Impure: The Protectors of Astromica

9

Persephone sighed and placed her head in her hands.
Lily laid there, beautiful and still. Her mother sat bedside, holding her hand and breathing into it. They were in Lily's bedroom, in their great and empty castle. Persephone sent away everyone who was not her or her daughter, with the exception of a few silver-coated queen's men who sat outside Lily's door. She watched the red, vibrant sun go down through the giant window panel behind the bed and thought to herself.
Lily had yet to awaken from the slumber the power transfer induced, and Persephone feared that she may not wake up at all. It had been 6 hours since she broke the unauthorized binding of Lily and Bianca, and her daughter still laid there unconscious.
Persephone was perplexed by the entire situation; in all her years she had never seen an involuntary power transfer. Even so, she felt that she knew exactly what happened. Bianca's will to stop Lily allowed her to absorb her bloodlines power without consent. With her being the rightful owner of the Vain fraction, it was drawn into her without the proper preparation causing the transfer to occur in the first place. The fraction wasn't in Lily for long, so it had not adjusted to her yet and still desired to attach to Vain blood. Without the preparation that the opening enchantment gives, if there is an incomplete transfer it becomes permanently active until broken.
She knew Lily and Bianca had to be in pure, white-hot agony the entire time. The smell of her daughters burning flesh haunted her, the sound of her screams still echoed in her mind. She wished she had noticed what she had done, and she wished she had been there to prevent it from happening. Persephone knew that she had to pay more attention to Lily before she did something even more detrimental. Between dealing with her and her husband, Persephone could barely split her time in a way that was sufficient to both, not with Lily growing more powerful by the day. She needed to give more.
Truthfully, it pained Persephone to be away from Lily for so long. She worried constantly about her and would do anything to protect her from harm.
At this age, Lily's full power could emerge at any second and she could go off like a time-bomb. Persephone knew that her daughter had always been unstable, and that's why she warded off anything that could tip the scales. She wanted Lily to stay on track as much as possible, not because she was strict, but because she feared that Lily's impulsive behavior may be the end of an era of peace that Persephone tried so hard to maintain.
Peace between the realms was more than necessary, she could not be responsible for more supernatural lives taken. In all honesty, she was afraid that Lily would take after her father in that aspect, and could not bear the risk.
"Is there anything I can do to ease your stress, your majesty?", asked a servant, who was standing politely in a nearby corner behind her awaiting instruction.
Persephone was shaken from her thoughts by his question. She had completely forgotten that he was there because of his quiet demeanor. He took the appearance of a tall, pale man in a loose button down and slacks. He spoke with a deep, polite voice and had scars that littered his face almost in a heroic way. Even the way he stood was polite, and it made sense since he was trained his entire life just to look after Persephone's needs.
She turned to face him and answered in a bewildered voice, "What? No, Zion. I'm fine...", she shook her head and threw her hand up, "Wait...yes." She turned to look at him, "Send a message to Earth and tell the coven that I need a batch of healing and nourishment potion, also bring me fresh towels for Lily's head."
She said, turning back to look at her daughter. Zion hurried out of the room to comply with Persephone's orders leaving nothing but the smell of the cologne that she picked out just for him. She was left completely alone with her sweet girl once more.
"My love."
Suddenly, the castle vibrated and a loud roar echoed the walls. The bass of the sinister noise shook the floor as if they in were being digested into the castle itself.
Persephone, placed her head in her hands and took a sharp breath in. She attempted to ignore the rumble but it shook the walls violently. It happened more and more frequently the longer she sat. It drove her mad, making it impossible for her to think.
"Persephone.", a deep voice whispered into her mind as she dug her forehead into her palms, "Where is my flower? I cant feel her."
She lifted up slowly, wiping more salty tears from her face as she gazed upon her daughters motionless face. She tucked in her bottom lip and bit down hard, attempting not to whimper from a break down scratching at the door.
"Bring her. Bring me my flower."
Persephone took hold of a ceramic cup and smashed in into the wall hard. She screamed with frustration, hitting her hands against her head violently until she grew weary.
"Your resistance is unbecoming, my love. Please...let me see her."
Persephone locked her jaw as she fought to ignore the familiar voice alluring her to the dungeon below Castle Heart. She covered her ears, but it was no competition to the voice inside her own mind.
"My queen, may I approach?", the demon-servant called Zion called from the doorway of Lily's princess-sized bedroom. He carried a silver platter of steaming towels and another with water and ice.
"Yes, yes, come.", said Persephone with irritation in her voice.
"Also, your majesty, you have a visitor.", he said skittishly.
"Who?", she asked, taking a towel from the tray and placing it on Lilys forehead.
"It is King Xavier of the Angelic Kingdom."
"King Xavier?", she snapped her head around to look at him quick, "Why is he here?"
"I am unknowing in this aspect, my queen. He may not be in high spirits due to the brawl that took place on the school grounds. Lord Stone's injuries were quite...extreme."
"You're probably correct, Zion.", she said, sighing and taking one last look at Lily before walking out of the room with her servant and queen's men following close behind her.
She passed a full-length mirror, but stepped back to check her appearance. She fluffed her hair and wiped away the dark mascara running under her eyes and down her cheeks. She cleared her throat and then continued her stride down the long, marble-floored hall. The eyes from the art littering the space above watched her as she hurried along to meet with the winged king.
She turned the corner that lead into the drawing room and attempted to mask her perturbation from the man standing before her.
"King Xavier, it's nice to see you.", she said as she approached, "How have you been?"
"Queen Persephone, looking stunning as always.", he stood a respectful distance away from her and folded his hands in front of him. "I have been fine. The kingdom continues to flourish under my rule which cures my stress of being insufficient." He continued, "I do wish that I was here under different circumstances."
The King of the Angelic Kingdom was of average height with a build that challenged that of Leviticus Steel. He was shirtless, revealing silver runes all over his body and glitter on his face as beauty-enchantment. His wings were a brilliant white with every other feather being painted gold. Xavier had pretty, red eyelashes with dark brown eyes to compliment them, and a head full of copper hair that fell down his back like a cape.
"This is about the fight between Lily and that boy Atticus, correct?", she asked.
"Well...yes. Your daughter beat him to a pulp on school grounds. Do you know of the uproar this is already causing? The balance is still fragile, society isn't in a place to be surprised with violence between species. Everything that we have built could crumble-"
"Yes, I'm aware. Lily has still not risen from her coma, and I worry it may be some time before she does. Forgive me if I have not been mindful of anything else.", she replied in a defeated tone.
She held back more tears and turned away from him to gather herself for a moment, "I guarantee nothing like that will ever come from my daughter or any of my pupils again. You have my word.", she said, turning back to face him and attempting to hurry the conversation along.
She was still in pieces, and she knew the voice she ignored would speak again soon.
"I am very sorry about her current state. I did not know she still had not awoken. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you, your grace.", he bowed his head to her and cleared his throat, "I do still have to ask, upon your daughters awakening, How can you guarantee peace? It's obvious you struggle to maintain control over Lily. It wasn't some lesser angel that she hurt, it was Lord Stone. He is the future commander of our army. His father is supposed to pass to him all the cumulative knowledge from the Stone bloodline. That boy is our only chance at surviving incase we need to fight one day and your daughter almost killed him over relationship issues. It's enough for anyone to be a little skeptical."
Persephone cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts. She was not upset by his bluntness at all. She knew he was right, and that's why an hour ago she made a phone call to the headmaster at Astro University.
"I can guarantee that because as of now I am the dean representing the Underworld at AU. I will be at the school every day until Lily graduates to ensure that her powers do not go out of control again. Her safety is just of a concern to me as Atticus's is to you, so this is something that can solve both problems.", she said.
King Xavier smiled warmly and furrowed his brow, "So who will run things down here until you return daily?", he asked.
"I will have Count Bloodburn look after the castle while I am away during the day. He will deal with soul-judgment and kingdom duties for a total of 7 hours a day until I return."
"Well...", Xavier nodded in agreement, "That is a great solution. Well done."
He approached her with his hands out, "Now I can give my affections without a hint of malice in my heart."
Persephone smiled at him. Xavier was an old friend of hers, more like an old fling, that didn't quite make it far. When they met, about 100 years ago,  Xavier was just a scared 18-year old boy who had the weight of the crown on his shoulders. He was a boy who could not shoot an arrow or swing an axe, but now he stands before her stronger and more king-like than ever. Sometimes she did wonder what could have been between the two, but then was shaken awake by her own reality. Hades would not allow it, he would not give her up so easily.
They hugged for a long while, and even though she towered over him Persephone felt safe in his arms. He wrapped his big, flawless wings around her and held her tightly, reducing her to a puddle that melted into his skin.
She pulled away and looked into his dark and beautiful eyes,  "It's been too long, Xavier. Shall we see each other soon?"
He fought back a smirk and pulled away, leaving his arm resting around her waist. "Under different circumstances, my queen. You may send for me soon."
"How soon is too soon?", she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Now is too soon, tomorrow would not be.", he said, keeping his head high. He glanced up at her to see that she was already smiling, "Your mister and my misses will have our heads."
Persephone scoffed, "Hades will have nothing except what I provide for him. Hera will have the world if she asks. They are very different, your grace.", she said, sitting down on a sofa-chair in front of the beautiful angel. Her long, black dress outlined her figure like a silhouette under street lights as she crossed her legs and stared at him.
King Xavier brushed his red hair back and raised his eyebrows in subtle agreement. "Those things are true, but let me ask. What will you have?"
"I will have peace the way I envisioned, and perhaps I should have white and gold feathers getting lost under my bedsheet. Perhaps I should see a Red Sea when I awaken in the middle of the night.", she said, batting her gorgeous eyelashes at him. He blushed and his lips twisted into a smile.
"I'll tell you what. How about you design my tuxedo for the transference ceremony?", he asked excitedly, "Then maybe you will have what you perhaps envisioned...again."
"A suit for a man? Is that even a fair trade?", she asked, beginning to subconsciously twirl her hair with the tip of her finger, "Is that your worth? A bow tie and trousers?"
"A suit for a king, yes.", he grabbed her hand gently, causing her queen's men to take a grip on their swords. "You are a queen who creates one of a kind masterpieces with her bare hands. I am an unfulfilled and outdated king who is in need a new sense of...style. We should compliment eachother nicely."
"Yes, we may compliment each other...only in our own sight, correct? Surely, I should not sow your suit with the same fabric that made this dress.", she said sarcastically.
She caressed her body with her hands and looked away from his gaze. She crossed her legs, revealing black fishnets under her dress.
He sighed heavily and dropped down to one knee, "My guards will not speak a word to Hera, we are safe to be here and frolic as we like. The only peering eyes here are your own demonic royals, it should be nothing to let them see. If your heart did not already break from your daughter's slumber, I would ask you for it in this very moment."
"My king, I cannot be seen with you, still. It sends a confusing message to my people. We can frolic behind closed doors and under dim lighting until the realms are in perfect harmony again."
He gave her a confused look and shook his head, "Dim lighting? You are the goddess Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and judge of souls. Who can raise an iron fist to stop you?"
She cupped his chin in her palm and caressed his cheek with her thumb, "I do possess god-like power, but if my realm collapses again then all the time Ive invested-that we've invested would've been for nothing.", she stood up, and he remained on his knees in front of her.
"Stand, my king.", she said, pulling him up by the hand on his chin, "You will see me tomorrow. Now, I should return to my Lily. I do not want her to wake without me being by her side."
He nodded eagerly in agreement, "Yes, yes of course.", he clapped his hands a singular time and the winged kings-men standing off in the corner hurried behind King Xavier. "Goodnight, Persephone. I will be around tomorrow, please do let me know about the suit."
He raised his hand into the sky and a golden staff appeared from thin air. He spun it in circles while chanting a phrase in a language Persephone did not understand.
He stabbed the staff into the ground and a blinding light like that of the sun invaded the dark castle. The brilliant light shined brighter and brighter, and then began to fade as it became apparent that Xavier and his men were no longer there.
Persephone took a breath of relief. She and the servant Zion were alone once more.
"Who? Who was that? A light...I saw it."
The voice returned with an infuriated tone. Persephone was startled by the surprise of it and nearly jumped out of her skin. She glided swiftly out of the room and Zion followed closely behind. She made her way quickly down the wide, great hall, and back to Lily's bedroom.
"Answer me!"
She paused in the doorway, and stared at her daughter until she felt the castle rumble again.
Suddenly, The light fixture above Lilys head came rushing down from the shaking of the castle. Persephone's heart skipped a beat as she teleported towards her daughter, just barely catching the chandelier before it impaled Lilys neck.
She threw it, shattering every last bulb and screamed frustratedly. She had hoped that Lily would awaken without having to ask the help of Hades, but it was becoming more and more apparent that she would not.
Persephone was torn between waiting or taking her to the dungeons. Her motherly instincts shouted at her to be sure that Lily was okay, but they also disagreed with allowing her near her father so soon.
She balled her fist but winced from the glass she forgot was lodged into her hand from catching the chandelier.
"Zion!", she shouted, "Approach!"
"Right here, your majesty.", replied Zion, rushing into the room from the bathroom a few steps down the hall.
"Get me Benjamin Vain and Kieran Stone. We are going to visit my husband."
"Are you sure, my queen?", he asked hesitantly.
"What other choice do I have? I don't know if she's in pain or not. I can't handle any more waiting...it must be done.", she said, not taking her eyes off of Lily.
He nodded slowly, and turned to hurry out of the room.
Persephone stopped him once more, "And bring me a drink. You know what? Just bring the bottle, please."