Ungodly Chaos Book Three of the Ungodly Series

Chapter Twenty-Seven: What Do You Get Out Of It?

“What are you getting out of this?” Phoebie asked the man. He'd said he was a Chaos God, but the more she looked at him, the more he looked like a cross between a man and a fox to her. He shrugged.

“Like I said, hopefully I get to get back in your Aunt's good graces. She has something I want, and I need to be in her 'good books' in order to get it, otherwise, she'll never hand it over.” The Fox grinned his sharp teeth at her. Phoebie shuddered. She was smart enough to know that nothing ever came for free, but was she willing to make her Aunt pay the price? At this point, she wasn't sure she cared. She rubbed her stomach.

“How soon can we leave?” She demanded and the Fox grinned.

“So rude. I like it.” He nodded his head to their surroundings and Phoebie realized they were no longer in her great-aunt's house. She gasped and nearly fell off of the ornamental bench she was seated on. He had already warned her he wouldn't actually loan her any power, but he seemed just fine with accompanying her, which seemed strange to her, until he explained that his kind thrived on Chaos, and thus the Chaos God conversation.

“Where are we?” Phoebie's hushed whisper seemed loud in the small garden they occupied.

“Oh, this is actually quite close to the action. I've dropped us behind the council's deliberation chambers. A number of them could actually see us if they bothered to look out their windows right now. Phoebie shot to her feet and was swamped by a wave of dizziness.

“You did what?!” She shrieked. This was far from the clandestine get-in and get-out mission she had in mind.

“Oops, now you've done it, I'm quite certain a few of them have heard you screaming little sorceress. Time for me to hide.” And with that, the Fox disappeared, and Phoebie was left scrambling for a way out of the garden and as far away from the gods that had taken her Rafe as she could get.

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Marc glared at Emma, drumming his fingers on the counter in the library. Rather, he glared at Bel, who lingered behind Emma. How was he supposed to get to her, if this infuriating fool continued to hover around her like a love-sick puppy? Emma suddenly looked up and her eyes widened, her expression registered outright fear before she hid it away and Marc gave her an easy smile.

“Sorry, was lost in thought there for a moment. I've been having car problems and the bill I was quoted...” He made a disgusted face and Emma nodded sympathetically. However, Marc couldn't quite get past the idea that she knew something, something that was going to cause him problems down the road. Did these two aggravating love-birds make up? Marc sighed.

“Hey, why don't you go on downstairs and pick up the books from the drop-box? I could show you how we check them in, since we usually void out any overdue fees if it's within a day or two.” Emma leaned closer to him conspiratorially. “Truth be told, we sometimes don't check that thing but once a week, so sometimes we have to void out quite a bit of fees.” She shrugged a shoulder with a light, forced laugh. Marc had the distinct impression she was trying to get rid of him, but he chuckled appreciatively and agreed with her idea, heading to the staircase that led to the lower level. Emma waited until Marc was out of hearing range before whispering to Bel.

“Well, any ideas?” She asked him under her breath.

“Nothing. He's doing a damn fine job of hiding what he is, and worse, I'm drained.” Bel sighed. He ran a finger up Emma's spine and she repressed a shudder. They were working back towards a semblance of some kind of understanding, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that kind of understanding yet.

“Well, I don't know, after my dream about him, I'm really uncomfortable around him. I'm thinking about quitting.” She crossed her arms and leaned back into the corner the counter created. Mostly to keep Bel from getting any more ideas about hand placement, but also because talking about Marc made her feel like she needed to watch her back. Bel shook his head.

“If he's here for you, and you quit, there's no telling how else he might show up. And if he shows up in another form..” Bel offered.

“We might not know who he is.” Emma finished for him on an exhale. “Gods damnit.” She ran her hands through her hair.

“Emma...” Bel began, a frown on his face. She could tell something had been bothering him for a while, she'd just been waiting for him to bring it up, so she waited patiently as he took a deep breath. “..why Cern? Why.. our enemy? Why...?” His face showed his heartbreak and Emma felt it to the very core of her being. All of this time she'd been blaming him for leaving, but she was beginning to feel like maybe he felt she'd left first.

“I was alone Bel. For years. Dealing with Luci, with you being missing, with being stuck on this plane, missing our children, I... hurt. It's not an excuse, but I needed someone to hold onto and...” She shrugged.

“So you turned to the first available open arms.” Bel bit out. She could tell he had more vitriol than that stored up, and she probably deserved it, but she shook her head.

“It wasn't just that Bel. I do care for him. Not exactly like you and Luci, but there's this undeniable draw that I have towards him. Maybe it's because I Resurrected him. Maybe it's because he ended my human life and there's something left between us, some unfinished business, I don't know.” She held out a hand, palm out towards Bel, as if offering her reasons to him. Reasons she couldn't fully understand herself.

“Sleeping with him is your unfinished business?” Bel growled and Emma sighed. This was definitely not a conversation she wanted to be having right now.

“I had forgotten how possessive you are.” She leaned up and brushed her lips along his jaw. “It's just a shame you gave me up and don't have that right anymore.” She knew the barb was cruel, and it struck as she intended. She felt Bel stiffen under the palm she had on his chest, and then he vanished in front of her. She let her hand fall to her side with a sad sigh. What was she supposed to do? Part of her argued for apologizing, forgiving and moving on, but the cynical half of her heart was too damaged to listen. She ached to have Bel come back. She let her face fall into her hands on the counter. All of this time that had passed, how everything had started, she felt like she hadn't learned a thing. She spun on a heel, deciding she was going to try to do things differently this time. “Bel I-” She started to call out. Marc stood behind her with a stack of books in his hands and a wicked grin on his face.

“Oh good, has he finally left then?” Marc purred. Emma felt her blood turn to ice.

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Bel paced on the roof of the library. Of course he hadn't gone far from Emma's side, but he couldn't understand... why was she being so stubborn? Why couldn't she see things from his point of view for a change? He had watched over her most of her life. He understood a lot of her misery and pain, but he didn't understand why she was so mired in it now. He thought they had moved past all that. He roared his frustration to the clouds, his Form slipping momentarily. He raked his sharp nails through his hair. He had to get himself under control. He couldn't afford another slip-up where he went on a wild feeding spree. Emma truly wouldn't have anything to do with him then. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he nearly missed her call. It had a different ring to it, like she had come to a decision, but not one that darkened her mood. Rather, there was almost an edge to it of determination and..hope? His heart leapt in his chest and he spun in place. Did this mean she was going to try to work things through with him? He took a few minutes to straighten his clothes and hair, then appeared behind the counter in the library. Emma was nowhere to be found. A stack of books lay in a discarded and messy heap on the floor, something Emma, a bibliophile, would never do. He bent and touched one, coming away with a slight residue, a bit of an 'imprint' if you will, of someone he hadn't seen in a while.

“Mercury.” He spat, several things tumbling together in his mind to form a picture he couldn't believe he hadn't figured out to this point. Bel growled and launched himself off the floor. He had no idea where Mercury had taken Emma, but even though Emma was no longer his Claimed, Emma's soul still belonged to him. He could find her, and find her he would. Bel threw himself into the void, the place between places, searching for the fiery soul of the one he loved, following an invisible thread that only he would know how to trace so well. “Hold on for me Emma.” He murmured, putting more speed behind his search. “Hold on.”