The Pentagram Child: Part 1 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) (6 page)

“Rules still stand, we fight as men.” I said this time making my father roll his eyes.

“Now where is the fun in that exactly?”

“Scared of the challenge Abum?” I answered with a taunting question of my own. (‘Father’ in Sumerian)

“Quaking in my fucking boots!” He mocked before he charged at me just like I knew he would. He ran at me with his sword held high and I saw a flash of the burning rage flare in his eyes as it reflected in his steel. I blocked the attack and the sound of our swords clashing echoed, drowning out the sound of flames crackling from the centre of the room.

I spun on one foot and landed low to the ground holding my blade above me as I fended off another blow. I grinned at the feel of my father’s strength, relishing in it and the feeling of a worthy fight. Normally fighting against those so low beneath my own abilities was nothing more than an annoyance for my wasted time. A mindless chore that required very little thinking but this, well now, this was nothing short of a gift!

I swiped my foot out taking him by surprise and to the floor. I spun back up and attacked the best way that the sword was made for, slashing downwards using brute strength thanks to its curvature shape. My father not surprisingly blocked my attempt at getting at his heart and flipped upwards horizontally, using the motion to push me back with his sword.

I had barely taken a step back and he was once again coming at me. I met him head on and our blades collided. We became locked together with little space between us and our match in strength didn’t go un-noticed.

“How’s your Demon holding up…clawing to break free yet?” He asked pointing out the obvious, that yes, my Demon was riding me hard wanting to take over the fight as was its nature.

“My Demon is lucky enough to have such control in a Master such as I!” I snarled back and pushed harder against his blade. He laughed as I gained one inch at a time, forcing his body to bend backwards.

“My son, the controlled Master indeed…should daddy be proud?” He taunted and my Demon growled at the insult, trying to force its way to the surface. Just before my father’s wish was granted in releasing my Demon, I pushed off his blade and spun catching him at the side, leaving behind a slice of blood.

“At last! Well done my Etlu Maru!” He shouted joyfully and I tried to conceal my shock at finally being able to leave my mark for the first time. Never before had I ever drawn my father’s blood and up until now I wasn’t sure if he was even human enough to bleed after all this time. (‘Warrior son’ in Sumerian)

“I see now that your Grand Master taught you well, which makes me wonder…” He paused as he took further steps backward putting more space between us. I circled around him and swiped my sword forcefully in front of me. My father’s eyes took in the line of his blood that now marked the snow in a sprayed line from my actions.

“You wonder…?” I asked dragging his angry eyes back to my circling form.

“Who would win in a fight between two Grand Masters, as I too was taught by one in the family… tell me, does Takeshi know his father Munisai resides down here?” I didn’t even bother hiding my astonishment and my father used the moment to his advantage.

I found myself near to being overwhelmed from blow after blow of attacks my father rained down on me and only just being able to hold his blade at bay from making deadly contact. I forced myself to snap back from the information I’d just learned and could once again hear my old Master in my head. 

‘Attack the arteries here and here’, he would say mock slicing at the inside of my arms and legs. ‘Then go for the engine, for fuel cannot travel the body without its pump’, he would add, while aiming the blade’s tip at my heart.

Finally I used my Master’s old words to centre me enough to regain the upper hand. I watched as my father’s moves became more predictable now that I was accustomed to his style and I waited for just the right move I knew was coming. So I prompted the action by leading him into a false sense of security and I wasn’t left disappointed.

He played nicely into my hands as I brought him closer into the centre near the furnace. Again Takeshi’s words rang true…‘The best warrior is the one that can turn circumstances to his advantage in a fight and use the elements as an extension of his weapon’.

With this in mind I kept the flames to my back and purposely made a mistake in my defence, letting my father drive me to my knees. The heat at my back felt strangely comforting to my Demon that knew what was coming and I could feel him seep through enough to make me smile.

“Grinning whilst on your knees is a sign of insanity, son.” He said pushing down on my blade that was inches away from my face.

“And you would know!” I said just before I used all of my strength to push up and at the same time caught hold of the end of his sword next to his hands. I locked myself to him and swiftly stood taking him off guard. I then spun around and used my body weight to spin him around and let go, propelling him into the furnace.

He crashed into the centre and split open the clay sending sparks of amber skittering across the snow and into the air like deadly fireflies. A burst of steam clouded the room as heat cooled against the icy floor and momentarily blinded me. I held my arm across my eyes for a few short seconds and waited for the destruction to calm.

I looked amongst the wreckage and quickly noticed a flaming shadow climbing from the piles of glowing steel. I was not surprised to see my father emerging in his true form but I was surprised when he bothered to change back once more. He started his steps as a Demon ruler and finished them jumping down from the remains as a man.

“That wasn’t very sporting of you, Dominic.” He said dusting off the few burning embers that smoked on his shoulders. His attire was nearly completely burnt off but my father never remained dishevelled for long. The material soon started to regrow back into its original form and with an aggravated motion he dug his hand deep into the belly of the broken furnace and retrieved his now glowing sword.

“Means must, old man.” I replied making him grin as though an idea just lit up his mischievous side.

“So that’s how we are playing this? Very well Dominic, just remember that you erased the first line of conduct.” I frowned at what he could mean.

“You know your sister came to visit me recently.” He said as matter of fact and throwing me off guard.

“This isn’t news to me.” I remarked trying not to lose myself to the urge of grabbing him by the throat and roaring at him to get on with it!

“No, I gathered not, only I would wager the topic of conversation would interest you greatly.” I growled low in my throat knowing there was no way I would be able to refrain from taking a bite out of the bait he dangled in front of me.

“Play your games with another fool, Asmodeus and say what you intend to say!” I snapped feeling my fist clench to near breaking point around my blade’s handle. He lifted his head to the side, gave me an evil grin and my breath caught, for I knew the information he had was of the sort that made him believe he would win. The only way that would happen is if I went into a blind rage and lost my head in allowing my Demon to make decisions based on its wrath.

My blood started to run cold.

“I do believe Sophia is meeting with her now as we speak and with her…” He paused for dramatic effect and I let my eyes flash red in warning. Again with that fucking smile!

“…her new supernatural
lover!”
At the sound of his words my blood didn’t just turn cold, no, it turned glacial!

My Demon erupted and this time, down here there was no Angel in sight to hold him back. I roared at my father, shaking the foundations of his castle and for a fleeting moment it looked as though he knew he had gone too far.

“YOU LIE!!!!” I screamed at him before letting go and charging at him like a crazed battle horse. My reasoning all fled and left a husk of a man fuelled only with the desire to kill everyone and everything in its path. It wanted its mate back! It wanted its calming solace and the other half of its soul back just as much as I did but unlike me, it had no logic in its quest to get it back!

To get
her
back.

I ran at him and at the last second instead of running him through with my blade I used what was left of my inner self and twisted my body, so my shoulder hit him square in the chest. He was once again flying backwards and travelling through the remains of the furnace. I watched as his body landed against the far wall of stone but before he could be allowed to slump down to the ground I was there at his side.

I raised my sword to slice into his side but then caught a flash of raised steel in my side vision. My father was bringing his weapon down at my head and I made a quick decision to bring up my sword and block the blow to my head, instead of causing his body damage.

In the seconds this all happened I also witnessed his eyes flash to their Demon side before he used his powers to cut through my blade. This gave me only a fraction of time to prevent my head from being slashed open as my free hand shot up and gripped his sword. I had to transform part of myself into my Demon as a means of protection from losing my fingers in the process.

“You cheated.” I said stating the obvious.

“What did you expect?” He asked laughing.

“What you never did…My turn!” This was the only warning I gave him as I reversed his sword so that I now held the handle and the tip was left pointing at his throat. My free hand came back to his side as I held my remaining blade at his gut, ready to see what a demon King was really made of if he didn’t answer my questions.

“NOW TELL ME!” My Demon roared at him, only my answer came from behind me.

“I tried to tell you, Dom.” Sophia’s soft voice was a cruel music that filled the carnage of the room, giving it a gentleness that didn’t belong.

“Let him go Dom, I asked him to do this.”

“WHY?!” I snarled turning my head towards her.

“Because you needed to know and you wouldn’t listen.” She reasoned.

“Listen to what, these lies!?” It couldn’t be true…she wouldn’t…she…wouldn’t do that…would she?

“That’s just it though brother, it’s not lies… and it’s about time you saw the truth for your own eyes.” I shook my head and only when I felt my father’s hand rest on my shoulder did I realise I must have lowered my weapons in the ultimate defeat.

“It’s alright son, there’s still time.”

“He’s right Dom, come with me.” Sophia said softly as though she knew how my heart was being shredded apart by a truth I had pushed Keira into.

“Go where Sophia, back to claim what is no longer mine to claim?” I asked bitterly. She shook her head making the halo of loose dark curls bounce.

“No brother, come back with me to Afterlife and claim what is rightfully
yours to claim.”
I closed my eyes at the sound of her hope and every fibre in my body hummed with tension knowing Keira was with someone else.

I needed to see. I needed to witness this with my own eyes.

I needed to go back to…

My Afterlife.

Keira

Chapter 4

Back to Afterlife

“It was over ten months ago, Keira…get a grip!” I said to myself in the mirror, after first looking round to check no-one else was in any of the cubicles. I washed my hands again in the lavish sink that one would never expect to see in a Gothic nightclub, but then again this wasn’t just any Gothic nightclub…

This was Afterlife.

It was the first time I had come here since it reopened back in October last year and now we were in June. It felt as if so much had happened since then and yet nothing at all. Well, nothing at all compared to how my life usually went. For starters, there were no kidnappings, no attacks, no battles of any kind, not unless you called trying to change Ella’s nappy a battle…that kid just hated being still for more than a second!

I could even say that not one single person had tried to drug me yet and I was starting to feel…well, I guess a little bored with normality. Even my boyfriend, who I should probably mention was at least slightly supernatural, was as normal as they came. Sure, he was gorgeous and amazingly talented when it came to design, but he was an architect for God’s sake…I mean how normal could I get after dating Mr D. (I had forbidden myself from saying the D word not long after I arrived home). I mean, he might as well have been a dentist or an accountant!

But he was a good guy and after the emotional rollercoaster I had been on, then I needed a good ‘normal’ guy. And Alex Cain was more than a good guy, he was a friggin’ saint!

But don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I met him on that flight and ‘bam’ we started dating…not even close. It was actually at college that I bumped into him again when he was giving a lecture for the architectural department and when I say bumped, I mean in true Keira fashion, I fell into him.

You know how it is. It was after a depressing Christmas and New Year where I was about as happy as a two week old turkey sandwich! I tried not to let it be known, putting on a smile for my family’s sake, but there were certain things I couldn’t do, no matter how traditional they were in the William’s household. For one thing, everyone got their gifts from me in gift bags instead of wrapping paper because it was too painful a memory of when Draven and I were in my old room wrapping gifts together.

Oh and I stupidly crammed in Christmas pud, just because last year we declined it after dinner to go back upstairs. Poor Frank had to go out in the snow and get me a packet of Rennies from the only place he could find open.

So, by the time I went back to college I was in desperate need to focus on anything that had nothing to do with a certain someone. I can’t say it didn’t still hurt, oh hell no, it hurt every damn day! But as the days went on and as the time passed, it just hurt a little less. That was ok of course, until my friends had finally ground me down into going back to Afterlife to see them and I’m not talking about just Jack and RJ.