Eternal Fire

Chapter 23

Joseph's POV

Azazel and Cleo had just left for their date when a dark feeling settled over the campus. Warriors were on edge, constantly looking about. The air has become thick. I was walking with Kylen and Reggie when Kylen suddenly collapsed, eyes wide opened. "Kylen," Reggie exclaimed as he went to check for a pulse. I could hear shouts around campus. I saw many had collapsed.

"What is going on," I whispered aloud to myself. Reggie picked Kylen up, "I'm gonna take him to the infirmary." I nodded and he walked away while I went to go check on Jocelyn. I found her in the garden, laying on the ground. I checked her for a pulse before checking to see if she was injured. I then picked her up. Her heart was a steady beat which settled part of my worries.

I was carrying her when Batair and a woman I didn't recognize ran up to me. "Where is the lass," Batair asked me. "On a date with Azazel," I replied. "What the fuck is going on?" "You must take the witch to the Head Priest chambers. Your friend Kylen and Reggie are already there," the woman instructed me. "Do you know where the lad and lass were goin'," Batair asked me hurriedly. "Azazel said somethin' about dancing," I replied honestly. "Where is the lass's familiar," he asked me. "No idea. He tends to stay scarce unless it's time to eat. He patrols the campus," I answered. He nodded then ran off with the woman and I followed her instructions.

The new High Priest, Tayos, opened the door when I tapped the bottom of it with my foot. "Lay her with the boy," he instructed me. I went in and laid her on the bed next to Kylen. "What is going on," I asked him. "I dont know the full details. We must wait for Lady Charmain to tell us," he told me.

I growled and began to pace restlessly. Eventually Batair and Gin came in carrying Cleo who's arms were glowing with weird red markings and Azazel. Lady Charmain followed behind them then sealed the room. "I've ensured no spying eyes or ears can hear what I have to tell you," she told us. "When Cleo was a babe, her mother came to me, when I was still High Priestess here. She pleaded I sealed away her magic and abilities."

"I thought the lass was human," Batair said while laying Cleo on the couch. The woman shook her head, "She is the daughter of the Demon God, Atreus" It felt like cold water was being thrown on me. "Does that mean her mother is Flora, the Valkery Goddess," Batair asked her. The woman nodded, "It does. They wanted to protect their daughter from the Father of Demons. A seer informed the council of a prophecy, one that results in the death of the Father by the hands of one of his own grandchildren. Once he passes, his powers and abilities will be passed to his killer and they will become ruler. At first the council was against sealing her powers away, but then the Gods we served appeared. Andrus, claimed her as his child, and that we must do as the Valkery Goddess asked of us. I did what I was told, and also sealed away her mother's so she can be on Earth to protect their child. After I did, Atreus was captured by Father, and has been tortured ever since."

"What about her mother? Cleo believes she's dead," I asked her. She nodded, "The human form I had given her was killed, but her true self was returned back to the Hell Realm. What happened to her after that, I do not know." "So how does this relate to what is happening to them," Reggie asked her. "The artifact that had been taken from the catacombs was one that allowed the user to seek a certain source of magic. The Father combined it with his magic to allow it to affect anyone who was marked," Head Priest Tayos explained to us. "He is trying to find the demonic powers that reside within Cleo."

"That thing that killed the head people here on campus, are the two conntected," Gin asked them. Lady Charmain nodded, "They are. It was a seeker sent by the Father. It was looking for the information on each student in each of the houses. When it attacked Cleo, it didn't know what she was, it simply wanted to sacrifice her abilities to the Father since she was the first female warrior, it believed her to be strong and wanted to assist the Father in gaining power."

"How do you know all this," Batair asked her. "I went to see the circle where it had kept her," she explained to us. "You must know that demons are marked just as often as the other races, we just don't announce it in case it causes a panic." She then allowed blue markings to appear on her skin, and her eyes changed to gold. She changed them back to normal. "When the Gods mark us, they give us the ability to look and smell human." She then looked to Cleo, who's markings were beginning to change in color. "The color of a Demon's markings show how powerful they are. When she first came to us, she wore beautiful markings, the color of diamond dust in the light. Most children's markings are white until they hit puberty, but since Cleo is the child of two Gods, it was understandable her markings take on much different colors."

"What happens once the lass wakes up," Batair asked her. "Unfortunately, I will be unable to reseal her abilities away," she told him. Suddenly a man appeared with black markings on his body and red eyes, a warrior marking on his arm was mixed in as well. "Lord Demix," Lady Charmain said in shock. "I will be staying on campus to help my niece learn her abilities," he informed us. "How did you get through my seal," Lady Charmain asked him. "I rewrote it," he explained with a wave of his hand, as if it were trivial. Lord Demix was a Demigod, which was why Andrus was able to mark him. Andrus must feel ballsy if he enjoys marking Gods to serve him, I thought.

"My brother and sister are being tortured mercilessly, and have entrusted me with her safety, and I will see to it she becomes ready when he comes for her," He declared. He then looked us over, "Are these her companions?" Batair nodded, "The lass is the only one not a warrior." The man nodded, "Two mutts, two magic slumps, and a half breed mongrel, my niece surely does keep strange company." Reggie and I growled at his insult. "It isn't smart to insult them, especially when she wakes up," Gin advised the man.

"When will that be anyways," I asked while crossing my arms. "The artifacts effects should be wearing off soon," The High Priest said. "So they should be coming too any minute."

So we decided to wait, and discuss what we should and shouldn't share with our classmates. Demix advised us against sharing it with too many people in case some are in allegiance with the Father. Eventually they all came too. Cleo stared down at her hands. I expected to see shock in her eyes, but instead she had nothing but pure hatred. "Speak your thoughts lass, it's best to let them out now," Batair told her. "Whether or not I talk, wont change anything. Just give me time to wrap my head around this," she whispered as she stood. She opened the door and Lykos was waiting on the other side for her. "Come on buddy," she said and they left, Azazel following after her.

This was going to be a hard pill to swallow for all of us. The woman I know and trust, who I have even shared a bed with, who I have seen break repeatedly mentally since high school, is going to break, but when she builds herself back up, the Father better start running.