“Enough!” A familiar voice cries out. Nameed moves forward, “He said to keep her alive.” He picks her up ignoring the blood and broken bones, and turns his face away in disgust.
Elina moans and blacks out from the pain as Alexandria drops in front of him and whines.
“I want a turn, Daddy said I could!”
Nameed turns and ignores the child heading for the prison cells below. The chanting above turns into a brawl as the Fallen start fighting for pieces of Alex’s corpse.
Lexy follows Nameed, intending to berate him, but something in his eyes warns her to back off.
“She must be tended to, before she dies or neither one of you will be able to play with her!” Nameed snaps back never breaking stride.
“Fine, but I’m hungry… I never seem to eat enough!” The smell of blood permeates the air and Lexy smiles a devious smile. “The new humans, Alex’s soldiers, can I have one of them, please Nameed?” she begs and pleads.
‘Sometimes she acts almost like a normal child,’ he thinks.
“They are trained soldiers, have a care with them. Do not play with your food or you could end up hurt,” Raphaim says joining them in the hall.
“Yes, Daddy!” she spins out and flies into the next cell.
Nameed enters a cell and places Elina’s broken body on a black rock table. He looks at Raphaim before he speaks. “Shall I let her die or do I heal her?”
“She deserves to suffer, as I have suffered. Heal her and call me when she awakens.” He leaves and goes to join his daughter.
Nameed sighs. Her breathing is irregular, probably broken ribs and internal bleeding he thinks. The swelling around her face, tells him that her skull is cracked. Her brain is probably swelling and she has multiple wounds from swords that have not stopped bleeding. This could take a while.
Chapter 9
“She is useless to me like this!” Raphaim rages. “I need to know where the other parts of the book are! The pen is useless unless we have the whole book.”
“Elina’s body is healed but her soul is broken. Even I can’t heal that.” Nameed says, staring at the pathetic creature who was thought to be the savior of humanity.
She lays on the floor, no longer seeing anything around her. The only escape to be found was in the astral plane. In a final attempt to free herself, she left her body and found a starless heaven, void of any light.
For days, she searched looking for other souls. Once she thought she saw a glimmer of light, but it leads back to her empty body. Staring down at the woman on the table, Elina feels sorry for her. She no longer cares if she returns to her body, why should she? They will simply torture her more and she is through being their punching bag!
“Elina,” a musical voice calls to her in the void. Her head snaps around and she follows the voice without hesitation. A bright light flickers like a candle, drawing her to its radiance. “Elina!” the voice calls urgently.
“Mom?” Elina calls back. Ruby flickers to form and holds out her hand. Elina reaches for her hand and is pulled gently into a loving embrace. She holds her daughter and waits patiently for her to calm her sobs.
“How, are you here? I don’t understand?” Elina asks, looking at her noticing that her light flickers on and off.
“I won’t have much time, Elina. You must listen carefully, I need to know where the two remaining parts of the book are?”
Elina steps back and looks intently at her mother. “Why? It is too late to save humanity. They have won. I failed us all!”
“No! Even now, you can help! Tell me where they are, Elina. I can help you.” Ruby says beginning to grow louder.
“I don’t know where they are. If I knew I…” Elina starts to say, but Ruby grows angry.
“That is a lie, Elina! Haven’t you hurt enough people! Your father is dead, your brother, even your beloved Angel!” The truth of her words slices Elina deeper than any sword. Dropping her head in shame, she whispers, “I’m sorry.” Weeping, she turns to float away but she is grabbed from behind.
“Sorry isn’t good enough! I need the book! Tell me where it is?” Ruby’s voice begins to deepen and her light flickers on and off, as her anger grows.
“Go away, Demon.” Elina snaps. “I cannot give you what you seek! I don’t have it anymore. My connection is lost because...”
“No! You will tell me where the book is!” Raphaim rages shaking free of the image he held. He grabs Elina by both arms and drags her back to his hell, slamming her spirit back into her body.
Elina wakes inside her body screaming and pulling against the chains that hold her. “What more do you want from me!!! I am broken, Raphaim! I am lost! My God has left me! I failed us all! I failed us all!
“Ahhh, poor little girl! You are such a fool!” Raphaim says, walking over to her with a laugh! “Your God never left you, you left him! Even I can see that!” He holds her head still and looks into her turquoise eyes as she falls silent.
“You have allowed your lust, greed, and pride to blind you to the facts,” Raphaim snarls at her.
“You are a demon! What do you know?” Elina says, jerking her head away from his grasp.
“Exactly, who knows more than the great, Keeper? If you won’t listen, then I will show you! Alexandria!”
Lexy steps out from the shadows and stares at Elina. With no pity, she leaps into the air and flaps her lacy wings to float above Elina. She reaches down grabbing her face with both hands.
As the daughter of a keeper and a demon she has immense power. She takes
