The Devil's Bleeding Crown
You just have to
Syn’s POV
I don’t know how long I had been out for, but I can bet I missed out on the grand finale of our grand rendezvous. Quite frankly I felt like the utter piece of shit I truly was once I woke up. I didn’t know what day or even century it was, but what I was fully aware was the fact that Tempest had passed out right beside me.
Looks like I managed to do at least one thing right. I smiled down at the sleeping beauty, before I heard a certain someone yelling every profanity he knew throughout the hallway.
I pushed myself up and I felt... I felt pretty fucking good. Which left the question hanging – how? I mean... Was I really out for that long? I... no, right? Couldn’t be.
I shook the thought away as I walked up to the door and opened it with a big frown gracing my features once I saw a hyperventilating Shads shouting at both Lilith and Vengeance. Okay. What the fuck did I exactly miss?
Their eyes landed on me.
„You’re alive...” Lilith spoke in pure awe.
„Yeah,” I breathed, my hand landing on the exact spot where the arrow pierced my skin, „Must be the luckiest son of a bitch. But what the fuck are you doing here?”
„Who the fuck cares about Lilith?!” Shads shouted as soon as Zacky had opened his mouth, what I assumed to explain a whole ordeal of things.
„Okay,” I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind myself, „can you... like... maybe keep it down?”
„Oh, is your fucking angel sleeping?” He looked at me like a madman. It was clear he had lost it, and I won’t be lying when I say – I had never seen Shads like this before. Never.
„Okay, calm down, man,” I frowned putting my hand on his shoulder,
„Don’t you fucking touch me,” He hissed, knocking my hand away, before pointing a finger at me, „This is all your fault,” His index finger stabbed my chest a couple of times, „This all happened because of you.”
„Mkey?” My eyes shifted from one person to another and when I say I was fucking confused that would be a tad of an understatement, „Mind enlightening me? What the fuck did I do?” While being unconscious? We probably lost, which would only be common sense, but Shads wouldn’t be this pissed over it. Other than losing and taking an arrow to the chest? Did one of his girls fuck me? I mean, an unconscious devil is an unconscious devil. An easy target.
He just glared at me. It looked like he was trying to figure out the best and most painful way of killing me. Well, we clearly can strike out an arrow to the heart.
„Come on, man, what did I do?” What did I do, goddamit?!
He shook his head, „I can’t fucking believe you... What did you do? Seriously?” He stepped dangerously close, his hands had balled into fists and his jaw was clenched. I could see a vein popping in his neck. All Hell was about to break loose and I was simply standing there like a clueless moron - ankle deep in a fishless pond trying to catch a fucking salmon.
„Back off, Shads,” Zacky’s voice came as a warning. Shads eyes trailed to the side, before they returned to me.
„Come on guys, break it up! This is no time for some unnecessary inner arguments!” Lilith exclaimed from behind me. „We have to remain a team.”
Shads scoffed and after a one more long glance, he turned around and simply started walking away.
„Hey! Where are you going?” Lilith continued, rushing in front of me.
„Gonna go talk to God.” Shads hissed an explanation, before disappearing inside my office.
„God?” I breathed. God... As in... Had the world gone mad? I turned around to look Vengeance deep in his striking greens. „Okay, what the fuck happened while I was gone?”
„Well...” A frown took over as he was trying to figure the best way of phrasing the fucked thing.
„Spit it out! I don’t have a century to waste on you!” Slowly, but surely I was starting to get mad.
„Pandora’s gone.” The shrill voice chimed from behind me, forcing me to turn around and look at her with a very arched eyebrow.
„Come again?” I started marching slowly towards her, which made her step back. Yeah, I was known for my temper. „As in... dead?”
„Uhmm...” Lilith’s dark eyes trailed to the top left as her hand raised in the air and she wiggled it in a 50:50 motion.
„Demon, you’re starting to piss me off.” I whispered in a menacing tone. „Where’s my fucking commander?”
„That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?” Lilith gave me a weak smile. My hand wrapped around her neck in a matter of seconds, before I shoved her against the nearest wall. A big crack formed at the exact place where her head had hit the wall.
„Don’t fucking play games with me,” My fingers tightened around her neck. Lilith started gasping for air.
„Gates...” A silent yet almost too familiar voice spoke somewhere behind me. My hand rested in an instant and Lilith fell by my feet. She took deep breaths as she tried to regain from the previous impact.
„Death got a hold of her,” Zacky finally explained. I turned around in an instant with the most dumbfounded expression anyone had ever seen on my face. Death? Tempest was standing next to Vengeance looking exactly the way I felt.
Fuck. I brushed my hand through my hair. What... was that slippery substance? Was that... blood? Well, I guess this calls for a shower. Or at least dry shampoo.
„What does it mean?” Teek questioned, as for me? I was still looking over my bloody hand. Who’s fucking blood is this? Because it’s clear as hell it’s not mine.
„I’m... not sure...”
„Well... It was long overdue,” I explained after I had rubbed the blood off against my shirt.
„Huh?” All three of them were looking at me with cocked eyebrows. An angel, a fallen and a demon walks into a bar and they have something in common. Raised fucking eyebrows.
„I’d say four or five centuries overdue,” I shrugged, shoving my hands in the pockets of my pants.
„Gates, you’re seriously making less sense than you normally do,” Lilith frowned.
„Seriously... What the fuck are you talking about?” Zacky chimed in.
„Pandora... Obviously,” My eyebrows pulled together as I walked over to my office and took a seat on the couch, leaning over to the small table to take the bottle of whiskey which’d been neatly sitting there for the past... decade. The three miracles followed suit just moments after, taking a seat either on the sofa across from me or in the armchairs.
„Gates, I think... that arrow somehow damaged your brain,” Lilith spoke. I barely managed to hold back from rolling my eyes.
„hey!” Teek glared at her, making her raise her hands up in defense. Thank you, love, at least someone stands up for me.
„Look... Here’s the deal... She’s not dead.” I replied simply. As hard as it was to believe it, being with Death was the safest she could be, even if that meant we won’t see dear old Pandora for a good century or two.
„So where the fuck is she?” Teek raged. Hold up, weren’t you on my side? And when did you learn to fucking curse like that? The fact alone left a deep crease between my eyebrows.
„Floating in a different realm.” I took a sip from the bottle. Now that’s one pretty damn good scotch.
„And that seams so much better.” Teek crossed her arms over her chest.
„It is. If she’d be dead well... she’d be dead. Poof. Gone.” I shot her a pointed look. Did I mention how tempting she looked at those skin tight pants? Was that Pandora’s commander’s outfit she used to rock back in the day? Well, I can say it looked way better on Tempest than it did on Pandora’s boney ass.
„And now she’s just... missing... in a different universe.” Lilith blinked. „You hear how insane you sound?”
„Hey, that’s not the way I would phrase it...” I spoke, thoughtfully, before moving the bottle to my lips, „It’s not a different universe. Just a ... different realm. It’s just like Purgatory or Hell... „ I spoke into the bottle, before taking a long mouthful. A cheerful grin appeared on my lips when the liquor traveled down my throat. Oh, how I have missed you, pal. „Only I don’t have power there. Nobody does... except for Death.”
„And you – grinning like an idiot, means that’s a good thing?” No, that obviously means I’m enjoying my fucking scotch.
„It would be bad only if Death decided to exile her.” I rested the bottle on the armrest along with my hand.
„And you’re certain he won’t.” Zacky cocked an eyebrow.
„She.” I corrected, „And yeah, I’m fairly certain.”
„How?” Teek questioned.
„We had an agreement.” I replied with a slight nod. A fucking stupid agreement, but an agreement nonetheless. And me being the devil meant that my word was my bond.
„As in...?” Oh stop with the interrogation, Teek. I swear I was two bottles away from having a major headache.
„She needed someone to do her dirty work – I needed her to fuck off. Easy.”
„You sold your commander...” Teek gaped at me, „Are you mad?”
„Pandora was rotting in a cell at the time,” I shrugged, „We had a deal – if she figures how to get to her – she’s all hers.”
„Something tells me – she didn’t.” Lilith had a disapproving look on her face. Yeah, well, I guess Death wasn’t as smart as we all thought she was.
„Death can’t get past those gates.” I pointed in the direction I assumed the Gates of Hell supposedly were.
„What’s so special about the gates?” Tempest asked.
„Protected with a seal.” I answered after another mouthful. Man, I had never been good with these interrogations and the half empty bottle just approved the statement.
„Why didn’t you just lift the seal so Death could get to her?” Vengeance questioned.
„Now what fun would that be?” Not speaking about the fact that I wasn’t the one to put the seal, neither I knew how to lift it, but they didn’t need to know that.
„And you’re not worried about Pandora... not one bit.” Oh come on, stop being so judgy, Teek. I would be worried if I knew something bad would happen to her... although. Yeah, no I probably wouldn’t.
„Hey – she crawled out of Hell once or twice– I bet she’ll find her way out of there too. Eventually.” My shoulders twitched. They were missing a fucking grand point here. If Pandora’s away, somewhere nobody could get to her – it means my legions – or what’s left of them – are fucking safe.
„And what if not?”
„Then Vengeance here will have to do as my commander.” I could see the excitement forming in his face. It honestly made me sick to see the worm cheering up over it. I had to drown it away with a good amount of the ambery liquid. „So let’s just hope Pandora finds her way.”
I don’t know how long I had been out for, but I can bet I missed out on the grand finale of our grand rendezvous. Quite frankly I felt like the utter piece of shit I truly was once I woke up. I didn’t know what day or even century it was, but what I was fully aware was the fact that Tempest had passed out right beside me.
Looks like I managed to do at least one thing right. I smiled down at the sleeping beauty, before I heard a certain someone yelling every profanity he knew throughout the hallway.
I pushed myself up and I felt... I felt pretty fucking good. Which left the question hanging – how? I mean... Was I really out for that long? I... no, right? Couldn’t be.
I shook the thought away as I walked up to the door and opened it with a big frown gracing my features once I saw a hyperventilating Shads shouting at both Lilith and Vengeance. Okay. What the fuck did I exactly miss?
Their eyes landed on me.
„You’re alive...” Lilith spoke in pure awe.
„Yeah,” I breathed, my hand landing on the exact spot where the arrow pierced my skin, „Must be the luckiest son of a bitch. But what the fuck are you doing here?”
„Who the fuck cares about Lilith?!” Shads shouted as soon as Zacky had opened his mouth, what I assumed to explain a whole ordeal of things.
„Okay,” I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind myself, „can you... like... maybe keep it down?”
„Oh, is your fucking angel sleeping?” He looked at me like a madman. It was clear he had lost it, and I won’t be lying when I say – I had never seen Shads like this before. Never.
„Okay, calm down, man,” I frowned putting my hand on his shoulder,
„Don’t you fucking touch me,” He hissed, knocking my hand away, before pointing a finger at me, „This is all your fault,” His index finger stabbed my chest a couple of times, „This all happened because of you.”
„Mkey?” My eyes shifted from one person to another and when I say I was fucking confused that would be a tad of an understatement, „Mind enlightening me? What the fuck did I do?” While being unconscious? We probably lost, which would only be common sense, but Shads wouldn’t be this pissed over it. Other than losing and taking an arrow to the chest? Did one of his girls fuck me? I mean, an unconscious devil is an unconscious devil. An easy target.
He just glared at me. It looked like he was trying to figure out the best and most painful way of killing me. Well, we clearly can strike out an arrow to the heart.
„Come on, man, what did I do?” What did I do, goddamit?!
He shook his head, „I can’t fucking believe you... What did you do? Seriously?” He stepped dangerously close, his hands had balled into fists and his jaw was clenched. I could see a vein popping in his neck. All Hell was about to break loose and I was simply standing there like a clueless moron - ankle deep in a fishless pond trying to catch a fucking salmon.
„Back off, Shads,” Zacky’s voice came as a warning. Shads eyes trailed to the side, before they returned to me.
„Come on guys, break it up! This is no time for some unnecessary inner arguments!” Lilith exclaimed from behind me. „We have to remain a team.”
Shads scoffed and after a one more long glance, he turned around and simply started walking away.
„Hey! Where are you going?” Lilith continued, rushing in front of me.
„Gonna go talk to God.” Shads hissed an explanation, before disappearing inside my office.
„God?” I breathed. God... As in... Had the world gone mad? I turned around to look Vengeance deep in his striking greens. „Okay, what the fuck happened while I was gone?”
„Well...” A frown took over as he was trying to figure the best way of phrasing the fucked thing.
„Spit it out! I don’t have a century to waste on you!” Slowly, but surely I was starting to get mad.
„Pandora’s gone.” The shrill voice chimed from behind me, forcing me to turn around and look at her with a very arched eyebrow.
„Come again?” I started marching slowly towards her, which made her step back. Yeah, I was known for my temper. „As in... dead?”
„Uhmm...” Lilith’s dark eyes trailed to the top left as her hand raised in the air and she wiggled it in a 50:50 motion.
„Demon, you’re starting to piss me off.” I whispered in a menacing tone. „Where’s my fucking commander?”
„That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?” Lilith gave me a weak smile. My hand wrapped around her neck in a matter of seconds, before I shoved her against the nearest wall. A big crack formed at the exact place where her head had hit the wall.
„Don’t fucking play games with me,” My fingers tightened around her neck. Lilith started gasping for air.
„Gates...” A silent yet almost too familiar voice spoke somewhere behind me. My hand rested in an instant and Lilith fell by my feet. She took deep breaths as she tried to regain from the previous impact.
„Death got a hold of her,” Zacky finally explained. I turned around in an instant with the most dumbfounded expression anyone had ever seen on my face. Death? Tempest was standing next to Vengeance looking exactly the way I felt.
Fuck. I brushed my hand through my hair. What... was that slippery substance? Was that... blood? Well, I guess this calls for a shower. Or at least dry shampoo.
„What does it mean?” Teek questioned, as for me? I was still looking over my bloody hand. Who’s fucking blood is this? Because it’s clear as hell it’s not mine.
„I’m... not sure...”
„Well... It was long overdue,” I explained after I had rubbed the blood off against my shirt.
„Huh?” All three of them were looking at me with cocked eyebrows. An angel, a fallen and a demon walks into a bar and they have something in common. Raised fucking eyebrows.
„I’d say four or five centuries overdue,” I shrugged, shoving my hands in the pockets of my pants.
„Gates, you’re seriously making less sense than you normally do,” Lilith frowned.
„Seriously... What the fuck are you talking about?” Zacky chimed in.
„Pandora... Obviously,” My eyebrows pulled together as I walked over to my office and took a seat on the couch, leaning over to the small table to take the bottle of whiskey which’d been neatly sitting there for the past... decade. The three miracles followed suit just moments after, taking a seat either on the sofa across from me or in the armchairs.
„Gates, I think... that arrow somehow damaged your brain,” Lilith spoke. I barely managed to hold back from rolling my eyes.
„hey!” Teek glared at her, making her raise her hands up in defense. Thank you, love, at least someone stands up for me.
„Look... Here’s the deal... She’s not dead.” I replied simply. As hard as it was to believe it, being with Death was the safest she could be, even if that meant we won’t see dear old Pandora for a good century or two.
„So where the fuck is she?” Teek raged. Hold up, weren’t you on my side? And when did you learn to fucking curse like that? The fact alone left a deep crease between my eyebrows.
„Floating in a different realm.” I took a sip from the bottle. Now that’s one pretty damn good scotch.
„And that seams so much better.” Teek crossed her arms over her chest.
„It is. If she’d be dead well... she’d be dead. Poof. Gone.” I shot her a pointed look. Did I mention how tempting she looked at those skin tight pants? Was that Pandora’s commander’s outfit she used to rock back in the day? Well, I can say it looked way better on Tempest than it did on Pandora’s boney ass.
„And now she’s just... missing... in a different universe.” Lilith blinked. „You hear how insane you sound?”
„Hey, that’s not the way I would phrase it...” I spoke, thoughtfully, before moving the bottle to my lips, „It’s not a different universe. Just a ... different realm. It’s just like Purgatory or Hell... „ I spoke into the bottle, before taking a long mouthful. A cheerful grin appeared on my lips when the liquor traveled down my throat. Oh, how I have missed you, pal. „Only I don’t have power there. Nobody does... except for Death.”
„And you – grinning like an idiot, means that’s a good thing?” No, that obviously means I’m enjoying my fucking scotch.
„It would be bad only if Death decided to exile her.” I rested the bottle on the armrest along with my hand.
„And you’re certain he won’t.” Zacky cocked an eyebrow.
„She.” I corrected, „And yeah, I’m fairly certain.”
„How?” Teek questioned.
„We had an agreement.” I replied with a slight nod. A fucking stupid agreement, but an agreement nonetheless. And me being the devil meant that my word was my bond.
„As in...?” Oh stop with the interrogation, Teek. I swear I was two bottles away from having a major headache.
„She needed someone to do her dirty work – I needed her to fuck off. Easy.”
„You sold your commander...” Teek gaped at me, „Are you mad?”
„Pandora was rotting in a cell at the time,” I shrugged, „We had a deal – if she figures how to get to her – she’s all hers.”
„Something tells me – she didn’t.” Lilith had a disapproving look on her face. Yeah, well, I guess Death wasn’t as smart as we all thought she was.
„Death can’t get past those gates.” I pointed in the direction I assumed the Gates of Hell supposedly were.
„What’s so special about the gates?” Tempest asked.
„Protected with a seal.” I answered after another mouthful. Man, I had never been good with these interrogations and the half empty bottle just approved the statement.
„Why didn’t you just lift the seal so Death could get to her?” Vengeance questioned.
„Now what fun would that be?” Not speaking about the fact that I wasn’t the one to put the seal, neither I knew how to lift it, but they didn’t need to know that.
„And you’re not worried about Pandora... not one bit.” Oh come on, stop being so judgy, Teek. I would be worried if I knew something bad would happen to her... although. Yeah, no I probably wouldn’t.
„Hey – she crawled out of Hell once or twice– I bet she’ll find her way out of there too. Eventually.” My shoulders twitched. They were missing a fucking grand point here. If Pandora’s away, somewhere nobody could get to her – it means my legions – or what’s left of them – are fucking safe.
„And what if not?”
„Then Vengeance here will have to do as my commander.” I could see the excitement forming in his face. It honestly made me sick to see the worm cheering up over it. I had to drown it away with a good amount of the ambery liquid. „So let’s just hope Pandora finds her way.”
12/13/17