+1+

Where am I

My  mouth. . . my smile. .  . it burns. Some one has made my smile bleed.

. . . I’m being forced to my knees, sewage and asphalt drown my senses, the smell  of stale water makes me think we are underground. The sack is ripped of my face and I take in the the high vaulted ceilings and what looks like an underground cavern. Metal supports and beams are scattered on the high walls.

Isobel groans by my side as she shakes off whatever we’ve been drugged with.Squinting I could make out a pinprick of twilight that was so far beyond my reach. We hadn’t gone that far,  we must still be in the city. Underneath the city ? I touch my lips and realize my scar has been traced  with something sharp. My smile was bleeding.I bring my eyes down and let of a ragged breath at the scene before me.The space is lighted with a modge podge of bare light bulbs, torches and lanterns Dozens of  daemons lounged about the open space.

A few were sleeping off hangovers, playing cards, most sat alone contemplating their ordeal. They were all so young, lost and scared with nowhere to go. Some had horns. . . others were shaving theirs away.

This was Isaiah's great Order of The Morningstar ?

I felt a chill and looked up again. A body was tied and hanging from the ceiling by an intricate pulley system made of pure white silk sheets of fabric.

The Angel Seraphina

She was hanging upside down, her dress gone instead her hips and thighs wrapped tight together by long sheets of bright white fabric. Her arms are pulled out and taught by another long sheet of fabric, her thick bandages cover her chest.

The daemons regarded her as if she were little more than a lamp in the room.

I rose on unsteady legs, standing protectively over Isobel who was now passed out on the floor.

The servers enter with Isaiah at their heels, he looked smug and hospitable at the same time. It was a bit jarring but perhaps appropriate that he wore all red

“Welcome, Paris”, he greeted me.

“Dissenter”, I said to him, “This is madness. Look at these creatures, look how you treat them. Denounce this and I may be able to accept you back in the Brotherhood.”

“Please Paris, I’ve known you your whole life. You are prophetic but empty. You command nothing you don’t deserve the station you’ve been given. Your father, the king, would be disgusted.”

I turned as Isobel stirred behind me, I had hoped she would stay inconspicuous but she took in the change of setting and stood, her eyes and transfixed on the Angel above.

“Sera !”, she shouted regarding the Angel and then Isaiah,”What did you do you bastard--”

She stopped abruptly as Isaiah poised a gun at her.

“Isaiah, Please” I said approaching him with a hand out, “This is between us. Leave the girl and Angel out of it.”

“If you want to face the future, Prince”, he spits the my name and eyes Isobel, “You can’t have weaknesses”

“No.”, When I shout my cut smile burned.

I run towards him, but he turns his wrist and two loud shots ring out in the cavern. My scream shortly follows. The daemons react slowly, most covering their ears in annoyance. I turn back and kneel to where Isobel is twitching on the ground. I allow myself to think about her father, the eight year old boy I had protected to avoid this very fate. Why couldn’t I have done the same for his daughter ?

“Isobel”, I tried to rouse her.

“I’m. . . okay”, she tried to stand and blanches at the bullet in her stomach, “Oh, God.”

I try to lift her but she is already going cold. I’m useless to do anything.

“Isobel.”, I shake her and her eyes roll back.

“You. . .”, she manages, “You owe me a  real date. . .”

She blinks once. That one movement. . . that one last sign of life kept me hopeful for just a few seconds. Then she was gone.

I bowed my head to her cold one, willing the tears not to fall. This was my fault, this was all my fault. Perhaps Isobel would have become my weakness. Now she was my reason for vengeance.

This was what The Fates wanted.

“You don’t fucking understand Prince.”, Isaiah yelled at me.

“Then tell me”, I urged him while closing Isobel’s vacant eyes, “Tell me what is causing this madness.”

He put the gun in his pocket and walks towards the Angel. Taking a gold switch blade from his pocket he runs it along an angry red line on her arm..

Slowly the pale red liquid rises to the surface and drops down her arms into the silver basins below. I’m sickened.

When her blood begins to clot, Isaiah solemnly pulls on a system of white fabric hanging down till she begins to slowly turn upright and  ascent to the high ceiling like a chandelier.

“You’re just in time for the show”, Isaiah says.

I follow his gaze to The Angel who opens her  eyes and instantly tears form and run down her cheeks, she is silent but she is still crying. Crying her ritual as her Sisters have done for thousands of years.

“I think this one is touched in the head”, Isaiah says as he pours her blood into a test tube, “She doesn't scream, fight or beg for her life. Angels are odd stupid creatures.”

Isaiah motions for the servers to grab two daemons from the group. The daemons appear scared but don’t put up a fight as they are bought before their leader.

“The test must continue.”, he says. I think to me, “We must know what we are capable of. What they are capable of.”

With that he shoved the Angel’s blood down the daemons’ throat. It coughs and sputters, eventually downing the substance.

“Daemons”, I regarded them, “This man is your murderer. He has stolen your humanity. Join me and The Brotherhood will give you a life better than this.”

They licked their lips and I realized they saw me as little more than a meal.

The other server stood guarding the staircase that lead to the exit. I saw nothing to use against Isaiah, save for the Angel’s weapons which were all on his person.I almost laughed at the helplessness of The Smiling Prince. The son of Homeland’s most ruthless and cunning king.

“Brother”, I tried again, “If you do not let me go, the Angel’s orchard will be blown up. I can stop it but you must promise to let me go.”

“If distilled properly the Angel’s blood should create a more pungent substitute. The Order of The Morningstar will prevail.”

“The Order.”, I said, “ You order is nothing more than  drug addicted teenagers. Why are you doing this ?“

My throat went dry at my last words. I was screaming at him in absence of very little control. Anarchy was prevailing and I should be able to stop it. Above me I heard a whimper, then a grunt of frustration. Isaiah, the servers and his daemons looked up at the suspended Angel as she twisted in her binds.

“This is new.”, Isaiah said.

The Angel was alive an animated as she twisted her wrist in the binds, I heard a low pop echo in the cavern. From above something glinted and feel at my feet.

It was a single white gold bracelet. A piece of Angel jewelry.

She had freed her arm. She was escaping ? Now ? Above me she was hanging with one wrist bound.

“You have to let her down”, I said.

I saw Isaiah still trying to find logic in the Angel’s action.He was processing and coming up blank. From below I could see her use her  teeth to rip the fabric tied around her wrist. The moment it gave she plummeted down to the ground. I moved to catch her, the force of her fall hitting before I could even reach her. She had tried to land on her feet but fell to her knees and landed neatly.

Long reams of of the white fabric were still attached to her wrist and wrapped around her.

“Get her”, Isaiah ordered

The servers approached the Angel, her eyes going from me to Isaiah and back again. Isaiah to busy with is experiment to notice her silent message to me. The servers roughly picked her up from the ground, she looks barely alive, having been trussed up as Isaiah's experiment for nearly a week.

She collapses again and the servers reach for her, this time she anticipated them, she reaches for the flowing fabric around her wrist and wrapping it around one of the server’s  neck. She pulls it taut over the server’s neck.

The servant  starts to choke until its neck breaks. The other server keeps its distance. She looks at me and with her last bit of strength she lunges for the other server knocking it back and plunging her nails into its eyes.

Isaiah is dumbfounded and reaches for one of the Angel’s daggers. He won’t kill her. He needs her for his experiments. With the server blinded the Angel goes for Isaiah next, the daemons crowd around them and pull her off.

As if to answer my question she looks up and behind me.

I follow her gaze and so does Isaiah, I hear the shatter of glass as Isaiah drops a beaker.

It’s Isobel body.

It’s gone.

She’s gone.

+2+

“How”, I say to myself again.

Isaiah had moved The Angel and I into a makeshift cell. I still have a view of the drunken, scared and high daemons.

“Do not mock me, Demon”, The Angel says, “I told you. I saw Isobel’s body reanimate. I created the distraction so she could escape.”

“Reanimate ?”, I question.

“Like the daemons. . . she is one of them now . . . a daemon.”

I knew Isobel had probably  ingested the Angel’s Holy water when at the sanctuary. . . she could have easily stolen one of the apples when we were at the orchard.  How did she get the Demon blood ?

Jona ? Ashe ?

She must have done it as a precaution.

My Isobel was a daemon now.

My Isobel ? Where had that come from.

“Isobel will go and warn the loyal Brothers. They will come and destroy this place.”

“If she doesn’t insanguinate them first”, Seraphina adds, "These daemons are ravenous"

“Watch your tongue, Angel”, I turn back to the bars and hope one of the gold stakes doesn’t find it’s way in Isobel’s heart.

“I want to kill The Demon Isaiah”, she says

“Isaiah murdered the Demon Father. He turned Isobel into one of his things. . . I will kill him.”

I expected a retort but nothing. I turn to see the Angel’s eyes were lidded.

“Humeju is dead”, she says

“What was it between you and Father ?”, I ask out of frustration, “Were you once lovers or something ?”

She shakes her head disgusted.

“We have lived in this city for 143 years, Brother. The Demon Father made weekly pilgrimages to Queen Anne’s  to discuss affairs between our kind. I was to be a servant to him, but he thought me better a guardian. We sparred, talked and argued. He was everything to me as he was to you. More.”

A Demon and an Angel friends. Such a funny foreign thought.

“No matter”, I decide, “I will kill Isiah.”

“You have never killed”, The Angel says

“I killed the man who gave me this smile.”

I turned to face her, as if to remind her as if to remind her I had two smiles. In the light I can see her exposed arms were pale where Isaiah had drained her blood. Her under eyes dark and swollen. The dirty bandages cover her torso and chest are stained with blood.The white fabric drapes tightly over body.

I turn back to the bars and look down.

“Isaiah has been experimenting  with you. . . did he. . . was he. . .”

“He only takes my blood.”

“Is it the Brotherhood ?”, The Angel asks.

“No”, I listen and hear nothing, “It must be the snowfire orchard.”

“The orchard ?”

“I’ve ordered Jona to blow it up.Isobel must have spoken to them. It won’t be long now.”

The Angel sits up quickly at this

“Blowing up the orchard. My sisters. Mother. Those trees are sacred. You know not what you are doing.”

“The Angels will be alright. Though you should watch your words. Your sisters and Mother wanted nothing to do with saving you. Even your darling Hippolyta.”

The ground shakes again and I steady myself on the cell's bars. The strength of it has sent Isaiah and his minions toppling over.

I grip the bars harder when I see a smaller figure in black searching the room. Her eyes blood shot and dark. Isobel sees me and she runs towards the cell with her arm around Ashe. She looks pale, her bright eyes now dark and vacant. There was so much restraint in her as she studied the lock.

“Isobel”, I said

“Paris, I’m sorry. You have to stay away from me when I let you out. . . ”

“I understand”, I said.

Isobel picked up a rock and slammed it into the lock. After a few strikes it broke on contact. I looked over at Ashe his arm was freshly bandaged, his ears following Isobel’s voice.

“You gave her your blood?”, I said to Ashe.

“I wanted to be helpful”, he responded.

I steeled myself against the faded black of Isobel’s lips. She had taken Ashe's blood. The thought alone made me shiver. Did he want everything I had ?

“Here”, Isobel tosses two gold blades at the Angel. I see the flash of Ariel’s name on the side.

“Come”, Ashe says, “You are our Prince now, Prince’s don’t face battle.”

“This one does.”, I decided, “Where are we”

“Inglewood Park  . . this cavern is under construction..”

I imagined the city grid in my head. We were perhaps 15 blocks from The Angel Orchard.

The daemons were starved. With only Isaiah’s rationed blood to drink they were ravenous and that was the way Isaiah had planned it.It had been my hope to not kill the daemons if it could be helped, but in the bloodshed and confusion the Brother’s staked the daemons almost at will.

I spotted Isaiah  gathering the remaining snowfire apples and planning an escape. He turned as I approached him and our blades met. He raised his arm to block my every move. I stopped trying to attack and finally impaled him straight through the back of his right hand. The daemons turned instantly to the fresh blood supply.

“You need me.”, Isaiah said, “The apocalypse is near.”

Isaiah reached for his gun and rammed it into my face. I feel hard on my shoulder and Isaiah did not hesitate to shoot any daemons who dared approach him for his blood.

He dropped the gun as a short blade wedge itself in his other palm, I turned to see the Angel approaching.

“I told you, Prince, He is mine.”, she said

“No. Stop”, I yell to her at no avail, “He knows something. I need him alive”

The ground shook again.

I searched for Isobel who is destroying the remaining snowfires  from Isaiah’s stash. She is staying as far away from Demon blood as she can but there is hunger in her eyes.

“It’s going to fall”, I shout, “Everyone out.”

I see the Angel deep in combat with Isaiah. She has been preparing for this. Isaiah’s words to the Angel are cruel and I have no doubt she would rather die down here than let him live.

He knows something. Isaiah still hasn’t told me why he did this.  For that reason I can not let him die.

The ground shakes again and the Brothers begin departing

“Paris”, Isobel shouts from the entrance, “We have to leave."

“Go”, I order her.

Isobel doesn’t leave. she stares transfixed at where a dead Demon Brother lies. I hold in a breath when I realize it is Brother Able. She hungrily watches his blood leave his body.I put my hands on Isobel's shoulders and she stiffens smelling what pumps beneath my skin.

“I’m a monster”, she says

Her skin is warm under my fingers and the heat is palatable almost comforting. She is like me. Almost like me. Damn you Fates.

“You have a choice.”, I say

The ground shakes again and I know we don’t have much longer.

“Weakness”, Isaiah shouts, “You can’t be weak, the apocalypse is near. It is near.”

“What is it ? What is it Brother that you fear ? WHAT DO YOU FEAR ?”

“The apocalypse is near”, Is all he says, “ You will regret it Prince. I can not be stopped. . .”

The Angel is on her knees. The distraction giving her time to rest.

“Leave, Demon”, she says, “I will stay and make sure he dies when the cavern falls.”

I realize the Angel means to be crushed  in the bowels of the city along with Isaiah. The Angel runs her blade across his middle, he doubles over in pain and shock. The Angel quickly begins to tie him up as he had done to her earlier

“Paris”, Isobel finally says, “You can’t let Sera die down here with him.”

"It'f for the greater good”, Is all I can say and head for the stairs.

Isobel and I turn to exit and I don’t even offer the Angel a thank you.

“Isobel. Watch out”, the Angel’s voice rings out.

The sound of Isobel’s name being shouted from the Angel’s mouth throws me. I think perhaps she has changed her mind but  instead she throws herself onto Isobel. Just as two gunshots go off.

Two white gold casings roll to my feet.

“I warned you”, Isaiah says,.

I turn back to where Isaiah's one arm is tied to a beam,  in his free arm he holds a gun. The ground rattles again and he turns the gun to his own chin. I close my eyes as he presses the trigger but it’s empty.

He put his last bullets into the Angel’s back, forgetting to leave one for himself.