Inferno
She woke up, eyes squinting against the bright blue sky. She took in a deep breath, and realized there was an unfamiliar sensation in her body: a lack of pain.
She sprawled her hands onto the grass beneath her and pushed herself into a sitting position. Her body was covered by a flowing white dress. She scowled. Who the hell dressed her?
Then, off to the distance, she heard what sounded like a violent fight. To her dismay, her hand encountered empty spaces on her body that were usually occupied by a diverse selection of weapons.
"Finally, girl, you awaken."
Inferno shot to her feet when she saw the woman flying above her body. She was completely dumbfounded when she got a good look at her. It was as though she was gazing into a mirror, expect this woman had a brilliant pair of wings.
Inferno was envious. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"I am your salvation, and I've taken you to my world, the world of the ancients, where legends rest their eternal rest."
Inferno gazed around at the forestry. "Salvation? World of the ancients?"
She floated down toward the ground. Her bare feet made contact gracefully. This woman nodded. "Think of this place as a spiritual dimension instead of a physical one."
"So, it's all in my head."
She pursed her lips. "In a way, yes."
"Why would you bring me here?"
"The devils who began your torture have many more allies than I anticipated. They've put you and your beastly man into a slumber which cannot be broken. I have tried several times to combat this spell, but I cannot. Do not fear, I will eliminate the Paramount."
"No!" Inferno shouted, taking a warrior's stance. "You will not hurt her."
The woman frowned in confusion. "You defend the one who has caused you all this anguish."
"I died for her," Inferno explained, "and I brought this upon myself."
"Yet she so selfishly and foolishly stole your death without so much as considering the consequences!" The woman hissed.
"Don't talk about her like that!" Inferno snapped. "She did what she did out of love, and it was me who decided to run away. She would have hunted me down had she truly known what was causing this. She didn't know."
"I have come to rid you of this pain," she replied, "I cannot depart without eliminating this threat."
"Look at me!" Inferno shouted.
She did.
Inferno paused and really thought about it. "You're the reason for these strange transitions. Wait. Are you possessing me?"
Her spine straightened. "I am simply doing what I must to protect you. I have seen the countless of times those around you have failed you. I will not fail you."
Inferno suddenly felt warmth in her heart toward the woman, something she wasn't expecting in the slightest. "You've been trying to stop this pain the whole time, haven't you?"
"Inferno, I am long gone from this world, yet your cries reached me. I could not ignore them. Do you understand now why I am doing this, child?"
Inferno nodded. "I still can't let you kill her. I would rather die than hurt another strand of hair on that perfect head of hers. You'll have to take me down first."
The woman was confused again. "Don't you value your own protection above all else?"
Inferno laughed, but it was dry and humorless. "The old Inferno would have said 'abso-fucking-lutely', but in this last year, I've changed so much, I couldn't even tell you how much."
The woman took a step back. "You wish for this woman to live on?"
Inferno nodded at her. "Yes. Now, will you please stop trying to kill her?"
The woman huffed out a breath. "There must be someone you wish for me to kill?"
"Trust me, if there's someone I want dead, I won't need you to do it for me."
"What of the creature residing in your mate? I could perhaps try to slay it."
Inferno was brought back into focus and realized that it was them engaged in the fight off to the distance. For whatever reason, she knew it was a fight for ultimate control. Fair or not, she'd ensure that he came out a victor.
When she entered the clearing, she was shocked into a brief silence.
Rouhem was bloodied, with exhaustion raining upon him like a treacherous storm. He shouted at the top of his lungs, spraying blood on the face of the beast. It's blackened skin swirled with wisps of gold and shadowy smoke. Its yellow eyes glistened with untamed malice, targeted straight at the love of her life.
Hell no.
While she was completely unarmed, this didn't prevent her from shouting, "hey!" at the scene before her.
"Inferno! Get out of here!" He shouted as the beast snapped its eyes in her direction. While Rouhem had warned her, she still couldn't quite comprehend the obsession and adoration that immediately erupted in its gaze.
"Why are you fighting."
While the creature didn't once move its jaw, she heard its voice anyway. "Control." It disregarded Rouhem, tossing him to the ground.
Right as it was about to dart in her direction, Rouhem threw his mangled body at the beast. Inferno gasped in fear, sensing that he was near the end of his energy supply.
"Shall I kill them both?" The ancient pixie asked as she landed beside Inferno.
Inferno was a little too occupied to indulge on this ancient woman's fantasies. Without much thought—not that she had much experience with this process to begin with—Inferno swiped a blade of the other pixie's body and held it firmly against her own throat. "Hey!" She snapped, finally getting the beast's attention once more. "Get away from him or I'll slice my neck from end to end."
"What are you doing!" The ancient woman demanded.
"Inferno, stop!" Rouhem shouted desperately, holding on to the beast.
"I've had it with this shit!" She yelled at no one in particular. "I'm done. You!" She pointed at the beast. "Do as I say, you know that I'm not bluffing." She hoped she meant as much as she thought she did to this demon.
The beast surprisingly did as instructed, awaiting her next command. Surely it couldn't have been that easy?
"I'm not sure if you can speak, but I want to know why you've been plaguing my mates bloodline for so long."
There was that voice again. Search.
"For?"
You.
"Why would you search for me? I've never met you before meeting Rouhem."
My love was stolen. The pixie. You.
"You've killed thousands of people and ruined the lives of others because you were looking for some woman who may or may not be me?"
I have found you. You are mine! He snarled, practically beating its chest. And my body belongs to you only. Those before gave my soul unto others through lustful activity. Please forgive me. It fell to its knees before her feet.
She wanted to snap that she belonged to herself, and maybe a little bit to Rouhem, but that was it. Instead, she breathed in calmly. "How do you know I am the right woman?"
Could never forget. My Ella.
"Phelan?"
The beast looked at the ancient woman who called out the name. It shook its head in denial.
"It couldn't be," the ancient pixie muttered, "my Phelan is gone."
"Do you two know each other?" Of course, she went ignored.
"What have you done to yourself!" The woman screamed as tears ran down her cheeks within seconds of the revelation she had clearly just come to. "What have you become!"
The beast looked between Inferno and the ancient woman, disbelief obvious.
"Ella," the woman whispered, kneeling before the creature. "It's me, Ella. I'm here."
The creature moaned in pain, immediately leaning into her. The ancient one, whose name was apparently Ella, took the creature into her arms. "I'm sorry, I thought, but I doubted. I can't even recognize you. I'm so sorry, Phelan. Look at what time has done to you."
Inferno was dumbfounded. "So he's not obsessed with me?" Why was she a little disappointed?
"My occupation of your body confused my mate. God, Phelan, after all these centuries, I thought you had died in battle! I couldn't feel you anymore... I could only assume, please forgive me. I should have never given up on you." The creature nestled against the woman.
Rouhem groaned in the background. "Am I missing something?"
Inferno ran to him without another word. They tumbled to the floor. "I'll kill him for what he did, the bastard," she gritted between her teeth, checking his gaping wounds.
"What the fuck is going on, Inferno?"
She shook her head. "No fucking clue. But clearly we are no longer needed. Hey!" She called out to the couple. "Can you leave me and my mate alone now?"
The other pixie didn't once take her eyes off the creature. "Yes, of course, but for the separation of souls, we will need the help of the man who has put us to sleep."
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," Inferno groaned. "So, what, we just wait for him to wake us back up?"
"I had planned to leave you as soon as you were cured, among other things that I had planned. Now that it is I who lingers, it is now I who endangers you. You don't have much time now, and there is no line of communication that could possibly be opened. We made need to take drastic action." Inferno was having trouble absorbing all she was saying.
"I mean, why can't you detach yourself from me now?"
"Well I assume you want both of us to detach ourselves, but we cannot do that in this realm. We'd risk trapping your souls here by exposing them. Right now, you are present only through consciousness."
"What do you mean by drastic action?" Rouhem finally spoke up.
Ella had a wary look to her face. "It's in our favor that you are fated."
"Because?"
"Seeing this will evoke Phelan's power."
Inferno saw the flash of silver for a quick moment. Then, she felt the blades swipe across her neck. She had no time to react, only to go limp and race to meet the ground. Rouhem's scream rose above the blood rushing through her ears. He caught her, allowing her to lay back as gently as he could while in such a shocked state. "What the fuck have you done?" He roared at Ella as she stood there with a determined look on her face.
_________________________________________________-
When her eyes opened again, she couldn't hear anything. It was silent, even though she knew things were not so.
If she were God, she'd guess that this was the view they would have. She was floating, looking in on a scene that she could not personally experience for whatever reason. For a moment, she was an outsider, a stranger with a camera looking in on an even stranger situation.
Everything was slowed down to a pace abnormal to what she was used to. Time moved sluggishly so that she could examine as everyone worked together to rid Inferno and Rouhem of their demons.
They were back in the bedroom. She couldn't believe it as she watched herself in the middle of all the chaos.
She was kneeling on the bed, head leaned back with her mouth opened wide. Inferno could only imagine what it sounded like, thought felt it deep in her soul.
In front stood Clear, who had one hand directed at the Inferno in bed and the other at Rouhem. From both of their chests sprung separate beings: Ella and Phelan. It was like they were being ripped out.
"So this is what an exorcism looks like, huh?" Inferno asked herself, watching with fascination.
This might have been narcissistic, but she couldn't stop looking at herself, the version that she was watching from afar. She looked so different, so exhausted and so close to death. She was as pale as a ghost, black veins running all throughout the surface of her skin, taunting her constantly with promises of pain and death.
Is this it? She wondered. Will I finally be free of this death sentence? God, she hoped so.
She shut her eyes and squeezed them tightly, willing herself to live, for herself, and for her love, Rouhem.
Then, it was like breath had finally entered her body. Distant shouting registered, echoing in the darkness of her mind, like a spell, beckoning her into the present, where she belonged and wished to stay.
Don't give up.
Fight!
It was Rouhem. Annika. Soren. Clear. Her mother. Her father. It was everyone, chanting, putting all of their energy, love, and faith into her, begging her to stay so that maybe she can be the soulmate, friend, sister, and daughter they all needed badly in their life.
They needed her as much as she needed them. And nothing would stop her. Not Charles. Not some stupid fucking incompatibility of energies. Nothing would ever keep her away from the love and family she deserved. So, she would fight with every bit of strength left in her soul to expel from herself the fear and sickness and anything else that threatened to rob her of the happiness she damn-well earned.
"Thank you, but please," she whispered, "go." Seconds after those words exited past her lips, she was yanked downward, towards herself, and when she made contact, her point of view instantly shifted. She fell backward, landing on the comforter. The breath left her body only for her to gasp, seeking life before I attempted to leave again.
"Get the physician!" She heard her mother scream.
Inferno willfully closed her eyes, trusting that it was slumber that embraced her and not death.
Rouhem
"If I would have known how bad it was, I would have come sooner."
Rouhem looked over at his brother. Brexon's hair was long, though combed back neatly from his forehead. He had grown his beard in fully, and it was clipped as neatly as possible. He had stress lines in his face, most likely due to his little brother. "Yeah," he sarcastically responded. "It's not like you have a country to run or anything like that."
"I can afford a few days more before my return is necessary."
"Khotaline taking care of things for now?"
Brexon nodded, briefly looking up, which he did often, like he was looking up at his thoughts. Rouhem wished he could see them too. "For now. So, tell me, brother, how are you feeling? You look well enough. I was expecting skin and bones."
Rouhem was thick in more ways than one, with a constant sheen to his skin. "I'm drained, Brexon. I'm worried for Inferno, she still hasn't awoken. I just want to take her home."
"I understand, will you have your union in Soul?"
"As soon as she awakens, I assume."
"Will she go willingly?"
Rouhem smiled. "You've missed much, brother. The pixie is obsessed with me."
Brexon never snorted, but in that moment, he did, surprising the hell out of Rouhem. "Is that so? Doubtful."
Rouhem felt like stomping his foot. "I'll have you know, Inferno loves me."
Brexon folded his arms. "And has she declared this undying adoration for you?"
Rouhem opened his mouth and nothing came out. "Well," he grumbled, "I'm ninety-five percent certain, anyway."
It was Brexon who smiled this time. "Relax, I know."
"And how's that?"
"She hasn't killed you after all this time."
"I see who inherited all the brains."
Rouhem sprung up. He twisted to see the beauty herself, who was being held up by two brothers. In silence, he raced for her, being gentle and swift at the same time so that he could have her in his arms.
"Easy!" She hissed, though her eyes were alight in a way he never thought he'd see again.
"Why are you out of bed?" He scolded her, finally letting her feet touch the ground. She was holding onto him tightly, just how he liked it. He also noticed that her eyes were orange once more, and her features had softened back into the face he had first encountered.
Her eyebrows scrunched up. "You're the one who left. I wake up, confused out of my mind. I look to my left, then to my right. Rouhem is no where to be found. Then, I come out here to see you spreading rumors about me."
Rouhem sighed at his dramatic mate. "Is this the part where I apologize?" He didn't care how soft he sounded, he was just grateful to look in her eyes once more.
She grinned. "I was thinking more along the lines of begging for forgiveness-"
He couldn't help himself and connected their lips. They were soft and warm, smooth against his as he kissed her shamelessly, uncaring that they were surrounded by multiple people, some of them being her very tall and very dangerous brothers.
She pulled back. "Missed me?"
Rouhem nodded. "Too much."
"I think I'm gonna puke," Kittrix muttered to Ira.
Rouhem lifted his head to see that her entire family had accompanied her to the gardens. "I didn't realize you had arrived," he addressed the rest of them.
Her parents were arm and arm. "Yes, well," Aine began, "after being ditched on a mountain, it took us a bit to get to Might Empire."
Rouhem felt a little bit of guilt in his heart for leaving his in-laws behind. "I apologize about that, but I'm sure you understand that we were on a time limit. We trusted that you could take care of yourselves."
"We're just glad that she's well again," Jameson spoke up, "both of you."
Rouhem couldn't help but feel warmth at the genuine response.
"It's not that I'm not overjoyed to not be possessed anymore," Inferno spoke up, "but if anyone can cure the cluelessness I am currently experiencing, I'd really appreciate it."
"I second that," Rouhem agreed with Inferno.
"I believe I can help with that," another voice behind the group of gathered people. Rob Lee walked up, keeping a respectful distance away. "After a thorough search of all pixie archives, I came upon nothing. Then, in a dream, the answers came rushing through. With the help of your brothers, we located a long-forgotten location which contained many artifacts and written accounts that documented the life of the creatures I believe possessed you and your mate."
"While you were out, I was able to digitize some of the things we found," Kittirx added, "If you don't mind meeting in the library, I can give the presentation I spent all night prepping for." he was beaming with a red tint to his cheeks. He was clearly in his element. And Rob Lee was far more reserved, but his enthusiasm remained evident in his brown eyes.
***************************************************
Rouhem looked down at her as she laid sprawled across his lap. He was sitting up, feet planted firm, his left arm resting against the back and the other set against her head, which was laying against the right arm of the chair. Occasionally, he'd give her scalp a good rub, giving half of his attention to her and the other to Kittrix. This meant that he was only catching half of his words and pictures.
His eyes wandered toward her. She was looking up blankly at the ceiling. For a moment, it was like she was the only one in the room. Not even Rouhem was there. Inferno was just floating, burning the air around her as her own thoughts simply existed. There was no meaning, only feeling, the kind that was evanescent yet left behind a lasting echo that haunted worse that any regret. Relief. A great, rampant rage. Hope. Distress. So much hidden and bleeding from one, single creature.
Those orange eyes met his as he used them to study her, having recalled his presence once more. He felt embarrassed, as though he had been caught intruding on her privacy, but her unexpected but soft smile dissipated all of those dubious, inward reactions. A playful suspicion tightened her lips and she squinted at him like a disapproving mother.
Rouhem looked back up at Kittrix who had not once lost momentum. He must have enjoyed have an audience for once, even if some of them weren't really paying any mind.
He pressed a button on his device, causing the slide show to come to a page, which read, 'The End'.
Kittrix beamed at everyone around him, smoothing down his iconic mustache—as if it were ever possible for one strand to be out of order. "In conclusion, this Ella girl thought her mate, Phelan, was dead, but he was really hunting for her through his descendants, AKA Animal Kingdom bloodline. As we all know, that didn't go too well. But obviously after they rediscovered each other in this different dimension that I am currently highly interested in, it made the 'exorcism' much more possible and successful."
"Great job!" Micah spoke up, "Pero, tengo hambre. Listening to your hour-long lecture has put a fierce hunger in my belly!"
"Agreed," Annika spoke up, "dinner will be served soon."
Everyone practically ran out of there, leaving Kittrix and his assistant Rob Lee in the dirt.
Inferno got up, and Rouhem immediately missed her weight on him. Oh yeah, he definitely had attachment issues already.
"Inferno?" Rouhem looked in the direction of Aine. Jameson was near, always offering support to his wife.
He stood beside his crazy pixie. She crossed her arms but her voice lacked any kind of attitude. "Yes?"
"Can we talk?"
Rouhem looked in between his mate and her parents.
Nice timing.
Black Lives Matter.