Reflections of Light

The Toll Of The Bell

He was free. He didn't have to listen to her. She had no hold over him anymore.

"Why don't you come here? We have much to discuss." She had turned to face him now, the child in her arms. He had to get them apart somehow; perhaps if he could goad her into a fight with him, she'd put the baby down and then Luci would have the opportunity to reach it. It seemed a slim hope, but it was a plan he could work from. They had to be clever about this; whilst she was holding the child, she was holding the power over the situation.

There was a slight tremor to his hand, and a constant current of electricity up and down his spine, accumulating in a constant pressure at the base of his skull; he pushed the feeling down, tightening his grip on his knife, forcing himself to focus.

"Poor boy." She cooed in a false motherly tone. "Look what you've done to yourself! All in an effort to cleave yourself from me. And yet here you are."

So she was trying to goad him. But it meant he had her attention.

Suddenly, she rounded; making Luci, who'd been advancing on her with a blade of ice, leap back in surprise. "And you. I never thought I'd see you back here again, after all the chances you squandered."

"Give me back my baby!" Luci shrieked, lunging for her child. Lilith dodged her easily.

"Your baby?" She laughed. "I don't think so. I think you'll find the child is mine."

Even though he'd been filled in on what to expect, he was still shocked at what he saw in Lilith's arms as he crept up on feather-light feet. The small, pale child lying still on her arms had fingers studded with black claws; and as he drew close, she opened her eyes, revealing two dark pools that seemed to draw in light.
Stunned, he stood frozen; a sudden knife-like twist in his chest buckling his knees, making him gasp and involuntarily clench his eyes shut as he tried to rebalance. But Lilith noticed. "Trying to sneak up on me?" She looked him up and down, sneering in disgust. "You don't look well, Jonathan."

Luci took this opportunity to attack again, only for Lilith to retaliate, deflecting her easily and sending her flying. He reacted immediately; pressing a knife to Lilith's throat. She just laughed, craning her neck back as if daring him to do his worst; she held the power, and she knew it.
As Luci began to rise back on her feet, Lilith spoke. "I don't know why you're working your father's family, Jonathan. It never works out for you. Valentine betrayed you, Clarissa betrayed you. And your cousin has stopped at nothing to see you suffer."

That stopped him, and Luci too; freezing her in her tracks, heart pounding as he fixed her with a quizzical expression. "What?"

"Don't listen, she's trying to trick you." Luci said quickly, panic rising in her eyes.

"Am I?" Lilith purred in his ear. "Perhaps you should ask your little friend. You know, the one with the pretty eyes."

As realisation dawned on him, rage flooded his system, and he advanced threateningly towards her. "You did it? You killed her?!"

Luci bolted.

Lilith laughed, throwing her head back and cackling to the heavens; until suddenly, he snatched her arm. Confidently, she went to pull herself free; but his hand was like an iron vice, fingers digging into her arm, grip burning into her skin. Her face turned to an expression of alarm as he yanked her towards him.
"What are you doing?" She gasped as he pulled her onto her knees; her face tipped up to look into his. Something had changed.

***

Luci ran down the steps and out to the car, struggling to open the door, trying to hold back tears. This was terrible, it was awful, it had all gone to hell... She was such a bad mother. She couldn't even protect her own kid, couldn't even rescue them. Instead, here she was, running away to save her own skin.

No, that wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. Closing her eyes, she forced her breathing to steady; before turning back to the building with renewed determination. She was going to do whatever it took. She was going back in.

Then, suddenly, it was like a shockwave rippling through the air; shaking the very foundations of the building around her. The clock gonged once, it's dying toll; and as she looked up she saw the face cracked through the centre.

So, what do you think? Not many chapters to the end now , we're wrapping up quite nicely.

Also, I wasn't so sure on the use of the phrase 'You killed her', as technically Nyx isn't dead but she did die for a few seconds at least when she was stabbed, and 'You attacked her' doesn't quite have the same punch.

Hope you like it, anyway! XD