Helen looked at Hazel who was on the edge of a blind rage so much so when Xara lunged at the pair Hazel didn’t bother trying to defend herself. Helen kicked the demons in the stomach using blood the strengthen the blow. The demon stumbled backwards her wicked claw attack disrupted. Hazel leapt at Xara her claw sweeping across the demon’s chest. Black ichor sprayed the floor and stained Hazel’s silver fur. Once again Xara swept her claws towards Hazel but Helen turned the blow away with a deft parry of her Atlantean Sword.

“Hazel what are you doing those claws are silver!”

Hazel ignored her sister and grabbed Xara’s wings and started to rip and tear but found she wasn’t strong enough to rip them off so she ended up spinning the demon in a circle forcing Helen to duck to avoid getting knocked down a couple times and finally roll away. Hazel released and sent Xara flying. The demon crashed into the stone wall of the keep sending several of the bricks flying. Hazel smashed through the wall after her still seeming to care nothing for her own safety. She lept onto Xara and started pounding the demon’s face into the floor yelling at her the whole time in broken English.

“Where is Tekanon?”

Again and again, she pummeled Xara. Her fists turning the demon’s body and face into a black mass of demonic flesh, bone and ichor. Helen finally pulled her off the demon who hadn’t dissipated as expected. Hazel growled at her. Helen held her sister back.

“Enough! She’s done.”

Hazel was shaking in her rage. She stared at Xara.

“Where is Tekanon?”

Helen looked up at her sister straining to hold her back from further abusing the apparently dead demon.

“Who is Tekanon?”

“Someone who needs to die!”

Xara lept up suddenly even as broken as she was still ready to fight. Her claws extended in front of her. Helen lost her grip on Hazel who had suddenly shifted to her human form and swept the demonic blade she’d stolen from her mother’s pack in an arc lopping Xara’s mashed head off her shoulders. Xara screamed as her body began to disintegrate. There would be no coming back from the cut of that blade. Helen stumbled backwards having had to duck to avoid the sweeping sword.

“What the hell Hazel? You almost took my head off! Poking at each other is one thing but you are crazy!”

Hazel held the blade with two hands her whole body was still vibrating as she stared at the rapidly disintegrating corpse of Xara. Helen’s words were falling on deaf ears. Helen shook her sister.

“Hazel! Snap out of it.”

Hazel’s eyes suddenly snapped to Helen. Helen put her hands on her sister’s cheeks.

“Hazel come back to me. Mom needs our help now. Whoever Tekanon is, he’s not here.”

*****

Abaddon who was second only to Lucifer in the ranks of the fallen suddenly saw his assured victory melting away as he was blasted away from what he thought was Lilith’s daughter by a beam of light from the staff of the universe. Instead it was a face he hadn’t see since he had waged war on Heaven. It was the Fallen’s most hated enemy. The one who imprisoned them. The one who none were a match for one on one. He was thankful he had his vampire army with him.

Safa hid under a table but she along with every non-angel present were staring at the six foot something angel with glowing hair and eyes. There was no doubt once they looked upon a true divine being that Abaddon was a hollow mockery of one. Abaddon tried to get up and Enid, or Seraph as she was now hit him hard across cheek with her staff causing blood to spray out of his mouth. Abaddon tried to drag himself away from Seraph but the blast from the staff had left him weakened for the time being. Seraph leaned down and grabbed him by the throat much like he had grabbed her mortal mask she held him aloft. He looked to his vampire minions.

“What are you doing get her!”

The vampires did not look like they were about to challenge a being of light. It was as she had assumed. They would be more worried about their own skin. Most had let their mortal prisoners loose in some last grasp at some bit of mercy. They were cowering. Seraph yelled.

“Mortals shield your eyes and turn away or you will be blinded.”

Seraph sneered at Abaddon.

“Watch and despair as all you have built crumbles to ash.”

Safa listened and turned away all the mortals did. Several vampires did as well but it would do them no good. Seraph began to glow around her chest and as it spread over her body she turned into a micro sun. Streamers of superheated plasma started to whip out of her now spherical form. Abaddon was released and managed to get away, but it was too late to save him from injury. His wings were burned stubs and the flesh on his chest face and back was blackened and seared. The vampires were powerless as the hated sun that would burn them to ash had come into existence at the center of the room. There was no shelter and no mercy from it. Each burst into flames and crumbled to ash. Enid collapsed on the ground her armor protecting her from the searing rock she crawled out of the slagged ground. And collapsed on her back. The full force of the injuries inflicted by Abaddon crashed down on her.

She motioned to the mortals and yelled.

“Go! As soon as the door opens flee!”

Enid tried to pull herself up but found she could not. Her breathing was labored. As she predicted several of her ribs were broken even with the Atlantean armor’s protection. Safa wasn’t moving she was just clutching her feather and staring at Enid.

“Safa go! He’s not dead yet.”

One of the men who was near Safa seemed to understand Enid’s fear and scooped up the teenage girl and carried her to the doors. Which soon swung open. Abaddon had recovered by now. He was towering above her. Though his wings were still charred stubs his flesh was healed. She saw a bulge forming in the remnants of his leather pants. He apparently was ready to go through with his earlier threats and seemed far more eager to repay the suffering of endless imprisonment on his warden.

“How low you’ve come. Shackled to a weak mortal body.”

Enid pulled out a blessed 29th century grenade. There was enough destructive power in it to level the keep if she set the yield high enough which she started to do on her by tapping commands into the HUD provided by her contacts. She grinned at Abaddon showing off her blood covered teeth from coughed up blood. Her hand inching towards the button to trigger the detonation sequence of that would obliterate both of them. She stopped when she saw a shimmer behind Abaddon and started to laugh so much she coughed up another gout of blood. Abaddon reached down towards her hair. Enid just laughed harder as Helen and Hazel, who was once again in her half-wolf form shimmered into existence behind him.

“You are insane! All of your power and you failed and you still laugh at me? You are nothing but a mortal.”

She coughed up more blood and shook her head.

“I may be mortal, but my daughters are not.”

He blinked at her and released her hair and spun around. It was too late he got a chest full of werewolf talons which caused his flesh to sizzle. He lost his guise of angelic divinity and his form twisted and shifted into a dragon-like beast with four sets of snapping jaws and four clawed hands. He was taller than Hazel and had a longer reach. His sudden shift caught her by surprise, and he managed to claw her chest. Then he bit into her shoulder and spun her around flinging her into one of the pillars smashing the marble and stone. Hazel slid across the floor until she hit the wall. Helen used the opportunity to stab him in the back with her Atlantean sword he howled as it seared his flesh with a flash of blue light. Hazel was already bounding towards him again. The injuries he had inflicted on her seemed but a nuisance in her rage. Enid quickly reduced the yield on the grenade and held it up. Hazel slowed in her approach skidding and held out her taloned hand. Enid tossed it to her. Helen pulled her blade free and rolled through Abaddon’s legs. Then to the side as he tried to swat at her.

“Stop squirming vampire! You betrayed me and you will suffer!”

“I don’t think it hurt me to smile so much since I was pretending to be happy about cleaning up my lady’s chamber pot.”

He roared at her and completely left himself open to a swipe from behind from Hazel. His dragon like wings were just starting to heal but now they were shredded by her talons. He spun around to retaliate. Helen stabbed him in the back again causing another flare of blue light. He tried to turn to face Helen but she held him there forcing blood to her muscles to match his strength. He howled with rage and with one of his massive mouths wide open Hazel pressed the button to start the detonation sequence, threw the grenade into his mouth and dove to shelter her mother’s broken form. Helen seeing Hazel’s reaction pushed more blood to her muscles to make herself faster and got behind a upturned table and pillar. Abaddon gave a guttural laugh.

“More mortal trinkets!”

There was a sudden flash of light and when the trio’s vision cleared there was nothing left of Abaddon and there was a crater in the solid rock beneath the finished floor. Hazel moved off her of her mother and shook her self spraying the once beautiful marble floor with Abaddon remnants and shifted down to her human shape. Most of the injuries he’d inflicted already somewhat healed. Helen looked between the two.

“What was that?”

Enid glanced up at Hazel.

“Hazel would call it a holy hand grenade.”

Hazel started to snicker then it turned into outright belly laughs. Enid started chuckling as well then laughed so hard she started coughing up blood again. Her lungs were seriously messed up. Hopefully she would be able to turn into her angelic form again soon. Hazel rushed to her mothers side again and held her up right.

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“Mom are you alright?”

Enid coughed some more and shook her head.

“Of course, I’m not alright. He beat the shit out of me with superstrength.”

Hazel scooped Enid up in her arms gently. Helen looked up at her sister.

“I still don’t get it, what is a holy hand grenade? There seemed to be nothing holy about it! That was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen!”

Hazel started laughing again.

“I can’t explain it you have to see it to understand. Maybe once mom gets you a translator…”

Hazel’s laughter subsided as she looked down at her mother’s broken form. Silence reigned in the keep. Enid pulled out another grenade and while being carried but Hazel started coding it for maximum yield. It would vaporize the lower level and collapse the keep. She pulled out a detonator and coded the grenade to the signal. She dropped it as the passed the empty cells and offered the detonator to Hazel.

“I’m not sure how long I’m going to be conscious. The blast radius is going to be fairly significant.”

Hazel took it and clutched it in her hand.

“You’ll be fine mom.”

“Sure.”

Enid nodded to Hazel but she knew how significant her injuries were and she was also a licensed surgeon at one time. It wasn’t good. As she predicted she blacked out about a fifteen minutes after they left the keep. Hazel glanced down at her and sighed.

“How does she do that?”

Helen glanced at her mother’s unconscious form.

“Know things!”

“She’s a Seer. Also wasn’t she some sort of healer?”

“Yea, yea I guess. Here.”

Hazel awkwardly tried hand the detonator to Helen.

“We better do this now before we’re out of signal range, there’s nothing to boost it and its linked to mom’s holo-phone, not mine so I can’t even boost it.”

Helen took the switch from her sister and looked up at Hazel.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to screw this up.”

“Not even your primitive brain could screw it up sis. Just press the red button.”

Helen made a face at Hazel and pressed the button. There was a loud crack like thunder. Helen looked to the clear stary sky the back at her sister.

“What was that?”

“The grenade going off.”

She pointed her finger to the keep which started to fall in on itself as its foundations were vaporized. Helen’s hands went to her mouth. She’d crushed the detonator by accident in her shock and tucked back in her mother’s pack as if to hide the evidence.

“Such power.”

Hazel shrugged.

“I don’t know why you’re shocked you watched her blow up half the planet.”

The pair walked on towards the makeshift camp for the freed slaves that the wolf-born had set up. Helen glanced up at her sister.

“I can carry her you know. You’re hurt and I’m dead I won’t get tired.”

Hazel glanced down at Helen.

“I’m good.”

Helen sighed and crossed her arms as they walked.

“Are you going to tell me what was so funny back in the keep.”

“Like I said you have to see it, I can’t put it into words you’d understand. Just wait for your translator and you’ll get it. Trust me it’s hilarious… I mean unless you lived through the black death then it might not be. Hmm I never thought of that when we watched it. Poor mom.”

Helen released her arms and hurried to keep up with her sister’s longer stride.

“God I’m so hungry.”

“Used all your blood keeping up with me hmm?”

“Used all my blood keeping you alive. You were out of control and reckless. More reckless than normal what was that about? Who is Tekanon?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just drop it.”

“We have another hour’s walk you have time. What is wrong?”

Hazel frowned her left eye started twitching.

“Mother says if something is bothering you, you should talk about it, so it doesn’t fester.”

“Mom says a lot of things and half of it is bullshit.”

Helen grabbed Hazel’s upper arm.

“Sis, I’m here for you. I know we aren’t real sisters but I’m trying to be. Like Maria and mother. Just because our parents are different it doesn’t mean we can’t be real sisters.”

Hazel glanced down at Helen and frowned. As much as she wanted to despise her for being able to become a vampire and feel that connection to her mother… the kid had saved her life multiple times over now.

“You are the closest thing I have to a sister that can relate to my…life. I just don’t want to talk about it. It’s a bad memory and I want it to go away but it all just came flooding back when I saw Xara’s face.”

Helen adjusted her sound and tugged her armor’s torso so it wasn’t riding up so much. She had no idea how Enid or Hazel wore it so frequently with so little complaint. It was so tight and left absolutely nothing about her figure to the imagination. She rushed again to catch up to Hazel.

“Then you need to talk about it so when you find this Tekanon you are clearer headed.”

“I already talked about it over and over again with Father Mathew.”

“Well obviously it didn’t help. I can make you forget you know. I just need to know what ‘it’ is. Mom taught me that trick.”

“Her voodoo doesn’t work on me, I’m half angel.”

“Hazel you’re shaking again. You need to talk about it.”

“What I need is silence!”

“I wouldn’t be much of a sister if I just let you spiral into depression again would I?”

“What do I have to be depressed about? Huh? Oh my boyfriend is probably dead because my mother blew up the planet! A demon I want dead permanently is nowhere to be found. My mom is dying and I have a nosy wannabe sister who won’t leave me be! Oh and I’m stuck in fifteenth century Italy with her!”

Hazel frowned and readjusted her armor again.

“Seriously can’t you wait to play with yourself until you’re alone in a tent?”

“I’m not doing that! This armor just keeps riding up and pinching my bits. How are you and mother so comfortable in it all the time?”

“It called underwear. You know like I told you to put on?”

Helen mumbled a few words.

“What was that? Now you can’t even speak properly?”

“I just said that it feels to soft and unnatural and the bands around the legs and abdomen are too tight.”

“What you want a loin cloth and hay? Yesh, I have no idea what you’re going to do when you start your cycle again.”

“What? I’m dead. That’s done with.”

“Only during the night dumb ass.”

Helen blinked at Hazel.

“But all my blood.”

“Drip, drip.”

The pair walked on quietly finally Helen reached into her mother’s pack and pulled out a couple of bottles of Synth-O and downed them putting the empties back. The only blood besides the Synth-O she’d ever tasted was her mother’s when she’d turned her. She would need more but it would keep her going for the rest of the night even with all of the vital fluid she’d used in the evening’s battles.

“So, who is Tekanon?”

Hazel rolled her eyes.

“Are you being serious right now? I can’t tell if your brain was damaged when you died to get turned or if you’re just deaf. Drop it! Fuck!”

“What did Xara do to you?”

Hazel growled at Helen but realized there was little she could do to her sister while she was carrying her mother.

“Just tell me and I’ll stop bothering you.”

“God damn it!”

Helen tugged on her armor again. Hazel growled again.

“Fine. I got captured, they tortured and nearly raped me. I almost had one of those abominations in me.”

“Why didn’t you tell mother or I?”

“Because its done and over with.”

Helen shook her head.

“No, its not. You’re still being affected by it. Just like me every time I see a thin branch suddenly, I’m ten and getting whipped again. It is nothing compared to what you survived. It’s not over. Not by any measure I know of.”

“I told you. Now drop it.”

“It makes so much sense now, you got so violent and withdrawn when you got back. Why didn’t we see it?”

“Because your mother was dying. Its why mom never noticed.”

“She did though. She even mentioned it. I just said maybe you’re upset about not being at home. I’m so sorry. I was so young and self-centered.”

Helen warped her arm around Hazel’s waist and hugged her. Hazel grumbled.

“Seriously?”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“What happened to you, it wasn’t your fault.”

“What am I supposed to break down and cry now?”

“No. I just wanted to put that into your thoughts.”

“You’re so weird.”

“I cannot argue that point, look at my family.”

Hazel made a face. The conversation died off as Helen let what she’d said seep into her sister. They saw firelight in the distance and picked up their pace. Fifteen minutes late they were walking into the camp. Night’s Whisper and Martina rushed up to them. Night’s Whisper frowned when she saw Enid’s broken form.

“Quickly. Bring her to the fire. We will call to the spirts to save her life.”

Hazel followed her walking quickly. As tired as she was from carrying her mother and the nights events she had a burst of adrenaline pushing her forward. She laid her mother on a blanket and stepped back as the pack’s resident spirit talker kneeled beside the broken woman. And looked up at Hazel.

“She clings to life with a tenacity I have rarely seen. What happened to her?”

“Fallen one used her as a punching bag.”

“And she yet lives. A miracle.”

“Or she’s just not able to die.”

The spirit talker shifted to her half-wolf form and started drawing runes with her talons and reached down touching Enid’s chest. Enid’s breathing became more regular the wheezing was gone. Her face was still one big bruise.

“I did what I could, but the spirits are weak from mending our brothers.”

Hazel looked at her mother. The rudimentary medical scanner built into her holo-phone provided her with enough detail to know her mother was in much better shape. She was outlined in orange as opposed to red which indicated she was severely injured but not in immediate danger. Hazel scooped Enid up.

“Is there someplace she can rest?”

“Yes. We have set up a darkened tent for you. This way.”

Hazel started to walk but a man stepped in front of them.

“Will she live?”

“Yes.”

“Praise Allah. I have never seen someone endure so much and not cry out. We should all be so strong.”

Night’s Whisper spoke in Arabic from behind him.

“She is a woman who has borne many children, she knows pain that no man can understand. Now let them past so she may recover.”

The man looked like he was about to go off on Night’s Whisper but then recognized her as one of their rescuers and shuffled away with haste. Hazel took her mother to the tent and laid her down. Helen sat cross-legged beside her.

“Hazel you should go get something to eat. I’ll stay with her and keep people away. I can hear your stomach from here.”

“You have super hearing.”

“Still go eat. You need it.”

“You’re not my boss.”

“No but I am your sister.”

“Little sister.”

“Eat, its what mother would tell you to do. One of us is going to have to go pick up Matilda. And you can turn into a wolf in daylight. You should eat and sleep.”

Hazel grumbled and crawled out of the tent. She was met by Eyre. She wasn’t sure what to say to her older sister but she knew she couldn’t tell her the truth.

“So, uh. What can I do for you…was it Eyre?”

Her sister’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you hiding?”

Hazel looked around herself.

“What me? Nothing I’m just starving…so uh. Yea. She needs her rest.”

“Not that I don’t trust wolf-born but she’s a vampire she needs vampire help.”

Hazel pointed her thumb at the tent.

“Oh, she’s fine. She has a vampire.”

“That child?”

“Hey, she’s an adult.”

“And how long has she been a vampire?”

Hazel counted on her fingers.

“Uh, hmm, six…seven months maybe?”

“And she’s out here alone?”

“No, she’s got mom…I mean…uh Seraph.”

“Mom? Who are you?”

“I’m just… one of her followers. We kill demons together. Its no big thing. Barely know her.”

“Not a single thing you have said has been true besides the age of the vampire and that you are my mother’s daughter which makes you, my sister.”

“No, you got it all wrong. She just looks like your mother. She’s really Seraph. Angel. Uh. Ya Archangel, we kill demons. I gotta go eat and sleep, my sister is back at the other camp need to go pick her up. Nice meeting you and all that. Yep.”

Eyre watched Hazel skirt around her and walk towards the center of the camp. She entered the tent and surprised Helen who jumped slightly. She still wasn’t used to other vampires. Even her mother was rarely her fanged version. She looked up at Eyre.

“Hello.”

“Hello, child.”

“Child?”

“You are months old, and I am at least a decade. That’s how things work. My mother has been lax in your teachings.”

Helen glanced down at Enid then back to Eyre. She could see the resemblance. She longed to tell Eyre the truth. That she was her adopted sister but she remembered what her mother had said.

“She is not your mother. She is…an angel.”

“That’s exactly what your wolf-born friend said. But I don’t see it. Why is she still unconscious? Why did she need wolf-born to heal her?”

“She’s a mortal right now. She heals like them.”

Eyre nudged Helen aside, somewhat rudely. She moved her mothers face to get a better luck. Checked her arms for the scars she knew she would find there.

“This is my mother. Why is mortal?”

“I’m telling you. She is Seraph, an angel. She just looks like your mother right now.”

“Why would she do such a thing?”

“The demons are hunting for your mother, so she used the guise that they desired to get you free. You’re important. Like really important. So important she sent Martina and I to rescue you.”

“Well, I appreciate that, but I had everything under control.”

“Did look like that from where I was standing but…sure.”

“You really are a mouthy child, aren’t you?”

“I speak my mind if that’s what you mean. Now if you could please leave. Seraph needs her rest.”

Eyre frowned at Helen and then glanced back down to Enid.

“This isn’t over.”

Helen breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief when she was left alone with Enid again.