Chapter 8
There was no hesitation in my blood as I headed deeper inside the church and followed my gut instinct. The air was thick with sickening righteousness, and the further I ventured, the more my skin grew hot and cold at once. The holy markings on the walls made my skin crawl, but I pushed against the sensation with all my might and continued onward.
“What a horrid place,” Akira remarked, and I knew the others were feeling exactly the same thing. “Every time we step foot inside a church, I feel sick to my stomach.”
“Me, too,” Vanessa said with a long sigh. “Every Wicca does, but we have to keep going. We can’t stop now.”
“Agreed,” I said in a firm voice. “Come on. Just a little further until we reach the graveyard. I can feel it.”
I breathed steadily and deeply as I stepped through a door at the far end of the church and glided down a slim corridor. My coven followed close behind, and when I came upon a mysterious doorway, I could feel a heavy presence growing on the other side. Whatever it was, it was pulling me toward it, like a moth drawn to a flame, and I knew the graveyard had to be nearby.
“Master,” Morgana breathed. “Is what we’re searching for on the other side of this door?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Stay close.”
I slowly pushed the door open, and the sound made a low, rumbling creak. It was a heavy doorway, made difficult to open with its rusty hinges, but I didn’t give a fuck. Instead, I continued to force it open, and when I managed to swing it all the way, a satisfied smile spread across my face.
There was a giant, red soil graveyard in front of us, with hundreds of tombstones and flowers embedded deep in the earth. Birds were perched on the long, bare branches of towering trees, and I could practically feel the slumbering bodies deep beneath the ground like they were itching to be brought back to life. Their corpses were ready to become mine, and with them, I vowed to create an unholy army of my own.
“Fucking hell,” Penelope whispered behind me. “This is a huge cemetery, master.”
“And it’s ours for the taking.” I grinned. “There are probably countless children buried beneath the earth.”
“I’m sure we can use the incantation we recited when we brought Circe and the other undead women back from the grave,” Faye began until she glanced in my direction. “Unless there is another spell you’re thinking of, Dark Lord?”
Before I could respond, a chorus of deep echoes pounded in my head, and it took all my willpower not to wince from the sudden pain. Their echoes were loud and demanding, and it made me wonder about my mother. Her soft voice didn’t slip into my mind like it used to, and I questioned if it was because I knew the truth about my Satanic past now, but I didn’t have time to think about that.
Not when I had an undead army to raise.
“Master?” Beatrix said as she bit on her bottom lip. “Did you hear what Faye asked?”
“I did.” I slowly nodded. “But this is one spell I need to perform on my own, and it needs to come from the depths of my mind.”
“Very well, my lord,” Vanessa replied in a dutiful tone. “We will be here to support you no matter what. Just tell us what to do, and we will happily oblige.”
“I know,” I answered. “Now, I think I know what to do, but you all need to take a small step back.”
The witches did as they were told and stared at me with parted lips and wide eyes, so I rolled up my sleeves, cleared my throat, and raised my hands up in the air. I knew my coven was excited to witness my incredible strength, but they were also brimming with anticipation and perhaps a tinge of nervousness.
As I stood firmly on the uneven ground, I felt dead energy slipping up my feet and traveling to my heart. My hands started to shake, my head throbbed viciously, and my entire body was going into overdrive, but I ignored the overwhelming sensations as I raised my hands even higher and closed my eyes. Then I heard the sound of a thousand ancient voices ringing in my head, and they beckoned me to recite a spell from the first dawn. Their screams were too loud to ignore, and I had no choice but to listen to their pleas.
“Haud dissimulanda percipitur per potentiam, peto ut venias ad tenebras latus meum,” I echoed, and the ground started to violently shake. “Peto, ut producat mortuos ad vitam. Ut ossa de terra filiorum!”
The blue sky suddenly darkened and quickly turned a dangerous shade of dark gray. Loud, rumbling noises started to reverberate from beneath my feet, and when I opened my eyes, thousands of tiny hands sprouted from the earth like flowers. Grimy bald heads emerged from the dirt, and red-faced, squawking children with putrid skin crawled out from their underground confinements. A chorus of shrill cries resounded through the air, and the terrible noise sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. I’d just constructed a small army of my own, made from the bones and flesh of holy children, and now they were ready to obey my every whim and command.
At that moment, I’d never felt more alive or powerful.
I stood there with my hands and arms stretched out, and when each little body crawled out from the earth, they fixated their unwavering gazes upon me. Their eyes, if they hadn’t rotted out of their skulls, were small and obedient, and I knew they were waiting for my first order. I smiled wide as unholy powers flowed through my veins, but before I prepared to invoke more of my strength, I brought my hands down and let them rest by my side.
“My resurrected children!” I called out. “I’ve given you a second chance at life, and I am your master now! I am Satan reborn, and my power flows through your undead veins. Disregard your holy blood and tear down this wretched city! Spare no one as you feast on holy flesh! Your dark lord commands it!”
The children shrieked like a pack of banshees, and their high-pitched wails made the earth tremble. Then they swiftly and steadily scuttled, crawled, and ran toward a long stone wall that surrounded the graveyard, and when their hell-strengthened bodies slammed against the solid barrier, it came crashing down.
Screams echoed in every direction as the army of children started to slip into the streets and claw at villagers’ feet, and men, women, and children wailed in terror and agony as the undead army ripped into their skin, tore off their flesh, and consumed their bones.
The city was slowly turning into a graveyard, and it was all my doing.
“It’s so beautiful,” Akira breathed with dark, glassy eyes. “I can’t look away.”
“And we’re not even done yet,” I chuckled before I stared long and hard up at the sky. The voices echoed in my mind again, and I could feel the ancient power coursing through my body. “Pluet super isti sunt sancti cultores infestationem!”
In my mind, I thought of deep earth creatures, the kind that crawled in and out of rotting corpses. Then I longed for all filthy underground beings, such as centipedes, worms, roaches, and spiders, to come raining down from the clouds and burrow into the flesh of these elder worshippers.
The clouds started to swiftly separate, and when I craned my neck further back, I saw dirty creatures begin to fall from the sky and rain down on the people. The villagers’ screams quickly intensified when they realized what was happening, and it brought a wider grin to my face. Their fear was intoxicating as the scent of blood and sweat permeated the air, and the shrill, echoing cries only made my blood pump harder and faster.
“Now, for the river,” I whispered, and I felt like I was high on the most intoxicating drug in all the realms. “It’s time to drown this city in searing blood.”
The women didn’t say a word as I raised my hands up into the air, and once more, I called upon the ancient darkness to complete my bidding. My body trembled as I concentrated with all my might, and cold shivers ran up and down my body, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even flinch when a pounding headache penetrated my skull and stung my eyes.
All I knew was I had to finish this last part of the first Dark Miracle, no matter how difficult or painful.
“Aquam argentea turn inimici sanguine!” I shouted with my head tilted back. “Civitatem opprimere igni!”
Ear-piercing screams erupted from the city streets, and in my mind, I pictured the beautiful river, but this time, I imagined the crystal waters rising and turning into boiling blood. I saw the streets turn red as I willed it to happen, and with my curse completed, I grinned and walked toward the broken opening created by the risen children.
Then I stepped into the streets, and my smile only grew bigger.
“My lord,” Vanessa whispered as her eyes absorbed the glorious chaos. “This is pure evil incarnate… I’d never seen such a vision before. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day.”
“Neither will I,” Morgana muttered. “This is an unholy blessing to witness in person.”
“Thank you, master,” Samara breathed as she watched her former allies succumb to blood and bugs. “Thank you for allowing me to witness such dark glory. I am unworthy.”
“But it’s not over yet,” I reminded the group. “We still need to destroy the king and his guards, and I want to watch as I make the holy cunts suffer.”
“Agreed,” Revna said with a small nod, and she notched an arrow into her bow. “Is there anything we can do to help, master?”
“Blast any guards you see with your magic or weapons,” I responded as I pulled out my wand. “We’re going to the palace, and we’re going to kill every holy fucker on the way.”
The witches whipped out their wands and cast spell after spell on any incoming guards we met through the street. As we marched through the blood-soaked roads, the red river water pooled around our ankles, but it didn’t burn our skin or harm us in any way. In fact, it was cool to the touch and easy to glide through. Several gold-armored guards attempted to attack us with their blades raised high in the air, but as soon as they stepped into the streets, the crimson liquid seared through their skin and burned through their ankles until the bones were exposed. Painful screams filled the air, and a rush of adrenaline surged through my veins as the villagers and city guards succumbed to their agonizing and burning deaths.
“There’s the portcullis!” Morgana said as she pointed ahead.
By the time we reached the outside of the palace, there were no guards in sight. The king must have been hiding somewhere inside the castle, with his loyal soldiers to protect him, like a sheep relies on its shepherd.
Pathetic.
The water hasn’t flooded the courtyard yet, Cole, Alex said. There are guards posted everywhere on the steps of the palace!
“And we can take them,” I said as we ran through the chaos. “Alex, have the other familiars join Nyx, Marina, Circe, and Vesta while we wreak havoc on this damn city, but you stay nearby in case I need you.”
Yes, Cole, my familiar responded.
“What is going on, master?” Samara asked before she raised her palm and shot a ball of red light at a fleeing elder.
“Alex said there are guards inside the palace,” I responded, “but it doesn’t matter. We’re about to slaughter them all.”
“Fuck, yeah!” Akira shouted with her wand held high. “Let’s go!”
We started to run with all our might toward the wooden portcullis, and because the sharp ends were melted off, I swiftly slid underneath the space. The coven followed my lead, and when we stepped inside, the guards stood trembling on the stairway to the palace. They looked nervous, like they were unsure what to do about the boiling blood and falling critters, but when they saw us, their eyes widened with fury.
“You!” One of the guards pointed in my direction, and I realized it was the plum-haired guard from the city wall. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” I said before I lifted my wand and aimed it at them. “Dissulto!”
A bright red light exploded from the tip of my wand and soared toward the guards. They desperately tried to dive out of the way, but they were too slow. The spell blasted through their armor and sent them flying through the palace doors, which allowed us to swiftly step inside. Splinters exploded in every direction as a giant cloud of dust settled in the air, and the guards who were still alive grunted in agony and struggled to sit up, but it was useless. We drew out our unholy blades and began to plunge them deep into the guards’ necks and exposed chests, and blood spurted in every direction as we mercilessly stabbed their pink flesh over and over again. Flecks of wet gore splattered all over my face, but I didn’t care. I continued to slaughter the soldiers with my unholy blade, and not once did I hold back.
Once we killed every soldier standing guard, I raised my head up and took a deep breath. We were in some kind of grand entranceway, with towering marble statues of the same man plastered along the sides of the room.
“Mideon,” Samara spat as she studied the statues. “It must be him. I would recognize that beard and scar anywhere.”
“You’ve seen him before?” Vanessa asked.
“Yes,” the golden-blonde responded. “I’d visited during my earlier years but never returned. The city has changed much since then. I didn’t think Mideon would still be alive, let alone king.”
“Should we expect any surprises from him?” I questioned.
“No,” Samara said as she shook her head. “He’s just a pompous, cowardly man who relies on his guards for protection. He has no proper sword or magical training, not any that came to use anyway, but he has killed many witches in his day. I’ve heard tales the King of Gorea has tortured and raped Wiccas for days on end and kept them in his dungeons before he burned them on a pyre in his throne room.”
“Son of a bitch,” Akira growled. “He has a stake in his throne room?”
“Yes.” Samara nodded. “I’m ashamed to say that when I was here the first time, there was a young Wicca tied to a post. He had starved her for days, let his men have their way with her for nights on end, and she was barely alive by the time he burned her in front of all these holy guests.”
“Bastard,” I hissed. “Come on, follow me.”
The witches’ faces broke into dark smiles as we sprinted through the corridors. Countless paintings and statues of the king were in every corner, as well as holy markings and heavy crosses. The sacred presence was overwhelming, and it made my skull tremble and my stomach turn sour, but when we reached a pair of large, golden doors, I could feel a powerful presence radiating from within.
The holy bastard was inside, and when I pushed the doors open, there was a tall man surrounded by guards positioned at the front of the room. The man in the center was undoubtedly the king since he wore a golden crown and long fur robes. His face was far more sullen than the statues depicted, and his beard was a little longer. A deep frown was plastered across his face, and wrinkles were etched all over his light-brown skin.
“Attack!” he called out in a trembling voice. “Do whatever it takes to kill them all!”
The guards raised their palms as well as their swords, and I guessed they intended to use both forms of weaponry to defeat us, but I had another idea.
“Motus!” I screamed with my wand raised.
Suddenly, the stained-glass windows burst open, and rainbow shards of glass exploded everywhere. The men looked startled, but when a deep buzzing noise echoed through the room, they screamed and begged for their holy lord. Swarms of insects began to bite their flesh, burrow through their skin, and eat their eyeballs. The men tried their best to fight the pests off, but the more they wriggled and protested, the more insistent the earth critters grew.
“Nooooooo!” the king cried out as he scrambled away from his dying guards.
For a moment, I wondered why the insects weren’t biting into his flesh, and then I realized it was because they were following my bidding and sensed I had other plans for him.
Everything died down as the bugs continued to feast on the corpses splattered on the ground, and I smiled wide at the trembling king. He’d pissed himself, and his face was as pale as a ghost, but when I looked into his eyes, I could hear the distant screams of women from the past calling out and praying for me to exact my vengeance. I could smell their burning flesh like they were dying in front of me, and an unholy rage coursed through my veins. My eyes then found their way to the towering metal post in front of his throne, and there were golden skulls hooked along the walls. In the back of my mind, I could see women burning at the stake until they were nothing but bones and black ash. Their screams echoed in my ears, and that was when I knew exactly what I’d do to this bastard.
“Tie him to the post,” I snarled. “Make sure his bonds are nice and tight.”
“With pleasure, my lord,” Vanessa chuckled.
My coven dragged the blubbering king to the wooden pillar without mercy. His eyes widened with fear as the witches secured a long rope around his body, and the tighter they bound the cord, the more the king moaned and sobbed in protest.
“P-Please don’t do this,” Mideon wailed, and a long pathetic sob escaped his lips. “I’ll do whatever you ask of me, please, I beg you! Have mercy! You… wait… you, I remember you!”
He was staring straight at Samara, but her eyes were completely devoid of emotion. She stared coldly at the groveling king, and there was no hint of sympathy on her face.
“Yes, I remember you, too,” the former goddess responded after a long moment. “I remember how you tortured women, bound them to this stake, and burned them until their bodies were nothing but ash. Their screams were unforgettable. Even if I served a different lord back then, it pained me to hear their pleas for help. You gave them a fate worse than death.”
“Yet you did nothing!” he squawked. “You stood there like the rest.”
“And I will regret it for the rest of my life,” Samara whispered, “but at least I can start making up for it by killing you.”
“No!” the king continued to wail. “Please, just have mercy!”
“Like the mercy you had on every woman up on those walls?” I demanded as I pointed to the painted skulls. “Forget it. You’re going to rot in the afterlife, and I’ll make sure that your journey there is as painful as possible.”
“No, please!” he yelped like a ragged dog. “Noooooooo!”
“Enough begging, it’s time to light him on fire,” I said without hesitation. “I want to hear him scream until he’s nothing but dusty bones.”
“Yes, my lord.” Akira nodded in agreement, and with a broad smile, she flicked her wand. “Illuminana!”
A fire started to flicker beneath the king’s feet, and as the flames spread, his screams became louder. The more he wriggled in his confinements, the hungrier the flames grew. His clothes burned away first. Then pus-filled boils began to spread across his charred skin, and the smell of piss and burning flesh filled the air. I could feel his heart trying to give out, but I willed it to keep pumping to prolong his suffering.
And no matter how foul the scent was, I couldn’t stop smiling. The king deserved his fiery fate a long time ago, and I was grateful I was the one who brought it to him.
“Listen to his screams.” I grinned. “Aren’t they wonderful?”
“Truly, master,” Faye agreed. “It sounds like music to my ears.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better show,” Akira added as she looked on with a dreamy smile.
“You did it, master,” Vanessa purred, and when I stared into her eyes, fiery flames reflected back at me. “You completed the first Dark Miracle.”
“And so I did.” I smiled.
We watched in harmony as the king slowly succumbed to a painful death, and when his body turned to ash and crumbled like dust to the marble floor, I smiled and looked at the others.
“You were incredible, master,” Revna breathed, and her blue eyes glittered with bloodthirsty glee.
“As were you, all of you,” I said as I flashed my coven a proud and smug smile. “And I plan to give you a reward in just a moment.”
The witches all grinned with desire, but I turned away from them for a moment to reach out mentally to my familiar.
I’m here, boss, he replied back a moment later. I was just flying over the castle to make sure no other assholes escaped.
“Thanks,” I chuckled. “Can you go and check on the others? Bring them safely back, and then we can celebrate. I believe we should explore the bedrooms and see where the night takes us.”
“Master,” Penelope said with a sexy grin. “Can we start without the others? We destroyed all the holy worshippers, so they’ll be safe making their way through the city, and I’m sure they will be alright if we begin without them. Surely, they’d understand.”
“Hmm,” I said as I thought about it, and I didn’t see the problem. I could always reward the others later. “Alright. Go scope out the rooms, and hurry. I want fuck you all senseless, and every moment counts.”
The women eagerly nodded in response, and when they fled upstairs to explore the castle, I sprinted right after them. Tonight, we would celebrate by devouring a king’s food, drinking his wine, and fucking in his bed, and I silently vowed it would be a night to remember.