Chapter 086 – Promise

Chapter 086 – Promise

[2009 – August]

The shock and fear from having been seen through didn't really last for more than a few moments, but as the Dark Priestess looked at the young mutant that had put her at such a disadvantage, she froze in her seat.

Vibrant green being devoured by abyssal darkness, Elijah looked at her with eyes that had lost all light and colour, leaving behind nothing but two orbs of blackness.

The psionic energy around him lashed out in overwhelming wrath, crushing the stool and the well-set table as he rose from his seated position, flowing blackish barriers emerging from his form and whipping around the room, disintegrating everything they touched.

Her own magic had once again been sealed away, so Selene was left with no choice but to summon the immense life force from within her to protect herself from Elijah's raging assault, though that was easier said than done.

A deep frown on her face, the ancient sorceress narrowed her eyes in shock as she felt a huge chunk of her life force vanishing every time the formless shields lashed at her form which she protected by simply using the life force as an energy shield.

Shocked, she realized that Elijah's shields were neither sharp nor did they hit with great force, instead they tore at the fabric of space itself. He was quite literally using the space she occupied as his weapon of choice by manipulating it via his shields, which was a feat that astounded her by no small amount.

The lethality of the young mutant's attack was simply beyond words, as he controlled dozens of shields to strike at her from every angle.

The only thing Selene could do in this situation was to use force to suppress the spacial fluctuations around her, which consumed a huge amount of her life force with every blow she suffered while being sent crashing through the walls and the floors of the right wing of the opulent mansion, Elijah following her with calm steps, destruction in his wake.

Still, the Dark Priestess had little choice to do anything else without her magic. Gritting her teeth, she stopped herself from counterattacking as she knew that once she did that, there was basically no chance of cooperation from this point forward.

Selene wasn't quite willing to make an enemy out of a cosmic entity by attacking her lover, not to mention that fighting Elijah might not end in her win, as Emma would certainly not stand by should she really do so.

Facing two Omega-level mutants of great strength while she was unable to use her magic was not a good idea in any case, especially not considering that she had no idea about the limits of Elijah's power.

Thankfully though, the young mutant stopped after nearly demolishing the whole wing, causing her to sigh in relief internally while she looked at the immensely powerful young man before her, his eyes still looking like pits of darkness.

Her dress had been torn up somewhat, exposing her left breast and right hip completely, but Selene ignored that as she silently stared at Elijah, her flesh pale and unblemished. As old as she was, there was really no way she was ashamed and embarrassed just because her form was laid bare in front of a man.

On the other hand, she was nervous because she was unsure if the situation could still be salvaged considering the storm of psions that still whirled around Elijah's form in response to his rather overwhelming anger, though the thought of finally freeing herself from Apocalypse's control made her swallow her anger at being attacked.

"If I ever even just get the sense that you want to harm Jean, I will hunt you down to the ends of this Universe if I have to.", the young mutant voiced out, his tone dark and raspy, his suppressed wrath clearly noticeable for Selene.

"My wrath will make even the One Below All look like a tame housecat. That, I promise you, Sorceress.", Elijah said with such a bone-chilling coldness that she felt her hairs stand on end, the taint of darkness receding from his eyes as he seemed to rein in his emotions.

The look in his eyes though remained one of violence, his desire for destruction palpable around his body, even with the psionic storm having disappeared.

Selene felt as if someone was squeezing her heart with an ice-cold grip. She was an immortal mutant, alive for thousands of years and probably more knowledgeable than any human alive, but as she faced the youngest Frost sibling in front of her, she couldn't help but swallow nervously.

She believed him. She didn't know why but she believed Elijah when he spoke such boisterous words. She was incredulous herself as she realized it, but somehow she believed that if she dared to harm even a single hair on Jean Grey's body, her ending would be a slow and torturous one.

"I won't harm your lover, I just want to be free.", Selene replied quietly, laying down the mask she held up for the first time in thousands of years, her gaze sincere and near-pleading as she looked at the young mutant.

"I know.", he stated emotionlessly, "It's the only reason I am still willing to help you."

Turning around without even glancing at her nakedness, Elijah walked away as he voiced out calmly while she felt her magic return to her: "Now, let us discuss how to kill En Sabbah Nur."

…

Stepping into the apartment back at the Helion Mansion, I heard the TV from the small entryway and as soon as I walked into the living room I saw Jean, Angelica, and Clarice sitting on the sofas streaming some Spanish series from the in-house server of the mansion.

"You're back!", Jean called out, having heard me as I entered, a loving smile on her lips as her eyes lit up in joy.

Wearing only a shirt and some small shorts, both white and tightly hugging her beautiful curves, she sat with her feet resting on the small coffee table, her flaming hair framing her enchanting face.

"Hey Elijah.", the other two greeted me with a smile too as they saw me enter.

"Hey girls.", I greeted back before leaning down for a quick taste of Jean's lips, leaving a small bite on her lower lip as we separated, the fingers of my right hand softly brushing over her cheek and neck while her own hands had taken hold of my shirt.

"Hey Firefly.", I whispered against her lips, a gentle light in my own eyes as I gazed into Jean's vibrant eyes, desire and love clear in them.

"How was your trip with Emma?", she asked quietly, a rosy tint in her cheeks.

Shaking my head lightly as I was unwilling to talk about the rather unpleasant encounter with Selene for the moment, I replied, "Later."

"Okay.", she whispered with a soft smile, her slender hand moving up to brush back some of my dark locks, as she laid it against my cheek, her thumb brushing over my cheekbone, "Why don't you get changed into something more comfortable and join us?"

Nodding, I stole myself another kiss, thankful for the distraction her offer provided, while restraining myself from dragging Jean into some more intimate caresses.

"Ok, ok. Enough with the kissing, you two.", Angelica remarked with an audible eye-roll, "My snacks are more important. You brought them, didn't you Elijah?"

Her question referred to the message that she had sent me from Jean's phone where she had asked me to pick up some snacks for the three of them since Jean had told them that I was taking care of something in the city.

Rising back up, I smiled as I saw the adorable blush on Jean's cheeks. Pulling out a black marble from my pocket, I threw it at the gluttonous redhead as I answered, "I didn't forget them, calm down."

During its flight the marble suddenly expanded many-fold before fading away completely, leaving behind a few shopping bags that landed next to Angelica on the couch.

The black marble had been one of my barriers, which I had manipulated to shrink while leaving the space inside intact. It was an ability I had developed over the last few days that relied on my manipulation of space through my shields.

Leaving them to unpack the snacks, I entered the bedroom and changed into something more comfortable, before grabbing a soft blanket and going back into the living room. Approaching the couch that Jean occupied, I lay down behind her and pulled the fiery beauty into my embrace.

Providing my arm for her to use as a pillow, I pulled the blanket over us while my other hand slipped beneath her shirt, my palm laying flat against her stomach, my fingers brushing softly over her tender skin.

Pressing a kiss on the back of her neck, I inhaled her wonderful scent as I closed my eyes for a moment of rest, smiling as I felt Jean push herself deeper into my embrace, her small feet and lithe legs entangling themselves with my own.