"Viserra," called Finn, his voice echoing from the shimmering red portal. The moment the Demon King stepped into the Royal Gardens, a wave of dread hit him. The panic wrote across those who ran through the immediate area, the screams of terror radiating from the castle, the scent of fear lingering in the air, and shattered happiness. Finn immediately knew he was too late. "Where is my queen?" questioned Finn the moment he managed to grab hold of a panicked Lady; she had blood staining her dress, terror written across her features, as she shook her head before running away when she was released from his grip. The sight inside the banquet hall wasn't any better, worse if Finn was to describe it.
"Giuseppe," exclaimed King Matthias; like many, he was covered in blood; however, it wasn't his own but of those unfortunate enough to be caught by the disgraced knight and his band of hired swordsmen. "It all happened so quickly, he ... he ... he took Viserra and my son," added the mortal king, his eyes lost as if in a trance. "My wife," he spoke as a tear left a shimmering track down his cheek. Matthias didn't need to say more for Finn to understand; Giuseppe and his hired men hadn't just broken into the castle to kidnap Viserra and Prince Lucian but also to cause pain and suffering, massacring those they came upon who were deemed useless to their cause.
"Find them," came the gentle voice of Edith, the mother who sacrificed everything to save her beloved son. "I'll take care of the king," she replied, hoping against everything Qimir wasn't set to return to the mortal realm. She knew her cruel ex-husband wouldn't hesitate to use him as part of whatever twisted plan he had in mind to commit. "If there is a god up there, please hear me and save my niece. She doesn't deserve the suffering Giuseppe will cause her. Please save her and Prince Lucian," she whispered, turning to the faith she had been raised in, the same one she lost many years ago.
Finn soon stormed through the banquet hall, almost blind to the ruin and devastation left in Giuseppe's wake. The dead remained where they had fallen, the grief-stricken mourning their loss. The wedding that had been intended had long since been forgotten; the bride was nowhere to be found, and the groom was taken for a purpose one could only dread. The moment the Demon king left the castle, he was met with a woman, a wicked grin cast upon her lips, as her eyes shimmered with unspoken malice and pride. She was dressed in a golden corseted gown, dulled with time and torn in several places. On top of her curly hair was a tiara that had once been in the bride's procession.
"Where is she?" came the feminine voice from behind Finn, a voice the king recognized all too well, especially with the maniac laughter that followed it. The smaller Scottish woman soon appeared, her fingers tightly wrapping around the already torn sleeves of Allegra's golden dress. The smug pride that had previously been painted on Allegra's features was soon replaced with fear when her back hit the stone pillar, even more so when she noticed the eyes of the woman before her glimmer a poison green. "Where is our queen?"
"Bo, take the Wyatt's, search the city, start with the Snow Residents," commanded Finn, reaching out to calm Cross's temper. "If you find them, get Prince Lucian and Viserra to safety; kill the rest," he added, ensuring the threat would be removed. Bo nodded before grabbing hold of Dexter's shoulder and pushing him away. Finn's reaction only proved the king was unaware Dexter was there.
"He needs the blood of a demon," said Cross while holding Allegra as a prisoner. Finn only shook his head, the truth his circle had refused to speak.
"No, he doesn't," replied Finn, recalling the ancient ritual the Black Prince was rumored to have used centuries ago. Demon didn't necessarily mean a demonic being, but a man with a heart of evil intentions. "Giuseppe can use his blood; by doing so, he'll be binding his bloodline to the stones, like he will the Iseult and Devitt lines," he explained; if the situation wasn't so dire, he would have said the plan Giuseppe had was almost perfect, except the fallen knight had appeared to forget his son was a demon and had left his precious daughter unprotected. "Take her back to our realm, put her in the cells."
Cross didn't hesitate; a wide, crazed grin appeared across her lips as a purple shimmering portal materialized out of nowhere. No doubt it was Damian, hearing the king's words and helping in any way he could. The moment Cross and Allegra disappeared through the portal, the figures of Aleister, Bray, and Damian appeared. All ready to help in whatever way they could.
"They found him," chuckled Bray before disappearing into a burst of white light, leaving small fireflies in his wake. Neither of the men left behind hesitated before running to the Snow residence. After all, the only place Giuseppe Snow would like to hide was the once-cold home, which was almost abandoned and falling apart. The only person who rattled around it was Allegra, at least until her father reappeared with his ill intentions and hired help.
Finn felt almost numb when he ran through the streets, the cottages blurring together in a mess of dull colors, the breeze that rustled through his hair and beard barely left a mark on his cheeks, nor did the muddy paths seem to register with him. Instead, it was as if his mind was blocking everything that could distract him. His mind had focused on his mortal queen, saving her from a fate that had been decided long before anyone could admit it. It was a cruel twist of fate, even more so when Viserra was innocent, his destined queen but not the wife he'd seen coming.
Yet what hurt worse was the sense of betrayal that echoed through Finn's mind and heart; he knew what he had to do; destiny had already decided the mortal woman she was had to fall, all of it so Devitt could rise one last time. Yet in doing so, Finn would be forced to break the promise he'd made Viserra the night before her coronation. Despite being the demon queen, she wishes to die mortally; she has no desire to rise again as a demon, and stupidly, Finn had promised she wouldn't be turned unless she consented to it.
"They can not escape, my king," called Bo, his glowing eyes serious behind the grey mask he wore. The other Wyatts surrounded the forgotten residence, ensuring all exits were blocked and those inside could not escape. "They released the prince but not our queen," he added, swiftly motioning over to Bray, who tended to the jagged laceration traveling the length of Prince Lucian's left arm, stretching from wrist to elbow.
"Dexter," called Finn, all but summoning the only demon present that was a part of the Queen's growing circle. "When we go in, your focus is getting Viserra out. Once you do, give her this, and make sure she drinks it," he worded, once again receiving a nod from the taller, silent demon. Dexter soon took the vial, ensuring it was safe, before taking up his previous position near the rear entrance of the rundown cottage.
"Stand back, prince," advised Bray, his tone gentle while his eyes focused on the group of Demons. "They know what Snow intends and will do all in their power to prevent the impossible," he added, "You're bride survived the massacre, your father also," he spoke, intending to change the subject and give the prince a fair heads up regarding the devastation Snow and his men had left behind before. While also gifting the prince with the knowledge of the grief that awaited. Even more so when his mother had been among the fallen.
A loud crash soon interrupted the gently spoken words and comfort. The collection of demons surrounding the forgotten cottage disappeared, all entering simultaneously, if only to heighten the odds of success. A collection of war cries soon rang out; there was little doubt they were from the hired swordsmen, all intending to slow their enemy down, all without the knowledge needed to succeed with their plan of stopping their foes. Among the war cries was a familiar laughter, Snow's laughter no less. A victorious laugh spiced with malice, hatred, and cruelty.
Inside the rundown cottage, Snow stood proud in what used to be the parlor of the family home, dressed in his best. Viserra tightly held in his grasp a silver bejeweled dagger held to her throat. In front of Giuseppe was a haggard old woman dressed in rags with thin, stringy hair and rotten teeth. She was surrounded by torn, discolored pages of an old grimoire and the seven stones, the majority of which were already doused in blood. The words of an enchantment flooded from her cracked lips, a kin to a song of a forgotten bygone era.
"Come any close, and I'll slit her throat," shouted Giuseppe, pressing the silver dagger harder against Viserra's delicate skin, piecing it slightly with the sharpened blade. A grin of victory etched on his lips to see Finn, of all demons, had stopped his advances and signaled those following him to do the same. A clear display was that they all valued Viserra's well-being over their desires. The silence was soon cast upon them. The only sound was the song of enchantment the sorceress chanted; the moment the stones began to glow, Giuseppe grinned victoriously once more. "I win."
Swiftly, he removed the bejeweled silver dagger from Viserra's throat, instead plunging the blade into the side of her neck and pushing her forward as if she were nothing more than a useless tool to him. Finn reached out to catch her before she could hit the merciless floor. However, his chance was soon ripped away when Giuseppe launched at him. The intended cruel act, however, had allowed Dexter to reach her, taking her from the building and throwing the purple shimmering portal Damian had briskly created, intending to get her to safety.
"Shh, I've got you," gently whispered Dexter, settling on the steps to the throne room, Viserra lying in his lap as he held a hand to her wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding, a fruitless effort, but he had to try. "Drink this," he added, holding the vile of black-tainted crimson liquid to her lips. He had suspicions regarding what it was but refused to word it, even more so when it meant Finn had broken the ancient rules.
"Take me home, to Shadow-Stone," chocked VIserra. She was no fool; she knew she would die; she felt her limbs grow heavier every second, felt colder and weaker, felt her own struggling breaths grow heavier the more blood she lost. "I want to die there," she added, her sapphire eyes glowing with acceptance; she was going to die; no one could stop it. She didn't want to die but knew now it was inevitable, so she wanted her last breath to be in the place she was born.
"Go," called Matt Hardy from the shadows behind the twin thrones, "Dean will go with you. We'll inform Balor when he returns," he added, noting when Dexter opened a shimmering icy blue portal. For a moment, Matt glanced at Jeff, hidden in the opposite corner, only to see his brother subtly nod back at him. It had been centuries since the silent Demon had been able to create portals; the last time was during Devitt's last reign.
"What happened?" questioned Dean, feeling foolish for not noticing the severity of Viserra's injuries. Just a single look at Dexter told Dean all he needed to know. Giuseppe Snow had happened. "We need to help her," almost yelled the Demon of Rage; his eyes soon turned black as anger began to grow in power again. Instantly, the peaceful lake and distant waterfall were forgotten; nothing but anger cast a shadow of darkness over Dean's mind.
"I asked," whispered Viserra, her words so quiet both Dean and Dexter would have missed them had the immediate area of peacefulness been louder. "I wanted to be here ..." she added, struggling with shallow breaths mixed with gurgles. Her sentence remained unfinished as her struggle came to its bloody end. Her sapphire eyes stared off into the tree canopy far above, unspoken pain still written across her pale features.
"She will rise again," softly spoke Dexter, moving a bloodied hand to close Viserra's dulled eyes. However, he didn't go further than that. He, like many, didn't need to be told this wasn't the end of Viserra as the Demon Queen, merely the end of her mortal reign. "All of us will be facing the wrath of Devitt when she wakes, none more so than our king," he added, a shadow of a girn appearing across his lips; when the queen wakes after her transition, she wouldn't just be the true Demon Queen, but she'd also regain all the memories of her previous reign. Her memories of him included.
"How do we tell him we couldn't save her?" asked Dean in a trance-like state, so much so he had heard Dexter's previous softly spoken words. The normally silent demon didn't seem to mind, however, simply smirking before his attention drifted back to the queen resting in his arms, "How do we tell him we failed?" he added, as panic began to set in, although some sense of peace was found upon Jeff appearing from a portal of fire, no doubt sent by Kane or the Undertaker to retrieve them.
"You did not fail," worded Jeff, stepping closer. "We will all be treading through the unknown now; she's in transition," he added with a comforting tone. Many in the underworld would dread the shadows of the unknown, but just as many looked forward to the adventures that awaited, the discoveries waiting, and meeting the new to join their ranks.
"Transition?" asked Dean, displaying his confusion once more. The Demon of Rage knew that Viserra had no desire to become a demon; her stance had never changed even after becoming queen. "Who?" he questioned, figuring the poor soul would be put through hell and back several times when Finn found out. "Why would someone turn her against her will? Who would want to face Finn's wrath?"
"A queen created with the king's blood and born from the hatred of man," called Dexter from behind, a grin of mischief appearing now as his icy eyes found the form of the queen once more. "Devitt's wrath will be the one the king will have to face," he added, moving to stand again; carefully, he pulled Viserra's limp form with him. A chuckle escaped Dexter as he saw the expression of shock and uncertainty written upon Dean's features.
"Worry not; her wrath will only be aimed at those who deserve it," said Jeff, witnessing once again as Dexter opened an icy blue portal, an act that appeared to confuse Dean further. "His power is returning, as yours will soon grow in strength," enlightened the seer. He knew that with Devitt's true return to power, all those in her circle and loyal to her would see their power grow or return to its previous strength. All The Wyatt, Damian, and Dean would at least see their power surge, as would several others, including the remaining three horsemen that had yet to come.