Chapter Ten: Whiplash
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Emma backed into the house with a shiver. She turned her head to yell for Cern, not daring to take her eyes off the outside world, a cold shiver creeping down her spine.
“What is it Emma? I sense.. something.” Cern murmured from right behind her. Emma yelped and jumped. Sage giggled and clapped, thinking it was a game.
“Boo!” Sage uttered spookily. Cern shifted Sage in his arms to look past Emma.
“The Chaos God said we're about to have visitors. He never said who.” Emma reported, tickling her son with a small smile, but her gaze returned to the outside world with worry as well. The sky had darkened unexpectedly and a loud crack of thunder made Emma jump yet again. “No.” Emma mumbled, stepping forward to press her hand against the door, ready to slam it. “It can't be him. I can't feel him.” She was shaking now, and Cern saw it. He pulled her away from the door and slammed it, his palm lingering on the back of it. A soft green light emanated from the edges briefly before he turned.
“Explain.” He said softly. Emma moved to the window. She stood to the side, looking out through the edge.
“You don't think it's strange the sunlight was suddenly sucked out of the area?” Emma murmured. “Like somebody used it all up?” She visibly shivered.
“Bel...” Cern's voice was barely a whisper. There was a howl outside the back door. Emma's head shot around.
“Luci..!” She moaned. “You warded the house, now he can't get in!” Emma moved towards the back door and Cern grabbed her arm.
“It could be a trap.” Cern said cautiously. The howl sounded again and Emma winced.
“It's not!” She wailed, yanking her arm out of Cern's grip. “I can feel it here when he howls. The Bond, telling me he's in trouble!” Her hand was fisted in front of her chest and her face was scrunched up as though she might cry. Emma ran to the back door and threw it open. Luci was being held up by the throat, now in human Form, his body spasming. Emma recoiled at the appearance of the man who held Luci. Dressed in a nice suit with his blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, a pale blue eye glared at her, out of the human side of the face, half of him resembled Bel. The other half was.. terrifying. There was something terribly wrong with half of this creature, it was twisted, scarred, mutilated. It held Luci in the ruined hand, talons extended, digging into Luci's neck.
“Lugus.” Emma slid to her knees.
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“No, what we're trying to tell you is we're your only hope.” Lugus shouted across the yard.
“You don't present a very good image, holding Emma's Familiar hostage.” Cern growled.
“He has a point, my boy.” The elderly man placed a hand on Lugus' shoulder.
“Shut up old man.” Lugus snarled. He looked at Luci in his grasp, who had finally stopped struggling and had gone limp. “Fine.” He ground out. “Take the worthless thing back then.” He tossed Luci's listless body towards the door. Emma cried out and raced out the door. Cern barked out an order for her to stop, but she ignored him. In seconds, Lugu was right in front of her. Emma closed her eyes, realizing her mistake, cursing her own stupidity. She looked up into the wickedly grinning face of Lugus.
“What did you think my warning was for you foolish girl?” A voice abruptly hissed from behind her. Claws sank into her shoulder and the next time Emma opened her eyes she was staring at the back of Cern, and past him, an enraged Lugus. Cern spun around, trying to keep both enemies in sight.
“How did you get inside my warding?” Cern snapped.
“Oh please, Chaos is my thing. All it takes is one little slip-up. For example, a loved one making a break for it through the barrier.” The Chaos God gave Emma a little shake and she mewled a protest. Lugus' eyes lit up and he made a break for the doorway, and was promptly thrown twelve feet backwards onto his ass. The Chaos God laughed. “Rule number two: I always reinforce Warding I'm shielded by when I enter it.” Lugus struggled to his feet with a snarl.
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Emma dabbed the cold compress on Luci's forehead and temples. When the Chaos God had grabbed her, she had a hold of Luci, so he came with them. Lugus and the older man were arguing outside the door, loudly. From the gist of the conversation, it turns out it was Lugus' and Bel's grandfather. The Chaos God sat regally in a chair within Emma's eyesight, while she continued to fuss over Luci, currently lying on the sofa. He huffed a couple of times, readjusting his position, trying to get her attention.
“A thank you would be nice.” He snapped.
“Thank you.” Emma responded without looking at him.
“I didn't mean- Aren't you ready to yield to me yet? Just give me the power, then this will all be over!” The Chaos God shouts, throwing his arms in a grand gesture around them. Emma pegged him with a glare, pausing what she was doing.
“Do you know what I used to do before 'all this'?” Emma asked in a low growl. The Chaos God blinked. He frankly hadn't been that concerned about her life before her god-hood. He tilted his head to the side. “I was once a librarian.” She explained. At his blank look, she rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. “I worked in a building that housed collections of books people could borrow. Books that themselves were collections of human knowledge in some instances.” Again, the Chaos God looked at her blankly. Emma turned her attention back to Luci, gently dabbing at his face and neck again.
“Despite living and working in a small town, we had a nice little section on religion and mythology. We had to, you see, there were school-age children there who had book reports to do. Would you like me to tell you what the resounding message in those books was?” Emma's eyes pinned him in place, as a look of understanding slowly dawned on his face. “Never trust a fox.” Emma growled. The Chaos God's claws dug into the arms of the chair and he made a move as if to stand, but then suddenly laughed and collapsed back into the chair.
“Oh my dear, but I've seen your future, and one day you will, regardless of how you feel now.” The Chaos God shook his head and Emma's fingers wrapped tighter around the cloth she held.
“Emma...” Luci's harsh whisper came from below her and she cried out, looking down into his pained face. “You shouldn't have brought me in here.” Luci growled. He thrashed and outside the arguing ceased. Emma looked up into the grinning face of the Chaos God and felt her heart fill with dread.
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“What are you doing?” Phoebie asked Rafe on a scream.
“We're not going to make it! I don't have a choice!” Rafe yelled back, he pulled Phoebie around to his front and clung to her. “Hold on tight, I can't sustain the other Form much longer, I was injured in this one, and the other stretches the wounds too much.” Phoebie felt their bodies falling from the sky and screamed.
Older Phoebie and Rafe
Bel and Emma's Home
Alternative Plane
Phoebie jerked awake. She still felt like she was falling. She rubbed her face with both hands, feeling her heart pound.
“But that wasn't how that happened at all.” She murmured. One of the children inside her kicked, which sparked a flurry of movement as everyone fought for space. It was probably her nightmare that disturbed them. But was it a nightmare or a new memory? She shuddered. Rafe's hand settled on her abdomen, rubbing gently.
“Well these littles are busy today.” He cooed, kissing her stomach.
“Rafe.. how did we get here? My mind is mush.” Phoebie's voice hitched and Rafe looked at her with open fear.
“It's the changes we made, isn't it?” Rafe asked and Phoebie nodded.
“I can't keep up, all these changes. What's real? What's not? Which timeline are we in? Ugh!” Phoebie scrubbed her face harder with her hands. Rafe gently pulled her hands away from her face.
“It's ok Phoebie, we'll work through it. We're safe now, that's all that matters. Let's just live in the now, not the past. Don't worry about the future, your mind will settle, everything will be ok. You never would have been given this gift if you couldn't handle it.” Rafe trapped her hands in one of his against her chest and smoothed her hair, gently kissing her forehead, then her eyes, nose and lips. She calmed slightly under his touch.
“Do you think so Rafe?” She asked softly.
“I absolutely believe it with every fiber of my being.” He responded. “And you know faith and belief are-”
“Yeah, yeah, everything in this business.” Phoebie sighed. “I hope you're right.”
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