If Holly had any questions on why no one tried to stop her, it was all explained when she reached the outside of the building. Skeletons, more than she could ever count, swarmed over it. They climbed through the windows, they beat down the doors, they clawed through the wall until their bones chipped away.
As she walked through, they let her pass. There were so many of the skeletal warriors that Holly couldn't even begin to see the others through it. Her eyes roamed to the upper floors. Would Quix be okay by himself? Would Eros?
M
The walls closed in on her, and Holly stared straight into those oh-so-very-red-eyes of Lucifer. "I can't do that," she whispered. All she could think about was having a tryst with this man, no this devil. And doing that would not be worth giving up everything else. These couldn't be her thoughts."This is the fastest way for me to consume that soul of yours, the one that keeps bringing you problems. It will be stripped away like flesh from bone."The hairs on Holly's arms rose at the words. Just the idea of what he was saying sent a shiver through her and she backed up on the bed. There was nowhere to run here.
Give in? Holly shook her head. There was no way she'd ever do that. It didn't matter if Quix had a checkered past, or had another lover. Though, that one hurt more than she'd expected. For now, though, she needed time. Time to plan, and time to breathe.Luci was staring into her eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes tight to escape the heat from his gaze. "I need to rest, can I please think about it?""As you wish," he agreed. "But, when morning comes and you wake, I will have your answer, Holly. And I hope for your sake that you decide to do the right thing."
"Willow?" Holly parroted. "You're-""A vampire?" Willow nodded. "I am. It is a choice that I made, not one forced upon me.""But why?" Holly demanded. "Didn't you like being a human?"Willow snorted. "The majority of my human life was nothing but pain and torture. The best time I had in my life was once I gave myself over to becoming a being that could not be used so readily anymore. With this life, I was able to spend it with those that I loved."
Last as long as she could? As Holly awoke those words continued to ring in her head. As much warmth as seeing those ladies caused they were practically useless. What kind of advice was that? At least she was alone for the moment. No one else was in the room with her, though it remained inescapable.Holly stared at her hands. Should she try to use her power? Reverse this room to a time when there was a way out? Would they be able to feel it if she did that? She winced. What if she only made things worse? But, again, what choice did she have? It was only a matter of time before he came for her answer and she was well aware he would not be impressed by it.She closed her eyes as she willed herself the strength to do what she must. No matter what happened it was time to fight once more. Her eyes snapped open, and she focused on everything she had. The whiteness n the room flickered as she forced the time back."Now, that's an interesting trick."She jerked as
Holly's heart pounded in her chest. They had slipped away, but for how long? They couldn't keep this up. She could still see her friend's eyes before that monster had eaten her. All she wanted to do was throw herself down on the ground and sob. Atropos hadn't deserved that kind of death, no one did."I won't let anything happen to you," Angel promised. "Don't worry, okay? I promise. I've always protected you, and I always will." He stared into her eyes and Holly's pulse raced. What was with her that even Angel could bring about that kind of response? But as she looked at him, the way everything about him was self-confident, she believed him."Except that time you weren't even here yet," Eros pointed out with a snort. His eyes narrowing at the other in a silent challenge. Holly hid her wince. She didn't need Angel, she had Eros. Eros was the one that was always at her side, always helping her. He had been her protector. There was no need for her to soften up
Holly screamed was far too simple a line for the chaos that exploded in her soul. Another friend ripped away. She'd had enough. As the endless howl escaped her lips, the world around her wavered and shimmered like she had been tossed into a hot environment. Still, the screams didn't stop.Her power flared inside of her and then everything was thrown into rewind. The world went backward outside of her bubble. Second by second time rewound itself and there, Ruby was alive again! Wait, if she could save Ruby, that meant if she pushed harder she could get Atropos back as well and take away Death's power.Their eyes met and Holly smiled as she reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other, almost enough to grab on, but just short of it. Holly reached out as far as she could go, her fingertips grazing Atropos. The Fate smiled at before shaking her head and the world around Holly exploded.How long she sat there in the dark she wasn't sure. Time had
Holly winced as her eyes met Krim's. Flashes of what the man had done to her, what he'd subjected her to ricocheted through her brain. "Why are we fighting?" she demanded of Sloth. "We could do this battle all day. This isn't solving anything.""You're the one seeking to eradicate me and my family," Sloth replied in a hiss. "Why should I ever stop fighting you? You think you're the good guy because you've been told that over and over? What makes it true?""Enough," Eros interrupted as he strode toward the other side. Holly watched him go but an ache blossomed in her chest and she reached out to him."Shouldn't you be keeping your attention on the fight?" Demanded Krim. "You wouldn't want to lose another reaper, would you?" he questioned as he summoned his own scythe and gestured at Quix. "That one would hurt a lot more than Ruby. You forgot about her so fast.""I didn't forget!" Holly almost howled the words. "You're wrong!"Krim threw his he
The world shimmered around her like a bright shiny jewel and as she reached out, she realized she was underwater. She yelped as she reached for the surface kicking her legs behind her and froze. That didn't feel right. Holly craned her neck to look behind her. True, she had a lot of important things to worry about like what was going on, where were her loves ones, and where the hell her enemies went.But this was a bit more important at the moment.Holly had a tail. A shiny, shimmery, mermaid tail. She flapped it and watched as it flexed back and forth.What was going on now? She looked around trying to make sense out of everything but there was nothing around her but coral and fishes that darted about. Could she speak to them? "Hello?" she called.Mermaid princess she must not be for the animals just swam away from her leaving her all alone. Where was everyone? Was this another trick of Sloth's? But the Sin was nowhere to be seen."Com
Atropos landed in the middle of the group hitting the ground with a thump as she rolled to safety. The teenager righted herself and froze. "What?" she demanded as she faced the other two Fates. "Did you bring me back?""You were about to die. We couldn't allow that." Clothos responded with a nod of her head."Though you deserved to suffer for that," Lachesis added with a sneer. "You've messed up the tapestry. If we hadn't removed you when we did you would have been trapped inside without a chance for escape.""So you ripped me out?" Atropos rushed to the threads and ran her fingers over them. "Where's Holly?""Juniper has started her next life, her next battle. We helped transfer that tangled web over." Clothos' eyes narrowed. "I expect you to be appreciative of all the work we did. We managed to detach the Sin of Sloth from the tangle, and a few of the others but there are too many souls that got reborn with her."Atropos tugged at the tangl
The world shimmered around her like a bright shiny jewel and as she reached out, she realized she was underwater. She yelped as she reached for the surface kicking her legs behind her and froze. That didn't feel right. Holly craned her neck to look behind her. True, she had a lot of important things to worry about like what was going on, where were her loves ones, and where the hell her enemies went.But this was a bit more important at the moment.Holly had a tail. A shiny, shimmery, mermaid tail. She flapped it and watched as it flexed back and forth.What was going on now? She looked around trying to make sense out of everything but there was nothing around her but coral and fishes that darted about. Could she speak to them? "Hello?" she called.Mermaid princess she must not be for the animals just swam away from her leaving her all alone. Where was everyone? Was this another trick of Sloth's? But the Sin was nowhere to be seen."Com
Holly winced as her eyes met Krim's. Flashes of what the man had done to her, what he'd subjected her to ricocheted through her brain. "Why are we fighting?" she demanded of Sloth. "We could do this battle all day. This isn't solving anything.""You're the one seeking to eradicate me and my family," Sloth replied in a hiss. "Why should I ever stop fighting you? You think you're the good guy because you've been told that over and over? What makes it true?""Enough," Eros interrupted as he strode toward the other side. Holly watched him go but an ache blossomed in her chest and she reached out to him."Shouldn't you be keeping your attention on the fight?" Demanded Krim. "You wouldn't want to lose another reaper, would you?" he questioned as he summoned his own scythe and gestured at Quix. "That one would hurt a lot more than Ruby. You forgot about her so fast.""I didn't forget!" Holly almost howled the words. "You're wrong!"Krim threw his he
Holly screamed was far too simple a line for the chaos that exploded in her soul. Another friend ripped away. She'd had enough. As the endless howl escaped her lips, the world around her wavered and shimmered like she had been tossed into a hot environment. Still, the screams didn't stop.Her power flared inside of her and then everything was thrown into rewind. The world went backward outside of her bubble. Second by second time rewound itself and there, Ruby was alive again! Wait, if she could save Ruby, that meant if she pushed harder she could get Atropos back as well and take away Death's power.Their eyes met and Holly smiled as she reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other, almost enough to grab on, but just short of it. Holly reached out as far as she could go, her fingertips grazing Atropos. The Fate smiled at before shaking her head and the world around Holly exploded.How long she sat there in the dark she wasn't sure. Time had
Holly's heart pounded in her chest. They had slipped away, but for how long? They couldn't keep this up. She could still see her friend's eyes before that monster had eaten her. All she wanted to do was throw herself down on the ground and sob. Atropos hadn't deserved that kind of death, no one did."I won't let anything happen to you," Angel promised. "Don't worry, okay? I promise. I've always protected you, and I always will." He stared into her eyes and Holly's pulse raced. What was with her that even Angel could bring about that kind of response? But as she looked at him, the way everything about him was self-confident, she believed him."Except that time you weren't even here yet," Eros pointed out with a snort. His eyes narrowing at the other in a silent challenge. Holly hid her wince. She didn't need Angel, she had Eros. Eros was the one that was always at her side, always helping her. He had been her protector. There was no need for her to soften up
Last as long as she could? As Holly awoke those words continued to ring in her head. As much warmth as seeing those ladies caused they were practically useless. What kind of advice was that? At least she was alone for the moment. No one else was in the room with her, though it remained inescapable.Holly stared at her hands. Should she try to use her power? Reverse this room to a time when there was a way out? Would they be able to feel it if she did that? She winced. What if she only made things worse? But, again, what choice did she have? It was only a matter of time before he came for her answer and she was well aware he would not be impressed by it.She closed her eyes as she willed herself the strength to do what she must. No matter what happened it was time to fight once more. Her eyes snapped open, and she focused on everything she had. The whiteness n the room flickered as she forced the time back."Now, that's an interesting trick."She jerked as
"Willow?" Holly parroted. "You're-""A vampire?" Willow nodded. "I am. It is a choice that I made, not one forced upon me.""But why?" Holly demanded. "Didn't you like being a human?"Willow snorted. "The majority of my human life was nothing but pain and torture. The best time I had in my life was once I gave myself over to becoming a being that could not be used so readily anymore. With this life, I was able to spend it with those that I loved."
Give in? Holly shook her head. There was no way she'd ever do that. It didn't matter if Quix had a checkered past, or had another lover. Though, that one hurt more than she'd expected. For now, though, she needed time. Time to plan, and time to breathe.Luci was staring into her eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes tight to escape the heat from his gaze. "I need to rest, can I please think about it?""As you wish," he agreed. "But, when morning comes and you wake, I will have your answer, Holly. And I hope for your sake that you decide to do the right thing."
The walls closed in on her, and Holly stared straight into those oh-so-very-red-eyes of Lucifer. "I can't do that," she whispered. All she could think about was having a tryst with this man, no this devil. And doing that would not be worth giving up everything else. These couldn't be her thoughts."This is the fastest way for me to consume that soul of yours, the one that keeps bringing you problems. It will be stripped away like flesh from bone."The hairs on Holly's arms rose at the words. Just the idea of what he was saying sent a shiver through her and she backed up on the bed. There was nowhere to run here.