A Serpent's Kiss

Chapter Twelve

“I know she is not yet a true demon but-” Apophis spluttered. The proud, obnoxious being Arloh had known just an hour ago has suddenly became weak in Shamesh’s presence

“Enough! I can still trace the angel and human in her. Granted it is very faint but it is still there. I know what you have come to ask me basilisk and I have my answer. We cannot perform the binding ceremony until she proves she can embrace her demonic body. She needs to prove that she has no pathetic human compassion left. Only then will we be able to perform the ceremony. You have done well but not enough.”

The shadow settled back down onto his throne and seemed to waft an arm through the air. Taking his que, Apophis bowed once more and seized Arloh’s arm in an agonising grip. She knew he was angry before he stormed for the exit.

Once outside, he didn’t speak, instead transforming himself into his true form and racing ahead of Arloh. Biting back a surge of fury, she moulded herself into her more comfortable form and sped after him.

What? she demanded, drawing aside with him. The fury she felt was forming in front of her eyes in a red mist. Fire licked the inside of her body and she was straining to release it somehow. Temptation to lash out surged through her. Without warning, she lost control and her body leapt forward, her fangs sinking into the soft body of Apophis. He screamed in pain and surprise and twisted out of her grasp. Panting, he coiled himself a distance away from her. Arloh realised she was out of breath and the raging emotion was now subsiding.

So nearly there. Apophis’ voice was surprisingly pleased. He sounded proud. This confused Arloh. When a demon is born, they cannot control their anger. As they mature they learn how to. If you can so readily attack me, then we will have no problem passing the test the lord has set us. Hurry up

And he was off once more, speeding over the red hexagons. Totally bemused, Arloh followed suite. It had been rather satisfying, the feel of skin yielding under her, the relief of the tension that held her limbs in paralysis. More was to come. Excitedly, she trailed Apophis back to the castle.

Instead of going inside, they went to a cliff. A sudden surge of memory played on the edges of Arloh’s mind but despite her strains, she couldn’t seem to pick up the tendrils and weave it together. She was sure she had been here before. Apophis was talking in a tongue she now understood; asking the great world to allow evil to be unleashed. A whirling pool of air grew and opened into a new world. Caution thrown to the wind and curiousness pulling her, Arloh leapt through.

“What are you doing!” Apophis yelled as she sped through. In a moment, she had landed on sun-baked tarmac and was staring at a row of houses. “Change damn you, change!” he bawled, now into her ear. Realising that she was no longer in a world where demons could roam free in their natural form, she changed herself quickly. Apophis whirled her to meet his eyes. They were glowing red and a sinister grin was scarring his face.

“What do I need to do?” she asked, feeling adrenaline pumping through her human frame.

“You need to find the girl who was once your friend and bring her to me. We take her through the gate and then you can satisfy your demon urges and prove to Shamesh that you can be bound to me. Think back. Remember where you can find her.”

Arloh nodded slowly, the thought of human meat making her stomach growl in anticipation. Racking her brains, she began to form an image in her mind. A tree – lined road, the school a squat building seen from a window, Imperial Road. “Got it,” she hissed, breaking into a run.

It was exactly as she had remembered. Raising a hand, she knocked on the door, hardly able to keep her trembling hands still. Even before the door was opened, she could smell the delectable scent.

“Alaura? Oh my God!” Kate yelled, embracing Arloh in a hug. Breaking free quickly Arloh stepped back, ignoring the look of hurt and confusing on her ex – friend’s face. Her mouth was itching to bite into that flesh. Instead, she forced words out.

“Walk with me. I don’t want to talk about anything here. Somewhere private.” Kate nodded, staring at Arloh in complete bewilderment. Quickly, she stepped out of her door, closing it behind her. Arloh stormed off forcing Kate into a trot.

“Hey Alaura! Wait! You’re acting really weird. Gees Alaura, you’ve been missing for two months! Your parents are desperately worried about you and so was I. What the hell are you playing at? I’m your best friend Alaura, you can’t just turn up at my doorstep after everyone thinks you’ve been kidnapped or murdered. It’s just-”

“Shut your mouth,” snarled Arloh, tired of the constant talk of this irritating human. She turned around, the red mist forming before her. A familiar feeling coursed through her. Someone screamed. With a jolt, Arloh realised she was holding Kate against a wall by the throat and Kate was way off the ground. Cursing, Arloh let go and seized a sobbing Kate, breaking into a run before the whole street came pouring out of their houses.

“Alaura, Alaura,” Kate was crying in pain. Arloh concentrated on getting to the gateway fast. The sooner she could belong to the demon world, the better but that was only going to be achieved by getting this girl out of the clutches of the real world.

Careering around a corner, Alaura spied Apophis lurking further down the street. She was here. Grinding to a halt in front of him, she thrust Kate forward. Apophis grinned, fanged teeth showing against his red lips.

And then it hit Arloh. A blinding light burnt across her retinas and her head felt like cement. Collapsing to her knees, she closed her eyes. Images came flying into her mind until it felt like she was watching a film. The girl, Kate, sitting in a classroom, turning to her and pointing at a boy sat in front. Kate in the lab, mixing something which exploded. Laughter. Friendship.

Roaring, Arloh staggered upright, fixing her gaze on the quivering girl in front of her. “No,” she whispered, fear constricting her throat. “Not her. She was once my friend.” Apophis stiffened and dropped Kate onto the floor. He advanced towards Arloh, his face a neutral mask.

“What did you say?”

“I said not her Apophis.”

“What happened?” She didn’t reply. “What happened!” he screamed, making her flinch.

“I remembered.”

“How much?”

“Enough to know that I cannot take this girl’s life.” Turning she rushed to Kate and hauled her upright. “Run,” she told her desperately. Not needing encouragement, Kate sprinted down the road, casting terrified glances over her shoulder. Apophis hissed at Arloh and changed in a flash to a serpent. He slithered after Kate. Screaming, Arloh launched herself at him and was soon lost in a world of bruises, cuts and pain.

She didn’t know how she managed it but she managed to tumble their locked bodies through the gateway, aware of it sealing up behind her. Finally she extricated herself from Apophis and lay panting on the grass. He towered over her, grabbing her chin and hauling her upwards.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she managed not to cry out.

The last thing she saw before she was plunged into a black vortex was his shining fangs.

She knew where she was even before she opened her eyes. The scratch of a hard floor against her cheek and the screaming of her muscles was all too familiar. This was where she had been reborn as a demon. Her head was sore and it began to throb as she played last night’s events in rewind. Ah yes.

That girl, Kate. The thought of food brought her attention to her mouth and stomach. Her mouth felt as dry as a desert and her stomach had the hollow emptiness when the hunger stage had been surpassed. Groaning, she levered herself up onto her arms and sat with her back against the wall. Regret began to overrule her hunger. If only she had accepted the offer of that fresh meat…today she would do exactly what Apophis wanted. She would go out and catch her prey and she would do this without telling him.

Arloh’s eyes wandered around the room, searching for an escape. The big window was an option. Staggering upright, she wandered over to it and looked out. A landscape of jagged castles met her, an all too familiar sight. Raising a hand, she tapped on the glass. It sounded thin and fragile, easily broken. In her demon form, she could easily smash through it. A small laugh escaped her lips as she mocked Apophis’ stupidity. He could have planned a bit better. Retreating to the other side of the room, she shed her human form in a matter of seconds, revelling in the new power her serpentine form gave her. Determinedly, she bunched her muscles, an action that brought back another powerful surge of memory; a window opening onto a black night with a silvery moon. Shaking it off, she prepared herself for the launch.

The air whistled past her as her body left the comfort of the floor. Her head connected with the glass, the pressure momentarily overwhelming her before the glass gave way in a shower of jagged crystals. She plummeted downwards, the rush of air tugging her skin painfully. It was over quickly and soon she smacked into the hard, condensed earth. Acute pain paralysed her and she couldn’t breathe for what felt like a long time.

Eventually, she managed to summon all her strength and lever her bruised body back upright. Nothing would stop her. If she could do this, then all memories, all of the diseased angel blood would vanish from her body and she would be a powerful and feared demon. Again, she cursed herself for not indulging in that girl’s body. Steeled, she moved forward, clinging to the solid walls of Apophis’ home, hoping that he had not heard the window splintering.

The gates were locked and she knew that she was too big to slip through the gaps. Brute force was the only option. Once more, she was airborne as she slammed against them. Her weight was great enough to force them open. Brimming with pride and determination, she slipped through as they swung open.

Pushing onward with all the speed she could, she tried to remember the location of the gateway. If she reached the site, she would be able to open it by repeating the words Apophis had used, now that she could speak the language needed.

Suddenly, raised voices cut through her reverie and instinct forced Arloh to seek the nearest shelter. It happened to be a murky grey shrub that sprouted out of the ground in all directions. Quickly, she curled up behind it, hoping that it would provide adequate cover.

“You are sure this is true? This is Dester we are talking about. He will do anything to get attention.” The voice was unmistakably that of Apophis. At least he had not yet learned of her escape.

“I cannot be too sure. That’s why I need you to investigate for me. If it is true, then the angels and demons will be locked once more in a bloody conflict like the one that created good and evil in the first place. The angels will triumph and evil will be wiped out completely. That cannot happen.” Arloh gulped. She knew this was about her. A name seemed to materialise in front of her. Gabriel.

“I promise I will find you,” she whispered, the words flowing off her tongue. Gasping, she realised that the memories were flooding back. That was why Apophis was so desperate for the binding ceremony.

“Do I take the girl?” Apophis asked, worry clear in his tones.

“No. We cannot risk her being seen.”

Arloh couldn’t listen and stand idle. She wanted to know what she had unleashed. Uncurling herself, she slithered over to where the two demons stood deep in conversation. Yelling in surprise, they both leapt back a foot. She changed back to a human form quickly.

“What in hell’s name-”