The Dracula Chronicles: The Path To Decay Read online

  The Grand General forgot his master for a moment. He sensed the events unfolding inside the cave, though the shield blocked his line of vision. But it did little to disguise what was going on inside. He stepped past his lover and glared at the light through the waterfall.

  He exhaled hard. In doing so, he expelled two large black clouds of smoke from his nostrils. He drew his sword from its scabbard, a mighty blade that extended eight feet of steel from his hand.

  His mistress rose higher into the air and flew at the force field protecting the cave. Tania’s face and the upper half of her body passed through it. But it repelled the demon and threw her down into the water.

  Andrei’s mother opened her eyes briefly. She caught a glimpse of her daughter before closing them again. Two great chunks of tissue forced a way through the wounds in her back. Thick and clogged with mucous they slowly grew in size.

  Michael saw the attempt to breach the shield and, in anger, he swung his left arm. His action shot a lightning bolt at the one who had once been his friend before the Great War. Sonnielion spotted it just in time and dived to one side to avoid it. Tania screamed as the demon ripped clumps of her hair from the roots.

  The lightning bolt crashed into the pool. It vaporised the water in an instant. The river that flowed for another thirty miles vanished in the blink of an eye. Above it the waterfall disappeared into a huge cloud of steam. Beyond it the river dried all the way to its source.

  Clouds of boiling hot steam rose up from the riverbed that scalded both the demons on the riverbank. Satanachia roared with fury when the steam stung his eyes. Tania emitted the most horrible scream as it burned the entire back of her body. She convulsed and went into shock.

  The steam also scorched Sonnielion’s hand. She lost her grip on Tania to leave the girl convulsing on the grass. Her eyes burned red with rage. She eyed the bones in her hand as the flesh dissolved around them.

  The heat it exuded also passed through the force field, reaching both Andrei and his mother. With their protection it did not affect them. All that concerned his mother in that moment was the pain in her shoulders. Even the plight of her daughter could not pry her away from her current state.

  With her good hand, Sonnielion smashed a hole through Tania’s chest. The girl’s heart felt weak in her grip. Before it stopped beating she ripped it out. She turned to her lover and grinned. It continued to pump and oozed blood through her fingers. Then, without further ado, she hurled it at the radiant blue light.

  The organ passed through the force field and flew over Andrei’s mother. It bounced off the aura surrounding Andrei, blood spattering the nearby walls of the cave. He could smell it as it trickled down to the floor. Still, he kept his mind clear, despite knowing it belonged to his sister.

  The two large masses of tissue cracked and stretched. Andrei’s mother gasped as the new nerve endings tingled and burned. Slowly, two wings began to take shape. The mucous dried and dissolved into powder before revealing thick plumes of white feathers. She had finally earned her status as one of the elite.

  Andrei’s aura felt the full force as she flapped her wings for the first time. She stood up and glared at the shield. Already she knew her daughter’s life had ended.

  Sonnielion detected her presence on the other side. She inhaled a deep breath to muster the strength to attack. “Come out, Magath!” she yelled, egging Andrei’s mother on. “Come and face me!”

  Magath wanted so much to fight her. The pain of Tania’s death felt worse than a knife to her heart. Michael sent a message to her to remain inside the cave. He wanted her to stay in case the demons breached the outer protection.

  Lucifer stood alongside his Grand General. He looked up to the heavens and grinned. Michael would soon be here.

  Sonnielion began to mimic Tania’s voice. “Mama? Help me. Please, Mama.”

  Her heart raced when she heard the plea for help. The demon sensed this at once. “They are hurting me, Mama.”

  Magath stepped forward to venture outside. Michael detected her movement far below and bellowed at her to halt. “Noooo!”

  His call got through and she stopped. This enraged Sonnielion, who danced about the riverbank in a frenzy. She screamed at the top of her voice. “Magath! I shall rip out your heart and feed it to you!”

  Lucifer turned to his legions waiting behind. He waved his triton in the direction of the cave. “Attack!” he ordered.

  His soldiers poured over the edge of the riverbank towards the cave. Almost at once, a chorus of screams rang out. The boiling mud and rocks scorched their feet, melting their diseased flesh. Lucifer drove them on. When the first lines fell those that followed used them as stepping-stones to the cave edge.

  They hurled themselves at the blue shield. On contact, every one of them evaporated into plumes of ash, unable to withstand the power of the light. But they persisted and, as time passed, the shield weakened. Lucifer knew his brothers were close. He launched himself through the air towards it.

  Raising his mighty triton above his head he smashed it against the light. A severe pain ripped through Andrei’s head and almost paralysed him. His body shook and trembled while the shield flickered several times. Finally, the pain at the back of his eyes forced Andrei to open them. When he did the shield vanished.

  Lucifer loomed large in the entrance. Andrei turned his head to see him standing there beyond his mother. He feared for her. She was all that stood between him and the Dark One.

  Magath shifted about on her feet, nervous of him. She extended her wings fully in an attempt to warn him off. Facing Lucifer one on one was not something she had ever hoped to do. Now that she was in that position, it filled her with complete dread.

  She had heard other angels talk in the past. They boasted of what they would do in this situation. She knew it could only ever be bravado. The reality of seeing him eye to eye was something else. Nothing could prepare you for it.

  Lucifer glared at her with real menace in his eyes. Behind him, Magath could see countless numbers of his soldiers. They blocked the entrance, ready to rip her to pieces. The Dark One peered over her shoulder at her son. There, on his knees, he eyed the one who stood in the way of him achieving his dream.

  Andrei saw the hate in his eyes. He possessed the ability to see into Lucifer’s black heart, and it chilled him to the bone. At last, he knew true evil in its purest form.

  Magath felt just as afraid yet she stood firm. The need to protect her son outweighed her own fears. Even though Lucifer stood only a few yards away, he would have to destroy her to get to him.

  Lucifer turned his attention to her, her fear of him generating a powerful aroma. Since the beginning of time, he had thrived on this. He glared at her to signal his intent. She stepped back a few inches, but kept her eyes trained on him.

  “Step aside, Mama,” Andrei whispered.

  “Hush, Andrei,” she said, without breaking her focus.

  “He is here for me. So step aside.”

  Lucifer sported an evil grin; saliva drooled over his lower lip. The prospect of killing them made his mouth water. “Listen to him, Mama,” he said, mimicking her son.

  His taunt angered her so much she lunged at him. She clawed at his face with both hands. Lucifer intercepted the move with ease. He grabbed both her wrists in his huge left hand and squeezed hard.

  She cried out and dropped to her knees. He gritted his teeth and applied greater pressure. It forced him to stoop down as she wilted further towards the floor.

  Andrei motioned to come to her aid. Despite her great pain, Magath implored him to stay where he was. “Andrei,” she gasped, “no matter what happens, do not leave the circle. You are safe there.”

  Lucifer knew it was true. Angered by her words, he hoisted her into the air and threw her across the cave. She hit the wall at the back with a hard thud. He grinned again and stepped forward. For the first time, he and Andrei gazed into each other’s eyes.

  Andrei sucked in a deep breath. He knew he c
ould not hide the fact that he was afraid. Still, he mustered the courage to face up to him.

  “Why not surrender to me and save your mother? If you do not, I promise she shall endure the worst fate you can imagine, before your very eyes.”

  Andrei ignored the demand. “Why are you here, Lucifer?” he asked, his courage coming to the fore. “Killing me would not serve any great purpose of yours.”

  “It suits me to see you gone.”

  “It shall not aid your cause, and it certainly would not endear you to God.”

  Lucifer gritted his teeth and his temper threatened to surface. He clenched the triton to signify he was ready to use it.

  Andrei felt encouraged by the lack of a response. “Why not try to undo all the bad that you have done? I am sure that would serve you better. After all, our Father is all forgiving.”

  His words incensed the Dark One. “What do you know of it?” he bellowed, his voice rising almost to a roar. “You know nothing of my Father and I.”

  “Tell Him you are sorry for offending Him.”

  He swung the triton at Andrei. “It is He who has offended me!”

  Andrei closed his eyes again and the triton bounced off his protective aura. It vibrated hard against Lucifer’s hand. The aura glowed brighter than ever, stinging Lucifer’s eyes and forcing him to look away.

  In that moment, Magath flew across the cave. She dug her fingernails into both his eyes and pulled him down with the momentum of her flight.

  Sonnielion saw this from the riverbank. The others waited and braced themselves for the attack from the skies. While they did this, she flapped her black wings hard and dived onto Magath.

  The two locked in a bitter struggle. They rolled over and traded blows, their feathers filling the cave. Lucifer got to his feet and roared again. The sound was deafening as it bounced off the walls. He grabbed Magath by the throat and lifted her clear.

  With one hand he held her there. She gripped his offending arm with both of hers. As hard as she tried she could not break free. She kicked against him hard with both feet, but it had little or no effect on him.

  Sonnielion got to her feet. She forgot Magath and concentrated her attention on Andrei. He followed her with his eyes as she circled him.

  In her human form, she was more attractive than most. She attempted to scan his mind to see if there was a hint that he thought so. His defences were too solid even for her to breach and she soon gave up.

  “Look at me, Andrei,” she said, in her low rasping voice. Standing right in front of him, she asked, “Do you like what you see?”

  She stood an inch or two taller than him. Her long, thick black hair fell down about her shoulders, appearing unaffected by the rain. When she moved, it swayed a little to reveal an exquisite neck. Her skin, although as pale as snow, had no blemishes. Beside her full red lips and black hair, it offered a perfect contrast and exuded an appearance of great beauty. Her tight black gown clung to her body and hinted at a perfectly curved figure, the likes of which he had not seen before. The only thing that maligned her look was the blackness of her eyes. This aspect of her persona she could not disguise.

  The demon teased him with her long tongue. She ran it suggestively over her lower lip in an attempt to distract him. A smile escaped her when she noticed him looking down at her body. She rubbed her hands over her breasts and pushed them together. When she saw his eyes focus on them, she slowly pushed her hands downwards to her crotch.

  He watched as she eased her legs apart. She traced invisible lines with her fingertips along the insides of her thighs. Then, hoisting her gown up around her waist, she started to massage her exposed sex.

  “Do you want me, Andrei?” she asked, in the coy manner of a young girl. “Give yourself to me and I shall introduce you to wonders no man has ever known.”

  Outside, Satanachia growled under his breath. He glanced into the cave and saw his lover cavorting in front of the boy. Although it irritated him, he put it out of his mind. Michael was close now and that concerned him more.

  Lucifer continued to slowly choke the life out of Magath. Finally, he tired of it and threw her down. Time was against him. The aura that surrounded Andrei was a great defence. He could penetrate it, but needed longer than the time available to him. If he could deal with Michael and his other brothers, then he could come back and take care of Andrei.

  Andrei closed his eyes. It bothered him that her ruse was starting to arouse him.

  “Do not deny the man in you,” she said, groaning loud enough for him to hear.

  As hard as he tried to drown out her voice, he could not. He concentrated hard on clearing his mind. Still her words found a way through to him. “Go away, demon,” he said, his tone firm. “In the name of Jesus Christ I demand it of thee.”

  She reached out with her good hand to touch Andrei. The blue aura burned her flesh and she removed it again with lightning speed. As hard as she tried, she could not maintain her composure. She spat out a torrent of abuse and obscenities that surprised even her master.

  Lucifer observed this for a moment. He then turned to exit the cave. In a flash, he felt the wind knocked completely out of him. He crashed against Andrei before slamming into the wall at the back of the cave. One of his horns embedded into the rock. His spine jarred and snapped against the force that struck him from behind.

  He tried to pry his head loose from the rock wall, but was unable to do so. A powerful arm pressed against the back of his neck and pinned him there.

  “You are growing slower, brother,” Michael taunted in his ear. “But here I am. You have your wish at last.”

  He delivered two more telling blows to Lucifer’s damaged spine. The Dark One groaned and felt his knees sag. With one of his hands, he managed to free his head from the wall. Once he had done this, he struck out and landed a solid elbow against the side of Michael’s head.

  The blow did not knock him back. But it did allow Lucifer the space to turn his head one hundred and eighty degrees. Now he was face to face with his brother.

  They glared into each other’s eyes. The same animosity had existed between them for hundreds of thousands of years. With utter contempt Lucifer spat full in Michael’s face. The acidic saliva would have burned through the flesh of any mortal. To Michael, it just caused a slight irritation. If anything, it was the act that angered him most.

  “I shall give you one chance to leave here, Lucifer,” he warned. “Go! Lest I kill you once and for all.”

  Their legions engaged outside as the angels dropped down from the skies. Cries rang out in the night, of death, as angel and demon clashed. This was the first meaningful encounter between the two sides since the first Great War an age ago.

  ANTONI led his brothers through the woods. They noticed the river had disappeared. Steam continued to rise from the empty riverbed, making the air hot and clammy and difficult to breathe.

  They heard the fighting up ahead. Instinct told them to steer clear of it, but their need to find Tania drove them on. It did not take long before they noticed the angels descending from the skies.

  The four men kept low and out of sight. They watched on in disbelief as angel and demon annihilated one another.

  “What is this?” Gregori asked his brothers.

  “I do not know,” Antoni said. “But I do not think this was meant for our eyes.”

  “And where is Tania? I pray to God she is not in the middle of all that.”

  “I should go and see,” Adrian offered.

  “No,” Antoni said, grabbing his arm. “Stay here. To walk into that would mean certain death.”

  “Yes,” Gregori agreed. “We should wait for a while. I imagine she is hiding in the woods somewhere.”

  “Then let us spread out and look for her. I, for one, cannot sit around while she might be lying hurt or even dead.”

  Antoni nodded at the idea. “Very well. You and Gregori take that side. Francu and I shall take this one. Be sure to exercise great care.”


  THE demon soldiers by the cave saw the plight of their master. Behind them the Grand General organised their comrades for the fight that had begun. They decided to ignore that and go to Lucifer’s aid.

  They tried to enter the cavern. Before they could, Raphael and Gabriel swooped down and blocked their path. They cowered at the sight of the two Archangels. No ten of them could match either one.

  Raphael looked into the cave where he saw Michael and Lucifer wrestling in the far corner. Near his feet, Magath was slowly coming round. Beyond her he spotted Andrei lying unconscious on the floor. When Michael and Lucifer crashed against him they had knocked him from the circle. He now lay alone on the floor, the blue aura gone.

  Not far away from Andrei, Sonnielion also lay on the floor. Raphael’s two brothers had knocked her out too. He heard her groan and realised she would be up and alert very soon.

  A large surge at the entrance of the cave brought his attention back to the fight outside. With swords drawn, he and Gabriel met the assault full on. Blood and limbs flew in every direction. They slaughtered all that stood before them.

  The other members of the angel hierarchy flocked to their aid. It did not take long before the attack there had been repelled.

  Satanachia saw them guarding the entrance. It concerned him that his lover and his master remained trapped inside. He wanted to lead an assault on the cave and ensure their safety, but his army was losing the fight. It meant he had neither the resources nor the opportunity to do this.

  Sonnielion stirred inside the cave and sensed her lover calling to her. Before she opened her eyes, she sent a message that informed him she was well. When she did open them, her black heart raced. She saw Andrei lying alone on the floor with no aura to protect him any more.

  The demon looked about the cave. She needed to see if anyone could deny her this opportunity. Her eyes informed her she had a free hand. Friend and foe were doing battle or lay unconscious. She grinned knowing Andrei was hers for the taking.

  Raphael sensed her move behind him. He turned his head and watched as, like a spider, she crawled the short distance between her and Andrei. The demon ripped open his shirt. She ran her tongue from his navel up to his chest. His heartbeat echoed in her ears.