《A Rose Among Gods》


 Chapter 1

    Her screams filled my ears again as I stared at the ruins. The feeling of the flames licking my skin came back with a vengeance, the worse for remembering.


    Gritting my teeth, I forced the memories back down. A minute, ten, fifteen, hard to say how long it took, but finally all I saw was the smoldered remains of that old victorian house.


    The front had burned down to almost nothing, now long over-grown by weeds and grass. What the fire hadn''t destroyed of the other three walls, the roofs collapse had.


    I had to swallow the memories time and again as I moved around the wreckage. Unsurprisingly, after five years, there was nothing really salvageable after five years.


    The tears didn''t come until I saw the shed. Long after everything, it stood, pristine. I had to blink several times to clear my vision as I studied the Runes worked into the walls. I ran my hand over them, crying freely. They should''ve been on the house. Everything would''ve been fine if-


    Stop it.


    Easy to say, to think. Harder to do.


    I sucked in a breath and, turning away, gave the wreckage one final survey.


    Then I left.


    <hr>


    Walking La Rosa''s streets, it felt like I had never left. There were differences, of course. A new church where a bar had been, a bakery that used to be a daycare. For the most part, though, everything was the same.


    I loved it.


    I hated it.


    Even this, the bittersweet wave of nostalgia from visiting this small town, had to be denied, fought down, to keep me to my purpose.


    They say time heals all wounds, right? And I guess, for the physical, that''s pretty much true. For the emotional, though? It''s a load of bullshit.


    But that doesn''t matter. You didn''t come here to listen to me wax poetic, eh?


    So, The Rose Garden had gotten a facelift since I''d seen it last. The walls had been repainted a pale blue, and the patches of dirt in front actually had a couple of rose bushes now.


    When I walked inside, I was all but assaulted by the scent of roses. Not an improvement. If it wasn''t the only hotel in town, I''d''ve left that second, reservation be damned.Stolen story; please report.


    The counter was dominated by bouquet after bouquet of, surprise surprise, roses. And unattended. A search for the bell proved useless, So I settled for yelling.


    "Yo! Anybody here?!"


    "Yeah, in the back. Reservation or walk-in?" The voice that drifted out of the back was too distorted to identify.


    "Reservation, Rachel Blake, Three days!"


    "Blake, Blake.... Right, room 18. Key''s behind the desk, just grab it."


    Room 18 turned out to be a broom closet. Converted, but still. Then again, it was safe from that nauseating smell of roses, and it was only costing me five bucks a night. So, not complaining.


    As soon as I dropped my bag on the bed, my phone started howling.


    "Still got five days as a civvie, Viv." I dropped my phone on my bag, where it immediately started howling again. Rolling my eyes, I sighed and answered. "What?"


    "We''ve got a teeny-tiny emergency over here. And I need a re-up."


    "Bullshit, and what kind of emergency?"


    "It''s kind of..... complicated."


    I raised a brow at the hesitation in Vivians husky voice. "Kay...."


    "It''s..... not exactly official..."


    "Oh, hells no. I amNOT letting you drag me into another G?rlitz!"


    "I''m not! It''s not! I promise!"


    "Which is what you said about Bayeux, Jinhua, Visby,and Rostov."


    "You swore you''d never mention Rostov!"


    "Yeah, and you said no more unofficial missions."


    "Just listen"


    "Nope. I told you last time I''m-"


    "It''s my sister."


    I froze. "Okay. I''m listening."


    "She''s kind of missing."


    "So call Ghost."


    "I did. He tracked her down for me."


    "Then you need me because....?" I plopped down on my bed.


    "Like I said, I need a re-up. And..."


    I waited for almost a minute. "And?"


    "I... I think she might be Charmed."


    I sucked in a breath. "Charmed? As in capital C Charmed?"


    "Yeah"


    I swore. "Fine. Where?"


    "Oregon. Some nowhere little town called La Rosa."


    After a second, I started laughing hysterically. "You''ve gotta be shittin'' me."


    "Gods damnit, it''s not funny!" Viv growled.


    "Hon, it''s hilarious. Call me when you get here." I dropped the phone, made myself stop laughing, and went to hunt up a bigger room.


    <hr>


    "Okay, Blake, spill. Why were you already here?" I watched as Vivian folded her long legs under her on the bed, her green eyes never leaving mine.


    "Personal business. Your Sister, why do you think she''s Charmed?"


    "I kind of... talked to her/" Vivian shifted uncomfortably, her eyes dropping to focus on the rose-colored bed-spread.


    I sighed and sat down on the other bed. "So..." I sighed again. "Look, I know you know how serious an accusation like this is, but I still gotta ask why you''re sure."


    "She.... she smelled like Magic. And she wasn''t herself."


    I watched Vivian carefully. And... what, that''s it? No drugs, no alcohol, just Magic?" If this were a criminal investigation, they''d throw out any evidence gathered by a Thropes nose, but still, nobody could argue that nose was useful.


    "Nothing else."


    I thought about it for a minute. If Viv''s sister reallywas Charmed, that meant a serious Mage. Easy enough to whammy a Human, but a Thrope...?


    That would definitely mean another nightmare. No I.T.A. support, small town, no back-up. I can''t lie, I didn''t want anything to do with it.


    But, I should say, for the record, that while the thought of walking away and leaving Viv on her owndid occur to me, I couldn''t do it.


    I mean, put yourself in my shoes. If you had the chance to free a family member of someone you care about from magical enslavement, would you be able to leave it alone?


    Like I said, I couldn''t. And so, back in that hotel suite in La Rosa, I nodded to Viv, sealing our fates.


    The worst part? I can''t even honestly say I''m sorry.

 Chapter 2

    Tracking a Supe in a place like La Rosa is stupid easy. People love to hate something, and in towns like this they zero in on Supes.


    I mean, the smart ones know how to hide. From the Munds, that is. For Witches, like me, it still meant a location with very little magical traffic.


    Oh, don''t give me that look. You knew I was a Witch before you walked into this room. That''s in your fancy little report there. I know, because I''ve written a thousand just like it.


    Anyway, La Rosa, Viv''s sister.


    The first thing you gotta understand is that each type of Supe has it''s own unique... Well, Gramps called ''em Auras.


    And yeah, it varies from person to person, but the underlying flavor remains the same with each group. Humans, Witches, Thropes. Even Vamps, back when they existed. You can always tell from the Aura what type of being someone is.


    Except when you can''t.


    See, some beings can mask their Aura. Most of the time, that means hiding it. Sometimes, though, one gets real clever and makes their Aura look like the Aura of something else, usually something weaker.


    I''m telling you this so that you can get a full understanding of why things happened the way they did.


    And so you can prepare for what''s coming.


    So, when I Scryed for Auras, of course I found three. First, obviously, was Viv''s. The second was another Thrope, probably her sister. The third, to no one''s surprise, was a Mage.


    ... Really? Did you not listen to a single thing I was saying about Auras?


    Please tell me you''re not the one getting my job. If idiots like you get in, the I.T.A. is done for.


    Now, stop interrupting me.


    So this Mage. Their Aura was stronger than mine, but that would only matter in a one on one fight, which was unlikely, you know, considering Viv.


    See, for unraveling spells, strength doesn''t really matter. It''s more a matter of skill, which I had plenty of.


    Assuming Viv''s sister really was Charmed. I mean, I trust Viv, but her knowledge of magic has always been.... Limited.


    So, I took a note of where in town the Auras were located, then put a pin in it. I couldn''t risk exposing myself in town until my business here was completed.


    After all, once they knew what I was, the town would do it''s best to drive me out.


    So I left Viv at our room in The Rose Garden while I went to my appointment with one Angela Davenport.


    As far as attorney offices go, it was definitely different. Because it wasn''t really an office. And, yeah, I get that working from home is getting more and more common, but I was still surprised. Especially when you take into account that Ms. Davenports house was more of a mansion.


    It was expansive, the house alone taking enough space for a whole city block. The place was painted in a creamy kind of off-white color with dusky gold highlights.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Then you had the gardens. A sprawling expanse of lush green grass, spotted with trees, and containing every type of flower. Except roses, thank gods.


    The most surprising thing about it, though? No security. No gate, no fence, no guards. I mean, I get the whole small town vibe thing, but still. NO security?


    The walk up to the house was a long one, but it was lined with cherry blossom trees, so at least it was nice, I guess.


    The doorbell, when pressed, played the intro theme to Star Wars. Which was weird. And cool.


    I was greeted with another surprise when Angela answered the door herself. Place like that, you definitely expect servants. And, I''m not gonna lie, it took me a minute to pick my jaw up off the floor.


    Her long golden hair fell down to her waist in a loose, relaxed wave, accenting her slightly oval face and emerald green eyes. She had on this little black dress that set off her lightly tanned skin, and made me realize her legs kind of went on forever.


    Plus, y''know, her... ah.... assets were nothing to sneeze at.


    Hey, fuck off. I''m not a perv, okay?


    Besides, if I''m any judge, the smile she gave me wasn''t pure business anyway. "You must be Miss Blake." She held her hand out.


    I just stared for a second, then came to my senses. "Ah... Y-yeah..." I shook her hand, trying to ignore how warm it seemed.


    Her smile widened. "It''s a pleasure. I have to say, you aren''t at all what I expected."


    "Thought I''d be taller?"


    Her laugh, light and breezy, flowed along my skin. "Something like that. But really, I thought you''d look more like Laura."


    "Yeah, well..."


    Something in my face must have given me away, because her smile turned a little sympathetic. "Sorry, I should''ve realized that was a sore spot. Please, come in."


    I stepped inside, happy when the smell of lilacs greeted me. I couldn''t stop the smile, and Angela noticed, making her grin. "Glad to get away from those awful roses?" She teased.


    "Well...."


    She laughed again. "Relax, I get it. This town takes it''s name WAY too seriously. Anyway, I looked into it a little, and the property is yours, free and clear." She hesitated. "But..."


    I looked around as she brought us into an office straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story. Fireplace, bookshelves, rugs (which I assume were persian), old desk, this room had it all. "But?"


    She hesitated again as we took our respective seats. "Well, I hope you aren''t seriously considering moving here. If people were to find out about your... status, it could happen all over again, you know? And I''ve received some very generous offers on the property. Even if you were to take the cheapest one, you''d be able to buy a new home somewhere more... open to our kind."


    I waited a moment. "Done?" She nodded. "Kay. Appreciate the concern, but no. Those assholes wanna try that shit again? I''ll make what they did to Laura look peaceful."


    Her face slowly went pale. She cleared her throat and pushed a paper and pen across the desk. "Very well. Just sign here, and it''s all yours."


    When it was done, I smiled. "Great. Anything else?"


    "Ah, no. Your sister paid in advance, so everything is taken care of."


    I nodded, then left


    This probably would have been a good point to take a little break, get a hold of Viv, and let her know what was going on. But, this had nothing to do with the I.T.A., or her sister.


    So, I went back to the start, alone.


    Right back to that damned shed.


    It hadn''t changed a bit, unfortunately. Which, okay, yeah, I had seen it the day before, but part of me had been hoping that it had somehow fallen apart anyway. In that, as in so many other things, I was doomed to disappointment.


    There wasn''t even any dust inside when I opened it up.


    Let me guess, you''re expecting me to tell you about some magical shit in there, yeah? Potions lab, Devils trap, yada yada yada?


    Well, it was actually just filled with a bunch of gardening stuff.


    I mean, until I emptied it out. Then it was just an empty shed with a trapdoor covered in Runes.


    I took hold of the handle and heaved it open with a grunt.


    Hey, don''t judge. We made that thing heavy.


    I climbed down the worn wooden ladder, bringing me back to that old stone chamber. The one place I had hoped to never see again. Torches flared to life as I stepped up and examined the man standing in the Devils trap in the middle of the room.


    His hair was still short and glossy black, matched by intense blue eyes set deep in a hawkish face. And of course, his lean build was clothed in a black suit. Probably Armani.


    The smug bastard.


    I felt my jaw clench as he looked up and met my eyes, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Ah, how good of you to come back. And how have you been, my darling Granddaughter?"

 Chapter 3

    I glared at him. "Up yours, old man. Why don''t you do what most of your kind has and bail?"


    "Why, I''m concerned for my family, of course."


    "And where the fuck was your concern when Laura needed it, huh?" I hated myself as soon as the words left my mouth. Don''t get me wrong, dude''s a gigantic asshole, but it wasn''t his fault. We''d already had him trapped and sealed tight. Besides, thinking of it as his fault gave him more power than he should ever have over me. I didn''t apologized though. Cause, y''know. Asshole.


    "Look, never mind about that." I swallowed, nervous. "About that thing you offered....."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Are you referring to your inheritance?"


    "Y-yeah, I guess I am..."


    "That can certainly be arranged, though I''m afraid it will prove to be quite... taxing... for both parties." He smiled smugly.


    "Just tell me it''s not a fucking blood ritual."


    "Of course it is, girl. Blood to blood, power to power. There is no other way. Unless you wish to run away yet again."


    "Go back to hell, old man."


    "Returning would require having been there in the first place. Now, shall we begin?" He spread his hands.


    I hesitated. This was what I had come here for....


    But...


    Look, being a Witch is bad enough, right? People would only hate me more if I added Demon to that. And there was no guarantee that the old man could actually do what he said.


    But... Well, I had to take the chance.


    Still, couldn''t hurt to be careful. "How do I know this isn''t some kind of trap? I mean, what''re you getting out of this, huh?"


    He looked... well, if I didn''t know better, I''d say he looked hurt. "I would hardly think you would expect a man to have a specific reason for wishing to protect his family."


    "A man, no. A Demon-"


    "How many times must I tell you?! I am NOT a Demon!"


    To say him yelling at me was surprising would be an understatement. He doesn''t really have any other mode than controlled. At least, that''s what I thought.


    "Ya know, I''d almost believe you, if you weren''t stuck inside that Devil''s trap. That thing made for trapping... what was it again...?" I tapped my finger against my lips, then snapped. "Oh yeah! Demons!"If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I barely held back a snicker when I saw his eyebrows twitch. "You are well aware of the fact that this creation hinders far more than mere Demons, you insolent little brat."


    I widened my eyes in fake innocence. "Why, Grandfather! Is that any way to talk to your only granddaughter? Especially when I was thinking of freeing you..."


    "Do not trifle with me, you ignorant toddler."


    "Toddler? Why then, wouldn''t it be just irresponsible of you to do the ritual then, Grandfather?"


    He glowered at me, and I just did my best to look innocent. Then he threw his head back and laughed, shocking me. "It''s good to finally see you, Rachel! You were right, by the way. The ritual was a trap. Not everyone is worthy of this power, even though they are blood. You though... You are just like your mother."


    I took a step forward before I could stop myself. "You knew her?"


    "She was my daughter, of course I knew her. Despite what that worthless fool seems to have told you, I was there for her until..." He looked down. "But no matter. I failed her. I will not fail you."


    I took a quick step back as he started glowing. "W-woah, Gramps, calm-"


    I''ll never actually know if I finished that sentence, cause that''s when I fainted.


    <hr>


    Did you know that just existing can be painful? Yeah, neither did I ''till that point. It felt like my soul was on fire. Saying it hurt is a massive understatement. We don''t have the words to describe the depth of pain I felt, but to cooperate, I''ll try.


    It was like... like getting myself, body soul and all, tossed into a blender.


    And then the blender exploded.


    To be honest, I''m not sure how long it took. Minutes, hours? It felt like eternities.


    But when I look at the end results? I''d do it all again, and then some.


    When I finally came to, I was lying on the cold stone floor, feeling like my back was burning.


    That''s not a metaphor, but it''s not the whole description either.


    Look, I already told you, it''s not possible for me to really describe this kind of pain.


    I slowly picked myself up off the ground, groaning, both in pain and because my shirt didn''t follow my lead. Turns out whatever happened tore the shit out of it.


    My thought processes stopped when I felt my back touch the floor, making me scream bloody murder.


    Then I blinked. Wait... I was vertical... so....? When I looked back, my eyes went wide. I had... I had....


    Wings.


    Fucking Wings.


    Can you believe that shit?


    But wait, why did I have wings? Demons don''t have wings. Especially not ones with snowy white feathers, which is what I had.


    Did they?


    Actually, they kinda looked like the wings people say angels have.


    And that''s when the really weird thing happened. The pain just....


    Vanished.


    And no, I don''t mean that it stopped. I mean it vanished. Kinda like I had imagined it, y''know?


    Not only that, I felt stronger. A lot stronger. Like, take on a God stronger.


    A Lesser God, but still.


    I''ve never felt better in my life. It was the total opposite of the pain I had just gone through. It was almost like I was...


    BECOMING.


    Like my entire life, I had been a shadow, but now.... now I was going to be everything I was ever meant to be.


    I know you''ll probably never feel that, paper-pushing piss-ant moron that you are, but trust me, it''s like the ultimate drug.


    And the really nice thing? The magic that gave me these wings, this power?


    It gave me the instincts to use them too, as if I had been born with them.


    Neat, right?


    What''s even better is that, as you can see, I don''t have to have those suckers out on display all the time. I can kind of... pull them into myself.


    So that''s what I did. Then I grabbed the tattered remains of what used to be my T-shirt, pricked my finger, and used my blood to draw Runes on it.


    As soon as the Runes repaired my shirt, I slipped it back on. "Well, thanks Gramps. That was... something." When I didn''t get some smart-ass comeback, I looked up.


    The Devil''s trap was still closed, still intact, but....


    Gramps was gone.

 Chapter 4

    "You smell different."


    That''s what I got when I got back to the suite. No questions, no concern, just that.


    "What, just different?"


    "Yeah. But, y''know, still you."


    "Uh-huh. Me, but different. How''s that work?"


    "Like.... hmm.... Sunbeams?"


    I blinked. "Okay, first, those have a scent? Second, why in all the hells would I smell like sunbeams?"


    "How would I know? You''re the one who came back smellin'' all weird. Now, enough foreplay. About my sister..."


    I shuddered. "Don''t ever use the word foreplay when you''re talking about your sister. It''s gross."


    "What''s wrong with''er?" Viv glared at me.


    "You mean other than the fact that she''s, like, twelve?"


    "Eighteen."


    "Bullshit."


    "No bulls here. Eighteen Blake."


    "Fine, whatever. Other than that though, she''s your sister!"


    Viv waited a couple moments. "So?"


    I sighed and sat down in one of the cheap chairs. "So, since you''re like family, that kinda makes her my sister."


    Viv was uncharacteristically silent at that, which had me looking up at her. She was staring at me with a weird intensity. "Family, huh? That''s how you see me?" Her voice was carefully neutral.


    Which was my clue that I was on boggy ground. Pack is everything to Thropes. "I, uh...." I sighed. Fuck it, right? "Yeah, Viv. Look, I know I''m not Pack, but yeah. Far as I''m concerned, you''re family."


    Do you have any idea how unnerving it is to have a Thrope just stare at you? I mean, I''ve been shot, stabbed, set on fire, beaten until my bones were jelly, and now been through some kind of metaphysical reconfiguration of my soul.


    And none of it scared me as much as Vivian just standing there, silently staring at me.


    "Uh... everything okay...?" Look, I''m not gonna lie, I was tense. I mean, first Gramps and his shit, and now this? Especially because everyone knows that in a fist-fight, Thrope trumps Witch.


    Viv stared for a couple more seconds, then looked away. "Yeah. So, my sister. Plan?"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I breathed out a silent sigh of relief. "Extraction. I''m assuming I''m solo, since they''d know you. I get in, disenchant, then her and I get out."


    "Kay. So, let''s go."


    "Tonight. That thing that made me smell like... sunbeams? Took a lot outta me. Nap first, then leave."


    I tensed again when it looked like she was gonna argue, then relaxed when she nodded.


    <hr>


    Turns out La Rosa had changed more than I thought. The place Viv''s sister, and the Mage, were staying at was a nightclub.


    An honest to gods nightclub. In a little place like La Rosa. I was actually a little impressed.


    Which went away as soon as I walked inside. The decorations were... what''s that word? Right, gaudy. Tasteless. The music was generic bullshit with like, no bass. Isn''t bass kind of a requirement for club music? Not to mention there were only five other people inside, and from the looks of things, they all worked there.


    Of course, one of those five was Viv''s sister. Wasn''t hard narrowing down which was her, either. She was the only Thrope there. But there was a problem.


    All of them were Charmed.


    Smart move, obviously, would be to say screw it and just free who I came for, then bail. But the other four... they were someones family too, right?


    I tried, really I did. But I couldn''t leave them. Complications are bad, and I avoid them as religiously as possible. This time... this time it felt like I just had to play the hero.


    Yeah, I know. And under the circumstances, I totally deserve that look. But it''s not like I knew, okay?


    So, in my uninformed stupidity, not only did I start unweaving the Charms, I started doing them all at once. Takes more energy, but it''s faster. And even then, I knew time was a priority. The Mage was there. Somewhere. So I did another dumb thing, and flooded the place with my Aura. Which is basically like throwing the alarm yourself, to anyone who can detect it, but again. Faster.


    I was just about finished when it hit me.


    The Mage.


    He was trying to Charm me! And it didn''t take long for me to realize he was gonna succeed.


    Which meant another problem. I could finish up and free the people, who would be stunned and confused for who knew how long, or I could let them wait and defend myself, hoping that that would weaken the bastard enough for Viv to neutralize him.


    Both options were total shit, to be fair. If I''d had more time...


    Well, who knows, right?


    But I didn''t have more time. I had seconds. So I did something really, really dumb.


    I took option three.


    I blasted out the last of my Aura, shredding all the spells in the room. Hearing a grunt behind me, I turned. He was.... not what I expected.


    His bald head was slightly egg-shaped, and he had fierce green eyes. His stocky frame was only emphasized by his dark red three-piece suit. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to expose his massive forearms.


    And he was pissed.


    The groans behind me let me know that I had broken the Charms, so good for me.


    Bad for me, though, because that''s when my body stopped working.


    And by stopped working, I mean stopped listening to me.


    My wings tore out of my back, spreading wide. I could feel a.... Power, rising from deep within me. It was like an echo of what Gramps did.


    I watched as my arm raised to point at the Mage, fingers splayed. Fire stared forming in front of my palm, draining the heat from the room as it grew.


    Then it flickered as he renewed his Charm attempt. I staggered, then....


    It wasn''t an echo, anymore. The flames spluttered, then flared white. I watched frost cover my arm, then melt as the fire grew to the size of a bowling ball, the bigger.


    I don''t even know when his spell dropped away. All I could focus on was the power. Cause it wasn''t like with Gramps. There wasn''t any pain, this time.


    But it was still terrifying, y''know? Just imagine, being forced to watch as your body is made into a puppet for some unknown force, with unknown intentions.


    And then it was over, as I watched the fireball launch straight at the Mage, hitting him square in the face.


    And that''s when I learned the truth. Because, in his final moments, before that fireball obliterated him, his Aura revealed it''s truth.


    He was a Demi-God.

 Epilogue

    Rachel leaned back in her chair. "And that''s that. After he died, I blacked out, woke up here."


    The man interviewing her leaned forward, his mud brown eyes never leaving her shining purple ones. "You can understand our skepticism, I hope. Hard to believe such an... experienced Agent would mistake a Demi-God for a mere Mage.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She raised an eyebrow. "Well, that settles it. I.T.A.''s doomed. I mean, to be fair, whole world''s doomed, so...."


    Just as the man was about to respond, the room began shaking.


    "Mortals, Judgement upon your sins has been passed. The Compact has been broken by one of your own, the blood of ours has been spilled. Your Gods will return. Prepare."