General Sterling

Sixteen

    It's been an eventful week. My men are itching to get out there. I couldn't stop fidgeting in my seat so the General sent me outside to get one last power-up. I'm going to need it. I may be able to use my flame as I please but my mother's abilities, I've used only a handful of times on just single individuals, not entire crowds the way I will be today. I have to use my powers together to get into their minds without looking into their eyes. So that even in my death, their minds will remain how she wants them. 

    The sunset's beauty fades when one craves the light of the moon on their skin. When the promise of a fight is within reach. The seconds don't go by fast enough. I didn't know I could be this restless. Patience has always been a friend of mine but this has been building up for a long time. It feels like everything that's been happening from the moment I stepped out of that camp has been adding up to this. Hitting the capital is the first step. That one step leads to the start of a new Darkness. Her Darkness. 

    The growls of war vibrated behind me as the sun finally departed with a delayed goodbye. I walked back into the Throne room giving the General a nod. The servants opened the blackout curtains and he rushed out with his men. I turned to face my own and gave the order. 

    The cadres split up into groups of four and disappeared into the shadows as if they never existed in color. I covered myself with my cloak to hide the fire marks glowing along my arms and my face. The four of us moved forward in complete silence until we go to our positions. On his mark, we move in. 

    A wave of in positions swarmed the black pearls in our ears. I placed my hands on the ground, reaching for my markers, feeling for the men to make sure they are exactly where I need them to be. We aren't the only ones here. The soldiers from the other houses are in position as well. 

    "Major General. Are you in position?" the General asked. 

    "Affirmative," I answered. "Waiting for your orders, General Sterling," 

    "Hold," he whispered. I counted back from ten to one eight times. "Steady," three. two. one. "Move in," 

    Charlie and I took the high ground. Helbourne moved around the back of the house and Alex walked up to the front door and knocked. It was ripped open by a large man. Our target. He looked the prince over and scoffed.

    "Tag him," I ordered. 

    Without saying a word he placed the pendant on the man and pressed the gem. Growling came from inside of the house and two newly awakened boys rushed the prince. Charlie and I jumped on them to hold them back. The prince doesn't do well with younglings.

    "Sleep," 

    Helbourne appeared behind me with his hands raised. The boys went limp in our arms and we dragged them back inside. They should be up by the time the majority of the people in the capital are gathered in the center. 

    "Nice," Charlie mused when I shut the door behind me. 

    "Keep moving," I ordered them. 

    The sound of fighting broke out on the pearls. It's difficult to tell what voice belongs to who. I tuned it out when we got to our next destination. Alex motioned me to go up while he went around back. There's no movement inside of the house which means they're still sleeping. I climbed into one of the windows and slowly wedged myself between the thick curtains. It's dark inside. There are two coffins inside. I opened one to see two little girls huddled together in one. I smiled and shut the coffin as quietly as I could. I went to the second to find an older boy. One very close to transition. 

    I walked out into the hall to see Alexander motion me into the next room. I took a pendant from my satchel and walked inside as quietly as possible. I opened the double coffin to find it empty. I looked back to see a blade at Alexander's throat. Charlie is standing behind him. Cadres of four are perfect. Three of us inside, one outside to keep watch. 

    "Behind you," I smiled. 

    He turned back only for her to slap the pendant on his forehead. I looked around the room until my eyes landed on a crate. I went over to it and opened it only to step back. Chills ran through my body at the sight of the mutilated body. Not only did he kill her. He cut her up into pieces. Alexander came over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. 

    "What?" Charlie asked. I put my hand up stopping her from coming any closer. 

    "Next target," I ordered. She nodded and walked out without question. 

    "We can't save everyone," Alexander said. It's not just a reminder to me but to himself. 

    "Next target. Let's keep moving," I motioned him to go. "I need a cleanup in location two. There are three younglings. Twin females about six and a male, weeks from transition," 

    "On our way, Major General," the call was answered right away. 

    "Stay sharp, Ada. Things can only get worse," the General warned. 

    I didn't answer as we approached the next house. Everything was going smoothly until we reached the last marker on my list. Alexander took the high ground, Helbourne took the back door, Charlie and I entered through the front. We looked at one another as we took the smell of the house in. Much worse I answered the General's warning in my head as we walked in with my dagger in hand. So much worse than I could have imagined. 

    "If we kill them here, is it illegal?" Helbourne asked through the pearl. 

    "Not without evidence of probable cause," the General answered. 

    "The Major General is not going to let this one go," Helbourne explained. "I'm going to look the other way,"

    "Aye," several voices echoed at once.  

    The pearls quieted down. I stopped Charlie from coming with me. Helbourne was at her side in an instant. I pushed against the door to one of the rooms to find it locked. I pushed it open as quietly as I could to see three little girls huddled behind a set of stacked coffins. I went over to them to see the abuse along their arms and their little faces. They haven't even entered transitioning state. The smell coming off of them is more than enough to fuel my rage. 

    "There is a lady and a knight outside waiting for you to come out," I whispered when I crouched down in front of them. "You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore," 

    "Six," one of the little ones grabbed my arm with desperation. 

    "Six?" I questioned. 

    "Six men here," she whispered. "Six other girls," 

    "f**k," I heard the General's voice in my head. "You have my order to kill all of them if you see fit," 

    "Alright, go outside," I smiled wiping the tears from her beautiful hazel eyes. 

    I stood up as they ran past me. I pushed my hood off and removed my cloak, letting the fire in me flare. I turned back to see one of the little girls looking at me with tears in her eyes. She bowed before she ran out with the others. I moved through the rooms to find double coffins in all of them. I started with the one at the far end. I kicked the coffin open to see a little girl no older than fifteen look up at me, terrified. She's naked. I motioned her to get out. She stood up. 

    "Who's in charge? Him?" I whispered. She shook her head and pointed to the wall behind me. I motioned her to go. She gathered herself and ran out of the room. The man opened his eyes to meet mine. "I should kill you," 

    "You probably should," he nodded letting out a heavy sigh. "If you're looking for an excuse not to. I don't have one," 

    "b***h," I scoffed and placed the pendant on him. I moved through the other rooms freeing the little girls and sending the men with them to the cages. I saved the kill for last. 

    I pushed the door open to find him with a blade to the girl's throat. This one is older. She's transitioned. She has a mark on her neck. A mark that shouldn't be there. The same mark I allowed to be placed on me. The girl is silently crying as the man keeps her in place. Coward. This is not what we are intended to be. We aren't savages, just monsters. 

    "You have to kill the girl to get to me," he growled. 

    "You think I won't?" I asked. "I knew coming into this, that I wasn't going to be able to save them all," 

    "They sent you to save a bunch of orphan girls?" he laughed. "Another w***e for my collection?" 

    "Hmm," I smiled. "What do you want, sweetheart?" 

    "Kill us," she cried. "Save my sisters. My baby and kill us," 

    "Shut the hell up," he sneered pressing the blade against her delicate skin hard enough to draw blood. 

    "Close your eyes," I smiled at her. Her eyes stayed on me letting me know she wanted to see him suffer. "Okay," 

    I gripped my dagger, melting the iron in my hand, reshaping it. Most of the melted metal fell on the floor. The man laughed as he stepped back towards the window. I pulled the heat out of the metal I pressed together in my hand and threw the iron piece hitting him on his hand with the blade in it. He immediately let go. The girl rushed over to me and stood behind me as I made my way over to him. 

    "You b***h," the man shouted holding his hand. 

    "You want to watch?" I asked the girl. She nodded. I picked him up and slammed him against the wall. "I was going to let you live. You are a man after all. Guilty of your instincts. However, some of those little girls aren't even old enough to train yet," 

    "They made me the happiest," he laughed. I placed my hands on his bare chest. "What are you doing?" he screamed as I pushed heat into his body slowly. "No, no, it burns, No!" 

    "Watching you burn from the inside out as slow as smoking a pig brings me happiness," I laughed as he continued to scream out in pain. He can't move unless I make him. "You see her over there smiling? It should wound your ego to know that I am giving her the greatest pleasure she's ever known. More than your tiny pecker ever could and I don't even have lay finger on her," 

    "Stop. Stop," he begged. "Summerian! Help me! Summerian!" he reached for the girl. "Please," 

    "No," she shook her head. "You can go to hell, father," 

    I let go when flames burst out of his eyes and then his mouth. His body quickly turned into ashes after he died. I instantly pulled back the flames when her arms wrapped around me tightly as she began to cry. I held her until she was able to gather her thoughts. 

    "Thank you. Thank you," she cried. 

    "It's all right. Let's go outside with the others. Wait for the females to come help you," I instructed. She nodded vigorously. She didn't let go of my hand until we were outside. The little girls all swarmed around her crying. One of them is holding an infant. I don't know where they had hidden it. I didn't see it in any of the rooms. "Final location, an infant, eight younglings, and female two years after transition. Be careful with her. She's pregnant," 

    "We are close, Major General," I was answered right away. 

    "We're headed to the closing point. Get there," the General ordered. 

    "All cadres finish up your tasks and head to the rendezvous point," I ordered. I placed my hands on the floor to find that the markers were all removed as instructed. 

    The four us made our way to the center of the capital. Charlie took my hand when the stage they had set up came into view. The cages are all stacked on top of one another. They're filled with men and women who will be released later today after I compel them all. 

    As soon as we broke through the crowd. The guards motioned us to follow. I was led to the front while the others were instructed to sit back. I nodded letting them know I'd be fine. I was walked over to the other Generals. Lyte caught my attention. He bowed his head with a smile on his face. Then a fallen. 

    I had never seen an angel before. She's beautiful. Her massive white wings are tucked behind her. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of gold. Her fair skin has a beautiful holy glow to it. Her golden yellow hair is braided back into a thick rope that even while it's sitting on her shoulder it goes past her hips. 

    Next to her is a demon. The only difference between the demon and the angel is the aura around them. While the angel's is pure, the demon's is violent. Her raven dark hair makes her piercing silver eyes stand out. Her wings are just as majestic. 

    "We're waiting on Sterling," Lyte broke the silence. 

    "Always are," the angel scoffed. "You must be Adaleigh Darius. My name is Azreal Chambers. Second General to the Fallen Army," 

    "I'm Zazura of Grim. The fourth General of the legions of Lucifer," the demon introduced herself. 

    "It's an honor. Major General Darius," I bowed. 

    "I told you she was adorable," Lyte smirked. 

    "Ada," I turned my attention to the sound of her voice. Nymph came over to me and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. She pushed me back at arm's length to look me over. "Not a scratch. As expected," 

    "Are you okay?" I asked. 

    "Always," she pressed a kiss to my lips before excusing herself. Lyte looked at me with a grin on his face. 

    "Not a word," I shook my head. The others chuckled. 

    "Major General," General Sterling came over to me a little aggressively. He placed his hands on my shoulders and inspected my body until he was content with what he saw. "We should begin," 

    "Major General," General Azreal giggled. "You have all the fun. We need to make friends with this girl," 

    "Agreed. Two Generals at once. You'd think she was a succubus," General Zazura laughed. The heat in my body rushed to my face. 

    "Look," Lyte pointed at me. "She flames up. Getting stationed here is starting to look up," 

    "Oh, I love her," Zazura laughed pulling me to her. We walked up to the top of the stage together where General Sterling and General Nymph are. Sterling waved me over to him. I walked over. 

    "If you need to stop or move around to get to everyone, let me know. Not a single person present is to be spared. The entire guard is here," he looked me over. "Were you injured? Do you need to feed at all?" 

    "No, I'm good," I reassured him. He looked me over and nodded before handing me a scroll. 

    "Remember, it needs to play out the way she wants. This is your region now. You are the one in command of the people," he whispered. 

    I looked up at him wondering what the hell he meant by that. I broke the seal of the scroll and opened it up. The first page is a handwritten letter from Queen Millianne. 

Ada, 

I wanted to tell you this in person. It's why I came to you that day. The news you gave us took me by surprise and I knew that it would be a little overwhelming after the way the General reacted to the news. I needed you to be clear-minded at the time. You've proven to be more than I expected. Not only did our General choose the perfect champion for this task but the perfect friend to bestow his trust upon and in doing so, I grant you my own. From here on, you will be the Marchioness of Aleksander. You will receive orders straight from the Queen should it be me or Edwardian when her time comes. Your duties as Major General still stand. That will not change. You have earned your place. For now, show the people you are on their side and await further instructions. 

My love and gratitude. Millianne Duke. Queen of the House of Lamia. The First Installment of Darkness. 

    "f**k," I shook my head feeling a little dizzy. I looked back at him to see him smile.

    "That's what I said," he chuckled. 

    "This is real?" I asked. 

    "As real as me being mated to her daughter," he answered. I pulled the page out and handed it to him. He took it without hesitation. 

    "f**k it," I popped my neck. "We've come this far. It'll be stupid to want to go back," 

    "Remember what Helbourne said. You have to use all of it. Your scent, your voice, your eyes, your fire. Focus. You can do this," he nodded. 

    "Right," I nodded. Lyte motioned me to step up onto the lifted earth. He offered me his hand as I stepped to him. I took it and pushed myself up to face the mass of people below. 

    "Good luck, kid," Lyte bowed.

    "Put this on. It'll help with the ones in the back," Nymph handed me a black choker. 

    "Thank you," I smiled at her. 

    "Thank you," she smirked. I stood up and put the choker on. I cleared my throat. It echoed loudly making me shiver. That is loud.

    "Good evening," I greeted everyone as I quickly read over my instructions. I rolled the scroll back up and lowered my arm to face the people properly. "I wanted to start with excusing myself for coming into your homes this early after sunset. I find myself unapologetic and disgusted by the men I once looked up to. 

    "Behind me, there are a handful of our finest soldiers. Not just to my house, but to all of Darkness. Men who laid down their lives for our people. Men who brought honor to who we are. Vampires, Incubus, Angels, Witches, and Demons. 

    "These men made it through hell and for what? To come home after all they have done. After all, they have seen only do much worse than those who once tried to take what is rightfully ours to our own. I stepped into the house of one our best to find his mate in pieces rotting inside an old trunk. A house filled with little ones who hadn't transitioned yet being used as w****s. 

    "What was the point of our wars? What was the point of surviving the hell that took so many of us if we were going to act the same way those dogs did?" I growled. 

    I have everyone's attention. No one is looking away. I've heated my body enough to sweat. Enough for them to take my scent into their bodies. My voice is in their heads. Their eyes are on me. Not a single one of them is looking away. I knelt down placing my hands flat on the ground reaching for all of them. Even those inside of cages. 

    "My lord," General Zazura whispered in prayer. "Guide the wicked towards the path of salvation. Redeem their souls so that one day they can enter the silver city with the forgiveness of our creator in heaven. May the flames of hell be sufficient to correct the wrongs that have ruined the innocent and corrupted wills of our men in the loss of their own innocence. Hail my lord Lucifer. My will fulfills your bidding," 

    "As above, so below," the rest of us finished her prayer. 

    "The first Amendment of the Darkness Alliance will be as follows," I continued. "The lives of the innocent are priority. You are to guide, not corrupt. You are to love, not harm. You are to cherish, not neglect. You are to teach, not mislead. We are to survive and it begins with healing the pain in our home," 

    I pushed heat into their bodies. All of them. One by one, they slowly fell to their knees as their minds accepted the new commands. All except for those chosen to prove her point. They're watching as the people slowly begin to rise up with a new philosophy engraved into their minds. My body swayed from the massive release of heat that I won't be taking back into my body. The General was at my side immediately. 

    "Ada," he whispered. "You're cold," 

    "I know," I nodded reaching for the choker on my neck. He took it off. "I need some rest and some heat," 

    "Take some of mine," he offered. I looked up at him and shook my head. 

    "That's not how it works," I chuckled. He put my cloak over my shoulders. "Your fire comes from the burn of ice," 

    "Finish it," he helped me to my feet. He put the choker back on me. I looked around and found the heat I need in the torches. I pulled the fire to me as General Azreal and the others pour holy oil on the chosen prisoners. 

    "Those who disobey the laws of the alliance will all be purified with fire," 

    The prisoners began to cry out for help. Alexander lifted them up higher for everyone to see. The Generals all came over to me to get out of the way. I looked down at the people to see that they're all watching. I lifted my hand and pushed the remaining flames inside of me out into a fireball. I released it. The Generals all steadied me as those above all burned. With no heat in my body, I feel weak, parched, vulnerable. 

    Holy oil burns faster than anything I've ever seen. If I had the strength I'd be the only thing to kill them faster than that oil. It's even burning away the metal of their cages. I watched as the witches went over to the melting metal. They began to reshape it. Weakly, I pulled away from everyone as it began to take shape.

    "We give you the Marchioness of Aleksander," Alexander addressed everyone. His voice is much louder than my own. "Adaliegh Darius. The Flame of Dragon," 

    The remains of the prisoners and the metal were shaped into a statue of me. The fire slowly began to make its way to the statue's hand where a fireball formed in the palm of its hand. Everyone saluted and took a proper bow of respect. 

    "I think she really is trying to get me killed," I laughed. The General grinned when his eyes landed on me. 

    "I think you're right," he nodded. "At least, all of Darkness will remember that it was you who gave them peace again," 

    "That flame, it will never give out," Nymph smiled at me. "Not even in the rain,"