The trip to Akkada was quick with the stamina of an untiring vampire and four legs. She made the five-mile trip in about fifteen minutes. She slowed her pace as she approached the gates. The city was deserted. She crossed the devastated temple courtyard. The destruction was complete where the energy she unleashed had touched. Beyond that it was untouched and pristine. She sniffed the air and could smell Pugmentia on it. Apparently, they were going to try the temple again. Perhaps they had the wrong order of events, perhaps it was the day of the long night that had precipitated the death of Tiamat and not the other way around. She trotted into the deserted temple. Vases and statues near the front had been smashed at some point, probably by her waves of destruction. She sniffed and air coming from under a door she checked it with her wolf shoulders, and it swung open. Her diminished shape did not reduce her strength. She trotted down the spiral staircase and found a long hallway. She saw torch light coming from the far end. The entrance hall was lined with hideous looking statues. As she made her way up the hall the statues come to life, they were Pugmentia. The slowly followed her. The hallway was contained and would be a room of death if she dropped her silver nitrate grenade. She would keep that in mind when she had to make her escape. If the fight with the previous Pugmentia had taught her this lot was far stronger then she was used to and she had no sword, and she dreaded what would happen if she had to resort to blood magic again and went unconscious escaping.

The Pugmentia formed a wall behind her at the end of the hallway. She had entered an ornate chamber with vaulted ceilings. She saw Remus, looking the same as he had in her time. He lacked the claw scar on his neck. The clothes were different. She also identified Chomaggis. Remus she had never fully trusted. She always got an odd vibe from him. She just chalked it up to him delving into magics better left untouched. The woman coiled on a couch behind him would have to be Tiamat. She looked alive. But like other ancients she had a quality of marble or alabaster about her. Had her head not turned it would be easy to mistake her for a statue that someone dressed. Though dressed was an exaggeration. Her nipples and womanhood were covered and not much else. She was beautiful, far too beautiful. Like someone had sculpted her to perfection. And likely Chomaggis had, his gift was a mastery of flesh molding. The twisted Pugmentia were probably his doing and thoroughly brainwashed to do exactly what they were told. She wouldn’t be surprised if Chomaggis, Tiamat, or Remus were using them like puppets on strings.

On the right side of the room was a stage. She could see a mix of mortals, pugmentia and blood slaves acting out various sex acts. She could tell by their blank stares that they were also just puppets to their master. Chomaggis, while someone Enid considered a friend, was a vampire of disturbing tastes. Some of the women had four breasts, others were covered in them, yet another had her face coming out of her stomach and her neck had been fashioned into a second sex organ. Enid turned her eyes away from the macabre tableau. Chomaggis paid Enid’s red furred wolf a passing glance then went back to the woman in front of him. She was Imperial, Enid did not recognize her, but he was perfecting her curves. Not exactly the headquarters of the Pogrom she was expecting. The histories seemed to be wrong.

Remus watched her with his yellow eyes. She had always had a hard time reading him. Was he happy to see her? Did he think she was in wolf form because she carried her soul blade? What was he planning? She looked at him for several seconds.

“Don’t be shy child, show us your real face.”

Enid shifted into her Sarah form. Chomaggis touched his chest with his long thin six fingered hands. He only had two eyes at the moment, in the future when she had met him, he had six. He licked his lips.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say she’s been on my table before. Perfection. Who crafted that body for you? I must know!”

Remus glared at him.

“Silence she is not here to tell you where she got her breasts shaped, she is here to answer for the damage to my domain.”

Enid’s shape had the perfect voice to pull off snotty arrogant bitch and she played it up every bit when she spoke.

“The damage to your domain was caused because you did not protect me when I was attacked in said domain when I was approaching to announce myself. Remus of Atlantis. Were you too busy watching puppets penetrate each other to defend a guest? Perhaps too weak?”

She saw a flash of anger in his eyes. She knew him to be egotistical to a fault and a stickler for rules of decorum.

“If you were coming to announce yourself then why did I find your lapdog trying to slink out of the city with you?”

“It is simple really, she thought you had sent the rabble to assault us. I would have punished her accordingly, if you had not had your pet demon abscond with her. I have come as you asked, I have no Atlantean pack, I have no soul blade. Just a few trinkets that are no threat to you. I had to take precautions; The tainted ones have been dreadfully hostile recently and being forced to travel without escort or soul blade…”

“You think I am that ignorant? You wear Atlantean armor. Few tainted ones could hope to harm you in that armor.”

“Yes, I know, isn’t it wonderful. And it does show off the work I had done.”

Enid was mentally gagging, but she glanced at Chomaggis who was casting sidelong glances at her and slid her finger down her neck over her breast and down past her hips and to just above her labia. Chomaggis hurriedly looked away. Tiamat was watching her every move. Remus looked like he was starting to buy the performance.

“Why did you come to my domain child?”

“Child? I am five centuries old!”

She feigned anger.

“I have existed since the dawn of time insolent child. You will answer me.”

Enid stepped back, pretending to be frightened of his response.

“I seek your brother, Romulus of Atlantis.”

His eyes snapped to her. She had his attention now. Tiamat who had been doing her best to be a statue had shifted in her seat suddenly and Chomaggis seemed to have doubled his focus on his patient.

“What makes you think he would want to be sought out by a child who has barely found her fangs.”

“Why, because he is my creator of course. He turned me and bid me seek him out when I had found the answer to the question he had asked me on the night of my creation. I have found the answer. But he is not where he was, I have been seeking him for many nights. I was directed here by several reputable vampires, Isis of Egypt being the most prominent.”

He started to pace. He rubbed his hands together. Not in the evil my plans coming together way, but in the oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, sort of way.

“As my kin I thought you might provide me assistance. I hope this straightens out any confusion caused by my wayward pet. I did not come to bring any harm, just to find my true father.”

She had seen Remus squirm before. For some reason this time was bringing her far more joy. Tiamat was looking between the two.

“You are lying.”

“I am not, please use the sight.”

He stared at her; She felt his eyes burrowing into her soul.

“I am the daughter of Romulus of Atlantis. He is my creator. I wish no harm to anyone here, but I will defend myself and my pet.”

She saw his fists clench. What had he been planning to do to her? He looked at her quickly and stared into her eyes.

“Sleep.”

Enid stared back at him. His command had no impact on her. She was far beyond being affected by such simple tricks at her age and after inheriting her father’s power. She was the eldest among any vampire anywhere. None could bend her to their will. Though he would be suspicious if she was completely immune. She looked away immediately.

“Seize her!”

The twisted Pugmentia rushed forward and grabbed her. She put up a token resistance tearing off two of their heads before they subdued her. If she hadn’t it would have been suspicious. She was forced onto her knees.

“Being my brothers spawn will not protect you child. You have a strong will, but you are nothing compared to me. Hold her head still.”

“Obey me dog. Sleep!”

She let her eyes drop and relaxed then she pretended to snap out of it. A child of Sextus would be hard to control she had to sell it.

“No! I will not!”

Remus grabbed her chin and stared into her eyes.

“You will obey me child. Sleep!”

Enid let herself collapse. She felt herself dragged several feet and dropped. She felt something being put around her ankles and wrists. She heard the shuffle of feet from the direction Chromaggis had been.

He’s running to save his own hide. Good old Chromaggis.

She heard Tiamat speaking, it sounded like she had changed her location and was closer to Remus.

“Husband, is this wise? She is a child of your brother, he will not be pleased.”

“I have put too much into this to be stymied because she happens to be my niece. I have promised her to the demon if I don’t deliver there are ramifications.”

“Surely your brother’s wrath…”

“My brother is too consumed with wallowing in his misery at the betrayal of Lilith. He probably created this one to give him comfort on a cold night then forgot about her. I fear the wrath of a fallen angel more than any imaginary punishment from my brother.”

“What if he decides you gave one of his children to hell, so he will give one of yours...like me?”

“By the time my brother finds out it will be too late. I will have absorbed the power of every single vampire in one night and I will be his better he will kneel before me and beg me to spare him.”

“That wolf is her daughter, I could tell by the way the wolf-born reacted. She’ll do whatever I tell her, and if that isn’t enough, I will break her mind. We have an eternity of night. The humans shall worship at our feet and we will be blood gods. Ruling over a world of eternal night.”

“Is it really eternal?”

“Yes, Angels, even fallen ones can alter reality, he has altered reality to block out the sun.”

“And no one can undo it?”

“No mortal or vampire. It would take an act of God and I don’t see him steeping in.”

Enid slowly palmed the beacon while the two talked and pressed it once then then threw it under a table. The pair looked to see where the noise came from but saw nothing. She heard a third voice join the conversation it was inhuman. Something slimy about it.

“This pup is giving me no trouble. Do you have my real prize?”

“Yes, look, the godling you asked for.”

“She doesn’t look right, are you trying to renege on our deal?”

“She is the godling that summoned up the powers of entropy, is that not what you demanded of me?”

“Hmm, you pink skin bags all look alike. Does she smell like Lilith?”

“I cannot tell.”

“Then wake her and use your sight to tell me if she lies. Ask her if Lilith cares for her?”

She heard Remus walk over and felt him grab her by the hair. He slapped her hard enough that it hurt even through her vampiric durability.

“Wake up, do you know who Lilith is? Does she care about you? What is your relationship?”

Enid grimaced internally either way she was going to be outed at least for that part.

“She is my milk-mother. She cares about me a great deal.”

“Sleep!”

Enid let her eyes close and he dropped her head.

“Good enough?”

“Yes, that is her! The Morningstar will be pleased. The perfect bait for his trap. Can I eat the pup now?”

“Not until the vampire has done the task I need her for, after that do whatever you want, but she might be more pliable with the runt in shackles.”

“She is a godling like you, an insect.”

“This insect had a soul blade.”

“Does she have it now?”

“No, she left it at the wolf-born camp like a fool.”

“It is called love my dear husband. I think its romantic. That she would sacrifice herself for a wolf-born. Touching a mother’s love for their child.”

The demon spoke again.

“You see pup, your mother is alive and well. So just stay there like a good little doggie and you’ll see each other soon.”

Enid fought the urge to look up to see her daughter. She watched the beacon, it was dark now. They had received her message. She heard Remus walk over to her again and lifted her head and slapped her face again.

“Wake up!”

He dragged her by the arm and shoved her head over a font of water. She could see the fallen Angel. It looked like one but its face had turned into a mass of writhing magots. She could see Hazel in wolf form licking her paw. She looked no worse for the wear. Enid spoke in their native tongue a language no one would speak for thousands of years.

“Hazel, it’s a trick! The pack is coming with a distraction! Kill him as soon as you can. I love you.”

Hazel’s ears perked up, but she kept licking her paw. Remus threw Enid back to the circle of power that had been crafted on the floor. She recognized it. It was used to contain summoned entities and prevent harm to come to those outside of it. She was bound by Atlantean chains. She wouldn’t be able to break those. If she used blood magic, she could age them as she had done before in her rage. It would be costly. She didn’t pay them any mind she kept staring at the beacon under the table. Tiamat walked up to her and started looking her up and down. She fiddled with the utility belt and removed it after several minutes. She put it on the table and started poking at the grenades. Enid kept looking to the beacon. Remus approached her and grabbed her by the back of her neck and felt again, he ripped the gun and the tape off of her armor. He looked at it then handed it to Tiamat who looked it over.

“You aren’t so innocent as you pretend, are you? Nor stupid. You have managed to reverse engineer creations far beyond your kin. They look rudimentary compared to the ones from Atlantis, but projectile thrower full of silver bullets and a grenade of silver gas. You could do some serious harm with those. Who are you really?”

“Unchain me and find out.”

He back handed her. Then waved at her dismissively.

“Remove her armor.”

Tiamat slid her finger along the armor’s seams and pulled off the top and the legs reattaching each chain in turn. She looked at it and twisted it this way and that. Enid had been naked under the armor; Her underwear was meant for her Enid form and did not fit this new frame. Remus looked her over. He walked around her and looked at her back.

“Your body is painted. But the rest is flawless. Chomaggis was right someone did spend a lot of time on you.”

Enid glanced down at the beacon. She looked behind her when she heard movement. She saw eight vampires being led in and lashed down around her with the same chains she had been bound with. They were all Imperials she could smell them. Each was bound at the point of a compass star. She kept up her act.

“Why are you doing this? I just need my father!”

“Oh, stop the act, you aren’t some pathetic child.”

Enid’s face went blank and then she narrowed her eyes.

“My father is going to skin you alive for this. Literally he’s going to flex his hand and your skin is going to peel off.”

“Ah there she is, the real….what is your name?”

“Slays-Demons, blooded by tooth and claw. There is still time, you can release me give me back my belongings get the Fallen Angel to release my daughter, summon my father and I will forgive you… For old times’ sake.”

He gave her a dismissive glance.

“I have never seen a vampire that could take the form of a wolf, tell me, are you a…did my brother turn a wolf-born?”

“If I was, I wouldn’t tell you.”

He motioned to the chains.

“These aren’t keeping you here, are they? You could just shift out of them. It is only the fact that the fallen angel has your daughter that you are letting me bind you. You truly care for her, don’t you? Intriguing.”

“It is called love Uncle Remus, something you have never understood.”

“I keep getting this feeling you know me, you picked at me since you arrived, you knew just how to get a rise out of me, put me on edge. You really are a cunning little thing. Do as you are told, and you and your daughter will have safe passage out of my domain, if you don’t my demon will gut her and wear her entrails.”

Enid’s eyes went to the beacon again, still dark.

“What do you want Remus? I will do anything to keep my daughter safe.”

“You are going to use these eight sacrificial lambs and the demon’s eternal night to drain every single tainted one and every single godling of every bit of their life essence and power and you are going to channel it into me.”

Enid growled at him.

“You always did think too big.”

He grabbed her by the jaw again.

“Give me the power I deserve, or your daughter dies and then I break your mind and you do it anyway.”

“Do you even know what I am?”

“You can channel pure entropy. I have never seen someone so skilled at blood magic. Not even I am that powerful. I assume now it is because you were wolf-born. I may have to turn a more pliable one of you later to experiment.”

“I am going to kill you for this Remus. Not tonight, you don’t die tonight but when I can, I’m going to sink my fangs into your neck, and I am going to watch the life drain out of your eyes.”

“You actually think you can kill me. Amusing.”

“Use the sight. Go ahead I dare you.”

He stared at her with his piercing eyes. She spoke in Atlantean.

“I know I am going to kill you, because where I come from, you’re already dead. So tonight, when you’re watching your precious Tiamat’s life leave her eyes when I drain her dry, know that I am coming for you next. You won’t know when and you won’t know who because this isn’t my real face. But one day I will end your miserable existence. And I will relish in it. You will ask me why because you actually care for me, and I will answer: You should have left my daughter out of it. On that day you will know my true face.”

Remus stumbled backwards. Enid had spoken no lies.

“What did she say?”

“Nothing…”

She glanced down at the beacon, still dark. She spoke in Sumerian now.

“Not going to tell her? Don’t want to spoil the surprise? Do you know the best part? You are going to fear my coming every single night for the rest of your miserable life.”

There was a flash of panic in his yellow eyes. She could tell by the unsure movements of his hands, the shift of his weight, she had gotten to him. Tiamat put her arms on his shoulders.

“She is just a child, she is no threat to us, especially bound to the circle, she can do no harm. Why do you hesitate husband? You are a god. Gods don’t bleed.”

Enid laughed, she likely seemed insane to the pair. She had suddenly realized once again that the claw scar on Remus’s neck wasn’t there yet. Tiamat glared at her.

“You are such an insolent child, it is too bad we do not have time to have Chomaggis seal your mouth and put the hole somewhere else so you can join the dance macabre, it would please me greatly to see it full.”

Enid was feeling guilty when she realized she was the one who would kill Tiamat, but now she was feeling less so.

“Enough. Decimator, take one of the pup’s eyes.”

“If you harm her I will never do as you ask.”

“Decimator, stop, I think she understands.”

“Cease your teasing of me godling, my patience wears thin”

Remus walked to the edge of the protection circle.

“Now, you will give me the power I deserve. I don’t think I can stop him a second time.”

Enid looked at the beacon, it was still dark. Remus glanced behind him then back at her.

“Your wolf-born pack aren’t coming to save you, neither is your father. Do my bidding! Or Decimator will.”

Enid began chanting in Altantean and she drew the life forces out of eight Imperials chained around her. She began to crackle with dark energy again. The beautiful marble in the center of the circle became decayed and stained with age and neglect. The effect ended at the inner edge of the protective circle. She reached out through the eight imperials and crackling beams of dark energy shot out from them and angled upwards blowing holes through the ceiling of the library. Massive chunks of rock fell down around them. Enid could not sense anything in the boundary of the library. Remus must have warded it. She could sense the energy of every Pugmentia. There were so many…it was terrible to behold all scrambling for power, feeding and enslaving the humans. She sensed the Imperials too, their rarified blood. She could sense their hunger as well. She despised her uncle for forcing her to do this, but the numbers had to be culled they were out of control.

She closed her fists and pulled all the energy she sensed towards her. A million vampires cried out as she tore the force animating them out of their bodies and drew it to herself. She was floating now dark energy was crackling around her skin and through her veins. She could feel every single soul she had just ripped free inside her. Remus and Tiamat were staring at her. The eight that surrounded her still lived but their chests had been ripped open and were blackened. Their screams of agony were earsplitting. Remus pushed Tiamat back and approached Enid again.

“Now give me what I am owed! Make me a god!”

Enid glanced down at the beacon, still dark. Remus was furious as she turned her gaze from him and looked behind him. He noticed the discarded beacon under the table. He looked at it. Enid heard a pop come from the font. Tiamat stumbled back from it there was a hissing sound then silence. Enid stared at the beacon intently.

“What is this? Do you think it can save you? Give me the power now! Or your daughter dies.”

The beacon began to flash red. Enid’s face lost all emotion as she replied.

“No.”

She reached upwards and unleashed the life energy she had absorbed into the barrier the Demon had created to blot out the sun. The ceiling exploded with huge chunks rock falling around her. The sun was starting to escape its shackles, and Enid did the same she looked down and the shackles fell off of her. She reached out and tore the life force from the eight Imperials. She would have felt bad, but they had died today anyway. The all writhed and fell to the floor. Each exploded into black ash. The sun was shining down the shaft the unleashed energy had created in the temple. She was crackling with the energy of Remus’s sacrifices. Remus stumbled backwards tripping over debris he quickly recovered. Enid reached out with her hand and crushed his chest and forced him to his knees.

“Kneel before your Empress.”

She looked him in the eyes.

“Bring Tiamat to me.”

He tried to resist but he could not. Against the power of the first vampire. He ran after her as she tried to flee and dragged her struggling form to Enid. He held her there waiting for Enid’s next command. Enid reached out with her telekinesis and pulled Tiamat to her grabbing her by the throat. The entropic energy crackling around her hands started to sear and decay her flesh. Enid looked at Remus again meeting his gaze. A part of her was relishing in the terror in his eyes.

“Kneel before your Empress!”

Like the puppets they had on stage he fell to his knees still staring up at her. Tiamat had ceased struggling the entropic energy was tearing her apart slowly she was screaming now. Enid shifted her hands to claws and slashed across Remus’s throat and the bottom of his chin leaving deep cuts. She kicked him over. He could not scream as he clutched his bleeding throat the wound was too deep. She looked him in the eyes again.

“You will not look away or close your eyes.”

She released Tiamat and then grabbed her shoulders as she fell, and she turned her so Remus could watch the life leave her eyes when Enid drained the last of her. Enid dropped her corpse beside him. He was left staring into the lifeless eyes of is wife of four millennia.

Enid did not feel guilt when she unleashed the entropic energy from the eight Imperials onto the stage of the Dance Macbre and the twisted abominations there exploded into ash, nor when she did it to the twisted Pugmentia statues. The last of the dark energy that had encircled her dissipated and she was left in the silence of the crumbling library. Only the odd gurgle from her still motionless Uncle disturbed it. She slowly pulled on the legs of her armor and then her top. She strapped on her utility belt and webbing. Then slid the Glock into the holster at her waist.

She saw an Atlantean tablet on a display pedestal and turned it on. If she was in the greatest storehouse of knowledge about at Atlantis besides the city itself, she may as well see if there is anything useful. As she went over the room, she noticed that Tiamat had an amulet in her chest she punched through her rib cage and yanked it out. With her dead it had ceased to wrap itself around her heart. Enid continued to scan. She could spend days in here. The walls were lined with scrolls. What secrets did they hold? What had been lost. Where roof had collapsed hundreds of scrolls had been lost. She saw something, it was a fist sized sliver of Atlantean stone the tablet Identified as shard of the Reality Core. She kneeled down and pushed a chunk of rock away and picked it up and looked at it with a smile.

“Now you’re interesting.”

She heard the rush of movements from the entrance. And saw the shapes of five wolves come out of the shadows. One of them was silver furred, it shifted, and her daughter lunged at her and picked her up in a tight bear hug. The pack was still in their wolf shapes sniffing the air and taking in the destruction. One of them sniffed at Tiamat then Remus who still clutched his throat. When the wolf put a paw and Tiamat’s shoulder and pushed her on her back it sniffed at the cavity with the missing heart then saw it a few feet away it had hardened to a black stone like texture. The wolf whined. Remus due to Enid’s last command had been forced to shift his position and was now leaning over Tiamat staring at her face from above. Hazel saw Remus moving.

“Why is he still alive mother?”

“It is not his day to die.”

Hazel gave her mother a look and offered up the Atlantean pack and Enid’s sword. Enid was taking them when she sniffed the air. She looked to Crushes-his-enemies.

“Get your pack out of here. My father comes.”

He yipped and then barked, and the pack followed. Hazel shifted to wolf form and turned to leave. Enid placed a gentle hand on her head.

“No, you stay.”

Hazel shifted back and crossed her arms staring at Remus.

“Why does he not move and just stare at her like that? Did he truly love her?”

“No, my uncle doesn’t love anyone except himself. He cared about her, but he stays like that because I ordered him too.”

Was the carnage necessary my love?

“Yes, my love it was.”

And the pogrom. It was you all along, did you need to kill so many?

“Yes, my love, it was the only way to break the demon’s barrier. Uncle Remus said it would take an act of god to break it, and so it did.”

And Tiamat?

“The world is better off without her in it, and Uncle Remus needed to be punished for his transgressions. If I had not done it father would have.”

You broke him completely. He is our family.

“He is no longer my family. Not after he tried to feed my daughter to a demon and then send me to Hell with it. I am Empress, he turned against his people. He suffered the consequences.”

Enid waved a dismissive hand at Lucius and ignored him. She continued to scan. She found a few knick knacks but nothing more substantial than she already possessed. She put the tablet in her bag, no use leaving it here. Hazel had been staring at the broken Remus. Enid could not tell if she was upset, or happy to see him like this. She heard the rush of footsteps and looked away from her daughter. Chomaggis and her father had come in through another underground entrance. Chomaggis slowly stopped running and looked around at the devastation. She thought he might be crying, hard to tell his face was so…shaped. He made a gasp when he saw the dust where the dance macabre had been. He fell to his knees beside Tiamat picking up her heart which crumbled to dust in his hands. He shook Remus fruitlessly. Her Uncle could not turn away from Tiamat’s lifeless eyes until she released him. Chomaggis looked up at her.

“You monster!”

Enid looked at him, she felt bad. Chomaggis she liked. He was strange, but he had taught her how to sculpt flesh something he did rarely. They were friends in an odd sort of way.

“I am sorry Chomaggis, it was not my intent to hurt you.”

She knew the three had been together for millennia. She wasn’t sorry for breaking all his toys. It disgusted her that he would use sentient beings like that. She hadn’t known that about him when she was younger.

“I am not sorry I destroyed your Dance Macabre it was debasing and disgusting, and you have no right to do that to sentient beings. If you are looking for monsters, you may want to start with yourself.”

Her father was leaning over Remus trying to force him away from Tiamat.

“She is gone.”

Remus was unmoved and when moved he struggled to get his eyes back over her face, he could not break Enid’s dark command. Her father looked at her then desperately said.

“Remus you are released!”

Remus continued to stare into the lifeless eyes of Tiamat. Her skin had started to blacken near the edges of her extremities. By nightfall she would be skeletal remains, or dust. With her age likely dust. Sextus turned Tiamat’s head and saw the fang marks and looked at the dried blood on Enid’s chin. She saw fury in his yes, but also fear. He marched over to her staring down at her. He met her eyes.

“Draining a soul is forbidden! You will never do it again!”

Enid couldn’t help but laugh. He’d used his command on her so many times as a child to curb behavior and now he was powerless. Hazel looked a bit surprised to hear her mother laughing.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Enid bent over holding her stomach and continued to laugh. She waved her hand to Hazel. Enid was on the brink of breaking mentally if she was perfectly honest with herself. She had just killed so many sentient beings she was having trouble justifying it after the fact. She was still sane but the way he had done it, just like when she was a mortal child. He grabbed her by the shoulders.

“You…you are immune.”

Enid nodded putting her hand to her mouth to stifle more laugher. Chomaggis had stood and shuffled away. She fanned herself and took a few deep breaths.

“I’m sorry, you looked so serious, and you’ve done it so many times before and it always worked, and I totally expected it to work again and then it didn’t and…basically it looked like you were talking to me and taking a shit at the same time.”

“This is serious. We have rules, laws, there is an order to things you have torn them asunder. Our society is going to be in shambles. There will be wars for territories. Retaliation! You have no idea what you have done! You killed so many tainted ones in this city they will be out for blood.”

Enid took a few more deep breaths and forced herself to look serious.

“I know exactly what I have done. There will be no retaliation and no wars for territory because I killed almost all of the Pug…tainted ones and many your children’s children and so on. There are so few left they cannot rebel again for millennia. Do a better job of keeping them in check this time or you will suffer for it.”

“Was that a threat?”

“No, but your lenience with their open behavior against the mortals and lack of authority over them will bring the mortals down on our heads, we are powerful, but they are many and they can walk around during the day! You just let them turn whomever they want. One needs to fight a war, then why not turn a hundred vampires, that will best an army of a thousand easily. You created this mess you should sort it out. It should have been you who culled their numbers. I should not have had to kill these vampires tonight, but I if I had not, we would have been wiped out completely. History will repeat itself and next time you will not like the cost of your laziness and arrogance.”

Sextus stepped back under her verbal assault. He looked around at the destruction and then back at her.

“Are you an Angel?”

“No, I am the monster you made me. You gave me the job of protecting our people and I did that today, unlike you. I stopped your brother from getting enough power to overthrow you and hurl the world into an eternal night, where he was a blood god. I fixed your overpopulation problem. I broke a Fallen Angel’s spell and brought the sun back. Oh, and my daughter, who is only sixteen-year-old, destroyed the Fallen Angel your brother let loose from hell. What have you done lately? Get your head out of your ass old man. Everyone’s heart gets broken. Everyone gets betrayed.”

You’re being too harsh Enid. You know more about the future then he does.

“Shut up Lucius!”

Her father looked around to see who she was talking too.

“My sword.”

His eyes fell on the soul blade strapped to her back. He stepped back. He was afraid.

“A soul blade? Here? How?”

“You already know the answer, you just don’t know it yet.”

“Will you kill me and my brother now?”

Enid got a confused look on her face.

“No? Why would I do that?”

Her father’s shoulders relaxed slightly. He wasn’t completely letting down his guard. Hazel nudged her shoulder gently.

“Mom, remember why we tracked your uncle down in the first place.”

Enid nodded she reached into her Pack and pulled out four blood stones one after another handing two to Hazel.

“I came here to get your blood; You know before your brother decided to kidnap my daughter and I…”

Sextus nodded. He filled each stone up with his blood with no resistance or questions. When he had finished the last, he looked at Enid again.

“So, if you had come here and my brother had not…assaulted you or your daughter’s person, and he had just reached out to me, you would have left and not harmed anyone?”

“That was how I was hoping it would go.”

He nodded and glanced at his brother still frozen staring at the dead eyes of his wife as her skin blackened around them.

“I think he has suffered enough. Please release him.”

“Remus, I release you.”

He made a sound which was mangled by his lack of solid skin and muscle on his throat. He looked at her with a burning hatred in his yellow eyes. She met his gaze and made her next words a command.

“Remus, remember the promise I made you.”

Remus tried to make another sound that may have been yes, my Empress, but again his lack of a throat made it impossible to speak. Sextus looked between Enid and Remus.

“You have my blood and you have had your vengeance for the wrong done to you. Please leave.”

Enid’s eyes softened as she looked to her father.

“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I love you.”

She almost said father at the end, but she didn’t. She turned and motioned for Hazel to follow her. Her father didn’t respond he just stared after her. Hazel looked to her mother as they walked away.

“What did you promise him?”

“That I would kill him one day.”

“Why not tonight?”

“Because it would be a paradox, if I killed him tonight then he never could have trained me in blood magic, then I never would have had to kill him tonight…”

“Mom, that hurt my head.”

“And that is why time travel sucks dear.”