To Bewitch a Devil

As Aloysius drew closer, Zavian caught a look at his army. Darstun's men, and Selesee's, all in their dark-colored uniforms of blue and purple with their crests gleaming under the sun. Aloysius's army spanned across the land, and every speck of green grass within sight was covered with them.

Aloysius stopped a few feet from Zavian, and he opened his arms wide.

"Zavian, it's been so long," he greeted. His eyes went over to Freya. "And Freya. Won't you come and give your father a warm welcome?"

"How were you able to come to earth with the portal sealed?" Zavian asked.

"Down to business, I like that," Aloysius lowered his arms. His horse neighed beneath him, a low growl, and Aloysius tapped the creature's side. It looked like a shadow in a solid form. "Before that, your brother, Uriel here has been dying to meet you."

Zavian's eyes met that of his brother's. Whatever the Underland had done to him had snuffed out the little remnant of his soul, for the eyes that stared right at Zavian were dead. Uriel couldn't have been saved to join Zavian's cause, Aloysius's blood flowed through him.

"Answer the question," Zavian said.

"You pride yourself as a powerful demon," Aloysius continued. "But you have been foolish, desperate, unmindful, careless, and just what we needed to return." He raised a finger in the air and snapped it, and the soldiers parted as a hooded figure on a horse stepped forward.

The hooded figure pulled down the colt to reveal greying black hair, and Zavian saw a very familiar face.

"You," Zavian said. "I know you."

The witch bowed in mock respect. "Yes, I am sure you do. My coven and I were the ones who took Neera's blood when you wanted to bring back Lailah, and we brought it to Lydia."

"You went around blindly trusting everyone because of the one you loved," Aloysius tutted. "And even when you knew the prophecy, you still kept Neera around. All I had to do was put her into the belly of a human and bring Lailah back to life, and then, I waited."

"Where did you possess such powers?" Freya asked. "The Underland is meant to keep you out and locked."

"I am sure it is, but you can get very creative, and that is what I did," Aloysius said. "The Underland possesses dark power that isn't easy to harness, but spend centuries there and you will find a way. Uriel and I did it, and we tested and failed, so many times. But such is delicate magic, an untapped treasure."

"You were the one who took those humans," Azriel said, tight hands on the reins of the horse. "What did you do to them?"

Aloysius blinked as if noticing him there for the first time.

"I have a lot of catching up to do," Aloysius sighed. "We needed them to build my army. Selesee and Darstun have been generous with their soldiers, but I could create more. So, we had to borrow some from earth. It was hard, and we had to first practice on the children, and it was a failure over and over again..."

Azriel bristled, and in a flash, his arrow was shot from his bow. The witch next to Aloysius sliced her hand through the air, and a sheer film covered Aloysius, burning the arrow to ashes.

Aloysius snickered. "I am hungrier for a war than you are, but we have to get the family reunion out of the way first."

"You murdered innocent children," Azriel seethed. Please visit f𝓇ℯℯ𝚠e𝒃𝘯𝒐νel. co𝐦

"I gave them purpose, and they fulfilled it," Aloysius glared at him, irritation contorting his features. "You are every bit as soft as Zavian, already weeping over children that are not yours nor of any demons."

"Speaking about children,"

Lydia raised her voice. "I was expecting some grandchildren already, but let's not dwell on that. Where is my dear Neera? She is the star of today."

"Take her name out of your mouth," Zavian growled at her.

Lydia had the audacity to look surprised. "I thought you would have thrown her out of the castle after her generous help, but seems you are even more foolish than your father thought. We'll do it for you, we'll rip out her heart again and maybe this time," Lydia tilted her head to the side as if thinking, "come to think of it, I haven't had the heart of my enemy as a decoration on my wall before."

"We can discuss everything else after," Uriel said. His voice silenced everyone, and his eyes were pinned on Zavian, the hunger to kill him festering in them.

"Family reunion is over," Aloysius said. He cantered forward on his monster, and the horse's eyes bled an unnatural black colour.

"You spent weeks trying to find another portal when I alone have the power to bring about the portal at any point in time, and at any place, but that is beside the point," Aloysius said. "I will make this easy for you. Bow before me and declare me King, and I might consider sparing your lives."

Zavian looked back to the castle and knew he had to make it. This was his chance to eliminate Aloysius once and for all, and the plaque sword hung on his side, behind him an army he had trained, and Neera...

He had to make it back to her and have a long talk filled with apologies and forgiveness. He had to make it back to witness Azriel's wedding and tease him about it, he had to make it back for Freya, for all of them.

And there was only one way to do that.

Zavian drew out his sword, and his father got his answer.

"And now, I will end you," Aloysius said.

....

The wind carried the turbulent cries of the soldiers, the sounds of blades drawn out of scabbards, and the thundering of hooves on the soil. Zavian charged straight for Aloysius, but Uriel intercepted, his sword swinging down Zavian's arm and narrowly missing it.