Amarantine by Secret Keeper (best summer books .TXT) 📕

Prelude

On the demonic, forsaken streets of Verona, a band of people, consisting of three women and two men, traversed to their destination in complete and utter silence. An eerie, intense foreboding hung over the group; it was so dense that is was almost palpable. A cutting breeze ruffled through the group, seeping into their cloaks.

En route the group kept close nit, as if ready to lunge into battle at any second. The star studded night sky only held a trickle of clouds that ran passed the full moon; casting a sinister illumination over the group. All the windows and doors that bordered the streets were shut and nailed. As if the dwellers could taste the devilry in the air.

With a lethal swiftness, the group halted at a door of an old tavern. Enthusing apart the two, large, predatory built males, they let the lithely women step over the threshold first, their cloaks rustling after them, before they, themselves, stepped into the tavern.

Dust lay on everything in sight, disgusting a few members of the band. The tavern was empty and ancient, with old Italian profanities that were scratched into the bar, counter and chairs; a remembrance of those who were once at the tavern. But the tavern was in a messy array, with fallen stools and glass sherds covering the floor.

"You'd think they would choose a better place to host the ritual." One woman spoke, her eyes darting across tavern.

"Ay, Cornelia, but then we would not have some rum." A man with broad shoulders and dark, curly hair replied smiling. He was pointing to the bar cabinet which was filled with rum and whiskey; a mischievous glint in his grey eyes.

Cornelia tsked as she slid her finger across the bar counter, collecting a mass of dust. Her snow white hair stood out oddly in the filthy tavern.

A scattering of feet and the beating of wings resounded through the tavern. Each member of the group turned on their heels and rounded on another band of cloaked figures. The only difference between the new figures and the original group was the embroidery on their cloaks, pentagram on their left breast.

The Paricsor of Senex.

"Reid," a member from the original group spoke, his shoulder length hair falling before his golden-green eyes.

"Benoni," Reid replied, titling his head in greeting . There was a sudden chill in the air, freezing everyone on the spot.

Reid cleared his throat before he smiled; showing his fangs, "Let us begin!" he said, throwing up his arms. With that thunder clasped outside, ringing through the tavern. Rain ruthlessly poured from the heavens in such a way, it was as though seeking to wash away the wickedness on earth.

For every soul knows, as sure as there is heaven and hell, wickedness crawls on earth.

Suddenly, a glistening red satanic star shone on the tavern floor -

A lust for power passed through every being in the bar, except the original group.

"We call you, our savior, come to your throne. The Throne of Death."

The Entire tavern shook as each voice raised in crescendo, a red, opaque mist encircled the original group.

"With the blood of the Heirs. The Heirs of Abbadon," with that, one by one the members of the original group stepped on a point on the pentagram.

"I, Benoni of Marcus, call forth on Lucifer. Bind me, your lord; bind me and the beast within," Benoni spoke. His caramel skin stretched over a toned and masculine body, which was hidden under a cloak that now had the hood down.

A sensation passed everyone...a powerful, alluring sensation.

But as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

This time a blonde haired woman spoke, she had an odd, sparkling tattoo with a crescent and a five-cornered star on the base of her throat, "I, Victoria of Cain; call forth on Lucifer. Bind me, your highness; bind me and the magick within."

The same sensation settled again, but like last time it evaporated.

"I, Evert of Sonja, call forth on Lucifer. Bind me, your majesty; bind me and the halves within," Evert, a man with untameable curly, dark hair said, his grey eyes blazing over everyone in the tavern. Something twitched on his back, but he just patted his shoulder; making whatever it was settle down.

Again the sensation began, this time it lingered a little longer, but then like always, it had disappeared.

Cornelia spoke up this time, her voice the most seductive anyone in the room had ever heard and of course, it was to be expected. "I, Cornelia of Aphrodite; call forth on Lucifer. Bind me, your kingship; bind me and the perfection within."

The same mist, same sensation came, except the mist swirled across the tavern; seeping into cloaks and clothes or those present, causing an arousal.

The last person to speak flipped her fiery red hair and gazed at Reid with hatred. He flinched under her green stare, and looked away, ashamed.

"I, Vita of Lilith, call forth on Lucifer. Bind me, your honour; bind me and the wickedness within," With her last words, all abbandon broke loose.

Each Heir left their positions on the pentagram and moved to the frightened band of people near the bar.

"You did not really think we would let the devil come to terra? Would you," Cornelia asked in cold voice. She had to suppress the laughter building up inside from her the look of the members of the Paricsor of Senex.

"I....I, you can't do this! Lucifer will have your blood!" a member of the Paricsor of Senex shrieked, her golden blonde hair masking her angered features.

"We can do whatever we want," Cornelia retorted, her amethyst eyes turning into slits as she began to stalk the woman.

"Don't taunt the mice," Benoni said, smiling widely, "it doesn't do well to play with your food."

Tsking, Cornelia waved off Benoni as she dived for the woman. She missed, shrieking she went for the woman again, only to miss yet again.

"Damn you!" Cornelia yelled, as she staked an Upir that came up behind her. Those godforsaken vampires always went for the obvious kill.

Evert moved lethally in the tavern, stalking a band of hybrids that were backed against the wall; their eyes wide open. Each one of the hybrid’s wings sprouted, the bat-like wings were the aftermath of vampires and lycan’s mating. An abomination of abominations.

"You shame the name of Sonja," one hybrid said, his voice quivering, but his eyes held determination.

That began the anger in Evert as he pulled out the blackened heart of the pitiful hybrid.

"No, you shame her," Evert said quietly, chucking the heart away.

With that, Evert shot to the skies, his wings extending out fully.

Down below, still in the tavern, Victoria was smartly crafting ancient spells. Her hair waived around her Cain Brand, while she threw a Killer Spell at a demon that bared fangs.

The demon flew across the tavern before it hit a wall and slide down; blood trickling down his temple.

Benoni felt a dagger sink into his shoulder blades while he was Forming. Now in his lycanthrope form he growled before leaping on the culprit that struck him.

With black blood oozing from his mouth, Benoni watched as Evert fell into the tavern; his wing hanging by a thread.

Damn it

, he thought, we are being killed off.

Benoni grabbed Victoria's elbow and thrust her through the back door, Cornelia coming up right behind him, Evert flanking his side.

<Move!> He yelled telepathically to them all, <Where's Vita?> He asked, worrying.

They all looked at each other before the heard the scream.

Lucifer have mercy.

The last words hung in the air.

"He’s coming."


~*~

Here comes our doom,
Steadfast and determined

Here comes our doom,
Traversing across the lands

Here comes our doom,
With beauty of a seraphim

Here comes our doom,
To destroy and burn

Here comes our doom,
At a rapid motion.

-
T. Demetrius.


~*~

Publication Date: 12-30-2010

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
The Crown Crew