~Chapter Forty-Three~
Game of Fate
~Part 1~
A deadly silence filled the room.
Nobody said a word.
Nobody moved.
The deep purple power from the curse faded back into the orbed glass ball on Demetrius's staff, and when he saw the ash pile that used to be the Queen of Avalon, a triumphant smile dawned on his face.
Rose felt like the castle floor was about to give way under her feet at any second. Her mind was spinning out of control, and she wasn't sure if she was screaming or not. First Grandmother, Coyote, the Banshee, some Asgardian warriors, and now Titania; one death was too much of a price to have paid in this war.
Rose glanced up at her mother with tears streaming down her face, a silent scream lodged in her throat, and gauged her reaction to seeing her sister murdered.
But she did nothing.
Instead, Hela was staring at the ash pile on the floor with dead eyes- eyes that weren't truly seeing nor efficiently processing what had just occurred.
Rose wished she would show a sign that her soul was being tormented as much as hers was. She wanted Hela to scream. Cry. Attack Demetrius. Or rage against the universe. Anything but stare at the ash pile, void of any emotion or thought, like she was.
A second later, the room exploded in screams of outrage from all the Children.
The Weird Sisters screamed out Titania's name and jumped past the Draugr to have revenge for their Lady's death, but Demetrius's smile of triumph turned into ravenous hunger for more death. He had tasted the power that death brought him and was now a wild beast unleashed upon his prey.
Rose could only watch in further horror as he whirled around and pointed the staff at his oncoming attackers. Power exploded out of his staff and caught the closest Third Race being to him, the blonde-headed Weird Sister, Phoebe. She didn't get to scream as her body incinerated into ash as Titania had.
"PHOEBE! NO!"
Seline and Luna's high-pitched screams filled the room with such intensity and loss that it felt like Rose was being electrocuted. The Draugr held most of the Children back from attacking, but most were still viciously trying to fight past their icy black magic.
From the ground, Oberon roared out a heart-breaking howl of misery and rage that shook the entire castle, and Rose finally seemed to break through the ice that was holding her down. She had known the intense grief from losing her mate once before, and even if it was all a lie, it made it no less real for her or damaging.
Before she could attempt to fight past the Draugr holding her down, Oberon found the strength to stand and was trying to break past his iron chains. His green power was exploding out of him.
"DEMETRIUS!"
Demetrius whirled around to find Oberon staring at him with a furiously fearsome expression. But, he grinned amusingly at his brother and readied his staff.
"Yes?"
"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THAT!"
"Am I?" Demetrius breathed.
"For DARING to kill my Queen, Demetrius, you are GOING TO BURN IN HEL FOR ALL ETERNITY!"
Demetrius gave out a low laugh. "Ironic use of words, brother, since you're speaking to the God and Ruler of Hel. So, how about you first?"
Oberon's eyes were glowing green, his eyebrows were bowed sharply into his nose, and he was snarling at his younger brother, eyeing the curse on his staff.
"Do it, then. What are you waiting for, Demetrius? Kill me! But the second you do, Avalon will rise to take vengeance over its true master. You'll see. Death will be waiting for you. Just you wait..."
Demetrius pointed the staff at his brother with a smile, sent the curse charging at him, and with an explosion of energy, Oberon disintegrated into ash.
More screams and shrieks erupted from the Children, Asgardians, and Gargoyles, and Rose was growing more desperate to escape. With the curse in her father's hands, he was slaughtering innocent lives.
Laughing triumphantly, Demetrius righted his staff on the ground, walked up to the pile of ash that was his older brother, and mocked, "I'm waiting..." then laughed another wicked laugh, "rest in pieces, brother. Avalon is now mine to control and rule."
With that, he turned around in the chaotic room, held his arms out, and announced, "Behold, Avalon! Your new Lord and Master!"
But again, no one bowed, but for the moment, Demetrius didn't seem to care as he laughed triumphantly. Hela was still frozen, Kevin looked elated, Demona remained like a statue in the corner near the Clans, and the Draugr were hissing hungrily at the screaming Children.
Rose didn't realize that tears were falling down her face due to Titania and Oberon's deaths, but then she realized that the shields were still up in front of the Gargoyle clans, despite Oberon being gone.
Slowing her breathing down to better focus, she wasn't sure how that was possible. The only explanation for it was that Avalon's magic was still shielding them. If that was the case, they were safe, and that's how she needed them to be.
It was clear that it was up to her to change the future, starting right now.
Rage, fire, and her dark magic exploded inside of her soul like an inferno storm. No longer was she going to stand by and watch innocent lives be taken from the death curse. A curse for which was made from her blood, and she was responsible for. No longer was she going to be a victim to her enemies.
She was the master of her future and destiny, not Kevin, Hela, Demetrius, and not even her mate, Brooklyn. This was her life, and she was going to live it in peace and happiness with Brooklyn, their future child, and their Clan.
If Hela wasn't going to step up to protect Avalon and all the innocent lives that were being destroyed or threatened, then she would. She and the Gargoyles would protect the innocent- and it was time to end this madness.
The Draugr holding onto her wrists suddenly began to shriek as her magic burned and melted their oily skin off their bones. Heat rose from her core, out into her arms, legs, hands, and then, suddenly, she was the fire.
With a roar, she stretched out her wings, and fire exploded out of every inch of her. Like a Gargoyle burst out of their stone skin upon awakening, she was a phoenix rising from the ashes, in full glory and power.
Brooklyn smiled triumphantly at her.
"What in the-?" Broadway gasped out but choked on his words. He was too stunned to continue speaking, as were the others.
They have never seen Rose physically burst into flames before. She accidentally burned Brooklyn once, during a dark time when she was taken over by Hela's magic, many months ago, but never have they seen her like this. Not as Brooklyn has.
The moment the fire hit the Draugr holding onto her, their oily skins caught on fire and immediately were engulfed. They shrieked out and began rolling on the ground, but no matter what they did- they couldn't get the fire out.
She paid them no heed, for soon they would be gone. Instead, her eyes were on her father and the staff he held in his hand.
Hela, Demetrius, Kevin, and the rest of the Draugr guards glanced over at her in shock. Shooting out flames from her hands, Rose took out the line of Draugr guarding the Gargoyle's shields, and their bodies instantly lit up in flames.
Kevin roared out and jumped at her, but she sent him flying away with a stream of electrified magic and flames. He flew across the room, slammed into the wall, and was instantly patting his armor down.
Like a whip, she kept releasing magic and fire to weed out Demetrius's armies, needing to get to her father and the death curse.
Demetrius gritted his fanged teeth at her, roaring, "ROSE! NO!" then threw dark magic out to claim possession over her mind, but she had already anticipated it.
Throwing up a strong shield around herself, she stopped him from entering and controlling her mind, and his face fell in astonishment.
When she turned to face him, her eyes were burning.
"There will be NO MORE DEATH!" She screamed. "No more will you hold claim over Avalon, Lord Demetrius! Your reign of terror ends RIGHT NOW! No longer will you play your evil games and screw with everyone's lives!" She gritted her fangs at him, then hissed, "and no longer will you get to screw around with me!"
Throwing her shield down, she quickly held her hand out and willed his orbed staff to come to her. The staff flew out of his hands and into hers before he could stop her. The second she caught it, she clenched her fists around it tightly, forced her shields back up, and blocked him from attacking her again.
Demetrius's face was screwed up in wrath, and his dark magic boiled dangerously around the room- like an earthquake. Rose had to move fast while she had her shields up and while he was unable to seize her mind.
Whirling around, she pointed the orb glass ball at the shields holding the Clans and blasted it with the deep purple curse. Like a streak of lightning, power shot out of the orbed ball, the Gargoyles braced themselves, but once the power hit the shield, the death curse melted it down like sunlight to snow.
When the Gargoyles were free, Rose smiled to herself.
Goliath glanced around at the freed clans in relief, then looked up at her in amazement. They shared a smile for a split second before his face fell, and he gasped out loud.
Rose whipped around, and two more Draugr had launched themselves towards her with loud, enraged shrieks. However, before they could reach her, Goliath's roar drowned out theirs, and his muscled arm shot out and caught the nearest Draugr, in midair, by the neck.
Rose gasped out in shock, turned around, and exhaled with relief.
Goliath had quickly jumped across the room to defend her, but he wasn't the only one. Every single member of the Ishimura, Avalon, and Manhattan Clans were now surrounding and protecting her. Goliath's eyes were lit up brightly, and his mouth of sharp fangs was gnashing threateningly at them.
The Draugr, in his firm grip, began shrieking and struggling against him, kicking and trying to claw at his skin, but Goliath was far too strong for the likes of him.
With a clench of his fist, a loud snap filled the room, and the Draugr's head rolled to the ground at Goliath's clawed feet. Throwing the body away from him, Goliath held his claws up at the Draugr coming at them, and snarled, "Alright, who's next?"
Despite their dead comrade, the Draugrs from across the room left their posts to fight them with horrible shrieks, leaving the Asgardians unattended and clear to join the fight.
Rose smiled darkly, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent a stream of fire towards them, burning their skeletal bodies in mid-air. The Gargoyles behind Rose unsheathed their weapons and swords, while some simply used their sharp claws to kill the Draugr as Goliath had.
With more roars, the Asgardians joined in to fight until the room exploded in dark magic. Like a crack of thunder, the Asgardians, Children, and Draugr were all knocked off their feet.
"ENOUGH!"
Rose's shield held up against Demetrius's magic and protected the Gargoyles behind her. When she looked around at the others, Demetrius had cemented the Asgardians and the Third Race's feet to the ground. He then whipped around and looked at her with pure wrath. A blue fire erupted from his hands, and he started to cross the floor to take her on.
Whirling around quickly, she pointed the orbed staff at Brooklyn's shield, needing her mate by her side.
Meeting her gaze for a moment and knowing what she was about to do, Brooklyn nodded and stepped to the side right as she blasted the curse at his shield. When he was free, Brooklyn made one single jump into the air, landed beside Rose, and immediately scooped her tightly up in her arms and planted a deep kiss on her lips.
Their kiss and embrace lasted for just a few seconds, but it was profoundly passionate and meaningful. Both were intensely relieved that each other was still alive.
Breaking apart, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, smiled, and knew what they needed to do next.
Not breaking eye-contact with Brooklyn, Rose held out her hand and magically willed Excalibur from Puck's hands, and instantly, it flew across the room and into his outstretched claw.
Turning around at the same time, with their weapons in hand, they took on Demetrius together.
Rose lowered her shield, held up the death curse, and Brooklyn raised Excalibur in front of them threateningly.
"Take one more step towards us, and you're dead!" He yelled at Demetrius.
Demetrius slowed down, let his fire fade from his hands, and eyed them with great disdain. His flaming amber eyes looked at Excalibur in Brooklyn's claws, then over at his staff in Rose's hands. He then smirked darkly at Brooklyn.
"You think the threat of killing me with Excalibur will frighten me?"
"I don't know, but we can always test it on you first, just to be sure that it works," Brooklyn said smartly.
Despite his evident irritation, Demetrius smirked at him.
"You like playing games, father," Rose added quietly, "and this game of life and death is right up your alley. So, what do you say? Do you want to play, or will you admit that we have won?" She gestured to the Gargoyles behind her and then to their weapons. "We have your curse, Excalibur, and a lot of pissed-off Gargoyles waiting to rip into you. Face it, father, you are now outgunned and outnumbered. Maybe next time, you should find yourself guards who aren't so flammable."
Demetrius let out a low laugh at her words, and from the corner, Kevin slowly began advancing on her with two swords out, closing in on her from the side. Her eyes shot between both enemies.
"I'll take on Kevin first," Brooklyn muttered to her under his breath. "Hold off your father for as long as you can, and then when I finish off Kevin, we'll take off Demetrius's head."
Rose nodded stiffly, agreeing with his plan, but kept her eyes on her father, whose face suddenly melted into a deadly calm.
"I must say, Rose," Demetrius whispered. "I didn't think you had this type of fight and fire within you. Even though you had emotional outbursts back in Hel, they were nothing compared to the goddess I see before me now." He smiled gently at her. "I am proud of you."
"Save your breath," Rose hissed at him. "You're going to need it."
Demetrius snorted. "More threats, huh?"
Behind him, Hela's eyes widened in fear, and she was silently begging her to stop. However, Rose wasn't going to let fear hold her down like Hela had, even with the intense way Demetrius was staring her down.
Slowly approaching her, he looked more like a demon than a handsome Fae male. His facial features were not kind but were dangerously lethal.
"Hmm, so you have learned something from me," Demetrius whispered. "Well done, my daughter, I am impressed. If it's a game you wish to play, then I'm all for it. However…" he paused, then grinned wickedly at her, "I don't think you will like what stakes I may bring to the table. That being said, are you sure that you want to take me on in a challenge?"
At the danger he was emitting from his body, the Gargoyles moved anxiously behind her, and beside her, Brooklyn stiffened up and tightened his grip around Excalibur's handle. But, instead of letting fear take over her, Rose let her rage and pride keep her from losing her nerve.
"I am," she snarled. "So, how about I start and make a little deal with you?"
Demetrius crossed his arms across his chest and held a hand out to Kevin, telling him to stop advancing towards them. Kevin did but was still gripping the swords he was holding onto, and from on the other side of him, Demona was clutching her weapons, ready to attack the Gargoyles. Demetrius then looked back at Rose and smiled at her coldly.
"I thought you weren't capable of keeping your deals? I already own your soul from our last one. Don't you remember?"
At his words, Rose's heart jolted, and when he caught her hesitation, he grinned at her more wickedly.
"Oh, they don't know what deal you've made with me, now do they?" He whispered, pointing to the Gargoyles and Brooklyn. "What do you think they are going to say when they find out that you promised to fight for me and my armies if I brought your, then deceased gargoyle mate, back to life?"
Brooklyn stilled beside her, despite him already knowing about the deal she made with Demetrius. However, a few Gargoyles behind her moved nervously. Her eyes shot into her peripheral vision to glance at them briefly.
At her silence, Demetrius clicked his tongue. "It's a shame you haven't learned your lessons yet, my dear. You're digging yourself a very, very deep grave and will eventually have to lie in it. But this time, you're going to drag all of these creatures you call your friends down with you."
"It's true," Rose whispered back at him. "I did make that deal with you, but the truth is, I was planning on breaking it and betraying you in the end. I just needed to gain your trust and alliance first."
At her words, Demetrius tipped his head back and laughed loudly, making Rose jump.
"You think that you convinced me that your soul had darkened while you were living with us in Hel?" His question echoed in her mind, and he laughed again, shaking his head. "Rose, my dear, you are so far behind this plot; it's sad. I was truly striving to save you from this embarrassment, but it seems like there is no other way that you'll learn."
Kevin laughed at this, and Rose swallowed down her rage.
"It doesn't matter anymore," she snarled. "The truth is finally being shared between us, and I'm glad for it because I'm done with the lies! I was NEVER going to join you, and you were never going to darken or have my soul."
Demetrius looked intrigued. "No?"
"No."
"Oh, we'll see about that," he breathed. "This war is not yet over, for it has just begun. But, because your small little Gargoyle army amuses me, as does your powerful outburst, let's hear your stakes. I'm never one to back down from a deal or a game. So, what is it that you want, my daughter?"
Rose straightened herself before him, adjusted her wings, and took courage as she stared into his hypnotic yellow-amber eyes, hoping that she was making the right decision.
"I want you and your armies to stand down and surrender from this war," she answered softly. "You are never to hurt or kill another immortal or mortal being, including the gargoyles and humans." She stepped closer to him and gritted her teeth. "I want you to leave this place and never return."
A few Draugr hissed in laughter and stood in front of the cemented Third Race, who were unable to break past their traps. Demetrius raised an eyebrow at Rose with great amusement. To him, this deal was like child's play.
"And uh… what if I say no?"
Rose anticipated this and suddenly swung the orbed staff over her shoulder like a baseball bat. "Then I'll smash your precious little curse into a million pieces, and once it's destroyed, then we'll see who's laughing in the end."
That got her father's attention. His eyes widened, and his smile instantly faded from his face. He slowly held a hand up, but instead of using it to wield magic, he simply pointed his finger at her.
"If you smash that curse, then it'll activate the rest of what's inside the Cauldron of Life, back in Hel, like a chain-reaction. That staff, in which you hold so aggressively in your hands, is the fuse to that bomb, my dear. Is that what you want to happen?"
At his words, Rose's hold on the staff lessened, and her elbows dropped slightly.
"Liar," she whispered unconvincingly, and he raised his eyebrow at her, meeting that challenge.
"Am I? Well, if that's what you think, Rose, then go ahead and smash the glass. Go on, do it. It'll make my job much easier in exterminating the entire Earth from all life. All souls, mortal and immortal, will be in my possession for all eternity, and I shall rule this world as the ultimate Lord and Master of Death." At her stunned silence, he took one step towards her. "What matters is that I now have your blood in the curse, and once your unborn baby is born, that little soul will be mine, as well."
Rose dropped the staff from behind her shoulder and righted it carefully on the floor.
"What?" Her voice shook as she and Brooklyn froze.
"Yes," Demetrius hissed, closing in on her like a snake to its prey. "I know about your child, Rose, but I don't plan on killing it."
Rose stared at him in horror, not wanting to hear his plan for her child, but he smiled darkly at her and sucked her into his explanation.
"When you lived with us, I often asked myself why wasn't your broken soul and dark magic responding to Hel's darkness like I thought it would? Why, after Hela telling me that your mate was dead, weren't you progressing towards eternal damnation? Yes, you were grieving your mate intensely, and oh yes, you were angry, but you weren't evil, nor did you have that hunger for Hel's powers. As my daughter and blood heir to Hel, I was so sure that your soul would fall the moment you felt its powers. For a moment, I also dared to believe your intentions before your wedding to Kevin, but still, I asked myself a few questions. Why wasn't your soul falling? What was that light inside of your soul, and how was it halting you from progressing towards my will?"
His eyes flashed dangerously into hers, and Rose stood frozen.
"I sensed a light within your soul, Rose, and it was one that my powers could not diminish, regardless of how broken you were when you first came to me. A light, which you desperately tried to keep hidden and concealed from me. However, the effort, fight, and struggle were all in vain. It wasn't until Kevin verified my suspicions that it all finally made sense to me. A child was the reason you had a light inside of your darkened and empty soul. It was another soul tied to your infernal soul-bond from All-father Aesir that had saved you from being sucked down into the darkness. A child, and a piece of Brooklyn's soul, that had stayed with you and made you stronger than Hel's powers."
Demetrius then flashed an evil grin at her. "A mother's love. There's no magic, power, or force purer and stronger. Even I, the Lord of the Dead, knows that."
Rose was gasping for air, her mind was fuzzy, and if it weren't for Brooklyn softly intertwining his talons through her fingers, she would have lost all grips with reality. She was lost in Demetrius's eyes and lost in the fear that was dripping in his poisonous words.
"You want honesty, Rose?" Demetrius continued in a whisper. "I knew you were a lost cause from the moment your mother brought you back from the mortal world. One look into your pitifully weak human mind, I already knew that your soul-bond from All-Father Aesir was too strong for me to touch. Even with your mate dead, it would take a millennium to change your soul to be the way I want it to be. And as hard as I've been working to create this plan of taking my brother's throne, I simply don't have the patience to wait that long for your stubbornness to break down."
"But…" Rose pieced together slowly, "I thought it was you that wanted me in Hel?"
Demetrius shook his head once. "I was willing to meet you, but it was all your mother's wishes. She assured me that your soul was adequate and ready for our training, but I saw that she merely desired that to be the case. Unfortunately…" he paused, then side-glanced over at Hela, "my Queen was wrong to entrust your adoptive human parents to raise you. Hela believed that if you knew goodness and happiness as she once had, then your fall would be even greater than hers. But, she was wrong. Living among mortals made you soft and weak, and your fall to the darkness was not near as impressive as your mother thought it was going to be. Nor me."
Hela winced at his words, and Rose's eyes narrowed as he continued to spill his secrets to her.
"Your powers have grown significantly since I met you, Rose, but you have been nothing but an incredible disappointment. However, there is great potential in your and your child's bloodline. You, my daughter, were conceived and born from an Elixir of Life. A Curse. However, in all the excitement of creating life from two death gods, I should have anticipated nature's laws to take over. It's simple chemistry. Two negatives equal out a positive. So, when Hela and I, being two evil beings, created a good child, I have been sorely disappointed and frustrated." He paused, then continued slowly. "Ever since learning about your pregnancy, I have realized that all isn't lost because the child of two positives from my same bloodline…" he pointed between her and Brooklyn, "will automatically, by nature's laws, equal out a negative. Which means that your child will be evil."
Rose's heart sank, and he grinned evilly at her. "Ironic, isn't it, that it'll be evil, despite its father being a protector from evil?"
Rose's heart was pounding, and Brooklyn tightened his hold over her hand. She didn't want to believe her father, but his eyes weren't lying.
"So," he continued to whisper, "you, my daughter, can rot for all I care. You can have the death you've always secretly desired, but not until your child," he pointed to her womb, "is born and mine to command and raise. It will be a child born out of great power, destiny and will thrive in evil and darkness. And I will have it!"
"Our child will never be yours," Rose snarled at him, stepping into Brooklyn's arms. "I'd die before I let that happen, and I refuse to believe that our child will be evil. Everyone has a choice, a free-will, and between myself and my mate, we'll teach our child the power of goodness, kindness, and family."
Letting her rage take over her, she suddenly stepped out of Brooklyn's arms and approached Demetrius, seething.
"You want to know the truth over why I didn't fall into Hel's grasp? It wasn't because I was more powerful than it, nor was it the light from my child's soul. True, my child's light helped me remain focused, but at the end of the night, I didn't fall into Hel's powers because I chose not to. That's where my power came from. Not magic, but by choice and pure will. I didn't allow you into my mind because I chose NOT to let you. And now? I choose not to raise my child in the world that you want to create, and I will choose to teach my child to live in the light. By mine and Brooklyn's example and teachings, they will not be evil unless they choose to be. And even then, they won't because our love will protect them from such influences."
Demetrius didn't move as she stepped even closer to him. Her fire within her eyes matched his.
"So, as always, father, your plans will fail because I refuse to let you win and hurt me, or the ones I love, anymore."
Demetrius remained still after her speech, his face cool and collected. After a few seconds, his evil grin widened suddenly.
"Do you want to make that bet too?"
Rose's face paled, and her heart sank. His dark magic had been pushing against her mind as they spoke. Holding onto her stomach, she backed up and grabbed onto Brooklyn's arm to stay upright. This was his game, to pin her down at every angle and trap her out of fear.
"Do you want to know what I think?" He whispered dangerously. "I think that you will do almost anything to save your unborn child and the ones you love from me. So much so, I know that you will willingly give me back my death curse and be the one to surrender."
Rose gripped the staff tighter in her hands and stood her ground.
"How can you be so sure that you'll achieve any of this?" She hissed. "So far, we have the death curse and Excalibur, not you. And you have also forgotten about one more important thing…"
Demetrius raised his eyebrows at her. "What's that?"
"The prophecy. It speaks of the Goddess of Death succeeding. Not you."
"True," Demetrius whispered, "but, what you forget, my daughter, the Goddess of Death, is currently my Queen. Hela has the same goals and dreams as I do because I have told her to have them."
Rose stayed silent and quickly glanced over at Hela. Her face was still numb, and her emotions void. Then it hit Rose, and her heart sank. The mother she had once connected with was gone.
"That's right," Demetrius whispered, knowing she figured it out. "Your mother is now under my control, as is her little Gargoyle ally, Demona. Whatever I say, they'll do without question." He smirked at her, and somewhere in the room, Angela gasped quietly.
"So, to answer your question, Rose, yes, the Goddess of Death will succeed and bring me a devastated Avalon because I will command her to do so. Which leads me back to this moment..." He held his hand out. "Give me back the death curse. It's time to make that prophecy come true and to put an end to Avalon and this war. It is time for you to face your destiny as a daughter of Hel and accept that this is who you are."
"No." Rose clutched the staff closer to her chest. "I won't! You have already lost, father. Our armies far surpass yours, and you-"
"I have thousands of Dark Elves, Dwarfs, Trolls, Ogres, and Draugr waiting on the hills outside of the Castle gates awaiting my orders to attack, Rose," Demetrius cut in sharply. "The fifty or so Draugr I brought with me are not my full army." He scoffed out a laugh at her, then added, "Your so-called- army of Gargoyles, Asgardians, Children of Avalon, Third Race beings, four Humans, and Human iron mechanical… things… won't deter me, either."
Xanatos gasped somewhere behind her.
"How did you know about the robots?" Goliath suddenly whispered, and Demetrius glanced over at him.
"It's not hard to scan everyone's minds and find out secrets or information from unsuspecting victims. I found out what numbers you have the second I arrived here, and it's nothing but laughable compared to mine." Demetrius turned back to face Rose. "Now, I have had enough of this little childish game of yours, Rose. Hand me my curse. I will not ask again."
"And if I don't?" Rose whispered, daring to fight him still. "Without the death curse, you are powerless here."
Demetrius's face turned dark, and she could feel the intensity of his powers vibrating off his skin.
"Not as powerless as you may think," he breathed. "However, if you still want to play games, then, perhaps, it's time to play this game my way. I have a surprise for you that I acquired after you betrayed me and left Hel with your mate. She may convince you to comply with my wishes."
Rose narrowed her eyes at him. She? Whatever or whoever he was going to use against her, it couldn't be good.
"Who is it?"
Demetrius half-shrugged.
"Oh, a friend of yours from New York. Kevin came with me, and we found out that she doesn't even live in New York anymore. But we found her, eventually. Your friend is quite the spit-fire and put up a very impressive fight for a human. But between myself, Kevin, and the curse, we pinned her down and killed her family in the process. Poor thing just had a baby not too long ago, as well."
Rose's hand shot out and grasped Brooklyn's bicep.
She was going to vomit.
"Who is it?" She repeated, unable to keep her voice from shaking. From the look in his eyes and the taunting grin, she knew who he was talking about.
"Why don't you take a look for yourself?"
Demetrius waved a hand in front of him, opened a portal, and then a figure appeared at his feet. Upon seeing who it was, Rose's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground at her knees.
No… no, she can't be here! She just can't be!
Brooklyn cursed low under his breath and moved as if he were about to defend the chained human but stopped himself. Behind him, Akira squeaked out the human's name, Goliath snarled, and Angela gasped out, "No!"
Gritting her teeth, Rose forced herself to stand up and took a few staggering steps towards the chained victim, but Demetrius suddenly whipped out a jagged dagger and held it to her fragile neck.
"One more step and I slice this dagger into her throat."
Rose stopped cold, and his victim let out a small sob. The sound sliced right through her heart.
"Okay, OKAY!" Rose breathed erratically, holding her hands out. "Just… please don't… don't hurt her!"
"That depends on how nicely you comply with me, my daughter," Demetrius breathed. "Now that I have your undivided attention, let's play this game my way and discuss the conditions of the death curse. It's quite simple, really. Give it back to me, and your little human friend gets to live. Refuse, and I open her neck up and spill her blood, right here, right now."
He pressed the jagged dagger into the human's thin flesh, making her friend gasp out another sob to drive his intentions home. Rose made a strange noise between a cry and a scream before clasping her hands over her mouth.
Demetrius stopped digging into the victim's neck, and his amber eyes gleamed into Rose's. "I assume you have a preference?"
Rose couldn't breathe as she stared into her friend's familiar blue eyes. Her entire world was about to end because, chained, beaten, and at Demetrius's mercy of having her neck slit open, was her best friend.
Emily.