“There are more people in the world without power than with. If there are a lot of demons who want this war to happen; all they need is a body for their spirit followers to possess.”
“See this is where I go dizzy,” Danny said. “Eligos, you’re a demon; Keira, you’re part demon, you’re both human in appearance and have a physical form. So why do other demons have to possess bodies?”
“Demons don't, spirits do,” Eligos told him.
“Why though?”
“When people die and go to Hell, it’s their spirits that go there. In Hell most of them have a physical form – you can see them, touch them, talk to them – but when they travel to another realm, the people or creatures there can’t see them. However, for some spirits it’s different; sometimes it’s part of their punishment. If, for example, a murderer goes to Hell, the court may sentence him to one hundred years in the Pits, but, if he was a mass murderer or he was particularly cruel in the way he killed people, once he had done his time in the Pits, he would have his physical form taken away; that way, no one in Hell would be able to interact with them. All that is left is a wondering soul. I can’t think of anything worse than being alive and not being physical,” he said, looking at his own hand, “not being able to touch anything, move anything, nobody can look at you, you can’t talk…I can’t imagine what that would be like.”
“Well, then, they shouldn’t have committed the crime,” Lily said. “Is that done to people often?”
“Only to serious sinners,” he told her. “But there are a lot of them, and don't forget this punishment has been around since the dawn of time, so, over the years, well, you can imagine how many there are now.”
“So they may be possessing these people?” Jake asked Eligos.
“I would think so. Some of them would do anything just to have a physical form again.”
“Would the people still be alive but be controlled by the spirit?” Lucian asked.
“That rarely happens,” Eligos told him. “Normally, the people are already dead. I think these people are being taken, killed and possessed.”
“Oh my God!” Lily said sadly.
“How can this be allowed to happen? How can Heaven stand by and watch this?” Tyler asked, almost shouting.
“It’s Hell’s problem, and we are the ones who have to sort it out. We have a certain amount of time to stop this or…” Eligos said, trailing off.
“Or what?” I asked.
“War.”
“But war is going on everywhere.”
“No, I mean war like you couldn’t even being to imagine, Heaven versus Hell. The last time that happened, it nearly brought about the Apocalypse.”
“Why, if it’s between Heaven and Hell?” Lily asked him.
“No member of Heaven can travel to Hell, and vice versa…well, not unless it’s Lucifer or God. But that's never happened before either; it’s against the rules. So the war is fought on Earth, or in whatever realm the problems originated from.”
“That’s not fair; it’s not people’s fault, or the creatures from the other realms.”
“Earth and the other realms are ruled equally by Heaven and Hell; they can do what they please with them,” he told them all. “It’s not something I agree with, but that’s just the way it is.”
“How many times have there been wars like that on Earth?” I asked Eligos.
“Only twice, but they were bad enough.”
“Were you around for them?”
“For one of them, yeah, and I don't ever want to see it happen again.”
“Have there been wars like that in the other realms?” Lily asked him.
“Yeah, quite a few, and before someone asks,” Eligos said, looking at them all in turn, “I have been involved in five of them.”
“Involved?”
“I mean I fought in them. They lasted a long time. There were a lot of casualties, from Heaven, Hell and innocents from the realms,” he said, shaking his head. “It should never happen, but sadly…” he trailed off.
“How long do you get to stop it? To avoid the wars, I mean,” Jake asked him.
“It depends on what’s happening; I think we have a year left now to end it completely. That means killing the souls of the demons and spirits involved, not just returning them to Hell.”
None of them spoke – what could you say to that really? Even I was silent; the last thing I wanted was innocent people to die for something they hadn't done, asked for, and in most cases didn’t know was possible. This couldn’t be allowed to happen, they had to be found and they had to be stopped.
“Just out of interest, who won the last two wars on Earth?” Tyler asked Eligos.
“One each.”
“How can we fight them, we’re not strong enough,” Jake said.
“You’re not strong enough, what about me?” Lily asked, panicked.
“You could be,” I told them. Again all of them went quiet. “When I was in Hell, Lilith told me you wouldn’t be strong enough to keep yourselves alive. The power you have in you, although it’s handy and you can attack with it, is only weak, and obviously Lily has no power at all…Do you remember when I said we have a proposition for you, when we walked out of the church.”
“Yeah,” they all said.
“Well…Lilith introduced me to a lady in Hell, who happens to be a goddess of sorcery. Her name is Unsere. She has agreed to increase the power you all have in you so you will be strong enough to fight the demons that are coming.”
“Would we be as strong as you and Eligos?” Tyler asked.
“No, but you would be stronger than you are now,” I told him.
“Also, I can get you the weapons that can kill demons’ souls,” Eligos told them, “and teach you how to use them properly.”
“OK, I’m in!” Danny said.
“Hey, hey hang on a minute,” Lily said, standing up. “What about me?”
“Are you sure you want to fight in this?” I asked her.
“Your damn right I do. I lost my best friend, and I nearly lost the man I love and all my other friends. I want to fight the bastards that are responsible.”
“In which case I think Hecate will be more than happy to help out,” Eligos informed me.
“Who’s that?” she asked.
“A personal friend. She is known as the Queen of Witches,” Eligos said. “She will give you the power you will need.”
“What’s the catch?” Tyler said. “This isn’t being done out of the goodness of their hearts.”
“You’re right, there is a catch,” Eligos told them all. “If you accept these powers you have to fight; you have to help take down every demon that’s involved in all this. If you don't, and you just take the powers and run…Well, let’s just all think back to those souls without a physical form.”
“You mean we’ll go to Hell and be punished forever?” Jake asked.
“That’s exactly what I mean. No other human being will have ever been given the amount of power that you will be given, well, except for Keira.”
“And you are really going to teach us to fight?” Jake said looking at Eligos.
“I will, and Keira will show you all how to use the new power. Especially Lily.”
“I’m in!” Danny said seriously.
“So am I!” Jake said.
“Me too!” Lily said, looking at me.
“I’m with you all to the end,” Lucian told us.
“Just tell us what we need to do,” Tyler said.
Chapter Eighteen
New Power
Eligos left us and returned to Hell, leaving me with the guys and Lily.
“Where did he go?” Lily asked.
“To get Unsere and Hecate,” I told her.
“What, you mean they’re coming here?” Jake asked, shocked.
“Yes they are, oh, and keep your eyes in your heads guys. I’ve met Unsere, and she is beautiful. She’s small, with long dark-blonde hair, she’s slim and she’s got big pale-blue eyes, so be warn
ed. I can’t comment on Hecate, I’ve never met her.”
“I’ve got my own beautiful woman, thank you, so I don't care what she looks like; I’m not interested,” Jake said.
“Oh God, pass me a bucket; I’m gonna be sick!” Danny laughed.
I couldn’t help but laugh; Lily grabbed one of the cushions off the sofa and threw it at him.
“How long is he going to be?” Tyler asked.
“I don't know maybe an hour as far as he’s concerned, which to us is fifteen minutes. Maybe longer,” I told him.
“So when did you get together?” Jake asked.
While we waited I told them the whole story. Everyone except for Tyler seemed really happy for us, but then I expected him to be funny about it. Lucian surprised me though; he said he was glad I was happy and that he wished us all the happiness in the world. I don't know what I was expecting him to say, but I wasn’t expecting that. Danny, I think, was just happy because he knew he would get to be around Eligos more. He had a lot of respect and time for him and he couldn’t wait to be taught how to fight properly.
“Do you think they’ll want drinks when they get back?” Lily asked.
“Maybe we should open a few bottles of wine,” Danny suggested.
“I’ll go and get some.”
“I’ll fetch the glasses.”
Ten minutes later Eligos appeared again and a moment later two women were with him. All the guys, except for Jake were staring at them. Hecate was just as beautiful as Unsere. Her long wavy dark-brown hair fell loosely down her back; her eyes were green, just a little darker than mine. She was pale and like all the other demons I’d seen, her skin was perfect. She had a beautiful curvaceous figure, not skinny and not fat, just right.
“Hi, Keira,” Unsere smiled at me.
“Hiya,” I smiled back.
Eligos introduced us.
“OK, firstly, Keira, this is Hecate; Hecate, this is Keira”
“Nice to meet you.”
“It’s an honor,” she said, bowing her head slightly.
“You don't ever have to do that,” I told her.
“Keira, it’s an honor for any demon to be in the company of a Royal,” Eligos informed me.
“No, it’s me that’s honored to have you here. To have you helping us. Please don't ever lower your head to me; it should be the other way round,” I said to Hecate.
“Thank you,” she smiled warmly.
Eligos introduced Hecate and Unsere to Lily and the others, before motioning for them to sit down. Eligos came and sat next to me again.
“So I take it you’re mine then?” Hecate said to Lily with a smile.
“Yeah, I guess…I am.”
“You’ll be fine, don't worry about anything; it doesn’t hurt.”
“And these four young men are mine!” Unsere said.
“They are,” I told her.
“OK, guys, this is what happens: I stab all of you through the heart, feed power into you and then fix you back up. You might have a little scar, but other than that you will be fine,” she explained to them.
All of them turned white, fear and horror appearing on their faces.
“Relax, I’m just kidding” she laughed.
“You’re so mean!” I smirked.
“I know. No seriously, guys, all I need to do is spend five minutes alone with each of you. You may feel a little warm as it enters you but that's all.”
“Lily,” Hecate said, “It’s the same for you, lovely; there’s no pain at all.”
“OK,” she whispered, taking a deep breath.
“Now, when you get it you will feel stronger, physically too, but you won’t know how to use it all. So I suggest you all go out somewhere you won’t be seen and play with it. It’s all instinctual but you won’t know what you can do until you actually do it. Keira will be able to show and tell you a few things though,” Unsere told them.
“So, are you all ready for this?” I asked them.
All of them nodded.
“Take it away then, ladies,” I said to Unsere and Hecate.
Hecate went into the little living room with Lily; while Unsere went with Lucian into the chill-out room. A minute later Lily came running back into us.
“Keira, will you come with me?” she asked.
I could see her shaking from across the room.
“Come on,” I smiled, walking out with her.
We walked into the little living room and I sat down on the sofa facing where Lily was going to sit.
“She’s nervous,” Hecate said. “That's understandable.”
Lily sat down and took a deep breath.
“OK, are you ready?” Hecate asked her.
“Yes.”
Hecate stood about two feet away from her and stretched her arms out in front of her. The lights in the room started flickering on and off and the furniture started to tremble slightly. A blue flow of energy came from each of her fingers and surrounded Lily for a moment, before seeping into her skin. She closed her eyes tight and her breathing started to get faster. I could see she was panicking. Hecate walked towards her. The flow of energy had now stopped. She put her hand on Lily’s chest and both their bodies illuminated for a split second. Then it was all over.
“Lily, you can open your eyes now,” Hecate told her. “We’re finished.”
“Really?” she said, her eyes opening wide.
“That’s all there is to it.”
“Hecate,” I said, “when our ancestors got their power it really hurt them; they screamed out in pain. Why, when Lily obviously didn’t feel a thing?”
“Their power came from a demon called Abdiel. He is the Lord of Slaves and Slavery. He likes to cause pain, so that's probably why,” she told me.
“You’ve just answered a question that everyone with this power has wanted the answer to.”
“What?”
“Who gave it to them; nobody ever knew.”
“The person who called it would have known to whom they were calling. Obviously he didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Do you know what power I have in me,” I asked her.
“I know you have more than one, but I’m not too sure; they’re mixed up with each other so it’s hard to tell. Ask your mother, she should be able to tell you. You see it’s easy with the guys; they only had the one power in them, and I am one of only a few who can sense who gave it to them.”
“Would Eligos have known?”
“No, it’s not one of his gifts.”
“Thanks, Hecate.”
“My pleasure.”
“Lily, are you OK?” I asked.
“I feel different, strong, like I could blow this house down.”
“You probably could now.”
“Try and use it, try and move the table to the other side of the room and back again,” Hecate told her.
“Will my eyes change?”
“Yeah.”
She stood up and looked at the table. Her eyes turned black, the same as the guys did, and the table flew across the room. She jumped up and down with excitement. Then the table came back to its original position.
“Now I understand why when I asked you how you used your power, you found it hard to answer; it just happens,” she said, turning to look at me.
“Your eyes are black,” I told her.
“Wow.”
“Why do mine go white and yet the guys go black,” I asked Hecate.
“Because you have power in you from a Royal and it’s mixed with others. By rights, though, you should just go natural now, so they should be red.”
“They do go red when I go demonic.”
“You should always be demonic,” she said puzzled. “You are after all…”
“I understand…” I interrupted quickly.
Lily now looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Come on, let’s see how the guys are getting on,” I said, getting up and walking out of the room.
I heard them following behind me, and
Lily thanking Hecate over and over again.
Lily ran into the room and Hecate grabbed my arm. She pulled me down the hall and looked around to make sure nobody else was near us.
“Haven’t you told them yet?” she asked me.
“No, they’d had enough to deal with.”
“It’s not a bad thing; it’s not something they have to worry about, Keira.”
“I know I just, I don't know. Please don't say anything.”
“Course I won’t; it’s not my place to. Just be honest with them, and with yourself. You are what you are, be proud of it.”
“I am.”
“So tell them, soon.”
“I will.”
We walked into the living room and I poured everyone a glass of wine, before sitting next to Eligos. Lucian and Danny now had the extra power and Jake was still in the other room with Unsere.
“This feels amazing,” Danny told me. “I never knew anyone could feel this powerful.”
“Imagine how Keira and Eligos feel then,” Hecate told him. “Each of them is more powerful than you five put together.”
“Wow” he said, looking over at me and Eligos. “I hate you both.”
A moment later Jake joined us and Tyler left.
“Jake, watch this,” Lily said, getting excited.
All the windows opened and closed repeatedly, before finally staying closed again. Then she rose into the air, only around five feet, but she was so excited about it.
“You’re crazy!” he laughed.
A few minutes later Tyler was back in the room, followed closely by Unsere.
“Well, that was a good night’s work,” she said, flopping on the chair. “Oh, is one of those drinks for me.”
“Help yourself!” I smiled.
“Oh we have something to tell you.”
“What?” I asked.
“Me and Hecate will be with you when all this comes to a head. We’ll be fighting by your side.”
“Really?” Lily said.
“Definitely, this has caused a lot of problems and we don't want a full-scale war, so we’ll do what we can,” Hecate told us.
“Thanks,” Eligos said to them both.
Hecate and Unsere stayed with us for around half an hour before they had to go back to Hell. All the guys thanked them again and they told us they would be in touch. If we needed them all we had to do was call out to them.