Page 16 of Heart Shaped Wreckage (standalone)
LANDON
Yeah, I was sore. But it was totally worth it.
I woke up and watched him sleep as I lay in his arms. He did make me feel safe, but I knew that we were right in harm's way. We would be until the quest was over. It hadn’t been going badly, but we had been found at every turn.
Our clothes lay on a fallen tree, and our naked bodies glistened with the dew. It was warm here.
“You two really are made for each other.” I turned to find a wolf sitting on her haunches as she licked her lips.
“You’re not going to…”
“Eat you? No. My taste for flesh only comes in times of war. You are safe, human, for now.” Her yellow eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel any better. Who are you?”
“It’s Morrigan, Queen of the Wolves and protector of the forests.” Heath groaned as he woke up. “You didn’t bring any coffee, did you?”
“Sorry.”
“No offense, but I am really getting tired of talking animals waking me up.” I pouted.
“Is this better?” She glowed and shifted in a matter of seconds. A young woman with flowing brown hair that covered her breasts stood before us. “This is my other form. But I do prefer to run on four legs with the wind in my hair.”
“Don’t we all?” Heath agreed.
“You find yourself in a bit of a predicament, old one.”
“We do. Is that why we’re here?”
She ran her hands through her long hair. “Why else? The sands of the hidden Sahara brought you to me.”
“Ireland?” He glanced around. “I was wondering if we were in the land of the fae.”
“In a way. This place is beyond any borders. It’s a part of the Eire, an ancient place that cannot be found unless it is needed,” she explained.
“Why are we here?” Heath set up and grabbed our clothes.
“The beginning of the end, I’m afraid – or happy. It depends on the choices you make.” She glanced between us.
“Is this our last stand?”
“No, there will be one more trial. But this is the one you fear the most, Magnus of the fallen. There are few beings as old as I who walk the Earth, and I’d hate to see your time come to an end. Have you worked out the next part of the stanza?”
“Does everyone know this prophecy?” I snorted.
“No witch boy. Not everyone. But I, who have long been a goddess of prophecy, know every one uttered in the pantheons of old. How do you think that our dear old Thoth knew where you’d be?”
“What is Moon Cat?” I blurted. “Does he know prophecy, too?”
She laughed. “That silly cat just knows everything. When you’re an interdimensional traveling cat, you hear things. He just likes to meddle. But if he hadn’t, where would you be?”
“I think he brought me to Heath… I remember a little. Being pulled away from my home, and darkness swallowing me.”
“You remember that?” Heath smiled.
“I think you two should get dressed. I’m afraid there is no running away this time.
I would help, but I detest those self-serving assholes.
They are why no one bleeds in my grotto anymore.
Once, this place was an orgy of delight and death as they threw themselves into the flames for my love. Those were very good times.”
Heath handed me my clothes.
“My lady, do you see our success or…”
“Death? No one knows. It all depends on a drop sitting on the head of a needle, doesn’t it?”
“What does that mean?” I shrugged. Why were these talking animals so difficult to understand?
“MAGNUS!”
I looked up, and the skies opened as if they had been slit in two.
Shit. There was no way out.
“Bye now,” she said before shifting back into her wolf form and running away.
“Heath… er… I think I’m about to pass out,” I wobbled, and he grabbed onto my arm.
“Don’t you dare. I’m gonna need all of the witchy power I can get. Can you do that?”
“I’ll… Fuck I’m scared. I’ll try.” I slapped my face to keep myself tethered to the terrifying reality of my existence.
“That’s all I can ask. You’re about to see some shit. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to…”
“MAGNUS!”
The ground shook with the force of his voice.
I glanced back up, and the wards put in place around Eire’s sky had been torn open with Aurelius’ flaming sword. Those things must come in handy. Heath walked over to the sword and picked it up. It looked heavier in his hand.
“I had once been worthy to carry a blade like this; now my essence can’t connect to the Godly power. But it is still stabby. Get behind me. No matter what happens, Kevin, know I will never hurt you. I would have gone all the way with you if I could.”
“You have to unleash the beast?” I understood, but I was a little scared of what I was about to see.
“Yes.”
“Kick his angelic ass, please.” I kissed him quickly on the cheek.
Aurelius descended feet first. His wings made the winds kick up like the beginning of a hurricane on the shores of Florida. The trees swayed perilously, and branches fell to the ground.
Aurelius stared at us with his flaming sword pointed in Heath’s direction. Yeah, I have no idea what it was Heath did – but the angel looked pissed.
“FALLEN, YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE HORDE IS UPON YOU,” He was using all of his powers to scare us. His feet touched the ground, and the grass instantly sprouted as if it had been fertilized.
“Aurelius,” Heath sneered, stepping in front of me. “Stop the fucking dramatics. Why the pomp and circumstance? Drop the stupid angel voice and speak to me as we always did.”
“YOU…” He cleared his throat. “You think you deserve me to speak to you the way we used to when you flew at my side? You who betrayed us all and sided with him would only destroy all of creation.”
“Well, he had a great retirement plan,” Heath tried joking, but it failed.
Angels must have no sense of humor. “You know that was never our plan. We did what we thought needed to be done. Besides, you know how his silver tongue could twist your brain. Maybe we were wrong, or maybe it was Dad’s plan all along.
He wanted the fall – needed it even, and you know it.
Without Hell, Heaven would have failed.”
“Dad is a mystery. But we two have unfinished business, don’t we?” Aurelius sounded sad as he stared at Heath.
“I mean, do we?” He shrugged. “I haven’t seen you for millennia. What’s the point of this? Can’t we just grab a beer and catch up? Have you tried pizza?”