Venator : Devil's Moon

XLVII The Awakening I

The final, and possibly the best chapter of this book dedicated to the best writer I know on wattpad, SheHopes

[ Laura ]

It must've been an eternity before my consciousness finally decided to throw me back into the harsh current of reality. The reawakening of my senses perhaps took another aeon.

When I was being brought back, the events prior to my not-so-mysterious failure of consciousness, started to roll back in my mind. The cavern. The cafe. My father. Alzaknos...And the darkness.

Even now I could feel the frightening swirls of darkness consuming me. I could feel the stench of sulphur overwhelm me. And I could still hear the pained curses of the underworld ringing in my head.

The air felt fresh, and smelled of a lot of things — amidst the unique scent of earth and moisture, mingled was the slightly less obvious stench of blood.

I tried to open my eyes, but even when I did, nothing stirred in my vision. Something was obstructing my vision. Something wasn't letting light enter my eyes.

I was blindfolded.

What next was planned on my tour to insanity?

Soon it became evident that I was tied up. I could feel ropes cutting into my arms, going round my stomach, binding me tightly to a chair.

"Oh, looks like our guest is awake."

As soon as I heard those words, my courage and confidence to break through this bondage without the enemy noticing flickered away. The noise of foot steps approaching me managed to raise my BP by few more points.

"Wakey, wakey!" The voice said. My only source of comfort was in knowing the fact that Alzaknos was male, and whoever this person was sounded distinctly female.

Soon, I found my brain splitting on two sides: whether or not to try to convince this lady to help me. The chances of bribing an enemy's assistant were pretty slim. And the chances of surviving the Awakening, none. Slim was better than none.

"Let me go and I shall grant you hundred souls," I said, surprisingly in a very proud and commanding voice, just like Anahita's. Then an overwhelming sense of guilt shook me. "Also my friends."

"No need of that, Laura Hannigan. I need only 66 for the Awakening, and I have them all," she said.

I was quite surprised by her answer. If there was one thing demons truly want, other than harassing His followers, it was souls. And even if they had all they needed, no demon could turn down such a generous offer.

"A thousand souls?" I said, half wondering whether I had lost my sanity. I knew I had authority over souls, at least I used to until Heaven decided to disown me.

"There's a simple rule while dealing. You don't give gold to a billionaire. We can have all the souls we'll need, Laura. What we want is Anahita. In fact, had you had offered her right in the beginning, it wouldn't have come to this," she said.

"Besides, I know Anahita's market value, Laura. She's fled Heaven ages ago, and I can't imagine how Michael will give control of so many  souls to a fallen angel," she said, "Don't bluff the queen of bluffs."

"You can't have Anahita. I can't let you raise the Devil's Moon, and risk the entire mankind," I said, feeling an uneasiness in my stomach. I didn't exactly have a good spot to make a stand.

"No? Hmm, that's bad. But that wasn't unexpected," she said and took a brief pause. Then, in the same calm and slightly amused voice, she said, "Plan B it is then."