Gene of Isis

Devere. Would you have me sacrifice this woman due to your stubbornness?’

I felt Albray’s resolve weaken and yet I was truly fuming, insulted not to be considered a threat. How dare this man be so arrogant in a temple of the goddess! Obviously, this pathetic creature was not aware that I’d had a bit of experience with psychophysics myself. I dispelled Albray from my form as I rose to stand and confront Molier’s extended sword.

Molier smiled, believing that I was submitting.

I smiled too, noting the other three members of Molier’s party closing in on me, swords drawn.

I cast my mind back to my darkest hour—a memory I had always done my best to repress. I realised in this moment that my reluctance to return to the asylum tower of the Black Rose was not fear of reliving my abandonment to the devices of such an evil man. What I feared was my own destructive potential, which I had not dared to unleash since that day. I knew that the child victims of Dr Rosen had achieved their revenge thanks to my underdeveloped and untrained psychic talent; the ability to control physical matter I had only temporarily lent to those dispossessed souls so that the murders might be stopped.

Trembling, I gathered my will unto me, drawing on the mastery of my mighty foremothers. My arms were crossed at my chest, and I abruptly thrust them, palm out, away from my body, whereupon all four of my attackers were sent rocketing backwards.

Molier, who was directly before me, was impaled on a sword, and as he dropped to his knees, I saw my dear Mr Devere at the handle of the debilitating stroke. As I turned full circle I saw that the same fate had befallen Molier’s three accomplices, for all had been struck dead-centre in the chest and their spinal cords severed. It was only Molier who was still moving, for his injury was just right of centre.

‘The lever,’ Mr Devere cued Susan, who was standing by the control at the door.

Molier released a strange unearthly sound and, raising himself to standing, he walked forward to relieve himself of the sword through his chest. Then he turned to Susan, who seemed mesmerised. ‘Back away from that lever, Lady Devere…there’s a good woman.’

When Susan did as instructed, Mr Devere protested. ‘Don’t listen to him, do it!’

Although Susan appeared regretful, she shook her head and backed up to the entrance.

‘She cannot disobey me,’ Molier informed us. ‘Lady Devere and I have an understanding.’

Susan raised her pistol and aimed it at my husband.

‘Hypnosis,’ guessed the man who had threatened Lord Hamilton, who I later learned went by the name of Lord Malory.

Molier gave a chuckle of confirmation. He must have hypnotised Susan during her kidnapping.

‘Release my wife, demon!’ Lord Devere withdrew his sword from the dead man at his feet, of a mind to finish the creature himself.

‘Ah. We wouldn’t want your wife held responsible for killing your brother now, would we?’

Lord Devere halted, frustrated by the threat, when a hand clamped around his foot and pulled him to the ground. He turned to find his adversary clawing his way toward his throat; the creature may no longer have had use of its legs, but it still harnessed great strength in its upper body. Cingar and Lord Malory found they had the same problem on their hands.

‘Now,’ Molier turned back to face me, ‘give me the keys or your best friend will kill your husband.’

My eyes narrowed in challenge, as I saw how my response would unfold. With a thought, I flipped the lever, unleashing a river of liquid into each of the canals; I recognised the smell of the substance at once. The sound of the lever being activated distracted Susan and provided my dear Devere the opportunity to overpower her. With a satisfied grin in Molier’s direction, I casually kicked the idle torch into the closest canal and the liquid immediately ignited into flame. ‘This woman will be the end of you, Molier.’ I focused on his form and levitated him into the air.

The creature was panicked as he witnessed his fellow vampires being cast to the flames by my allies, where they perished beyond salvation, changing into several animals before they burned to cinders.

‘The goddess can go to hell, the like of which she condemned me to!’ Molier spat, shattering into a white mist, which, although I cast it to the flame, would not burn.

My body was crumpling under the duress of the concentration it took to contain the evil being and I fell to my knees for more stability. Albray could feel the vitality being sucked from my life force and he rushed to kneel at my side. Let him go, before he kills you. There will be other days.

But your freedom and Lillet’s? I strained, feeling my internal organs were going to burst.

Think about your son.

The pressure on his poor little being must have been enormous! With a deep exhalation of defeat, I let Molier go and the mist whipped out the exit and was gone.

Exhausted, I gasped for air to fill my pressured lungs. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I uttered aside to my knight. ‘I failed you.’

On the contrary, you can now accomplish exactly what we came here to do, Albray assured me.

‘Ashlee!’ My husband fell on his knees before me and embraced me for dear life. ‘I’ll never make you compromise your purpose again,’ he swore.

‘You won’t ever have to.’ I hugged him back. ‘My adventuring days are over.’

‘The storm is upon us!’ one of Malory’s men yelled down from the entrance.

I dragged myself from Devere’s kiss and stood. ‘Get out! Quickly!’ I urged everyone, as I ran between the flaming canals toward the pillars of red.