| Supernatural Fiction posted October 6, 2020 | Chapters: |
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A Chapter of THE IMMORTAL/A Novel of the Breedine series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Creature
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. This is look back into a chapter from The Immortal. I'm also excited to share my new cover for Unleashed Chaos! Stay safe & enjoy! |
Jena turned, her eyes searching the graveyard desperately for Lailah and the other battle angels. She couldn’t see them through all the smoke, but she heard growling, and then several pairs of glowing eyes suddenly flickered in the darkness. She scrambled closer on her hands and knees, trying to get a better view, but she could make out only the flash of weapons that looked to be swords and the dark shapes of enormous wolves along with another dark outline of what seemed to be an enormous feline of some sort.
Jena turned to scramble back only to find Ashton waiting for her, in his human form, standing next to his brother’s motionless body. He bitterly smiled down at Jena, who was too shocked to do anything but stare up at him.
“I’m going to ask you one more time,” he said, offering her his hand. His voice was harsh, impatient. “Join me, my beloved.”
The shrieking noises coming from the five-headed serpent caused Jena to flinch and look away. There was a scream, and among the smoke and burning flames, she could see three dark figures that looked to be a woman and two men, standing before the demonic creature. It snorted plumes of smoke and hissed at them like a cobra, readying itself to strike in unison. Jena took a deep, shuddering breath and tore her eyes away from the horror. For a moment, everything seemed to hang in suspension. Then her attention focused back to Ashton, her eyes darkening as they met his gaze. As she stared into his haunted eyes, she remembered the intimate night they had shared. Images, more than thoughts, were rushing through Jena’s mind, terrible and disturbing images of the next morning, of the monstrous creature she’d become, of the repulsive face looking back at her in the mirror. It was like a distant dream, like something that had happened to someone else and not her. Then her mind came back to focus. Somehow, Ashton managed to seduce her then, but now, she was determined not to give in to him a second time.
“No.” She shook her head, crawling back slowly. “I refuse to be the monster you have become.”
His face twisted into a mask of rage and his eyes blazed with a wave of painful anger. It was then that Jena braced herself, noticing his impending changes were rising fast. She watched in silence, pleading to God to stop it, as his features began to contort and elongate until he was entirely unrecognizable. Jena was amazed at how quickly his transition took over. Thick black hair pushed out of every inch of his bare skin and trailed down his broad shoulders. In a matter of seconds, it covered him completely.
With her eyes fixed on his hideous face, Jena felt her chest tighten. Ashton looked very angry. Angry enough to kill her. The vicious expression on his face was enough to impel Jena to her feet.
The moment she stood, she heard him growl deep in his throat, and then his clawed hand was on her arm, gripping painfully, forcing her forward.
Jena took a shaking breath. “Please, don’t do this,” she pleaded, straining against his strong hold, but her resistance only infuriated him further. He jerked her arm with such force her feet went out from under her. Jena fell to her knees, agony shooting through her as the skin tore from the bits of gravel and the uneven ground below.
“Get up,” he growled.
Painfully Jena turned her head, searching for help, but she couldn’t see past all the smoked-filled darkness. Her head jerked back when something sharp dug into her skin and wrapped tightly around her ankle. Jena cringed but didn’t scream, biting her lip to keep it at bay. In sheer panic, she clawed at the ground as Ashton dragged her from behind.
“Let her go,” a stern voice said, seemingly close by.
Ashton froze in his tracks but kept a firm grip on Jena. He looked away from her and to the unfamiliar voice.
“Let her go?” Ashton said, squinting his shrewd luminous eyes, searching for the stranger among the thick cloud of smoke. “Who dares to tell me...” He let out a deep-throated cackle. “...what to do? And more to the point, whoever you are, what do you mean to do about it? Surely, by now, it would seem obvious that none of your kind can kill me.”
A tall blond, who Jena recognized as Jace’s twin brother—the one who Angie described as the Chosen Son—emerged from the veil of smoke as though he came out of nowhere. Behind him were huge wolves, perhaps as many as ten, a giant black panther, and Jace’s beast. They paced back and forth, growling and snarling.
“Maybe we cannot kill you,” Jem said as he stepped forward, his palm crackling with light. “But sometimes there are far worse things than death.”
Jena watched in amazement at what looked to be a bolt of lightning shooting straight out of the palm of Jem’s hand. As it made contact with Ashton’s chest, he instantly howled and clutched at his charred and scorched hide.
Among his piercing howls, Jena could hear the sounds of wings flapping. Crouched on the ground, she looked to the dark sky and a sense of relief suddenly took hold. Flying above—so close she could feel a soothing current of air breeze against her face—were the glorious battle angels, equipped with swords, preparing to fight against the five-headed serpent. Then she heard them shouting.
“Attack!” Cronus called out, leading his comrades in arms into battle.
With lightning speed, Icarus swung his sharp-edged weapon as one of the serpents snapped its head forward, slicing clean through its thick-scaled skin. The monstrous head struck the ground and blood spurted like an acidic red fountain.
The remainder of the reptilian creatures simultaneously let loose a hellish shriek as though they felt the death of the fifth companion.
Seething with anger and unbearable agony, Ashton fell to his knees, grieving over the foreseen death of his Master. A look of despair flashed across his face by the tragedy of his loss, but it passed quickly, and unbridled fury reawakened inside him.
“Now!” Cronus yelled, louder this time. We can do this, he thought silently, rearing back his sword, getting ready to slay his enemy. God created us for this, to protect the innocent from evil, and we will not fail him. As he swung his mighty sword that was as long as his forearm, Helios, Lailah, and Frigg followed suit. All at once, they decapitated the snake-like heads in the flash of light, and at the same time it released Jena’s binding spell. Now, their task was almost complete.
At first, nothing happened. Then Jena’s breathing suddenly became deeper and more guttural. It was at that moment she gasped in relief, realizing the spell had been broken and she was changing quickly now. Already, straining muscles rippled beneath Jena’s skin, while coarse black hairs sprouted from every pore and began to cover the vulnerability of her nakedness. The shape of her face twisted and stretched until her human features were no more. Jena felt herself expanding as if her skin could no longer contain its human form. Her inner creature throbbed with power and a lust for blood—the blood of the monster who had created her.
Ashton’s eyes widened in alarm as he grasped what was transpiring. He slowly rose to his feet and backed away, wary of Jena’s creature. “No,” he uttered in stunned disbelief. Then his voice became angry, “This cannot be!”
Jem and his allies stood back and watched as Jena released a predator’s growl and moved into an upright position, her body rising and rising until she towered to the height of at least six feet or more.
For the first time in over two hundred years, Ashton took a step backward in fear of his life.
“Remember, Jena,” Ashton said, looking at her desperately, continuing to slowly back away, getting closer to the opening in the ground. “If you kill me, Nicolas dies.”
Jena was fully aware that Ashton was trying to dissuade her, but she ignored his statement and kept her focus. Although she now had the instincts of a killer, an important part of her still remained intact, something Ashton had lost a long time ago—his humanity.
“I hold all the power,” Jena simply said.
Baring her teeth, she lunged forward and struck Ashton with a flash of fangs and claws, driving him backward. Time seemed to slow as they fell over the edge of the pit below and disappeared into what looked to be Satan’s dark abyss. The haunting sound of a mournful howl went on and on, fading into a distant echo.
To be continued . . .
Jena turned to scramble back only to find Ashton waiting for her, in his human form, standing next to his brother’s motionless body. He bitterly smiled down at Jena, who was too shocked to do anything but stare up at him.
“I’m going to ask you one more time,” he said, offering her his hand. His voice was harsh, impatient. “Join me, my beloved.”
The shrieking noises coming from the five-headed serpent caused Jena to flinch and look away. There was a scream, and among the smoke and burning flames, she could see three dark figures that looked to be a woman and two men, standing before the demonic creature. It snorted plumes of smoke and hissed at them like a cobra, readying itself to strike in unison. Jena took a deep, shuddering breath and tore her eyes away from the horror. For a moment, everything seemed to hang in suspension. Then her attention focused back to Ashton, her eyes darkening as they met his gaze. As she stared into his haunted eyes, she remembered the intimate night they had shared. Images, more than thoughts, were rushing through Jena’s mind, terrible and disturbing images of the next morning, of the monstrous creature she’d become, of the repulsive face looking back at her in the mirror. It was like a distant dream, like something that had happened to someone else and not her. Then her mind came back to focus. Somehow, Ashton managed to seduce her then, but now, she was determined not to give in to him a second time.
“No.” She shook her head, crawling back slowly. “I refuse to be the monster you have become.”
His face twisted into a mask of rage and his eyes blazed with a wave of painful anger. It was then that Jena braced herself, noticing his impending changes were rising fast. She watched in silence, pleading to God to stop it, as his features began to contort and elongate until he was entirely unrecognizable. Jena was amazed at how quickly his transition took over. Thick black hair pushed out of every inch of his bare skin and trailed down his broad shoulders. In a matter of seconds, it covered him completely.
With her eyes fixed on his hideous face, Jena felt her chest tighten. Ashton looked very angry. Angry enough to kill her. The vicious expression on his face was enough to impel Jena to her feet.
The moment she stood, she heard him growl deep in his throat, and then his clawed hand was on her arm, gripping painfully, forcing her forward.
Jena took a shaking breath. “Please, don’t do this,” she pleaded, straining against his strong hold, but her resistance only infuriated him further. He jerked her arm with such force her feet went out from under her. Jena fell to her knees, agony shooting through her as the skin tore from the bits of gravel and the uneven ground below.
“Get up,” he growled.
Painfully Jena turned her head, searching for help, but she couldn’t see past all the smoked-filled darkness. Her head jerked back when something sharp dug into her skin and wrapped tightly around her ankle. Jena cringed but didn’t scream, biting her lip to keep it at bay. In sheer panic, she clawed at the ground as Ashton dragged her from behind.
“Let her go,” a stern voice said, seemingly close by.
Ashton froze in his tracks but kept a firm grip on Jena. He looked away from her and to the unfamiliar voice.
“Let her go?” Ashton said, squinting his shrewd luminous eyes, searching for the stranger among the thick cloud of smoke. “Who dares to tell me...” He let out a deep-throated cackle. “...what to do? And more to the point, whoever you are, what do you mean to do about it? Surely, by now, it would seem obvious that none of your kind can kill me.”
A tall blond, who Jena recognized as Jace’s twin brother—the one who Angie described as the Chosen Son—emerged from the veil of smoke as though he came out of nowhere. Behind him were huge wolves, perhaps as many as ten, a giant black panther, and Jace’s beast. They paced back and forth, growling and snarling.
“Maybe we cannot kill you,” Jem said as he stepped forward, his palm crackling with light. “But sometimes there are far worse things than death.”
Jena watched in amazement at what looked to be a bolt of lightning shooting straight out of the palm of Jem’s hand. As it made contact with Ashton’s chest, he instantly howled and clutched at his charred and scorched hide.
Among his piercing howls, Jena could hear the sounds of wings flapping. Crouched on the ground, she looked to the dark sky and a sense of relief suddenly took hold. Flying above—so close she could feel a soothing current of air breeze against her face—were the glorious battle angels, equipped with swords, preparing to fight against the five-headed serpent. Then she heard them shouting.
“Attack!” Cronus called out, leading his comrades in arms into battle.
With lightning speed, Icarus swung his sharp-edged weapon as one of the serpents snapped its head forward, slicing clean through its thick-scaled skin. The monstrous head struck the ground and blood spurted like an acidic red fountain.
The remainder of the reptilian creatures simultaneously let loose a hellish shriek as though they felt the death of the fifth companion.
Seething with anger and unbearable agony, Ashton fell to his knees, grieving over the foreseen death of his Master. A look of despair flashed across his face by the tragedy of his loss, but it passed quickly, and unbridled fury reawakened inside him.
“Now!” Cronus yelled, louder this time. We can do this, he thought silently, rearing back his sword, getting ready to slay his enemy. God created us for this, to protect the innocent from evil, and we will not fail him. As he swung his mighty sword that was as long as his forearm, Helios, Lailah, and Frigg followed suit. All at once, they decapitated the snake-like heads in the flash of light, and at the same time it released Jena’s binding spell. Now, their task was almost complete.
At first, nothing happened. Then Jena’s breathing suddenly became deeper and more guttural. It was at that moment she gasped in relief, realizing the spell had been broken and she was changing quickly now. Already, straining muscles rippled beneath Jena’s skin, while coarse black hairs sprouted from every pore and began to cover the vulnerability of her nakedness. The shape of her face twisted and stretched until her human features were no more. Jena felt herself expanding as if her skin could no longer contain its human form. Her inner creature throbbed with power and a lust for blood—the blood of the monster who had created her.
Ashton’s eyes widened in alarm as he grasped what was transpiring. He slowly rose to his feet and backed away, wary of Jena’s creature. “No,” he uttered in stunned disbelief. Then his voice became angry, “This cannot be!”
Jem and his allies stood back and watched as Jena released a predator’s growl and moved into an upright position, her body rising and rising until she towered to the height of at least six feet or more.
For the first time in over two hundred years, Ashton took a step backward in fear of his life.
“Remember, Jena,” Ashton said, looking at her desperately, continuing to slowly back away, getting closer to the opening in the ground. “If you kill me, Nicolas dies.”
Jena was fully aware that Ashton was trying to dissuade her, but she ignored his statement and kept her focus. Although she now had the instincts of a killer, an important part of her still remained intact, something Ashton had lost a long time ago—his humanity.
“I hold all the power,” Jena simply said.
Baring her teeth, she lunged forward and struck Ashton with a flash of fangs and claws, driving him backward. Time seemed to slow as they fell over the edge of the pit below and disappeared into what looked to be Satan’s dark abyss. The haunting sound of a mournful howl went on and on, fading into a distant echo.
To be continued . . .
Book of the Month contest entry
A reference to terms and cast of characters in the chapter, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Jena McCain - She is a young artist with the ability to speak with the dead. She has been cursed by an age old creature who feeds off the blood and flesh of humans. She has one hundred and one days to resist her bloodlust. If she succumbs to the curse, she will become the creature who has bitten her.
Ashton Ratcliff - He is from the 1800s. He took his own life when his beloved refused to marry him. His younger brother, Nicolas was tricked by an evil entity, promising to bring Ashton back to the living in order to save his soul. When Nicolas discovers what his brother has become, he is desperate to destroy him and save Jena.
Angie - She is a Breedline and Jena's best friend.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Battle angels - (Lailah, Cronus, Helios, Icarus, and Frigg) Their one purpose for existence is to serve the Creator in the war against demons and evil havoc on earth. The battle angels are unlike any of the Creator's angels. The indigenous battle angels, on average, stand ten feet tall, although a few tower to the height of twelve feet with a more muscular build. Tattooed with unique warrior markings, the black-winged warriors are suited with armor typical of ancient heroes, and they wield a type of sword associated with a long-gone empire. They are the bravest of angels, who consider only the importance of their mission, and are perfectly willing to give their life in the service of righteousness. Gifted with special powers, they fight against the dark side. They are particularly fond of the human race and consider themselves humanity's special protectors.
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and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Jena McCain - She is a young artist with the ability to speak with the dead. She has been cursed by an age old creature who feeds off the blood and flesh of humans. She has one hundred and one days to resist her bloodlust. If she succumbs to the curse, she will become the creature who has bitten her.
Ashton Ratcliff - He is from the 1800s. He took his own life when his beloved refused to marry him. His younger brother, Nicolas was tricked by an evil entity, promising to bring Ashton back to the living in order to save his soul. When Nicolas discovers what his brother has become, he is desperate to destroy him and save Jena.
Angie - She is a Breedline and Jena's best friend.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Battle angels - (Lailah, Cronus, Helios, Icarus, and Frigg) Their one purpose for existence is to serve the Creator in the war against demons and evil havoc on earth. The battle angels are unlike any of the Creator's angels. The indigenous battle angels, on average, stand ten feet tall, although a few tower to the height of twelve feet with a more muscular build. Tattooed with unique warrior markings, the black-winged warriors are suited with armor typical of ancient heroes, and they wield a type of sword associated with a long-gone empire. They are the bravest of angels, who consider only the importance of their mission, and are perfectly willing to give their life in the service of righteousness. Gifted with special powers, they fight against the dark side. They are particularly fond of the human race and consider themselves humanity's special protectors.
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