Divide and Conquest (Grimm's Reapers Book 4) (15 page)

I was still rightfully worried about my kids below, but Roxanne and Conquest made valid points about the task ahead.  “Brother, your son is a very strong kid.  Have faith in him, the same kind he has in you.”

“Listen to Conquest Grimm.”  I noticed Roxanne hadn’t let go of my hand our entire trip up the stairs.  “One day we’d have to let him go, it just came a lot sooner than we planned.”

We left the stairwell and entered the eerily quiet main floor.  The back room we were in Sabrina’s personal antechamber, the one that led to the throne room on the other side.  The door leading to it had a weird seal glowing on it.  “I think we’re only meant to go over and up.”

The feeling of being lambs sent to slaughter greatly increased with each step we took.  The three of us stayed close as we climbed the stairs leading to her tower.  The spiraled up quite a ways and by the time we reached the top, I knew we were a couple hundred feet above the battle below.

The door in front of us was cracked up.  “This is it.  Any last minute confessions or complaints?”

“I have none as we will get through this, just as we always do.”  Damn Conquest and his perfect smile.

Roxanne did have a last minute complaint.  She punched me right in the back of the head.  “That’s for leaving me for the Nyx.”

“Hey!”  She raised a decent sized lump on my skull.  “I thought we were over that and cool?”

“It’s a woman’s prerogative to decide when things are cool.”

If this was my last day on earth, I’d go still being as confused as ever about women.  “If you’re done beating on me, let’s go see your daughter.”

As we opened the door to the main portion of the tower, Sabrina was waiting for us.  Like every time I saw her when I was stuck in this awful castle, she was practically naked.  She was sitting on a throne, her booted legs crossed and smiling at us.  She had her long black cape on, as well as a G-string and a bra that barely kept her breasts in.  She gestured at us, like she was greeting old friends.  “Derrick, mother!  What a lovely surprise.  And who is this handsome gentleman you brought today?”

“I am the Horseman Conquest.  We are here to end this threat once and for all.”

Her eyes lit up like a cat ready to pounce.  “It is so charming the three of you think you can stop me.  No matter, do as you must, I have more important matters to attend to afterwards.”

I couldn’t even tell you how insulting it was to be taken so lightly.  “You’ve done so much to me and my family.  How dare you sit there and pretend not to care about the vengeance I plan to deliver.”

Sabrina looked down at her nails and buffed them on her throne.  You no longer interest me Death.  I only keep your silly child around because he amuses Balrog.  You see, when I ascended even higher than my wildest dreams could take me, another became my target.”

“Brother, what is she talking about?”

“I don’t know Conquest.  Ask her.”

She stood up and stretched out.  “The Almighty, who else?  I mean even Lucifer understands he is no match for me.  I enjoy watching him squirm, stuck in his own little prison of Pandemonium.”

Mother gawked at daughter.  “You are indeed one crazy bitch.”

“I have you to thank for that.  You left me under the care of my father, Beelzebub and he told me I could do whatever I wanted.  I realize what I want is to be the supreme being of everything.”  She looked out the window, towards the sky.  “Soon, the humans below will worship me as the one true deity.”

She’d definitely lost it.  “I’m pretty certain I speak for everyone when I say you’re fucking bonkers.”

The nonchalance was replaced with hatred and fire.  “I’ve ruined all of you once; do not make me do it again maggots.”

This was the Sabrina I knew.  “They say payback is a bitch, but it’s obvious you’re the bitch here.  Why don’t you come on down and finish the score here before trying to take over the universe?”

“You think the three of you can defeat me?  I have the power of Tartarus and Eden at my disposal.”

“Power we were able to break through.  You haven’t even mastered it yet.”

She held her hands out in front of her curvy body.  One hand brought forth the flames of Tartarus and the other glowed white of Eden’s power.  She brought them together and the two started to mix before repelling apart.  “Every moment the two powers flow in me is a moment closer to my success.”

The fact she’d just come so close to merging the two was incredibly scary.  Hopefully War and Famine were close to getting her power offline.  “Close but no cigar.  So I’m going to take that as sign I can still kick your ass.”

She pointed her finger at us.  “You’re more than welcome to try.”

**War**

We were out of that damn waterway and in the castle.  I can’t believe I’m thinking this, but after the slug monster, I was glad to not encounter anything else.  “According to Death, the artifact room should be around here somewhere.”

The four of us were searching the rooms off the main portion of the castle.  Nothing – but the power of Tartarus and Eden were close.  We could all feel it.  Two large double doors were in front of me, so I bullied them open.  “Who the hell are you?”

Standing in the middle of the room was one freaking large Minotaur.  “A shame, I was hoping the Horseman I would find would be Death.”

How dare this bull insult me?  “Is that a challenge creature?  Do you wish to die at the hands of War?”

By this time the two angels and Famine were behind me.  “Four against one, a worthy challenge for Balrog, King of the Minotaurs.”

Oh no, the glory of the kill would be all mine.  “You have this all wrong your highness.  The only one of us that will be making steaks out of you will be me.”

He dropped his mace to the floor laughing.  “You think you can defeat me by yourself?  You are indeed as arrogant as you are foolish.”

I could feel my celestial fire burning, wrapping around me again in the spectral armor that led a great many of battles.  “I may be arrogant, but I’m far from foolish.  If you take the threat of War lightly, you do so at your own peril.”

Famine was inching upwards.  “We can take him together brother, just as we always do.”

“No, this one has earned a special place in my heart.  The three of you do what must be done, but the Minotaur is mine.”

He picked his mace back up.  “So be it War, I will be your opponent.”  He took two steps towards me, stone cracking under the weight of the beast.  “As for your friends, I have a surprise for them as well.”

Slamming the end of his mace into the ground, five secret doorways around the room opened up.  Stepping out of each was a different kind of demon; two Pride demons, a Lust demon, a Wrath demon, and a Greed demon.  They didn’t wait for us to prepare ourselves.  With severe aggression, the fight was on.

**Oz**

This was getting out of hand.  Jacoby was seriously nuts.  “Listen here Lion-O, you need to take this down a notch.”

He wasn’t amused by my nickname for him and swiped at me again with that stupid big paw of his.  And just how the hell could he hold a sword with the other one?  This was just downright unfair.  “What’s wrong Slut-spawn?  Can’t handle it when things get rough?”

There was a joke just waiting to be told, but poking the lion didn’t seem to be the smartest thing in the world to do.  Instead, I slid under his attack and ran out into the hallway, giving myself some more space to breathe.  Jacoby was right on my heels though, he hadn’t given up the chase.

“Come back brother, we still have much to discuss!”  The longer he was in his man-lion form, the more insane he became.  “Don’t you want to be a family again?”

While it was true my goal is coming along was to beat some sense into my wayward step-brother, this wasn’t going according to plan.  “On second thought, I think you could use some therapy.  I know a guy who specializes in extreme cases like yours.”

He barreled at me like a bull in a china shop.  Thank goodness he was too unstable to mount any sort of real sustained attack.  He ran headfirst into the wall and shook the entire floor.  Even disoriented he kept swinging away wildly with that stupid black blade of his.  He was doing his best to get one of us killed.

I don’t know when he tail actually grew out, but the bastard used it and tripped me up.  Lording over me, “Let me do you a favor and send you home to mommy!”

**War**

I had no time to look on at my companions and their struggle with the demons.  This damn Minotaur was one tough son of a bitch.  The weight of his mace was almost too much for me to fight off.  “The closer you get to me, the more you offend my sense of smell.  At least demons just stink of brimstone, you smell of shit and body odor.”

He kept pressing down on me with his mace.  “Strong words for one who is losing ground.  I expected less talk and more action from you.”  He grunted and I met his force pound for pound.  “At least Death backs up his nonsense.”

How dare he compare me to my meathead of a brother!  “You’ll see action soon enough Balrog!  My blade hungers for your blood.”

The two of us were locked in a tug of war for position, his mace and my sword pushing back and forth, neither ready to give up.  I heard a scream from behind me; I couldn’t look but I got the sense the male angel fell in combat.  Hopefully Famine and Veronica would be able to pick up the slack.

“How does it feel never being your mistress’s top general?  First she spurns you for that pipsqueak Death and then to make matters worse, she takes his spawn?”

His eyes raged with anger.  “You speak of things you don’t understand Horseman!  When Sabrina fells the Almighty, I will be at her side!”

I lost a step due to my shock at his outlandish claim.  “She plans to attack the Almighty himself?  Your mistress is even more insane than I gave her credit for!”

Speaking ill of the Hell witch was a hot button for Balrog.  With a huge amount of effort, he won the standoff sending my blade flying out of my hand.  “This battle is over.”

**Oz**

As his sword came down to end my life, something amazing happened.  Wings erupted from my back and enclosed me in a protective shell.  His sword hit them and bounced away harmlessly.  Looking up, ghostly grey chains weaved around them; the same ones of my dad.

Jacoby backed away, unsure of what just happened.  Standing up, “Looks like you’re not the only one with a few new tricks up his sleeve.”

He looked on with jealousy.  “How is it you inherited father’s power?!  This is not fair!”

I gave my wings a quick flap.  The chains formed an intricate web around them.  I probably wouldn’t be flying very far, but they added a lot of protection.  “Maybe if you weren’t such a douche, you would’ve.”

He shrunk back from his lion-man form back into just my step-brother.  “I was supposed to be the chosen one…”

The battle was over.  Looking at him, a wave of pity hit me.  “Dude, you need to snap out of this woe-is-me shit.  You’re a Grimm for fuck’s sake, act like one.”

His eyes snapped up to me.  “That thing might be my father, but I am no Grimm.  He didn’t even pass his power on to me, the only thing of his I ever wanted.”

I didn’t consider him a threat anymore so I walked right up to him and bitch slapped him across the face.  “This self-pity might be okay in that puny brain of yours but you need to pull your panties out of your ass.”  He looked shocked that I hit him.  “You’re my brother and I’m not going to watch you act like this.”

The two of us stood there looking on unsure of what to do next.  I went to pull him in for a hug but he backed away.  “No, you’re not family, you’re an obstacle.”

“Dude, you really need to lighten up.”

He looked like a caged animal, ready to flee at first chance.  Then his opportunity came.  A black cloud formed behind him and a really creepy voice accompanied it.  “Jacoby, come to me!  It is your destiny to become my guardian, my knight!”

“Don’t do it man, she’s just using you.”

He looked at me with hateful eyes.  “Next time we meet, I will kill you.”  With those last words, he disappeared into the cloud.

**War**

Without my blade I was powerless to attack him.  I dodged his efforts so far, but Balrog was no giant slug.  He was a hardened warrior of much skill.  His mace crashed into the wall right where my head had been, leaving quite a large hole.  “Let me end this quickly Horseman.  I will give you a swift mercy-filled death as a warrior like you deserves.”

We still had a lot to do to make sure Death was successful from above.  “Never boast about victory before it comes.”

“You honestly think there is any other path for you besides defeat?”

A true warrior never stops until he can no longer draw air into his lungs.  “I have been the embodiment of war for longer than you can fathom.  Don’t think you have assured yourself victory.”

He lunged in for another attack and doing something very stupid, I reached up and grabbed his mace right underneath the spiked head.  He was taller than me so leverage was on his side.  However, I learned in war that the path to victory is never the most righteous.  Death taught me that sometimes you needed to be underhanded to win.

With my celestial greaves still around my feet, I reared back and kicked Balrog right in the nuts.  Were it honorable and a victory worthy of song?  No, but it worked.  The Minotaur let go of his mace and hunched over in extreme pain.  I secured the mace and with all my strength lifted it high in the air and brought it crashing down on his head.

With the quick and ruthless death of the Minotaur King, everyone still standing in the room looked at me.  Famine and Veronica were in rough shape with three of the demons still fighting.  Snarling, “Come demons, let me deliver you right back to Hell!”  And then the slaughter began.