Tag: Science Fiction

An Excerpt from Nubia Rising: The Awakening: Oblivion

Sitting on high in the second ring of Heaven, she sat and watched the very first Destroyer smile for the first time in ages as she met with the wise queen. And so everything was coming to pass…everything except for her purpose, whatever it may be. To be the only female angel out of a countless number of males wasn’t easy. She was treated as if she was a rare and sacred scroll; however, there was nothing about her that she deemed worthy enough for all of this care and concern. She wasn’t a warrior like Michael or a messenger like Gabriel, or a healer like Raphael. She wasn’t wise like Raziel and she definitely wasn’t blasphemous like the unnamed one. During the First War in Heaven, Michael secreted her away in the third ring and told her to stay there until those who did not belong were casted out. She was not allowed to enter the earth plane for no reason whatsoever; not even to help the poor helpless humans who called out to the heavens every second of every minute.

She had had many talks with Gabriel about her existence and how her lack of purpose made her feel useless; and the sequestering didn’t make it any easier. Gabriel was always patient with her and understood her plight, and he would remind her that just because her purpose had not been revealed to her did not mean she was without one. She wished that she was brave like Michael and thought that maybe if she were, she could go into the earth plane and prove her worth, but the thought of battle frightened her. The only thing her Father told her was that it was not time yet and to just keep watch over the humans and when the time came, He would let her know. Oblivion was her name, and Raziel, during one of his rare appearances told her she was one of the universe’s best kept secrets whatever that meant. He refused to elaborate and simply went on about his business in the higher rings of Heaven. Michael would just smile warmly at her before pointing something out in the earth realm that she should pay attention to and then disappearing.

So much had occurred since the Creation of Man and the Fall of Man and now that a destroyer was finally on the planet, Oblivion was excited to watch how this young woman’s life would play out. Those demon-gods were surely in for it, and the unnamed one and his minions would be busy trying to come up with a counter attack. Mankind had already been plagued with physical diseases and illnesses, and a variety of spiritual attacks but with the gods’ ability to attack humans both physically and spiritually in a tangible way brought tears to her silver irises. Supernatural abominations were beginning to manifest into existence and wicked humans were tapping into spiritual realms that only the most brave and strong warrior angels could venture into. Everything was out of balance, but somehow that was a part of the Divine Plan.

She stood to her full ten foot height and stretched out her silver magnificent wings. She thought about her fallen brothers, not those who are now in league with the unnamed one but those that have taken refuge beneath the waters to avoid the final transformation from a heavenly being into a demon of darkness. She could feel the pain that they endured and hoped that their Father would forgive them. Unfortunately, all heavenly beings knew that once one fell from Grace there was no coming back. Ever. But, those that have decided to remain steadfast despite knowing the ramifications of their actions still held on to something that angels such as Gabriel and Raphael worked hard to restore on the earth plane: hope.

As Oblivion stood there in the ethereal planes, completely lost in her thoughts, one of the Seraphim, the most highly ranked of their kind approached her. Their light, being that they serviced the Most High directly was so bright that whenever they made appearances, they displayed themselves as nothing more than a glowing orb, because even another angel could not tolerate their normal presence. The Seraphim glimmered down to where she was faced to face with it; and in its voice which sounded like a thousand voices at once spoke to her with growing excitement. “It is almost time for your destiny to be fulfilled dearest one,” it said to her, its voice ominous with the sound of many. “You have been kept safe here in the Heavens, barred from the earth realm with good reason. The Most High says that it is time for you to know the truth of who you are…”the Seraphim continued. “And what may that be?” Oblivion asked, confused and extremely intrigued and excited. In all of her millennia of existence, she was finally being called to action; to be of service, to be something more than just…her. “You are very special my dear and the Most High kept you heavily guarded for knowledge that had your existence been discovered before its time, the balance of Light would have been tipped to favor that of the darkness.” “But Seraphim,” Oblivion began, her silver eyes filling with silver tears. “How am I special? I am not brave like Michael, nor do I have special healing abilities like Raphael, and-““Ssssshhhhh, dear one you must not speak that way, especially given who you are. Everyone’s role is important and highly valued by The Most High; but He has made you in a way like no other. You are what your name says you are: Oblivion.” “And what does that mean?” The Seraphim at first said nothing. It appeared to be frustrated with her lack of understanding and self-doubt. “You, along with the Destroyers are the Unnamed One’s worst nightmare. Inside you lies the power to destroy the immortal. Just as the sun rises to face the shadows in the east, Michael will escort you through Orion’s belt. There you will collect star that shines the brightest and cast yourself into it. Michael, then will from that star make the greatest sword known to the histories of creation and will then hand you, as the sword to the Destroyer, and you and she will do great things.” The Seraphim was so excited about her fate and its role in delivering the message that it was beginning to burn so brightly, Oblivion had to cover her face. “So I will become a sword…”she said flatly. “Ah yes,” the Seraphim continued to burn. “A living sword. You are a weapon. Your very design is to destroy darkness. No harm will come to you, but you my dear will smite all that come against the Destroyer.” “And what would happen should I fall into the wrong hands?” Oblivion asked softly. “Do not fret. The entire company of Heaven would come for you if that were to happen, but that will not come to pass. When not in the Destroyer’s possession you will remain invisible to the human world. Darkness will always be able to sense your presence because of the unnamed one’s genealogy, however, you cannot be destroyed. When on earth you will not be able to reveal your true self; only the Destroyer will know just what you are. You will be able to communicate with her and when she needs you, she will summon you. However, I must warn you Oblivion, while in the earth plane, you will be able to sense your fallen brethren-those that reside in the lost pyramid of Atlantis and by Heavenly Edict you are NOT to communicate with them whatsoever. Their verdict is still in question. Are we clear?” Oblivion nodded her head and with that the jovial Seraphim was gone.

Oblivion stood there, too many emotions she wasn’t used to flowed through her ethereal body like electricity. She was excited, frightened, confused, sad, and a number of other things, all at once. Time moved differently in Heaven than it did on earth; so she wasn’t sure exactly when Michael was coming for her, so she unfolded her silver feathered wings with a wingspan of 10 feet and stretched them out. Perhaps she and the Destroyer could be good friends…Friends. That was something she had always wanted to experience. Michael, Gabriel, Zadkiel…they were not her friends, though she loved them dearly. They were her brothers and her protectors. Maybe she and the Destroyer could talk about things, other than Heavenly affairs; things like their favorite colors and sounds and what they liked most about the earth. Maybe she could teach her things about the earth and what it’s like to be what she is…or maybe she could just be that friend that gives good advice. Oblivion smiled at the thought. She couldn’t wait for her favorite Archangel to return. She was finally needed.

imagesFKJ1DEP6 oblivion

Another Excerpt From: The Family Curse

Chapter 5

I awoke to the gentle sound of an A.C., while draped in the soft cushiony warmth of blue and black comforter. I sat up to witness the low light of a fire crackling in a fireplace. Nino was dressed in a pair of black pajama pants and nothing else while sitting across from me on a leather love seat. He smiled sheepishly at me as the realization of what transpired hit me like a ton of bricks. There are no words to describe my humiliation. “You had me worried for a second,” he said as he got up to approach the bed. “This is sooo embarrassing.” I say as I bury my face in the pillow. “No, it’s not. That was…” “It was what?”  “Intense. I didn’t know that you could do that. I always knew my love making skills were top notch, but you took both us to new heights.” Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis? “Huh?” I remove my face from the pillow to face him. “You basically dematerialized both of us and then rematerialized us as you climaxed. In all of my years I have never experienced anything like that. It was terrifyingly exhilarating. And in the process you were glowing so brightly I wasn’t sure if you were literally going to combust.” “But I passed out.” “Yes, but not before you did all that and then some…and I have always managed to control myself with you but sweetheart you caused me to drop fang do something that I said I would never do…” “You bit me,” I sat up, still covering myself with the blankets having realized that I am still naked. “But, it’s alright…I’m ok. Really.” I place my hand on the spot where he bit me and I could feel the puncture wounds. It felt awesome at the time when he did it, but now I can feel it. It was sore as hell and slightly swollen. “I am immune so don’t worry. I kind of forced you to.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what the consequences are for that…I mean I feel different, but in a good way. I feel stronger and reenergized. But I will not take from you like that again. You have my word.” “Nino, I am fine. I can cover it with a band aid and some make up. And besides, I wanted it just as much as you…” I kiss his cheek. “So, where am I?”  In your new home.” Nino smiled at me sheepishly. Did he just say what I think he just said? “Uh, what?”  “A man tells his woman that she is in her new house and you have nothing to say?” I don’t know if that was a statement of pure sarcasm or if he felt a little disappointed in my lack of response or a combination of both. I needed a second to take everything in. Before our cosmic love making session on the beach he told me that he was giving me a house; and before I became a walking glow stick in the restaurant he gave me his heart. I gently reach over and touch that smooth, cleanly shaven, olive skin of his and place my lips gently on his. There are no words to describe how much I love this man-how much I need him. He returns what I offer but with much more intensity and that fire that I always keep on a slow burn ignites once again into a raging flame. He yanks the covers off of me exposing my naked, brown skin and I desperately want him to cover me with his. His body is built like a tightly coiled spring: lean and full of power.  Our bodies intertwine and he nuzzles the other side of my neck indicating that he wants more…he wants in…But then he kisses my shoulder and in an instant is off of me and slipping on a pair of grey sweats while at the same time giving me a lopsided grin. His sweats do little to cover a massive erection and I tremble at the thought of all the things I could do to it; and it to me. “Why must you do this to me babe?” I whine as a drape the comforter back over my body. “Because I really want you to see the interior of the house…” Before I could even blink he disappears through a pair of French doors and reemerges with a short, silk black robe and holds it out for me to see. “Here,” he says. “Put this on. I will have to eh…replace the clothes that you had on earlier today. We had to leave in a bit of a hurry.” He chuckles while he hands me the robe and I clumsily slip it on. I don’t even bother acknowledge his amusement because it is too embarrassing to think about.

Taking my hand he leads the way down a corridor which then leads to one of those Gone with the Wind type of staircases. Everything about the house was modern; the décor was of course a black and white theme with accents of red and gold dispersed sporadically in various paintings, vases, and other odds and ends that bring out the character of the house. The house was small compared to the monoliths and overpriced mansions that the ridiculously wealthy loved to splurge their abundance of riches on. But nonetheless, I love it. I love every inch; every nook and cranny; every centimeter of the four bedroom two story house that now belonged to me. The kitchen is a professional chef’s dream, with a state of the art oven and stove, a fridge cold enough to freeze over Antarctica and wide enough to store food for several winters. My mother would lose her ever lovin’ goddess mind if she ever stepped foot in here. I myself am not much of a cook but my dear mother can throw down in the kitchen. I would love for her to see it. I think if she saw how much Nino loves me and what he is willing to do for me, she will love him as much as I do. But, I cannot think about that now.

All I can think about is how fabulously well -furnished each room is; how carefully decorated; and my favorite room in the house is the last bedroom which happened to be turned into a mini library. Nino is the only man I have ever dated who appreciates my love of books. Since the day that I met him he has kept me well stocked with my favorite authors while at the same time introducing me to new ones. And, now here I stand in a room filled with bookshelves, and queen sized bed with several hefty pillows stacked on top of it, and placed smack dab in the center of it all. And when Nino drew back the sun colored drapes and allowed the last few rays of the sun soak up the room, the visual itself was an offering of complete serenity. Instinctively I wrap myself into Nino’s already welcoming embrace and we stand that way for what should have been an eternity.

Once the sun is set and it is the stars’ turn to light the sky Nino asks,” Will you accept?” “Do you really have to ask?” I smile. “Hell yeah I accept! What woman would not?” “Then will you at least move in with me? I want you with me all the time and I hate dropping you off to be alone in-don’t take this personal- that tiny apartment of yours.” “Hey,” I gently poke him in his ribcage. “That is still my apartment you know…” Feigning annoyance I pull away from him and turn around with my back to him. “I don’t know…” “What? Why?” Nino stuttered. “It is just that I like my tiny apartment…and then there is my job. Nino, what you are asking is to give up the little that I worked hard for. What I have is mine. I don’t know what the future holds-“ “ I will give anything to have you with me when the sun rises and when the sun sets Rita,” Nino says as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “I have waited for a woman like you for hundreds of years and I refuse to live another second with her living alone without me. The house is in your name so you can do what you want with it at your will. I will never override your need for independence. But, if I am willing to give you and have given you everything a man could give to a woman he needs as much as his own breath, all I ask is one simple request: say yes.” For the first time in my 28 years of existence, instead of listening to the screaming voices in my head offering me valid reasons why I should say no; I go with the beating voice in my heart… I say: ”Yes Nino. Yes. Should I call my job and quit over the phone or give them a two week resignation notice?” He unties the black robe and watches it as it slides from my shoulders and onto the floor and stares at me greedily. I want to be devoured.  So, I take it that the answer to my question is a very loud no. I won’t need any make-up for tomorrow

.Artemis The Family Curse will be available December 25, 2014.

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.