to permanently alter each of his slaves, taking the one thing each
desperately needed.
I never
even got the chance to fly. I imagine how that would feel and instantly shut
the thought process down. Far in the distance I see one of the cities gleaming
with torch and lantern lights. What would it be like to live in such luxury?
Having everything I want, whenever I want it?
Tomariel
pulls the stallion to a halt. We've stopped by his favorite place, a hot spring
surrounded by boulders.
My scales
undulate, a mixture of anticipation and shame.
Tomariel
lifts me off the horse. His eyes turn red with lust and he pushes me toward the
boulders.
I can't
resist.
Fabric
tears as he rips my burlap dress off and turns me toward the boulder. I hear
him unzip his pants.
Darkness
overcomes me as he begins to feed on the lust I match to his.
I drift
between consciousness and darkness. I taste blood and my entire body aches but
I can't remember anything but that Tomariel used me in a manner that is more
violent than usual. The worst pain is between my legs. I can hear him bathing
in the stream and hatred so intense rises that I have to choke it back before
he realizes. The hatred isn't only for him. Much of it is directed at my own lust.
Akeldama.
At first I think Tomariel is
calling to me from the stream. My lips move but no sound comes out.
Akeldama.
It hits me that the voice is not
Tomariel's. It is far more seductive. The pull I feel toward it is a thousand
times stronger than his. Who calls me?
I am your master.
Lucifer? He can't reach me from
the Rift. It's impossible.
Agony coils
inside of me, greater than I've ever felt. My back arches off the grass and my
face twists. Images whirl through my mind. I can't scream out loud but I know I
am in my mind.
I am your master.
Y-yes. M-master. I see and feel
the truth. He is the one I must follow.
The pain
recedes. Behind it comes a strange numbness. The pain is gone.
Follow me and I will make you powerful. You
will no longer be their slave, but their Queen. My queen.
I bask in the glorifying
numbness that permeates my body. It has been a very long time since I was
without it.
Follow me. Be my Queen.
There is a void, an emptiness that follows the
voice but I ignore it. I can be a Queen. I can finally do what I was made to
do. Rule over these stupid, bastard demons. I
will be your Queen.
Good. With the voice came a cold
satisfaction. All you have to do is
listen to the steps. You can do what your will with your brethren here, but
after that, I have a task for you.
A task?
The Guardians.
The hatred he feels for whoever
these Guardians are rushes over me. It invades me until it is my own. They must
die.
They are the only ones who can stop you from
releasing me.
I will destroy them, Master.
Chapter Two
After a few
moments basking in numbness, I sit up. I feel no pain but see the deep wounds
Tomariel has left on my body. I watch as he finishes bathing in the stream.
What caused his unusual violence tonight? Sadistic tendencies don't suit him.
No matter.
I will rid myself of them soon. I will rid myself of all of them.
Tomariel
approaches. Keeping up with the pretense that I was in terrible pain, I
whimper. He crouches down when he reaches me. "Ah, Akeldama. I have never
gotten so much energy from you. How
is that possible?"
I nearly
sneer at the gluttonous look on his face. It was all great for him, wasn't it?
He reveled in his meal. Well, soon I would, also.
It is not time for him to die yet. There is
someone you have to meet first.
The Master is silent after that.
I force myself to act injured, to hobble to the horse even when so much power
courses through me.
Tomariel
grasps my arm and yanks me onto the horse, seating me in front of him. He wants
me to suffer.
I will
pretend to suffer.
The
stallion takes us out further into the fields, to where a group of villagers
spotted the group of newborns. Rumors flew that the newborns were capturing and
eating other species' young.
I didn't
care. They had to eat, right?
Tomariel
pulls the horse to a stop at the entrance to a wooded area at the base of a
volcano. The volcano rises high above us, stretching into the starry sky. No
sounds came from the woods. No animals of the demon realm made themselves
known.
That means
there is a nest hidden in the woods somewhere.
Newborns
are vulnerable because they have no allegiance to any major factions. They are
perfect for capture since no one will complain if the slavers take unallied
demons.
I cringe as
Tomariel shoves me from the horse. Even though I feel no pain, it ignites my
temper.
"Go. I
will follow behind you. The fact that you're bleeding is perfect."
I feel his
heated gaze on my back as I hobble toward the opening of the forest. It is how
it happens every time. I am to be bait.
That is
fine. I need time away from him to think. It doesn't occur to me that this time
I am actually feeling well enough to escape. I could run. But I won't. The
Master granted me the power to seek my revenge. Even now, as I step into the
forest with its gnarled branches and dark shadows, I can feel the power
coursing through me. Giving me life. Giving me my revenge.
Oh, it will
be bloody.
The thought
of taking out my anger on Drake, instead of the other way around, made my
breathing ragged.
I walk
further, and as soon as I am sure that the forest hides me, I lose my limp and
straighten. My eyes roam over the trees and shadows, but see nothing out of the
ordinary.
The nest is
probably burrowed into the side of the volcano. It would make them feel safer
to be underground, in darkness. Most of the newborns came from the human realm
and it takes them time to get used to the fact that the sun never shines here.
They have nothing to fear from that aspect.
The silence
doesn't bother me as I continue to walk. This new found freedom is
exhilarating.
I can’t
wait to see what the nights have in store now.
From behind
me I feel Tomariel step onto the beginning of the path. It is like I can sense
the blood pumping in his veins, the sound of his body moving. My fangs
lengthen.
Another
rush of exhilaration shoots through me. My fangs haven't come out since my
creation. There is an undeniable urge to use them.
It will
have to wait until after this business with the newborns is over. Somehow I
know that. It doesn't take long for me to reach the volcano after that. The
anticipation of getting my revenge spurs me into moving faster.
The forest
disappears around me and I reach the base.
The volcano
is covered in hard black rock and dirt. No lava drains out, the volcano is
asleep. My new power automatically reaches out and searches the catacombs of
the volcano. It takes a few minutes to come upon anything.
Several
newborns comprise the nest. They are still asleep, not used to the swapped
times here in the demon realm.
Tomariel
will expect me to stand here and draw them out, but I am eager to use my new
power. To see how it works before it is time to attack my owners.
I go inside
the catacombs.
It is dark
and musty inside, smelling of dank places. I travel the tunnels slowly,
reveling in my freedom. I feel no hurry. Following my senses, I come to a large
cavern.
It isn't hard
to spot the nest. They are sleeping in a corner, piled together, clothes
tattered. Their faces are abnormally beautiful, like the incubus and siren, to
attract their prey. Sleeping, they are like angels.
How hard it
must be for them to wake up in this realm, sleeping in caves like animals.
A single newborn
is heading down the tunnel opposite me. I know it will reach the cavern soon.
Time to try
out my power.
I let it
swell in me. My pupils shrink to slits and my talons sharpen. I run my tongue
over my fangs. With a blood lust I know I have, but never awakened, I pounce on
the closest newborn.
He wakes
with a cry and tries to push me off. I growl and rake my talons down his chest.
It splits open, splattering blood and bone on my scales.
I rip his
heart out.
It takes
only a few more minutes to do it to the rest. I am in a frenzy, licking the
blood, feeling my hunger increase. I destroy them, ripping each heart out.
I feel more
alive than I ever had.
"How
lovely."
The angelic
voice floats through my blood lust. I turn and cock my head, holding a heart in
my hands. There is the other newborn I'd sensed. She stands still, looking much
like the siren with blond, wavy hair and blue eyes. She has creamy skin and
voluptuous curves to tempt any man to bed. She isn't angry that I attacked her
nest. When she bows, I tense, until she says, "My Queen. The Master called
me to serve you."
I stare at
the blood on my talons, then hold out my hand.
She
approached cautiously. I see the red come over her eyes and the fangs that pop
out. We really are alike. I watch silently. She brings my hand to her mouth and
licks the blood from my scales.
"I am
here to serve you. Forever." She gestures to her dead nest mates. "I
haven't fed today. May I?"
I incline
my head. "What is your name?"
"Cairo.
My name is Cairo."
Chapter Three
I watch
Cairo feed on her dead nest mates and ponder what I will do to Tomariel once he
reaches us. Will he be frightened once he realizes that I can overtake him? Use
him like he uses me? They had owned me, tortured me for thousands of years. So
many times I had been beaten and raped, left to try and heal in that small
prison in their basement. I couldn't count the times that I'd been bloody and
raw from Tomariel's treatment.
It takes me
a minute but I force the horrible memories back. I am now able to make better
ones, memories where I will be powerful.
Cairo
growls and tears into the newborns' throats.
Maybe I can
share Tomariel with her. I've never had someone beneath me before. Is that what
you do?
The power
inside me, I'm still not used to it, reaches out without my push and I feel
Tomariel's energy. It is bright from our encounter earlier, and he is getting
close.
My scales
ripple in anticipation. I can practically taste his blood and flesh in my
mouth. I smile.
"Cairo."
The girl
straightens, her angelic face marred by the dark red blood smeared across her
chin and lips. Her normally blue eyes are fully red. I must've interrupted her
blood lust.
Oh well. We
have better things to deal with.
"Tomariel
is getting close. This is what I want you to do."
v
When
Tomariel walks into the cavern, I make sure to act like I am still in pain. I
hunkered down on the floor, making sure he can see the wounds he's inflicted on
me. I avert my face and stare at the floor.
Cairo stands
above me, blood lust still in her eyes.
I know how
he sees it. I am captured by Cairo, her dead nest mates littering the ground
behind us. Cairo will be the threat he is looking at. Not me.
It will be
his last mistake.
"Well,
well. Akeldama, it seems you'll finally be out of our hair." He takes a
few more steps into the cavern, eyeing Cairo. "Although, that last session
we had brought forth a lot of energy for me. I may have to fight the newborn
for you."
Cairo
smirks. "You can try."
"Hungry,
I take it? Your nest mates good?" Tomariel sauntered closer. So sure of
his power. I just want him a little bit closer. I want to see the surprise in
his eyes.
Cairo
shrugs. "They were okay. I'm looking forward to tasting an Incubus though.
I hear the blood is sensual." She purrs the last word.
I feel even
myself responding. I glance up and see the lust in Tomariel's eyes. I make
myself push down the relief that it isn't pointed at me. I don't have to fear
him anymore. I am a Queen. The Queen.
With that thought,
I stand, letting the glamour of pain fall from my body.
Tomariel
frowns. "What?"
My hands
shoot out and wrap around his throat. His eyes bulge as I lift him off the
floor. "Oh, Tomariel." I sneer at him, letting all the hatred and
rage I'd ever felt boil up within me. "You will no longer use my body. You
will no longer feed from my energy."
I crush his
neck, practically severing the head. The bones crunch, and tendons and muscle
drip down my arms. I frown when I notice he isn't breathing anymore. "That
went faster than I wanted it to."
"You
don't know your own strength right now. You will learn, milady." Cairo
watches as I toss the body onto the pile behind us.
I am
unfulfilled. I wanted to torture him, use him like he used me. Eat his energy
up. Cairo sees my smirk and smiles.
"Don't
worry. There will be plenty more to torture. You'll get used to your strength
and power and will be able to draw it out."
I hope so.
I lead the
way out of the cave. When we reach the opening, we find the black stallion tied
to a nearby tree.
"Feel
like a ride?" I ask.
"Definitely."
After we
mount, her seated behind me, I steer the horse toward home.
Enjoy the meal you have ahead of you, my
Queen. I want to satisfy your need for revenge against these peasants.
That strange vacuum feeling
envelopes me, filling me with icy cold. It isn't unpleasant to me. I am used to
feeling pain constantly.
I will take
more time with Drake. I'm going to make sure he feels every amount of pain he
made me suffer through. And maybe I will make him feel the pain Tomariel pushed
on me also, since I didn't get to have my way with him.
A few
demons are moving about the land as we pass. I feel their ignorant stares on my
back but ignore them. They are beneath my notice now. I will deal with them
later.
As we
approach the house, my former prison, I notice that the moonlight seemed to
expand over the yard, like it is pointing my way.
"This
is where they kept you, milady?"
I hear the
thinly veiled anger in her voice. It is weird to have someone care. "Yes.
In the basement. A dungeon."
"They
will pay." She hisses.
We let the
horse go after we dismount. I go to the front door but stop before stepping
inside. This place had been my home for my life so far. It was privy to my
darkest, most humiliating moments. Nostalgia wants to wrap me up but I crush it
with rage instead. We step inside.
I know form
my power that Drake is in the back, with the siren. Apparently he doesn't need
my body for those types of needs. Only for his fists. I gesture to Cairo and
lead the way down the hallway.
The grunts
and moans that filter out from the closed door are animalistic. He is obviously
enjoying his last few moments of existence.
To get the
most of the moment, to really shock him, I focus my power on the door. It
explodes inward, shards of wood flying into the room. The siren screams and
leaps off from where she is straddling Drake.
"What
the hell?" Drake sits up and glares at the door. His Neanderthal forehead
is covered in sweat. He eyes the splinters and planks of wood scattered across
the floor. Confusion twists across his face when he sees me and Cairo in the
doorway. "Akeldama, don't piss me off, bitch."
His angry
tone has no effect on me. I am the one with the power. "Shut up."
Drake starts
at the venom in my voice. I normally speak with fear. His anger rises and he starts
to get off the bed.
"No,
darling." I pin him to the bed, making sure my power pushes on him.
"You are going to stay right there."
The siren
whimpers where she cowers in the corner, folding in on herself. She can feel
the power pulsating off of me.
"Cairo,
are you still hungry?"
Cairo steps
forward, eyeing the girl. "Oh, I can always eat some more."
The girl
shakes her head violently. She covers her face with her hands, not worrying
about her naked body.
Cairo
attacks swiftly, her fangs sinking deep into the girl's jugular.
"Don't
harm the body in any other way. I have a use for it." I make sure Cairo
understands. Cairo nods.
I turn my
attention back to where Drake is pinned. His eyes are round with the beginnings
of true fear. I remind myself not to rush. I want to savor the pain I am about
to cause him.
Chapter Four
So that I
won’t have to concentrate on keeping him pinned to the bed, I have Cairo go
find some rope to tie him down. While she is gone, I watch Drake begin to
sweat.
"How?"
I lean
against the bedpost and cross my arms. My eyes roam over his naked body.
"I told you I was a queen. You refused to listen. Now my master has given
me the power to take my revenge. To use you like you used me." It takes me
a minute to realize I am no longer against the bed post, but leaning over him
instead.
Fear makes
his eyes round and he tries to scoot to the other side of the bed. He whimpers
when I turn away. I have to keep myself under control. I can't lose my temper
and kill him quickly. My eyes land on the body of the siren. I need it but I'm
not sure why.
Wear her skin. You can blend in with the
humans that way. You can hunt the Guardians and they will not know you.
How do I do it? I take a few
steps closer. Is it going to hurt?
Just place your hands on her head and I will
do the rest.
I do as I am told. The numbness
overcomes me. My body snaps and twists, contorting to fit in the siren's body.
When it is finished, I look down. My hands are creamy white and smooth. My body
moves with a sensual grace I don't have to practice.
Drake is in
full horror mode now. He no longer tries to talk to me, only makes sniveling
noises. A pungent smell alerts me to the fact that he's pissed himself.
All the
better. I want him truly afraid. More than that I need him that way. His
fear makes the hunger claw at my
insides.
"I've
got the rope, milady." Cairo stops short when she sees my new skin. Her
smile widens. "I can smell it's you, but you look just like her." She
peers behind me to where the body is supposed to be.
"The
Master taught me how to use her body as a way to travel unseen in the human
world."
"Amazing."
Cairo holds up the rope. "Are you ready?"
"I
am."
She uses
her superior strength to tie Drake's extremities to the bedposts. She uses
every opportunity to brush herself against him.
I watch him
harden with disinterest. I don't need him for that. I want to cause him pain.
Degrade him. When Cairo finishes, I release him from my power. He starts to
struggle. "Stop." I giggle, ecstatic with our reversed roles.
"You are not going anywhere."
Cairo
giggles with me and clasps her hands. She seems okay just watching me get my
revenge.
I wander
closer to the bed, slowly so that I can savor every quivering of fear in his
body. Now I understand how he and Tomariel enjoyed using my body for different
reasons. My newfound blond, wavy hair falls to my breasts and I know that my
blue eyes are red. I am ready for this.
My nails
sharpen just a bit into my original talons. I trail them up his bare legs,
leaving deep scratches that redden instantly. He whimpers again and I smile. I
am really going to love this. "You know, you used your brute strength over
me. Constantly. When I was already bruised and bleeding from Tomariel's bouts,
you would hit me and kick me, throw me. All to satisfy your little temper
tantrums."
Cairo
stands silently now, watching with wide pupils.
Drake
shakes his head. I'm not sure if it is denial or pleading. I really don't care.
The
satisfaction coursing through me is intense. The fear arouses me, feeding a
hunger I have now discovered. I have found my purpose, why I was created. It is
amazing.
As Drake
and Cairo both watch me, I start to break the bones in his fingers, then his
hands, making my way up his arms. Each time he cries out in pain, it fills a
place inside me.
I take my
time. I break bones, strip his skin. Pull his nails out and pull his teeth. I
let Cairo bite him in several places, drawing blood with burning fire. I cut
off his manhood, gauge out his eyes, and finally, when I am completely
satisfied, I rip out his heart.
"Here."
I toss it carelessly to Cairo. "This should fill you up."
Cairo
inclines her head. Then she feeds from it.
I walk out
of the room. I suddenly have the urge to leave this place. To go. To fulfill my
duty to my Master. Hatred for the Guardians burns through my veins, the
beginnings of a fiery obsession.
The quicker
I destroy them, the quicker I can release my king and rule the demons and
humans alike. Maybe I can even destroy the high and mighty angels I've heard
about but never seen.
I know they
think just because they have the Light that they are better. That they deserve
their lofty status. Not if I can help it. A quick jolt of jealousy hits me.
What is it like to feel the warmth of the Light? To not feel the frost of the
darkness rake your insides constantly?
I tear that
longing apart and bury it deep. Deep where no one can see it. Deep where I will
forget it. I am going to be Queen of the darkness. I can't long to feel warmth
or the Light.
Five
Travel back to the caves of the volcano. It
is time for you to go to the human realm.
Now that I've tasted the sweet blood of
revenge, I am ready to fulfill my master's bidding. These Guardians make Lucifer angry and I want
to use my powers on them. I am drunk on the headiness of being more powerful
than the other demons, than the fragile humans. It is a liquor in my blood, a
fire in my body.
We leave
what is left of Drake behind and start back. Cairo is smiling gleefully, happy
to be returning to the world from where she was turned. She has her own revenge
to dole out.
Other
demons are coming out of their homes. They must have heard Drake's screams.
"Hello,
darlings." I am still wearing the siren's skin and feel sensuous and
lithe. A few of the demons' stares turn hot. I pull my lips back from my fangs.
The stares turn cold with fear. "You didn't think I would welcome your
advances now, did you? After you mocked me from being born of the blood of the
Betrayer? No. You will suffer."
They shrink
back. Cairo eyes them with a bored stare. She is full from her meals.
"Not
today, though." I tilt my head to the side and revel in their terror.
"When I return, I will come for all that slighted me."
With that,
we leave the village behind. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I will
remember what they did to me. We head back toward the volcano, passing through
fields. The cities still burn bright in the distance. I vow to see them when I
return.
The volcano
rises high over the forest. It holds the gateway portal for demons to pass back
and forth between the demon realm and the human one. Cairo leads the way since
she knows where it is, having been through it with her maker and the others of
her nest.
The portal
is tall and wide, shimmering with a light that is golden and warm. Is this how
it is in the human realm? All warmth and sunshine?
Not if I
can help it. I will bring the iciness of the darkness. Once I've freed Lucifer
from his cage the humans, demons, and angels alike will bow. We will rule all
the realms.
Cairo
approaches the portal. She looks back at me with an arched brow.
"Milady?"
I nod,
although I cannot take my eyes from the shimmering lights in front of us. What
would the sunlight feel like against my skin? Or the skin of the siren I wear?
Cairo steps through the portal, wide eyed. I can tell that she is ready to be
home.
Go. Destroy our enemies and then release me.
With his words in my mind, I
step closer and then reach out and touch the lights. They dance around my hand harmlessly.
I frown. The lights do not feel warm to my skin.
I am not
supposed to care about the warmth, I remind myself ruthlessly. There is nothing
for me to do with it. I will reign in the cold darkness. I must embrace it.
I step
through.
v
It has been
several weeks since I've crossed through the portal into the human realm. According
the Master's plan, I've infiltrated the Guardian's home, their confidences. The
Oracle trusts me as I've taken over the body of a sister priestess. Watching
them move around, fall in love, live their lives grated on everything that I
am.
But now it
is time to start our plan.
Cairo and I
wander on the beach of the Guardian's island, following the five year old
princess of the neighboring kingdom. I plan to start a war between them to keep
the armies busy so that I may take over this pitiful place.
"Look."
Cairo points. "There the princess plays. And so late at night."
I turn my
head from the water. "She is so small, and fragile."
The girl is
crouched down in the sand, searching for something. The innocence of her
laughter as it floats on the breeze kicks my blood lust into high gear. I have
to restrain myself as it reaches us. She has porcelain skin and a mass of curly
brown hair that is loose around her shoulders.
"I can
see the blood rushing through her veins." Cairo's fangs pop out.
Mine react
the same but I know what I have to do. "We will use her as a message for
the Guardians."
"We
want to warn them?"
I shake my
head and watch the little girl play. "We want them to fear."
Cairo
pouts. "She smells so sweet."
I start
toward the girl. "You can dine on someone else tonight."
The girl
looks up with the biggest, bluest eyes I've ever beheld. The purity coming off
of her makes my restraint weak.
As I am
wearing the priestess, the girl doesn't seem to fear me. For now.
"Hello."
She smiles. "Papa says that nighttime is the best time to hunt for
crabs."
"Nighttime
is the best for hunting." I crouch down next to her and notice the pendant
around her neck. "What a beautiful necklace."
She looks
down. "Papa gave it to me so everyone would know I am a princess. I am
safe when I wear this. No others will harm me." She smiles. "My name
is Annabelle."
"It's
nice to meet you, Annabelle." I stand and let my body shed the look of the
priestess.
Annabelle's
eyes go round with fear. The gasp that trembles through her young lips fires
through me. Yes, she will do perfectly.
***
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