Wicked God - S01 E45

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 45

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A scream followed.

It poured out of the throat of Eden herself.

The moment the metal pierced into her system, she let out that scream with every energy left in her. And that shut her up.

As her lips came back to rest on each other, her blood soaked her gear.

Her knees curved.

The man holding her let go.

A little tear rolled out of her eyes before they went closed.
She hit the ground with a loud thud.

“Eden!!!!” El Crow’s voice was shaky. For the first time since he grew, he sounded humane with pity and regret torturing his voice.

He shouldn’t have pulled that trigger.

He should have let them take her away and then later search for her.

He should have been patient.

The self-blame and thoughts were riling him up brutally as he ran towards the body of the kid.

By now, the men were out in sight.

It was as though they disappeared.

Everything happened too fast.

He crumbled to his knees right beside the child, and carried her in his arm.

He hoped he’d feel warmth from her—feel the hope that she’s alive.

His head lost it’s balance when he couldn’t feel anything but blood, lifelessness, and death.

“Piccola….No….” He shook his head desperately, remembering back to when he saved her from the piercers.
Her tiny voice when she called him Brother.

Her blooming cheerfulness.

He hugged her body to himself, hiding his face in her chest.

“Piccola….”

—

[New Orleans Central Graveyard]

Everyone cried yearly at Darius’s memorial.

He wasn’t a forgettable human.

He was someone who had a cheerful relationship with everyone.

Though, Satan hated his cheerfulness, but he was still her favorite child cos Darius loved his mother a lot, too.

He always listened to her.

The only problem she had with him was his closeness with Skylar.

Everyone in Dread House knew his admiration for her wasn’t just for friendship sake.

Darius was madly in love with Skylar. Though, he never once said it out, but it was so obvious even Skylar herself wouldn’t deny she saw it.

As she stood at the back of the crowd at the graveyard, she made sure her shades were intact on her eyes.

Others were crying, but why would she? If she’d cry for anyone, then it’d be for herself, and she hadn’t even done that, so why…

Would she cry for Darius?

He was great and kind and likeable, but may his soul continue resting in heaven if that place exists. That’s what she’s wishing him.

After all, his stupid mother sold her off to a wedding already.

The news of her wedding to Jethro in five days was still heavy in her mind.

At the same time, she had an idea where all of these came from.

Marisa.

She once told her to marry Jethro, and she had turned her down and broke their mentor-mentee relationship because of that.

Now Satan set up her marriage with Jethro. That only means Satan now work with Marisa.

Skylar’s mouth felt bitter.

The way she doesn’t even have a say in her own life is upsetting, but what would she do? She’s a stranger here.

She looked around, secretly rolling her eyes under her shades when she saw everyone was still crying.

Most of them weren’t even in the team yet when Darius was still alive, especially Quincy and Renee.

But they’re crying?

Hypocritic much.

After the one hour of silence, Satan was the first to move closer to the tombstone where DARIUS OSBORNE was written in capitals.

She dropped the little bird cage close to the tombstone and dropped her flowers directly on the tombstone.

She wiped the tears in her eyes with her black hanky, smoothly.

“I miss you, Darius. Wish you would burst out of that tombstone now and give me a hug. I wish Aftermoor already existed when you died. I’d have brought you back to life….”

Her nose betrayed her by letting out a unplanned sniffle, but she didn’t care.

“If I knew my alliance with Arturo and his son back then would take you away from me, I wouldn’t have been an ally. Darius you have to forgive me…” She wiped her eyes again.

“But I promise you…. I’ll get to the root of the matter. I’ll fish out who poisoned you that night. I’m sure it’s Arturo’s son, but for your sake, I’m willing to investigate to strengthen my sureness. I’ll avenge you.”

“And Dread who’s caught relating with an Enigma would be beheaded on top of this tombstone.”

At that statement, Rosita’s palms balled discreetly.

After Satan stepped back, Rosita stepped in, dropping her flowers.

“Continue resting well, Darius.” She pointed at the bird in the cage. “Your bird says hi.”

Roselle pulled her hat away and stepped in next, crying profusely.

Her tears were the loudest.

“I’m as sure as mother that it was El Crow who killed you. No one will tell me otherwise. He poisoned you that night, but I’m willing to get to the root of the matter with mum, and if it’s really true, I’ll kill him myself and appease your soul with his blood!!”

At the back, Skylar felt like bursting into laughter. It’s really been a stupid turn of events lately, but one laughter won’t hurt, right? Cos the ridiculousness of Roselle stank.

Same person who’d do anything to sleep with cocaineboy?

Shame.

Immediately Roselle finished her hateful words and stepped back, murmurs broke. Everyone turned in the same direction.

Skylar looked in that direction too

She had to remove her shades when she saw who just came.

El Crow, with bloodstained hands and shoes, slacks and shirt.

His shirt might be black, but the blood that stained him was too red it stood out in the middle of the black.

The one on his palm looked like he dipped the palms in red dye.

Roselle gasped and gulped. He didn’t hear what she said about him earlier. Did he?

He better not. She won’t be able to handle it if he had heard about it.

She felt like rushing to him to explain that she only said that to fake her hate for him, but she could only pick on her nails till the cuticles bloodied.

Dread Armies blocked El Crow’s way, stopping him from going further.

The flowers he held in his right hand, he raised it on them, flinging it at their faces and necks, thrashing the three till the flowers fell apart.

The three made way, but another three came.

He revealed his scissors for those ones, but before he could start chopping fingers, Satan raised her hand, and the Armies stopped.

El Crow stepped forward without any flower, but from under his suit, he brought out a single rose which he dropped on the tomb.

He said nothing.

He turned around to leave, but Midnight obstructed him.

“You came to a sacred memorial with blood all-over you. What are your true intentions? To put a jinx on the service and lay a curse on Darius’s resting soul?” He accused.

“Out of the way.” El Crow’s thorny eyes met with Midnight’s.

“The night of Darius’s death. I mean…the hour before his death when you both went hunting together, what exactly happened during the hunting? Why did he come back and fell dead with foamy mouth? What went down in the woods!” Midnight snapped.

“You want me to cut your throat so you’ll go up there to meet him and ask what exactly happened?” El Crow’s reply was blunt.

Midnight’s anger was successfully bought.

He almost started a fight as he made to grip El Crow’s shirt.

“If you start a fight and ruin this memorial, Midnight, you’ll be banished from the team for life!” Satan warned stoically.

Midnight’s hand went down.

El Crow walked out of the memorial as catastrophically as he walked in.

Skylar was left on the curious side one again. Why is he all bloodied and why does he look mad at everyone?

Yeah, Darius’s death brings out the saddest parts of everyone, but El Crow’s current mood doesn’t seem to be caused by Darius’s memorial.

And then there’s his bloodiness.
Who’s the owner of that extra red blood on him? What’s going on with…

Her thoughts met a dead end when her brain reminded her of the note he sent to her—the window note about Eden being in danger.

Wait…

It can’t be her…

Right? Not Eden.

But she couldn’t stay still. She momentarily forgot about her own problems and left the graveyard without anyone’s knowledge.

She went after El Crow and luckily caught up by his car at the roadside of that city property.

“Were you able to keep the kid safe?” She asked breathlessly.

El Crow just opened his car door. He mightn’t turn, but his ears recognized her voice.

Before he could enter his car, she took the door from him and slammed it shut angrily.

“I just asked if you were able to keep the kid fuckin safe!” Her eyes streaked with red webs.

“Are you mad?” He answered, slowly looking up to meet her demanding eyes. “Skylar Homeless Vox! Are you fucking mad? How dare you even ask how the kid is doing? How dare you ask me if I was able to protect her when you don’t give a damn? How dare you even come here!”

Skylar stayed still.

“You’re not her mother, and her business is not your business, so just continue doing that! Continue minding your business and I’ll bury Eden’s body alone!” He continued.

Skylar’s eyes widened.

She shook her head fast, blinking repeatedly and looking around as if suddenly looking for Eden. “No…. she’s not….”

She was still muttering when El Crow opened his car door again to get in.

She took it and slammed it shut heavily.

“Tell me what happened to her!!! I’m asking you a question!!!” She yelled.

And that was followed by a deadly punch to her face which knocked her to the car body.

Her jaw bruised.

But she didn’t feel it.

All she wanted was Eden’s whereabouts, so she nodded and just wiped her jaw blood.

“She’s not dead…”

“The last time I went to the Nursery to see her, do you know what she said to me when I saw leaving?” El Crow muttered with a sour mouth. “She said….Tell Sister that Black is now my favorite color cos of her hair. She said Blonde was her second favorite cos of me, and she openly told me that she liked you so much and begged me to tell you to come see her…you fuckin’ bitch!”

Skylar shook her head again.

“You’re homeless, struggling. You have your own issues, but you still saved her with me at the piercers. Where did that humanity go when I sent you the note? Inferno can mess with our normal strengths and alter our decisions, but the super strength he gave us? It’s untameable, and we can only use it when we’re together! We could have saved her if you went with me, but you refused!”

Skylar staggered. “No …”

“Continue being the bad bitch…the heartless slut…the one who’d watch the world burn and don’t care so far she escapes unscathed. Go ahead and mend your problems alone, and like I said, I’ll bury Eden alone.” El Crow finalized and swallowed slowly.

A car drove past that silent road.

From inside it, the driver threw down a cigar butt to the woods.

The fire from it connected with a leaf, and a small fire erupted.

As the abnormal cracklings happened, El Crow knew the bastard entity was going to appear.

And he did.

Inferno materialized out of the fire with a loud laughter which made the road look like it held it’s breaths.

The fire burning on him was brighter than the last time, and his scorpion tail was longer and darker now.

“Do you both know why I’m more interested in your lives than Roselle’s?” He chuckled from the blaze. “Because there’s so much to witness and alter and drive you both crazy with,” he stated. “By the way…I’m expecting my second kills in Aftermoor soon…your first kills energized me so much it feels good to have a proper meal again.”

El Crow said nothing.

Skylar said nothing.

They looked defeated.

“Are you angry that i paused your legs when you were going to save that little girl?” Inferno cackled. “How else was I supposed to have additional fun if I don’t mess with you like that at times? Also, I knew Skylar wasn’t there to make your super strengths surge, so I had to entertain myself.”

“You’re doing all of this because of the price you talked about, right?” Skylar asked with folded fists.

“Of course!” Inferno laughed. “Initially, you both were just survivors of Aftermoor, and my grip on you both was limited, but now that you both have a price to pay to me, my tormenting grip is limitless. If you ask me, it hasn’t even started yet.” He stood in the middle of the road and widened his arms.

El Crow didn’t wait for the entity to disappear. He got in his car and simply drove away.

“To hell with you!!!” Skylar yelled at Inferno, trembling with fury. “You’d be surprised at what I can do once I set my mind on it! I’ll defeat you!” She threatened hotly before rushing back into the gravesite.

For the first time ever, they left before Inferno. The entity remained in the middle of that road.

“The hate between you both has to continue,” he muttered. “Of course I can’t lose my best food. I’m not dumb, you both. Hate each other madder, so I won’t starve to oblivion.”

His scarred face came to view.

“Why did Skylar not die even after getting intimate with him though?” He asked no one in particular.

Even as a dark entity, this issue put limits on his knowledge.

He had no idea why it happened that way.

Why did Skylar not die?

—

Back at the memorial, it was nearing the end when Skylar came back.

She wasn’t herself anymore.
She wasn’t thinking anymore. Her head was like an empty nylon getting carried by the air with nothing but breeze inside.

She bursted to the front of the crowd and went straight for Satan.

Satan looked up from the tombstone and cast her a glance.

“How the fuck am I getting married to Jethro in 5days?” Skylar queried.

“The fact that you think you have any right to query my decisions will always be beyond me, Skylar.” Satan returned her stare to the stone.

“Is this the reason you told to connect you to Marisa? Has this always been your plan? To throw me to an oldie like a worthless thing?” Skylar continued loudly.

“Did you feel like a queen when you were getting special treatment from Marisa?” Satan chuckled. “You? A worthless blood slave? Feeling like a queen? A pauper that can never eat on the same plate as a servant, talk more of dining with royals. You deserve to eat from the ground!”

Skylar’s palm nearly kissed Satan’s cheek in a slap, but she paused when something stuck her chest. The heartache.

The heartache!

Gawd…it came back in two folds, but now it’s split in two.

It was an heartache before because it only affected her left chest, but now it affected her whole chest.

And the right part of her chest where there’s no heart even hurt more insanely than her left chest.

That left chest only ticked faintly, but the right chest? It was hellish.

She went on a knee, clutching at her chest desperately, gasping for air and life.

Quincy and Rosita nearly went to her, but Midnight faced them.

“No one is allowed to talk to…or relate with Skylar Vox till the wedding day!” He ordered.

“Midnight!” Rosita snarled.

“I can’t believe you’re actually speaking up for her.” Roselle hissed.

Behind her, Roy was wordless.

“You can’t defy Midnight!” Renee quickly pulled Quincy back.

“You can decide to run away from this city again, but we all know how the three attempts you’ve made ended in failure.” Satan rolled eyes.

She was the first to leave the site with Midnight before the others began moving too, all looking too scared to go closer to Skylar till everyone left the site completely, leaving just her.

Skylar lay down, clutching at her chest, groaning, rolling as the pains dealt with her mercilessly.

It’s almost like the pain was mocking her. Why would it be more intense on her right chest than her left chest?

What’s going on?

Her eyes blurred, and the thought of Eden’s death flooded her mind again. She stared into space, giving herself deep wounds as her nails dug into the skin of her thighs.

She bled.

The chest ache calmed a little bit after that slight bleeding.

Then…she remembered what Ayana whispered to her yesterday…

“THE MADDSCIENTIST IS ONE OF THE MOST FEARED MEN IN THIS CITY WHO HAS ONE DAUGHTER.”

Skylar’s eyes closed slowly.

“Jethro….”

“You have no idea what’s going to befall you if I really…. really get married to you,” she whispered, chuckling evilly afterwards.

—