Luke:
“Let go of me!” I spat at the demons
They just acted like I didn’t say anything though. They literally had to drag me away. I didn’t know what to think though, my emotions were all just mixed up. I was angry with Lucifer for turning Gemma; he said he would heal her. I knew there was a chance that he would turn her but I never thought he would actually do it. I also worried about Zoe; what would Clement do to her? Would he kill her? I couldn’t even imagine them torturing her until she was dead and bleeding. It’s all my fault…it’s always my fault. I should have left with her then she wouldn’t be here. I could have always came back for Gemma…but even then I wouldn’t have been able to leave her again. Gemma was my family, I couldn’t just pretend she wasn’t, but I cared about Zoe…I shouldn’t have let things go this far; I didn’t regret kissing her but it should have just stopped there. We both knew what would happen in the end. I was going to die no matter what, but I couldn’t let anything happen to her. She’s always been there for me since day one.
I remembered the first day we met even now. I remember seeing her sad brown eyes and her long brown hair. I remember wanting nothing to do with her. I didn’t want to get close to anyone after what had just happened. I hardly ever talked when spoken to for about a month. I would also try to run away from time to time; hoping I could make it out of the boundaries and get out of that prison, but every time the demon hunter (I had found out later on that his name was Blake) that had brought Gemma and I there would always bring me back. Blake was proably the one person I could open up to before Zoe and I became friends, but the next week he went on a mission to take care of a water demon who had been terrorizing a small lake in some town I don’t even recall the name of, and never came back. After that I went back into silence or I would just become so angry that I would flip out on anyone near me. My sister tried to cheer me up but it never worked or at least not for very long. About two weeks later the queen thought it would be fit for a boy my age to learn how to fight. I was forced to join with the others in sessions that were three times a week. I walked into the training room for the first time and noticed how everyone else was glaring at me. I was angry at them then like I was at everyone else. I didn’t understand why the adults would keep me here if everyone didn’t want me here in the first place. The trainer ended up putting us in pairs and somehow I had gotten one of the few girls in the class as my partner; Zoe. When I had found out that I had gotten a girl for a partner I ended up walking out of the room and locking myself in my room, but of course the next session I was forced to come back.
I saw Zoe again and she just acted like she didn’t even notice me. She ended up getting a new partner while the trainer tried to get me to at least hit the dummy, so I did and he wasn’t very happy. The trainer yelled at me in front of everybody in the room but I just made things worse by making some…suggestive comments. I was suspended from the sessions for a week after that. I had gone to lunch after all that and sat alone. My sister was sitting with our “new parents” but I never even acknowledged them and they pretty much did the same thing with me. That is when I saw Zoe come up to me and hit me in the head. She snapped at me for being such sexists and for snapping at the trainer who turned out to be her father. I snapped back at her saying that I didn’t give a crap what she thought about me or that I didn’t care about if I hurt her poor daddy’s feelings. We somehow ended up getting to the part where I yelled at her saying that if I hurt her feelings then she could just go cry about it to her mommy. That is when she told me she was dead and that is when everything changed.
I didn’t even notice that they threw me into another cage until I hit the ground. I got up quickly and ran for the door but one of the rogue’s grabbed one of the bars and the cage started on fire. I backed up and the fire vanished like it was never there in the first place.
“I would recommend for you not to try that again.” The rogue smiled
Her straight black hair hung down to her chin as her black eyes showed no emotion. Her pale skin was covered in all sorts of burn marks.
“What did you bastards do with Zoe?!” I yelled
“Oh Clement will take good care of her.” A male rogue standing beside the female rogue smiled
I charged at them but the female rouge just started the cage on fire again when my hands touched the bars. I snatched my hands away and cringed at the pain. I clenched my hands into fists to try to lessen the pain but it didn’t really work. The two rogues laughed at my pain and I picked up a rocked and threw it at them. It didn’t hit them but the male snarled at me and appeared in front of me picking me up and slamming me down onto the ground “You’re lucky we have to keep you alive for a while longer!”
“Yah lucky me.”I spat
I then felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as his teeth dug into my shoulder. I screamed out in pain as I tried to push him off but I was outmatched in strength. I closed my eyes and everything turned red. I reopened my eyes and the rogue flew across the cage away from me. I backed up and could feel blood pouring out of my wound. The female appeared in the cage then and dragged the other out. She checked to see if he was ok and I hoped he wasn’t. Sadly he was and they started fighting about him getting into trouble for what he had done. I cringed at the burning pain in my hands and the stabbing pain in my shoulder. I took a few deep breaths and my vision started to go blurry.
Not now I thought I have to stay awake…have to stay awake…
I heard more footsteps and more arguing and then just straight out yelling and begging. I heard a grunt in pain and a cry of despair and then more arguing. I heard someone come into the cage but I heard Gedeon’s voice snap at them “He’ll heal. You just get back to work.”X
I don’t know how much time has passed when my wounds finally started to go numb of pain. I was more worried about Zoe then me though. What were they doing to her? Was she even still alive? Or…even worse…one of them? I couldn’t even begin to think about Zoe being a rogue, I doubted she would even let it come close to happening. What about Gemma as well? What were they telling her? What were they teaching her?
It’s all my fault…this all would have never happened if I never left…If I would have listened to dad and never left the house…
You would have died with them Lucas Lucifer told me
When I was just about to reply I heard footsteps.
I guess we’ll talk…well I guess we won’t if they kill you….oh what am I saying? We’ll talk even then! Anyways we’ll chat later. His voice then faded and it was silent in my head once again.
I grabbed the bars behind me and pulled myself up. I saw my sister standing outside of the cage looking at me sadly “Hi…”
“Hey…” I replied back
“You ok?” she asked me
“No, no I’m not Gemma,” I sighed “you’re a rogue, Lucifer is about to be released by my death, and I don’t even know if Zoe is ok.”
She looked down “Isn’t this what you wanted though? When Lucifer came to me he said that you and him made a deal that if you set him free that he would save me…well he said he couldn’t stop the sickness from spreding so he did what he could only do.”
“That a full out lie,” I snapped “he was strong enough to keep you alive and even then he said he would heal you.”
“He did though, I’m all better now.”
“No,” I shook my head “you’re not and it’s all my fault…I never wanted this to happen…I never actually thought he would do this. I hoped deep down that he wouldn’t…I’m so sorry.”
“So are you saying you’d rather have me dead?” She snapped
“….No…it’s just going to take some time getting used to…Gemma please listen to me when I sa-”
“I’m not leaving Luke.”
“Why not?” I asked her “What is making you stay? They don’t care about you Gem! Not like I do!”
She looked at me in hatred then “You don’t give a shit about me! You left me when I needed you! I was in the infirmary wondering where my brother was to be told that he left!”
“Gemma I had to,” I said desperately trying to make her understand “They would have killed me.”
“Maybe so…but what about those other times then? You tried to leave me when I needed you then too! I wasn’t even sick then! So what is your excuse?”
“I was scared Gem….I didn’t want to be responsible for your life…I thought by leaving that you would have a better chance.”
“A better chance at what?”
“At forgetting…the fire…mom and dad…I didn’t want to bring you more pain then I already had…and when I found out that you were sick...I felt like I did on that night…helpless. I thought by agreeing to Lucifer’s deal I would finally be useful to you…but I only made it worse in the end.”
“Yes…you did.” She said flatly “You ruined my life only to just end up resenting me in the end…and then you chose her over me, your own sister! You always chose Zoe! Every time you had free time we would meet up or run into Zoe….you were always with her! I shouldn’t even be surprised that you love her…she obviously cared about you too.”
“What do you mean cared? Gemma where’s Zoe?” I asked as I started to panic “Is she ok?”
She looked up at me with no emotion while she told me “Clement killed her. His cloths were soaked in her blood.”
I latterly felt like I had been punched in the stomach…no Zoe couldn’t be dead…it just wasn’t possible…I felt the world grow cold at that moment.
No Luke you don't only have her but you have me too. You're not alone...
My legs gave out on me as the shock of what my sister had said started to set in. I knew rogues were lairs but another thing I knew was that my sister was not.
“You mean…she’s gone? She really is….dead?”
“Don’t be sad brother,” she said appearing in the cage and pressing her cold hand to my cheek “You’ll see her soon.”
I couldn’t reply…I couldn’t even think…Zoe was gone…because of me…I remembered the way her laugh would make me smile, or the way her eyes lit up when I took her to the little café in Colorado, the way her lips felt on my own…I felt a lone tear fall down my cheek and my sister wiped it away before we heard someone come up to the cage. We both looked over to find Clement standing there in leather and armor with a sword at his side with his arms crossed “Gedeon wants to speak with you.” He said to Gemma
“But I-”
“Now. Gemma…please.”
I looked at him in hatred. How dare he order my sister around…
She looked at me and then at him. She kissed me on the forehead and then disappeared.
Before me now stood Zoe’s killer and I couldn’t just let him get away with it…He fell to the ground and cringed in pain as I glared over at him. I wanted him to suffer for what he did. He killed my only friend. He killed the person I loved. I stood up slowly and walked over to the front of the cage where I could focus more thus making him feel more pain.
“Luke…” Clement said through clenched teeth “Stop…”
“You made a big mistake by hurting her,” I growled “and now I’m going to make you pay.”
He shut his eyes in pain as his body twitched in spasms “She’s alive!” he managed to get out
“It’s no use to lie to me Clement.” I managed to let out a maddening laugh
“I didn’t kill her….I let her…go…”
“Gemma told me about the blood.” I snapped not letting his pain fade any time soon
“It’s…not hers…”
“Then who’s?”
“Deer’s…”
I let the pain of his fade just enough to let him explain. “Why didn’t they notice then?”
“Blood is blood to them…they can’t tell the difference anymore like a regular demon could…”
I let his words sink in and I walked away releasing him.
She’s alive I thought but then another voice replied you idiot he could still be lying to you!
I walked back over to where Clement was starting to stand up when I made him fall back down “You better not be lying to me rogue, you’ll regret it if you are.”
“I’m not!” he hissed
“Prove it then.” I said
“I…can’t. What do you want me to….do? Bring her back so…she and I can be killed…by the others?!”
I looked at him and somehow knew right there in the mist of all the pain he was in he was telling the truth. I closed my eyes and made his pain fade “What’s your plan Clement? Why didn’t you kill her?”
“That is for me to know and for you to keep to your own business out of. I didn’t kill her because I know she would have gotten out anyways.”
“No that’s not why…” I said sensing that he wasn’t telling the full truth
“I should get back before they notice I’m gone…we’re going to be leaving soon here.” He said as he started to walk away
“Clement,” I called and he stopped and looked back “Thanks….for letting her go.”
“Hey, I’m not into all that soap opera crap so just be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To fight.” He said and jogged back to the camp where I could hear the clank of metal and the banging of shields.
It’s beginning I thought It’s almost time…but if I was going to die then what did Clement mean by “get ready to fight”? Unless…Lucifer would bring me back to…no, Lucifer wouldn’t do that I know that for sure….
But did I? How was I sure that Lucifer wouldn’t just make me into a rogue to? I thought of Zoe seeing me like that…I suddenly recalled her knife in my side and imagined just how much worse she could make it. I hoped Zoe would get out of this area though. I hoped she would run as fast and as far as she could and keep going. I felt the whole world and lives of all the people I’m going to destroy fall on my shoulders. I couldn’t let Zoe be one of them. I wouldn’t allow it. I had to stop this.
Stay alive…it’s all you can do…run Luke while they aren’t looking. Get out of there as fast as you can.
“I can’t leave Gemma though.” I told myself
It’s too late for her Luke she isn’t even Gemma anymore. She’ll be fine.
I couldn’t agree though; I could tell somewhere deep down the old Gemma was still there. I could tell from how she spoke at times that she wasn’t completely gone.
I have to fix this…
You can’t. Run Luke. This is your only chance…
I knew the voice was right. I had to run while I still could. I would come back for Gemma with help…well with Zoe at least. I looked around and noticed that there was no one around I went over to the front of the cage and focused on the outside of the cage….but for some reason it didn’t work. Frustrated I tried again…and again…and again.
“Shit!” I yelled pacing the cage. Why wasn’t it working? What was wrong with me?
I looked down at the ground and saw the small glint of an object shine in the grass. When I looked closer I saw it was a key. Yes! Freedom is mine!! Clement must have dropped or “dropped” it when he came over here…or maybe Gemma had…who knows but I’m getting the hell out of here. I got down quickly and reached out of the cage as far as I could to try to reach it. Before I could reach it though someone’s foot stepped on the key and picked it up. I looked up to see Gedeon smiling back down at me.
“Sorry were you trying to grab this? Oh well, finders keepers losers weepers.” He laughed and motioned for two of his Rogues as they came into the cage and dragged me out
“I didn’t think you would even try to leave with your sister still here but I guess family isn’t that important when they are a monster,” I stayed silent as they dragged me over towards him “What? Is the great Lucifer’s pure blood at a loss for words?” he laughed and they all started laughing except when I caught sight of Clement and Gemma. Gedeon keep on talking but I was not paying attention until he lifted me up by the color of my shirt.
“Are you listening to me?!” he snarled
“Sorry I blanked out about five words into your speech.” I replied and he threw me onto the ground as he pulled out his sword. I heard someone cry out and saw Gemma appear in front of me as he thrust with his blade. I don’t know how but I somehow Clement was fast enough to block his blade with his own.
‘How dare you get in the way!” Gedeon yelled at him
“I’m sorry my lord but it’s isn’t the time nor place to do this.” He replied calmly
My heart was beating a hundred miles per hour as I tried to calm down.
“Don’t…” Gedeon said twisting Clement’s sword out of his hand and pointing his own at Clement’s neck “do that again. You’re only alive because you’re the only one who can get close enough…plus Eliza will keep on nagging me about it if I do.”
“I understand…my lord.” Clement replied flatly
“Good,” Gedeon told him “Now let’s go raise some hell!!” he yelled and the whole camp cheeredX
Malcolm:
I kept worrying about Zoe as everyone suited up for war. I could feel my nerves start to creep up my spin and into my head and I felt butterflies in my stomach. This battle was going to be nothing like the one at the demon realm no…this was going to be much worse if we failed. I felt a slap on my back as a older demon smiled at me.
“You ok there kid?” he laughed “looks like you were going to be sick there for a second.”
I shook my head “I’m fine.”
“Good, because we can’t have anyone running out on us now.”
“I know.”
He nodded and went back to helping the other demons prepare. The armor that I was wearing felt heavy and too big but I knew it wasn’t. The sword was my own but if I couldn’t move fast enough to use it, it would be of no use. I strapped up the laces on my wrists when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned my head to look behind to find Abri “Nervous?”
I managed to laugh “Is it that obvious?”
She smiled as she helped me tie my other wrist “Kind of.”
“Yah I’m I’m the one who’s nervous, this isn’t my first war like it is yours Abri.”
She grew silent then as she finished tying my other wrist. Why didn’t I just keep quite? If I was nervous I couldn’t imagine how Abri must be feeling “Hey it’ll be ok. There will be other healers with you, you’re not alone in this.” I said squeezing her hand
She smiled “I’m just…”
Scared I thought “I know, me to.”
“Promise me you won’t let anything happen to you.” She said hugging me tight
I wrapped my arms around her and could smell the apple sent of shampoo in her hair. Truth was I couldn’t really promise her my safety but I didn’t want to worry any more that she already is “I promise,” I said into her hair “I promise I won’t anything happen…but if I tell you to leave without me then leave.”
She backed up and looked up at me “But I-”
“Please Abri…I’ll do my best to stay alive but if it comes down to saving myself and getting you out of there it will end up being you. I don’t know what your parents would think if you died and to be honest I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened…”
She looked down and I knew she was thinking about her parents “Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that then.” She said softly
I lifted her chin up and smiled “Hey…it’ll be over before you know it and you’ll be back at home or school…whichever you prefer.”
“I think I’ll choose to be at home.” She smiled
I laughed “that would be my choice to.”
She looked up at me with smiling eyes but I could still sense the sadness and fear of the possibilities that we both thought of. We both knew that there was a chance that one or neither of us would make it but we could still hope and pray to see another day after this was all over.
“I should get back to Eve.” She said
“How’s she doing?”
“A little better I think but I’m not really sure…I still think she’s worried about Clement.”
“I’m sure she is.” I replied looking down
“You know you two are going to have to talk sometime right?” she asked “and now would probably be a good time before we go fight to the death.”
“It’s not that simple…” I replied
“Just please at least try to? For me?” she asked
Damn it I thought I knew what she was doing. I wanted to say know but just looking at her made me give in “Fine,” I sighed “but only for you.”
“Thank you.” She said and leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before she went back outside.
I checked to make sure everything was in place and everything was strapped up, buckled in its right place. I really didn’t want to talk to Eve; I just didn’t see the point. We both made it very clear about how we feel. I also worried about where Zoe could possibly be, was she ok? I’m sure she probably was but what if she wasn’t? God if only I had gone to find her sooner! I looked around the lobby and suddenly felt claustrophobic. My nerves seemed to get worse as the minutes passed by. I rubbed the back of my neck and looked up at the ceiling.
Just calm down I told myself
But I couldn’t and I felt childish. This was my second war after all, I shouldn’t be acting like this. I didn’t in the other one! Probably because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing….I still don’t. Plus this one had worse consequences if we failed.
Malcolm you need to calm down Gabriel told me
I’m trying but it isn’t working I replied
He sighed Everything will be alright. Nothing is going to happen to you, Eve, or Abrianna. My brothers and I wouldn’t allow it.
I shook my head I know but I just can’t help but feel that something bad is going to happen….
Lucifer’s rise?
No….something else....Gabriel what is the bond between a archangel and a pureblood all about?
What do you mean?
What happens….when one of us dies?
He went silent I’m not sure if I ever told you this but you aren’t my first pure blood…
I was shocked; I never expected for Gabriel to have had another pure blood before me.
You see, I might be one of the youngest of my brothers next to Lucifer but I was the first to have a pure blood. Her name was Marie Eversteen, she and you were a lot alike in many ways. At first my brothers thought it was dangerous but I told them that we needed someone to help the human race and help fight against the demons….
What happened to her?
I don’t know….one day we were talking and she was with a group of demon hunters…the next when I tried to talk to her she had simply…disappeared. The bond was gone and she was nowhere to be found…it was like she never existed. My brothers kept telling me that a demon must have killed her but I never and still don’t believe them. I would have known if something happened…I tried to look for her for months but when it was getting in the way of my duties I was forced to stop.
Gabriel…I’m so sorry…
Thank you….but if a pure blood dies we archangels will live on….but…
If one of you die then we will to?
No…it’s much worse. A human will go insane with half their soul missing. If the pure blood died we archangels get half our soul back…but a human cannot if it’s the other way around.
Wait…so if Marie never died then how are you able to split your soul again?
That is where it starts to confuse me as well…I knew she wasn’t dead and yet my soul was whole again. Her part of the soul was gone but the other part of mine had come back…
I was confused as much as him now. If what he said was true then Marie should be dead…but he said he would have known if she was….god my head hurts.
I shouldn’t be telling you about my past though, it isn’t important anymore.
No I’m glad you told me, maybe I could help you find her.
No. What’s in the past is in the past. She is no longer my concern. Don’t worry about me just worry about yourself and the war to come.
I think I should worry if I’ll go insane if you die.
Have faith in me why don’t you? Gabriel laughed I have to go my brother found out about me telling you about where Clement was....looks like I’m going to get a time out when we get home.
I smiled Good luck
I’m going to need it he laughed and his presence then faded.
I sighed thinking about what Gabriel had just told me. I wouldn’t die if he did but I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go insane. I had to trust Gabriel though to stay alive though…and most importantly what had happened to Marie? How could someone just disappear? I would have to worry about it after the war though…if I lived to tell the tale.Ã
It was almost time to go when I saw Abri and Eve talking. They both seemed to be arguing about something until they saw me. Abri looked between the both of us and nodded towards me and walked off. I looked at Eve as she stared at me. I broke the gaze by looking down. I really didn’t want to do this right now, but like Abri said it could be our last chance. I took a deep breath and walked over towards her. When I stood before her though I was at a loss for words. I felt my heart begin to race as the seconds passed by in silence.
“I’m sorry what I said last night.” She said finally breaking the silence
I looked up into her green eyes “I know…I understand. You were right I was being like them…I just didn’t want to see you get hurt…”
She nodded and it went back to awkward silence.
“….I’m sorry I’ve been acting like such a jerk…”
“No, I deserved it. I hurt you that night and I understand….I should have told you.”
“You should have,” I muttered “I think that was why I was so angry…that I had to find out from someone else instead of you.”
“I know I just didn’t know what to say…I was just confused because I cared…I still care about the both of you, but I didn’t want to hurt either of you….but in the end I just ended up hurting the both of you.”
I felt sorry for Eve at that moment. I guess I never really took the time to see things from her point of view. I should have understood.
“Evelynn…Eve, I wish I could tell you that everything was going to be ok but I can’t. I can’t tell you that you’ll get your happily ever after but I just want you to know that I’ll be there for you every step of the way.”
“So does this mean we’re friends again?”
Another complication; Clement.
I rubbed the back of my neck “I don’t know Eve it’s just that it’s going to be complicated. It’s not going to be the same like the old times.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t really think that Clement and I will ever really get along…there’s always going to be that tension between us. I’m sorry Eve but I can’t stand him.”
She went silent “I’m not even sure if I’ll ever see him again….”
“Oh I’m sure you will,” I sighed “you two will find or run into each other somewhere somehow.”
“I don’t know if I even want to see him again.”
I looked at her confused “Why?”
She went silent again.
I sighed “Eve…you know you can tell me anything right? It might not be like the old days but we can at least try.”
Before she could answer though we heard Layla yelling out that it was time to get going. Eve and I were split up into the crowd before anything else was said. I tried to move back towards her but ended up just having to move on forward. I knew something was on Eve’s mind but we wouldn’t get the chance to talk about it. Right now we were going into war. Right now we could be marching to our deaths…I looked around and saw all the warriors around me…how many would fall before this was all over?Ã
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