Chapter Eleven: Mine
1416 Words
Belial sat back in the overstuffed armchair. He stared belligerently out into the hall. One of the girl college students crawled up to him, clinging to his pant leg.
“Please... please help me...” She panted. The needy little sounds she made could easily be mistaken for lust, but Belial knew she was just terrified and grabbing onto the first person she saw that looked like an 'authority figure' in her eyes. Belial shook her off and she cried out and then sobbed when she hit the ground. For a brief moment, Bel was reminded of Emma. She always cried so easily. He used to love that about her. That she was so open, and felt comfortable enough to be emotionally vulnerable in front of him. She hadn't let the world destroy her, harden her. Somehow, through it all, she was still soft and innocent. Belial snarled and threw himself from the chair. This sentimentality was weakening him. He decided since he was angry, maybe it was time to seek out the source of his anger...
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Luci shook so hard Emma's hands were thrown off of him. She backed away as swiftly as she could, watching in fear as his body began to transform.
“Get me...outside...” Luci snarled through gritted teeth. Cern moved towards him but the Hell Hound snapped its jaws, barking ferociously, the shadows overtaking a good portion of the room. Everyone was forced to back away before the destructive shadows could reach them. Emma ran to grab Sage, who was giggling and clapping. She held him to her chest and backed away as swiftly as she could, and just as quickly as it started, the shadows retreated into Luci's body. “I can't.. do this.. for long..” Luci looked at Emma with heartbreak in his eyes. “Kill me.” He whispered and she started shaking her head.
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Laughter, that's what greeted Belial's ears as he homed in on the pull he felt from Emma. Laughter he recognized. Laughter he hated.
“Lugus.” Belial growled. His brother jerked and spun around swiftly.
“Ah, brother! Come to watch the show? By the way, how ever did you escape my little devil's trap?” Lugus' eyes were alight with laughter and madness. It was almost enough to sober Bel. Almost enough, but not quite.
“What show?” Belial ground out.
“Oh, just your lady-love and her Familiar. As you may have guessed by now, the Hell Hound is mine, Bound to me in service. I snuck him in when her Familiar started to develop his new Form. It was a small glitch, a technicality I exploited, you see... Nobody ever said the Hound couldn't have two Masters... Unfortunately, my Bond came first, so I'm Master First and foremost, and guess what my instructions are, Bel? Should I tell you?” Lugus' eyes blazed with madness and Bel shoved him out of the way to peer into the open door. Emma was shaking her head, back against a wall as the Hound snarled, lips peeled back, baring its teeth in front of her. She had a small child clutched to her chest and she looked terrified. Bel broke. He started pounding the warding at the doorway, cursing and bellowing while his brother laughed maniacally.
“Should I give him the order, Bel? Should I?” Lugus laughed. Bel turned on him and slammed a fist into his face. Lugus grinned at him as the blood dripped from a broken nose. He moved closer to Bel, not even bothering to try to staunch the bleed, still grinning madly. “I want her soul, Bel. Hers, or her family's. Choose.” Lugus leered. Bel pulled back his arm to let loose another punch, but just as he did, there was a cry from inside the house. He looked back to see Emma's throat in the jaws of the Hound. She had moved the child out of the way and let him down slowly to the floor. When he reached it, he looked at Bel with wide eyes, and Bel knew he was one of Emma's own. Bel was further enraged, his fists slammed against the barrier uselessly.
“Let me in!” He roared.
“Well why didn't you just say so?” Grinned a fox that suddenly appeared on the other side of the door. Bel was yanked off his feet and into the room while Lugus yelled helplessly from the other side.
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Luci shook his head. The Hound struggled for control again, but it was receiving conflicting instructions, so Luci broke in briefly and gained a moment of control. He backed up, trying to regain his human form, but the Hound snarled and seized control back with a sudden snap. The Hound rounded on Bel, then on Emma, looking from one to the other, before settling on Emma. It lunged forward, and there was a roar from Bel, who dove in front of the Hound, grabbing its jaws and throwing it back. The Hound yowled and charged again, but Bel had placed himself in front of Emma protectively, and he bellowed back, claws extended, ready to grab the beast as soon as it neared. A gentle hand landed on his arm.
“Don't kill him.” Emma pleaded with him, and Bel felt himself soften for a brief instant.
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The brief touch Emma allowed herself of Bel's Demon Form's arm was heartbreaking. There was so little of her Bel left to connect with, but she felt, for a brief second, the connection snap together as his eyes changed from burning anger to a softer look. A look like he used to give her, part indulgent, part love. But the look was fleeting, and had disappeared by the time he had turned back to Luci. She flattened herself against the wall and tried not to close her eyes as the Hell Hound threw itself against Bel. She had told Sage to go to Cern, and she hoped he had done as asked, but she couldn't see much around Bel's spread wings, and she had no idea what the Chaos God or Bel's brother or grandfather were up to. All she could do was concentrate on the ending she desired. Everyone safe, because she could feel it rolling off Bel. His anger. He wasn't just mad at Luci, some of that rage was directed towards her. She suppressed a sob and concentrated everything she had on putting a peaceful ending on the events unfolding in front of her.
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Cern jerked. Sage was in his arms and he had backed away from the fight, holding their son to protect him, trying to decide the best course of action. What he didn't expect, and he didn't think Emma was aware of, was the gentle roll of healing life energy that suddenly permeated the room. His eyes drifted closed and he breathed deeply before he could shake himself out of it. It was delicious, and he didn't think Emma even knew she was doing it. The Hound shook its head. It's hard to deal death when life is rolling over you like the gentle swell of an ocean wave, and as close as he was to Emma, it must have been overwhelming. Even Bel seemed stunned. The Chaos God sighed happily and sank into a chair to relax like he was in a sauna.
“Not quite the energy I was after, but still welcome nonetheless.” He smiled cockily at Cern. Cern snarled. The Hound backed up a step, sneezing and shaking its head.
“What are you doing?” Screamed Lugus. “Kill them! Bring me her soul! Bring me all their souls!” The Hound looked at him with empty eyes, flames flickering and dying in the empty sockets. “What? What is going on?” Lugus began banging on the Warding again in a fury. The Hell Hound staggered and Bel took the opportunity to take him out with a quick hit under the chin. The Hound tilted and fell over with a groan, slowly shrinking into the shape of a black wolf which whimpered for a few seconds before lying still. Emma cried out and tried to run past Bel to get to Luci.
“No.” Bel snarled. “You're mine.” The two promptly vanished and Lugus shouted while the Chaos God cursed.
“Emma!” Cern yelled in a panic.
- Writer
