Here we go a little diversion of mine for a couple of days, which I give to you. Due to a backlog with proofing I am throwing this to you unproofed…so forgive any errors (Real life comes first and my thanks go out to Lynn, for all the work she does for me). It’s a dark story that came to me late one night talking to Prue in the Storysite Chatroom. So, thanks go out to Prue for putting up with my late night rambles, however strange they get and believe me they do get strange.
As always, tell me if you like it and more importantly tell me if you don’t.
Hypatia pboauk@yahoo.com

 

The Bequest

by: Hypatia

 

The Devil is not evil insofar he is an angel but insofar as he is, of his own volition, perverse. Loving himself more than God, he was unwilling to be a subject to God, and he forsook the divine essence

St Augustine

 

Oh what an exit! That’s how to go
When they’re ringing your curtain down
Demand to be buried like Eva Peron

Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice, Evita

 

There will be a time when the last battle will come to pass and it will be fought on earth. At that time, the deeds of man will become of the supreme importance, because the actions of men will decide who is victorious. It was foreseen in the Book of Revelations, not exactly a clear message but it was there. Most religions have their creation and destruction myths, a God figure and an Adversary; within this, there is balance. Constance Sedgwick knew all of these myths and the forms that the Adversary was supposed to take, the concepts were reasonably accurate from what she had come to understand. It was the specifics, the details that got so very distorted through the years.

Lucifer within the public mind was expected to be a large demon with horns, a tail and cloven feet. A view that was very wrong, he was a handsome looking man with a body that could have made a fortune stripping on stage. Besides that he was well spoken polite and charming, if it hadn’t been for the fact that he was the physical form of everything her long life had been spent fighting against, Connie freely admitted that she might have taken her chances in bed with him. As it was the meals and drinks they had over the years were most enjoyable. Yes, he was the enemy, yes if he could he would have killed her in an instant, as she would him. But the rules didn’t work that way. Until the final battle it was the actions of men that counted, for him to interfere personally would mean that he had committed his forces. That was something neither side was willing to do at the moment. While the earth was so divided, neither side could guarantee a victory, when man had finally chosen his path one side would begin Armageddon.

"Constance what a pleasure to see you again and looking so well" The dark haired, dark eyed man said as he pulled out her chair so she could sit down.

"Its nice to see you again" Connie said as she sat "what is it eight or nine years?"

"It is nearly eleven my dear" Lucifer corrected her sitting down opposite her "and I gather that this might be our last dinner"

"Yes the time is near, none too soon though some might say. One hundred and eighty seven years is a long time and though I do not seek death I shall welcome its cold embrace" She replied.

"I shall miss you Constance, you have been a constant source of irritation in my plans but so charming with it. There is still time you know if you want to change sides and unlike him who you work for, I will not have any nasty tricks up my sleeve" Lucifer said looking at Constance intently.

"Sorry Luce but I have spent too long fighting you to turn at this stage" Constance replied firmly.

"I have to try my dear, though in some ways I am glad you refused. It would have diminished my respect for you. Though I still think that the price you paid was too great. You are a beautiful person inside, why did he do that to you" Lucifer lifted his hand up and down indicating her body and the excess weight it carried. It had been her curse when she had been selected that despite being classed as pretty she would always be obese.

"I live with it and it has never stopped me doing anything has it?" she asked him.

"No I just get so irritated by your masters ideas of justice, you are a beautiful person and as such should be beautiful," He said making Connie blush.

"What would you know about beauty?" Connie asked him.

"More than most, I desire beauty and I will have it again when I take the throne of heaven" he replied.

"Come on we said no business talk at these meetings" Connie interjected sharply before the conversation was dragged off into areas that they would violently disagree on.

"Constance as always you are right and over the years I have come to enjoy these meetings, it would be a pity to spoil the last one. Do you know when you will die?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes I have known it since the day I accepted this task, though it is only now that I understand it" Constance replied with a tinge of emotion in her voice.

"Who will be the successor?" Lucifer asked her.

"Come on Luce I cant tell you that so no prying" She replied with a smile on her face at his attempt.

"I have to try, it’s part of the job description. Be devious, corrupt people and all that sort of thing" Lucifer said with an answering smile "though I hope he or she has half the charms that you have. I remember Merlin, there was an interesting character, we had long talks right through to the dawn many times. I was almost sad when Le Fey turned on him but it was his time. Some of them though have been so unbearable that I just had nothing to do with them. You try having a chat with someone busy trying to exorcise you, be gone foul spawn of hell and all that lot doesn’t make for a good working arrangement"

"What do you get out of these meetings?" Connie asked him.

"Pleasure" he replied still with a smile "I am a creature of lusts and desires all of which I explore to the full. I do not deny myself these things just because they are wrong, I explore them and experience them. Do you mind if I order dear? This being our last meal this should be something special"

"Go ahead" Connie, replied, "Your taste in food has always been exquisite"

"Years of practice" Lucifer admitted "and even you must have objected to some of the meals we have eaten. Do you remember our first one in Sebastopol?"

"Of course I do, that was a busy time. You were trying to take the horrors of war to a new plateau and I was busy trying to develop compassion for those who you maimed" Constance said a cloud crossing her face as she remembered the time.

"Not me dear" Lucifer protested his innocence "I just guide and manipulate, man does all the hard work"

"What about ‘The Light Brigade’?" She asked.

"Well it has to remain a classic in the art of glorifying death and destruction, on a par with my personal favourite ‘The Alamo,’" he said with a disturbing grin across his face "Then of course these fools invent films and Hollywood does half of my work. I spend more time there now than I do in the Middle East."

"Yet you are still bound to the earth?" Connie pointed out.

"For now" he admitted "Garcon…Garcon"

*****

Far away from the London restaurant in the north of the country a man, a young man plotted murder. He wasn’t the type of person who would normally do such things but desperation does strange things to people as does grief. By this time tomorrow he should have been a happily married man, very happily married. By this time tomorrow he would join his fiancée in death.

Six months ago, it had now been six months of hell. The phone call from Janet’s mother had destroyed him.

"Simon, its Anne" the voice full of emotion had come from the phone "Its Janet, an accident, you have to get to St Hughes hospital now"

He was dressed and out of the house in seconds, the empty roads letting him push the Nissan to speeds normally he wouldn’t dream of. But inevitably, the blue flashing lights and the ‘Stop Police’ sign appeared in the rear view mirror and despite a temptation to carry on, a lifetime of, if not respect but fear made him stop.

"Would you please switch off the engine and step out of the car sir?" a police officer looking too young to shave asked him.

"Look my fiancée has been in an accident and I’m trying to get to the hospital," he protested but it fell on deaf ears. Nearly twenty minutes later he was finally able to carry on his way a ticket in his pocket and an admonishment ringing in his ears about not being the next accident. He missed saying goodbye to Janet by possibly five minutes.

The court case had gone as expected, the fifty five year old business man who ploughed into the drivers side of Janet’s little Fiat pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit and driving without due care and attention. The fact that he had been on his mobile phone when his Range Rover demolished the car was taken into account. The driving ban, fine and suspended sentence had been a joke.

The fine hadn’t even dented the money this man carried in his pocket normally, the suspended sentence hadn’t affected him at all and the driving ban he ignored. Simon had found this out a month later when he first went to spy on the man. In the same Range Rover now repaired, he had driven in through the electrically operated gates that restricted access to his enormous house.

Simon’s life fell apart, he had just about been coping with life before this point, but this was too much. Within a couple of weeks he had lost his job and now he was so far in debt that it was unlikely that he would ever recover, not that he planned to. The idea had first come to him on the long nights he lay there awake. It had matured in the despair and desolation that was his day and within the safety of his house, which he so rarely left, amongst the neglect and the filth of what he had been so proud of he planned. Tonight it would be done and tomorrow it would be over.

*****

"That meal was delicious" Connie said as they sat there drinking coffee afterwards.

"Good I always try to please" Lucifer said as he looked at her "So calm you are Constance, despite the fact that the future is still a mystery to you"

"I have my faith" she replied and he laughed loud and long.

"What name do you put on this faith Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Buddhism? What do you call your master Allah, Jehovah or Krishna?" He asked.

"You know better than I that faith is not about creed," she answered without letting his words affect her.

"Yes your existence and my existence prove the existence of your master, so faith is not necessary as you have proof and again and again your actions have been for the greatest good. I wish you a quick and painless death, for life is something you will not have." Lucifer said possibly a look of sorrow crossing his face.

"I thank you" Constance said, "it is nearly time for the bequeathing and I must travel far"

"Then we shall part and if it does come to pass that I rule in heaven, I will think of you" Lucifer told her.

"Of course you will Lucifer, for I will be the one in front of the gate with the big flaming sword coming just for you," She said with a smile.

"Until we meet upon that field of battle then Constance," Lucifer said standing up.

"Till that field my foe" Constance said and the two of them embraced for a moment, she turned and left.

Lucifer sat back down watching the large rear of the woman disappear through the door. Any larger and the poor woman would have waddled, as it was those in the restaurant watched her leave, some sniggering some making cruel comments about the mismatched pair. With a motion of his hand Lucifer made a few people realise what their partners were up to when they worked late and dropped the share price of a couple of key shares. That should cause a few problems amongst this group. He looked around them they oozed smug satisfaction that they were important people they had money. Ah, they would learn soon enough he thought and some of them had potential. A little unhappiness in their lives would prepare them for a very long future. The restaurant staff were still making rude comments about Constance as Lucifer looked at the bill, a rather large amount but that had been a rather old bottle of champagne. Normally he wouldn’t do this but with these ignorant people who cares…he certainly didn’t. He vanished leaving an unpaid bill and a few very upset people.

*****

Outside the neutrality of the restaurant Constance knew she had to be on guard. While their little meetings occurred none would interfere, outside she became fair game again. Not many of the Dark Ones minions would challenge her directly most would flee at the sight of her, self preservation being high on their list of priorities. But someone might try something through a third party. It was difficult to watch everyone in a big city, but that was what you had to do. Occasionally a flash of memory would come through of those who preceded her, those who had walked the path before her and this would give her clues as to what should be done. Memories from a man who had fought on the field of Culloden told her to be aware of those around her. Body language also gave her clues as to what people might do. But this shouldn’t be her place she should die further north and of that, she was sure.

Though she was sure that the Maid of Orleans was as certain about her fate, right up to the point they burned her. Only by luck or divine intervention, was the task bequeathed or where would we be now? In the past those whose task it was made themselves known, Nostradamus, Joan of Ark and Merlin were just three of them. Now it was not something that you could admit, a holy task. Even the churches were no help now, she could just see herself walking in and asking for help from some young snot of a vicar.

"Excuse me vicar, I’m on a mission from god. Do you care to help…Who am I well my name is Constance Sedgwick, my birthday is 18^th of June 1815…yes that’s right the same day as Waterloo…and you will never guess who I have in my mind with me…No not Napoleon, Merlin the old Welsh Wizard, he says he never met any King Arthur" It wouldn’t work. Not that that has always been the case, before the Second World War she could at least count on some support. But in these days, only teenage girls were allowed to battle the forces of evil single-handed and then only on television. A fat woman in her late thirties didn’t count. Not that physical age meant anything to her, she had been twenty-four when she took this form and she had lived with it for over one hundred and sixty years.

It had been in February of 1840 that she had decide to end her life, just after the young Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. It was love that did it, love of a certain young gentleman, for years he had been so sincere with her and so passionate. After the Royal Wedding she had began pushing this man to declare their engagement and everything changed. Though she came from a good family they weren’t in the same class as his, after discussions with his father he returned to tell her they would not see each other again. That night she had drank a bottle of Laudanum and she should have died. But other forces intervened. It always seemed to be the same way, an offer to one who had nothing to lose and a price to be paid. For her it had been the loss of her youth and her beauty, which she had been so proud of. It left her this mountain of flesh that she felt no one could love. With it came duties responsibilities and knowledge, she pitied he or she who would take on this task but despite the horror that they would face everyday, there would be joy.

The streets of London were quiet despite the fact it was not yet late. The wet night forcing many to stay home but amongst the shadows, she could feel eyes watching her. She mumbled an incantation of protection its history unclear in the clutter that was her mind and she felt happier. At least she had some protection in force and would have a little warning of attack.

"Be gone," she shouted down a darkened alleyway "you will not find me an easy target"

A figure came shuffling out of the shadows, to her eyes a bent and twisted creature with only a passing resemblance to a man. If there had been others around, they would not have seen anything strange though.

"Vetis you still plague my steps" Connie said to the creature "surely by now you would know that I could not be turned. Your master does"

"It is my calling to corrupt that which is holy" the creature answered in a hesitant and strangely accented voice "and so near the end I am sure the doubts assail you"

"I am not holy, fiend" she shouted back "so leave me now"

"One such as you may not consider yourself holy but that is not for you to decide, greater powers decide that and at the end as your flesh is rendered from your body I will be there to corrupt that which is holy. To offer you a different path, which you will gladly accept" Vetis replied.

"You forget yourself beast," Constance said closing her eyes "we do not share the same relationship as your master and I do. Leave me be"

Streetlights dimmed and the rain that was falling on her stopped, turning to steam before it touched her body. Her hands appeared to be forming something and her mouth spoke tongues lost long before she was born. Grasping the nothingness in her hand, she stretched her arm in the direction of the beast. There was a sizzling sound and rain in-between them turned to steam, partially obscuring the beast from her view. It screamed in its pain and its hatred of her.

"I will enjoy watching you suffer bitch" it snarled at her "at the end I will be there and you will be mine. Then the agony will really start"

"Go before you become more than an irritation to me" Constance said her hands again beginning to form something, this time visible as a glowing ball of energy. Steam was rising from her wet clothes and the streetlights immediately around dimmed further to almost nothing.

"SOON BITCH, SOON" The creature screamed at her and was gone. She let her hands drop and the glowing ball dissipated to nothing. In the past she would have openly challenged the demon and have won, now she was tired and even the little pain she had caused it had drained her. She was old and her time was near, gladly would she embrace death.

*****

Simon was almost ready to embrace death a few more hours and it would be over. The price for his actions he would pay, as would he who took her life. The thing that did concern him was his lack of emotions at what was about to take place. He felt numb and drained, the hate he had for the man had gone as the realisation of what he must do formed in his mind. He would not fail he would be strong for Janet.

*****

The small aircraft touched down at Manchester, the domestic flight was rather empty and those few people on board were intent on their own thoughts. Through the airport in a matter of minutes with her one bag, Constance quickly found a taxi and got in.

"I need to find some one, it is going to take a while but if we do and you don’t argue or ask questions there is another fifty in it for you on top of what’s on the meter" Constance told the driver.

"Look love I don’t hold with drugs so you can just find yourself another taxi" the driver protested.

"No it is nothing illegal, I just need to find a friend who may be suicidal" Constance said to the man "It may mean a fair bit of driving and a lot of waiting"

The driver looked at her for a while before responding.

"You don’t look like a ‘Smack Head’ or a dealer" he told her "But I’m fine with what’s on the meter"

"No a deal is a deal and this might take a few hours" she said and settled down in the back of the taxi.

Through the night, she directed the confused driver sensing where she should be. It was never a case of go to 54 St Stephens Street, Oldham, it was sensations and feelings that drove her. Not exactly, an efficient way of doing things but Lucifer had put that down to the ‘No direct action’ rules. His creatures were limited in the same way, but there were a lot more of them.

"Park here while I get my bearings" She told the driver and he did.

"Excuse me for asking this but this is turning into a rather expensive trip, you do have the money don’t you?" the driver asked. Constance opened her handbag and removed five twenties from a large roll, the mans eyes bulged.

"It isn’t exactly safe to be carrying that sort of money around here love" he said and for a moment Constance thought this might be a veiled threat, then she saw the honest concern in his face.

"Don’t worry it will be in a hotel safe as soon as I have found my friend" she replied the man nodded his approval and was quiet.

*****

At midnight he came home, roughly at the same time he had killed Janet. The Range Rover pulled up outside the gates and he waited for them to open. They didn’t.

Simon had managed to sabotage the self-opening mechanism on the gates. Yes, he would have been recorded on the security camera, but anonymity wasn’t something he would need.

He watched the man step out of the Range Rover and approach the gates. Simon stepped out of his Nissan, parked over the road and a few yards down, and reached through the back window to pick up the object there.

"YOU KILLED HER BASTARD, NOW DIE," He screamed as he levelled the shortened shotgun at the object of his hate. The man turned to face him and his movements showed how drunk he was.

"Who are" he started to say, the shotgun-belched fire in the darkness the explosion silencing him, the second barrel fired, and Simon threw the shotgun onto the back seat. He got in his car and began driving he needed somewhere quiet for the last part of his plan somewhere he wouldn’t be disturbed.

*****

Constance saw the red Nissan turn into the car park and she knew that this was the person. She didn’t know how she knew, she just knew.

"That’s his car," she told the driver "give him a moment then drive onto the car park slowly. I don’t want to spook him"

"Whatever you say love, your paying the bill. He isn’t likely to get violent is he?" the driver suddenly asked, "You know how these loony’s can get"

"No he is just a man in pain, unable to cope with living anymore. He needs someone to help, anyone to help."

"I hope if I am ever like that there is someone like you around" the taxi driver said with sincerity in his voice.

"You may just be surprised what people will do for their fellow man" Constance told him, "until you open your eyes and see you will be blind"

"That sounds religious" he said suddenly "your not with one of those funny churches are you?"

"No" she assured him quickly "I haven’t been in a church in years"

"Good I don’t hold with all that brainwashing," he said.

"No brainwashing I just meant people see what they want to see, few actually look closer" Constance said gently "now lets go"

*****

If it hadn’t been raining and it hadn’t been dark, Simon knew this place would be beautiful. He had often come here with Janet, in the hills above Macclesfield, a place of beauty, a place to walk and enjoy yourself with someone you love and now a place to die.

He reached over to the back seat and picked up the shotgun, the evidence of its recent use was the smell in the car. Breaking the barrel he removed the two spent cartridges and replaced them with two fresh ones from a box in his glove box.

He sat there for a moment, reversed the weapon and placed the barrel in his mouth. In this uncomfortable position twisted in the seat because of the steering wheel, he composed himself. His hand slid down the side of the weapon and found the trigger guard he placed his thumb on one of the triggers. Again he paused a moment and closed his eyes pressed on the trigger.

There was a loud click.

*****

As they pulled onto the car park Constance could see them gathered around the car like eager school children, demons of all types. Despair and hopelessness was something they loved and now with a suicide none wanted to miss the show. Two larger more human like creatures were there as well, neither of which Constance recognised. These were a higher order of demon than the mass of almost animal like creatures around the car.

"Wait here do not move" Constance told the driver and opened the door. She walked towards the car and most of the beasts parted at her approach, the two larger creatures did not.

"You know me even if I do not know you. Let me pass" she said with menace in her voice. The two creatures parted allowing her to pass between them as they bowed mockingly. She reached the car and tapped on the window.

*****

Simon was confused by the fact the shotgun did not fire and moved his thumb to the other trigger again he pressed and again it clicked. He opened his eyes and took the weapon out of his mouth, looking at it he could find no reason why he wasn’t dead. Then there was a knock at the window and he looked up to see a large woman with dark hair peering through his window. He threw the shotgun on the back seat and tried to start his car, it wouldn’t start. The woman knocked again.

"Go away" Simon shouted, "Just fuck off"

"Open this door" the woman told him.

"No" he replied firmly. She smiled and made a gesture with her finger, he watched the passenger side door unlock its self.

"That’s better," the strange woman said as she sat down in the car closing the door after her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Simon demanded.

"Ah, Hell. I’m afraid that is not my area of speciality. I deal with earth, but I can introduce you to someone who can help you with that if you want?" the woman said to him "Or you can just go ahead and kill yourself and meet him"

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"Constance" she replied "Have you ever heard the saying ‘Living on borrowed time’?"

"Yes" he admitted feeling rather lost.

"Well your life at this time is down to me, and at a cost I can barely afford at this time. So you will listen to me," she told him. He nodded his agreement slowly, this situation was more than his mind was willing to understand.

*****

Constance knew he was in a bad way, anyone who would contemplate suicide needed compassionate help. He needed a reason to live and now was her time to offer him one. As he nodded, she could see that his hold on reality was tenuous, well it would get a lot worse.

"What is your name?" Constance asked him.

"Simon" he whispered.

"Well Simon you have reached a point in your life when you have to make a decision. You feel you have no reason to live, I am here to give you another option" Constance said keeping her voice calm despite the fact the demons had closed in around the car again.

"What…what do you mean?" Simon asked confused by the situation.

"There is a level of existence on the earth that most do not see." Constance told him "Mankind continues on its merry way despite the fact that we approach the time of the last battle. When those that were cast out of heaven try to take their place again man will be the deciding force in the conflict. But man is not yet ready to face that task, so there are people and creatures on both sides trying to influence how humanity will react. Some like me though are trying to thwart the plans of the Devil and ensure that Armageddon will only begin when we are ready"

"What?" Simon muttered then looked at her "What the bloody hell do you think you are up to. I am here trying to kill myself and you start up with all this religious bullshit. Piss off find another fool to convert"

Constance grabbed his hand that was pointing at her door. He stopped and the look on his face turned to one of terror as he saw the audience that was eagerly awaiting his death.

"What the hell are they?" he shouted. He tried to pull his hand away but Constance grabbed it more firmly interlacing the fingers so that the physical contact was maintained.

"Hell is exactly where they came from, they are here for the show," Constance told him firmly.

"Show? What show?" he said watching one of the smaller demons climb onto the bonnet of the car to get a better view.

"Your death" Constance replied bluntly "Your death is what they have come to see."

"What are you?" he asked her tearing his eyes off the creatures to look at her.

"I am a choice for you and I am a tired old woman" Constance said "But the answer to your question is I am the one between them and mankind. I ensure that enough of the dark ones plans do not come to pass that he is weakened. In his weakened state he cant afford to commit to battle, for the moment"

"What do you want of me?" he asked with fear in his voice.

"Easy Simon" she said with a warm smile for the man "I am no threat to you, the opposite in fact. I am the reason you are not dead. My time is nearly here and I must find one to take up the challenge, to delay the inevitable a while longer. As you are one with nothing to live for I am giving you a reason to live, a task to devote a very long life to and a purpose. It will not be an easy task and your death will be violent and brutal, but it may be a long time off"

"What?" Simon said casting his eyes back to the creatures.

"You are being offered a long life of fighting the demons and foiling the Devils plans." She said.

"What can I do against them?" he asked.

"You will have the ability and the knowledge" Constance assured him.

"What if I do not accept?" he said.

"You live on time borrowed from me at great cost, it will be as if I wasn’t here and you will die as you wished"

"I will do it," he said firmly.

"Good" Constance said and laid her hand on his forehead "Close your eyes a moment"

He closed his eyes and began moaning as the power infused him. A moment later and it was done, Constance could feel the loss of the knowledge that she had carried for so long, yes some of it was still there but the essence of the people she had lived with in her mind were gone. For a moment, she felt very scared and vulnerable.

"Who are these people and what is this payment that is yet to be claimed?" Simon asked.

"Those in your mind are those who have walked this path before you, they will guide you. As for the price that will be paid, the first time you sleep as a restitution for your sins, you will be changed" Constance told him.

"Changed, how?" he asked the fear returning.

"Merlin lived his life as an old man and I became a fat bitch. The curse is different for each person and the theory is that it will be a constant reminder of what you undertook. From this time on there will be no return to your old life, you now live in a different world" Constance said to him.

"I understand" he replied.

"Right time to go, are you ready for this?" Constance asked.

"Wait a moment, I killed a man what will my restitution be?" he asked.

"You didn’t kill a man or I wouldn’t be here," Constance said shaking her head.

"I did I gave him both barrels" he protested indicating the sawn off shotgun.

"From what range?" She asked, "Because if it was much more than twenty five feet with that you don’t stand a hope in hell of killing someone"

"How would you know?" Simon demanded angrily at the thought he may have failed.

"I saw my first war in the Crimea and I have been in every major war since" she said, I know the effects of firearms and though he wont be pretty, he is unlikely to die."

"I failed?" he asked.

"No, or you would be dead. We have to move, on three out of the door and then to the taxi" Constance said.

"Out there?" he asked looking at the assembly.

"Yes One…Two…Three" Constance said and opened the door.

*****

The woman was gone on the word three, Simon contemplated trying to start the car till a living representation of a gargoyle climbed into the passenger door which she had left open, it regarded him closely. He thrust his door open pushing some of the creatures away as he did so. As he got out of the car the mass of creatures closed in on him he could feel cold hands grasping at him.

"LEAVE HIM" The woman, Constance, shouted and most of the creatures backed off two larger ones remained close. She walked around to his side of the car and placed herself between Simon and the two creatures. They were more manlike in appearance than the smaller creatures and their faces suggested intelligence behind the glowing red eyes.

One of them hissed a serpent like tongue emerging between a set of teeth that would have done a leopard proud.

"Do you think me that weak?" Constance asked her voice sounding more amused than afraid. The two creatures looked at each other, then at Constance. They turned and a moment later, they were lost in the night, the others disappeared soon after their larger cousins left.

 

"Good, I am in no shape for a fight tonight, this has cost me much" she said grabbing his hand "Quickly now before we draw more attention"

In the taxi she seemed to relax, Simon looked at her long and hard. She was a woman in her forties possibly and her green eyes were stunning, her only flaw was her size.

"Yes I know I am all dressed up but before I came here I was having a meal in London" She replied "and yes I’m a fat cow dressed up. A joke to all who see me"

"No I was wondering who or what you are?" Simon said transfixed by this woman, his strange saviour.

"Not here" she answered casting her eyes up to the driver.

"Where to then?" the driver asked "and what about shutting your car doors?"

"Forget them with a bit of luck someone will steal it" Simon told him bitterly.

"The lady’s the boss, she has the money" the driver replied looking at Constance.

"Leave it, it’s dead anyway. I’m after a cheap hotel in central Manchester please" She said and the taxi began moving.

*****

Constance was aware of how nervous Simon was as they left the taxi outside a mediocre hotel in the centre of Manchester. Three more taxis and she felt reasonably happy, at Piccadilly station they entered a last taxi.

"I saw some more of those things" Simon said as they started driving to the Thistle Hotel at the airport.

"They have always been amongst us, you just have never seen them before" She said to him "Do not worry about them, the rule of thumb is the less like a human they look the less you have to worry about. Anything that doesn’t look at least a humanoid shape isn’t going to threaten you"

"What do you mean threaten me?" he asked.

"Some of the higher orders will try to kill you, probably before you have settled into your position. They might try it face to face or they might use a third party," Constance said.

"What do you mean a third party?" he demanded.

"Someone they have turned or corrupted. You have to be aware of all those around you, without constant attentiveness you will not last a month" She grasped his hand "But that will not happen because you are going to be a good boy and listen to every word I tell you"

He nodded his acceptance and turned his attention back to the city passing by outside.

*****

Safely in the room of the hotel Constance began a warding ritual at the door then the windows, that complete she relaxed sinking down on the double bed.

"What was that about?" Simon asked indicating the door and the windows.

"They may not pass now" she said closing her eyes and trying to figure out what of the memories remained after passing on those before her to Simon "You know more about it than me Merlin perfected them"

"Merlin" he replied disbelief evident "The sword and the stone, King Arthur and the round table?"

"No Merlin the Welsh Wizard" She said angrily "He never met a King called Arthur but Le Fey who was supposedly Arthur’s half sister did. She betrayed him hoping to become the next with the power, what she didn’t know was that he knew he would be betrayed, He had already bequeathed the task to another"

"As you have with me?" he asked.

"Yes" she replied sadly, "Within two weeks I will be dead and my memories will join the others in your mind"

"I remember many things, most of them unpleasant" he said with a shudder as a particularly nasty one surfaced "Men in a battle standing and being killed by cannon, not advancing just standing there"

"Culloden" Constance said sympathetically "lots of memories of there. None of them pleasant, the aftermath was the worst part. They hunted them down on the roads and slaughtered them, those that survived were arrested later"

"How do I know what I am supposed to do?" he asked.

"Listen to those in your mind they will help, as for the rest you get a feeling of where you need to be. When you get there it is up to you" She said "Now excuse me while I shower I have done a lot of travelling today"

*****

She disappeared into the bathroom carrying her bag. Simon stood there for a moment then switched on the television to fill the silence, to try to distract him from the memories that came to his mind. He lay on the bed the music channel doing little to prevent the memories forcing themselves into his mind. He saw many battles, experienced many deaths and the image of a man was clear through all of this, a man who scared him.

He shuddered as a cold feeling passed through him.

"They are making themselves known to you" Constance said appearing from the bathroom wrapped in a white bathrobe and with a towel around her hair.

"I think so," he said hesitantly as an image of a death by fire imposed on his reality for a moment.

"It will become easier" she assured him "but at first they all try to make an impression on you"

"Are they conscious at all? Do they understand what they are doing?" he asked her again with fear in his voice.

"No I think not" she said sitting on the bed next to him "they are just memories but with their memories comes some personality"

"I think I understand," he said.

"Give it time and you will" She assured him and she sat there for a moment silent, a sadness suddenly crossed her face and she turned away from him.

"What is the matter?" he asked sitting up and placing an arm around her.

"Sorry just this song I know its silly, but it brings back many memories" she said bending her head in sorrow. Simon listened to the words for a moment.

Oh what a circus oh what a show

Argentina has gone to town

Over the death of an actress called Eva Peron

 

"What about it?" Simon asked.

"It was a rather cruel musical about a young girl with nothing, who tried to do some good for her people" Constance said viciously "Did you know she was only thirty three when she died?"

"No" he admitted.

"Yes just thirty three, just starting to find herself and the direction her life should take and it was snatched away from her," Constance was weeping now.

She had her moments-she had some style

The best show in town was the crowd

Outside the Casa Rosada crying Eva Peron

But that’s all gone now

As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears

We’re all going to see-and how-she did nothing for years

"Switch it off please" Constance pleaded through her tears and Simon found the controls. The screen went dead.

"You knew her?" Simon asked.

"I was with her when she died" Constance said, "She was a friend, one of a few I have had in my life, all of who I have lost and too soon I will join them"

"Cant you just go away leave, if all this is happening and you know it is cant you avoid it?" Simon asked her. She turned her face towards him her eyes red from tears.

"If only it was that easy, but my path is already clear and I must walk it" Constance placed an arm around him and squeezed him reassuringly "Do not worry about me I have lived long enough on this earth to now be curious about what I will find next"

"Heaven you mean?"

"Not exactly I don’t think, what we see is more a stylised representation of what is happening on a higher level. Yes, there is some form of an afterlife, of that, I am sure. But the forms that are taken by the forces at play are just a form, which we understand. None Christians who have walked this path before us, such as Merlin, see them differently" She paused and looked at him for a moment "It makes little sense to me, even after a century and a half"

"Could it be like with the patterns in the stars making figures our mind creates something recognisable out of that which is not?" he asked.

"That it may be but that is now a question for you not me" Constance said sadly "Now it is late and tonight though you may not wish to you will sleep. Do you mind sharing a bed with me or would you prefer the floor?"

"I will sleep anywhere" Simon said, "The decision is yours"

"Then get yourself sorted and come to bed," she said, "I need to dry my hair, then we can keep each other company. I think this night neither of us want to be alone"

*****

 

Constance lay there in bed listening to the sound of Simon in the shower. This was unusual for her male company in her life, yes there had been many lovers over the years but how long was it now since she had shared a bed with a man?

After the Second World War, a lot of her time had been spent in South America. Yes, there was the interlude in Argentina, but she stayed even after Eva Duarte died, she had left for a long time following in the footsteps of Che Guevara. Che was an interesting man but with a self-destructive obsession for civil war, through the revolt of the masses he hoped to create the perfect state. Yes, she was upset when he died but his antics had brought the world so close to nuclear war…

Then there was the Kennedy Assassination, yes, she had foreknowledge of the event but that wasn’t the purpose of her being there. With the survival of Jacqueline Kennedy, the war that the death of both of them would have caused was averted. A nation mourned its loss as she did and a healthy suspicion of what the government said and did was imprinted on the country. The naivety of the fifties was left far behind and the nation began to watch what their government did. This in itself brought more stability to the world and with time the East-West divide narrowed. Now a lot of her time was spent in the Middle East.

It had to be some time in the sixties she last shared a bed rather than snatched a few hours passion and to her horror she realised she couldn’t remember whom with. This was the start of it, the rapid degradation of those abilities she took for granted. Rolling on her side carefully so that she was facing away from the door, she let the tears start rolling down her face.

As she lay there the silent sobs wracking her body she heard Simon come into the bedroom, the bed moved as he sat on the edge. Then a blast of colder air and he was under the covers behind her.

"Constance" he whispered and placed a hand on her fleshy upper arm, just as another sob passed through her body. He moved closer behind her, through her all encompassing nightdress she could feel the heat of his body. An arm sneaked around her above the bulge of her belly, and just below her breasts. With him holding her tight she wept openly at what was to be her fate so soon.

"I’m sorry Constance is there no way of stopping it? He whispered, she could feel his breath in her hair.

"No it is not death I fear, that is inevitable and just a transition" She whispered back "It is the unknown method of my death that terrifies me and that now I am defenceless…"

"But they were scared of you at the car, they ran from you" he said.

"That will change, their master will have told them what is happening" she replied.

"Who is that?"

"Lucifer, the chance of taking out the two of us while we are weakened will be more than he can resist. No matter how much he flatters me with his attentions" she could hear Simon gasp at this.

"He will introduce himself to you soon after my death. While you meet with him a truce exists and he would never harm you himself and occasionally you can learn things from him" She said trying to justify her enjoyment of the bantering the two of them had over the years.

There was a long silence at this revelation though his hold on her was still as firm, for a while she thought he had fallen asleep.

"What if I die, will you then live?" he asked.

"No the deed is done the inevitable will happen, besides my life has been long and well spent, yours has just started" She held his hand with hers showing her gratitude at the thought. Behind her, she felt him pull away from her body. For a moment, she thought it was her that disgusted him, and then he squeezed her hand reassuringly. Constance moved backwards a couple of inches trying to find the warmth of his body again and encountered the cause of his unease, jabbing her in the buttock. She smiled to herself and squeezed his hand back while wiggling a bit to seat it comfortably along the crack of her bum. Despite the boxer shorts, he wore and the nightdress she wore it felt hot and the pressure it exerted was reassuring.

Almost surreptitiously, his thumb seemed to move of its own volition and began a casual exploration of the underside of her upper breast. Constance closed her eyes, as it worked over the front of her breast, anticipating the contact. It came and the nipple stiffened causing pleasure. Fear became the dominant emotion as his hand began an exploration of her body, a fear of rejection by this man. Even with the pleasure he caused at each stage she was scared, she wanted this man for her last lover. His rejection or disapproval at this stage would be too much for her to bear. The rejection didn’t come and gradually his free hand worked her nightdress up giving him access to her legs, belly and breasts without impedance. His hand under the pillow upon which her head rested was holding her hand and with the pressure on it, she indicated her approval. Constance decided enough was enough and reached back behind her trying to pull his boxer shorts off. He understood and for a moment his hand left her body, then his hardness returned skin on skin this time. She pulled her knees up and he slid into her from behind, they lay there both of them enjoying the sensations without moving.

"Why are we doing this?" he asked as he kissed the back of her neck.

"Because it was needed by both of us" she whispered back "To make us feel like human beings again loving, being loved and enjoying it"

"You are the first since…" he whispered his voice hoarse with emotion and unable to continue speaking.

"And you will be my last, so make it one for me to remember" she whispered back as she began to move, he soon took the initiative and when they were both sated they slept, happy in each other’s arms.

*****

 

Simon awoke in Constance’s arms still she was awake with a look of sadness on her face.

"Why so sad?" he asked her then coughed to clear his throat.

"Why so sad?" he repeated his voice still sounding strange.

"Do you remember I said there was a restitution a price to be paid?" she asked he nodded "It has been paid"

"What do you mean?" he squeaked. Something was up, he sat up pulling himself from her arms bruising something on his chest as he did so, and he looked down at breasts.

"No not that" he whispered looking at Constance imploringly, tears at his distress filled her eyes.

"NO NOT THAT" he shouted at her as he again looked at breasts he recognised. Constance just nodded.

"No please, not her, not as her" he pleaded with Constance as he struggled out of bed. Rushing to the bathroom he nearly fell over his new centre of gravity throwing him for a moment. He fumbled with the bathroom light and turned to face the mirror. Looking back at him from the mirror was the woman he loved, the woman he hadn’t been able to say goodbye to and the woman he was willing to kill and die for. He was Janet. He crumpled to the floor shivering and emitting an off key wailing. Constance was by his side in a moment helping him up and back to the bed.

"This is the price that you have paid" she said gently brushing some red hair out of his blue eyes.

"But her, why her?" he pleaded with Constance.

"So you will never forget why you are hear, what your purpose is and what you now devote your life to" She told him firmly "You also can see your own death, is it near or far?"

"I don’t know how but I know it is far off" he said as he saw himself/herself falling at the hands of a great demon, she shuddered and began to cry.

"This is how it must be" Constance said, "You will live with it as I did"

"How?" he demanded between his tears.

"Day to day girl, one day after another" He began crying as Constance stated the fact that he was female, but the voices in his head were already trying to change her view of himself. He kept thinking of himself in the feminine. One voice in particular a male voice was telling her to accept it as all things are for a reason.

Constance climbed into the bed next to her and wrapped her arms around Simon as she wept. She was still holding the girl long after she was emotionally drained and was just lying there numb.

"Simon we need to talk," she said to her "time is limited and things must be done. We need a name for you"

"I’m Janet," she muttered back.

"Yes but can you live with that name for a while?" she asked her. She began crying again.

"Listen Simon, I may be dead in the next few hours, I may be dead tomorrow. I don’t know. But one thing I do know is I will be dead within two weeks" She said bluntly to him "Then you are on your own, they will be waiting for you and it is unlikely to be a quick death"

"But I’m Janet" she moaned.

"Fair enough your Janet and you will live with that for the moment" Constance said losing some of her patience with the girl. Janet was silent but she began shaking again, Constance put her arms around her again.

"I need to go out and get things sorted" Constance said gently "and I need a tape measure. I might have one in my bag somewhere"

She got out of the bed and began searching through her bags and many objects came out.

"I have virtually everything in here, I did have some more clothes but I decided to leave most of them. Not that I will have much chance to wear them," Constance said trying to keep a constant dialogue with the girl.

"I even have Merlin’s staff in here, it had to have some modifications as a six foot staff is not carried around theses days. But it breaks down into four sections I can put in my bags. Though it has attracted some unwanted attention at airports in the last thirty years" There was still silence from Janet.

"Come on out of bed and lets get you measured," she said and with a hand the girl did "You are lucky in some respects, you could spend the years looking like me. Some of my things you will be able to use, my jewellery. The rest I am afraid will fit you like a tent"

As Janet stood there, silently trembling Constance took note of the measurements of the girl, when it came to shoe size she could see a problem.

"Do you know Janet’s shoe size?" she asked

"Five and a half" Janet replied and was then led back to the bed where she lay down again. Constance began to get dressed to go out.

"Constance" came a whisper from Janet as she slipped on a pair of panties that covered her belly button.

"Yes" she said turning to Janet, all modesty forgotten in front of the girl.

"How will I cope?" she asked, "I know nothing about being a woman"

Constance smiled at her and sat on the edge of the bed just in her panties, her large breasts lay on top of her bulging stomach. With one hand she stroked the girls hair.

"Don’t worry about it, I have been a woman for over one hundred and eighty years" she said sadly "soon my memories will be in there with all the rest and whatever you need to know you just ask"

"I’m scared…I don’t think I can cope with this without losing my mind" Janet said "seeing her face everyday and living as her"

Constance laughed, shocking Janet with the sound in the midst of her misery she looked accusingly at Constance who was shaking her head slowly.

"What?" she asked bitterly.

"We are in a hotel in Manchester, with half the legions of hell converging on this spot to try and kill both of us, I am going to die and you are worried about how you will live. Wake up girl we will quite possibly both die here, let us worry about that first. Then we can worry about living" Constance told her "It is late in the day, we slept a long time and I do not think we will be out of her before dark. I’m going to go to the airport and see if I can buy some clothes for you, then we will get out of here somewhere a little safer"

"What about money, what do I do for money…where will I live…how will I exist I am no one" Janet asked. Constance was glad the girl was actually starting to think beyond the immediate situation, she didn’t know how people were selected for this job but for a little while she had thought it was going to be too much for the girls mind to cope with.

"Money is not a problem I have been investing for the last hundred years and for some reason I make good choices as did my predecessor. You will live all over the world in the most expensive hotels and in squalor where ever you end up and as for existing well paperwork is easy" Constance told her "Now I need to get you some clothes and we need to try to get you out of this city alive, will you stay here and keep the door closed?"

"Yes I will" Janet said seeming to pull herself together a little more.

"That’s the way" Constance said and continued to get dressed with Janet watching, Janet suddenly blushed as she realised Constance knew she was watching.

"Listen you will have things slightly easier than me, because your Janet was extremely beautiful but what you see here now, are still life skills you are going to need" Constance told her "Besides after last night I thought there would be no modesty between us"

"Thank you for last night" Janet said another blush colouring her face.

"No thank you" Constance said "You made me feel loved when I needed it" she bent and kissed the girl on the forehead.

Janet watched as Constance leant forward to place her breasts in the bra then reached behind to fasten it. One of the voices in her head was telling her that this would be needed and it was nothing to fear. Then she watched as the tights were drawn up each leg then over Constance’s large bum and belly. Constance looked her way and gave a sympathetic smile.

"We need to make you look decent I am afraid, you need to be able to fit in with royalty, politicians, businessmen or as Eva called them Descamisados" Constance said as she finished getting the tights comfortable.

"Descamisados?" Janet asked.

"The shirtless ones, the people who count, the mass of the population that do the work" Constance said dropping a floral print dress over her head "you need to be taken as someone who knows what they are talking about and you need to be a lady. I will help with that when I get there, until then we will see what we can do. But don’t listen to Joan, she doesn’t have a clue what being a lady is despite how vocal she gets. A lady is an attitude and an image and being a lady will make you fit in anywhere"

"What about the fighting?" Janet asked.

"That’s the easy part after at least two millennia of fighting it becomes instinctual" Constance replied "When the time comes you will know what to do and again we will all help you. Now you stay here, I will be back soon and whatever you do don’t open that door"

*****

 

After the door shut, Simon/Janet took stock of the situation. The others in her head were trying to make her accept this situation however impossible it was. Though she had to admit she was a lot calmer than she really should be. She got out of bed again, walked nude to the bathroom, and stood before the mirror looking despite the waves of grief that washed over her.

She looked at the image reflected a woman in her mid twenties stunning red hair flowed uncontrollably past her shoulders. Freckled breasts graced her chest topped by erect nipples, she raised a hand and touched one. It was very real. The narrow waist gave way to wide hips and between her thighs was a red thatch. She let a hand slide down between her thighs and pulled it away quickly when she felt the proof of what she saw.

"Janet why did it have to be you?" she asked but no answer came. After a wash, she picked up the clothes on the floor that she had left there the night before and walked in the bedroom with them. In the bed, she found the boxer shorts she had removed and tried to put them on. They stretched obscenely tight across her rear and the emptiness at the front made her weep again. The T-shirt again was stretched obscenely this time by her breasts, the nipples were clearly defined and it finished halfway down her thighs. She looked at the jeans but knew that it was pointless, there was no way they would fit. She sat on the bed just holding them lost in the thoughts of what she now was and what she had lost.

The door opened and Constance walked in carrying numerous bags, her face was worried.

"We have to move quickly," she said placing the bags on the bed "They are gathering in force out there. I do not think I have ever seen so many in one place"

"Those things from last night?" Janet asked.

"Demons mainly but there are a few lower order devils out there" Constance said and stopped looking at her.

"Get out of those clothes we don’t have time to mess around now"

"But…" Janet started to say.

"No buts…we have to make you presentable then get out of here" Constance was pulling items out of her bag "If we can get down to London I have plenty of places to hide and people to contact. If I fall you are to leave me get the flight to London, I should be able to help you by the time you get there."

"Leave you?" Janet said with astonishment.

"Yes leave me" Constance replied angrily "Run away and save your own skin. I saw my death in this city and a short while ago I saw the place I am destined to die. If they are busy with me you can get to safety"

"I can’t leave you" Janet protested.

"Then you will die too. No get out of those clothes you look bloody stupid" Constance said angrily.

Janet slipped off the T-shirt and boxer shorts without protest, now was not the time to argue. A pair of plain white panties was passed to her in a satiny material, she slipped them on after a moments reluctance. They clung to her skin and the contact between her legs was unnerving. A matching bra was passed across and remembering how Constance did it, she arranged her breasts in the cups and tried to fasten it.

"Let me do it for now" Constance told her as she fumbled with it. "How does that feel?"

"Uncomfortable" Janet admitted and Constance adjusted the straps slightly.

"That’s the best we can do" Constance said to her sympathetically "when it is broken in it will be better"

Tights came next a most unique experience as the sheer material came up her smooth legs gripping tightly everywhere. As she adjusted the crotch and waistband she was very aware of the sensations of her thighs rubbing together, it was even causing a warmth in her crotch.

"Now when you get to London pick one of the airport hotels, you wont be noticed that way. If I am not with you by then it shouldn’t be long" Constance told her as she removed some more items from the bag "Once I am with you we are in business as trapped up here, in my head, I have all the real knowledge about living in a modern society. Merlin might know about the best wards of protection, but I know the best places to shop and how to survive"

"Do we have to keep working on the fact you are going to die?" Janet asked as she fumbled with the buttons of a white blouse.

"Yes because that is the most likely scenario, everything including your existence here is pointing to that" Constance said firmly "but thank you"

Janet was silent as she stepped into a dark blue skirt just over knee length, a silky lining to the skirt, played across her tights. She was wondering if she would ever get use to such things as she sat down to allow Constance to work on her face. As she sat there, voices in her mind kept fighting their way to the forefront.

"Painted Harlot" one of them seemed to shout making her jump.

"What’s up?" Constance asked.

"I just got called a Painted Harlot in my own mind"

"Don’t worry that sounds like our resident Crusading Knight, he has a problem with women. It didn’t stop him whoring and raping his way across Europe though" the presence retreated at these words.

"That worked did it?" Constance asked and Janet nodded "Good they try the ‘holier than thou crap’ but at the end of the day we are all as flawed. He just gets a little upset because his curse left him a little lacking in the satisfying women department."

"What do you mean?" Janet asked her.

"Let us just say that the big man you have in there had all the sexual equipment of a six year old boy, a small six year old" she laughed "Get the dirt on them and keep them in order, that was Joan of Arc’s problem she never controlled them they controlled her"

Constance finished working on Janet’s face and hair then nodded approvingly as Janet put on a jacket matching the skirt. She began transferring some items to her holdall that had contained her clothes.

"Look I am leaving you with anything of any use, you don’t have much in the clothes line but we can sort that out in the next day or two. London is the place for that anyway. As for the rest of the things in here, it is money, jewellery and information to be able to access the rest of your funds." Constance said.

"What about your clothes?" Janet asked looking at the items left behind.

"I’m not going to be needing them and they won’t fit you, so they stay" Constance replied "now get those shoes on and we will make a move"

Janet slipped on a pair of low-heeled black court shoes, they felt uncomfortable despite the low heel height. She walked around gingerly, gradually getting use to the narrow heel.

"You look good" Constance said with a smile and passing her a handbag "It has all you will need and be expected to carry. A woman with an empty handbag would be too unusual"

"Thank you for everything but is there nothing we can do" Janet asked.

"Yes there is something I can do" Constance said sitting on the edge of the bed and picking up some pieces of wood that had been in her bag.

"What?" Janet asked. Constance was silent for a moment as she screwed together the four pieces of wood to leave her with a staff may be six foot in length.

"Hurt them badly and go down swinging" she said standing up.

"Wont that be noticed" Janet asked.

"Not by anyone who doesn’t need to see it…one of the tricks of the trade" Constance said to her walking towards the door.

"Does it have power?" Janet asked picking up the holdall and following her.

"It is a focus of the power of the wielder. I never needed it before but now weakened it will help. They also dislike the iron" Constance replied as they left the room.

In the lift was an older couple, after a quick glance at the two women as they entered the lift they paid no more attention to them. The trip to the lobby was made in silence. In the lobby of the hotel fear swept through Janet for a moment, here she was dressed like this amongst people. The vulnerability of wearing a skirt, being open to the elements made her just want to run and hide. Then she looked outside the hotel through the glass doors and her fear of ridicule was forgotten. Outside amongst the people walking in and out of the hotel was a mass of creatures. She watched them part as people unaware of their existence walked through them.

"They will not do anything in public view," Constance said "But they can influence peoples decisions and make them decide to go a different way, in effect isolating us. Then they will attack"

"Why do they not enter?" Janet asked.

"Because if they did I could trap them here, within the hotel for at least a while." Constance told her "Out there we must fight them off"

"What do I do?" Janet asked nervously.

"You stick close, they wont do anything here. When they attack you run, their attention will be on me as I will be displaying the power" Constance said quietly "and believe me they will see power"

*****

 

After settling the bill, the two of them walked towards the door of the hotel. The automatic doors opened and they were outside, a man smiled at them as they walked past him unaware of the creatures around him. The creatures parted as the walked through them, there seemed to be a constant whispering from them. The smaller creatures were the nearest but far out at the back of the crowd man like beasts waited.

As they got to the enclosed elevated walkway connecting the different parts of the airport, the creatures had dropped back now following them in a wave. The glass enclosed tunnel was almost deserted just one couple with suitcases piled high on a trolley were approaching them.

"It will be soon," Constance, said as they stepped on the moving walkway "be ready"

Janet looked back the creatures were closer now, some of them level with them either side in their eagerness. A growled command unintelligible to Janet made them drop back slightly. They passed the couple deep in conversation coming the other way, up ahead was deserted.

"Where we have to change walkways is where they will attack" Constance said with gritted teeth "Be ready"

As the end of the walkway, approached Janet could see Constance gripping the staff even tighter. The stepped off the end of the walkway and Constance twisted around to face the foe.

"STOP NONE MAY PASS" She shouted and her free hand pushed at Janet "RUN NOW"

Janet looked back as she started to run a flicker of light washed from ceiling to the floor seemingly as insubstantial as the northern lights. The creatures had paused before the shimmer then they charged flinging themselves against the barrier en mass. Constance shuddered as the barrier came under attack then fell to one knee, she struggled to get up using the staff to help her bulk rise and eventually reached her feet as one of the larger creatures reached the barrier. It placed its huge clawed hands into the fire and screamed. The barrier broke and mass swarmed around Constance.

They circled her one coming too close received the end of the staff across its head the beast exploded in flame. They began harrying her attacking from the rear at first, every blow she landed on them weakened her visibly, every one she destroyed was but a drop in the ocean and every blow she took caused her pain. One demon possibly half as tall as her again with a dark leathery skin and a misshapen head, swung a hand at her and she fell as the back of its hand caught the side of her head.

"NO" Janet screamed dropping the holdall and running towards Constance against the moving walkway. Her rage grew as a number of the creatures leapt on the fallen woman and began tearing at her. The lights began to dim in the corridor a violet ball of fire formed in front of her without the use of her hands in the invocation. She placed her hand into the flame and with her mind thrust it at the demonic host. It hit and the windows around exploded in a mass of shards of glass, the pressure wave that rushed towards her nearly knocked Janet off her feet.

She reached the fallen woman, she was badly mauled but breathing. The remains of the fallen demons seemed to be sublimating to nothing, leaving no evidence of their passing. Another wave of the creatures was approaching quickly.

"The Staff" came a voice in her mind one of the many voices she carried now.

"Merlin?" she asked aloud.

"No Myrddin, do not corrupt my name with the Latin of The Catholic oppressors" the voice said "Now take up the staff if you wish to live"

She picked up the fallen staff flinching at the heat in the iron bindings and placed herself in-between Constance and the beasts.

"You know who stand here" came unbidden from her mouth "the one between the dark and the light. You shall not pass."

"I seek to give the lady release" came from a man like creature nearer than the rest "She suffers"

"No Vetis you shall not have her" Janet’s voice bellowed the end of the staff levelled with the creature and a crimson fire engulfed the creature its body disintegrated under the wave of power. The rest of the creatures hesitated for a moment.

"Who wants it next?" Janet demanded suddenly finding herself in control of her voice again.

Another large creature came forward and the flame washed from the end of the staff. Her unassisted effort produced a flame of visibly less power, but it had the same effect. Some of the larger creatures backed off letting the smaller ones moving forward. Another blast of power left her this time unbidden and explosive, she stumbled in the blast of air that accompanied it. She was weaker this power came at a cost, but the numbers of the creatures barely seemed diminished.

She steadied herself using the staff to stand upright and faced the creatures.

"You will not have her," She shouted at them weakly. A roar came from the host and they charged.

Again, she swung the staff up but only a trickle of flame emerged grasping it between two hands she prepared to die and as Constance had, she would go down fighting.

"CEASE" Came a roar that made the ground rumble, the creatures stopped and many of them retreated in panic.

Janet tried to see what had scared them so much and prepared to face this new foe. A man in a tailored black suit came forwards, the creatures scurrying out of his way. His dark eyes fixed on Janet.

"You shall not have her," Janet said to him.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked.

"I don’t care if you’re the fucking devil himself, no one shall touch her," Janet shouted and the man laughed. One of the humanoid like creatures ran up and began to start arguing with the man and suddenly the man showing strength beyond his form picked it up and threw it down the corridor.

"It is funny you should say that about the devil" the man said approaching closer "Let me introduce myself I am the light bringer, Lucifer"

"I said you will not touch her," Janet screamed at him.

He turned to face the crowd of creatures behind him.

"GO" he shouted and they dispersed immediately.

"I mean you no harm at this time," he said walking forward "I wish to say goodbye to a friend"

"A friend" Janet said with disbelief, "You’re the bad guts you’re the fucking devil"

"My dear you may be brave and loyal to someone you only recently met, but you are not yet a lady. That is a lady is a friend" Lucifer replied.

"Friend? You’re the devil, what would you know about friends?" Janet demanded.

"I am a perverse creature of a fickle nature and you have no idea about me at all…yet," Lucifer said firmly "now let me pass"

Janet remained firm for a moment then moved aside. The man bent over Constance’s form with its laboured breathing.

"Constance there is still time" he told her with sorrow in his voice "Join me, rule with me"

The woman’s breathing stopped and the man raised his head up and wailed an unearthly keen for a moment. Then he stood up.

"Go now, we will meet again" He said and turned his back on Janet.

"Come on move it, before his forces regroup" came a voice in Janet’s head.

"Constance?" she asked.

"Whom were you expecting?" the voice asked her with some humour "Now move it and if you ever ignore what I say again I will make your life hell. You haven’t heard me sing yet, don’t make me sing, you wouldn’t like me when I sing…especially for twenty-four hours straight. Now move it."

Janet began running away from the fallen body towards where her bag was making its own way along the walkway to the terminal.

 

Three years later

 

The restaurant was a miserable affair but in a city like Jerusalem, that was nothing unusual. A man in an immaculate suit sat waiting at a table. A Young red headed woman walked in wearing a short black dress. The man stood and pulled out her chair for her.

"I apologise about the surroundings, there are more pleasant surroundings to eat in this city but the food is good" the man tells her as he sits down.

"Both of us here at the same time again Lucifer people might talk" the red head says with a grin.

"Let them, they know nothing. The fact that we are enemies should not make us rude with each other. I like Jerusalem, Beirut was fun and refreshing, but for pure misguided passion and anger you cannot come anywhere in the world better than this city. It is holy to so many yet so few understand the meanings of what they believe, especially the Christians so lost, so misguided and so willing to kill each other," Lucifer said with a smile.

"What brings you here then" Janet asked him changing the subject.

"You did my dear I knew you were here and decided to visit, as I say I like this city" Lucifer told her, "besides I have a few plans on the go. Just wait until you see what I have in store for next year. Do you mind if I order?"

 

The End

 

 

 

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