Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (91 page)

“Enjoy Hell Vermin!” He said through the deadly smile on his lips...Oh yes he was most definitely enjoying this. Morgan was suspended onto the wall behind, as the large knife went straight through to the wood. He spluttered out blood and I couldn't believe my ears when I heard laughter come from his blood soaked lips. He turned to me and looked me straight in the eye.

“I will be seeing you soon Catherine!” And those were his last words before the life left his body completely. Draven got angry at this and ripped the knife from his chest and as his lifeless body crumpled to the floor he kicked it, as if it had been a dead animal! 

“CORPUS VILE!”
Draven shouted at his victim (Means “Worthless body” in Latin) He then came over to me but I was still shaking from what I had just witnessed, so when his hands touched me, I jumped and let out a shriek.

“Ssshh, its ok Keira, I won't hurt you...I'm sorry you had to see that.” He said softly. His hands gripped round my waist and for the first time tonight it felt good, now I was finally in the right hands. He lifted me up gently as if I was going to crack and fly away like dust. He lifted me over the hook and set me down clearing any debris before my feet touched the floor. His hand stroked my hot face and he shook his head at the state I was in.

“Keira, tell me you are alright...tell me... are you in pain?” He asked through closed eyes and gritted teeth. He looked as though he would soon lose his last thread of what sanity he had left. Then his eyes suddenly flashed open and he scanned my face then the blood on my arm.

“I'm ok, but my wrists,” I said I as I held them out for him to see. He looked at the bonds tearing my skin and then he pulled them off gently as he growled at the indents they had made. He tossed the blood stained rope to one side as I winced at the pain.

“I'm sorry...I was so stupid…I thought…I believed...” I started to sob but he
placed his hands on my cheeks, once again making them cool. He wiped my tears and smudged eyes with his thumbs and then pulled me into him to hold me safely in an embrace.

“Ssshh...You’re safe now, I have got you...I won't lose you... not again, not ever!” His voice was full of hard emotion and I could feel his muscles flex under my arms I had wrapped around his waist. Then they went harder still, like granite, as he heard his enemy calling him out.

“OH DRAVEN!
Time to come out and play!!!!”
Sammael's voice echoed around the trees and bounced off the canyon wall. Draven let out a growl that sounded deadly to the core. He still had me in his arms like my dark protector.

“Keira, stay here
” He ordered but I held onto him and for the first time touched his wings, which were surprisingly much softer than they looked.

“Draven don't, it's a trap! There is more than just him out there...I heard him talking about others and he also said something about Afterlife.” I said shaking my head and gripping on to him so tightly, as if I never wanted to let go.

“Keira, listen to me, I have dealt with his kind before, do not fear for me but you must stay hidden. Ava is outside, when I leave here I want you to run over to her, she will keep you safe...do not move Keira...you understand?” He said, fully aware that I was no longer to be trusted with my own decisions and rightly so...just look where they had got me.

“NO you can't go...please don't leave me!” I begged, wrapping my arms around his neck and trying in vain to hold on. He looked down at me and wiped the tears from my frightened face.

“Keira, do you trust me?” His eyes flicked back to their calmer purple and I think this was for my benefit.

“Yes...but...” He kissed me softly before I could finish, filling my mind with ease. I didn't even notice when he had lifted my arms above his head freeing himself from my hopeless hold. He turned me round showing me where Ava would be waiting.

“Run to her Keira, run and don't look back. This is something you will not want to see!” He said with the flames reigniting in his eyes as he was now leaving me to face his enemy. He walked out of the ruined cabin and went around the side to where Sammael's voice came from. As soon as he was out of sight I made a run for it, to where I could see Ava's shadow waiting for me. I tried to run as quickly as I could but I had to dodge around the rubble on the forest floor, so it took me longer than expected.

She was positioned opposite the cabin at the end of the clearing and when I finally reached her, she wanted me to follow her into the thickness of the forest but I couldn't move. I could hear Draven's and Sammael's voices clearly, which made me stop in my tracks. I couldn’t leave him.

I hid out of sight as Draven had told me to, but I couldn't help but watch, going against what he had asked. They both stood at the side of the cabin and Sammael had his back to the cliff's edge and I found myself hoping he would just step too far and fall.

“It has been far too long My Lord!” Sammael said as if this was only going to be
a peaceful meeting between colleagues.

“Not long enough it seems, you’re back for another lesson, seeing as my last one didn't get through!” Draven said in an amused tone, it was almost like he was going to enjoy this. He was stood opposite Sammael and I had a clear view of them both from the tree I was glued against. Ava was nudging me again but there was no way that I was moving from this spot, not until I knew Draven had safely beaten him back to hell!

“What, this time no guard, no council and of course, no Vincent to back you up!” Sammael's bloody teeth snapped together at his pleasure.

“You are distinctly mistaken if you believe I would need anyone else to aid me in crushing your soul and sending it back to the underworld,” Draven said with an arrogant smile on his lips.

“Ah well in that case let me introduce you to some of my friends...they’re just
dying
to meet you!” Sammael let out a roar into the night and I could see the mist of black tar flow out of his mouth as if releasing an infection into the atmosphere. Then the ground started to vibrate as though something was trying to crawl its way through. I backed up closer to the tree and gripped tightly to the bark. I could hear noises from the cliff face as if there were hundreds of creatures scratching their way to the top making their claws hit the rock like nails on a chalkboard.

The noise made me put my hands over my ears as they now erupted into a high pitched shrieking. Ava responded, making her own ear piercing sound. I wanted to stroke her, comfort her, but one look at her in her demon form and I chickened out. For one thing, all her feathers had been replaced by cooled volcanic rock, black and splitting at the wings. Red embers glowed beneath like a raw energy breaking free. Her beak and claws had grown to even deadlier proportions and the moonlight glinted off the razor edges. No...I don't think stroking was a good idea!  

Then I saw the creatures as they emerged from over the side, like a swarm of broken people. They were like tortured bodies with eyes that had been torn out leaving gaping bleeding holes and the rest of their faces were all locked jaws of huge teeth. Their skin wrinkled and split at the folds
making it
look red raw. They crawled closer to Draven, advancing on the forest floor, their limbs moving independently from the sockets that held them. Their heads rotated all the way around like demon owls and they made the most disturbing noise, like a giant cricket or as though their bones were cracking under each movement.

“Is this the best you could do Sammael... Gorgan Leeches?” Draven said
,
looking unimpressed and he repositioned himself accordingly, ready for the swarm crawling his way. I held my breath as these gruesome creatures scratched their way closer to the man I loved and I couldn't understand why he hadn't brought anyone else to help him. Well, it seemed I was about to get my answer as the first wave got within range.

Draven's body erupted into flames and he used it against the parasites around his feet setting them alight. They squirmed around and their high pitch squealing got deeper and sounded more like howls of pain. Then the flames erupted from his hands coming out in streams, hitting the ones further away, torching their bodies. When every creature was alight he pounded his fiery fist to the ground making it crack and
open up as once again the earth shook. This seemed to release lava like hands from the ground as if the tortured souls of hell had come to drag the flaming creatures back down to where they belonged.

The hands grasped at the scorched limbs, tearing them from their bodies and the forest was filled by the cries of pain and snapping of bone. I felt sick at the sight of hands full of flesh and body parts being ripped apart by hell itself.  

The last wave of leeches were coming over the cliff and seeing this massacre they took a different approach spreading out from all angles. These were slightly different looking as their bodies were harder, like frozen, blistered stone with blue light coming from their eyes and chapped limbs. It was like the first wave had been the fire and now it was time for the ice!

Draven's body changed at the sight, turning from red flames to a bluish colour. He then let out an almighty cry into the night making his body quiver and his flaming wings open up to their full span. At first I thought Sammael must have done something to him and I nearly ran over but then his cry turned into a roar and his head was back looking up in the sky. The clear night changed quickly, as it was now darkened with thunderous clouds making me jump at each crack of lightening that lit up the forest.

Then I couldn't help but cry out when Draven was struck by
lightening
, making the flames around his body turn into electricity that travelled around the skin where it belonged. He then used this as he had done the fire. He shot it outwards picking off each creature in sight. One had crawled onto the side of the log cabin wall and I didn't think he was going to see it as he was facing the other way.

It got closer and leaped out at him with its razor teeth that looked like deadly icicles. It leapt off the wall and landed on him, sinking its teeth deep into his flesh. This however had no effect, as soon as its body made contact it
spasmed
turning into a black charred corpse. This was then taken away by the wind that Draven also controlled, taking the rest of the black lifeless bodies with it. They looked like soot floating away into the stormy night that was now calming down. The clouds also started to evaporate taking the remains with them and now all that was left were the two to battle it out.

“Well Sammael, I have to say that was a little disappointing, I would have thought years of solitude would have taught you more than mere parlour tricks!” Draven said resuming his normal purple energy and his wings went back into their folded, interlocked position.

“Come, come, now Draven...that was just foreplay.” Sammael replied, as it was now his time to get ready. His clawed wings opened up from around him and shockingly revealed a muscular body under his withered skin. He didn't look as weak as he first appeared to be and now it looked as though the same power was coursing through his body. Only his was a clear light that was fighting against the hellish red veins that were trying to take over. I put this down to him once being a servant of God who had turned evil for his own powerful gain. 

His body started to shake as if trying to control the energy that was building up from his heart. You could see his veins filled with the two liquids that were trying to mix as they moved to his outstretched hand. It was producing a long staff, growing as
his power was adding to its size. It was three inches thick and was covered in symbols that glowed with the same energy. It looked alive and for all I knew it was part of him.

At this Draven flamed purple and held both hands out at his sides. I then watched as his power erupted from him, producing weapons of his own. Of
of
the two, Draven was hands down more equipped as he held two massive swords that also looked as if they were part of his body. They came from his arms and grew until they were near the floor. He reminded me of a samurai warrior about to go up against a warlock. My heart was going crazy at the sight, as a human that has spent more years than not seeing the unbelievable...well this was just something else! I didn't want to believe it was real.

Ava had given up trying to get me to follow her as there was no way I was going to miss this. My eyes were glued to the two glowing figures as they moved around each other, as if calculating where to start. Then I knew it would be soon as Sammael spoke in what sounded like Latin and Draven's response sounded deadly. 

“Ego
te
provoco
!”
( Means
“I provoke you, Used as a challenge, "I dare you" in Latin) Draven growled out which forced Sammael to make the first move,
lunging
his huge staff towards Draven's head. But Draven was quicker than my eyes could take in and before I knew it he was behind Sammael, taking his own shots. Draven was graceful and moved like a well choreographed fighter. Sammael was heavy handed and swung his staff around above his head making it come crashing down aiming for his opponent. Of course by the time it came down it would only make contact with the ground forming a crater from its impact. Then they seemed to change tactics as now they were fighting at a closer range, making their weapons clash as they connected with each other. Sparks of energy flew out into the dark making it appear as a deadly light show.