Balance (Book 9 )

A warm flow of power entered my mind. Sweet honey filled my nose, promising a love beyond anything I have felt.

I laid on a soft bed. Two heartbeats were in the room. I opened my eyes to see Gabriel and Queen Mum standing before me. I jumped up and embraced my mate.

“Gabriel!” I began to cry. I held on to Gabriel tightly as if I had lost a love, and he returned from the dead.

“I am here, my mate.” His deep voice was smooth and felt like music to my ears. His strong arms held me tightly to him as if he feared I would flee.

“Thank goodness it was only a dream,” I whispered and buried my face into his neck.

I looked into my mind. Our beautiful tendril and vampiric web pulsed with my life. Something was different. My power felt different.

“It was not a dream, was it Anubis.” I called him by his name, confirming reality, and pushed away from Gabriel.

“No, it was not. Are you truly so unhappy?”

I ignored Gabriel’s question and saw Mum standing quietly behind him. The strong queen I remember is no more. Her frail body seems to confirm her age. The burden of the world and the need to slaughter the living block my joy of reuniting with the only remaining living family I have.

A few miles away, Casandra gorges on the blood of vampires. She had found an underground city and fought to claim it. Those that bowed to her she allowed to live. They will not live long, I promised myself.

Mum rushed to me and embraced me then broke into sobs. Her tormented heart screamed for my attention. I returned her embrace with new tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Sister Mum. I am so happy to see you.”

The door to the tiny room quietly clicked shut as Gabriel left the room to give us privacy.

“I have missed you so much. I thought you were dead.”

“My body is dead, sister. My home was destroyed. I live in the underworld with Gabriel now.”

“Gabriel explained this to me.” She continued to hold me. Her voice shook from the grief she felt. I took her shoulders and pulled her from me.

“You are not safe here.” Mum looked into my eyes. She no longer held the Queenly mask that made her so formidable.

“I am safe with you and your mate. I will help you where I can.”

“You cannot help me. This world dies, and I mean to help it. I grow tired of seeing the disrespect the living has for the earth. Everything I once knew is gone. Humans are strangling the earth and feeding off its power.”

“Gabriel means to pass judgment on the living. I wish to help.”

I was surprised to hear this. “He cannot judge the living. That is not his place. Anubis, what is your plan?” I called to him.

Gabriel came back through the door. My heart jumped at the sight of him. A powerful green-eyed vampire that walked like a king and stole my heart ages ago died two millennia ago when my home was destroyed. I quickly looked away and looked at my lap. This form was not my husband. The vampire body was no more. Gabriel approached me and knelt down at my feet. Green eyes peered up and met mine.

“You have your wish, Anput. You wish for the taste of blood, and you shall have it. I have collected something of yours, I believe will be beneficial to you.”

I glanced down at what he held in his hand. The sword of my master rested in his hands. It started to rise and come toward me. I looked at him wide eyed. My heart raced at the sword’s command.

I will not submit! We were in danger! I heard my mind scream.

This sword is evil. My master used it to punish those who lived in his house. It wields death’s call and can command my heart to stop beating. I have been disobedient to my husband. Now he means to enslave me, or worse.

Feeling betrayed, I quickly stood up, grabbed Mum’s hand, and teleported out of the room. I needed somewhere quiet where I could create a defense. My husband means to master me. I will be a slave to no one.

I expected to see glaciers of the north. Instead, Mum stood before me, and Gabriel held my body to him from behind. The sword laid at my feet. I struggled to be free of him. He is much stronger than I am. I pulsed my power with sharpened daggers into him. Gabriel absorbed it.

“Release me! I will be a slave to no one, not even to the one I am married too!” I struggled harder, hoping to wear him down. Gabriel’s arms held me firmly against him, allowing me to struggle but not run. “Release me, coward, and allow me to fight for my freedom!” My skin began to glow as I summoned more power to release.

Gabriel did not have a tendril I could sever. I was unable to touch his mind in that way. The tendril he presents functions like a vampire’s tendril; however, Anubis is a god, not a vampire.

Turning into my true form will give me the strength I need to overcome my captor; however, I did not wish to show my true form to Mum. I did not wish to scare her. I let a growl out instead, letting Gabriel know he has gone too far.

Mum saw the madness set in. “Lara, you are no slave here. Your mate only wishes to help.”

I ignored her. What does she know of my marriage? I pulsed stronger power, and again, Gabriel absorbed it. I would rather die. I began summoning every ounce I had. My skin glowed bright like the sun. He will feel my wrath for days as he heals.

“Let go of me!” I yelled.

“I need you, Lara.” Mum’s voice was soft and mournful. I stopped struggling and looked at her

“Please hear me, goddess.” She knelt at my feet, and my heart broke. She should never kneel before me no matter who I am.

“Your mate brought you here to save the world from destruction. You have an opportunity to restore life to the world. The blade is only a tool for you to use.” She slid the sword out of my site and behind her.

I began to relax. My glowed dimmed as I took a deep breath to calm my heart. I trusted her with my life and started opening my mind to Gabriel. His body on mine ignited a desire for him I have not felt in a very long time.

Gabriel is not whom I should desire. I kept Anubis’s image in my mind and blocked any feelings I had for Gabriel. I felt love and concern come from Gabriel. His hands slowly loosened from my arms.

“What do you need me for?” I asked cautiously.

Gabriel gently turned me to face him. His green eyes pierced my soul and froze me to the spot where I stood. His hands cupped my jaw gently. My body began to quiver, and my heart pounded in my ears. Knots started forming in my stomach. I wanted to look away from him, but his eyes commanded me to stay. I could get lost in their depths.

“You have been granted to rid the word of its leeches. You desire to bring the living to the underworld, now you may do so with the blessings of the gods. The world is your playground. It will fall to its knees at your feet, and I will fight by your side. There is only one condition. You must do it in Horace’s name and let it be known only Ra can help them.”

“I have already recruited one named Casandra. She is gorging herself on the blood of the living as we speak. I will create more like her. Your brother has given up, why should I give him glory? The Glory shall be mine. I will be feared! The living will wish they never looked upon me.” I hissed.

My mind and heart fought for control. Anger and love were in conflict. I longed to love Gabriel. I have not seen him or loved him since my marriage to Anubis. Rage and the desire for revenge threatened to drown me. Constant tidal waves of desire for Anubis and blood crashed as war raged within.

“You are responsible for Casandra? You are the one who has been responsible for the blood shed in this city?” Mum asked incredibly

“Fear not, Mum. She will die with the rest of them.”

The emotionless statement worried her. Mum shared a worried look with Gabriel.

“If you kill in your name or in the underworld’s name, souls will be under direst and fear the scales. This will cause chaos in the underworld. If you do it in Atum’s name, people will fear him and not call him their god. In order for us to live, a tenth of the population must call out to him. He will hear their pleas and restore order. You cannot claim rights to the destruction in this.”

I stood glaring at him. I could not move away. His eyes demanded mine to stay on his.

“If you defy me, Anput, you will not like the consequences.” He warned. His voice lowered to almost a growl.

Anubis would not allow me to take my fill unless it was to save the gods. If I did not do as he commanded, he would allow the earth to fall, and the gods will be destroyed.

Anubis would welcome the destruction of the Gods. He could not bear to see Anput’s destruction. He would be forced to destroy her one way or another. Anubis feared if he gave Anput her freedom, she would allow her madness to take over. She would become too strong for even him to control.

The balance between life and death would be restored, but the council would work together and destroy Anput indefinitely. One way or another, he had to remain in control of the situation. If she refused to do as he requested, he would have no choice but to destroy her before she destructs and allow the god’s realm to destruct.

Her soul screamed to him for help. It was all he could do to stand in front of her and not start healing her soul. Forcing Anput’s mind to heal rapidly would do more damage. It must be a slow process. One Anput must choose, on her own, to start.

“The earth will be saved?” I asked, softening my glare. My true goal is to quiet the screams in my mind. The living must die. The one who commands my heart has given me my desire. I will do as he asks.

“Yes, my mate.” He said softly, keeping my eyes locked on to him. I could feel his eyes piercing deep within. He was not looking at my face. I felt his power caress my mind and warm my soul.

“I have restored your tendril and web fully. You have the godly powers as well. I have no doubt you can take your fill and satisfy your blood lust. You are the true meaning of a vampire goddess.”

“What of the souls? Who is at the scales? Not Kebachet?”

“No one is to pass the scales. They are closed for now. Only the old souls from before you married me will be placed in Bardo, without judgment. The others, Kebachet will destroy.”

“Anubis, there are innocents!” A tidal wave of love and duty crashed in my mind, temporarily drowning the blood lust. All life deserves a chance to live. The living are simply vessels for the precious souls. The souls can be reborn and live again. To deny them such a thing is sacrilege.

I was shocked he would allow such a thing. He greatly cares for the souls. He was strict on the order of things. There is a process to the way things are run. There is no room for negotiation. Now Anubis releases his hold of the underworld and allows chaos to come forth.

“And yet you would deny them life.” Gabriel’s voice purred.

“You are right.” A rush of anger came. I must avenge the earth. I could feel the earth’s pain as it tried to support the living. Anubis’s willingness to help helped ease the war within. “They are not innocent. They have abused our gift of life and so must be punished. Where do we begin?” I could feel my defiance fade away as I decided to follow his orders and began relaxing my posture.

“Right here in this city. When you are ready, I will call forth my army, and we will rid the world of its vermin.”

I looked into his eyes, disbelieving what he told me. I have never seen this side of him. There is something he felt he had to fight for. He is very capable of defending his family. Even Horace respected him enough to not antagonize him. Anubis has always been a fierce protector. He protects the souls in Bardo. As Gabriel, he protected me, and now as a father, he protects his family. To take a role as a warrior was not something I thought he would do.

“Sister, I will return momentarily.” My voice once again changed as the sanity set in.

“Take your time. I must find food.”