Armageddon

The mansion was secured. The Prime Minister’s twin daughters, Isabella and Vivian, had jumped at the opportunity to put to the test their combat skills; together they stalked the hallways and removed any unwanted guests. They burned the bodies, including the corpse of Michael - which had been trying to reattach itself - in the large, circular driveway found at the front of the mansion.

Their father - the Prime Minister - a middle-aged man with brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, also acted; by placing a barrier spell. Together he and Alex instructed the remaining Humans on what to do. Once the Humans got over the shock and denial, they quickly set up routes and escape plans for civilians in the city.

Once finished with their clearing, Isabella and Vivian each led a group of Human soldiers into the fog to set up safe houses for survivors retreating to President Ramsay’s mansion. Alarms sounded throughout the city, and the President himself directed orders over the loudspeaker, guiding everyone.

Jaya slipped into the fog in his pursuit for the Mastermind of it all while Alex led a group of soldiers into the city to gather the survivors. Along with Alex’s group, each member of the Fae guard escorted several Humans soldiers through the city for the same purpose, while one group of three Fae guards went out alone for the sole purpose of disposing of the Ghouls.

Tia slipped through the guards, the unnatural darkness of her shadow seeping out into the air around her feet, surrounding her in a dark mist. Occasionally the mist became thinner as it spread up around her, giving the air a shimmering effect as the two royal Faes masked her presence from anyone who might try and stop her from leaving the compound.

She hesitated at the front gate, looking back toward the mansion. She could hear the panic as people scurried about. Pressing her lips together, she turned to face the city hidden in the unnatural fog. The silence was deafening. The darkness at her feet swirled briefly and she pressed forward.

The Human female ran through the abandoned streets. Vehicles had crashed from above, causing fire and destruction. A tall skyscraper groaned and shifted slightly, the remains of what had once been a raging fire now smoldering along the base of the building, leaving it stained black and broken. Bloodstained the pavement and a few body parts were left amongst the debris. Her feet padded along the street, the sound light and soft like a feline, when suddenly something lunged out of the alley she was passing, flinging itself at her with a screech of death. She jumped back with a start; her wide eyes fixated on the half-eaten face of a Ghoul.

Long black shards shot up from her shadow, cutting the creature into clean pieces. As the body parts fell to the ground, they each caught on fire, the shimmering blue flames devouring the beast before a single drop of flesh or blood could hit the ground.

The next moment Tia landed on the ground, poised and ready for a fight. The ashes of the creature crumbled away and whatever threat had been there was now long gone. Hesitantly she stood up straight, processing what had happened and how fast it had occurred. She looked down at her shadow, which seemed to be bubbling up and swirling around her feet. An eye formed and met her gaze, and she felt the air on the back of her neck stand up.

“That’s mortifying,” she grumbled before shaking her head and moving on, ignoring the eyes now watching her.

“You were just attacked by a half-eaten Human and you have the nerve to call us ‘mortifying’?” Diaval’s voice sneered.

“This is less than ideal…” Vlad mumbled, his voice distraught. He sounded like he was crammed tight in an elevator.

Picking up her feet she began to move again. She ran and searched with avid determination, refusing to slow her pace while her companions obliterated several ghouls along their path. She kept going even when her pace grew slower, heavier, and her feet made more noise on the pavement. It wasn’t until she could not move anymore that she stopped.

She bent over her hands on her knees and gasping for breath. She wiped the sweat from her brow and leaned back, staring up into the distant sun above the mist. Her shadow seemed to jerk suddenly, drawing her attention to the ground. It was extending unnaturally, twisting towards a car, as if curious about something. Still breathing heavily, she walked toward the car, inspecting the crumpled metal.

That’s when she noticed the stunned gaze staring at her from beneath it, hidden in a gap between the vehicle and a postal service box. The hazel gaze held no other emotion other than disbelief, which soon reflected in Tia’s gaze as well. Without saying either the two girls seemed to freeze, finally acknowledging just who they were looking at.

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Diaval whispered.

“Nothing, just thought I saw someone still alive.” Tia stood up straight and quickly turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Chloe cried, struggling to climb out of her hole.

“She is alive…” Diaval’s curious voice responded.

“Tia…” Vlad warned. She walked faster, her arms too stiff and her legs too fast. Part of her shadow stopped just as Chloe broke free from the metal encaging her. She stumbled out and stood up.

“Please don’t leave me!” She cried, thick tears streaking down her blackened cheeks. Any makeup that was once on her face now smeared down her cheeks and neck. Tia jerked to a stop, unable to move any further with her shadow staying still. She turned and glared at the unmoving part.

“We’re not going to leave her to die,” Vlad growled as her shadow stretched high into the sky. Chloe jumped back with a start, her hands clasping over mouth. He stepped out of the darkness, the cloak across his shoulders falling around his feet. His appearance remained elegant, despite being cramped in a small space with his cousin.

Tia folded her arms and rolled her eyes. “She would have done so to me!”

“Vladimir…?” Chloe whispered, her hands partly lowered and her expression shocked. He offered her a reassuring smile as he came up next to her. Tia’s heart panged.

“You’re safe now, we won’t let anything hurt you.” He rubbed her shoulder and her face seemed to come back to life. Tia very quickly found herself between them, pushing her as far back as she could. With a cold gaze, she regarded the other female.

“Hands off my fiancé, slut.” She spat.

“Whoa,” Diaval instantly joined the fray, his arms partly folded as one finger wrapped around his chin. He surveyed the scene before him with delight. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Tia. I like this dark side to you,” Vlad frowned at his cousin, giving him a slightly darker look.

“I can see this could be a problem,” he mumbled as Chloe’s gaze sized up Tia.

“Everyone thought you died, where have you been?” She asked with a hint of venom. Her gaze flickered questionably to Vlad. “You’re fiancé huh? Aren’t you moving fast? You just met him a few months ago. And aren’t you already engaged?”

With a look of delight, Diaval swooped in, offering his cousin a wink before taking Chloe’s hand in his own and offering her a devilish wink. His lips pressed gently against her skin and her face darkened tenfold. “Lost little kitten now is not the time for catch up. We must get you to safety. King Vladimir and Lady Tiana are on a very important mission. Perhaps I should accompany you back to a safe house?”

Vlad grabbed his cousin just as Tia jumped on Chloe, the two separating them in a heartbeat.

“That is never going to happen,” Vlad growled, holding his cousin by the collar of his shirt as he glared into his scoffing expression.

“Chloe is staying with me,” Tia spat, petting the other female’s head like a scared puppy.

“Ew, get off me. What is going on here?!” Chloe yelled, smacking Tia away. Her hand went through the female and she jumped back with a scream. All three faltered slightly, blinking at the curious and scared female. She grew uncomfortable under the weight of their gaze and tightened her grip on the fabric across her chest. She looked at each, in turn, Vlad and Tia exchanged uncertain looks.

It was then that Chloe realized Diaval had horns, and his forehead covered in scales that turned as black as his curly hair. She stepped back away from him, her face gawking. It suddenly occurred to everyone what was happening and with the next blinking of her eyes, Diaval was suddenly completely Human. He laughed lightly, combing his hand through his hair. He offered her a luring smile.

“Is that better?”

Tia smacked him in the stomach at the same time Vlad dropped his head into the palm of his hand. Chloe’s mouth seemed dry and she instinctively grabbed at Tia, not reaching the other Human. In a fearful voice, she whispered sharply into her ear. “Please just tell me what is happening! They appeared! Out of nowhere! There are dead people everywhere and I just don’t know what’s going on!” Hot tears began spilling down her face again as she trembled. Tia rubbed her back as she hugged her, biting her bottom lip in frustration.

Tia leaned back and gripped Chloe by the shoulders. “Listen, I need you to be the badass bitch that you are. We’re going to make it out of here alive. Understand me? These two are from the Dark Continent, and what’s important is that they’re here to help. Got it?” Chloe gave her an uncertain look and Tia’s expression hardened. “Or are you telling me you’re a little pussy and everything about you is a lie?”

“Excuse me?” She waved Tia off her. “I get what you’re saying, and I’ll go along with you. But let’s get one thing straight here, I’m not about to be calling you ‘your Majesty’, ya hear me? And also, you’re the bitch.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let’s just get a move on, I’m looking for someone who can stop all of this.” She turned back to the two males and jerked her thumb back toward Chloe. “Diaval, I found you a ride. But that’s as close as you’re getting to her, understand me?”

“Oh, trust me, I’m not about to ruin this. Sharing your shadow with him? Ugh, I have memories of you now that I should have never seen.” He took a sliding step toward the blonde while giving his cousin a wink before turning black and dissolving into the other girl’s shadow. Ignoring Chloe’s freak out, Tia gave Vlad a questioning look.

“Ha ha ha… ha…” Vlad scratched the back of his head, temporarily lost. “I did try to keep those to myself, but it’s really hard. When we’re sharing such a space, we join in many ways…” His face instantly became serious as he scowled at the dark mass beneath Chloe. “I have memories too; I should warn you. I let you off too easy last time. Now that I know everything you did to her; I’m going to punish you severely.” With a final dark look, Vlad too slipped into the shadows. Tia pinched the bridge her of her nose.

“Tia?! Tia?! What is happening?! Is he… is he in my shadow?! How is that possible? I don’t understand!” Tia turned to regard the other Human hopping around, trying to get away from her own shadow. With one sharp jerk, Tia slapped her across the face. The sound echoed through the still streets. Chloe met her cold gaze with one of her own and the two seemed to size each other up. Their shadows swirled.

“Chloe, I need you to calm down. We are in a life and death situation. Do you want to stay alive, or would you rather die and become one of those things?!” Tia spoke with royal authority.

A hollowed scream suddenly interrupted them and both girls jumped. They turned around to see a Ghoul running towards them, its right arm gnawed off and one of its legs broken and twisted in an odd angle. Chloe screamed and turned to run when her shadow twisted up around her defensively. She hesitated as a hand reached out and gently cupped her face.

“Watch Tia,” Diaval’s voice coaxed as he turned her head.

Tia had jumped into the line of sight for the creature and it was moving toward her with unnatural speed. She ran at it in full force, the ground beneath her feet cracking under her pure strength. She smacked its head just as her shadow began to thread up around her and the creature exploded in white light. The darkness seemed to hug her as she straightened her posture before it sunk back down toward her feet. She surveyed the area before turning back toward Chloe.

At that moment another Ghoul lunged from an alley, baring its fangs at the blonde. Diaval’s tendrils shot out and impaled the creature before she had time to see it. When she was finally looking at the monster dangling above her, it was already ash and being carried away on the breeze.

She looked around in shock, her mouth opening and closing. Tia shook her head. “C’mon, we don’t have all day. Pick up your feet.” She turned, keeping an eye on the other girl just over her shoulder. Together the two continued to explore the city.

The last rays of the sun came down across the city and vanished behind the encircling mountains, the shadows seeming to curse the lands in eternal darkness. A chill crept upon the two females and they slowed their progress, coming in closer together. Every light was out in the city, and Tia knew the other female couldn’t see as well as she could. They stopped in the middle of the town square.

She could hear a scout group not too far; fellow Humans being guided back by the Fae. Tia scanned the darkness, fully aware of Diaval and Vladimir who had stretched out of their shadows to be one with the darkness encircling them. Ghouls seemed to be appearing out of thin air, all circling the gardens the four remained inside.

“Vlad,” Tiana whispered, her hand finding Chloe’s wrist. She jumped at the touch but quickly stepped even closer to Tia.

“Kazimir is here,” Vladimir growled, nearly a low howl. At that very moment what seemed to be every light in the city cast down on them, burning away any darkness. Vladimir’s and Diaval’s shadowy selves were splayed against the pavement much like a bug on a windshield. Tiana shrieked in surprise, her heightened sight burning. She crouched down, shielding her eyes. Chloe instantly cowered down with her, momentarily blinded as well.