Immortali: The Rising

Chapter 10-A New Prophecy

Well, it's my birthday again. So, happy birthday to me, and here's my gift to you guys (because I'm feeling nice). Have a good day. 😊

Samael grew impatient. None of his followers, none of his so-called 'brilliant minds' could come up with anything. Anything at all. None of them knew how to approach this new threat, the new dawning. They'd taken everything away from her already.

Her family had been brutally killed. Samael knew that her whole world had fallen apart in that instant, but instead of being her downfall, instead of weakening her like it was supposed to, it was the catalyst of her power. It had made her stronger.

And then there was this Phoenix Girl—a newly initiated Phoenix with incredible abilities. She'd already almost completely killed a pack of his demons.

Somehow, someway... he knew the two were connected. What were the chances that two teenage girls, within a rather close vicinity of each other no less, would Initiate? And that, above all, they'd be in control of some very powerful magic?

He shook his head. He knew it was no coincidence, but if not that, then what? What was their purpose? He knew Raina's, but this Phoenix? What was her role in this?

For a moment, his heart almost skipped a beat.

Could it be possible that... was it even remotely plausible, that the two were meant to find each other? That they were meant to aid each other and destroy him?

Horror chilled his insides and froze his blood.

There was only one way to be certain.

"Syretia," he demanded. In the darkest corner of his lair, a hooded head lifted itself to meet his eyes. "The Prophecy of The Dawn, there was more than the one verse, was there not?"

Syretia glided toward him with unnatural grace. "My Lord." It sounded like an insult. "I believe there was. But... regrettably, Sybella hid the information from us, and even from herself. There is no way of knowing the rest of the Prophecy."

Samael's lip curled in annoyance. "Are you certain? Are you sure there was no one to whom she entrusted the rest of the prophecy to?"

Syretia's face remained unchanged, but she said nothing.

Perhaps because she has nothing to say.

Surprisingly, though, it wasn't Syretia who answered him, it was Apep.

"My Lord," he began. "I believe she did... and I think I know who..."

Samael's eyes widened with interest. "Go on."

"Right before the war began, when Syretia made the prophecy, and I was your double agent in the Circle, I thought... I thought I saw her whisper something to a particular warrior."

"And who was this warrior, pray tell?"

Apep gulped. "It was not one of us. It was a demi-mortal. The warrior was none other than Aelish McKannery."

Samael sat back and considered this. "But... if this is true, then it is useless. Is Aelish McKannery not dead? Long dead, as I recall. Her demi-mortal ancestors, the McKannery Clan, have been a thorn in my side since the war began."

Memories flashed in his mind. Samael didn't take much notice of his mortal enemies, they were like flies to him. But the McKannery Clan...

They were something else.

For demi-mortals, they lived for quite a long time. The average demi-mortal lifespan was anywhere between 2500 to 3000 years. A McKannery usually lived for 4000 to 5000 years.

They were above average. They were special. And they used it against him.

He would never forget the signature wild, red hair. The blazing eyes. He must've seen those eyes in a hundred different shades, from the darkest, obsidian black to the palest of blues. They haunted him.

And then, for a second time in the last five minutes, Samael stilled, shock and fear coursing through him once more.

Raina. Her red hair. Her intense green eyes.

She's a McKannery.

But how? A new McKannery only ever rose to take the place of the old one, as the curse went. And the McKannery were only ever demi-mortals.

"Apep." The double agent looked up. "Who is the current McKannery?"

A look of distaste crossed Apep's face. "You remember Nesryn McKannery?"

"Yes," Samael hissed. She was the one who'd helped the Circle capture and defeat him 10 000 years ago.

"She died three centuries after you were captured, and gave birth to Rhiannon McKannery. 5, 500 years later, Rhiannon McKannery was slaughtered by my own hand, but not before she'd managed to pass the blades to a four-year-old child. That child became Skyler McKannery, the current holder of the blades."

"5, 500 years? She managed to live that long?" He couldn't even keep the surprise out of his voice.

Apep nodded.

"And this... Skyler McKannery, where is she now?"

He saw Apep frown. "She's been rather... quiet since the end of World War II. I don't really know where she's settled..."

Samael felt like rolling his eyes. His followers were useless. Maybe Raina Mads is a descendant of the Mckannery Clan, or maybe it's just a coincidence. Did it matter? Did it change anything?

He considered this.

No, not really.

But... this Skyler McKannery... if Aelish had known the rest of the Prophecy, then does it not stand to reason that she would pass it down to her daughter, and then that daughter to her daughter?

His eyes widened.

The McKannery... they knew. They'd always known. The rest of the Prophecy lived on in them.

So... to find the rest of the Prophecy... find the current McKannery...

"Apep, find me this Skyler McKannery and bring her to me. Do not kill her. She has the information that I need."

Apep stared at him. "Master, you believe she knows the rest of the verses?"

"Indeed, I do. I believe I've worked out Sybella's little ploy. She wouldn't tell an Immortal. We live too long. But a demi-mortal? Someone capable of keeping a secret for a long period of time before passing it on to someone else? That makes it very difficult to keep track of any secret, does it not?" Samael asked, smirking at his own cleverness.

Apep bowed his head, but Samael thought he saw a quiver of defiance and disbelief. The thought made him scowl, but only inwardly.

"Of course, My Lord. I will seek her out and bring her to you," Apep promised.

Samael watched as he scurried out of the room.

He didn't expect Apep to succeed. Apep was good for many things, but the McKannery were mortal. They had their lives to lose, and that made them less careless than Immortals. If they did not want to be found, then they usually weren't.

He looked at Lilith.

The woman held his gaze and nodded. She knew. She understood exactly what he was asking her to do.

And he had complete faith in her ability to do it.