Immortali

Chapter 13- Darkness

He stood in the shadows of the alleyway, wiping the blood from his hand. Mortal blood. He detested it. Loathed it with every fibre of his being. His eyes slid to the body of the dead Seer, her body dumped rather unceremoniously near a garbage bin. She'd been of no use to him whatsoever. None of the other two he'd asked that night had been either, hence the reason why they'd payed the price for their incompetence. After all, how hard could it be to find a red-aired, green eyed, astral projector? Apparently too hard, according to each of the three Seers.

He turned his head back and watched the people strolling the streets of the city he'd rune gated too. It was the fourth one tonight, and this one, he'd learned, was now called London. Something in him bristled with anger. Even at this hour, thousands of them walked the streets, chatting and laughing. So carefree, so convinced that they ruled the roost here.

It made him grimace with disgust.

Humanity was a plague, a disease. A parasite that needed to be eradicated.

Years ago, it had infected his kind, corrupting them and turning them against each other. Often, he'd wondered how a race of weak, defenceless people had managed to bring down the Immortali, the eternal, the primordial, the very people who personified power.

And then he'd remember how The Circle had tried to protect these pathetic creatures. How they'd stood in his way when he'd proposed the extermination of all mortal-born Immortali. Even the one person he'd thought he could trust had betrayed him.

Stroking his unshaven chin, he nodded at this. Yes, Alrick had betrayed him. Alrick had been the one who'd objected to his ideas, and when he'd tried to carry it out on his own, Alrick had stopped him still.

And all these years later, Alrick was still the roadblock. It had been Alrick who'd put him away in that bottle. It had been Alrick who'd mustered an army to destroy him. And now, Alrick was going to pay for what he'd done.

"Master!"

He turned, spotting the woman. She stood in the middle of the alley wearing an expression of surprise. He was willing to wager whatever currency they now had in this world that she hadn't expected to see him ever again.

"Lilith."

A cough sounded from the darkness. Then, a young, fair girl stepped into the light. He looked at Lilith.

"And who is this?"

Lilith looked to the young girl, and then back to him.

"She's my apprentice, one of the few that I've taken on in your absence. By far, she's the best. Exactly what we look for in our Lost Ones. And she's a manipulator."

He looked at the girl with renewed interest. And, yes! He could see it. He could see the image she projected, the one the world saw, and then the real one hiding underneath. He was impressed that she'd managed to hide it from him. Very impressed. Perhaps she would be useful after all, especially since he had work to do now. Lots of it.

"Excellent, Lilith. You've done well. Though, you've done little to hinder The Circle whilst I slept." His voice turned into a snarl as he finished. Lilith cringed.

"Master... we were greatly outnumbered. The Circle had us on the run. There was nothing we could do!" She pleaded.

He held up a silencing hand.

"That is inconsequential now. It would seem that Sybella's prophecy has come true after all. The Seer was right when she said that the saviour would have power unparalleled."