Chapter Song - Oh Death by Jen Titus

Melanie shifted under her blankets, hearing her newborn child’s cry in the room next to her. She fingered her ring, pushing it around on her finger. The silence was deafening, only interrupted occasionally by E’s wails. It was pitch black, minus the dull light overhanging her child’s bed in the next room. She would glance over through the glass every now and then, terrified that the wards over Echo wouldn’t be strong enough if there was an attack before she could get back home.

“Stop worrying.” A quiet voice said from a darkened corner.

Melaine jumped, immediately regretting the sudden jolt when searing pain erupted in her lower torso. “Who are you?”

Maryse Lightwood stepped out of the shadow, the slight light from Echo’s room dripping over her sharp features. “Hi.” She bore a smile and dangled a necklace with a spider charm on it in front of Melanie’s face. “I thought you might miss this.”

Melanie’s face broke out into a massive grin. “I did. I felt bare without it.” She tugged it away from Maryse and fastened it around her neck.

Maryse carefully sat down on Melaine’s hospital bed. “We’re going to get you out of this place tonight. We need to have you and E protected because of the amount of angelic blood around here.” She said with a lowered voice.

“I take it that Robert was rash enough to make an escape plan.” Melanie laughed.

“He did. He figured out how to hide Echo from the demons.” Maryse grabbed Melanie’s hand and warmed it up, like she always had.

Melanie frowned. “How?”

“He can tell you himself,” Maryse pointed to the door. “in a few minu-” She was cut short by the door slamming open and a cracking noise filled the room.

The glass window separating Melanie from E blew out and hit the floor, shattering as shadows swarmed through the opening and over Echo’s bed. She screamed; the wards over her cracking.

Melanie threw the blankets off, ignoring the stabbing pain. She yanked her wrist out of Maryse’s tight grip and grabbed a piece of glass off the floor and cut her palm. “Hey!” She cried, waving her bloody hand about.

The shadows whipped around and hissed, creeping towards her.

“What are you DOING?” Maryse pulled Melanie down, pressing her hand over the gash. “They’ll kill you! We have a plan-“

“No.” Melanie cut her words off and pulled her hand gently away. “That’s my daughter. I have to keep her safe.”

“But we can-“

“Stop.” Melanie stood up, trying to ignore Maryse’s tear streaked face. “I have to keep them away from her.” She yelled over the screeching of the demon-speech. She held up her hand again and waved it above her head. “Come and get me.” She growled under her breath.

The shadows took her quite literally, leaping away from E and screaming towards her. Melanie yanked the spider off her necklace and held it in front of her as the legs elongated and trapped the demons inside. They fought, slamming at the boundaries of the cage. The spider squeaked, looking at Melanie pleadingly.

Melanie fell to her knees. “Get my daughter and run!” She yelled at Maryse, hearing her beloved spider protector crack under the torrent of necromancy being used inside.

Maryse glanced at her best friend before leaping to her feet and running to Echo’s cradle. She wrapped the newborn up in her blankets and ran towards the other exit. “Melanie!” She sobbed, cradling Echo’s head close to her shoulder. “Drop it and run!”

Melanie looked at her spider. The silver pendant rubbed affectionately up against her hand, squeaking weakly at her. “I’m sorry.” Melanie bit her lip. “You served me well.” She set it gently down on the cold flooring. “I’ll come back fro you. Hold them as long as you can.”

Melanie stood up shakily, trying to block out the wounded cries of her pet as she stumbled away. It screamed, trying to withstand the demons without its owner’s strength.

It couldn’t.

The cage shattered, the demons spilling out. Melanie looked at Maryse’s panic stricken face. “Run.” She mouthed before the demons swarmed over her and fed.

Maryse backed away, holding out a hand to hide the blinding light. “No!” She yelled.

The cloud of pulsing light and darkness faded, leaving with a deafening thundercrack. A flash of a teenage boy’s face flew past Maryse’s field of vision, but she was unable to see anything but white hair.

When the room quieted down, she looked up, gently rubbing E’s back and letting the tears stream free. Her husband came running in, seraph blade out in front, much too late.

Melanie’s spider pendant wiggled weakly on the floor, its legs blown off. It squeaked once before it stopped moving.

Maryse fell down, bending over Echo as she mourned the loss of her friend, sobs racking her body again.

Notes