Chapter Twenty-Eight

Elijah wakes up, his arms and legs shackled  to a cement wall, blood running from the top of his head from the brick, and his lip is busted from falling face first on the floor. Snake sits in a chair watching him curiously. She watches Elijah wake up and she leaves for a few moments. She comes back with Sabri, who looks Elijah over curiously.

“Elijah, how’s the Blackmagic been treating you?” asks Sabri.

“Listen, I know you need my help.” says Elijah pleading to Sabri.

“What’s the matter? Nathan not want you?” asks Sabri.

“Nathan doesn’t appreciate our kind.” says Elijah.

“What kind is that? What are we?” asks Sabri with deep green eyes.

“Freaks, monsters, outcasts. You know the kind Sabri. That’s what you were to your family. That’s why you make these monsters. So you have someone to remind you of yourself.” says Elijah.

“Cut him down, let him meet Christopher.” says Sabri walking away.

“What?” asks Snake, shocked.

“You heard me!” yells Sabri from a room away.

Snake does as her master orders and unlocks the shackles holding Elijah to the wall. Snake grabs him by the arm and takes him to where Sabri is. Sabri has a mask over Christopher’s face, the mask is connected to tubes that are connected a container of some sort of anesthesia.

“They still work on him? Even after what you’ve changed about him?” asks Elijah approaching the table.

“As much as he looks like a monster, all of his insides are still human. Lungs, heart, liver, kidney. All still human, so he must be taken care of, just like Snake. And just like Snake, whatever can put a human to sleep, can put them to sleep.” explains Sabri.

“If us freaks are going to stay together, then we need to know about each other.” continues Sabri.

“Why keep him under?” asks Elijah.

“I’m afraid of what he might do when he wakes up.” says Sabri.

“Meaning what?” asks Elijah looking curiously at Sabri then to Christopher.

“He hasn’t fed yet, and he hasn’t been around food yet.” explains Sabri.

“You’re afraid of him attacking you?” asks Elijah.

“More of you and Snake. I created him, he won’t see me as food. He will see you and Snake as brother and sister. But after doing more research, I found out this species would eat each other for dominance.” explains Sabri with a sigh.

“So what do you plan to do Master?” asks Snake stepping forward.

“The two of you will leave the room and I will cut the gas.” says Sabri, looking at Snake and Elijah.

“Now!” yells Sabri, as Elijah and Snake scramble to leave.

Sabri waits for them to leave and he locks the door. He walks over to the tank of anesthetic and turns it off. He waits for a few minutes as Christopher starts to stir. Christopher sits up and looks around, he takes the mask off and looks at Sabri.

“Do you speak?” asks Sabri to his newest creation of a human wolf. Christopher hesitates for a moment.

“I understand your words. But my collection of thoughts is vast.” says Christopher.

“I’m impressed. A good first sentence. You have the words, just need to know how to use them. Do you know who I am?” asks Sabri.

“You are my Master. My Creator. My Father. I obey, because you gave me life.” says Christopher.

“Good. Are you hungry?” asks Sabri.

“”I’ve yet to eat Master.” replies Christopher.

“What meat do you prefer my son?” asks Sabri

“Meat is meat my father. The hunt is just as fun either way.” says Christopher.

Sabri puts a collar around Christopher, he uses a metal chain as a mask shift leash. Christopher tenses up but Sabri calms him and they walk together, outside of the building, looking into vast amounts of wood. Sabri undoes the chain, freeing Christopher.

“Bring back your meal. I want to see your prey.” says Sabri.

Christopher starts sprinting, almost at an insane speed. He jumps into a tree landing on a branch and begins scouting for prey. He jumps from tree to tree and finally down out of Sabri’s sight. Sabri closes his eyes and just listens. He hears the shuffling of feet and leaves on the ground. The crisp fall air lets him breathe easily. He can hear two sets of steps, maybe three, maybe four. One set still in a dead sprint, while the others move slowly, unsuspecting of their fate. Suddenly it becomes quiet. Then he hears the sound of something being drug across the leaves on the ground. Sabri opens his eyes and looks up to his creation standing with a dead deer to his left and a dead hunter to his right.

“You hunted the hunting and hunt. I must say I’m impressed. How did you do it?” asks Sabri

“I killed the deer first because it was faster. I jumped down from a tree and smashed it’s head with a rock.” says Christopher moving the dead animal's head to show the wound.

“And the hunter?” asks Sabri.

“I came from behind and snapped his neck.” says Christopher.

“Even with the head of a wolf, you still have so many human qualities.” says Sabri, putting his hand on Christopher’s hairy face.

“May I eat now Master?” asks Christopher talking about his newly killed prey.

“I shall leave you to feast. Come inside when you are done my child” says Sabri taking his hand back to his side and turning to walk inside and seeing Snake and Elijah.

“How much of that did you see?” asks Sabri.

“Enough to know you created a fast speed, stealth hunter.” says Elijah speaking for himself and Snake.

“Does he worry you?” asks Sabri.

“Master, my worries are not with Christopher, they are with you.” says Snake.

“You created them, you’re getting better at this. When do we become useless to you?” says Elijah.

“And what happens to us when you don’t need us?” asks Snake.

“My goal isn’t to replace you. Because I can’t. The two of you are too unique to be replaced. Snake how could I make anyone stronger than you? Elijah, where will I find anyone as skilled in Black Magic as you are? I have strength and magic on my side. Now I have someone who is fast.” says Sabri trying to defend his newest creation.

“I understand your need to expand, but I need job security here.” says Elijah.

“Listen Elijah, the position you want will soon be open. All we need is Nathan to do the dirty work of taking her from the throne and then we will take care of Nathan. Because let’s be honest now, who will Nathan put in charge of the Pagans? No one. Nathan has no one.” says Sabri, putting his hands on Elijah’s shoulders.

“You talk as if Nathan is some little kid we can take candy from. Get for real Sabri. Look at who he is and what he’s done. The power he holds. It doesn’t end. What don’t you understand? I didn’t come to your side because he didn’t want me, I came to your side because I didn’t want him.” says Elijah forcefully, pushing Sabri’s arms away from him.

Snake steps between the two preventing Elijah and Sabri from going to blows. Elijah shakes his head and walks back inside. Sabri looks at Snake and starts to follow Elijah, but Snake puts her hand on his chest to stop him.

“Out of my way Snake.” says Sabri trying to push past her.

“Master, you need to stop.” says Snake pushing back.

“What in the hell are you doing? Standing up for him? The man who tried to kill you?” asks Sabri.

“He didn’t want to kill me. He wanted to help.” says Snake with a tear in her eye.

“You big goddamn oaf. Do you believe every piece of s**t someone puts on a platter for you?” asks Sabri, using his finger to wipe the tear from her face.

“You have a new brother. Christopher. Elijah isn’t like you. No matter how hard he tries, he can never be like you.” continues Sabri.

“I don’t know Christopher, I don’t know Elijah, and quite frankly I’m not sure if I know you anymore. I miss the Empress, she treated me with respect and honor.” says Snake.

“Shut the hell up! Don’t bring up that gold-digging tramp!” says Sabri slapping Snake across the face three or four times.

“Stop!” yells Elijah pushing Sabri out of the way.

“What’s all the yelling for?” says Christopher walking out of the building with his mouth covered in blood.

“Christopher, the Pagan hurt me.” yells Sabri, fabricating his pain.

“Master!” yells Christopher as he jumps at Eljiah taking him down, snapping his jaws at his neck.

“Get off of him!” yells Snake as she kicks Christopher in the head knocking him off of Elijah.

Sabri runs up behind Snake and puts his hand around her mouth and makes his hands glow green. Elijah picks up a small tree branch and swings it at Christopher’s head, dropping him down to the ground before he can get all the way back up. Elijah turns his attention to Sabri, trying to cast some sort of spell on Snake.

“Your monsters have turned against you.” says Elijah.

“All she saw was the Empress’s illusion. She showed her glitz and glam. If she wants to go back to the Empress, she can meet her husband again.” says Sabri, as his hand glows darker.

“Sabri, you don’t want to do this.” says Elijah trying to reason with Sabri.

“I should’ve learned my lesson when I dumped her out the first time.” says Sabri.

“She came back to you, it was destiny.” says Elijah, reaching into his back pocket sneakily.

“Destiny is a piece of horse s**t.” says Sabri.

“Let her go, and you can have this.” says Elijah pulling out a rosary necklace.

“Why would I want that?” asks Sabri.

“Think of it as insurance, that I’ll come back. It’s my mother’s.” says Elijah.

“Hand it over.” says Sabri, letting Snake go.

“I promise she’ll be gone.” says Elijah, helping Snake up and giving Sabri the rosary.

Elijah and Snake walk away. For the most part unharmed. After about ten miles Snake breaks the silence.

“Thank you.” says Snake.

“Don’t. The rosary means nothing.” says Elijah.

“But you said it was your mom’s rosary?” asks Snake, still in some pain.

“I found it in last week. I knew it would come in handy sooner or later. I just didn’t expect so soon.” says Elijah.

“Why help me? After everything I did and said.” asks Snake.

“You did what you had to do for a reason. It was what you always knew.” says Elijah.

“Where do we go now?” asks Snake with a look of concern.

“What’s this about you knowing an Empress?” asks Elijah with a smile.