Palindrome

No. No way. The sound of the small battle below me tuned out, I could hear my heartbeat pulsating in my veins. I put a hand to my stomach, there was a small swelling, but I had never been flat. If it was true, I had an even bigger reason to save them. There was no chance I could use the potion that killed the Beast. William hovered behind me, silent. I didn’t dare turn, in case Noah was using this as a trick. I needed to concentrate; it didn’t change anything. My plan was to save everyone, the humans, the beasts and the Undead. Maybe not Noah, when I thought about it.

“Doesn’t change anything, Noah. You have finally revealed your reason for millennials of torturing witches. If it had been for expanding the life of a loved one, that would have been a small redeeming touch, but now you say it was all so you could kill humanity? Where is your God in all this?”

Noah sneered, and the growling sounded like thunder.

GOD is in everything I do; he is behind me all the way. What use do we have in humans, other than use them to breed. You are ruining the earth we inherited.

What to do, none of the things we had planned fit into this scenario. I heard a piercing scream below and William howled before he let himself drop back down to the ground. Was someone hurt? I had to check, I looked down and saw many lifeless bodies, but the ones standing didn’t seem to decrease in numbers. William was heading towards a heap on the ground, who was it? Please, I couldn’t lose anyone. Benjamin moved, and I saw Oscar on the ground, clutching his hands to his neck. Belinda was holding back a furious zombie, red blood smeared on its face. No, not Oscar. I lost the view and debated between staying up in the air distracting Noah or helping them. What use did I have with this divine streak in me if it couldn’t help me in situations like this?

I felt the blow before it hit me, the slash of claws across my chest burned first and then turned into an antagonizing pain, almost blacking me out. I didn’t make a sound; my brain couldn’t handle anything else than the pain. Noah grunted, pleased with himself, his mighty wings creating a rush of wind when he rose even higher. The liquid from the two vials that had been around my neck ran down my breast, mixing with my blood as I fell from the sky, my skin shredded to pieces. I hit the ground with a thud, and then there was only light.

“Hannah, darling.”

I knew the voice, but only from dreams and visions. When I first opened my eyes, I couldn’t see anything in the dark surroundings. After some time, I adjusted and could make out shapes and brighter areas, it appeared I was in a forest of some kind. The one who was speaking stood beside a rosebush, surrounded by a soft glow.

As I watched her, her appearance shifted. At first, I thought it was Lilith, then she looked like my mother and then she had my face. Her final form was a mix of people I knew, her face ageless.

“Dear sister.” She came closer and I was reminded of the wound. I batted myself with panic, but there wasn’t a scratch on my alabaster skin. Just the two broken vials, a witness of my failure.

“Relax, you`re in a realm where there is no physical pain.”

She was naked, a half moon on her forehead. Her long hair fell down her back, wild and untamed. A slight movement behind her among the trees distracted me, and I could make out the silhouette of another person. A horned man, waiting for his mate.

I fell to my knees and bowed my head to the Goddess and her consort. She had many names back in my own world; Morrigan, Brigidh, Cerridwen, Rhiannon, Gaia, Demeter. They were different, but the same. The Horned God is known as Cernunnos, Pan, Baphomet, even Lucifer. He took a step closer to his queen and bowed slightly to me, and I gasped when I saw his features. I knew him. His eyes were burning with a clear blue flame, but he was a Beast.

Cerridwen smiled at my shock, “I`m surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner. Ophidian was a result of the first Great Rite between my consort and a human. We wanted to spread the divinity, but something went wrong along the way.”

She was close now and touched the broken glass hanging to my breasts. “Clever girl, you took from both the Trees. Lil is one of my dearest children, but she is also part human, and her feelings get to her sometimes. Her disappointment over Ophidian choosing Eve have gotten to her.”

I tried to ignore the silent God lingering in the background, so similar to William.

“Mother, what is happening to me? Am I dead?”

There was a peace over me, yet I felt detached somehow. Calm, but restless.

“No, and you never will. The two potions mixing in your blood changed you even further. No one has ever gotten both. The Palindromes is one of the longest living families made of magic, it wouldn’t have worked on anybody else, it would have been too much. Everything happens for a reason.”

I was almost too afraid to ask, but I had to. I held my hand gently on my stomach and looked at her with a plead in my eyes. “Is it true what Noah was saying? Is there a child?”

“He sensed another Beast, but it isn’t yours. It`s not for you, not yet.”

I was relieved but still there was a tinge of sadness. I was comforted by her words, not yet, then maybe someday when I`m ready. When we were ready. When I knew the outcome of this chaos.

“Belinda?” The Mother-Goddess nodded, “She doesn’t know yet, you can tell her when you get back. A mix between a Palindrome and a Beast will be powerful, they will have their hands full.”

I sighed, “I don’t know what I`m supposed to do. How can I stop someone as powerful as Noah?”

Cerridwen looked briefly over her shoulder, “Ah, Noah. I should love him as a child of my consort, but there is something wrong with him, and the madness has dripped down his line. There is hope, though. And you will receive help, I have been working on something. Remember, sister. You are different now, you have to forget about your insecurities, they are your biggest enemy. You have to know that there isn’t the thing in the world you cannot do. You just have to want it and want it for the right reason.”

She kissed me between my brows, and I felt the skin burn. “Go, Goddess, with our blessing. Merry meet.”

I had so many things to ask her, but it seemed my time here was up. I kissed her back, “Merry meet and meet again.”

“HANNAH, for the love of all that’s holy, wake up!”

The pain was back, worse than before. I was burning, maybe Hell was real after all. I screamed and felt hands on my body, pressing down on my bleeding chest. Mixed with the screaming, crying and begging I heard the sounds of hungry zombies. Maybe not the best spot to lay with my intestines hanging out.

“Hannah, baby. If you leave me now, I will hate you forever. I mean… I will love you forever, but also hate you. This isn’t the plan. The plan is to get old together. But first we`re going to fix all this, and then go away to our Eden again, maybe on a honeymoon. And I need you here for that.”

William was rambling, I wasn’t going anywhere, I was right here. I just needed to sleep for a few seconds, The blood-loss made me dizzy, but hadn`t Cerridwen said I was immortal? Why did it feel like I was dying then?

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