HellCat: Guardian Of The Gate
By: Wizardtho
Chapter 16:
IPOV:
Chaos… hostile chaos. It was all around me in a split second. There were yells of, “Who are you,” “How did you get in here,” and “What the fuck are those things,” coming from several directions, but I had been prepared for that. My main concern -as the smoke dissipated around us and I saw we were all accounted for- was the fucker with dreads who was making to grab at one of the pup’s tails.
I instantly reacted, whipping Dragon’s Bane free from a pouch on my belt with my free hand, hurriedly pressing the button as I threw it like a frisbee directly to my left. It flew the 50 feet in seconds, taking the bastard’s left hand off, then lodging itself deep into the marble column just passed him with a loud cracking sound.
His scream and the echoing cracking sound were enough to still the room. I took advantage of the moment of stunned silence, offering in a snarl, “Anyone else want to try attacking my Hellhounds? I assure you, more than a hand will be detached from the next fucker to try that shit. I’ll be smirking as I lay your detached head at your precious Masters’ feet, all before you have the chance to blink.”
My eyes saught out every vampire in the room, to let them know I was deadly serious, before landing on the raised throne dais. The blonde on the right -Caius- snarled at me, but I smirked as I sent Sky a prowl feeling.
Within a split second, the hounds were spread out and prowling the room with growls and snaps of their teeth, their tails whipping about as the color of their scales changed to have more crimson than black.
My smirk only grew as Aro -the one in the middle- demanded, “Who are you?! How did you get in here?!”
I walked purposefully forward with Skylar at my side, calling for Dragon’s Bane without pause, but didn’t get a chance to speak before Caius snarled, practically spitting in my direction, “How dare you! You, a measly human, thinking you have any right to demand an audience with us. Do you know who we are, you little human bloodbag?!”
Instantly, not only gasps from the Cullens could be heard, but fierce growls from my mate and all the Hellhounds. Since I’d reached the bottom of the steps by now, as the rest of the hounds became more defensive, hissing and snapping at random vampires, Skylar stalked toward Caius with a purpose. Her growl was definitely threatening, and I watched all three kings’ eyes widen as she made her way toward him.
I chose to speak finally, offering only, “You’ve fucked up with your last little comment, Caius. Sylar doesn’t much like when people call me names.”
Aro’s eyes flickered from me and Skylar to the Cullens for several moments, his features shocked, before he asked sadly, “Carlisle, please tell me you did not lead this human into our castle.”
I didn’t even give Carlisle time to answer, instead flashing over to Dreads, who it seemed didn’t learn his lesson when he lost his hand. Since his eyes were intent on his task of reaching for another pup’s tail, he never saw me. I was in front of him with Soul Reaver slicing cleanly through his neck, his head grabbed by the hair before it ever had time to fall. Then, as if I'd never moved at all, I was back standing at the foot of the steps before anyone had time to react.
The whole thing took maybe 4 seconds, but I smirked widely as I tossed the venom-leaking head to Aro’s feet, offering, “I warned them, plain and simple. I. Don’t. Fuck. Around. Do you think I really needed directions to you? I know where you are at all times. I know every one of your misdeeds and dirty secrets. If you don’t want to be feeling the business end of my sword at your throat in the very near future, you will change your greedy, power-collecting ways, Aro Volturi. Hades has a special place in Hell prepared, just for you and Caius.”
Aro and Caius both looked at me in outrage, but I chose to look toward Marcus, who only looked curious and calm. “See, even Marcus knows when not to contradict me.”
My smirk morphs to a soft smile as I add seriously, “You, Marcus, are on the right path. Stay steadfast on it, and do not let these two sway you.”
Marcus only nods gratefully in response.
After another two full minutes of being looked at in shocked outrage by the other two kings, I finally decided to fill in the blanks for them. Seriously, you would have thought it would be clear who I was by now, but apparently, Aro and Caius were dumb as rocks. I rolled my eyes before smirking at them, “Really? You haven’t figured it out yet? My Hellhounds didn’t give me away, I take it?”
Neither of them gained any recognition in their eyes when I paused, so I continued, “Christ, Aro… I thought you had at least a few competent braincells left. I am the Guardian of the supernatural gate to Hell. Now that you’re aware of how much higher I rank in the food chain than you, you’re going to give me the information I seek, or Hades will be glad to see you a bit earlier than planned.”
Marcus sat calm, only allowing a small twitch of a smile to reach his lips at the confirmation, but Aro paled considerably. Meanwhile, I saw a look cross Caius’ face briefly before he bellowed, “Impossible! Take this imposter to the cells!”
Skylar was the first to react, snapping at and holding the sleeve of Caius’ shirt. Instead of turning on Skylar, Aro immediately yelled for all guards other than elite to leave the room, while the elite were to plaster themselves to the walls.
Skylar suddenly became more hostile, actually biting into Caius’ arm while tugging it toward me. I let our bond talk to me, to try and figure out her response. It suddenly came to me as I inhaled… there was a scent on Caius -no inside him, part of him- that Skylar recognised. It was both familiar and hostile.
I immediately understood what this was about. I hissed as anger boiled inside me, which caused Sky to clamp down hard on Caius’ arm as her tail whipped about. He let out a shocked and pained cry in response.
I quickly checked to make sure none of the guards had made to move, then hissed at the blonde king, “You… you know one of the ones I seek. The venom rushing through your system reeks of him. Tell me, now, where the werewolf is!”
Caius, his arm still locked in Skylar’s deadly jaws, growls slowly through the pain, “Werewolf… the only one of those... wretched beasts I’ve ever... had contact with was the one who... killed me as a human. I sent him to Hell myself, over a millenia ago.”
I could hear all the hellhounds becoming more agitated as they prowled, the sounds of their tails whipping around and growls making the room echo with a rumbling/swishing sound. Mystic stayed right next to my mate to protect him and the Cullens, though, so I quickly snatched Caius up from his throne by the front of his shirt, “He escaped, you idiot, by killing the last guardian with the help of a nomad vampire, who I’m also looking for. I’m meant to sent them back to Hell where they belong. Why else would I be here for answers? Where. Would. He. GO!”
Skylar’s jaws clamped down even harder, then Caius cried out brokenly, the bones in his forearm making a sickening cracking sound as they broke, “Romania! He would go… back to Romania… go back home!”
I nodded stiffly before patting Sky’s neck, saying in German, “Good Girl. I believe you can release him now, Skylar. You can always take his whole arm as a chew toy if he gets pissy again.”
She let go with a rumbling sound, though I sensed humor in our shared bond. Caius cradled his arm to his chest as he plopped back into his throne, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
I turned to leave when I saw no one on the dais had anything to say, but before I reached the Cullens, Aro spoke up. “Your nomad. I may have information on him, Guardian.”
I gave Captain a kiss, then had Skylar send Mystic and a few named ones out the the waiting room with my group. I keep the rest of the Hellhounds and their queen with me, though I could feel that Captain disliked leaving without me.
After the door closed, I turned back to Aro, asking only, “Where?”
He took a breath, then stated calmly, “We had heard of the minor issue the Cullens were involved with not too long ago. It was minor, and dealt with successfully, so we saw no reason to intervene. If this is the same nomad, he would also return to his vampire roots. He would return to the southern region of your continent, back to our species’ version of Hell on Earth. You already know which leader to seek.”
I groan internally, but say in just above a breath, “Of course… Maria. Who else would I be tasked with pulling a vampire from for that hell-ruling asshole? What the fuck… I’ve already got two of her prized possessions, why not make it a third?”
With a serious nod from Aro, I turned, the Hellhounds surrounding me as I walked to the throne room doors. When I reached them, I stopped, but didn’t turn as I promised, “I meant what I said, Aro. Hades has put you and Caius on notice. If you continue your current path, I’ll be sent back here to do some collecting of my own, and you won’t like who all Hades has me collect for him. There will be no more warnings.”
I reached for the door handles, then promised in almost a steely calm voice, “Oh, and by the way? If I find out you’re lying about James going to that Mexican whore… that you’re just using me to get rid of her… I’ll come for you when you least expect it. There won’t be anything left of you for Hades to play with when my mate and I are through with you, Aro. No amount of guards will be able to protect you from me.”
Without waiting for a response, I pushed open the heavy doors easily, making them bang against the walls behind them as they hit. The sound made my mate’s head whip up in my direction, so I smirked as I said to them in a voice I knew the kings would hear clearly, “I believe our business is concluded… for now. Time to go.”
The second I stopped next to Captain, he took my hand in his. Sky wrapped her tail around my thigh, then black smoke rose around me.
Everyone stayed silent on the way back to the plane, which allowed Captain to spend time making sure I was unharmed and well. He would lovingly chide me for making him leave my side, then spend several minutes kissing me before his hands and eyes searched for the slightest damage. When he wouldn’t find any, the cycle would continue.
Finally, as we stopped near the plane, Captain asked the one thing I’d been waiting to hear since my dramatic exit from the throne room. “Isa, what did he have to say when we left the room?”
I kissed his lips lightly, offering, “Let me talk to the pilot real quick, then I’ll explain.”
He grudgingly allowed me to leave his side, though Skylar stayed right with me as I walked over to the pilot, who was descending the steps to greet us. I spoke quickly, but quietly, “I hope you had a pleasant rest during our stop. File a flight plan for San Antonio, Texas. We’ll be needing your services for a while longer, if you are still willing afterward. At that time, we’ll be flying to Romania.”
Sebastian nodded in respect, then said softly as he caught my eye, “I have heard of your companions.” Nodding to Skylar, he elaborated, “Legends of old tell of the Hellhounds, their purpose, and the Guardian they serve. As this intelligent creature has not left your side for a single moment, it is easy to deduce that you are such a Guardian. My only question is this. Are you taking prisoners, or sending the ones you seek on to the place you guard?”
I smiled, patted his fidgeting hands, then offered surely, “You, Sebastian, have no need to fear me. You have led an honest and caring life as a vampire. Yes, I am a Guardian, and yes, Skylar is the Queen of my Hellhounds. They help me guard the Supernatural gate to Hell, as well as track down those who escape, when that rarely occurs. I will not be taking prisoners, as the ones I seek belong to Hades. He has something special in mind for them as punishment for killing my predecessor during their escape.”
The pilot straightened his stance, even as his features relaxed, then stated with a nod, “I will fly you anywhere you need, Guardian. Just say the word. The plane is ready to depart when you are.”
Only ten minutes later, we were all seated on the plane, which was in the process of taking off. I had told Sky to send Mystic and the rest of the Hellhounds back to the house to rest and await her summons before we boarded.
I knew, by the look on everyone’s faces, that there was no more delaying what was said in the throne room, so I let out a huge breath as I looked to Major and Captain in turn, “Hell, boys. I know you held back while in Italy, but Major and Captain need to buck the fuck up. We plan, then I think it's high time I met your maker, Major. That Mexican whore and I have more than a few things to settle between us, only one of them being James.”
Silence met me for a split second before chaos erupted.