Forbidden: Leadership

Chapter 47

-VALERIE'S P.O.V-

The world or realm is dark. Lonely but yet filled with bodies. Sleeping bodies. Or so it seems.
The floors are a black goo. It doesnt stick though... so black water.
"Take my power, Valerie. You need it." Markus speaks within the open air, body not shown, just a connection.
"I can do this on my own."
"Don't be crazy. Take my power, Darklord." Lakyn offers.
"When I find your body, give me a sign, Lakyn. That is all I ask of you. I will not have you die because of this. It would be pointless if you died."
The silence takes over. I continue walking into the darkness. It feels like I'm being watched from each direction.
I summon Sekia to me, in case. Not sure where they would go after I kill them here. Or maybe they just fall to the ground and that be it? I'm not sure.
"You're not welcome here." A loud snarl comes from everywhere.
"I've come for one thing."
"This place is for the dead. If you come here, you must be dead. So you must die."
"Show yourself." I command.
An entity appears before me before taking shape. A scythe, shinny and sharp. A wicked grin to go along with the insanity.
"Death?"
"The one and only." He smirks.
"I need the body and then I shall leave."
"To hold the prize of two leaders of hell. Seems rather juicy. I'd love to take that opportunity."
"I will not drop without a fight."
"Oh yes, I know." He smirks again.
Cocky. An asshole. Much like everyone else I've had to defeat.
A battle begins. I block his each swipe and he blocks mine. It seems like it's going nowhere.
He grows out of breath long before I do and I strike to his weakness. As I land a hit, it doesn't kill him as Sekia would normally do. Almost shocking but he's death, I wouldn't expect him to die without a good fight.
I stab into his heart and he stumbles back. I grab his scythe and have it to his throat along with Sekia in his heart.
"Wait, wait. I can be useful, my lord."
"Why would I want to work with a man whom only begs to live?"
"Because nothing better than the devil and death."
"I don't make deals."
"I can give myself to you. We can work together."
"I like my set up. Do you not enjoy the surplus I give?"
"I do, my lord. We can make a deal."
"What would you even have to offer?" I push the scythe closer, it cuts a small scratch into his neck skin.
"Ultimate protection from I. For your family. You protect and worry not of me. But your protections are nothing against me."
"They explain why you're on your knees, begging for your life?"
"Your blade and the scythe will kill me. Not either alone."
"Protect my family. Protect me. I give you the power to travel from here to hell."
I take a deep breath and make Sekia soak his blood in. As I finish spelling her to be able to kill him, he cries out in pain as she seers into his heart. I pull it out quickly before it takes full effect and kills him.
"Sekia will kill you now." I say plainly. He shakes in fear.
I have literal death scared shitless of me. Somehow it feels nice to know. Feels invincible.
He waves his hand and I feel no attachment to death. I take his wrist and bind the magic so he cannot undo what he has done for me and my family.
"Clever."
I raise my eyebrow to his word. He stands and I hand him his scythe.
"You seek whom?"
"Lakyn. His body was sent here by God's smite."
"God you say." He grins.
"Why the creepy ass grin? You're already freaky enough as is."
He lifts his hand and God appears in the dark skies ahead. "He was sent here not too long ago by the beast."
"I'll take him and Lakyn."
"You can only take one. That was the deal."
I put Sekia to his throat. He cowers. "Y..Yes, my lord."
Lakyn's body appears and I put both bodies over my shoulders. Death bows himself before laying on the ground and back to slumber. I tap into the connection to Ninfa and speak.
"Think it may be time to come home."
She starts and it feels like all is going downwards. I feel her drain rapidly. My heart races faster to it all.
"Nin, stop. You're hurting yourself. You have to be strong for our children."
"I'm not doing this without you." She denies my request to have her stop.
I feel her trying. I also feel her slipping more and I'm scared. I feel no movement with my being but I feel her weakening more.
"Ninfa you have to stop." I try to contact her but it isn't working.
"Ninfa, you have to leave me. You can't."
"Ninfa.. please stop." I plead but get no answer.
She won't die now. But it doesn't mean natural disasters can't occur. I don't know the full extent of this deal. And it doesn't mean she will be strong enough to take care of our children.
She needs to stop. To ensure all her strength isn't wasted. She needs to stop so she can take care of Dakota rather be bedridden until she's recovered... She has to stop.
She's going to lose our baby from straining. She's going to be comatized for so long from trying this mission. Dakota won't be left alone besides of Joel and Luke but still. She needs one of us if she can't have both.
"Nin, please. Our family need one of us. Leave me." The connection is fuzzy when it comes to speaking but it's a strong connection.
She's growing weaker and weaker. Everything in me hates this. I try and channel my own power to get back.
A strong power is given to me. Given to Ninfa and I feel myself being summoned. It's working. But I wonder where the extra power is coming from.
The faintest voice and I hear babygirl. She's helping. She's helping.
Lakyn's body is taken before my own. God's body is taken, though I don't know where he would go. I feel my power being taken as I try for my own return.
On my own, it's not working. I try to give my power to Ninfa to help and it must have because I feel myself returning. As I reenter my body, I'm deafened.
Her eyes are the last thing I see before I fall to the ground and on edge to pass out to sheer weakness that had been given to me physically. Giving all of me for another's love feels as if it were the best thing I could possibly do. I'm glad I did it too, I prefer happiness over forever alone.
Her eyes fill with tears as I finally close my heavy eyes. I give into my weakness and pass out to it all. My only hope is she is alright.

The world so slow around me. But it's in normal speed. Something feels off.
Something feels more... powerful. I don't feel any limitation at all. As if this journey actually caused me to gain power.
I pull all of my loves closer to me. Dakota nuzzles into my neck and Ninfa sort of lays on both of us. I hear our baby's heartbeat and it sounds a healthy strong.
Ninfa's hand takes mine and lightly squeezes. I can tell she's still asleep. I should be too. But I don't feel as tired as I should be.
I should feel fucking dead right now. I would say I am tired. And I am.
"Rest." She whispers to me.
"Are you finally reading my thoughts?"
"Sort of. But you need rest."
"As do you."
"Sleep." Dakota groans at us.
We end up laughing at her outburst. And it's what we do. We sleep. All of us.
A sleep to gain strength. A sleep as a whole family who had a fucking weird adventure. A sleep.

I am woken to a loud ring within my head. Hells call. A rude awakening.
I stop time. "Nin, I'm being called for work."
"What time is it? And why? Why? Just why?"
"No idea, love. I have to go."
"Are you strong enough?"
"Yes." I say and speak the truth. I feel good.
"Be safe. I'll see you at home."
I lean over and kiss her cheek. As I leave, so does she. Probably to our bed at home. Exact laying and all.
I land before the butler. "You called?"
"My lord. Someone is here to see you."
I turn to see Lakyn. I cringe slightly because it is the same man who helped Lucifer. He gets on his knees in front of me.
"My service is yours, my lord."
"Service is not needed, Lakyn. I've got things handled. You can rise."
"How are you feeling?" He says and stands.
"I feel good. It's as if each time I overuse my powers, my limitations are pushed further away."
"You grow in power. Interesting."
   ..partly because it's not suppose to happen, never happened before. Not on record. Never told in stories. Not even God did this.
"Indeed."
I touch his hand lightly and give him the ability to enter and leave as he pleases. His eyes speak louder than any thank you could be yelled. Entering hell without this ability given by me is a sadness because you're just trapped. He came her to pay respect, he deserves nothing other than to come and go, be happy and in love.
"There is the school that Ninfa had come up with. See if you can get in for patrol as guard. I know you have combat training. Maybe Markus could do same."
"Forever indebted, my lord. Anything you ask of, we will try to obey."
"I will see you later, my friend."
"Yes, my lord. Safe travels."
He vanishes before me. I turn to the butler. "Emergencies."
"Actually, besides him.. The colossal hound got out."
"Any hurt?"
"Damaged property within the hellcity."
"Clean up mess. I'll take care of the hound."
I run off. Summoning Sekia to my hand, the fight truly begins. I hate these hounds because their size. 1 turns to 5. 5 turns to 10. A clusterfuck. And if you're bit by this hound, you die. Me, probably not anything other than small coma. Motherhound is worse than colossal but any one else would be dead.
I whistle loudly and the hound charges towards me.
"Let's dance, motherfucker." I wave my sword and smile.
Charged and attacked. The battle begins. Hellfire and all.