Chapter 47
Earlier that day
By morning the girls were passed out on the sands, bodies sprawled. The fire was long dead just past their heads. Their heads tilted to each other with peaceful looks. No one questioned why the girls were on the beach. They barely acknowledge their presence. More concerned about their own destination for the day, rather than why two girls were sleeping on the beach next to a dead fire pit.
The three amigos, Addams, Kit and Persephone, didn’t get the common notice to ignore the pair. Persephone hung back as the others approached with bucket of water in hand. Watching from afar with her arms folded and holding onto her elbows in nervous anticipation.
Addams and Kit heaved the bucket over the girls before either girl realised what was happening. Both Hanna and Cira lurched under the splash. Cira twisted her gaze up to the girls trying to set them on fire with her eyes alone. Hanna shock her hair and wiped the water from her eyes.
“Rise and shine ladies!” Kit sung. “New day is here and man am I starving”
“You are always hungry” Hanna laughed. “What time is it?” She grumbled.
“Brunch” Addams answered. “Now get up!”
“Alright then, can’t miss out on that” Hanna quipped with a small laugh.
Cira Sandra looked at the three ladies like they each had three heads. “Brunch?” Sandra growled in a questioning tone. “Why are you three so excited for brunch?”
They weren’t put off from her tone, but hints of mischief flowed from their smile. Such a look wasn’t enough to convince her otherwise. Not even enough to curious her when sleep was still tempting in the back of her head.
“Well you haven’t had brunch with us” Hanna spoke, drawing Cora’s attention naturally to her. Hanna nudged her shoulder playfully. “Brunch is the best meal of the day, two for one and anything you want is on the table” Hanna spoke, but with more enthusiasm then explaining. “There’s a bar not far from here, the meals are to die for and once a week they have all you can eat brunch. With only the best and popular meals in town to offer. It’s our group tradition to go there, the owners even have a table for us”
“Still not convinced enough my dear”
“Well then” Hanna rolled herself onto her knees facing Cira. Grasping the red heads hands in both. She held them up and proposed “Come with us for one Brunch, if you like it, you are welcome to join us anytime you like or if you don’t like it, then I will make it up to you”
Sleep can wait. Cira smiled twitched sideways as she moved closer. “Careful now, you don’t want to owe me too many favours” she warned in a playful tone. “Now how will you make it up to me if I don’t like this brunch?”
Hanna’s smirk tighten. “Don’t know yet, you’ll just have to trust me”
“We shall see Hanna”
“So...do we have a deal?”
Cira hummed, studying the brunette closely before she answered “it’s a deal”
Hanna’s smile glowed just like her eyes. Before Cira Sandra knew it, the girl effortlessly lifted her up to her feet with a cheerily “You won’t regret it!”.
Cira Sandra dropped her eyes with an affectionate smile. Not convinced by Hanna and her group’s obsession, but she won’t disappoint the girl now. Not after last night. She looked up at the girl’s golden eyes and just like last night, the struggle to break the eye contact was drastically harder then she ever admit. The sudden rampant debate on first course from the couple beside them became as distant as the crashing waves. Hanna’s smile beamed, full of light and love. Such a sight Cira hadn’t seen before.
A low cough broke the trance. The girls turned past the couple to Persephone. To the blonde’s unreadable face fixed on them. Cira Sandra bit her tongue, sending a warning stare Persephone’s way. Hanna frowned, with a deep sigh the excitement in her eyes darken to silver.
“I should talk to her” Hanna whispered.
“Do what you want, but you know where I stand with her” Cira states.
Hanna sighed “I know”. She turned to Cira and assured “but I know we can work it out, thank you, for last night. You three better go on without us, I’ll be back before you know it” Hanna flashed Cira a warm smile. Holding her attention with Cira for only a few seconds before she walked sideways and turned straight for Persephone.
Cira and the couple watched as Hanna led Persephone out of their hearing. The two girls kept a fair distance between themselves as they started their whisper conversation. Cira couldn’t hear everything that was said, but she can see the way Hanna talked with concern and openness, while Persephone spoke guarded and guilt.
“They’ll work it out” Addams observes. She turned to Cira with a questioning eye. “Are you okay?”
“Just splendid” she lied. “Show me this magical Brunch and lets be done with it”
Kit laughed as she started leading Cira off the beach. “Hanna’s right, you will be begging to join us on our Brunch days”
“I doubt it”
“Don’t doubt us just yet, we’re quite convincing”
“Sweetie you’ll get a better answer after we show her” Addams advises lightly.
“Of course, but until we get there....” Kit trailed off as she looked over her shoulder to the rest of the crew and shouted “OI YOU LOT HURRY UP!”
Addams followed her girlfriend’s gaze, then focused ahead. “They’ll catch up”
“Sure”
Addams looked over her shoulder one last time. Watching the broken couple talk. Then turned back and caught the site of Cira Sandra watching them through the corner of her eye. She watch Cira for a moment, studying the concerned look. Then focused on chatting with the three about Brunch. Still in her mind, she wondered what Cira Sandra was thinking.
Back in the present
Hanna slowly woke to find herself in the back of the van. The road was rough, knocking the occupants about. The rattle of chain cuffs echoed with every shake. Frighten whispers filled the drive with noise. Scared people huddled against the back walls of the vehicle while Hanna, Kit and the hooded guard stayed upfront. The pain from the gunshot was gone, her body, healed. Hanna huffed, she blinked twice and started to stretch.
She felt hawklike eyes watching her from the side. Hanna tilted her head back, then up, finding Kit starring at her afraid. Hanna sighed content, at least she wasn’t alone in this kidnapping. “hey” she croaked. “how you doing?”
“better then you” Kit huffed. “how’s the gunshot?”
Hanna chuckled “no pain”
“You see I told you she was alright” the guard stated. The girls turned to the guard as she ripped off her bandana and pulled down her hood. Serita sighed as she drew a cuffed hand over her head, to her neck. “although you did have me worried there for a moment” she sighed. “lucky for you they only carry iron”
“lucky me” Hanna chuckled. The Hybrid shrugged herself upright, scaling back first along the van wall. She looked down at her hands and tugged at the chains. They pulled against her skin, every tug seemed to tighten it’s grip around her wrist. She rolled her eyes and focused back on her Aunty confused. “why are you here?” she asked.
Serita tilted her head to side with a pointed look. “I’m undercover” she answered plainly. She titled her head back and shrugged while continuing “well was, my mission was to help a fellow priest from America. His punk niece was traveling around Europe until she stopped contacting him. I was to rescue her and bring her back home. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it, she washed up a few days ago...she hasn't been the only one. Since then, I’ve been tracking down her kidnappers and then hiding in this group, until my sisters and I can avenge those deaths. Anyway, what are you two doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Ice cream run”
“Of course”
“Then we got distracted by this shitshow” Kit stated. She sighed, turning away from her family as she grunted “and what a shitshow it is”
Her family focused on her worriedly.
“That was him right? Your father” Hanna asked concerned.
Kit grunted with a sharp nod. She drew her knees up and hugged her legs. “it was, motherfucker is alive, I should have fucking known!”
“Hey!” Hanna called, reaching out and taking Kit’s forearm in her grasp. “this isn’t your fault”
“It So is Han!” Kit insisted. She turned back to her family, the fear blazing in her shaky gaze. Kit sucked a nervous scared breath and stated “five years ago, I had the chance to run and free myself from that rapist bastard. All I had to do, was allow him to take me and his friends on his yacht…” her eyes darken as she gritted her teeth and continued “then burn the ship into the ocean…and I fucked it”
Hanna her head pulled back, she was shocked by the darkness in her best friend’s eyes. Still, she didn’t let go of her. She gripped her hand tighter on her friend, leaned in and informed calmly “you were a kid, this isn’t your fault”
Serita scooted herself around Hanna, then plonked herself in front of the girls. “Hanna is right, none of this is your fault Kit. Don’t blame yourself for the actions of that bastard”
Kit frowned as the darkness faded in her eyes. She took a moment to stare at her cousin, then her aunty, then shifted her gaze to her feet. “he’s a right bastard. For eleven years my existence was proof of that bastard raping my mother” she paused to gulp before she confessed “it took her six years to fight back and one chance she had, he killed her for it”. Her grip on her legs tighten as she bit back the tears.
Her family didn’t speak, she felt their worried gaze on her. She could feel their love radiating off them and into her soul. She never liked to speak about her past, but she knew her mind well enough if she didn’t speak now, she will never do it again.
“I know I already told you about my life before my family” Kit spoke. “But for more then half my life, all I had was him and his fucked-up empire of blood and death. He taught me everything I needed to know to be a bastard like him. To be his successor, was my purpose for far too long. I can shoot the bean off a tin can ten foot away. I can make one call to the dark web and I’ll get an army of fuckheads to do my every bidding. I know how to make enough money to rule fucking Hollywood without breaking a sweat…it only takes the right organs, don’t even need the full body to sell….I watched him abuse my mother and many people. Ruin families. Kill and force me to take some lives too…I had to kill him and I failed”. Kit turned to her family, to Hanna and apologised. “I’m sorry”
“it’s okay Kit” Hanna assured.
“it’s not, what if everything I done not to be him just disappears and I become exactly like him”
“That won’t happen!” Hanna insisted.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Cause I know you!” Hanna informed. “You are not him and you will never be him, no matter what”
Kit gulped. “I never wanted to kill anyone in my life like I want to do to him….I vowed to never touch another gun or knife again so I will never be tempted to take another life..and every time I think of him, I want to break that oath”
Hanna pulled back her hand, ripped her hands sideways and shattered the chain cuffs. She took Kit’s face with both hands and assured “I know, I get it, but hold on. You are stronger then this, he is nothing but a shithead bastard that not even the darkest devils will welcome him with open arms”
The tears started coming forth as Kit croaked “he needs to die”
Hanna hummed. She nodded as she promised “Then he will die, by my hands”
Kit dropped, she choked on a breath and dropped her head. The crying was silent, but Hanna took Kit firm against her chest and held her tight.
Hanna turned to Serita and informed “we’re getting out of here, this all ends now”
Serita nodded. She reached under her shirt and pulled out her phone. She wiggled the device in her hand with a confident smirk “these bastards don’t know how to search anyone, the others are following us. When this van stops”
“We attack”
Serita nodded. “Exactly”
Hanna nodded, she looked to the scared people. To the children that were crying in their parents grasp, starring at her wide eyed. She turned back to the chain cuffs tied around her family’s wrists. Her Angel wing expanded and shaped itself to a curved point jetting from her arm. She sliced the chains off Kit’s wrists with lightest touch. Then through Serita’s. She looked back up to Serita and informed “this all ends tonight”
Another half hour driving and the vans arrived at the Harbour. Where the Abyss and four demon guards stood waiting. As the vans pulled up, back end first. Sister Warriors darted through the shadows, flanking the group on all sides.
Rovdjur hopped out first. His men followed swiftly, moving towards the second van where his kidnapped victims sat waiting. Rovdjur took a double take when he noticed Abyss and her guards waiting for him. He forced a smile and approached quickly “Master, what are you doing here? Thought we agreed to meet on the boat?”
“I wanted to stretch my legs” Abyss spoke calmly, she smiled as she asked “That’s alright with you, isn’t it?”
Rovdjur gulped and he chuckled. His right hand twitched as he eyed her guards one by one. “Of course” he laughed. He looked over his shoulder to the second van, then to Abyss and suggested lightly “It’s been a long ride for them, perhaps if we move for my boat while we wait for them to catch up”
Abyss chuckled “We can wait”
Rovdjur frowned, this wasn’t the plan.
Abyss’s smile tighten as she queried “is that a problem?”
“No, not at all!” he quickly insisted. “Excuse me for a moment, they are still asleep”
“Your excused”
Rovdjur turned on his heels and marched quick smart for the nearest guard. He grabbed the guard by the scruff of his neck and whispered harshly “make them compliant!”. The guard nodded. Rovdjur let him go and watched as the guard went straight for the back door.
The guard unlocked the door and pulled it open a jar.
Suddenly the doors burst open and knocked the guard to the ground. Out jumped Hanna, Kit and Serita, welding chains as weapons. They turned on the nearest guards and began the attack, while Hanna kicked the door closed behind them.
Rovdjur frowned, displeased by this surprised attack.
Abyss however, surprised by their appearance, lit up at the sight of Hanna. Her smile grinned ear to ear as she watched Hanna fight. So entranced she didn’t notice an army of Sister Warriors flanking her people on both sides, joining the fight.
When Hanna defeated her third guard, she turned to Abyss, glared and shouted “ABYSS!”
“Hi Darling” Abyss Greeted.
Hanna tighten the chain in her hand and stormed forward.
“How you are you do-“ the chain suddenly ripped through the air and smacked Abyss in the face. Knocking the Demon to the ground. The Demon looked up and laughed, dodging another lash of the chain. Darted backwards on hands and knees, then rose to her feet slowly as Hanna stormed forward. Abyss transformed one arm into a sword and advanced forward.
They began their dance, the sounds of chains whipping through the air.
“You’re getting better” Abyss remarked as she weaved around Hanna’s attacks.
“Thanks I’ve been practicing” Hanna grunted.
“No hi, how are you, just straight into murder” Abyss swung her sword, only for Hanna’s chain to rip around her blade and arm. Abyss looked down at her locked hand and laughed. She looked up to Hanna.
Hanna tried to tug Abyss forward, but the woman didn’t move. Hanna groaned annoyed “fine, how are you?”
“Very well thanks, you?”
“Well I had a lovely night until this” Hanna suddenly dove forward, twirled around Abyss. When back to back, Hanna pulled the chain forward, then heaved Abyss off her feet and back to the ground. The smoke blade shattered the chain once the Demon was on the ground. Hanna dropped the remainder of the chain and tighten her fists. “did you really think you will get away with this?”
The Demon threw herself up onto her feet. She dusted herself off. “What I do in my own time is none of your concern”. The Demon darted forward and so resumed their fight. Fighting fist to fist, matching each other’s blow and defending the others attack.
Hanna looked to the Demon, disgusted. “It’s wrong”
“Hey I got a perfectly fine business here!” Abyss stated proudly.
“Tell me what you’re up to!” Hanna insisted.
The Abyss laughed. “Now where’s the fun in that, it will be more fun if I just show you”
As they fought, the Demon noticed something peculiar with Hanna’s wrists. Something red peaking through under her jacket. She looked up to Hanna, dropped and wiped her foot through Hanna’s legs, knocking the girl to the ground. “Come on I haven’t broken a sweat yet”
Hanna pushed herself off the ground and landed on her feet. “Tell me, when is it enough Abyss? Why are you doing this to them?”
Abyss frowned confused “who’s them? Are we having the same conversation?”
Hanna reached into her back, for her hidden divinium dagger. “Let them go!” she ordered
“Let who go?”
Hanna charged forward, she revealed the knife and thrust it towards the Demon’s chest. Abyss caught the blade and held it above her head. The sleeves of her shirt pulled down, revealing the enflamed skin and bruises from the chain cuffs.
“what?” Abyss whispered. She reached for the wounds and grazed her fingers along the wounds. “Who?...” Abyss began, worriedly. “Who did this?”
Hanna frowned confused.
Abyss looked up into Hanna’s eyes, her eyes burned bright with fury and questioned again, with anger lacing her voice “Who did this to you?”
“you did” Hanna answered confused. “When you had your men capture us and in chains”
Anger dimmed in the Abyss, her mouth slacked open.
Hanna starred at the Demon till she realised, to her surprise, “you didn’t know”
Abyss turned her eyes away, looking to Kit and Serita. To their hands and the matching bruises. Abyss looked back to Hanna and gulped. “stay still” she whispered. Abyss’s hands wrapped around Hanna’s wrists with viper grip, forcing Hanna to drop her knife. Darkness flowed off the Abyss’s skin and over Hanna’s wrists. The pain only lasted a second before the Abyss’s power took it all away and healed the damage.
Soon Abyss let her go and marched for the van’s doors.
Hanna stood there stunned for far too long. She broke from the trance when she heard the click of the door opening. She turned and sprinted after the Abyss shouting “Wait!”
The Abyss ignored her. The Demon hopped into the Van, crouched low, she focused on the scared prisoners and the scatter of shattered chains between them. Rovdjur betrayal frustrated her, but that spark was nothing compared to the fury building in her being at the sight of the children. Frighten faces starring at her, their bruised wrists held shielding over their face. Hell burned in her eyes at the sight of their pain.
Hanna reached the Demon in seconds, she grabbed a fistful of her shadow and pulled back. Abyss didn’t move.
Abyss offered her hand out to the children. “Come here” she asked sweetly. “don’t be afraid”
“Leave them alone!” Hanna insisted, but the Abyss ignored her.
The children locked eyes with the Demon and starred. The children, one by one, moved to Abyss. Their parents tried to stop them from walking towards the Demon, but it was no use. They shrugged off their parent’s protest and moved towards the Demon, possessed.
Hanna pulled back her hand. She wondered if the Demon had performed some kind of spell on the children, to make them move straight for her. She watched the first child step close to the Demon and she watched Abyss tenderly heal the busies. When healed, the child moved away, allowing for the next to move in. She realised the Demon didn’t force the children to her, they willingly moved to her and stayed by her side. They saw something in the Demon she or anyone else never seen before.
They felt safe.
When all was done and the children were sitting around the Demon’s legs. The Demon offered her hand to the adults. The adults hung back. She beckons them to her again.
Soon they moved one by one, each taking their turn healing away the damage.
“abyss” Hanna whispered.
Abyss turned to Hanna and hopped out of the Van. She stepped forward into Hanna’s personal space and said “stay here, I’ll take care of this”. She turned on her heels and moved towards Rovdjur.
Rovdjur meanwhile had just spent all this time taking the beatings of every member of the Crew. He stood defences, black and blue, a broken gun at his feet and several discarded knives. He looked to the Crew, to each woman surrounding him and laughed “is that all you got?” he pulled back his head and spat mouthful of blood at their feet. “pathetic”
“And yet here you are, defeated and?” Ava paused, counting the disarmed enemy. “Alone”
He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “this isn’t enough to stop me” he looked beyond the Crew, to Abyss storming towards them and Hanna chasing after her. He smiled “now it’s over”
“Excuse me Ladies” the Abyss addressed as she approached. “May I cut it?”
The Crew looked to her confused.
“Sure” Ava offered.
“Thank you” Abyss replied. Abyss stormed forward pas the Crew straight for Rovdjur. In a flash she forced her hand in his chest and all his men froze.
The Sister Warriors moved away from the frozen men, confused. The Crew moved towards Ava, standing shoulder to shoulder with Kit and Hanna held protectively in the middle of the group.
Rovdjur’s eyes widen and he gasped loudly. He looked down and shuddered at the arm buried in his chest. He slowly followed the arm till his eyes locked with Abyss’s furious eyes. He shuddered under her gaze. Gasping for air, struggling to breath with the feeling of fingers wrapping around his heart. “master?” he choked.
“Do you feel that?” Abyss asked. “Do you feel my fingers wrapping around your heart?” She squeezed his heart and he let out a struggled scream. Dropping his head, to his chest. He tried to lash out, to break free, but the grip she had on him made his body freeze. He struggled again, she dug her nails through his heart and he dropped to his knees with struggled whimper. She leaned down and stated darkly, with wide grin “now your heart only beats when I allow it”. Her fingers started pumping his heart. Every squeeze made him jolt and cry out.
Rovdjur pulled his head up and pleaded, for the first time in his life “Please..let me go”
“Let me go?” Abyss repeated. Her laughter bellowed madly.
Suddenly Rovdjur’s men straighten with feet together and arms stretched wide. Their bodies rose into the air and tilted till they resembled a upside down cross. Then they started floating around the group. The Crew and the Sister Warriors moved away from the bodies, watching them confused.
“You can’t do this!” Rovdjur growled.
“I can” Abyss laughed. “You kidnapped, beaten and killed for my gold. You harmed children. Did you really think you will get away with this?”
Suddenly their bodies burst into flames and their screams filled the Harbour.
Rovdjur looked to his burning men and gasped “oh god”
“There is no God Rovdjur!” he looked to her, for the first time in his life, he was afraid. Those Demon eyes burned into his very soul and his very soul screamed for him to run, but he couldn’t. “Nothing can save you now, your soul is mine” Abyss pulled away, her arm floating mid-air still buried in Rovdjur’s chest. With her other hand, she reached into his pocket and pulled out a black small book. She flicked through the pages briefly. Abyss moved away from the man and faced the Crew, handing out the book. “Take this, it contains all the information on every person he kidnapped, where they belong and where they are now. Take it!”
Ava reached out and took the book from her hands. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to undo the damage he’s done”
Ava frowned as she asked “why do you want us to do it? Why not you”
Abyss smiled, shaking her head. “that’s not how this story goes. You and your family are the heroes, be the heroes and save them. I will deliver the justice rightfully deserved”
Ava looked to her family, studying their faces one by one, then back to Abyss. She was about to answer when a boy crept out of the van and sprinted straight for Abyss. Pushing past the Crew and flung himself into the Demon’s legs. The Crew stared stunned.
The Demon ran her fingers through the boy’s hair. Stroked his head, then down to the back of his head and held him firm against her leg. The Demon narrowed her gaze as she asked the Crew “What’s your choice?”
“We’ll free them”
Abyss smiled softly. “Good” she comment. She turned down to the boy against her leg. Let him go and crouched to her knees, to his eye level. “Go to your parents little one!” she ordered sweetly.
He sniffled and shook his head.
“No, you’re not staying with me. Go to your parents”
The boy sniffed again, holding out his hands.
Ava wondered over and took a kneel beside the boy. The boy turned to her scared. She smiled sweetly and asked “I can walk you back to your parents if you like?” she offered her hand. The boy looked to her, then back to Abyss.
The Abyss nodded her approval.
The boy turned back to Ava. He stumbled forward past her hand and flung himself to her. She wrapped a secure arm around him and hoisted him up to her shoulder. He turned his head and buried his face in her neck. She stood up and faced Abyss. She watched the Demon one last time, then turned her back on the Demon and retreated back to the Van.
Beatrice wondered over, blocking the Demon’s view of the boy. Her eyes glowed white as she informed the Demon “Kidnap another person and suffer by our hands”
The Abyss smiled “Seems we’re in alliance” she flicked her gaze to the Crew, then back to Beatrice. “Hope you don’t mind, that goes for you too”. She turned back to the Crew and her eyes settled on Hanna. Hanna’s eyes settled on Abyss.
Their connection only broke when Beatrice moved two steps between them.
Abyss smiled a final time and warned “Get them out of here, before I devour these bastards soul and be quick about it, I’m starving”. The Demon turned her back on the Warriors and proceeded to Rovdjur.
“daughter” Rovdjur croaked. “help me”
Kit stared at her father furious. She broke free of the Crew and stormed over to him. Abyss watched her move, with curious look.
Kit took a stand in front of the Bastard and declared furiously “Asking for my help, really, after all you did to me? I will not offer another hand to you Rovdjur. We’re done!”
Rovdjur starred at her shocked, then a twisted smile grew as he stated proudly “that’s my girl”
Kit turned on her heels and stormed away. The Crew followed, taking over both Vans. They proceeded to drive themselves and the kidnapped away. The screams of Rovdjur and his men haunted the Harbour and their ears.
Despite this, Kit never looked back once.
After the long night, Hanna trudged her way to bed.
She kicked the door closed behind her, stumbled towards bed. Hit the bedframe with her knees, stood up on her tippy toes and flopped over the end frame and onto the bed. She landed with a thud, her body jostled from the impact, then settled on top the warm sheets.
A sharp knock forced her spring out of bed. Fists raised and facing her window, where the shadow of human stood waiting. Hanna flicked on the lamp and she sighed at the face watching her. “bloody hell”
“Hi darling” Cira Sandra spoke. “May I come in?” she asked, gesturing to the window.
Hanna opened the window and helped Cira into the room while questioning “what are you doing here?”
“Well from what Addams told me, you and Kit gave her quite the scare tonight” Cira spoke as she climbed into the room. She stood up and faced Hanna with a small smirk “by the sounds of it, you two had quite the night”
Hanna huffed, amused. “that’s one way to look at it” She trudged back to bed, flopped down to the bed. Her hands, pressed against the mattress, barely keeping her arm. “it’s been a long night”
“So I heard” Cira took a seat on the window sill, one leg upright on the sill and pressed against the edge. She leaned back, observing Hanna with a curious smile. “Care to tell me about it?”
Before Hanna knew it, she was retelling the events tonight. Leaving out the details of Kit’s past. Not for she didn’t trust Cira, but because Kit’s history wasn’t her story to tell. Cira Sandra didn’t seem to mind, she listened well to the tale and did not speak till Hanna was through.
After Hanna explained tonight, she collapsed forward over her knees. “I need to move” she sighed, looking up to Cira. “there’s more of those bastards out there, I can feel it. I gotta stop them”
“Thousands” Cira corrected.
Hanna gulped, she agreed with a light nod. Her eyes harden as she spoke “all the more reason to stop them”
“Always the hero” Cira laughed. “Look at you, you found your mission, to stop all these bastards from hurting everyone else” she said. “Admirable, sure, stupid yes, you seriously want to spend the rest of your days saving others?”
“Yes”
“They won’t thank you for it”
“I don’t want their thanks or any recognition, I want a safer world where no one suffers like…” she trialled off, almost saying Kit’s name. “No one deserves to suffer like that”
There was something that glowed in Cira’s eyes in this moment. Hanna feared she unknowingly told Cira about Kit’s past. “You can’t save everyone” Cira said.
“I know, but I can try”
Cira nodded. “very well” she said. She stood up from the window and approached the bed. “take some rest, you earned it” she stated, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. “you can’t change the world if you can’t keep your eyes open”
Hanna smiled, she flopped backwards on the bed. She turned back to Cira and asked “what about you? There’s plenty of room up here”
Cira smiled. “Flattered, but I’m not in the mood to sleep tonight”
“you need rest”
“not like you, I’m not here to save the world, Hanna, now rest” Cira climbed off the bed and wondered to the window. Taking a seat on the floor, her back pressed against the wall. She turned to Hanna and smiled “Go on, sleep!”
“Are you seriously going to keep watch all night?”
“all night. You’re safe, I promise”
Reluctantly, Hanna moved herself fully on the bed, turning on her side to face Cira. She reached over and flicked off the lamp. Plunging her room into darkness. “Goodnight Cira”
“Goodnight Hanna” Cira wished.
Hanna rolled on her back and relaxed on her bed. Soon she felt her eyes droop and sleep whisked her into dreamless sleep.
Hanna woke just before dawn. She opened her eyes and was greeted to the sight of Cira sitting on her floor, absently twirling a black stone shaped coin between her fingers. Still half asleep, she pushed herself off the mattress. “morning?” Hanna greeted.
Cira jumped, hiding the stone in the palm of her hand. She turned to Hanna and chuckled “morning to you too, sleep alright?”
“great, what’s that?”
“this?” Cira questioned. Taking out the stone and holding it up to Hanna. “Nothing, just a trinket” she lied. She turned away and resumed playing with the stone.
Hanna slipped out of bed and walked over to Cira. Taking a seat beside her. Upon closer inspection, the trinket was matt black stone covered in light grey etched cracks. A single oblong hole through the centre and out the other side, one side of the hole was clean, the other, stained reddish brown. “who gave you the trinket?” she asked intrigued.
The twirling suddenly stopped. “it wasn’t given to me” Cira spoke. “in a sense…” she trailed off for a moment. Starring at the stained side of the stone. “it was my father’s, part of his locket” she quickly stowed away the locket in her top shirt pocket while insisting “let’s just leave it at that, shall we”
“I’m sorry for your loss”
Cira looked to Hanna and frowned. She starred at her for a moment before she nodded and quickly stood up. Hanna followed after her. “Well I’m going to leave you too it” Cira stated. “I’ll see you later”
“See you then”
Cira just started climbing out the window when Hanna continued “thank you, for staying with me last night. It really helped”
Cira stopped mid-way out the window. She turned to Hanna and smiled “no need for that, see you soon” Cira climbed out the window, stepped on the ledge and jumped off.
Hanna watched the empty window for a moment, then turned on her heels and walked out the door.
She soon found her parents outside, sitting on the roof facing Cat’s Cradle. Watching the sunrise over their home and the town. Hanna crawled onto the roof and walked towards them. Taking a seat beside her Mother Ava. “Morning” she greeted.
“Morning” they replied.
“what are you doing up so early?” Ava laughed.
“just woke up”
“hmm, did you sleep well?”
“yes”
“good”
Hanna turned to her mothers and asked “Do you think those people the Bastard took will be okay?”
Ava winced “knowing him, probably not all of them”
“But we will help all we can” Beatrice added. “We’ll track them down and help those we can, living and the dead”
Ava turned to her wife and smiled appreciate. “exactly”
Hanna nodded content, she turned back to the sunrise and watched. Content everything was going to work out alright. Hoping Kit and the rest of her family felt the same.
On one early evening
On the Abyss’s boat, Harlow stood on top deck watching the Demons work on the Portal’s construction. The boat was free of humans, they fled back to shore thanks to the Sister Warriors. Luckily, he had enough time to shield the Portal before they arrived.
He didn’t understand why his Master let the Sister Warriors invade the ship and take away their human crew. He knew enough not to question it, for now.
However, when Abyss joined him on deck, watching their Portal once again struggle to stay open. He growled a disapproving statement “why did you let them flee?”. It took him a moment to realise his tone and the words he said, but he didn’t apologise.
The Abyss laughed, unphased by his blatant statement. “Patience my friend, they will return”
“It’s been two days, we need specialists and human power, now!”
The Abyss laughed again. “Since they have arrived, you have done nothing but complained they weren’t working hard enough for the mission” she strode over to the railing and leaned over, turning to face him with knowing grin. “now you want them back. Well rest assured they will return to us and they will be working harder and be more devoted then before”
As promised, two boats came sailing towards them, bustling full of people.
Harlow didn’t react to the boats. He turned to Abyss and questioned confused “how are you so sure?”
“Rovdjur wasn’t quite right about everything, a mortal’s loyalty is stronger then their fear”
“and their Greed is their greatest fault” Harlow insisted.
“agreed” Abyss spoke. She turned to the two boats and watched the humans climb aboard. Filling the deck with people. All whom were kidnapped by Rovdjur and twenty more scientists, straight from their labs. “Until then, let’s see how they work” she turned to Harlow, smiling at his stupefy face. “shall we put them to the test?”
“Yes, we shall”
Abyss disappeared in a burst of shadow and suddenly teleported in front of the humans. The humans clutched onto their children, but relaxed upon recognising Abyss. “Welcome back, ready for work?”
“Will my children be safe here?” A widow asked.
“Yes, very safe here, but keep working regardless. Laziness on shift will not be tolerated” Abyss advised. “Now, any further questions?”
They didn’t speak.
Abyss grinned. “Now then, let’s get to work”