Better Angels

Chapter Seventeen: Victoria

I was surrounded by evil. Strapped to a monster that controlled my body and would soon devour my soul, I was all but gone and could feel myself fade into the background of my own mind. It would be as easy as falling asleep. I was nothing. Nothing but thoughts and memories now. There was no sanctuary for me to hide in and nowhere for me to run, for she was everywhere. Gaea was everywhere. She was everywhere and there was no place to hide. I had nowhere to go now. The only escape I had were my memories, but I could not bring myself to look upon them as I saw what Gaea was to bring into the world.

There were hundreds of thousands of monsters at her command along with many giants and scores of demons. Among the demons were what I could presume were fallen angels as well as Shadowhunters. Gaea and Sebastian spoke of how they'd been changed with the Infernal Cup during Sebastian's attacks on many of the Institutes while the world was weak. The Endarkened. They would bring ruin and death to the world, and there was no single force that would be able to stop them.

Those that would be allies had become spread thin across the world as the Nephilim took refuge in Idris and the demigods prepared for Civil War. No one religion or belief system would be able to bring this army to their knees; if there was no unification of those charged with the protection of this world then the world would be lost.

But I knew those who swore to protect this world, their egos were too big to even consider an alliance with those that they had not spoken to in millennia. But they had to fight together, they just had to. But who would bring them together?

All singular thoughts were washed away as a wave of darkness over took me, but fading just as quickly as it had come. I felt a little bit of relief, but that wave was only one of many that would soon be heading my way. Think Victoria. Think. I mean you've been in worse situations than this... that is such I lie. I mentally rolled my eyes at myself. There was nothing worse than being trapped in my own mind being unable to fight, and just waiting for the darkness to overwhelm me until I was completely gone. However, Victoria Carstairs does not wallow in self-pity unless absolutely necessary, this was not one of these moments.

"I need a clear head," I mumbled into the dark void of my mind. "And you know that might be a bit easier if THERE WASN'T A PSCHOTIC GODESS TAKING OVER MY BODY!" If I could I would totally hit my head against a wall right now. Slowly I slid down the wall of my mental cell and put my head in my hands. This was impossible.

Is it really impossible? A thick accented male voice penetrated what little there was left of my sanity. I jerked my head up from my knees a cold sweat breaking out along my spine. The air turned dry reminiscent of my time spent in the Middle East. There was only one being that would be able to surpass all the blocks in my mind, and to interfere with Gaea's progress. Someone who was always lurking and watching. Someone who was always apart of me.

"Erlik?" I questioned. A shadow removed itself from the dark walls surrounding me and began to take the shape of a man. The inky black mass contorted and twisted upon itself layering the darkness to become thicker until it solidified. The shadow approached me slowly every moment its details becoming clearer and less menacing, gray cloudy feet formed into black Italian leather dress shoes. Slowly I let my eyes travel up from the expensive shoes and dark-wash jeans past the light gray pullover and white collared shirt to the dark soulless eyes of the Turkish god of death.

Shit.