godBut she felt another grab her from behind, holding her effectively as it bit her neck again and again. She was lost, she knew it. Already her body was not responding to her movements. All she could focus on was the laughter of Nessa and Anaya. But her thoughts soon turned to her love and she smiled, seeing him in her mind's eye as darkness settled over her vision.
"There's a sword sticking through my chest," Victor thought dumbly. He looked down at it, not sure where it had come from. It was twisted sharply and he threw his head back and screamed from the exploding pain. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as his voice died away, fading with all the other noise into silence. The sword had pierced his heart, he had felt it done so.
Yet he was still alive. Or maybe he was dying? Was that darkness settling over his vision? Maybe it was just his eyelids? Could angels even die? His thoughts were a jumbled mess. Victor's wings struck out at the offender, sending him flying through the air as he reached back to pull the sword out from his chest. Time began to speed up again yet the movements of those around were achingly slow.
He threw the sword, impaling two vampires together, killing them instantly as he blocked another who had swung an ax. His vision changed then and he saw the world in colors; the auras were back. He saw Link, his body submerged in dark red with sky blue lightning bolts shooting through his aura. Fire lanced out from his body, striking the vampires around them one after another. He disappeared the next instant, his aura leaving a trail out the doors.
Victor looked around him and saw that out of the vampires left, there was only Katherine and Robert. None of the demons had survived the fire. Christof dropped the sword he had stopped inches from his head, brushing the dust from the dead vampire. "Well, didn't know the old boy had it in him," Lucifer said. His clothes were singed. Before the sudden fire 'show', two demons had grabbed a hold of him and now were just a pile of dust like most of the other bodies.
"So what now?" Katherine asked. Her arms were blackened from Link's fiery attack. "Do you plan on killing us like some mangy..." She gasped, looking down at the gaping hole that had appeared in her chest. There, clutched in a hand, was her heart. Robert pulled his hand back, crushing her heart as he did so. "I never did like you, stupid bitch," he said as she crumbled lifelessly to the floor. "Boy...that was anti-climatic," Christof said. "What are you going to do to me?" Robert asked, bending down to wipe his bloody hand on Katherine's clothes.
"Just tell me where my son is," Victor said. "Oh...you mean the baby the Machiavellians stole," Robert replied. "If he's dead..." he started to say. Robert quickly put up his hands. "Hey, he's alive. The last time we saw him," Robert said. He kept talking seeing the angel move towards him. "They got ambushed along the way. The baby was taken by an angel." "What?" Lucifer asked, turning his attention to Robert. "Like I said. He was taken by an angel. She said her name was Alicia?"
Lucifer jerked at the name but didn't say anything more. "So..." Robert started to say. Victor nodded his head angrily and the ancient vampire left without further prompting. "You know Alicia too," Victor said, it wasn't a question. "Yes. And you know why they took him," Lucifer countered. "As much fun as this all is, I'm not going to stick around. I've had enough dealing with all of this," Christof said suddenly. "What? You're leaving?!" Victor asked incredulously.
"Don't get all girlie on me now, angel boy. I never intended to stick around, risking my life for idiots like you. Frankly, I have no intentions of going up against God and her fucking angels. No offense Lucifer but I hate your brothers and sisters," Christof said. Lucifer shrugged his shoulders but didn't say anything. "Fine, go ahead and leave too. I'm sure Link will..." "Link will want to save Sarah and then leave. That kid is not a fighter. Not the kind that you'll need going up against God," Christof said.
"Oh, you son of a bitch," Victor moaned. "I know. Have fun," Christof said cheerily. Before Victor could respond, the vampire left, gone almost without a second thought. For a few moments, all Victor could do was stare. He hadn't really believed Christof was being serious yet he had just left. And if he was telling the truth, Link would leave after saving his love. "Come on," Lucifer said. Without a word, he headed out the door. After a moment, he followed the seraph angel to the rooftop.
Link didn't know how he could conjure fire. Certainly he had never done it before; the only other time had been in the nightmare where Sarah had died. He felt the power pull back into him as he raced up to the roof, leaving a trail of ashes and burnt bodies behind him as he went. The door to the roof burst open, decapitating a vampire and striking another, flinging her and the door over the side of the building. Her scream was lost in the inferno that struck out from Link.
Nessa and Anaya jumped over the side of the building. It was thirty stories down to the bottom yet they fell, unafraid. Anaya grabbed onto a ledge halfway down, the force of the fall, dislocating an arm and she screamed in spite of herself, keeping her hold. Nessa fell a few stories more, pulling the same stunt to stop her fall. Up above, they saw the towering fire that shot up into the sky but they didn't care. It was time for them to leave, suffer the punishment for failing a job and move on. There would be time later to redeem themselves.
The Bazel holding Sarah dropped her as they turned as one toward the new threat. But they were too slow, horribly so compared to Link as he sent the fire against them. They screamed in unison, an unearthly noise that shattered the windows below them ten stories down, sending glass sprinkling down onto the ground, a danger to passing humans who ran for cover. When the fire died, there was nothing left of the Bazels, not even ash. The fire made its way back into Link, seeping into him, disappearing and leaving him breathless...not that he needed to breathe.
Link ran to Sarah's side, picking her up to cradle her. He placed his cheek on her chest, keeping still as he struggled to listen for any signs of life within her. "She's alive...but just barely," a voice spoke up behind him. "Can you save her, Lucifer?" he asked, turning to face the seraph angel. Victor was by his side, his coat long since gone, the black wings that showed his status folded in place behind him. "My healing powers were stripped of me when I became a fallen," he said. "I'm sorry, Link."
Link nodded, holding his love close to him. "Buon per niente angeli[1]," he said. "I have to go, Victor," Link said, putting up a hand as he started to speak. "Vampires have few things to live for in life. Those of us who have survived millennia, do it for some reason or another. Sarah is my reason. Let me do this and then I'll help you...if it's not too late." Victor stayed silent for a moment then nodded. "Alright," he said with a sigh. "Thank you, Victor. You'll have to take me to where I need to go. The demon realm is not a place either of us would like to be at the moment."
Victor turned to Lucifer but the angel had already begun to move away from them. "Go on, the two of you. I'll meet up with you when you're ready. I have more things to do," he said. Without another word, he took off into the sky, gone and out of sight within a few moments. "How come he didn't just travel by thought?" Victor asked suddenly. "That's how we got here." "You've got vampire blood in you. Witches haven't learned yet how to keep us out where we don't belong. Irritates the hell out of them. Now come on, please. Sarah doesn't have much time," Link said. The angel sighed, his thoughts on his son as he took Link to the place he had in his own thoughts.
Jake had been a security guard for almost twenty years and working at a mental institution had never been a place he expected to work at. But it was a job that let him have time to spend with his family during the day up until he had to go to work. Working the night shift did have its downsides but he enjoyed it. He whistled softly, walking along the perimeter when he heard a noise behind him.
"Who's there?" he asked, shining his flashlight behind him, his hand reaching for his nightstick when he recognized who it was. "Chris? You're alive," he said incredulously as he stepped toward the robed man. His hair was a mess and he was muttering to himself, shielding his eyes from the light instinctively. "Hi-hi, Jake. I had to go. I was hungry. I needed food," Chris said, letting himself be led in the direction of the institute.
Chris had disappeared over a month ago, his disappearance a puzzle to the doctors and orderlies on duty that night. How he had managed from a locked room was a mystery and there had been heavy investigations of all those on duty. But he was back, seemingly healthy, if still under the belief that he was a vampire. Sometimes he found his way out into the halls, talking with some of the other patients or watching TV.
"Where have you been all this time, Chris?" Jake asked, wanting to put the man at ease. Chris was strong, freakishly so as some of the orderlies had found out after trying to make him go out of his room in the daytime. Two of them had required stitches and another a cast on his arm. Medication didn't do any good on the guy and no amount of restraints kept him held for long. But the doctors soon found out that if they allowed Chris to stay relatively free and let him stay in during the daytime, he would go along with whatever they wanted.
"Can I see Bella, Jake?" Chris asked, bobbing his head from side to side. "I'm sorry, Chris but I'll need to...uh, I mean, yeah, of course, Chris," Jake said, feeling the man tense up suddenly at the prospect of being denied. He had seen the orderlies the day after their mishap with Chris and he didn't want to visit the hospital any time soon. He remembered suddenly that the doctors had said never to deny Chris anything whenever he bobbed his head like that. Not unless they wanted to get him mad.
They headed past the guard station and he nodded curtly at Joe who stood up, seeing Chris. "Hey Joe, we're just going to go see, Bella. You'll let Doctor Levitt know Chris is back, right?" he asked as he kept pace with the determined Chris. "Uh, yeah, I'll call and let him know." They turned the corner as Joe began dialing. "You're good, Jake." Chris said, patting his arm.
Before the guard could say a word, Christof struck the man, knocking him into the wall. He didn't bother to check to see how Jake was, he knew the human was still alive as he hurried ahead. Sure, he could have taken the easy way and just sneak his way back in but where would the fun be in that. Besides, it was always fun pretending to be insane. Christof stopped in front of the door to Bella's room, tearing it free from the wall and throwing it to the other side. By now, the other patients began to wake up, those not on medication and were hollering as an alarm sounded.
Bella, or Isabella as she had been known, was a petite girl, just an inch or two over five feet. Her long, silky-black hair was tied back in a ponytail as it had been when he last saw her. She lay on her bed facing the window as she usually was at night. Despite the commotion, she hadn't moved a muscle. He had met her in Peniche, Portugal, a small fishing village where she had been born. Back then, she had been full of life and vigor. It pained him to see her like this.
Seeing as how things were going to hell in a hand basket with Victor and the others, he wanted to be near Bella, who reminded him in a way of his beloved wife, who had died millennia ago, killed by the angels who had nearly wiped out his kind. He had no idea what had brought on her catatonic state and short of turning her into a vampire, he didn't see how he could bring her back. She was healthy though because of his blood, which he fed her to keep her from harm.
"We're going back to Peniche, Bella. You'll like it, I hope," he said, picking her up in his arms. For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of emotion but there didn't seem to be any change in her state. Maybe it was just blind hope. He sighed, stepping into the demon realm just before Joe and the doctors reached the door.
They arrived in a well-lit home, an almost normal-looking setting...if it wasn't for the fireplace with its purple and blue fire. There was a girl humming in the kitchen as she cooked something sweet-smelling. Almost a second later, the lights in the house pulsed rapidly and she turned towards them, pointing a hidden gun at them. "Don't shoot, Jessie, it's me," Link said, stepping in front of Victor. "What the hell are you thinking bringing an angel here?" she asked as she held the gun pointed at Victor.
"He's a fallen angel and part vampire," he said, not moving. The roaring silence seemed to build before finally she put the gun away. Her eyes held suspicion as she looked at Victor but turned to concern when she looked at Sarah. "What happened to her?" she asked, walking toward them. "I need you to put Sarah into the tank. She was being drained by Bazel demons," he said. Without a word she moved towards the unadorned wall, touching a couple spots in quick succession as she whispered under her breath.
A portal opened up in the wall, showing a space larger than the room they were in. There were other witches there working on various experiments. In the center, there was a giant tank nearly seven feet tall filled with a red liquid. Victor knew what was in it and understood in a way, why they had come here. "Go on, I'll wait here with the angel," she said. "I'm not here to..." he started to say but Link interrupted him. "They won't care, Victor. Angels, even fallen ones, aren't loved by all."
Without waiting for a reply, Link stepped through, heading towards the tank of blood. "Will that save her?" Victor asked, watching Link jump up to the platform above the tank. For a moment, Victor was sure that Jessie was going to ignore him but finally she answered. "I'm not sure. Bazels demons don't kill you physically. They drain your life force, the energy that keeps a person alive. In reality, everyone has an almost unlimited energy source, what you angels see as auras. Bazels though can drain a person faster than the energy can replenish itself."
Link had by now, lowered Sarah into the tank and into a harness. He had bit her arm before sealing it shut, leaping down to the ground effortlessly. "It's what your god harvests for herself," she added bitterly. "She's not my god. From what I hear, she's as mortal as you and me," he said, putting his hands in his pockets as he watched Link. "We know. But so far, only her angels have been the only ones who can reach where she lives." Link stood near the tank for a moment, looking up at Sarah, trailing his hand across the glass. "Try not to be near him if she dies. He's never been good with grief," she said ominously.
The two watched Link head back towards them, glancing one final time at Sarah before stepping through the portal. "Do what you can," he said to Jessie as she sealed up the portal. He turned to Victor, his icy blue eyes hardening as he clenched his fists. "Let's go, Victor. I know how we can meet god."
"Link, what are we doing here? I don't think god hangs around the red light district," Victor said, looking around at the run-downed neighborhood they had appeared in. The street lights were sporadic, most broken and offering little illumination. "She doesn't. We're here for someone else," Link said, walking up to an abandoned building. He paused for a moment outside the large doors, looking around him.
"What are you..." Victor began to say when suddenly he was pushed backwards by Link. A ball of purple energy flew past where he had been and the fire that Link had commanded earlier burst into view. There was a scream and a cry of pain as the unseen attacker was burnt to a crisp. Link turned back towards the door, placing his palms flat against it. "Keep a look out, Victor. These demons won't give up their prize too easily," he said.
The doors lit up bright blue, the magic protecting it fighting against the blazing fire Link called up. Victor turned his back, facing the near-empty streets. He consciously willed the auras to view, using it to look for any hidden demons. His wings formed a barrier as he spotted something come at him from the corner of his eye. The energy attack fizzled as he turned, grabbing the clawed hands of a reptilian demon as it moved in. It snapped its massive jaws at him, swinging its tail to knock him off his feet as he grappled with the demon.
Victor kicked the demon away, wishing he had a weapon. A black hilt appeared in his hand; it had gold stripes that wound its way up the hilt. A bright, fiery blade split into two burst to view, a vibrant white/red color. The demon tried to back up but Victor, urged on by the appearance of the sword, moved in with his angelic speed, spearing the demon before it could take more than a step. The same energy that made up the sword coursed its way through the demon's body, engulfing it quickly.
The demon's screech of pain cut out mid-way as it disappeared, swallowed up by the light of Victor's sword. There was a hiss followed by a earth-shattering boom that rocked the neighborhood for miles around. Car alarms went off and windows shattered in the distance as the door exploded inward. "Come on, Victor. Keep your sword out," Link said unnecessarily as he led the way inside.
There were five demons in the building, surrounding a large green barrier. The building itself was just a shell despite the look of it from the outside. If the demons noticed the explosion, they didn't show it as they kept their post. Victor saw three more demons, watching them passively. The largest of the three stood nearly ten feet tall and was massive in size. It had two pits where the eyes would have been as it stared sightlessly at them. For a moment, Victor was reminded of what trolls were supposed to look like and figured this demon was where the description had been taken from.
The two other demons were smaller, a little over six feet each. They were extremely thin; their skin as white as snow. Their eyes were black as the darkest night. Each had a feral smile on their face as their clawed-tip fingers held weapons similar to Victor's own sword. "We have a visitor, Brother," the demon on the right said, keeping its eyes on Link. "Yes, dear Sister. I think the vampire wants to take our prisoner," the male demon said, watching Victor.
It was then that Victor noticed who their "prisoner" was. In the center of the barrier, there was an angel watching all of them. He had three pairs of wings, which were kept stretched out from tip-to-tip. The angel was beautiful as all angels were. He looked a little like Lucifer though were the other smiled, this angel kept a stoic expression on his face as he stared at them. Victor knew then what was meant when people said, "If looks could kill..."
"Step aside...and no one gets hurt," Link said, taking a step forward. The demons hissed creepily and it was then Victor realized they were laughing. "A vampire and an angel? Is this all that God has to offer for his archangel, Uriel? No, little vampire. Leave now and maybe we'll let you live," the female said. A ball of fire sprung to life in Link's palm. "If this is what you wish..." the male demon said.
The troll-demon from behind let out a roar that put the earlier explosion to shame as it charged forward. Link brought up his other palm as another ball of fire appeared. From all around them, demons began to shimmer into view, converging on them as soon as they appeared. Victor gazed around him, wondering how they could stand a chance against this much firepower.
The fire in Link's palms changed colors to silver mixed with maroon as he knelt on the ground. It shot out around them, forming a bubble that forced the demons back. Its appearance was too quick for the troll-demon to avoid and it slammed head-on into the barrier. It roared in pain as it tried to shake off the damaging effects of the energy shield. The other dozen or so demons that had appeared were agile enough to keep back, staying out of touch from the barrier itself.
"Impressive...Link, isn't it?" Sister asked as she walked towards the barrier. The demons parted before her, closing in the gap until she stood next to the barrier itself. She ran a clawed-hand across it, a grimace passing briefly across her face as she did so. "I haven't seen barriers this strong since the angels locked up our kind," Brother said, appearing on the opposite side. "What are we going to do?" Victor asked in a low tone. He turned slowly in a circle, counting nearly three dozen demons now.
Sister raised her sword into view, pointing it at the barrier. It began to move through the barrier and she twisted it, forming a crack within it. Brother did the same on his side, widening the crack his sword made. "Victor, put your hand on my shoulder. Just trust me," Link said, blood sweat forming on his brow. Victor looked around, sighing as he did so. He didn't have much choice and had no idea how they could fight off all the demons. For a moment, he felt nothing as he placed his hand on Link's shoulder. Then he felt something slip from within him and just as he was about to break contact, he heard Link's voice within his mind.
"Don't let go." The silver-maroon barrier began to change, adding in white and red to the mixture. It was their auras, working together to power up the shield around them. A few of the demons noticed the same thing and were quick enough to shift into the demon realm. But the barrier expanded too quickly for the rest of the demons, catching them before they could flee. There were no screams, no cries, nothing; only silence. Link moved forward, breaking the contact between them.
Victor felt an emptiness within him that stayed for just a moment before disappearing. Link had already started towards the captive angel they had come to find. Uriel's wings had drooped around the kneeling angel, covering his body. "Your god has forsaken you since the day your brothers and sisters began their slaughter of the people on Earth. For millennia, you have been tortured endlessly and still your god ignored you, left you to rot, never taking the time to save you," Link said. He knelt down next to the archangel, lifting his face to meet his own.
"A vampire and a half-breed took out the demons guarding you. So the question you have to ask yourself is this: Will you help us reach Heaven...or will I have to take that information from you?" he said. Uriel breathed deeply, the hatred burning deep within his eyes though whether it was towards Link or to God, Victor didn't know. The two stared at each other, neither moving an inch. Finally, Uriel opened his mouth and said, "I...will...never betray my Lord!"
"Two visits in less than a week. That's two more than last century, Lucifer," God said as she stretched her legs against the marble fountain. "Did hell freeze over?" she asked jokingly. "Victor and Link have gone after Uriel," Lucifer said, ignoring the barb. "Uriel's alive? I would've thought those barbarians killed him off millennia ago."
"You know as well as I do that Uriel is still alive. But you told your angels that he died in battle, his soul at peace again," Lucifer said. "What did you expect? He allowed himself to get captured. Uriel was an archangel and yet he was captured. I don't need someone that weak in my army," she replied calmly. "Allowed himself? You sent him alone, against Ka'za demons. I was surprised he lasted as long as he did against them." "What's your interest in this, Lucifer? Why do you bother telling me what I already know?"
"You sick fuck. You know why," Lucifer said, kicking the fountain hard enough to move it from its foundation. "If those two find a way to break Uriel...I'll free you from your bonds, Lucifer. Then we'll see who has the true power," God said. "I guess we'll see, won't we?" Lucifer asked. God inclined her head, waving cheerfully to Lucifer before disappearing.
Link flew backwards through the air, pushed back by the force Uriel had managed to create. "You've got some nerve, Vampire," he said, getting to his feet, "to believe that I'd question my Lord's decision." Link righted himself in mid-air, landing on his feet next to Victor. "I remember you, Vampire. I was hunting you and your brethren down. I would have had you too had my Lord not called me off for more worthwhile enemies." "You consider them worthwhile for being captured? Tortured for thousands of years? God has you all wrapped up around her finger, doesn't she," Link said.
"Don't you dare to speak ill of our Savior, Vampire," Uriel said, igniting a blazing white broadsword from thin air. "That soul-sucking bitch is no savior of mine," Link countered, his palms holding the energy fire at the ready. "You are no brother of mine, fallen, you too shall die," the archangel said, pointing his sword at Victor. "Stay out of this fight and I'll make your death quick and painless." "You are not..." Victor started to say but Link put his arm out in front of Victor.
"No, I'll handle this, Victor. I need to cause a little pain," Link said, laughing mirthlessly. "Who am I kidding. I plan to pulverize the piece of shit." "Strong words for a coward," Uriel said, flexing his wings. "I wonder...will you last longer than the bitch that sired you?" Link cried out in anger, the flames dying as he charged the angel. "Predictable," Uriel said, swinging the broadsword effortlessly into the oncoming vampire.
Link rolled under the swing, the broadsword barely missing laying open his back. He tackled the archangel, knocking him backward. Uriel kicked Link over his head, sending him flying hard into the wall on the far side. Link turned himself in mid-air, kicking off against the wall and back onto the ground. "Nice moves, Vampire," Uriel said, his broadsword thrumming with power.
Link took a few steps forward, gesturing at Uriel's sword. "How about we fight without weapons...for now." Uriel shrugged, casting the energy-made sword aside, watching it disappear in mid-throw. "Honorable words. Let's see how well you keep to it." The two rushed forward and there was a harsh crack followed by a sharp thump as Link's fist met the archangel's head. Uriel kicked back, striking the vampire's side. The two powerhouses shrugged off the blows, their movements a blur.
A human would never have seen the exchange of blows. Even Victor had a hard time keeping track of who did what and what landed. Uriel grabbed Link's arm and tried to break it but the vampire twisted himself around, flinging Uriel over his shoulder. Link grabbed the tips of one pair of Uriel's wings. The sudden force from his momentum and being stopped nearly ripped the wings from Uriel's back.
The archangel cried out in pain as he fell heavily to the floor. Before he could move, Link had grabbed Uriel's head within his hands, holding him tightly as he dug his fingers into the angel's skull. "One wrong move and I'll..." "You'll what? Kill me?" Uriel asked. In answer, a blinding pain shot through his head, triggering the millennia-long torture into play again. It was as if he was reliving what had happened to him but all at once, with no preparation. The one jolt alone was enough to let him know it could be repeated.
"You survived because the demons wanted to keep you alive. I won't hesitate to send you over the edge before I kill you," Link said, sending the memories and pain through Uriel's head again. "You'll...have...to kill me...first...Vampire," Uriel said between ragged breaths. "Have it your way," Link said. Uriel's screams echoed into the night as Link forced the memories back into the archangel repeatedly. Victor watched, unable to turn away but unwilling to ask Link to stop.
Link and Victor walked out of the abandoned building. There were no humans around despite the screams that should have broken every window within a three-block radius. But the demons were smart. They wouldn’t keep prisoners in a place without setting up barriers to keep the sound in and homeless humans wandering in where they didn’t belong. The pair was silent as they moved a good distance from the building that had held the captive archangel.
As they walked, Victor seemed about to speak then changed his mind. On the third attempt, Link spoke instead. “We have to do what we can to survive, Victor. It’s either them or us and frankly, this is our planet. They messed with us. Sometimes, bad things have to happen in order for others to live.” Victor nodded hesitantly, rubbing his arm as if he was cold. Except there was no wind, it was a warm night; even humans could have been out without a jacket or a sweater and not be bothered.
“I know, Link. But…” “Why did I let him live?” Link finished. Victor nodded, holding his left arm close to his body as he kept his eyes on the ground. “Uriel and his kind…are like humans…like you were. The victim’s of a power-hungry being who doesn’t care who she destroys in order to succeed in her goal.” “What goal is that?” Victor asked. “What most humans hope to achieve. Immortality. Why do you think she tried to wipe out demons, vampires, and the magic folk? We were immortal…and she changed that; made us mortal.”
“What God didn’t count on, was that vampires would evolve past the weaknesses she gave us. We can stop here,” Link said, not bothering to look around. “So I have to protect your body?” Victor asked. “No, I’ll still be able to respond. I just need to check on Sarah. I don’t know if we’ll be able to make it back.” “That’s reassuring,” Victor muttered. Link smiled, shrugging his shoulders as he closed his eyes.
Jessie felt something tug within her mind. It was a soft tug, almost imperceptible but there all the same. “Sarah’s still alive Link,” she thought at the new presence within her mind. Her vision shifted slightly and she could see Link standing in front of her, looking at the tank that held his beloved. Jessie knew Link wasn’t actually there; no one else could see his aura except for her…for now. “I had to make sure. Her pulse isn’t getting stronger.”
“No, it hasn’t. Give it more time, Link. I’ll take care of Sarah as best as I can.” Link’s aura turned to face her and he nodded sadly. “I don’t think she’s going to make it.” Jessie smiled gently, shaking her head. “Look at your aura, Link. If you can still see her energy with yours, then know that she still lives. And from what I can see, she’s staying strong.” Link laughed, the sound hollow and disheartening.
“You ready, Victor?” Link asked, opening his eyes. The world had seemed muted, not as many voices could be heard as there should have been. Even the humans seemed able to sense something in the air. Victor nodded, rising to his feet from where he had sat down. He had watched a part of Link’s aura leave his body, traveling faster than the eye could see to Witch’s home.
“Link…what happens if the barrier keeping the demons imprisoned dies if God dies?” he asked, looking at the buildings around them. Link smiled wryly, taking in a shuddering breath of air. “Do you really have to ask?” he asked finally in return. Victor shook his head, “Let’s just do this.”
"How are we supposed to get down there exactly?" Victor asked, staring out over the ocean water. It was early morning on the coast of Guam and the two had stopped at the water's edge. "What's the matter? Afraid of getting a little wet?" " It's not that," Victor replied. "It's at the bottom of the freaking ocean. How do we know we can survive that?" "You'll survive. You're built like the other angels."
"What about you? Don’t you know how you'll do?" Victor asked, turning toward Link. The vampire shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his face. "If you're going to survive the times, you're going to have to get rid of your human fears. At least the ones like drowning. It's not going to help you get down there."
“You’re crazy, Link. Completely out of your mind,” Victor said. But he followed after Link into the ocean, not bothering to take a breath as he dived under the water. They swam steadily, heading deeper and deeper. The farther down they went, the less fish they saw, and the less light that let them see where they were going.
Time had ceased to exist. The light was long since gone. A part of him knew the water was freezing; the pressure should have killed him already. Yet Victor buried those thoughts. Concentrating on moving downward, hoping that it would be over soon. “Don’t bother seeing with your eyes,” Victor heard within his mind. “Use the auras, it’s better.” The ocean seemed to illuminate suddenly. There was Link, just ahead of him, moving purposely.
What surprised him more were the other auras around him. Even here, thousands of feet below the surface, there was life. None of the creatures came close to them. They swam undisturbed, kept away either out of the fear of the unknown or by Link. The vampire was proving to be more complex than Victor would have given him credit for. Or maybe it just boiled down to how far he was willing to go to protect his love.
After what might have been hours, maybe even a day, they saw the brilliant white aura of Heaven. They paused for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. There was no question that they would continue. That either of them would offer a chance to go back was out of the question. There was only forward.
The inside of the ship was white. As soon as they swam through the door, their clothes had dried out immediately. There was no sudden pressure loss from leaving the water. Link was unsurprised to see Lucifer standing a few feet from the ship’s entrance. Across from him stood two female angels, Alicia and Vicky, the angels who had saved Victor.
Vicky had a sleeping baby in her arms, cuddling the boy close to her as she kept a watch on Victor. To his credit, Victor did not make a move toward the angels though his aura betrayed him. It was shifting colors rapidly, his emotions a swirl. Alicia waited with her arms crossed over her chest, daring the two to move forward. As yet, there was no sign of God.
“Where’s the boss? Hiding out?” Victor asked instead of attacking. “She’ll be here,” Alicia said. “Don’t worry your pretty head. You two will get what’s coming to you.” “Yeah, if you’re lucky, this little guy won’t have such a hard time of it,” Vicky said, giggling as Link restrained Victor. “Ease up, Victor. They just want you to give into your anger.” Victor fumed, shrugging off Link’s hands who finally let go after Victor had stopped trying to rush forward.
“The ship is protected against violence, Victor,” Lucifer said. “All either of you would end up doing is frying the hell out of your brains.” “Not if we turned off the security protocols,” Vicky said in a sing-song voice. “With God coming here, I doubt she’d let you do that,” the archangel responded. Alicia smirked, shifting her stance slightly as she kept her eyes on Link.
Now that he thought of it, none of them had taken their eyes off of him. Link had their attention as if he was someone to fear. Not that he could understand why. Victor was the half-breed. Part vampire, part angel, he had the strengths of both races and few of the weaknesses. Not that angels had many weaknesses to begin with. Yet that Link was being treated as the more dangerous of the two was obvious. Why? What did he do that put the three angels on edge?
“Is the she-bitch going to get here already or is she too scared to fight?” Victor asked through clenched teeth. Alicia’s sword burst into view, the flames scorching the floor of the ship. “Watch your mouth, you filthy half-breed! She made you what you are and she can easily un-make you,” she said. Link’s eyes rose at the violent outburst. Alicia was hiding how uneasy she was. They all were in spite of what their auras showed.
The auras…Link looked at the baby in Vicky’s arms. There was no aura…none at all. He felt more than saw when Victor noticed the same thing.
Victor’s aura sword blazed into view, meeting Alicia’s fiery sword as she rushed forward. The force of the two blades connecting sent the others staggering backwards. There was no clang of steel but rather cackling from the energy as the swords connected again and again. Link watched for just a moment, his eyes registering every blow and counterblow from each one. Then he moved, dodging a wild swing from Alicia, rolling under and to his feet again.
Vicky giggled, jumping back a few steps with the ‘baby’ still in her arms. “Now, now, Linkie-poo. We don’t want anybody to get hurt now, do we?” she asked, holding the baby out slightly towards him. “No, we wouldn’t want that. Except that…is no baby,” Link replied. “This is a baby,” Vicky said, pouting her lips. A ball of silver and maroon fire ignited in Link’s palm. “And this…isn’t fire,” Link said.
The ball shot out from his hand instantly, heading straight towards Vicky. She turned, her wings coming up around her like a shield. Link groaned as Lucifer struck him, the ball of energy glancing off the tips of Vicky’s wings. Link crashed into the wall, throwing up a shield of the aura flame. But Lucifer did not move forward after his initial rush. “I’m sorry, Link. She lied to me so even now…”
“You still serve her,” Link finished. Alicia cried out, back flipping out of harms way with a grace no human could hope to achieve. She came up with the sword slashing upwards, blocking Victor’s sword as she kicked out at him, forcing him back. Victor let his sword disappear, rushing forward, ducking under Alicia’s swing. He rammed into her, forcing her own sword to vanish as they crashed to the floor.
The sounds of their struggling ceased instantly. Lucifer’s eyes never blinked as he stared unmoving at Link. Vicky was frozen in mid-movement, reaching for the tip of her wing with one hand as if to stroke the singed feathers. For a moment, Link believed that he too was frozen in place with only his mind free. But then he moved forward, breaking whatever power or spell placed upon him. “You’re a persistent vampire, I’ll give you that,” a woman said.
“And you’re a meddling bitch,” Link said. He watched as a light formed around the baby in Vicky’s arms, appearing suddenly a few feet from Link. A woman’s form materialized out of the light, becoming that of a slender, beautiful woman. But Link wasn’t fooled by her appearance. She was no true God…if there was such a one out there, she wasn’t it.
“Do you really think you can kill me?” she asked, shaking her long, golden locks to make her hair look fuller. She was wearing a gown that just barely hinted at the flesh that lay beneath. She pursed her full, apple-red lips together at him. Her eyes were a deep mauve. “I can give you the world, Link. You only have to ask.” The aura flames appeared again in Link’s palm. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the slight widening of her eyes, the way her body tensed up defensively.
The maroon had faded almost to nothing now, it could barely be seen among the silver. It faded completely, the flame solely silver now. When he looked up, she took a startled step back and he knew then what he thought was right. “You can’t give me the world,” he said, taking a step towards her, “because you killed her.” He caught her before she could flee, the aura flames completely surrounding her body. Her mouth opened up in a soundless scream as the flames seeped into her very being, scorching everything in its path.
Vicky was the first to cry out as she realized what had happened. She dropped to her knees, pulling at her hair as she wailed. Alicia was still on the ground and rolled her eyes upwards to see what had happened. Her hesitation had cost her life as Victor formed his sword again, skewering her through the heart. Lucifer stumbled forward, looking for all the world amazed by the sudden turn of events.
“She needed the energy people provided,” Link said. “She discarded her natural body to become a god. And while she was immortal to nearly everything, she had made herself vulnerable to the one thing she needed to survive. That was why she enslaved the angels who could harness this power. That was why she imprisoned the demons who would see her weakness.”
“That’s why she was afraid of you,” Lucifer finished. Link nodded then decked Lucifer. The archangel was on his feet again only to be knocked back down a second time. He stayed on the floor, rubbing his aching jaw. “I know you kept the other angels busy, Lucifer, inciting the demons to try to escape. That’s why I’m not going to kill you,” Link said. Lucifer smiled sardonically, “Oh thank you good sir.”
After a moment, Link helped him up to his feet and in spite of himself, Lucifer let him. “The demon barrier…?” Link began to ask. “Will be kept up so long as there are enough humans on this planet,” Lucifer answered. “The other angels?” he asked. “My brethren will do as they please. I think most of them will leave here soon enough. Except for the ones who will want to kill you,” Lucifer said.
“Of course,” Link said. Victor looked between the two, still lost as to the whole thing. “Is that it? God’s dead?” he asked finally. “She called herself a god, but she was not the god…if there is one,” Lucifer said. “What of my son?” “Safe, with the witch you two visited with Sarah.” Almost before he had finished speaking, Victor was gone. “Manners are lost with the kids in this generation,” Lucifer said. Link grunted noncommittally.
Link started to walk away, pausing near the catatonic Vicky. “If any of you…come near me…” He let the threat hang in the air, not bothering to hear what Lucifer would say before disappearing as well.
Epilogue
Victor had gotten his son and left with little problems by the time Link arrived at Jessie’s house. She was waiting with Sarah’s body laid flat on a stone table. Jessie bowed her head, not bothering to ask if the angel’s master was dead. That the two were back was proof of that. She left him alone to his grief, slipping through the portal to her coven’s haven.
Link clasped his love’s hand in his own, letting his tears run free as he buried his face in her arm. Only the knowledge that she would want him to finish things had kept him from breaking down when her aura had faded from his while in the ship. As he cried, he felt something on his head; a hand running through his hair. He looked up instantly, crying out in surprise as Sarah looked at him weakly, smiling at him. He pulled her to him, lapsing into an ancient Egyptian dialect, thanking the gods for her return.
Though, in doing so…Link failed to notice Sarah’s eyes change to mauve for just a moment before returning to normal.
