Chapter 11

“I’m alright,” Seth panted out, grabbing his upper arm. It was flowing a lot of blood, but that was nothing compared to the shock of the attack that jarred his heart. “Elizabeth. Where is she?” He asked Abigail. Abigail did not respond and instead, focused on evaluating the situation. As soon as they’d arrived, the demons had turned and fled. She didn’t like it. Troy didn’t like it. They couldn’t have organized themselves just so they could flee. But it was time for them to go, and they could not linger a moment longer. Such a racket in so public a place had drawn the immediate attention of the police. Their sirens were not far off.

Elizabeth held onto Damien’s dead body, already cold in her arms. She wept, the sobs racking her body hard. Through her tears, she saw Abigail standing before her. Elizabeth could not speak. The hate, the anger, it choked her throat with bitter bile.

Abigail could not do more for Elizabeth.

“You should not have left.” Abigail said softly, turning for the car.

Her words hit Elizabeth like a blow to the gut. Elizabeth let out a hysterical cry, a mix of a heart-wrenching sob and a burst of laughter. She choked and coughed and wept and screamed, clutching Damien to her breast.

Valefor sighed heavily as he watched Elizabeth, waiting for Abigail to get in the car. Seth could not bear to watch his sister falling apart with grief. He longed to take Elizabeth back home to the mansion, but even he knew that would be a very grave mistake. Through the window of the car, Valefor watched Elizabeth scream and shove away the people who offered her help. A particular man, large and strong in frame, managed to grab Elizabeth’s flailing limbs and held her still. Valefor frowned slightly as Elizabeth threw herself into this stranger’s arms, sobbing into his chest, smearing him with the blood of her deceased boyfriend. Was he an acquaintance? Yet…No. Valefor narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on the stranger’s face through the rain that smeared the car window. The man looked up at them, though Valefor could not tell what his expression was. Curse this rain, he thought. Curse this whole damn city.

Once the car door was shut, Valefor stepped on the gas and sped away. The man’s unclear face haunted him all the way home.

--

Haley rushed to aid Seth. She wrapped him with a warm blanket and ushered him in. Troy went to look for Falkor, in need of torturing something. Valefor thrust Abigail into Nathaniel, who looked bewildered at the notion. “Take her upstairs. Where’s Tom?”

Nathaniel blinked. “In Ajax’s room,”

Valefor made his way without another word.

Tom had woken up, tending to Ajax, who was fast asleep once more. He looked up as Valefor entered the room quietly. “Tom, I need you to look something up for me.”

“Anything,” Tom replied. If Valefor caught the weariness in Tom’s voice, he made no notice.

“I need to see the Askari genealogy from the past decade or two.”

Tom frowned. “Alright. Let me just fetch the book.”

A moment later, the two were at Ajax’s desk, flipping through the giant book of recorded Askari members from the last millennium.

Valefor slammed down his hand, almost destroying the table. “Stop!”

Tom stopped flipping the ancient pages, looking at Valefor expectantly. “What is it?”

--

“Lucas Gustav Heller, born 1890, died 1926. He was Abraham’s secretary in the European faction of the family, also the vice captain of Vulcanus Verdi, Abraham’s European counterpart.” Valefor identified, laying out the family album on the table. “Elizabeth walked away with this man.”

“Valefor, this man has been dead for over 16 years.” Seth stated.

“Exactly.”

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s downright creepy.” Falkor muttered. Nathaniel smacked Falkor upside the head, telling him to keep his unnecessary comments within that useless head of his.

“Whether he’s still alive or not, him being here without our knowledge of it is dangerous.” Valefor said.

“No, I think you got it wrong, Valefor. This man is dead. D-E-A-D, as in no longer living, breathing, or functioning. You’ve had to have made a mistake.”

“I would know the face anywhere, Seth! And this man, this Heller, has got Elizabeth hostage!”

Seth raised up his hands. “Now you’re taking it too far, Valefor,”

Abigail sat and said nothing. Troy reached across and held her hand. She did not respond. Already, she felt the ghost of her past closing in on her. Half of the horrible memory was hers, half of it was what was recorded in their history. She was too young to fully remember.

--

Eunice lay in bed, pale as death, and breathing laboriously. Abraham sat by her bed, grasping onto her hand as if he were holding onto her life for her. “Love, stay with me,” he murmured into her ear, kissing her forehead and stroking back her sweat-soaked hair. Eunice smiled and turned to Abraham, her beauty luminous even in her illness.

“The girls,”

“Are doing fine.” Abraham finished, assuring her with a grand smile. Eunice nodded and closed her eyes, satisfied. Abraham watched his wife fade away and sighed, his heart heavy. He turned to the doorway, where a younger Valefor stood, waiting. Abraham reluctantly left his wife’s side and leaned against the doorway. “The doctor?”

“On his way. But Abraham, it’s risky.” Valefor replied.

“It’s Vulcanus. I trust him with my life.” Abraham answered back, clenching his fist.

Heller knocked, bag in hand. “Abraham Askari, Lucas Heller at your service.”

Valefor watched as Abraham quickly led Heller to his wife. “Please, please save her.”

“I will do what I can.”

And then there was blood.

And then there was murder. No, it was slaughter.

The discovery of Abraham’s body was covered only in a small article in the papers. Eunice’s murder in her own bed was not even mentioned.

The kidnap of Abigail and Elizabeth was never mentioned.

And Lucas Heller met his doom, when Valefor plunged the vengeful knife into his black heart. Heller did not meet his death without a grand struggle, of course. He was a man of power. He brought down with him 8 members of the family. Heller had been the one to drag the knife that would kill him down Valefor’s face, gifting him with the blind eye and scar.

That was why Valefor would never, ever forget the face of Lucas Gustav Heller.

--

Heller handed Elizabeth the cup of tea. “Here, to warm you up,” he offered. She took it without thanking him, staring into the fire. Heller wrapped her shoulders with a blanket. She shivered from the cold terribly, but it came from deep within her bones. “A shame, to have your sister abandon you like this. It breaks my heart,”

Something in Elizabeth snapped. The tears rolled down her cheeks again.

Heller knelt beside her, wiping her tears with his thumb. “There, there,” he murmured, kissing her eyes. “You mustn’t be so hard on yourself. Damien died in order to save you, because he loved you. It was in no way your fault.”

“No,” she whispered. “It was hers.”

“She had every opportunity to defend him.”

“Yes,”

“But she chose your brother instead!”

“Yes,” Elizabeth, her voice growing weaker.

“The horror. My dear Elizabeth, how shattered your heart must be. How betrayed and hurt, battered and bruised.”

“I will make her pay,” Elizabeth murmured, weeping. But she did not know how. She did not even know if she half meant it. Her sister was a warrior, strong and independent. How could she, Elizabeth the coward, wound Abigail the warrior? She buried her face into her hands, sobbing out her heart. Heller patted her back, hushing and comforting her. He kissed her head, smiling ever so slightly.

--

Abigail rose from her seat.

“I will fetch her.”

This time, everyone but Valefor protested.

“It’s absurd! Abigail, he’s dead! Valefor said so himself, he killed him!” Seth cried out.

“Captain, you’d be risking too much. You don’t even know where to find him,” Nathaniel joined in.

“How do you plan on rescuing someone that hates you?” Troy spat, not wanting Abigail to go.

But Valefor knew Abigail would go, no matter what. It was a scar deep in her heart. She and Elizabeth had been kidnapped before. Abigail would not let it happen again. This was a personal vendetta. Valefor stood up. There were preparations to be made.

The family was distraught but could do nothing as Abigail and Valefor left the room.

--

Abigail stepped into Ajax’s room quietly. He was resting, but awake. When he saw her come in, he tried to sit up, but Abigail motioned for him to keep still. “Captain, I’m sorry,” Ajax croaked out. It was his first time saying anything to her ever since he returned.

Abigail stared at him and gave him a curt nod.

Ajax looked away. “If I hadn’t been so foolish…If I were just a bit stronger, I’d be able to help you right now, to look for Elizabeth. But instead, I fell to that demon’s petty words and let myself run away, believing with every muscle in my body that he was right,”

“But you came back.”

Ajax burned with shame. “It was not my intent.”

“But you’re back.” Abigail reasserted.

Ajax couldn’t understand why nobody was angry at him. In his eyes, what he’d done was a betrayal to the family, an insult to Abigail. “And if I run away again? If I leave the house while you’re gone?”

“Then I wouldn’t have picked you up from that cell of yours.” Abigail left his room, then, and paused at the doorway. “Get well soon.”

Tom was standing by the door, listening. Abigail greeted him with a nod but did not stop to talk. So, Tom followed. “He will not run away,” Abigail assured Tom.

“That is not my concern.”

Abigail stopped and looked at Tom and gave him a soft smile. “He will not run away.” She repeated.

Tom was ruffled that Abigail knew everything and he knew that him blushing and getting upset about it wouldn’t help. He brushed her comments aside and said, “What do you plan on doing?”

Abigail started walking again. “I will follow Heller’s trail. He, whatever he is, has no use for Elizabeth. She is nothing. He’s using her as bait, so it should not be hard to follow him.”

“But what will you do once you find him?”

“I will bring Elizabeth back.”

“Can you not take more people?”

“We need stealth and speed. Valefor is all I need.”

Tom sighed and hugged his sister, throwing her off. “Do not forget that you are our leader.” He whispered. “But more importantly, do not forget that you are my sister. Do not be brave, Abigail. Have the courage to run away.”

Abigail stayed silent.

“Valefor loves you.” Tom added in the lightest of whispers.

Abigail walked away.

--

Jette burst into Abigail’s room, despite Haley’s warnings. He found Abigail and Valefor, pulling on their gear. “You cannot go!” he cried out.

Abigail did not look up, but Valefor grit his jaw, glaring at Jette.

Jette ignored him.

“It’s clearly a trap! You cannot think to walk straight into it! Isn’t there another way? Aren’t there others you can send or call for help?”

“She is her sister. You cannot expect her to leave someone else to save her.” Valefor growled, deep in his throat.

“You’ll be killed!” Jette wailed miserably.

Valefor turned red, insulted.

“I can assure you that no harm will come to her.” Valefor snapped.

Abigail pulled on her cloak and turned to Jette.

“Abigail, please, you must not do this. Everyone here is against it.”

“Since when did you know of all our feelings and tho—”

Abigail cut off Valefor, “I must do what I must do.”

They left the room.

Jette fell on his knees, unsure of what to do. Everyone in the house was upset about her decisions. Even he was upset about it. Sure, he didn’t know everything that they did. He didn’t know what kind of opponent the enemy was. But he did know a few things of traps and ambushes and no one walked out of those with all limbs intact. And Abigail…his throat closed up with emotion. Oh, he loved her. He knew it from the beginning. He didn’t care that Valefor was there, or that she was the leader to a dark family, or a fugitive, or whatever. He loved her! And with every step she took away from the house, he felt her being ripped away from his heart. Abigail!

Jette bolted up from his knees and ran out the door. He flew down the stairs, whizzing past Keir and Nathaniel. He flung open the main door and skid out into the rain, barely making out the figure of Abigail and Valefor in the mist and rain.

“Abigail!” he cried out, running after her. “Abigail!”

The two of them turned, surprised. Jette did not slow down as he approached them. With shaking hands and thudding heart, he slid to a stop in the mud and kissed Abigail. He relished in her gasp of surprise, the softness of her cold lips, the heat of her sweet mouth.

His bliss did not last long, as Valefor shoved Jette aside and threw him down with a punch. Jette came down hard in the muddy grass with a loud splash, his vision littered with black and white spots. His head spun and his cheek throbbed.

Valefor walked away briskly.

Abigail gave Jette one last glance before falling in step with Valefor.

Jette stayed on the ground outside until Haley came out with an umbrella and towel. She said nothing to criticize his behavior, as reckless and thoughtless as it was. She knew he could not help it, and it was his desperate attempt to connect with Abigail. They were all connected to Abigail, and this sudden sweep of death threatened it.

They would all be daring to risk careless behavior.

--

For three days and two nights, Abigail and Valefor hunted Heller’s tracks without rest. Valefor made sure to make note of every detail of their movement while Abigail merely concentrated on the trail of Heller’s essence. She wasn’t even sure if it was his scent she was following, but it was all she had. They’d gone to Elizabeth’s home and she’d followed the darkest trail she could find, hoping it was Heller’s.

She lost it many times. The rain washed away the filth more than would’ve been helpful. It was hard to feel, smell. Above that, they were constantly bombed from every side by other humans. Lost in such a thick crowd, Abigail was growing weaker by the minute. She couldn’t handle so many people at once.

Valefor, sensing this, grabbed Abigail and they made for the rooftops. It was harder still to follow a scent from the tops of the buildings, but they could not afford to mingle in the crowd, where it could be completely lost.

--

Heller led Elizabeth into a spare bedroom. “Tomorrow, I shall take you to the church where we can pray for Damien. Rest well tonight, Elizabeth. You’re going to need it.”

Elizabeth stood in the doorway and sighed. Her eyes were red and puffy from all her weeping, but set in them was a frightening and strange determination. Heller wondered somewhere in the back of his busy mind if she had a chance. In the beginning, he didn’t believe it, but Elizabeth was surprisingly strong, even if she didn’t know it herself.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Heller. I don’t know how to repay you,” she said hoarsely.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, my dear. Don’t worry about that at all.”

--

Abigail stopped. This was where the trail ended. She looked around, but could not see anything. The rain was washing everything away too quickly. “Valefor,” she whispered. “Where are we?”

They were first words they’d spoken since they left the house, and the sound of her voice, so small and thin over the thundering rain, shocked Valefor. She sounded like she was dying.

“We’re downtown, Abbey St.”

“Do you see anything?” she asked him. Again, he looked down at her, concern slashing his brow.

“No. Everything’s quiet.”

“Too quiet,” Abigail whispered, Valefor almost missing it. She looked around again and froze as her eyes zeroed in on a trail of sulfur. “There.”

Abigail moved before Valefor heard her. He grit his teeth and bolted after her.

Abigail followed the trail, always catching sight of just the tail before it would turn another corner. Her heart pounding in her ears, the adrenaline pumping her legs, Abigail felt she was close. It had to be close.

They came around to an opening, where Abigail skid to a stop. Valefor surveyed the area. It was a part of the city he’d never seen before. In the center of the opening was a fountain with a sculpture of a mammoth gargoyle, strangling and pressing down a doomed angel. The opening led off to 7 other roads and in the middle was a giant cathedral. It towered up to the cloudy, churning skies, its tall steeples piercing high. The lightning briefly washed light over the sculptures of angels and demons, fighting to the death their war. Valefor swallowed hard. He had never seen this place before, and he could not remember it being here. Abigail felt her partner’s discomfort, but it was nothing to what she felt. Her heart was frozen and went cold, dropping to the bottom of her stomach. Valefor, who saw and felt nothing, reached for his glasses, but Abigail stopped him. She did not want him to see this. She did not want him to see the buildings covered so thick in demons, it looked as if the buildings themselves were bleeding demons. She did not want him to know. She turned around to face him, grabbing his wrist with a deathly grip.

“Do not put them on.” She ordered.

“But I have to see them in order to he—”

“Valefor,” her voice was trembling. “Do not put them on.”

Valefor looked up at the sound of the great cathedral doors opening, groaning loudly and creaking on its aged hinges. Abigail turned around slowly, her breaths small and quiet. She could not ignore the terror that seized her heart. She did not know this new enemy she now opposed. Every bit of her wanted to turn and flee. This man, this creature, was not of the earth. He was soaked in evil. He was made of evil. It filled her through every pore until she felt it stinging and aching her heart.

Her grip tightened on Valefor’s wrist.

Heller grinned from ear to ear. He opened his arms lovingly.

“Abigail, Abigail, welcome to my fortress.”