 
## Dark Cotillion

### Hadena James
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Any names, places, characters, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination and are purely fictitious. Any resemblances to any persons, living or dead, are completely coincidental.

Copyright © 2012 Hadena James

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Also By Hadena James

About the Author

Find Me!

# Prologue

The Overlords sat at a large wooden table. It was built in the shape of a "u" with square corners. The open end faced east as it had since it had been built. The table had been in existence for about two million years and it showed the wear and tear.

Inside the open part a man stood. He was wearing a drab uniform with nothing particularly notable or striking, except the pins on the collar. The pins were a stylized double-s. The double-s looked like two lightning bolts. He spoke English fairly well, occasionally throwing in a German word, and then looking concerned, as if the Council members wouldn't understand them.

"The Wunderwaffen, um." He shook his head. He was very nervous. He wasn't sure why he had been picked to stand before this conglomerate, except that he didn't want the war to continue. He had been picked by "them," and plucked from his home in the middle of the night by something with wings. The something sat at the Council table, looking at him intensely.

"The wonder-weapon, Die Glocke, uh, the bell, as Fuhrer says, is almost complete. If it does do everything they claim, more will die." He shifted nervously.

"I have done what I could to..." the German SS scientist searched for the right word.

"Sabotage it," the figure that spoke was impressively tall, toweringly so, even from a seated position. He had fair skin, blond hair, and green eyes. The scientist was sure that his wings were a very light green.

"Yes, break it," the scientist agreed.

"That is why you are here," the large one who sat in the middle of the back table finally said. "That is why you are all here. We have been shown a future that is very bleak."

Lucifer stood. His horns were full size, jutting from his head with a slight s-curve to a full seven feet tall. This made his entire frame almost fifteen feet tall. His skin was a dark red with tints of burgundy and copper. His eyes were slit like a cat's, only the irises were red with a very fine line of lilac at the edges. It made them both beautiful and frightening to stare at.

There were three other Humans in the room. All were heads of state, one spoke Russian, the other two, English. Lucifer was addressing all four Humans as he spoke.

"As we have seen it, the United States of America will resort to using nuclear weapons. Germany will complete and use Die Glocke, and it will be horrifying. England will be the first of the Allies to fall, or rather, be obliterated. Die Glocke will destroy the land, make it barren. The US will retaliate with their own wonder weapons. Germany will be obliterated. The fall-out, the fall-out is unimaginable. In ten years, the entire world's population will drop to a measly 10 million people. Within forty, there will be no Human population left."

"Lucifer, we do not meddle in Human affairs," another Overlord spoke. He was tall as well, but not like Lucifer. His skin was orange and he smelled of fire. His hair was pitch black. His name was Kagutsuchi.

"We do when they concern our own," Morgana, the only female Overlord, spat at him. "This will concern us. We have no idea what that type of radiation would do to us, or to the other creatures on this island. It could wipe us all out, not just the Humans."

"Is there no alternative?" The American President finally spoke, standing up.

"Yes, but it is just as grim. If the US doesn't use its nuclear arsenal, Germany wins the war, and the instruments of death continue to work their way across Europe. Then it moves to Asia, Africa, finally to the other side of the globe, North and South America. The population drops again, almost as much as if you did use your nuclear bombs," the Angel with the green wings answered.

"There must be another option," the Prime Minister for Britain held his arm out, looking for suggestions.

"There is," Lucifer answered him. "We join the war effort. The Elders have kept out of this for far too long as it is. Too many have died, we cannot afford to stand by and watch any longer. The Elders will join the side of the Allies. This will eliminate the use of nuclear weapons and Das Wunderwaffen."

"What do you want in return?" The Russian asked in Russian.

"We want to live," Lucifer told him. "We will reconvene after the end of the war. Herr Doktor, I believe it is unwise for you to return to your fatherland. You have been a great asset and we would all hate to see you die for your efforts, when we can prevent it."

After the Humans left the Council Chamber, Morgana, Overlord of the Fey, stood and addressed the entire room.

"Their memories are not that short. It has only been a couple thousand years since our war leveled their cities, set their populations back several generations. They still consider most of us 'evil' even. Look how they portray Lucifer and Fenrir."

"It was their war too, Morgana, they just didn't realize it then, just as we don't seem to be taking into account that this is our war now," Anubis countered her. "Besides, maybe we can alter their perceptions if we fight with them. Maybe we can create the society we have been dreaming about since Human evolution began."

"Good ol' Anubis, always looking for the silver lining," Chiron sneered. "When it is over and we have won their war, they will turn against us."

"But to do nothing," Anubis gave an awkward frown. "Nuclear holocaust, genocide, darkness, that is the true evil that lies before us. If we do nothing, we have surrendered our own fate into their hands. If we do nothing, we have to watch as they destroy themselves and the planet. How can you even suggest such a thing?"

"We can fix the earth when they have finished," an Elemental suggested.

"Enough," Lucifer stood up. All eyes turned to him. "What they think of us has nothing to do with our current situation. What we think of them has nothing to do with our current situation. We were here once before. Only our brethren were the ones hell-bent on destroying Humanity. We cannot sit idly by and watch them destroy themselves. If we do, then what did we fight for all those years ago? To do nothing, is to condemn them to a fate they do not deserve. We have all dealt with prejudice and fanatics. That is all that we would be dealing with here. It is all they are dealing with here. We will take a vote, majority rules.

"All those in favor of helping the Allied Powers, stand now and be counted." Lucifer tallied the number of votes. Only the Overlords were in the room. Along with himself, he counted eight. He didn't bother with the opposed; there were only two of them.

"It is decided, we help the Humans to avoid their own extinction and prevent whatever fallout would reach us. The two that did not agree to help; I recommend you keep you and yours on this island. We do not need opposition, or those that would begrudgingly assist. We are strong enough without you."

"You seem to forget, Lucifer, there are other matters of more importance at hand," Chiron continued, undeterred.

"I am aware that Leviathan has pointed out that my mate lives. I only need find her now." Lucifer looked at him squarely.

"That is the problem, Lucifer. She must be Human." Chiron gave a look of pure hatred at the large Demon, as he said the word "Human."

"Your mate lives, the prophecy will come to pass, now," Kagutsuchi, the Elemental, spoke up. "You will create our downfall should you mate. If we allow the war to unfold, we will not have to worry about that."

"Centaurian prophecy, regardless of whether it comes from Chiron or another Centaur, is rarely 100% accurate. We cannot deny Lucifer the chance to mate on some random poetic nonsense spouted while a Centaur was entranced," Gabriel spoke.

"Agreed, Lucifer's offspring and their fate is not our concern, especially at the moment. We must focus on stopping the war. Until Lucifer's offspring are born, we cannot worry ourselves with trivial matters such as prophecy." Ba'al stretched his wings. "I believe we have had enough conversation and discussion. We must intervene, and we will not prevent Lucifer from mating because of a half-baked prophecy."

"For all we know, Chiron, you invented the prophecy to keep him from mating," a new voice spoke as he entered the Council Chamber. "Forgive the interruption, but I believe we have much to do."

"What is it Leviathan?" Lucifer asked his younger brother.

"You have all been sequestered in here for most of the day, the hordes are getting restless. They want to know what the verdict is, so they can prepare one way or another," Levi answered.

"We are joining the Allied Powers. We will stop their madness and preserve the Human race at all costs," Lucifer told him.

"I'll ready them." Levi left.

"Chiron, your cruelty is maniacal. I can't believe you would begrudge any Elder a mate because of a prophecy." Morgana turned from the table in disgust. "One day, you will get what you give."

With that parting shot, all the Overlords, except Lucifer, shuffled from the chamber. Lucifer fell back into his seat, the chair groaned a bit with his weight and he echoed it with a heavy sigh. His brothers all entered the vacated space.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Lucifer asked, head down, hand over his eyes. He didn't need to see them to know they were there.

"Yes," Beezel spoke first, "this is necessary. We must stop them from eliminating themselves."

"And after? When they have defeated the Hun, they have a new enemy to stand up against. They will be screaming for our heads and begging our Demons to heal their fragile Human conditions." Lucifer gave another sigh.

"Either they will accept us, or they won't, Luc. If they do, we will provide them with all the wisdom we have. We will help with their pollution problems, sort out some of their religious fighting, and do everything we can to make the world a better place. We have been waiting for them to reach this point," Levi reassured his older brother.

"And if they don't accept us, we come back to the Island. We find your mate first though, Luc," Beezel answered the unspoken "what if."

"They have reached the precipice, Luc, only the Elders can save them now," Mammon added. "If they reject us afterwards, it is only proof that they are still not ready for us to walk among them. That time will come though."

"Eons and eons we have sat and watched," Lucifer began, "and I guess there is no time like the present to make an attempt to merge."

Three weeks later, headlines read, "Japan Surrenders." A week after that, the headline read, "Italy Falls Victim to New Allies." However, the one that got the most attention was, "Hitler discovered by Lucifer in Secret Bunker." The picture that accompanied it showed an unhappy Lucifer holding Hitler by the collar of his coat; Hitler's feet were dangling six feet from the ground. Hitler looked terrified. That was seven weeks after the Elders joined World War II.

In the months that followed, the United States and other countries offered to let the Elders join the Human world. If it was just a courtesy gesture, the US got a big shock, when 90% of all the Elders in the world, or roughly four million beings, set up their own city outside of Kansas City, Missouri.

After being given commendations for their efforts in the war, most of the Overlords set up their own small communities, with Lucifer and Demonnation at the heart of it. They built several small cities that they called "Post-Merge Cities." They began retrofitting buildings that did not hold historical meaning, to accommodate their larger than Human sizes. They encouraged Witches, hiding amongst the Humans, to come out, stand up, and declare themselves as real as anything else.

In 1946, the Pope blessed Lucifer in the Vatican. Lucifer took part in communion and was baptized, and did not spontaneously combust or scream in pain. Together, the Elders began helping Humans write a new religious book that righted several misunderstandings, including, "Demons are bad" and "Angels are good."

That same year, Lucifer met a young woman while giving a speech at a university. She was in her twenties, smart, funny, and a Strachan Witch. He fell head over heels, and three years later, they were married. The Pope attended their wedding, as did several world leaders. A new job was created, Ambassador of Human and Elder Affairs, and it was given to Lucifer.

In 1980, the Elder world was rocked when Lucifer and his bride, Elise, gave birth to their sixth child, a Demon Half-Breed who had lilac skin, lilac eyes, and power enough for twenty Demons and Witches. A prophesized child, Chiron the Centaurian Overlord, immediately demanded her death, but it is hard to kill an immortal, even a half-breed.

# Chapter One

"I met him once," Gabriel took a long drag off a cigarette. His eyes were glassy, searching for some long lost memory. Until that moment, I had been reading a book, and was completely clueless whom he was talking about. Especially, since he did seem to be talking to me, as opposed to talking to some imaginary person in the room. He hadn't spoken in well over an hour. His mind had been preoccupied with other things, possibly my safety, possibly not.

"Who?" I asked, after I put the bookmark in between the pages.

"Conan Doyle." He made a motion towards my book. I had been reading Sherlock Holmes stories.

"Was he as bright as Holmes?"

"No one is as bright as Holmes, except Mycroft, and even that could be debated." Gabriel stretched and yawned, before turning his vivid green eyes on me. "Pleasant man though."

"I see," I frowned at him. "Decided to break the silent treatment?"

"I figured it wasn't doing me any good to sit here chain smoking and trying to ignore you into submission, since you seemed to be rather casually reading."

"I'm slightly disturbed that it took you so long to figure it out." I tossed the hard back onto the coffee table. It made a satisfying "thunk" sound as it hit the wood.

"You shouldn't do that to your books."

"No, I shouldn't do that to your books, my books are nice hard bound editions that can be purchased at any local book store."

"Someday, your books will be like my books."

"Gabriel, no one's books will be like your books. What is it with Angels and book hoarding anyway?"

"We all have our idiosyncrasies." He gave a shrug. He was incredibly pissed at me. I had spent the last day or so feeling it vibrate off of him. It came in waves, slamming into my psyche before rebounding to fill the voids of the room. I was sure that in a month or so, you would still be able to find those pockets of anger hiding in corners.

Of course, in a month or so, it wouldn't matter. I wouldn't be holed up in this room with the angry Angel, or anyone else for that matter. I would be back to enjoying my life, whatever that meant.

Gabriel stood. He was impressively tall. Not as tall as my father, but then, few beings were. My father made Gabriel seem small, but the Angel was thinly built, his sinewy body belied the strength that was contained in the muscles just beneath the skin. My father was built like a brick wall, and almost the same color.

"Brenna," Gabriel frowned at me, "you still do not seem to be taking any of this seriously."

"Uh, Gabriel, I'm a Demon Half-Breed, and relatively speaking, immortal. Threats on my life really aren't anything new, and they certainly aren't particularly frightening."

"You will not be immortal during the Maturing."

"No, no, I won't, but I will be surrounded with an armed guard of very powerful beings, who can efficiently and effectively take care of me, everyone in my condo, and most of the people in this neighborhood by batting an eyelash. All of us have gone through it." I looked at him finally. "You forget, I've had two brothers and three sisters go through the Maturing. My parents are still breeding like rabbits, so I imagine there will be more of us in the future."

"Zealots," Gabriel spit the word out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. It probably did, when you thought about it.

"I've been dealing with zealots, fanatics, and lunatics all my life. Not to mention my peers haven't been real thrilled with me either."

Gabriel made a guttural sound and waved a hand in the air. I wasn't entirely sure of its meaning, and I was guessing he wasn't going to tell me either. He began to pace around the room.

"Really?" I frowned again, this time much deeper. I had been caged inside my condo for three days with the Angel, and he had been pissed at me for most of it. I could understand that he was under an enormous amount of pressure. It was very hard to play bodyguard to the daughter of Lucifer, when she was being uncooperative. Worse yet, I had been slightly teasing him off and on, using my mother's Witch powers as a form of torture. It was cruel, I knew it, but I was bored as hell, and going out of my fucking mind inside the tiny condo. It had never felt so small in the eight years I had inhabited it.

The Angel had presence though. He was about seven feet tall, with wings that were even wider when unfurled. He was also a very dominant male, too many years of being the alpha of his breed.

I was a very open minded, stubborn woman, who was about to come into all my little Demon powers. I was very much the poster child for equal rights in the 21st century. I was female, half-Human, half Demon, with very little going for me, except that I could fire a gun really well and my parents seemed to be exciting and important people.

"Damn it!" Gabriel suddenly blurted out. His voice boomed against the walls and reverberated into my eardrums, creating a fake echo.

"What?" I asked, trying to shake the shock of the sound out of my head.

"Can't you feel it?"

"No, what I feel is you acting like a caged animal, and unfortunately, I'm trapped in the same damn cage. Your anger is overwhelmingly strong and seems unbalanced."

"Unbalanced?" Gabriel stopped pacing and looked at me.

"Yes, unbalanced." I sighed heavily and lit a cigarette. The bonus of being immortal was no cancer, but other things weren't so great. I am small for a demon. For eternity, I was stuck at five feet, five inches tall and 397 pounds. My father tipped the scales at over 1000 pounds and managed to be over seven foot tall, not counting his horns. Most of my siblings were somewhere between six and seven feet tall and all weighed well over six hundred pounds. However, once a demon hits fifteen years old, they stop growing, period.

In addition, while most Demons were red, green or blue, I was purple. Not a deep, rich purple or even a dark, shimmery purple, but a soft, pastel purple, lilac to be exact.

This was where half-breeds had problems. Demons were denser than humans were. Everything was slightly larger in a Demon and more compact. The bone density of a Demon was nearly three times that of a Human. When Demons said they were big boned, they meant it. On top of that, most Demons had an impressive rack of horns. Not like deer horns, but like elephant tusks that could weigh nearly a thousand pounds all by themselves. My father kept his ground down using to make them manageable.

My pitiful horns might weigh 9 ounces. That means, not only do I have a weight complex, but a height complex and horn envy. However, to be fair to Demons of all types and myself, I only wear a size 18 in regular women's clothing, a standard used only for those who insist on buying clothes out of department stores, instead of boutiques that cater to the Elder Breeds. My measurements, since I was 15 years old, have been and will always be 38-32-36. Therefore, I am huge for a Human, and tiny for a Demon.

My scale is set to tell me that I weigh 180 pounds, never an ounce more, never an ounce less. If my father steps on my scales, they will tell him that he weighs 180 pounds. If my 145-pound mother steps on the scales, they will tell her that she weighs 180 pounds. That is one of my vanities, but since I have very few, I allow it. My parents indulge it, because they know I have "identity issues."

The only thing I could claim from my mother was the crown of black hair on top of my head, and the fact that I managed to have black eyebrows. This was kind of fantastic, since Demons were hairless, and the hair hid the very pathetic horns that raised a whole half-inch from the top of my head. However, that was where the hair stopped. I would never even remotely pass as Human, because I didn't have arm hair or any other body hair. My eyes are the same color as my skin, with a single red ring around the iris. My pupil is oblong, not round, and is actually lighter than my irises, which gives me a creepy blind look. I can see wonderful in the dark though.

"Good grief, Brenna."

"Yes, Gabriel, I am a giant pain in the ass, and no, there is probably nothing that anyone can do about it."

"I hate when you do that." Gabriel glared at me.

"Do what?" My mother's a Witch, very powerful actually. My family is a bit of a cliché, a Witch married to a Demon, but hey, it's 2010, so a little cliché is understandable. It became completely ironic when you consider that Gabriel is one of my father's closest friends.

"Read my mind."

"I can't read minds. I'm not a Djinn." I put my feet up on the couch. "I read emotions, but not minds."

"Whatever you read, it's occasionally very irritating."

"Funny, I think it's irritating all the time." I sighed again. "Gabriel, would you just take a couple of deep breaths and calm down. You're really killing me over here."

Anger is a very strong emotion, it is hard to mask, even harder to ignore. It spills out of a being, like a river breaching a levee and engulfing everything around it. Put a Witch in the middle and they can feel nothing else. It covers all other emotions, only rage is worse, but that is usually reserved for crazy beings.

"Sorry," Gabriel sat down again.

"So, do you want to tell me why you are angry, or am I supposed to guess?"

"Do you really need to be told?" His eyes flashed quickly. Gabriel does amazing things with light and its perception. When he loses control, his eyes become completely white, unable to keep light reflecting at the right wavelength. I have only seen him lose complete control once. The room went dark and he glowed like a Chinese lantern, a pure, shimmering white being, with nothing but rage flowing off of him. It had been so thick that I had gagged on it, literally.

"Well, if I thought I could guess, I would have put it right yesterday, so that I wouldn't have had to feel you leaking out all over the place."

"A member of the Council is going to appeal to have you put to death, and you are treating it like it happens every day."

"Well, it sort of does happen every day, Gabriel." I puckered my face, feeling my forehead and eyes wrinkle. "Chiron has been trying to put me to death since I was born."

"Yes, but you've never been mortal before, and we would never ask an Overlord to kill their own child," Gabriel responded, anger flowed again.

"True, but I believe the Council will agree with you, my father, and the other Overlords about the absurdity of putting me to death before I've come into any powers, let alone mythic powers foretold in some bizarre prophecy three thousand years before my mother was even born."

"You don't understand prophecy very well."

"Sure I do, I just understand rational behavior some as well. The Council is predominantly made up of rational beings. A few Centaurs and a handful of other beings are going to have to come up with some really good arguments, to convince them that the rational thing is to put me to death."

"And if you're wrong?"

"We deal with it," I looked at him. "Gabriel, honestly, do you believe that the other eleven Overlords and eighty-four lieutenants are going to allow something as irrational as an execution without a crime to happen?"

"Eighty-three," Gabriel corrected, "you can't vote on the issue."

"Fine, eighty-three." I shrugged. "In the millions of years that the Council has been in existence, how many times have the lieutenants not voted the same way as the Overlord?"

"Three," Gabriel responded.

"Okay, three, and of those, how many had enough to gain the majority?"

"None."

"So, I've already got a head start. We know that Ba'al, Anubis, Fenrir, Morgana, Vishnu, you, and my father, are all going to vote against Chiron. Most of their lieutenants will vote in line with their Overlord. Of the ones that might vote against their Overlords, most will vote with them simply because it's Chiron making the motion, and we all know that Centaurian prophecy is rarely 100% accurate. The prophecy says that a lavender colored Demon, born of Lucifer and a Witch, will gain powers unseen before on this planet and bring about the end of the world. First off, I'm not lavender, I'm lilac. Second, even if I did manage to achieve some sort of new power, it doesn't necessarily mean complete destruction of the planet. Others have been born who are unique, and they didn't destroy the world. Third, I kind of like the planet, I do not see myself willingly destroying it. Furthermore, while my siblings are sort of different, I'm very fond of my parents, my friends, Elders, Humans, and pets, with the exception of very yippy dogs and anything that looks like a mouse. I do not think those two irritations are enough to send me over the edge. While there is the possibility that I will develop Maturing Madness, it is rare in Demons, even half-breeds like myself, and it has never happened with my father's bloodline. No cousins and siblings that have matured suffered from it. One of my uncles might have it, but it could just be that he is a bit of an asshole and it has nothing to do with his brain rotting during Maturing."

"Beezel," Gabriel smiled at me.

"Well, he is definitely nuttier than a fruit cake, but I think that it has more to do with my father being more powerful than him, even though he is the oldest." I shrugged. "We can't be absolutely, positively sure of this, since there isn't a single creature on the planet that remembers any of the first of the bloodline maturing."

"So you aren't worried?"

"I'm terrified. A group of friends, a larger group of acquaintances, and some that I do not even know are deciding my fate, but honestly, I do not foresee something as insane as this passing the Council. If it does, I think the zealots will use it as cannon fodder against us."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go to bed. Tomorrow, I'm going to go before the Council. The day after that, I'm going to attend that horrifying Maturing Party that my mother planned. The day after that, I will go back to being sequestered and protected until the Maturing ends. After that, I'm going back to work. Chasing down bad guys is far more my style than the rest of this crap."

"Optimist."

"You're an Angel, aren't you required to be an optimist?" I asked him ruefully.

"Nope, it is not in the breed description." Gabriel yawned again.

"Obviously, you need to go to bed as well." I pointed to the spare room. "I'm not Maturing yet, which means I'm still immortal, which means that you can sleep for a couple of hours. I have a feeling the next forty days or so are going to be terribly long for all of us."

"Fine," Gabriel stood up, he motioned me forward. As I moved to my room and started to close the door, I heard his favorite parting shot at me. "Good night, Demon."

"Good night, Angel," I responded cheerily as the latch caught. I knew he had heard me. He could hear a pin drop in a crowded room full of dancers clicking wooden heels on a wooden floor.

I changed into my pajamas quickly and climbed into bed. I wasn't nearly as calm as I had pretended to be. Rational did not trump fear, ever, and there were those that actually feared what I might become if left alive. I couldn't change their minds any more than they would be able to convince me that mice were not evil.

# Chapter Two

I waited until I could feel the delivery boy dropping off the standard half dozen cake donuts on my doorstep from the bakery below. Once that had been dropped and his energy had moved out of the hall and into an elevator, I climbed from bed. I should have been exhausted, nauseated, and anxious. I wasn't. I was calm. Tonight, I would probably sleep like the dead, with a house full of bodyguards.

As I exited the bedroom, I heard the front door close. Gabriel had fallen into a routine as well, picking up the unhealthy donuts and putting them on the table. He tried to balance it out by adding orange juice, bacon, and eggs to the mix. I stuck with the donuts and a glass of whole milk. If you can't gain or lose weight, you might as well enjoy the food you toss into your gullet. Besides, as a Demonling, I needed about 4,000 calories a day, hard to get that from salad every meal.

"Don't forget, you have an exam after the Maturing," Gabriel reminded me, as he had every morning for the past couple of days.

"I haven't forgotten and I still think it's ridiculous," I quipped.

"Ridiculous or not, now that we do not all live in a small cluster with imaginary creatures, the exam is important. You never know when a dragon or some other beast is going to go rogue, leave the island, and start terrorizing the world."

"Yes, yes," I selected a white cake donut with chocolate icing and crushed peanuts. "Sirens, harpies, dragons, trolls, and chupacabras, are just the tip of the iceberg for things that could cause havoc in the normal world."

"There is no such thing as a chupacabra." Gabriel handed me a plate. I accepted it and set it off to the side. I had a napkin under the donut, no reason to dirty up a perfectly good plate.

At some point during my adult life, my mother had decided I needed a set of fine dining china. She failed to realize that I did not own dinnerware as a general rule. I don't cook. I don't like to cook. I hate to eat what I cook. I have some issues, particularly with meat. If it isn't a bagged salad with the salad dressing included, or microwave popcorn, I'm probably not going to cook it. Cooking is overrated for me. It's hard to keep groceries when I might be called away to a crime at any time, in any part of the world. Food spoils. I keep soda, milk, a few munchies, and popcorn. My freezer is barren; I don't even keep ice cube trays. If I am away for more than three or four days, my mother comes by and tosses out the milk. She'll put a new gallon in there if she knows when I am returning.

Besides, there are lots of facilities to fill my need for food. In New KC, there are places that go to other places, pick up food orders, and deliver them to your house. All you need is a phone or an internet connection. I have both. Some of them even offer reward programs. Hell, there are people who will deliver my groceries and pick up items like toothpaste, cigarettes, and anything else you might desire. The best part is that they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The need to go to a store has been completely removed. If I'm feeling energetic, I go downstairs and get something from the Subway Sandwich shop, and that way, I can say I walked a few extra steps.

Since I hate to shop almost as much as I hate to cook, I love the age of technology. Most Elders are sort of bothered by it; it takes a while to adjust, but me... I think it's the greatest thing ever to happen. The internet is an amazing place where food comes at the click of a button. Most Elders have to adjust to the light and the constant hum of the world. I didn't have their super-hearing, so I barely noticed it.

Gabriel again tried to feed me a healthy, balanced breakfast, which I managed to ignore. Finishing three donuts and two glasses of whole milk in the time, it took him to eat his bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice.

I kept waiting for my stomach to sour. It didn't. This meant that either I was in complete denial about the day ahead, or I had accepted my fate without realizing it. Since I wasn't good at acceptance, I was guessing it was denial.

We finished eating in silence. Gabriel's magic rolling off of him, filling the room. He was not as calm as I was. This would have been a sign if I had been a Centaur, but I wasn't. I was a Demon and Demons didn't read signs or omens. They didn't have the right mojo for it or something. Even when a Centaur was giving prophecy or revealing signs and deciphering omens, Demons tended to be skeptical.

Gabriel opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was a knock on the front door. I felt my brother, Elijah, on the other side. This got an eyebrow raise from me. That I felt like an outsider around my older siblings was no secret. Eli was the oldest, born in 1949, making him roughly 60 years old. He didn't look a day over 30.

I got up from the small kitchen table and went to the door. Eli smiled at me as I opened it.

"Come in," I offered my brother entrance to my condo by moving out of his way.

Eli looks like our father in a lot of ways. His skin is reddish-brown. His eyes are brown with a red ring around the elliptical iris. He has no hair, and an impressive rack of horns that stand four feet or so from his scalp. However, he has our mother's smile and a kindness in his eyes.

"Brenna," he nodded to me as he came into the condo, "it's been a while."

"Mother's Day," I admitted.

"How are you holding up?" He asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"I'm doing fine, I don't think it has actually set in that today could be one of the last days I walk on the planet."

"Hard to imagine death when the screamingly large print says you're immortal," he sat down in one of the recliners.

"What can I do for you, Elijah?"

"Not let Chiron get to you. Not give in and give up." He finally frowned. "I think it would break dad."

"Are you worried that it is a possibility?"

"Yes, I am. You are meant for something, Brenna. I don't know what, but something. We all know it and feel it. We are all filled with dread today."

"I didn't realize that there was so much concern."

"You think we want one of our siblings put to death for something this..." his face changed, "stupid."

"No, I don't think any of us are that cruel, our parents are too good." I sat down on the couch, facing him.

"Bren," he shrugged, "I don't know why I'm here. I just felt the need to be here."

"I appreciate it, Eli. I'm not sure that you can do anything for me though."

"I don't either. I just felt the need to come by. Maybe I should go."

"No, Eli. You should stay. We have breakfast if you haven't eaten."

"Hannah made sure I ate before I came over."

"How is Hannah?"

"Good. She is just as anxious as the rest of us over this."

"As she should be," Gabriel finally joined us.

"Gabriel," Eli looked up at the Angel.

"Elijah," Gabriel took a seat in the other recliner that sits in my living room.

"If Chiron should win the vote, preparations have been made. She will be a fugitive, but we can do little about that, at least until after the Maturing. Unfortunately, a contingency plan that started with only six conspirators now has eight. Leviathan and Pendragon joined in. I don't know how they found out, but they did."

"We will all be fugitives, Leviathan and Pendragon included, but better that than losing her and four Overlords." Gabriel gave a long sigh.

"That's what this is really about, isn't it?" Eli asked the Overlord.

"Oh, I believe it probably is about both. I'm sure Chiron's hate for Brenna is very real, and he would like nothing more than to see her die. But it would weaken the Council for centuries, and I think that is just a bonus in Chiron's twisted brain."

"A bonus?" Eli turned to look at me. "If her death were to do that, don't you think the Centaurs would have told us?"

"You think the Centaurs tell us everything when they give us a prophecy?" Gabriel smiled. "I forget that you haven't been around them much. They are quite good at holding things back. Once, long ago, they told Anubis that Ba'al would suffer greatly at the hands of a Witch, but he could change Ba'al's fate, so he went to have a talk with the Witch. They forgot to tell him that she would curse him for eternity. Only after he came back, jackal head firmly in place, did they mention that part."

"Bastards," I said the word without meaning to let it actually slip through my lips.

"Indeed," Gabriel looked at me as though I had just materialized from thin air. "I hope the Council will do the proper thing today, but if they don't, we will need a distraction to get her away."

"Distraction taken care of. Leviathan plans on challenging Chiron to a duel if he wins the vote."

"Bold and risky, he could lose." Gabriel seemed less like himself.

"Well, one of the Overlords was going to do it, but that seemed even riskier. Levi volunteered. We accepted. The challenge will have to be accepted right there, or Chiron will lose more than just face. Especially since he just condemned another to die, and when the challenge has been accepted and the magic circle put into place, we spirit Brenna away. Aside from the eight of us, and her of course, no one will know where she is. After the Maturing, we bring her back, as long as she hasn't gained mythical powers that can destroy the earth. If she has, we keep her hidden."

"Good enough," Gabriel reached out a hand to me. "If you are sentenced to death, you will not die today. However, I cannot guarantee that it will not happen in the future."

I took his hand and looked at my brother.

"You have done all this for me?" I asked Elijah.

"You are my sister, Bren, I would die for you. I know you don't do well with the emotional side of being part of this family, but we all love you, and to see you put to death will hurt all of us. We are not as close as our father and his brothers, one day though, I hope to change that. I hope you find it within you to become part of us."

"Thank you, Eli."

He stood. I stood. Butterflies kicked up in my stomach and I forced myself to calm down again. I knew what came next.

# Chapter Three

The Council Chamber should have been some dank, dark dungeon type room with stonewalls, cracked floors, and cuffs attached in strategic places. It isn't, but it should be. Instead, it is a large building on my father's land made of wood sometime shortly after he bought the place. Seating is uncomfortable, padded folding chairs crammed into a space that should not allow as many beings inside as it does. There is a back gallery that allows standing room.

The folding chairs are a testament to modernization. There are exactly 84 of them. The lieutenants that have been born all have their names on a particular chair.

The Council table is a different story though. It is a massive thing, carved in wood and decorated with symbols from the past. The chairs are also carved in wood, although cushions have been added to all of them. Each is specifically built to hold a particular Elder, or at least a particular breed.

It's built in a square U shape. The back section holds three chairs, each side holds five (disturbing since there are really only twelve breeds), and the front is open. When we have a trial, a chair is set in that opening.

My father sits in the middle at the back, first among equals, so to speak. To his right, sits the Angels, specifically Gabriel, to his left, the Vampires, Anubis. On the right side of the table as one looks at it sits Morgana, Overlord of the Fey; Fenrir, Overlord of the Lycans; Uther Pendragon, The Keeper, and in the last seat on that side sits Kagutsuchi, Elemental Overlord. On the left, Ba'al, Overlord of the Gargoyles fills the first seat; next to him, you have Chiron, Centaur and enemy to me; Vishnu, Djinn Overlord; and our two Human representatives take the final seats on that side. Mr. Magnus Donagal, the most powerful Witch currently living, and Mr. George Johnson, our Human Council Member.

They get two members, because we recognize Witches as a different type of Human, and we have been allowing them to sit in the Council for over a thousand years. The Humans have only come to the table Post-Merge. We keep no Council secrets from the UN.

I walked into the brightly lit room. The other thing that I find disturbing about the Council Chamber is that it has lots of windows and skylights. It makes the room bright, shiny, and happy. Considering some of the business that is discussed behind the doors, it seems slightly wrong.

Gabriel gave me a parting stare before moving towards the Council table. I found my seat, my name written in Sharpie marker on the fading vinyl of the folding chair. My uncle, Beezel, was already sitting in his spot. The other Demon Lieutenant, John, was standing up. Demonnation only has three lieutenants at the current time. This leaves four empty Demonnation chairs, but we each have our names on our seats, so we are still packed in like sardines. Ritual sometimes dies very hard.

"Bren," Beezel nodded to me as I wiggled into my chair. I don't have a bad relationship with my uncle, it's friendly enough, but that's about as far as it goes. I don't go to his house, chat with him or his family. I spent my childhood surrounded by Overlords. I was closer to Ba'al, Anubis, and Gabriel, than I was to any of my father's blood kin.

My relationship with John was polite at best. He was roughly 500 years old and had a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Everest. He was not a strong supporter of mine, but he was incredibly loyal to my father and Demonnation. This meant I could be polite, even though he made my skin crawl, loyalty to Demonnation is a good thing.

After my arrival, the room seemed to fill impossibly fast. The back gallery was packed, I wasn't sure they had room to breathe. I didn't turn around, I knew better than to stare into the eyes of so many. Emotions were high in the room, hard to ignore. My mother was doing an exceptional job of dealing with them, I felt like I was drowning in them.

My mother is like me, a lieutenant. Magnus chose her for her powerful bloodline. In the who's who of the Witch World, my mother was in the top five most powerful. Her grandmother had been the most powerful until her death sometime in the early 1910s.

My father stood up. Everything got quiet and it wasn't just quiet, it was silent. You could hear hearts beating and people holding their breath. This is partly because when Lucifer talks, his voice is so deep, it can be felt inside of the body. The only thing that I can think to compare it to is the roar of a big cat, like a tiger. You hear it, but you also feel it. It commands attention. People don't even shuffle when Lucifer talks.

"We are gathered today to decide the fate of a member of Demonnation." His voice reverberated throughout the room, making it seem smaller. "It has been posed that Brenna Strachan be put to death at the beginning of the Maturing, for the threat she is prophesized to pose to Elders, Humans, and the World as a whole. Chiron."

Lucifer took his seat, Chiron stood, his hooves clacked against the wooden floor, and for a moment, I wondered if he were wearing horseshoes. I knew he wasn't, but it would be nice to put a set on him and stick him to a giant magnet. Of course, I was also feeling a bit hostile towards him.

"As most of you are familiar, it has been prophesized on three separate occasions that a daughter of Lucifer will destroy the world. In these various prophecies, the daughter in question has been seen to be lavender in color, with irises that are darker than her pupils are. She is a powerful Witch. She fails to bear the Demon Horns. Furthermore, she has been seen to lack many Demon characteristics. She has hair. She is more Humanesque in stature and build. All of these describe Brenna Strachan. The prophecies go on to say she will gain a power never before seen in the world of the Elders, and that she will bring about the destruction of life with these powers. My Predecessor, rest his soul, prophesized that she will never gain control of her powers due to her breeding. While he didn't understand exactly what that meant at the time, it has been realized that she is of a very powerful Witch family, and strong Demon blood. Since her birth, we have all watched and learned that she has inherited a great deal of her mother's powers. The last prophecy about it, said that she would become too powerful for any single individual. It will not fracture her mind, but her very soul. If this is true, then after the Maturing, she may be too powerful for even her Overlord to kill her, should she go rogue. Pendragon may not be able to negate her powers and keep her locked safely away from the public. We have never dealt with a fractured soul before; I believe the consequences would be grave for everyone. For this reason, I think it is in the best interest of life to put her to death."

"Put her to death for what she may become?" Beezel stood up. "Really, Chiron?"

"It is not..." Chiron began.

"No, I will have my say. I may not be an Overlord, but I am older than you and have lived far longer than you will ever live." Beezel moved to the front of the table, to the opening.

"More years than any being can count; we encountered this very same situation. My brother, Lucifer, began plucking infants from the sea, infants that were not always Demons. At that time, we had no idea what they would become. We Demons, the first of Beings, were terrified as they grew up and developed new powers, powers that we had never seen before. There was much talk about what to do about it. One of them posed the idea that they should be put to death. A vote was taken. Those of us who wanted to preserve the new lives were outnumbered by a single vote. An attempt was made to end the life of one of the new beings. We failed."

Beezel hung his head for a moment. His voice was almost as deep as Lucifer's, but that was about all the resemblance the two Demons had.

"What we did manage to do was permanently damage a living, breathing Elder. And what did he become? An asset to the entire Elder world, his ability to use his tongue helped Humans accept us. His wings shielded us during the Elder War, and he fought with us, even though Demonnation had betrayed him when he was an infant. He stands as a respected member of the Council, a powerful Overlord, and he holds no malice for our terrible deed. It's a bewildering thing, Chiron, to try to kill something just because you are afraid of it. Afterwards, you have to stand back and wonder where your rational mind went. Now, you are asking Demonnation to do it again, to one of our own, because she may or may not develop some new power. You are too young to make such a request, too young to understand the true consequences of it. I think the fact that you even have the nerve to put it before the Council, shows that you are arrogant, ignorant, and filled with malice. If anyone has a fractured soul, I believe it to be you."

"She is your niece, Beezel, and a member of Demonnation. I understand your reluctance to see reason," Chiron said dismissively.

"Reason?" Gabriel bellowed suddenly. His eyes were perfectly white, void of any color. "You call murdering an Elder because of a prophecy reasonable?"

"Gabriel," Lucifer said.

"No, Lucifer, no. That is not reasonable; this entire thing is utter madness. Have we all lost our minds? Why would we even consider something like this? How many times have Centaurian prophecies been wrong? How do we know that Lucifer will not have another daughter in two hundred years that is nearly a carbon copy of Brenna? What if it is not her? What if it is another child born of the Overlord? Have you considered these things, Chiron?"

"Yes," Chiron replied dryly, "and that is a risk I am willing to take. Do we want another Elder War?"

"I would rather another Elder War, than run the risk of putting to death a Demon for no reason other than you had a vision." Vishnu spoke up.

"Stop," Lucifer said quietly. "We will not turn this into a shouting match."

He stood up again. His horns standing impressively tall made him look that much bigger than normal. His eyes were dark, unreadable. His emotions were not. Any more anger and he would begin to glow with a reddish light. His eyes would become black pits reflecting the abyss. My father was not a being to be pissed off.

"I will ask each Council member their opinions. Debate can continue afterwards." He turned those dark eyes on Anubis.

"Anubis, what say you?"

"I do not believe we should put anyone to death because they may gain a new power. Diversity is paramount in this world; it should be heralded as a triumph, not an aberration."

"Gabriel?"

"She lives."

"Morgana?"

"It is the opinion of all The Fey, that Brenna Strachan is not a danger. She is a Demon Half Breed of a powerful bloodline. There is no history of Maturing Madness in her family. As for power, if anyone can control immense powers, The Fey believes the daughter of Lucifer and the Strachan Witches is the best candidate."

"Ba'al?"

"Gargoyles do not condemn based on prophecy or unusual powers."

"Fenrir?"

"It is my opinion that her life is worth more than maybes and chances."

"Chiron?" I wanted to ask if that was a joke.

"The welfare of the world trumps the life of a single individual."

"Kagutsuchi?"

"As Overlord, I speak for the Elementals and we agree that she is a danger. Death might be a bit extreme, but imprisonment until the Maturing is over is not. Give her to Pendragon to watch, should she show signs of dangerous behavior, she will need to be killed before the Maturing ends, and Pendragon is the best person to act as Executioner."

"Vishnu?"

"Why have we designated Pendragon as her executioner? If Chiron and Kagutsuchi want to put her to death, I believe they should do it themselves. As for me and mine, The Djinn agree that we cannot condemn her based on someone's whims and flights of fancy. I have seen into the minds of Centaurs, they are foggy at best."

Chiron went to say something, but Lucifer held up a hand. He stopped. Instead, he cast dark looks between Vishnu and me.

"Uther?"

"I will not execute her." He looked at Kagutsuchi. "Should Brenna Strachan become a danger to the world, I will hold her in prison, but I refuse to execute her. Even if she does become incredibly powerful and develop Madness, I will not execute her. That is not my place in life. I find your recommendation that I act as her executioner revolting and insulting."

"Magnus?" Lucifer quickly moved on.

"I find the suggestion barbaric."

"George?"

"I agree with Magnus, to put someone to death for a crime they have not committed is appalling. The Humans will have no part in it, and we have some sordid history of our own. Beezel made some just points, to kill just because you are frightened by something you don't understand, isn't just barbaric, it's beyond inhuman. We have done it in the past and it is a scar that we still bear."

"As Demon Overlord and the father of Brenna Strachan, I have decided to abstain from the vote," Lucifer spoke. "However, Demonnation has been instructed to cast their votes as their hearts see fit. A vote for her death is not a sign of disloyalty to Demonnation; I understand the apprehension that she will develop powers that will destroy the world."

"You would condone such a thing?" Chiron asked, true surprise in his voice.

"I will uphold whatever the vote decides," Lucifer gave a sad glance at me. "It is not a sign of approval, just a sign that I am not above the decision of the Council and beings that live in the world."

Lucifer looked around the room.

"We will now hold discussion, but it will be an orderly, civilized discussion." Lucifer's voice held an edge, a warning, one that he had used the only time I had ever tried to sneak out late at night. It meant that things were going to be done exactly as he specified.

Fenrir stood up, "I believe we have forgotten many things today. The course of history, both Human and Elder, has shown us time and time again that preventive death is never really preventive. It spurs more conflict. We mentioned our creations and the Elder War, but we did not reflect upon them.

"At the time when we were all created, there were Demons, and only a few of them. I remember a few things from my childhood. I remember Beezel, Lucifer, and the rest of their brothers caring for me. I remember when Sonnellion became terribly frightened by one of our Overlords and decided he needed to be put to death. I remember that vote, the one that condemned him to die because he could make himself invisible and use light to trick others into not seeing what was in front of them.

"When that happened, it had never been seen before. The ability to manipulate light was unheard of, the ability to make the visible invisible, terrified Sonnellion. He was sure that Gabriel would use it to kill all Demonnation, and he was damaged, scarred for eternity by the madness that Sonnellion's fear sparked. Yet Gabriel sits here, first amongst the Angels, ranked a very powerful Elder, and his service to Elders and Humans is remarkable. He does that despite the fact that he was once just as feared and hated as Brenna Strachan is now. He fought valiantly for Humans in the Elder War. He fought just as valiantly to save the world from the Nazis and nuclear holocaust.

"His life is a testament to that fear of the unknown. Sonnellion was wrong about him, just as Chiron is wrong about Brenna now. Perhaps she will manifest some unknown, all encompassing, world altering power. Where in the prophecies does it say that she will become evil? I have heard all three prophecies and I remember them well. She is not destined to destroy the world, just change it.

"And as the Elder War shows, life is not the only thing that changes the world. Death has just as much of an impact. What if the prophecy is not about the fact that she lives? What if the prophecy is the result of her dying? What if she takes some amazing power to the grave with her and we begin fighting amongst ourselves again? What if her death divides the Elders and causes war?

"We are calling for her death because we believe her life will change the world, but what if it is the other way around? Nowhere in the prophecy does it say her life will change the world, it just says she will change the world." Fenrir sat down.

"That is something we had not considered," Morgana stood up. "Death is far more altering than life. What would have happened if Sonnellion had succeeded in murdering Gabriel? What sort of Angel Overlord would be sitting at the table? Would he be as reasonable and open minded as this one? Would he be as strong a leader? What about me? What if I had been put to death? The most fractured breed among us is The Fey. What if I were put to death? Would we have had a Fey War because there was not an Overlord strong enough to unify the differences?"

"The Elder War," Pendragon stood up shaking his head, "what a terrible thing for all of us. Brother against brother, mates battling for the lives of Humans, those of us who thought Humans deserved the right to become something. We've done this dance a couple of times in the past, it hasn't always been about Elders either. How many times have Elders decided that perhaps Humans were not worthy of life? How many times have we had to destroy our own to prove that everything deserves life? We talk about Gabriel, but there are many among us that have been persecuted, or that have done some persecuting.

"I am the only Keeper. Never found another. The only one. How lonely. How scary. Anyone of us could be in the seat now occupied by Brenna Strachan. Anyone of us could be in the seat of Chiron. We all have our own prejudices, but we have prided ourselves on thinking as a collective as well as individuals. When Elders went rogue and decided to destroy Humans, we bonded together, decided it was wrong and stopped it at great cost to ourselves. When Sonnellion decided to start murdering new breeds of Elders, it was stopped. When Humans nearly eradicated themselves, we intervened. How can we value one life and not another? If we do this condemnation of Brenna Strachan, do we stop there? What happens when Gabriel mates? He is the last Overlord to remain unmated. We have watched as the years passed and noticed that each breeding, each new offspring seems to bring something new to us. So, do we set a precedent today by condemning Brenna to death because we are afraid?"

"Fear?" Ba'al stood up as Pendragon sat down. "Fear is an interesting thing, isn't it? A strong motivator. Each of us that defend Brenna is just as afraid as those that are condemning her. There is always that chance that we are wrong. But death is rarely the answer."

"It's Centaurian, not a True Prophet!" Someone yelled from the back. "Centaurian prophecy is not always accurate. There are gaps, there are holes, and there are parts that even they cannot interpret. A True Prophet walks among us, perhaps we should ask him."

"A True Prophet?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes," the Djinn who had been speaking stepped forward. "The Djinn have kept it secret since his birth, for fear of him being persecuted just as Brenna is being, but we have seen his mind. He is a True Prophet."

"Vishnu, is this true?" Lucifer turned to the Overlord.

"Yes, Lucifer," Vishnu gave a deep sigh as his eyes fell onto me. "There is a True Prophet that walks among us, but he is not ready to tell his prophecy. I will not betray him because of this meeting."

"A True Prophet is a good omen," Gabriel responded. His eyes were back to normal and there was a general feeling of happiness that suddenly washed over the room.

"I'm sorry, what is a True Prophet?" George Johnson asked.

"They are a rarity, but they have a single vision during their lifetime, one that is given at a crucial moment and provides us the opportunity to change the world," Morgana answered. "It was a True Prophet that told us about the Nuclear Holocaust, showed us the images of the aftermath."

"And one showed us the Elder War," Chiron sneered, "that got us nowhere."

"Yes it did," Lucifer closed his eyes. "The Prophet told us to save Humanity."

"There have only been six in the history of the world," Gabriel said. "Sadly, they tell their prophecy and usually die shortly afterwards of an unknown illness. We think the prophecy destroys the brain. It is their purpose in life and once delivered, they have nothing left to live for."

"If the True Prophet was here to condemn Brenna, they would be speaking up about it," someone else called from the back. "The fact that they are not, makes me think that putting her to death isn't in the plan."

"That's a good point," Fenrir said. "If Brenna was going to destroy the world, a True Prophet would be giving his prophecy at this meeting. He would be deciding her fate, not us."

"Vishnu, why did you keep it a secret that there was a Prophet among us?" Lucifer asked.

"Because, we were waiting to see if the Prophet had anything to say about this situation, since he does not seem to be against her living, I believe we have much harder times ahead of us." Vishnu gave another sigh. "And it is not for the Djinn to announce a Prophet; they announce themselves when it is time. We have always known when a Prophet lives, we have never revealed their identity, and we will not do it now. It seems wrong."

"She lives," Kagutsuchi gave a small flick of the hand. "A prophet would tell us if she was going to destroy the world. I'm surprised we didn't think of it before."

"Prophets have never been born this close together before," Chiron sneered. "I find it hard to believe a prophet is living and does not have an opinion about something as important as this."

# Chapter Four

"The Prophet does have an opinion." It was a child's voice. A young boy and it stabbed me directly through the heart. For a moment, I could not catch my breath. My youngest brother walked into the room.

"I am the Prophet and she lives." He glared at Chiron. Since my brother does not make eye contact with hardly anyone, it was a sight to see. He came and sat on my lap.

"Or at least, the Council will decide that she lives," he shrugged his shoulders. "Her fate is unknown to me, as that is not my purpose."

"You are a prophet?" Chiron raised an eyebrow.

"I am a prophet," he responded. Suddenly, the illness that affected his mind made sense to me. He wasn't autistic; he was fractured. The prophecy that was contained inside of him, wedged into the spaces, trapped him inside too. It explained why he was occasionally very lucid.

"And what is your prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"My prophecy is not ready. You cannot force it out of my mind, no one can. Vishnu has tried. Brenna has tried. My father has tried. The Demons thought they should be able to heal me. Vishnu tried to spare my father the death of a son, my sister the death of a sibling she treasures."

"Can you give us any clue about the prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"Yes, but I won't." My brother stood up and looked at the Council. For several seconds, he stared at each member. Finally, he walked up, leaned his body over the table and touched Anubis's face. As he did so, he closed his eyes.

"You are wise, Anubis, very wise." He sighed and moved onto Fenrir. "You are cursed, but not for eternity."

He moved on, stepping in front of Gabriel, "You will not be scarred for much longer; a great healer will come for you."

"And you," he stepped in front of Chiron and shook his head, "No, your fate will not be known yet either."

"Daniel," Anubis stood up, "your prophecy is about the Overlords and their Fates."

"Yes," Daniel kept his back turned to him. "As I said, you are very wise Anubis. You understand much. I know the Fate of each of the Overlords and it will come to pass, and it will start the next Elder War."

"Daniel," I stood up for the first time I had ever stood up during a Council Meeting. Normally, I remained seated and quiet. Normally, I found them very boring.

"Brenna, you have started the Maturing," he cocked his head to the side. "Tomorrow, you will be mortal."

"Daniel," I touched his arm. His head was thrown back, mouth opened, a blood curdling scream issued from it. I let go and he didn't stop. Someone grabbed hold of me.

"It is time," the voice was familiar, but seemed to be a million miles away.

"Two by two," Daniel stopped screaming. "Two by two by two by two."

"What?" I pulled away from the arms that were holding me.

"A leak, that's all," Vishnu grabbed me again. "It happens sometimes during stress with a prophet. The thought of your death has forced something of the prophecy loose inside his head. He will go back to being your brother in a few days."

In a heartbeat, Daniel's eyes glazed back over. He returned to being the boy I knew. The boy that barely spoke, had favorites, made it rain slugs, and occasionally caused massive hail damage, stood before me. There was a thick sounding clunk on the roof, followed by another. A downpour began. He was angry and unable to express it again. The lucidity was gone and Daniel had returned. I looked at the skylight and watched as walnuts slammed into them.

"Great," I frowned.

"You need to find safety, Brenna. You have not been put to death, but that does not mean attempts will not be made," Vishnu looked very pointedly at Chiron who was staring in terror at Daniel.

"Get Daniel in the house," my mother suddenly yelled. My father moved with lightning speed, gathering up the boy. He folded him gently in his arms, surrounded him with his massive body and left the Council Room.

"I recommend you leave in the chaos as well," Magnus whispered to me. "Make sure you have guards. Your brother being a prophet is an interesting turn of events."

# Chapter Five

Everything was happening so fast that I stood in stunned silence, as someone swept me off my feet, enveloped me inside velvety wings, and dashed from the Chamber. The cocoon smelled of wormwood and cedar, and somewhere, I could hear the muffled sounds of walnuts bouncing off of the body that carried me. The moment the sound ended, the wings unfurled, there was a rush of air, and I closed my eyes and held on for dear life, as Gargoyle claws and fingers dug firmly into my flesh.

I am a Demon with the mindset that if Demons had been intended to fly, they would have wings. While I logically understood that Ba'al would not drop me, and even if he did, it would hurt but not kill me, I still couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. Instead, I buried my face in his chest, felt the rub of his clothing with every movement of his wings. His voice was trying to soothe me over the rush of the wind, but his words were lost in the panic and air.

We landed with a small thud onto my balcony. The fingers loosened, the claws retracted from the flesh. The wounds were healing, almost healed by the time they were completely removed. His fingers remained though, stroking my back, encouraging me to put my feet down and open my eyes.

"I hate flying," I gave a small sigh and cautiously opened one eye. Ba'al was grinning down on me.

"True, but it got you out of the Chamber quickly, quietly, and efficiently. The good news is that you won't have to go to your party tomorrow. If you're mortal, you cannot attend."

"That might be the only bright light in this entire fiasco." I let myself be carried into the house. I never locked the balcony door. Too many flying beings visited that thought it was easier than coming up the elevator.

"Brenna, we should discuss security," he spoke softly.

"No, Ba'al, not now." I let a tear fall from my eye. It ran down my face. "I just found out that my brother has exactly 14 years and three months to live, give or take a few days."

"I know." The problem with True Prophets was that they died. Personally, I had never met one, but I knew the stories. They spewed their prophecy on the day they began the Maturing, and died sometime within that month. That meant two things, in 14 years and three months, we would know exactly what doom and gloom Daniel was envisioning in his head, and that he would be dead shortly afterwards. There was nothing anyone could do to change it; it was Fate, Divine Will, whatever you wanted to call it. It was and would be.

"Why couldn't it have been one of the older brothers, I don't like them as well." It sounded bad, but the truth was, while I would have missed them, Daniel was special to me in ways that they weren't. Daniel understood me and I understood him, at least to the extent that he could be understood.

"Brenna," a second voice joined us. I looked up and found Anubis, Gabriel, Marcus, and Alex standing in the room.

"Wow, quite a turn out. All we need is Jonathan." I frowned and started to cry harder.

"Mein Schatz," Anubis touched the bottom of my chin, "Jonathan is coming. We are your guards for the Maturing. A psychotic Overlord screaming for your death requires special guardians. The Demon Lieutenant, John, will also be joining us. You will never be alone," he pulled me up from the couch, "but that does not mean you cannot have some feigned privacy."

"Feigned privacy," I gave a soft chuckle that ended in a sob.

"Feigned, we will all hear you cry, but we will all pretend that you are not." He led me to my bedroom and opened the door.

"Ba'al," Anubis called, Ba'al responded. Even among "equals" there always seemed to be some sort of hierarchy. I had never understood how it worked, but Anubis seemed to outrank everyone except Lucifer. "Stand outside the door for a few moments, while I get her settled please."

"Of course," Ba'al spread his wings, covering the entire doorframe and most of the wall that connected to the hall.

As a child, the Overlords had always enthralled me. They had come in and out of my house as they pleased. The three that seemed to be unmated, Gabriel, Anubis, and Ba'al, had been very nice to me. Around the time I was five, Anubis had started referring to me as Mein Schatz, My Treasure. A term of endearment that was used to encourage me to learn other languages that had ultimately failed. I had tried; I just didn't have the head to speak multiple languages. It hadn't changed though even as an adult, he still used the term when we were alone, or when there was time of great suffering.

I folded myself into his arms and wept harder than I had ever wept in my life. My body shook with the effort, the tears soaked his shirt, darkened the color. Anubis kept me folded into him, never moving except to stroke my hair or kiss the top of my head.

Minutes passed. My knees finally gave out; Anubis caught me, carried me to the bed, and tucked me in. He dried the last of my tears.

"Brenna, you know we would all change it if we could. We cannot, so for now, we should focus on keeping you safe. Once the Maturing is over, you will have time to spend with Daniel. We will put you on leave for a while, or whatever needs to be done to accommodate you."

"I sometimes forget you are my boss," I looked into his eyes. They always seemed sad. He was a haunted man. He and Ba'al were both haunted men. I had always known it, always seen it on their face, read it in the eyes, felt it in their soul, but I had never been bold enough to ask about the torment. I could guess it had something to do with the fact that they were unmated. Especially since Gabriel was the only Overlord left never to have found a mate. Something told me that he understood my pain and would do exactly what needed to be done to ease it.

I thought another moment, "What was the contingency plan that Elijah mentioned?"

"Just something to keep you safe. We had readied a small house, well, shack really, on a deserted island. Fen, Beal, Gabe, Elijah, and Mammon, were going to take you there if they put you to death. Keep you there until after the Maturing. Somehow, Leviathan and Pendragon found out. So, they changed it a bit. We were going to hide you in plain sight, so to speak. A place on the island, with the griffins. They would help us keep you safe as well as mask your magic, and with Pendragon being in on the conspiracy, there would be little anyone could do to find you once you were on the island."

"Conspiring against the Council," I tutted at him lightly.

"Boss, friend, confident, and sometimes conspirator," he smiled at me as he referenced my teen years. "We have been many things, Mein Schatz, and I hope we have many years ahead of us to enjoy each other's company."

"Anubis," I looked away from him, "who cursed you?"

"Oh, that was so long ago." He frowned.

"Perhaps it was, but it is not something you forget."

"A Witch, her name was Nefera; she was a concubine, a mistress of a pre-Egyptian king."

"How long ago was it?"

"Roughly?" Anubis gave a heavy sigh and squinted at me. His long powerful jaw worked for a second, as if he were counting without moving his lips, and finally bared two fangs. "About eight thousand years ago."

"Why a jackal?"

"She said I preyed upon the dead and should look like a scavenger and not a man. She did not understand vampirism any more than any other Human at that time." There isn't a Vampire on the planet that would drink Human blood. They did prefer their steaks to be a little on the rare side, and every so often, they had about a quart of horse blood injected into them, but it was about survival. Without the infusion, they tended to become transparent and irritable. Their bodies process hemoglobin too fast, destroy it, it leaks out of their tears and occasionally in their saliva if they are trying to heal a nasty wound. However, they have incredible speed and strength, which is why they need the extra blood. Horses happen to work better than Humans do though. Their hemoglobin seems to be more rugged, harder to destroy.

"From scavenger to God, not a bad step up in the course of Human History."

"From scavenger to God to myth," Anubis gave me another toothy smile, "not bad at all. Do you feel any better?"

"I feel exhausted."

"Not surprising. Your party is being rescheduled for after the Maturing. Something to look forward to," he added sarcastically. He knew I hated parties. I'm not exactly the most social being on the planet.

"Thank you, and Ba'al, and everyone else that is going to be looking after me for the next month. I imagine though that I am interfering in your lives."

"Yes, but it is an acceptable interference," he stood. "Those that are mated will guard in shifts. The rest of us will be here full time."

"Of the list you gave me, there are only three that are not mated."

"True and I believe the next 24 hours or so, Gabriel will probably take reprieve. He says you have been a handful."

"I usually am." I snuggled into my pillow.

Anubis started towards the door.

"Wait," I pulled the blanket up to my chin, "I hate to sound like a little kid again, I am almost thirty, but would you mind sitting here until I fall asleep or finding someone else to do it?"

"Let me have a word with the others and I will be back. I will send Ba'al in to sit with you until my return."

Ba'al came into the room and sat down on the bed. His curved fingers and long claws gently touched my leg, sitting on top of the blankets. His eyes reflected the same sadness as Anubis's.

"Ba'al, why are Vampires the only breed with a weakness?" I asked.

"Who says they are?"

"They require blood."

"Yes, but each breed has a weakness."

"No, they don't."

"Demons are blessed with the ability to heal, but are cursed to take the wounds upon themselves, even if it is just psychological pain they feel. Lycans walk between the Elder/Human world and the world of the animals, yet they pay a price each time they shift. The pain of shifting can cause them to become comatose for a time. That is why most of them do not shift anymore. The pain is unbearable. The Fey have a fractured breed, more diversity, more infighting over their differences. We all have weaknesses; it is a trade off for whatever amazing power we have."

"I never thought..." I stopped and opened my mind. New energy had entered the building. Energy that was both enraged and terrified.

"Lucifer is here," I told him, climbing out from under the blankets, "and he isn't happy."

"I imagine not," Ba'al stood up, I heard my bed creak as the weight shifted.

"He's taking the stairs," I opened the bedroom door as my father's energy slammed into the corridor outside my condo. "No, he's here."

"Yes, he is," Anubis opened the door before Lucifer's energy could cause it to shatter. He was glowing red and shaking from head to foot.

"Brenna," he rushed to me, grabbed me, and held onto me, nearly forcing all the air out of my lungs. "I wasn't sure what had happened to you."

"Ba'al happened to me," I squeaked out. Some of the tension released, the glow faded.

"Oh, thank God," Lucifer looked at me. "Your mother and I were worried sick when we realized you didn't come into the house after us, and your phone was found outside with the walnuts."

"Luc," Anubis came to stand next to us, "you are squeezing her to death."

"Sorry," he let go a little. One hand went to his face and I realized he was wiping away tears. "Thank you, Beal."

Nicknames are a rarity in the world of the Elders. They are a sign of familiarity. Permission had to be granted before they could be used. The fact that the four Overlords standing in my living room all called each other by nicknames, probably gave more insight into my family life than anything else did.

"Papa," I started to cry again, "what about..."

"Bren, we will cross that bridge when it gets here. Until then, we have to focus on you. He is currently safe and sound at home with Morgana, Uther, Vishnu, and most of the Djinn. Now that he is exposed as a prophet, I imagine we will be seeing much more of the Djinn clan in our home."

Something intangible seems to bind the Djinn Clan and True Prophets. Some psychic bond that requires the Djinn to feel responsible for the Prophet.

"Fenrir is joining your guard," Lucifer said as my mother entered the room, "he decided that if his son was willing to risk his life to protect you, he should as well."

"Smokescreen," Fenrir said as he entered the room. My father's energy had been overwhelming. I had missed the others that had accompanied him to the condo. "We all know how fond I am of her."

Fenrir gave me a kiss on the forehead, moving around my father to do it. He looked at Alex for a moment before hugging him. Affection is shown, but only in private quarters in the Elder World. Only true loves show affection in public. Since few mated couples were also true loves, there wasn't a lot of PDA.

For Fenrir to hug his son in my condo was proof that he was amongst not friends, but family. It made me feel a little warm and fuzzy that the group in the room was close enough to be considered family, even if we were not of the same blood.

"I have a gift for you, Bren," my mother shook her head at my father as she spoke, "but your father is going to have to let you go for me to give it to you."

"Oh," my father had the grace to look embarrassed for a second. He kissed me again and pulled away. Someone helped me to maintain my balance after being let go so suddenly by him.

My mother handed me a long, wooden box. It was intricately carved, each detail done by hand. It looked ancient, priceless, and well loved. I took it from her and was surprised that it weighed almost nothing. It looked heavy and cumbersome.

I opened the box. There was a round of gasps from almost everyone in the room. Everyone except me, I was confused. Inside the box was a very large, very shiny sword. I cocked my head to one side and stared at it. It looked like it should weigh a ton, but it had to be made of papier-mâché.

"It's a sword," I finally said.

"No, it's a Claymore," Fenrir said with reverence in his voice.

"It's more than just a Claymore," Anubis responded. "It is the Claymore, it's Excalibur."

"The mythical sword of Arthurian Legend?" I asked rather blandly. There are moments when my life defies even my mind. This was one of those moments.

"Yes and no," Gabriel piped up. "Arthur didn't exist, but Excalibur did. A witch forged it, etched it with the blood of the Overlords, and cursed it so it could never fall into hands that would wield it for evil."

"Huh," I pulled it one handed from the box. "It seems like it should weigh more."

"That's all you can say?" Gabriel frowned at me.

"Well, what should I say? I am holding a sword that shouldn't exist and it weighs maybe as much as one of your feathers. It's beautiful, I will admit to that, but it seems to defy reality."

"It is as light as a feather because you are a master," my mother responded. She took the sword from me and held it as I had. "The Strachan Family Claymore or Excalibur." She grimaced at the word Excalibur as if it was dirty or something.

"Sorry, Elise," Gabriel gave a sheepish look.

"The Strachan Claymore is cursed so that only a Strachan can wield it. It drives everyone else mad to hold the sword for too long. The weight of the sword changes as it is passed down from one family member to another. The sword chooses its own masters, and they have always been women. To everyone else, and if you set it on a scale, it will tell you that it weighs close to two hundred pounds. It is perfectly balanced and it was forged using blood from the Overlords. It was forged for the Elder War and it will do some serious damage when it cleaves the flesh of an Elder, more than a Demon would ever want to heal. In the hands of a Strachan Master, you don't even need to know how to use it, the sword does the work itself, you just have to hold on."

"Nifty." I took the sword back. "And I'm going to use this to protect myself?"

"You will if you know what's good for you," my mother said with that tone. I was being given a family object, a cursed and sacred family object. That meant a lot to my mother, it meant a lot to everyone in the room. I would use the sword or my mother would give me hell.

"Okay," I looked inside the box and found a leather sheath. It didn't fasten around the waist, but over the shoulders, like a sling. It was far too long to fasten at the waist. I tried to draw the sword from the sheath and found that the sheath fell apart; releasing the sword quickly and making me look awkward.

"When you want to put it back, just slide it in, the sheath attaches to it magically," My mother informed me.

"That's useful." I slide it back and felt the material mold back together, mend around the blade.

"One last piece of advice," my mother kissed me. "Don't ever call it Excalibur."

"Got it," I nodded once, very decisively.

"Luc," Anubis said his name softly.

"I know, I know," Lucifer stood up. "I know I agreed I would not interfere once the Maturing began. You have no idea how hard it is to turn her over to you ragged lot and hope for the best." The last sentence was said with a little bit of mirth.

The Demon John came into the room. The atmosphere suddenly changed. I glared at him.

"No, no, no," I shook my head, "this isn't going to work."

"What?" Anubis asked me.

"Don't you feel it?"

"Yes," my mother answered. "Luc, we need to remove a guard."

"What?" Lucifer looked from her to me.

"John, I'm sorry," I moved towards him, "you bring tension to the group."

"I'm a lieutenant."

"I know," I responded, "and I appreciate you volunteering, but we both know that you don't want to be here. I can feel it radiating from you. You can't protect me when you resent me."

"I don't resent..."

"Yes, you do. I would too if I were you. My cousin is a horrible mate, but there is nothing to be done about that. I remind you of her."

"How do..."

"Witch," my mother said in a singsong voice.

"Damn," John gave a deep sigh, "Sorry, Brenna."

"I'm sure you are a likeable enough Demon, John, and your service to Demonnation is commendable. The fact that you got stuck with my cousin is unfortunate, even more so since, she seems capable of breeding rather quickly for a Demon. However, you do resent me because I do remind you of her and you can't ever seem to get away from her."

"You don't have to tell everyone," John nearly growled.

"You don't have to be a Witch to figure it out," Gabriel gave him a sad smile. "We have watched you suffer for the last five hundred years with your mate. We all know how miserable you are."

"But if I'm not in the guard, I have to go home," he stood for a minute; his shoulders suddenly drooped, "to her."

Elders mate in very odd ways and cycles. It's a hundred year cycle. You are required to be your mate's only lover for 100 years, if during that time, you have a child, you are bound for another 100 years. If you go 100 years without a child, you are released from any obligations for 100 years. Since mating rarely involves love in our world, this is normally not a problem. You spend 100 years with someone and then move on to fun for another 100 years, and then you return. Only John and my cousin, Lucretia, seem to keep having children. They have been mated for five hundred years and she is currently pregnant with their fourth child. This time, he was six days from the end of the 100-year cycle when she got pregnant. Now he is stuck living with her for another 100 years. I would be resentful too.

"Go home to your parents," Lucifer said. "Take a breeding reprieve. You are allowed to do that since your last child died."

"I've tried, my parents won't allow it." Sometimes being an Elder really sucks.

"Your parents will not allow you a breeding reprieve?" I asked him. A breeding reprieve can be given to any Elder whose child has died during the Maturing. It allows time to grieve.

"Why did you not come see me before Lucretia got pregnant again?" Lucifer asked.

"My parents told me I couldn't." As Overlord, Lucifer can grant a reprieve, but only if the mates are not expecting. "They wanted another grandchild."

"Did you talk to Beezel?" Lucifer asked.

"I don't think Beezel likes me very much," John answered.

"Don't take it personal, Beezel doesn't like anybody very much," Gabriel answered.

This statement was followed by silence. We could send John home to his bitchy mate, or we could allow him a month of leave. He might resent me less if I allowed it. He might resent me more when it was over, because I do remind him of Lucretia. It was a double-edged sword. I was damned regardless.

"Okay, you can stay. I wouldn't want to return home to her either. Just try to work out your hostilities and stop holding her against me." I gave a sigh. "However, since you are mated, you will be given leave every other day to return home. It's required."

"Good girl," my father whispered despite the fact that everyone in the room could hear him.

"All right, our daughter is safe and sound and well protected. They need to work out schedules and ways to avoid routines and a million other things," my mother poked my father. "In other words, we should attend to our other children while this one is taken care of by our friends."

"Keep her safe," Lucifer gave a parting shot.

"Bye," I said to the closed door. My father was not dealing with this very well. I put the Claymore back in its case and closed the lid. "Okay, what's on the agenda?"

"Schedules," Gabriel sat down. "The three of us will stay here all the time. The others will rotate out as their schedules allow."

"Seems simple." I stared off into space. "Perhaps too simple. Chiron is not really so stupid as to attack me, is he?"

"I don't think it's stupidity we need to worry about. Crazy people, now that's another story. Chiron is just at the top of that list," Anubis sat down. "You do realize that you have no food, right?"

"Yeah, I made a list once, but it didn't make it to the store with me, so I gave up on it."

"You've had a lot on your mind lately," Gabriel pointed out.

"Yeah, pity that was eight years ago." I handed my cell phone to Anubis. "Most of the delivery places are in the phone directory."

"I am not living on take-out for a month." Anubis pushed the phone away. "Brenna, do you know how to cook?"

"My mother taught me. I found the only thing I was ever good at cooking up was spells, so I gave up on food. If you are going to cook, you'll need to buy cookware. I have a pan that I use for popcorn when I run out of the microwave stuff, but that's it."

"You have no pans?" Anubis gave me a disapproving look.

"No, I have one pan and a matching lid for it. It's a single serving of popcorn, so it's perfect for me."

"Baking dishes? Silverware?"

"I have silverware; there are at least a dozen boxes of assorted disposable utensils in the drawer."

"Metal utensils?"

"Uh, yeah, my mom gave me a box of old silver when she gave me the china dishes."

"China dishes?" He rolled his eyes as Gabriel snickered. "Do you have anything except antique Bone China place settings?"

"Ewww, they are made of bone? One more reason to use paper plates. Stop setting those things on my damn table." I looked pointedly at Gabriel.

"No, Ani, she has almost nothing in her kitchen, except disposable and fine antiques that should be used only on very special occasions." Gabriel looked back at me and stuck out his tongue.

"I tried to give the fine stuff back to mom, but she refused to take it. She said some nonsense about every homeowner needing a good set of dishes."

"Let me get this straight," Anubis shook his head again, "you have no food and even if you did, we couldn't cook it unless it was microwavable, and then we would have to eat it on plates that are probably a couple hundred years old, with silverware that is probably older?"

"Sounds accurate," I lit a cigarette. "I'm sorry; I'm just not very domestic."

"We know," all the Overlords said in unison.

"Jonathan, John, and Marcus, make some lists of things that are needed for this place; include cookware and dining ware as well as food, then go to the store and pick the items up. I'll give you a credit card for the purchases, I'm sure you won't be paid back otherwise."

"I don't think I need cookware or dining ware. I've been doing just fine since I went to college."

"It is going to be a very long month," Anubis placed his muzzle into his hands and closed his eyes. I was pretty sure he was holding his jaws shut and possibly cutting off the oxygen through his long nose. I recognized the gesture; people did it a lot with me, and my mother was the master of holding her mouth closed to keep from yelling at me.

"Fenrir, go home for now, get some rest, be back in the morning. I think since Daniel announced she would start her stint as a mortal tomorrow, there will be a test run at her then."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because that is what I would do." Anubis popped the ligaments in his neck very loudly. "If I were leading a battle, I would first send a small group to see what was happening. If you are wounded tomorrow, they can judge how quickly you heal by attacking at certain intervals after that. Once you have reached Human healing speed, I would come in with a full frontal assault and cause as much damage as possible. They also need to make sure that you are not coming into whatever powers you may be gaining. If they wait too long and the power is developed, it is not uncommon for the power to lash out during times of high emotional stress; it's a defense mechanism to preserve the life of the being. You won't be able to control it, it will just happen. Finally, they will want to see what powers you still have. A Demon Maturing is different from a Half-Breed with Witch blood. You might be more powerful than they think."

"Have you planned many assassination attempts?" I asked.

"I've never planned an attempt, only a few that worked," Anubis answered. "However, Gabriel and I were in charge of most of the infantry soldiers during the Elder War and we have long been helping Humans strategize their wars."

"Scary."

"You have no idea," Ba'al laughed.

"I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

"Probably not," Ba'al was still smiling.

"Are you two done?" Anubis cut into our chatter. "If you are, there are still some things to be discussed. For example, do you think we can defend this condo, or should we move to a more secure location?"

"I vote condo," I piped up.

"Why?" Anubis asked.

"It's high up, Centaurs don't fly, and it's my home."

"I think the condo is defensible," Ba'al added.

"Fine, for now, we will take position here. Some provisions need to be made. Bren, do you think you can cook up a couple of spells for us?"

"That depends, what spells do you want?"

"One for soundproofing that works so that anyone outside can't hear in, but we can hear out," Anubis started.

"Uh, might need my mother for that. I don't know a lot of complex spells."

"You're a Witch." Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, not a chemist," I retorted. "I have a book; I follow a recipe, say the prescribed words and hope it works. If it isn't in the book, I probably can't do it without my mother's help."

"Okay, let's go look through the book," Anubis stood up.

"Sure," I took him to my bedroom, opened the closet and pointed to a nice, hand carved box that sat on my closet floor. Every so often, the box jumped. Over the years, I had gotten used to the noise.

"It's cursed," he said very flatly.

"Yes, it is." I shrugged. "Most of the things in my life seem to be cursed."

Carefully, I knelt down, opened the latch on the box and watched as the book jumped out. It began to curse heavily at me. The mouth on the front of the book moved rapidly and spoke old English.

"I know, I know." I told the book. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to know if you have a spell that will soundproof a room to the outside, but still let sound from outside in."

"God damn, keep me locked in a fucking box for years and then suddenly start demanding things from me. Why should I do as you ask? I could just sit here, mute and not tell you anything. Maybe that would teach you."

"Probably not, and I wouldn't keep you locked up if you were nicer to my company and to me. Last time I left you out for a week, you started saying 'Damn Demon' every time I walked past you."

"You started it."

"You have a cursed spell book that is petulant." Anubis gave me a look.

"You'd be petulant too if you were stuck in that fucking box all the god damn time," the book hissed.

"Behave and I won't put you in the box," I told the book. I always felt stupid arguing with a book, but I couldn't help it. It seemed to bring out the worst in me. We always ended up arguing.

"Yes you will, you'll think of another reason to put me back into the box. You realize I have lived for nearly a thousand years inside that stupid box. It isn't like there's a lot of scenery in there. The least you could do is offer..."

"Stop. I know what you are going to say, so just stop." I held up my hand as eyes opened on the front of the book.

"You try having your soul trapped in a book for eternity and see how you feel."

"Look, I realize it sucks, I'm sorry you are forever stuck inside the book, I really am. There is nothing I can do about it. Would it be possible just to work together for a few minutes without arguing?"

"Fine." The book even managed to look petulant. The soul inside it belonged to an ancestor that died ages ago, but somehow managed to trap his soul inside the family spell book. Because my mother is convinced that I need more complications in my life, I got the cursed copy, and my siblings got nice, new printings of it that lack the trapped soul.

"Okay, we need some protection spells. I'm Maturing and there is serious concern for my safety. Since I won't really have much power in a couple of days or at least, not controllable power, we need some good protection spells to assist. Have any suggestions?"

"Hey, muzzle-mouth," the book said. It somehow had the ability to stand up on its own as well.

"I assume you mean me," Anubis looked down at the book as if it was a yucky bug.

"Yeah, you," the book sneered. "Are you in charge of her safety?"

"I am one of many."

"Too many cooks..." The book closed its eyes for a minute. "Still haven't figured out how to remove that curse I see. I bet that sucks almost as much as being stuck in a book."

"Behave." I warned the book.

"Well, I bet it does. Muzzle-mouth, do you have any funny ideas about my great granddaughter?"

"Book!" I nearly yelled at it. "All I want to know is whether you can help me or not. If you are going to be rude, I'll borrow a copy from my sister that doesn't have a soul in it."

"Like it isn't bad enough your mother is fornicating with a Demon, you and the jackal would have ugly children."

"Okay, that's it." I picked up the book and started to place it back inside the box.

"Wait, I can help!"

"Then you had better get to it," I answered.

"I have a few protection spells, but let's face it, protection spells really aren't a big requirement in our family. How about a magical alarm system?" It had lost the accent, which is not uncommon with souls that were more than a few hundred years old. They had universal knowledge of languages and accents came and went.

"What will it do?" I asked, putting it back down on the floor.

"When something crosses it, it emits a bolt of energy that hurts like hell. Makes them scream."

"Anything or just certain things?" Anubis asked.

"Anything."

"Okay, that would be bad." I closed my eyes. "Anything else?"

"Let me in the living room and I'll give you a good one. I hate being stuck in here all the time. You know I hear everything that goes on in this room?"

"Yeah, cause so much goes on in here," I told it.

"Exactly, your love life is about as exciting as watching grass grow. I'm sure the living room is more interesting, especially since I feel a couple of beasties floating around it."

"I have the only racist spell book on the planet." I sighed emphatically.

"I'm sorry, Bren, if I had realized what a chore getting a spell out of your book would be..." Anubis started.

"No, it's always like this. I think that's why my mother gave him to me." I glared at the book. "And you aren't my grandfather in any way shape or form; you would be a great uncle long dead and too far back to add that many greats to your name."

"Splitting hairs," the book huffed at me. "And I wouldn't be a racist if Muzzle-mouth, Lucifer, and that Angel hadn't arranged to have my soul trapped in this book."

"I had nothing to do with trapping your soul. You brought that on yourself." Anubis suddenly smiled. "And that Angel is in the living room."

"Figures. I expect Lucifer would arrange for the best men to protect his favorite daughter."

"Wait, I've always thought this was some horrid spell gone wrong problem, why did they arrange to have you trapped in a book?" I asked either soul.

"He was just as bad when he was alive. He attempted to curse Ba'al and a few other Elders because his son fell in love with one. He was a racist back then too. When he killed his son instead of letting him have a life with his love, we decided that his soul should not rest. We suggested that his soul be punished for his crime by not being allowed into heaven. His own kinfolk locked him in the book. It was their idea."

"That bitch whore of a sister I had did it. I never did like her."

"I get the impression you didn't like anyone, and that the feeling was pretty much mutual." I picked up the book. "You can go into the living room if you can behave and be useful. Otherwise, I'm shoving you back into the box. Understood?"

"Define behave?"

"No more calling him Muzzle-mouth for starters. He has a name, use it." I thought for a moment. "And keep your opinions of how evil Elders are to yourself. We do not care to hear your thoughts on Angels, Demons, Gargoyles, Vampires, Lycans, or anything else for that matter."

"Whatever," the book rolled its eyes at me.

"Honestly?" I gave another heavy sigh. "Three minutes and I'm already exhausted."

"Can he talk you through more complicated spells?"

"I'm sure he could, but I doubt he'd be that helpful." I left the bedroom, Anubis at my heels.

"Hey, he even follows like a dog!" The book exclaimed.

"Hush, damn it!"

"Oh no," Gabriel's voice came from the living room, "that book."

"It's the only spell book I have." It sounded defensive even to me.

"Do you honestly think Ezra will be helpful?" Ba'al asked.

"Ezra?" I looked at him as I entered the room.

"Ezra is the soul trapped in the book," Ba'al said as if I should know it.

"Sorry, I only know him as the book." I shrugged.

"Too many wings and pointy teeth in this room for my taste," Ezra the Book said.

"I was thinking there were too many opinions in the room, Ezra." I told it.

"Fine, set me down on the table and we'll discuss things with as little opinion as I can give."

I plopped the book down on the table and stared at it. I wasn't fond of it. If it could be helpful, I would reconsider, but for now, the racist book was what annoyed the hell out of me.

"What do I get if I help you?" He asked.

"Okay, you know what, if you help me, I'll free your soul from the book."

"You can do that?" It was strange to have a book give you a skeptical look.

"Yes, Demon/Witch, I have a bit of power between the two that most Witches don't. I imagine I can free you from the book."

"What would happen to me if you freed me from the book?"

"Well, since you've been banned from heaven, I imagine you will become a ghost and float around at will. I have a few people you can haunt. There's a particularly irritating Centaur that you would get along with, and he's also a racist. The two of you could have long, irritating debates about which breed is the worst."

"That could be fun. Any naked women there?"

"Really? A thousand years inside a book and all you care about is naked women?" I asked.

"It's a long time to be inside a box without female company, except those of my distant relatives."

"I'm sure those could be arranged," Anubis said with just a touch of scorn in his voice.

"Don't judge me, Vampire. I know that you have had years of freedom to fuck whatever and whoever you want." That seemed to touch a nerve. Anubis yanked the book from the table and brought it very close to his face.

"Careful, Ezra, I might just decide to destroy the book and send your soul to hell. Your curse keeps you from heaven, but the destruction of this book would free your soul for hell."

"Heaven, hell, it's all the same. Lucifer is a decent being and Gabriel is his best friend. I'm not sure any of us really have a concept of either of those things."

"But we all have faith in a God, so there must be something else. I'm guessing it's very unpleasant."

"This was a mistake, you obviously can't help us." I reached for the book.

"Wait," Ezra was still staring down Anubis, "how about an aura spell?"

"An aura spell that does what?" I asked.

"An aura spell that reveals intentions. You cast it and everyone within about a hectare suddenly glows a color based on their intentions towards you."

"I feel that there is a very off-color 'but' after that sentence," I told him.

"Well, it would reveal everyone's intentions." Ezra gave a screwed up smile. "You'd find out a lot of information about that being that you might not want to know."

"Can it be used selectively?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Then it would be an invasion of privacy."

"But useful," Anubis defended. "So you find out a few things you didn't know, you'd definitely know exactly what everyone else was intending."

"Other suggestions?" I asked the book.

"We could make the condo impenetrable to anyone without an aura pass."

"An aura pass?" I debated that for a second. "Okay, what do I need?"

"You need blood from everyone that is capable of passing through the barriers for starters. After that, you will need an assortment of flowers, animals, and it requires a sacrifice."

"You want me to sacrifice something?" I frowned.

"Yes," Ezra looked at Anubis. "Put me down please."

"What do I have to sacrifice?" I asked.

"A small bit of you. Breast milk works the best."

"Not breeding at the moment," I pointed out.

"Then you will need to sacrifice something else. It could be an animal, but that's a little less reliable since you are trying to keep out Elders. It might not work at all for a Lycan that is the same breed as the animal you sacrifice."

"My blood won't work?"

"You are already donating blood so that you can pass through the barrier."

"What about Demon horn?" The thought suddenly occurred to me. They are quite powerful for some reason, much like Angel feathers and Vampire tears.

"Demon horn would work, but..." Ezra looked at my head.

"I have horns." I pulled back the hair and exposed the tiny nubs on top of my head.

"Fine, Demon Horn it is." Anubis finally placed the book back on the table.

"What do I need?" I asked again.

"A very large pot. Very large."

"Okay, how large?"

"Large enough to fit everything into."

"Stop being cryptic."

"20 quarts or so."

"So, a giant crab or lobster boiling pot would work."

"Probably." Anubis reached for his phone.

"Nope, I've got that." I went back into the bedroom and got a pot from my closet.

"I didn't think you had cookware," Anubis said behind me.

"I don't, but I do have spell pots."

"What next?" I asked Ezra as I reentered the living room.

"Blood from all the Elders and Humans you want to be able to pass through the barrier. About an ounce from each goes into the pot first."

"Okay, time to do some bleeding." Anubis looked at me. "Do you have a knife to cut with?"

"Uh," I screwed up my mouth and thought, "probably not."

"Fine," Anubis opened his mouth and bit into his wrist. He held it over the pot and let the blood fall from it. When he'd let out about an ounce of it, I put my hand over the wound and watched it close. It hurt a bit, but not as much as I thought it would.

"Okay, you can't do that with each of us, compounding pain will be excruciating by the time we are done," Ba'al responded.

"Oh," I shrugged, "okay, I'll go next."

I stared at my wrist for several seconds. I didn't have fangs and my Human teeth were going to hurt like hell. I looked at the three fanged beings in the room.

"Uh," I held out my wrist.

"Good God," Anubis took hold and pressed his mouth against it. It hurt, but the teeth were sharp enough that while they drew a small hiss from me, it didn't make me cry. I drained some blood into the pot as Ba'al opened his wrist with a claw. Jonathan, like Anubis, used his fangs, and opened his vein. Then there was some hemming and hawing over who was going to open the wrists of the others. Fenrir eventually opened his and Alex's using his fangs. Marcus used a claw and the others returned in time to be bled by someone without the blood congealing in the bottom of the pot.

"Okay, we have blood. Now what?" I asked Ezra.

"Three ounces of thyme, two ounces of wormwood; oil preferred, eight ounces of sunflower seed oil, half an ounce of blessed water, a splash of a corn based alcohol, a handful of dragon scales, they should be powdered, a handful of devil weed, a bit of mermaid hair, and then the final touch, the Demon horn, make sure it's ground."

"Oh yeah, easy enough," I said sarcastically. I dug around and found all the ingredients in a spell kit that also sat in my closet. It was amazing what I kept in the closet. My wardrobe was pretty bland; blue jeans and black or red shirts. Everything else was given over to spell stuff. Most of it my mother had given me over the years.

Everything was in the pot except the Demon horn. I wasn't exactly proud of them, but I had a feeling it was going to hurt. Suddenly it dawned on me; I hadn't asked a very important question.

"What exactly does this do? I mean, how does the barrier work?"

"You pour it at your entrances and anyone who doesn't have blood in the mix, can't cross it."

"Can't cross it how?"

"It will be like they are pushing against a very strong wall, too strong to break." Ezra turned to look at me. "Having second thoughts?"

"Nope, just curious how it works. Also curious about how to remove my horns. They aren't exactly big enough to take cutters to..."

"Sit down," Ba'al said. "I want you to look at me and only me."

"This is going to hurt," I told him.

"Not really," Ba'al took hold of my hands. I sat down on the couch. Someone grabbed the tiny nubs and jerked.

"Motherfucker!" I shouted as they were snapped at the base where they connected to my skull. "That hurt!"

"Yeah, sorry, had to lie to you about it." Ba'al was still holding my hands. Anubis was holding the tiny nubs in his hands. He walked into the kitchen. I heard something weird going on in there and a few minutes later, he emerged with a bowl. The bowl contained lilac dust. He was missing all the hair from his muzzle and I could feel my hair was on fire. I thought for a minute.

"My head is on fire, isn't it?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes," Marcus smiled. "We can put it out if you want, but it is kind of a good look for you."

"Thanks," I reached up and touched the flames. They were blisteringly hot. "It's white fire, isn't it?"

"Uh huh, side effect of breaking horns off at the base. We should have used clippers." Anubis re-entered the room. "The fire will subside in a minute. Since you willingly gave them up, it isn't as bad as if they had been broken by accident."

"Did you chew them to dust?" Ezra asked.

"No." Anubis poured the dust into the pot.

"Now, just say the words and pour the mixture on your doors and windows. It disappears once it hits a surface."

"What are the words?" I asked. Ezra flipped open, exposing a page of the book. There were fifteen words on it. I didn't know the meaning, but the pronunciation was written next to them. I repeated the words and there was a puff of smoke from the pot.

The liquid went from red to white to clear. I nodded once and began to pour it on the door and window frames. It evaporated into white smoke when it hit the solid frames.

"Okay, now what?"

"Now, I recommend the intentions spell," Ezra said.

"I'm not casting that." I picked up the book.

"You said..."

"I said I would help you if you helped me. If in thirty days, I'm still alive, I'll free you from the book. If I'm not, you didn't help and you get stuck with my sister who is far worse than I am. She's mated and happy all the time."

"Good Lord," Ezra sighed. "Can I at least stay out in the open for a while longer? I did give you a spell."

"Ugh, fine, but..."

"I know...best behavior."

"We are going to sit around the living room with your spell book?" Gabriel asked, he sounded bemused by the thought.

"It would appear so, I did make a deal with him." I shrugged again. Sometimes, I am amazed by my own life, and this would be one of those times. How does someone get into the position of making deals with spell books?

"What a conversation killer," Gabriel sat down and glared at the book.

"Not necessarily. I am quite good at conversation," Ezra the Book said.

"Yes, but can you talk to us like we are beings and not bugs to be trodden beneath your feet or..." Ba'al grinned, "Rather squashed between your pages?"

"Now who is being condescending?" I asked.

"Actually, no, we are not all going to sit around the spell book, silently wondering what we are doing," Anubis responded. "Everyone, except me, is going to go home. Get some rest; be back here for your shifts tomorrow."

"Everyone?" Ba'al raised an eyebrow

"Everyone." Anubis turned to look at him. "I know Gabriel needs a break from Bren, it is written in his body language. He will be close enough if we need him, but I don't imagine it will come to that tonight."

Did I mention Gabriel owns the building I live in? Or sort of owns the building I live in? He owns the building, but the people who live in them own the condos. They were all purchased from him. However, he collects rent from the businesses in the building and is in charge of the lobby staff. He also has the penthouse as his home. It's cluttered with books and bric-a-brac.

"You don't think they will attack because she isn't mortal," Ba'al made it a statement. Anubis nodded just once.

Ba'al mimicked the gesture. Gabriel stood up. The others followed suit.

"Clearing out the house, Anubis?" Ezra the Book sounded smug when he asked it.

"Not for whatever nefarious thoughts you have in mind," I gave it a warning look.

"How would you know? You are so oblivious to men. You wouldn't know what one wanted if it flat out told you."

"Okay, out of the box time is over," I picked up the book. It began to swear and protest. I was kind of used to it. I put it in its box and shoved the box into a corner of the living room. I would probably need it again before the month was out.

"He's a bit crude," Alex smirked.

"You have no idea," I gave him a weary smile.

Each of them left. The silence grew thicker as they walked out the door in a single file, waving their good-byes. There was something welcoming in the silence. I was willing to bet that it had a lot to do with the fact that it had been a very long day. I looked outside and realized for the first time that the sun had not yet set.

"Really?" I asked the sunshine.

"What?" Anubis asked me as he shut the door.

"It's still daytime. I could have sworn it was later than that."

"It's about six p.m.," Anubis sat down on my couch, "dinner time, I think."

"I tried to get you to order food earlier," I reminded him.

"Uh, no." He stood up giving me a look.

"I'm not cooking."

"I wouldn't eat it if you did," he yelled from my kitchen.

I tried to be insulted and realized that I wouldn't eat it if I cooked it, so why would I expect others to do it? Giving up on being insulted, I went and sat at my kitchen table.

"So, want to tell me what this is all about?" I asked Anubis's back as he worked on something I couldn't see.

"What what is about?"

"This," I made a gesture and realized he couldn't see it, "the book, the sadness, the desire to be the one on watch tonight, the cooking, the curse, the power you seem to have over Ba'al."

"That's a lot of ground," Anubis turned and leaned against the counter. He was holding a block of cheese in one hand and a grater in the other. "Try asking one question at a time. If I don't want to discuss it, I'll tell you."

"I'm not sure where to start." I admitted. This conversation had gone different in my head just a couple of seconds before. Now I felt like I was on the spot, trying to come up with something to ask that seemed like a singular event.

"What do you want to know the most?"

"Anubis," I started and then stopped, then started again, "well, I guess, I want to know something more about you, Anubis. I mean, you've always been in my life, but like all the Elders who are more than twice my age, I feel like I don't really know you. Ezra the Book made me realize just how little I knew."

"Why do you call me Anubis?" He frowned at me.

"It's your name." I was shocked by the question, unsure why it had been asked. It seemed pretty self explanatory.

"Why do you call Gabriel by his full name, or Ba'al by his?"

"What do you mean? I'm not my father and I'm not on the intimate terms with you that he is, I have always used your full name as a sign of respect, and well that's just how it's done in the Elder Polite Society."

"Yes, that's the way it's done, but you have permission." Anubis was looking at me quizzically. "You've had permission since you were five to call me Ani. Possibly earlier, I can't remember exactly when I gave it to you."

"Really?"

"Really. Ba'al and Gabriel have also given you permission to use shortened forms of their names. Yet, you don't. Not even Gabriel. I find that very odd."

"I didn't realize I had permission to use familiar forms."

"I find that hard to believe. As much time as we have all spent together and we use the familiar form of your name, I have thought for some time now that it is a defense mechanism."

"Defense mechanism?" How my asking him questions got turned on me, I didn't know, and I was positive I didn't like it.

"Yes, you keep us in the respectful distance by using formal names. You even do it with Daniel."

"I've never thought about it."

"You should," he turned back, his arms moved as he began grating cheese again. "What I haven't figured out, is whether it is really to distance yourself from us, or from your father."

"Um, now I'm really lost."

"You have always been so concerned with being someone outside of your father's daughter. Do you remember being a child and you had a friend that turned out not to be a real friend, but a person that just wanted to be your friend because of who you were?"

"Of course." That had been a brutal lesson. I'd had to learn it more than once unfortunately.

"Do you remember asking me how you could tell the difference between a real friend and a political friend?"

"Only vaguely." I had slept since then and never mastered the art of figuring it out. It pretty much needed a neon flashing sign and possibly, Go-Go dancers.

"How would you rate John?"

"John or Jonathan?" I asked making note that there was a difference.

"The Demon."

"Uh, acquaintance who happens to be mated to my cousin," I replied.

"So, political."

"Sure."

"And myself?"

"Friend."

"Friend?" He put down the cheese and again turned to look at me. "But you still use the formal when talking to me."

"I'm not sure I'm following the point of this conversation."

"Brenna, it's the answer to your current befuddlement. You make the distinction in your mind about us being friends, but not in your attitude. As a result, you are unsure about asking any of us questions, because you are unsure that we have that sort of relationship. It is incredibly strange that you feel that way towards Gabriel, since I know that you have a bit of a crush on him."

"Honestly," I frowned, "I have a bit of a crush on all of you. It makes sense if you really think about it."

"Huh," he looked off into space for a moment. "Yes, I suppose it does. We are the ones that gave you your first real taste of friendship and independence."

"Not to mention that I'm a bit of an outcast regardless of how you look at it, and you guys don't treat me that way. I suppose I've had a bit of a crush on all of you since I was a child. You were always there, the people I talked to when I had problems. Mentors and friends and what nots."

"And yet, you still do not treat us as equals, as friends. Either you keep us at arm's length by insisting on formality, or treat us as your father's friends and not as your own."

"Yet, you are my father's friends."

"Yes, but we are also your friends. We weren't scrambling to protect your siblings," Anubis pointed out.

"They weren't dealing with Chiron."

"True, if they had been dealing with Chiron's madness, we would have, but we would not be giving all our time to it. The shifts would extend to all of us, not just the mated ones."

"Fine, Ani, why are you always so sad?"

"Am I always sad?" He asked.

"Yes, I would say haunted. You and Ba'al both have a haunting sadness that surrounds you. Even when you are happy, you still emit some sadness."

"My mate," Anubis shrugged and went back to his work at the counter.

"I know you are mated, or were mated." I thought about it for a second after I corrected myself.

"Past tense, she is dead." Anubis moved the cheese to the side and got out a pan. "She was directly responsible for the Elder War, or at least she was one of the main conspirators. She corrupted our child as well. They were both sentenced to death."

"Oh," I felt my mouth fall open but I could do nothing about it.

"During the war, we discovered that Gargoyle blood was toxic to Elders. It relieved me of having to kill them myself, but it came at a terrible price. Beal paid for it just as dearly as I did. We never considered why the Gargoyles were dying until that day."

"You don't have to tell me."

"You should know." He put water into the pot and turned the stove on. He got out some stuff from my fridge that I couldn't identify and began chopping. I didn't press the issue.

"When it was decided that all the conspirators should be put to death, it was..." He paused. "I don't know how to describe it. It was soul crushing perhaps. Yes, that sounds pretty accurate. Soul crushing. All breeds were involved. My mate and my son were among them. Luc and Beal decided that I should not have to kill them myself."

"A cup was prepared for each of them. A cup of Gargoyle blood, several of the Gargoyles donated to ease my burden. Beal's mate was among them. He had only been mated for about 20 years at that point. Beal even donated. When the cups were emptied, there were screams of pain and not just from my mate and son, the Gargoyles that donated were screaming. We didn't know it would kill them. Lucifer grabbed Beal as the screaming started. He was unsure what was wrong, but he knew he had to try to do something to stop it. All the Demons went to work to save them and a few even tried to save my family. Lucifer and Pendragon managed to save Beal, but he was the only one. There were even a few Demons who weren't powerful enough to take the wounds that died."

"And you feel responsible."

"If I had killed them, the Gargoyles wouldn't have died."

"But Ba'al also feels responsible."

"Beal feels responsible for me." Anubis stopped chopping. He hung his head. "Beal feels responsible for me, for my curse, and for most of my burdens."

"Why?"

"Because he is responsible for the curse that plagues me, or at least, he thinks he is. I'm not really sure that anyone is responsible for it. Love is what it is."

"You were cursed because of love?"

"What other reason is there to curse someone?"

"I don't know, I can't think of any reason to curse a being."

"Well, I was cursed because of love." Anubis lifted his head up. "Ba'al seduced the daughter of the Witch that cursed me. The daughter fell in love and Ba'al was only in lust. I stood up to protect Ba'al when the Witch went to work on us. I went to her to explain that her daughter hadn't really been defiled, just deflowered. I guess she didn't like the distinction. She cursed me instead of Beal. Beal feels responsible."

"Why are the love lives of Elders so complicated?"

"Because we have lots of time to fill. Ezra's right, we do not have the same outlook on sex as most Humans, and even less so when you consider our lives in the grand scheme of things. To live for millions of years, tied to a single being that you might not even like, let alone love, it's monotonous."

"Why does he feel responsible for your burdens?"

"Because he thinks that if I hadn't been cursed, my mate wouldn't have joined the side of the Anti-Humans."

"Oh," I frowned at his back, "is that why she did it?"

"No, she did it because she didn't like Humans. She hated their mortality. She thought it was a weakness. Even worse, she did everything she could to make their lives miserable, and they repaid it in kind. She was a bitch to them and she became an evil, tyrannical, Goddess in their mythologies as a result. She didn't even try to understand Human evolution and civilization. She thought they were beneath her, even the powerful Witches, because they were not like her."

"Ah, jealousy is a good motivator. While lots of you became benevolent, helpful deities with whom the Humans wanted relationships, she became one that was to be dealt with only from afar."

"She started the tradition of sacrificing virgins to her."

"Ouch."

"She wasn't a very nice Vampire, or being, and while I regret not having a mate, I don't regret that she is gone. It is far more painful that she poisoned my son and took him with her."

"Wasn't a nice Vampire?" I made another face that he couldn't see.

"She believed that she should be entitled to special treatment because she was the mate of an Overlord."

"What did you think?"

"You honestly do not want to know." Anubis began putting stuff into the pot. I could hear the water boiling. He finished. He turned on me again.

"Okay," I shrugged. I was not willing to pry any more than necessary, he would tell me when he wanted, probably, maybe.

"I thought that aside from being able to bear my children, she was no different than the hundreds of other women I have taken to my bed, except that I wasn't very fond of her."

And there it was. I knew he'd tell when he was ready. I made a complicated gesture meant to convey that I understood. I really didn't, but Anubis had no way of knowing that.

"What happens if your mate dies before you are born?" I asked without really having thought I was going to ask.

"You would know. You'd feel it, somewhere deep inside; you'd just know that your mate was dead."

"Why?"

"Because most people know who their mates are by the time they reach the Maturing."

"And you don't."

"Not a clue."

"Your mate might not be born yet. Like Gabriel."

"What is wrong with Gabriel? Why does everyone think he is damaged?"

"Ah," Anubis grimaced, "that is a gruesome story to be told when we are not about to eat pasta."

"I like pasta," I resigned, "but then I'm sure you remember that from my childhood."

"Yes, I remember, but this is grown up pasta, not the spaghetti I used to make for you when I would babysit."

"I'm a surrogate, aren't I?" Another question that just seemed to pop out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"No, Jonathan is my surrogate. You are," Anubis stood for a long time. His eyes glazed, his gaze fixed on nothing at all.

The timer on the stove brought him out of it, "I don't know what you are. A friend, but something more. The Great Hope I suppose."

"Cryptic, vague, and completely unintelligible."

"Sorry," he shrugged as he took the pan from the stove, drained the water and started adding more things to it. "I've had this conversation before though, and none of us have ever come up with an answer. I think we all believe that you are the answer to our plethora of problems."

"How do you mean?"

"My curse, Gabe's scars, and Beal's burdens," Anubis put the pan back on the stove, reset the time and began to stir it gently. "It's unfair of us to pin so much hope on you, but I think we all have and we are all somehow connected. Connected on a level that is unfathomable to anyone outside of it. Even Lucifer has trouble understanding it. There is a deep, emotional and physical need to have you around, at least for the four of us. That's why we took turns babysitting you as a child, and why we will do anything to protect you through the Maturing."

"That's a lot to carry around."

"It is, that's why it is unfair of us to think such a thing, but can you imagine a life without the four of us?"

I sat and thought about that for the entire time that Anubis stirred his dinner creation. He finished it up, toasted some bread, set the table, and portioned out the food. All the while, I thought.

"Who is the fourth?"

"You can't tell?" Anubis gave me another of his toothy grins. They were reserved for moments when he was really amused.

"Uh, not really."

"Fen."

"Oh, okay." Something in the back of my head said I had known this.

"Oh, okay? That's the best you have?"

"Best I got."

"Then back to the point, can you imagine life without the four of us?"

"No, no I can't. I thought it was just because the four of you had always been around, but there is something more to it. The thought of it seems to open an abyss."

"There is an emotional pain that opens a blackness inside when it is thought about. That is why Gabe has been on edge the last three days. You didn't need protecting, but the four of us were having difficulty letting you out of our sight. Since that seems creepy and weird, we decided to have Gabe sit with you for the time."

"My father told him to sit with me." I had been there for that conversation.

"Yes, he did, at the insistence of the three of us."

"Musketeers."

"What?" He looked up at me from the pasta.

"You four are like the Musketeers. I'm not sure what that makes me, but I see it. United, one for all and all for one."

"I suppose," Anubis began eating. I wondered briefly how long it had taken him to master eating food with his muzzle, but that was something I had wondered every time I saw him eat. It was delicate and dainty, not a stray drop. Considering the length and shape, it seemed odd that he should eat with a knife and fork.

"It isn't creepy and weird," I told him, referring back to his earlier comment. "It's different, but then so is everything else in my life, so it somehow fits. Now, what is creepy and weird is that I'm about to stop aging. I am going to look like I'm thirty for the rest of my life and..." I stopped and began eating as well.

"And what?" Anubis said after he had taken another forkful of the pasta.

"This is really good; I'm slightly surprised that you are such a good cook."

"And what, Brenna?"

"It's not important." Open mouth and insert clawed toes.

"Obviously it is, or you wouldn't have mentioned it."

"Or I'm just a moron whose mouth and brain are not on the same connection."

"Fine," Anubis went back to eating, "it doesn't matter, you don't have to be a mind reader to figure it out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are sometimes transparent about your curiosity and even more so about things that embarrass you." Anubis wouldn't say anymore on the subject. We ate in silence, but it was comfortable silence. My stomach was so full it hurt. I considered how long had it been since I had eaten a good home cooked meal. I couldn't remember, but I was sure it had happened at my mother's house, and since Daniel is currently only eating green foods as one of his quirks, I was guessing everything had been green. Knowing my mother, it was probably green eggs and ham or something.

Anubis poured us both a glass of wine. Mine was a robust, very dry Chianti and obviously not from my wine stock, since the bottle was about two hundred years older than I was. His was a white, and again, not from my stock. I tasted it, but as a general rule, I don't like white wines. It was pleasant, but not something I would drink.

"Sex," Anubis said into the silence as I took my second sip of the wine.

"What?" I frowned at him.

"You were going to make a comment about sex."

I sighed, "Yes, I find Elder breeding practices mystical and a little bit unnerving."

"Which, the breeding practices, or the practices between breedings?"

"Yes," I agreed.

"Brenna, you are nearly thirty, I know you understand sex."

"Uh, yeah, I do, but I'm not exactly," I searched for the right word. "I've only had sex with Humans. I have eternity in front of me. Everyone I know has had hundreds of lovers through the millenniums, but my mother is a Human and my mother is Catholic."

He threw his head back and laughed. It was deep rich laugh, one that was rare, incredibly rare. I think I had heard it three times in my lifetime.

"I didn't realize you had such puritanical views about it." He wiped a tear from his eye. "I knew you were uncomfortable with it, but to be prudish, well that's just inspiring."

His eyes were still smiling as he finished his sentence. He swilled the wine in the glass.

"Look, I know that I am not my father, there is no way I can spend eternity from here on out with one person, and I know that's why they have the breeding regulations that allows you to mate and to have sex. I just, well, I don't know."

"You're blushing."

"Sorry, I'm not good at these things. My father has talked to me about it and so has my mother, but when it comes right down to it," I shrugged, "I know it in the clinical sense, but not in practice."

"You have the right to be celibate, look at Gabe."

"I didn't know he was."

"Yes, has been for more years than I care to remember." Anubis cocked his head to the side. "I guess now that we are done with dinner, I can tell you his story."

# Chapter Six

"Gabriel was in his twenties when Sonnellion decided that he needed to die for being different. I had gone through it already, Vampires Mature at twenty. Beal was getting ready to mature, although we didn't know it at the time. We were all pretty close to the same age, a few years apart, being part of that group your father plucked from the waves.

"I think Sonnellion was waiting to see when Gabriel started the Maturing. He didn't like the Angel, much as Chiron doesn't like you. He didn't have a reason, except that he was different. Of course, hate doesn't need a reason to exist.

"One night, the three of us, plus Pendragon and Vishnu, played a practical joke on Sonnellion. Turned out, the Demon didn't have his brother's sense of humor. He was furious, I mean furious, more enraged than you can imagine. We rushed for the safety of Lucifer's house after the joke fell flat. We all made it too. Sonnellion lodged a formal complaint with Lucifer because we didn't have a Council back then. Lucifer inflamed matters by saying something about 'boys being boys.' He would punish us, but only to the extent that such an offense would allow. Since I can't remember the joke or the punishment, I'm guessing neither was bad enough to leave the impression that the following week did.

"We thought everything was good. We were punished and life continued to go on. About a week later though, Sonnellion stood up in the middle of dinner and walked out. He just left, vanished. He returned the following morning, begged his brother's forgiveness and was of course, welcomed back.

"During his absence, he had created a weapon, a sword. A big, unwieldy thing that had more brute force in the tip of it than should be placed in any weapon, it had only one purpose, to cleave. That night, we all did our usual stuff. Gabe and I were farming, working at picking the harvest. We never saw Sonnellion coming. He hefted the sword and smashed it into Gabriel's skull. It severed the head at the neck. I ran off, I had to get help. I had Matured, but that didn't mean much to us back then. Lucifer and Beezel were the protectors of all, not our own powers.

"When Lucifer returned, Sonnellion had broken open Gabriel's skull. He had pulled out the brain and taken a large bite of it. It is the first time any Overlord killed. Lucifer didn't give him time to react or to think, he just lashed out. One minute, Sonnellion was there, the next, Sonnellion was dead. Lucifer and Beezel worked all night to save Gabe. We are immortal, but there are things you can do to us that leave a permanent mark, and this was one of those things.

"Gabriel healed; it took forever though, even with the Demons helping it along. Since then, Gabriel has not been able to feel anything. Not physically anyway. His everyday world is as lost on him as it would be to a blind person in a room full of light, because he cannot feel, does not have the ability to sense touch, and he has chosen to be celibate. And much like my curse, he does not seem able to heal the damaged portion of his brain that is affected."

"I guess he really means it when he tells me to heal the others first," I gave a loud, long, sigh, and looked at Anubis. "Does it hurt to become mortal?"

"Not really, you won't even notice it until you stop healing at your normal speed."

"Or die."

"It won't come to that." Anubis stood up, stretched, and refilled his glass. He came back with both bottles and set them on the table. "Furthermore, your metabolism will change a bit. Anything you imbibe will stay in your system longer. Best to get sloppy drunk tonight, tomorrow, we'll know if you're mortal when you wake up."

"How will my waking up prove whether I'm mortal or not?"

"If you wake up with a hangover, we'll know you're mortal. If you don't, then at least for the time being, you're still in the realm of the immortal."

"Wait, does that mean if I go on a diet, I can lose weight this month?"

"Nope, it just means you'll be on a diet. Once your metabolism gets back to normal, you'll go back to your ideal weight. You seem to forget, you're a Demon as well as a Human. You can't judge your weight based upon what you see in the Human world. By Demon standards, you're kind of small and puny."

"And by Human standards, I'm obese and unattractive."

"Humans change standards pretty often. There was a time when your height and weight were considered ideal, and you would have been celebrated for your figure."

"Stuck between both worlds for eternity."

"Only because you consider yourself stuck." Anubis refilled my glass. "Drink up, your mood will lighten."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk."

"I am," Anubis said, pushing my glass towards me gently. "Every being should spend their last night before hitting their prime, hitting a bottle instead."

"You're in your prime?" I asked sarcastically.

"Have been for a billion plus years." He leaned his head back and rested it on top of the chair. "Time will allow for adjustment to life, the universe, and everything."

"I'll drink to that." I downed the glass in one drink and refilled it. "Okay, I have a question. Why is it that wolves mate for life, but Wolf Lycans are not monogamous?"

"Because wolves live much shorter lives than werewolves; eternity is a long time."

"Oooohh! You said werewolf, you are so gonna be in trouble with the Council and the Lycans." I was definitely starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, as I filled a fourth glass.

"Ah, well." Anubis just shrugged.

"How long were you mated?"

"Roughly 2 million years, give or take a couple of centuries."

"Wow, and you only had one child? That seems astronomically unlikely."

"I wasn't a big fan of her, there were centuries where I couldn't convince myself to touch her. Plus, Elder breeding is a crapshoot. When the females only ovulate once every 100 years and the males all seem to have low sperm counts, it's kind of a miracle we reproduce at all."

"My father is obsessed with procreation. He gets so excited when my siblings are expecting. Why do they breed faster?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's the Human component." Anubis refilled his glass, emptying his bottle. "While Elders have bred with Humans in the past, it seems far more common now. It's as if something has changed. Now that Lucifer has had children, it seems to be easier for everyone to breed."

"I could see that. He is a powerful emotional force to deal with. I would know. I've put up with him for years."

"Not nearly as long as some of us though and we were all raised as his surrogate children at one time or another."

"Huh," I looked up at the ceiling. "In three days, I'll turn thirty years old. I'll never celebrate another birthday, never age a day, the world will stand still for me."

"Yep."

"How boring," I finished the glass of wine I was holding. "I think I need a refill."

Sunlight was filtering in through the curtained windows. I was on my couch. Anubis was sitting in the chair. His glass was still in his hand. It was empty. There were three bottles of wine, a bottle of scotch, a bottle of port, and a bottle of whiskey on the table. They were all empty.

Somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I could remember finishing off the first bottle of wine. Everything after that though, was hazy or completely lost. I had gotten smashed. My glass was empty, sitting on the table, like a sentinel protecting the bottles.

"Breakfast?" Anubis asked as he pulled his head forward. It had been draped over the back of the chair. His eyes closed, snout towards the ceiling and completely asleep a few seconds earlier.

"Ugh, as long as its donuts and not some fancy concoction created to make me eat healthier."

"I was going to grab the box of donuts that were delivered a couple of hours ago from the hallway. I was going to pour out two glasses of milk and that was going to be the extent of it." He squinted at me. "I'm guessing the others will be along shortly, it's after 10 a.m."

"You have a hang-over," I said to him.

"Nope, just feel like I drank too much last night." He stretched, closing his eyes and wrinkling up his face, while he extended his long limbs. "A little food on my stomach and I'll be right as rain. How about you?"

"I feel like I drank a bit last night." I yawned. "Nothing that I don't already associate with a good binge."

Elders don't get hangovers, as a rule. They do suffer from some strange morning cravings after they have binged on alcohol. Usually, it's food and a trip to the bathroom. Our bodies metabolize alcohol so quickly that by morning, not only have we slept it off, but also our bodies have completely broken it down and filled our bladders to the point of bursting. Elders have been known to urinate so much that the toilet flushes itself before they get done after a good rout of drinking.

"I only have one bathroom." I told Anubis as I stood up.

"That's why you have a kitchen sink," Anubis answered as he picked up the box of donuts from the floor.

"If you urinate in my sink, I will kick you out and never let you back through the door."

Anubis began to laugh as he closed the door and went into the kitchen. His voice carried and filled the entire condo. It was melodic and pleasant.

"The delivery boy woke me up, I have already been," he finally said as I tromped off to the bathroom.

I urinated, showered, flushed, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, and pretended to care about what I looked like. For several seconds, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror trying to decide whether to gussy up a bit or leave it be. The debate was easily won, everything stayed exactly as it had been. My options were limited as it was.

Anubis was right; the others were clustered around my kitchen when I came out. Some were holding donuts and I hoped they hadn't gobbled down the entire dozen. I would have to get more if they did.

Every morning, like magic, a delivery boy shows up at my house with the first dozen cake donuts baked that morning. It's a small pleasure, but possibly the greatest one on the planet. Usually by noon, I have eaten about 1/3 of the box, and I usually eat the last donut right before bed. If others show up, I do share my donuts, but it's rather grudgingly.

On a plate, in front of an empty chair, sat two cake donuts. One was white with chocolate icing and peanuts on it, the other was chocolate with chocolate icing and no extra toppings, next to the plate was a tall glass of 2% white milk. It was a good way to start a morning. I picked up the chocolate donut and began to eat it.

"Feel any different?" Fenrir asked as I took my second bite of the donut.

"Ask me after I've finished off both donuts," I responded as I chewed.

"She's not hung-over, so she isn't mortal yet," Anubis answered.

"But it will start today?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Fenrir put a hand on my shoulder, "and the fun will begin."

"Whatever is being planned, is being planned on the sly. There doesn't seem to be a single whisper about it," Marcus chimed.

"Overlords, lieutenants, Lycans, Vampires, Angels, Demons..." I shrugged. "Chiron would have to be completely crazy to attempt anything."

"And Djinn," Fenrir added. "Vishnu will be joining us later in the week. Morgana was going to dispatch some Fey, but the Leprechauns started creating some chaos yesterday after the meeting, and she is busy with Fey issues as a result."

"Leprechauns," I gave a little shiver. I wasn't a fan. They were kind of cruel and demanding. How anything that small could demand things of beings four, sometimes five times its own size, was beyond me.

There are four types of Fey beings; Sidhe, like Morgana, Sprites, Leprechauns, and Nymphs. However, they all have the same basic power, Mature at the same rate, and are all just considered members of The Fey. The real deciding factor though, is that Morgana can kill all of them.

"Planned or just coincidence?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Anubis looked at me.

"Well, we all know how I feel about Leprechauns. Vile, revolting beings that should not be allowed to walk among decent folk. Is it possible that they planned it to keep Morgana or any of the Fey from helping me?"

"It is possible," Ba'al answered instantly. "However, your prejudice against Leprechauns is shared by the Centaurs. I don't see them creating an alliance."

"I'm sorry, I've tried to like them over the years, but they are mean, callus, cruel, and one bit me, like a fucking dachshund or something. It left an impression." I defended my own bigotry.

"That's a maybe," Anubis made a complicated gesture with his head that would have looked odd on anyone else, but he somehow pulled it off. "But do we really need for you to make more enemies at this point?"

"Not my fault, they started it." I started on the second donut.

"Do it," I heard Gabriel say. A moment later, pain blazed through my shoulder. I jumped from the chair, dropping my donut. It hit the table and bounced before coming to rest against someone else's plate. I turned to see Ba'al holding a knife. Blood dripped from the end of it.

"What the fuck?" I asked, snatching the knife away.

"We were checking to see how fast you heal," Ba'al spun me around and sat me back down. I felt Gabriel's fingers brush over the skin, inspecting it.

"She is slowing down," Gabriel said with a sigh. "It wasn't deep, it should be healed by now and it's not."

"That's interesting and bad," Anubis frowned at him. "So we know that Daniel is right and that means he is a Prophet."

"That phrase is not allowed to be said for the rest of my Maturing," I nearly yelled at him.

He nodded acknowledgment of my displeasure, but continued with what he was saying.

"So, she isn't entirely mortal, but the process has begun. None of us would have thought to start checking her if we hadn't been told it would start early. This means we have two days before she is fully mortal, unless things progress at a break-neck speed. Not entirely out of the question," Anubis took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Essentially, you're saying it's started and we're fucked," I paraphrased and finished the last of my donuts. For a moment, I stared at the box debating a third.

"Not exactly," Gabriel moved the box away from me as I went to grab that third donut.

"What?" I glared at him.

"We need you to pay attention. You're becoming mortal. You can now get sugar highs," he scolded me.

"Wow, people can get high off of sugar?" I asked, eyes wide. "Damn Elder genetics."

"You wouldn't like it," Anubis told me. "It's like healing someone. It sort of sucks when you come down off of it."

"But I can get a sugar high now, while I'm mortal?" I asked.

"Yes and hang-overs," Anubis responded. "Along with a host of other illnesses and problems."

"Interesting." I nodded a couple of times while my brain contemplated the idea.

"Brenna, you need to focus." Ba'al touched my shoulder again.

"Yes, yes, all right, I'm focusing," I said testily, still irritated that he had cut me.

"No, she doesn't," Anubis stood up. "I think we have schedules arranged, so we are essentially done. She can have the third donut, drink some soda, and be mostly normal for the day."

"Wait, I have a question," I announced as shuffling of feet began.

"What?" Gabriel asked.

"Um, I don't want to sound rude, but what are we supposed to do all day, every day, holed up in my condo with each other?"

"There's a reason that cards, movies, and board games were invented." Ba'al smiled at me.

"Oh," I said it like it answered the question, but I had my doubts that the bunch of us could entertain ourselves for so long a period of time with simple amusements. I could imagine us casting spells and using powers on each other to break the monotony of Monopoly or Canasta.

As I chewed the third donut, reveling in the sudden silence in my kitchen, the first spell I was going to cast came to me. It was a simple incantation that would result in a sneezing fit on whoever crossed me first. I was betting it was Gabriel with his healthy eating habits. Then again, it might be the first person that I lost a game to; I was capable of pettiness when I was bored.

The door opened and feet shuffled out. It closed behind them. I opened up and felt the auras of Anubis, Ba'al, Gabriel, Jonathan, and Fenrir in my living room. For a moment, I wondered if there weren't too many alphas in my living room. This many Overlords could be bad for everyone's health. Hopefully, Jonathan and I, as measly lieutenants, could defuse any situation that might arise from a power struggle.

"What first?" I asked as I plopped down on my couch. My ass was half on the couch, half on Fenrir's leg. I scooted over a bit and gave him a sheepish smile. I had not intended to sit on the Lycan, but I'm not particularly graceful or careful. Most would consider me clumsy and oafish.

"It's been less than five minutes," Ba'al said to me.

"Yep, and I have five men in my living room, so six people including myself. Do we watch a movie? Can six people agree on a movie? Do we play a game? I vote for Uno myself, but I can play just about any card game."

"It's going to be a very long month," Fenrir gave me a smile. "I forgot how wonderfully annoying you can be."

"I hadn't," Gabriel took out a book from his bag and opened it on his lap. "I spent three days with her before the Maturing. She can get to you in ways that no one else on the planet would even think of."

"Ya sound bitter," I smiled at Gabriel.

"Bitter, no, exasperated, yes."

"Bitter, exasperated, it's all the same in the end." I put my feet up on the coffee table, picked my book up from the side table and went back to reading of the great Sherlock Holmes.

# Chapter Seven

No matter how many times I read books about Sherlock Holmes, they still intrigued me. As a child, I had wanted to be the detective. It was very possible that Holmes was actually my first crush. The perfect, unobtainable man, Holmes was distant, brilliant, and dysfunctional in ways that made the rest of us look normal.

Page after page, the story unfolded. The rest of the world disappeared. Holmes tracking down a bad guy was absorbing. Whether he was in an opium den or a mansion, he always seemed to fit in, blend in, and work everything out.

I finished three stories without ever looking up from the book. If they spoke to me, I ignored them. I wasn't even sure what they were doing.

"Brenna!" Someone jerked the book from my fingers.

"What?" I asked bewildered.

"Told you, she gets lost in the works of Doyle," Gabriel said. He was standing to one side of Fenrir. Fenrir was holding my book, so I was guessing he was the one that had called my name.

"What could you possibly want?" I asked again.

"To see what you wanted for lunch," Fenrir told me.

"I don't care, just food. If I don't like it, I'll get more donuts, or I'll call the front desk and have a Subway Sandwich brought up to me."

"Really?" Anubis frowned at me. "You should be a bit more interested in the food that you toss down your gullet."

"I'm very interested in it. As long as I don't have to cook it, I don't care. I'll eat just about anything. I won't eat any kind of ground meat, but other than that, I'm good. There isn't a fruit or vegetable on the planet that I don't like. I like all the grains. I eat vegetarian because I don't like ground meat, but as long as it isn't ground, I'll eat it without complaint. I'm really fond of pizza, pasta, donuts, Mexican, and..." I paused. "I lied, I won't eat hummus either. So no ground meat, no hummus, those are my limits on food."

Anubis gave a deep long sigh. Fenrir laughed. Gabriel shook his head at me. I took my book back. I wasn't even hungry yet, it hadn't been but an hour since I had eaten three donuts.

"And I'm not hungry yet," I added as I opened the book and started searching where I had left off.

"No kidding," Gabriel took the book out of my hands before I could finish. "We were asking for later to know what kind of prep was going to be required. Now, we are going to do something, together, as a group."

"Oh, like a game?" I asked suspiciously.

"We could probably turn it into a game, but..." Ba'al shrugged.

"Oh hell," it was my turn to sigh, "I'm going to get a lecture on Elder history."

"Yes and no," Anubis put his feet up on my coffee table. "You are going to get a crash course in Elder history and zoology."

"Don't I have a book for that?" I looked at him.

"Yes, but the book doesn't do it justice." Anubis stared back at me. "There's a lot to learn and very little time to learn it."

"Why? I have a month," I told him.

"Perhaps you do, but if attacks start happening, it will get pushed to the background and you won't learn anything," he responded.

He had me there, "Okay, good point."

I surrendered and got comfortable on the couch. Anubis pulled his feet off the table. It was whisked from the room. So was the rest of the unused furniture. I stared in wonder as the men went about removing things from the living room and then putting down plastic over the carpet.

"Uh..." I wasn't sure whether to make a comment or ask a question. I was almost convinced that they were about to show me something horrific that would scar me for life.

Fenrir stood in the middle of the plastic. His body began to move in strange ways. I was right, this was going to be horrific and scar me for life. I could hear the bones snapping, the skin tearing. Flesh gave way, fur moved into its place. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't what I had imagined. There was goo dripping onto the plastic. Fenrir's jaw was locked tight to keep sound from escaping, but his eyes screamed.

A bit of white bone suddenly poked out from between the flesh/fur divide. I covered my mouth, stifling the sound that was trying to escape. Instead, a mewing sound crept through my fingers.

The change seemed to take forever. Fenrir's body writhed, wriggled, and shifted. Flesh moved, bones moved, there was snapping and tearing sounds as his body rearranged. More of the opaque goo fell onto the plastic with thick wet thumping noises. It seemed impossible heavy.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, Fenrir stood on his back legs. His body was covered in a grey fur, but his eyes had remained the same. I could see the man behind them. He knew us, understood the words that would come from our lips. I gaped, unable to think.

"And that is why Lycans rarely change if they can help it," Anubis said to me, breaking the spell. I frowned at him.

"Uh, yeah," it was about the only thing I could think to say. "Doesn't he now have to change back?"

"He will," Anubis stood in front of him. "However, there are a few things you should know. Note that he is taller in wolf form and very capable of walking on his back legs for short distances, however he is incredibly fast on all four. If he runs, he will run on all four limbs and you will not be able to outrun him. He is also stronger in wolf form, deceptively strong and brutal. While he knows, who we are and that we are not going to hurt him, should someone or something attack him in this form, he will not show mercy. Also, he can't talk like a being. He can make wolf noises, but the vocal cords have changed along with the rest of him, so speech is pretty much out of the question. Although, it is possible that you will understand what he is vocalizing just because you know him well enough to read body language. It is only slightly changed."

As if to emphasize this, Fenrir dropped to all fours and padded over to me. His wolf form was impressively tall, coming well past my waist; he nuzzled his head into my collarbone. He licked me and made a small growling noise. It sounded affectionate.

"And to answer the question you are not going to ask," Anubis gave me a stern look or perhaps he was giving it to Fenrir. "He can have sex in wolf form. Some beings like it, some don't."

"I wasn't going to ask that," I felt myself blush and pushed Fenrir away from me. I was now convinced the look was a warning to Fenrir.

"I know, that's why I told you. I didn't want you to be surprised by it one day." Anubis shook his head. "You would never ask such a thing."

"Yeah, we established that I was a prude last night. Moving right along."

"You're not a prude, just inexperienced and a little lost in the world in which you belong," Ba'al corrected me.

"Call it what you want, I'm uncomfortable talking about..." I paused and looked at the wolf still standing next to me. "Can we just change the subject, please?"

Fenrir stalked away from me, back onto the plastic sheeting. He stood perfectly still for several seconds. The fur began to move. The bones began to break again. This time, I looked away. I was suddenly very aware that he was going to be naked when he was done, and I had no desire to see either the change or his nudity when it was over.

When the last of the strange noises had stopped, there was a shuffling of clothing. I removed my hands from my eyes. The group was smirking at me. I did the adult thing and stuck my tongue out at all of them.

"Why are you all obsessed with sex?" I finally threw my hands into the air and glared at them.

"Well, eternity is a long time," Ba'al smiled.

"I'm not," Gabriel shrugged.

"But you are not exactly not obsessed with it either," Anubis changed his position to smirk at Gabriel.

"Okay, change the subject." I fell back onto the couch. "Now that you have shocked and awed me, what's next?"

"What beats that?" Fenrir asked.

"Uh, tell me that wasn't just done to..." I searched for the word and found myself again at a loss.

"No, it was something you needed to see. Should something happen, something serious, it is always possible that the Lycans will change, they fight better in shifted form." Anubis made a face. "Next is Jonathan. I can't do it because the curse prohibits it. But Jonathan can 'vamp' out."

"I've seen Jonathan get angry," I reminded him.

"Not the same," Jonathan came to stand in front of me. His change was dramatic, more immediate. There were no moments for me to contemplate the fact that he was changing. He just changed.

I gasped and if I hadn't already been sitting on the couch, I would have moved backwards. His teeth had grown. They were far longer than any fangs I had ever seen. They were more than an inch long, making it impossible to close his mouth entirely. His nails had grown. His nails were over six inches long and they looked like stiletto knives. Each tip seemed to be razor sharp. His eyes were red, filled with blood, almost no iris or pupil was visible. The worst part was his skin though. It had grown leathery, darker in color. I reached out and touched it. It was tougher than I had thought possible. I tried to pull on it gently, but it didn't move.

As I touched him, trying to grab his skin, he changed back. The skin suddenly gave and he smiled at me. The teeth were gone, normal short fangs like most Elders. I looked up at his eyes, they were normal again too. I let go.

"Okay, that was impressive." I shut my eyes and tried to erase the image from my mind.

"Do you want to see the Angel change?" Ba'al asked me.

"Angels shift forms?" I asked, realizing that I hadn't even known that Vampires changed forms.

"Yes and no," Gabriel looked at me, "it's complicated. You've seen it a time or two, but it can get really bad."

"Bad how?"

"Oh," Gabriel shrugged, "it's a defense mechanism. Ba'al, would you please shield her body."

"Is it dangerous?" I didn't want to see.

"It can be," Anubis picked up a knife. With one swift, deft movement, he removed one of Gabriel's wings. The Angel threw his head back and screamed silently. As he did, light began to emit from his throat. It made an audible sound as it smashed into the ceiling. Anubis removed the second wing. Light shot out of Gabriel's back, pouring out with his blood. The scream stopped, his mouth remained open though. Daggers of light began to shoot out of his body, the tips of his fingers, and his missing wings. He raised one. All the color was gone from him. He was just a giant being of light and it was flowing out of his body in a form that could cause serious danger.

The light, coming from his fingertips, slammed into the wall. A hole formed almost instantly. It disintegrated the drywall. The smell of burning wood filled the air.

"Stop him!" I yelled over Ba'al's wing.

"Okay," Anubis stepped forward. He held a wing in each hand. With the same swift movements, he rammed the wings back into the bleeding holes. For a moment, nothing happened. Slowly, almost painfully slow, the light began to fade. As it faded, I found my eyes were burning. Tears flowed from them freely; tears that I hadn't felt start to fall.

"Sorry," Ba'al turned and engulfed my entire body in his wings. This meant that something bad was about to happen. There was a loud pop, something crashed, someone yelped, someone else screamed. I struggled in the velvety wings.

"Stop, stop fighting, Bren, just give it a minute. Your eyes need the darkness to heal." Ba'al's voice was soothing and comforting. "The noises were all from Gabriel. It hurts to have your wings cut off. I have had mine ripped from my body, it isn't pretty. I don't become dangerously explosive with light, but it sprays out an acidic substance that eats the flesh. Fey, who have their wings torn off have a substance that crystallizes on the skin. It hurts and has to be cut off. We all have defense mechanism. Demons have defense mechanisms for their horns as well."

"Can I heal him?"

"It is strongly recommended that you not. These are not like limbs. They heal themselves very quickly when they are touched to the body. I imagine that by the time your eyes have healed, his wings will be healed."

"Really?" I almost didn't believe him.

"Really. Tomorrow, we will break off one of John's horns and let you see that. It's almost as scary."

"My father cuts his."

"Your father trims his, to keep them from being seven feet off the top of his head. Breaking them off at the base is another story."

"My eyes still burn a little," I confessed.

"A little or a lot?"

"Uh, they sting like hell."

"Let me see." He moved his wings enough to look at me. His eyes were filled with concern.

"Well?" I asked.

"They could do with a little more healing, but it will wait until dark." Ba'al unfolded his wings. Gabriel's eyes were still white, but the rest of him seemed normal. There was a pool of blood near him and on his clothing. Anubis was sitting on the floor. His head was in his hands.

"Anubis?" I asked.

"Yes?" He didn't look up.

"Are you hurt?"

"Only a little. Ba'al, take her to the kitchen, and get her to order us some lunch. We all need food after these adventures. Fenrir, go with him."

"Of course," Ba'al didn't give me a choice. He pushed me forward, guarding me with his wings. Jonathan was standing back, not touching anyone. His eyes were steadfastly fixed on his Overlord.

"What do you want?" Fenrir asked as he took a stack of take-out menus from one of the drawers.

"What is wrong with Anubis?"

"Contact burns," Fenrir said bluntly and slightly evasively.

"Uh, okay," I grabbed the menus, "What do you guys want?"

"I'm good with just about anything," Fenrir answered. "I'm guessing the Vampires will want something a little rare and red. I could do with something a little rare myself. Ba'al?"

"I'm always up for steak or some other red meat." He gave me a toothy grin.

"I want something vegetarian after watching Fenrir shift."

Fenrir gave a chuckle and plucked a menu from my hands. I read the top of it and shook my head. It was a steak restaurant.

"You can order a salad," Ba'al told me.

"Great. So what am I ordering?"

"The largest steaks you can, all rare with good sides, extra rolls, whatever vegetarian dish you want and maybe a few appetizers." Fenrir walked out of the room.

"Appetizers?" I frowned.

"The shift leaves a hollow leg." Ba'al cocked his head to one side.

"Whatever," I picked up my cell phone and placed the order. The total was just over one hundred and fifty dollars with the $2.95 delivery fee. Since it was someone else's credit card, I added a tip large enough to bring it to an even two hundred. I hated odd numbers.

I went to stand up and Ba'al touched my arm. He stopped me. When I tried to pull away, he grabbed my wrist and shook his head at me.

"It's more than a contact burn." I sat back down.

"Yes and you are not strong enough to heal him. I imagine a Demon has been called to speed the process."

"What happened?"

"Burned out his eyes. Removed all the fur from his face. Cooked the skin. I imagine it busted out the eye sockets."

"I heard someone scream."

"That was Gabriel," Ba'al said emphatically, "Anubis didn't make a sound."

"How could someone withstand all that pain and physical damage without making a sound?"

"With effort."

I felt the Demon enter the building. In theory, the condos were individually soundproofed and enchanted to keep sound to a minimal, since most Elders have exceptional hearing. This did nothing to dampen the Witch powers and I was feeling very receptive at the moment. I had been trying to feel out Anubis's injuries from the kitchen.

My father always makes an entrance. His presence is commanding and demanding. He is tall, wide, and brimming with power.

The moment Lucifer hit the door I remembered the spell. His body slammed into it. My body jerked with the force. Outside, I felt him rebound against the wall; he crumbled into a heap at the base. I rushed out of the kitchen, ignoring everyone and opened the door.

Lucifer was shaking his head very slowly. He frowned at me as I looked down at him.

"Well, the spell seems to work." I gave him a sheepish grin. "I'm not sure whether you can come inside with me touching you or not. Do you want to try it?"

"Good thinking," he stood up. "I'm guessing it wasn't your idea?"

"I'm insulted that you think your daughter can't have good ideas."

"I'm guessing it was Anubis's?"

"Damn," I walked into the hall, "yes, it was."

"When you get a little older, you'll think of things like this. And you do have good ideas." He took hold of my hand. I took him through the door with only a minor bump and heave from the spell. Once inside, I let go.

"See, that was a good idea," he smiled at me as he knelt down to touch Anubis. "Fenrir."

Lucifer jerked his head to the side, pointing at me. Fenrir grabbed hold of my arm. I jerked away from him.

"Stop babying me. Whatever damage he sustained, he did because he was trying to show me how dangerous it is to remove an Angel's wings. And he didn't make a sound so that he wouldn't alarm me."

"Bren," Gabriel's voice was soothing, soft, "it wasn't your fault and you don't want to see."

"It's not about want." I responded defiantly. "I have seen the Lycan shift, the Vampire change, and the Angel use light as a weapon. I feel the need to see what sort of damage we can inflict on each other, first hand. I have seen the effects of half-breeds during the Maturing and a few rogues who just decided they hated society. But they have all been mild by comparison to what I have seen in this room today. I have to see what has happened fully to comprehend what we are truly capable of."

"Let her stay," the voice was cracked, choked, and barely audible. Anubis lifted his head up. I didn't gasp or scream and both took effort to stifle. Ba'al's description didn't do it justice. Black holes with tiny wisps of smoke had replaced the blue eyes I had grown up looking at. The face was completely devoid of black fur, replaced by blackened skin that looked painful but wasn't bleeding. His gums were exposed, his lips gone. The sensitive, soft-fleshed nose was gone as well, just two nasal cavities set high up with a tiny amount of bone showing.

Even his ears were shriveled nubs, the hair inside them gone. I was amazed he could still hear. I felt a tear fall down my face.

"Let me," I knelt by my father.

"No, you are not strong enough to heal him," my father told me.

"I just want to feel them," I told Lucifer.

"Fine, no healing, absolutely no healing." He took hold of my hand.

Carefully, he placed my hand on Anubis's neck. I felt the pulse, felt the blood surging into his head. The skin was too burnt to let it bleed out, but it wanted out. I let the Demon take over and felt the pain begin. It burned. It wasn't a normal burn either. I felt like an ant trapped under a magnifying glass. The pain was intense. After a few seconds, it was unbearable. I pulled away, but not in time. I felt my eyes begin to sizzle in the sockets. I screamed and fainted.

I awoke in my bed. My eyes were no longer burning, which seemed like a good thing. My head kind of hurt though. Of course, this seemed like a decent trade off. I had a moment when I remembered the pain I had felt. I shivered.

# Chapter Eight

"She's awake," Ba'al's voice called down the hallway. I opened my eyes. He was standing in the doorway. Wings covered the opening to help deaden any sound from getting in or out.

"I'm alive," I took a deep breath. My father was the first to come through the door. He seemed to fill the entire room.

"Well, you gave me a scare," he scolded me as he picked me up, pulled me into his lap, and cuddled me. Considering the size difference, this wasn't awkward except that we were doing it in a room full of people who were watching us. I felt a warm tear hit my forehead.

"I must have," I whispered.

"No more learning experiences for a day or two. At least not ones that might be dangerous," he said loudly. I wasn't sure if he was talking to the others, or to me.

"Luc," Anubis's voice was normal again, "you know that we would not endanger her. Beal had her the entire time."

"I know," my father sighed heavily, resting his face on top of my head. "I know the Demon inside her did it. It just couldn't stop itself from trying to heal. No more though, if someone is injured, she is not to touch them, at all."

"Of course not, if we had known before she touched me that she was no longer in full control, it would not have been allowed," Anubis responded. He was walking closer to us.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"Much, it will take a good night's sleep to get over all of the damage, but," he made a guttural sound that indicated it was just another thing.

"My child, Das Wunderkind," my father said almost laughing.

"Yes, yes indeed," Ba'al responded. He too had moved closer. I couldn't actually see anyone from my position, so I opened my mind. The room was filled with people. All the men from today, plus my father, and the doorman from the lobby, were in my room. I knew the doorman because he's an Angel.

"Okay, I know what that means and I am not a wonder child." I corrected my father.

"You didn't die and that makes you pretty damn special." Lucifer let go. "Another day or two and you probably would not have been so lucky."

"Good to know," I yawned. My stomach growled.

"We threw out your salad," Fenrir told me. "It didn't look very good anyway. However, Niko is willing to get you a sub or donuts, or both if you would like."

"Food," I said. "I want a foot long vegetarian on white with pickles, lettuce, jalapeños, and black olives, lots of onions, cucumber, and mayo. Oh, and I want both provolone and American cheese, double cheese. See if the bakery has any blackberry scones or muffins, they usually have them in August. If they don't, I'll just have a couple of cake donuts and some glazed donut holes."

"I get the impression that putting you in a building with a sub sandwich shop and a bakery was not a good idea," Lucifer told me.

"Well, I can't usually afford the Italian food. It is incredibly expensive. More expensive than what it is worth." I told him.

"Are you having financial issues?" My father seemed suddenly very concerned.

"Uh, no, and if I was, I certainly wouldn't discuss it in front of everyone," I told him.

"So you are, and you need to talk to us later about it," he frowned, a deep furrow forming on his forehead. He reached for his back pocket on his jeans.

"Papa," I shook my head at him, "stop, I'm not having financial trouble."

I grabbed a bag from beside the bed. I pulled out my checkbook and handed it to him. While I wasn't rich like my parents, I had enough to cover expenses if something happened for a year. He looked at it as if it were written in a foreign language for several minutes. His mouth stayed tight, his lips pursed, forehead furrowed. Finally, he handed it back to me. I went to put it away and found that he had slipped me several hundreds. I pulled them out and handed them back.

"I know you aren't used to seeing numbers without several zeroes behind them, but it's enough to get by if something happens to me." I looked at him incredulously.

"I agree you could live on it if something happened, but it would be tight at times."

"I'd have to eat less take out, which means I'd be coming home more, because I am not going to cook for myself." I told him.

"And there is the silver lining," my father stopped frowning and smiled.

"Uh, maybe," I leaned back against the pillows. "How long do you think my food will take?"

"Considering he flew down from your balcony, not very long. It's much faster than the elevator. We will have to redo the spell. It seems that after a few tries, you can brute force your way through it," Gabriel told me.

"Really? That sucks, although it has some major rebounding power until then," I remembered my father lying on the floor.

"Yes, it gave me a shock."

"It worked. Who brute forced their way into the apartment?"

"Niko," Anubis shrugged. "There was quite a commotion going on and your neighbors reported it. Given the fact that you are going through the Maturing, he thought it imperative to get in, regardless of the spell. He injured himself doing it."

"Was he hurt very badly?"

"Let's just say he was very determined." Anubis looked at me. "Luc did an excellent job of healing him up."

"So yes, he was hurt pretty badly and we just sent him out to get me a sandwich." If I hadn't been feeling guilty before, I was now, but then I was Catholic.

"He's fine now, it's been almost eight hours," my father stroked my hair. "You've been out for a while."

"So the bakery and the sub shop isn't open." I sighed.

"They are open 24 hours a day," Gabriel reminded me.

"Oh yeah, that's nice." Most things were open 24 hours a day simply because Elders didn't sleep like Humans and several had nocturnal habits. For some reason, I never expected fast food to be open all the time.

"Well, memory failure can be a side effect." Lucifer responded, touching my shoulder.

"It's not her memory, it's her expectations," Gabriel told my father. "She has some odd preconceived notions and she just expects the world to conform to those."

"It's a habit she has always had." My father nodded a few times. "Okay, since she seems to be fine, I will go. You can re-enchant the doors and windows and booby-trap the house again, but it should wait until after she has eaten and possibly slept a bit more. I can always send Elise over to cast the spells."

"Mom has enough to do with Daniel." I told him.

"She isn't going to neglect one child for another." My father gave me that look. The one that told me this was not open for discussion; my mother would be joining us to redo the spells. I had a feeling this was more to put her at ease that I was all right. I guessed she had called and texted my father about a million times in the last several hours.

I went to get up.

"I know my way out and your food is here," my father kissed me on the forehead. "You worry about food and sleep."

"Bye, Papa," I told him.

"Love you."

"Love you, too." His back was out the door as I answered his I love you. A couple more steps and he was gone. I heard the door shut as my food was whisked into the room. Someone had arranged it on a plate, a real plate. There was the sandwich, cut into six pieces, a blackberry muffin and a chocolate cake donut with chocolate icing and candy stars. I smiled at the food.

"So, how long was I out?" I asked as my room began to clear out. I was a little over half done with the sandwich. I was saving the other two items for desert. I was sure that I was hungry enough to eat all of it.

"Eight hours give or take an hour. There were some times of chaos," Gabriel told me.

"Huh?" I looked up finally. Anubis was standing near the bed. His eyes were healed, or at least there. They weren't exactly the right color yet. His nose was also there, it too was discolored. No fur had grown in yet, but the skin looked healthy and pink. Most encouragingly, he had lips and ears.

"You do look considerably better." I reached out, stopping myself before I touched his face.

"The new skin isn't sore."

"Wait, how can Gabriel feel the pain of having his wings cut off, if he can't feel?"

"That is a mystery for the ages," Gabriel took a deep breath. "Different pain receptors perhaps."

"So what's the plan?" I asked no one specific.

"Ba'al and Jonathan are going to take watch. Gabriel and I are going to go to bed, heal up. You are going to stay in bed. You have a laptop, some books, some movies, and some TV shows. Ba'al will be in the room to cater to your whims and fancies."

"Why can't I get up?"

Everyone suddenly looked at me very seriously. Ba'al had pulled in one of the chairs from my living room. He folded himself into it very carefully and sat perfectly still. The illusion was amazing; he did look like he was made of stone.

"Well, okie dokie then," I frowned at them. "No answer is interesting. I guess that means good night to two of you."

I opened the Sherlock Holmes book. However, try as I might, I couldn't focus on the page. The words were just jumbled letters. What had the look meant?

I gave up, "I guess put in a movie or something."

"What do you want to watch?"

"Um, Monty Python's always good. How about a couple episodes of the Flying Circus?"

"Of course," Ba'al got up, found my DVD stash, pulled out a disc and inserted it into the DVD player. As it spun up, he sat back down in the chair and handed me the remote.

"So, I take it, no one is going to tell me why I'm on forced bed rest. What happens if I have to pee?"

"I'll escort you."

"That's weird." I frowned at him.

"You died," he frowned back. "Your heart stopped beating for almost a full five minutes. It started back on its own, but you were technically dead. Anubis and Jonathan both felt your soul. That only happens at death or bloodlettings. On top of it, you seemed to absorb all the injuries from the room very suddenly. That is something only your father can do. Heal at a distance I mean, all other Demons have to lay their hands upon you. You have always had to lay hands on to heal."

"Oh," I thought for a moment, "I don't feel like I died."

Ba'al shrugged.

"What else?"

"Gabriel's light burned through Jonathan's leg, destroyed the bone completely and cooked the flesh." Ba'al pulled the covers back revealing my leg. "I've never seen any Demon actually manifest the injuries they heal."

There was a hole in my leg. You could see the sheet under it. I touched it and it felt like the bone was gone. My leg felt spongy, soft, and grotesque.

"It doesn't hurt. It should hurt," I told Ba'al.

"It should, but it doesn't because of magic and Lucifer. He started the healing process on it. By tomorrow morning, you should have bone back in your leg. Might take another day or two of Demon healing to get it perfect again, but it is nearly impossible for Demons to do a lot of healing on a Mortal at a single sitting."

"I know." I had tried healing Humans in the past. It had always been bad. It didn't seem to work very well on them.

"Who did the magic?"

"A Witch in the building." Ba'al finally looked me squarely in the eyes. "Don't ever do it again."

"Do what?" I asked, taking the defensive.

"Die, Brenna. Don't ever die again. I don't care if you have to sacrifice every Overlord in the room with you. You are never allowed to die again."

"That's bizarre."

"We all felt you die. Not just your father. Not just the Vampires who could feel your soul. All of us felt it. All the Overlords in the room could feel it. Somehow, we are all linked together. You, me, Gabriel, Fenrir, Anubis," he spread his arms wide. "I don't know how or why, but we all felt it. It was the darkest feeling I have ever had."

"I don't know what to say to that, Ba'al."

"Don't say anything about it, just promise not to do it again."

"How do I make that promise?"

"Same way you make any promise." Ba'al moved closer to the bed. "You have some serious problems in your future. I didn't understand it until tonight, but..."

"But what?" I touched his face. "What are you not telling me, Beal?"

"You wouldn't understand," he turned his face from me, moving out of my reach.

"Probably not, but you could try to explain it."

"Love, Brenna." Ba'al frowned again. "We all love you. When you were a child, we loved you as our own. You were ours to entertain, to amuse, and to protect. As a teenager, you were ours to protect, to educate, to offer companionship. Now, you are an adult, and none of us has been able to figure out what our relationship with you is, you are our friend. But a friend like no other. Tonight, four of us watched you die and four of us felt it and four of us felt our futures dying with it. That's when it hit me that we love you. Not necessarily romantic, but love all the same. It flows from you. Did you know that before you were born, Anubis and I could hardly stand to be in the same room with each other? Both of us are overwhelmed with guilt, resentment, and desolation at what had happened between us. Somehow, your very birth healed that rift. I still feel guilt, but not resentment or desolation. Anubis feels the same. And I haven't seen him smile in thousands of years, you can make him not just smile, but laugh. The hole that I never thought would be healed, is. It is an amazing thing. It might even affect Fenrir. He felt your death. It would make sense. All four of us have damaged souls. The one thing a Demon cannot heal is the soul, and yet, you seem to touch all of our souls, make us feel less..."

"Less what?"

"Alone. We walk through the world, unseeing, unfeeling, and uncaring... then you come along and all of that changes."

"How is Fenrir damaged?"

"Three of his four sons were killed in the Elder War by him. Only Alex survives. Can you imagine killing your own child? Can you imagine being the only one that can do it? Being forced to do it? Chiron has always been an evil bastard. He is the one that pressed the death sentences for the main conspirators. All thirty of them, the Council acquiesced. The Executioners were all left with damaged souls."

"I don't know much about the war except that it divided the Elders and many died. It was a battle to save Humanity."

"Huh," Ba'al looked out at the wall. His eyes unfocused, the memory becoming the dominant part of his brain.

"It started some two thousand years before the actual battle. It started at a Council Meeting. Egypt was powerful, possibly the most powerful empire at the time. Amenemhet I was on the throne, and he had caught the attention of Lexa, Anubis's mate. He was willing to participate in blood rituals because he thought she was a goddess. Lexa was one of the few Vampires that actively feed on Humans. She craved the emotions that came with their blood. More than that though, Vampires can feel souls, can control souls during a bloodletting, very few Vampires want such a thing. The soul is addictive. Lexa was a full out junkie. To her, Humans were cattle and nothing more, but she was only interested in the ones with power. The bloodletting is a sacred thing or should be. Perhaps she had feelings for him, but we all agree that it is unlikely. She convinced her son, Ammut, to join her in the bloodlettings. Not of her prize, but of another, the first wife of Amenemhet. Like his mother, Ammut became a junkie. But he was a lot younger and less able to control the need. He earned his curse. When a powerful Witch of the same bloodline that cursed Anubis cursed him, Lexa became infuriated. She demanded a sacrifice of Amenemhet, his first born son. Amenemhet refused. They went their separate ways, but Lexa came back and killed all three, Amenemhet, his first wife, and the oldest son.

"At that point, the conspiring began. She felt she had the power to eliminate the Humans. They were of no use to her anymore. Her son couldn't feed in cursed form. He was wasting away, going mad. By the time Ramses II came to power, her revenge was pretty well planned out. She went to the Council and demanded retribution for Ammut. The Council refused, pointing out the curse was her fault. If she had not been teaching him to feed off the souls of Humans, he wouldn't be cursed. Anubis tried to reason with her, but there was no reasoning. She seduced Ramses II, drove him mad. It wasn't exactly hard either, he was a great general, but he was a little off his rocker before Lexa came into his life. After she began feeding, it became worse.

"The story of Moses is somewhat correct, except it wasn't God sending plagues. It was Lexa and her cohorts. By then, she had a following that included all breeds. It was easy enough for them to do. The Council figured it out and Lexa was imprisoned. That was the beginning of the end. Her supporters had a cause to rally around, a call to free Lexa. For some reason, this was just one more thing they could blame on Humans. They didn't succeed and around the turn of the century, she convinced the Council that she had changed. We believed her and freed her.

"Then the opportunity came that they had been waiting for. A Human Mate. The first in the history of the world. The Sidhe Fey in question went to her and they bore a child. Lexa and the others went to work. She convinced the child he was divine and Jesus Christ became powerful, very powerful. After convincing a following, that he was divine and the resurrection, Morgana had him locked away in the Prison. It was too late though. Lexa and the others had their foothold. She began to search out other Elders who had Human mates. When a second one was found, she killed the Human. The Council retaliated. Before Lexa could be locked away though..."

Ba'al stopped. He looked at me. His face was set in hard lines. His teeth were bared. Anger didn't roll off of him, but it did embroil him.

"Sorry, I have not talked of this in many centuries."

"Understandable. You do not have to finish telling me now." I said as the door opened. Anubis walked in.

"Thought you were going to bed?" I asked him.

"Beal," he took the Gargoyle's face in his hand, "let me finish the story."

"Ani, I started it."

"Yes and you have done a good job of telling it." Anubis knelt before him. "But it causes you great pain. Pain that I can feel, it burns through me. Crushes me."

"Is it my pain?" Ba'al asked.

"My own pain," Anubis dropped his hand. "My own pain is intertwined with yours. It is our story to tell. It is our mates, our bloodlines that died in the war."

"Our pain," Ba'al seemed to think of that. "I am sorry, Ani. I forget that it was your mate and child that started it."

"And my shame to carry for eternity."

Something mystical was happening between the men. To an outsider, it might look like lovers comforting each other. To me, it was something far deeper. Tears began to fall. The anger was gone, replaced by a hollow sadness that made me feel bleak and desolate. I felt alone in the world.

"No, Ani, not shame," Beal looked at me, "never shame. It is not your fault, any more than it is mine or the other Council members. We did not, could not, know what she would do."

"Lexa turned on the rest of Humanity." Anubis sat down on the bed next to me. His finger wiped away a tear. "She unleashed hell upon them. It wasn't just bloodletting anymore. It was sadistic, planned, genocide. They leveled two cities in two days, killing everyone inside of them. A third narrowly escaped destruction; it was left with more dead than living. Then they turned to Rome."

"Rome," Ba'al gave a small smile that seemed painful, not happy.

"She and her hoard descended upon the city and set it on fire. They began killing any Human they found and it wasn't just death that she brought. It was pain, misery, and suffering. No death was quick. They ripped off limbs and watched the Humans die slowly as their blood ran through the streets. They forced children to watch as they raped and then tore apart their parents. They forced the children to march the streets, bound together, heading towards Lexa, and Lexa bathed in their blood.

"The Council and the rest of the Elders descended upon the city in two groups. One to rescue the Humans and save as many as possible, and one to battle the Elders. We called them The Hoarde. It seemed appropriate enough at the time. The Overlords went to battle with their lieutenants while the others went to save the Roman populace." Anubis took a deep breath. His hands were shaking.

"We didn't know that they had recruited some very powerful Witches. We have always coexisted with Witches, and in the back of our minds, we have always been slightly afraid of them. They can curse objects and us. The objects they curse, much like Excalibur, can cause us serious pain and damage. Pain and damage that it takes us months to heal. Because that wasn't enough, they had also recruited some of the more intelligent animals from our island. Harpies, Wyverns, Dragons, Sirens, Goblins, Trolls, creatures whose instinct is for survival not civilization, despite how intelligent they seem. And they can be a dangerous lot. The Hoarde couldn't kill us, they didn't have any Overlords, but they could hurt us in ways we didn't imagine.

"And they did. They unleashed their terror upon us with such ferocity that we were taken by surprise. An Overlord must touch the being they are killing. It was nearly impossible to get close enough to any Hoarde Member to kill them. The creatures that protected them, they could shred our skins, shred our bodies, and leave us in pieces on the battlefields. There weren't enough Demons to heal us all and in most cases, the Demons were rather ineffective because of the wounds being inflicted. I spent six months in care, being treated for Dragon burns. Then they discovered Gargoyle Blood. They began to put it on their swords and arrows. The Gargoyles that had defected were willing to die for their cause. They were keeping it a secret that the Gargoyles were dying, and they were using their own defense mechanisms against us. Angels were purposely ripping off their wings when several Elders would get close to them. While we can heal from it quickly enough, it is almost as effective as a bomb, only the wings of a Gargoyle or Angel can shield the light, keep it from ripping through us.

"It took twelve very long years to kill enough of them that the rest surrendered. By then, we had no more beings in the Maturing stage. They had all been killed. An entire generation wiped out, and the battles were something to see. The ground looked as if it were bleeding after a week or so of us using it. Our blood was thick enough that it killed vast areas, rendered it unusable. Several animal species were killed almost to extinction. While the wounds healed, it left scars on our souls, on our psyches, damaging everyone that fought in it. We numbered eleven million beings when the war began, when it ended, there were less than six million of us. The Council and its supporters were outnumbered as it turned out. But they didn't have the Overlords.

"Of course that worked in our favor, but each Overlord ended up killing so many of their own that for years after the war, we could hardly function. Every night, I would try to sleep and the faces of those I had killed would float through my brain. During the day, if I wasn't busy, busy, busy, I would think of those same faces. Hundreds of them would flow through me, flow through my brain and make it hurt. I would relive their death, and if that wasn't bad enough, I felt them when they died. The pain was still there.

"I remember one particularly," Ba'al responded. "I grabbed a young Gargoyle, his name was Linus. I ripped him into two pieces, severed him at the waist. The pain from that death doubled me over, made me scream out. For years, I could feel it. It nagged at me. I would try to sleep and feel myself being ripped apart again. I could feel the claws dig into my flesh at my neck and on one of my legs. Then the ripping feeling would begin and an unimaginable pain that burned as my body was torn into two halves."

"Yes, I have a few of those as well," Anubis looked haunted again. "But it still wasn't over. The war had ended. The Council had won, but twenty of the original thirty conspirators were in the surrendering party. Chiron pushed us all to sentence them to death. He pointed out that Lexa had been imprisoned before and it had done nothing to temper her ferocity. He was right to suggest that they had to die, but he didn't have to do the executions. The Centaurs that had been involved in The Hoarde had died in battle, and none were among the original conspirators. Lucifer, Gabriel, Ba'al, Morgan, Fenrir, and myself though, we all had members amongst the conspirators. It was one thing to kill them in battle, yet another to kill them in the Council Chamber. Fenrir went first. He had three sons as well as two Lycans amongst them. By the time he was done, he was a broken shamble. The Overlord that stands before you today is a shell of the Overlord he once was. He vowed to never mate again after that. Alex is comfort, but not comfort enough. For a while, he even banned the mating of any Lycan. He couldn't take seeing one born or the thought that he might have to kill it later. Morgana and Gabriel handled the deaths better. They suffered, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't as brutal. Maybe because there were fewer of them. Maybe because they didn't have children or mates involved. I don't know. They just seemed to handle it better. After their death sentences were carried out, they managed to walk back to their seats. More than what could be said of Fenrir, as he had to be carried from the chamber.

"Lucifer went next. He cried as he executed six Demons. He was able to return to his chair, but he couldn't look up at the faces of anyone there. He sobbed, shook, and finally smashed his horns against the table and that damn near killed us all. One of them broke at the base. And, well, you'll see that another time. Ba'al went after Lucifer. He had a few Gargoyles to put to death. He did the deed and returned to his seat silently. Then it was my turn. As I stood to execute Lexa and Ammut as the first of those sentenced, Fenrir screamed to stop me. He said it was unlike anything we could imagine to kill your child. He wanted to spare me from the fate. The meeting was adjourned for the day. Pendragon took the last three conspirators, all Vampires, back to the Prison."

"I went to visit Fenrir that night and found Ani, Luc, Anu, and Gabe already there. They were accompanied by several Demons and Djinn. The Djinn were trying to control Fenrir while the Demons healed him. He was uncontrollably shifting from Wolf to Lycan, with the shift never lasting more than a few minutes. His screams were deafening. Even Anu, with all his Djinn power couldn't stop his mind, couldn't stop him from shifting. He would be Lycan for a few minutes, then wolf, then Lycan, then wolf..." Ba'al shivered. "It was horrible."

"The floor was covered with the remnants of his multiple shifts. We were afraid it would kill him. Shifting is painful enough without doing it as he was. We were all standing ankle deep in the goo, flesh, and fur that you saw today. The room smelled of decay, blood, and something worse." Anubis looked at me. "You know, Anu is Vishnu's informal name?"

I nodded once. I had heard it before. My father used it when we were at home.

"I decided then that Anubis could not execute Ammut and Lexa. We guessed that the executions were what caused Fenrir to lose control. What would happen if the Vampire lost control? Vamping out is not pleasant for anyone around. Vampires drink blood for their health, but they feed on souls. Each feeding that is done from an Elder or a Human give the Vampire a brush with their soul. It makes them more powerful. It's like a drug. Since Gargoyle Blood had been used against us in the war, I spoke to Lucifer and the decision was made to execute the Vampires using Gargoyle blood."

"We didn't know," Anubis hung his head, "never once suspected or even had a clue that it would happen."

"Shhhh," Ba'al put his hand on Anubis's shoulder, "it was my decision. After I left Fenrir's, I went to the Gargoyles and asked for blood donations. I explained to them Fenrir's plight and how he was suffering, and they gave generously and unflinchingly. They wanted to help the Overlord as much as the rest of us. Marcus was only two years old at the time, too young to give. I have thanked the Divine for that every day since then."

Ba'al stopped. His eyes were dark as tears fell from them. Anubis looked at him and began to cry as well. Tiny pink and green spots began to appear on my bed from the tears of the Overlords. I hugged both, pulling them into me as much as possible.

"We must finish," Fenrir's voice floated to me. I looked up. The only person doing what they were supposed to be doing was Jonathan, but that was an assumption, since I couldn't see him. Fenrir was supposed to be home, Gabriel was supposed to be sleeping, and both of them stood in my bedroom.

"I was there," Gabriel lowered his eyes, "I will finish, old friends. The following morning, Pendragon returned the prisoners to the Council Chambers. Ba'al came in with a chalice of Gargoyle's blood." His voice was detached. Fenrir stood next to him, immobile except for his face. His face seemed to be changing. Tiny micro-expressions, each betraying an emotion played upon it. I closed my mind, trying to ignore all the pain, anger, and sadness that filled the room.

"As a final touch, a touch of solidarity, Ba'al opened his wrist over the chalice and bled into it. Lexa laughed. She knew what we didn't. Ammut tried to warn us. We didn't listen. Lexa began screaming over him. In his last moments, Ammut tried to come back, tried to save the Gargoyles that had donated, tried to save Ba'al. That is probably the worst part. We forced the drink down Lexa first. I held the chalice, Morgan held her head, and Ba'al inserted his long claws into her shoulders, forcing her to open her mouth. I poured part of the blood into her mouth and forced it closed and forced her to swallow it. After it was done, she began laughing again. We went to Ammut next. He yelled at us, told us we didn't understand what we were doing. Told us we would be killing more than just him if we continued. We thought he was lying, trying to save himself. We repeated the routine and moved to the last Vampire. He drank willingly and emptied the chalice. Said he had earned it. All the while, Ammut was screaming for Lucifer to do something, screaming for Lucifer to grab Ba'al. Screaming that we needed more Demons in the room. His last words were, 'Save Ba'al, Lucifer. Save Ba'al, begin healing him now.'"

"There were seven Gargoyles in the room other than Ba'al; one was his mate, Cassandra. They were the first to start convulsing. They fell to the ground in a heap of shrieks and screams. It didn't sound like anything that had ever been heard from a Gargoyle before. There were only about thirteen Demons in the room and Lucifer was one of them. The Demons rushed to the Gargoyles as Ba'al stood up. He got two steps before he gave one of those cries and fell to the ground. His body was flopping like a fish out of water. His wings began to curl at the edges. Lucifer stopped, pivoted, and rushed to him. When we realized that Ammut had been telling us the truth, he called for all the Demons to stop. He didn't believe any of the Gargoyles could be saved, but if one could, he wanted it to be Ba'al. He called them all over. They formed a circle and began healing him. As they did, Vishnu entered his mind, and Anubis announced he was feeling Ba'al's soul.

"They struggled for over an hour to keep Ba'al from dying. When they were done, another Demon had died and the rest were incredibly ill. Even Lucifer had to be carried from the Chamber. He spent a month in bed, too weak to get out. We had to place all the healing Demons and Ba'al in the same room with round the clock care. Every member of Demonnation was enlisted. They all stayed in the house and when one Demon, Lucifer, or Ba'al, looked like they might be taking a turn for the worse, Demonnation rushed in and began healing them. Once Lucifer was well enough to begin moving, he was willing to risk all of Demonnation to save the few. He not only appealed to them, begging them to stay, but to take greater risks, to heal for longer, to heal more thoroughly than we had been letting them. Two months into the ordeal, Lucifer began trying to heal everyone. It was almost another disaster. It landed him back in a care bed. His heart stopped and only the collective efforts of the Demonnation got it going again. The rest of the Council forbade him from attempting to heal the wounded again. It didn't stop him, but he was more careful about it.

"It took a year for Ba'al to get back on his feet. Much longer for the other Demons, eventually half of them died. John was among the survivors, as was Beezel, but one of Beezel's daughters died. Only the strongest amongst them lived. We spent over a century cleaning up the mess. The Overlords could hardly look at each other or their gaggles. Council meetings were only called when it was truly something important. We retreated from Humanity and moved back into the shadows. Made up our minds to sit back and watch them unfold. It was a little hard to do with Witches and incredibly evil Humans walking around, but we did our best. Even now, almost two thousand years later, we still have some issues. Most of us are filled with guilt and sorrow. Some are haunted by their experiences. Some bear emotional or psychological scars that seem irreparable. Even the strongest of us, Lucifer, had serious scars right up to the point where he met your mother. That seemed to change the tide for him and for several others." Gabriel looked at me.

"And your birth healed the rest of them," Fenrir added quietly. "What Chiron forgets is that the Foretold Demon of his prophecy was envisioned by another Centaur and he had a much different view on the matter. For him, the Demon was to bring love and heal our sorrow."

"It's possible that Chiron did not forget, just chose to ignore," Gabriel added.

The two Overlords were still leaning against me. I could feel their tears soaking into my clothes. I was sure they could feel my tears as they dripped onto their heads. It would have been a comical situation if it hadn't been so sad and serious.

"And now you know everything that is bad in our world," Fenrir sat down in the chair Ba'al had emptied.

"It is mostly good," I told him looking down at the Overlords. "Look at all of us. When did you get here anyway?"

"I just knew when Beal started the story. I called Ani and he told me that Beal was indeed telling it. I turned around and came back. I stood outside for a while, listening as he and Ani told the beginning. I'm sure I'm not the only Overlord that knew."

"Luc called me about it. The story itself has become something powerful and magic. So much pain tied to the words. It has gained its own life." Gabriel moved another chair into the room. This one came from my computer room. One of the few rooms in the house I never used since getting my laptop. It was a graveyard for books and old electronics.

Anubis and Ba'al finally lifted their head. Anubis kissed me on the forehead. His eyes were still wet and glistening. My shirt was streaked with stains from trails of pink and green from the tear ducts of their respective owners.

"I am suddenly very uncomfortable," I said aloud as I pulled the blankets over me. My shirt was flimsy and I wasn't wearing any underclothing.

"Prude," Gabriel shook his head. "Are you worried we are all going to fall upon you?"

"Well," I cocked my head to the side. "No offense, but after the way Fenrir looked at me while in wolf form, the thought had crossed my mind."

Fenrir threw back his head and let out a bellowing laugh. Anubis smiled, exposing all of his teeth. Ba'al did the same and Gabriel shook his head while chuckling softly. I wondered if Fenrir's laugh was echoing through the building.

"While I admit the thought has crossed my mind on more than one occasion," Fenrir stopped laughing, "it would have to wait until after the Maturing. Too risky during."

"Uh..." I pulled the blanket closer.

"Brenna," Anubis mimicked my head movement, cocking it to the side, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "You are dealing with beings where age means very little. Furthermore, eternity really is a long time to be monogamous. While I realize you are horrified by the thought of sex, it will pass eventually and you will find yourself looking at eternity. The pool of potential sexual partners becomes narrower when you look at it from our end. While there isn't an Elder in the world who would seriously entertain the notion of having sex with you before the Maturing, after the Maturing is a different story."

"Anubis, just stop. I do not want to hear what you are going to say."

"Perhaps not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. With the exception of your family and Gabriel, there isn't a single Elder on the planet that isn't going to contemplate having you as a sexual partner at some point or another. For one reason or another, most will not act upon it, but there are those that will."

"Seriously, you're going to creep me out."

"Stop thinking like a Human," Fenrir told me. I looked at him as if he had just slapped me in the face. In a way, he had. "Monogamy is for Humanity. Their lives are short enough to enjoy a single individual for its span. We are not Human and neither are you."

"Blunt, but accurate," Anubis responded. "Honestly, Brenna, you do not have the luxury of monogamy. It just doesn't work among Elders. Hell, even with true love, it is hard to maintain a serious, monogamous relationship for more than a few centuries. The old adage that love does not know time is ridiculous. It does. Even true love drives you crazy after a few centuries and you need a break from it. I assure you that Fen is not the only one that has considered what it would be like to take you to bed. At some point, Beal, me, Fen, Jonathan, even Pendragon and Morgana will wonder about it."  
"Alex already has," Fenrir said. "Again though, not until after the Maturing. After the Maturing, if you do not have a mate, they will be lining up at your door. I intend to be one of the first in line. You have the option to turn us down. Of course, that just means we'll wait a century or two and try again."

"Good, God!" I put my hands over my ears. Childish, I knew, but uncontrollable. These men were the ones that I grew up with and they remembered me in diapers. Now they were talking to me about having sex with me. It was surreal and disturbing.

"Human," Ba'al said quietly.

"Yes, yes," I shook my head and removed my hands. "Look guys, I love all of you, I really do. You guys are my touchstones, I come to you when I need help, guidance, support, and when I want to rebel against my father and his image. I just can't imagine having sex with you. You remember me as a toddler, even younger. Most of you were there the day after I was born, or on the day, I was born. I realize that eternity is a really long time and I might one day get over it, but for the moment, I'm disturbed by the thought."

"Understandable to a degree," Anubis said.

"Understandable but childish," Fenrir added. "This is why Elders do not have sex with other Elders until after they have both Matured."

"Fenrir, really?" I pleaded with him with my eyes. "Could you not..."

"Not what?" He asked me. "Inform you about life? That is sort of my job."

"No, no it isn't." I told him.

"It is all of our jobs," Gabriel corrected. "The four of us are your guardians."

"How did you get recruited for that job?" I asked sarcastically. "Did my father make you swear in blood to protect me for eternity?"

"No, you picked us," Anubis said. I was smacked again.

"How do you figure?"

"You were two years old. We were gathered for the Maturing Party of one of your siblings and there was a group of about thirty of us, sitting in your living room, plus both your parents. You walked in and said 'I want to play a game. I want to play Princess. But I need knights.' Several people volunteered, but you said, 'no, I want Ani, Fen, Beal, and Gabe as my knights. They will be good knights.' We all thought you were just being precocious and agreed to play. We all got up and went to the playroom. Lucifer came with us, as did your mother. When we got into the room, you turned and said 'as knights, you have to promise to protect me and help me grow up and teach me things.' We said we would and you said 'no, you have to swear. I saw it on a movie. You all have to put your hands together and swear that you will be my knights.' We put our hands together and swore to be your knights. Something happened when we did," Ba'al told me.

"Something magical and unbreakable. Even your mother couldn't do anything about it. We swore to protect you, to help you grow up, to teach you, and we have done that. Soon, all that will be left is to teach you." Anubis looked at me. "We were bound before, bound by some invisible force, we knew from the moment your father told us your mother was pregnant that you would be important to all of us, but that oath... That oath was the seal on it. At two years old, you bound us even closer with a magical spell."

"But one that we wanted to be bound to," Fenrir added quickly. "That is why your mother could not break the enchantment."

"Yes," my mother said from the doorway. "The four musketeers there, bound in a spell cast by a two year old half-Demon."

# Chapter Nine

She was smiling. She looked younger when she smiled. Her eyes were even sparkling.

"At that moment, I knew that life was going to be different for you, but that it would be well protected and enjoyable," she smirked a little. "Once you got over yourself that was."

"Got over myself?" I gave her an incredulous look.

"Please, Brenna," she moved into the room and scooted Anubis out of the way. She took a spot next to me. "In ten thousand years, I will still love your father, but I do not intend to be monogamous for eternity. I'm trapped in it, just like you, straddling both worlds. Eternity is a long time."

"Ewww," I frowned at her, "Mom..."

"Listen to me and don't interrupt. I will never take lovers that are yours, no worries there. My Humanity tells me that's just weird and wrong. And I will always come back to Lucifer, but I'm sure there will be others along the way. Anubis is right and wrong, true love is magical in itself. It doesn't recognize time or anything else for that matter, but it does get boring."

"Please, just stop." I closed my eyes. "It's bad enough to have these guys talk to me about it. You include my father and that's just... yeah."

"Fine," she stopped for a second, "Just remember that these four men will always be with you. Even when you think you can't trust anyone, you can always trust these four and your parents. When you think you are so alone that it hurts, they are always just a phone call away. You will not suffer eternity as your father did. Ultimately, you decided who you wanted and they consented. In the history of Witchcraft, it has only happened once before. When the binding Witch died, the Elders she had bound to her died as well."

"What?" I asked. There were a whole lot of things I didn't know.

"One of your great ancestors mated with an Elder. They didn't have children because they didn't live long enough. However, she ended up binding three Elders to her. She picked, they consented, and when she was murdered, the three Elders died with her, including her mate. So, while we are all immortal, there are chinks in the armor. If you die, these four men will likely die with you. Luckily, for all of you, being bound together as immortals will help. It is unlikely you will be killed after the Maturing, and it is very possible that their immortality will assist you during the Maturing. I believe that is probably why they felt you die and why you started to live again."

"How was she murdered?"

"The Strachan Family Sword, her father put her to death." My mother frowned. "She would have been a great, great, great, great, great, great, great aunt. She shared the same father as your grandmother of long ago. There are reasons for Elders to fear Witches to some degree. And any Elder who has a Human mate, has an immortal mate, it is the loop-hole to Human mortality."

"Informative, odd, and tragic." I told her. "Who all knows about the binding?"

"The Overlords, myself, and Magnus. Even he couldn't break the spell," my mother said.

"So Chiron knew that sentencing me to death would likely kill the other Overlords." Suddenly, pieces began to fall into place. "The death sentence wasn't actually about me, it was about them. That is why they were so nervous."

"No, the death sentence was intended for all of us," Anubis corrected. "Chiron fears you and your magic, and that is before you Mature. However, to kill four Overlords would give him significant sway in the Council."

"Not to mention the effect it would have on Magnus and your father," Fenrir added.

"Why Magnus?"

"Because Magnus is expecting that I will succeed him on the Council." My mother smiled at me. "Does that surprise you?"

"I thought you were number three on the most powerful Witch list?"

"I am, you are number two, but you have a conflict of interest being that you are also half Demon."

"Oh," I pursed my lips, "again, informative, odd, and tragic."

"Perhaps," Anubis touched my hair, "but at least you understand a little more about who you are." He said "you" very pointedly.

"Meaning?" I asked.

"Meaning you might be the offspring of me and Lucifer, but you are your own individual, Brenna. I couldn't have done what you did. Magnus doesn't even think he could have bound four Overlords to him even with their consent. Lucifer could bind me with my consent, but that's it. No one else, I got special privileges because I'm his mate. You can always bind a Human mate, especially a powerful Witch, but our powers combined could not unbind the five of you. Our powers combined, including those of Lucifer, are far less than what your powers combined are. That is why you are frightening. You might get some mythical, unknown power when you Mature, but it is far more likely that you have already gained it when you bound the five of you together. The Lycan, The Vampire, The Angel, The Gargoyle, and The Demon, the first of the Beings," my mother looked at me. "You managed to bind together the first Lycan, the first Vampire, the first Angel, and the first Gargoyle ever created. That is impressive. More impressively, your binding healed the hatred that they felt for each other because of the Elder War."

"When you bound us, Beal and I were still not on speaking terms, except as matters of business," Anubis admitted.

"Your father and I gave birth to you and Danny," her eyes were sad even though her mouth was smiling. "What you have never understood is that you do not stand in the recesses of our shadows. Our mating created you, and Lucifer will always be considered the First, but you will never be in our shadow, have never been in our shadow. You are your own woman and that woman is both a powerful Witch and a Demon Lieutenant. That woman is a force to be reckoned with. And if, by some chance, you do come into amazing power when you Mature, it will only make you even more mystical and awe-inspiring. But you are young and you do not see it as the rest of us do."

"Mom," I took hold of her hand, "what if everyone is wrong?"

"Honey, we already have proof that they are not wrong. The prophecy never mentions whether your power will be Witch or Demon. While you are not as powerful as Magnus, you bound four Overlords to you. Four Overlords, Brenna, do you have any idea what that means? Four Overlords with will as strong as Lucifer's and powers just as great and terrifying. Four Overlords who were fighting and hated each other. You brought them together, soothed the wounds, and began their healing. If that isn't proof that you are incredibly powerful, nothing is."

"She's right," Fenrir looked at Gabriel. "We all blamed each other and hated each other for what had happened during the War. Now, we can all sit in the same room and be friends, joke about sex, love, and life. Reminisce about the past and share the hurt and pain without the anger and hatred. That's exceptional power."

"Someone who can heal not just our physical wounds, but the emotional scars that we have carried for centuries," Ba'al said.

"The Demon is greater than that," Gabriel gave a long sigh. "I feel her touch."

Everyone turned to look at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. He stared at the floor.

"The first time I held her in my arms, as an infant, she reached up and touched my face, and I felt that tiny hand and all the tiny fingers and the sensation that went with it..." He finally looked up. "It was something I hadn't felt since the beginning of my life."

Slapped again. I sat, with my mouth open and stared at Gabriel. Anubis was the first to react.

"You feel her? Truly feel her?"

"Yes, so far, she's the only one, but I have wondered since her birth if she can heal me, change that." Gabriel looked at Anubis. "It hurts to have my wings torn off, but the first time Brenna laid hands on me to heal a wound that I had received during an apprehension, well, it took every bit of me not to scream. I couldn't give away the secret, but when she started to heal me, I could feel the pain of the wound as well as her hands."

"Come here," Anubis told him. Gabriel stood up.

"Touch him," he ordered me. I was still sitting with my mouth open, but I took hold of Gabriel's arm. "You can feel her?"

"Yes."

Anubis took hold of his other arm, "You said you could suddenly feel pain."

"I can feel you as well," Gabriel told him. "Brenna let go."

I let go.

"Now, the sensation of your hand is gone." Gabriel frowned. "I don't know how it works or why, but it does. If she is touching me, I can feel everything. The moment she lets go, I go back to being numb."

"That's," my mother stopped and seemed to be searching.

"Miraculous," Gabriel finished for her. "That's what I call it."

"Uh, yeah," my mother stood up. "As much as I would love to sit and discuss this and teach my daughter a thing or two about herself, I was actually sent over to put some protection spells on the doors and windows."

"Sure," Gabriel walked out of the room.

"See, even Gabe will think about sex with you," Fenrir smiled, bringing us back to our conversation when my mother appeared.

"That again?" I frowned at him.

"What else?" He smiled. "Brenna, we are all bound to you. You make Gabriel feel sensation. Now, we are going to think about it even more and let's face it, it isn't as if we have anything better to do for the next month, so we might as well desensitize you to sex."

"Fen," Anubis gave him a smile, "we should do it a little at a time."

"Forget it, Ani. I'm first in line."

"Stop!" I glared at them.

"Actually, I think Gabriel should be first," Ba'al told everyone and no one. "Since he hasn't been able to feel it in several billion years, it's just a thought."

"Damn," Fenrir frowned. "I guess you're right. Gabe should be first."

"This is not 'take a number to have sex with Brenna after the Maturing.' We are supposed to be worried about my safety." I reminded them.

"I think the numbers have been distributed, we just have to get you to agree," Fenrir stood up. "I will go home. Elise is busy bespelling the place. Ani needs some sleep and I imagine Gabe does as well. Actually, Beal looks like shit, too. Perhaps I should stay and let all of you sleep."

"I think that would be acceptable, as long as Bren does not get out of bed." Anubis stood up and yawned. He stretched his arms wide. "I will sleep on the couch. I imagine Jonathan is doing something interesting."

"Ominous and vague," I responded.

"He's a Vampire, you don't want to know what they do when they are bored," Beal gave me a smile that should have meant something but was completely lost on me.

"They Vamp out and stare into the dark," Gabriel enlightened me, "they see souls."

"Oh, gotcha." I only sort of understood.

"They watch the souls rise over the city and count the dead, Brenna. Sometimes, they talk to them," Fenrir added.

"Oh, now I get it." I nodded a couple of times.

"I don't," Anubis responded.

"You can't Vamp out." I told him.

"Doesn't stop me from seeing souls, I just find it sad to count the dead."

"I would agree," I told him. "So what's the plan?"

"Beal and I are going to sleep in the guest room. Luckily, the bed is big enough for both our wings and us. Anubis is going to sleep on the couch with the creepy Vampire and Fenrir is going to become your beck and call boy."

"You're going to leave me alone with Fenrir?" I gave Gabriel a frown.

"I promise not to eat you," Fenrir gave me a smile.

"That doesn't ease the discomfort, it makes it worse somehow."

"Would it help if I promised to remain fully clothed throughout the evening?"

"Uh, why would you undress?"

"At some point, you are going to fall asleep, and after you fall asleep, I will probably do the same. I will wake when you do."

"Creepy and disturbing. I think I would rather watch Jonathan count the dead."

Fenrir gave another of his bellowing laughs. He shook his head, eyes smiling.

"You really are a prude."

"Yes, I really am."

"Good night, Children, behave Fen." Gabriel left the room. The others followed with Anubis giving one last glance over his shoulder at us. Fenrir waved, I frowned.

"Alone at last," he smiled at me.

"Please don't smile like that. I get the impression you are undressing me in your mind and it bothers me."

"Brenna, I am not that disrespectful." He stood up. "You were going to watch something when Beal started your history lesson, what was it?"

"Monty Python's Flying Circus."

"A staple of modern comedy, good choice." Fenrir pressed play on the remote. The TV came to life and the menu came up. "Play All?"

"Yes, please."

"How bad is the leg?" He asked as the music began.

"Pretty bad, I can see through it." I pulled the sheet back and showed him.

"Yeah, that's bad." He frowned at me. "I'm going to make you uncomfortable, but it is with the best intentions."

"Oh no," I closed my eyes. I was waiting for him to do something untoward. Instead, he gently placed a hand on either side of the gaping hole. I could feel his face go down, his breath against my thigh. I opened my eyes.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Inspecting the bone growth," he told me flatly. His face was almost flat against my thigh and he was staring down my leg. That made me feel better. If it had been facing the other way, I would have wondered about the validity of his statement.

"Does it hurt?" He asked.

"It's bespelled not to hurt."

"Good," he stuck a hand inside it and began feeling around.

"Uh, should you be doing that? I don't know where your hands have been."

"They are sterile enough for this." He continued his prodding. It didn't hurt, but it felt weird to have someone poking around inside my leg.

"The artery is missing as well," he said as he came up. "Do you still feel your foot?"

"Yes," I told him.

"Hm, hold on." He left the room. I could hear a conference going on outside the door. He came back after a few minutes. I wasn't sure who he had been talking to. The voices had been too low. Anubis appeared in the room as the second episode came on TV.

"You are supposed to be sleeping and growing fur back." I told him.

"Well, Fen noticed something important. No artery, the limb will start to shrivel. You are getting some blood flow, but not enough." To emphasize this, he pulled back the sheet. My foot, which is normally purplish, was even more so. "I've brought an IV line that we can use temporarily."

He sat down on the bed and moved all the blankets and sheets. I felt completely exposed. A flimsy nightshirt and black panties in a room with a Lycan that had already expressed sexual interest, and a Vampire who was about to do some sort of odd surgery on my leg. It wasn't just exposure as much as it was vulnerability.

"This might actually hurt and would be better with a Demon and a Witch on hand, however, we are not calling your parents. And I am not filling up the house with more people." Anubis gave me a grimace. "You aren't going to like this, I suggest you look away."

"What am I not going to like?"

"Everything that is going to happen in the next ten minutes. Fen, could you help?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Distract her, significantly."

"Uh, Ani..." I started to speak. Fenrir grabbed hold of my hair at the base of my skull and tilted my head up towards him. He moved in close, too close. I couldn't struggle away, there was too much pressure being exerted. His eyes changed colors, the muscles began to move, and the flesh looked like it had things crawling under it. The longer I stared, the more entranced I became. The nose began to elongate. The teeth became sharper and longer. I tried to look down, but his grip was too tight.

"Just concentrate on me," Fenrir said quietly. "Concentrate on the bones, on the muscle, on the flesh, and on the eyes."

"Fen..."

"Concentrate only on me, Brenna."

"Ow, fuck, what the hell." Something happened in my leg, it hurt as I had never imagined. My entire leg was suddenly throbbing with pain. It burned.

"Brenna," Fenrir said my name but he sounded like he was underwater, or like I was underwater.

"It's not working," Fenrir said. I was guessing it wasn't meant for me. "Brenna, concentrate on me."

"I'm trying. Stop changing, it's freaking me out and what the hell is that pain?" Needles were suddenly pricking my skin.

"Not working," Fenrir said again.

"I need more time, Fen. Do something." Anubis's voice was even further away. I was drowning in something and I didn't know what it was.

"Forgive me," the change stopped, the eyes were still wolf eyes, but the muzzle was back to being a regular nose and mouth. He kissed me. Hard. His teeth pressed against my lips, forcing me to bleed or open my mouth. I opened for him. His tongue darted inside of my mouth, explored it.

Even more suddenly than the demanding kiss was the feel of Anubis. Everywhere he touched set me on fire. Not lustful fire, painful fire. Then I felt the brush of his soul. His true soul. It had holes in it. It was old and damaged. It was sorrowful, mournful, and forlorn.

# Chapter Ten

It was too late. The brush of his soul filled me with power. Power that had to exit my body or consume me. I tore away from Fenrir and screamed, wordlessly at the ceiling, mimicking Gabriel as the first of his power had poured from him.

Someone yelled, "Oh fuck," but it was barely a whisper. The power made sound as it moved. It exited me in a giant pulse. The shockwave it created was visible to everyone in the room. It slammed against them, traveled through the walls. I felt it hit Gabriel, Ba'al, and Jonathan. It wasn't enough. It exited the apartment and found others, slammed into others. The pulse of energy surged outward, upward, and filled the entire building until I thought it would collapse with the pressure.

The single energy pulse was followed by stillness. Absolute calm, nothing moved, even breathing seemed to be stopped. I could feel the entire building. It was awake, alive, and buzzing with whatever had just happened. I didn't know what the energy had contained. I had just known that it had to escape or tear me apart.

Carefully, I looked at Anubis. Fur covered his face. The remnants of the burn completely gone. My leg was healed as well.

"Holy fuck," Gabriel staggered into the room. "Wow, what was that?"

"That was dangerous," Anubis said as he stood up. "Luckily, it was just healing energy that pulsed out of her."

Gabriel held out a hand to Fenrir, helped him to his feet. As he did, he jerked. He stared at their joined hands.

"What the..." Fenrir looked at him. "You can feel me?"

"I can feel you," Gabriel looked at their hands. "I can feel everything in the room."

"What?" Anubis walked over to him.

"I can feel everything in this room. There is a slight breeze from the fan. The light overhead is warm. The air is cool. Fenrir is warm, very warm, to the touch. His fingers are long and fleshy. I can feel them."

"That's impossible," Anubis looked at me. "Impossible."

"Miraculous," Gabriel corrected.

There was a pool of blood on the sheet next to my leg. I looked at Anubis.

"Bloodletting," I said the word quietly, timidly.

"Yes, I was bloodletting to get the blood flowing through the fake artery."

"I felt your soul." I thought about it a minute. "I think I fed off of it."

"What do you mean 'fed off of it?'"

"I think when your soul brushed mine, it infused me with more power, enough power that I had to expel it from my body."

"Impossible, that is a Vampire trait. Only we can feed off the soul to make us more powerful and then, only in Vamp form."

"Well, how do you explain it?" Fenrir asked him.

"I don't know," Anubis was looking at me. Jonathan had come into the room.

"Come out here," he said to me. I got up and walked into my living room.

"Look out over the city and tell me what you see."

"I see ghosts." I told him. "Not many, about a dozen or so. Some seem to be moving upwards, others seem lost."

"You can't see ghosts, you're a Demon," Anubis told me.

"I see them."

"How many do you see?" Jonathan asked Anubis.

"Fourteen."

"An exchange of power?" Gabriel asked.

"We can't exchange power," Anubis responded.

"We can't, maybe she can," Gabriel said. "Maybe she can feed off our powers. Maybe it wasn't your soul that made her stronger, but your own power. Perhaps she somehow absorbed some of it and it channeled it into healing power when it got to be too much. If she is seeing souls, she has Vampire powers at the moment."

"Witches can see ghosts." I told him.

"Yes they can, but not like Vampires. Witches can only see souls when the deceased is searching for them."

Someone was pounding on my door. Gabriel looked at me. He shook his head to indicate we were not to say a word.

It was a neighbor from my floor. A Human. He was walking. He normally required a cane.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Healing energy," Gabriel frowned. "Sorry, we have a Maturing Demon. It appears that she sent a surge of healing energy through the floor."

"It was amazing," he responded. "Thank you, Brenna."

"Sure thing, Mr. Weiss." I yelled. I felt rooted to the spot. "I'll try to keep it from happening again."

"Bah," he pushed his way into the room. "Child, I lived through Nazi camps and The Merge. I live in a Post-Merge building. You aren't the first to Mature in it."

"I know, but I should be more careful."

"If you are going to send pulses like that, I don't think you need to be careful. I feel at least sixty years younger. I don't know how long the effects will last, but it's nice. I think I'll go for a walk in the park."

"Glad I could help, Mr. Weiss." I blushed.

"You're a good kid, Brenna." He smiled and walked back out. Gabriel shut the door behind him.

"It affected the Humans." Anubis frowned. "I think we need a full memory recall to figure out what happened."

"Oh man," I frowned and plopped down on the couch. "Great, a Djinn wandering around in my mind, digging out my memories. Just what I need."

"No worries, we'll call Vishnu," Gabriel told me.

"And Lucifer," Anubis added. "Lucifer needs to be told and should be present."

"Great, my papa and Vishnu poking around my mind." I sat down on the couch. "Nothing like being mind raped after an experience like that."

I lit a cigarette and sullenly waited. I knew the men were right, I needed to have the memory probed, needed for it to be explained to all of us. Vishnu would be able to see exactly what had happened. However, like every time I had been prodded by a Djinn, I wished it were going to happen to someone else.

Lucifer arrived first. He was bordering on being out of control. I could feel him from the street below me.

"Dad's here and he is losing it. We need to stop calling him." I told everyone about forty seconds before my father forced his way into my apartment. Since it wasn't my spell, I didn't feel it break, but something told me the protection spell was a little bit useless.

"What the devil!" He bellowed. "She is supposed to be in bed, resting, not up running around doing magic!"

His voice shook the glasses in my kitchen. It was strong enough to make even the solid sliding glass doors of my balcony rumble in their molds. His eyes were completely dark, a red glow leaking from him. He turned on the others and he would have begun shouting more.

"It's my fault," I stopped him. "Well, sort of all of our faults, but mostly mine. My 90 year old neighbor thinks it's the coolest thing on the planet though."

"What?" He shook his head at me, closing his eyes. Some of the anger drained away.

"Mr. Weiss is out wandering in the park in the dead of night without his cane. He thinks it's extremely nifty. He told me he feels sixty years younger; a feat considering his age." I knew that confusing my father was a dangerous game. It could enrage him or calm him down. In this case, it seemed to be calming him down. It was as if his mind was trying to grasp what I was saying, but was stuck on the words.

I felt it when the anger snapped. It went away completely. He looked at me for the first time since bursting into my apartment. Since I was still not particularly dressed, he could see that the hole had healed itself.

"How did you..." Lucifer sat down.

"That is why we are letting Vishnu mind rape me. We aren't sure how it happened. I did manage to heal everyone on this floor though with a gigantic burst of energy. And I'm seeing souls."

"That's not..."

"Possible." I shrugged. "I know. Hence the call to Vishnu. We don't know what happened, Papa, we just know that it did and it was precipitated by the realization that the main artery in my leg was missing. Anubis brought in an IV tube to make a fake one, there was some intense distracting going on, and there was a bloodletting and then..."

"And then there was a pulse of energy that escaped from Brenna and slammed into every being on the floor," Anubis came into Lucifer's line of sight. "One that healed everyone, Luc, including Gabriel."

"Gabriel wasn't that injured," Lucifer responded.

"No, Luc," Gabriel came into the field of vision. "Healed my brain, I think. I could feel the warmth radiating off of you when you came into the room. Your body heat. I helped Fen stand up after the pulse and could feel his hand."

Gabriel walked over to the glass door. He hesitated for a second and then put his hand upon the glass. He stood, motionless, breathless for a moment before placing his forehead on the glass.

"The glass is cool, cooler than the outside air. Cooler than the inside air. It's hard and unyielding, but cool to the touch."

"You can feel sensations?" Lucifer stood up. He hesitated before taking holding of Gabriel.

"Your skin is hot, almost burning to the touch," Gabriel told him. "It's tough, harder than Fen's skin. There are calluses on your hands and you are touching the area between my wings and the area between my hips and the bottom of the wing joints. I can feel everything, Lucifer. Not just when she touches me, but everything around me."

"Someone called for a Djinn?" Vishnu inspected the broken door before entering.

"Yeah, I need my mind raped, a memory recalled." I told him. "I need to know, no, we need to know exactly what happened a few minutes ago. And whatever it was, the knowledge cannot leave the room."

"Why is Lucifer squeezing Gabriel to death?" Vishnu asked.

"Oh, you might need to mind rape Gabriel as well," I told him.

"I wish you wouldn't call it that."

"Look, once you've..."

"I know, Brenna, you've had it done against your will on a hunt." Vishnu sat down next to me. "But when I do it, I only see what you want me to see."

"Bullshit, you only tell what I want you to tell." I told him.

"Fair enough," Vishnu sighed. "What are we probing for?"

"A memory," I repeated. "I just healed everyone on the floor of this building by accident. I felt Anubis's soul and I am currently seeing souls. Something happened, something unexplainable. I think I healed Gabriel's mind. My father is currently hugging him because my father is crying on Gabriel, tears of joy that Gabriel can feel a pane of glass."

"What?" Vishnu narrowed his eyes at me.

"It's true, I can feel everything," Gabriel told him as my father let go.

"Wow," Vishnu smiled at me, "powerful indeed and now you are seeing souls?"

"Yes, and I shouldn't be able to do it." I reminded him.

"Well, let's get to work then. Someone should really fix the door."

"On it," my mother's voice came to me. "You really shouldn't force magical doors, Lucifer."

Lucifer's energy had masked everyone else's. My two younger brothers came into the room. Nick was smirking. Daniel looked like Daniel.

"Good job," Nick rolled his eyes at our father.

"Not a good time," I told him quietly.

"Okay, let's begin." Vishnu touched my hands and held onto them firmly.

It took a couple of seconds, but I felt him push his way into my head. Felt his presence as it entered my brain. The magic was making me sleepy. It always made me sleepy. I yawned, unable to stop it.

"What am I looking for?" Vishnu's voice said in my head. "Tell me an exact moment or sequence of events."

"I'll show you," my mind responded, pulling up the first moment, Anubis telling me I wasn't going to like the next ten minutes of my life.

"It has begun," Vishnu's voice sounded light, lithe, and wonderful in my head. Vishnu was always very careful to make me feel happy when he was in there. His voice would soothe and calm me. I had been forcibly mind read once in the past when a Maturing Djinn had invaded my brain. It had been more than unpleasant. I had never been able to shake the feeling. The Madness had affected him and he was currently under Pendragon's watchful eyes, locked for eternity in Prison.

I could see the memory replaying. Parts of it, unknown to my conscience, but vivid in my subconscious. He finished and looked at me. His eyes were wide with surprise and something else.

"No, I will need more input," he said to everyone as he let go of me. "Anubis, come."

Anubis did as he was told. I felt the push, felt Vishnu enter his brain. Suddenly, I was there with him and Vishnu's spirit, soul, or whatever, knew it. So did Anubis. They struggled to break the connection.

"No, we need to know. I don't know how I'm here, but I am." My thoughts were barely a whisper in the recesses of the Vampire's memory. It began to play out.

His memory was very different from mine. Fen and he were still arguing about him needing time, but the kiss, it had terrified me. It had irritated Anubis. I saw Anubis look at the artery, now pulled out of my leg and visible, felt him bite into it. It wasn't bleeding, it should have been, and the Vampire was controlling the blood flow. It explained why he had done that as opposed to just opening the vessel. As the first drops of my blood entered his mouth, he filled with energy. He felt me fill with energy. He stifled his, forced it down, moving away from me as he did. The pulse was bright green as it exploded from my body. It slammed into him. The fur began to flow, fill out, and cover his face. Warmth spread through him, his own energy surged, responded to the Call. For a moment, he felt the magic that caged him, felt the curse scream against the energy. His own spilled into the room and it was dark orange. It found my body and my body accepted it. It moved into me.

Vishnu yanked back from all of us. He stared at me in wonder. He smiled, shook his head, and closed his eyes.

"Holy shit," he finally said. "She's right, what happened tonight can never leave this room."

# Chapter Eleven

Lucifer began to speak, "Is she hurt? What happened? What do..."

"Lucifer," my mother touched his arm gently, "shush."

He stopped.

"We all know that Pendragon's body rejects all other energy forces. His own power negates it, and makes it like it doesn't exist. Right?" Vishnu asked.

We all sort of agreed.

"Brenna is the opposite. She accepts all energy sent her way. She channeled both the energy of the Lycan through his kiss and the energy of the Vampire through the bloodletting, and her body did the only thing it knew how to do, it healed. We've suspected for a while that she is like Lucifer, capable of healing at a distance, but it will only become a solid fact after the Maturing. However, that's exactly what she did. She used their energy to heal every being the magic could find, and enough of it was there that it managed to heal Gabriel's brain, temporarily. There was enough of it that it healed the Human on the floor, he will have a long life and the rest of the beings. However, Anubis's curse repelled the healing spell to some degree. It caused Anubis's own Vampire powers to turn against Brenna, the curse sent them out to her and instead of causing a problem, Brenna's body accepted them. She absorbed the energy he sent out and is using it at the moment. For all intents and purposes, she currently has Vampiric powers. I imagine it will fade. Furthermore, my touching her to do the mind reading infused her with enough power that when I entered Anubis's mind, she went with me." Vishnu closed his eyes.

"Ah, yes, I can see it even when it happens." He opened them again. "She will be dangerous to touch after the Maturing. She will use whatever power she touches, absorb some of it, and gain some of their skills for a while. Mostly though, it will be channeled into her Demon and Witch powers, the ones already present. The using of their own powers, like the seeing of souls, will be a side effect."

"What does that mean?" I asked him. "I can't touch anyone for the rest of my life?"

"No, it means that when you do, you will absorb some power from them. It doesn't hurt them. It will make you stronger. It will make you capable of healing better, faster, more extreme injuries including perhaps the soul. But like any great power, there will be side effects, you will for a time take on the powers of those you touch. With Vampires, you will see souls. With the Lycan, I imagine you can do some very interesting shifting. Since you aren't a Lycan, I imagine the shift will not call forward some animal, but allow you to change some aspect of yourself. It also means that from this point forward, another Djinn is never allowed to enter your mind. I will issue the decree after the Maturing, but now that I have seen the extent of your current powers, a Djinn entering your mind will have side effects like you just experienced. You will be able to read the minds and memories of those around you. That power cannot be abused, much like the Bloodletting. To abuse it would cause your mind to go insane and I can help control it, if it is my own power. I would not have that ability with a Lesser Djinn."

"Great, mythical power. Maybe Chiron was right," I slumped onto the couch.

"No, Brenna," Vishnu looked at me. "You are feeling the side effects of Anubis's mind. His pain, his misery, his anger, his despair, not your own. Your mind, while often confusing, is surprisingly happy and optimistic. I feel the same mournful effects after visiting his mind."

"I doubt it," I gave a sad, heavy sigh.

"You are like your father in that way. His mind has always been happy and optimistic. So is your mother's." Vishnu touched my hand. "Not all Elders are blessed with happy auras though, and Anubis's, Ba'al's and Gabriel's, are particularly tormented. Fenrir has gotten better with time, but again, not exactly the happiest place to visit. What you are feeling will pass in a few minutes. You will become your light-hearted self again. Do not believe the emotions you feel after touching the mind or soul of another."

"It doesn't feel like their emotions." I told him.

"How so?"

"Sure they are sad and gloomy," I admitted, "but this; this is just dark and depressing. Am I really going to bring about the end of the world?"

"No, Mein Schatz," Anubis told me.

"I find it unlikely, Brenna. I think you will do great things in this world. I have seen your mind and it isn't malignant. Not a single cell in your body is malicious. You are not evil and have no evil intentions. Once the Maturing is over, you will see that while you did get the 'mythical' power, you are not going to destroy the world. Then again, you've always had mythical power."

"So, what now?"

"We go back to where we were, surviving the Maturing," Anubis told me, "and calling Lucifer and Elise a little less. We all agreed that he should not be part of this, I don't believe that has changed, except the need to keep him further away may have increased."

"Maybe you should take the boys and go on vacation," I told my parents.

"School," Father said.

"School doesn't start for another two weeks and let's face it; Nick is a senior with straight A's and a professor for a mother. If you guys went away for the month, the school would say and do nothing." I countered.

"Daniel has school."

"The same applies, while he is not a senior in high school, he will learn just as much on vacation with you and mom as he will in a classroom."

"The Bahamas," Nick grinned.

"We should go," Daniel responded in a moment of perfect lucidity. "A tour of Europe."

"Really?" My father frowned.

"Yes," both Daniel and I said together. Nick frowned.

"Fine, Europe," he said grudgingly.

"They have phones in Europe, Luc," Anubis said reassuringly. "You can check in on her every other day or so."

"Europe." Father sighed.

"I think it's a good idea," my mother gave him a look. "We will be out of the Guardians hair, away from danger, and we will have a family holiday. We should take all the kids and grandkids."

There was a sentence left unsaid that I could feel forming in my mother's mind. "What better way for us to spend more time with Daniel than a vacation in Europe as a family?" I watched it form and die on her lips.

"Fine, Elise, we will go to Europe for a month."

"We should go home and pack," my mother smiled again. "I'll call the kids on the way home."

"I hope you know what you are doing, Ani. I really do."

"Luc, do you think that the four of us will not do everything possible to protect her? If she dies, we die. My life hasn't always been happy, but I'm not looking to end it any time soon. It's a benefit, a perk, of being immortal. I want to see eternity."

"Lucifer," Gabriel walked over to him, "while it might seem risky to send you to Europe while this happens, it would be worse if she began channeling your energy and something devastating happened as a result. She could burn down entire city blocks. Or Daniel's..."

Gabriel finished the sentence with a shrug. He looked around at all of them.

"If she were to channel Daniel's powers and use all of us to boost it, she could level the entire city by accident. It isn't just you but all of you. Daniel, Elise, all of you could be dangerous until she gains control. The four of us are dangerous enough without an angry, scared, over-protective Demon, Witch, and Prophet hanging around."

"Yes, yes," Lucifer said dismissively, "I see your point. I just don't have to like it."

"Papa," I stood up, walked over, and kissed each of them, ending with my father. "It will be fine. You and I both know that whatever comes at me, I have your stubbornness and mother's gifts, I can protect myself and I have four powerful Overlords here at my beck and call. While you are traveling, Demonnation will respond to my call if I need extra help."

"Brenna," Lucifer kissed my forehead, "do not let anything happen to you."

"Yes, Papa." I cried as they left, but very carefully to ensure that they didn't see. If they saw, they wouldn't get on the plane and fly away. I needed them away. When I felt my mother leave the building, I turned to look at everyone.

Vishnu was still sitting on the couch, he nodded, almost bowed to me, "That was very brave of you."

"Vishnu," I looked at him.

"I do not know the fate of Daniel, Brenna, I wish I did. While you may be the favorite of most of the men in the room, he is mine."

"I know he is your favorite. I want to ask you a favor, Vishnu." I wiped a tear away. "If I don't survive this, if Chiron or some other minion manages to kill me, you will look after Daniel. Promise me that you will protect him as if he were your own son."

"You have my word, Demon," Vishnu stood up.

"Thank you, Vishnu, thank you." I fled to my room. I didn't know whether crying was a side effect of my current life or the Maturing, but I was starting to hate it. I was willing to bet I had cried more in the last two days than I had in the last twenty years.

"Bren," Anubis's voice came to me softly. I heard the door shut.

"Go away, just let me sulk and be sullen and sad without telling me it's going to be fine."

"I wasn't going to tell you that." Anubis sat down on the bed. He stroked my hair. "I would take away your pain if I could, I cannot. All I can do is hold you as you cry."

"I don't want this, Ani. I don't want any of this." I folded myself up in his lap. "I don't want this power. I don't want my brother to be a Prophet. I don't want him to die. I don't want to die and take the rest of you with me. My life, my life has never been simple and I suddenly realize that it's my fault that my life isn't simple, and I seem to be complicating everyone else's life."

"Want it or not, here it is, Bren, you will make of it what you will make of it. As your friend, I am willing to hold you while you mourn the death of what you knew. As an Overlord who is dependent upon you, I want to you suck it up, accept it, and use it to help us. All of us."

I giggled a little. I couldn't imagine Anubis telling me to suck it up, but he had. Somehow, it made me feel better.

"How do I suck it up?" I asked, still buried in his lap.

"You accept it. Like it or not, this is who you are, who you have always been. No more self-pity, no more bemoaning your fate. It is happening and it is your fate. What you do with that fate is your decision, but it is still your fate. You have a gift, several gifts that we could not even begin to imagine. In a million years, we may still be figuring out everything that you are capable of and that's fine. I have a million years to help you understand. You are not alone, never alone."

"I think I know why it is the four of you." I looked up at him. "Each of you represents something different. Gabriel is the voice of emotion. He lives by it. He has taught me to understand them and to express them. Ba'al is the voice of moderation. He is always telling me to do things in moderation and not to over do it. Fenrir is a hedonist to the extreme and tempers Ba'al's insistence of moderation. Ba'al does the same for Fenrir. And you, Ani, you are always the voice of reason. You are always the logical one, the one with the answers, and when you don't have an answer, you tell me we'll figure it out together. Each of you works together. Each of you keeps me balanced and you balance out each other."

"Is that how you honestly see us?"

"Yes, now that does not mean that you don't occasionally overlap a bit. For all his moderation, Ba'al can go all out and for all his hedonism, Fenrir can be quite tame and understanding. Just as Gabriel has moments of complete, logical detachment and you can be driven by pure emotion. But essentially, yes, those are the influences you have always exerted on me. It has worked well. At the moment, I would say that I am giving in a bit much to Fenrir and Gabriel's influences."

"Just remember we are all beings capable of each of those traits. Do not consider me so logical, just because I always seem to be so. Just as you should not always consider Fen a hedonist, he has moments of great restraint."

"I have never seen you irrational."

"Only because you do not read my mind." He looked at me. "Or, I suppose you have. Did my anger seem rational?"

"Yes, Fenrir was kissing me as a distraction, but also because he wanted to. He was abusing the instructions you gave him."

"And you think that is why I was angry?" Anubis shook his head. "No, Brenna, I was angry because he was kissing you and I was not. It is as simple as that."

"You too?" I frowned at him, but didn't move.

"All of us, I imagine." Anubis looked at me. "Do not worry; I do not take your rejection personal."

"I have not rejected you," I protested, "I just..."

"You just don't think of me in that way. That is rejection, Mein Schatz. And you may change your mind in time or you may not. If you don't, I will understand." He sighed. "I understand that it is very hard to imagine being with me as I in no way resemble a man. It is hard to imagine intimacy with a creature such as myself."

"Ani, that is not it." I told him. "Actually, I have never thought about it at all. Now that you mention it, the logistics do seem a bit complicated."

"You have never noticed that the Jackal keeps lovers from my bed?"

"No, I thought you had just as robust a sex life as any Elder, Gabriel excluded, although to be honest, until you told me otherwise, I thought Gabriel had a robust sex life."

Anubis laughed. It was melodic and soft. I enjoyed the sound and wanted to hear more of it.

"Oblivious," he smiled down at me. "No, Gabriel and I are probably the two least active Elders in the world. I imagine that will change for Gabriel."

"I imagine he will throw himself into the occupation very heavily and with much zeal now that he can feel again," I giggled.

"Yes, I imagine he will," Anubis chuckled back.

"I do not think I can lift your curse, Ani. I'm sorry."

"I do not think anyone can lift my curse and that is not your fault."

"I felt the magic that holds it. It is bound to you, bound to the Vampire in you. To break it would be to break the Vampire and I think it would kill you. It retaliated against my healing."

"I know," Anubis looked up at the wall. "My existence is lonely, Brenna, but has gotten much better in the past thirty years. No, that's not correct. My existence was lonely, but being bound to you, bound into this brotherhood with Beal, Fen, and Gabe, I am no longer alone."

"That makes you sad, not happy," I told him, feeling the emotion come from him.

"No, that makes me happy. What makes me sad is that I am forever cursed to wear this form. I was once an attractive Vampire with beautiful eyes and well-defined cheekbones. The Jackal has replaced that."

"No it hasn't, you still have beautiful eyes that belie your Jackal head. And all jackals, including the one that adorns your shoulders have well defined cheekbones. You have always been awe-inspiring and beautiful to me, Ani. Even as a child, I wanted to touch you all the time. I hate to phrase it this way, but to pet you. As a child, I could have memorized your face with my fingers. I tried when I wasn't worried that it would offend you."

"Pet me?" He grinned.

"I can't think of another way to put it, I'm sorry. Your fur was soft and fine. It always felt like silk. Your muzzle and teeth always frightened me, fascinated me, but Jackals do not have eyes like yours. Your eyes are always kind, always sorrowful, and always mystical. There is a magic to them, I could stare into them and see eternity and never have the urge to look away."

"Do they still affect you that way?"

"Yes, when I look into your eyes, I still see eternity. I look at them and know that I am safe, and I have never had the urge to look away. You see yourself as a Jackal headed Vampire. I see you as Anubis. I am not sure I would have you any other way."

"You prefer me as a Jackal?"

"I prefer you as you, Ani. The jackal head is part of you." I got up and went to my jewelry box. From one of the drawers I pulled out a small silver pendant. I went back to the bed and sat down.

"Do you remember when I was sent to Egypt for a month? Part of my college experience, part of growing up my parents called it. While I was there, I was strolling around one day, feeling very alone and found this." I handed him the pendant. "I instantly bought it and a silver chain. The entire time I was there, I wore it and I felt less alone. I felt safe."

Anubis looked into his hand at the small, hand carved pendant. It was a Jackal Headed God, the Anubis from Egyptian Mythology. The Protector of Souls as they passed into the afterlife.

"When I returned home, I hid it away, hid it so you wouldn't see it, wouldn't be reminded or offended. When I am home healing up from some terrible injury that I have healed or had inflicted upon me, I still wear it. It makes me feel better, much like my mother and her Crucifix. While her belief in Catholicism has changed, her belief in God has not, and that Crucifix is always a reminder for her, it brings her comfort. Just as this pendant does for me."

Anubis undid the clasp on the chain and fastened it around his neck. He looked at me for a moment. He said nothing, the silence was deafening, engulfing. I felt the need to fill it.

"I know, it's silly," I shook my head, "I shouldn't have told you."

"No, I'm glad you did. I am not offended. I am..." He thought for a moment and then finished, "I am exalted, as if you have lifted me up, put me on a pedestal of some sort. I do not think I am worthy of it."

He took the chain back off and fastened it around my neck.

"It's not a pedestal," I told him, "It's a reminder, a comfort. It reminds me of you and that fills me with a feeling of comfort and safety."

"Do you always feel safe with me?" He asked.

"Yes, I always have, despite the pointy teeth and different appearance. Even when I was afraid of you, I felt safe."

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life, Anubis. Obviously, I have trusted you with my life since before I can remember. I bound you to me."

He looked at the pendant for a long time. The need to fill our silence was gone. It was comfortable again.

He bent down, kissed the pendant, before kissing my neck. A quick light kiss on the pulse of my throat. He sat back up.

"I do not expect you to be any different than any other Elder, Brenna," Anubis said as he backed away. "But I have always been curious about the taste of your skin."

Considering my heart was jackhammering in my chest and I was pretty sure I was going to hyperventilate, I had to disagree with him. Perhaps I could consider taking Anubis as a lover. The idea was still slightly odd and repulsive, but that had nothing to do with his appearance.

"Anubis, it is not your appearance that keeps us apart," I finally whispered. "Considering that kiss..."

"What?" He looked at me, his eyes questioning. I took a deep breath. His fingers found my throat, checking my pulse. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, I just need a minute, could you stop touching me, please."

"Of course," he dropped his hand and moved to the chair. I realized that he thought he had offended me or grossed me out.

"Anubis," I went to him, curled up in his lap again. It was the only nice thing about being a small Demon. Since almost all Elders were bigger than I was, significantly bigger than I was, I could curl up on them. "Your touch wasn't unwelcome. Quite the opposite. I just, I'm still hung up on the age difference and the fact that you have changed my diaper."

"Brenna, you do not need to make excuses."

"Anubis," I looked at him, looked into his eyes. "Anubis, I am not making excuses. Do you realize that no other Elder has ever touched me and turned me on? Even Fenrir's kiss didn't do anything for me, but you, your lips against my throat."

# Chapter Twelve

I closed my eyes and shivered at the thought, "Yes, your lips against my throat, that was... erotic. I am still unsure about the logistics of how such a thing would work, but I am not opposed because of logistics. Give me a hundred years or so to get over my Humanity, and things might be significantly different. Of course, if after the Maturing, you touch me and set me on fire like that again, I may have to get over my Humanity much quicker. That was... breath-taking."

"It would be cruel to tease me about such things." He was very stoic with his jaw set hard and eyes just as unflinching.

"I agree and would never do such a thing," I moved against him and scooting up, I touched his face. Traced the hard jaw with my fingers, enjoyed the feeling of the silky fur. "You have touched me a million times before and I have never had such a sensation from it. I don't fully understand why it would happen now."

"The other reason Elders do not have sex with Elders before the Maturing, our touch does nothing for them." His jaw was still hard set. He still didn't believe me.

"Anubis, believe me or not, I swear I would not tease you about such a thing. I am not comfortable enough in my own skin to do such a thing. What I can admit to though, at least with you, is that a single kiss has never caused my breath to escape me, and my heart to race. My skin felt like it was on fire and being electrified at the same time where you touched it. When you took my pulse, the sensation became even worse. I couldn't catch my breath, I couldn't think, and that is why I asked you to stop. Besides, if you hadn't stopped, I'm not sure what would have happened to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Really? Do I need to spell it out for you?" I didn't yell, but I wanted to. Instead, I took his hand and placed it over my heart. I could feel it like a feather resting on top of my breast. My nipples hardened, they became visible through my shirt. I wanted him to see, I didn't want to have to explain it. That seemed to take something away from it. His eyes were still locked on mine though, refusing to look anywhere but my face.

I took his hand from the top of my breast to my nipple and his hand set me on fire. I could feel my body tightening, stiffening. I wanted nothing more than for him to touch me, to explore every inch of me. I didn't care that I wasn't sure how I would kiss him, I only cared that his hand not leave my body.

His eyes widened. Finally, he understood that I wasn't teasing but reacting to his touch. Reacting very positively to it. He moved his hand away, wrapping his arms around me.

"If I take a lover after the Maturing," I whispered into his ears, "you will be at the top of the list, as long as you do not reject me."

"Thirty days is a long time to change your mind," he whispered back against my skin.

"No, it's a very long time to wait to feel more of you. I still don't entirely understand how it will work, but I'm willing to explore."

"If you do not change your mind, I will ensure..."

"Stop," I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of him. "I will not change my mind, Ani."

I moved, changed positions to straddle him. I grabbed hold of his face, a hand on each side and brought his eyes to look at mine. I stared into them, enjoying the color, relishing the emotions that were rolling off of him. The sadness was gone, replaced by hope and lust.

"Brenna," he nearly moaned my name, "you have to stop. Oh, God, you have to stop."

"I'm not really doing anything," I said to him.

"Yes, you are, you just don't realize it," his voice was becoming breathy. "The intimate eye contact, your body against mine, the Bloodletting from earlier, your own Demon powers, your soul, I feel it all, and you have to stop."

"And if I don't?" I leaned into him, brushed my face against his. I felt him jerk, his body stiffened. I knew what I had done. He pulled his face away from mine, took hold of my arms and kept me at arm's length.

"I'm the prude and you're embarrassed?" I asked him, my voice soft. "Ani, you have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I just came and you didn't even touch me."

"If you hadn't jerked away from me, I was going to cum as well." I told him. "Without you touching me."

"Every being in this house knows what just happened."

"Okay, that's not exactly ideal," I admitted, "should I apologize?"

Anubis hung his head and chuckled. The chuckle was almost as melodic as his laugh. Another sound that I loved hearing but was rare.

"No, no you shouldn't apologize." He pulled me into him, buried his face in my hair. "I could have stopped you if I had really wanted to do so. It is my fault."

"You take too much blame."

"Perhaps that is my biggest weakness."

There was a knock on the door. I hid my face in Anubis's neck as Gabriel entered. I couldn't look at him.

"Hey guys, I hate to interrupt, I really do." There was a note to his voice that told me he was trying to hold in a laugh, I buried myself deeper, tried to make myself smaller.

"What, Gabe?" Anubis had the same tone.

"Could you guys not do that again?" Gabriel closed the door. "The guys and I are sort of loathe admitting it, but..."

"I know, you heard."

"Heard yes, but uh..." The door opened again. Another person entered the room.

"Heard hell, we felt it," Fenrir's voice came to me. "And it was impressive and messy."

"Fen, don't be crude," Gabriel admonished him.

"Fine, that was amazing. The next time the two of you want to have sex or at least foreplay, will you make sure I'm in the building somewhere. I don't think I have orgasmed that hard in at least a couple of millennia."

"Sire," Jonathan's voice came into the room. "I think I was the only one immune to that tryst. I heard it, but that was it."

"The three of you though, you felt it? You experienced it?" Anubis asked. I was wishing I could crawl under my covers.

"Yes," Gabriel and Fenrir said in unison.

"That might be something we need to experiment with once the Maturing has ended," Anubis said. "Stop hiding."

I was guessing this was directed at me. I thought about it for a moment and decided I would continue as I was. No need to show my incredibly purple face, as I could feel myself blushing.

"Brenna," Gabriel's voice was soft and soothing, "Anubis is right; there is no need for you to hide. It is only natural."

"Let me try," Ba'al's voice came to me. I felt the velvety wings encircle Anubis and I. A Gargoyle's wings are a thing of amazing power. They are sound proof and can protect just about anyone from any power.

"Brenna," Ba'al's voice was even more soothing, "I know you're embarrassed, but you just managed to make all four of us climax by simply touching Anubis's face. That isn't just impressive. It's amazing. Despite Fenrir's more crude interpretation of the situation, we are all, well, overjoyed. Hiding your blushing face inside Anubis's shoulder isn't doing you any good. Better to face it, get it over with and move on. I imagine it has something to do with our bond and the fact that you still have the residue of Vishnu's power on you. We all felt what he felt, what you felt is a Djinn power. It is also probably why Anubis climaxed. You feed off of our powers, increased your own, which channeled into Vishnu's power of mind reading and implantation and gave us all a happy ending. It's not that embarrassing. At least it was the four of us and not four complete strangers."

"Or Jonathan," Anubis added.

"Between the Maturing and the psychic link and the binding that holds us all together, the circumstances just came together to create a situation that you find embarrassing, and the rest of us find enlightening. You not only fed off of our power, we were able to feed off yours."

"Really?" I asked raising my head slightly.

"Really," Ba'al responded. "While none of us have Demonic powers, we all feel invigorated and energized."

"I think we should send the extras away," I told them.

"What extras?" Anubis asked.

"All the extras. What if something else weird happens? What if we go into battle and I manage to infuse you guys with something special, and it backfires and someone dies or gets hurt?"

"She might have a point," Ba'al frowned. "Do we think the four of us can handle everything that might come her way?"

"If we can't, we can always use the Call to get reinforcements. As a Lieutenant, she can call Demonnation," Anubis said slowly. "I suppose it might be fine."

"You're very reluctant," I told him.

"The more the merrier in my opinion," he told me.

"Even if it means they get hurt for no reason?"

"No, not then," Anubis gave a heavy sigh. "Ba'al, drop your wings."

Ba'al stepped away from us. I returned to hiding within as much of Anubis's body as I could. I just didn't think I could look at Jonathan right that moment.

"Jonathan, scratch the rotation. Considering the powers that Brenna is acquiring, we are worried about safety. What if she channels a power that is specific to an Overlord and kills one of our own that is trying to protect her?"

"What would you have us do instead?" He asked Anubis.

"Leave the four of us here with her. We will use the Call if necessary. I am wondering if there is a way to move the guard closer."

"My parents' house," I said quietly.

"What?"

"My parents' house, they are leaving for Europe today. We can take up in the main residence and put the extra guards at a safe distance in the guesthouse. Plus all the Lieutenants of Demonnation live within five miles of my father with me being the exception. Actually, excluding me, most of Demonnation lives within fifteen miles of my father. They can answer my call quickly. The guards in the guest house would be able to see what was happening if we were attacked, and yet be far enough away that if I lose control while we aren't under attack, they won't be impacted."

"The guest house is rather far," Jonathan agreed, "it is on the other side of the property. There has to be at least thirty acres between the two buildings."

"I'll call my parents." I uncurled and avoided eye contact with everyone in the room as I dug out my cell phone. The sun was starting to rise again. I could feel it. I looked out the window and then at Gabriel.

"Yes, that's me," Gabriel told me.

"I've never felt the sunrise before."

"It is rather amazing," he agreed.

"Hi, Papa," I said as my father answered the phone.

"Oh, what's happened now?" His voice sounded desperate.

"Well, I could tell you, but it's embarrassing. Since you guys are going to Europe, could we take up in your house? We want to put the guards in the guest house and just have the five of us in the main house."

"Why would you want to do such a thing? Where is Anubis? He knows that is not..."  
"Papa," I sighed, "I nearly had sex with Anubis and for some reason, everyone but Jonathan climaxed when he did."

I felt myself blushing again.

"Anubis, huh?" He seemed to think about this for a minute. "That makes sense. Good choice."

"No, no, no, we are not going to discuss that," I nearly hung up. "Just don't go there, Dad. I channeled Vishnu, I'm channeling Gabriel at the moment, and I felt the sunrise. I've channeled Anubis. What if along with their base abilities comes their Overlord powers? I could kill a member of my guard by accident. However, if they are in the guesthouse, they are far enough away that I can't accidentally hurt them. They are still close enough to be of use and you live in the middle of Demonnation. All the powerful, important Demons live within fifteen miles of you. I could call them and they could come much faster if we were at your house than in the city in my condo."

"That makes sense, and Ani agrees?"

"Talk to my father." I handed Anubis the phone and began packing some bags.

"Yes," Anubis said and followed it by a long pause. The pause was broken by several more "yeses."

"It is something to be experimented with later," Anubis said to my father and I felt myself blushing again. "It could just be the Maturing."

"Stop," I took the phone back in time to hear my mother say, "I think it's great that she has decided to take you as a lover. I hear Vampires are amazing lovers, can do amazing things with their..."

"Really, Mom?" I asked in the phone.

"Oh, hello again, dear."

"Can we use the house?"

"Of course, dear, your siblings and nieces and nephews are all going with us to Europe. You'll have the entire compound to yourself. Feel free to use it as your own." There was a tone in her voice.

"Mom, stop, it was an accident."

"Yes, I'm sure the first time was. It usually is," my mother was trying not to giggle at me.

"Damn it," I shook my head and realized she couldn't see it. "Fine, I know you want to talk about this, but I don't. Not now at least. Maybe when you come back from Europe we'll sit down and have a girl talk."

"I'm holding you to that, Brenna." Oh fuck, open mouth, insert clawed toes.

"Fine, love you, when do you leave?"

"The plane will be at the airport in an hour. We were about to leave when you called. I knew you were going to, I told your father we had to wait another five minutes."

"Great, mom, enjoy Europe."

"Brenna," my father's voice came over the line.

"Oh, man, you are both on the phone listening to this conversation."

"Oh, Brenna, it isn't a big deal, try to resist the urge to engage in sex during the Maturing. It causes a loss of control and bad things can happen."

"Bye, dad, bye, mom, enjoy your trip. Give my love," I hung up and put my head on the dresser.

"Brenna..."

"Nope, I don't care what you are about to say, I don't want to hear it. It's that simple. You don't have parents, you were born of the sea, you don't have a clue what it is like to talk to your parents about sex or have them talk to you about your sex life."

"I do have parents," Jonathan responded.

"Okay, maybe you do, but you are the only one of this group."

"Now, I was going to say, you get used to it. It takes several centuries, but eventually, your parents meddling in your sex life becomes routine. It seems to be an Elder thing. Every time you change partners, your parents are going to know, and one or both is going to start offering you advice."

"Really?" I looked at Jonathan.

"Really. My parents both still meddle in mine."

"Great. One more thing to look forward to... Eternity is looking like a very long time." I finished packing and met the others in my living room. Since they were all doing important looking things on their phones, I waited patiently. I had thrown together my sparse wardrobe quickly, grabbed a couple of talismans, one of them a cross my mother had enchanted for me long ago. I was still wearing the Anubis pendant.

"Ready?" Gabriel asked me, moving the phone from his mouth.

"Yes," I pointed to my three bags and the sword.

"Okay," Gabriel led us out the door. Everyone was still on their phones. I shut it behind us and realized it was too damaged to lock. I told the lobby man as we exited into the parking garage. We were moving quickly, very quickly. I was nearly jogging to keep up with them.

# Chapter Thirteen

I was loaded into an SUV. It wasn't black with darkly tinted windows. It was white with darkly tinted windows. Gabriel tossed my bags into the cargo area and took a seat next to me in the back. Ba'al flanked my other side. Jonathan had disappeared. Anubis was driving and Fenrir was sitting next to him.

We exited the parking garage and began the drive to my parents' house. This is not a particularly fun drive on a good day. Traffic sucks and today it was bumper to bumper as people flooded to one city or another on their way to work.

It is also very long. Once you get out of the city, you head east on I-70 and exit near Blue Springs. You take a winding highway south out of Blue Springs and eventually find yourself back in what we would consider normal Missouri landscape, fields. The corn was tall, as it was August.

Today, the drive seemed to be taking even longer. We inched our way through New KC towards the stadiums and I-70. The traffic didn't thin out when we turned onto the interstate. If anything, it became worse. I wasn't sure where all these people were headed, but both sides of the highway were congested.

An hour and twenty minutes later, we finally arrived at the Blue Springs exit. Considering this is only about 15 miles from my condo, it seemed ridiculous that it took that long. Anubis turned onto the highway and we followed it out of the city. The urban areas became sparse, substituted with suburbs and cookie cutter houses. A few miles more and even those were gone. Trees began to line the road, not just a row of trees, but also a cluster of woods on either side. We were now exactly 17 miles from my parents' house.

The first shockwave hitting the car rocketed it off the road. Anubis tried to control the wheel and failed. We slammed head first into a tree. It would have hurt more if Ba'al hadn't spread his wings over me. I slammed into the plushy, velvety texture of it. Feathers floated down over the top, Gabriel had done the same. A feat considering their wings were technically folded up behind them.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Something hit the car," Fenrir said from the front, "everyone okay?"

"Define okay?" Gabriel asked.

"Alive."

"Then yes, we are all fine. I think my leg is broken and I think I know what hit the car."

"What?" It was Anubis speaking.

"A massive fucking harpoon. The damn thing is in my fucking leg. It came through my door."

"Fuck," Anubis let out a groan. "Ba'al?"

"Got her covered," there was a tearing noise. I was jerked upwards, out of the car. I was also cocooned inside his wings. He held me like an infant, cradling me within his arms and wings.

"Oh shit, Ani, we have a problem." I wanted to see the problem, but if Ba'al was covering me, I was guessing that it was safer if I didn't.

"Humans," Anubis said. He sounded close to me. I wondered how I could hear him. Gargoyle wings are usually soundproof. I would have to ask about it.

"All we want is the Demon," a man said.

"I don't think so," Fenrir growled. "You realize you are committing suicide at the moment, right?"

"I know we can't kill you, but the Demon, we can kill. If we die in the process, so be it," the man replied.

"Zealots," I whispered. There was another tearing noise. The sound of metal being peeled back is horrifying. It is screechy and makes one wonder about the strength of whatever is doing the tearing.

"Let's talk about this, what is one less Demon in the world? We don't care about Angels or whatever the rest of you are, only Demons. Come on, they've convinced us they are on our side, but they are still Demons. An abomination before God."

"If God truly found them to be an abomination, he wouldn't have created them," Gabriel's voice was now next to us as well. I was guessing it had been him making the second metal tearing sound. "Religion is a joke."

"How can an Angel speak that way?"

"Simple, you're an idiot and I've lived for eons. I think we have God on our side. Even the Demon."

"Since when did zealots do the bidding of Elders?" Fenrir asked.

"We are not doing the bidding of Elders," the man was getting angry.

"Obviously someone or something told you where you could find us, and that the Demon in question was currently mortal. The only beings that know are Elders. So you are getting your information from Elders. Which begs the question, why are you doing the bidding of Elders?" Anubis countered.

"No, there's another possibility," I said loudly, nearly yelling. "They've been set up to be killed. A few less zealots in the world. An Elder gives them this information knowing they are going up against four Overlords. They wouldn't stand a chance. My guess, whatever Elder they think is helping them really wants them dead. This is their way of disposing of them."

"I hadn't considered that," Anubis responded. His voice was calm. His energy was anything but. All four Overlords were in defensive mode, ready to take out anyone that made a threatening move.

"Had they?" Fenrir asked. "Did you know you were dealing with Overlords and not just lowly guardians?"

No answer came from the zealot who had been so bold a few minutes ago.

"That would be a no," I said, I pushed against Ba'al. He spread his wings and let me see. There were only about 15 men in the road. We were standing on the hood of the car.

"Yeah, see that's the problem with doing other people's bidding. You didn't know they were Overlords. You also didn't know I was a Lieutenant and the daughter of Lucifer. You thought the guardians would just hand me over because that is what you were told." I sent out the Call. It wasn't verbal, just a thought, or rather the pushing of a thought. I called on Demonnation. We were close to my parents' house and it was easier than calling the police. Besides, we had Demons on the force. They would know.

"What is she doing?" The man asked.

"Calling Demonnation," I told him, "Boon of being a Lieutenant. Considering we are about half a mile from Demonnation territory, it shouldn't be long."

"Kill her, she's out in the open," one of the men shouted.

Ba'al wrapped me back up before any of them could draw a weapon. I felt the bullets smash into his wings. Heard the metal as it fell worthlessly to the car.

"Protect, do not attack," I said loudly, yelling over the gunfire and pushing the thought with my mind. It seemed to work. Ba'al's head appeared inside the wings.

"Attacking is protecting," he told me softly. Sirens were starting to be heard. I heard movement. The gunfire stopped and someone began screaming loudly. It was very Human.

"Area secure," Gabriel yelled. Ba'al opened his wings. I looked down from my position. The men were all in a tight circle. Fenrir was in wolf form, growling at them. Anubis stood, unmoving, staring them down, Gabriel had his wings spread. The guns were in pieces on the ground. Blood dripped from all four Overlords.

"More research next time," I said as Ba'al helped me down from the car. "Any of them injured?"

"A few, but not significantly," Gabriel said, "one has a bite from Fenrir."

"You guys were fast."

"It wasn't hard," Anubis said.

"Am I going to become..." one of the men was staring at his leg, which dripped blood.

"It's not a virus, you can't catch Lycanthropy." I nearly hissed at him. "Come here."

"No, Brenna."

"I can't let him stand there and bleed," I responded.

"Yes, you can and you will. Your powers are not entirely your own right now. One of the other Demons can heal the wound."

"Unless my father or one of our bloodline shows up, none of the Demons are strong enough to heal a Human."

"Good thing your bloodline showed up," Beezel's voice nearly made me jump, "although, I detest healing zealots."

"Beezel," I looked at my uncle, "as horrible as it is to heal people who hate us, I know you feel the urge to heal him just as significantly as I do."

"True," he gave a disgusted grunt.

He walked towards the zealot. The zealot turned white. I thought he would faint when Beezel put his hands on his forehead. The wound began to close.

"Any others injured?" Beezel asked.

"None worth healing," Gabriel spat.

"Still," Beezel looked at him, "still, she is right. I feel the need to heal them. I can't fight the urge. It is painful."

"Fine," Anubis moved some finally. "Everyone who has been injured, form a line."

No one moved as the first of the police cars arrived. A very Human looking young man stepped out and raised an eyebrow. I wasn't sure whether it was directed at the entire scene or us. I was guessing it was the scene.

"Lift your sleeves," the officer ordered as he walked up. Since none of us was wearing long sleeves in the middle of August, we looked at the group of men. They were all wearing long sleeves. It struck me as peculiar for the first time.

"It's August in Missouri and you're wearing long sleeves? Are you insane as well as..." I didn't say stupid, but I really wanted to.

"There is a particular sect we've been having trouble with," the officer said as more cop cars arrived. "They have brands at the bend of their elbows so they tend to wear long sleeves."

"Ah, gotcha." I stepped forward and yanked one of the sleeves off at the shoulder. It peeled easily. In the bend of the elbow, there was a brand. It had a goat in the middle of a pentagram with a giant X over all of it.

"Really? You still think of us that way?" I sighed and turned away.

"Officer," Beezel stepped in and looked at the brand.

"How many dead?" Another officer asked.

"None," the first officer said.

"Overlords," the second one looked stunned and a bit mystified.

"Yes," Anubis nodded to him, "they attacked us, and harpooned our car. Of all things, a harpoon."

"It worked," Ba'al said.

"Gabriel, you're injured," Beezel turned to the Angel.

"Yeah, they harpooned the car and me," Gabriel responded.

"Do you want to press charges?" The first officer asked.

"Of course they do," my father's voice boomed out.

"Oh great, daddy's here," I said under my voice, but not soft enough though. The first officer gave me a smirk.

"We all heard that, Brenna." Lucifer bellowed. "I think even the Humans in the back heard that."

"Sorry, Papa," I yelled back. "I think I might be a little deaf for some reason. I didn't think I was talking that loud."

"The Humans are injured or some of them are," I told the officer who was standing near me.

"They'll heal." He smiled. "Excuse me, Lucifer, is this really your daughter."

"Of course it is." Father looked offended as he pushed his way into the crowd that was gathering.

"I meant no offense, sir. I just wanted to make sure she was positively identified. The crime is more significant when it is committed against a Maturing Demon."

"Is there a billboard or something somewhere that says 'Brenna Strachan, Daughter of Lucifer, is Maturing'?" I asked.

"Don't be absurd," my father scolded me. "It was on the news and in the Society Pages of the Newspaper."

"And my suggestion was absurd?" I looked at him. "Why did you put it on the news, Papa?"

"Because we had to announce your Maturing, what better way to let all the Elders know than to put it in the Society Pages?" My mother answered for him. "The news got it from there."

"Should I lend support for a domestic?" The officer leaned in and whispered to me.

"No, it's fine. Ridiculous, but fine." I looked at them. "I thought you were going to Europe for the month?"

"We were just leaving the house when you sent the Call," my father told me. "Of course, your brothers had to answer it as did I. Why are you being so..." He made a weird gesture with his hands.

"Stubborn? Hard headed? Determined?" I asked, filling in the blank. This got me a very pointed look from my mother and another smirk from the officer next to me.

"Fine, we are going to Europe. Everyone back in the car, we have a flight to catch and obviously, your sister is fine now."

"Bye! Love you!" I yelled at their backs.

"Family," the officer was now full out smiling. The grin made him look even younger.

"Brenna," Anubis gave me a look.

"Oh geez," I rushed after my parents, threw myself at them. I hugged both as much as I could. "I'm sorry, it must be the Maturing. It's got me frazzled."

"Sex will do that to you too, honey."

"Could you say it a little louder, dad?" I frowned at him.

"Sorry," he had the grace to look embarrassed for about a second and a half. "We love you. Take care of yourself."

"Dad," I leaned into his ear, "they sent Humans as the first attack. Zealots, I'll give you, but they are still Humans. What next? Hyenas?"

"It was a test, Bren, remember that," my father whispered back. He kissed me. My two younger brothers kissed me. My mother kissed me. My other family members waved.

"I hate to break up the party, Miss Strachan, but we do have some questions to ask you," the officer was suddenly standing next to me.

"Can they wait a month?"

"No, I'm sorry, they can't."

"Okay, ask away."

"Did you threaten, harass, or coerce the attackers in anyway?"

"I'm a Maturing Demon, Officer," I looked at him. He probably was older than I was, but it didn't feel that way. For the first time, I felt the weight of eternity. "I'm mortal. I'm sure there was someone behind this. I don't think they could have tracked us down on their own. Especially since the decision to move to my parents' house wasn't made until this morning, but I'm still mortal. I would like to live through this."

"I understand, Miss Strachan, but we have to ask."

"I have four Overlords standing guard over me, Officer," I looked at his name plate, "Phillips. What does that say to you?"

"That the Sheriff's Department is going to get a lot of calls this month." He nodded to me solemnly.

"She has a price on her head," a Demon I recognized said. He was wearing a Sheriff's department uniform. "She isn't supposed to know, but there are forces behind the attack. Someone is offering a lot of money to see her dead."

"Really?" I asked him.

"Sorry, Brenna, Lucifer made us swear not to tell you. I am only doing it now because it is my job as a liaison with Humans to tell what I know."

"Someone?" I gave him a weak smile. "No, Chiron, the Centaurian Overlord is offering a lot of money to see me dead."

"Most likely," he said. "Pendragon has placed him in prison for the duration of the Maturing, but that doesn't mean there aren't others following his orders."

"Peachy, just when I think I have it figured out, someone throws me another piece of life shattering information."

"So, I was right, the Sheriff's Department is going to get lots of calls about your parents' house while you stay there."

"Probably," the Demon whose name had escaped me said.

"At least it will be a busy month. You guys go and be on your way. We'll deal with the Zealots." The officer motioned for us to continue.

"Thank you."

"No problem, Miss Strachan."

We loaded up into Beezel's car. Ours was missing most of the roof and a door, as well as the thick stream of green liquid pouring out from the bottom. It wasn't my car, I wasn't sure whom it belonged to, but I was sure they could buy another just as nifty if they wanted.

"Well," Beezel said as we pulled away from the scene.

"Well what?" I asked him feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"Are you alright?" He asked, taking his eyes off the road long enough to look at me.

"Fine, thanks," I put my head against the passenger window. There had been no debate about who sat up front in Beezel's car.

"Brenna?" Beezel had a note of concern in his voice that I had never heard before.

"Yes, Uncle?"

"Are you okay?"

"Well, my life sucks at the moment, but I'm trying to suck it up and move on. I just have to survive the next month. Once I've done that, I'm good as gold."

Beezel gave a small chuckle, "That's one way to look at it, I suppose."

"Is there another?" I asked.

"Sure there is, you are obviously important for someone to pay money to see you dead. No one has ever done that to me."

"I'll try to remember that."

"It will all be over soon enough, child." We were turning into my parents' drive way.

# Chapter Fourteen

My father built the house in a crop of woods. The house is large, too large in my opinion. There are four floors plus a basement. If you had to classify it, you'd call it a mansion, but that would not be exactly accurate.

"I'll leave you and your men to it," Beezel said as he stopped near the door.

"Sure thing, thanks, Uncle." I got out and began the short walk to the steps. When I reached them, I sat down and turned to look. The trees were swaying in the wind, not hard, just a strong enough breeze to make them move. Their leaves made fluttering noises.

"Brenna, what are you doing?" Gabriel asked.

"Have you ever just sat and looked at this place?" I took a deep breath.

"I have never really thought about it, no."

"A half mile long driveway, lined with woods. The house suddenly appears and seems to be out of place. Woods also surround it. You walk an acre back behind the house and find fields of crops. Dad calls it his garden but you shouldn't need a tractor to plow a garden. There are cows, horses, hogs, chickens, sheep, and goats, but no dogs, and no cats. We never had pets growing up. It just struck me as odd."

"You need to sleep," Anubis took hold of my shoulder and helped me to my feet.

"Probably." I let him lead me inside.

If the outside of my parents' house is impressive, it's only because you've never been inside it. The ceilings are impressively tall, standing nearly twenty feet above our heads, except in the living room, which is actually forty feet tall. The ceilings are carved and painted. The floors are marble unless it's a bedroom, and in those, there is carpet. The furniture was all custom ordered, custom made at my father's request. Half of it is old, antique, but still very serviceable. The place is half museum and half home. There is a wide, winding staircase, all dark metal and marble construction. It does a half circle every floor. I walked over to it and felt the world begin to fade away.

It was dark in my dream, very dark. A pinprick of light somewhere off in the distance provided the only light. I could feel the sun, but not see it. My body hurt. No, it didn't hurt, it ached. Every wound and injury I had ever healed was suddenly present. Too sore to move, I stood and stared at the pinpoint of light, wishing it would come forward, and move towards me. I needed to be close to it, needed to see everything it could illuminate, but the light didn't come closer. It stayed steady, pulsing ever so slightly at the very extent of my vision. Something was telling me I needed to wake up, something was telling me I was dreaming, but my body refused. My brain refused to be distracted from that light.

"Brenna," my name was being called very softly.

"No, a couple of more hours of sleep," I moaned just as softly. "Sleep."

"Brenna, you need to wake up and eat," the voice told me.

"I need to sleep," I snapped at it, curling up, feeling the blankets as they hugged my body and slid against me. That woke me up. I was naked in my bed with someone talking to me. My eyes flew open and I peeked under the blanket.

I was in my old room. The ceiling still painted black with glow in the dark stars on it. The walls were mint green. I was snuggled into my KC Chiefs blanket, all warm and wonderful, but I was sure I had been wearing clothes when I started up the stairs.

"I'm naked," I told the voice, still not sure who it was. My brain seemed foggy, except for the realization I was nude.

"Yes, you are, I undressed you before putting you to bed," Gabriel's voice. That was who was talking to me.

"I don't feel very good," I admitted.

"I know and that's why you need to eat. Elders do not require food in the same way that mortals do. You passed out from lack of it. We have an assortment for you. Anubis has spent the last hour whipping things up in the kitchen, and we of course, have donuts."

"Donuts," I sat up, hugging the blanket to me.

"Donuts; pasta with an herby oily coating and cheese, a sandwich with ham, bacon, turkey, cheese, onions, mayo, lettuce, and more cheese and some crackers. A Cesar Salad with all the trimmings that you like and no anchovies; a slice of pizza, and some vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit mixed into it."

"Wow, that is quite a spread."

"We realized when you passed out that your body is used to a certain amount of calories a day, it is particularly high since you are a Demon. It would be nice if you ate healthier, but the donuts help with your calorie count, especially when you've been healing. However, since most of the stuff on the platter is healthy with the exception of the donuts, we made you a variety with medium sized portions."

"Is that why Demons eat so much?" I had never really thought about it.

"No, that's why Elders eat so much. Magic drains energy, or rather, is energy. Harder to do magic if you are running low on energy, a good meal and some sleep recharges all those batteries. Unfortunately, during Maturing we have to maintain the same calorie count, but we forget we have to do it more often because we are mortal, and food is processed slightly different."

"Great, could I have the food now?" My stomach was starting to growl.

He handed me the tray. It took about three seconds for me to start eating. I spun the fork in the pasta; twirled up the noodles, and shoved as many as I could into my mouth.

"About this room..." Gabriel was frowning as he looked around.

"It isn't a bedroom, it's a magical cell," I said between mouthfuls of pasta and salad. "Always has been, hence the lack of windows. Glass has trouble containing magic."

"Why, uh, well..."

I let him struggle with what to say next for a long time. I finished off the pasta, salad, and sandwich, ignored the ice cream which has never been one of my favorite foods, and moved onto the pizza. As I chewed a chunk of it covered with mushrooms, black olives, and pepperoni, I too took a look at the room.

"Why did my parents put me in a magical cell instead of a normal room?" I smiled. "No great mystery there, I used to cast spells in my sleep. Bad dreams and what not, so my mother enchanted the bed and all the bedclothes, and then the room itself and moved my bedroom into it. The bed cut down on the bad dreams, the room has protection spells carved into the layers of building materials. That way, when I did cast spells, they couldn't leave the room. At this point though, everything in here has been bespelled in one way or another by me, most of it while I slept."

"And you picked out the color scheme?" He was still frowning.

"At one point, yes." I laughed and finished the pizza. "You still aren't getting it. My parents' house, this room, the opulence and grandeur, it's a sham. It does look like extravagance, but it serves a purpose. The marble on the floors and in a good number of the walls, the silver that you can't see, all of it is spell protection. This room, made of six solid slabs of marble and the door, well, it's not much of a door. The outside is wood and the inside is solid silver. Same for the space between these marble slabs and the outer walls of this room, all the walls that touch these walls are marble. Silver was poured between them. It really is a cell and it's also a fortress. Spells can't get out and magic can't get in."

"Really?"

"When you are raising a house full of half Witches, you do what you can to protect them from the outside and themselves." I told him. "Very little of this house is actually constructed like a normal house. The dark metal staircase is blackened silver. All the doorknobs, light fixtures, even the freaking plumbing pipes are all made of pure silver. It's why we run to the house when Daniel begins to lose control, and it is why he can only make it rain, hail, or whatever in one room at a time. He has to be in it. Same for me. I can cast all the spells I want in this house because they can't travel between the walls. The Council chamber looks like it is in an aluminum building, but it's actually silver sheeting. The magic can't get in or out."

"I didn't know that."

"I am not sure very many beings do." I finished off two of the donuts. I was beyond stuffed. I felt like I would explode.

"Every time you do magic, you need to eat immediately afterwards," Gabriel said as he took the tray. "Now, about the paint job?"

"What paint job?" I looked around the room. The cool mint colored walls, the black ceiling, and the glowing stars were of my own making.

"Why?"

"Because at one time I liked it." I closed my eyes, opened my mind, and said the words in my head. Gabriel made a small gasping noise next to me. Nice to know I still had it. I opened my eyes and watched the magic from my childhood.

The color was draining back into the marble, as they became perfectly white slabs. Blank canvases for me to draw whatever my imagination thought of. I held an image in my mind and concentrated. The color began to flow back out, run, and take shape. It took about five minutes, but it was a completely different scene. The ceiling was now bright blue with a large yellow sun in one corner. The walls were a lighter blue, filling with shapes, and objects not yet defined. I concentrated harder. The outline appeared, the coloring changing as necessary. My mind created the image of Gabriel, head thrown back, light coming from his mouth and fingertips. He was almost perfectly white, whiter than the marble had been. Next, I drew Fenrir as the wolf. His dark grey coat, so dark it was almost black, stalking around. The muscles were bunched, frozen in movement. Ba'al was third, his wings spread wide, they were creating a shield for whatever was behind him, but his eyes were welcoming, warm. His arms were open to receive. Finally, I focused on Anubis. The head first, getting every detail correct. I moved to the body, his long legs, long arms, long torso, he was well tanned and a perfect replica of how my mind saw him.

"That's amazing," Gabriel said as the new colors finished replacing the old. I had one Overlord on each wall surrounding me with their powers, protecting me.

"That is child's play, quite literally." I told him. "That is just a very simple spell that my mother taught me when I moved into the room. The walls have always been my canvas. When the dreams were really bad, my mind would draw whatever I was dreaming on them. My parents would wake me in the morning and find them. It worked, I stopped having nightmares eventually."

"You should eat again."

"Witch magic doesn't take much out of me, especially that one. I just have to hold an image in my head; the magic does the rest for me." I took a donut from the tray that was still in his lap and ate it. "And let's face it, that spell has been done so many times in this room, it lingers in the air all the time."

"You did it a lot?"

"I changed it every day to reflect my moods or whatever was happening outside, hence, the stars on the ceiling."

Anubis opened the door. He stopped and stared at the pictures on the wall. He tilted his head to one side and walked over to his own image. Gently his hand touched it.

"The room was not painted like this when we put you in here. You were supposed to be sleeping," he said to me without turning around.

"I was sleeping. It only took a few minutes to do these." I told him. As I talked to him, I painted another bit on the wall. I placed a small dog at his feet. I added a second wolf, this one with tiger-eyes next to Fenrir. Beside Gabriel, I placed the Strachan Family Sword and next to Ba'al, I put a stone statue, a near exact copy of Ba'al.

"Oh, it is a spell. You shouldn't be doing magic, Brenna."

"It's Witch magic and not that powerful of a spell. As I just explained to Gabriel..."

"I know because I helped your parents build this room," he interrupted me. "I have seen some of the pictures you have put on it before. I had just forgotten for a minute that you could do it. Feeling better?"

"Yes, the food was yummy, thank you."

He finally turned and looked at me when I said "yummy." Anubis threw his head back and laughed. It shook the walls of the room.

"That was impressive," I told him.

"Sorry, I just haven't had anyone call my cooking yummy since you were a child."

"Must be the room," I shrugged, "but it was."

"Glad you enjoyed it." Anubis bowed slightly to me.

"Why do you guys do that?" I frowned. "I mean, you don't do it often, but every once in a while, one of you will bow when you talk to me. It's unsettling."

"It's just our way," Anubis looked at me. "So, do you feel well enough to get dressed and come into the living room? Fenrir is insisting that we all do something. He is bored."

"I do, but you should all leave." I remembered my clothing. "What happened to my clothes?"

"The ones on your body or the ones from the car?" Gabriel asked.

"Uh, yes." I responded.

"The ones from the car are in the closet. We couldn't get the dresser drawers open. The ones from your body are in the wash."

"Do I want to know how they got in the wash?"

"I undressed you," Gabriel looked at me. "We figured I should do it. Fen volunteered for the job, but we knew you would be upset about that. We weren't sure about Anubis doing it since..."

"And Ba'al was just as disagreeable to the idea of undressing you as I was," Anubis cut Gabriel off in mid-sentence. "That left Gabe."

"I was very careful when I did it, but I have to ask about the mark on your," he paused.

"Breast," I filled in the word for him.

"That sounds so much better than what I was going to say," he nodded.

"It's a bloodline mark. My mother has one, too. All of my siblings have them. It's a mark we are born with as Strachan Witches. Always somewhere concealed," I pointed out, "which is why mine is on my breast. My mother's is as well. My sister's is on her butt. And poor Nick, well, his is even more intimate."

"The Strachan's bear a bloodline mark?" Anubis looked at me.

"All the great houses have them. There are fifteen bloodline marks, there used to be twenty-one but six have died out. Magnus's is in his hair." I moved the blanket a little to look at the mark. "Magnus actually carries a double mark, one from his mother and one from his father, he's double Witch. Lesser Witches don't get them, but there are far more Lesser Witches than there are Bloodline Witches, which is technically what we are called."

"I knew about the Lesser and Bloodline, I just didn't know that some bore marks," Gabriel told me.

"Oh yes, as much as Witches and Elders have cooperated over the years, they have kept some things secret. It was a survival technique. The marks were among them."

"So you just broke a family secret?" Gabriel grinned.

"No, I told the Elders bound to me a little bit about Witch secrets, I don't consider that breaking a family secret. You are family in a way, are you not?"

"You seem a little different," Gabriel squinted at me.

"Sorry," I shrugged again, "I'm accepting my life. I am bound to four Overlords. They should know what they have gotten themselves into. You may not be blood relatives, but I have enough of those to last me for eternity. Bound Elders, well, I imagine I will only ever have four of those."

"You keep saying 'Bound Elders'." Anubis pointed out.

"I am trying to make peace with it."

"You guys are taking forever," Fenrir came into the room. He stopped and stared at the walls. "You've been busy."

"We're getting a history lesson," Gabriel frowned. "One that I think we all need to hear."

"And see," Anubis frowned even harder. "I'm sorry, Brenna, you'll have to put your modesty aside for a few minutes. Get dressed and join us in the living room."

Anubis shooed the men outside the room. I stood and looked at my mark. There was no way really to show it without showing my entire breast. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Besides, I was almost convinced they would all see me nude at some point in time. Like my first encounter with Anubis, I imagined they would all get my blood boiling at some point during eternity.

I dressed in a low cut blouse and didn't bother with a bra. I took another deep breath as I finished the outfit with jeans, white socks, and tennis shoes. After a couple extra seconds of stalling, I opened the door and found the hallway deserted. That was a welcome relief. I had a few more seconds to convince myself that I could do what I was about to do.

I entered the living room. The men were all gathered around, sitting clustered at the large coffee table. An ancient board game that I had never seen before was set up on the table. It looked complicated.

"What are we playing?" I asked.

"First, I think you should tell us some more about Witches," Anubis stood up. "Since we have all dealt with them in the past, but always at an emotional distance, we never considered what it would mean to be tied to one or that they might have their own secrets."

"All right," I sat down on the couch. "As I'm sure you know, at one time there were 21 Great Houses of Witches, Bloodline Witches. They were spread across the globe and each represented a great civilization or tribe. Six have died out, the great house from Egypt and I'm sure it was one of them that cursed Anubis, as well as Siam, Persia, Inca, Maya, and Carthage. My own, the Strachan Bloodline, is Scotch Celt which is different from Irish Celt. There are distinctions made between the Great Houses because there are different things they are particularly good at. The Strachan's are great enchanters. Our ability to inject magic into an object is matched only by Magnus. Of course, we aren't limited to that. As each house has something it is good at, each of us has a weakness. For me, I have a harder time using magic as a weapon. I can curse an item and use it as a weapon, but to use magic as a weapon is very tiring for me. On the flip side, I can repaint this entire house in about twenty minutes using magic. Furthermore, creating an object like the Strachan Family Sword wouldn't take much energy from me either. I could do it without batting an eyelash. In fact, my bedroom was created to contain me and keep me from doing that to the entire house. The reason you couldn't put clothes in my dresser is because I enchanted it as a child in my sleep. I used to cast spells in my sleep all the time. I still occasionally do. That's why I keep a talisman over my bedroom door. It isn't perfect, but it's better than tearing out my walls, filling them with silver, and replacing the drywall with marble.

"Last year, I actually woke up and had enchanted the dresser in my bedroom at the condo. It was talking to me, telling me what outfits to wear, offering me clothing suggestions. This is kind of standard for me though, and that's why I don't keep a lot of furniture in my room or in my house for that matter. I feel asleep on my couch once and woke up to find it had been enchanted. It ate books for about a month before I got it removed. Sadly, I am so good at imbibing magic into inanimate objects that it usually takes two or three of us to remove it. The bedroom furniture in that room has been enchanted so many times that we can't remove the enchantments. Actually, the entire room is so enchanted that it can't be removed, and that's why no one but me has ever slept in it. It doesn't like other magic and it will let you know it. You might be lucky that the dresser didn't open for you, it might have eaten your hand or something since it is my magic inside of it and not yours.

"Great Houses do not breed together for good reason. Most of the time, the Witch is born with so much power that it dies as an infant. Magnus is one of the few exceptions. For the most part, Great Houses have always bred with Lesser Witches. It's safer than breeding with Humans since they have hunted us on occasion. Double Great House Witches carry two Bloodline marks and one is deeper than the other is to indicate which of the families is the more powerful. Single Bloodline Witches, like me, carry our family mark and the deepness of the mark is dependent on how strong our magic is. I have always known that mine is pretty good because my mark is rather deep. My mother's is as well. She and I together are a force that even Magnus the Great can't beat. We've tested it out. Should we enchant something together, Magnus and his entire double Bloodline can't undo the magic. It makes sense in the grand scheme of things. The Strachans have had Elder Council Members in the past.

"My mother didn't know she was a Strachan until she mated with my father. Only then did her mother come clean about her Bloodline. She had wanted to keep her children away from magic as much as possible. She claimed they were Lesser Witches, only capable of a few parlor tricks. My father didn't know either until he saw her mark. By then it was too late. I know that my parents union was a thing of great worry in the Elder community once it became public knowledge that she was a Strachan Witch. I also know that Elders had considered the Bloodline dead until then. What the Elder world doesn't know is that it wasn't just my grandmother's decision. For about six generations, the Strachan Witches had been hiding in plain sight. They were using their magic to keep the Bloodline hidden. It was not an accident, it was intentional."

"Your family is strong enough to do that? We all thought it was an accident." Fenrir gave me a look.

"No, we are strong enough to do that and it wasn't an accident. After the death of one or two Witches at the hands of Elders, the Bloodline in order to be preserved and protected had to hide. I know about the deaths or I knew about two of them, I didn't know about the third until yesterday. The spell to hide the Bloodline is still being passed down in case it is ever needed again, but it is ineffective now that my mother has mated and created Half-Demon children. She can hide the Witch, but not the Demon. She has tried.

"I bear three marks, two of which are hidden in my hair and one on my breast. I bear the mark of Demonnation and Lucifer's Bloodline and both are on my scalp. Unlike most of my family who bear these marks on their horns. The Strachan Bloodline Crest is on my breast," I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before pulling down my top and revealing the mark to the room. "I have kept it well hidden until now, when Gabriel so kindly got me ready for bed earlier. The Bloodline marks of the Great Houses are secrets, Witch secrets. They keep us safe, bearing their own little bit of magic, but they also denote us as among the Great Houses.

"They have always been in places that you can't see. My mother and I have them in the exact same spot," I pulled the clothing back up. I opened my eyes. All four men were clustered around, still staring at my breast through the shirt.

"I was examining that," Ba'al stated rather flatly.

"What is there to examine?" I asked.

"Have you ever really looked at it?"

"Yes, several times."

"Did you miss the detail that is in it?" Ba'al squinted at me and gave me a puzzled look.

"Okay, I'm not real comfortable baring my breast again." I told him.

"Just do it," Ba'al told me. I pulled the shirt back down.

This time I didn't close my eyes, I watched with intense fascination as the four of them stared. One long finger traced the lines in the air above it. I knew it was detailed, I didn't know what they were seeing that I didn't. I waited.

"Go ahead and continue talking," Anubis said, his eyes never leaving the mark.

"Hard to remember what I was saying with you guys there," I snapped at him.

He looked up at me for a minute, "Do you realize that your entire family history is in that mark?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I look at it and see the names of every Strachan Witch ever born," Anubis stated.

"I do as well and how they died, when they died, when they were born and how many children they had," Fenrir said.

"Oh, that's interesting." I frowned and moved so I could look at it.

"I think you need to do a bit of magic to see it," Gabriel responded.

"Yeah, all I see is a Celtic symbol."

"It's in the lines of the symbols, I think we can see it because we have excellent vision and you have kind of average vision," Fenrir said.

"Okay, I think I will ignore it for now," I told him. "Can I put my top back on now, please?"

"I'm not done yet," Ba'al snapped at me. "There's more than that inscribed in it. There's a spell of some sort."

"Yes, I know there's a spell," I told him. "I said the marks had their own magic."

"You were born with this?" Ba'al asked.

"Yes, just like my other marks."

"Wow, that's some impressive magic to be born with," Anubis looked at me. "Do you know the spell?"

"No, no one does. Mine is different than my mother's." I admitted. "This brings me to my next point. Each mark is different in the magic they contain. We aren't sure what the spells do, we just know that they are spells. My mother's mark burns when she is around certain people. Usually people that want to do her harm."

"What does your mark do?"

"My mark has never done anything. None of us understands the language they are written in, only that they seem to be the same language but not the same spell. One day, I'm sure my mark will do something, but until then..." I shrugged.

"I don't recognize the language," Fenrir said. "It isn't anything ever spoken or written by a civilization."

"I know, my father said the same about my mother's spell. He couldn't read it either. It is part of our legends though, at one time, we believe all the Great Houses had a single language that they used to communicate. Since they were each of different origins and had their own regional language. We have a legend that once all the Bloodlines had a single language that they could use to speak to other Great Houses and it denoted us as Witches. However, the language died out long before any of the Great Houses realized it was happening. Occasionally, you will find a scrap of it left in a spell book that has been passed down for generations. My spell book has a spell in it that uses the language, but not even the book knows what it is, what it does, or how to cast it. Since he gained Universal Knowledge when he was trapped in the book, it obviously was not Universal Knowledge, somehow predating that. It seems impossible when you think of it, but there you have it.

"As for the other marks of my family, I know what all of them do. They have all revealed themselves over time. Some are frankly, scary. Some are protective, like my mother's. And my sister's, well, it's just disturbing."

"What does your sister's mark do?"

"You don't want to know, hell I don't want to know." I told them.

"Then why do you know?"

"It's very hard not to know," I told them. "Once the mark becomes active, the entire Bloodline can feel it come alive."

"So, what does your sister's do?" Fenrir asked.

"It glows when she has sex," I told them. "Might be why I'm a prude. The more partners, the more it glows, when it has filled with enough magic, it brings them all to climax like you wouldn't believe. However, if you put a person in it that she doesn't like, it has the opposite effect. It causes the person pain, extreme pain, and bleeding genitals."

"Why would that make you a prude?" Anubis asked.

"Ah, well," I frowned, "I walked in once. I didn't know. I was only a kid at the time and she had just finished Maturing. She was like three days out of the Maturing. She was having sex with seven different Elders at the same time. It was disturbing to say the least. Even worse, Chiron was among them. That is an image I will never forget."

As if to prove it, the floor began to change. The image burned into my brain so many years ago and possibly the root of my night terrors, began to draw itself on the marble floor.

"Oh yeah, that's the other thing, I don't necessarily have to cast a spell for a spell to work, sometimes, I just need a severe emotional disturbance to do it. My brain just reaches for the last spell I cast and works it again. It's a Strachan thing. Possibly, another weakness of ours, but at least I don't have to explain the situation. You can all see it for yourself."

"Yeah, that's disturbing," Fenrir shook his head as the scene finished coloring itself on the floor.

"Wow," Gabriel frowned and turned up his nose, "that's just..."

"Uh huh, I was five when that happened," I told them. "It was shortly after that when my parents created my bedroom."

"Could you make it go away?" Gabriel asked.

"No, wait, look." Anubis pointed on the floor. We all followed his finger. "What is that?"

"I don't know, I don't consciously have to remember the details to get them right," I told him.

"But that was definitely there?" He asked.

"If it is in the memory, it was definitely there."

"What is it?" Ba'al asked.

"That is the answer to who the insider information came from if Chiron is imprisoned. I bet your sister wasn't all that thrilled about going to Europe." Anubis kneeled down and looked closer.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When your mother is threatened, what color does her mark glow?"

"Amberish, no orangish," I replied.

"The color a Witch associates with anger," Anubis said. "Look what color your sister's mark is glowing. It's blue. She wasn't angry; she was thrilled. By this time, we all knew that Chiron posed a threat to you, your sister should not have been thrilled to be fucking the man that was threatening her bloodline, and yet, she was."

# Chapter Fifteen

"Maybe she was just..." I didn't say the word that came to mind.

"How do you know it causes pain if she doesn't like the person?"

"Her mate," I responded. "They have only had sex twice and both times were bad. Dad had to go heal Midas afterwards."

"Midas is loyal to your bloodline and Demonnation. He was there today, answering the Call. He helped when Sonnellion went nuts and attacked Gabriel. He was among the Demons who tried to heal Gabriel and among the Demons that healed Ba'al. He nearly died."

"So you think, based on this memory that my sister is involved in the plots to kill me?" I frowned at him.

"She seems to have a thing for Chiron." He pointed to the floor again.

"Okay, I'll give you that." I started erasing the picture, pulling the color back into the marble.

"Then Lucifer packing up the entire family and taking them to Europe was a good thing," Gabriel said.

"And she would have known we were on our way to Demonnation territory, because I'm sure Lucifer would have told the entire household when explaining why they were all leaving. He probably used that as part of his reason for leaving," Anubis responded. He was digging out his cell phone.

"You can put it away now," Fenrir smiled at me and started tucking my breast back into my shirt.

"I had forgotten," I blushed.

"Don't blush, it was a pleasure to see both the mark and the breast, but since we have things at hand that require our attention, it's a distraction," he gave me a smile that was all wolf.

"And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, you smile like that." I told him.

"Well, at least you were brave enough to show us," he kissed my forehead. "We'll have you naked one day yet."

"Shut up," Anubis hissed.

"See, you got me in trouble," I whispered to Fenrir.

"I see it as being the other way around," Fenrir whispered back.

"You would," I was gritting my teeth, trying to keep my voice as quiet as possible.

"Pendragon, we have a problem. Can you come to Lucifer's house? We need to detain one of his children when they get off a plane in Europe." Anubis was speaking into the phone.

"Oh, that's bad," I frowned and sat back down on the floor. The spell was at work again, drawing another picture. This one had all of us in it. It was the scene unfolding in front of me.

"Sorry, I think I'm losing control of it a bit." I gave a sheepish look to Ba'al as he looked at me.

"It's okay, it will be interesting to see what your mind draws," he said as Anubis hung up the phone.

The floor erased, the color seeping back in and another began to form. I watched in wonder as my Bloodline marks were all drawn out on it. They were bold and large, measuring circles that were at least seven feet across.

"Are you angry?" Anubis asked as he looked at the floor.

"No, I'm gonna go with incredibly pissed off." I pursed my lips together. "I'm not fond of Centaurs; Chiron has spoiled me on the breed as a whole. I hate to say I'm a breedist, but there it is. To see my sister have sex with a Centaur is just horrifying. To see her have sex with Chiron is even worse. Now, she is involved with trying to kill me? I know I haven't always been the greatest sister on the planet, but I think that's a bit extreme."

The marks got bolder, more legible. The men all looked from me to the floor and back to me.

"Maybe we should work on calming her down," Fenrir said as the marks started to glow.

"That might be a good idea," Anubis came to kneel in front of me. "Bren, I know you are angry and you have every right to be, but this is not good."

"No, it isn't. My own sister? Come on, my parents have dealt with enough shit in their life, now I have to have my sister imprisoned for trying to kill me. How do you think my mother is going to react? How do you think my father is going to react? Do you think he's just going to let it happen? You saw him earlier. When Pendragon shows up to detain her, he is going to explode. He's going to kill her. I know it. Then he will feel guilty and awful that he killed his own child, and it's going to be even worse because if I don't live, he'll have killed her for no reason except that she was mean to me. And Elise? Oh wow, she is going to blow a gasket. She might not be able to kill my sister, but she is going to cast some big bad spells and it won't be good, and my brothers will be forced to stand there and watch or try to intervene. One of them might get hurt. Daniel might get hurt. This is going to be a disaster. At the same time, I can't just let her keep walking around. Lucifer is going to keep sharing all the info he gets with the family because he believes that family is sacred and you would never do anything to hurt your own bloodline. So if we don't have her detained, she will continue to pass along all the info that Lucifer passes along, and because that isn't enough, we can't stop any of it from happening. We are royally fucked, I mean just royally fucked. If we keep it quiet and refuse to give Lucifer information, he is going to get suspicious and he'll come back and that will be just as bad as the other."

"Wow," Fenrir touched me. "You are talking really fast and these drawings are getting worse."

"Brenna, I know you feel angry and responsible, but you need to calm down. You are going to have a meltdown if you don't and bad things are going to happen," Anubis told me.

"Bad things are already happening," I looked at him. "What would you have me do?"

"I think we should take her to her room," Fenrir suggested.

"Oh, good idea," Gabriel grabbed one arm and Ba'al grabbed the other.

"I'm going to call Beezel." Anubis stood up. Fenrir took hold of my feet. Together they carried me to my room. I didn't see any point in fighting, they were right. I needed to be contained. I could feel myself out of control, very out of control.

"Okay, Brenna," Fenrir said as I was set down on the bed, "you need to focus on something, something else, anything else."

"My sister is trying to kill me," as if it was a trigger, her figure began to appear on the wall. "What would you like me to concentrate on?"

"Anything," he answered. "An event that made you happy."

For a few seconds, the three of them were silent. My sister's face was becoming more defined on the wall. I was more than just pissed off; I was working on being absolutely, completely enraged.

"Sex with Anubis," Fenrir suddenly shouted, "remember that."

"I didn't have sex with Anubis," I answered very tartly.

"You might as well have, he came, I came, Ba'al came, and Gabriel came, just because he didn't penetrate you, didn't have his cock inside you, it doesn't mean you didn't have sex," Fenrir told me.

"Fenrir!" I nearly shouted as my face turned hot. It worked. The energy changed. The picture on the wall started to as well.

"It's working," Ba'al whispered. It snapped the spell. The anger came back. This time fueled by embarrassment. "Fuck."

"Look, I'm doing the best..." I started to protest, Fenrir acting on his own accord, grabbed my shirt and bared my breast again. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Distracting you," he placed his hand over it. The mark began to burn. For the first time in my life, the mark reacted to something. Magic spilled into the room.

"Wow," Gabriel said quietly. He was gasping for air.

"What is that?" Ba'al breathed, also out of breath.

"I don't know, but it's kind of amazing," Fenrir was starting to glow a brilliant blue color. His skin peeled back and he shifted into wolf form. No goo this time, just a smooth, easy shift. Gabriel was also starting to glow.

Fenrir kept what was now a paw firmly against the mark for another second. He took it off and instantly changed back to his normal form. Again, there was no goo.

"The mark isn't just about her, it's about us," Fenrir said. He sat motionless for a second, the magic receding.

"What do you think?" I asked him. The anger was gone. I was left with a light, airy feeling. Complete and utter euphoria was the only way to describe it.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to try again," he placed his face on it this time. Again, the shift was easy, smooth, and not messy. One second he looked like a Lycan, the next he was a wolf. The room began to fill with magic again.

"What is it?" Ba'al asked.

"Control," I said, "control and euphoria." I closed my eyes and the feeling was luxurious.

Cell phones started ringing like mad. Everyone's cell phone was going off. Ba'al looked at the number on his and then on Fenrir's.

"I have Alex on Fenrir's phone and I have a different Lycan mate calling me," he said to the room. Fenrir didn't pull back; he pushed harder against the mark.

"Hello?" I answered Fenrir's phone.

"Hello? Who is this?" A woman asked me.

"Brenna Strachan," I responded.

"Oh good, is Fenrir with you? Something odd is happening. Alex just shape shifted and he doesn't seem to be able to shift back."

"Um, Fenrir is in wolf form at the moment and that is why I answered his phone," I told her.

"Oh, well did he shift for a few seconds, shift back to Lycan and then become wolf again?"

"Uh, yeah," I admitted.

"That's what Alex did. You don't think that there is something wrong with the Lycans do you?" She sounded afraid.

"I'm sure it's something that Fenrir is doing." I pushed him away.

"Wait, Alex just became Lycan again," she paused. "What happened to them?"

"I don't know because Fenrir is as well. I'll let you talk to him." I muted the phone. "Great, you just shifted every Lycan on the planet, Fen."

"Really?"

"Really! I have Angela on the phone, she's concerned because Alex shifted, went back to Lycan and then shifted again, exactly as you did when you touched me."

"The magic shouldn't have left this room," Fenrir said.

"You're an Overlord!" I shouted at him. "My father's magic can get through the room and you have the ability to shift your entire pack."

"It didn't hurt," he smiled at me.

"What?"

"The shift, it didn't hurt. Normally, it is excruciating, but it doesn't hurt when you do it."

"I didn't do it," I pointed out. "You were the one that kept touching the mark."

"I think that's what your mark does; it brings out the beast in us," Ba'al said quietly. "I imagine if Gabriel touches it, it will bring out the light. Anubis, the Vampire, and me, the stone replica. But it does it without pain."

"Oh man," I sighed and handed Fenrir the phone, "you better think up a good lie."

"Alex?" Fenrir asked as he unmuted it.

There was several seconds of silence.

"No, it was me. I did something stupid and probably caused the entire Lycan Pack to change. Sorry, I wasn't thinking about being in the presence of the Maturing. I was trying to show her how it happened and her healing powers tried to force me to shift back. It wasn't her fault, it was stupid of me."

This was followed by a longer silence.

"Nah, it won't happen again. I've learned my lesson. No shifting around Maturing Demons. She saw me in pain and her power struggling with my own will and power caused the shift of the entire Pack. I was defending against a healing because it wasn't something that needed to be healed, and well, it spread."

More silence. Ba'al ignored his phone. Gabriel was doing the same.

"Yep, we're fine. Sorry, Alex. I didn't think about it. I didn't mean to scare Angela or any of the others. Considering I'm supposed to be sequestered, could you pass the word along that it was my fault and it won't happen again? You don't have to give all the details. Just let them know I was the one that shifted them. Thanks, talk to you tomorrow." He hung up and looked at me.

"Does anyone else feel like the entire world is one big beautiful, wonderful place?" He asked.

"Yes," I told him.

"Uh huh," Ba'al agreed.

"Good, so it isn't just me. I shifted the pack. I haven't done that since the War." Fenrir looked at me. "That is an amazing thing. We should learn how to use it. It could make sex wonderful."

"I don't think so." I responded, realizing that I was still uncovered.

"You don't think we should use it or don't think we should have sex?" He asked.

"Use the mark for sexual purposes. I don't think that's why it is there. It does have dangerous side effects. They all do."

"It might, but I have never enjoyed the change as much as I did just now." He rolled himself up in the blankets. His eyes were partially glazed.

"Somehow, that was sexual for you, wasn't it?" I felt myself start to frown, tried to stop it but couldn't.

"You have no idea," his voice was almost giggly. "I have a feeling we are all going to enjoy eternity bound to you."

"Good, God," I hung my head. It had worked, there were now pornographic pictures drawn on the wall instead of the angry, pissed off images my mind had been creating.

"Brenna," Ba'al said, "some of this will go away after the Maturing. Right now, you have raw, untamed power in you. It's becoming, when you are done and have control, it will tone down."

"Well, at least there is something to look forward to," I was watching Fenrir.

Anubis came in and just stopped. He looked at our face and cocked his head to the side.

"I feel like I might have missed something," he finally said.

"You did," Fenrir sat up. "But you had a taste of it earlier so it all works out. At least we know the silver shields the house even though it didn't shield my Pack."

"Is that what all those voicemails are going to be about?" Anubis asked.

"Fen changed his entire pack by putting his face against Brenna's mark. I imagine the phone call she got was from her mother," Ba'al answered.

"We'll deal with that at another time," Anubis smiled, "for now, I've talked to Beezel, and he is going to go with Pendragon to meet your father. That should help the situation some."

"Don't talk about it," Gabriel pointed at the walls.

"Huh," Anubis looked at them. "At least she isn't angry anymore."

"Let's not jinx it," Gabriel responded.

"Moving on," I was trying to erase the pictures but found the ability seemed to be gone. "What now?"

"Well, I think you should go back to sleeping in here," Anubis told me.

"I am thinking we should all sleep in here," Fenrir retorted. "At the same time as her."

"Why?" Anubis asked.

"We'll be close if something happens and if it doesn't, I have a feeling it will be a wonderful time for all."

"I am not having an orgy," I told him.

"Honey, you don't have to do anything except exist, the rest of us just need to touch you right now to get really happy."

"That is just so wrong," I gently slapped Fenrir.

"Yep, I liked that, too." He smiled at me.

"Are you really basking in afterglow?" Anubis asked.

"Basking would be an understatement. I'm high as a kite," Fenrir answered. "Have you ever gotten intoxicated off of someone else's power before? It's pretty fucking incredible."

"I try very hard not to get intoxicated off the power of others," Anubis gave him a very pointed look.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Fenrir seemed to sober up a bit. "I think we should experiment a little."

"You think that's safe?" I asked incredulously.

"In the confines of this room," Fenrir answered. "We don't exactly know what you can and cannot do at the moment. We think you are mortal, but we don't exactly know that either. You could still be mostly immortal. If that's the case, this could take a little longer than normal. A month is just an average, not an exact science."

"And if we end up turning all the Gargoyles to stone or Vamping Out all the Vampires?" I asked.

"That only happened with the added magic of your Bloodline mark," Ba'al pointed out. "I've been thinking and I don't think it's about being able to control anything, I think that spell increased Fen's powers and since he wasn't expecting it and didn't know it was happening, he changed and forced the Pack to change. I know I felt stronger, better, and more powerful when it was activated."

"That would make sense," I looked down at my hands. "If there is a Fate or Divine Plan and it was somehow destined that I bind the four of you to me, then it would make sense that the mark is there to amplify all of our powers, to make us stronger as a unit."

"Is that possible?" Anubis asked.

"Who the hell knows? It's a Bloodline mark and no one understands them. The Witches that did are as gone as the language that the spell is written in. We could all be wrong and it could be something completely different that just affected Fenrir, because I let him touch it."

"None of you really understand them?" Anubis frowned.

"That is the other reason they are a secret. Each of them wields its own power. If you cut them off, you can harness whatever spell is on them. In old days, when a Witch was stripped of their standing, they would remove the Bloodline mark. There is a book of them in this house that belongs to the Strachans."

"Now that is disturbing."

"Disturbing yes, but absolutely necessary. The Witch that holds the mark can use the power of it. So when a Witch is stripped, their Bloodline retains the mark so that it cannot be used by someone else."

"Look, it's nearly dark. Let's have some dinner, sit down to a quiet evening, and deal with everything tomorrow." Fenrir stood up.

"Okay with me," I followed suit, "what's for dinner?"

"Can you do something about the wall?" Ba'al asked as he turned.

"No, I tried." I shrugged. "Maybe if I'm in the room alone, but right now, those are the pictures my mind, or the room seems to be determined to keep."

"Huh, pornographic wallpaper. I like it," Fen gave a smile of approval.

"You would," I told him.

The living room floor was back to normal. I considered that a step in the right direction. For a few minutes, I had been sure that my marks were going to be permanently burned into the surface of the marble. I flopped onto the couch.

"The dining room," Anubis motioned me forward.

"Is dinner ready?" I asked, getting back to my feet.

"Considering a couple of the beings staying in the guest house brought it to us, yes, it is served."

"Has it been checked for poison?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Gabriel said.

"Goody, let's eat." I followed them in and took a seat at the table. It was my usual seat at my parents table. The others swarmed in around me. The table was still less crowded than normal.

# Chapter Sixteen

Dinner consisted of twelve boxes of pizza, cheese sticks, and hot wings, some sort of dip and chips, and about three gallons of Mt. Dew. I opened a box. Three pieces of the pizza were already gone. It was super supreme. I took two slices and put them on my plate. Someone poured me a glass of soda and put it down next to me. I was too busy concentrating on food to notice who had done it. I was starved again.

After dinner, I sat on the couch feeling bloated and miserable. I had eaten too much again. It seemed to be a trend. As a Demon, I seemed to have a hollow leg, always able to pack away food or I could go without for a day or two at a time. As a mortal, I found my jeans to be uncomfortable after I ate.

Anubis handed me a pair of PJ shorts. I nodded and smiled a thank you. For several minutes, I held them, listening to the men chat, too full to bother with changing.

"Brenna, go change or Gabriel will have to undress you again when you fall asleep," Fenrir finally said.

"I'm not all that sleepy," I responded.

"You will be. A side effect of mortality, you eat, and you sleep." Anubis looked up as he got out a deck of cards and began shuffling. "I didn't know what PJs you wanted, so I grabbed a set."

"Okie dokie," I curled up on the couch.

"Go change," Ba'al said to me, as he took hold of my hand and pulled me from the couch.

"Fine, fine," I walked to the bathroom. It seemed miles away. I was getting sleepy. Imagine that, the immortals were right, again.

I changed into the PJ set and wondered if Anubis had really picked it out or if it had been Fenrir. He had grabbed the skimpiest set I owned. Short shorts with a button top that didn't cover my stomach completely because of the size of my breasts. I only wore it when I was alone and it was really hot. I sighed and came out of the bathroom. They turned to look at me.

"Maybe I should have picked a different set." Anubis frowned.

"Doesn't matter now, I'm not changing again," I curled back up on the couch.

"You're getting tired," Gabriel said.

"Yep," they were dealing out cards. I yawned and stretched.

"Whoa, don't do that again," Gabriel grinned. "You know that doesn't cover very well when you stretch."

"I am almost convinced I don't care," I told him tugging the shirt back into place.

"Wow, she's losing her prudishness." Ba'al's voice had seemed distant.

"I've exposed my breast to you, almost had sex and everyone in the room felt it, and then there was the thing with Fenrir. Yeah, I might be starting to get over it. Besides, there is eternity ahead of us and frankly, somehow, each of you will eventually see me nude. Just like Gabriel did this afternoon. Do we have a plan?"

"Yep, don't die," it was the last thing I heard before sleep sucked me down. It seemed like a good plan.

I awoke to shouting. Someone, no, Anubis was yelling at someone. No one was yelling back though, his yelling was followed by long pauses. I opened my eyes. He was on the phone. The others were sitting, staring, and watching Anubis. Anubis was pacing back and forth. He was more than just angry, more than furious. I couldn't exactly put my finger on the right word, but I was willing to bet it was close to homicidal.

"Do you think I am wrong?" He shouted. The first intelligible thing I heard.

"Oh boy," I said to no one. He was shouting at my father. I was guessing their plane had landed.

Gabriel shook his head at me and put a finger to his lips. He wasn't the happiest person on the planet either. His eyes were completely white. Fenrir and Ba'al were mirrors, more anger and frustration. I got up and snatched the phone from Anubis.

"Papa," I said sternly, "I do not take this lightly. I am not wrong. If I am, I'll apologize to my sister when she is released at the end of the Maturing. If I'm not, then we will have stopped one sister from killing another."

"Brenna, do you honestly be..." He started to say something.

"Yes, I honestly believe she is conspiring with Chiron to kill me. It would make sense. How else did the Zealots know I was on my way to your house? The only people that knew were the Overlords that are in the room with my family and me. We didn't even tell the rest of the guard where we were moving too. We were going to tell them when we were settled in. Since none of my brothers have had sex with Chiron, I figure it had to be her."

"She hasn't..."

"Yes, she has, Papa," I answered before he could make it a statement. "I saw it."

There was some serious yelling on the other end, but it wasn't directed towards me. I waited, with my foot tapping on the marble floor. Finally, I heard his voice come back on the line.

"Brenna, I shouldn't have doubted Anubis or the others."

"No, no you shouldn't have. Remember, if I die, they die. They have just as much at stake as me, but we aren't conducting Witch Hunts, Lucifer. Anubis would not have sent Beezel and Pendragon to meet your plane if we hadn't had some kind of proof."

"Vishnu confirms that she has been regularly meeting with Chiron and that they are lovers." My father sounded broken. "How could she..."

"No, Papa," I stopped the thought. "No, Papa, she didn't do anything wrong. The heart wants what it wants and it forgets the rest of the world. She is in love with Chiron, and for a Demon, she is still very young. Everyone gets led astray from time to time. You told me that."

"Brenna, I need to go."

"Papa, promise me you will let Pendragon and Uncle take her into custody."

"I promise."

"Is Vishnu with you now?"

"Yes," my father was on the verge of tears.

"May I speak with him, please?"

"Here," I didn't think the "here" was directed at me.

"Brenna," Vishnu's voice came over the line.

"Watch Daniel, keep his power in check as much as possible. My father is going to react badly, but Daniel is going to be unable to stop himself."

"I know, a storm has already started to brew above us and it is going to be a big one."

"Okay, let me speak to Elise."

"Brenna," my mother's voice came over the line.

"Mom, don't let dad do anything he is going to regret. I know you are both angry because I was enraged when I figured it out, but that is not an excuse. He will torment himself for eternity if he lets his temper get the best of him."

"I know," my mother sighed. "You sound different."

"You are the second person to tell me that today." I told her. "Are you okay?"

"Considering?" She paused, "Yes, I'm fine. Are you?"

"I'm still a little pissed, but it will work itself out."

"Your mark..."

"I know, I still am not sure what it did, but it was interesting. Fenrir touched it and all the Pack shifted."

"Must be what all the voice mails are about."

"I've heard that today too," I gave a small laugh. "Mom..." I wasn't sure what else to say.

"I know, Bren. I know. We love you."

"Love you, too," I hung up. "Situation diffused."

I handed Anubis his cell phone and sat back down.

"You do sound different and you are acting different," Anubis finally said.

"So I keep hearing."

"You sound like an adult," Fenrir told me.

"No, she sounds like her father," Ba'al corrected. "She sounds like a person in charge of the situation with all the answers."

"I don't feel like it."

"Yes, but you sound like it and when you sound like, it commands attention. You managed to make your father listen," Ba'al told me.

"My father is a great big teddy bear with very sharp horns." I smiled glumly. "I just know how to handle him."

"Perhaps," Anubis smiled back. "However, I think that calls for a celebration of sorts. Vishnu can read her mind and find out all those involved and call it a day."

"Think Chiron shared that much information with my sister? I've never thought of you as naïve."

"No, but I thought I could put you at ease. You've really grown up, you are less naïve."

"Good to know," I sat back down on the couch. "What now?"

"We entertain ourselves while we survive." Fenrir picked up the deck of cards. "Want in?"

"Sure," I moved to the little table and spent several hours playing poker. Occasionally cheating and using Witch magic to see what cards they were holding. If they knew, they didn't let on that they knew. We talked and talked and talked about nothing as we played. For a while, I felt normal again.

# Chapter Seventeen

"I need to sleep and I'm tired of the Demon cheating," Gabriel smiled at me as he stood up.

"Me?" I looked at him wide eyed. "Would I cheat?"

"You have been all night." He yawned. "Dawn is coming. It's been two days since I slept."

"I'll sleep when you get up," Anubis told him. "Fen, why don't you join him?"

"Sure," he stood up and both of them marched up the stairs.

I was left with Ba'al and Anubis in the living room. They were putting up the poker chips. I watched them do it.

"I feel different," I finally told them.

"How so?" Ba'al asked as he finished stacking chips in the tray.

"I feel old."

"That's a good sign. It means you are probably completely mortal. I'd like to test it, but you are going to hate the test."

"You're going to cut me again," I made it a statement and not a question.

"I could bite you if you preferred," he responded. "If you are mortal, it will leave a hell of a bruise."

"I think I would rather be bitten."

"Really? Why?" Anubis asked.

"I don't know. I just don't like being cut. I heal those kinds of wounds all the time. They hurt. Not that biting doesn't, it's just a different kind of pain."

"Okay, hold still," Ba'al stood up and walked over to me. He moved my hair carefully. Next, he opened the top two buttons of my nightshirt and pushed it down to expose my shoulder. Anubis took hold of my hands.

"This is going to hurt and I can only help ease the pain a little," he told me. "Give you something else to focus on."

"I think I'm tired of distractions. Every time I've been distracted lately, its involved sex of some sort."

"Sex is a good distraction," Ba'al chuckled behind me.

"Just bite me," I told him.

Ba'al did as I asked. His teeth broke the skin and found the bone beneath it. I didn't scream, but I wanted to, very loudly. His mouth stayed glued to my shoulder for what seemed like ages. Finally, he drew back. A small trickle of blood ran from the wound. I looked. There were four fang marks and a few others that were deep enough to be bleeding. Most of it though was just the perfect imprint of Ba'al's teeth. I stared at the wound, tried to heal it, and found I couldn't.

"Well damn," I looked at Anubis, "I think I'm going to need a bandage."

"Of course," Ba'al's voice was somewhere behind me.

"Does it hurt?"

"Like a son of a bitch, but it is still better than a blade." I told him.

"I'm surprised that you prefer teeth and fangs to knives."

"I'm surprised you're surprised."

Ba'al began bandaging my shoulder while Anubis held my hands. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensations of the world around me. The sun was up now. I could feel it beating on the house. Again, I seemed to be channeling Gabriel's powers to some extent.  
"What are you thinking?" Anubis asked.

"That the sun is warm and it is going to be another very hot day."

"Gabriel," he said.

"Probably, I don't normally give a toss about the sun or the temperature." I didn't really respond to hot or cold weather. It was a Demon thing. I could wear almost the exact same clothing year around because I didn't sweat or shiver. Occasionally in Missouri it would get over 110 or under -10, at those moments, I would notice it. I'd have to add or take off clothing, the rest of the time though, it might as well be 70.

"Do you think there will be another attack?" I asked him.

"Yes, probably soon." He let go of me. "Probably daily, starting yesterday. Each day, something different tested us to find our strengths and weaknesses."

"Wish they'd get it over with." I sighed and lit a cigarette.

"Don't rush it," Anubis told me. "We don't know what it will be, so we can't prepare for anything other than generalities. That is not the best form of combat."

"Fine, I'm going to go shower." I stood up and walked to the bathroom.

The water was warm. Demons like water. It is cleansing, healing, and magical all by itself. Had a bad day? Wash it down the drain. Want to have a good day? Start with a shower. I turned it up on very hot and just stood under it. The bathroom steamed up. There was nothing better than a steamy bathroom.

The door opened. I ran my hand over the shower door, clearing a spot to look out. Ba'al was coming in.

"What?" I asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Nothing, Anubis has gone off to sleep some too. He thinks attacks will come at night," he spread his arms. "I'm here to protect you in case he's wrong."

"You're going to protect me in the shower?" I asked.

"Yes, I can always sweep you into my wings if we get attacked."

"You can't keep hiding me in your wings. I will eventually be needed in the fight."

"I know, but I can pretend." He sat down on the floor.

"What's your take on everything?"

"You are growing up very quickly."

"I meant about the whole attacking thing."

"Oh, I agree with Ani. Most of the attacks will come at night. Although, there is the fact that three of us are better at night. Gabriel is better during the day."

"Better how?"

"Darkness gives us an edge. We can all see amazingly well in the dark."

"Can you really turn to stone?"

"Yes, but you don't want to see it happen."

"Why?"

"Because when a Gargoyle turns to stone, it is a defense mechanism. It means whatever we are fighting is going to kill us. We encase ourselves in stone to protect our bodies. In theory, it helps."

"In theory?"

"Our exterior layers of skin turn to stone. We are smaller and more fragile when we leave the stone exterior. For several days, we have to heal and our skin is pink and opaque. It's not pretty."

"Gotcha." I rinsed my hair.

"Do you know what happens when a Demon breaks or loses a horn?"

"Fire shoots from the root."

"It cooks anything it touches. Elders survive it, but like Gabriel's light the other day, it creates some serious damage."

"Your father?"

"Yes, he told me that if he ever breaks or loses a horn, I have to run away. He told me that as a child, before a really intense Council meeting. It was good advice. He didn't lose a horn, but there was some serious cat-fighting during it."

"I remember that meeting," Ba'al gave a deep sigh.

"What do you really want?"

"The same thing any of us want at this point."

"Since I'm only partially sure I have a clue what that is..."

"You to stay unmated," he told me.

"Sex." I frowned. "What is it with you guys and sex?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly."

"Elder sex is rather uninspiring. There isn't anything we haven't done or tried. But being bound; now that is new. It isn't just about sex either. It's about intimacy. We have lovers, but we don't love. We have sex, but it isn't about intimacy. With you, there's intimacy. We can share our deepest parts of ourselves with you. The parts we hid in the darkest recesses of our being. We all want what your father has."

"What does he have that you guys don't?"

"He has your mother."

"So you all secretly covet my mother?"

"No, we all covet what he has with your mother. The intimacy that they share. It isn't about children, sex, or anything like that. It is about merging, two beings becoming one."

"That doesn't make sense. You're obsessed with sex because you aren't inspired by it?"

"No, we are obsessed with sex with you because we all love you and have an intimate, if at this time non-sexual relationship with you."

"I'm still not sure I understand."

"Okay," Ba'al stood up and opened the shower door. He stood staring down at me. I didn't cover up although that was my first instinct. "At this moment, it is taking every ounce of my power to keep me from touching you. You have no idea how long it has been since I have wanted to touch another being the way I want to touch you."

"Okay," I frowned, "that just confused me more."

"I admit, I'm not explaining it very well. Let's see how to word this. I want to fuck you, I want to dominate you, make you bend to my will, to my touch. After that, after I have had the initial contact with you, I want more. It's that more that is so scary. I have wanted to fuck and dominate in the past, but once that is over with, it's over. Not with you, I see the first time being what it always is for me, but I want to have a second encounter, I want to have hundreds of encounters. I want to memorize your body. I want to see how many times I can make you cum. Hear you moan my name in pleasure. I want to taste you, all of you. I want to feel you move. I want to explore you and I want to take my time doing it. I don't just want to fuck you over and over again. I want to make love to you. I have never had that urge before. I'm sure none of us has. At the end of it all, when the sex is done and the lights are out, I want to lie next to you, share your bed all night. I want to tell you what I'm afraid of, what I fear I can and cannot do. I want to share my secrets with you. That urge is one that I know none of the other Overlords has ever had. We keep those things bottled inside. Hidden most of the time, we hide the need to do it even from ourselves. But Lucifer, Lucifer has shown us it is possible. At night, when he shares a bed with your mother, it isn't just about sex. They talk; they talk, and talk, and talk. Elise knows every emotion Lucifer has, knows every secret he carries, understands his burdens and helps him to carry them. That is what we covet."

"Ba'al," his words were having an effect on me. I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Could it all be the power of the Maturing?"

"No," he continued to look at me. "No, it has nothing to do with the Maturing except that the desire is no longer just a thought in the back of my mind. It is a pressing need."

He shut the door.

"One that I cannot act upon yet, but the temptation is so damn strong."

I took another shaky breath and put my head against the wall.

"You feel it too."

"Yes, slowly I am starting to feel it with all of you. Not Gabriel, not yet, but when Fenrir touched me earlier. And you just now."

"Gabriel will be next."

"You don't seem bothered or disappointed by this."

"Jealousy is for mortals. I know that I will share you with three others and there will be times they share you with me. I also know there will be times when two, three, or all four of us will enjoy you together. Each will be unique and inspiring."

"You think I will agree to group sex?"

"Yes, I think you already have and just don't realize it."

"Interesting." The water was starting to run cold. I got out and wrapped up in a towel. Ba'al was leaning against the sink counter.

"No, it will be interesting to see how you react to each of us, individually and together. Fen will not always stay in Lycan form when you have sex. Gabriel will bring the power of light and dark to the bed. Anubis the Vampire powers, and me, well, I will bring something else."

"What do you bring?"

"Something to be discovered later," he was staring at my face. I opened the towel and let it fall to the ground.

"Tell me."

"No," he smiled at my baiting, "it is something that has to be seen, it cannot be told."

I picked the towel up and wrapped it back around me, "Can't blame me for trying."

"No, and while I have told you what the others will bring, you will not understand, truly understand until it happens."

"I'm sort of bored," I told Ba'al as I exited the bathroom.

"The other reason Elders are obsessed with sex. It can last for hours and hours. It fills boring days."

"Are there a lot of boring days in eternity?"

"Relatively speaking, no, but there are a lot of horny days in eternity."

"Did you just say that out loud?" I giggled.

"Yes," he smiled at me. "You're already starting to notice. Sex is a pleasure of the Matured. You'll enjoy it a lot more once the process ends."

"Really?"

"Oh yes."

"Do you remember your life before the Maturing?"

"Yes, but I don't remember sex before the Maturing. It didn't seem to leave much of an impression. I also remember that during the Maturing, I became exceptionally aware of my own sexuality. I thought about it all the time. I imagine that is part of our problem now. You are Maturing and thinking of it and it's becoming more frequent, so the rest of us are as well."

"I can have that impact?"

"I think it's a side effect of the binding."

"Oh," I sat down on the couch.

"Are you going to sit around all day in a towel?"

"I figure I have to get used to it somehow."

"Get used to what?"

"Nudity and sex," I told him.

"Yes, but if we are attacked, it would be better to have clothes on."

"Good point," I got up and went to the bedroom.

The moment I walked in, my dresser drawer opened and began chattering at me. It could talk. I was pretty sure there was a soul trapped in it. If there was, it didn't seem to complain, it just wanted to help me dress.

# Chapter Eighteen

"My how you have grown," it said to me as it spit out a pair of panties. They were black silk.

"Yes, yes I have." I answered. It should be weird to talk to furniture. It wasn't.

"And we have men in the house. Men that you have feelings for." If dressers could smile, I was sure it would have been.

"Yes, yes we do."

"Something simple and sexy then," it spit something else out. It appeared to be a matching bra. Since I didn't buy clothing like this, I was guessing my mother had gone shopping for me at some point.

"And comfortable in case I have to fight bad guys."

"Oh, sexy, simple, and comfortable, that's harder. But I'm sure there is something in here."

"Did my mother stock you?"

"Yes, a couple of weeks ago she came in and said that you had gotten to be an adult and that she needed to put in new clothing for you. She did a fabulous job." If it was a soul, it was the soul of a gay man.

"We can't actually have sex," the only nice thing about an enchanted dresser was that I didn't really have to pick out clothing. I told it what I wanted and it spit it at me.

"Oh, that sucks and changes things. How much teasing can you do?"

"Are you a soul that I trapped inside?"

"Well, I'm a soul, but you didn't trap me here," it told me. "I came when you cast the spell. It hasn't been bad. I love your mother's taste, yours needs some help."

"Okay," I don't know why I had never asked before.

"Before then, I was just floating in limbo with nothing to do. I jumped at the chance to get out of there." It spit something else out at me.

"When did you die?"

"Well, the Elder War was about to begin."

"So, a long time ago. About two and half thousand years." I sighed.

"Yep, that's a long time. Okay, so how much teasing are you allowed to do?"

"Some, but I can't push the boundaries too much."

"Ah, Maturing." The dresser spit something else out at me.

"How did you know?"

"Great Witch when I was alive, Universal Knowledge now that I live in your dresser. I didn't have that as a detached soul."

"Are there are a lot of detached souls?"

"Only a few million, but once in a while, they get pulled into an object and get to start a new life."

"And you got pulled into my dresser."

"Yep," it was spit something else out, "I like it here though."

"Honestly? You like being a dresser?"

"Are you kidding? I get to play with clothes and I got to watch you grow up. I admit it's been a little boring the last decade or so, but your mother comes in and talks to me on occasion and you pulled in other souls, so I talk to them."

"So all the enchanted furniture in my room that talks has a soul in it?"

"Yes, does that surprise you?"

"Not really, I think I've always known somewhere in the back of my mind. I have a spell book with a soul in it. He doesn't like it though."

"I'm not sure I'd like being a spell book either. Your outfit is complete, what do you think?"

I held it up. Black jeans, white socks, black underwear, and a low cut, very tight fitting red top. The top had a few slits in it in strategic places.

"My mother bought this?"

"Yes, I just spruced it up a bit."

"You put the holes in it?"

"Uh huh, you'll look fabulous and the men are going to be on the verge of orgasm all the time when you wear it."

"Will they be able to protect me if they are always on the verge of orgasm?" I asked skeptically.

"They will fight even harder, let out some of that sexual frustration."

"I'll take your word for it." I changed into the outfit the dresser had picked. I had to admit, it didn't look bad. Sad that my mom and a dresser could pick out clothes for me better than I could.

"When I move back to my condo, do you want to move with me?"

"I would love to, but only if you agree to listen to my fashion advice."

"What do you mean?"

"That means if you buy something and I don't let you put it inside, you have to toss it out."

"Agreed, as long as you promise not to dress me like a prostitute."

"Great! When are you moving back?"

"After the Maturing. I'll arrange to have my mom or someone else that is fashion savvy to do my clothes shopping."

"Excellent. I can hardly wait."

I left the room with the dresser being very excited. It was moving. I went back in.

"Does anything else in the room want to move?"

"Nah, I'm good," my toy box responded. "I'm hoping that your parents will have another child to play with me."

"Me too," responded the desk.

"Okie dokie," I shut the door again.

"Who are you talking to?" Ba'al asked. He was suddenly standing in the hallway.

"My furniture."

"Do you always talk to your furniture?"

"Only the enchanted stuff." I walked past him to the living room. No need to tell him I was bringing home a talking dresser when I moved back to the condo. I figured that was a secret I could keep with my mother.

"That is an interesting outfit."

"Yeah, the dresser picked it out," I admitted as I sat down on the couch.

"The dresser picks out your clothes?"

"That one does. My mom bought some new clothes and put them inside it a while ago. It picked out what I was going to wear. That's why the drawers wouldn't open. It doesn't like my fashion sense."

"You know that means there's a soul inside, right?"

"Yep and it would like to stay there. There are souls in the toy box and desk too, and they are hoping my parents have another child that will use them."

"You have a soul in your spell book, a soul in your dresser, one in the toy box, and one in the desk?"

"I also have one in a microwave, but it's a lot like the one in the spell book, so I have it in storage at the condo. It lives in the computer room closet with chains around it so it can't talk or move."

"And they don't mind?"

"It would appear that for Witches, being brought into an inanimate object is a form of immortality. My dresser was once a Great Witch who was killed around the time of the Elder War."

"Really?" He thought for a moment. "Why do they like to be pulled into inanimate objects?"

"I don't think it's true of all souls, just a select few. My dresser says his soul was in limbo before I pulled him into the dresser, he prefers to be the selector of my wardrobe."

"Just when I thought your life had reached the climax of weirdness, I learn that you not only enchant objects, you pull souls into them."

"Yep, but I'm used to that, so it isn't weird."

"It's nearly lunchtime," Ba'al stood up.

"The day is going by really fast."

"You were talking to your dresser for a long time. I was coming to check on you when I found you talking to your furniture."

"Oh, that explains it. I don't think time passes normally in that room either."

"Just how much magic is in that room?"

"Well," I looked around the room, "I know that when other magic touches it, it tends to glow like a freaking Aladdin Lamp."

"There is residual magic in it all the time?"

"I used to cast spells in my sleep. When my brother Nick was an infant, he grew a tail because I was taking a nap and dreamed he had a tail. There was a reason for my parents building the room. My mom says I'm better at casting when I'm asleep than when I'm awake, and that magic can't leave the room, so it has just built up over time. Lots of it."

"Brenna," Ba'al shook his head, "I don't even know where to begin."

"It isn't that odd, lots of the Great Houses have special rooms. Some Witches are just like that. My mom knew how to build my room because she had to have one as a child. I understand that when her mom died and the house was torched, the room still had so much magic in it that it wouldn't burn. It's hidden on the complex and can't be entered."

"Your mother's old bedroom is somewhere on the grounds of this place?"

"Yep, out in one of the fields. My father had it buried before I was born."

"Must be another Witch secret."

"Probably." I followed him into the kitchen.

"You can watch TV or something while I fix lunch."

"What are you fixing?"

"Tacos."

"I love Mexican." I left the room. I checked my email. It was full of junk and a few messages from 'friends' wishing me well during the Maturing. I played a video game for a while, but I was still essentially bored. There is something dreadful and distracting about waiting to be attacked.

Three days passed in that fashion with nothing happening. We played cards, ate, slept, played more cards, ate, and slept. The Overlords slept in shifts of about six hours each. I was sleeping close to twelve hours a day. Anything less than that and I found myself falling asleep in the afternoon. They kept telling me this was normal, but it didn't feel normal.

The evening of the fourth day, my shoulder was still sore and showed Ba'al's bite marks. We had dinner as usual, this time it was fixed by Fenrir. His idea of food was just as elaborate as the rest and it was just as tasty. I had become accustomed to eating several small meals and a couple of big meals throughout the day. Snacking as needed when I would occasionally lose control of this or that power.

I had just finished showering and dressing when the Harpies attacked. I had never seen a Harpy, wasn't sure what was swooping down on us until someone shouted it. They were ugly buggers.

I wielded the Strachan Claymore in battle for the first time that night. It didn't require much training because it seemed to do the work itself. It cleaved through the Harpy as it screamed down at me from the sky. The head rolled across the ground. It was impressive.

Seventeen attacked. Seventeen died. They had come through the large, two story window in the living room, crashing into the marble floor. I don't think they were prepared for the house or the protective spells that were cast upon it. I went to bed with scratches and a few bruises, but some part of me was elated that even as a mortal, I had handled the situation well.

The Overlords called in the guard to clean up the mess. By morning, the blood was gone. The bodies were gone. The large window in the living room had been replaced. You couldn't even tell that they had been there, except for the giant pyre burning in the backyard and the smell of cooking bodies.

"That was unexpected," Anubis said to me in the morning.

"What?" I gobbled down a donut and a glass of milk.

"Harpies," Anubis frowned. The others were still sleeping. "Harpies rarely do the bidding of others. They are normally only concerned about keeping away from Dragons."

"Well..." I shrugged.

"Not necessarily," Alex was eating with us, "they can be enticed. A little Vampire Blood goes a long way towards tempting a Harpy."

"Vampire Blood?" I frowned.

"Harpies get high off the stuff. Any animal can be convinced to do something in exchange for food or drugs. Harpies aren't exactly the brightest things on the planet, but they understand the promise of good blood." He was eating bacon and eggs.

"I should read my book," I suddenly remembered the 'Island Creatures' book that was somewhere in my room. It was basically a field guide to everything that lived on the Island that wasn't a breed of Elder. I was pretty sure Harpies were covered.

"So, you have something to do today," Anubis said as if it were a relief.

"I suppose I do." I finished breakfast, went to my room, found the book, and returned to a nice cozy spot that I was wearing down in the couch. At lunchtime, I was only on the letter B. The book seemed to be growing longer as I read it. There was a page dedicated to each animal with a small colored drawing of it in the corner.

"How's the reading?"

"Interesting. Is the book magic?"

"Nope, you just don't realize that you are reading an encyclopedia until you get through a letter or two."

That explained a lot. After lunch, I actually looked at the book. I was used to reading large, hardback books. This was no different. The page number on the last animal said 3,541. That was a lot of stuff to read. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to finish it by the end of the Maturing.

Our dinner conversation consisted of three sentences.

"Have you moved to the next letter?"

"Nope, still on B."

"Yeah, there are a lot of them."

After dinner, I went back to reading in the living room. I was finishing up the letter B when Anubis hit the book to get my attention.

"What?" I asked, looking up from his hand.

"How late are you planning on staying up?"

"I intend to finish B and start C before going to bed."

"How much more of B do you have?"

"Three animals. Blitzers, bliwys and bzezers," I said very carefully pronouncing the words.

"They are all extinct, you can skip them," he told me.

"Wait, some of these are extinct?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since the book was updated."

"Now you tell me." I rolled my eyes and closed the book. "I'm going to start asking before I read the entire page."

"Okay," Anubis was shuffling the deck of cards. "We intend to play poker for a while, want to join?"

Alex and Jonathan had been in the house all day. They were sitting at the table in the dining room when I entered. Anubis was still shuffling the cards.

"She has lost control of all but the most basic of her powers, I don't think she can cheat anymore," Anubis announced.

"That would be good." Gabriel winked at me.

"So the only reason I get a spot at the table is because I can't cheat?" I asked them.

"Pretty much," Alex was grinning. "How is the reading coming?"

"Oh, it would have gone better if I had known there were extinct creatures in the book."

"They did that to me, too." Alex shrugged.

"Me too," Jonathan looked at me. "I think it's a rite of passage or something. How far did you get before they told you some were extinct?"

"I was finishing B."

"Better than me," Jonathan grinned. "I was on J when Anubis told me."

"I was on H when dad broke the news," Alex told me.

"Bastards," I smiled.

"Pretty much," Anubis shuffled one last time. "Texas Hold-Em, straight poker, we aren't playing with a bunch of fucking wild cards and weird shit like that."

"Fine with me," I said. The cards were passed. I was dealt a pair of kings. I bet accordingly. Anubis and Fenrir called, but everyone else folded. The flop gave me another king, a ten, and a two. The turn brought another ten. Anubis went all in, I called, Fenrir folded.

Anubis was burning the final card when the door crashed down in the living room. Ba'al grabbed hold of me, wrapped me up, and we all sprinted towards the room.

"That is unexpected." Anubis yelled. There was a very loud growling noise that included some strange hissing sounds. Whatever it was, it sounded big. I pulled the Claymore and nearly cut Ba'al with it. He let me go.

There was a beast in the doorway. There was no real way to describe it. It almost looked like a dog, but it had horns, whiskers, and webbed feet. It was growling, snarling, and hissing.

"Chimera," Ba'al yelled. "You haven't made it to C. Go for the eyes."

"No, Chimeras," Jonathan yelled. "They are circling the house. Surrounding us."

"Each will look significantly different and they can shape shift," Fenrir yelled.

"Goody," I yelled back taking a defensive position.

"The roof, we need to get outside before they have us completely blocked in," Gabriel yelled. He and Ba'al sprinted for the stairs, opening their wings as they went.

"The eyes!" Alex yelled again. They were shifting as they stood in front of me. Fenrir was pure wolf. Alex was not. His mother was a tigress and a few other things. He was larger than a tiger and had orange eyes and gold pupils. Fenrir growled. Alex bellowed. The noise was akin to my father's growl. It was low, deep, and full of bass that could be felt more than heard.

"There are at least ten of them," Gabriel yelled from somewhere unseen. "We are going to need help."

"Brenna, call Demonnation, we will need healers when this is over." Anubis took hold of my arm. I closed my eyes and concentrated but nothing happened.

"I can't." I told him.

"You have to break through the spells of the Chimeras. Concentrate harder," he told me. The Chimera at the front door was smashing his way inside. He was larger than any Elder was. He was too big for the doorframe. His body smashed against it again and again. The door began to splinter.

"Brenna, you have to call Demonnation," Anubis said, as he left my side heading for the intruder. "Take him out."

Fenrir and Alex both lunged forward. Anubis and Jonathan were at their side. Jonathan was in Vampire form. His teeth were impressively long and tore into the flesh of the Chimera. Fenrir and Alex were going at him with teeth and fangs. Anubis was using his long muzzle and sharp teeth to attack.

My mind was screaming at me to do something. I focused all of my energy and found that I still couldn't send out the Call. I thought for a moment.

"Move!" I yelled to the men attacking the beast. "Run!"

"What?" Anubis turned to look at me and realized what I was about to do just in time. He grabbed Fenrir and Alex, jerking them from the beast. They took chunks of flesh with them. Jonathan leapt from the animal, moving behind me. I reached up and pulled. I hoped that my tiny horns had the same effect as other Demons when broken.

They did. It snapped. The pain was excruciating. I fell to my knees, but managed to bow my head. The fire slammed into the Chimera and it let out a sound that made my blood run cold. As the fire bathed the Chimera, the spell broke. I pushed the thought with my mind. _Chimeras, I told Demonnation, healers needed, come fast._ I felt it break through the flimsy magic of the burning Chimera. Felt it float into the wind above him.

The fire died, as I stood back up with blood pouring from the wounded horn. The Chimera was on his knees, but another was ready to take his place. I ran forward with the Claymore. It found home, entering the eye with a wet squishing sound. I felt the blade hit the bone behind the socket, smash through, and enter the brain. It died without a sound

As I pulled the Claymore back towards me, something pulled the Chimera from the doorway and it was hauling it out by its tail. Another was moving in to take its place.

"Another one," I yelled. "I don't think I can do any more horn damage. The Call has gone out."

I moved back and went to one knee. Fire erupted again from the top of my head. The blood stopped flowing. It was cauterizing itself. I opened my mind. I was unable to fight as a Demon, but I still had some Witch powers that I could control. First thing I noticed was the amount of magic flowing out from the animals. It was pale yellow and it completely enveloped them.

"They have protective spells on them." I said.

"All Chimera do. They have the ability to cast a few other spells as well," Anubis shouted. A fireball entered the room. It whizzed past me, singeing my clothing as it did.

"That one of them?" I asked.

"Yep," someone yelled back.

"I can fight that." I stood again, stared at the Chimera, daring it to send another. It did as I wanted. The fire rushed forward towards me. I put up a shield of power and sent it back. It slammed into the Chimera, pushing it back towards the entrance. The Chimera shook its head. It was enough. The retaliation had confused it. Anubis grabbed hold of its head and sank his powerful jaws into its throat. It slashed out, caught Alex with one large clawed paw, and tossed him across the room. He fell with a thud and didn't move. Fenrir howled and attacked from the other side. They were opening veins. The blood was flowing heavier, faster.

Jonathan came into view. He was quicker than lightning. His long nails entered the eye and pushed until his entire arm was buried in it. Thick white fluid began to pour from it. I heard the bone crack as the socket broke and Jonathan nearly fell forward, his arm entering the soft squishy brain. He pulled out a chunk of it. Anubis and Fenrir pulled back as the second Chimera fell to the ground. Its life gone.

"How many more?" Anubis yelled.

"How many have you killed?" Gabriel yelled back.

"Two."

"We've managed to kill one. The guards are on the way from the guesthouse. When the first Chimeras protective spell broke, Ba'al sent out the Call. Gargoyles should be arriving soon. If you can find the next leader and kill it, I can call the Angels. I didn't have time earlier."

"Fenrir," I yelled. He turned his big wolf head towards me. "Do you think you can call, as well as shift using the mark?"

"Buy us some time," I yelled to the others, "shift them and send the Call. Do you understand?"

The wolf nodded his large head as blood was dripped from his teeth. I tore at my shirt and flung the material onto the floor. Fenrir used his claw to remove my bra. The mark was glowing a pale blue. He nuzzled it. It brought a howl from his lips and drew a bellow from Alex, who was still on the ground.

"Did it work?" Anubis yelled.

"I don't know, I think so," I yelled back. The noise was deafening. Another Chimera was beating itself against the wall. It was unable to break it or break the silver and the spells.

"They learn quickly, I hope it worked." Jonathan said.  
Something smashed through the picture window again. I turned expecting to see a Chimera but saw Gabriel instead. He was bleeding profusely from a line of claw marks on his chest. There was a bite mark that encircled most of his head.

"How long, Brenna?" Someone asked.

"I don't know! I don't know that it worked. I didn't get a response from Demonnation. I don't know for sure that they got the Call."

John the Demon came through the broken window. He was holding what appeared to be a falchion.

"John, did you feel the Call?" I asked.

"Only faintly, I heard the din." He looked around. "There are thirty of them out there."

"Heal Gabriel," I ordered him. "Forget about the fight. Heal Gabe and then Alex. We need them desperately."

Fenrir nuzzled my back. In his mouth was a zip front hoody. I took it from him and zipped into it.

"Thirty of them!" Anubis shouted. "Where the fuck did thirty Chimeras come from? How the hell did they get here?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "They are here."

Another one gave that strange death cry. It was outside. I chalked it up to Ba'al. John was leaning over Gabriel, healing his wounds.

"We are going to need a lot more Demons, John."

"We are going to have to defeat the Chimera first I think," John told me. "With their protective spells, it is nearly impossible to send out a Call."

"Well fuck," I yelled, picking up the sword. I dashed towards the door. "Instead of waiting for them to come to us, I say we go to them."

"There are thirty of them. That's suicide," Gabriel groaned.

"What the hell are these things?" I asked. "No, tell me after they are dead."

"I suggest we do some magic of our own," Anubis looked at me. "I suggest you stand back."

"Stand back where?"

"Oh, away," Anubis said. "Jonathan, get her to a safe distance."

"Yeah, right," Jonathan gave him a look, "there isn't a safe distance."

"Fine," Anubis seemed to pause and think. "John, move next to her. Heal her if she gets hit with this."

"Hit with what?" John asked.

"This," Anubis opened his wrist and tossed blood towards the charging Chimera. It sizzled on his skin. Anubis ran forward, met it face to face, grabbed hold of its whiskers in one hand, and shoved his wrist into the mouth. The Chimera drank his blood and fell into a stupor. It didn't die, just passed out. Jonathan did as Anubis had done, but he didn't use his hands, he used his mouth.

He came out bloody and covered in brain matter. I squelched the urge to vomit. Anubis looked at John. John went to him, grabbed hold, and healed the bleeding wrist.

"I can't do all of this alone," John said. His eyes fluttered for a second. "Too much magic involved. I'm going to need a lot more Demons."

The sound of wings was filling the air. I looked towards the window.

"Can they shape shift into flying beings?" I asked.

"No," Anubis told me.

"Then the Gargoyles are arriving. I need to be outside. It isn't just the Chimeras blocking the Call. It's all the protective spells on the house." I looked around and dashed through the window before anyone could stop me.

I was face to face with a snarling Chimera. I opened my mind again, pushed pure energy, as much as I could into its mouth. It glowed orange. The Chimera yelped and backed away for a moment. A moment was all I needed. I sent the Call.

"I'd say it worked that time," John yelled to me.

I could also hear running through the woods. How many more Chimeras could there be? I shuddered as the one I had injured came at me again. I stepped to the side, letting the Claymore do its thing. It went easily into the skull, slicing through to the brain and down through the bottom of its neck. The head fell off.

"That's only eight and we still haven't found the leader," Ba'al screamed at us. "Get your ass back inside the house, Brenna."

The sky was becoming much darker. The sound of wings grew much stronger. I was starting to see the outlines of flying creatures in the sky.

The first one landed on the roof. I recognized his outline. It was Marcus.

"Tell me that's Pack running towards us," I yelled to him.

"Zombies," he yelled back, "five, maybe six hundred of them."

"What?" I yelled as Fenrir grabbed me by the back of my pants with his teeth and pulled me indoors.

"Did he say 500 Zombies?" Jonathan yelled.

"Yes," I thought for a second. Fenrir looked at me funny.

"We are going to need a lot more help." Jonathan lunged at the incoming Chimera.

"Zombies are dead right, bodies without souls?"

"They live only to eat flesh, no souls," Anubis told me as the Chimera charged at the doorway a second time. "Any fire spells you know would be handy, Brenna."

"I don't do fire spells and I don't have any more horns to break off. I am an enchantress. I bring souls into things, I touch the spirits of nature and..." I stopped and thought a little more, an idea popped into my head.

"I need five, no ten minutes!" I shouted and dashed down the hall. I grabbed the spell book from Hell and headed towards the basement.

"Oh, it's you," Ezra said.

"Look, I need a spell. Something to enchant the woods, make them eat Zombies."

"You say the sweetest things to me."

"This is important." I was in the basement. Fenrir at my side. "Go back and help them."

The wolf looked at me once, made a complicated gesture and left. I tossed the book on the ground.

"Zombies, trees," I told it.

"No such thing." Ezra was glaring at me.

"Really, or are you just pissed that I tossed you onto the floor."

"Well, I am pissed, but there really isn't such a thing."

"Okay, is there anything to help fight Zombies? We are going to be attacked by 500 or so of them and we could do with a little help."

"I'd say we are all screwed. Think they care whether I have flesh or not? Nope, I talk, so in their minds, I'm food."

"Ezra, can you think of anything?"

"Nope." The book closed its eyes.

"Fuck," I slammed my hands into the dirt floor basement. Another thought came to me. I might be able to wake the spirits in the trees. They would go for Zombies surely, all that flesh, decaying, great fertilizer. If the spirits of the woods could smell that...

# Chapter Nineteen

I concentrated, sending energy into the earth. I could feel the magic flickering. I didn't have a spell to cast or ingredients to mix. All I had was power, and it didn't seem to be reliable. I sent another surge. It hit the earth and traveled out. Nothing. I needed more. I desperately needed more magic. I looked around the room for anything and found only the book.

"Ezra, how do I get more magic? Mine is fading with the Maturing."

"I don't know. More Witches would be my guess."

"Thanks, you're so helpful." I was nearly in tears. I could hear the zombies now. Not just their feet but also their voices. They were getting a lot closer.

I unzipped the jacket and touched the mark. It glowed a faint blue color. It had worked for Fenrir, maybe it would work for me. I pushed on it as hard as I could and felt it start to bring magic together. It was filling me up. I pushed until I thought I would explode from it. I slammed both hands into the ground, willed the power into the earth, and felt a tree come alive.

I repeated the process, pushed more magic into the ground. A couple of more lumbering giants awoke. They shook themselves. Their leaves rattling noisily. I could feel them and hear them somewhere in my mind. Suddenly, the mark made sense. I dealt with spirit magic and the mark amplified the magic of the soul. It called out the Demon and I felt myself pulling in even more magic. I pushed it into the earth. Someone upstairs began running. Their feet hit the floor with amazingly loud thuds. They were coming in my direction. I pushed more magic into the earth and felt more trees wake up.

"Brenna, the trees are moving. They are tearing themselves from the ground. Any suggestions?" It was Jonathan.

"Get everyone inside. I'm waking up the spirits in the trees, and bring me an Overlord. Morgana would be great, but if she isn't here, Ba'al."

"Uh, right." I felt another surge of power fill me. I emptied it into the ground. The grass became alive.

"Brenna, whatever you're doing, keep it up." Ba'al's voice came to me from the top of the stairs.

"Get down here, I need more magic." I told him.

"For what?"

"For whatever I'm doing." I yelled at him. He came and sat down next to me. I touched him. I felt his energy begin to fill me. I touched the mark and felt it increase by a thousand. I screamed with the pain of it and shoved it into the earth. I collapsed. I couldn't do anymore. It had worked. The trees surrounding the house were alive. They were moving. They weren't souls, but spirits of the living. I had awoken them. My mother would be so proud.

"Brenna, we need you up here," Marcus called from the doorway.

"Not happening," I was exhausted. Suddenly, I wondered how the fuck I was going to put them back to sleep. "Oh fuck, I really need some Fey. I really need Morgana."

"As long as there are Chimeras, there is no electricity," Ba'al told me.

"I can't put the trees back to sleep. I don't have the energy it's going to require. I think when they finish with the zombies; we are going to have a whole bunch of living trees trying to eat us."

"Maybe they will be full after the zombies."

"I don't think trees get full."

"Probably right," Ba'al stood up, lifted me, hefted me into his arms, and we went upstairs.

The living room was crowded. There were probably fifty or sixty Gargoyles, all the guards, and the four Overlords. Everyone seemed to be bleeding. John was running around like a mad man trying to assess damage.

"The trees are eating the Zombies," Anubis looked at me, "and the Chimera are now concerned with tearing apart the trees."

"Great." That sort of solved a problem or two.

"Eventually, something is going to win," Anubis told me. "I don't think Demonnation can get to us. I think we are cut off."

"We need The Fey," I told him as Ba'al sat me down.

"We really need The Fey and their Earth Magic," I repeated to no one specific.

"On it," Marcus flew out the window. The others took flight after him. He was going to need help. Trees were grabbing for him and Chimeras were shooting balls of fire at him. There was chaos outside. This was the problem with uncontrolled magic.

"While the plan was brilliant, it could have been thought out a little better," Gabriel said. He was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. New wounds were on his body.

"I was winging it." I told him, trying not to sound too snide considering the extent of his injuries.

"I believe Demonnation has arrived," Anubis said as he peeked out one of the windows.

"That's useful," I walked over and joined him. There was an orange glow over the trees and smoke above it. The Chimeras were moving, ignoring the moving trees. They were flanking the front of the house. Something inside me was hoping that Demonnation was prepared.

The Chimeras had their backs to us. Ignoring us. I looked at Anubis for answers.

"Beats me," he shrugged. "Everything seems to be ignoring us at the moment. I don't know why."

"As long as we are all in the dark," I whispered, thinking that if the Chimeras heard us, they might remember we existed.

"Literally, we are in the dark," Gabriel said from behind us. "I'm keeping the lights on."

"Interesting," I responded. "What do you think they are doing?"

"I think they have a mission and the arrival of Demonnation doesn't help their cause," Gabriel said. "If we can get Demonnation and the Gargoyles, we might have a chance."

"Oh goody, when are the Gargoyles coming back?" I asked.

"Considering they went to fetch The Fey," Ba'al shrugged.

"I think they are getting closer." Anubis pointed. The flames were now visible over the trees and the Chimeras were starting to howl to one another.

"Doesn't matter, Demonnation is getting a lot closer. We are going to have to attack from the rear," Anubis said. "Do you think you can handle this?"

"Sure, I have some skills. I woke up the trees didn't I?" I was actually quaking in my boots. Chimeras, Zombies, and trees, seemed like a lot of ways to die.

We could now hear whoever was leading Demonnation. His voice was loud and booming. It was my uncle, not Beezel but Levi. If I had to pick a favorite bloodline uncle, Levi was it.

Anubis grabbed me and pulled me out through the damaged door.

"Turn up the flames, stoke the fires," Levi yelled. I could just make out his shadow. The Chimeras were unhappy. They were growling and howling to one another.

"Mortal!" Levi shouted as he saw me. "I will be really pissed if you flambé my niece!"

I didn't react to Levi's shout. I was at the back of one of the large beast. I swung the Claymore. It did what it wanted to do and cleaved easily through the tail. The tail twitched on the ground. The Chimera turned on me. He growled in my face, close enough to spit on me. I hefted the Claymore again. The Chimera moved back and away from me.

It spit on me, growled, and lunged. The Claymore hit bone, went through, and brought out a single fang from the mouth of the creature. Fire blasted the Chimera from behind.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Levi was suddenly at my side. One hand was throwing flames at the Chimera, the other was grabbing for me.

"Fighting." I huffed at him.

"Fucking mortals," he wrapped an arm around my waist and tossed me backwards as if I was made of feathers. I hit the ground with an audible thud and just lay there for a few moments. The Chimera was lunging again. Levi seemed ready for it. He shot more flames, this time from both hands and drove his long horns into the creature's head.

The Chimera fell to the ground. It gave a final whine and a twitch before it stopped moving. Levi was on me then, grabbing hold, and jerking me off the ground. He dashed into the house.

"What on earth?" He just looked at the doorway and missing window.

"It's been a long day." As I spoke, a tree thudded against the wall of the house, its leafy branches coming in the window.

"Obviously. How did the trees come to life? I don't see any Fey."

"I did it. I'm an enchantress as well as a Demon." I reminded him.

"And you thought it was a good idea?"

"They are eating Zombies, so yeah I thought it was a good idea."

"Trees eating Zombies, that's a new one on me."

"Me too," I shrugged. "It was all I could think of."

"Fire works best on the nasty buggers."

"I have no Demon powers at the moment, and fire was never in my skill set anyway."

"None at all?"

"None that seem to be working today."

"That sucks," Levi stretched. "I was hoping for some help with the healing process. We are going to have a lot of injured."

"I think once the Zombies and Chimera are gone, we are going to have a problem with the trees."

"Why?"

"Oh, I think they might try to eat us when all the dead flesh is gone. I shoved a lot of magic into the ground and had no spells to use."

"Why don't you just put them back?"

"I'm sort of out of magic." I shrugged again. "I put all I had into the ground. It's going to take a miracle to get enough to put the spirits of the trees back to sleep. The Gargoyles are currently out fetching The Fey, but..."

"We have time. It's going to take us forever to kill these damn Chimera. We'll also need to mop up the Zombies that are left."

"They don't seem that hard."

"That's because they haven't even started yet."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that for all of those that are only about half dead, they are going to come back bigger and badder."

"Half dead?"

"Yeah, like the one I just killed. He is going to wake up pissed as hell."

"As long as there's something to look forward to..." I frowned. "Shouldn't you be out there helping?"

"Shouldn't someone be protecting you?" He frowned at me. "I don't know what Anubis was thinking letting you out to face Chimeras."

"He was thinking she has a sword and we need the help." Anubis came back into the house.

"Still, sending a mortal to face a Chimera?" Levi looked at him doubtfully.

"She is capable of handling herself and I wouldn't have sent her if I had thought otherwise."

"I find it unlikely that she is capable of handling a bunch of Chimeras and Zombies. Even with Demon magic, Chimeras are a pain in the ass to kill," Levi retorted.

"Chimeras are a pain, but they can be killed. Easier than some of the other things, she might have to face. Had it been Wyverns or Dragons, I would have locked her away somewhere. Since it wasn't..."

"Not acceptable." Levi shook his head.

"I'm in charge of her guard, not you." Anubis raised his voice.

"And how many Calls got made when they attacked? Just hers?" Levi raised his voice.

"We all sent Calls. Three, maybe four went out, including Demonnation." Anubis was now shouting.

"Is this productive? We have a whole bunch of badass monsters outside trying to kill us and you two are fighting amongst yourselves." I pointed out.

"Butt out, Brenna," Levi spat the words at me.

"No, no, no," I responded, "this is so not happening. Do not tell me what to do. I'm a Demon and I'm not just some weakly little Demon, I'm Brenna Strachan, Demon Lieutenant, and Daughter of Lucifer. I am also a Great Witch and Daughter of Elise Strachan. I'm the second most powerful Witch in the world. I will not be treated like some child meant to be handled with kid gloves. This is just as much my fight as anyone else's. More so when you consider it is I that is Maturing."

"This is bad," Anubis frowned at Levi, "she doesn't seem to do so well when she is angry."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we should either calm her down or back away." Anubis looked at me.

"Don't start with me, Ani. I am not in the mood. I have had a really bad fucking day and the two of you are making it that much worse. Like it isn't enough that we have all this shit to deal with, oh no, the two of you want to fight in the middle of it. Now you want me to calm down. I'm not allowed to have emotions or react to anything you guys do. I'm just supposed to sit down, shut up, and stay out of the way. It doesn't work like that."

The energy was starting to grow. I could feel it expanding inside of me, turning into magic. Anubis was probably right. I did need to calm down, but I was tired of being calm. I was tired of just sitting around and waiting for shit to happen to me.

"Bre..."

"Uh-uh, Uncle, you aren't off the hook either. I sent the Call because we needed help. We, plural, not me, but a large group of us. I did what I had to do before you arrived, and if that meant waking up the spirits of some fucking trees to eat a few goddamn Zombies, then so be it. Was it stupid? Probably. Can I fix it? Probably not, but I know someone who can and they are currently on their way. So, back the fuck off me. I realize I'm mortal and I get it. I have the fucking bite mark to prove it. Does that mean that I can just sit back and watch as others try to defend me? No, it doesn't. I'm not built that way. How could you even expect it of me?"

It was too late and I knew it. All the anger and frustration was getting to me. The magic was strong, stronger than I could contain and I knew it. So did Levi and Anubis. They began to back away from me. I closed my eyes, tried to squelch it, tried to send it back down and make it disappear.

"This is going to be bad," Anubis ran out the door. I could feel him running in my mind. Levi was with him. They were both shouting orders. I didn't know to whom they were shouting at and I didn't think it mattered. All that mattered was the magic. The energy had to be released. It wanted to be released.

The world around me became more chaotic. I didn't know what was about to happen. My last coherent thought was, "God, forgive me."

I felt it leave me. I felt the shockwave of the magic as it hit the protective spells and burst through them. I could see it. It was green. It raced towards the world and I couldn't stop it. The spells on the house couldn't stop it.

The magic fields surrounding the Chimeras shattered. I watched their magic be absorbed by my own. It grew stronger and wilder somehow.

The world slowed down and then stilled. Nothing seemed to move. I frowned. I was less angry. Anger replaced by pure terror. I didn't know what the magic would do, only that I couldn't control it.

"Brenna," it was Gabriel's voice, "I know you couldn't control that, but I don't think you helped our cause."

His body was completely healed. Dried blood decorated his clothing. Holes were still visible in them, but no more blood ran through the holes and the skin beneath was unmarred.

I looked out into the world in front of me. The chaos had stopped. Nothing was moving. The Chimera that had been lying on the ground in front of my parents' door was on its feet and staring at me. It didn't have a scratch on it.

"Oh fuck," I lowered my head and waited for it to charge. I hadn't just healed the Elders; I had also healed the Chimeras.

It didn't charge. It didn't move. It stood frozen.

"Well? He isn't moving." I told Gabriel.

"True, I'm not sure why he isn't moving." Gabriel returned my frown. "He seems confused."

"Maybe you should try to kill it now."

"It's illegal to kill a Chimera if it isn't attacking. There are less than 100 of them left in the world."

"The Elder version of an endangered species." I nodded once. The Chimera mimicked the gesture. "What's it doing?"

"I don't know. It appears to be nodding at you."

"Wondering if I taste good with bar-be-cue sauce?"

"Nah, they don't like spicy food or fire. They prefer to eat raw meat."

"He still isn't charging. Earlier, they couldn't wait to get in. Now, he is just staring at us."

"I think it's still confused. I doubt it's ever been healed by a Demon before. Usually, when Elders and Chimeras cross paths, one of them is severely injured."

"What do I do?" I stepped further back from the doorway. The Chimera stepped one step forward.

"I don't know. He seems to be focused on you though. Do something interesting."

"Like what?" I turned to look at Gabriel. Levi and Anubis came into the room. They skirted the Chimera without a problem. They were no longer snarling, growling, and howling.

"I don't know, anything," Gabriel said as they came into the house.

"The Chimeras have completely stopped fighting, which is good since they are completely healed." Anubis told me.

"Gabe thinks they are confused."

"You healed all of them. It is a confusing situation. You should be the enemy," Levi told me.

"And I'm not because I healed them?" I frowned harder.

"You frown a lot," Anubis said.

"Do you think that's relevant at the moment?"

"Just an observation." He shrugged. I shrugged back.

The Chimera attempted to shrug. It looked weird and wrong, but it was still a shrug of sorts. I frowned so hard I thought my face would break.

"It's mimicking me."

"I don't think they are smart enough to use that as an attack ploy," Anubis told me.

"Okay, but why is it mimicking me?"

"Are you sure that's what it's doing?" Gabriel asked.

"No, but I think it is. It shrugged."

"Do something complex and interesting and we'll see if it tries to do it." Gabriel pushed me forward. The Chimera bulled up.

"Uh," I swallowed hard.

"I think it was a reaction to my pushing you forward, not you stepping forward. I won't touch you with it standing there. I think it likes you."

"You think it likes me? Perhaps we should test that out some way other than me stepping forward and petting it. I don't want to be dinner."

I waved at it. It was the only thing I could think to do besides breaking the other horn and shooting fire at it. It picked up one huge paw and waved back.

"The Chimera waved at you," Anubis said from behind me.

"I waved first," I told him. "Think that's a good thing? I wave, it waves?"

"Never seen one do it," Anubis told me.

"Okie dokie then, so, we think it's a good thing?"

"Yeah, we think it is," Levi answered.

"What do I do now?"

"Ask it to leave?" Anubis said.

"Okay," I took a step forward, the Chimera didn't move. "I'm sorry, but do you think you could leave? You are making a mess of the house and lawn."

The Chimera cocked its head to the side. I took a deep breath.

"Do Chimeras speak English?" I asked.

"Not a clue," Levi answered.

"What do we know about them?"

"They are carnivores and they like to eat Elders from time to time. When they aren't trying to digest us, they eat Wyverns, Sirens, Harpies, fish, or anything else they can catch."

"Not helpful."

"They have their own magic."

"Also, not helpful." I took another step forward. The Chimera lay down on the ground, his large eyes staring at me. "If it eats me, I'm going to be unhappy."

I took six steps and found myself at the doorway. The Chimera was still laying on the ground, making itself as small as possible, so roughly the size of a mountain. I took another step. It gave a small sigh that nearly made me jump out of my skin.

For several seconds, I stood, indecisive. Should I take the next couple of steps or not? If I didn't and we went back to trying to kill them, it would be bad if they no longer meant us harm. If I did and it ate me, that would suck. I held my breath and stepped forward.

It didn't move as I touched its nose. He looked at me with his big eyes and just sat there. I made an attempt to find a way to pet him without being close enough for him to eat me. Since it seemed to be mutually exclusive, I sucked it up and took the final step.

He didn't eat me. He nuzzled into my hand. Drool began to fall from his lips. He gave a low, deep groan that might have been a moan. The other Chimeras reacted by lying down. The Elders didn't move, they just stood there and watched as I petted it.

"Okay, I know you probably don't understand me, but we have a tree and Zombie problem. Would you be willing to help?"

It huffed out a breath that moved my hair. It sat for a few more moments, nuzzling my hand before standing up. It gave a low cry that I hadn't heard before. The other Chimeras moved to their feet. The Elders took up position.

"Don't attack," Levi yelled.

The Chimera looked at me. I looked back.

"Please don't eat me," I finally said and closed my eyes.

"Zombies bad," the thought popped into my mind from nowhere. I looked around for a Djinn and failed to find one. My attention turned to the Chimera.

"Was that you?" I asked it.

"Zombies bad, kill Zombies. Help Demon." The thoughts were simple, yet perfect.

"Thank you," I told it.

"Trees not sure about."

"We'll deal with the trees and you deal with the Zombies."

"You not hurt us?"

"I promise the Elders here will not hurt you anymore."

"Who are you talking to?" Anubis asked.

"I think I am talking to the Chimera," I yelled back over my shoulder.

"Yes." The thought was just there.

"Okay, I know I am talking to the Chimera."

"Gregorian."

"Is that your name?" I asked it.

"Yes."

"Gregorian, will you help us with the Zombies?"

"Yes. Demon good. Demon heal. Gregorian lied to."

"You were sent here to kill me because you were told I was bad?"

"Yes. Told Demon bad. Told Demon kill all animals on planet."

"I love animals, all animals. I'm sorry I killed your brethren."

"We attack you."

"Still," I shrugged again.

"You like Gregorian, you try to survive. We attack. You defend. You heal us."

"Why are Zombies bad?"

"Zombies not alive. Zombies not trying to survive. They just eat. They eat anything. They will eat my fallen. They will eat your fallen. You can't heal them. They not alive."

The other Chimeras were on the move. They were beating their way into the woods. They were battling the trees to do it. I hoped The Fey hurried. I didn't want to kill any more Chimeras.

"Gregorian stay here. Gregorian protect Demon. Gregorian not let Zombies eat it."

"Thank you, Gregorian; I appreciate you staying to protect me. Would you like to come inside? I think you will fit. You can come in the back where the glass is broken. More Elders are coming and they might not understand immediately that you are not trying to kill me. You will be safer inside with us."

"Demon invite inside?" He cocked his head again.

"Yes, I am inviting you inside, Gregorian. I am trying to help protect you as well."

"Other Elders not hurt Gregorian?"

"No, the others will not hurt you." I looked around. "The Chimeras are going to fight the Zombies. They are protected. No member of Demonnation may attack them."

I yelled the last loud enough to let every Demon near hear me.

Gregorian knelt down and looked inside.

"Gregorian does not think he will fit inside. It is small."

"It will be crowded, but you will fit."

"I will go tell the others," Ba'al was suddenly near me. "I will intercept Marcus and The Fey and tell them the Chimeras are helping us, not attacking us."

"Thank you, Beal." I touched his face lightly.

"Demon send messenger to protect us?"

"Yes, my name is Brenna, Gregorian."

"Demon is easier."

"Okay, Demon it is." I touched Gregorian. "Do you have any injuries I did not heal?"

"No. Demon heal them all."

Screams, moans, and bellows, began to come from the woods. I looked into them. Gregorian did as well.

"We find Zombies."

"Are they hurting you?"

"Zombies cannot kill Chimeras. We are too strong. We have magic."

"How did you get here?"

"Magic."

"Yours or someone else's?"

"Someone else's. Elder Magic."

"Do you know who?"

"No, Gregorian got message. Gregorian told Demon bad, will kill all animals. Gregorian told he must destroy Demon. Gregorian say he not know how. Gregorian told if he would pick the strongest Chimeras in his herd, magic would bring us to the Demon. Gregorian told Demon mortal and can die. We try to kill Demon. Demon fight. Demon's herd fights. Demon heals. Demon cannot be bad. Demon heal Chimera. Chimera never healed by Demon before."

"How did you get the message?"

"Magic."

"Oh," I frowned.

"You are not happy that Gregorian doesn't know." The Chimera hung his head a little.

"No, I am afraid that they will send other things to try to kill me. I am afraid they will send things that are less understanding than Chimeras to kill me."

"Gregorian can stay and protect you."

"You said you didn't think you could fit in the house."

"Gregorian can sleep outside, protect Demon."

"Thank you, Gregorian."

"But Demon does not want Gregorian to stay."

"No, I would very much like you to stay, but your herd needs you, and you are safer on the island. You are the leader of your herd?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a family? Children?"

"I have offspring. I have mate. Honoria is mate. She has Gregorian's offspring. Gregorian has three Chimera at home."

"Young or adult?"

"Young, still suckle."

"Oh, then you cannot stay here, Gregorian. You must go home. Honoria will need you and your babies will need you. Who will protect them from other animals and bad Elders if you are not there?"

"Gregorian, take Demon home. She play with offspring. Keep them all safe."

"I could not endanger your mate and wee ones, Gregorian, not to mention your entire herd. The Elders who want to kill me would not think anything of killing your entire herd and your children."

"Gregorian could eat them."

"You could, I'm sure. They wouldn't taste very good and they may send Dragons or something else to do the work. I don't know if Dragons eat Chimeras, but I do not want to take that chance. I would cry if a Dragon ate your babies."

"You cry for Chimera offspring?"

"Yes."

"Confusing, Demon. Why?"

"Because I believe all life, even that of an animal is special. They do not deserve to die just because we can kill them. When you leave tonight, I will cry because we killed so many Chimeras."

"You cry for animals?"

"I cry for animals, I do not like to see even the tiniest bird die. It is no less important to the world than an Elder or a Human."

"Demon believe that?"

"Yes, I do."

"Why they tell Gregorian you bad?"

"Because they are mean and want to kill me. They sent Chimeras because they do not think they can do it themselves. They sent Chimeras to kill me because they do not think Chimeras are important. If the attack had continued, we probably would have killed all of you. They wouldn't have thought anything of it. They would have planned their next attack with something just as dangerous."

"They use Chimera for magic and power."

"Yes, I'm sorry, Gregorian."

"Demon, if you find out who did it, will you tell Gregorian. Gregorian does not like to be used for evil."

"Yes, if I ever find out who did it, I will tell you Gregorian and you can get revenge for your fallen."

"Revenge bad Demon. It leads to death."

"I didn't mean to offend you, Gregorian. I did not realize that Chimeras thought revenge was bad."

"Revenge very bad. Revenge led to the death of many Chimera. The Zombies almost gone."

"You are talking to the other Chimeras?"

"Yes, they kill many Zombies. Zombies easy for Chimera to kill. Zombies burn."

"Gregorian, thank you again for your help. We will try to get you back to the Island, to your home and family as soon as we can. I do not know how magically to take you there though."

"Demon think of something. Demon smart. Demon nice. Demon concerned about Chimeras."

Wings began to sound overhead. Gregorian, the Chimera flinched, as he looked skyward. I followed his gaze. Wings and figures filled the air.

"No, Gregorian, they will not hurt you. I sent a Gargoyle to tell them not to."

"They do as you say?"

"No, but they do as the Overlords say, and the Gargoyle I sent was an Overlord."

"Demon friends with many Overlords. Demon daughter of Lucifer. Demon is powerful."

"Demon is working on becoming powerful and that is why some Elders want to kill me. They think that since I have magic, I am bad. They are afraid of me."

"Elders afraid of Chimeras. Chimeras have magic. Chimeras eat Elders that are bad."

"Only bad Elders?" This was an interesting piece of news.

"Yes, Chimeras see light around Elders. Light tells us if Elder is bad. If Elder is bad, we eat it."

"What color is the light if the Elder is bad?"

"Elders who are bad glow yellow. Elders who are good glow purple."

"What color do I glow?"

"Purple and blue."

"What about the Elders around me?"

"All purple." The Chimera made a face.

"What?"

"Gregorian should have known Elders were good. Glow purple. Not attack."

"We all make mistakes. We should have known that we could talk to you. If we had known, we might have been able to avoid the entire thing. You would not have attacked us and we would not have..." I spread my hands around me.

"They will live again." Gregorian told me.

"No, Gregorian, they are dead."

"Yes, bodies dead. Spirit born again when Chimera dies. Spirit born in new Chimera."

"You reincarnate?"

"We only breed when one Chimera dies. Babies take long time to grow up."

"How long?"

"Seven hundred years," Anubis answered.

"How did you know that's what I asked?"

"He is broadcasting to all of us now," Gabriel had taken a step forward.

"Gregorian, are you talking to all of us?"

"I talk to Demon, Angel, Vampire, Werewolf, and Gargoyle. Gargoyle in sky. Harder to talk to."

"Why us?"

"Demon, Angel, Vampire, Werewolf, and Gargoyle all glow purple and blue. Gregorian think that good thing. Gregorian never sees blue."

"We are all bound together," Gabriel said. "That could be what the blue is that you see."

"Gregorian think it is powerful magic." The Chimera nodded its head a few times with emphasis. "Chimeras have killed Zombies. Might be few left, hard to smell them with all the dead."

"Uh, Anubis, Gabriel," Morgana's voice came from behind me.

"It's okay, they are on our side." I told her without looking back. "Can you send them all back to the Island? And is there any way you can put some tree spirits back to sleep?"

"Judging by the house, it's been a long night," she said. "I won't ask for explanations just now."

"Is that a yes?" I asked, finally turning to look at her.

"Yes, I can help with both." Morgana walked towards me. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"They want to go back, their job is done. They killed the Zombies that were going to kill us." I shrugged.

"No, I meant, I'm going to have to touch them, is that all right?"

"Gregorian? The Fey will have to touch the Chimeras to send you back to the Island. Is that okay?"

"Yes," he sounded almost relieved that touching was the only thing involved.

"It's fine."

"The Chimera is talking to you?" She gave me a look.

"He's a telepath. My brother would have a blast," I told her.

"Not just her either," Anubis came to stand next to me. "He has been talking to all of us. It is a very long story, Morgana. We need to heal any wounded Chimeras and send them back to the Island. There may be a few extra Zombies still roaming around, but we can kill them easily enough. After that, once the trees are back asleep, I will explain."

"Sleep sounds good," I smiled. "It feels like it has been ages."

"Lots of magic." Gregorian looked at me.

"Too much magic," I told him. I moved close enough to touch him again. He lowered his giant jaw and placed it on the ground in front of me. "Thank you, Gregorian. I am in your debt and should you need anything of me, just ask. One day, I hope to see your offspring."

"I would like that, Demon." He nuzzled against my outstretched hand.

"She made friends with the Chimeras?" Morgana sounded stunned.

"And so much more," Anubis looked at me, "but that is to be told after everything is sorted. We have much to do. Even after the magic is over, we will need to do something about the missing window and busted door."

Anubis rounded and looked at the Chimera on the ground, "Gregorian, do you want us to send the fallen back to the Island, or give them a Warrior Burial here?"

"It will take several to give them burial," Gregorian looked sorrowful. "Vampire as kind as Demon?"

"I recognize my own kind when I see them," Anubis responded.

"High praise from Vampire. Would you really bury with honor?"

"It would be the least I could do for you and yours," Anubis bowed low.

"It would be easier for their mates." Gregorian seemed undecided.

"You have my word as a warrior that I will bury the fallen with honor and dignity," Anubis countered.

"Thank you, Vampire." He bowed his head towards Anubis.

A faint rumbling could be felt in the ground. It was the first time I noticed that you could feel the giant Chimeras walk. Their heavy bodies shaking the earth with each step.

"Your brethren return," I moved back a bit from Gregorian. "How many hurt?"

"A few, not serious." Gregorian answered.

"No matter," I told him, "Demonnation will heal them before they return."

"Thank you, Demon." Gregorian stood up. "Six injured."

"Uncle," I turned to see where he was standing.

Levi was standing about ten feet behind me. His eyebrow seemed to be raised in a permanent arch that was impossibly high. His eyes were laughing.

"Yes, niece, I will heal the wounded Chimeras."

"Thank you." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Gregorian, I am sorry, I am so tired, I do not think I can keep my eyes open much longer."

"Come here, Demon." Gregorian ordered.

"Okie dokie," I walked over and leaned against him.

"Demon heal Chimera, Chimera help Demon."

"Help how?" I asked feeling my eyelids flutter.

"Chimera give Demon mark, Demon have good dreams as long as mark lasts. Demon needs good dreams. Demon have tormented dreams."

"How do you know?"

"Gregorian can tell. Ready for mark?"

"Sure," I shrugged. I was expecting a bite of some kind. Instead, Gregorian ran his long, rough tongue up my body. Of course, his tongue was nearly as big as I was, so it wasn't hard. The saliva was sticky at first, but dried quickly. I could feel my skin absorb something from it. That something made me feel happy, but it wasn't a normal happy. It was like some switch in my brain kicked over and I felt calm for the first time in my life.

"Nice," I kissed Gregorian on the nose. "Thank you, I feel better already. Still sleepy, but better."

"Demon sure she not want Gregorian to stay, help protect her?"

"I'm sure, you have babies to take care of and a mate to be with. Do you love your mate?"

"Yes. Chimeras mate for life. If mate dies, we wait for spirit to be reborn. Once old enough, we become mates again. Always the same spirit."

"That's amazing," I told him. "You really are massive."

If Chimeras could laugh, Gregorian did it. It was a growling, howling sound that was sort of scary and sort of soothing.

"Chimeras big animals," he said as the noise died down.

The others were breaking through the tree line. Trees were following them. I closed my eyes and felt Gregorian wrap his massive paws around me. Someone was yelling at Morgana to start some Fey Nature Magic and stop the trees. Someone else was yelling for Demons to come to the aid of the Chimeras. If I had to guess, it was Levi.

Chaos broke out. I could hear it all, but it didn't seem to penetrate the fog I was feeling. I was warm, safe, and happy. The noises they were making should have caused me alarm. It didn't. For some reason, I trusted all of them to take care of the situation.

"Demon?" Gregorian's voice pierced the fog.

"Yes, Chimera?"

"We are healed. It is time to go. I give you to Vampire now."

"Okay, thank you, Gregorian. Thank you."

"Thank you, Demon." I felt my body move. Felt it being passed off to someone else. Strong arms enveloped me, pulled me into him. He smelled of orchids, copper, and fur.

"Good bye, Gregorian, I hope to see you again." I gave a half-hearted yell as I felt the gathering power of The Fey. I couldn't muster anything more.

"We will meet again, Demon. You are safe amongst the Chimera and always welcome." His voice faded away. There were several loud, audible popping sounds. The Chimeras were gone. I snuggled into the smells of Anubis.

"Food before you pass out," he told me quietly.

"Food? Okie dokie, I'm not sure I could hold a fork or spoon though. Might have to drink it through a straw."

"I think you might be high off magic and Chimera spit."

"Does being high make you want to sleep?"

"Not normally, no."

"Then I'm not high, just calm and relaxed. Very relaxed. I'm not sure I can move any part of my body. It's better than any sleep aid on the market. I was tired before, but now..." I yawned as if to emphasis a point. "Food better come quick."

It did. I don't know what I ate. I chewed whatever Gabriel shoved into my mouth, swallowed, and took the next bit. It seemed to last for forever. After what seemed like eternity, I pushed Gabriel's hand away and headed to my room.

The bed was comfortable, warm, and wonderful. Everything was wonderful. The dresser even began to sing to me. Some strange lullaby from my past, or maybe I just thought it was.

# Chapter Twenty

I awoke to a bedroom that was completely dark. This wasn't really surprising since the room didn't have windows. But the concept of time didn't seem to exist inside the darkened space. I stretched and found that everything hurt. My arms ached and felt like they should fall off. My legs burned and felt like the muscles were fried from the inside. It seemed like I could feel every bone, muscle, and nerve in my body. I moved slowly as I climbed from the bed. I vaguely remembered tossing my dirty clothing on the floor before climbing between the sheets.

It took a minute or so to get to the light switch. I knew I was moving at roughly the speed of a very old turtle. I flipped it on. My body was a mess. Bruises in different shades decorated the skin. There were knots and bumps in places, especially places where the bone seemed close to the surface.

"Ouch," the dresser said to me. "Let's work on covering those up."

It tossed clothing from its drawers and not for the first time. I was grateful that I didn't have to pick them out myself. At the same slow snail pace, I attempted to dress. It was worse than climbing Everest. While I had had some pretty serious injuries in the past, they had all healed at a quick rate. Nothing had ever seemed so permanent as the current aches and pains.

The living room was a flurry of activity. Light streamed in from different places. One wall was being torn down entirely and the other was being patched. They were both still missing the door and window, but I was sure that was what they were working on.

Gingerly, I sat down on the couch and gave an audible groan as my body touched the fabric. Everything stopped and everyone turned to look at me.

"Sore?" John, the Demon, asked.

"That doesn't even begin to describe how I feel." I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable. "I feel like I got trapped in a blender on puree, but instead of blades, they had paddles."

"Mortality can be a pain," Anubis smiled at me. I didn't know whether the smile was sympathetic or because he thought he was being funny, either way, I could only raise an eyebrow in return.

"Take these," Gabriel shoved something into my hand. Little round pills and a glass of Mt. Dew. I swallowed the pills and chugged the soda

"You might feel a bit off for a while," Gabriel took the soda from me. "Normally, we don't take a lot of narcotics, but in this case, a couple of Percocet are just what the doctor called for."

When you live in a world, surrounded by Demon healers, narcotics are pointless. They are far more efficient than any painkiller. I frowned.

"The side effects include: drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, flushing, lightheadedness, changes in behavior or mood, vision changes, and vomiting." Gabriel read the bottle. "In other words, you will probably be very sleepy and bitchy and you might throw up."

"Funny, I thought those were the side effects of the severe beating she took last night," Ba'al chimed. He was also smiling.

"Why is everyone so damn happy?"

"Because we all survived," Anubis responded. He stopped what he was doing and really looked at me. His eyes belied the smile on his face.

"Great," I stood back up just as slowly. "Is there anywhere in this infernal house that I can sit without it causing me more pain? How the hell do Humans deal with this shit on a daily basis?"

"Since the Percocet hasn't kicked in, I'm guessing that's the bruises talking." Ba'al raised an eyebrow at me.

"Ha ha," I sneered. "Everything hurts, from my horns to my feet. No, even my bloody hair hurts."

"Well, you did break off a horn and singe most of your scalp. Not to mention the beating you took while fighting the Chimeras." Anubis came over to me. "Sit down on the couch; we'll see what we can do to make you more comfortable. You also need to eat."

"I don't think I can chew. I think it will hurt."

"Open up," Anubis ordered. I did as he said.

"Yep, it will hurt. You have a couple of broken teeth." He got something from the table. "This is going to make it hurt even more, but you'll thank me later."

Before I could protest, his hand was in my mouth. There was a snap that would have rivaled a gunshot. My mouth filled with blood. My head exploded with pain. I was positive he just broke my cheekbone. I bit down on his hand.

"That will not help. I have to remove the broken teeth," he told me.

"How many?" I huffed out around his hand.

"Six or seven, depending on whether you count the one I just pulled or not." His fingers were twitching.

I eased up and closed my eyes. He was probably right and they probably did need to be removed. It would probably be easier with a dentist, but what did I know?

Another one broke from the bone and came out. I felt it slide from its spot in my mouth. More blood. I gagged and spit it onto the floor. It drenched Anubis's hand.

"Maybe we should do this in the bathroom."

Gabriel and Ba'al helped get me to my feet and moving towards the bathroom. They placed me up on the counter. Their hands felt like steel anvils digging into my flesh. I wanted to scream but contented myself with spitting another mouthful of blood into the sink.

"How lady like," Ba'al said as he retreated. "We'll leave you to it."

Both men left. Anubis stared at me for a minute.

"It will be easier when they are gone," he sighed at me.

"Fine," I tried to make the sounds, but my mouth didn't seem to work right. I opened up.

The third one snapped and split in two pieces as it came from my jaw. It was a fang. I was going to be short at least one of them. Much harder to bite without them.

By the time he got them all pulled, the Percocet was kicking in. My mouth, which had been a throbbing fountain, became a dull ache. He shoved cotton on the spots where he had removed my teeth.

"Better," he told me. It wasn't a question, definitely a statement. If I could have found a way to argue, I would have. The cotton and missing teeth kept me silent. All I could do was glare at him.

"In twenty minutes or so, you should be able to eat very soft foods. I'll go whip something up. Probably an ice cream sundae and some soup."

I frowned at him. I hated soup. It seemed like a pointless substance. I also wasn't a big fan of ice cream, but it sounded much better than the soup.

"Not tomato," he glared back, "I know you hate them. I was thinking chicken broth."

I shook my head at that too. He named four others. I disagreed with each suggestion. Finally, he tossed his hands in the air and announced I would be eating chicken broth.

I gave up and climbed from the counter. I went back into the living room and watched the gathering of Elders as they worked to fix my parents' house.

Each of them seemed to have a specific task. Each of them seemed very dedicated to that task. They no longer seemed to notice me, only the work in front of them.

I found a spot on the couch and tried to get comfortable. Ba'al assisted, shoving pillows here or there, removing them if I groaned at the positioning. Jonathan the Vampire, smiled kindly at me as I groaned. John the Demon smirked with each sound.

"36 hours," Gabriel said to me after a few minutes of my repositioning myself.

"Huh?" I muttered.

"You slept for 36 hours. I imagine you are starving. I know you are in desperate need of a shower."

I sniffed. I smelled of blood, death, and something darker. There was also the faint smell of body odor under all of it.

There was general snickering about the room. I got up and bumbled my way to the shower. There is something about a shower that just makes the entire world right again. The water washed away all my cares, worries, and eased some of the pain I was feeling. Washing my hair was a bit difficult, but I managed. When I was done, there was food being set out on the tables for me.

I ate without tasting the food. My mind was preoccupied with trying to get the spoon to my mouth. I kept stretching, but it didn't seem to help much. Finally, I retired to the couch, pulled open the book to the page where I had stopped, and looked around the room. I had all four Overlords and a couple of others in the room.

"Calatin?" I asked no one special.

"Extinct," Ba'al said. "Last one died during the last ice age. Possibly the result of being eaten by a dragon."

"Cerberus?"

"Not extinct. Very dangerous. More so than a Chimera, a Dragon or Wyvern. Nasty temper," Fenrir piped up.

"And very nasty breath," Gabriel added.

"Um... I don't know how to pronounce this one. C-D-U-A-T-M-I-X-L-A."

"Extinct, and I'm not sure you could pronounce it if you tried," Anubis responded.

"Didn't you eat the last one?" Ba'al looked at Gabriel.

"Hey, it attacked me, I killed it. It was fair game at that point, but no, I didn't eat it. I gave it to Fenrir, he'll eat anything."

"Yes indeed," Fenrir gave me a wolfish grin. "Wanna volunteer?"

"Moving on..." I blushed and looked back at the book. "The next entry is the Chimera. Probably time to rewrite that one."

"One day, the entire book will be rewritten. Just need to find an Elder willing to do it."

"So, laziness is a problem after a few millennia?"

"Nope, after a few eons." Fenrir stretched out. "After a few eons, you begin to wonder if immortality is really all that the advertising says. You can only play whist and gods for so long."

"The days of playing gods are long gone," Gabriel responded.

"You got gypped, you were never a god. Just a lesser deity." Ba'al yawned.

"Yeah, what the hell is up with that? How come I had to become some sort of servant and the rest of you had cool places in history?" Gabriel also yawned.

"I think Ba'al probably had the most fun," Fenrir answered. "I got to be a war god. Anubis a god of the dead. Ba'al got to be the fertility god. When you look at it that way, we all got gypped."

"Oh please, the Vikings used to sacrifice maidens to you. I think you had it pretty good," Anubis countered.

"You can only conquer so many maidens before it gets boring, and besides, it was at a time when hygiene wasn't really important to Humans. At least they washed Ba'al's sacrifices. Mine were usually just staked to the ground and left for me."

"You could have washed them." I pointed out.

"They were still mostly Viking women. I don't know if you have a clue what a Viking woman looked like, but they weren't exactly my type."

"You have a type?" Anubis smirked.

"Well, I do have some standards." Fenrir shrugged. "I admit they aren't real strenuous, but they do exist."

"Are you saying Viking maidens were ugly?" I asked.

"No, not all of them. But they tended to be very... dirty. There wasn't enough water in the world to get rid of the dirt, and most of them were not maidens. They'd been there and done that, if you get my drift. I was almost happy when they began offering me Natives from North America. They were a lot cleaner."

"I don't know which part of that disturbs me the most," I admitted.

"All of it should disturb you." Fenrir narrowed his eyes. "It was a completely different time though. Life has gotten better with 'civilization' amongst the Humans, although, I do occasionally miss the worship section."

"Not me," Ba'al said. "On a bad day, they might give me three or four maidens a day. I just don't have that kind of stamina. Plus, Humans really aren't that tasty. And how are you supposed to eat someone you've just had sex with? For some reason, both were expected. If I failed to do either, they thought they had displeased me and offered more virgins. Most of the time, I'd just relocate the virgins to a different civilization. They'd remain virgins, touched by the mercy of their fertility god. It was awkward."

"We all have our biases," Anubis looked at the ceiling.

"You aren't fond of Humans?" I asked Ba'al.

"I quite like Humans as long as I'm not going to eat them or have sex with them. I can't say I'm a fan of either of those things."

"I can't say I'm a huge fan of Elementals." Anubis was still looking at the ceiling. "I always think they are up to something nefarious."

"Leprechauns." I admitted. "I have never liked Leprechauns. I realize they are Fey, but they have pointy ears."

"I have pointy ears," Ba'al told me.

"Okay, fine, in truth, they are the only Elder that isn't over 6 feet tall. How do you trust a short, pure breed Elder?"

"You don't like Leprechauns because they are short?" Fenrir smiled at me.

"Sorry, they just creep me out a bit." I shrugged.

"So, Leprechauns bother you, but cursed Elders are fine?" Anubis asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I am going to bring us back to the topic that is on all of our minds and you don't want to talk about." Anubis finally looked down at me. "You are creeped out by Leprechauns but I can turn you on?"

"I know," I closed my eyes, "slightly illogical, but there you have it. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I can have sex with any of you. Beal, don't take offense, but Gargoyles? And Fenrir doesn't always stay in Lycan form during sex. So, am I going to be having sex with a wolf? And I can't wrap my head around the logistics of sex with you either, Ani."

"That leaves Gabriel as acceptable?" Fenrir asked.

"Well..." I frowned. "Look, it isn't going to be easy for me. The four of you act like the moment I Mature that I'll be hopping into bed with all of you. And I have a feeling that while we will eventually get to that point, it might take me a long while. And no, I'm not sure Gabriel gets a free pass either. Angel and Demon is a little off given my Catholic upbringing."

"But it is within the realm of possibility," Ba'al said.

"What? That I will have sex with all of you?" I shrugged. "Yeah, I imagine it is. I'm just thinking that it might take me five or six centuries to get there."

"That long huh?"

"I don't know." I said defensively. "It's just that it's still odd for me. I know how you guys think. Once I finish the Maturing, I've stopped. No more aging and no more growing. I'll be who I am for eternity. Time stops. But I'm not there yet, especially in my mind."

"Your mate is going to find it hard," Anubis said.

"What?" I looked at him.

"Your mate, when you find him, will find it hard to be your mate. We know it isn't any of us, which means he'll be an outsider. An interloper really. He'll be forced to deal with this circle and this cycle and I can't imagine we will make it any easier for him. In fact, I imagine we will all make it a little bit more difficult on him. I almost feel sorry for him."

"Unless, she's like me," Gabriel said.

"I can't imagine that you will spend eternity unmated." Anubis gave him a smile. "Just because you haven't found her yet, doesn't mean she won't exist eventually. And I feel sorry for her as well. By the time she comes into it, we will be an even tighter knit group."

"I know my mate is screwed." Fenrir looked at Gabriel. "I'm not a huge fan of her now, once we start actually exploring the boundaries or lack of boundaries within our circle..."

"I'm not narcissistic or naïve enough to believe that I am the last partner you guys are ever going to enjoy." I told them.

"No, no you aren't." Fenrir gave me a look that said something, but I wasn't sure what it said.

I shrugged and looked back down at the book.

"Did you grow up in a cave?" Ba'al asked after several seconds of silence.

"Me?" I looked up again.

"Yes, you." Ba'al frowned. "How did you manage to grow up in Luc's household and still remain clueless?"

"Talent?" I closed the book. "What are you going on about now?"

"Sex, death, magic, it is all connected in some way," Ba'al informed me. "I don't think anyone really understands it, but sex can increase one's power for a time. Sex within this group has already proven that it seems to have relatively few boundaries."

"Sex, sex, sex..." I waved my hand in the air. "May we please discuss something else for a few days?"

"Sure," Anubis stood up, "you are tired, broken, and sore at the moment. So far, we haven't sustained another attack. I think you turned out to have more wild magic than expected. The Harpies were a test, the zombies a distraction. The Chimeras were supposed to get the job done. They failed. We still have some serious things that live on the Island, things more dangerous than Chimeras. Harder to control, but far more dangerous."

"Minotaurs," Fenrir growled the word.

"Sirens," Gabriel added.

"Cerebus," Ba'al looked at me.

"To name a few. Wyverns and dragons are my main concern, but the others still would pose some threat that we may or may not be equipped to handle. Sirens seem like a good idea as long as they are sent with something else. She'll be immune to Siren Song. The four of us may also be immune because of the Binding. That would be a bit of good news. Of course, we might not be and that would be really bad. I imagine Chiron has taken both possibilities into account."

"You think he knows about it?" Ba'al asked.

"I would hate to discount the possibility that he knows." Anubis began to pace. "What would be the most dangerous and easiest to control?"

"Cerebus," Fenrir said with clinched teeth. "He is immortal."

"Agreed." Gabriel stood up. "But to send Cerebus out without a keeper would be..."

"Horrifying," Fenrir completed the sentence while looking at Gabriel, "he isn't picky about what he eats."

"How do you control Cerebus?" I asked.

"You send keepers," Anubis looked at me. His eyes were a yellowish color. It was the first time I had ever seen them a color other than blue. "You send him with armed guards that are smart enough to control him, not smart enough to make decisions for themselves."

"Minotaurs, Trolls, and Titans." Ba'al looked up at the ceiling. "It would take an army."

"True, but a smaller army than if we have Wyverns or Dragons running about." Anubis continued to stare at me. "I do not think Minotaurs would be an ideal solution to controlling Cerebus."

"No, she's Maturing. The Minotaurs will notice." Gabriel put a hand on my shoulder. It was very light.

"Does it matter?" Fenrir asked. "Won't her Maturing be just another bonus for sending Minotaurs?"

"Possibly," Anubis seemed to be lost in thought.

I did the only thing I could think to do. I opened the book and skipped ahead. In bold lettering was the word, 'Minotaur,' written at the top of the page. There was a picture. It almost looked Human. It had a hairy body that stood erect, but the head of a large bull ruined the hairy Human impression. Impressive horns stood out on its head.

The entry began:

Minotaurs are considered the bane of a Maturing Elder Female. Females do not exist. Minotaurs are prone to, and seem to enjoy raping Maturing Elder Females. For this reason, it is strongly advised that Maturing Females DO NOT come in contact with a Minotaur. They have very limited range for height and weight. They stand between 6 feet and 6 feet 3 inches tall and weigh no more than 300 pounds, but no less than 280 pounds.

The primary breeding habits of Minotaurs are rape. Humans are capable of reproducing with Minotaurs and all Minotaur children come from such unions. Female offspring die from complications within the first month of life. Males age very slowly, taking nearly 500 years to reach adult form.

Minotaurs have a long life span. If not killed, they usually live two or three thousand years. They possess basic reasoning skills akin to that of a Siren, Chimera, or Great Ape. They are also capable of using tools and weapons.

They possess little in the way of magic. Their primary magical skill seems to be the ability to possess the mind for a short period of time. Elders under this influence may feel confused, tired, or disassociated from reality. This may be coupled with more serious symptoms that include a splitting of the personality, an inability to perform their own magic, and a loss of reasoning. Physical symptoms may also be present. Physical symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of speech, and persistent panting.

Multiple possessions by a Minotaur may require treatment by a Demon Healer, Witch Healer, and a Djinn. Often, the possessed may resist the urgings of the healers and should therefore be treated as unwilling, but necessary patients. Elders suffering from this form of dementia may need to be restrained both physically and magically, to ensure that they do not injure themselves or others.

Minotaurs have only two physical weaknesses. The chest cavity around the heart is strong enough that only a few magical blades can pierce through it. It is highly recommended that when battling a Minotaur, you remove the head. The other weakness is that they are easily distracted by Females of any Breed. It is the opinion of the author that this should only be used as a last resort, but they will allow a Maturing Female or an Ovulating Human within reach of them. At that point, the female may be able to cut out the heart using a magical blade. Cutting off the head is the primary goal when killing a Minotaur.

However, Minotaurs do seem to be able to control Cerebus, the Hell Hound. They seem to have a psychic link. Cerebus is more likely to mind a Minotaur than any other creature on the planet. For this reason alone, Minotaurs are not extinct. For more information, see the section on Cerebus.

I put the book down and frowned.

"You intend to use me as bait if they send Cerebus?" I asked, squinting at whoever happened to be closest to me.

"No," Anubis corrected, his voice harsh and stern. "There is no way on this planet that we would use you as bait to lure Minotaurs. Even if our plan were to slaughter every last one of them, you would not be involved. Should Minotaurs show up on the lawn, _you_ will be locked away somewhere safe and secure with more magic and guards than you could ever imagine. Most Maturing Elders that are raped by Minotaurs do not recover, and the easiest thing to do for them is to end their life. The same for Humans."

"And Cerebus?" I vaguely remembered reading that section, but it seemed lost in the fog of new information.

"Cerebus is a different problem." Ba'al sighed. "She would be helpful with Cerebus. He doesn't understand Witch magic and is really sort of frightened by Witches. While Cerebus is hardly bright, he is smart enough to know that Witches are bad news for him. Every Witch he has encountered has left a mark."

"How do you get rid of it if it is immortal?"

"You give him enough pain and he'll slink away with his tail between his legs," Fenrir told me.

"Define enough?"

"Oh..." Fenrir took a deep breath. "More than I've ever had to endure."

"Last time we had to send Cerebus back to the Island, it took all of the Overlords and a couple dozen others, plus an untold number of Witches casting spells," Anubis said.

"So, Minotaurs are going to look at me like a plaything..."

"And Cerebus will think you look crunchy, but tasty, especially cooked," Fenrir interrupted me. "Know any spells that can be used as weapons?"

"Nope, I'm kind of an enchanter," I reminded him.

"Yes, but you have the ability to cast other spells," Anubis told me.

"Yeah, but..." I frowned. "Do you live in a cave?"

"What do you mean?" Anubis asked.

"You don't seem to understand Witches very well." I sighed. "Yes, I can cast other spells. But honestly, if I'm not dragging souls into things or awakening spirits that are already there, there is always a really good chance that the spell will fail. And failure is better than if it goes awry. I'm sure that somewhere in that book, there is a spell to bring a ball of fire into being, but if I cast it, there is only about a 25% chance that I will get an actual fireball and will be able to use it. There is a much higher chance that I will set myself on fire. And an even better chance that the fire will not be controllable. If I can't control the fire, it can't be put out. My magic will just continue to fuel the flames regardless of what you do to it. I would probably have to die for it to go out. Magnus is a caster. He can cast just about any spell on the planet, but he couldn't put a soul in a dresser or awaken the spirit of a tree. Plus, his magic is a little less wild than Strachan Magic is. Strachan magic, because it does involve souls and spirits, is a touch untamed. My mother has the most control over it at this time. The Demon helps control mine, but without the Demon, well... The chances of casting a good spell that does work as a weapon is even worse."

"You're right. I didn't know Witches seemed to have specialties," Anubis told me.

"I'm also a pretty good curse breaker." I groaned. "Well, I might not be able to do it now that my Demon magic has also gone wild."

"The two work in tandem?" Anubis raised an eyebrow at me.

"To some degree, yes. They make each other stronger and gives it a little more oomph. But with both of them being wild magic right now, we could have another disaster like the trees."

"You say wild..." Fenrir narrowed his eyes at me.

"Witch Magic is either tamed or untamed." I told him. "I have untamed magic. It comes from the world around me as much as it does from within me. Put me in a room full of Elders, particularly Overlords, and my Witchy powers get a little stronger. I hate Council meetings, I have to work really, really, really hard to block out the emotions of everyone in the room. Sometimes, I fail miserably at it. On the other hand, Magnus has more control of his magic and it doesn't grow, because he is in a room full of magical beings. It's considered tamed magic. It only comes from within himself. My mother is like me. Being mated to Lucifer probably upped her Witch powers 100 fold, if not more. She also hates Council meetings. It makes us very good at touching the world around us, but it really isn't great for spells that need a lot of control, such as weapon spells. On the flip side, curses require a bit of both, and breaking a curse requires more untamed than tamed. You can't just aim a spell at a cursed item and hope it breaks. You have to fill it with magic, essentially, breaking a curse just means pumping so much power into it that it self-destructs the spell. The spell essentially breaks itself because of all the untamed or wild magic that is pushed into it."

"So, the Demon power that may be mythical, might actually be just an increase of Untamed Witch Magic, because you are a Demon?" Anubis asked.

"I hadn't thought of that." I frowned.

"This means that while you did manage to channel Gabriel's power for a while, it wasn't the Demon doing the channeling, it was the Witch." Ba'al looked at the ceiling. "That's interesting."

"Very interesting." Fenrir frowned. "It means that at any time she might be able to channel our powers, it's not because she has some great Elder power, but because she is a Witch with Untamed Magic."

"Could be," Anubis gave a thoughtful look into the ethereal plane.

"Well, now that we've finished that lesson, I'm actually a little frightened by the prospect of Minotaurs." I brought them back to me.

"I admit that they would not be good, but..." Anubis shrugged. "Wyverns and Dragons are still our primary concern."

"Okay, I don't want to take the time to look up either of them at this moment. Could we please explain? I've always thought that Dragons were rather lazy and lethargic."

"They are, as a general rule, however, Dragons can be tempted out of their lethargy and into incredibly aggressive mode. And Wyverns are just smaller fire dragons, really." Ba'al looked at me like that should mean something. When I continued my blank stare, Anubis took over.

"Cerebus will look at you like you are tasty. Dragons don't care what you taste like. You'd be lucky if they chewed you before swallowing. Dragons make Chimeras look tiny. Dragons breathe fire and/or ice. Dragons have magic. Dragons are immortal. They can run, walk, swim, and fly. They have offensive as well as defensive magic. Their magic is a force to be reckoned with. They are slightly insane and definitely twisted. They seem smart enough to enjoy torture. Dragon scales are impenetrable. You have to get to the heart from the inside or to the brain through the eye socket or ear canals. More importantly, no matter how much damage you do, whether you cut out their hearts or decimate their brains, they just skulk away to heal themselves. It's about the only way to stop them when they are in attack mode. Should you be lucky enough to survive such a conquest, their blood is acidic. A few drops will eat holes in clothing and skin. Sadly, you will survive their blood, even if it eats through your entire body. It has its own healing properties as well. This means that while it is destroying your flesh and internal organs, it is also healing them, in a rather odd way. Any Elder with a scar is caused by Dragon's Blood. Wyverns are smaller and can only breathe fire. They are far less lethargic, but just as lethal. Only, Wyverns have the ability to shape-shift. They are smart enough to pry on your weakness. They enter your mind, pull out a form and take it. Most likely, you won't even know they have done it. The clue is that they can't form speech, so they don't talk in shifted form. Same strengths as Dragons; blood, magic, appetite, immortal, plus a few. Same weaknesses; brain or heart, and again, you can only get to the heart from the inside." Anubis looked at me.

"Great," I said slowly. "So, what makes a Dragon go psycho?"

"Shiny things." Gabriel put his hand in his pocket. "Dragons and Wyverns both like shiny things. They hoard them in their dens. Steal a Dragon or Wyvern's treasure and they can smell it. They will track it to where it has been placed and kill everything nearby to get it."

"And they are pack animals," Anubis added. "The Alpha is determined by which ever has the biggest treasure trove. He gets the most mates. So, they take their shiny things pretty damn serious."

"Why haven't they taken over the world?" I asked. Immortal creatures terrorizing the earth didn't seem all that out of place.

"They have a tendency to eat their young." Fenrir sneered.

"So, Dragons can kill Dragons." I gave a low whistle.

"Uh, in a sense," Anubis shrugged. "They digest them. It takes weeks for the Dragon actually to die. We have split open Dragons and found living Dragons inside that are mostly digested. It isn't pretty. The same goes for Elders. They eat us, but it might take as long as a week for us to die inside the stomach of a Dragon. Again, it isn't pretty."

"Yeah, that's... unsettling." I felt a little queasy.

"And Dragons eat Wyverns and Wyverns will eat Dragonlings. Mostly, they eat fish or whatever happens to walk by," Ba'al added in a slightly chirpy voice.

"Not helpful at all." I looked at the floor. "So, Dragons and Wyverns are the worst, but Minotaurs and Cerebus rank right up there with them. Anything else?"

"There are nearly 400 species of animals on the Island, all of them potentially deadly to a mortal," Anubis answered. "Since you've gained the trust of the Chimeras, we can rule them out, but that still leaves 399. And pretty much any Fey, Demon, or Djinn can raise the dead, which means we still have Zombies as a possibility. So, we are back up to 400."

"On the bright side, there is only one Cerebus." Ba'al smiled at me.

"That's the bright side?"

"Well, most of the animals live in populations of less than two hundred," Gabriel suggested that instead.

"Two hundred of anything seems like a lot," I answered.

"The only other positive is that they aren't all immortal and they don't all have magic," Fenrir said.

"We aren't getting very far, very fast." I frowned. "With the sending of the Chimera, what do we think it means?"

"That about one hundred of the animals on the Island have been ruled out for lack of aggression," Anubis answered.

"So, down to three hundred." I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. "Is there any good news? I mean actual good news?"

"When Cerebus arrives, we will know they are desperate and Dragons will be next," Anubis told me.

"Oh goody," I kept my eyes closed and head tilted back, "so, we could be attacked by just about anything."

"Not anything," Ba'al responded. "It would be foolish to send Imps."

"Not if they were meant as a distraction," Anubis told him.

"Who would use Imps as a distraction? Everything eats them."

"They aren't bad, a little crunchy, but they have a good flavor," Gabriel spoke up. I looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Tastes a lot like chicken," he told me.

"I'll bear that in mind the next time I decide I want to try something new and exotic." I frowned at him.

"I'm going back to bed," I stood up and announced to the room.

# Chapter Twenty-One

The room was cool and dark. The furniture was blissfully silent. I wasn't tired physically, nearly as much as I was mentally. It was a lot to absorb. Dragons and Wyverns and Minotaurs, oh my! And the only things at my disposal were four Overlords, a handful of other Elders, Demonnation, and untamed Witch magic. It didn't seem like nearly enough. Then again, I wasn't sure all the Elders and Humans on the planet seemed like enough.

I flopped onto the bed and pulled out the book that I was supposed to be studying. However, given that I was pretty convinced I was going to die, it seemed like a waste. I tossed it aside and opened my Sherlock Holmes instead.

Three hours later and that is how Anubis found me. My nose was buried inside the Sherlock Holmes book of extraordinary size and completely oblivious to the world around me. He sat down on the bed before I noticed him.

"Are you all right?"

"Not particularly, no." I frowned at him and put the book down on my lap. "Chiron sucks."

"You should make that into a bumper sticker." Anubis gave a heavy sigh. "It would probably sell well even among the Centaurs. They could wear them on their rumps."

"That would be interesting. What happens if Chiron dies?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happens if Chiron dies? What happens to the Centaurs, to the Elders, to the balance and order of our world?"

"I don't know. An Overlord has never died. It seems that a new Overlord would come into being. Nature abhors a vacuum."

"Instead of playing defense, maybe we should be playing offense."

"You want to go after Chiron?" Anubis gave me a disapproving look.

"He causes me nothing but strife and perturbation."

"How would you get to him? And how would you kill him?"

"We could feed him to a Dragon or Wyvern."

"Really, Bren?"

"No," I sighed, "not really, but it would make the Maturing a lot easier. He's insane."

"Insanity is like beauty."

"Whatever that means."

"It's in the eye of the beholder. You call him insane, but others would call him heroic. In this case, he is no different than Alexander, Ramses, or any of the other insane rulers who did great things."

"Did you ever meet any of them?"

"Insane rulers?" Anubis gave me a smile. "More than my fair share. Pharaoh really did have a screw or two loose, but he was an amazing leader. And Alexander..."

"What about him?"

"He made Nero look like a bloody saint. Nero got a bad rap."

"Must not have had as good a publicist as Alexander." I gave another sigh.

"Very true." Anubis looked around the room. "So what scares you the most?"

"Now or in general?"

"Now."

"Everything." I looked at him earnestly. "If I die, I could bring down four Overlords. How hard would it be to replace them? Worse yet, it would be over something silly. And while I have trouble fathoming eternity in any real terms, death is even more complicated. Yes, I think everything is an apt list."

"Would it help if I told you we would protect you?"

"Not really. Who will protect you?" I frowned. "What happens if during battle, some stray Dragon decides to eat you or Beal? Will the rest of us die along with you? Will it be as slow and painful as your own? If we survive it, will our souls survive? Magic is tricky, complicated, and forever changing. Just when you think you understand it, you find out you've got the wrong handbook. Do you know why I'm not a better Witch?"

"Because you don't practice the art like you should?"

"Because it scares me. Demon magic is tamed and it makes sense. It is understandable. I can heal. The ability to lay on hands and take the suffering of another is an amazing and great thing. But I understand the rules of it and I understand its limitations. Witch Magic, especially untamed, it isn't predictable. I can shape it, try to make it bend to my will, but sometimes, even with the greatest help, it goes awry, hence the enchanted furniture and trapped souls that live in this room. As much as the two magic's help each other, they also hurt my control. The Demon in me, it can make me stronger, more powerful, but it lessens my control of the Witch. It is something my mother has never understood. Something I don't think anyone but Daniel really understands. He has the same problem. Too much Witch magic and too much Demon magic. The Witch can rip the soul from your body and the Demon wants to heal such a fracture. My mother told me that I am the second most powerful Witch in the world right now. It is hard to comprehend the repercussions of such a thing. Untamed magic, powerful untamed magic, swirling around me, inside of me, waiting to be forced out, and begging to be used. What I did with the trees a couple of nights ago, as a full immortal Demon, it wouldn't have even made me flinch, let alone tire me out. It would have been nothing more than a parlor trick. It would have been more controlled and I would have been able to put them back to sleep, but I have done it before. One year, at Daniel's birthday party, we were killing time before it started and I awoke a tree and had it dance for Daniel. No one was the wiser, by the time everyone arrived; the tree was back to being rooted in place, back to slumbering, as it should have been.

"When I wield the family sword, I feel it talk to me, beg me not to break the curse that holds it together. Do you have any idea what it is like to hold a cursed object and know that you can force the magic to explode, force the magic to become so great, the ethereal can't hold it together? Somewhere, deep inside, I know that I could force enough magic into your soul to break your curse. Just as I know that in doing so, I would kill you. I would destroy your very soul with the magic I could pour in. Your body would probably survive it, but what is living if you have no soul? And somewhere, I know exactly what Great House cursed you. I feel its mark of magic burned into you and I know that my magic is stronger."

"You don't really fear the magic then, you fear what you can do with it," Anubis answered as I paused.

"Yes." I looked at the wall. "I've known since I was a child that the Demon wasn't going to be a problem, it was always going to be the Witch. Children, even children from the Great Houses, do not cast spells in their sleep. The few that do eventually stop performing Witch magic because they become afraid of it. My mother is that way. She still casts, but not as she did when she was a young woman, and I don't think, Magnus has cast a spell in at least forty years. And now..."

I spread my arms wide, palms up. Anubis looked around the room.

"Now what?" He asked after scanning the place.

"Now, I may have sealed the fates of four others. Not a great track record for a thirty year old Demon."

"But astounding for a thirty year old Witch." Anubis smiled. "You forget that we also chose this fate. Your mother and Magnus tried to break it and it wouldn't break. Something had to hold it together, something other than you. The only thing we've ever been able to come up with is us. We felt you cast the spell, we did nothing to stop it, and we felt them try to break it and it failed. I don't think even you could break it with their help. You keep saying 'I', but in reality, we all had a choice and we all made it and we are all bound together, not just by your magic, but also by our willpower. If that makes you stronger, so be it. I know it makes us stronger."

"What do you mean?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Forty years ago, we were powerful, but our powers have increased since the binding. We all know it. We all feel it. Forty years ago, those Chimeras would have been a much bigger problem. Forty years ago, the Harpies would have been a bigger problem. We all seem to have become a sort of Vampire. We seem to feed off each other's energy and strength. If we are all together and one of us feels weak, we can draw energy from the others. When you were pulling magic to force into the ground, we all felt it being drained from us. When Gabriel was lying in a pool of blood, we felt him drawing energy to get up and rejoin the fight without waiting to heal. For now, we are more than willing to pretend that the 'magnificent' power you are gaining is either Witch or Demon, but the truth is, I think it is the binding."

"Really? You think the binding spell is the cause of this nonsense?"

"Yes, you said yourself, you have Witch magic that you don't understand and we have all seen you channel Gabriel's power. That's pretty spectacular, but I don't think it would have been in the least bit possible if we hadn't already been bound. I felt it when you drew his power into you. I felt you release power when I kissed you earlier. The others obviously felt that power. I'm sure the others felt the channeling and I'm sure the others have had the same thoughts as me. Until the Maturing ends, let them think they have only one target. You say you have wrapped our fates with yours, but during the Maturing, it is possible that our immortality will be a huge asset to you. I believe it will make your mortality a little less mortal, so to speak. No, you won't be able to sustain the damage you sustained before the Maturing or after it, but you will be able to handle more than the average Maturing Demon, because you can pull energy from us when you need it. I'm sure that energy extends to our life force."

"That was almost a convincing pep talk."

"It should have been convincing, I believe every word of it," Gabriel said as he entered the room. "You forget that even in your enchanted and bespelled room, we can still hear you."

"And he is right," Fenrir came in behind him. "Ani, I mean, we all picked this for ourselves. We may not have been completely aware of it at the time, but in hindsight, we did all choose it. I know when the spell was to be broken that some part of me did not want it to happen."

"Same with me," Anubis nodded. "Some part of me, some part that I had never known existed told me that I didn't want to break the spell."

"As did I." Ba'al finally came in and shut the door. "The work men are gone. The house is repaired. It still needs work, but then, who cares when it is likely to be busted down again at a later time. We have been alone for nearly an hour now."

"Good to know," I looked at them. "What made you think that you did not want the spell broken?"

"You," Gabriel answered. "When your mother explained to us what had happened, a little voice inside me said it was as it should be. Witch, Demon, it didn't matter what you were or who your parents were, or who you might one day grow up to be. I knew that by tying my fate to yours, I would always be with you and there was just something about it that felt right."

"For me," Ba'al started, "for me, there wasn't a voice, just a thought. The thought was you could do much worse than spending eternity bound to Brenna. I never hesitated or flinched at the idea. Divine providence perhaps and then again, perhaps not. Perhaps it was just some frustrated part of me that felt the urge to be part of something again."

"Life was starting to get a bit tedious before you were born," Fenrir added, touching Ba'al's shoulder gently, "at least for me. When you bound us together, my first thought was, 'this is going to be interesting.' I wasn't wrong. Like the rest, I never once thought about undoing the spell. Have never once thought about breaking it. I have never felt the need or desire to do so. I think your choices were interesting."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Four Overlords, each damaged in their own way. Each of them somehow not suited for such a purpose, and yet, perfectly suited for it." Fenrir shrugged. "It is complicated."

"No, I think I understand, even if it doesn't entirely make sense to me now and even less so then." I looked at each of them. "You are the four Overlords closest to my father. You each call to a part of my magic, whether it be Demon or Witch, I feel the pull. The Witch wants to break Ani's curse and soothe Fenrir's aggression. The Demon wants to heal Gabriel's mind and Ba'al's broken soul."

"My aggression?" Fenrir raised an eyebrow.

"I can't think of a better term for it, it isn't hate, but it's close. You hate yourself, hate the Wolf you become and loathe the Lycans as a whole. You look at them and see only Alex as a beacon of light and a shining spot in the darkness. You distrust them. You distrust yourself. I feel it coming from you, and I know that not all of it comes from within you; some of it is magical. If the magic can be broken, then the loathing would go away. It is why you rule the Lycans with an iron fist."

Fenrir stared at me for a very long time. The room was deathly silent. I waited for some shot to come or some rejection of the idea.

"You're right," he finally admitted, "and there is magic involved. The entire Lycan population is cursed and we brought it down upon ourselves. And I do loathe that I am a Lycan. Only Alex remains untainted, probably because he was born after the War."

"You hold the Lycans responsible for the War?" Anubis asked with real surprise in his voice.

"No," Fenrir shook his head. "But it was only during the War that I realized how evil we could be in animal form. I remember the exact moment that I realized it. I was in wolf form and before, I had always had some sort of restraint, some sort of humility and mercy. During the War, I let go completely, let the animal have complete reign. I was tearing into another Lycan when it hit me that all responsible thought had gone from me. I was no longer both Lycan and wolf, only wolf. The animal had complete control, and he was just as vicious and mean as any of the beasts that we keep secreted away on the Island. I was too busy trying to fight to realize that a spell had been cast, and too far gone in animal instinct to realize that a Minotaur was possessing me. It was only afterwards that I found the remnants of the spell; it was still locked away in some dark part of my mind. Some Witch had cast it, cast a spell to strip away all the Lycans of their emotions. It only worked when they were in animal form, but that is when we are at our worst. Vishnu later had to help me with the Minotaur possession. A few hundred years after the War, I still didn't feel like I had before. I had always chalked it up to being in battle and killing so many other Lycans. One night though, I was on the Island and felt it enter me again. I went to Vishnu that very night. It turned out that while in animal form, it was very easy for Minotaurs to take possession of a Lycan. We don't have the ability to keep them out and we don't have the ability to notice it. I don't know how many times my mind had been possessed, but..."

He shrugged.

"Once you've been possessed multiple times, you wonder if you are just weak minded," Anubis finished his thought.

"Exactly. I stopped feeling like a whole being. I began to doubt my thoughts and my actions. Even more than that, I realized that if a Minotaur could possess me that easily, well, another Lycan would be a piece of cake."

"It's hard to go through eternity doubting your own choices." Gabriel closed his eyes.

"Yes, more difficult than you can imagine. Now, I will only change when I know the others around me will notice. Usually that means I have to have a Witch or Djinn with me."

"Why a Witch?"

"They notice the difference in thought patterns," Fenrir told me. "While you can't read minds, our emotions become seriously different, even in animal form. A Witch can feel the change. Since I have to do it every so often or have it happen spontaneously, I have been using Vishnu, Magnus, or your mother for years to keep me from suffering the invasion of a Minotaur. Now, I have you to help with the change. Even more significant though, is that with you, the spell that was cast and still lingers in my brain doesn't seem to have enough power left when you are around. It seems to grow weaker and the change is different around you. I retain my ability to think as both a Lycan and a wolf."

"But it isn't a curse. Spells shouldn't linger that long." I told him.

"Shouldn't," Anubis said, "is different than can't. You will find some spells have the ability to linger for eons because of the power and emotions that back them. While it may not be a proper curse, it is still a curse none-the-less."

"That explains why I feel it is magical," I said. "Would my spell book know how to break it?"

"Since your spell book cast it," Fenrir shook his head from side to side, "I'm sure he does. But he isn't going to tell."

"My spell book cast it?"

"Not directly," Fenrir sighed. "You don't realize how old the soul in that book really is. He is far older than you can imagine. He was in that book during the War. A Strachan cast the spell. Alistair Strachan to be exact."

"I didn't know our line went back that far. We are Celts after all."

"Your line is roughly twelve thousand years old. Eli was the second Strachan Witch ever to exist. He was mean, cross, and cranky all the time." Anubis looked at me. "Essentially, he was a bastard then and he remains a bastard now. He probably helped concoct the spell that Alistair casted."

"Good Lord, he hates Elders." Ba'al whistled after he said it. "Has always hated Elders. It must kill him that his House eventually bred with an Elder."

"Not just any Elder, but Lucifer himself," Fenrir smiled. "And now, his great whatever is bound to four Overlords that he hates almost as much as Lucifer. If he could find a way to flee the book, he probably would."

"Luckily for us, he can't." I told them. "His soul in that book is a curse. It would take massive amounts of magic to release it. Magic that even I don't think I have in me. Magic that not all the Witches in the world may have together. I don't know who cast the curse, but it was a doozy."

"Allegra Strachan cast the curse," Anubis answered, "and she had a lot of help from Elders in doing so. The Elders made sure that as much magic as possible was poured into it. Dragon's blood, Angel Wing, Demon Horn, we took clippings of just about everything on the planet to build that curse. We were taking magical bits from Chimeras, Dragons, Wyverns, Harpies, Minotaurs, Centaurs, Fey, Trolls, Gargoyles, and even made Kagutsuchi give up a bit of flesh for the thing. It's a pretty strong damn spell. She killed herself casting it."

"Hell, I remember Lucifer, Morgana, Beezel, Levi, Anubis, Jonathan, and myself, tracking down Cerebus and cutting off one of his heads for the damn spell," Ba'al smiled.

"Cerebus?" Gabriel smiled. "You guys were not seeking out a hydra to get its head. I did that, along with most of my Gaggle, and Fenrir and his pack. Damn thing spit venom at us at least a million times, ruined several pieces of good armor and managed to eat a fucking Dragon Lycan."

"Of course, that's how we got the head," Fenrir grinned back. "Christoph came in handy that day. Changed while being swallowed and used his claws to cut off its head from the inside."

"Wow, you must have really hated Eli to go through all that." I commented.

"You have no idea. He's mellowed significantly with age. I remember going to him with a request once. He tossed acid on me and set me on fire. When those didn't do the damage he wanted, he started casting spell after spell after spell at me until I finally retreated," Anubis told me. "Never did get the request filled."

"What was the request?" I asked.

"I wanted to know if he would be willing to build a cursed box. We had a different Witch with a problem that needed trapped for eternity. In the end, we had to have Macaphee Iverson build the box and it broke after about four hundred years."

"That was a debacle." Ba'al rolled his eyes. "Stupid git couldn't figure out a curse from a spell and when the spell wore off, the soul was set free, and no, it didn't go to heaven. It stayed right here on Earth, tormenting us all."

Magnus was of the Iverson Witches. I smiled at that. It was interesting to know.

"Who was the other Witch?" I asked.

"I was," my dresser spoke up. "It wasn't really Elders that were the problem though. They have always been so much fun. Humans on the other hand, suck."

I raised an eyebrow at my dresser.

"Don't give me that look, young lady." It responded. "Shit happens. I was a prick and I was a bit lost in the pre-history times. It's hard to be Celtic and gay and a Witch. Not to mention dealing with the psycho Druids to our south. So, I did the only thing I could think to do at the time and blew up a village killing most of the Druids."

"That was the best you could come up with?" I asked doubtfully.

"I was twenty, repressed, and distressed. Cut me a break."

"Okay, I'll give you that," I answered.

"You have the soul of Beowulf Strachan in your dresser?" Anubis frowned at me.

"I don't know who he is, I just know he's a soul, he lives in my dresser, and he's coming to live with me at the condo so that I don't have to pick out my own clothing anymore."

"Grimelda Iverson here," my toy box spoke up.

"Henri Du Champs in the desk." The desk gave his name.

"Wow, not only is all of your furniture inhabited, it is all inhabited by Witches." Ba'al shook his head slowly a few times.

"Hm, I never realized."

"My name is not who I am now," Grimelda said. "It is who I once was. Now, I'm just a soul."

"You don't sound upset about it," Ba'al responded.

"Why be upset?" The desk answered. "Do you know what happens to Witch souls when their bodies die? They just go on and on existing. Our own crappy form of immortality. There is no afterlife for us, just existence on a plane that is filled with the souls of other Witches, and frankly, they bitch a lot."

"Oh, my God," the dresser said in his most flaming voice. "Feuds that should have died with the body continue well into the afterlife for us. Only, since we don't have a corporeal form, all we can do is complain and yell at one another. Much better to inhabit a piece of furniture in a house."

"Particularly this house. There is rarely a dull moment," Grimelda told us. "You have no idea all the interesting and exciting things that go on here. And Brenna, regardless of whether she knew it or not, pulled souls together that was not bickering ninnies. We get along just fine."

"It will be sad to see Beowulf go," the desk admitted. "But onto bigger and better things. Besides, he has always loved dressing Brenna."

"She has amazing skin," the dresser said.

"Well, this conversation isn't bizarre at all," Anubis frowned.

"I grew up with this. I still occasionally do it to my own furniture at home," I told him. "Usually when I'm having nightmares."

"Wait, do I have to deal with Eli?" The dresser suddenly asked.

"No, he gets kept in a cursed box so that I can't hear him shouting out vulgar names for me or my friends." I told him.

"Oh good. I didn't like him when he was alive, it didn't matter that he was my father. He's a jerk of the first order."

"You were going to have Eli build a box to trap the soul of his son in?" I frowned.

"Eli killed me," Beowulf chimed. "If he had not been so vehemently against the idea of having a Vampire in his house, he probably would have relished building the box."

"Why trap his soul for eternity?" I asked with eyebrows raised.

"Well, we retain a little magic after death and I needed a cooling down phase. If that box had only lasted twenty or thirty years, it probably would have been very bad. But after four hundred years, I realized that Humans just generally suck and it was all good from that point on."

"Well, okie dokie then." I was still frowning. "Do you guys have anything to add to our little conversation about my power from earlier?"

"Yes, stop being a ninny," Grimelda responded. "Do you know what I would have given to be the second most powerful Witch in the world?"

"Or I," the desk answered.

"Since I was once first, I understand your fear, but I also agree that you should suck it up. So you have some power, big deal, use it for good and the world will keep moving right along. I am very impressed with the Overlord binding. No one has ever been able to do that and many have tried."

"I didn't think..."

"No, we said there had only been one success. We didn't mention the plethora of catastrophic failures," Anubis interrupted.

"It's the Strachan magic," Beowulf told us. "All the other failures have come from the other Great Houses, only the Strachan magic has successfully pulled it off. My guess is that Strachan magic, because it's untamed, is more willing to accept magic from Elders, and therefore, more willing to accept being bound to them. It meshes with the magic because it draws from the beings involved. And of course, we're Strachan's. Until about five hundred years ago, the Council seat was always sat upon by a Strachan."

"What happened five hundred years ago to change that?" I asked.

"Oh, one of the Strachan's imploded at the table," Beowulf responded. "Nasty, messy business. They were up to no good anyway, trying to siphon power from the Overlords during the meeting to do bad things, and well, they siphoned too much, ended up exploding. That was sort of the downfall of the house of Strachan. After that, they began refusing the seat and then sometime during the 1700s, the Lindemann Great House churned out the most powerful Witch on the planet. Then the Lindemann's damn near died out because of breeding issues and the Iversons came to power. They've held the seat for nearly 100 years. I imagine though, with the death of Magnus that the Strachan's will take it back. Although, I'm not sure by whom, since the next three Witches in line for it would be you, your mother, and your brother, Daniel. Seems like a conflict of interest there, but your mother has relatives and one of them may produce another first Witch."

"And if they don't?" Anubis asked.

"Then the fifth would be the Azaira House, a young lady by the name of Gisella."

"That would work," I had met a couple of Witches from Azaira and they were nice enough.

"Daniel's a True Prophet, he won't occupy the seat." I told Beowulf.

"I know, but he is next after your mother in the power department. However, I'm not sure whether his magic is more tame or untame."

"It's in equal balance because of the Prophet status," Grimelda answered. "For some reason that has made it so that he has a perfect balance of both."

"Makes sense," Anubis said to no one.

"I'm tired again," I announced, ending the conversation and history lessons.

"You are still healing," Ba'al told me. "It's only natural that you are tired again. We are considering bringing in a Demon Healer to see if we can speed up your recovery, but we can't agree on whether it's a good idea or bad idea."

"Probably bad," I told them. "We don't know what I am doing or capable of doing. Best not to force magic into my body."

"That was my thought," Ba'al nodded. "But it would be worse to be attacked with you in this state. So..."

"Flip a coin," I told him, "heads, you bring in a Demon, tails, I heal naturally."

"You want us to decide based on a coin flip?" Ba'al eyed me skeptically.

"It's already a coin flip. I stay like this and I'm useless in battle and more likely to get killed. You heal me and I do something drastic with the magic, but I'm ready for a fight."

"Logical," Anubis frowned, "and yet, illogical. I'm not sure how you manage to do both."

"Fine, I'll flip the coin," I fished a penny from my pocket and tossed it into the air. It landed on the bed, heads up. "Call Levi."

"You want Leviathan to heal you? Why not John?"

"Because, Levi will be more adept at understanding when enough becomes too much." I told him. "Plus, Levi won't hold it against me if I do something drastic with the magic. John might."

"Okay, Levi it is."

# Chapter Twenty-Two

I awoke about an hour later to find my Uncle Levi scowling at me. The scowl was set so deep, it looked as if his face might crack into a bazillion pieces. I smiled at him sleepily, ignoring the fact that he was so irritated he had literally turned blue. Everything but his irises was a dark, deep blue that reminded me of nighttime skies. Even the elliptical pupil had turned blue. Only the irises showed color, a honey gold that meant only one thing.

"A coin flip is deciding your fate now?" He continued to scowl as he spoke and was baring his teeth.

"Levi, I don't see..."

"No, you don't see. What if they had called someone else? Someone who wasn't as reasonable as I was? Someone who didn't know what a bad idea this is?"

"How is it any less reasonable to be healed than to be left injured and unable to defend myself?"

"There is no telling what might happen if you are well and truly healed of all of these injuries."

"Fine, pick and choose which ones to heal. As long as I can move a bit without wincing, I can fight. At least, you have the ability to do it and I specifically requested that you be called."

"Brenna..." Levi scrunched up his face.

"Leviathan, I need help. I am so far out of my depths here that I don't think I can tread water, let alone touch the floor. The Overlords are doing what they can, but frankly..."

"Your binding makes them weaker," Levi finished the thought.

"I believe it does. As long as I am this damaged, I am pulling strength from them. I'm leeching their energy, their power, and their immortality. I may have flipped a coin, but in all honesty, this is what is best. Which is the other reason I called you, I don't know how my body is going to react to being healed. I think it might enjoy the power boost. I also don't think it will be able to control it. At least with you doing the healing, I don't have to worry about what might go wrong. I know that you won't hold it against me."

"You think that could be a problem?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm mortal and Demons don't heal Humans because of all the power that is involved. Demons don't heal the Maturing for the same reason. However, the Witch in me is channeling magic when it has the chance. I channeled Gabriel several days ago. I know that it is not out of the realm of possibility, I've just never done it before."

"And you think that it is Witch and not Demon?"

"Positive. The magic was wild. Demon magic isn't. Levi, if all of Anubis's theories and thoughts on this entire thing are true..."

"Then you think you will become what has been foretold."

"No, I don't. I don't think there is any great unknown power. I think my own is just going to be a bit stronger. I think I will be able to channel the magic of the Overlords that are bound to me. That is something a Demon has never done."

"But a Witch can and has," Levi answered.

"Precisely. It isn't about me. It's about us. Whatever happened when I was a child may be the source of the Prophesy."

"If you are truly capable of channeling the powers of the Overlords..."

"I have already had that thought," I interrupted him.

"As have we all." Anubis entered the room. "And we all agree that it is vitally important that this information not get out. Not just for her safety, but for those of the Overlords involved. And we do not know what will happen if the four Overlord positions are left vacant."

"War and mass chaos would ensue," Levi answered. "I know you don't remember, Ani, but Chiron is not the first Overlord of the Centaurs. The first was born when you were about three hundred. He died during the Maturing, killed by Chiron. We kept it quiet, those of us that understood anyway. That is why Centaurs have had trouble building their ranks. Over half of them died with the original Overlord."

"What?" Anubis narrowed his eyes.

"We told everyone there was an outbreak of plague amongst the Centaurs," Levi answered.

"I remember the plague."

"The Plague was actually the death of the Overlord. Chiron assimilated the powers of the Overlord when he killed him during the Maturing. For some reason, many of the Centaurs died with the Overlord. We told the world it was a plague, of unknown origins, but in truth, it was the death of the Overlord. All your lieutenants and faithful followers will die with the death of the Overlord. Lucifer and the Brothers tried to keep it from happening, but we couldn't." Levi shrugged.

"So, if I die and take all four Overlords with me," I smiled, "I will start the Second Elder War. There will be so many deaths amongst the four breeds that war will be inevitable."

"Yes," Levi answered. "That is why we tried so hard to break the spell. We were met with resistance and now it couldn't be broken. You've become too powerful. Originally, all five of you held it together, now, Bren, your magic alone is strong enough to do it. Besides, you still have the Overlords to contend with and they have no desire to break it either."

"What other secrets do you keep?" Anubis asked, suspiciously.

"Many, mostly about the five of you," Levi looked at him, "as well as the Brothers and the Overlords. Secrets that we, as a group decided needed to be kept."

"Like?" I asked.

"Gabriel's mate is dead. Or rather, was never born. She was killed in the womb during the Elder War. We made the decision not to tell him when he eliminated the Angel that was carrying her."

"How do you know it was Gabriel's mate?" I asked.

"Because that is what Levi does," Anubis sighed. "He knows, sometimes centuries ahead, who will be mated. I'm sure he knows your mate."

"She doesn't have one," Levi answered. "When she was born, I felt around for it and it wasn't there to find. She doesn't need one. She is barren."

"I can't reproduce?" I asked skeptically.

"Correct." Levi looked at me again. "You my dearest will never have children. For that, I am sorry."

"Why?"

"Because it is quite likely that Lucifer or myself did it," Levi answered. "We both know better than to touch pregnant women. We can alter the DNA of a developing fetus. Lucifer doesn't seem to have an impact on his mate, and I do not seem to have an impact on mine, but we can affect others. I'm afraid I hugged your mother when she told me she was pregnant. Another secret of the Brothers."

"You can all do it?" Anubis asked.

"To some degree. We believe that is how Lucifer managed to pluck so many children from the water and how he managed to get so many breeds from the plucking." Levi sighed. "There are many things we don't tell about ourselves."

"You are afraid you will be considered freaks even by Elder standards." I made it a statement because I knew it to be true.

"Yes," Levi hung his head.

"Why?" Anubis asked.

"Because if there are omnipotent beings on earth, the Nine Brothers are them," I answered. "I know my father can do things that no one else really knows about."

"It is the same with all of us. We all seem to have something we are particularly good at that we shouldn't be." Levi pursed his lips. "Alright, I'll do this, but I want Anubis to be close by, just in case."

"Let's do it," I closed my eyes and felt Levi put his large hands on me. One on my ankle, one on the top of my head, it was an interesting sensation and one that I wasn't exactly used to feeling. Normally, I was the one that was laying on hands. My mind became a little foggy, clouded as the thoughts began to empty. The pain was slowly draining with it. Healing isn't exactly unpleasant, but it really isn't pleasant either. It is a unique feeling, hard to describe. It is almost as if your nerve endings are slowly being taken from your body.

And I could feel the magic. Feel it building, not his, but mine. Some part of me was fighting against the healing, some magical part. I wasn't sure why, but it didn't like it. It was probably the Human side.

"Well?" Anubis asked. His voice sounded very far away, as if it were echoing from a mountain range. I wasn't sure who the question was aimed at. I was even less sure that I cared. At the moment, I was working very hard not to let the magic take control of me.

"Well," Levi gave a long, drawn out sigh, "it's working, but I don't think it's working well."

"What does that mean?"

"She is fighting it," Levi told him. They both sounded far away, as if they might be shouting to each other from different mountaintops.

"Should we stop?"

"We've already started," I croaked out the phrase and felt a tiny puff of magic escape with it. It was visible in the air. A spell, cast by itself, tangible in a way that I had never seen before.

"What is that?"

"A spell," I croaked again. I was beginning to feel very weak. "We have to stop."

Another puff of magic. Larger this time, entered the room. It was unsure what to do. So it hung as a dark aromatic cloud, just under my ceiling.

"That's something I've never seen," Levi was removing his hands from me.

"Me either," Anubis answered, he moved closer to me. "Can you do something about it?"

"I don't know what it is or where it came from." I was feeling a little better without Levi's hands on me. "All I know is that it is a spell."

"Spells aren't exactly visible, Brenna," Levi told me.

"True, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a spell, Levi."

"Okay, it's a spell, what do we do with it?" Anubis was moving in to protect me.

"We let it cast itself," I pushed magic towards it. I felt the two collide. Felt the spell grow in strength. There was an audible "whooshing" noise followed by a loud pop. The spell disappeared from view. In its place, there was a dark cloud and it was raining fish.

"Fish," I wrinkled my nose. "Not what I expected, but it could have been worse."

"Why is it raining fish in your bedroom?" Levi asked me.

"Because the spell didn't know what to do. I gave it strength, but not guidance. I think it just sort of picked up on the spells that have been cast inside the house. Since this is one of Daniel's favorites..." I shrugged. "On the flip side, I don't hurt as much."

"The spell didn't know what to do?" Levi cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Witch magic isn't like Demon magic. It doesn't have a purpose until the practitioner gives it one. Demon magic is automatic. If you don't tell it to do something, it automatically heals things. Witch magic just sort of hangs around until something happens. I gave it strength, but not purpose. It found the residual spells of the house and cast itself."

"Witch Magic can cast itself?" Anubis was looking at me a little sideways.

"Yes, because it is just energy, unguided energy with no purpose of its own. I think, if I had been in full control of my Demon powers, I probably would have returned the magic and healed Levi. Since I don't..."

"I get it," Levi looked at Anubis. "Think of it as a lost dog. It will just wander around until something happens."

"Exactly," I sat up in the bed. "However, I do feel better. Not great, it was rather unappealing, but better."

"You requested the healing and then call it unappealing?" Anubis shook his head at me.

"Well, it was different. I've been healed before, but it didn't feel like that. That wasn't exactly pleasant. Then again, it wasn't entirely unpleasant either. I don't think I can describe it. I hope not to do it again anytime soon."

"At least you have a hope," Levi looked at the cloud. It was diminishing in size. Live fish were flopping around on the floor. "Can you do something about that?"

"Nope, go throw them in the pond." I shrugged. "That's what we do with all of Daniel's fish."

"At least it wasn't frogs," Levi scooped up several of the fish and walked from the room. Anubis followed suit. I considered it and decided I didn't really have the energy for such a task, but my room wasn't smelling real great. I went into the living room and curled up on the couch.

"Fish?" Gabriel asked.

"Magic finds other magic," I closed my eyes. "I'm really sleepy."

"Are there more?" Fenrir asked.

"It's still raining in my room." I felt sleep suck at me. "I will nap here."

# Chapter Twenty-Three

If anyone answered me, it was lost. I was asleep before they could speak. I dreamed of magic and double souls. It was not a good dream. Double souls are toxic to the body and eventually, one soul wins the battle. It isn't always the original soul either. Sometimes, it's the interloper. It is forbidden magic. An offense, punishable by death. I dreamed of that too. I dreamed of Death, the person. I dreamed that I was sitting on a hill, looking out at the world and Death was standing next to me. He spoke in tones too low for me to hear. I had died. Put to death for forcing a foreign soul into Chiron's body. Death had no face, no real features. He appeared to be wearing a hangman's hood. There was a noose around his neck. No black robe, no clothing at all except for the hood. His body was the palest green I had ever seen. He was chanting something to me, over me. I couldn't make out the words.

I awoke to find myself laid out on the floor. Anubis was kneeling over me, his hands on my chest. Levi was at my head, his hands on either side. They were both chanting something. Behind them, I heard Fenrir howl, the sound was pure animal.

"Oh, God," Gabriel's voice broke through the howl.

"I saw Death," I said looking into Levi's face. "I dreamed I performed forbidden magic and was put to death. Death was standing over me. He wore a hood and a noose. He was almost green, but not quite. He was chanting."

"Death is not a real being," Levi said removing his hands. "And that is why we do not perform healings on mortals."

"They dream of Death?"

"No, they die," Levi nearly shouted.

"Leviathan," Anubis had a tone to his voice that was reserved for use on insubordinates.

"Anubis," Levi challenged.

"She didn't die, just came close," Anubis told him.

"She dreamed of death and forbidden magic, it's a sign," Levi answered.

"We don't read signs," Anubis countered, "only Centaurs read signs."

"It doesn't matter." The malice left Levi. "She lives."

"She lives." Anubis also took a breath and seemed to calm.

"What now?" Levi asked.

"We continue," Anubis answered.

"My niece had better not die during the Maturing. It will not be good."

"Agreed," Gabriel answered before Anubis could even open his mouth. "She took Fenrir to wolf form as she was dying. I'm not sure how long before he can change back. A while, I'd guess. He doesn't seem very happy."

"No, no he doesn't," Ba'al was the first to laugh. As the giggle began in Ba'al, it spread out, overtook the other men in the room. When they had finished, it was lighter somehow, airier.

"Okay, another crisis averted and only twenty-six days to go." Gabriel was suddenly standing over me. "I would appreciate you not doing that again."

"Me too." I couldn't shake the feeling that the magic in my dream was still lingering. "Do all of you feel normal?"

"How do you mean?" Levi asked.

"Do you feel like yourself? I didn't force another soul into your bodies?"

"No," Ba'al said, "I don't believe you did. I don't think you were actually casting."

"I feel the remnants of magic."

"So you did cast something?" Anubis asked.

"I think so." I frowned. "Could I get up? I don't really feel all that bad, just creeped out."

"Creeped out," Levi made a complicated gesture that involved his head and his horns. "Never a dull moment."

"Very true," Anubis and Levi helped me to my feet. Fenrir was pacing in circles. There was a puddle on the floor and I was pretty sure it contained flesh.

"Ugh," I sat down on the couch. "Fen, do you feel okay, other than the wolf thing?"

Fenrir gave a howl. It was loud and long. He padded over to me, his feet hushed on the hardwood floor. He nuzzled my leg and licked my hand.

"I think that's a yes." I looked at him. He licked me again. "Okay, well until you change back, we'll go with yes, you feel fine."

He seemed to consider this for a second. His large, wolfish head cocked from side to side in a slow rhythm. Finally, he curled up on the floor near my feet.

"I think werewolves are allowed on the furniture," I told him. He didn't look up at me.

"Am I allowed to pet him?" I asked.

"Pet him?" Gabriel tried to hide a smile.

"I have the urge to pet him." I shrugged.

"I don't think he'll mind," Ba'al told me.

I reached down and buried one of my hands into his fur. It was soft and fluffy. He opened his eyes for a few moments. He nuzzled into my hand before letting them close again.

"Yeah, I think he's okay with it." Gabriel smiled.

"Well, do you need me anymore? Nancy is giving me fits because of the baby." Levi was standing.

"If I do, I'm sure you'll get a call," I told him.

"Good, Uli is teething and he cries all the time. Fangs come in so easily, I wish the rest of the teeth did." Levi gave me a quick kiss on the head and left.

"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked after Levi had left.

"Well, I am pretty sure I cast a spell as I died, and I also think I might have leeched survival energy from Fenrir. Those two things have me slightly disturbed, but otherwise, I'm good."

"Fine, it's nearly dark. We'll have some dinner and everyone will go back to what they were doing before." Gabriel strolled into the kitchen.

We all followed, even Fenrir. At the table, he curled up on the floor at my feet. I frowned at him.

"Do we really think he is okay?" I asked, as Gabriel began putting stuffed manicotti on my plate.

"Well, if you are right and you sucked energy from him, I imagine he's tired and it explains why he's in wolf form." Gabriel put three of them down and added a little more sauce.

"You said you dreamed of forbidden magic?" Ba'al asked as his plate was filled.

"There are five spells Witches are never allowed to cast. They are considered pure evil. They are automatic death sentences for a Witch. One is called The Double Soul. The Witch forces the soul of a dead person into the body of a living one, essentially creating a being with two souls. Two souls cannot inhabit the same body. A war begins within the being as the souls battle for dominance. It causes the mind to break. They do crazy things and eventually, the stronger soul will win. It isn't always the original soul. But what the soul wins is a damaged psyche. The brain is essentially corrupted. They usually go insane within a year and die. My mother once told me that Jack the Ripper was caused by a double soul."

"And you dreamed you cast the spell?"

"I dreamed I cast the spell on Chiron, but you have to touch the person to do it or the original soul is too strong to give in to the invader. So, Chiron was too far away."

"So, you didn't cast the spell on Chiron, but you definitely cast a spell?" Ba'al asked.

"Exactly, and I don't know to what or on whom."

"Could you have just forced magic into the aether?" Anubis asked.

"Not likely. I don't normally have the ability just to force magic into nothingness. I usually force it into something, even if it is just more magic."

Ba'al got a really stupid look on his face. His skin seemed to pale a little. His mouth wanted to work, but it didn't seem to remember how.

"Could you have forced magic into magic and broken a curse?" He finally asked.

"I suppose so, but there aren't a lot of cursed items in this house. My mother isn't a huge fan."

"But there is the sword and the spell book." He paused. "And Anubis."

"True, but I don't feel like I broke a curse. That has a different feeling."

"So, you could have just strengthened magic that already existed?" Ba'al asked.

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"Perhaps you should turn around," Ba'al said.

I turned. In the doorway was a figure. He was nude except for a noose and a hangman's hood. His skin was a very pale green. There were no real features on the face.

"That is what I saw in my dream," I finally said after staring for several moments.

"What is it?" Anubis asked.

"It's Death," I answered.

"Death isn't a being."

"I think he would beg to differ," Ba'al answered.

"Brenna?" Gabriel said my name softly.

"I don't have a clue what to do about it. I can't bring things into existence. And I have no idea how Death got into the house."

"I'll call Magnus," Ba'al moved. Death moved as well. His hands found the knot at the base of the hood and loosened it. Next, he pulled the hood from his head.

Whatever I was expecting was not what I saw. The face was devoid of skin, bones showed through bits of loosely hanging muscles and ligaments. Maggots crawled inside of them. His eyes were piercing and looked like flames dancing in the darkness.

I shrieked. Fenrir rose from the floor, hackles raised and began growling at the figure. Gabriel turned white with light. Ba'al was ruthlessly dialing numbers on his cell phone.

"Ask if he can fly?" Anubis said loudly to Ba'al.

"He's a Witch, he can't fly," Gabriel responded, his voice sounding ethereal and unreal.

"Then go get him," Anubis shouted. Death wasn't moving any more. He stood frozen in time, his mouth open, and eyes glaring at me. Only the maggots seemed to be moving. I gagged and forced myself not to vomit.

"On it," Ba'al said, he left the dining room in a flapping of wings and odd noises. I imagined he was talking and flying at the same time. I stared at the figure and wished to wake up.

"How..."

"I don't know," I snapped at Anubis, "I really don't know."

I closed my eyes, refusing to look at the specter any longer. No one was moving, even Fenrir seemed to be mesmerized and unable to growl any longer. There were noises and a crash. Death didn't turn, I know because I opened my eyes.

"Jesus Christ," Magnus's voice came to me from the other room "do you have any idea who that is?"

"Uh, no, but I wouldn't mind it not being in my parents' kitchen." I yelled to him.

"Brenna, what the fuck happened?" Magnus came into view. He skirted around Death.

"I died and somehow, cast a spell as I did it."

"You seem surprisingly calm for all that." He frowned at me. "Are you in shock?"

"Yes, I believe I am. I dreamed of Death, and now, he is standing in the kitchen. Only, in my dream he didn't remove the hood."

"Well, first of all, that isn't Death. Second, I don't know how you resurrected a soul. Third, I don't know why you resurrected this particular soul. And fourth..." Magnus stopped and looked at me. "This is terrifying and exciting and interesting."

"Who is it?" Anubis asked.

"You don't recognize him?" Magnus asked.

"No, do you?" Anubis snorted.

"Yes, the first soul to die on this planet." He frowned. "The Hanged Man is a myth, but the story is one that isn't."

"Don't talk in riddles," I snapped, yelling loudly at Magnus. I dropped my face into my hands.

"Fine, Brenna, meet your dead uncle, Sonnellion, the tenth brother and the first soul ever to die on the planet."

"What?" I didn't look up as I asked it. I was pretty sure I had heard him, but something told me I had to be wrong.

"Sonnellion, he is the Hanged Man. When Lucifer put him to death, Sonnellion requested that his brother hang him from a tree to make an example of him. Lucifer did so."

"I remember that. He hung for a year. His body not decaying. We put a hood over him because he didn't seem to change," Anubis finally said.

"The only part that rotted was the part that was covered by the hood, so we buried him after another year," Gabriel responded.

"Why is he in the kitchen?" I asked, still refusing to look up.

"I don't know. Maybe he was lonely in the living room," Magnus answered.

"Really? Jokes?" I finally looked at him and frowned.

"Brenna, you have a dead Demon soul in the kitchen. And I have no idea what to do about it. Jokes might not be a bad thing at this time."

"Okay, I take your point." I frowned harder. "If you don't know what to do about it..."

"What did you dream exactly?" Magnus asked.

"I dreamed that I was put to death for casting The Double Soul. I forced it into Chiron. Suddenly, I was sitting on a hill with Death looking down on me and chanting something. Then, they brought me back from the dream and what I assume was a final death dream, and felt I had cast a spell, but couldn't figure out what spell or on whom. Everyone said they were all right. We were eating dinner and then, well, he came into the room."

"You dreamed you cast The Double Soul?" Magnus's tone was disapproving.

"Yes."

"That explains why you have a soul in the kitchen. He didn't have a body to enter, which is good news because it means you get to live, and you didn't resurrect a soul. You merely brought it into our realm. That I can work with."

"I tried to force this soul in Chiron and it didn't work." That news was kind of hard to take. I started to cry.

"It didn't work and you can't be responsible for casting spells as you die. They are usually done in a vain attempt at survival. The Great Houses would not have put you to death for it. It is rather unusual to pull the soul of an Elder into it, but then, if you were dreaming of doing it to Chiron, it might make sense. With a Human, Chiron would have the stronger soul."

"What do we do about it?" I sobbed.

"We send it back." Magnus put a hand on my shoulder. "Were you touching anyone when you cast it?"

"I don't know, I was dying."

"Anubis, did you feel anything or see anything?"

"I felt something, but I thought it was her soul. It touched Levi, but Levi's own soul repelled it."

"Did it touch anyone else?"

"No," Anubis answered.

"Good thing Levi is strong." Magnus looked around. "Without a body, he can't hurt you. He can only glare at you and make you feel uncomfortable, possibly ill. Luckily, he had a room full of beings with incredibly strong souls to contend with. I can't imagine what would have happened if he had managed to enter one of the Overlords."

"Okay, Magnus," I was still sobbing. I was actually pretty sure I was on the verge of hysterics.

"Brenna, I need you to focus for me," Magnus's voice was soothing. "You are going to have to help me send him back to the ethereal plane. Can you do that?"

"Probably not," I shook my head, "I'm a walking disaster."

"No, just a little out of control at the moment. It happens to all of us from time to time," Magnus assured me. "However, I know you are very capable of regaining control and forcing magic to do interesting things."

"What do I need to do?"

"Treat it like a curse, push magic into it. It is going to take a lot of magic though. Both of us will need to do the pushing. I'm hoping your untamed magic has the extra kick that we are going to need. An Elder soul is a hell of a lot more determined than a mortal soul."

Fenrir rubbed against my leg. I looked down into his yellow eyes and had a thought.

"What if we could use the power of the Overlords?" I asked.

"Overlords can't push magic like we can. It seems to have a purpose, a solitary reason to exist. It isn't free roaming. It doesn't change and that's why they can't break curses."

"Right, but if a Witch could tap into their magic, in some way lay claim on it, it could be used?"

"In theory, yes," Magnus gave me a puzzled look, "but I don't think there is a Witch today that can do such a thing, unless you know something I don't."

"Well, I'm not convinced I could do it, but I've channeled Gabriel's power before. Of course, it remained Angelic, but I was still using it."

"Are you strong enough?"

"Possibly." I frowned. "Possibly not."

"Try pushing the soul back without channeling anyone first," Anubis said, taking hold of my arm lightly. "We've already brought you back from the dead once today. I'm not sure we can do it a second time."

"Good point." I looked at Magnus. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I opened up and let the magic begin to build. It ebbed and flowed like water, moving in and out of me like the tide. I pushed a little, felt the magic push back and gave in. It built stronger. In my mind, I could see it. It was shimmery, like heat coming off asphalt, but had a slightly pink tinge to it. Magnus's power became visible. It was green, stronger in color than my own. I took more in, drawing it from the air. My own became darker in color. I could see all the magic in the house. It engulfed each of the Overlords in their own unique color. Even the soul in front of me had magic in it. I pulled more in, felt as Magnus's power began to combine with my own.

However, there was still more in the room, more to draw from. My mother's residual magic, was wafting about trying to join in. My brothers' as well, Daniel's the strongest of them. I took it, mingled it with Magnus's green and my pink. It moved faster now, no longer just drifting, it was racing towards the both of us. Filling both of us up, going in and out with our breathing.

A black cloud came in through the open door. It pushed through the soul. The soul jerked. Lucifer's magic joining our own. Magnus tried to stop it, but it began to assimilate into the rainbow. There was no stopping it. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

Magnus said a few unintelligible words and we both shoved magic outward. It slammed into the soul and staggered backwards from the force. Magnus and I pushed again, forcing more magic out. Again, it hit the soul square in the chest. The soul didn't move this time. Magnus began gathering power again. I followed his lead and began calling on the magic from around us. The room was now churning with it. Swirls of shimmering color bounced off the walls, floor, and ceiling. It ran into each and pulled apart like taffy.

Magnus nodded his head just once. I closed my eyes and forced magic into the soul. It didn't seem to react. Magnus forced magic into it. I watched his dark green powers enter the soul and shoved more magic outward. It was the final bit of magic for the soul. It shook and disappeared from view.

"Well," Magnus said as he began drawing the magic back into himself, "it worked."

"Yes, I suppose it did. There is a lot of residual in the house."

"Tons," Magnus smiled. "Feel better?"

"Not really."

"Shit happens," Magnus shrugged. "My father once sneezed and cursed my lunch box. Everyone does strange things once in a while."

"Sneezed?" I asked.

"Sneezed," Magnus smiled at me. "I once turned an entire house to glow in the dark when I tripped over a step and busted my chin open on its porch."

"No offense, Magnus, but cursing a lunch box or making a house glow in the dark doesn't seem very significant in comparison."

"Meh," he waved his hand at me. "What I'm trying to point out is that the slightest thing can set off a magic tantrum. Having a cold can be a problem for a Witch. Dying is far more significant than a cold."

"Magnus, how did you know who it was?" Anubis asked.

"He seems to hang close to Witch power. Up until about 50 years ago, no one knew who the Hanged Man was. We just knew that it was a general rule that he could be conjured. He was a bit of the Witches' Boogey Man. Then, when your mother gave birth the first time, she conjured him and your father nearly had kittens. He recognized him. Went through all the myths and legends about the Hanged Man and the pieces sort of fell into place. Now, we teach Witches not to conjure him, but we still refer to him as the Hanged Man so that no one knows his real identity."

"Magnus," I looked around the room, "there is still a lot of magic in this room."

"Yeah, I was noticing that myself. Not sure why it is hanging around though." Magnus turned a slow circle. "Don't know what to do with it either. It isn't entirely Witch magic."

"No, the black stuff is my father's magic. My mother's is gold. Daniel's is purple. Nick's is blue. Plus, there seems to be a cloud of it hanging around each of the Overlords. And..." I pointed to the spot where the soul of Sonnellion had been. There was a cloud of sickly yellow and black magic hanging around there.

"Yeah, but I still don't know what to do about it. I'm not drawing it all into myself. There's too much. I don't think you can handle it either."

"Can we use it?" I asked.

"Use it how?"

"Well, some of it is from the Hanged Man." I looked very pointedly at him.

"Not sure it will work." He seemed to get my point.

"Not sure it won't either."

"Are you sure you can handle taking in that much energy?"

"No, but it's here and it isn't going to go away until something is done with it. Might as well try."

"Can you move it?"

"Yes." I began the process again.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

I pulled all the energy I could into myself, regardless of to whom the magic belonged. For a moment, it seemed to fight against me. I touched Magnus, felt the magic give and watched as the plethora of colors began to move into him. Sharing magic is a Witch's Secret. I continued taking in the magic and forcing it into Magnus. He was now expelling it from every pore of his body. It was pulsing around him, making his aura glow. I stopped pushing and began drawing it into myself. When I felt like I couldn't take anymore, I gave a little bit of it to Magnus and pulled the last remaining swirls into myself. I was brimming with power. I felt sick with it. It was making my body hurt. My head was aching and throbbing.

Magnus gave me a nod and we both pushed the magic out. We forced it into the Angel. He fell backwards into a chair from the weight of it. It filled him; his entire body became one swirling rainbow. He was lost in the fog of magic. The magic began to dissipate.

"What on earth..." Anubis frowned at me. Fenrir growled.

"I think we might have healed him," Magnus said. "The magic of the Hanged Man might have been the key."

"Gabriel?" Ba'al asked him quietly.

His eyes were closed, his chest barely moving. Ba'al moved in closer. He whispered the Angel's name.

Gabriel awoke with a scream, his arms flailing, his wings flexing into tiny limbs. He stretched and looked at us.

"What the fuck..."

"Can you feel Ba'al touching you?" Magnus asked.

"Who cares, what the hell did you do?" Gabriel shouted.

"Can you feel Ba'al's hand on you?" Magnus repeated.

"No," Gabriel stopped, "Yes. I can. His claws are digging into my skin. They hurt."

"Sorry," Ba'al pulled away.

"No, by all means, continue. I feel it." Gabriel stood up and unflexed his wings. "I feel everything around me. Holy hell, you healed me."

"No, not by a long shot," I replied. "I don't have that kind of power. Magnus healed you."

"Going to lay it all at my feet?" Magnus grinned at me. "I wouldn't have had nearly enough power without you."

"Okay, I was the battery. You were the cables and on/off switch that made it work." I shrugged. "That's a role I can live with."

"You drew together all the energy in the house." Magnus turned to face me full on.

"Yeah, I think that's kind of what I do, like a lightning rod," I frowned. "No, that's not correct. I don't know what it is, but that doesn't feel right."

"Does it matter?" Anubis asked. Gabriel was touching everyone in the room, discovering them through his fingertips.

"Yes, I'm afraid it does." Magnus took a deep breath. "Have you considered that it's the Witch that gets powerful and not the Demon?"

"Yes, but I think it has more to do with the magic that has already been cast." I watched as Gabriel felt Ba'al's wings. "I think it's about the binding."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Magnus asked.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I think the only reason I am as capable as I am as a Witch or a Demon is because I'm not using just my magic."

"True, you used all the magic in the house, even the residual." Magnus cocked his head to look at me. "Including the magic from the Hanged Man."

"I think that's because I'm a Witch, I can use the magic of the men that are bound to me. I think that together, when all of us are together, we can do things that we probably shouldn't be able to do. I don't think it's just me, in other words. I think it's all of us."

"You don't think the prophecy is about a person, you think it's about the group." Magnus suddenly smiled. "It's an interesting theory, but we really can't test it until after the Maturing."

"I know, but I've been doing it all week. Today isn't an isolated incident. I've started to see magic better since the Maturing began. I've always been able to see it, but now, I don't just see it with my brain, and I can open my eyes and see it in the room. I can find it."

"So what are you thinking?" Magnus sat down as Gabriel touched his arm.

"I'm thinking I may go mad with this much power." I responded rather frankly. "I brought trees to life and not just a few of them, a virtual army of them. All I did was push the magic into the ground. I wasn't paying attention to where it came from, but I believe I was drawing extra magic from these guys. The first attack, when it was over, I channeled Gabriel's powers, fully channeled them. Didn't have a clue how to control them, so they did what they wanted to do, but what if it had been Fenrir? And I think they feed off of mine as well. I felt Gabriel drawing strength from them when we were fighting the Chimeras. I know the others can do the same. I also know that if Anubis hadn't been close enough for me to tap into his energy earlier, I would have died and I imagine his power was what called the Hanged Man into the room. I might have cast the spell, but to make a soul materialize. Well, I've never been that good. I can put them into things, but I can't give them a body, let alone their own body. And they certainly shouldn't have that much magic in them, even if they are a dead Demon."

"You think this fivesome you've created is making you powerful?" Magnus asked.

"Yes, I do." I sighed. "I don't know how to explain it, Magnus. I know I'm a Witch and a Demon and I have magic and power of my own, but I think, with eternity looming just beyond the horizon and the Maturing, I think the binding is coming into power, not me. I think that whatever I did as a child has somehow strengthened all five of us, not just me. I think the Maturing is just a catalyst."

"If it's the catalyst, what's the big show?" Magnus frowned.

"Hopefully, not the death of four Overlords and the second most powerful Witch in the world," Anubis answered.

"In the world?" Magnus got a smug look. "Not a big enough picture."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Your mother is the third most powerful Witch in the history of the world. I'm first. Your brother is a True Prophet. You are the second most powerful Witch in the history of the World, Brenna. Fate is preparing something."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Magnus stood up. "Bren, whatever Fate or God has in store for us, it's big. There is no rhyme or reason for all of us to be alive at the same time, even less rhyme to the fact that I have stopped aging. I'm not mated to an Elder. I stopped when I tried to break the binding with your mother. She had already stopped by then. I don't think it's an accident and I think it is even less likely to be a coincidence. The Prophecy talks about a Second Elder War, I don't think you are going to bring it about. I think it is coming though. I think that's why all of this is happening."

"Stopped aging?" I asked as if I were slow or something.

"And I've gained a bit of power myself," Magnus looked at me. His eyes pierced into my very soul it seemed. "I stopped aging the day I tried to break the binding and by the time you were a teen, I had discovered that I had some new magic of my own. Some of it, untamed. I've never had to deal with it before. It's... frightening, to say the very least. I can't imagine how you and your mother deal with it on a daily basis in the quantities that you have. However, if I had continued to age, I'd be dead before Daniel gave his prophecy. I think I'm meant to hear it. I think I'm meant to help."

"Divine Providence?" I asked.

"It has crossed my mind," Magnus shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know the whims and fancies of God any more than anyone else, but it feels right when I think about it."

"Magnus..." I looked at him and the only line that popped into my head was a line from a book when I was a child. "Something wicked this way comes."

"Aye," Magnus nodded once, "something wicked indeed. I think it will be far worse than the first war."

"Worse?" Anubis asked.

"Much worse, but we will have to wait for Daniel to know for sure. Anything else I can assist you lot with before I go?"

"Can you make my life uncomplicated?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Then, I think that's all for now, although, I might need you again, Magnus."

"Brenna, you are going to need all the help you can get. I'm always just a call away." Magnus left.

"Well that was helpful." I pursed my lips and tried not to frown.

"Actually, it was. If Magnus is right and he has stopped aging and gained more magic, it is even more important to stay alive. Immortality isn't granted to Witches, their life force though, that can be prolonged. The Strachan that sat on the Council during the first war lived to be nearly 300 years old."

"He was a bastard." Gabriel moved to Anubis and touched his muzzle. "This is really amazing."

"Who was the Council Member?" I asked.

"Ezra," Gabriel frowned at me, "for a Witch, sometimes, you seem clueless about your Witch history and then there are times when you blow us all away with your endless knowledge."

"My spell book?" I grimaced.

"The very same. If we had known he was fighting for the other side, we might have thrown him off the Council and replaced him with Beowulf. Crazy as he might be, he was at least an ally of the Overlords."

"My family has always been dysfunctional then, it isn't a new thing that happened when my mother mated with Lucifer?"

"Your family has always been dysfunctional. Sometimes, nuttier than fruitcakes," Ba'al answered. "How long before Fen turns back do you think?"

"No idea." I frowned at the wolf that was once again curled up around my feet. "Hopefully, not much longer."

"What are your thoughts?" Ba'al asked Anubis.

"I think they are regrouping and we have a little more time. We should educate her. This shit could be a preview of things to come."

"Another war," Gabriel seemed to lose interest in Anubis momentarily, "I don't..."

"We have the cream of the crop," Anubis cut him off. "A perfect merger, perhaps Magnus is right and it is Divine. The Wolf, The Vampire, The Angel, The Demon, The Gargoyle, and The Witch."

"It sounds like a bad movie title." I smiled slightly.

"Yes, it does, but we have the five that can sustain the most damage, have the most interesting self-defense mechanisms and have a healer as well as a spell caster in our group. It does seem rather ethereal."

"Why not the others?" I asked.

"Because the rest are more fragile," Fenrir's voice came from my feet. "We jokingly refer to them as 'fragile souls', but there is a kernel of truth to it."

Fenrir had partially shifted back. No goo, no puddles of ooze and flesh, but he was looking distinctly more Human than he had five minutes ago.

"Fragile souls?" I shook my head. "More confusion."

"Yes and no," Anubis looked at me, his face was set hard. "It is easier to destroy their minds and their souls. Pendragon can do it in about three days. He's never broken the mind of the others though, and that is why we put all the conspirators of the first war to death. Most of the leaders were from our stock. Pendragon could lock them up and take away their powers, but they could still think logically."

"Pendragon breaks their minds?" I closed my eyes, trying not to think of it.

"Not intentionally, it's a side effect of being exposed to his magic for a prolonged period of time. Or, rather, exposed to his magic while it is directly focused on you. The mind goes a little soft because it wants to do magic and can't. Eventually, with enough time, it will break the soul as well."

"And that's better than death?" I asked.

"Yes, because when they are released, they heal. However, Demons, Vampires, and Lycans, all seem to be immune to the psychological aspects of it. Angels and Gargoyles have a different response."

"Different how?"

"Oh," Gabriel let go of Anubis entirely, "angels who go to the prison and are subjected to several days of Pendragon's magic, tear off their wings. The light causes massive damage to the cell and themselves. It takes months for them to heal and the pain seems to be seared into their brain permanently. They never do it a second time. And they don't seem capable of going crazy from the lack of magic, it's like they don't want to use it, so our souls, insisting on survival, don't require it."

"And we turn to stone," Ba'al added cheerily. "Hard to break the mind of a creature that has turned to stone. We can go in and out of stone form whenever necessary. It isn't magic that causes it. It's a transitional state of being for a Gargoyle. Most stone Gargoyles are healing and do it automatically. Young Gargoyles are the worst about suddenly turning to stone."

"What about the rest of us, the ones that are immune?" I asked.

"I don't feel it," Anubis said. "I know that I can't direct my magic and that I don't have it, but it doesn't bother me, psychologically. I don't need to feed on blood or magic or soul energy when I don't have magic."

"Same for Lycans. The need to feed goes away and in some ways, that is our greatest burden. We no longer feel the pull of our animal and therefore, don't need to feed. It is sort of a relief."

"And Demons?" I asked.

"Well, the Nine are immune to Pendragon's magic. It does have some effect I suppose on all but Lucifer, but not much. As for Demons as a whole, well, I can't answer why they don't go insane. I just know that they don't. They become very calm, almost serene. I think they are pleased to be rid of the gift of taking pain, considering what they are surrounded by," Anubis told me. "How do you feel when you are around him?"

"I don't feel any different," I answered.

"So, you might be immune to him as well." Anubis seemed to think for a long time. "That would be interesting and useful."

"Immune to Pendragon? I don't think so."

"Do you feel like your powers have left you when he's around?" Gabriel asked.

"No, but I am a Witch."

"That might be why you are immune. You should feel your power..." Gabriel seemed to be searching for the word.

"Deplete," Anubis answered for him. "You will feel like you just don't have the ability to do anything magical when in his presence."

"Nope, never felt that," I answered.

"Well, another mystery for another time." Ba'al was standing from the table. "Since dinner was ruined, I say we adjourn to the living room, have a smoke, a drink, and do something hedonistic."

"Agreed," Fenrir walked, or rather, limped into the living room. He still wasn't fully Human, but he was well into the change. It was odd to watch his staggering gait as he alternated between walking on all four to standing up, and then back to all four.

"Do you need help?" I asked him, curling up on the couch with a pillow.

"I imagine I do, but..." Fenrir made a gesture that might have been a shrug, "I don't have the foggiest how you would be able to help me."

"What happens to the goo and whatnot?" I asked, frowning at the floor as the first bit hit the hard wood with an audible plop.

"It turns to dust." Anubis knelt down and blew on the blob. It powdered and disappeared into the air. "Great fertilizer."

"Okay," I looked at Gabriel, "any thoughts, Angel?"

"Many, none that helps our current situation. I was never in charge of assassinations. Just leading troops into battle."

"I'd wait a week and then launch into full battle mode, especially, if I wanted to keep my identity anonymous. I wouldn't strike once a day or wait until night. I'd send wave after wave of creature to attack. Eventually, the group as a whole would weaken enough to allow a chink in the armor to appear, so to speak. Once the chink was exposed, I'd go in and finish the job myself. However, in this case, I'd send a surrogate. Someone or something ruthless, brutal, and intelligent. If I am not conspiring alone, I pick the being that fits the categories the best and send them. If I'm not conspiring, I send a Gorgon."

"Like Medusa?" I frowned at Fenrir as he finished speaking.

"Medusa's a myth, but yes, the same general idea. They can't turn people into stones with a look, but they are pretty nasty and have relatively high intelligence levels for an animal species. Dolphins and rats are still smarter, but a Gorgon can use reasoning skills to get her prize," Fenrir answered me.

"What's the prize?" I asked.

"Your magic," Anubis answered, holding up a hand to Fenrir, "they drain you of your magic. It's like a drug for them and one they highly prize. Demons aren't their preferred breed, but it will do. The ultimate magic they crave seems to come from Djinn. But any magic is like catnip."

"This just keeps getting better," I sighed. "Dragons and Minotaurs and Gorgons, oh my."

"Just to name a few," Fenrir gave me a look. "I wouldn't stop with just those three. I'd send anything I could bait, lure, trap, trick, or bespell. Dragons, Wyverns, Gorgons, Minotaurs, Sirens, Cerebus, Hydras, Golems, Trolls, Skinwalkers, Humans, Elders, Witches, and anything else on the planet. But that is what I would do, if killing you was my ultimate goal. What Chiron does, well that's anyone's guess. He isn't known for his assassination attempts. He usually just sits around and grumbles. I can't imagine he is conspiring alone though, so it is possible that someone else has thought of these things."

"How do we prepare to be attacked by every apex predator on the planet?" I let the sarcasm fill my voice.

"We don't." Fenrir dropped another glob onto the floor. "We prepare for only one thing, you."

"I don't intend to attack anyone or anything that doesn't attack me first. Why prepare for me?"

"Because you are the target. Know the target and know the attack. For example, if I were going to kill Anubis, I would send only myself. It would be hand-to-hand combat and I would have a back-up plan in place that included Gargoyle Blood. Lucifer though, well, there's no way to attack him head on, you'd have to pick and choose your attacks. Personally, I'd go after his family first. Once he was blinded with rage, I could start to attack him directly. Every weapon in my arsenal would be dipped in something poisonous and I would have to have something to stop his ability to heal. He heals too rapidly for even Gargoyle blood to work completely. A talisman would be required, I'd have to have a Witch make it, it would have to be forged using Lucifer's blood and it would require more magic than I think exists on the planet. But that is the only way it could be done with any chance of success." Fenrir was changing as he finished his sentence. He jerked his head backwards and made a wordless scream. When he had finished, the remaining fur was on the floor. It was enveloped in mountains of gelatinous yuck and he was stark naked.

"You on the other hand, you're a loose cannon. I couldn't risk a frontal assault with my own person without being absolutely positive that you were both completely incapable of using any Demon powers, and that the Overlords were not capable of assisting you. If I could manage that, I could take you out personally. However, that is nearly impossible. You are Maturing and your power is even more unpredictable than your mood swings. So, I don't do it myself. I send others and other things to do it for me. Things that are powerful and can bring out different weaknesses among different breeds. In other words, I send something that is specifically targeting Demons, one that is specifically targeting Vampires, and so on and so forth. If, and when they retreat, I regroup and restrengthen. I increase their numbers and diversity as well as try to get a couple of Witches in on the deal to increase their magic potential. My first wave is strong enough that you rally your troops. The Call goes out and the Overlords send it as well. Now, I don't really have to worry about reinforcements because they are all here, all battling. I send Sirens, Wyverns, Minotaurs, and Cerebus, in the first attack. When I bring them back for a regroup, I add as much power and danger as possible. That is when I add Dragons and Gorgons and Trolls and whatever else I can find. I attack again, if they fall back or are forced to retreat, I then add whatever Elders are following my cause. I send them all back in and overwhelm you."

"That isn't an assassination, that's warfare." I closed my eyes.

"No, Bren, that is how you get to someone that is nearly untouchable and not in enough control to have predictable magic." Fenrir stood up. "It's chilly; I'm going to get dressed."

"Ani?" I asked as Fenrir left the room.

"I have to admit, it makes sense. While it might sound like an out and out brawl, it is rather calculated and meticulous and has a high level of success probability. Sirens will be a distraction, Cerebus a problem. Both of them at the same time, is a flaw in our design."

"I'm pretty much fucked," I sighed again and lit a cigarette. I couldn't remember the last time I had smoked one, but now seemed like a good time. "May I have a drink?"

"Should you be drinking when you can't control your magic?" Anubis asked me.

"Don't you think this situation warrants a drink? In two weeks, do you want to be sitting in the ethereal plane thinking, I should have had that last drink?"

"Logical, flawed, and tempting," Anubis stood up. "You may have one and it will have a different impact than when you are Immortal."

"Great, break out the good stuff. Dad's private stash is in the bottom of the liquor cabinet, under a false floor. I believe there are several bottles of scotch that are well over 200 years old."

"Perhaps we should save that for when we have all survived." Anubis grabbed a different bottle.

"Or we break it out tonight so that we can all say we had one before we die."

"Becoming a fatalist?" Gabriel smiled at me.

"Possibly, or it could just be that the wool is being removed from my eyes. I sort of feel like the entire world sucks." I was handed a glass of the good scotch. "If I survive the Maturing, we have a whole different Pandora's Box in front of us. There is the issue of the binding. That will have to be sorted, explored, and understood. There is my brother, The Prophet. The coming of war or some other divine reason for keeping Magnus alive this long. Chiron and his conspirators will need to be dealt with, including my sister. And on top of all that, at some point, I'm going to have to start having sex. The prospects for our futures are all rather bleak."

"You might be the only being on the entire planet that thinks the prospect of having sex is bleak," Fenrir said as he rejoined us. He was wearing a pair of sweat pants and white tube socks. It wasn't exactly what one expected an eons old Lycan to be lounging around in while we discussed death and drank 200 year old scotch. I couldn't help but smile.

"What?" He asked as he took a glass from Anubis.

"I just realized that we are all a bit ridiculous looking. You are in sweats and tube socks. I'm dressed in yoga pants and a tank-top with house shoes on and not just any house shoes; I'm wearing Tom and Jerry slippers. Gabriel is dressed in a t-shirt and running shorts and sandals that I imagine were created around the same time as the Great Pyramid. Not only that, but the t-shirt is neon green and the running shorts are orange. Anubis is dressed completely in black. Black jeans, black button down shirt, black shoes, I imagine even his socks and underwear are black, which is just odd since the fur on his face is black. Ba'al is wearing a kilt, of all things, and flip-flops. We might actually be the worst dressed people in the history of the world and we are discussing death, sex, and everything in between."

"She's right," Gabriel grinned, "we might be the worst dressed warriors on the planet or in the annals of history."

"But what's really odd, is that none of us even noticed." I threw out my arms for emphasis. "Magnus was here and we didn't notice. Magnus didn't seem to notice. Normally, you see beings dressed like us, and you wonder if they fell off the fashion train, or if they were violently shoved from it. But we were oblivious. And it wasn't because of the conjured soul or my death or any of that, somehow, we all managed to go into our clothing stocks and pick out either the worst thing possible or whatever happened to be on top. It's like we are just at home, hanging out by ourselves, on laundry day."

"Are you implying you think magic is involved?" Ba'al frowned.

"No, I'm implying that we are so comfortable in this little group that it doesn't matter what we dress like. We are obviously not dressing to impress each other and none of us noticed. How did that cohesion happen? It happened so fast."

Ba'al took a deep breath and looked around him. The others did the same.

"It feels like I am at home, just hanging out with some friends, not a care in the world," Gabriel finally said.

"I love my kilt. It was a gift and it is so comfortable," Ba'al added. "I normally wear it when I'm home alone, hanging out. I feel like I'm at home."

"Me too." Anubis looked at me. "Perhaps that is what it is, we are all at home. Not exactly home in the sense of this house is ours, but in the sense that the five of us together are home for each other."

"Four weeks ago, Bren would not have worn that tank top around me or anyone else for that matter," Gabriel added.

"That's just it; I don't wear it around anyone. I wear it when I'm at home. Somehow, in the last 36 hours or so, we have become not five individuals, but one unified group."

Fenrir looked at Anubis and then at me. He narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils.

"It happened when you died," he finally said. "I don't think I felt it when it did happen, but looking back, it happened when you died. We became a unit. We all came together to save your life and bring you back from the grip of death. That is when it happened."

"Probably," Gabriel sat down. "I don't remember the feelings associated with it, except fear, panic, and dread."

"I felt something else, but I was in wolf form," Fenrir responded. "I felt something akin to..." He shrugged.

"Akin to nothing I've ever felt. Truly awe-inspiring. I felt connection." Fenrir finally finished his thoughts. "I haven't felt connected to anyone in hundreds of years."

"So, tonight we have a drink and wear awful clothing, tomorrow we might consider being a little more fashion conscious. I'd hate for the Overlords to get a reputation because they dress oddly around me." I took my first whiff of the amber liquid. It smelled like fire and something else, something wonderful. I took a sip and felt it burn on the way down. Not a lot, just a tingle really and it was not unwelcome. The tingle was coupled with the revelation that I was sitting on a couch, looking at my future and for the first time, I wasn't terrified. I was overjoyed. I would spend eternity in this company. I would enjoy their mood swings, odd humor, and interesting habits. They would annoy the hell out of me from time to time, but that was to be expected. More importantly though, whatever hell, trials, and tribulations that the future held, would be faced standing alongside these men. While our lives were intertwined, it went deeper, our very souls were joined together, what happened to them would happen to me and vice versa. That was a future that held prospect, hope, understanding, and so many other things.

"Why are you smiling now?" Ba'al asked me as I took another drink.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not just my father's daughter. I'm not just my mother's daughter. I'm Brenna Nichneven Strachan, Demon and Witch, and bound for eternity to damaged Overlords who will fill me with pleasure, pain, irritations, and joy. And that knowledge is powerful enough that whatever the future holds for me, I'm not afraid of it."

"Your middle name is Nichneven?" Fenrir asked.

"It is one of them, yes." I cocked my head to the side and closed my eyes. "I have four middle names. Nichneven is the first in the list. My full name is Brenna Nichneven Eiric Siobhan Athdara Strachan. It seems to be that my parents just started tacking on the names of some of my great ancestors. However, three of the four seem to have evil connotations attached to them. And Siobhan might be a joke since it is Irish and means "health." I've never asked them about it. I have heard some stories about my great, great, great, grandmothers from history, like Nichneven, who used to enjoy riding about after dark, completely nude and threatening anyone who looked upon her with being turned into a toad. I don't believe there were ever any toads produced by it, but I think she was on some sort of power trip. Athdara used to hold orgies in her dungeons and only allowed Humans to participate when Elders wanted them there. While the festival was going on, she would prick the participants to gain their blood for spells. Everyone knew about it, but they didn't care because the debauchery seemed like so much fun. Finally, Eiric destroyed most of a Roman Army Battalion that attempted to invade Scotland. Someone from the lowlands came and got her, I understand, kicking and screaming and told her to do something to the Romans to keep them out. She complied by giving them the thrashing of their lives by enchanting their own weapons. After the Romans beat a quick retreat and ditched their betraying weapons, she turned on the clan that came and got her, and gave them a good thrashing using flowers and grass. Some were even swallowed whole by the earth. They burned her at the stake."

"I remember Eiric." Gabriel shivered. "She was a force to be reckoned with. They tried to burn her at the stake. It didn't actually work. The only Witches they ever managed to burn at the stake were really just Humans, poor folk. She laughed as they lighted the pyre and then when the flames were going really well, she made it explode and killed most of the people gathered to watch her burn. She then returned to the Highlands and lived out the rest of her life doing what she did best."

"Athdara was fun at least," Fenrir shrugged. "Her head wasn't screwed on the tightest, but there was fun to be had. What the stories about her fail to relate is that while her orgies were going on and she was gathering a collection of bodily fluids, not just blood, she was casting spells to make all sorts of odd things happen. I remember one party where she managed to entrance most of the village and they put on a nude fashion parade for the group. At another party, she managed to convince a group of Elders and Humans that they were really cats. They kept meowing and pawing at things. The effects lasted for days."

"I remember the party with the King," Anubis gave a grimace. "That is where the tale of the Tailor came from. She convinced him that he was adorned in splendid, royal fashion, and he paraded up and down the streets for days in the buff. He wasn't real happy when he came out of it. Tried to have her killed three or four times for it. Always failed and then one night, he got stark naked and started begging her to erase the memories of the people who had seen him. She agreed, but only if he agreed to let her draw a salary."

"Good, God, what year was that?" Gabriel asked.

"Oh," Anubis frowned, "I don't remember. The Highland kings were really just heads of families with lots of money and he was a McKenzie. I imagine it was before 1000 CE. It was a dandy of a party though. Lots of booze, food, sex, and magic."

"Athdara knew how to throw a good party." Ba'al finally grinned. "Do you remember the time she tempted every young boy and girl over the age of twenty to her party. All the girls ended up getting pregnant."

"Yes, and she had a 'birthing' party when they all gave birth on exactly the same day at exactly the same time. That was a weird event," Anubis answered.

"And Nichneven, well, she was just nutty as a fruitcake. Lovely woman that didn't like clothing, Humans, Witches, or Elders, so she treated us all with disdain and sarcasm, which I suppose was part of her charm. Not only did she do nightly nude rides, but she liked to curse objects along the path with simple curses. The next day, some poor soul would pick up the object and for a week he'd have a tail or pointy ears, or only be able to eat food that was green in color." Gabriel smiled. "But she had charm to her. I had her do a great many spells for me. I always enjoyed her blunt, almost rude, company. She was a breath of fresh air in a stale time."

"Sometimes, I miss the middle ages," Ba'al said, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. "Life was interesting back then."

"Witches were more interesting. They did strange, quirky things all the time. Nowadays, a Witch wouldn't think to curse rocks, sticks, and blades of grass so that they did odd things to whoever touched them first." Fenrir nodded.

"I must admit, I've never cast a curse to make an object do something like that."

"See, the art of small magic seems to have been lost over time. In the old days, you could pick up a seemingly harmless stone and suddenly have silver hair that was impossible to brush for two or three days. Or you'd find a coin, pick it up, and it would cause your tongue to flop out of your mouth every time a member of the opposite sex walked past you," Fenrir told me. "Those were interesting times. I remember touching a doorknob once and turning neon pink. I was like that for a week."

"So, my ancestors were petty, sadistic, and power drunk," I commented.

"No, your ancestors were having fun. If you lived in a village that housed a Great Witch, you just sort of accepted it. Besides, it was the Middle Ages for most of this time and well, a few harmless practical jokes made life more interesting. If it really bothered you, the Witch would remove it early, if it didn't, it'd run its course in two or three days. It was more than just an art-form and a use of magic. It was like a magician today. They entertained and kept the villagers happy, letting them forget about their hard lives for a while."

"I thought they burned Witches." I told him.

"Rarely. The Witch Hunt was pretty acceptable, but they didn't really find Witches. They found people they didn't like and usually they were hanged." Anubis came back into the conversation.

"Now, flash forward to the modern era." I took a drink of something that someone handed me. "Would you like me to start doing that?"

"You're mortal and not paying attention to what you eat or drink?" Anubis scolded.

"House full of Overlords, surely I'm safe in that department."

"Not necessarily," Anubis took a drink from his glass. "We can't smell all poisons."

"Does that mean I have to go on a diet?"

"No, oh, God no. I remember that debacle. I would rather face Dragons than you on a diet," Gabriel said emphatically.

"This waiting sucks," I said to no one.

"Yes, it does," Anubis responded as he took another drink. "Much better to be under attack than waiting to be under attack."

"Is there anything we can do offensively?" I looked around.

"Not really. Maybe install a couple of traps, but that would be it," Gabriel responded.

"I'm not good at playing the waiting game." I reminded everyone.

"Well, what would you have us do?" Anubis asked.

"Stir the pot, see what floats up?" I suggested.

"Or we could play a game." Anubis broke out a deck of cards.

"You guys are obsessed with games."

"Well, eternity is a long time. It is hard to fill all that time with food, sex, and violence. You have to find other hobbies." Fenrir sat down at the table.

"Coming from you, that was almost philosophical," Ba'al grinned and took up a seat across from him.

"Yeah, that's about as deep as it gets," Fenrir shrugged. "If I could find a way to fill my days with nothing but food, sex, and violence, I would. I've tried and failed many times. So, I have had to grow as a person with interests."

"You have hobbies?" I asked skeptically.

"I paint," Fenrir looked at his cards. "I restore old cars. I play rugby, American Football, and soccer. And once a week, I volunteer at the juvenile center mentoring young children."

"I participate in Big Brothers," Ba'al said. "Twice a week, I take my 'little brother' to do some new activity. Other than that, I doodle, play several instruments, and compose music."

"I read," Gabriel said as he took a seat ready to be dealt in on the next round. "I also write. Several published novels under a pen name. When I'm not engaging my brain, I tend to go to museums."

"I volunteer at the museum," Anubis responded. "I also volunteer at the zoo. I spend a couple days a week at the zoo helping to 'socialize' predatorial offspring that have been abandoned by their parents for whatever reason. I also do some wildlife rehab."

"I've never thought of you as having hobbies."

"We all play cards," Fenrir added. "And any board game we can get our hands on. Games seem to be coded into our DNA. We are easily distracted by games."

"Good way to whittle away some hours." Gabriel looked at me. "There was a time, long ago that I kept a running game of two person rummy going with an Angel friend of mine. We had filled five books. Our scores were in the millions."

"That sounds..." I searched for the right word and failed to find one. "Dedicated, perhaps." I finally conceded.

"What are you guys getting ready to play?" I asked looking at the deck Anubis was shuffling.

"Tarot." Ba'al frowned as he watched Anubis shuffle. "Only, I'm pretty sure Ani cheats when we play."

"How do you cheat at Tarot?" Fenrir asked, also watching the shuffle.

"I don't know, but I also know that no one has ever beat him."

"Aren't tarot cards what they use to tell the future?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but long before fortune telling, there was the card game. The card game is a lot more interesting," Anubis answered and began to deal. "Come here, I'll teach you how to play without cheating and still never lose."

The sun was coming up when the game finally ended, or rather, string of games. I had learned the ins and outs of Tarot and found that Ani really couldn't seem to be beat. Even I had started wondering if he was cheating. The terms were still a little jumbled around in my brain, but I could basically play a game if my life depended on it. Probably couldn't win, but could play. I yawned, feeling the corners of my mouth stretch as far as they could and something in my back popped as I moved from the chair.

"Okay, I think it was bed time several hours ago," I stood and stretched some more.

"Probably," Anubis yawned with me as he put away the cards.

"Why don't Fen and Ani get some sleep? Beal and I will stay up," Gabriel volunteered.

"Good plan," Fenrir stretched. "Remind me never to play Ani for money in Tarot."

They both followed me into my room. I thought about protesting but something told me it was useless and I was too exhausted really to get into it. I shut out the lights and curled up under the blankets. Fenrir and Anubis took positions on either side of me. Since my bed wasn't exactly a true full-size, it worked. It wasn't entirely comfortable, I felt a little crowded, but it could have been worse. Besides, before I could complain, sleep closed my eyelids and took me away.  
In my dream, there was a tall, dark man with messy hair, an interesting nose and a long pipe. He smoked too much, obviously didn't eat enough and kept telling me I needed to open my eyes and look around. If I would just look, I would understand. This proved two things. One: I needed to read less Sherlock Holmes for a while. And Two: I have very boring dreams. Even my ideal man failed to put moves on me in my mind.

I awoke feeling groggy, irritable, and slightly off. This mortality thing was for the birds. My head had a gentle humming inside. My eyes burned a bit. And a small part of me was considering throwing up.

The men in my bed had changed. I now had the Gargoyle and the Angel. Both were still sleeping, too tired to realize I had awoken. I crawled from between them gently and went into the living room.

Anubis and Fenrir both seemed to be bright eyed and bushy tailed. I frowned at them as I sat down. Fen handed me a cup of something. It smelled like cow piss.

I raised an eyebrow and frowned harder at them. They smiled back, pleasantly sipping coffee and looking like they could conquer the world. Since I was still conquering my gag reflex...

"Drink it, it will help," Fenrir told me.

"What is it?"

"Hang-over cure, perfected over millennia of Maturing Morning After's." Fenrir put his coffee cup down. "You aren't the first and you won't be the last to decide to drink more than a few glasses during the Maturing. This will take away the headache, nausea, and urge to kill us."

"Huh, you say that like you have experience with it." I took another whiff and closed my eyes.

"Don't smell it, just drink it," Anubis scolded me. I took another second before opening the hatch and chugging the entire cup.

If I had thought it was going to taste better than it had smelled, I was horribly wrong. I gagged, swallowed, gagged again, and forced my hands over my mouth. I was pretty sure the purple was draining from my face and being replaced by putrid green.

"Don't throw up," Fenrir patted my back.

I shook my head at him as Anubis handed me a different glass. This one had soda in it. I took it, sipped a bit, and gargled, trying to get the taste out of my mouth and throat. I buried my face into Anubis's stomach to try to remove the smell from my nostrils. Anubis always smells a bit like copper, orchids, and something dark, possibly evil.

"Well?" Fenrir asked after several minutes of me doing deep breathing of Anubis's smell.

I had to admit. My head was no longer humming and I no longer felt nauseated. I shrugged and opened my eyes. The burning was gone.

"I don't know what that is, but you could make a fortune selling it." I stretched.

"No, no we couldn't." Anubis pulled away and looked at me. "Humans would have a serious problem drinking it."

"Why?"

"Let's just go with, you never want to have to make it." Anubis gave me a look that should have meant something and didn't. I decided not to pry since I had just drank it. Maybe in ten or fifteen thousand years I would ask for the recipe.

"What's on the agenda today, Brain?" I asked Anubis.

"Well, I'd say global domination, but that would be pointless, so I'm thinking food, survival, and more games," Anubis answered.

"Games," I nodded. "I think I need to lay off the Holmes for a couple of days. I dreamed about him. It was weird."

"You dreamed about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?" Anubis answered, looking genuinely puzzled.

"No, Sherlock Holmes." I said defensively. "I dreamed about Holmes and it wasn't even a good dream, he just kept telling me to look around. I felt like a very dim-witted Dr. Watson, if Dr. Watson were having a very bad day and drugged into oblivion. I think Mycroft was in it as well, which is odd, since I consider Mycroft to be annoying."

"Better Holmes than souls," Fenrir told me.

"Well, you have me there. Is it normal to be this tired? I feel like I could sleep for ages."

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Eating helps for a time, but considering what is happening to you, it's a lot like super healing," Anubis responded. "If I remember correctly, it's like having sleeping sickness."

"I've never had sleeping sickness."

"It makes you very tired," Anubis told me, "and pale and wan and cranky."

"Pale, wan, and cranky?" I frowned. "Are you implying that I'm all three?"

"Yes," they said in unison again.

The two of them had their back to the large picture window that had been replaced in the living room. The sun was setting at an extremely rapid rate. I looked past them. The glass was darkening over. There didn't seem to be a sunset.

"Uh, that's," I pointed out the window, "not natural."

Anubis checked his watch, "No, it's August and it's only 5 pm. The sun shouldn't be setting."

Fenrir started to walk towards the glass. He turned and gave a look to Anubis. Anubis responded by sprinting down the hall. My guess, he was headed to get the others.

"What is it?" I went towards Fenrir.

"It isn't a storm," Fenrir responded.

"Okay, so..." I put my hand on his arm.

"Cerebus. I was wrong. We aren't going to have a week. It's going to begin."

"Cerebus makes it dark?"

"Cerebus is a hell-hound." Fenrir began to back away from the glass.

"That means nothing to me, Fen." I stepped back with him.

"Hell-hound brings night with him where ever he goes. He can't handle sunlight. Might be one of the most magical creatures on the planet."

Gabriel, Anubis, and Ba'al, all entered the room as Fenrir finished saying planet. The three of them didn't exactly look panicked, but it was close. I felt my heartbeat increase.

"Cerebus," Gabriel hissed the word. There are times when I focus on little details. This was one of them. I occasionally thought Gabriel might have a forked tongue. When he hissed a word, he really did hiss it. Odd to think of an Angel as having a forked tongue.

Cell phones began to ring throughout the room. Even the land line began ringing. I frowned as I dug mine out. The name read "Belphegor." I sighed.

"Brenna," I answered.

"Bren," my uncle's voice was very tense.

"Yes, it's dark here." I answered the question before he asked it.

"What do you need?"

"No clue, Uncle Begor, I don't know what is out there besides Cerebus."

"He wouldn't be out without keepers. I'll gather who I can and bring them."

"The more people here, the more will be injured. I understand Cerebus is immortal."

"He is, but not everything with him will be." Belphegor hung up on me.

"Demons are coming," I said as my phone rang again. This time it read "Leviathan."

"Yes, the Demons are definitely coming."

I flipped it open, "I just talked to Belphegor."

"What about the others?" Levi asked.

"I haven't heard from Beezel, Abaddon, Mammon, Asmodeus, Berith, or Astroth," I paused. "Wait, my phone is beeping. I'm sure it is one of them." I checked the caller ID. "Abaddon."

"I have Uncle Abad on the other line. What should I say?"

"Tell him to hurry, I'm on my way." He hung up and I answered the other beep.

"Uncle Levi says to hurry up. Levi and Begor are both on their way." I didn't bother with a hello.

"Three uncles?" Abaddon sounded irritated.

"I have a beep, I'm sure the line is pretty busy. The house phone keeps ringing as well."

"Aside from Cerebus, do we know what we are dealing with?"

"Nope, but Fenrir is shifting and Anubis is sort of Vamping out, as best he can. Ba'al is stretching his wings and Gabriel seems to be glowing more than normal, even when he is really irritated normal."

"So, they believe..." his voice was lost behind the beep. I pulled the phone from my ear. "Lucifer" was on the caller ID.

"Fuck, someone called dad." I sighed into the phone.

"Tell Luc we can handle it." Abaddon hung up and I answered the other line.

"Hi, papa," I tried to sound cheerful.

"I hear Cerebus is headed towards you."

"How'd you hear that in Europe?" I asked.

"Beezel called to tell me that he is on his way over. I've called Magnus and a few of the others. You should have help very soon."

"Lucifer," I rarely use my father's first name, but every once in a while, "you are not flying back." I made it a statement, not a question.

"No, I realize that I would be more of a hindrance than a help." He sounded stiff and bristly. He was just as pissed as everyone else was scared. I could understand that. "Is Cerebus with or without keepers?"

"Don't know. We can't actually see, feel, or hear anything. We just know that it is five in the afternoon, the sun is still shining, but the world is going dark. The Overlords associated it with Cerebus and everyone seems to be on high alert."

"Do not fuck with the Hell-Hound, Brenna Strachan." My father's voice was very stern and it seemed to be with concentrated effort that he was speaking, and not just shouting a stream of obscenities. "Leave it to the Overlords and the Elders."

"I'm crunchy, I've been told." There was another beep. I sighed even heavier. "I have another call."

"I imagine you are going to have lots of calls," my father disconnected. I was pretty sure he was about to do something really stupid. I answered the other call and was surprised to find it wasn't a Demon on the other end.

"Where the fuck have you all been?" Pendragon snapped at me. "I have been calling for the last two hours."

"Really? The phone calls only started about five minutes ago." I told him.

"Damn," he made a complicated noise that I was sure wasn't entirely Human. "Time slip. The island is fucking empty, Brenna."

"What do you mean, 'empty'?" I asked skeptically.

"I mean that there isn't a single living creature on it except me and the Chimeras, and they aren't real happy about being here."

"Not a single creature but you and the Chimeras?" I asked, not sure I understood.

"What the fuck?" Anubis yanked the phone from me. "What do you mean empty?"

There was some very fast chatter on the other end of the line. I could hear the notes, but not make out the words.

"How?" Anubis shouted. Everyone turned to look at him. A car screeched to a halt in my driveway. One thing that can be said for pissed off Demons is that they know how to make an entrance. Leviathan didn't knock, he just came in. The door didn't exactly explode off its hinges, but the knob left a very nice hole in the sheet rock before ricocheting back.

"Impossible!" Anubis yelled and stamped his foot. "How can the prison be empty, Uther?"

More chattering. The darkness seemed to be growing. Several mouths were hanging open. From the chatter, I caught the words Minotaur and Djinn come from the phone. Anubis answered by slamming the phone into the ground. It shattered into about three bazillion pieces. I was betting the insurance wasn't going to pay for it. Even the floor seemed to break a little from the throw.

"Uther is bringing the Chimeras to our aid, but we are royally fucked." Anubis turned to Gabriel. "Anyone with the ability to Call should use it. We are about to be slammed by everything. They even managed to empty the prison. We have supernatural creatures and evil fucking Elders headed our way."

"How?" Ba'al asked. Levi looked like he might explode.

"A Witch, a Minotaur, and a Djinn," Anubis answered. "The Witch bespelled Pendragon, the Minotaur and Djinn ensnared his mind and managed to override his power. He isn't sure how. He will have Vishnu examine it if we survive."

"I'll call someone," Ba'al dug out his phone. Since I had nothing better to do, I answered the land line.

"Hello?" I said picking it up.

"There is chaos and panic in the streets." The voice belonged to Mammon. "I'm downtown. Cerebus is eating Humans. Minotaurs are running around doing what they do. I'm pretty sure I just saw Jack the Ripper run past my car, but that would be impossible. More so though, I just saw Agamemnon and Jesus Christ trying to control a Dragon on a leash. Since both of them are in Prison on the Island, I'm wondering if it's a trick of my mind."

"Nope, the prison is empty. Long story, but it gives us some clues as to what is going on. How long before you get to my father's house?"

"Pretty long, they are trying to empty the Zoo. They have a Nymph calling animals as she walks down the streets. Wait," there was a long pause. "Nymph gone, just got eaten by a crocodile. However, there does appear to be a rather large salt water crocodile meandering down the streets and he seems to be accompanied by a Wyvern and a Dryad."

"Okay, Uncle, exactly how many different species are you seeing and how many are of the mythical kind?"

"Oh, about the only thing I don't see is a Chimera. However, I am disturbed that Jack the Ripper, Agamemnon, and Jesus, are all walking free among the living."

"Are they all headed this way?"

"Oh yeah," Mammon took a deep breath. "You are in deep shit, Brenna. If there's a safe place for you to take refuge, it might not be a bad idea to go there."

"Do we need to worry about the non-mythical creatures?" I asked.

"Who are you talking to?" Anubis growled.

"Mammon and he's downtown. I think this is going to be very, very, bad."

"Oh, okay," Anubis went back to talking on his own cell phone.

"Nah, not really. The non-mythicals can't be controlled like the mythical. They will cause mayhem and havoc, but not the devastation that the others are causing. There went a troll."

"How much help am I going to need?"

"Do you know the number for the Secretary of Defense?" Mammon asked.

"No," I told him.

"Then you might be screwed, kiddo. I'm on my way." He hung up on me. The phone had been in the cradle less than three seconds when it rang again.

"I know, I know, bad shit is headed in my direction."

"Uh, Miss Strachan?" The voice on the end of the line seemed vaguely familiar.

"Yes," I responded.

"Ma'am this is Deputy Howard with the Jackson County Sheriff's department. I just had a..." he paused. "A something, I don't know what it was, come into my station and destroy most of it. It seems to be headed your way."

"What did it look like?"

"A giant, real giant, multi-headed dog. And we are getting reports from several counties in Missouri and Kansas that non-Human but hominoid creatures are attacking people."

"Yes, my Uncle Mammon just called to tell me that he had seen a Nymph get eaten by a crocodile in Old KC. He was somewhere near the zoo."

"Well, we were wondering if this was connected to you."

"Unfortunately, yes, I believe it is." I let a tear fall from my eyes. "We are trying to control the situation, but we aren't sure how."

"I'll call in all officers available and see what I can do to get the National Guard on the way."

"Thank you," I hung up as I started to cry. I fell into a heap on the ground near the phone.

"What?" Levi rushed over to me.

"People are dying and it's my fault." I told him through tears.

"Not really," Levi touched my hair. "You can't be responsible for the evil of others."

"I feel responsible."

"You should feel terrified. We need to get you somewhere safe."

"No, what we need is a miracle." I told him.

"How many?"

"Several?" I looked into his eyes.

"Several miracles, coming right up." He stood up, offered me a hand. "Call them to you."

"Call what to me?"

"The things that are attacking people. Call them to you. Send out a burst of magic and remind them of their target. If they refocus and come here, that will minimize collateral damage. So, send them magic, bring them here."

"I don't know how."

"But I do, if you can share some serious power with me," Magnus had come in quietly enough that I hadn't noticed. "Come on, lass."

Magnus drew a circle on the floor. He filled it with symbols and words in a language I didn't understand. He pulled me into the circle.

"This will concentrate the magic and send it out to all the Elders and all the mythical beings. It might even be felt by Humans and other animals. If we can send them all a 'telepathic telegraph' letting them know your exact position, we can keep the rest of the city safe. Right now, they are searching for you. The magic of the house is keeping you hidden."

I hesitated.

"They are searching everywhere they feel Demon magic, Brenna, which is why they are attacking structures," Levi told me.

I moved into the circle. My mind cleared and opened. I felt Magnus's hand take mine. I closed my eyes, took a couple of deep breaths and then reopened them. The world looked different. Magic ebbed and flowed around beings, around objects. I could see it all. In the distance, I could see streaks of color. I began to gather the magic. First my own. The pink shimmering threads solidified and drew closer to me. I felt them as they begin to fill me up. I pushed it into Magnus.

"More," his voice was farther away than it should have been. I pulled more magic. The remnants of spells cast and magic done in the house. A rainbow mixture that included magic from my mother, father, and siblings. It came willingly, eager almost. I shoved that into Magnus.

Magnus touched the rim of the circle. I felt the magic begin to exit us both. It rushed into the ground and the air. It turned the invisible, visible. The currents could be seen stretching out from us.

"More," Magnus echoed the word.

I drew in more of the wild, loose magic. This time, I saw the auras of the Overlords. Their magic moving towards me. I pulled it. I called it. I felt it slam into my chest and take my breath away for a second before shoving it into Magnus. He pushed harder, empting himself. More currents of magic raced out among the world.

"Still not enough," Magnus told me.

"Well, I'm not sure how much more I can pull," I snapped at him. I closed my eyes and searched for more magic. I found it. It was in the ground. It was in the Elders that were filling up my driveway, house, and it was free flowing in the distance. I pulled from all of it. Nearly begged it to come to me. For several moments, nothing happened. I waited and called it again. It began to move. I took it in, felt it twisting inside of me. Felt my head begin to swim with it. I felt faint. I threw up. Magic came with it.

The first strange bit of it finally reached me. It was perfectly black. Blacker than darkness and blacker than a void. I wasn't even sure black was the right word for it. I had never seen magic so dark. It entered me. I threw up again and felt something inside of me try to break. I pulled in more. My body began to fight it. I ignored it and pulled more. I pushed it into Magnus and Magnus shoved it into the circle.

There was a howl. Several howls answered it. The ground began to shake. Something was running. Something with magic so dark that black didn't seem dark enough to describe it. It wasn't evil, just heavy.

"Holy fuck," Gabriel's voice came to me from somewhere distant. I felt my feet running on hardened ground, but they weren't my feet. They were giant paws.

"There it is," Anubis answered. I looked out the window to see the giant Cerebus. Nothing was visible.

"She's my opposite," Pendragon's voice answered.

"She is," Gregorian answered. I felt a long, wet tongue move up my body. I felt it and felt magic fill me. I could hear the thoughts of those around me. I pushed the magic out of myself. Something else howled and it wasn't even remotely like anything I had ever heard in my life.

"She is magic," Gregorian said as he curled his long tail around me.

"She isn't really doing this," Levi said but it sounded like a question.

"Yeah, I think she is. I think this is her power. I think she can use the power of those around her," Magnus answered.

"Wow," Levi sounded more than just awe-struck. The dark magic came at me faster, filled me up again. I forced it out.

"Stop!" I shouted and felt my knees give. "It must stop."

"How do we stop it?" Someone asked.

"We can't," Levi sounded sad, "she has to stop it."

"No," Gregorian answered.

He picked me up and cradled me in his long arms. Razor claws carefully touched my flesh. I felt myself throw up. I wasn't throwing up anything on my stomach. I was throwing up pure magic. I could see the colors dance as they hit the floor.

"Help me," I felt something else slip away from me. It was intangible, but there. Something in my mind was struggling against me.

"Demon, use the magic as you should." Gregorian told me.

"I don't..." My chest felt tight. My mind felt fuzzy. It was beginning to break. I could feel my sanity slipping away. "Understand."

"Demon magic," Gregorian whispered in my head.

The words were confusing to me. Demon. Magic. Neither seemed to make sense. I closed my eyes. More magic was spilling from me. More was racing towards me.

"Demon magic," Gregorian whispered again.

"Heal," I thought the word. As soon as I thought it, I felt the magic change. It no longer seeped from my being, it poured out. As it left, my mind seemed to fix itself. The world was right again. Well, except for the giant dark cloud of magic that was firmly headed in our direction.

"Demon magic," Gregorian took a deep breath. "They come for you. Are you capable?"

"No," I told the Chimera, "I am not. But I will not give in without a fight."

"Good, Demon." Gregorian turned his head skyward and let out a sound that was chilling. There were several replies. "We will help."

"Brenna, we should prepare," Levi's voice came to me.

"How do we prepare?" I asked, crawling from Gregorian's grasp.

"I do not think..." Magnus and Anubis both started talking.

"Agreed, but what choice do we have?" Leviathan looked at them. "We will need her."

"As long as I don't have to do anything magical," I responded.

"No promises," Levi took hold of my hand.

"What do we have to do?" I asked.

"Bren, there isn't much time now. I feel Cerebus coming closer as we speak," Leviathan told me.

"Funny, I can see his magic. He is closer than you think," I told them all.

"Useful, but..." Anubis shook his head at me. "You realize that you are actually in mortal danger, correct?"

"Yes," I frowned, "but I don't know what to do and no one is telling me what to do."

"Do what you do!" Beezel bellowed as he came up to me. He grabbed my arm roughly. "Mammon is within a mile of here. Cerebus is right behind him with an entire army. I know you don't have much control and you aren't sure what to do exactly, but trust your instincts Brenna Strachan. For the first time in your life, trust your fucking instincts and stop relying on everyone else to tell you."

"Am I missing something?" Abaddon asked, taking hold of Beezel.

"I am trying to remind our niece exactly who she is and what she is capable of," Beezel sneered.

"Easier ways to do that." Abaddon let go of Beezel by jerking him away from me.

"What is th..." He turned on me as I spoke. His eyes were completely red and glowing like fire.

"This is not going to be pleasant." He took my face in his hands, squeezing my cheeks, applying pressure directly to my cheek bones. My skin burned under his touch. A painful, flaming burn that seemed to sear my very soul and it called to me. Something deep inside. Something dark, horrible, and mysterious. It called to something that I had never felt before. It raised my mouth skyward and screamed.

Power brimmed inside of me like never before. Not outside power like I was used to calling, but my own power. It was strong.

"Who are you?" Abaddon asked.

"Brenna Strachan, Lieutenant of Demonnation, Daughter of Lucifer, Daughter of Elise Strachan, of the Great House of Strachan. I am Witch, I am Demon, and I am." Each word seemed to come from somewhere else. The words were coming out of my mouth, but not from my mind.

"Very good," Levi gave a small clap of approval. "I'm surprised you had it in you, Abaddon."

"I'm surprised you didn't, Leviathan." His eyes stopped glowing and he let go of me. "Now, do you know who you are? Now do you understand what you are? Are you ready to accept your responsibility and take your place as a Lieutenant of Demonnation, a protector of Mankind?"

"I am," as I said the words, my brain completely cleared. I could see everything. All the magic, in its true beauty and power.

"Then repeat after me," Lucifer's voice suddenly cut through the air.

"You are not to be here, father."

"And you must take your Oath before this battle begins. I am the only one who can administer it."

"Fine," I looked at him and felt different. He was still my father and I his daughter, but there was something else. He was also my Overlord, perhaps for the first time I saw him as the ruler of Demonnation and as the First Among Equals, First of the Nine.

"I swear on my blood that I will, from this day forth, serve Demonnation as I find possible. It is my responsibility and duty to protect Demons who are below me, assist Demons who outrank me and serve my Overlord. Humanity is also my responsibility and each one that dies at the hands of an Elder shall be avenged. I will also avenge any Humans killed at the hands of one of the beasts we swear to protect them against. Do you, Brenna Strachan, swear to protect Humanity from Elders? Do you swear to protect Demonnation from the evil that walks the land?"

"I do, My Lord," I bowed before him.

"Then I declare that you are now a full member of Demonnation and no longer just a Demonling."

"Thank you," I raised up.

"I wondered if this day would come," Lucifer gave me a look. "For a while, I thought you would become so bogged down in all of what you think you should be that you would fail to realize who you really are."

"I know who I am," I turned to my uncle, "thanks to Abaddon."

"Every Demon needs to be shown the way, more so with you because you insist in hiding in the background," Abaddon responded. "Now, get your sword and stand with us. Stand with all of us."

This last sentence seemed to have weight to it. It was about more than just The Nine. More than just Demonnation. It was the entire allied Elder world. More importantly on a personal note, I stood with the Overlords that were bound to me.

"Good Demon," Gregorian gave me a smile of approval, "I knew you had it in you."

"Thank you, Gregorian." I smiled back. "No need to rush off and get the sword."

It took two tries, but the sword actually came to me. It floated on a magical current and stopped in front of me, hilt at hand level. I took hold of it and felt the magic of it. I could do this.

"Where is he, Magnus?" Levi shouted.

"I don't see him," Magnus responded, "I don't see his magic. Only Brenna does."

"He is..." I pointed into the trees. "Not far."

"How fa..." Lucifer began to ask. He stopped when the ground began to rumble. Smoke became visible over the tree line.

"Why do they call him a Hell-hound? There is no such thing." I asked randomly.

"Does it matter?" Someone hissed at me.

"It might," the smoke was getting closer. The ground was shaking harder. There was far more than just Cerebus.

"Because his skin can cause matter to burst into flame." Lucifer told me.

"Interesting and disturbing. I count at least three hundred different magical signatures with Cerebus." I told him.

"There should be more than that," Pendragon said.

"No, each species has their own unique signature. I see three hundred different signatures. That means at least three hundred species. But Cerebus's magical cloud is much bigger than the others, it could be hiding some."

"Well, how many do you think there are?" Levi asked.

"Seven hundred and sixty five spirits," my mother's voice came into the background.

"There you have it." I looked at Anubis. "That's a lot."

"Nah, we can take them easily," Anubis responded. "Just remember, if things get too bad, get as far away and as fast as possible."

"Demons!" Lucifer bellowed.

"Angels!" Gabriel followed suit.

"Vampires!" Anubis shouted.

"Lycans!" Fenrir howled.

There were shouts in response to these cries. I was guessing they were battle cries. Cerebus broke through the trees.

I took a step back. The three headed monster was enormous. He made the Chimeras look like tiny ponies. His flesh looked like molten rock. And clustered at his feet were what I could only imagine were the Minotaurs. I tried not to shudder.

"Brenna, just remember that you are both Demon and Witch. While you may not have a ton of control, you can still use magic and be helpful," Anubis whispered.

"Uh, thanks for the reminder," I didn't look at him. I was too busy focusing on Cerebus. He had short, almost bristly looking fur that was some color between red and black. Each head was as big as a Suburban and his entire body must have been 50 feet tall. This was accented by the fact that he was longer, closer to 100 feet, not counting his tail. His tail didn't look like anything special though, it was just a tail covered with fur that seemed unable to wag. It created a u-shape behind his body. Just his toe nails were nearly as tall as I was and attached to massive paws that looked like they would have no trouble stamping down a building.

He tossed one of the massive heads skyward and let out a mournful howl. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Nothing seemed to be moving. Even the Earth seemed to fail to rotate on its axis as it let out that sound.

I understood why they referred to him as a hell-hound. He could convince even the most hardened atheist to start praying. My current goal was not to wet my pants. It wasn't just fear that Cerebus inspired, it was absolutely terror. He was as immortal as any of us and far more dangerous.

Suddenly, the Minotaurs, Dragons, and Wyverns didn't seem so bad. At least they seemed to have weaknesses. At least they weren't the same size as a very large building with immortality running through their veins.

The howl ended and everything got deadly silent. I waited to hear the blast of trumpets that always seem to accompany Seraphim when they descend from Heaven to kill all the Humans. I didn't know why, but that was exactly what I was expecting.

And yet, we were waiting. I didn't know what on, but neither side was advancing or doing anything menacing. Only that howl had happened and everyone was standing completely still. I was personally afraid to breathe. I had never been involved in true Elder combat, but I didn't think it was going to be very pretty.

My father stepped forward. His horns were at their full length. I didn't know when or how they had grown out. He kept them ground down to a more manageable five feet, now they towered nearly seven feet over his head. His body was glowing. He was staring at Cerebus.

"Chiron!" He bellowed into the air. "This is what you send to do your bidding? You send mortals and creatures. Are you a coward? Too afraid to face one Maturing Demon on your own?"

I frowned at that. I didn't know what he was doing, but I'm pretty sure Lucifer baiting the psycho Centaur was not a good idea. I took a slow, steady breath, and bit my tongue to keep from pointing this out to him.

"Chiron!" He bellowed again. The Nine were all starting to glow as well. Each Demon filling with rage, feeding off of their brother's pain and hate.

"This is going to be bad," I whispered as quietly as possible to Anubis.

"You have no idea," he whispered back.

"Chiron!" My father's voice cut through the night again. It was deeper than I had ever heard it before. Cerebus lowered his heads to the ground and whined. I imagined it was vibrating so hard against his ear drums that it hurt. It was nearly hurting mine.

"Lucifer," Chiron's voice finally came through the dark. "I warned you before, but you never listen. After all, I'm just a Centaur and what do Centaurs know."

"Step out, Coward," Lucifer's voice vibrated inside of me.

Chiron laughed from his hiding spot, "No, I think not, Demon. I am not in awe of you like the other Overlords. You have no say over what I do. To face you one on one would mean my death. I am not stupid."

The statement confused me, but I didn't ask anyone to clarify. Could my father really kill any thing that he wanted? I didn't know and it seemed unlikely.

"So, you will send others to die for you?" Lucifer chided. He wasn't just glowing anymore; he was bright enough that the entire field was bathed in blood red light.

"Fine, then issue your challenge directly, Chiron, stop this nonsense," Leviathan said loudly. If looks could kill, he would have died where he stood. Lucifer whipped his head around and glared at Leviathan.

"I do not know what she can do and I don't imagine it would end well for me. Besides, I do not trust the rest of you not to help her." Chiron finally stepped in front of Cerebus.

"But she can challenge you," Beezel responded. There was a hand on my back that shoved me forward. I was suddenly standing much closer to my father and much further from the safety of those around me.

There was a voice in my head. "Challenge him to a duel; he will be mortal during it. You can kill him."

I didn't know who the voice belonged to or why they thought I should challenge Chiron to a duel. I did believe that it was a good way to get myself killed.

"She would never," Chiron smiled, "she is already mortal."

"You're right," I answered, suddenly feeling emboldened, "I am mortal. Which means that challenge you or not, I could die tonight. I might as well take you with me."

"What?" Chiron's mouth became a gaping hole.

"I challenge you to a fight to the death." I repeated the words that were being said in my head. "I win, you die. You win, I die. Simple as that. Fail to take the challenge and you give up your position as Overlord. You are obviously not strong enough to protect and lead your people."

"The Challenge has been issued," Leviathan nodded at me, "what say you, Chiron?"

"Evil, conniving bitch," Chiron hissed at me. "You are too young to realize exactly how stupid you are for doing that."

"And you are too consumed with hatred and fear to understand why I did it," I told him.

"Chiron," Lucifer's voice cut us both off, "Brenna Strachan has issued you a challenge, a fight to the death. Will you accept her terms?"

"Do I have a choice?" He spat the words out at my father.

Lucifer turned to look at me. There was something in his eyes, something unreadable. I was guessing he was none too happy with me. I could understand that.

"Fine," Lucifer called for Magnus.

Magnus brought both of us into a circle of power. I could see the magic beginning at the ground and stretching up past the stars. It would remain until one of us was dead. Chiron was still half horse and I was a pretty wimpy Demon. The sword was my only real strength against him and I wasn't sure how it would do.

Just before Magnus closed the circle, a third person entered. The circle closed. The voice spoke to me again.

"Sorry, Bren, I couldn't let Lucifer issue the challenge and he was about to do so. If you kill Chiron, this group of rabble becomes disorganized and easier to defeat. However, if Chiron managed to kill Lucifer, all hell would have broken loose. On the flip side, if Chiron kills you and takes the Overlords with you, I imagine all hell will still break loose."

I turned and peered through the magic to find the speaker. No one stood out. Instead, they all stared back at me, each looking like they always did. I searched harder.

"Niece, a piece of advice," the voice started again, "let instinct and the Strachan Sword guide you. It will know what to do; it has Chiron's blood in it. Try to defeat the horse before you defeat the man. His powerful body will be your greatest challenge. And it is very possible that Pendragon will keep you from pulling magic from the circle."

"How did you know that was part of my plan?" I asked aloud.

"Because, I know you," Mammon moved his lips this time, but his voice was still in my head. "The circle will also protect you from anything on the outside. Chiron is now your only concern. Cerebus, the Minotaurs, the Dragons, Wyverns, none of them can cross the circle."

Cerebus raised all three heads to the sky and howled. The sound was deafening. Chiron sneered.

"Kill him," Mammon said as the Minotaurs suddenly surged forward. Outside the circle a battle began. Inside the circle, Chiron was staring at me with such hatred and fear that I didn't know whether to hate him back or pity him.

"Are you both ready?" Pendragon asked.

"First, I have a question," Chiron narrowed his eyes at me. "How does it feel to know that your uncle sent you to the slaughter?"

I laughed, "No, he sent me to do the slaughtering. Better me than my father, in his opinion."

I raised the sword. It hummed in my hands. It wanted to draw blood. My feelings being expressed through the humming of the sword.

"Do you really believe that?" Chiron asked.

"Was he talking in your head?" I countered.

"No," Chiron responded.

"Then yes, I really believe that. Besides, my death would be bad for the brothers as well as the Council and the Elders in general. He would not have told me to do it, if he didn't believe I could win." I smiled. The words rang true as I said them.

"I'm ready," I told Pendragon.

"Same," Chiron had a tone to his voice.

The world faded away. There was no baying hell-hound, no snorting Minotaurs, no glowing Demons. There was just the circle, Pendragon, Chiron, and myself.

"Overlord Chiron," Pendragon spoke, "you have been challenged to a fight to the death by the Demon Lieutenant Brenna Strachan and have accepted. Should you lose, one of your brethren will be imbued with the power of the Overlord to ensure that your brethren have a leader. Do you understand this challenge?"

"I do," Chiron snorted.

"Brenna Strachan, you have issued the challenge. Failure will result in your death and the loss of a Lieutenant in Demonnation. That is a position that can never be replaced. You will leave Demonnation with a vacant chair. Do you understand the challenge?"

"I do," I really didn't, but that was sort of how I figured it would go. I felt like I was playing solitaire with a deck that was short thirty cards.

"Then by the rules of the challenge," Pendragon touched the forehead of Chiron. There was a noise, something dreadful and indescribable. I watched magic, pure white, drain from Chiron and enter Pendragon. "Overlord, you are now mortal."

# Chapter Twenty-Five

Chiron moved lightning fast. I wasn't even sure Pendragon had stepped away from him when he kicked me square in the chest with his front hooves. I fell to the ground, gasping for air. He was on me again, trying to stomp on me. I rolled just in time and felt the sword fall from my fingers. I grasped at it and rolled again, his hoof brushing my ear. Blood was pouring from it, dripping onto the ground. I could hear it.

I swung up with all my might, which didn't actually take much effort. I felt the sword strike bone, hesitate for less than a second and cleave through it. Chiron screamed with rage and pain. I smiled and got to my feet. He had lost a leg, but it didn't seem to impede him. I had always thought that if a horse broke a leg, you had to put it down, but I guess that didn't apply to Centaurs.

He came at me again. His hands and arms outstretched. I went to swing the sword, but he caught my arm. Chiron jerked me into him, not enough room to move the sword even with the other hand. His face was only millimeters from mine. He bit. I felt his teeth sink into the flesh of my cheek. I jerked, felt the skin tear away. Felt more blood. Something inside told me that I was losing. I couldn't break free from his grasp. He slammed his forehead into mine and the world seemed to slide a bit on its axis. He did it again, I had just enough time to move down and tilt my head just a bit. He impaled his forehead on the tiny horns that my hair had successfully hidden since birth.

It was his turn to jerk. He yanked his head off of mine, tossing me aside with one hand. I hit the wall of magic and fell down it. My head felt fuzzy. He was bellowing again, this time it seemed to be words, but the words were lost to me. If I blacked out, I was as good as dead. I struggled to maintain consciousness, struggled to get to my feet. The sword was gone again. The warm metal no longer in my hand. I tried to look for it, but my eyes wouldn't focus on anything except the Centaur that was charging at me.

I closed my eyes and felt magic. The circle was pure magic and under that, there was another type, it was Pendragon. I tried to pull it. Tried to pull the magic and couldn't. Chiron was on top of me now. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and brought me off the ground. My feet were dangling. I had lost.

"Now then, Demon," Chiron spat in my face. It was warm and smelled of blood. "Let's see how the world gets along without you."

I reacted without thinking. I kicked out and found his diaphragm. The air rasped out of him and he nearly doubled over. His grip loosened some, but he didn't drop me. I brought my head down on top of his. Felt my head fracture. If I was going to die, I was going to make sure he went with me. I rammed one horn into his eye and pushed up against the eye socket. I felt the horn start to break. Chiron dropped me, screaming. But I had grabbed a handful of his hair and was bringing him with me as I went to the ground. The horn gave a little more and I pushed up as hard as I could and felt it break. We were both bathed in heat. More screaming. I didn't know whether it was Chiron, or me, or both, but I had a good feeling it was both. He came free of me. I fell to the ground and felt the flames hit the circle of magic. It shivered, but didn't break. The fire died.

I looked and Chiron was still moving. His skin was charred black, he had no hair and a missing eye, but the flames had cauterized the wounds on his face and he had stopped bleeding from them. He brought one of his back hooves down on my leg. I felt the bone snap. I felt the skin tear. Felt the warm blood flow into the earth. He raised up, brought it down again. The bone shattered. I could feel it turn to dust inside the skin.

I threw up. Tears in my eyes, I caught a glimpse of the sword. I reached for it. Chiron stomped on my femur, shattering it. I screamed in pain.

"Brenna, hurry," Mammon's voice came to me, "The Overlords, oh, God."

The Overlords. My mind instantly cleared. If I died, they died. I took a breath and when Chiron brought his hoof down a fourth time, this time on my kneecap, I was ready. I caught it in one of my hands and I twisted it with all my might and felt it snap. I wasn't as strong as my father was, but I wasn't a weakling, and while I might only be half-Demon, I was still stronger than your average Human. I grabbed the sword and plunged it into the leg I had just broken. Chiron went down for the first time. His legs collapsed, his body hit the ground with a thud. I raised the sword again and hesitated.

I had never actually killed anything, let alone a being. I didn't know how I felt about it. Sort of sick, my stomach churned at the thought of killing Chiron. Inside, I knew that the only way to end it was to kill him, but could I do it? Chiron answered the question for me. He sank his teeth into my shoulder. Reaching up, I let the sword plunge into the back of his neck. It slipped through his spine, his throat and into my body.

It slid between my ribs and punctured my lung. I felt it collapse, felt Chiron collapse, and I went with him. The sword in his back, handle in the ground, the tip sticking out behind me. I hadn't just killed him; I had managed to kill all of us. The last thing I felt was the magic of the circle break.

# Chapter Twenty-Six

The couch was the same as it always had been. The wall was missing all of its windows again. The front door was gone. The roof was a skeletal frame. The marble tiles on the floor were mostly cracked and disintegrating.

It was raining, but not inside the house. A feat considering the roof was gone. I had the suspicion that the lack of rain had something to do with Daniel. He was sitting on the couch next to me. His leg propped up on the table just like mine. He was doing a puzzle in a book. He hadn't spoken to me for the three days I'd been awake, but that was okay, he had been my shadow the entire time.

My father was talking very heatedly with a bunch of people. I recognized one as the Mayor of KC and one as the Governor of Missouri. They were both very anxious, but then, I suppose that was normally the case when the President of the United States was on his way.

I had died, again. I was done with it. It wasn't a pleasant experience to say the least. Luckily, Lucifer and my uncles were all strong enough healing Demons to save me. They had saved the Overlords as well. We all sat in states of disarray around my parents living room, recovering.

I was black, blue, and purple all over. More purple than normal. I didn't know how the battle had gone. I hadn't been around for it. It hadn't gone real great or the President wouldn't have been on his way. I had slept for 22 hours after killing Chiron. When I woke up, Cerebus had still been outside. My mother and Levi had kept me in the room for another three hours while the Elders convinced it to return to the island. There were masses of dead things outside, most of them mortal creatures. A few though were immortals, some of them beings. So much for immortality.

Chiron really was dead. A new Centaur had come into power and with him, a new order. The Djinn were working with any of the Elders that had been captured in the battle. They were making a list of conspirators. So far, the list included eight names that weren't already in custody.

Someone handed me a soda and I took it and drank. It tasted like liquid gold. I love caffeine and sugar. A donut also seemed magically to appear.

While my soul was back in my body, my leg was still busted up. They had been able to heal the blood loss, the collapsed lung, the damaged spine, and keep my soul from fleeing, but they had not been able to heal the bone in my leg. Magic can be an odd thing. My mother and Magnus had magicked up a cast that encased it from thigh to toe.

I still had two weeks to go before the Maturing ended. However, with the danger over, it wasn't looking nearly as terrible. Well, except for the fact that my father and mother were insisting I stay at the house. By insisting, I mean holding me hostage.

Gabriel stood up from his chair. He moved as if he felt his age for the first time and frankly, he was ancient. Even sitting, he seemed slumped, bent, and dreadfully uncomfortable in his own skin. Standing and moving looked like pure torture.

An Angel appeared at his side to give him a hand. Together, they walked towards the hallway. They all had lieutenants and underlings around to assist them. They all seemed to need it. They looked like they had gone through blenders. Ba'al's wings were shredded with bits of bone peeking out from the spines. Anubis was nearly furless again, his hands both swollen and unusable. Gabriel looked as if he might have actually aged and his body refused to allow him to stand upright. Fenrir had been stuck in wolf form and the wolf kept licking at different wounds and then glaring at me. I guess I was transferring injuries onto them to keep myself alive during the duel with Chiron, right until I stabbed myself like an idiot. My mother believes the only reason it didn't kill me, is because I'm a Strachan and the sword doesn't like taking the blood of its own kind.

"You were warned," Levi's voice entered the room. "We told you weeks in advance that this could happen."

One of the men replied, but I decided not to listen. I didn't care. I was still coming to terms with the fact that I had killed someone. The thought still made my stomach roll.

"But you survived," Mammon whispered in my ear.

"How do you do that?" I asked him.

"Read your mind?" Mammon smiled. "I can hear your thoughts. They come to me in stereo. I can hear Lucifer's too, and Levi."

"Just us three?"

"Yep, everyone else comes to me in bits and pieces. It's my added gift." He shrugged and touched Daniel's head, mussing his hair. "Except this guy."

"Do all the brothers have an extra gift?" I asked.

"Or curse, depending on how you feel about it." Mammon kissed my head. "Glad you lived, kiddo."

"So am I," I told him. "Mammon, what happens now?"

"Now, you Mature, you convince the Chimeras to go home and you continue with life as you had before. But with a few added complications," he grinned at Fenrir.

"That's it?" I frowned.

"Did you expect something else?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, but I don't know what." I shook my head.

"And stop breaking your horns. You know they grow back a little smaller every time you do it, right? At the rate you're going, you aren't going to have any horns in a few centuries."

"Meh," I gave him a grin. "How am I supposed to feel about Chiron?"

"You aren't, niece. You did what needed to be done, nothing more, and nothing less. He forced you into it and he lost. End of story."

"No, we will not!" Lucifer's voice broke into the conversation. He was shouting.

"I think I'm needed," Mammon got up and walked over. His voice was quiet and soothing. Levi gave me a wink over his shoulder and went back to work.

"Well?" My mother asked as she sat more donuts down on my lap.

"Well what?"

"Ready to be all that you can be?" She grinned.

"I'm not joining the army," I told her.

"No, but after the Maturing, you'll go back to work and be a bit stronger." She handed me a donut. "Eat, you need your strength."

"What are they fighting about?" I asked her, hooking a thumb towards my father.

"Oh, death, devastation, and destruction," she frowned at them. "Seems the Humans were under the impression that nothing bad would happen to them if we had a problem during the Maturing. About half of the KCs are severely damaged and a couple hundred Humans and Elders died in the chaos when it hit the city, they are demanding compensation and removal of Elders from the cities."

"What? Can they really toss us out like that?" I asked.

"That is why the President is on his way." She looked at the missing ceiling. "That should be a very interesting conversation."

"How long before he arrives? I'm not sure the brothers can keep dad calm much longer."

"Any time," she pointed up. In the distance, a helicopter was coming into view. It seemed like it might land in our yard.

"Brenna!" My father yelled my name.

"Yep," I answered, turning to look at him.

"Come here," he told me.

"Come help me," I told him. He seemed visibly to calm some. I gave a quick smile to my uncles. My father walked over to me, picked me up, and carried me back to the men.

"This is my daughter," Lucifer told them. "She died, three times, during this ordeal. She has always lived here, among the Humans and she will die to protect them. That is why she challenged Chiron. To spare more lives."

"Hi," I gave them a finger wave as men stormed into our house. The helicopter was getting closer. "I think this would be better in the Council room and with me in a chair."

"Agreed," Levi led the way. The other Overlords followed him. My father and I brought up the rear. We were all seated when the President walked into the Council chamber with a battalion of Secret Service, not all of them Human.

"Lucifer," he nodded.

"Mr. President," my father nodded back.

"So, gentleman and ladies," the President took a seat in a gallery chair instead of a chair at the Council table, "what the hell happened?"

"Mr. President," the Governor began.

"Nope, I'll explain," I interrupted. "I voted for you by the way."

The president smiled at me, "And you are?"

"Brenna Strachan, sir, Lucifer's daughter and the cause of this mess. What do you know?"

"I know that FEMA has declared KC a disaster area," he told me.

"Ah, well, I haven't had a chance to look at the city, but I'm sure it's pretty bad. Cerebus alone would have been really bad." I stopped talking for a moment. "I'm sure you are aware of The Maturing and what not?"

"I am," he told me.

"Good," I sighed and thought. "It happened because of fear. Chiron, the Centaurian Overlord was afraid of me, afraid that I might get incredible power after the Maturing, afraid that I was different and not like the other Elders, and he decided to kill what he feared."

"Racism?" The President gave me a look.

"Breedism actually, and part of some dumb prophecy. Chiron believed I would get incredible power and he was afraid of it. He wasn't a big fan of anything that wasn't beneath him. And I'm a member of Demonnation, not the Centaurian Herd. So, he decided that I needed to die. Only, he couldn't risk doing it himself and exposing his own fear, it would have made him look weak. He sent others to do his bidding. Like when a person trains a pit-bull for dog fights and the pit-bull ends up getting loose and killing a couple of neighborhood children... same concept. He sent dangerous pit-bulls to kill me, but they were out without a leash and killed others along the way." I let a tear slide down my face. "So, I challenged him to a duel while the rest of the Elders went to war with Chiron's army, and I..."

"And you survived," Mammon interrupted and finished the sentence for me.

"And is it over?" The President asked me.

"Yes, sir, it's over." I responded letting myself cry a little more.

"Then I'm satisfied," he stood up. "The Elders have always been more help than hindrance to the United States and its people. This incident is unfortunate and horrible, but it was not their intention and the person that orchestrated it is no longer a threat to the community. We rebuild, together."

"Yes, sir," the governor did not look happy.

"And where do we get the money for that?" The Mayor asked.

"FEMA, donations, the state relief funds, wherever," the President responded.

"Give me an estimate on the damage," Lucifer told him.

"About a billion dollars, not to mention the loss of life." The Mayor glared at him.

"I'll give you half of it," Lucifer said.

"No, the Elders will give half of it," Morgana interrupted. "It was all of us, our fight. If we had lost, if Chiron had killed Brenna, who knows what would have happened."

"I do," Daniel came into the room. "Chiron would have become drunk with power and started slaughtering Humans and Elders alike. He would have unleashed his army of supernatural creatures onto the planet itself and made himself its sole protector."

"I'm sorry, this is my son, Daniel," Lucifer stood up.

"The Prophet?" The President asked.

"Yes," I held a hand out to Daniel.

"Then it's a good thing she didn't lose," the President looked at me. "Miss Strachan, you have done us all a great service. I commend you for your actions."

"Daniel, how do you know that's what would happen?" I asked him.

"Because, it was part of the prophecy." He looked at me. "Now, there is a different part. It has been written with you as the victor."

"Luc," the President turned to my father, "I have a question for you, but feel free to tell me to fuck off if you don't want to answer."

My father laughed, "What, Robert?"

"Well, it's a bit delicate," he blushed.

"Come on, out with it," my father was still smiling.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Keep everything together."

"It takes effort," my father winked at me. "Luckily, I have a strong wife, strong children, good friends, good family, and a whole nation of support."

"Demon, politician, and family man," the President smiled.

"Oh, you forgot Catholic," I added.

"Catholic?" The President grinned at me. "I didn't realize Lucifer was a Catholic."

"Had to be, my mother wanted to be married in a church." I raised both eyebrows.

"And I thought my job and life was difficult," the President sat back down in the chair he had vacated. "When is this Maturing party?"

"End of the Maturing," I told him. "We had to move it because I started a couple of days early."

"I think I sent my RSVP, but I'm not for sure," he took a deep breath, "normally, my wife takes care of that."

"I'm sure if you show up, they will let you in," I whispered to him.

"Miss Strachan, it was a pleasure to meet you," he stood back up. "Luc, you have permission to stay exactly where you are and if the mayor or governor has a problem with it, they can take it up with the Supreme Court."

"Thank you, Robert." My father nodded to him.

"Ah hell, what can I say," the President shrugged. "I'm a softy, besides, I kind of like having the Elders around. Makes me feel safe."

"Tell that to the hundreds of dead," the governor sneered.

"Consider Cerebus and the minions of Chiron's army to be a force of Nature, Governor Thomas. Besides, we all know what hatred brings. We've done this in our own history more than a few times."

"That's diff..."

"How is what happened in KC any different than what happened during the Civil Rights Movement or what happened in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s? We have always thought Elders were above such pettiness, turns out that most are, some aren't, just like the rest of us. Refusing to let them stay in your state, makes you no different than Chiron or any other insane person who tries to send people to slaughter, and besides, they are citizens and you can't throw citizens out."

"Of course, sir," the governor hung his head, indicating he was accepting the fact that he lost.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to, but I'm sure you guys can work out an agreement." The President left. The Overlords went back to arguing with the officials and my uncles helped me out of the Council chamber and back to the couch.

# Epilogue

My mother awoke me with a flourish of light and what not. She was beaming from ear to ear. I struggled to wake up and try to figure out why she was so enthusiastic.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head. You only have an hour before people start showing up. I can't believe I let you get in the habit of sleeping like this. I only hope it goes away now that you are full immortal again. How's the leg?"

"What on earth are you going on about?" I finally asked as she handed me a soda and a box of donuts.

"Maturing Party in one hour," she chirped.

"Oh fuck," I groaned.

"Language," she scolded me.

"Sorry, Mom. Can't you guys go to the party and just let me sleep? Demon still in the healing process. This mortal healing sucks." I had tripped and fallen down some stairs a few days earlier. Fortune smiled on me though, because the next morning, I felt myself healing. Yesterday, I had reached full immortality again. I was a full-grown Demon.

Turned out all the cool pulling of power and what not I had experienced during the Maturing was still there. It was just plain ol' Witch Magic and the ability to share it again. As for Demon powers, I had gotten a little more powerful. I could heal without touch and I could take the wounds of one and inflict them on another. Except for the not touching thing, nothing new or exotic. My father and all his brothers could heal without touch and inflicting wounds was a standard Demon trait; it was called transferring. A Demon who was healing another being could take the wounds upon themselves, which was the usual case or they could inflict them onto another being, usually that person had to be a volunteer for it. That wasn't the case with me. I didn't need the person taking the wounds to be a volunteer. It still wasn't new, exotic, special, or great. It was just Demon magic.

Of course, like any rule, there were exceptions and I had four of them. I could use and manipulate the power of the Overlords that were bound to me. I could share magic between them or take it from them and make it my own. I could channel it or force it into other things, but we were keeping that a secret.

"Now, out of bed, lazy bones," my mother yanked the covers from the bed and put a dress in their place. I raised an eyebrow at it.

"It will look fine on you," she told me, noting my disapproval. "Hurry up, we have the President coming and the King of England has RSVP'ed. In fact, since the whole incident with Chiron, I've had thousands of RSVPs. I have no idea if we have enough food for all of them. Some of them can really eat. Plus, there are Chimeras on the lawn. Gregorian insists on doing security."

"Let him," I told her, standing up and trying to wiggle into the dress from hell. I managed but felt very exposed. My shoulders were bare, but the dress had a collar. It clung to all the right spots and all the wrong spots, in my opinion. It was almost black. In reality, it was such a dark blue that unless you were really looking at it, it did look black. I frowned at her. There was no back. Just a collar at the top that hooked closed and material that suddenly formed into a skirt just above the waist. I wasn't sure whether I looked like a stripper, a hooker or something worse. My mother seemed to think I looked excellent. She called down the hall and a woman appeared with a case. She opened it to reveal make-up and hair stuff.

"I have horns, you just can't see them," I warned her as she went to touch my hair.

"Not a problem, do you want to hide them?" She asked.

"Yes," I sat down in a chair. She began doing complicated things to my hair. Sometimes it hurt and sometimes it just felt weird. Within twenty minutes, she announced she was through with my hair and began trying to swipe on make-up. I frowned at her as she barked instructions on what to do with different parts of my face. She wiped it all off and started again, this time with different colors. I took a deep breath to keep from trying to turn her into a newt. I was positive I couldn't do it, but I really wanted to.

"Perfect," she purred as she finished torturing me. My mother checked a clock.

"Ten minutes to go," she announced. The woman left. My mother continued to beam at me. "You look stunning."

"I feel like a hooker," I responded.

"Call girl sounds so much better," she chided me. "And you don't, you just think you do. I do have some wonderful shoes for you."

"Oh great," I groaned. My mother is one of those women that can wear six-inch stilettos all day long and never think about it. I have trouble wearing anything with a heel.

She brought out a pair of boots that matched the dress. They were knee high riding boots without a heel. I nodded approval as I slipped them on and zipped them up.

"Now, I really do look like a hooker," I said admiring the shoes.

"Call girl and no, you don't." She kissed me. "I imagine the guests are all here, we'll wait a few more minutes."

"Making an entrance?" I asked.

"Of course, we have Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Overlords downstairs. It is always good to make an entrance with that much power in a room, because it puts them off their game."

"Really? I just thought it made them cranky because they were too important to stand around waiting." I quipped back at her.

"Bren," my father stepped into the room, "wow, you look stunning."

"Thanks, I feel like a hooker." I gave him a hug.

"I can't believe you are all grown up," he gazed at me with tears in his eyes.

"Don't cry. If you cry, I'll cry, and then the torturer will have to come fix my make-up." I warned him. "I'll make her put it on you as well."

"Still the tough girl," Lucifer gave a deep sigh, "but always my little girl."

"Dad." I didn't know what else to say.

"I hate every time one of my children go through the Maturing," he confessed.

"So do I," my mother grinned. "You start talking about wanting more children."

"More children would be nice, sometime in the future." Lucifer took hold of my mother's hand. "Hard to believe another one has grown up."

"Come on, Luc," my mother took him from the room. "She needs an escort and that isn't you."

"Who is escorting her?" My father looked at her.

"Whichever of the Overlords won the card game." My mother shrugged. "Last time I heard, Fenrir was winning."

"They are playing cards to see which one is going to escort me downstairs? Sort of lame," I squinted at my parents.

"Yes it is," Uncle Levi walked in, "which is why I am going to escort you."

"Oh man, it's prom all over again," I sighed and stood up. I didn't have a date to prom. My parents had still insisted I go, so they called Uncle Levi to escort me. He was my date that night. It had been creepy and weird. If I hadn't been a complete social pariah before, I had been after that night. Luckily, high school ended the next week.

"This is far less weird and more acceptable than prom," Levi held out his arm. "We all drew lots to see who got the honor."

"And that's more acceptable than playing cards?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"They were playing poker, have been for the last twenty hours. Yes, drawing lots was more appropriate."

"Great, let's get the fiasco started." I took his arm.

"With pleasure." Leviathan followed my parents from the room, me on his arm. I felt like I had three heads when I got to the bottom of the staircase. Everyone turned to look at me. I bit my lip.

"I think I liked fighting Cerebus better," I whispered to Levi.

"It won't be that bad." He swept me into the room and the crowd swallowed me.

Twelve hours later, I had finally found a chair. My feet hurt from dancing. My stomach ached from eating all the food. My head hurt from talking to everyone under the sun. I wanted nothing more than curl into a ball and fall asleep. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. There were still presents to open and people were still milling around.

"Holding up?" Anubis said from behind me. It was the first time I'd talked to him all night. The four had been avoiding me as if I had plague. Maybe I did.

"Just barely," I admitted.

"Levi told me that you were having flashbacks to prom."

"Well, he escorted me to prom and now this... so yeah, maybe a little." I responded. "And I'm tired of dancing and being nice to people."

"Remember what else happened at prom?"

"Look, I don't remember much about prom. Levi went with me. That's about it."

"You ended up at my house, drunk out of your skull, uncle in tow." Anubis grinned at me.

"Are you suggesting I ditch my party and go get drunk?" I frowned at him.

"Yep, pretty much." Anubis handed me a glass of amber liquid. I took a sip. The Good Stuff, my father's private stock.

"How many bottles of this stuff does he have?"

"Of his personal stash? Oh, 12 thousand or so, and it is always expanding. He rarely shares with anyone outside of family and Overlords." He took a sip out of his glass.

"It's nice to be privileged." I grinned.

"Yes, yes it is." Anubis stood up and held his hand out to me. "And we don't have to go anywhere to get drunk. The others, including Lucifer, have already started in his study."

"Most excellent," I stood up and followed him.

All the Overlords were gathered in my father's study. Included with them were the King of England, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the President of the United States, as well as my immediate family, even Daniel, who had a glass of juice.

"Ah, my lovely," Fenrir got up and crossed the room to me. "Have you been introduced to everyone?"

"Yes, and you have a huge head start on me." I told him.

"Yes, I do." He grinned and went back to his seat. It had taken nearly a week for him to take Lycan form again, but he had made peace with his inner wolf.

"When do you start work again?" Lucifer asked.

"In a week, she will need that much time to open all those presents that seem to fill the Council Chamber," Anubis answered for me.

"I've hired someone to write thank you notes." My mother was sipping on her glass. It was half filled with red wine.

"That's useful," I told her. I went and sat down on the edge of my father's desk. This was normally a huge no-no. The desk was older than the country of England. However, since my mother was sitting on it, I guessed I would also be allowed.

"Well, it will be nice to have you guys back at work," President Robert Philips told me. "The police community has noticed your absence, particularly during the time when you were needed most because of the problems created by your Maturing."

"Nasty business," the King of England said, "nasty business. But tonight is not about those things."

"No, no it isn't." Lucifer stood up. "Brenna Strachan, you have another oath to take."

"I took the Demonnation Oath," I gave him a confused look.

"Yes, but now you take the Oath of Protection," the President responded. "You see, the reason this whole arrangement works out is because we are all sworn to protect one another. You have a double dose and therefore, a stronger duty. Your status as both a Demon Lieutenant and a Great House Witch means that you have more to gain and more to lose."

"No, Robert, let me explain," King Linus interrupted. "As Humans, we are at the whims and mercies of the Elders. This business with the Maturing is just one example. So, a small group of Elders swears an oath to protect Humanity even if it means their own death. What you did with the Centaurian Overlord might have been a matter of life and death for you, but it was also life and death for us Humans. You earned the right to join the club."

"Club?" I frowned at him. "Okay, what am I swearing and to whom and etc?"

"You are swearing to lay down your life to protect and preserve life on Earth. Not just Human life, but all life," King Linus replied.

"That is sort of innate in Demons," I pointed out.

"True," my father responded, "but oaths forged in blood and magic hold more weight than just innate feelings."

"Ah, gotcha," I nodded once.

"Ready?" President Philips asked.

"Sure." I sat my glass down on a coaster and stood up.

"Repeat after me, I, Brenna Strachan, Demon and Witch vow to protect life on Earth even if I must exchange my own life in return."

I repeated the words. Magnus and my mother began chanting something strange, King Linus slit my wrist and drained some blood into a cup.

"I don't have to drink that, do I?" I frowned at the cup.

"No," King Linus laughed and tossed it into the fireplace. It burst into flames. Something tugged at the inside of me as the flames danced. I was bound to the oath with blood and magic. It was an interesting sensation.

"All done," Prime Minister Sevier told me. He raised his glass and toasted to our continued partnerships. I drained my glass to the toast and Gabriel refilled it from an antique looking bottle.

"Now then, I have to go, but the rest of you can stay, drink heavily and enjoy yourselves enough for me." President Philips stood to leave.

"I'm afraid I need to go as well," King Linus echoed. Prime Minister Sevier issued the same. They began to shake hands with everyone.

"The decay has begun, forged in blood and bound by magic." Daniel suddenly began to speak. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head. "Death will come. War will come. Defeating Chiron was just the beginning. More conspirators lurk in the shadows, waiting to rise up. Two more will betray. One has begun tonight. So many Elders died because Brenna Strachan lived. They have blinders on to Chiron's fear. They do not believe that more would have died if she had. Three Overlords will be replaced, one has already been replaced, and one will be replaced during a time of peace, one during the time of War."

Daniel paused. We all waited with bated breath. He did not disappoint.

"War unlike any other will come to the world. The Four Horsemen will come to Earth. They are not Divine. They are not God's will. They are unnatural, created by the evil that lurks in the hearts of Humans and Elders. They will wear masks; they will seem to be alive. The first to rise from the dead will be The Great Divider and he will be The Conqueror. The second will be The Wicked Temptress and she will become the embodiment of War. The third will be The Judge and he will bring with him Greed and Famine. The fourth will be The Tenth Brother and he will be Death. Together they will create a group of followers and together they will bring about the Great War. If they can be discovered to be false before they take positions of power, war can be prevented. If not, then war will be inevitable and only Humans and Elders working together can bring peace back to Earth. There are to be nine signs before the first will rise, three have happened. Six more will come."

He fell silent again. Again, we all waited in absolute silence. His eyes went back to normal and he grinned at us.

"You want to know the signs," he gave me a look.

"No," I frowned at him, "I think I know the three that have happened."

"Really?" Anubis looked at me.

"Yes, really." I sighed and continued to stare at Daniel. "If I'm correct, prophet, will you tell me?"

"Yes," he nodded to me.

"One, the Binding, two, the Hanged Man materializing and three, Killing Chiron."

"Close," Daniel responded, "You got two of the three."

"The Binding isn't a sign," Lucifer said to me, "number one is wrong."

"Correct. Number two and three are correct, but number one is wrong," Daniel said in a singsong voice.

"Is it important to know the three signs?" President Philips asked.

"Yes, it may provide clues to the other signs," Lucifer answered.

"The Council Chamber," Pendragon said. "Our vote in the Council Chamber to let Brenna live, afterwards, Daniel came in and revealed he was a True Prophet. That was the first sign."

"Very good, Pendragon," Daniel turned to look at him, "that was the first sign. The Revelation of the Prophet."

"If Revelation of the Prophet is the first sign, death of the prophet will be the last," Fenrir seemed to have sobered up considerably.

"Yes, Fenrir, Death of the Prophet is the last," Daniel answered.

"Fifteen years," I frowned.

"No," Daniel corrected me, "I will not die at the Maturing."

"Good to know," I looked at him, "I think."

"Can you reveal anything else about the signs?" Lucifer asked.

"I can only say them after they have been spoken aloud," Daniel replied.

"So, we have 4 of the 9 figured out." Anubis looked at me. "Any suggestions?"

"I know less about prophecy than anyone in this room. Do we know who the Horsemen are? I mean, of course, we know who the fourth is, but what about the other three?"

"Yes," Lucifer sighed. "The Great Divider is an Elder that once preached of separation between Humans and Elders. His name was Elijah. He was an Angel."

"I killed him after Anubis was cursed," Gabriel told me. "He played a huge role in dividing mankind from Elders."

"The False Prophet isn't dead yet," Pendragon said. "Christ has been returned to the prison after the battle with Chiron."

"And my mate is the Wicked Temptress," Anubis answered. "Bitch is going to come back to life, how irritating."

"Then the death of Christ is one of the signs," my mother told us.

"Yes," Daniel nodded.

"5 of the 9, we are making progress," Lucifer answered. "We know who the Horsemen are and over half the signs."

"We have Revelation, Manifestation of Death, Death of an Overlord, Death of Christ, Death of the Prophet," Pendragon looked at Lucifer, "I see a pattern."

"They all involve Death or the Prophet," Lucifer responded.

"The Prophet." I looked at Daniel, "one of the signs is that the Prophet will survive Maturing. His prophecy won't be finished by then."

"Good, Demon," Daniel answered, "you have six."

"Death of an Overlord during a time of peace," Fenrir said loudly. "Too easy, I think."

"Seven," Daniel responded.

"Why the Four Horsemen?" Gabriel looked at us. "That's pretty heavy into Christian theology. We've already proven Angels and Demons are not what is written in the Bible, so why are the Four Horsemen in there?"

"Really?" Lucifer gave him a look. "Just because the Bible was compiled by a bunch of fruitcakes doesn't mean there wasn't some prophecy in it. Some of it has already come true."

"Wait." I closed my eyes and tried to remember my days in Catholic Church. "Okay, if parts of the Bible are true, the Four Horsemen are a part of the breaking of the Seals. There were only seven seals. One was the raising of the dead."

"Zombies can be made all the time," Gabriel responded.

"Zombies yes, but reanimated corpses are not the same as a resurrected soul," my mother informed him. "The Horsemen are all resurrected souls, why not the Dead that happens with the seals?"

"Eight, Witch, although I do not think you actually grasp the concept."

"Probably not," my mother agreed. I agreed with her silently. I didn't have a clue what it meant.

"That only leaves one," King Linus said.

"Death seems to be the common thread," Lucifer looked at Daniel. "We were discussing death when the first sign happened."

"But in what order?" I asked. "We know eight of the nine signs, we know the order of four, but we don't know the order of the other five. While it is nice to know what they are, it would be even more helpful to prevent them if we knew their order."

"I cannot tell you the order, I only know the signs," Daniel replied.

"Great, just great," I threw my hands into the air. "Who speaks when the Prophet is talking? You called me Demon and my mother Witch. Those are not the labels that would be given to us by my brother."

"A voice from Beyond," Daniel answered.

"A voice that occupies his head but comes from the aether" Vishnu finally spoke. "An all knowing being. We do not know if it is God or the voice of the dead who know the future. It is knowledge that the Djinn cannot penetrate, it protects itself and the prophecy."

"Fuck," my mother cursed under her breath.

"Language," I responded just as quietly. It dawned on me.

"Oh fuck," I rolled my eyes, "the other sign. The Four Horsemen. War, Death, Conquest, and Famine. Someone or something has to bring them into existence."

"That's a lot of magic," my mother responded. Magnus seconded her.

"Incorrect," Daniel replied.

"Not incorrect, just on the wrong track," Lucifer suddenly smiled. "All of them have been about death and revelation, the missing sign is about life. Someone or something has to be born with enough magic to raise the dead and actually bring back their souls, not just their bodies."

"Wrong," Daniel looked at Lucifer.

"Someone is strong enough to raise the dead?" I narrowed my eyes at Daniel. "No, not someone, and not something, but someones, as in multiple beings. The Nine have the power to return the soul to the body. They did it to me."

"Not one of the signs." Daniel looked at me as if he was bored.

"No, it isn't, but whatever causes them to raise the dead is," I responded. "For some reason, the Nine Brothers are going to raise the dead."

"No," Daniel yawned, "you should let someone smarter talk for a while."

"Why would we resurrect the dead?" Mammon asked me.

"You did it to me," I responded.

"Yes, but you are different," Levi answered.

"I give up." I threw my hands into the air again.

"The missing sign," Nick spoke suddenly. We all seemed surprised, like he had just materialized from thin air. Vaguely, I remember him being there when I walked in, but just barely.

"The missing sign is the betrayal, someone will bring about the death of another because of their betrayal, and someone will break the Oath of Protection."

"Correct." Daniel smiled at him.

"The death of whom?" I asked Nick.

"I don't think it matters, Bren," Nick responded. "I think it is the act of breaking the Oath that is the sign. If everyone in the room has taken the same oath as you, they are bound in magic and blood to protect life on Earth, all life. Betraying that oath, breaking it, will take a great amount of will and strength. I imagine it will go very badly for whoever breaks it. That's why it is a sign. The first of the conspirators will come to light if they aren't strong enough to cover the fact that they have broken the Oath."

"Oh, God." I looked around. Someone in the room was strong enough to break the Oath. "If someone broke the Oath, what sort of magical ripple would that create?"

"It would be huge," Magnus told me.

"Big enough to resurrect the dead?" I asked.

"I don't know. The Oath has never been broken," Magnus answered. "Theoretically, no, it wouldn't work that way, but thousands of years of tamed, untamed, and Elder magic have gone into it. That tug you felt was the weight of all that magic, bound together, binding itself to you. In theory, once you take the Oath, you can use some of that magic to protect Life on Earth."

"In theory?"

"It has never been used," Lucifer admitted. "We didn't start it until after the Elder War."

"So in theory, if someone broke the Oath, they could use the magic for their own purposes." I said instead of asked.

"No, it shouldn't work that way. If you break the Oath, you can't use the magic," Magnus responded.

"Then how does someone resurrect the dead?" I reiterated the question.

"That answer is..." Lucifer looked at his brothers.

"Unfathomable," Leviathan finished the sentence for him.

# Acknowledgments

I must thank my family. They are continually supportive of my passion to write and even put up with my writer's quirks. Over the years, they have nurtured my need to write and encouraged me to keep going even when I didn't think I could.

Next, my new editor, Frankie Rhodes, for taking my manuscript of illegible thoughts and extraneous commas and making it a work of art.

Finally, the cover artist, who keeps me from having titles in funky colors with desert backgrounds.

# Also by Hadena James

The Dreams & Reality Series

Tortured Dreams (Book 1)

Elysium Dreams (Book 2)

Mercurial Dreams (Book 3)

The Brenna Strachan Series (Urban Fantasy)

Dark Cotillion (Book 1)

Dark Illumination (Book 2)

Dark Resurrections (Book 3)

Dark Legacies (Book 4)

The Dysfunctional Chronicles

The Dysfunctional Affair (Book 1)

The Dysfunctional Valentine (Book 2)

The Dysfunctional Honeymoon (Book 3)

The Dysfunctional Proposal (Book 4)

Short Story Collection

Tales to Read Before the End of the World

# About Me

At some point, we all get tired of reading the standard author bio. I've gotten tired of writing it or rather, cutting and pasting it. So, expect this to be a non-standard bio.

I've been writing for over two decades and before that, I was creating my own bedtime stories to tell myself. I penned my first short story at the ripe old age of 8. It was a fable about how the raccoon got its eye-mask and was roughly three pages of handwritten, 8 year old scrawl. My mother still has it and occasionally, I still dig it out and admire it.

When I got my first computer, I took all my handwritten stories and typed them in. Afterwards, I tossed the originals. In my early twenties, I had a bit of a writer's meltdown and deleted everything. So, with the exception of the story about the raccoon, I actually have none of my writings from before I was 23. Which is sad, because I had seven Aislinn Cain novels written along with a half dozen other novels and well over two hundred short stories. It has all been offered up to the computer and writing gods as a sacrifice and show of humility or some such nonsense that makes me feel less like an idiot about it.

I have been offered contracts with publishing houses in the past and always turned them down. Now that I have experimented with being an Indie Author, I really like it and I'm really glad I turned them down. However, if you had asked me this in the early years of 2000, I would have told you that I was an idiot (and it was a huge contributing factor to my deleting all my work).

Personally, I really do suffer from a severe anxiety disorder and migraines. I find both to be huge impediments to the life I would like to lead. I find solace in the fact that I have found a significant other that tries to understand my obsession with writing, wonderful family members who support my writing obsession and a best friend who understands and accepts me regardless of my quirks and idiosyncrasies (for the record, she is more like Alex from The Dysfunctional Chronicles than Nyleena).

When I'm not writing, I play in a steel-tip dart league and enjoy going to dart tournaments. I enjoy renaissance festivals and sanitized pirates who sing sea shanties. My appetite for reading is ferocious and I consume two to three books a week as well as writing my own. Aside from introducing me to darts, my SO has introduced me to camping, which I, surprisingly, enjoy. We can often be found in the summer at Mark Twain Lake in Missouri, where his parents own a campground.

I am a native of Columbia, Missouri, which I will probably call home for the rest of my life, but I love to travel. Day trips, week trips, vacations on other continents, wherever the path takes me is where I want to be and I'm hoping to be able to travel more in the future.

And no, I don't always write in complete sentences... I refuse to... It sounds stiff and formal when I do.

# Find Me!

www.facebook.com/hadenajames

@hadenajames

http://hadenajames.wordpress.com

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