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screamingatanemptyroom · 4 years

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Chaos Magic Pt 2

Here’s part two to my short story of the Devil, the witch and the magic of chaos.

Part 1 linked here.

Hope you guys like it!

______________________________

As we stood outside the door to the building housing the Gathering Portal, I paused, looking back at the once again disguised devil.

“Just to warn you… the Witches’ Council doesn’t exactly like me all that much.”

Lucifer shrugged. “So?”

“So… as my ‘servant’… don’t expect a warm welcome. You’ll probably be looked down on. “ I studied him doubtfully. “Can you hold back from frying them with hellfire?”

He thought it over. “Probably?”

-Probably? Cal’s voice was skeptical.

“I mean, if you can hold off destroying them with your world ending chaos magic, I can’t see why I can’t hold off incinerating their worthless corpses. Even if they should be prostrating themselves before me and sobbing with fear.”

“…”

- He’ll last ten minutes before cracking.

“Don’t you have any confidence in me?!”

I shook my head. “That’s a little overboard, Cal. He is the devil, after all.”

“At least the witch knows my true worth…”

“I’ll bet he cracks in five.”

“WHAT?”

-Ten bucks.

“Deal!”

Lucifer threw up his hands. “Why is no one listening to me?!”

“We’re listening. Did you want in on the bet?”

-Yeah, join in! More money for me! Morgan never gives me enough spending cash.

“What do you mean I don’t give you enough money?! You’re a sword! What are you going to spend it on? Polish?”

-Cheapskate.

“Earn your own money then!”

“…” The devil stared at me with a tired expression as I argued with the invisible magic weapon. “Let’s just go in.”

We entered the building, only to be immediately confronted by a member of the Witches’ Guard. They were an elite force that protected the council, and the yearly Gathering, from all opposing forces. Soldiers who had trained in both weapons and magic, they were the best of the best…

Unfortunately, they were all too well aware of that fact.

“State your name and business.” A dark haired knight watched us suspiciously, his silver armor gleaming in the scattered torches around the room. His weapon, a spear glowing with a faint green light, was pointed in our direction.

“Morgan, here with my servant for the Gathering.” I held up my palm, a small intricately detailed tattoo on my palm lighting up briefly before fading back into invisibility.

The knight’s eyes widened. “A descendant of Morgan la Fay?”

“Apparently.”

The man’s gaze turned disdainful almost immediately. He turned, spitting at the ground. “Mothersbane! The cursed child dares to return?”

Lucifer shuffled uncomfortably beside me, but I didn’t flinch at his disgusted question. “Whether I dare or not is none of your business. I am a recognized witch here for the Gathering. My pass is in order. The question is, do you dare to stop me?”

The threat hung in the air between us. Finally, the knight opened his mouth, likely to spew more insults, when a more sinister, feminine voice spoke up.

“Cousin, I can’t believe you showed up!” A young woman my own age slipped by me, standing next to the knight with vicious grin. “I thought you had decided to hide away from these sort of meetings to spare yourself the embarrassment.”

I looked at her quietly for a moment. She was a beautiful girl, but something always was slightly off about her appearance. Her features were delicate and soft, her sharp, angry blue eyes seeming out of place framed by such a pleasant appearance. At my gaze she flipped her dark curls over her shoulder, laughing softly.

“What’s wrong, cousin? Lost for words after all this time?”

“Your cousin?” Lucifer whispered incredulously.

“Her name is Araina. A much more distant relation then that.” I reluctantly answered.

-Morgana’s line has always been very straightforward. There is only ever one descendant, and they always only have one daughter. There will only ever be one true heir to Morgan la Fay, and it’s my master! All these so called “relatives” are distant relations through marriage.

“Doesn’t that mean that you have to have a child to continue the line?” Lucifer glanced at me with a sympathetic expression.

“Only if I care to continue it.”

- I volunteer! You can have kids with me!

“… We don’t have time for a birds and bees talk, Cal. You’re a sword. It would never work.”

- Don’t worry, I’ll handle all those insignificant details.

Lucifer snorted. “Pretty sure you being an object is a pretty significant detail.”

- Stay out of childbearing negotiations!

“Nope, No more childbearing negotiations.” I shook my head. “Childbearing negotiations are indefinitely put on hold.”

As Lucifer and I shared a whispered argument with the suddenly enthusiastic invisible magical weapon, Araina’s expression grew more and more annoyed.

“Cousin, don’t you think you’re being very rude?” She finally spoke up again, forcing the words through gritted teeth.

I smiled gently. “Oh Miss Araina, please refrain from calling me cousin.” I shrugged helplessly. “After all, the family cut ties with me years ago.” Patting her shoulder helplessly, I continued. “I can understand though, it can be difficult to remember major family events with limited mental capacity.”

The Knight beside Araina widened his eyes with shock at my words. “YOU DARE…?!”

She held up her hand. “It’s okay, Martin. She can’t help but strike out at others in her own weakness.” Staring at me with a smile, she slowly continued. “Speaking of weakness… I suppose you haven’t heard of the new rule passed by the Council last session?”

What is she up to? “Rule?”

Her smile widened. “All Grade D and below witches must wear their grade marking at all times to prevent confusion during clan negotiations.”

“So just me then.” The Gathering was limited to witches of the noble clans, it was extremely rare to have a witch from these families test lower than Grade C, and the few that did refused to go to the meetings. I would be the only one to have to bear the humiliation of having my Grade marking displayed. It was my family’s petty way to discourage me from coming.

Araina’s expression was innocent. “Of course it’s not a rule just targeting you! It’s purely for the good of the clans. Here, let me help you…” She reached out towards my forehead.

-She dares to humiliate my master? Let’s chop her arm off! Cal roared silently in our heads.

“Agreed.” Lucifer snarled quietly, hellflame gathering around his fingers. I reached out, grabbing his arm, keeping my expression bland.

A burning pain appeared on my forehead, and I knew that a shimmering grey insignia had appeared on the skin there, the words in a language that only witch’s could understand. It declared my status as a Grade E, the lowest of the low. The shame of my family.

I grinned, ignoring the pain. “Anything else?”

That caught her by surprise. She studied my expression for a few moments, as if looking for the pain and humiliation that should be there but wasn’t. “No. I’ll go on ahead, cousin. Just remember to leave the grade marking in place.” She muttered under her breath. “Not that you have enough power to remove it even if you wanted to.”

She turned away from me, pausing briefly at the sight of Lucifer. “You… you are my cousin’s servant?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m Miss Morgan’s servant.”

“You should consider changing sides while you still can. If you think you can gain any benefits because she’s in the direct line of Morgan la Fay, then think again. She’s lost her inheritance due to her own incompetence.” She looked him up and down. “You’re not really up to my usual standard appearance-wise, but I’d be willing to make an exception and take you in as one of my servants instead.”

She smiled at him, leaning over to show off her low neckline to its fullest advantage. I wanted to groan with embarrassment for her.

Is she literally trying to tempt the original tempter? This is so sad.

-Hey little devil, why don’t you take up that annoying woman’s offer? You can still get into the Gathering, and my master and me can actually take care of business without your dead weight.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “No thanks.”

Araina frowned at his words. “Choose carefully, servant. You won’t get this good of an offer again.”

“There’s no need for any further consideration.” He smiled grimly. “I’m not switching.”

“Fine!” The young woman snapped, turning towards the portal. “Enjoy the gathering, cousin.”

I sighed with relief once she was gone.

“Why did you let her get away with that?” Lucifer asked, staring at me with a confused expression.

“The insults? Or the insignia?”

“Both! Don’t you have the power to obliterate her?”

-Exactly! I like the way you think, Devil. Even if you are dead weight.

I grinned. “This is nothing. These sorts of childish games… it’s never been worth my time.”

“… You don’t think I’m dead weight like the sword says, right?”

At Lucifer’s question I stared up at the ceiling, keeping my voice monotone. “…Of course not.”

“You’re obviously lying.”

“…No.”

“That time was even worse!” Lucifer sounded near tears. When in the eons of my existence has anyone ever considered me dead weight?”

-That’s what you get for hanging out with your superiors!

“Don’t say that, Cal. “ At my words, Lucifer, who had been hanging his head down, looked up hopefully.

“It’s not his fault he’s weak. You shouldn’t tease him.”

“Both of you shut up!” Ignoring our laughter, he stomped ahead of us, walking towards the portal.

As I followed behind him, the knight guard looked at the glowing insignia on my forehead with a satisfied expression.

“Useless trash.” He muttered under his breath.

I ignored him, stepping into the portal. But just as I was transporting, I heard a scream of pain, and looked over just in time to catch sight of the knight, who was now leaping around trying to put out the green flames which had mysteriously sprung up from the seat of his pants.

-How long was that?

I checked my watch. “Four minutes and twenty eight seconds.”

-So disappointing. Can I use an IOU?

“You still owe me twenty bucks for the last bet you lost.”

-It’s just a run of bad luck. I’m happy to pay you with an eternity of love and affection.

“Cash only.”

-Harsh. Hey devil boy, You just had to let the hellfire loose! Your weak self control got me into this mess, pay the lady!

“Pay your own bad bets.” Lucifer grinned. “Plus, he deserved it. “

______________________________

We headed into the main Gathering space. With a few days still left before the true meeting started, there were not too many witches who had arrived yet. However even the small groups stood together, staring at the glowing insignia on my forehead, whispering to each other.

“Mothersbane.”

“The cursed one.”

“She dared to show up here?”

“I thought she was dead.”

I put their voices behind me, looking at the various glowing signs that pointed out the different directions.

“The forbidden library is on the lowest level. If you want to research up on chaos magic, and who might have access to it, that’s your best bet.”

Lucifer glanced at me curiously. “What about you?”

“I’m sure my lovely family members won’t sit still for long now that they know I’m here. Once I’ve survived whatever fallout that brings, I’ll look for clues on where to go next tonight.”

- Can we at least kill them all this time?

“And have to handle all the administrative and diplomatic work on my own? No, better to let them enjoy their temporary titles and authority. Of course… If they get too much in my way…” I trailed off with a grin.

I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye, and sighed quietly to myself. “They moved even faster than I expected. If you’re going to not be involved in this, I suggest you move now.”

“…” Lucifer studied at me with a thoughtful expression. “I’ll stay. With your chaos magic, you’re my best chance for getting to the bottom of this whole mess anyways.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “Should be interesting either way.”

Four guards strode up to us, hands on their weapons. “Morgan ne Mothersbane. The matron has summoned you.”

-That old bat has gone too far!

Mothersbane. They had taken my clan name and given me a cursed one instead.

“It’s okay, Cal. It’s just a name.” Muttering quietly to keep the magical weapon calm, I followed behind the guards, keeping my hands clenched at my sides,

One of them tried to stop Lucifer. “Just the witch has been summoned.”

“That’s my servant, he’s completely harmless.” I sent a silent prayer to no one as they scanned him with their power.

“Fine. One more weakling won’t make a difference.”

Lucifer caught up to me, his face stiff with rage. “Weakling? I’ll torture their souls in hell for eternity.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “Of course you will.”

-Don’t worry little devil, we’ll help you get revenge on whoever bullies you.

“I don’t need your help! I’m strong, damnit!”

______________________________

We were brought into the council room, an all too familiar sight. On elevated seats in a semicircle sat the Council members, all watching me with disdainful expression barely visible from the shadow of their black hoods. Only my Aunt Margaret, the acting Matron, stood with her head uncovered, her eyes narrowed as we drew closer.

“You’ve returned.” Her voice was flat, dislike lacing her every syllable.

“And you haven’t lost your touch with wasting time with the obvious. Anything else you want to talk about?”

Her jaw tightened at my retort, but as her eyes glanced over the Grade marking on my forehead her face relaxed into a triumphant smile. “I have family business to discuss with you.”

I forced a smile. “I’m not part of the family. You kicked me out, remember?”

“Like it or not, you are Morgana’s sole direct heir. You have failed your primary duty of taking leadership in the council due to your disappointing weakness. But now we must consider your secondary duty.” Her eyes bore into me, almost seeming to dig into my flesh “I’m glad you decided to come on your own. Otherwise I would have sent someone to fetch you this year.”

“Get to the point, Margaret.” I felt my nails digging into the palm of my hands, and tried unsuccessfully to unclench my fists.

“You must carry on Morgan la Fay’s line. To accomplish this, we will arrange a man of suitable power for you to be given to with the hopes that your offspring will be better suited for the position of descendant than you are.” Her smile widened. “You should be grateful. With your… quality, you would never have a chance to even lay eyes on powerful men like this.”

“And if I refuse?” My voice was cold.

Hers was colder. “You will not be given a choice. Enslavement magic is distasteful, but has its purposes in light of the greater good.”

“And when is this to occur?” I felt a power gathering at my fingertips, a sense of destruction filling my soul.

“After the Gathering. I have an important guest arriving, and my full attention must be given to him.”

At the words, “important guest” I noted the discomfort on many of the women’s faces, and a gut feeling had me pushing down the destructive force I had come so close to letting loose. It was difficult; the power resisted being placed back after coming so close to being able to consume everything in the room.

“Anything else?” I pushed the words through gritted teeth. It was difficult to focus on anything but the need to destroy everyone and everything. My muscles were shaking with the effort, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

“No. Enjoy the Gathering.” Her satisfied smirk made my struggle all the more difficult. “Do not try to leave, or I’ll have my men drag you back.”

“Sure.” Not that it mattered. Any men they sent after me would be destroyed.

As I turned to leave, I heard Margaret call my name one last time. I glanced back, only to see her hold up a small silver ring.

“This was your mother’s. Why don’t you take it back, appreciate the weight of your new name. “

She tossed it in my direction, and without thinking I reached out and grabbed it. As the cold metal touched my skin, I felt the memories my mother had left behind flood into me.

______________________________

“Face it, he didn’t give you a gift, he poisoned you! This child is stealing your life force, destroying you from the inside! Who knows what sort of monster you’re carrying.”

“No, I refuse to believe it! He loved me! I know he truly cares! And he’ll love our daughter too!”

“OPEN YOUR EYES! He killed you!”

“You’re lying!”

______________________________

I shuddered, almost falling to the floor as I felt the walls close in. A pair of warm hands caught me, and the devil’s voice whispered in my ear.

“Should I kill them?”

I took a deep breath, trying to find a balance. With my emotions thrown out of order, my power which had been barely constrained was even closer to breaking free. “They still have one last use. Just get me to the resting rooms.”

He supported me with one arm, and we struggled out of the room under my aunt’s triumphant gaze. As we navigated the different twists and turns of the Gathering area, I slowly focused on my breathing, forcing my power down, feeling my willpower drain. Cal was uncharacteristically quiet, likely realizing I couldn’t afford the distraction.

As he pulled me into a resting room, Lucifer set me down on a bed, his eyes concerned. “Are you okay?”

I wanted to answer, but felt it was getting more and more difficult to talk. Even if I could, what could I say?

Mothersbane… they forced the name on me, but it didn’t make it untrue.

Monster… What else could they call someone who struggled not to destroy everything and everyone?

I was so tired. Why had I agreed to come back again?

Oh yeah, for a chance to kill that bastard.

As I opened my mouth to try to explain, I heard a very familiar voice speak out loud rather than in my head, a cold palm covering my eyes.

“Just rest, Morgan.”

Feeling relieved, I felt myself slip quickly into unconsciousness.

I wasn’t under long before hearing two voices discussing me quietly.

“Does this happen often?”

“Only when she’s trying to hold back the chaos magic and not destroy everything, which seems to happen more often now that you’re here.” It was Cal’s voice, but speaking out loud instead of silently in my head. Confused, I wanted to open my eyes, but I felt like my eyelids each weighed a ton, well beyond my ability to lift.

“I don’t think you can blame me for this one.” The devil whistled quietly. “That family of hers is something, huh? They make even demons seem friendly.”

“This? This is nothing for them.” I felt a cool hand on my forehead, the grade marking fading at the touch. “The suffering they put her through… it’s a miracle that this world exists at all.”

He wasn’t wrong. How many times during my childhood did he pull me back from the edge? From releasing all the chaos within me to destroy myself and the world with me?

“Why are they like this?”

I didn’t want Cal to have to answer. I forced my eyes open. “You heard what they called me?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a golden-haired figure disappear. I rubbed my eyes, thinking it might have been an illusion.

- Are you okay?

His voice was silent in my head once more. I sighed, putting the memories the ring had forced into my head aside.

“Don’t worry, my power is suppressed, Cal.”

-That’s not what I…

“You were the one who asked, Lucifer. Did you hear the name they gave me after taking my family name?

He nodded. “Mothersbane?”

“My conception was warped with chaos magic.” I smiled grimly. “My bastard of a father wanted to end Morgana’s line, and gain a massive reward at the same time. You see, chaos magic can be grown within a soul, but it always comes at a cost.”

Lucifer studied me carefully. “What cost?”

“The souls of others, preferably the powerful. My mother was a young naïve witch who refused to hate my father even as her child infected with chaos slowly sucked the life from her within her womb. Of course, I was always meant to die, destroyed by chaos, a sacrifice to increase my father’s power while ending Morgana’s line with my death. “

- But I took advantage of the weakness created in her father as he had used almost all of his chaos magic for the sacrifice and left him, forming a pact with Morgan instead.

I smiled. “Cal is an ultimate weapon of light, of order. The antithesis to the chaos magic which wants to consume me and the world around me. The power given to me by that pact balances me out, allows me to survive.” My grin became cruel. “With the added bonus that my father was greatly weakened by not being able to reclaim his chaos magic as well as losing Cal.”

-We would have killed him too, if he hadn’t hidden deeply to recover like the rat he is!

Lucifer stared at us both. “Who is your father, Morgan?”

“The enemy who wanted to personally end Morgana’s line? The master of Excalibur? The man who lusted for such great power that he would sacrifice his own child?” I chuckled. “Are you sure you don’t know?”

“I thought Arthur was the master of Excalibur…”

Cal interrupted the devil.

-He was a good man, if a little naïve. He trusted the wrong man, and ended up being the first soul to be sacrificed to the chaos magic.

“Wait, you couldn’t mean…?” Lucifer turned slightly pale, his red eyes widening with realization.

I laughed softly, before standing up. “We’ve wasted enough time,. Let’s go to the library.”

He stood up with me, his eyes still worried. “But your condition?”

“It was just the tactile memories from my mother’s ring.” I stared down at the metal object still in my hand, before opening it slowly and letting it fall silently to the carpet beneath my feet.

Lucifer looked down at it. “If it’s your mother’s, don’t you want it?”

“No.” I turned away, and walked towards the door. “I’d rather honor her memory by sending her murderer over to apologize to her in pieces.”

We headed towards the library.

______________________________

We snuck by the guards standing watch outside the forbidden library as well as bypassed all the magical wards with surprising ease.

“I’m glad we had you here. Lucifer. My standard magic is too weak to deal with this sort of stuff, and the chaos magic tends to be an all or nothing type deal. I’m glad we didn’t have to obliterate the guards and entranceway just to get in.”

-How surprising, devil. You can be useful for something!

Lucifer sighed. “You guys really have to stop acting surprised every single time I’m useful, like I’m some sort of child. I’m the king of hell!”

“Of course! Next time we need to open a door we’ll definitely call you!”

- You are definitely the King of opening doors!

“… I hate you both so much.”

The forbidden library was enormous, the size of multiple sky scrapers melded together, kept hidden through ancient magics that bended space. Every spare surface was covered in shelves packed with books, scrolls and tablets. Some glowed strange colors, some flickering in and out of sight. Small magical platforms moved independently around the library, transporting items in and out as they were requested. I looked around, feeling mildly impressed as always, before taking one of the transports over and heading to the area dedicated to chaos magic.

“Will they even have something helpful?”

I shrugged at the devil’s question. “I would hope so.” I quickly found the documents pertaining to major events in the last few months. Within it was a map that detailed the disappearance of witches over the past year. The seemingly patternless dots scattered across the city map glowed in a dull green light.

Lucifer sucked in a breath. “So many? How has this gone unnoticed for so long?”

- It was perfectly calculated to how many each race was willing to overlook.

“Spread across the demons, angels and witches… who knows how many normal humans and supernatural creatures have been lost as well.” Turning to the devil who stood beside me with an irritated expression, I prompted him carefully. “Can you add the locations of the disappearances you know about as well?”

“Fine.” With a wave of his hand, red and blue dots also appeared along the map. “The red are mine. The blue are those I know about that Heaven has lost.”

With the additional data, it became increasingly clear that there was a pattern to the locations of those who disappeared. A center of the chaos.

“We should find him there.” I pointed at the location, frowning. “But that only narrows it down to a whole section of the city. He could be hiding anywhere within.”

“I could have the demons search all the houses?”

- He would just destroy any that entered his territory. We’ll just have to do it personally.

“But that could take forever!”

“Maybe not.” I grinned. “After all, I can’t help but wonder about my Aunt’s ‘special guest’…”

-You think…?”

“The sword should be this way.” A familiar voice spoke up, from around the corner.

“Speak of the devil.”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“Not you, just an expression.”

“Why does this ‘important guest’ of yours want this sword anyways? If he’s so powerful, he could just take it himself!” A petulant, spoiled, voice asked, the sound of two sets of footsteps growing closer.

- Araina. What’s she doing here?

“Nevermind that, We need to hide!” I whispered back.

“Sure.” Lucifer shrugged, snapping his fingers and activating an invisibility spell.

- The devil was useful again!

“Shut up!”

Aunt Margaret and Araina entered the room before Lucifer could argue further. “ I told you, foolish girl! It would be bad if the council were to realize we were working with him, given our… bad history. And besides, I’d rather he not see that cursed girl until he’s finished the ceremony at the full moon tonight.”

Finish the ceremony? My fists tightened at my side, shaking with rage.

“Why can’t we just kill her?” Araina rolled her eyes. “It’s not like she would be difficult to get rid of!”

“We need a backup plan, in case this new cooperation falls through.” My Aunt Margaret’s answer caused me to stiffen into place, clutching the new map in my arms. “She may be weak and useless, but she’s the only one who can continue Morgana’s line.”

“Worthless trash.”

“Don’t be so upset, Darling. She’s not worth your time or energy. Let’s get the sword.”

As they passed out of the room, Lucifer and I flickered back into sight.

-Killing time?

Ignoring Cal, I turned towards the devil. “We need to steal the sword, and replace it with a fake. How good is your illusion magic?”

The devil grinned, his plain disguised features melting back into his original insultingly handsome look. “I could convince half of heaven to follow me. You think I can’t fool a couple of witches?”

- I’m impressed! If this keeps up, little devil, I might even consider accepting you as my apprentice!

“Who would want to be your apprentice, you stupid overgrown knife?!”

- Morgan, the devil is calling me names! Destroy him with your chaos magic please!

I chuckled. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping me restrain my chaos magic?”

- Desperate times.

“...Let’s go steal that sword.”

It was surprisingly easy. The two women got into several useless arguments along the way to the weapons section, allowing Lucifer and I to sneak past while invisible and reach it first. As we entered the room with countless weapons on display, Lucifer glanced around, seeming impressed.

“Which one do you think they were after?”

“The only one my father would need if he wanted to have a weapon against chaos magic.” I pointed to a sword tucked away in the back corner. “A sword of order, like Cal.”

-Oh please, that hack is nothing like my great and wonderful self! Just a generic magic sword. Not even a soul to guide it.

I raised a hand, chaos magic destroying the magical chain keeping it in place. Picking up the sword, I gave a light practice swing, nodding at the light weight. “It’s still a good sword. It’s considered legendary overseas, known as the ‘sword of light.’ It’s defeated multiple world-ending foes.”

-I’m still better.

“Here.” I tossed the sword to Lucifer before Cal could get too nervous. “To replace the ones the chaos monsters destroyed before. This one can actually fight them.”

He gripped the handle, looking the weapon over briefly before strapping it to his side. “I like how it doesn’t talk constantly.”

-Hey!

I grabbed a random sword and placed it where the sword of light had been stored. “Alright, you can cast illusion now.”

With the trap in place, all that was left was to follow my aunt and cousin as they led us right towards the center of town.

______________________________

-We were right, they’re heading right towards the location we had marked on the map. They must know where he is!

I nodded. “I shouldn’t be surprised, but I still cannot believe that those of Morgana’s name would associate with him at all. “

Lucifer glanced at me. “But didn’t your mother…?”

“He was disguised.” I interrupted, frowning. “She didn’t realize who she was being tricked by even until the end.”

“… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. The line of Morgana has been twisted for too long.” I sighed. “They rely on the name of a witch that’s been dead for centuries, while forgetting that the enemy she fought never rested, never disappeared.”

-Morgan…

“The line should have ended with my mother, but instead it will end with me.”

Lucifer looked as if he were going to argue, but shook his head, falling silent instead. Fortunately at that time we reached a large abandoned warehouse, the sun setting behind us as the two witches knocked on the door, giving a password to the stone faced guard who opened it to be let inside. I glanced at the fading sunlight as we slipped in behind them, remembering their words.

He’ll finish the ceremony at the full moon tonight.

There wasn’t much time left. My heart pounding in my ears, I followed them deeper into the warehouse, pushing back the chaos magic that threatened to surface with my uncontrolled emotions.

- Are you going to be okay? Cal’s voice whispered in my ear, for only me to hear.

I nodded silently.

-I’ll be there with you. I promise. We’ll kill him for everything he’s done.

I kept moving.

It was time to see my father again.

______________________________

We entered the main area of the warehouse, the space much larger than what it seemed from the outside. The walls extended into darkness, making it impossible to see what was hidden in the shadows beyond. Ahead of us glowed two candles to either side of a golden throne.

“Welcome, Margaret.” A strong, low voice spoke up from the figure slouched on that throne, as he lazily turned a hand around, making the flames from the candles dance with the movement. The moving lights occasionally lit up his features, giving me the first good look at my greatest enemy, the murderer of my mother, the one who inflicted the magic that could destroy the world on me.

My father.

His face still was young, without wrinkles or lines, the features smooth and regular. His hair was and ordinary brown, looking slightly unkempt, falling over his face and forcing him to brush it back. He would be considered handsome by many, if not a little forgettable… except for his eyes.

The centuries he had lived showed in his eyes. Bright green, glowing with power, his eyes seemed to stare right through every person, judging them of their worth, making you feel unprotected, weak.

Margaret and her daughter curtsied deeply in front of him, cold sweat breaking out on both their faces. It seemed they felt his power even more strongly, facing the full force of his gaze.

“Milord, we brought the sword you requested.” Margaret held up the sword that Lucifer had enchanted to look like the sword of light in front of her, her hands trembling.

“…” He didn’t reach out to take it.

My nails bit into my palms, as I forced myself not to throw myself forward, putting my thpoughts into order.

I would need my magic, but it had to be controlled. Otherwise it would destroy everything.

“Are you really sincere about allying yourself with me, witch?” His voice was a whisper, but seemed like a shout despite the large space.

“Milord?” Margaret seemed confused.

“Did you change your mind, given your family’s history with me?” He smiled, the expression threatening. “Did you decide to betray me to earn points with the rest of Morgana the bitch’s pitiful line?”

She panicked at his words. “I would never betray you! I swear! I brought the sword just like you asked!”

He snapped his fingers, and a purple smoke enveloped the sword in her hands, destroying it.

Chaos magic.

-It’s powerful, but still not pure like your magic. Cal’s voice reassured me.

Margaret screamed in pain, clutching her hands to her chest. Through her fingers blood seeped, staining her dress and dripping to the floor. His magic had corroded her hands as well.

“This is a fake, a regular weapon under an illusion, not the true sword of light.” The man stood up, glancing around the room. My hackles rose as his gaze fixed on us standing behind them, despite the invisibility spell. “And it seems you brought friends?”

“…”

When no one spoke up he sighed. “Now, now, uninvited guests, isn’t it better if you just show yourself?”

Lucifer sighed, waving his hand as he became visible, leaving me still out of sight. “Your insight is as keen as ever, you old bastard.”

The man’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Lucifer the king of Hell? What brings you to my humble home?”

“You really are going to act innocent after sacrificing my minions to feed your chaos magic?” Lucifer chuckled. “You always did love the dramatic, Merlin.”

My father smiled as the devil spoke his name.

Merlin.

The great magician. The ancient power that ushered in an age of light and justice. A Grade A Magician. A man of legends.

A murdering madman.

“Can’t you be reasonable?” Merlin smiled widely. “It’s just a few demons here and there! I’ll gladly compensate you however you like?”

“And if I ask for you life?” Lucifer’s eyes seemed to freeze the room with their coldness.

Merlin didn’t flinch. “Then you’ll be destroyed. It’s a much better deal to bargain with me, I assure you.”

“…” There was a silence as the devil looked him up and down, seemingly seriously considering his offer.

-If he betrays you… Cal sounded slightly worried.

I shook my head, smiling.

“No thanks.” Lucifer grinned. “I already got a better offer.”

“A better offer? From who?”

I canceled the invisibility magic that was still on me, and stepped forward, the sound of my footsteps echoing loudly in the empty space. Margaret and Araina stared at me in shock as I walked past them, Araina managing to lift a hand to point, stuttering. “Y-you!”

Merlin studied me carefully, frowning. “Who are you?”

I laughed out loud, placing a hand on my heart. “What, you don’t recognize me?” I pretended to wipe a tear away. “I’m hurt.”

“…” He stared silently at me, refusing to answer.

“Well then, I guess it’s up to me to make the introductions.” I bowed slightly, keeping my hand on my heart. “My name is Morgan, last daughter of Morganna’s line.”

Merlin’s eyes widened as I straightened up, still smiling.

“Nice to meet you, Father.”

“…”

I shrugged. “Although technically I have come to kill you to avenge my mother and satisfy my own personal hatred… So ‘nice’ probably isn’t the right word.”

“…The child?” He whispered. “I heard you were weak, useless? Any chaos magic that you absorbed should have drained your magic and life source by now… “ Looking me up and down, he shook his head. “You don’t seem weak.”

“That’s the problem with rumors, father dearest.” I tapped my face with a finger. “You end up with inaccurate information.”

Merlin’s gaze snapped to the two women kneeling off to the side. “You betrayed me.”

“No Milord, she is useless! She’s just a Grade E!” Margaret was panicking, waving her hands wildly as she spoke. “We’ve tested her multiple times!”

“Perhaps a bluff then?” With his quiet murmur, he waved a hand, and multiple large men wearing armor, their eyes glowing a bright purple. Stepped out of the shadows, swords drawn and pointed towards me.

“Enchanted soldiers?” I sighed. “Looks like we’re being tested Cal.”

-His mistake.

“Want help?” Lucifer called out, his hand on his sword.

“No need for just this much.” I raised a hand, and slowly released my magic.

The floor tried to warp away from me, as reality and fate were bent and broken in the space around me. Merlin’s eyes narrowed, shocked and he lifted his hand to call his magical soldiers back.

“Too late.” With a grim smile, I pushed my magic forward, and silently each knight faded out of existence, leaving not even the slightest trace behind. It also latched on to the golden throne, forcing him to his feet as the seat disappeared out from under him.

“Chaos magic?” Merlin covered his eyes with his hand. “I should have guessed when it never returned to me. The backlash at that time was too great, though, I had no choice but to go into hiding for my own safety.”

“Great, glad you have that figured out. Any last words before you die?”

“Don’t be arrogant, girl.” He snapped. “ You may have stolen some of my chaos magic, but I’ve regained plenty since!” He spread his arms, and a purple smoke surrounded him, tearing apart the space in between us. “I’ve been sacrificing plenty of souls to grow my powers, and what little you should have retained is no match!”

The smoke enveloped Aunt Margaret and Araina as they tried to scream in terror.

“Milord what are you doing?”

His gaze was merciless. “You were always meant to feed my power. As if I would let anyone who claimed kinship with that bitch Morgana survive.”

The two faded into the smoke, which seemed to grow stronger and thicker as it absorbed their fate.

My father grinned at me. “And now, with you here, I can take back some power, complete the ceremony and perfect my magic once more!”

“Strong words for a dead man.”

“You may have chaos magic, child, but so do I! You can’t kill me with it, and you don’t have any magical powers other than that, if you are a Grade E witch.”

He waved his hand once more, and countless monsters of chaos appeared, their glowing purple eyes fixed on me.

“I’m one of the greatest wizards in the world, with the highest caliber of magic and you are the last pathetic girl in a worthless line. All alone with no way out.”

I smiled, and he stepped back, startled at my reaction. “Who said I was alone?”

“Now can I help?”

- Finally!

My hand slapped to my chest, my palm connected with the golden tattoo beneath my shirt, the mark of Excalibur. From within my soul I pulled out the golden sword, and rushed into the nearest group of monsters.

Lucifer pulled out the real sword of light, and with a happy laugh launched himself into the air to land beside me, fighting back to back.

The creatures screamed with terror and the two swords of light and order swept through them, forcing them out of existence.

“Finally I get a chance to show off!” Lucifer muttered beside me, swinging his sword in broad sweeping strokes, taking out multiple creatures with each attack.

-You realize that my master is killing twice as many as you, right?

Cal let out a beams of light as I fought, taking down lines of the chaos monsters with each passing second.

Merlin watched the fight with an increasingly pale face, backing away slowly. “No, it can’t be. Excalibur… you chose her?”

The number of monsters was dwindling, and soon, Lucifer was enough to face off the remnant as I approached my father, Cal’s blade resting lightly on my shoulder.

“Why so shocked?” I grinned. “Just because you aren’t worthy doesn’t mean others can’t be.”

“Y-you…” His eyes darted between myself and the glowing golden blade. “You didn’t just keep a remnant of my old power, did you? You have ALL of it?” He backed away further. “That’s… that’s…”

“Enough to destroy the universe and everything in it?” I shrugged, swinging the sword behind me, cutting through a monster that had tried to sneak up on me while my attention was focused on my father. “Yes. Your point?”

Merlin was backed against a wall, trapped, and I pressed the tip of the golden blade in my hand against his chest, right over his heart.

“To think a child I made as a simple means to destroy Morgana’s line would be this powerful…” He muttered looking at me with different eyes than before, a calculating gaze. “No… maybe it was meant to be. Both of our blood, chaos magic… and Excalibur… you’re beyond what I could have ever dreamed.”

“…” I put more pressure on the sword, and the tip slowly sank into his chest. He didn’t react, still staring at me with an avid look.

“We’ll work together… we can rule everything. Heaven, Hell, Magic, Order… all would have to bow before us.” His smile was fanatical, a hand reaching out to touch my face gently, as if I were truly precious to him. “My daughter…”

His magic reached out, pulling at my emotions, making me want to drop my weapon, follow him to the ends of the earth.

You’ll be safe with him. The magic whispered in my ear. You’ll finally have a family, a home.

-Morgan… Cal whispered my name urgently, but the magic drowned his voice out.

A part of me screamed to give in. The girl who had grown up hated, looked down on. A worthless child who had killed her mother at birth. A powerless witch in a family of powerful magic. With only myself and a magic sword to depend on.

I wanted to say yes.

I smiled, my hand wrapped tightly around the golden handle of the sword. “Sounds like a great offer.”

Merlin’s face lit up.

“Just one problem…”

Thud. Cal’s blade pierced through the wizard’s chest, striking the wall behind him.

“I don’t want to rule Heaven, Hell or anything else.”

Blood dripped around the blade, pooling on the floor at our feet before disappearing into purple smoke. I poured my chaos magic into the wound, trying to destroy everything that Cal’s magic wouldn’t touch.

“I’m not seeking to be a legend, or to save the world.”

The wound in his chest was turning purple, as the chaos magic within him rejected the presence of ultimate weapon of fate and order. I let go of my normal restrictions I placed on my magic, pouring everything I had into him, focused on destruction.

“I’m just a Grade E witch, a mortal, trying to live a normal life and pay rent.”

He shook his head slightly, as if confused, his green eyes fixed on my own.

“Oh, and of course avenge my mother’s death.”

I twisted the blade and he let out a grunt, purple smoke pouring from his lips.

“You’ll… regret… this.”

“Promise?”

My father closed his eyes, and his body faded into nothingness, the purple smoke dissipating into thin air. I looked around, frowning, my chaos magic pulsing in my blood, roaring in my ears.

“Cal, is he gone?”

-I- I think so? I don’t sense him...

“Good.” I sighed with relief, taking a deep breath. The chaos magic pushed outwards against my control, wanting to consume everything. I had let out too much, relaxed my control too far in my desire to destroy him. I closed my eyes, fighting it with all my strength, knowing that if I lost control I could unleash everything, destroy everything.

-Morgan?! What’s wrong?

I shook my head slightly, unable to answer, slipping down to the ground as all of my strength focused inward.

“Cal, what’s going on?” Lucifer’s tired voice spoke up, concerned.

-She’s losing her chaos magic!

“That’s bad, isn’t it? Like, world ending bad?”

-Yeah, it’s world ending bad! Quick, stab me into her chest! I need to help her control it!

“S-stab her? Are you sure? Won’t that kill her?”

-DO IT!

Despite the internal battle going on, I felt the tip of Cal’s blade push into my chest over his mark, Cal’s power merging with my own.

Cal? I felt tired, overwhelmed, the chaos within me eroding at my thoughts, my fate disappearing into nothingness.

The voice that had been with me since my earliest memory spoke up inside my head.

-It’s okay, Morgan. We’ll seal it, together.

He joined me in the fight, his strength bolstering my own. Slowly, painfully, together, we pushed back the power of chaos and locked it within my soul once more.

-See? That wasn’t so bad!

Easy for you to say. I smiled silently, letting go of my consciousness in my relief.

______________________________

Lucifer stared down at the smiling unconscious girl, feeling unnerved.

I’ve been at the top for too long. He admitted quietly to himself with a grin. I forgot what it was like to face something stronger.

And Morgan was stronger than him. Having seen her wield Excalibur along with her magic, equal parts order and chaos, a force that could destroy the whole universe, he couldn’t help but feel weak in front of her. He watched her sleep, considering his options. Part of him wanted to take her out, destroy the threat while she was helpless. But the rest…

It’s not bad to have something this fun around. He grinned. Besides, I never was one for playing it safe.

“Hey, little devil, why are you smiling? Don’t even think about touching my master while she’s asleep!” Cal appeared in his human form beside Morgan, his golden eyes glaring fiercely.

Lucifer shrugged. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of harming her. At least not anytime soon.“ Thinking for a moment, he looked at the sword, confused. “Why do you only take on a human appearance when she’s unconscious?”

To his surprise the sword blushed. “None of your business!” Looking down at the girl, he muttered. “What if she doesn’t like how I look?”

Lucifer laughed. “Well, she called me hideous, so you may be right to worry about her aesthetic taste.” With a groan he stretched, frowning as his multiple small injuries ached. “Those chaos monsters were pretty powerful. No wonder my minions never stood a chance.”

“Or you’re just weak.”

Rolling his eyes, Lucifer turned away, looking around the empty warehouse and shrugging. “I guess we’re done here.”

Cal stood up, holding Morgan carefully in his arms. “I’ll tell her your goodbyes once she wakes up. Have fun back in hell.”

“Goodbyes?” The devil laughed. “No need to bother. See you later.”

And with that he was gone, leaving an increasingly nervous magical sword staring after him while clutching his master to his chest. “Later? What does he mean later? What a terrible thought.”

______________________________

I was having déjà vu.

Clutching a jar of pickles, I stared at what should have been my empty bed with a forlorn expression. “What are you doing here?”

The devil grinned as he flipped through my book, once again losing my place in the story to my dismay. “I had a favor to ask you.”

-See, I told you! Cal spoke up with an irritated voice. This is what happens when you make friends with weak creatures like him! They always want favors!

“Shut up, you stupid knife.” Lucifer grinned, setting down the book and spreading his hands. “You see, one of my old buddies in the Heavenly army contacted me…”

“So you came to brag that you still have friends?”

-Good for you. With your terrible personality it must be hard!

Cal and I clapped proudly. Groaning with frustration, Lucifer pushed back his hair and continued, ignoring us. “He saw something weird, an unexplainable magic. Something that seemed to destroy things without rhyme or reason.”

I stared at him with confusion. “So?”

“So, it might be chaos magic! Let’s go check it out!”

“…”

-…

“Why?”

“Why?” The devil frowned. “What do you mean why?”

“It sounds difficult.”

- I’d rather nap.

“I have to work, or I can’t pay my rent.”

“But… it will be fun!” Lucifer sat up, pouting. “It’s been so boring since the last adventure! Let’s go!”

“…” I looked at the devil who was trying to tempt me out of the house, and then down to the jar in my hands.

“Sorry pickles, we’re just never fated to be.”

CRASH! The jar struck Lucifer in the face and smashed into pieces.

I sighed as I ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could.

“MORGAN!”

#chaos magic #part 2 #fantasy #witches #devils #magic #revenge #fighting

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cielrouge · 5 years

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Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali - 18-year-old Muslims Adam and Zayneb meet in Doha, Qatar, during spring break and fall in love as both struggle to find a way to live their own truths.

Love Me or Miss Me by Dream Jordan - Kate's fantasy life of having the perfect family comes to an abrupt end when she is suddenly forced to return to the group home. Alone and vulnerable, Kate falls for the ever so gorgeous Percy who treats her well at first, but soon a cycle of controlling and abusive behavior begins. Will she be able to escape Percy's clutches?

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas - As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late.

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai - 15-year-old Indian-American Simran “Simi” Sangha, who comes from a long line of matchmakers, decides to try to gain high school popularity using her family's matchmaking traditions to create a dating app.

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco - In a world ruled by goddesses that has been split in two—one half existing in perpetual scorching Day, the other in freezing Night—twins separated at birth Odessa and Haidee embark on a quest across the great divide and rule a reunited world.

No One Here is Lonely by Sarah Everett - After having her heart so broken, Eden resorts to having her memories erased instead.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne - In a Latinx-inspired kingdom of Castallan, face-changing thief Finn Voy and grief-stricken Prince Alfehr must race to vanquish a dark magic they have accidentally unleashed.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad #3) - As the Resistance moves to challenge the corrupt League of Heroes, Emma Robledo realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front.

Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard - Half-mortal teenager Helen Thomas goes to live with her father—who is Zeus, masquerading as a university professor—and must do her best to keep the family secret intact.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - When 16-year-old Bri, an aspiring rapper, pours her anger and frustration into her first song, she finds herself at the center of a controversy.

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy - In this Arthurian retelling set in space, King Arthur is reincarnated as 17-year-old Ari, a female king whose quest is to stop a tyrannical corporate government, aided by a teenaged Merlin.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds - After falling for Kate, her unexpected death sends Jack back in time to the moment they first met, but he soon learns that his actions have unintended consequences.

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao - 17-year-old teen outcast Ali Chu is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white Midwestern town.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribar - When 17-year-old Jay Reguero learns his Filipino cousin and former best friend, Jun, was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, he flies to the Philippines to learn more.

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi - Brooklyn bodega worker Pablo crosses paths & falls in love with multi-platinum recording artist Leanna Smart.

Rated by Melissa Grey - For the students at the prestigious Maplethorpe Academy, every single thing they do is reflected in their Ratings System. But when an act of vandalism sullies the front doors of the school, it sets off a chain reaction that will shake the lives of six special students -- and the world beyond.

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia - When a tragic accident takes the life of the only family she's ever known, 16-year-old Raven is sent to New Orleans to start over. She soon discovers that she can hear the thoughts of others around her...and another, more disturbing, voice in her head.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu - Brothers Eden and Daniel Wing struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, but a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own.

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert - Dove “Birdie” Randolph maintains a close bond with her parents until first love and a family secret threatens to tear them apart.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee - The never-before-told backstory of Avatar Kyoshi, from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy - A North African-inspired feminist fantasy in which two sisters, Eva and Isa must compete in a magical duel to the death for the right to inherit the queendom of Myre.

Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul #2) by Axie Oh - Two years after the Battle of Neo Seoul, 18-year-old telepath Ama must use her telepathic abilities to infiltrate the base of the Alliance’s new war commander, Alex Kim, her first love who betrayed her. Will she be able to carry out her task? Or will she give up everything for Alex again—only to be betrayed once more?

Ruse (Want #2) by Cindy Pon - In near-future Shanghai where society is divided between the fabulously wealthy business elite and the masses they exploit, Jason Zhou must play a dangerous cat and mouse game with the ruthless CEO of an all powerful corporation which has an ever-growing choke hold on the polluted metropolis.

Soaring Earth by Margarita Engle - In this memoir, Young People’s Poet Laureate Margarita Engle recounts her teenage years during the turbulent 1960s between Cuba and America.

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma - When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain.

Take the Mic: Fictional Stories About Everyday Resistance edited by Bethany C. Morrow - A YA anthology focused on a collection of fictional stories of everyday resistance.

The Shadow Glass (Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco - Bone witch Tea's dark magic eats away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells - Maren, desperate to save her kidnapped girlfriend Kaia, plans to steal one of the emperor's dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold, but her success depends on becoming an apprentice to the mysterious dragon trainer, which proves to be a dangerous venture.

SLAY by Brittney Morris - Black video game developer Kiera Johnson battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created, and the safe community it represents for black gamers.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo - In Hong Kong, k-pop star Lucky who'd like to be anyone else meets charming con-boy Jack, looking for a big break to impress his paparazzo father. When sparks ignite, the two must decide if they can risk it all for each other.

Song of the Abyss (Towers of Wind #2) by Makiia Lucier - When menacing raiders attack her ship, navigator Reyna must use every resource at her disposal, including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao - After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician's apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman's daughter, regrets her actions. After learning that Bao’s soul has been trapped inside a flute by a witch, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa - As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim - 17-year-old Maia Tamarin poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor, and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars, with help from the mysterious court magician, Edan.

Spin by Lamar Giles - When DJ ParSec, rising star of the local music scene, is found dead over her turntables, the two girls who found her, Kya and Fuse, are torn between grief for Paris and hatred for each other--but when the investigation stalls, they unite, determined to find out who murdered their friend.

The Stars the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petraus - Audre from Trinidad and Mabel from Minneapolis, fall in love and create magic at the same time they learn one of them might not have long to live.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan - In this steampunk fantasy set in Qing dynasty-inspired China, warrior girl Anlei teams up with a thief to save her village from shadow spirits, but after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is.

Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sonia Charaipotra - The youngest doctor in America, Indian-American teen Saira makes her rounds―and falls head over heels in this romantic comedy.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi - Sana Khan and Rachel Recht, on opposite sides of the social scale must work together to make a movie and try very hard not to fall in love.

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina - As Beth Teller and her father unravel a mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another...

There’s Something About Sweetie (When Dimple Met Rishi #3) by Sandhya Menon - Told in two voices, disappointed-in-love Ashish Patel and self-proclaimed fat athlete Sweetie Nair begin to find their true selves while dating under contract.

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura - 17-year-old CJ Katsuyama’s mom decides to sell her family’s flower shop—to the family who swindled CJ’s grandparents during WWII Internment. Soon a rift threatens to splinter CJ’s family, friends, and their entire Northern California community; and for the first time, CJ has found something she wants to fight for.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price - In modern-day San Francisco where three gangs rule the city streets, half-Filipina teen Valerie Simons enters the Red Bridge Wars to seek vengeance for her younger brother's death, but soon finds herself torn between old love and new loyalty.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala - In ancient India, soldier Kunal hunts the “Viper,” rebel girl Esha accused of killing his General, embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game and where both must decide—loyalty to their old lives or to a love that's made them dream of new ones.

Truly, Madly, Royally by Debbie Riguad - When Prince Owen invites Zora Emerson to be his date at his big brother's big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends.

The Universal Laws of Marco by Carmen Rodrigues - Told through the lens of a guy in love with the cosmos (and maybe two girls), this story explores the complicated histories that bring us together and tear us apart.

Virtually Yours by Sarvenz Tash - NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian tries out a virtual reality dating app, only to be matched up with the high school ex she's still not over. Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?

The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis - When a sequence of wrenching secrets detonates, Indigo must figure out how to come to terms with her twin sister Violet, her family…and the voice in her head.

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - Set in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria, sisters Onyii and Ify, separated by a devastating civil war, must fight their way back to each other against all odds.

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson & Ellen Hagan - Jasmine and Chelsea start a Women's Rights Club and soon go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices—and those of other young women—to be heard.

What Makes You Beautiful by Bridget Liang - Encouraged and supported by his friends at school, Logan begins questioning his gender. Realizing they are not a gay boy, but a transgender girl, Logan asks for people to call them Veronica. As a girl, does Veronica stand a chance with straight boy Kyle?

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal - In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, 17-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world.

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia - Set at the Medio School for Girls, where young women are trained to become one of two wives assigned to high society men; with revolution brewing in the streets, star student Daniela Vargas fights to protect a destructive secret, sending her into the arms of the most dangerous person possible—the second wife of her husband-to-be.

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf - A music-loving teen with OCD does everything she can to find her way back to her mother during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis - 18-year-old Devon longs for two things.The stars. And the boy she fell in love with last summer. Senior year, Ashton shows up on the first day of school. Can she forgive him and open her heart again? Or are they doomed to repeat history?

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho - After 18-year-old Miyoung Gu, a nine-tailed fox surviving in modern-day Seoul by eating the souls of evil men, kills a murderous goblin to save Jihoon, she is forced to choose between her immortal life and his.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo - With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior and aspiring chef Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

You Must Be Layla by Yasmin Abdel-Magied - Layla's mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth. Despite the setback of a high school suspension, Layla's determined to show everyone that she does deserve her scholarship and sets her sights on winning a big invention competition. But where to begin? Looking outside and in, Layla will need to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be if she has any chance of succeeding.

#authors of color #book recommendations #yalit #women of color authors #AWW YISSS IT'S MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!!

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prettyandsarcastic · 4 years

Text

A Favor

Odette proves a point.

“Hey, Bash? What would it take for you to do me a favor?”

The engineer looks up from the list of supplies he’s double checking, eyebrow raised. He finds Odette, their resident princess, leaning over the railing of the stairs leading down into the docks. It’s hard to reconcile the Odette standing in front of him with the picture in his mind of what Princess Odette might look like. Her clothes are a borrowed, mismatched assortment of things the crew had – leggings from Aya, an extra shirt of June’s, a jacket from Ryona. But there’s a different air about her now that hadn’t been there in those first few days on the A6 – a confidence that squares her shoulders.

“That’s a loaded question,” he chuckles, “depends on the favor.”

Odette tilts her head this way and that, as though considering his reply. After a long moment she says, “I need your help with something.”

“Okay?”

“Would you help me get a weapon?”

Bash can’t hide his surprise. That’s certainly not what he was expecting. “Didn’t,uh, didn’t Damon give you a dagger?”

Odette nods, pulling the dagger from the waist of her pants for emphasis. “He did, but I’m pretty sure he only gave it to me to see if I would accidentally disembowel myself with it. Don’t get me wrong, I can use it, just not with any semblance of skill and I’d more likely end up hurting myself.”

“Alright,” Bash says slowly as he turns to put the supply list down and move toward the crates of weapons Oppo’s workers brought on board. Behind him, he hears the metal echo of the stairs as Odette descends. “We’ve got plenty of guns, just depends on your preferred kind.”

“I’m not a gun girl,” she answers.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of ‘em?” he wonders with a laugh.

He hears Odette scoff a laugh, the sound reminding him suddenly of Damon. “I’m not afraid of anything, and there’s black hole where my heart should be.”

Bash turns to look at her, blinking owlishly. Her statement is so unlike the young woman he’s coming to know as a friend that for a moment he struggles with a reply. “That’s… bleak.”

Odette crosses her arms, but won’t look at him. “Things I learned from my mother.” She shakes her head and continues, “Anyway, you really think the youngest princess was going to be allowed to learn to use a firearm? Unlikely. I’m a trained archer.”

“Like a... bow and arrow?” he questions.

“Yep!” She smiles, bright and wide. “You know Nos Vega, I figured you’d know where I could find one amid all the shady markets and weapon vendors.”

Bash breathes a sigh, closes his eyes and tries to rack his brain for any of the sellers that might have what Odette’s looking for. Finally, he looks at Odette’s hopeful, open expression and tells her, “I might know of one guy. But his prices -”

She interrupts him, a sly smile sliding across her lips as she says, “Let me worry about that.”

Bash can barely swallow down his surprise the entire trip back to the A6 while Odette practically skips beside him with her new tactical-tech bow and quiver slung over her back. To say that he’s impressed with her would be an understatement. She had somehow managed to negotiate the price of the bow to less than half of the original exorbitant price the vendor had been asking. And all because Odette had noticed that it was missing a few parts, though she was confident that she could repair it. Besides, she’d said to the vendor making sure that her voice carried, he wouldn’t want word getting out that he was charging top dollar for broken merchandise.

“How did you do that?” Bash finally asks, once the A6 is within sight.

“Do what?”

“Haggle that well.”

A burst of laughter erupts from Odette. “It’s just a slightly more aggressive form of diplomacy,” she replies. After a beat she throws him a smile and adds, “Plus I’m incredibly charming.”

“Yeah, but there were other bows, why’d you pick the one that was busted?”

That sly smile takes its place back on Odette’s face. “What are you talking about? The bow was in perfect condition.”

Bash stops suddenly, confused. “But you said...”

Odette turns as she digs into the pocket of her jacket, that smile still firmly in place as she presents him with an assortment of parts sitting in the palm of her hand. All the parts that Odette had told the vendor were missing from the bow. He goes back over their visit to the weapons vendor, how Odette had picked up the bow and showed it to him, telling him about the different parts, pointing out unique features and the things that she was looking for in a bow as her hands moved from one part of the bow to the next in an excited flurry.

“You… dismantled it when you were inspecting it,” Bash realizes and he can’t stop the grin that overtakes his face. There’s an anxiety there as well, nagging at the back of his mind – if that vendor manages to figure out what Odette had done…

“In my defense, he was asking way too much for it,” she says with a shrug. Then she pulls the bow from her shoulder and goes about reattaching all the pieces she’d removed as they continue walking.

“Where the hell have you two been!?”

Bash and Odette stop at the raised voice, looking up to see the Captain, Damon and June all standing on the ramp into the ship. They’re all geared up, looking as though they’re just getting ready to head out. And it’s then, seeing the anger coloring Cal’s face, and the annoyance pinching Damon’s that Bash remembers he and Odette hadn’t told anyone they were leaving. Fuck.

“Sorry, Cap -”

Odette steps forward before he can finish. “It’s my fault,” she says, her arm held out in front of Bash’s chest. “I asked Bash to help me get myself a weapon.”

Cal scoffs. “Why am I not surprised? Do you even truly appreciate the situation you’re in, Princess? You should have come to me first -”

“For what!?” Odette snaps, her voice sharp. “So you could tell me no? Or maybe I should have gone to Damon, who probably would have laughed himself sick had I asked. And June, well, June can barely even look at me so asking him to help me was out of the question, too!”

June, Bash notes, has the decency to look ashamed as he casts his gaze down though he doesn’t say anything.

“You still should have come to me first!” Calderon shoots back through gritted teeth. “I am the Captain of this crew! Zovack’s clan has the run of this city, what would you have done if someone recognized you?”

“And what do you think they would have done to Bash?” Damon adds.

The Princess throws up her arms. “Why does no one take me seriously when I say I can take care of myself?”

At that Damon laughs, actually laughs. “Maybe because you haven’t proven it,” he replies and there’s a challenge to his tone that has Calderon turning to raise his eyebrow at the second-in-command.

The glare that Odette aims in Damon’s direction would have had anyone else shrinking under the intensity of it. But Damon seems to realize something then, and a grin starts to spread across his face.

“Fine,” Odette says. And then she’s looking around the junkyard until something catches her eye. She moves from Bash’s side to pick up an old, small tin can before coming back and presenting it to him. “Throw this as far as you can.”

“Okay...” he trails off and takes the can from her outstretched hand.

Odette nods as she pulls an arrow from the quiver, loads it into the bow and waits. Bash tosses the small can between his hands, considering – she had told him to throw it as far as he could. He passes the can back into his metal hand with finality, then he reels his arm back and hurls it with more strength than his flesh and blood arm would ever be capable of.

He watches the can so sailing through the air, has a moment of doubt that he may have gotten carried away. But beside him, Odette moves. She turns, pulls back the draw, her eyes tracking the can as it tumbles further and further from them with an intensity in her expression Bash has never seen before. A breath passes through Odette’s parted lips, Bash hears the snap of the string against her forearm...

Her arrow meets the can at the height of its arc, a tinny thwink! echoing back to them.

A slow round of applause has Odette turning back to the A6 where both June and Calderon wear near twin expressions of surprise. Damon, on the other hand, has kept his mask of neutrality firmly in place.

“We done here?”

It’s not my best writing, but it feels good to write again.

#andromeda six #andromeda six traveler #andromeda six fic #a6 game #a6 traveler #bash #calderon #damon #june #odette #seriously odette is a sassy asshole #and i love her dearly

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emma-nation · 4 years

Text

Within You - Bloodbound AU - Chapter 10

Summary: One year after defeating Gaius, the gang has finally found peace… Until a tragic incident awakens the ultimate and most dangerous threat they ever faced.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Notes:

- Sequel to the fics For You, In The Daylight and Without You. You can read all of them here.

- This chapter is my baby and I’m really proud of it. I hope you like it too!

- I probably won’t be around for the next few days (for BB finale included), so please forgive me if I take too long to post Chapter 11.

- My fellow writers: stay home writing your awesome fics.

- Dear readers: stay home reading and leaving your lovely reviews. We love you. Stay safe!

Tag List: @supersphynxsworld, @lightning-fury, @spacecarrousel, @tigerbryn11, @gavryllo, @annabellewerecorgi, @whoinvitedalx, @sheyah, @imnotdonewiththeelementalists, @scaryqueenbee, @bigmemesplz, @la-guerra-69, @kamilahsayeed-owns-me, @morvengarde, @tephy24, @iam-the-fuckin-queen, @voltos9, @scorpichoices, @leavemeandmyshipsalone, @jen825, @andreear17, @justejuste727, @aureliaxj, @graceschoices, @mrskamilxh, @msuhailey, @zoe6111, @noodledragon22, @tigerbryn11, @shanuuh, @ilovetaylorswiftforever7, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @allaboutchoices , @fal-carrington , @scarlet-letter-a0114, @trouble-with-the-curve

Kamilah

In her office, Kamilah tried one last time to dial her brother’s number. Voice mail again. She rolled her eyes.

“Until when are you going to ignore me?” She sighed.

She remembered their last conversation, a few days earlier. It was late night, he knocked her penthouse’s door repeatedly. When Kamilah opened it, Lysimachus was pale as a ghost. His heart was racing inside his chest and his breath shallow and quick, indicating he was in great distress.

“It’s her, Kamilah,” he told, when she forced him to sit down and calm himself. “Rheya’s the First.”

“Brother, she just left my place,” she argued. “I invited her for dinner. I tested her through the day. There’s no evidence…”

“She confessed, Kamilah! Right in my face. She’s not who you think she is, okay? She set up that whole situation with Priya. She threatened to kill Katherine… and me!”

Kamilah sat down and looked deeply into his brother eyes. They never lied to each other. And he was scared, truly scared. In truth, she had never seen Lysimachus so frightened before.

“Brother, I…” she grabbed his hand, unsure of what to say to comfort him. Unsure of what to think. “I’m so confused.”

“Why don’t you believe me?” He seemed hurt. Truly hurt. And especially obsessed to find a manner to defeat the First Vampire.

In the next morning, Adrian called her. An emergency. A vial containing a blood sample from the Tree Of Eternal Life had disappeared from the laboratory. They searched all over the city, in every place it could be. They conducted searches at Priya’s mansion and club, Lester’s businesses and even among their own Clan members. There was no sign of the blood.

Until Kamilah found it by accident, inside the secret weapon storage in her brother’s apartment. Lysimachus swore, once again, that it was Rheya’s doing. But all evidence lead to him. His old card was used to access the safest areas in the laboratory. The employees also remembered seeing him there during the night. The footage from the security cameras had been purposely erased. Everything pointed to one direction, he planned to ingest the blood to become more powerful.

An emergency voting decided it would be better if he was temporarily out of The Council.

“I know you’re going through a lot of stress,” Kamilah told him. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but I’m also not saying I am. Just, stay in New Orleans for a few days. Clear your mind a bit.”

“Not even you… my fucking twin sister!” Lysimachus punched a hole in the wall. “You’ll all regret what you’re doing, and especially who you’re trusting. She’s manipulating each one of you!”

Coming back to reality, somebody was waiting for her at the door. Rheya. All those days, Kamilah was monitoring her closely. There wasn’t a single part of her that indicated danger.

“Kamilah?” She asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Absolutely,” Kamilah answered. “Personal issues. And you? Anything I can help with?”

“Actually, I’ve seen something that concerned me. I’ve been receiving threats and I believe they’re coming from the Order Of Dawn. I think they could be coming for me.”

She showed Kamilah some strange messages she received and pictures she took of strangers observing her out of the window.

“Don’t worry,” she assured. “We’ll investigate and grant you some protection.”

“Really?” Her eyes filled with tears and she started to cry. “Sometimes I think it’d be better if I returned to Europe. I never wanted to cause you trouble.”

“Rheya, no…”

Kamilah felt extremely bad for her. She quickly called Adrian and some of her Clan members to patrol the city and make sure no Order soldiers were walking around New York.

———-

Lysimachus

Angry, Lysimachus trained alone with a punching bag in his apartment in New Orleans. As soon as he arrived, Garrus checked his mind. Rheya’s presence was beginning to take over the place. With his Fae magic, he was able to remove it. But it was too late, everyone at The Council was convinced he was guilty.

He had to find a manner to stop Rheya by himself. She should have at least one weakness. She wasn’t invincible. Nothing could be. In nature, everything had a balance. An opposite.

“Wow,” a female voice said behind him, “someone’s mad.”

“Katherine,” he turned around, wiping off the sweat from his face with a towel. “Do you know how to kill a bitch?”

“Stake her. Or set her on fire. Assuming you’re talking about the Queen Bitch, Priya Lacroix.”

“Not actually. I’m talking about the First Vampire.”

“Is she truly real?” Her eyes went wide in surprise.

“Why do you think I’m back here?” Lysimachus told. “She caused that situation with Priya and found a manner to put everyone against me, when I discovered her identity.”

“Oh boy, you’re in serious trouble.”

“I know.”

After he showered, they walked around the streets of New Orleans while he informed her about the whole story. Since the Tree Of Eternal Life, the creation of Gaius and Xenocrates to the First Vampire’s return, using of Amy’s death.

“Why Amy?” Katherine wanted to know.

“According to this creepy British cult, she’s her descendant,” Lysimachus told. “And also a Bloodkeeper. What in my opinion, is the major sign of their connection. Their powers seem to be very similar.”

“Have you told all of that to your sister?”

He let out a chuckle.

“Who says she believes me? If Rheya asks her company, she’d probably give her everything in a second. She trusts her with her eyes closed.”

They stopped by the Graveyard Shift for a drink. Nik and Cal joined them and became part of the conversation. None of them had any ideas of what in this world could kill a legendary vampire.

“What do you think her plans are?” Nik asked. “She seems harmless so far.”

“She’s playing cautiously,” Lysimachus told. “Slowly involving and seducing everyone into her game. Soon they will bend to her will or meet a terrible fate. But her main interest… I think she wants Amy. For some purpose.”

“If she’s truly a queen,” Cal commented. “Amy would be her princess. Isn’t it obvious? She wants to share her legacy.”

“A legacy of blood and destruction,” Katherine added. “After that, she’ll probably eradicate the human kind.”

They all stared at each other in silence. None of them had a suggestion that could help.

“Let’s drink while we still can,” Nik suggested.

After he order at the bar, Ivy approached the table bringing their drinks and heard the conversation.

“Well well, a conversation about a legendary bloody creature. My favorite subject.”

“It wouldn’t be, if you met her,” Lysimachus showed them a picture of Rheya on his phone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the real face of evil. Rheya Apostolous.”

“Legendary. Bloody. And hot,” Ivy grinned.

“No wonder why your friends are getting into her so easily,” Cal joked.

“Come on, guys. Yes, she’s gorgeous. But she want all of us dead or kissing her feet. Would you mind helping me to come up with a plan? Something that could end her for good? There must be something. A balance nature created to stop her.”

Ivy was pensive for a moment before speaking:

“Meet me at the library tonight. I think I’ve got something we can do.”

“Does it involve the dead?” Lysimachus rolled his eyes, wondering how many ghosts he’d have to capture. “Or necromancy of any sorts?”

“Yes. I was thinking about… a Ouija board. But better.”

“Here we go again,” Katherine looked at him and sighed.

———-

Amy

As a form to protect Rheya, Kamilah requested Amy to follow her to all places. She was more than glad to help, after all she and the Greek vampire had an immense connection.

“So, Amy. How is it going with your psychic powers?” Rheya asked while they were working out together at the private gym in her building.

“I feel great,” she smiled. “Everyday I gain more and more control over them.”

“You not only can enter people’s minds, but you can make them actually experience the memories, is that correct?”

Rheya’s expression suddenly changed. She stopped with her exercises, looking sad, nostalgic.

“Yes. What’s wrong?” Confused, Amy stopped too. She lead Rheya to the nearest bench.

“Would you mind… showing me my family again? It’s been so long. Time is cruel. It has erased my husband’s voice from my memories or the scent of my little daughter’s hair. I miss them everyday and… I can’t barely remember their faces.”

“Of course.”

Amy grabbed her hands, focusing on the depths of her mind. Suddenly she could see both of them standing in an ancient throne room, where Rheya was in company of a man and a little girl.

“At least now I have the evening free to have dinner with you and Iola,” she smiled. “My two loves.”

“Mama, I want to see your fangs again!” Iola asked.

“They’re nothing special…“

“They are! I want fangs like you, Mama!”

“My darling… No, Iola. These are just for me, do you understand?”

Watching the scene, Amy couldn’t avoid feeling emotional. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. For some reason she felt attached to those people. Maybe because of the tragedy she knew that would later separate them. Or even because it made her think of her own family.

When they returned, Rheya’s eyes were teary but she had a smile on her face.

“Thank you so much, Amy,” she hugged her tightly. “It was so good to see my Iola again. Actually… you remind me a lot of her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, since young age she was exactly like you. Adventurous, fierce and she had a great sense of humor.”

At the same time Amy felt sadness hearing those words, it also caused her unexplainable joy.

“I’m sorry she was taken from you,” Amy lamented.

“Don’t be,” Rheya touched her cheek fondly. “Sometimes life takes something away from you… but it grants you something else in return. Sooner or later.”

Amy went home and showered, but the scene she experienced with Rheya wouldn’t leave her thoughts. Especially her daughter. They seemed to be so close, so affectionate to each other.

That vision triggered inside Amy an intense desire of having a family on her own too. She imagined having a daughter with Kamilah. She’d give her little girl everything her mother didn’t provide her while growing up. She not only would be her parent, but her best friend. They’d share good memories and start adventures together.

She texted Kamilah, asking her to go home as soon as possible. After lunch she was impatiently waiting for her wife. As Amy sat down on the couch, their kitten, Beruthiel, quickly jumped on her lap.

In the first days, Kamilah was reluctant about getting attached to their new pet, considering how short their life-span could be compared to theirs. Now, everyday she’d come home with a new gift for Beruthiel. She was literally treating her like a princess.

They could form a beautiful little family. She, Kamilah, their cat and a baby.

“Hey,” her wife entered the penthouse, “is everything okay? You said you needed to see me.”

“Yes,” Amy wrapped her arms around Kamilah’s neck. “I’ve scheduled a visit to Raines Corporation. You know, only to check how his research is progressing.”

“Oh, what research?”

“The one we can have a baby.”

“Only to check, huh?” Kamilah’s raised eyebrow suggested she already knew what Amy had in mind.

“And get informed on how it would work.”

“Amy…” Kamilah sighed. “I’m okay with adopting a cat but… we’re not in a good moment to consider having children.”

“Why?” Amy wanted to know. “We’re married, with a stable life, I’ve got perfect control of my powers. I see no reason to postpone it.”

“She’s out there. The First Vampire.”

“Kamilah, please… I even stopped having those creepy visions. She’s gone for good.”

“She’s not,” Kamilah’s expression was serious and certain. “I sensed her presence the other day. She could be the one who manipulated Priya’s mind and yours. And besides, there’s also the possibility the Order soldiers could be out there, getting ready to strike.”

“So…” Amy threw herself on the couch, biting her lower lip. “Didn’t you have to discuss this Order issues with Adrian? I could come with you.”

Kamilah stared at her in silence again. Her face suggested she wasn’t thrilled about the idea.

“It’s not the right moment, Amy. It’s not like we’re buying a new video game, it’s a life we’re talking about. I’m not bringing a child to this world, knowing they could be in danger.”

“It will never be good moment right? I mean, you said countless times you never wanted to be a mother and that you can’t stand children.”

Amy stood up from the couch, storming to the front door. She knew it was only another excuse. Kamilah would never give her what she wanted the most. She felt extremely upset and frustrated.

“Amy…” Kamilah interrupted her. “Can we talk about this?”

“No,” she responded, coldly and ironic. “It’s not the right moment.”

Alone, she took her car and drove directly to Raines Corporation. If Kamilah didn’t want to be part of this decision, she’d do it by herself. And in the end, if she still couldn’t accept it… maybe she didn’t love her as much as she thought.

———-

Lysimachus

After midnight, Lysimachus and Katherine followed to Ivy’s library. Trusting her was never the smartest or safest idea, but it was the only option he had at the moment.

The library was completely dark, until the very end of the building, where Ivy had prepared a magical seal on the floor, surrounded by candles.

“For heaven’s sake, what is that?” Katherine asked. “Please tell me you’re not planning to take him to the Realm of Death.”

“I considered it,” Ivy said. “But it was too risky, especially because he’s… biologically dead? So I decided to bring the dead to our world instead.”

“Wait,” Lysimachus interrupted. “Who are you planning to summon from the dead?

“The Two Sons. Xenocrates and Gaius.”

Only that name alone brought shivers to Lysimachus body. He hated that man with every fiber of his body being. If one thing he was sure, was that he never wanted to see Gaius again. Not even in spirit.

“Bring Xenocrates. Let Gaius trapped in hell, where it’s his place.”

“Okay, I’ll need to perform a ritual. Mind giving me some privacy?”

“Of course.”

Lysimachus walked to an armchair where he sat down. Katherine followed him. He buried his head in his hands, wondering what could even happen if that ritual went wrong and for some reason Gaius escaped the Realm Of Death and returned to life. By the side of his beloved Goddess, they’d rule the world, exterminating the human kind.

“Hey,” Katherine touched his shoulder, “what’s wrong? You’re shaking.”

“Gaius,” he confessed. “Only the mention of his name it… it drives me crazy. Have you ever hated someone so badly it consumes you, changes you?”

“Yeah, not someone. Something. A monster.”

“He Turned me, against my will. Besides keeping me separated from my sister from centuries. I can help thinking everything he caused in her life was a revenge against me. Even if he’s dead… the part of me he took away is never returning.”

“I can relate. That monster… it took the most precious thing I’ve ever had. And I will never be the same again. Even if I try. Part of me also died that day.”

“Katherine…” Lysimachus looked into her eyes. For the first time she looked open, vulnerable. “You never told me…”

“I usually don’t,” Katherine shrugged, fighting off her emotions. “I think I’m really starting to trust you.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.”

“Not for me.”

They both shared a laugh, when Ivy’s voice called them back. It was time to summon Xenocrates’ spirit. Ivy was voicing some words in an ancient language when the flames from the candles exploded and intensified, almost blinding them with the light.

As Lysimachus opened his eyes again, Xenocrates’ form was standing in the middle of the seal.

“What did you call me here for?” He snarled. "A man can’t even be dead, without being bothered by abominations like you?“

"We need answers,” Lysimachus approached. “About Rheya. You were her First Son, you must know how to end her for good.”

“And why do you think I’d help you? Especially, when you were all responsible for setting her free.”

“They didn’t,” Katherine intervened. “They didn’t set her free. They were only studying the blood, for good purposes.”

“It had nothing to do with the blood. It was… something else.”

“What was it?” Lysimachus asked, intrigued. “We didn’t know. And now, she has started to cause trouble. I need to stop her before the damage spreads.”

“I don’t know what brought Rheya back, otherwise I’d have prevented it,” Xenocrates told. “But if you want to stop her you’ll need to go after her husband, Demetrius. His blood is the only thing that can stop her.”

“Isn’t he dead?”

“Sort of. Rheya attempted to Turn him when he was murdered but it was too late. Her blood transformed him into something dark, without a conscience. A monster.”

“The First Feral,” Katherine concluded.

“His presence brought death to everything around him, including Rheya herself,” Xenocrates continued. “She was weakened by his darkness. So she sent him away.”

“And where is he now?” Lysimachus wanted to know.

“In the Island of Death, somewhere in South Pacific.”

“I’ll find him.”

“You will,” Xenocrates let out a sarcastic laugh. “But you won’t make it back home. The Island will drain all your life before you even get to him.”

“So what do I have to do?”

“My time here is over.”

“No! Wait!”

A strong wind filled the room, lighting off all the candles and the First Son disappeared.

“So what do we do now?” Katherine wondered. “How will we get to the Island?”

“I don’t know,” Lysimachus sighed, frustrated. “He said it drains the life of any living being that approaches it.”

“But he didn’t say anything about a undead being, did he?” Ivy suggested.

———-

Kamilah

In the beginning of the night, Kamilah went to Raines Corporation to meet Adrian and find out if he had any news about a possible invasion of the Order Of Dawn in New York. Amy wasn’t picking up her calls, but she found out she was at the Shadow Den with Lily. Apparently they invited Rheya for a girl’s night.

“Please, tell me she didn’t convince you to impregnate her,” Kamilah took a sip of the whiskey Adrian served her. “I know her, Adrian. She does that puppy dog eyes that make you unable to say no.”

“She didn’t,” Adrian let out a small laugh. “I showed her the research, but explained it’s still a work in progress. And I’d need your DNA too.”

“Good. How would it work anyways?”

“It’s a serum. First, you both must sign a contract. I’ll mix Amy’s DNA to yours and add the blood from the Tree. The three elements together will generate a new life. A new being.”

“Just like that?”

“Not really,” Adrian explained. “After I inject it on Amy’s body or yours, you will have to… conceive the baby, if you know what I mean. Like a regular pregnancy.”

“I see.”

Kamilah swallowed the entire glass of whiskey in one sip, trying to get rid of the stress the thought of being a mother caused her.

“What’s the deal, Kamilah?” Adrian asked, noticing her silence.

“I’m not ready, Adrian,” Kamilah sighed and confessed. “And I don’t think I’ll ever be! I’m 2065 years old. I’ve killed people and burned cities to the ground. How can I become a mother? How am I supposed to raise a child?”

“We’re never ready, but when the moment comes, it’s just magical. You’ll learn to be a mom, Kamilah. Together with Amy.”

She noticed how distant and nostalgic Adrian looked after that talk. It probably reminded him of his son, Charles.

“We’ve adopted a cat recently,” Kamilah changed the subject. “Her name is…”

She couldn’t get used to that name. Something Amy and Lily picked out from one of their geeky obsessions.

“Beruthiel. I heard about her,” a smile returned to Adrian’s face. “I was also told you’ve been using your penthouse security system to observe her when you’re absent. And that you’ve bought her like 10 different collars in a week.”

She only rolled her eyes in response and walked to the window. Kamilah started remembering Amy’s behavior that afternoon. ‘No. It’s not the right moment’. Those words were said with the same coldness and rage as when she was under the First Vampire’s influence, before her Turning. She was about to express her concerns about her dark presence inhabiting Amy’s body, when the emergency alarm of Raines Corporartion started echoing through the entire building.

“What is that?” Kamilah asked, confused.

“I don’t know,” Adrian ran to his computer. “But it doesn’t sound good.”

From the security cameras, they observed as a small group dressed in white marched into the building, inspecting every corner. Searching for something specific. Their clothes and weapons had a military look, like they were soldiers of some kind. Kamilah recognized immediately who they were.

“The Order Of Dawn,” she concluded. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Adrian was completely enraged. “But I won’t be standing here and watch them kill my employees.”

Kamilah followed him outside the office, with her daggers in hand. The Order Of Dawn was known for their skilled and ruthless hunters, who would kill everyone that stood in the way of their mission, humans or vampires.

“They’re at the labs,” Adrian whispered, watching the security cameras from his cell phone. “They’re… torturing them.”

Kamilah glanced at the screen, observing the soldiers holding a blade against one of the scientists’ neck. Adrian hands were shaking in anger. His eyes were dark and distant. She knew it was useless to try to calm him down at this stage.

“Look,” Kamilah pointed. “Two of them are guarding the main hall. We can ambush them and steal their outfits. It’ll make it easier for us to get the rest of them.”

“Good plan.”

They followed to the main hall through the emergency staircase, avoiding to make any noise. Arriving at the company’s entrance, they waited for the right moment to strike. Moving silent and stealth, Kamilah took down one guard while Adrian took the other.

After wearing their uniforms, Adrian checked the cameras one last time. They weren’t in a large group, only 7 soldiers, he counted. He and Kamilah proceeded with their plan, entering the laboratories disguised as members of the Order Of Dawn.

“What are you two doing here?” One of them asked, as he saw them. “You were supposed to guard the door. Raines could be arriving at any minute.”

“He won’t, Kamilah told, approaching the group, ready to draw her daggers.

"How can you be so sure?!”

“Because…” Adrian grabbed the soldier’s neck, breaking it instantly. “He’s right here.”

The remaining soldiers pulled their weapons and circled them.

“There’s six now,” Kamilah looked at Adrian. “Three for each?”

He nodded in agreement.

Kamilah’s soldiers attacked her with their UV flashlights. She looked at them for a second, before rolling her eyes.

“It seems like you haven’t received the latest updates,” she threw one of her daggers right into a soldier’s chest. “UV light doesn’t do a damn thing on me!”

Using her advanced speed, Kamilah dodged their crossbows and retrieved back her dagger. From behind, she stabbed both of them at the same time. She looked at Adrian, holding in his hands the hearts of two of his soldiers, while chasing the last of them. Kamilah streaked in his direction, daggers in hands, going straight for his neck.

“It’s over,” she said as he dropped dead on the floor.

After checking his employees, Adrian offered Kamilah drank some stored blood to recover strength and heal any minor injuries.

Kamilah’s cell phone started ringing. It was Priya.

“I know you hate me. But sending the Order Of Dawn to my club was a slut move, Kamilah!”

“What? Are they in there too?” She shared a concerned look with Adrian.

“Of course…” by the sound, Priya stopped to shoot the soldiers with a gun. “Otherwise, why would I even call you? ”

“I… I’ll send some reinforcement.”

“Those were one of my favorite shoes!” The fashion designer yelled. Panicked screams were heard in the background.

“Priya?!”

“There’s no need, I think I killed all of them. Wait…” she fired the gun again. “Yes, now I did.”

Adrian was also on his phone. The Order also attacked Lester’s business. With the help of his Clan, he managed to get rid of them.

“Leave one of them alive,” Adrian ordered. “Bring him for an interrogation tomorrow.”

He hung up. Both of their phones buzzed at the same time with texts from several vampires of Jax’s clan. The Shadow Den was under attack, by the largest group of soldiers seem in New York so far.

“Oh no.”

“We have to go,” Kamilah rushed, headed to her car. “Amy is in danger.”

———-

Amy

“Another fight?!” Lily questioned, while Amy finished putting on some make-up. Rheya would arrive soon and they’d introduce her to the life in the Shadow Den. “And because you want to have children?!”

“Yes,” Amy answered. “I just feel ready for the next step. I want to start a family with Kamilah.”

“Amy, I’m sorry but it doesn’t sound like you. I mean, you guys have been married for only a year. A lot can change.”

“What are you suggesting? Nothing is changing between us.”

“You’re a vampire now,” Lily told. “There’s so much you may want to experience. You’ll have the eternity to be a mother.”

“Being married to Kamilah, I’ve already experienced a lot,” Amy argued. “We’ve traveled to so many places, she introduced me to a lot of new things, we’ve grown up as couple… it seems like the right moment.”

“Well, that’s your decision to make. But make sure you’re not using it only to mask your past traumas.”

Amy did have a family-related trauma. She always felt abandoned, rejected by her mom. Ofter she’d seek for affection in her friend’s families. The conflicts between them only got worse when she became a teenager. In many occasions, she made her mom cry. Which was enough for her to decided the should follow different paths.

Now she had built her own life away from her hometown. She had a great job, a loving wife and she finally got answers about her mother’s behavior and her origins. In truth, she was starting to understand and even forgive her.

Having a baby with Kamilah had little to do with that. Part of her didn’t want children before because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to be a good mother, based on her own experiences. Now she wanted to break that cycle. She wanted to fix things with her mom, and at the same time, have the motherhood experience herself.

“Hello,” for some reason Rheya was already standing in the living room. “You didn’t hear me knocking, the door was opened so I entered. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

“Not at all!” Amy smiled, dismissing her thoughts. “We were waiting for you. By the way, that’s Lily. My best friend.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Lily extended her hand. “Very nice.”

“It’s my pleasure, darling. Amy talks about you all the time.”

Amy checked her watch. It was almost time for Liv’s new show to start. Both of her friends had engaged in a conversation. Lily seemed to be nervous around Rheya, panicking and stuttering. She shook her head in denial.

“Hey, you two,” she called. “Let’s go!”

First, they gave Rheya a tour of the Shadow Den. She was impressed by the place, checking all the stores and attractions the community had to offer.

“This place is amazing. A mass of vampires, rejected by The Council, build all of this? Without any support?”

“They did,” Lily told. “We made some improvements and redesigned after we were recognized as a Clan by The Council.”

“And there…” Amy pointed to the male vampire coming in their direction, “is the man behind most of it, Jax Matsuo.”

“Hey,” Jax joined them, briefly nodding at Rheya. “What are you girls up to?”

“We’re headed to Liv’s new show, but before we’re showing Rheya around.”

“Rheya, huh? I remember seeing you at the Tribunal. You saved Priya’s ass.”

“Jax,” Rheya looked deeply into his eyes and grabbed one of his hands. “Your bravery, your strength is like no other. Building this place, protecting your people, fighting for your rights… it’s inspiring. You have my admiration.”

“Whoa,” Jax’s cheeks turned a little pink. “Thank you, but I had help of my Clan members. We were all part of this.”

“I… I…” Lily made some effort to insert herself in the conversation. “I created the Fangbook. A social network for vampires.”

Rheya grinned and grabbed her hand too.

“This is also amazing, darling. An online gathering of all vampires in the world. Your knowledge can serve for greater purposes. You can achieve great things. Never doubt your potential.”

“T-Thank you.”

Amy laughed and patted her best friend’s shoulder.

Together they followed to Liv’s cabaret, finding their reserved seats in the front row. That was the debut of a show she long planned, back when she still a mortal. She looked unusually happy that night.

“This place is crowded,” Amy told Jax, before the lights went out.

“I know, right?” He said. “It’s good to finally see a smile on her face.”

A dancing number started on the stage, Amy was very focused. The music was hypnotizing. She and Lily started to move their bodies in sync to the rhythm.

“Come on, Jax,” Amy shouted. “Join us.”

“In a moment,” he looked serious at his cell phone screen. “There’s something wrong in the tunnels.”

Jax didn’t have any time to leave, as soon as he got up a group of soldiers dressed in white burst through the doors. Amy recognized them from Greece.

“The Order Of Dawn.”

“Everyone take cover!” Jax yelled, as they started to aim and shoot their crossbows at the vampires in the cabaret.

Amy stood frozen in the middle of the commotion, her eyes registering the scene all around her. Vampires attempted to run, or even to protect themselves, only to suffer cruel and painful deaths. There was a lot of screaming and crying, while the Order Of Dawn chanted:

”The Order does not yield. The Order does not sleep. The Order shows no mercy… and leaves no survivors.”

She tried to locate Rheya and Lily but they were nowhere to be seen. A tightness on her chest started to suffocate her.

“Amy!” Jax pulled her out of the way, to prevent an attack with UV light. Considering the desperation of the moment, he probably had forgotten it didn’t affect her.

“Jax,” she returned to her conscience. However, when she looked at the male vampire on the ground he wasn’t moving. His chest had a big burning wound. Tears stated to fill her eyes as she touched it. No vampire would survive an injury of that extent. “Jax, please…”

“Die,” an Order soldier appeared in front of her, with a crossbow aimed to her chest. She fired. Amy stopped the stake midway with her psychic powers.

Looking around, she could see piles of ash all around the club, along with severely hurt vampires, struggling to stay alive. Rage started to consume her. She felt her eyes burning in pure anger.

With a grin on her face, she sent the stake back in the soldier’s direction. Hitting her right in the middle of her eyes.

“What is that?” A group of soldiers came in her direction, as their member’s lifeless body fell on the ground.

Amy could feel their hearts beating. The blood flowing inside their veins. They had no idea what she could do. They had no idea of what she could become. She had the urge to kill them. All of them. She focused, gathering all her power.

“Kill her,” their leader ordered. She jerked her hand, sending all of them flying. The heavy impact against the wall crushed every bone inside their fragile human bodies.

More soldiers came in her direction. She leaped forward. With fangs drawn, she went directly to their throats. Her hands also fought, tearing into some soldiers’ chests and ripping off their hearts.

“Monster! Monster!” They started to retreat and runaway scared.

Amy couldn’t let them get away. Not after what they had done. They deserved no second chances. Only death. By the time they reached the door, she appeared in front of them.

“Leave… no… survivors!” She yelled, mocking their chant. Her hands were engulfed by fire and she send blasts in their direction. She stood and watched while it consumed their bodies.

As they silenced, she closed her eyes. She could sense a couple of human heartbeats coming from behind the bar. Taking Jax’s katana, she slowly walked to them. They barely had any time to scream. The blood spraying from their slit throats soaked her skin and her clothes. She fed herself some of it, before going back to Jax unconscious body.

She kneeled right beside him, placing her hands over the wound. And that’s the last thing she did, before collapsing in exhaustion.

#bloodbound #kamilah sayeed #kamilah x mc #playchoices #choices stories you play #bloodbound fanfiction #within you #hoping it works this time

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