Dan
London, 1857
The crash startled the three of them as they stood in wait, summoning them back into the foyer. They arrived to see Morrigan standing with her back against them, her long raven dress rippling in the squalls of wind that funneled through its broken windows. She turned, revealing an unconscious David in her arms, dried black tears in streaks down her face. Tiny shards of glass glittered in their skin and hair.
Jacob gasped. “Is he dead?”
“No,” Libraean murmured, pushing past him. “This has happened before.” He put his hand on David’s chest as he examined him, brushing flakes of glass from his temple. “His body has finally forced him to rest. He is still alive, but he is no longer with us.” He met Morrigan’s eyes. “It could take days or weeks before he returns.”
Morrigan nodded calmly, as if his words confirmed what she already suspected. “Then we will let him. Libraean and Jacob, I will need you to follow me and tend to David. Keep yourselves to the southern guest room. Dan, please fetch Cahira and tell her we will go with her to Africa.”
“And you?” Dan asked with a frown, putting his hands on his hips.
Morrigan began to carry David up the stairs. “I am going to the vaults to free Lucius.”
Dan sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.” He grabbed his cloak and headed out the door.
The winds were starting to die down, but the air stayed bitter, the way he liked it. He inhaled deeply, catching its moisture on his tongue. He would walk tonight, he decided, for although he was in a hurry, he wanted time to think, and David had kindly lent him a pair of boots that could handle the mud. He stomped through it now, the smell of spilled animal blood still tainting the woods, Morrigan’s telltale scent drifting after it, winding through the trees. He wasn’t as nervous as he assumed he would be, wondering if Cahira expected him to retrieve her.
He recalled the moment David appeared at the house searching for Morrigan. Dan was already well past the point of inebriation, three empty bottles of scotch littered around him on the parlor floor. Visions of Cahira and their last parting had been swimming relentlessly in his mind, the feel of her in his arms, the smell of her hair as it ran over his chest, her soft human skin gliding across his. It was everything he had ever imagined and more, finally able to express his devotion to her, hearing the words said back to him, the words he’d always wanted to hear. He’d lost himself in the moment, and although they had been trapped in a concrete world in a stranger’s house, they were free and wild together in each other’s embrace. It was the best moment of his existence, and once he realized it had all been a cruel trick, it had shattered him to his core.
He couldn’t drown it out, even after a hundred years of trying to ignore its dull, persistent ache. Remembering her, speaking her name out loud to the others had brought it all back as if she’d only just opened the door to see him and the shapeshifting daemoness sent to ruin their bond.
It was during this painful, drunken recollection that David burst through the door. He was out of breath, his face appearing gaunter than before, his green eyes wild. And then he smelled her, her ambrosial aroma of apples and spring blossoms hanging on David as if they just parted. Dan had lunged at him without explanation, sending him to the floor.
David had been surprised, but he fought back, deceptively strong for his average height and medium build. Dan could not think straight, drunkenly throwing around his fists until David lifted him up and sent him crashing into the hallway, where the force of his body slamming into the wall crumbled the plaster. He sat there dazed, staring at him. “How?” he managed.
“That’s what I came to tell you,” David said as he heaved for breath, blood trickling from his nose. “I found her in London. She’s still alive—she’s semimortal.”
Dan felt a sob rise in his chest. “How is that possible?”
David straightened, tucking his shirt back into his trousers. “Can we talk before you charge me again?”
“Forgive me. I’m drunk and you smell like her,” Dan muttered, his head spinning.
David sighed, stepping around the ruins of plaster and split wood, extending an arm to help him out of the rubble. He guided Dan to the parlor, where he fell onto the couch, nearly toppling it over with his weight.
David fell into the opposite one, lighting himself a cigarette and tossing Dan another. “Finding out that the love of my life spent our time apart in the Underworld with her ex-husband, my horrible brother, was a little too much for me to bear. I found myself in an opium den trying to anesthetize the pain until I ran out of money. Cahira found me strung out in an alley. Apparently, she has been slaying daemons ever since she left Paris, after discovering Angelique was not who she seemed.”
“I tried to warn her,” Dan sighed.
“Well, now she is more than aware. Angelique has been hunting her ever since, obsessed after her plans to obtain her power failed.”
Dan tried to stand. “I must go to her.”
David stopped him. “She is still angered by what transpired between you, but she is willing to look past it so that we all might work together. She has told me some interesting things about her experience which I will share as soon as we are all together.”
Libraean suddenly burst into the room. “David!” he said with relief, wrapping his arms around him. “I am so glad to see you’re safe and sound.”
David looked confused. “You’re different.”
Jacob came up behind him, and David slowly pieced together what had occurred. “Oh.” He blinked once before his face erupted into a smile. “It’s good to see you looking so well,” he told Libraean, resting his hand on his shoulder.
“And the same with you,” Libraean lied, placing his hand on his face as a father might lovingly examine his child.
“I hate to interrupt,” Dan interjected. “But are you going to tell him, or should I?”
David’s face fell. “Tell me what?”
Librean looked nervous, and he took a step back. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, anxiously licking his lips. “Morrigan fell into a deep melancholy the moment you left. She remained that way for the full week you were absent, and we were unable to get her to do much more than sip the blood we brought up to her. We had no idea when you would be back…”
“What have you done?” David said in a low voice, his expression grave.
“We thought we were doing the right thing,” Jacob timidly inserted.
“We thought we could convince her to continue the process of revealing her memories. So, we asked Lucius for his help—”
“You did what?” David roared.
“I told them it was a bad idea,” Dan muttered in the background as he watched the scene unfolding before him. David’s kind, tired face had taken on a look of rage similar to that of his brother’s.
Libraean began to speak more quickly as he argued his case. “After what she revealed in her memories, I thought he could be a good ally for us. We wanted to do our part to save the realms.”
“Where are they now?” David demanded.
Jacob kept strategically positioned behind Libraean as he wrung his hands. “We cannot find them, sir. They’ve left the manor.”
David swore, storming out of the room.
“I am sure they will return soon,” Libraean called as he followed after him. “She loves you, David, I am sure there is nothing to worry about…”
David spun around. “It is not because of jealousy, Libraean, though of course I hate when she is away from me. It is because they are a banefully destructive pair whenever they are together. You might not remember the wars and mayhem that preceded Romania, but I do.”
Libraean deflated as David marched away from him to grab his cloak. “Come on, Dan,” he called over his shoulder. Dan grabbed his own cloak and promptly followed.
The memory faded as he pushed through the thickest part of the woods, his ears picking up the rustle of nocturnal beasts. He wondered what David’s reaction would be once he found out that she planned on freeing Lucius from the vaults and taking him along with them to Africa, all in his absence. He sighed, determining it was none of his business, that the only thing he needed to worry about was how to repair things with Cahira.
He struggled to pick up her scent, but as he drew closer to the city, the stench of the polluted river overpowered all else. David had described her cabin as being right before the country turns into the city, nestled within a full patch of oak trees. He couldn’t see anything of the sort and with no smells to guide him, it was becoming a fruitless endeavor. He took a seat on a stump flattened by wear, deciding to wait for inspiration.
The stars above shone their brightest, the wee hours of morning giving them a spectacular brilliance that streamed down through the trees. It reminded him of the night he was petrified in stone, carried to their home in Auvergne and left to die. Henri hadn’t anticipated that the full moon had also peaked in intensity. The spell that had bound his canine soul had been restored after Cahira released him from hers, and as soon as the light of the pregnant moon hit the stone, Fenrir raged himself free, rocks falling away from his enormous body like pebbles. He sped after Henri, blocking the carriage with his body. The horses came to a crashing halt, jumping and neighing with fear. I’m not here for you, he told them. Stay still and you can go back alive.
Henri jumped down from the driver’s seat with his arms up in defense, an unassuming grin plastered across his narrow face. “Aw, come now, son, the boss wanted you gone. We cannot control you now since the fool you’re attached to got stronger.”
Dan suddenly realized that he was staring at the reincarnated version of Loki, the chaos god responsible for killing him and attaching his bestial child to Dan’s soul. He tried not to react as he quietly shook with rage.
“We can try to separate you again,” he continued to explain, “but then we’d have to kill the forest witch. She’s the one who brought Baldr back.” It occurred to Dan that Loki had no idea he was conscious behind the canine visage. “But the boss has plans for her, so I’ll see what she says. Why don’t you just hang here for a bit?” he suggested. “Look around you. The wolves have overrun this town, forcing the Marquis and his brood out. The castle is abandoned, why don’t you take it for yourself? Lay low for a while?”
Dan looked around him, realizing the entire village had indeed been deserted. Doors had been left open, garbage strewn about the empty streets. There was no sign of life, no livestock nor greenery, only trace decomposition lingering nearby.
“I’m going to get going, son,” Henri continued, backing towards the carriage. “It was great to see you again.”
Dan thrust out his hand, grabbing the front of his shirt with his claws. The halfling’s eyes grew wide, realizing he wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out of his situation. Dan was in no mood to prolong his agony, exhausted after his emotional day, so he used his other hand to grab Henri’s head, decapitating him before he had a chance to scream. Blood sprayed up into his face from the torn neck into his eyes, which he wiped clean with his fur after tossing the head into the road. A standard wolf came creeping around the corner of one of the buildings, sniffing around the severed head. It’s yours, just make sure there is nothing left, he told it, to which, it nodded gratefully. He removed an arm from the headless corpse, tossing it into the carriage as a message, and slammed the door.
Take this back to your mistress, he instructed the horses, which sped off with equal gratitude.
He headed back towards his old cabin, realizing he was hungry. He soon discovered he couldn’t fit through the front door, but when he opened it regardless, he was pleased to see that Geri was still there waiting.
I see you all have taken over the village, he greeted her.
Many humans were driven out by the Marquis, searching for his gold. He lost all reason after his mate died and his sons left. We made a meal of him and the rest of his pack of humans. No one comes here anymore.
Is there anything left to eat? he asked her.
No one goes into the castle except the birds and the critters. You might find something there.
Do you want to join me?
No. I want to wait for the leader.
Her words stung, for he knew she meant Cahira. He thanked her and left, moving through the ransacked village to the castle.
The doors were unlocked, dried leaves, dust, and cobwebs affirming its abandonment. Geri was right, a few stray animals had made their homes inside and it didn’t take long for him to hunt down something to eat. He sensed the approaching sunrise as he meandered about the castle, wondering if he should rest there. He no longer had to worry about shackling himself against the rampant instincts of Fenrir since his consciousness had been returned, but he knew he’d still need a place to hide each time the moon rose, a place large enough to house his gigantic form without attracting any outside attention. He looked around him at the ashen stone and frayed furniture. It would do.
The sound of rustling leaves interrupted his reverie. Dan paused to hone his ears to the sound, unable to discern exactly what created the noise. It was as if a thousand tiny creatures had started to scuttle around the forest floor, but he could smell nothing. He squinted into the darkness, finally seeing the outline of a lone cabin ahead. He hurried towards it as the sound intensified and he slammed the door shut behind him.
The cabin was cold and dark, the faintest smell of apple lingering amongst dried herbs, burnt wood, and musky furs. His tense muscles relaxed at the familiarity of the room, soothing a restlessness that had plagued him for years. It was short lived, however, for the stirring in the woods grew louder, accompanied by the presence of something much larger. He peered out the window to investigate.
The ground had come alive with what looked like thousands of crawling insects, creating a rippling current that steadily grew closer. He groaned, dismayed that his journey was being interrupted, but grateful that Cahira had left behind a few of her weapons, including a long sword hanging right on the wall, its blade made with silver.
He opened the door to reveal waves of spiders crawling towards him. He jumped onto the roof of the cabin, putting him eye level with the creature who was controlling the tiny beast—a woman who floated through the air, her once lovely face rendered hideous by spider fangs protruding out from where her mouth should have been, six spindly arms wiggling above a pair of distorted legs. You are both a vampyre and a wolf, yet you feed on one of my daughters? she sneered before he had a chance to speak.
I have had nothing but raccoon blood and scotch in my stomach for over a week. You have made a mistake.
The creature hissed, the spiders obediently halting their forward advance. I am Jorogumo, she who protects her daughters in this land. I have been summoned to exact vengeance upon the gluttonous wretch who nearly killed one of mine.
Dan frowned. There are several blood drinkers in this land, but the only one who freely kills humans has been locked away. Are you certain it was one of ours?
She was quiet for a moment as she gently bobbed in the sky, listening to her spiders. They say it was the vampyre with the copper hair, the one they call the Dragon Slayer.
Dan groaned, finally piecing together where David had been. Well, he is unconscious, he informed her. Is there anything I can do to resolve this?
The spider woman smiled, the movement making her look all the more hideous. If he lies still, the easier it will be to kill him.
He is protected right now by three very strong gods, Dan warned her, including one who can incinerate your entire army with a sweep of his hand. You can try it, if you’d like, or you can heed my warning and let me make restitution in his absence. Is the woman dead?
The creature stared blankly at him, apparently never confronted with such a predicament before. She is nearly gone, she finally replied. If you fix her, the retribution will be satisfied.
Dan sighed, lowering his sword as he considered his options. He thought of Cahira heading towards the manor, his entire being longing to be reunited with her. Yet he didn’t want to risk more strife befalling them by allowing David’s transgressions to go ignored. Take me to her and I will see what I can do.
We exist only to serve our daughter, she negated. You can find her in the eastern part of the city, in a den by the docks. With that, the arachnids and their mother retreated, leaving the forest as still as when they’d greeted it.
Dan jumped off the roof, returning Cahira’s sword where he’d found it. He ran into the city at supernatural speed, slowing only as the ground turned from dirt into cobblestones. He darted between the alleyways so fast that he stayed unnoticed by the humans, combing the brick buildings and wood storefronts with his eyes for anything that could reveal the dying woman’s whereabouts. He paused when he saw the last row of buildings near the docks, clear of factory smog but saturated with the metallic smell of freshly butchered meat and river fumes. Limehouse, the district closest to the docks.
He noted a few storefronts marked by Chinese characters, colorful lanterns hanging around the tenements above them. His eyes swept over the buildings until he caught an unassuming door, artfully masked by shadows, next to a window sooted into obscurity and covered in cobwebs. He pushed it open, revealing an opium den that appeared to cater to the upper class, but with the same dingy atmosphere as the rest of such establishments.
The woman at the door breathed in sharply when she saw him. “Take me to the sick woman,” he told her before she questioned him. “The Jorogumo sent me.”
She hushed him, nervously glancing at the languid patrons sprawled out on the floor behind her. Several women materialized, helping her usher him quickly into the backrooms. They wore costumes made of red silk, wearing harsh makeup that exaggerated their features.
They hurried him into the farthest room beyond an oversized curtain where he saw an older woman lying flat on the ground on a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets. Her pallor was bloodless, skin hanging slackly off her skull. Strong herbs seasoned the air, a crowd of young Chinese women sitting around her in various stages of prayer.
One of them stood, a woman of Eastern descent but different from the rest, her mouth pressed into an angry line. Her hair was straight and jet black, hanging past her waist, not pinned up like the others. She also lacked a matching costume, wearing a modern maroon dress webbed with black lace. “I told it to kill you,” she said in clear, unwavering English.
“I am not the vampyre you seek, but I am here to make restitution for him,” Dan explained.
The woman snorted. “How do you propose to do that?”
Dan crouched down to observe the bite on the woman’s neck, crimson spider veins radiating from the puncture marks, poisoning her blood. The two open wounds no longer bled, but did not heal either, no matter how much ointment had been applied to them. She was almost gone. “I can take her to a healer I know, or I can turn her into a creature like I am,” he offered.
The women erupted into scornful banter, none of which he could understand.
The English-speaking woman put her hands on her hips. “I am a healer, skilled in both Chinese and Japanese herbalism, and I could not help her. What makes you think your healer can?”
“She has power unlike anything I have ever seen, and I have lived for centuries,” Dan said truthfully. “She has innate knowledge of the unseen world.”
“Then bring her here.”
“This woman has an hour left at most,” he pointed out. “The healer I speak of is a human, she will not be able to travel here in time to save her.”
The woman’s cheeks grew hot, anger flashing in her dark eyes. “I will carry her then, along with you.”
“It would be better if I carried her alone. I can move at speeds that you cannot.”
The women clustered around their matron jumped away as six legs thrust rudely out from the speaking woman’s waist, ripping the seams of her dress. She hissed, her mouth prying open to reveal arachnid fangs. You were saying?
Dan gave a curt nod. “Right this way.”
Morrigan
Morrigan stomped through the mud to the cemetery, holding her skirts at her waist. She was greeted by dozens of apparitions listlessly drifting across the yard, illuminating the paths between the stones. They were aloof at her presence as she navigated her way towards the Lardone crypt, grateful to discover it had been left unlocked. She bounded down the narrow stone steps to the first vault door, where she summoned every ounce of strength she possessed to kick it open.
He sat in Libraean’s chair reading, one of his long legs bent so that his ankle rested on the other knee. He wore the remnants of Mr. Montgomery’s three-piece suit, a dark patterned vest over a black shirt opened at the throat. He looked up to see who was at the door, openly amazed to see her. “He let you come down?”
“No one has to let me do anything,” she reminded him.
“Why are you covered in blood?”
“I was hungry.”
He smiled, turning back a few pages in the book he had been perusing, the cover of which was labeled “The Morrigan” in Libraean’s handwriting. He began to read aloud: “While God created Adam, who was alone, He said, 'It is not good for man to be alone'. He also created a woman, from the earth, as He had created Adam himself, and called her Lilith. Adam and Lilith immediately began to fight. She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.' Lilith responded, 'We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth.' But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air. Adam stood in prayer before his Creator: 'Sovereign of the universe!' he said, 'the woman you gave me has run away.' At once, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent these three angels to bring her back.
“Said the Holy One to Adam, 'If she agrees to come back, what is made is good. If not, she must permit one hundred of her children to die every day.' The angels left God and pursued Lilith, whom they overtook in the midst of the sea, in the mighty waters wherein the Egyptians were destined to drown. They told her God's word, but she did not wish to return. The angels said, 'We shall drown you in the sea.'
“‘Leave me!' she said. 'I was created only to cause sickness to infants. If the infant is male, I have dominion over him for eight days after his birth, and if female, for twenty days.'
"When the angels heard Lilith's words, they insisted she go back. But she swore to them by the name of the living and eternal God: 'Whenever I see you or your names or your forms in an amulet, I will have no power over that infant.' She also agreed to have one hundred of her children die every day. Accordingly, every day one hundred daemons perish, and for the same reason, we write the angels' names on the amulets of young children. When Lilith sees their names, she remembers her oath, and the child recovers.” He closed the book, meeting her with soulful eyes. “This is what they reduced you to. The Mother of us all.”
“One of the mothers,” she corrected him softly. “In the beginning, my sister created, and I protected.”
“You love children. You are a goddess, not some mortal’s companion to have sex with.”
Morrigan sighed. “Why are you bringing this up?”
“They speak little of the Morrigan—the scant verses dedicated to her have her seducing pointless mortals for selfish gain. Nephthys is barely mentioned in Egyptian myth, overshadowed entirely by her sister, Isis. Do you realize they have written you out of history?”
“I have more important things to worry about than the opinions of men.”
“Do you?” Lucius rose from his seat, sliding the book back on the shelf where he’d found it. “You all have given me plenty of time down here to read and think, and since we parted, my thoughts have been entirely dedicated to you. Not only the poignant remembrance of my love for you, but of who you are and your existence throughout time.” He turned towards her. “Men want to forget you, to wipe the goddess out of the mouths of those who revere her. Earth is dominated by men who wish to exert power over any creature they can—it is the reason why they own slaves, why they abuse women and children. Is it not possible that their warped minds have created a deity that wants you gone? That they want your eradication, to wipe the goddess from the earth she created?”
Morrigan blinked. “The mystic who uncovered my memories told me the same thing,” she whispered. “She says the war is not gods against gods, but one against goddesses. Against me.”
Lucius frowned. “Tell David I am convinced that those who have destroyed our realms and murdered the gods are doing exactly what the humans did on earth—annihilating any competition so only their warped, exclusive patriarchy remains. I cannot do much while I’m down here, but at least I can give you that.”
Morrigan found the inside of her lip. “That is actually why I’ve come to see you. David has fallen into a deep slumber, something that apparently happens when his body demands rest. Libraean said it could take days or weeks for him to recover.” She removed herself from the path of the doorway. “I have come here to release you.”
Lucius froze for a moment in surprise, but jarred himself out of it to follow her, leaving his effects behind. As soon as they reached the open air, she grabbed his hand, pulling him down the hill, away from the graveyard. “Where are we going?” he asked.
She waited until they reached the edge of the surrounding forest before she spun around to face him. The manor loomed in the distance, the waxing moon hovering above it. “Before he went still, David told me he was planning an excursion to Africa where Anubis has reincarnated. He believes that if we are all reunited, then we are better suited to solve things…and I would like you to join us.”
“You want me to come?” he repeated in surprise, his lips sliding upwards.
“Of course,” she said lightly. “You are part of the original four, are you not?”
“Then why are we out here by the woods?”
Morrigan took a deep, steadying breath. “I need you to see my memories, the ones recalled from the time I was in the Underworld…when I was with you. I need your mind to help fill in the blank spots where I cannot see.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
She met his eyes with calm resolve, though her heartbeat began to climb. Gray clouds gathered above them in response, casting a heavy veil over the moon and stars. She turned her head to the side slowly, exposing the soft part of her neck.
His eyebrows lifted as he realized what she implied. “You trust me?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she murmured, closing her eyes.
He didn’t hesitate, pulling her into his arms against his heated body, filling her nose with his spicy scent as his fingers caught the waves of her hair. A part of her hated herself for melting against him so easily, knowing David was nearby, but when he pressed his lips against her throat, kissing her softly, he lit dormant parts of her on fire, passion jolting her to life. The sky responded with a clap of thunder, obediently releasing its rain onto them. She felt herself grow limp as his teeth pushed into her skin, finding the vein that housed her tainted blood and pulling its contents into his mouth. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the memories resurfaced, filling her consciousness as they entered his, until all she could see was the stars he’d created for her in the Underworld covering every inch of sky.
Then he kissed her lips, pulling her out of her swoon, the taste of her blood in both their mouths. She heard thunder and lightning crashing all around them, could smell the trees that had caught fire, rebelling against the rain, but found she could not break free of him, the taste of metal and smoke filling her mouth, accented by cloves.
Finally, she pulled away to see black tears had collected in his eyes. “You forgave me,” he said softly.
“And you forgave me,” she said in a voice she could barely recognize. He held her for a moment longer, one hand on her back, the other holding her hands against his chest, until her strength returned, and she could stand.
“Thank you for showing me,” he said as he gently released her. He looked away, his expression both pained and contemplative.
“I thought you should know what I know,” she murmured in explanation, the wounds on her neck slowly closing.
He looked up at the enkindled tree nearest to them. “I understand much has transpired since that time, that we have both lived separate human lives and that you found David again. I understand that we can’t simply resume where we left off.” The flames reflected in his eyes as he gazed at her. “But I will earn you again, maybe not now, but one day.”
She gave him a weak smile. “I don’t imagine you’ll ever be content leaving me be.”
“Let’s go inside,” he suggested, slipping his fingers back through hers. Though the rain had stopped, the water had pulled his curls down around his face, lengthening them, reminding her of his true appearance. “I’m convinced now more than ever that my theory is correct. We would do well to be reunited with the others, because if it is who I think is responsible for this mayhem, we will need our combined power to stop it.”
Morrigan nodded, hurrying alongside him to the manor.
Something in the air had shifted since the rain subsided, a low fog snaking through the trees. From the corner of her eye, Morrigan noticed that the spirits who haunted the lonely cemetery had disappeared.
Lucius abruptly paused in his tracks. “Something is here.”
The ground trembled beneath them, and he quickly pulled her back through the cemetery into the Lardone crypt and to the vault. He located one of Libraean’s towering cabinets and wrenched it open to reveal hundreds of artifacts collected over time.
“What is out there?” she asked as he rummaged through it.
“I don’t know, but I want to be prepared,” he muttered, throwing open another cabinet. This one contained ancient weaponry, some that Morrigan recognized from Wallachia. He retrieved a sword, tarnished with age, but still bright where it had been dipped in silver.
Above them, the Earth’s tremors increased as if a vast army had descended upon them. Lucius offered her the sword, but she brushed past him, selecting an old spear that had been shoved towards the back. She doubted it once belonged to her, but it felt good in her hands, tiny whispers of who she once was surrounding her as she swung it around with ease.
Lucius beamed at her. “I know we haven’t battled yet in these bodies, but I think we can manage.”
Morrigan responded by ripping off her bottom layer of skirts and hurrying back up the stairs, anticipatory adrenaline coursing through her veins. Lucius darted after her, the two greeted by exactly what they had assumed—an army of daemons heading straight towards the manor from the woods. The obscene, lumpy creatures appeared to be made of stone, pulling themselves clumsily through the wet earth. Red, gooey tendons held together the rocks that formed their bodies, and they were armed with swords, maces, and lances, all glinting in the moonlight.
Morrigan looked up to see crows had gathered above them, awaiting her command. She smiled, grateful to know they were still with her. Her gaze moved back to survey their numbers, estimating it to be in the hundreds. It would be tiresome, especially since she just lost so much blood, but she surmised they could sweep through them within an hour or so. She wished she could warn Libraean, who was alone with Jacob and the unconscious David in the manor. Suddenly she remembered he had once been a shapeshifter, one who could take on the guise of a wild boar. Libraean, we are being attacked by daemons. I am with Lucius, and we will hold them off, but make sure Jacob and David are safe.
It took a moment before she heard his gentle reply echoing in her mind. I hadn’t realized we could speak this way. I will protect them with my life—be safe.
Morrigan braced herself as the horde drew in, ready for them. Or so she thought before she noticed what came from behind.
It towered over the treetops, a massive, lumbering beast that appeared more like a detached mountain moving forward than an animated being. It let out a horrific, unearthly clamor that shook the Earth with its sound. As it grew closer, it revealed three arms with taloned fingers and three giant legs that pushed its jagged shape forwards. The same fleshy material held its boulders together, hundreds of horrible eyeballs rolling in its neckless head.
Lucius groaned. “Someone has summoned Asag from the depths of Tartarus.”
“Who is that?”
“An ancient daemon from Sumer, a creature made of flesh and rock who commands his own army of stone,” Lucius sighed. “He’ll align himself with whoever feeds him a few scraps of human flesh. He is mine to take down.”
The smaller daemons finally reached the place where they stood, the stench of sulfur now overwhelming, pulling bile up into Morrigan’s throat. It offered more fuel to her fight, wanting to get rid of them as quickly as possible. “Well, we shall see who gets there first,” she teased him in response and, without letting him reply, catapulted into the mob.
She ducked and twisted around them as she steadily skewered them with her spear, severing the binding cords that held them together. She was pleased to learn that although her new body was larger, it was just as limber, with an added strength and height that proved her advantage. She tore through them, invoking the inner storm that screamed at her to destroy, to kill. Her crows dove in to assist, filling the yard with their screeching as they tore out the creatures’ bulging eyes, rendering them helpless until she could catch up. Soon she was covered in mud, rain, and daemon blood, her body singing with euphoria as she watched the creatures surrounding her reduced to rubble.
She paused to catch her breath, sneaking a peek at Lucius. He seemed to have no trouble recalling his inner warrior, slashing through creature after creature with his sword, dismembering them with ease. She realized he was beating her in their playful competition, inching closer and closer to the giant daemon, who moved steadily towards David’s manor. She took to the skies, momentarily startled to observe a seemingly endless horde of daemons materializing out of the shadows. She screeched at Lucius, letting him know she was heading towards their king, hoping to blind it before it could get any further.
The rest of her swarm followed suit, the revolting stench hitting its peak as she flew up to it. The crows dove at the giant daemon’s eyes as it opened its huge, stinking mouth to protest. A few fell victims to its teeth as it chomped down, deciding the best way to fight them was to crush their tiny bodies in its jaws. The crows began to retreat, rising higher in the sky as the mountainous fiend resumed its persistent plod forward.
Morrigan began to worry, wondering how they would be able to stop both the swarming minions and their grotesque master, when suddenly she heard a noise she had not heard in eons. She flew upwards to join her flock, looking down to see the rock creatures devoured in a torrent of flames. Above them, a great black dragon took to the skies, fanning the fire with its leathery skeletal wings. I gave him some of my power with my blood, she realized. He can now shapeshift.
She watched Lucius release his fire onto Asag, the daemon king screaming in agony as its trio of arms swung fruitless swords in his direction. From the woods, they were suddenly joined by packs of wolves, who promptly tore the remaining creatures apart until all that was left was the two gigantic beasts locked together in battle.
Morrigan flew back down to aim at its eyes with her beak, skillfully darting out of the way before it had a chance to chomp down on her. The dragon fire finally succeeded in dismantling one of its legs, the daemon furious at its sudden incapacitation. The dragon soared higher into the skies. Morrigan flew out of the way and perched on the roof, watching as the giant black creature reached the apex of sky and dove down in a form that rivaled an osprey, letting out a torrential stream of fire. It melted every eyeball out of the daemon’s sockets, the boulders that created its form finally collapsing. The ground shook with the impact, the wolves retreating as giant rocks crashed to the ground.
Morrigan waited until she knew the daemon was completely dead and Lucius was safely back on the ground before she flew down and landed, tumbling back into her human form as she opened the clouds to rain. It drenched the scorched land, officially putting the battle to rest. Elation coursed through her veins as she ran towards Lucius, who had also shifted back into human form, bewildered at the magic he’d just invoked. She surprised him further by jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and planting a kiss firmly on his lips. It quickly escalated in passion, the two still exhilarated from the fight.
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Lucius released her as they both apprehended a woman standing before them. She was short but not petite, masculine attire revealing a stacked, muscular physique. She held a crossbow, her long curls drenched with rain.
“Cahira.” Morrigan recognized the woman from Dan’s tale.
She nodded, breathless from her own fight. “Nice to meet you,” she called over the rain. “We should go inside. I don’t think that will be the last of the creatures Angelique sends my way.” She looked at Lucius with a raised eyebrow. “Glad to see you’ve joined the better side.”
“Hello,” he said with a nod.
“You know each other?”
“It’s a long story,” he replied. “We met long ago, when I was still a child.”
“Wasn’t Daniel on his way to retrieve you?” Morrigan asked her.
“I sensed he was drawing close, but the daemons were approaching faster. I left before he could reach me. Although I see that you clearly didn’t need my help.”
“You sent the wolves ahead of you,” Morrigan realized.
“Yes. I also released my scent into the air for the first time in centuries so Dan could find me—however he is not the only creature that hunts me, and we might have more company soon.”
“We should get inside,” Morrigan echoed her earlier suggestion.
They hurried across the slippery terrain through the front door of David’s home. The foyer that greeted them was still in shambles, splintered glass glinting in the muted lamplight, a gentle breeze trickling in through the open spaces left in the window’s absence. Lucius surveyed the damage with a raised eyebrow, but he didn’t say a word.
Cahira seemed unimpressed by the derelict manor, studying Morrigan and Lucius instead. She wrinkled her nose. “Are you all so incredibly tall?”
Libraean suddenly appeared from the parlor hall and in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, hugged Morrigan as soon as he saw her. She blinked, thrown off by the gesture. “Forgive me for my anger towards you,” he said. “You have saved us all. I must trust that no matter what happens, your heart is pure.”
Morrigan felt her cheeks get hot. “I did have a bit of help.” She gestured towards Lucius.
“Ah, but I would still be trapped in the vaults if not for you,” he reminded her.
“Libraean, this is Cahira,” Morrigan swiftly changed the subject.
The elderly creature looked her way, his overall expression shifting from heartfelt gratitude to stark disbelief. “You are a liminal being.”
It was Cahira’s turn to look surprised. “How did you know?”
Libraean smiled, his clear blue eye twinkling. “I happen to be the first one to have ever graced this earth. Which means you were born of creatures. I have never met another like me, only read of their existence.” His gaze moved behind her. “Where is Dan?”
“I left before he could catch up to me.”
“Then he should be here soon.” Libraean’s eyes flitted towards Lucius, picking up a bit of rueful contempt during their journey.
“How is he?” Morrigan asked.
Libraean sighed. “The same.”
Morrigan turned towards Cahira. She had a familiar look about her, youth eternally frozen on her round, unlined face, but with eyes that told a different tale. They looked eerily similar to the man who stood next to her, a warm yellow brown that looked like honey. She seemed weary, even as her chestnut curls resumed their buoyancy as they dried, an attribute that only furthered her youthful visage. “David is unconscious,” she informed her. “We are uncertain when he will wake.”
“What do you mean—he just left my house!” Cahira blurted out.
“David is the oldest creature among us, second only to me, and he has not been right for several years now,” Libraean explained gently. “It is my personal theory that he has lived in one body for far too long. While I am aging, inching closer towards a peaceful death, he remains frozen in time. It is my thought that this requires a considerable amount of energy to maintain. He is susceptible to spells of melancholy when he does not rest, and once he has fallen, he does not revive easily. Once, he lay dormant for a fortnight, another, he was gone for an entire month. It is something that I have had to accept, as did his manservant, Jacob.”
Cahira was incredulous. “So, the creature we are supposed to depend on to save the realms is taking a nap?”
Lucius stifled a chuckle.
“Enough.” The forceful echo of Morrigan’s voice silenced them all. “We cannot possibly fathom what existing for millennia does to a soul forced to live in a solitary vessel. I once grew quite mad, myself, and I’d only been alive a few centuries. We are going to do the best we can with this situation, for it now falls upon us to make decisions in his absence. Let us move to the library and wait for Daniel to return.”
Cahira sighed loudly but followed them into the room opposite the parlor.
Libraean shuffled towards the gilded fireplace, but Lucius beat him to it, bringing firelight into the room with a wave of his hand. As Cahira approached the heat to revive her cold limbs, Lucius looked around in unabashed wonderment, observing the endless volumes of books whose cabinets stretched to the ceiling. He ran his fingers along their spines, his mouth moving ever so slightly as he read their titles. Morrigan smiled despite herself, grateful to see the old familiar trait still reflected in him.
After a few moments, Cahira withdrew from the fireplace, her hair and clothing reasonably dry. For a moment, she looked equally as impressed at the array of books stacked around them, but returned her focus to the flames, flopping down on one of the leather upholstered chairs as she crossed her arms.
Morrigan settled down across from her, undeterred by her hostility. “David told us of your plans before he fell ill. We all agreed to join you on your excursion to Africa. Are you willing to discuss your travel plans with me or would you prefer to wait for Dan to arrive?”
Cahira sat upright. “I do not need to wait for anyone.”
“Hm, she reminds me of someone I know,” Lucius muttered behind a smile, settling down next to Morrigan.
His close proximity threw her off for a moment, even though the adrenaline she’d invoked during their battle dwindled and her rational sense returned. He managed to stir up things inside her, and she had to force her attention to remain centered on the pressing matters at hand, rather than hone in on his alluring scent, even more potent from the rain. “Do you have a ship that can take us there?” she asked Cahira.
“I have one docked at the eastern port,” she replied, “though it is not a luxurious mode of transportation by any means. It brought my companion and I over from France, but I’m not convinced it could withstand a month-long journey overseas.”
“Companion?”
They were interrupted by a loud commotion coming from the hallway. Dan burst through the door, an unconscious human in his arms. They all jumped up from their seats in alarm.
From behind him appeared another woman with long, straight black hair swaying behind her, with eyes so dark they looked as if they shared an equal shade. Power drifted around her like the webbing of the spider, invisible to the naked eye, but vivid to Morrigan. She was a goddess.
Cahira recognized her immediately. “What is the meaning of this, Jori?” she demanded.
When the woman spoke, Morrigan could hear the distinction of a hundred tiny voices creating one low chord that could pass for a human’s voice. “They summoned me and there was little I could do. I am still bound by their magics when I am nearby. If this vampyre doesn’t save this woman’s life, I have to kill one of them to satisfy the call.”
“Like hell you will,” Lucius muttered, provoking a nudge from Morrigan. The action helped her realize how close she’d moved towards him, and she took a step in the opposite direction.
“I can fix her,” Cahira caught Dan’s eyes. They lingered for a moment before he set her down on the floor. She knelt down to examine her wound, pulling a small vial of liquid from her boot. She uncorked it with her teeth, dotting its contents onto the open punctures and replacing the vial, putting one hand on the ground and another over her neck.
Morrigan felt a shift in the air as the scent of jasmine and lilies drifted in the wind. The small hairs on her skin lifted, an ancient presence she had long been separated from filling the room. Lucius whispered exactly what she was thinking, “Isis.”
Cahira stood, her earlier animosity absent, replaced by a serenity that set her skin aglow. “There,” she said softly. The sores on the woman’s neck had disappeared, life pulling back into her cheeks.
Jori knelt down to examine the woman, who was still dazed, but clearly revived. “It has been resolved,” she said with a curt nod. She looked up at Cahira. “I will take her back to her family. Keep your jiangshis in line.” The room filled with the hissing of insects as a mound of spiders rose up around the goddess and her priestess, only to fall away and scuttle back into the shadows.
“I thought the Jorogumo was Japanese,” Lucius commented absently.
Cahira looked his way. “You are correct. Jori was born of Chinese parents, yet her reincarnated soul is the Japanese Jorogumo. She is not a daemon, but a deity, much like the hundreds of other vilified goddesses in history.”
“Ah,” Lucius nodded. “Quite a common theme as of late.”
Dan cleared his throat loudly. His eyes had not left Cahira since he’d walked in, even after all that had transpired. Morrigan was hit with a wave of sympathy for him, knowing how badly he’d yearned for their time to reconcile.
Libreaen, who had been silently observing the scene before him, broke in. “Perhaps we should give you both a moment?”
Cahira quickly shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I am willing to push past our history so we can work together,” she said, keeping her eyes averted from his general direction.
“Let us sit,” Morrigan suggested, not wanting to prolong his discomfort, nor waste any more time. “We need to resume talk of our travels.”
“Then allow me to swiftly interject,” said Lucius as he took his chair. “Cahira remembers me when I was a young boy in the midst of being groomed by a group of immortals to eventually swap places with the most recent heir to the French throne. As you can probably guess, I was not up for being controlled, even with the promise of power. I ran away before they could make the switch, but I took their fortune with me. When their leader, Angelique, still managed to make herself Queen, I helped rile up the humans to chop off her head. She managed to escape the guillotine at the last moment, but that is a very long story for another day. My point being, the fortune I stole was vast, and with it, I purchased a new identity and now own several businesses under the name Victor Regis.
“As a young man, I spent long hours in the salons, engaging in conversations regarding everything from religion to abolition. It was during this time I decided to purchase several trading ships under the nom de plume for the purpose of transporting palm oil out of the Kingdom of Dahomey once the humans finally ceased their despicable slave trade. One of my ships is quite large, intended to be used for the transport of both goods and passengers. Though the idea has been around for some time, it is the first of its kind to see completion, built specifically for me.”
“I see you never lost your flair for extravagance,” Libraean commented mildly.
“So, you are proposing that we sail to France to retrieve it, where Angelique and her entire entourage is located?” Cahira snorted.
Morrigan put up her hand to pause the conversation. “I am going to need to know more about this Angelique.”
Cahira met her eyes. “When Dan and I arrived in Paris in 1751, we thought we would discover David, but instead we met Angelique, the leader of a group of questionable gods in human form. She claimed to be Aphrodite incarnate and she had turned all of them into vampires, waiting until Louis—ah, I mean Lucius—became of age to turn him and place him on the French throne. I realized she was a vile, self-serving creature before she had the chance to turn me. I fled from her stronghold, and she has been pursuing me and my power ever since.”
Morrigan turned to Lucius with a raised eyebrow. “How did you manage to be deceived by her, he who is rarely deceived?”
Lucius frowned in an uncharacteristic display of shame and regret. “I was a child, Morrigan. She knew exactly what to say, how to smell, what to do.”
“She looked like you,” Cahira offered.
“Oh,” Morrigan felt heat rise in her cheeks.
“She could shapeshift,” Dan added. “She deceived me as well.”
Cahira’s lips tightened, her face suddenly colorless. She leaned back into her seat, withdrawing herself from the conversation.
“I started to sense that things were not what they seemed not too much longer after I met Cahira,” Lucius continued. “My instincts were eventually confirmed, but I decided to wait until she turned me into an immortal before I ruined her plans.”
“Yet she is still alive and is still pursuing Cahira,” Morrigan pointed out. “And apparently she is pursuing us as well since she sent an army of daemons to our door.”
“Alone, she is nothing, but she has amassed quite a following of misplaced daemons and unsavory gods who look to her as if she is some kind of savior,” Lucius told her.
Morrigan could feel her eyes narrowing. “I need to speak to you - alone.”
“Of course,” he stammered, rising to his feet.
Morrigan turned to Cahira. “You said your ship is docked at Limehouse? And we would be able to take it down the river, across the ocean to France?”
“Yes,” Cahira assured her. “She is a good, safe ship. As soon as you give the word, I will make sure she’s ready to sail.”
“Then let us all prepare for travel during the daylight. We'll take Cahira’s boat to France, retrieve Lucius’s ship, and sail from there to Africa. If we do run into this Angelique, we will take care of it. Cahira, we will be ready by nightfall.”
She nodded, rising to her feet. “I will have everything in order by the time you arrive.”
Dan blocked her path as she started to leave. “Let me help you,” he offered.
She scowled. “I’m not ready to speak with you yet. There is too much work to be done.”
“Then we will not speak.”
“It is daylight.”
“Morrigan,” Dan called, without breaking eye contact, nor moving out of the way. “Can you ensure cloudy skies, light rain?”
She stifled a smile. “I can.”
Dan gave Cahira a satisfied smile. She rolled her eyes as she strode out.
“I will see you at nightfall,” Dan told the rest of them as he followed after her.
“What of David?” Libraean asked Morrigan after they’d left.
“He is coming with us,” she decided. “We will come up with a plan to transport him after I have spoken to Lucius.”
Libraean nodded, heading back up the stairs to retrieve Jacob. Morrigan and Lucius were left alone in the capacious library, pulling memories of the Underworld to the front of her mind.
“Well?” He crossed his arms.
Morrigan studied his face. “There is more to this story that you are telling me, I can feel it.”
His lips turned up into a mischievous grin. “Do I detect jealousy?”
Morrigan whipped around to snatch a letter opener from the desk, chucking it through the air at his head. He ducked out of the way so that it only grazed his earlobe. “Do not test my patience,” she warned, as it skewered the wall with a sharp thud.
Lucius put up his hands in defense. “Please stop trying to kill me.”
“Then cease your insufferable head games.”
“I told you, Angelique found me when I was very young, a confused, angry child of nine. She was able to get into my head immediately. She appeared to me first as a young girl with dark hair and blue eyes, smelling of autumn leaves and fresh rain. Then she would appear to me in a matronly form, smelling of rosewater—the exact perfume worn by the elderly woman who adopted me. She knew exactly what she was doing, grooming me to become who she wanted me to be. I figured it out long after I became immortal, when I began remembering bits of my past.”
Morrigan simmered with fury, imagining some creature manipulating him as a child, but she managed to keep it at bay. “So she knew your true nature and that I was your wife. That means she knows me. I do not believe for one moment that she is simply the Greek goddess of love. This goes much deeper than that.”
“I agree, but we are not going to know anything for sure until we reach Anubis.”
“No, we cannot wait that long,” Morrigan murmured. “After we board Cahira’s ship, we are going to access my memories, the ones that are missing from my time in the Underworld with you.”
“How will you do that without a medium?”
“Cahira,” she said simply, turning to leave.
Lucius grabbed her around the waist as she brushed past, his warmth coming through her dress. She swallowed as he pulled her into his eyes. “When did I lose you again?” he asked her softly.
“Let us resolve this first,” she said. “Then perhaps we can resolve us.”
He nodded in understanding, though he wore a wistful expression as he slowly released her.