Alone

Chapter 11

The air was thick and stuffy. It reeked of death. But to me, it was normal, comfortable. My natural environment. The home of a snake. And everyone knows you don't walk into a snake's den; or you'll get bit.

And get bit we did. Some demons seemed to have caught our scent. We smelled of the living. They attacked from behind. They were fast. We were faster.

"How?" They asked each other in their tongue. I released them. They smirked, "Oh, you stupid human, you just made a horrible mistake."

"Did I? Or did you? I wasn't the one that just called me stupid." I shrugged, and pulled Luca closer. I drew power from the ground. I was stronger here. They went to attack, and I put up a fiery shield. The heat made even Luca scramble backwards. 

I dropped the shield, "I wouldn't run if I were you." They stopped in their tracks, "Come closer."

They took a step forward, and fell to their knees. "Please don't hurt us, we don't deserve to die."

"That's for me to decide. Not you. Anyway, it seems you understand who and what exactly I am. Raw power like that? It's rare. But you knew that didn't you?" I paused to smirk at their fear filled faces, "Belonging only to gods. Challenge me, I dare you."

"Our deepest apologies, Lady Alexia. it won't happen again. We swear it." The other shook his head in agreement. 

"You're damn right it won't." And I reduced them to ash. 

I opened another portal, one perk to being in hell, trying to get us outside the palace gates. It didn't work. To put it plainly, I needed a s**t ton of practice. No matter how hard I tried, I didn't know where the hell we would end up next. 

We kept ending up in different places. Swamps, torture chambers, even once in the middle of a weed transaction. That one was hard to explain.

Finally, we appeared outside the palace, and I already had a plan to get in. Well, half a plan.

I screamed to the guards. "Honey! I'm home!"

I had gotten their attention. They aimed their weapons at me. They fired. When the arrows hit, it hurt like hell, but I just pulled them out, and the wounds healed up. "What the hell? I surrender! What part of that don't you understand?"

The guards eyed me closely, they didn't understand how I could be fine. "Is that any way to treat you future queen? Damien won't be happy with you." It seemed to click in their heads.

The gates opened. "Our deepest apologies, Lady Alexia." Why am I getting some serious déjà vu? "We get our fair share of crazies. I hope you can understand." The battalion bowed and the captain babbled on, "Not that you are a crazy." 

"Whatever. Take me to my father."

"I can't promise he'll be happy to see you."

"I'm counting on it."

"Lady Alexia, if you don't mind, His Majesty doesn't allow outside weapons inside the palace."

"I'm not handing over my weapons. I'm a weapon. Are you gonna drain my powers to make me less of a threat. If the almighty king doesn't want my weapons in the palace, he can remove them himself. Unless you have something else to add?" e shook his head furiously at my veiled threat. "I didn't think so."

"Luca, come on."

He followed slowly, "We're back. Yay."

I turned to the captain, "Where can I find him?"

"His private quarters."

I stomped down the hall and blasted his door down. "Daddy, I'm back."

I heard moaning in response. I walked up to his slut and threw her across the room. "Get out. If I ever see you again, you'll be sorry I spared you."

She ditched her clothes and ran out naked. My dad looked up, "You. My greatest mistake."

I smiled at his greeting. "In my book, I'm your greatest success." You may ask, how can we talk so casually? The answer is simple. We're immortal. We have the rest of eternity to waste.

He grabbed me by the throat, and I forced down any fear to make it undetectable to him. "Give me a reason not to kill you now."

"You still need an heir?"

the look on his face told me I was right. "I don't need you." He released me.

"You can't rule forever, and even if you had another immortal child, and it's doubtful, they wouldn't be as strong as me and you know it."

"I'll consider your offer." He turned around.

"That's the thing." I paused long enough to pull out the dagger, "I don't really want the throne. I just needed an excuse to get close enough to you to do this." He faced me. I jammed the dagger into his chest as far as possible and twisted it. 

He fell to the ground and wheezed out a breath, "Why?"

"Because you destroyed my life, you bastard."

"I'm sorry." What?

"I don't want apologies. I want you dead." He closed his eyes and his chest stopped moving.

I leaned over his body and spit on it as Luca ran in. I couldn't read his expression. I whispered in Damien's ear, "You will never find peace."

Or so I thought. His eyes snapped open and he grabbed me by the throat. He laughed, and I snapped back to my mother's death. Unable to fight him off. That how I was now. "I'm sorry, about this little hitch in your plan, but the fact that I got to do the deathbed apology thing? I wanted to fulfill your dreams then have them taken from you. It was everything I expected it to be."

From across the room I could finally read Luca's expression. Satisfaction. 

"Lukey! Help me!"

He turned away from me and tears left my eyes. Eventually, the choke hold caused me to lose consciousness, and the world slipped away.