Chapter Twenty-Five
"Why are you calling me? What is it you wish for, my child?"
"It has begun."
"Very impossible, child. The key has been locked away."
"It's been taken. Its blood spilled and collected."
"Ah, I see. My child, the darkness shall succeed. But should one drop be missing as the key unlocks, the Great Beast of Echidna and Typhon, one of their many children, shall rise. A taste of vengeance and blood it shall have. All shall fall to him. Nothing save love shall renew his sleep. And that love shall free the one, the saviour." Before a question could be asked, "Now, my child, I must leave."
From She-Demon's side, two males blinked at the ghostly sight of a female, half-snake and half-human, with even larger snakes slithering about or on her. The glaring black red pupil eyes seemed to stare through anyone in its way.
She-Demon smirked at the fear on her new allies' faces. "That was the last queen. My mother."
Both males' mouths dropped in pure shock, "Huh?"
"Not all demons are typical. Everyone, even Muggles as you fondly call them, pictures twisted horns, cloven feet, leathery red skin, shrouded in black, taste for blood and fear, and just plain twisted and ugly looking, living in the shadows or fires of Hell." Sirius flushed, at one time he had thought the same. Remus simply looked embarrassed, knowing it was true. "Many of us look human, Isis is a prime example. Some half-human, like my mother. Others are of visions from the nightmares of young children, breathing them into life under my thumb. We all vary in physical being but our blood and heritage are all the same, demons of Hell."
"How can you tell who is who?" For once, Remus was quite glad Sirius was easily confused and always questioned things.
Moving from the circular mirror room, "Come." They followed. "Almost every demon," she pointed out the creatures surrounding them, even leaning over walls or balconies to prove her reasoning, "will have the unusual. The unusual brightness of eye colouring, the unique abilities no man or being could do, the taste for blood and torturous pain, the immortality, or the true darkness simply staining the soul."
This time Remus asked, "How could we tell? Siri and I aren't demonic."
"Ah, no. But you, my dear boy, are a Dark Creature. A werewolf. Their blood thirst, ferocity, and powerful strength equals the lowliest of demons, half-bloods. Your Sirius spent time in a dark cell, locked away from light with our lovely demons, the Dementors, sucking away at your emotions. Your very soul has been tainted by darkness."
"We're demons?"
She-Demon laughed, still vibrating with the laughter, "Not really, Sirius. Your pasts and your present suit you well in our world. Though your humanity will be a drawback. No true demon is fully human. We can pull off the charade if needed, but we have no humanity in our heritage. We barely even have mercy. Although, it is quite known that half-bloods are more human but as long as they live in Hell that humanity will slowly lose itself."
Suddenly, Remus wasn't too sure about allowing Sirius to live here, "Thank you."
Sirius was still confused, "Uh, what he said. I think."
"To live here, you may lost what mercy you could have, even yourselves. But I believe as a mate of a werewolf and a pure-blooded demon, you might be safe. I believe my child, Isis, will allow you to leave whenever you wish to remain human, sane as will I."
Features brightening, Sirius flung himself at Remus, laughing joyfully. The tawny eye male smiled, even She-Demon smiled. Both understood how Sirius had lost himself once and never wished for that to happen again. As she told them before, she was a just queen, always willing to see the safety of her people and allies, even if it meant keeping them sane and human in her world. "Come. I still have several catacombs of levels to show."