Silverblood Demons (Daughters of Darkness Book 1) (13 page)

“I’ll go too,” I said, as I looked around hoping for more support.

“I’m going to pay Ophelexa back for what she did to me,” Sin-dy vowed. “If the sword of Heraclese is what it takes, then count me in.”

“If Jade and Jasmine stay behind with Davina and Coral,” Kira was looking at them to see if they’d agree, and of course they did. “Then I’m in too.”

“Qirvana?” Xenakaz asked softly.

“Then it’s the seven of us,” Qirvana proclaimed. “Against Heraclese, for his sword.”

“So, what are we up against?” I was almost afraid to ask.

“Heraclese is the arch nemesis of Lucifer, He wants his throne, his kingdom,” Xenakaz said. “His sword was forged in the first flames ever lit in Hell and has the power to kill Lucifer with just one strike to his horns.” Xenakaz’ eyes became ferocious looking, as he slammed the table with his tail and crushed it to pieces. “He almost got it all, fifty six hundred years ago when the two of them were fighting and Heraclese pierced Lucifer’s thigh, it crippled him for ninety nine years.”

“When can we leave?” Sin-dy asked. “Where is he?”

“He lives on Rock Island, I managed to cast him in there myself when I was still loyal to Lucifer, my legions still surround him to this day. If he gives up the sword, he has been promised safe passage back to Sarturas, but it’s the only sword that can kill Lucifer, he’ll never do that.”

Not wanting to take the additional risk of being seen by Ophelexa’s forces, we chose
n
ot to fly to Rock Island. Under cover of darkness we made our way out of Sector Seven and ran like the proverbial wind, up and down valleys, across streams and toward the one thing that could possibly seduce Sarine into a false sense of security, letting her guard down long enough for us to imprison her.

Because of the speed we had run, it took just a couple of hours to reach our destination. Rock Island could be seen in the distance and as Xenakaz had said earlier, his forces surrounded Heraclese’ prison. To say they were breathtaking was a complete understatement, they were at least fifty rows deep, ferocious, and circled the entire Island, Lucifer himself couldn’t penetrate this demon barricade.

Xenakaz had also told us that Heraclese had an equal number of warriors on the Island. It was a stalemate and neither side was willing to commit their army to war for fear of being weakened and destroyed.

The first guard to see us called out, “Xenakaz, Infirmorum Susceptor!” (Protector of the Weak)
and made way within the throng of warriors for our group to enter amongst them. Stopping long enough to inform his generals of his plan and after some heated debate about the possibility of our mission failing, we strode through their ranks like a ship plowing through a sea of demons that parted in waves ahead of us and filled back in as we advanced forward.

Rock Island stretched high into the skies of Hell and sitting at the very top was a fortress made of granite. The seven of us stood with our backs to the gate keepers of Heraclese, ahead of us, laid the daunting task of retrieving a sword that had the power to send Lucifer himself to the bottom of his own pit.

If this was to be the end of our journey, then for one final time I had to let Sin-dy know I loved her. I didn’t have to say a word, she read my thoughts, reached out and planted her lips on mine. For a few seconds we had shut out the world around us, but true to her nature my sister Elektra brought us back down to Hell,

“Eww, can you two save it, ‘till
after
we risk our lives to save the world, yuck!”

Xenakaz beat his wings and swiftly flew ahead, the rest of us followed his lead as we made our way to Rock Island and for whatever its inhabitants had in store for us.

Chapter 14

We had flown across the barren landscape to the base of the anomaly known as Rock Island. “Why haven’t we been attacked?” Kira asked. “We must have been seen flying here.”

“Yes, we were seen, but they’re not afraid of just a few assailants,” Xenakaz said. “It’s safer for them to wait for us to get up higher, closer to their fortress before they strike.”

“We can’t just storm our way in,” Qirvana said. “Do you have a plan?”

“We’re going to disappear from sight, so this is going to confuse them.”

Xenakaz placed both hands on the rock in front of us and started to push. As a section of it moved inward, he walked in beckoning us to follow him. Once inside we helped push back the rock. “A secret passage?” Qirvana asked.

“Yes, and we’re too far below for them to have seen us using it.”

“Where do the steps lead to?” I was hoping he’d say straight to a secret chamber where the sword is held without any guards, but somehow I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“Right up to Heraclese’ private quarters which has a doorway that looks out onto the main atrium. There is a sword on display at the center, which is a replica and a decoy of the real sword.”

“Where is the real sword,” Amber asked. “Do we need the decoy to get the real one?”

“You are wiser than your years bespeak Amber,” Xenakaz said. “Yes, the decoy has to be sheathed into one of three scabbards of ancient demon warrior statues that are standing directly behind the decoy sword.”

“Do you know which one?” Qirvana asked.

“That is a question only Heraclese knows the answer to, and if you get it wrong you will instantly be turned into stone yourself and take the place of the warrior you chose.”

I looked over toward Sin-dy, she was at the stairs and seemed impatient.

“Once the decoy sword is in the correct scabbard, Heraclese’ sword will appear in the hand of one of the stone warriors, only then, can it be taken.”

Sin-dy had gone up and I wasn’t going to wait around any longer either. I ran over to the stairs and everyone else followed, I could still see her ahead of me. We climbed as silently as possible and eventually stepped onto a stone catwalk that surrounded half of Heraclese’ circular room “Now what?” Kira whispered.

“Wait,” Elektra was touching the wall and suddenly it became invisible, we could see right through it and into Heraclese private quarters without being seen, surprised, she said, “This must be one of my new powers.”

“Awesome aunt Elektra,” Amber was looking for an entrance. “But how do we get in?”

Xenakaz couldn’t remember how, but luckily there was no one in the room as we started to look for a way inside. “This is it,” Kira said. “My fingers fit right into these five holes . . . ”

The wall shimmered and disappeared. We stepped into the room and the wall reappeared once we had all crossed its threshold. Anxious not to be seen, Sin-dy rushed over to the door and called for Elektra to touch it so we could see through to the Atrium.

She did, there was a guard, and he was coming in.

Xenakaz stepped forward, pulled open the door, grabbed the guard and yanked it inside. The guard was shocked. “Do you know who I am?” Xenakaz had it by its throat and by one horn. It nervously nodded yes.

“Where is Heraclese?” Xenakaz glared.

“Making plans in the command center,” Xenakaz was ruthless, he squeezed the guard’s neck so hard that he snapped its head off, he then tossed it aside like a rag doll.

Qirvana touched his shoulder and Xenakaz whipped around ready for battle. Realizing it was his friend he quickly calmed down. “The command center?” she asked.

“It’s at the back of the castle, on the level that we’re on,” he said. “Sin-dy can you change?” She knew what he was about to suggest and had already alter-witched into an exact likeness of the female demon Xenakaz had just killed.

“I know what I have to do,” Sin-dy said. She turned around and touched me with her new demon hands but I could still tell it was her touch. “Remember, thirty six minutes−” “And you change back.” I cut in. I realized we were talking without speaking.

Sin-dy opened the door and confidently strode out along the marble upper deck, blending in amongst the crowd of demons and finally disappeared from sight.

“I can talk to her,” I told the others. “She’s at a statue with−”

“Tell her to go left,” Xenakaz cut in.

We communicated like this for several minutes until she had reached the command center.

“She’s ready to go in.”

“She can’t look at him directly in the eyes,” Xenakaz said. “He’ll kill her if she does.”

I quickly told Sin-dy what Xenakaz had just said as she entered the room.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Heraclese growled. “What is it?”

I could hear the whole conversation through Sin-dy’s mind.

“Your presence is requested at your private quarters sir,” Sin-dy said. “A group from Xenakaz’ legion was seen flying toward us−”

“Why are you bothering me with this!” he shouted. “Tell the Watchtower guards, now get out of here!”

“Forgive me, but, the group that flew in are nowhere to be seen and one of them looked like it may have been Xenakaz himself. We need to go to your room right now, to keep you safe.”

There was complete silence in the room, then orders were being shouted, “You two, come with me, double the guards at all the towers!”

“He’s going to be on his way,” Sin-dy was talking to me again. “But with guards.”

“Just come back, hurry, we’ll deal with them when they get here.”

“I’m on my way.”

A minute or so had passed and I could hear another conversation through Sin-dy’s mind. “Leave me alone!”

“You look different,” Someone said. “But I like you, we should enjoy each other.”

“Get lost creep! Let go of me!”

“If you don’t come with me, now, I’ll alert the others, and you know what that means right?”

It sounded as though someone had realized that Sin-dy was an imposter and she only had a few minutes before her time would run out and she’d change back to herself, it would mean her death.

“Sin-dy, what can I do?” I felt powerless, but immediately told everyone what was going on.

Elektra had put her hand on the outside wall again and we could see in the distance, a few seconds later Sin-dy had come into view.

“Kylar, tell her to walk him over to her left, in front of that statue, now!”

Without asking my sister Kira any questions about what she was doing, I told Sin-dy what to do.

We watched as Sin-dy maneuvered herself over to the statue. Kira pulled the door open a couple of inches, by this time the demon had Sin-dy by the arm and was trying to drag her away.

“Kylar, tell her to hold still for two seconds and to point at us,” I quickly told Sin-dy.

Kira stared hard at the demon and as he turned to look right at us, she had shot a series of ice bullets from her eyes, right into the demons eyes. He doubled over and Sin-dy was able to push him away and prop him up against the statue. “I don’t know how I knew, but this is one of
my
new powers, up until now, I could only use my hands to do that.”

Sin-dy started to run and right behind her Heraclese and a couple of guards were on their way toward us too. She was starting to change back and with only a few seconds left she came crashing through our door. “Sin-dy are you?”

“I was so scared Kylar,” She was shaking and crying as I held her, but looking outside of the room we could see Heraclese was almost at the door.

“Babe, come over here, Amber can you help?” We led her away wanting to give her a moment to recover. Looking back through the invisible door I could see Heraclese and his guards barking orders at several other demons. This was it, they turned to come in.

Elektra had Sin-dy’s sword in her hand and its pommel was glowing again, she stood behind the door as it opened. The first one in was a guard, Qirvana pulled him through as Heraclese was distracted by the commotion going on outside of the room. Without hesitation Elektra had thrust the sword up through his chest. Qirvana muffled his mouth as he died and dragged him away from the door.

Heraclese walked in followed by another guard. Xenakaz grabbed one of them in each hand, and then threw the guard down to the floor, Kira immediately froze him into a block of ice as Elektra brought down the sword on his body that blasted him into pieces, scattering his icy remains all over the floor. By this time Xenakaz and Qirvana had overcome Heraclese. Surrounded by all of us he stopped struggling.

“You’re going to stand in the doorway and tell your guards that you are not to be disturbed until you have further orders for them,” Xenakaz had his sword against the back of Heraclese’ neck as they stood in the slightly opened doorway and in fear of his life he did as he was told.

“Sit down,” Xenakaz pushed Heraclese into a chair. “There are seven of us between you and the door, each of us has the power to end your life in seconds, if you want to die then try to escape, am I understood?”

Heraclese was shocked, it had probably been several years since he had seen Xenakaz and back then, they were mortal enemies.

“Is it really you . . . Xenakaz?” Shaking off his disbelief, he said. “What is it that you want of me? If I have to die then you’ll all suffer the same fate, all I have to do is order−”

“The sword,” Amber jumped into the conversation before it had barely begun. “That, or we’ll all die, including you, I’m not afraid of dying.”

“Such bravado, and from a young human,” Heraclese laughed.

“Yes, she’s a “
young human,”
but she has the spirit of your fiercest warriors and speaks for us all,” Xenakaz said. “We want Tulaqan.”

“The Sword of Retribution? You’ll have to take my life first−”

A knife was at his neck, and three swords were at his body, as we took a stand around him, ready to grant his wish.

“If you’re ready to meet your brethren in the pit,” Xenakaz was face to face with Heraclese.

“Move back, all of you, why should I do this?”

“We need Tulaqan to set a trap for Sarine,” Sin-dy said. “You’ve heard about the Impregnation Ceremony, yes?”

“It isn’t my fight−”

“If the number of Sarine’s forces increases, do you think for a second she’ll spare you, or a single member of your army?”

“Do you think I’m a fool, like you,” Heraclese said. “I know Sarine will do that, that’s why I was in the command center, making plans.”

“And?” Xenakaz asked. “What is this magnificent plan you came up with?”

Heraclese was stumped, he didn’t have a plan.

“Tell us which scabbard the decoy goes into, it’s your only chance of survival.”

“What, and give up all hope of taking over Lucifer’s throne, your ridiculous demands are wasted, stand aside Xenakaz, your brain is beginning to turn into mush with all this talk of the Impregnation Ceremony.”

“So you’re the great and mighty warrior that battled and wounded Satan himself?” Amber laughed while walking behind Heraclese, she hit him on his head with her knife. “The only problem for you is this rock that you and your army are perched on, like the losers that you are, will be your last stand because of your inability to admit you have no plan, no way out, nothing!”

Heraclese began to get jerky, and twitchy, Amber was getting through to him. “I can hear everyone laughing at you already, and do you know why they’ll be laughing at you, Oh great and powerful Heraclese?”

“You’re not making any sense either, you little−”

“Exactly! Because little Amber came along, broke into your fortress and stuck this knife into your heart and it sucked out your life. That’s what you’ll be known for, Heraclese, vanquished by a child.”

“Stop! Enough! Fine, tell me what you want me to do.”

“You’re going to put the decoy sword in its scabbard and let us take Tulaqan to use as bait so we can imprison Sarine,” Xenakaz said. “In return I’ll order my generals not to breach your fortress and you’ll get back your sword after every Cambion virgin has returned safely home. Then, and only then, I will order my troops to cease this barricade on Rock Island, you’ll be able to go where you please.”

“I’ll do it, but on one other condition,” We waited silently for him to continue. “She stays here until the sword is returned.” Heraclese was looking at Amber.

“Over my dead body!” I exclaimed.

“Mine too,” Kira said. One by one we all declared our objection to his demand.

“I’ll do it dad, whatever it takes to−”

“No, you can’t have her, but I’ll stay behind,” Qirvana interrupted.

Then we have a deal!” Heraclese slapped the table.

“You can’t,” Xenakaz was taken aback.

“I have to, I’m the one that has led this campaign against Sarine and Ophelexa,” Qirvana said. “If I have to put my life on the line−”

“You won’t have to put your life in jeopardy,” Xenakaz said.

“You have nothing to be concerned about,” Heraclese said. “Return Tulaqan to me and your precious Qirvana will go unharmed.”