Desires of a Demon

Flutters

"We must go!" Frances said as Emmanuel tried to calm her down.

She was flying around the room, gathering any belongings she could, including her herbs and spices for spells.

"Darling, we can't..."

"Don't!" Frances yelped, "They need me!"

Robert nodded, "We'll have to change these plans around, good sir. She's right—we must go as soon as possible. Your father isn't going to stop there."

"He's going to try and come for you," Reginald told them, "You're safe with us if I can seal you under an invisible guise. It won't hold forever, but it'll get us to the site."

"Frances.."

"Manny, I have to do this. We have to go to them!"

Emmanuel sighed, "Fine—gear up and let's get the hell out of here. No carriage! We'll take the horses and head on as quickly as possible."

He turned to Frances, "But if I see even one time that you or our daughter is in danger, I will have the last say in this. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Frances nodded, giving in, "I don't like it, but I will do this for our child."

As they headed out, one last look at the little home they'd shared got smaller and smaller as they tolled along. Frances's tears slipped down her face as Reginald circled above them and Robert scurried many yards beyond their horses.

"It's going to be alright, Frances.." Emmanuel said as he strolled beside her, "You have been the positive one here, my love. Stay that way. Let me worry."

Frances rubbed her stomach as they rode faster into the woods. She feared what they would find. She could already hear the cries from her coven and it tore her apart.

"Frances, do not place blame on yourself!" Emmanuel called out to her as she pushed forward, driving the horse faster and faster—knowing that she needed to get to the site before more of her sisters were killed.

All around them they could hear the incubi, but Emmanuel couldn't feel his father. He knew Lucien was not going to show himself without backup—he'd rather his children fight and die for him anyway.

As if time stood still, the journey to the site of the bloodshed seemed to take forever.

Once they arrived, Frances dismounted before her horse even came to a full stop, running towards the bodies of the wounded and slain.

"Oh gods!" Frances began administering any type of aid she could to her sisters still alive while Emmanuel checked the others.

Robert scoured the woods as did Reginald who couldn't find Devonia anywhere.

"She's not here," Frances told them, "Josette, Ruth, Frances, Keira...they're all gone!"

"They went after him by themselves!" Emmanuel cursed under his breath as he picked Frances up and pulled her back onto the horse, "We must get to my village!"

Reginald and Robert took care of the wounded and the dead—making sure to perform the proper rituals.

"Oh, Manny!" Frances cried as they raced towards the Badlands, "Please tell me we're going to be alright."

He couldn't anymore—he could simply hope that they would be.

As if the world knew where they were headed, a dark cloud loomed over them as they entered the Badlands.

"I can't believe they'd go off by themselves," Frances whispered, "Without me.."

"They wanted you to live,"Emmanuel told her, "They were probably hoping you'd find out much later."

"But why?"

"The baby.."

She could feel eyes upon them as they inched closer to Emmanuel's village.

"They're watching us," she whispered, "Are we going to be attacked?"

"Stay on the lookout," Emmanuel told her, "Samuel and Thomas are the only two you can trust right now."

"Are you sure?" Frances asked as something nicked her leg, "What the hell?"

"Fuck!" Emmanuel jumped from his horse as Frances slowly slid off of hers and into his arms, "Frances.."

"Something bit me.." Frances said, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as Emmanuel studied her ankle.

"No, something shot a fucking poison arrow at you," Emmanuel growled as he pulled out the arrow and quickly mended the wound, "Heal yourself from the inside, Frances. I don't know what's out here."

He looked around, shielding her as best as he could.

"They're—fighting dirty.." she coughed as Emmanuel lifted her into his arms, heading deeper into the woods and closer to the village.

"We come to talk!" Emmanuel yelled, "Father?! Speak to me or I'll burn the whole fucking village to the ground."

"W-where are my sisters?" Frances looked around, still cradled in Emmanuel's arms as they entered the

Baalgoth Village.

"I don't know," Emmanuel told her, "They have been here, I am sure of it."

There was some commotion ahead and Emmanuel stopped in his tracks, holding Frances closer to him.

"Who goes there?!"

"It's just us, brother!" Samuel said as he and Thomas stepped out of the shadows, "Father is waiting, but I guess his little army started early. Is she healing?"

Frances nodded, "Slowly, but surely."

Thomas smiled, "Get her into the cottage over there and let her rest—we'll put a plan together."

"What about my sisters?"

"We saw them earlier, but they seemed to have either moved on or Father took them," Samuel said, "We're not too sure."

A sharp pain ripped through Frances's stomach and she cried out in pain.

"Is it your wound?" Emmanuel asked, placing her on a nearby cot as they entered the cottage.

"No, it's the baby.." Frances shivered.

"Baby.." Thomas whirled around as he headed back over with a warm cloth and some salve, "Are you sure it's a baby? My brother's baby?"

Emmanuel scowled, "Of course it's mine."

Samuel smiled, "Well, we've definitely got something worth fighting for now."