All comments are appreciated! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. My excuse is valid, I swear!! University!! AHHH!!
4—Demona's Revenge Pt. 1
November 26, 1997, 9:06 pm
Winter had come slightly ahead of schedule in Manhattan, and a light dusting of snow covered the landmarks that made New York City famous. Even at night, the city was busy, full of life, even though the snow seemed to make citizens take things a bit more slowly than before. Elisa Maza was no exception to this. Zooming towards the Eyrie Building in her Ford Fairlane, she hurried—as carefully as possible—because she had her two favourite men waiting for her.
Though she had once looked upon this building with contempt and frustration, seeing it now as her home was refreshing and comforting. Knowing she was merely yards away from Goliath while she slept or took care of her son was something she had always hoped for. Now that it was a reality, Elisa was content.
Elisa parked her car in the underground parking lot David Xanatos had specified for her. It was a spot closest to the elevator up, and was marked as 'reserved'. This parking lot, David had told her, was for Xanacorp employees who worked in the building. She was given the executive parking spot. Damn right, she chuckled to herself. I've reached the rank of executive. After all that bastard has done to me in the past, I think I deserve at least that. She began remembering the first year she had met the gargoyles, that when she went to visit them, Xanatos was not nearly as accommodating as this. She had to park her beloved Fairlane outside, in the visitor parking, which was nearly a ten minute walk from the building. On frigid nights, the distance made it feel like an hour, not to mention scraping ice and snow off her car afterwards was never pleasant.
She walked to the passenger side door of the car, opened it, and pulled out a plastic bag filled with knick knacks and things she had picked up for her son. She closed the door, and locked it using her key.
When the elevator brought Elisa to the castle section of the building, she stepped out and saw Goliath sitting on the leather sofa, feeding Adam his bottle of formula. The contrast between the mass of muscle and the tiny child made Elisa stifle a laugh, but it was such a touching scene that it was easy to stifle it. She walked towards them slowly, trying not to disturb the two of them.
"Evening, lass," Hudson called out, as he sat on his favourite recliner, smiling. Bronx trotted beside Elisa and sniffed happily. Elisa waved at Hudson and patted Bronx on the head. "Hi, Hudson. Hi Big Guy," Elisa said, rounding the corner of the sofa to face Goliath and her son. He looked up at her, his eyes full of warmth.
"Hello my love. Adam was hungry," He began. Elisa shook her head.
"Thank you for taking care of him, Goliath." She said, taking a seat beside Goliath on the leather sofa. She brushed the back of her hand upon Adam's cheek.
"My errands ran longer than I expected, and I missed my baby," She smiled at her son. Adam's eyes instantly lit up as he recognized his mother. He stopped feeding and pushed the bottle out of his mouth. Elisa took this as a sign that he wanted attention from her, so she motioned for Goliath to hand him to her. Once Adam was in her arms, she made him burp, and then cradled her in her arms until his eyelids began dropping. Elisa sighed.
"I love it when he's like this," She mused. "So much easier to deal with than when he's tired and cranky." She laughed. "So, who's on patrol tonight?"
"Angela, Broadway, Brooklyn and Tachia. Eosine and Lexington are watching a movie at the Cineplex."
"When are the patrollers supposed to be back?" Elisa asked, causing Goliath to raise an eyebrow.
"They should be returning shortly. Why?"
"Uh, oh, no reason, babe. Just needed to talk to Brook about something."
"You two seem awfully close lately."
Elisa blushed, something Goliath knew she hardly ever did, which caused him to furrow his brow in confusion. Seeing this look, Elisa glanced at Adam, who was fast asleep, and stood up quickly with him in her arms.
"I have to put Adam down. I'll be right back Goliath." With that, she turned and took her son into her bedroom.
As she walked towards her bedroom, she stared silently at her son in her arms, thinking about that look of apprehension that Goliath had just thrown her way. She couldn't tell him that Brooklyn was helping her with a surprise for their wedding ceremony. If she did, it would be too easy for him to guess what the surprise was that Brooklyn was helping her with. She had avoided the subject for a few weeks, and she hated lying to Goliath more than anything, but Elisa put it out of her mind, telling herself that he'd forgive her once the surprise was revealed on New Year's Eve. She sighed and shook her head. "Yea, that'll work…" She said aloud with a smile. "He's going to love it."
She leaned over the crib and deposited her sleeping son in it, pulling the covers over his fragile form gently. She leaned in further and planted a loving kiss upon his brow. "Good night, my little angel." With that, she turned off the lamp beside the crib, checked the baby monitor to ensure it was on and functional, and walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar slightly.
By the time she returned to Goliath's side, his look of confusion had evaporated, and he opened his arms to embrace his love. Elisa smiled, and accepted this gesture whole heartedly.
"I am sorry for questioning you just now, My Elisa," Goliath said, still wrapped up in the embrace.
"That's alright, Goliath," She replied sweetly, relishing in the moment. She drew in a breath to begin some form of explanation when Brooklyn, Tachia, Broadway and Angela came walking into the Great Hall tiredly.
"Hi," Angela began, seeing her father and soon to be step-mother hugging.
Goliath released Elisa hesitantly, and turned to greet his clan. "Hello Daughter. How was patrol this evening?"
"We stopped a few muggings. Nothing major tonight." Broadway answered.
"I'm glad to see the city is getting along fine without me on the beat," Elisa commented jokingly. Brooklyn and Tachia walked over to the television, ready to sit and relax. The clan had generally been doing more of that lately since the birth of Adam and the return to their ancestral home. They didn't complain.
As Brooklyn sat down, he noticeably remembered something quite pressing. Looking over at Tachia, and then glancing at Elisa behind the sofa briefly, he said, "I'll be right back. I forgot something outside." With that, he kissed Tachia's forehead, silently rose and walked briskly out of the Great Hall. Tachia seemed to take that explanation at face value and proceeded to grab the remote control and change the channel to The Learning Channel, unperturbed.
Elisa noticed this, but said and did nothing. She stood beside Goliath, watching as Brooklyn exited the Great Hall. Angela also noticed this, and noticed Elisa watching Brooklyn leave. Angela's mind raced with questions. She turned to her father and watched his look. He, too, had noticed that Elisa had watched Brooklyn leaving the Great Hall, and his eyes became clouded with worry…or was that jealousy?
Elisa looked down at her watch and cleared her throat. "I nearly forgot. I have to do Adam's laundry. I'll be back in a half hour, ok babe?" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She kissed Goliath's cheek and walked towards her bedroom. Angela watched this and walked over to her father. Broadway followed, worried about his mate and his father-in-law.
"Father, are you alright?"
"I am concerned about Elisa's behaviour lately."
"I am too, Father. Perhaps we should see where she is going to make sure—" Goliath cut her off, raising a taloned hand in protest. His face was sullen as he spoke.
"I shall go"
---
Meanwhile, at the Destine Manor…
Demona, now back in her natural form, flipped again and again through the ancient text, the Cryptatae Magnus, to find the perfect spell. She needed one that could not be traced back to her, or that could be found out as a spell in the first place. The actions of those under the spell must seem genuine, real, and definitely not magically induced. She had been searching through the book day and night, some nights unable to rest with this impending thought burning a hole in her mind. She needed to stop the wedding ceremony before it took place. Once Goliath said those vows, Demona knew he was lost to her forever. She knew how seriously Goliath took vows of this nature. He was still most honourable. Blast it, she thought. Were it not for his sense of loyalty and honour, Demona knew she could lure him away from Maza at any time, even after the ceremony. But once he promised all that a gargoyle promises in a traditional mating ceremony, especially a gargoyle like Goliath, he would be lost.
Under a new sub-heading, she found the perfect spell, the "Capitaeus Corpus", which translated to "To take a body". As Demona read the description of the spell, her eyes lit up with excitement and revenge. With this spell, both Elisa and Brooklyn's reputations would be destroyed. "At last," Demona said aloud. "I will finally make her pay! Brooklyn's demise will be icing on this very well-rewarded cake," She read the spell a few times over, and read where the author of the spell had put a kind of author's note: The spell must be performed when both the victim and the perpetrator are in close proximity. Since Demona had no idea what Elisa or Brooklyn were doing at that very moment, she decided to go see for herself. She ripped the pages out of the book, folded them and shoved them down her halter top; a most safe place for them to be. She walked to the sliding door to the balcony adjoining her bedroom and took off towards the Eyrie Building.
Meanwhile, in Guatemala, just before sunset
"Oh, thank you so very much for saving us, strangers!" A grateful farmer exclaimed, clutching desperately onto his young son's hand. The little Guatemalan boy peered up at his new heroes from behind his fathers slightly trembling legs. There was a red giant with feathered wings, shoulder length white hair and a serpent-like torso where legs would normally be. Beside him stood a deep blue coloured goddess with long legs, blue-black hair and a slightly swollen belly. The boy knew that this meant she was pregnant, comparing her look to that of his mother years earlier when she was pregnant with his little brother, Juan. The little boy stared admiringly at both creatures, and noticed that they both wore necklaces around their necks. He had never seen jewels like those before. They glittered with a blue hue.
The crimson creature raised a hand in protest of the praise. "That is what gargoyles do, amigo. We protect others. That is our nature." The blue female nodded magnanimously, "Yes. Those poachers were killing the forest. And they were about to hurt you. We could not let them cause any harm to either of you."
"Gracias, uh…what name do we give to our saviours?"
The pregnant female replied. "I am Obsidiana, and this is my mate, Zafiro." The farmer nodded happily.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet a gargoyle, isn't it, Carlos? We have heard much about your kind on the news lately,"
Zafiro regarded his mate with surprise. "What?"
"It is true," The little boy began timidly, "I saw it on the satellite. In Japan, the gargoyles there helped many people. And in England, there was a problem with street gangs that some gargoyles there helped to stop."
"Hmm," Zafiro began. "This is welcome news, amigos. We gargoyles have often been shunned by humans, even though we seek to protect them," Zafiro stated, turning to his mate, "Perhaps this is the turning point we needed to begin sharing this world with the humans."
"Yes, Zafiro. This is wonderful to hear."
"But how are you awake right now? The sun has not yet set. I heard on the satellite that gargoyles turn to stone when the sun is up." The little boy wondered.
"That is true, amigo, but these special amulets we wear," Zafiro lifted the pendant slightly, "they protect us from the sun, and keep us awake during the day"
The little boy was fascinated by Zafiro's brief explanation of their amulets. The wonder multiplied in his eyes as a thought occurred to him.
"Papa," the boy began, peering at his father. "Would it be alright if Zafiro and Obsidiana come over for dinner tonight?"
The father nodded delightedly. "Si, amigos! Come! Maria is making enchiladas tonight."
Zafiro glanced at his pregnant mate. To his look of questioning, Obsidiana looked back at Zafiro and replied, "It would be an honour to come to dinner with you." The farmer and his son happily led the way, while Zafiro and Obsidiana discussed the dangers of being invited, and accepting, an invitation to a stranger's dinner table. Obsidiana was arguing the pros, and Zafiro, the cons.
"Zafiro, I know this look. Do not worry, and do not be so stubborn. This will be pleasant, and our hatchling needs to eat too, you know."
"That is not the concern I was troubling myself over, Obsidiana. These farmers are most grateful, and we would never be in any danger from them. You are due to deliver the hatchling in a few months, and I would prefer to have you close to the pyramid. I do not want to put you or our child in danger."
Obsidiana smiled knowingly. "My mate, do not worry. We take care of each other, and I promise you that nothing will happen to our hatchling before he or she is born," She rested her hand upon Zafiro's crimson cheek, warming his stern look. "Let us go to the farmer's home and dine with them now. Do not worry about me or our hatchling, Zafiro."
The slick red gargoyle smiled. "Very well, Obsidiana. I can never refuse your wishes."
Back at the Castle…
Outside the Great Hall, around a darker and more secluded corner of the castle's ledges, Brooklyn was reading what he had written for Elisa to recite at the ceremony. He wrote about 10 different versions of them, realising that he hadn't gotten the wording exactly right in each one. This version, however, was different. They were the exact words that he had used at his mating ceremony about 5 years earlier when he and Tachia—and Lex and Eosine, for that matter—were back in 1795. He knew that these particular words were just the right combination of romantic and traditional words that made Tachia cry on their mating ceremony evening, and Brooklyn was happy to help Elisa show Goliath that she cared about the clan's traditions just as much as he did.
Tachia hadn't been asking him about his and Elisa's seemingly newly-found friendship as much as Goliath had, perhaps because Tachia was more comfortable with Brooklyn being friends with Elisa because of all that he and Lex had told Tachia and Eosine about her while they were back in the past. Either way, on the odd occasion that she did make mention of it, Brooklyn felt awful about lying to his mate. He loved her more than anything, and lying was something his rookery mothers always warned against. 'Lies," they would say, "beget more lies. The more you lie, the more you need to lie to cover up the lies." Well, he assured himself, this isn't a bad lie. It's only to help out a good friend and make her mating ceremony a complete success. And after tonight, his lying would be done, because once he handed this piece of paper to Elisa and told her how to go about reading it, and where to put emphasis, their sneaking around would not be needed any longer. Brooklyn smiled to himself at the thought, and continued reading what he had written.
Just then, he heard a throat clearing around the corner. It was Elisa. She had taken the hint and met him outside as he had hoped. She came around the corner and smiled.
"Hey, Brook," She greeted.
"Hey. I'm finally done rewriting this thing. This is the final edition, I swear." He laughed, unaware that a large lavender gargoyle had just arrived and was listening in around the corner.
"Aww, great. Let me read this," Elisa said happily, accepting the paper from him. There was a bit of silence as Elisa read.
"I meant every word." Brooklyn stated. Elisa looked up at him and nodded.
"I know you did." She said quietly. After she had finished reading, she smiled again at Brooklyn.
"This is so sweet. Thank you so much, Brook."
"No problem, Elisa. It was my pleasure. It made me remember how I still feel after all these years."
Around the corner, Goliath was fuming. He had never thought it possible, but Elisa and Brooklyn had confirmed his deepest darkest fears with the few words they uttered shrouded in the darkness of the castles' ledge. His second in command and his love were secretly meeting, and secretly betraying him. He used all the self control he possessed not to scream out and attack Brooklyn. A bit of common sense that still hung on by a thread told him to keep quiet and perhaps things weren't exactly as they were appearing to be. He kept his composure and waited for Elisa and Brooklyn to continue their candid conversation.
Unbeknownst to them all, Demona arrived just at that point. Luckily for her, she glided just high enough that they could not hear her wings rustling in the wind currents, or see her form from where they stood. Demona landed on a parapet that gave her a perfect view of the situation, and that was just within earshot. Also, she could see a dark figure standing around the corner from where her enemies were talking. It was unmistakably Goliath. This is too perfect, Demona thought. It couldn't be more convenient if she had created the situation herself.
"I hope that works for me." Elisa replied, folding the paper and pushing it into her back pocket.
"It will," Brooklyn replied, "Just make sure you read it a few more times." He said smiling.
Demona set to work immediately. She pulled out the spell from her halter top and began chanting quietly, pointing to the two intended victims.
" Aer enim volat et cum omnibus creaturis officia sua exercet, et firmamentum eum sustinet, ac aer in viribus istius pascitur."
An airy black smoke emanated from Demona's finger as she chanted and began racing towards Brooklyn and Elisa. As the smoke drew closer to them, it became transparent and invisible, blending in with the air around them. There was a blast of wind that didn't let up for some time. It was an after-effect of the spell. Demona finished her incantation, and watched for any sign from the two that the spell had succeeded.
Elisa blinked rapidly as she inhaled a breath of the dirty air surrounding them. Shaking her head, she nearly toppled over with sudden weakness and because of the strength of the wind. Brooklyn noticed this, and gripped her arm before she really lost her balance.
"You ok?"
"No, I suddenly feel really sleepy. I think I'm going to say good night and go to bed." She said, beginning to walk unsteadily towards the door to the castle. Brooklyn followed her briefly.
"You sure you don't need help to your room?" He asked, watching her carefully.
She turned back to him, with her hair blowing wildly in the sudden gust of wind that had been stirred up with Demona's spell. "No, that's fine. Thanks Brook. Thanks for this, too." She patted her back pocket, meaning the piece of paper it held within it.
"No problem." He called, standing in the same spot until Elisa was no longer visible. Suddenly, he didn't feel so great either. He decided to wait outside until his own case of strangeness dissipated before returning to Tachia inside.
Goliath had heard the whole discourse, and was worried about Elisa, too, regardless of the fact that he now strongly suspected that she and Brooklyn were having a secret affair. He adored her, and that meant that he would always give her the benefit of a doubt before rushing to such conclusions, no matter how the evidence presented itself. He needed to confront her about this secret meeting, of course. If she confessed, they would have to decide what was to be done from there. If she didn't, things would get a bit more tricky for all three of them. But the confrontation would have to wait until she was feeling better. Either way, Goliath walked into the castle after Elisa to make sure she made it back to her bed safely.
Demona watched as Goliath walked into the castle slowly. She couldn't help but laugh nearly out loud at her luck. Not only had she found Brooklyn and Elisa together, and Goliath had been suspicious enough to follow her outside, but all that they were saying and doing made it seem as if they were having an affair. This was deliciously perfect, and the spell would add exponentially to that deliciousness for Demona. She silently spread her wings and glided down towards the secluded area Brooklyn was still standing near. Demona hid in the same corner in which Goliath had been standing, and watched as the spell took hold of Brooklyn. It was unmistakeable.
Brooklyn continued to stand in the exact same spot that he had been standing in when he had said good night to Elisa. He was worried about her. But it was more than that. She was feeling sick, but he couldn't shake the image of her hair blowing in the wind. It looked wild, untamed. I bet that's how it feels to be with her, he thought. Instantly, he caught himself. "What the HELL did I just think?!" Brooklyn said aloud, making Demona nearly choke with laughter. "I can't think of Elisa like that…but it's so easy…" His mind brought him the mental picture of Elisa, wearing next to nothing at all, standing before him asking him to take her to bed. Horrified of where his mind was taking him, he shook his head, but this time, the mental picture grew more vivid, and racier. Kissing, touching, holding, and finally, making love. Brooklyn was completely under Demona's spell. She could tell because she could see a bulge under his loincloth that hadn't been there five seconds earlier. Like a gargoyle possessed, Brooklyn's eyes grew glazed over, but wide. He began walking deliberately, slowly, methodically, towards the door Elisa had used to get into the castle. Once he disappeared through the door, Demona began stalking behind Brooklyn as quietly as possible and as far back as possible to avoid detection. She had to see this for herself.
---
"Goliath! We were just telling Tachia about the movie we just saw. Would you like to hear about it?" Lexington cried, as he saw Goliath entering the Great Hall. Goliath thought it rude to tell him that he was busy, so he allowed Lexington to tell him a synopsis of the movie he and his mate had just watched. As Lexington told him the overview, Goliath couldn't help but worry about Elisa.
---
Elisa collapsed upon the bed, not even stopping to change her clothes or to get under the covers. She did, however, take the paper Brooklyn had given her out of her back pocket and set it upon the nightstand. Her apparent exhaustion had gotten the better of her, and she just wanted to sleep. Even if she wanted to check up on Adam as he slept in the crib just beside her bed, she couldn't gather the strength necessary to lift herself from her lying position. What the hell is wrong with me all of a sudden, she questioned quietly. Within a few seconds, she was fast asleep.
The next moment, she was awakened by the touch of Goliath's hand upon her cheek.
"Mmm…Goliath…" She opened her eyes and was shocked to see Brooklyn's red beak where she was sure Goliath's handsome face would have been.
"Brook?! What are you doing?"
"Something I've always wanted to do…" Brooklyn began. Elisa tried to sit up in bed, the adrenaline of the shock causing all exhaustion to escape her instantly, but Brooklyn pinned her down. She stared at him incredulously. There was something in his eyes that she had never seen before. He seemed dazed, but in perfect condition to kill her if he wanted to, though she doubted that was his intention. He gave her a look filled with lust and want. Oh god, Elisa thought. What the hell is happening? And where is Goliath?
"Brook, what the hell has gotten into you?!"
"Don't deny that you've always wanted me, too. Why else would you ask for my help over the others?"
Elisa couldn't move. She was trapped. The force of strength Brooklyn had over her was too much, and he was holding her arms down so much that it was becoming painful.
"Brook, stop it! You're hurting my arms now!" She cried out. It only added to the apparent pleasure on his face.
"Stop struggling. You are going to like this just as much as I will." He then buried his face between her neck and shoulder, kissing her roughly. He then proceeded to position himself on top of her frame. His tail pinned her lower half down. Suddenly, Elisa screamed out. It was a scared scream she thought she'd never need to utter. After it escaped her lips, Adam began crying loudly too.
---
"And that's the plot! Man! What a movie! You and Elisa should really go see it! Jim Carrey is fantastic in it!"
"Yes, Goliath, I would recommend it for sure," Eosine added. "Liar Liar was a great movie indeed. Very funny…"
Goliath nodded. "It sounds like a movie that would interest both of us."
Eosine looked around, her pink skin as rosy as ever. "Speaking of which, where is Elisa? I haven't yet seen her this evening."
Goliath turned towards the hallway. "In her room. I will—"
Elisa's terrified scream echoed through the castle, bringing all the gargoyle's attentions to the same spot: the bedroom down the hall. Goliath was the first to run to the bedroom, followed closely by Tachia and then the others.
In the shadows, Demona stood watching Brooklyn struggling to keep the detective down, and then watching as Goliath and the others came to her rescue.
Goliath stood in the doorway of Elisa's bedroom, watching as Brooklyn nuzzled Elisa's neck. By now, tears formed in her eyes. She saw him and the rest of the clan standing in the doorway and was instantly relieved.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Goliath bellowed, causing Brooklyn to turn around. Tachia joined Goliath and saw her mate on top of the human woman. She gasped at the sight and ran off without even asking what was happening as Goliath had. She had seen enough to know what was going on. As soon as Tachia took off down the hall, Goliath made to lunge at Brooklyn. With great agility, Brooklyn jumped off of Elisa and smashed through the window and away from Goliath, leaving all eyes on Elisa.
Goliath looked down almost disgustedly at Elisa, who was now close to sobbing. This incident brought back terrible memories of Tony Dracon and the ordeal that followed. She rose from the bed and went to hug Goliath, but he resisted her touch. Indifferently, he looked at Angela, who was staring at Elisa with a shocked expression.
"Get Adam out of here." Angela did as she was ordered, and quickly walked over, picked up the crying child and walked out of the room.
"And the rest of you, leave us." Goliath said without looking over his shoulder. They also did as they were told. Once they left, Goliath kept his gaze upon her.
"Did you think I wouldn't eventually know about this??" Goliath began with a sudden burst of anger, causing Elisa to flinch. She wasn't expecting that sort of reaction.
"What? Know about what? He just came on to me!" She defended. It seemed to have no effect on him. His eyes glowed bright white with anger.
"You dare to lie to me?!" He asked. "After all that we have been through, and all that we have been planning for?!"
"Goliath! He was the one who came in here and started—"
"I will deal with that traitor at a later time. Now, I am addressing your faithlessness."
"Faithlessness?! Listen to yourself, Goliath! I would NEVER do that to you! You know that! I know what you saw is bad—"
"It is more than bad. This proves what I've been suspecting for weeks now." He looked around and saw the piece of paper that Brooklyn had handed to Elisa. He grabbed it from the table and began reading aloud. "I have denied my feelings for far too long…I want you to be mine for all eternity… By the Dragon and the North Star, I swear my love for you is real…by all that I know, and all that is…" His eyes renewed their glowing. "What is this then?! He wants to be with you, admit it!"
In the shadows, Demona laughed. The spell had obviously made Goliath more volatile and jumped to the wrong conclusions a lot more readily than normal. Demona loved it.
Elisa shook her head and sighed. "It's not what it looks like, I swear." The tears were on the verge of spilling anew. She didn't want to spoil the surprise, but this was getting ridiculous. Goliath was never this jealous. Sure, this scene was very, VERY bad, but he always gave Elisa the benefit of the doubt. Flying off the handle like this was out of character…then again, he'd never found Elisa being fondled by another man…or gargoyle…
"Unbelievable. I cannot stand to look at you as you lie like this."
"Goliath, I didn't want to tell you this, but those are the vows I was going to recite to you. Those are traditional vows that the clans of old would recite. At least that's what Brook told me. Those are the exact vows he said at his mating ceremony with Tachia—"
"Spare me another of your lies." Goliath said bitterly, crumpling up the paper in his hands easily. Elisa watched the paper fall, followed it with her eyes as it hit the floor of the room. With it, her heart sank. She was speechless, and on the brink of tears once more. This was not her fault! How could this be happening? And what on earth had gotten into Brooklyn?! These questions had to remain unanswered—for now.
Silently, Goliath took another glance at Elisa before storming out of the room. Elisa felt the feeling disappear from her legs, and she just couldn't move from where she was. Instead, she collapsed to the ground, upon her knees. The tears spilled from her eyes slowly at first. It was pitiful, but somehow it made her feel better. Just a bit. She kneeled on the floor, her hands running through her hair every few minutes, trying to absorb what had just happened.
From the shadows, Demona prepared herself to console Goliath after this devastating scene. The spell worked brilliantly…now was her time to finish what it had started.
---
Outside, on the parapets of the castle, a stoic Goliath sat upon the ledge that he perched on during the day. What was going through his mind was something not even he understood. The wealth of feelings, emotions, thoughts, were nearly overwhelming. Why had Elisa done this to him? To their love? To say nothing of the betrayal that his second in command had carried out upon him…what was he to do now? How would he continue being a good leader when everything he had believed in suddenly disappeared in a matter of a few hours? A noise startled him out of his thoughts. What was that sound? A sniff, followed by another. Goliath rose from his ledge and followed the sound of sniffling to the other side of the parapet, around the corner of the staircase leading down to the rest of the castle. As he approached, his eyes blazed bright white. Brooklyn sat with his hands on his head. He was in the middle of sniffing again—he had been crying at his actions.
Goliath growled savagely and lunged at Brooklyn suddenly. Brooklyn looked up just in time to see Goliath's enraged eyes glowing and then felt a swift swipe at him, leaving three distinct claw marks along his chest, instantly bleeding. Brooklyn fell at the force of the swipe and had just enough strength to back away from Goliath.
"Stop! Goliath, please!" Brooklyn begged, slinking away from Goliath until his hands hit the wall. Brooklyn was trapped.
"Betrayer! You will pay with your life for betraying your clan!!"
"No! Goliath! Something is wrong here! I remember what I did, but I wasn't in my right mind! It was like I was sleepwalking! And you aren't in your right mind either!!"
"Shut up!" Goliath yelled. "It is time to end this farce! Prepare to meet your end!"
Demona watched in the shadows once more, with a perfect view of the goings on. She smiled. "Excellent…"
Goliath prepared to strike again.
----