Tag: Gods

One Last Excerpt of “The Family Curse” Until the End of NaNoWriMo

One Last Excerpt of “The Family Curse” Until the End of NaNoWriMo

Chapter 8

I really wish my mother would hurry up and come home…as a matter of fact, I have a big beautiful house in Malibu that I could go and relax in and here I am stuck in the house with a half vampire, a ghost, and a sibling who is in love with a fairy. How magical. I am feeling incredibly drained emotionally, and my aunts are doing their best to pretend that none of this has happened. Anya had went in her room I suppose to call Lucian; Aunt Brielle was in my mother’s room supposedly looking for something of great importance and Aunt Luna was pretending that she was interested in CNN’s current newsbreak. It had been almost two hours and I had not heard from Nino, but knowing him he would call me as soon as he handled whatever business he needed to handle and we would be back home making love until the sun came up and all would be right in the world. To be honest, Minerva was the least of my concerns at this point. I reached for my phone which I had placed on the brown coffee table that was heavily stacked with magazines when Aunt Luna glanced at me sympathetically. I really wanted to glower at her to let her know that I am still pissed off at her and everyone else, but then…I cannot be mad too angry with her. I sigh and shake my head. “I am sorry Aunt Luna,” I finally say, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Don’t be,” she said as she scooted closer to face me. “I would have been angry too. Hell, I was mad when I found out that Minerva had been blocking you and Anya’s memories. Your mother is hopelessly forgiving when it comes to Minerva…hell when it comes to anyone she loves. She asked Minerva to do it instead of going to Artemis like she should have because she was scared that you and Anya would suffer the consequences of her…mistake.” “Mistake?”  I asked slightly indignant. “Not a mistake in the sense that you and Anya should have never been born; a mistake in the fact that she married a human and conceived children by this human. Your mother is goddamn goddess! There is a heavenly order that immortals are not supposed to intermingle with humans. Period. Your mother violated that order and for that your father paid the price. She was scared that you and Anya would be next, but Artemis was merciful and the only thing she did was strip your mother of her title. Your mother is no longer the Goddess of the Moonlight but she still maintains all rights and privileges of the position.” I held my Aunt’s thoughtful gaze and realized that I owed my mother a serious apology. I owed everyone in here a serious apology. But, there was one thing I needed to know. “How did you become a half vampire?” Aunt Luna looked away and her shoulders slumped as if in defeat before returning her gaze to me. “Minerva was jealous because I had found favor with the god Helios who granted me the opportunity to become an immortal. I had returned an item that had was stolen from one of his temples that was of great value to him and in return he gave me immortality. He did not make me a god like Selene but he felt it unfair that two of my sisters could live on forever and I could not. He said when the last one dies then I will with her and he graced me with immortality. Minerva was already disgruntled about being jilted twice and when she found out that I too had received the gift, she cursed me to live the life that she felt I actually deserved: vampire. But, Helios corrected that somewhat. Gods do not have much power to reverse curses, they can only undo some damage. Being that he is the god of the sun, he made it so that I could still walk in the day and that I would not be subject to the aversion of silver, and a stake through the heart could not harm me…but he could not undo the bloodlust. He did however, say that Minerva would never see forever; that the very thing she tried to corrupt me with would be her undoing.” ‘A vampire would kill her?” And I know exactly who that vampire might be. Nino.  “Yup. That is why she hopes to drain you and Anya of your powers so that she may be invincible.” “Have you seen Helios since then?” I inquire. I need to talk to Nino. “Well, he visits from time to time. He and Aphrodite have their own modeling agency which has been quite the success. He has even invited me to come visit them in the south of France during the summer. I think I might take them up on their offer. “Aunt Luna,” I say, still debating on whether or not I should reveal to her what I feel I have to reveal. “Oh hell you have that same suspicious look your mother gets when she is about to drop a bomb on me. What is it?” That is when I proceed to tell her everything about Nino, his family and his plans for ending his curse. I told him his version of Ambrogio and my mother and when I was done Aunt Luna’s jaws had dropped so I thought it would hit the floor. “Does your mother know?” she asked in pure shock and disbelief. “Not the part about Nino wanting to kill Minerva.” “Well then we have a problem then.” She said rubbing her chin indicating that she was in deep thought. “And what’s that?” I ask nervously. “If Nino is successful in killing Minerva that means not only does she die but he dies too…” The thought of losing Nino was enough to make me panic. But, then there was the sudden realization. “Aunt Luna, what happens if a vampire feeds from an immortal?” Aunt Luna eyed me suspiciously. “What the hell are you saying?” “I think you know what it means….” “Fuck Rita are you insane?! Do you know what you have done? Helios, Artemis, and every god still in existence may come out of hiding and put an end to you, your mother, me, and the rest of the family!” Brielle, upon hearing my dear Aunt Luna’s outburst came bursting out of my mom’s room with Anya in tow. “What is the matter?”  Aunt Brielle asked clearly panicked. “Your niece allowed a vampire to feed from her and now we may have a problem.” I could have sworn when Aunt Brielle gasped she sucked in all of the air in the room and before releasing it back into the atmosphere. “Have you any idea what you have done?” Aunt Brielle exclaimed. ‘Your mother is petitioning Artemis right now as we speak and knowing her, she knew it the moment it happened. So, now we have no idea what the consequences of that foolish decision will be until Selene comes back in one piece!” “Listen, if the gods are no longer in position to rule over humanity like they once were, the only thing they are responsible for is themselves. And, if by chance Artemis decides she has a problem with it she can come see ME!” “Rita-“ “No, don’t Rita me,” I snap. “Nino needs my help. He has to know so-“ “You would betray your own flesh and blood for him?” Aunt Brielle asked incredulously. “How the hell is it betrayal when the same flesh and blood wants to drain you of your powers?” I demand.  “Now look,” I continue. “We just can’t sit around and wait on the great and powerful Artemis to-“ My phone began to vibrate. It was a text from my beloved Nino. It read:

Whatever you do, do not go out at night. I have to find Ambrogio. Do not call me until I tell you it is safe.

Love Always, Nino.

I text him back:

I miss u babe. My blood makes you immortal. Call me.

I wait for him to respond but after a few minutes of nothing, I can tell that he is not going to. Both of my aunts and my sister are looking at me silently waiting for answers. “He is going to look for Ambrogio. He needs my help.”  “Well you can’t leave,” Aunt Brielle said firmly with her arms folded across her chest. “Your mother pretty much barricaded us in.”  “Who is Ambrogio?” Anya asked nervously. Unfortunately, I did not have the energy to explain everything all over again. “I have to get out of here,” I say shaking my head. My mother cannot expect me to stay locked in her house until Artemis sees fit to release her. The clock was ticking. “Your mother’s wards are too strong. You will not be able to cross the threshold of the door without being electrocuted,” Aunt Luna pleaded. “Hmmmm,” I say as I rise from the comfort of the recliner and make my way to the front door with everyone in tow. “Rita! I have seen what happens when someone crosses the wards!” Aunt Brielle cries out. “You do forget I am my mother’s daughter,” I say refusing to break my stride. “Rita STOP!” Aunt Luna grabs me by my shoulder, spinning me around to face her. Her face is lined with panic, anger and frustration. “You cannot leave! Even if you are successful in crossing the barrier you will be putting yourself at risk. Minerva is looking for you; what part of that do you nor understand? You are a fledgling goddess. You have no clue on what your abilities are or how to use them.” Now that got my attention. “I am damn near thirty years old and it was not until Friday that I learned that I am not 100% human. The least either of you could do is educate me on exactly what type of demi god I am so I have an idea on what to expect from myself. I know my powers are connected to my moods and can light up a room with almost as much power as the sun if provoked. It was not until Friday that I knew vampires existed; and it was not until Saturday that I could live forever. I am already growing tired of the daily surprises, and whether you like it or not I am walking outside that door.  Spare me at least one.”  Aunt Brielle and Aunt Luna glanced at each other, appearing to sense defeat and it was Aunt Brielle that spoke first. “You and Anya are the most powerful of the demi gods that still walk this earth. But, you Rita have something that your mother has tried to keep hidden. You have the ability to manipulate time. You can stop it and restart it at your will but it is only temporary. Still, it is the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. Both of you can manipulate the light, control the moon’s gravity, manipulate reflections and even call whatever is being reflected in a mirror into being. You can control the tide, which makes you a dangerous entity when near water.  The individual gift that you possess is Time manipulation; like I said earlier, Anya can manipulate people’s emotions. But, the there is a theory that the two of you combined…would be unstoppable.” But, the theory is that the two of you combined would be unstoppable, I replay my aunt’s words in my mind as they stare at me intently; desperate to know what I was thinking and what make next move is. I scan their faces searching for answers to questions I do not even have yet. I love my aunts; I love my mom but fate has forced its hand on me. I know it sounds selfish, but I have to do what is best for me and what is best for me is the life of the one man in the world who loves me unconditionally. He is looking for a way to reverse the curse; but in searching for that answer may result in him having to sacrifice his own life. I cannot live without Nino, especially knowing that we could have an eternity together. I look over at my sister, Anya who is nervously poking at her freshly manicured nails. She catches my gaze and I smile. “Come with me Anya,” I said stretching my hand to her for her to take. “No! I told you what you wanted to know and since it is obvious that there is nothing I can do to stop you fine. But, you are not taking your sister with you on a suicide mission!” Aunt Brielle slapped my hand away and stepped in front Anya as she were body shielding her from some mysterious threat. I guess that threat is me. “Come on Anya,” I say ignoring Aunt Brielle’s protests. “I understand if you want to stay, but I need you. I would do the same thing for you if Lucien were in trouble.” “No Anya don’t you do it! Don’t you do it!” Aunt Luna had become so irate and upset that her fangs had dropped and her pupils flashed a tinge of blood red coloring that had not been there before. “What the fuck are you going to do if you are attacked by vampires? Huh? They can smell you a mile away! If something happens to either of you there will most definitely be a war. Your mother will raze the earth seeking vengeance! And what do you think she will do to-“ “Alright,” Anya said softly, sneaking her head around Aunt Brielle’s protective body block and catching my gaze.  I smile victoriously. Anya smiles back and makes a dash for her keys and slips her sandals back on and finds herself once again body blocked by Aunt Brielle.  “WHAT?! NO! Anya, you stay right here.” Aunt Brielle commanded, her body losing its transparency with each raise in octave. So, it was true: my Aunt Brielle is a spirit without a body.  “Aunt Brielle,” I said carefully. “Anya and I have to go. This is what I have to do and my sister has made her choice. I love you both but I just can’t sit here and wait for something tragic to happen.” Both of my aunts’ shoulders slumped in defeat. “You are going to put your life at risk for what? How are you going to defend yourself against the dark magic of a witch as ancient as Minerva? Huh? What are you going to do?” Aunt Luna demanded. “You said so yourself that between the two of us”, I said taking my sister’s hand and leading her to the door. “We are unstoppable. Tell my mom I love her.” Anya tightens her hold on my hand as we look back at our anger stricken aunts and then at the front door. I turn my head to face her and ask, “Are you ready?” Anya just nods her head and closes her eyes as I grab the doorknob and swing the door open. Once we cross the threshold I can feel the heat being emitted from the invisible barrier attempting to do more than just singe the surface of skin. And my first thought was right. We are our mother’s children. We are outside and on the grass unscathed. “Now what?” Anya quizzed glancing around nervously and fiddling with her hair. “You have your car right?” I ask scanning the driveway for her car only to find Aunt Luna’s Jaguar and Aunt Brielle’s Prius parked outside of the garage. “Yeah, I parked down the street.” Anya replied as she began to lead the way to her Mini Cooper. I turn to look back at my mother’s house and I could still see the silhouettes of my aunts possibly arguing back and forth about how they were going to break the news to my mother explaining how they let two grown demi gods out of their grasp. Mom was definitely going to be pissed off. But, one day she would understand. It isn’t like we don’t have eternity.

imagesOSFWNAOT

My Press Release

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ANSWER THE CALL…

Will YOU answer the CALL?

Newbie writer and lover of science fiction/ fantasy books, Delizhia D. Jenkins has finally stepped into her shoes as an author. It has been greatly anticipated by friends and family alike just WHEN she would understand her talent as a writer and put something out there for the world to share. Finally, after almost three years of contemplation, research, and prayer Nubia Rising: The Awakening is available and may be purchased as an e-book or as a paperback through Amazon starting at just $2.99 (for the e-book) and $11.25 (as a paperback).

Noted for her colorful play on words, Delizhia went from daydreaming about the day when she could breathe life into her characters to that dream becoming a reality. “I never thought that I would see this day,” she writes on her Facebook page and WordPress account the moment she completed the design of her book cover. “I refuse to wait for someone to tell me I am good enough”, she writes in her blog detailing the frustration and heartache that comes with the territory of being a new writer. Delizhia D. Jenkins is not only creative and passionate about her craft, she is also fearlessly unflinching in her pursuit of a career in the literary world.

Nubia Rising: The Awakening is a science fiction/fantasy adventure that crosses millennium and fuses it into present time. It offers not only relatable and multicultural characters, but a story of pain, personal discovery, sisterhood, and forgiveness as Kitara and her fellow Destroyers embark on a journey across time to correct an unholy abomination from eons ago. Nubia Rising: The Awakening will not only touch your heart, but will leave you breathless and aching for more. It is a reminder that we are all destined for something great and regardless of what we go through, we can overcome it.

Delizhia D. Jenkins is a proud mother of a seven year old rock star and currently resides in Paramount, CA working on her next masterpiece. For more information and updates, giveaways and more all you have to do is LIKE her Facebook page “The D Code”, or you can follow her on WordPress at: https://authordelizhiajenkins.wordpress.com/.

To place an order for the book, visit Amazon’s website at:

http://www.amazon.com/Nubia-Rising-The-Awakening-Volume/dp/1502991934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414622407&sr=8-1&keywords=Nubia+Rising

Or, if you are interested in general information please email her at: septembershope@gmail.com.

Nubia Rising: The Awakening Sample Chapter #4

Isis slammed through the atmosphere like a nuclear war head. She and the rest of the few hundred gods and goddesses were on a mission. After Zeus had taken her, Athena, Ma’at and later on Durga to Mount Olympus, it was there she discovered that was the only place close enough to the heavens for what was left of a long running era of godhood to seek refuge. She had no idea that this place had still existed; or at least what was left of it. She had only been to Olympus once in her entire existence and that was during the first beginning of mankind, which was some time before the Flood. Located well beyond the mountain peak of Greece, conveniently named after the kingdom of the gods, for generations it had been an oasis of splendor and indulgence. Solid gold Roman relief pillars atop gloriously built Roman styled architecture surrounded by magnificent gardens underneath a clear blue sky. Pools of crystal clear water where the last remaining water nymphs basked in all of their naked glory, completely unashamed of their ethereal beauty; and where Aphrodite had entertained many of her male suitors from both the heaven and the earth realms. Now, all that remained were the pools with the crystal clear water that had once been marked as the site of pure pleasure. Mount Olympus had fallen into a desolate state that reminded Isis of the Underworld, the Afterlife as her people had called it. No longer were there green pastures, or vineyards that stretched on for miles. The only thing that had withstood the obvious onslaught that had taken place was Zeus’ palace, which was an exact replica of the Temple of Zeus on earth. The only difference between the earthly one and the one in which Zeus resided, was that this one was constructed from pure marble, while the humans who had constructed their version used limestone and stucco. “What happened?” She had asked upon arrival. “We were under siege,” Zeus informed her. “Our fathers are angry. Tartarus has opened, which means that those that haven’t been extinguished by Kitara’s sword or simply faded away into nothingness will be captured and dragged down to the very pits of Tartarus to face a horrific death. Several of them, our fathers appeared bringing hellfire and brimstone and brandishing weaponry that even I had yet to see and slaughtered many of us, while others were captured. Most of us were able to escape, but those that weren’t…”Zeus had looked away, sadness melting away that stone expression he normally carried, exposing a vulnerability that Isis was sure he had not wanted her to see. “I have never experienced anything like this since the days of Cronos…” “I remember Cronos…a titan. You were very brave then. I remember you had called upon Osiris to render assistance but later on you found out you didn’t need his help.” “Ah yes,”Zeus said. “Defeating Cronos had been the high point of all of our existences. At the time, we had all thought that defeating the titans and sending them into the very pits of Tartarus would be the end of any threat to us gods; that we could live on and wallow in the worship of humans for eternity. We never believed that our fathers would turn us like they have and for what? What is worth immortality when immortality has an end? Now we have to flee like vermin. And what makes this all the more infuriating is that at least humans, despite their obvious short comings, and their desires for pleasure and inflicting pain and misery on each other, there has always been someone or something that they could pray to; to look to for guidance and assistance during the time of need. Humans are far more blessed than we are. All we have is immortality at the end of the day. They have something else we don’t have.” Isis looked at Zeus, confused and wondering where all of this was coming from. She couldn’t help but ask ,”And what is that?” Zeus turned to look at her. “Hope. They have hope. And a chance for redemption. Because of who and what we are, redemption is not something we can dare to ask for let alone dream of.” “We WILL survive this.” Isis said emphatically. “That is something we have yet to determine. The only reason why you are even here, still standing among us Isis is because of the knowledge that you possess, just so we are clear. That long awaited fight with Kitara that you took to the public has set a series of irreversible events in motions and you triggered something that was not supposed to happen…at least not now. We were supposed to fight on the side of our fathers when the time came against those who seek to destroy us. And now, as we sit on the edge of extinction I can only hope that you now understand the damage that you have caused and what is at stake. I hope that what you have said is not a lie and that there will be no more acts of betrayal from you. Now, go to the last remaining pleasure pool and recharge yourself there. I will address everyone that is left. As soon as the sun is completely set, we have to act. We don’t have much time.” And with that Zeus left Isis standing in the middle of what had been considered the most beautifully constructed palace in history, alone with her thoughts.  And now as she and the two hundred or so gods and goddesses left, came down hard on humanity, causing natural disasters and leaving chaos and turmoil in their paths, they rode hard from all four corners of the earth towards a battle that they knew most of them were going to surely lose. Poseidon, Hades, Thor, Selene, Dahaka, Athena, Balor, just to name a few all from varying ancient cultures who had managed survive the test of time, sent down hail, bolts of lightning, erupted “sleeping volcanos”, sending humanity into a fearful frenzy. Poseidon, king of the oceans, rose from the seas causing multiple tsunamis drowning small islands across the Atlantic and into the Pacific. Isis sent black lightning bolt charges down, decimating farmland and crops, buildings, highways collapsed as she blew through bridges with powerful gusts of wind. She was going to succeed, even if it meant she used every ounce of strength that she had. It was now or never. Just as the gods approached the outskirts of the White House, the whirlwind of chaos they were creating ceased. It was as if there was a collective knowledge that this earthly version of Olympus, was to remain untouched, and that is when Isis realized that they possibly have made a very foolish and fatal mistake. “This is a very large hell mouth”, she said dryly. “This place is heavily guarded by our father’s minions. If we make ourselves visible, in light of recent events,” Isis said nervously. “They know we are here. We just cannot destroy this unholy architecture. It sits directly on top of a pentagram from which our fathers draw some of their power,” Athena said, having appeared next to Isis. “It has its own barrier to which none of us can cross.” “Our brethren grow impatient,” Zeus said, appearing out of the ether. “It is now or never. This city, just as that Potential is ours for the taking!” “I don’t think so!” came a familiar and quickly approaching voice from behind them. In a menacing ball of white light, blasting across the sky, neither Zeus, Athena or Isis had enough time to react as Kitara slammed into them, knocking them out of the sky, sending them spiraling down to the earth. They hit the earth with a large impact, leaving an eight foot deep crater in the middle of a busy street. Kitara was up and out in an instant with Isis hot on her heels. People rushed out of their houses, and from the local business establishments to see what the hell just happened. And with the now visible Athena and Zeus staggering to their feet, the atmosphere became thick with panic. The other Destroyers, Sage, Naomi and Celeste emerged from their own energy folds into the panic stricken crowds. Police and fire sirens rang in the background, as Naomi immediately went to work on one of the demonic deities from ancient cultures. He was as grotesque looking as they come with his bulging large eyes, green scaly skin and multiple arms and legs. With her mighty Sword of Babylon in her grip she went to work, slicing off apendages and eventually decapitating him. How are we going to completely destroy these demons without Oblivion? If someone starts praying over this creature again, he could rise. Naomi said mentally to Kitara who was busy blocking Isis’ black bolt blasts. Just fight. You put down Osiris with that same sword and he hasn’t been called forth yet. They are all nothing bust distractions anyways. I have to put down Isis, Kitara mentally shot back to her. Zeus and Sage were going to blows, Zeus having gained the upper hand having yanked Sage by her thick red hair and flung her through the window of a local coffee shop. The patrons ran out screaming in terror while one of the baristas kneeled down by the semiconscious slayer and tried to render assistance by taking one of the clean cloths she used to wipe the tables to apply pressure on her bleeding forehead. “You’re gonna be alright,” the 20 something brunette said. “Help is coming.” Sage moaned in response. “Sage!” both Celeste and Naomi cried out, but both were too busy fighting off a string of deities who had turned their attentions to the fleeing humans. Celeste clapped her hands and instantly a portal opened up. “Help us!” she called into it as several Aztec and Incan warrior spirits dressed in their traditional warrior garbs emerged. All of them tall and very well built, with gleaming bronze skin and hardened expressions rushed into battle with their battle axes and bow and arrows onto the electrified streets of D.C..  Kitara still locked in battle with Isis who had increased in strength had decided to use her dark magic on the innocent human population. In between sending out dark lightning bolts at Kitara, she reached down and placed her hand on the frozen asphalt and summoned forth thousands of spitting cobras from the ground. Out of nowhere they appeared, angry and hissing; ready to attack anything as they slithered into the crowds of people. The screams of terror and chaos was deafening. Oblivion, what am I to do? She thought to her angelic friend as she sent out white light blasts in the direction of the snakes. She knew she could not allow herself to get too distracted, Jose and the rest of humanity’s life was at stake. Hold on Kitara. Michael is coming. Call on nature to help you. Kitara closed her eyes, focusing all of her energies inward. Michael is coming. Call on nature to help you, she heard Oblivion’s voice say again in her mind as the visual images of the crystal pyramid, hidden deep underneath the waters of the Bermuda triangle, that white light source of infinite power. It was a part of her; coursing through her veins; she could feel the white hot intensity ignite at her core. She could feel all of her Chakra points light up, her irises turning platinum silver. Her long thick locks levitating off of her shoulders as she began to ascend. “Sage!” she heard her sisters cry out. She could feel the destruction the gods were wreaking over the city. Buildings burned as people flocked to the streets for cover; several of the most wicked deities such as Balor and Thoth had captured several humans, having had them bound and gagged preparing to take them down beneath the earth’s crust for several rounds of torture. Police and various other agencies of law enforcement had taken the streets, making futile attempts to shoot down what could not die in the physical sense. “Somebody please help us!” a woman carrying a small child screamed as she ran from another one of those strange looking goddesses with multiple arms and a menacing long tongue. “Kali,” Kitara grumbled underneath her breath. Naomi, however was the case, in hot pursuit of one of the oldest and longest lived deities in the world, Sword of Babylon raised, righteous indignation and rage combined with the adrenalin rush that fueled her. Naomi was a blur; she was the wind in the air, the chill of night, her eyes perfectly adapted to darkness she launched herself full throttle at the demon goddess, slicing off one of her many arms, bringing the goddess’ pursuit of the woman and baby to an immediate halt. Kitara saw all of this through her mind’s eye, as shr continued to draw strength from the remaining energy reserves from Atlantis. She wondered why she could never do this before, but then she quickly realized that had become entirely too dependent on Oblivion to get the job done. And then she saw Sage’s body being lifted into an ambulance, a brunette was with her, speaking to one of the EMT’s. Noooo, Kitara thought to herself. And that is when she snapped. Raising her arms to the heavens she sent up a massive white light beam that hit the sky with a sonic blast. Isis took the moment as an opportunity to escape. She could sense the Potential’s close proximity to one of those townhomes in the very short distance. Athena appeared next to her in an instant, her Greecian robbing flapping against the cold air. “Shall we?” Athena said with a smile. Isis said nothing more as they vanished into thin air making their way to Naomi’s house.

Kitara knew the instant Isis had disappeared, but Atlantis had taken over and she couldn’t stop what had begun. Against the darkness she was a living lighthouse, and that is when the gates of heaven literally opened up. A battalion of angels, beings draped in gold light poured out into the atmosphere by the thousands. A familiar face, the same face who first gave her his hand with a message from On High nodded in her direction, as they collectively unleashed a heavenly onslaught on the gods and goddesses who had spent eons turning humanity away from the truth. Zedkiel said nothing as he followed his brothers into battle, golden wings spread, shimmering against the darkness. It was amazing to finally see him in full battle mode. Using her mind’s eye she scanned what was going on down below, and there was nothing but pure chaos. Humans were running, and ducking for cover, but to their avail, there was nowhere to hide. The White House was on lock down, the streets were running rampant with terrified civilians and officers; gunshots rang about, cries for help deafened the series of honking of cars that rang throughout the city, and now that the state was in a state of panic, the military had been called to action. It broke Kitara’s heart to see several young men, of African descent get ripped apart by another Hindu deity of death, with a black tongue and yellow eyes, and rows upon rows of sharp teeth. And even after feasting off of all of that, the fiendish creature was still hungry for more. It tore her soul to shreds to see a young Hispanic woman get pulled by her ankles by a snake like deity from Aztec tombs, wrap it’s coils around her tightly. Its entire body was that of a python but it possessed the head of a human, who wickedly expressed a large toothy grin as it expanded its jaws to take a bite. The woman had already turned blue from lack of oxygen and was on the brink of losing consciousness when Michael the Archangel, unsheathed his sword and with one quick swing decapitated the demon, whose coils immediately unraveled from the young woman. Michael quickly scanned the young woman whose life energy had yet to leave her body before taking off into the air again after another goddess who had long ago escaped his grasp. It was a shame that these very special beings of light could not be seen by the human eye other than by those who possessed the gift of “sight” and even that was limited. To some, there was nothing but busy white and gold orbs of light, fluttering about the scene leaving ash and gook in their wake. To others, there were illuminated sillouhettes of extremely tall men with no defining features other than large stature, and wings. Kitara remembered Queen Dahiya telling her in one of her final moments that when the world was coming to an end, they would only be able to see the darkness before they could accept the light. Kitara had no idea what she meant by that until now. Just send an army helicopter buzzed by sending firestorm of bullets in her direction. The bullets that whizzed by melted away from her light, and she wondered how long she would remain tapped into the Atlantean energy source. The pilots looked at her stunned and confused as to what to do next. She mouthed the words, “Go, home” hoping that they would take the hint and retreat, to which of course they did. Dozens of wicked deities were destroyed that day, and Kitara was glad that she didn’t have to do it alone. Her sisters, with the exeception of one, did an amazing job of holding their own, and of course all praise and glory be to the One Above who always remained true and steadfast in His word. He said she would never be alone and she wasn’t. Zedkeil, after what seemed like an eternity appeared to her finally, covered in dirt and soot and said,” It is done. You have learned to harness the power that was once stolen from On High. There are only but a few that remain. Go.” And just like that he and his brethren ascended back into the heavens in a flash. Kitara allowed herself to let go of the power that took hold of her and she as she plummeted to the ground from hundreds of feet midair, one name quickly came to mind. “Isis!”

Nubia Rising: The Awakening Sample Chapter #2

Chapter 7

With a sigh of relief Celeste watched Jose return to his parked car and after a few minutes of nothing, drive off. She smoothed her silky straight jet black hair into a loose pony tail and leaned back in the drivers’ seat of her 2013 Mercedes Benz. She had been tracking Ixtab for centuries but that she-demon was as elusive as they come. In many ways she felt like a failure; however as it had already been explained to her the night her people had “vanished” into thin air, hunting gods was something that was completely out of her range. Yes she had the skills to fight them off, for she had battled many of them, however it always felt like a form of defeat because it would always end in a draw. She did not possess the sword of Oblivion, nor did she have the strength and the know-how to match. She always felt helpless when a human fell under the enchantment of one of those entities because the only sure way to severe the influence was to kill them, and that she simply could not do. She had felt Ixtab’s dark energy surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge since its construction in the 1930’s. She and Naomi were already out of the vehicle, weapons ready to engage in battle with Ixtab to save the young man’s life when Kitara burst through the sky like a falling star. Neither she nor the rest of the Destroyers had been able to locate Kitara in over 500 years after the Incan god Supai trapped her in one of the many volcanoes near the Andes River where children were sacrificed in his honor. Unfortunately, it was all a ruse to incapacitate the slayer. There were too many children for her to rescue all at once and by the time Celeste, a newly transitioned Destroyer and Syrene made it to render assistance, Supai, caused the volcano to erupt, killing all 100 children instantly and entombing the Destroyer at the same time. For many years, Celeste, Syrene, Naomi, and Sage tried every possible way of freeing Kitara, but to no avail. They knew she was alive, however based on the telepathic messages she would send to them, Celeste knew that Kitara could have easily freed herself, but the tremendous amount of grief and guilt at her failure to rescue those children consumed her. After a century, she stopped communicating altogether with the other Destroyers. Celeste and Sage had gone to that very volcano hundreds of times in hopes of convincing her that the world still needed her and the only answer they would receive was silence. The last time Celeste went to the volcano was 50 years ago and that’s when she realized that the volcanic peak was under excavation. She remained hidden in the shadows, waiting to come to Kitara’s defense when needed, and after a few hours it had dawned on her that Kitara was not there. The archaelogists and excavators were all busy with their work and had managed to dig deep into the caverns only to find the mummified remains of the children used for sacrifice. Sage had suggested that Kitara may have sought refuge in the Atlantean pyramid that was located at the bottom of the Bermuda Triangle. None of the other Destroyers had been to the Pyramid. Ever. They all knew of its history and their connections to it, but from what Syrene had said, only Kitara could enter.

Fast forward to the scene on the bridge with Ixtab luring the poor human to his death, Celeste nor Naomi were ready for what had happened next. Kitara came bursting through the sky and put Ixtab out of her misery for good. The human was left in one piece and now Celeste and Naomi sat in wait for the others to arrive. Once they sent out a mental SOS to Syrene and Sage, informing them that Kitara was back, it was evident that everyone was relieved, and ready for battle. So much had transpired in Kitara’s absence, and even though they all battled the evil forces of the supernatural to the best of their abilities, they needed Kitara as much as the world did. Isis had risen over thirty years ago and was back to her old tricks. She had now taken position as a super star recording artist and used the magic of music to influence and gain worshippers. Since the fall of the ancient empires such as Greece, Rome, Egypt, Mayan, Aztec, and the like, the gods were no longer seated on thrones of worship. Thanks to Kitara when the gods fell, so did their civilizations and without prayers and sacrifices, they grew weak. Isis managed to find another platform of worship-and that was through entertainment. Celebrity worship has become ridiculous, on top of secret occults built on amassing power for global domination; the axis of evil had opened the gates of hell and demonic influences from the basic levels of demon had increased dramatically. The gods were returning to the forefront, hoping to rule over the humans as they did in the days of old. Isis had a clear cut plan to raise Osiris which was evident in the young male rapper/consort she was now seducing. Lilith was back which meant in time there would be an increase in demon populations and half breeds like during the time of the Nephilim. The human population was in trouble.

As Celeste reclined in the driver’s seat, her thoughts refocused on that young man. She felt the spirits of death surrounding him; taunting his spirit by assuming the form of his dead mother and pushing him to take hold of the noose that hung from the sky and hang himself. She witnessed this moment hundreds of times and most of those times she had been successful in defeating those fiendish spirits and preventing the person from taking that long walk over the short edge, but today she knew that if Kitara had not appeared when she did, Jose would have not made it. Ixtab was more than a spirit; and for a person such as her, who possessed the gifts of a true Spirit Walker, to go against a god was like taking a knife to a gun fight.

What she found most interesting was Ixtab attacking the boy herself. Usually it would be her minion who would do the job, but from what she gathered, Ixtab had been after him for years. Celeste needed to know more. And just why after all of these centuries would Kitara all of a sudden awaken and come out of hiding? Celeste was almost certain when Isis was foolishly released from her cryptic prison by that archaeologist 31 years ago, that energy alone would have drawn Kitara out. Yet it did not.

Naomi sat next to Celeste in passenger’s side quietly surveying the scene. Traffic was light, despite the day’s events of a couple of car collisions, and a thwarted suicide attempt. It was always intriguing to watch humanity go on and move forward with their day to day living without as much as a thought toward to inevitable cycle of life and death. To be a part of the mindless masses again was something Naomi did not want to think about. She quickly glanced at Celeste who too was lost in her thoughts. She had reclined her seat and laid back with her slanted eyes closed.  Naomi pushed a stray strand of her thick mane of curly black hair from her cocoa brown face and sighed. The others should be here shortly, being that none of them used the “traditional” methods of travel, particularly during a crisis.

Out of all of the Destroyers, Naomi was the most restless. Celeste chalked it up to it being that vampires were no longer being mass produced, Naomi was essentially “out of work”. She would assist the other Destroyers in their missions of demon hunting but there was nothing like going up against a vampire. Back in the days of old when vampires damn near eliminated the human race, and when witches were trying to take the place of the gods in the supernatural hierarchy of evil, Naomi, Syrene and Sage had been a trinity to be reckoned with. There wasn’t a night when Naomi’s glorious sword of Babylon hadn’t been in use. Kitara would make appearances from time to time whenever their paths would cross, but just before the days of the last Egyptian Pharoah and when the Celtic winds no longer blew to the call of the North, vampires and witches had been a plague. Nowadays, vampires were so sporadic and on the rare occasion Naomi came across one, they were so weak it wasn’t worth breaking a sweat. Centuries ago when witches were at their strongest, vampires were hard to kill. And Naomi loved a challenge.

She adjusted her lava colored tank top and unhooked her seatbelt. The advances in transportation technology had been slow according to Naomi. But, when someone is blessed with the ability to manipulate the shadows and move through dimensions like it’s a simple stroll in the park, operating an automobile was similar to riding a camel. “What is the hold up?” Naomi grumbled. “Perhaps they had to engage in battle?” Celeste reasoned. And that was the end of the conversation for the next few minutes. Silence seemed like a much better companion to both of them. Sage was the first to appear from a foldaway of nothingness right there in front of the car. Naomi cursed. “I keep telling her not to do shit like that where people can see her.” Celeste sighed. “Discretion is not exactly her specialty.” Sage, totally oblivious to Naomi’s stare of disapproval rounded the car, tossing her flaming red hair carelessly over her shoulder and opened the door, taking a seat behind Naomi. “Ahh ladies it has been too long,” she said, her Celtic accent thick and cheerful. Her emerald green eyes bright with excitement. “It is good to see you too Sage,” Celeste turned to face her and smiled. “Yes Sage. It is always a pleasure.” Naomi said flatly.  “Ay, isn’t it exciting that Kitara has returned?” Sage asked. Celeste and Naomi simply nodded. Sage continued to fill the car with mindless chatter about her travels and her enthusiasm for a new male suitor that she rescued from the clutches of a large coven of witches that taken root in Louisiana. Naomi cringed at the story even though none of them were ever told that they could not fall in love, but being that they were pretty close to being immortal it made no sense to even attempt to cultivate any type of meaningful romantic relationship. Falling in love wasn’t a part of the Divine Plan; at least that was how Naomi felt.

It was another thirty or so minutes before Syrene was spotted approaching the car. She wore her thick straight midnight hair high above her head in a huge bun, with black Chanel sunglasses covering her sandy brown eyes. She was covered in a trench coat and thigh high boots giving the image of conspicuously inconspicuous. Syrene was a vision and regardless of where she went and what she had on, people stared. Naomi had overheard people tell her a countless amount of times that she resembled the actress Zoe Saldana with her light brown smooth as silk skin tone and delicate features and petite body. Syrene never paid the compliments any mind and would rather spend time slicing demon guts than looking at herself in the mirror.  She slid into the car and removed her glasses. “Sorry it took so long ladies. I was in the middle of tracking Kitara’s energy signature when I got the mental SOS. She has been around for a while but for some reason she had been eluding us.” Sage stopped smiling. “But why? We need her.”

Naomi simply closed her eyes and sighed. The revelation somehow wasn’t so shocking, even though it still felt like a knife to the chest. They were all Destroyers; a select group of female warriors with the purpose of restoring the world back to its original balance of light, which in a sense made them into a sisterhood. They had all fought together at some point. They had all cried together, ate together, argued, and all had suffered tremendous loss. They all sat in silence, allowing the information to sink in and wash through them and after what seemed like an eternity Celeste spoke. “Syrene, when did you realize that Kitara was avoiding us?” All eyes turned to face Syrene who maintained nonchalant and slightly disengaged from the situation. “I think we all know that Kitara can take care of herself. When Supai trapped her in the volcano with all of those children, I think he knew she would survive and those children would not. I think he knew that even though physically he couldn’t damage her, but knowing that she could not rescue all of those children would damage her psyche…and he was right.” “But that still doesn’t make sense,” Sage said angrily. “Kitara disappeared for 500 years! No sign of her anywhere. I think we all searched every nook and cranny of this cursed planet and we couldn’t sense her.” “That doesn’t mean that she wasn’t around. She simply didn’t want to be found,” Naomi breathed. “Well clearly she wants to be found now being that she came out of hiding and rescued that boy on the bridge,” Celeste added. “How long have you been tracking her Syrene?” “I picked up on her trail maybe a year or so after Isis awakened. I was over in Vatican City tracking this demon who had plans on infiltrating the Pope when I felt her pulse. She was near. I stopped going after the demon and followed her pulse to the Island of Patmos where she disappeared again.” “And why didn’t you tell us about it?” Naomi frowned. “Because at the time both you and Sage were possessed with going after Isis and because I think she didn’t want to be forced to face any of us…” Syrene argued. “And how long have you been tracking her?” Celeste said. “Off and on for the last 30 or so years.” It was clear that emotions were on high in the car. Celeste said nothing more and turned to face the window. Naomi was so angry she could spit flames and Sage couldn’t do anything other than allow tears to stream down her lovely face. Syrene sat back in her usual cool and aloof demeanor. “To hold something that serious back from us Syrene does not sit too well with me and I don’t care what you say,” Naomi growled. “You knew all this time that Kitara was out and about and you said nothing-“ “I was just respecting Kitara’s space,” Syrene replied cool as ever. “I could have sworn there was an unspoken agreement that whenever any of us become privy to information such as that that we inform one another. I always knew you were the secretive type but never to the point where I cannot trust you. I will not speak for everyone else but I have the feeling that there is much more to the story than what you are telling and if I discover that there is any deception on your part in regards to Kitara or any one of us Syrene I will figure out a way to-“ “Lets not go there Naomi,” Celeste interrupted. “We all are a little on the edge right now. There is so much going and so much we need to discuss and figure out and we do not need you two drawing your blades on each other. That is what the Unnamed One wants, to divide and conquer. Now lets squash this spirit of dissention and move forward so we can find Kitara and do what we do best. And Syrene I think all of us are a little upset with you but I’m leaving it at that. So for now let’s agree to not fight until this mess could be sorted out. Comprende`?” Syrene simply rolled her eyes and put her sunglasses back on and laid back against the cool leather seating. Naomi said nothing else. Sage shook her head and turned to look idly out of the window. Celeste slid the key into the ignition and started the car. “Now, I think we need to find that boy. I don’t know why but I feel a strange connection to him and I need to figure out how.” “Maybe it’s love,” Sage chuckled. “Or lust,” Syrene added. Celeste smiled. “No ladies, it is neither. The good news is that we know Kitara is back which means Isis will be on high alert and what is the name of that rapper she is consorting with? I saw their picture on the cover of Time Magazine.” “That is Young Ra also know and Trenton Miller and he has been dabbling in all types of dark arts for years and has now captured the attention of our beloved Isis. He has death demons completely surrounding him.” Syrene said. “But we know you can handle that part right?” Celeste grinned. “Hell yeah! Havent had a good fight with a death demon in years, elusive sons of bitches they are. Strong as shit too, but nothing I cannot handle.”  “And Sage,” Celeste cooed. “Yes my beloved Spirit Walker,” Sage chirped. “You know that Isis was once known as the goddess of magic so you know covens are brewing and vying for her special attention.” “Ay milady yes, and I was meaning to tell you that our dearest Lilith was in the mix too, posing as a maid servant for the high priestess. I saw her on tv last night on some red carpet event on E! and she interviewed with my dream man Ryan Seacrest talking about some clothing line she was working with Young Ra on.” She is drawing the other gods out back into the forefront,” Celeste added. “Something big is coming and people are speculating that a lot of the high powered celebrities and politicians are all involved with a secret group called the Illuminati. But what trips me out the Illuminati is just the center of all this, there are dozens of other secret groups out there dedicated to satanic and pagan worship with the goal of forming the New World Order. Isis is at the center of it all. Naomi, you and Kitara come from very similar kingdoms from the days of old. Do you have anything you would like to add?” Naomi had silently retreated into her thoughts. For some reason, she still didn’t trust Syrene, and truthfully never really had. Celeste was right about everything but there was something that she should know. “We all know I come the days of Cleopatra, that wicked queen she was. And you are right about everything, but you forgot to add one thing. If you are familiar with Egyptian myths and legends, Isis raised Osiris once after Seth had killed him and cut his body into several pieces and scattered them across the four corners of the earth. Well, Kitara killed him but she didn’t use the Sword of Oblivion; she had used my Blade of Babylon which is a final death for vampires; and gets the job done on most demons but for deities such as Osiris, well there is a loophole. Isis thinks that Kitara killed him with her sword, but in the moment she had no other choice but to use mine.” Celeste took the key out of the ignition. All of the women sat in the car in slack jawed silence. “What?!” Syrene exclaimed. “Kitara killed Osiris with my blade and not the Sword of Oblivion which means there is a chance that Isis could bring him back. The only issue is Isis may not know and the only one outside me and Kitara who does is the last one any of us would want privy to that information…” “And just who may that be?” Sage asked. “Lilith.” The silence that followed was similar to that after a bomb has been dropped. “Well bend me over and spank me harder,” Sage drawled. “Sage you need to stop whatever it is that you are doing,” Celeste said slightly amused. “So I guess I am not the only one with secrets huh?” Syrene said with a slight smirk. “Whatever,” Naomi said rolling her eyes. “So what does that mean?” Syrene asked in all seriousness. “It means Lilith is up to something and Ixtab knew more than what we originally assumed being that she attacked the boy personally…it means that in order for a demonic resurrection there must be a sacrifice and that boy may be the key to everything.” Celeste said wearily. “So what do we do?” came Sage’s voice. “We find that boy first and in the meantime try to make a direct contact with Kitara, let her know what we know and take it from there.” Celeste restarted the car and pulled back out into traffic. Celeste made a silent prayer to the Almighty that they find Jose before any of the other gods did.