"Yes, and the lives of her spawn will guarantee her compliance. All we need is a mere second of heartbreak and the Sword of Death and Satan's life is vanquished. Forever."
They were correct. It was so simple and so very wrong. If Eve was sprung on my father and her denial of him hurt badly enough—even for a moment, it could be over. His momentary wish for death and a broken heart would be all the opening they would need.
"Are we just gonna hide behind a rock or are we gonna kick some ass?" Lucy asked with disgust.
"Just needed a minute to figure out who had to bite it," I snapped.
"Who did you decide on?"
"Pretty much all of them."
Lucy's grin was evil and I bit back the most inappropriate laugh that had almost ever left my body. I bit down hard and a thin stream of blood dribbled down my lip.
"Lick my chin," I told Lucy. "Now."
"What the. . .is that some kind of Demon lesbian thingie? I like guys," she stammered.
"My blood," I hissed. "Take some of my blood. It will make you stronger. Just do it." I yanked her mouth to mine and she licked the blood from my lips and chin. "You might have a quick seizure, but go with it."
She nodded and gulped. "Go kill those bastards," she choked out as her body convulsed.
No such thing as pure good and pure evil. I was both and I would own it. My power rose rapidly and with a great deal of pain. Sparks flew from my fingers and Lucy rolled away. The roar in my ears was like an ocean during a hurricane and I vaguely heard Rhonda ask about my and Lucy's whereabouts. My skin grew hot and my palm burned. I would spare my mother, but the rest had to go.
"I'm here," I said as I walked forward toward the abomination that wanted to rule the world. Cole was simply a minion—a weak worthless piece of shit that had helped to tip the scales. His obsession with my mother had been used wisely. Rhonda was the brains. Rhonda had to go.
My feet barely touched the floor as I advanced and the bracelet on my arm heated just as the scar on my palm added to the pain ricocheting through me. Instead of debilitating me, I let the pain empower me. The good inside me warred with the evil, but I controlled it. Neither would ever control me.
"Why, what have we here? A little baby Immortal with some mommy issues?" She bared her long sharp teeth and spit a stream of fire at me.
Lifting my left hand, I caught the fire and threw it back at her. The look of horror on her face was gorgeous as her own fire singed off a good portion of her shoulder.
"No," she screamed as she doubled forward and grasped her arm. As quickly as the shoulder disappeared, it grew back and her fury increased tenfold. "Get her and the other one," she bellowed so loudly several girders fell from above.
My mother's shout of agony rang in my ears, but her need and weakness would not tempt me ever again. I focused on my prey and all Hell broke loose.
It felt like slow motion. The Demons sprang from the walls and the Dragon increased in size. I heard the delighted squeals of the baby Demons as they went to work on the meal of the century. The groaning and cursing mixed with the wet sounds of bodies being torn apart didn't even bother me. The Dragon’s claws were sharp as they tore into my skin, but the sense of calm inside me enabled me to take each blow as I dealt my own.
My hair whipped wildly around my head. I flicked my fingers and a vicious wind blew up. I laughed as Demons flew through the air into a pile for the babies. The fear in the Dragon made her fight erratically. I stilled my body and let her think for a brief second she could win. Arrogance created carelessness and I was not arrogant.
"No one shall defeat me." She came at me with hatred and desperation. I shifted slightly and her body weight took her forward into a wall. The sound of a Dragon taking down steel beams with her head was delightful, but I wasn't done.
"I'm not no one," I roared and let my body relax. "I am Balance."
From the core of my being I pulled up a magic so strong I felt sick. I raised my hands above my head and I chanted. Never before had I understood what I was saying, but now I did. My mother had left her bracelet for me on purpose. No matter how she had fucked up, she clearly felt remorse. She could not take back what she had done, but she could give me the tools to put an end to it.
My voice was strong and the storm in the room kicked up to tornado level. The wind on my skin was cleansing and healing. I smiled at the chaos around me and I spoke with my eyes and heart wide open.
"Without balance there is no peace.
Without peace there is no reason.
Without reason there is no purpose.
Good and evil shall exist, but never in its purest form.
There are no true absolutes.