The Sacrificial Seven
3 4
The familiar white ambience flows around her again. Eerie silence fills the air. Colourless sand covers the ends of her toes. The white glow radiates around her in a veil of brightness. Tiny hairs covering her deep skin prickle like ice as Daisy spins around. Chills run down her spin in droplets when she sees a body lying in the sand a few feet away from her.
Running up, she sees the deceased body of Clara lying at her buried toes. Eyes open wide, hair mattered with blood and essence. Her skin still seeping deep ruby blood.
Daisy crouches beside the girl, pressing her fingertips against the flesh of her neck, trying to find a pulse. A sign of life. But there’s no steady heartbeat.
She’s gone.
Sitting back on her heels feeling completely useless and devastated, a warm salty tear slips down her cheek as Daisy holds onto the cold stiff hand of Clara. She’s lying in the same dress she wore to the opening ball, now torn and ripped apart like someone’s clawed at her.
“She needed to be killed.” The recognisable masculine voice calls out behind her.
Rising stiffly onto her feet, Daisy sees him approaching her. Russet hair brighter and neater than normal, his eyes focused solely on hers .
“You-you did this?” Daisy breathes out, looking down at Clara’s mangled, bloody body at her feet. “How could you?”
He lets out a wicked chuckle that scares her down to her bone marrow. “You will come to understand soon, Petal.” A grin spreading across his clean-shaven face. It’s chiselled and square, perfectly shaped.
Daisy steps backwards slowly, not wanting to be close to the man, “I am not your Petal,” she articulates clearly, “stop calling me that!”
He’s only a few feet away from her now, blinking himself closer in an instant. “You have been mine for a while now. Helping me with my… plan.” He purrs out like he’s enjoying this too much.
“I will never help you .” Spitting out at him as her forehead creases with anger.
This only makes his grin grow wider, his pearly whites fully on display, “Petal. I chose you to help me. I thought you’d trust me by now.”
“I will never trust you.”
He reaches out, the back of his finger gently stroking the skin of her cheek. It’s in a soft and loving way, not at all how she imagined his touch to be. Her heart skips a beat, like it’s being restarted, as her garnet eyes lock onto his. He’s beautiful and alluring. His energy pulling her closer like a magnet. Daisy’s throat pounds as the corner of her mouth lifts, her heart skittering at his icy touch and intense gaze.
“There we go.” His voice whispers, stroking her cheek once more. “We have some more work to do, you and me. We still need to complete more sacrifices.”
Daisy slowly shakes her head, trying to understand him. “What sacrifices?”
She feels another body touching the back of heels. Pivoting, she looks down at Mabel’s limp body lying on her other side. Daisy’s hands cover her mouth, muffling her crying scream as she stares between the bodies in the sand.
“Why are you doing this?” her voice rasps out .
He groans down at her, his neck tipping backwards slightly, “Petal, I don’t really like being asked questions. I only like ordering. Demanding. You will listen to me and do as I ask. All right?”
Daisy nods as something flares inside of her. It’s not fear or terror, it’s more of a longing sensation, like she’s aching to be closer to him now. Craving the need to obey him. “I’m sorry.”
His fingers wrap under her chin, jerking her face up to stare at his darkening eyes. “Good. Will you listen to me now?”
Daisy nods against his hand and his smile becomes more feral. She should be afraid of it, but she’s not anymore. She’s utterly captivated by him.
“I need you to get that blade from your friend, Kora.”
“Which blade?” she asks abruptly.
His eyes slowly roll, which stabs at her heart like a dagger piercing her chest. “Did I not just say that I despise questions?” he bites out at her. Daisy’s brow arches and he chuckles lightly, shaking his head. “Only I am allowed to ask the questions. Not you, Petal.”
“Do you mean her golden blade?”
His jaw feathers once more before relaxing. “Yes, the golden blade she’s been wielding recently. I am glad she found it for me. I’ve been scouring all of England, searching for that thing. Little did I realise our pesky mother left it in her possession. Figures . She saved her daughter over her son. Of course, she left the blade for her as well.” His voice turning bitter.
Daisy’s eyebrows wrinkle and his hand drops from her face.
The realisation hits her.
His chestnut, russet hair. Eyes a deeper hazel than Kora’s, but still quite similar. He’s taller and sturdier, handsome and enthralling. “You’re Colton.” Daisy says breathlessly.
His eyes gleam with delight, “Well done, Petal,” and he smirks once more, “it’s you and me against the world, now.”
* ? * ? *
“We have found out what the carvings mean,” Lavina says in her familiar husky voice. Silver eyes shining like shimmering moons. Long hair braided with white petals. “Based on the two we have found, there seem to be some similarities with the symbols of the Beneath.” She explains to the Elders.
They all stand in the cold, quiet infirmary. Tobias is grateful there’s no deceased body bringing them together this time. He doesn’t know if he can stomach the sight of another.
“So you believe this is demonic?” Percy asks, adjusting his black-brimmed glasses with curiosity.
The immortal woman gives a short, delicate sigh. “There’s nothing in our history that links to these killings, but we believe it has something to do with the Dark Angels. Life works in balance. It takes a life and gives another. One person has luck, another has misfortune. It’s how the balance works. It’s how the universe remains stable.” She explains to them.
“What has this got to do with a ritual, then?” Robert questions her.
Argent eyes meet his. “Seven Archangels guard the Heavens and protect the world as you’re all aware. There’s Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Camael, Jophiel and Zadkiel. They oversee Earth and other realms.
“Six Dark Angels rule the remaining realms from the depths of Hell. Lucifer is their leader, with Moloch, Chemosh, Dagon, Belial and Beelzebub following him. There is an imbalance that the Dark Angels have always wanted to level. A thousand years ago, they attempted to eliminate an Archangel from existence, which only aggravated the Heavens.
“When they realised no Archangel could be slain, the Dark Angels devised a plan of creating a seventh Dark Angel, born to rule over Earth, claiming this realm as their own, and finally equalling them with the Archangels.” Lavina enlightens the Elders standing quietly in the room.
Thomas breathes out slowly, “So this ritual is for a seventh Dark Angel? One that wants to claim Earth and inevitably destroy it.” Clarifying with her.
Lavina nods grimly. “Requiring sacrifices of the Seraphim, taking their blood and carving symbols into their flesh.”
“Do you know how many sacrifices are needed for this ritual to be complete?” Percy asks hesitatingly.
She answers with a definitive nod. “Seven. The plan was recorded as the Sacrificial Seven hundreds of years ago. Seven angelic souls to signify the seven Archangels. The last sacrifice is for the birth of the new Dark Angel, bringing equilibrium to the universe.”
“But there have only been two so far. Clara and Mabel,” Tobias states loudly, “are you saying that five more still need to be sacrificed?”
She nods again in response to his question.
Robert rubs his forehead in apprehension.
“I am sorry that your kind is being targeted for this,” her voice sweet with a hint of sympathy, “but you are the protectors of the Earth from demonic creatures. It is your duty to defend against these evil beings for everyone living on this planet, Mortal and Marked combined.”
Robert looks at her, furrowing his inky brows. “We’ll need to put a stop to this before it’s too late. We cannot afford to lose innocent Seraphim to a ritual of Dark Angels,” dropping his voice and muttering to himself, “I’d never forgive myself.”
“How did the Dark Angels try killing off an Archangel? I didn’t think there’d be anything strong enough for that.” Percy questions further.
“Archangel weapons are the most powerful. Each of the seven have their own specially made weapon with their own powers laced into the metal forged to create the arms. Shaped from pure elements such as gold, silver and copper. The Dark Angels found ways to create their own, fortified with their own energies to create the deadliest of weapons. Although they’re deadly, the Archangels were only injured for decades, but couldn’t be killed. There is no element that can strike down an Archangel.
“Uriel, Michael and Raphael were wounded in their battle a thousand years ago. Three of the six Dark Angels were also struck down, spending centuries trying to recover. Lucifer spent that entire time planning and seizing realms for himself and his fellow followers. They prepared to capture Earth, making it their realm to rule when an Archangel weapon was found here. The only weapons known to strike down Immortals. The Blade of Uriel was wielded here by Tessa Hamilton.”
Robert crosses his arms in front of him, rubbing his knuckles along his stubbled jawline. “If Tessa possessed Uriel’s blade, then we need to find out if it’s still here.”
“That would be wise,” Lavina’s voice is harsh, “and I would start with your own people-the Hamilton’s. If Tessa had this blade last, then there’s a chance her children might know of its whereabouts.”
“You think Clarence and Kora know where it’s located?” Tobias’ eyes widen at her.
Lavina’s mouth twists as she considers him. “I believe they will know over anyone else here.”
Tobias lets out an exhale. “We will talk with them. Thank you, Lavina. You’ve been very helpful once again.”
“I hope you can find a way of stopping this before it’s too late. If they manage to create a seventh Dark Angel, then we’ll all be in grave danger, not just your kind. Everyone on Earth will be killed and this place will become desolate and dark. A wasteland that will never be replenished. Your world and everyone will cease to exist.”
Tobias swallows as Robert nods to her, understanding the threat hanging over their heads. “We will figure this out, Lavina. You have my word. ”
“Very well. I should return to the stronghold then-”
The doors to the infirmary slam open, banging against the walls, making everyone flinch in surprise as Charles rushes in. His murky green eyes frantic as he takes in the group before him. Clarence hurries in on his heel with the limp body lying in his arms.
“Father, we have found another one.” Charles blurts out hastily.