Ch.14

My trip continued to Colorado next where I went into the black canyon and recovered six barrels worth of mint condition Barber dimes. I had to repair them of course as time wasn't pleasant to any metal.

I traveled to California next where I recovers a set of paintings that included one called The Concert by Johannes Vermeer. A collector had clearly bought it off whomever had stolen it and the accompanying paintings, one of which I had to go to Spain to recover. Next I headed to Russia and all over the Middle East to obtain the last eight Fabergé eggs.

I was on a roll so I went ahead and retrieved the copper scroll and took a peak before returning it to the Vatican archives before hunting down the treasures all across Judea in Palestine. Most of it was religious artifacts like more scrolls and some treasure along with some Templar tombs I left alone.

The most iconic was a piece of the cross and the spear of destiny. It held no real power but was consecrated with the blood of Jesus. I did find his tomb and body as well and I'd most certainly be trading the coordinates to the Vatican for unrestricted access to their archives. I was curious what all they had and it was a pain in the ass to slip in unnoticed.

When I left the Middle East I headed to North Korea where I recovered an item not on the list but worth far more than any other. It was the imperial jade seal of China. I'd kept an eye on it in case I needed quick cash and getting it now just seemed easy.

I took a recovery and diver boat off the coast of Malaysia and found the last item on the list I intended to recover, the Flor de la Mar. I'd managed to recover the entire ship albeit a few extra squid as well and a lot of dirt in my inner realm. I headed back to shore and returned to New York via plane.

When I arrived, it'd been just over a month as I rented a storage house and set the ship, the Florentine Diamond, the Fabergé Eggs, the paintings, and the Incan gold all on display in different sections of the warehouse.

I then covered the entire building in a cloak to ward off mortals and cast a powerful Greek mist on the place. I then left with a smile and headed to the FBI HQ after stopping by the hotel for a shower.

I had my bit lawyers from Frosthaven write up a deal for Caffrey, an amendment of sorts for the deal he already had so he'd be anklet free. And bound to agent Burke by his word as they do the world wide search for Henry Dobbs.

They'd done exceptionally well and brought in the attorney general to agree to it as it involved a lot of high value priceless artifacts that could help America as a whole in dealing with other countries as leverage. Not to mention the shit ton of gold. I'd had to rent ten close by warehouses for all the Incan gold and cast a wide area mist and wards to keep mortals and even the non gods away.

I did however keep the few Incan god artifacts though as they held connections to their gods I planned to abuse. One of which was crystal skull clearly used by the god Supay himself as his personal weapon to fling curses. It was his symbol of power just like all the other death relics I obtained before it.

When I arrived at the FBI headquarters, I asked to see Reese Hughes and Peter Burke with Neal Caffrey. Agent Barrigan lead me to their meeting room as the attorney general was waiting. When I came in with a smile on Neal seemed chipper.

I shook the attorney general's hand and asked Burke straightforwardly. "Has Neal kept you the agreement?"

Neal was a bit shocked I'd ask as he himself asked. "I thought you said you'd keep an eye on me."

I rolled my eyes. "I did but I haven't had the chance to confirm with my own contacts. I just got back into the states from a world tour of treasure hunting. Hell, I haven't slept in five days and that's not including the fact that I flew just after deep sea diving for the Flor de Mar."

Neal raised an eyebrow and sat forwards. "So you found it?"

I nodded. "That and so much more. Hell, my first trip had me thinking I found the city of gold, or what people might've referred to as the city of gold in legends. It filled up nine warehouses full of priceless Incan gold artifacts. If I didn't have a special license and permission from the governments I went to I'd be in jail for sure or murdered to hide all that I found."

He was shocked, as was everyone else listening. I set my briefcase down and pulled out the packet of papers. "With all that I've found I could simply argue for your release as time served but then you wouldn't learn your lesson so I'll be sticking to my original deal."

I handed the packet to the attorney general to look over and after he read it he gulped audibly asking. "You've found all this?"

I nodded. "That and so much more. I'm sure your authenticators are going to be busy for the next few years but yes, all that is real and very much in my possession. As soon as you sign that and have it approved by a notary, I'll be happy to show you where and personally give you a tour of the premises."

He signed it after reading it over carefully. It basically said Neal would be free to go anywhere the FBI could track him so long as one of their agents was with him, not mattering who when it's out of the country, so long as he's on a case or chasing Henry Dobbs.

It referred to my deal with Hughes about my donation if they catch Dobbs and what Neal would get out of it when he was finished with his sentence as a consultant to the FBI which was pennies compared to what I was giving up now in exchange for their agreement.

When he signed it and the notary I provided approved it, I had a copy drawn up and told him evenly. "Frosthaven enterprises will hold you to this document sir. Now that that's over, would you like to see my side of the agreement? It's now all property of the US government after all."

He nodded and we took a limo ride to my warehouses where I removed the barriers and opened them up one at a time while Hughes had the several trucks of FBI agents come to claim it all under armed guards. I showed them the Incan gold first, one warehouse full at a time with literal hills of gold coins stacked in crates.

It wasn't Fort Knox full but it would certainly raise the value of the US dollar to the highest denomination around if they melted it all down into gold bars. The last was my favorite as there were plaques depicting each item. This warehouse was by far the largest as it fit the entire ship and all the little things in as well.

I'd removed the squid, dirt and water so it was just full of precious uncut gems. Next was the Florentine diamond which Neal, after picking it up and examining it, vouched that it was at least a real diamond and further analysis would tell if it was what I claimed it to be.

The Fabergé eggs and the paintings were the easiest for him to declare as real because he'd seen and studied them each intrinsically. After they finished talking I chuckled. "Well, I've done my part for now. As for the rest, it's on you to move it all to where you want it or you can store it here under armed guards. The warehouses are owned by Frosthaven enterprises but I won't be providing security."

They all agreed I'd certainly done more than they expected. I left them to check in on my contacts and see what all had happened in my absence. It turns out Ichabod and Abby were in DC at the moment dealing with a headless redcoat corpse. Neal had in fact kept his word and now it was time to keep mine.

I left him the suitcase with a copy of his new revised contract with the FBI in his room at the townhouse he was staying at and went to the Italian Consulate. It was as simple as walking in cloaked and shadow traveling to the music box a bit of magic and I had the box in my hands.

I left it next to the briefcase in his room along with a note that said: I keep my promises. Your old mentor is behind it all with Kate. Don't trust him as he's likely to blow you up to tie up loose ends. Take Kate and run to the FBI if you can. Agent Fowler works for Adler and Alex might be working with them as well.

The wards tied to the note would prevent anyone but Caffrey from seeing it until he read the note himself and only he could pick it up. I left it all in Neals hands for now and hoped to see what he'd do with it all. I spent another two weeks hunting wanted people throughout the US and Mexico before turning in nearly three dozen top rated wanted criminals.

Everything from cyber and white collar crimes to murders and terrorists were all turned in at once. Before I told them to send the rewards to my account as I headed back to Sleepy Hollow.

When I got there Jenny had already absorbed the Eye of Providence and was captured by the Hidden One. Ichabod and the rest of the group was mounting a rescue at the moment with the Kindred and Kindress at their side and the shard of Anubis to help remove the eye from Jenny.

They had a book on summoning demons from Pandora's box as well. I watched, hidden but clearly felt by the Hidden One and Pandora as they were both at gods by power. The Hidden One was a Sumerian god that equaled Amun of the Egyptian gods in terms of power.

While he wasn't yet at full power though, he was still a god and it was day time so my cloak was at it's weakest. Pandora however was endowed with the power of a god thanks to her box and what power the Hidden One gave her.

I didn't act though as I waited by the tree that lead to the Catacombs. A hell scape wasteland where time moves wonkier than here on earth. It's rules on time were complicated and that's all that really mattered.

When the Kindred held off the Hidden One with Joe Corbin, Abby was able to remove the eye from Jenny into the broken pieces of the shard of Anubis. The Catacombs opened and I sent a message to the Kindred to wait for me where they were before and that I'd return for them in a month.

They shoved the Hidden One away as he was frustrated with being unable to kill them easily. I went in just before Abby did and helped contain the blast to protect her as the Eye of Providence burst a powerful energy wave out, shattering Pandora's box and sealing Abby and myself in the Catacombs.

I caught her as she fell unconscious and took the eye from her, storing it with my other god artifacts. It no longer radiated power and eventually I'd need to use it to store my own. I had big plans for it as this crystal could very well be what I need to store my power indefinitely to become stronger then even my full form.

For now though I made a duplicate out of regular crystal and left it near Abby. I erased any memories of me catching her from her mind and created a temporary stasis for her that would last for seven months here by her perception of time.

I then mapped the areas of Catacombs onto the wall for her that would reveal directions on how to get out after the tenth perceived month. After that I shadow traveled into the deepest parts of the catacombs where I found a sleeping Betsy Ross.

I woke her with a touch of magic to jolt her system. She asked for Crane when she awoke and I sighed. They were passed lovers and I knew better than to judge someone by their current love. Instead I introduced myself. "I am Wraith Morningstar, not Crane as you'd clearly hoped but if you'd permit, a friend to wait out the time with you."

She looked me over before sighing sadly. "I fought a wraith once."

I chuckled. "Of that I'm sure, but it was not me. If you'd fought with me, well, you'd surely remember it fondly."

She couldn't resist asking. "Are you sure about that?"

I nodded. "Perhaps you'd like to try?"

She frowned. "We have no weapons how are we to fight? Would you manhandle a lady?"

I snorted. "Hardly, though from the way Crane tells it you're not exactly a lady fighter. Here, try this."

I summoned a short sword from my ring and handed it to her. She stood up and asked. "And where is your sword?"

I chuckled and pulled out a stick. She frowned more and I told her plainly. "Best my stick and I'll use a sword. Best me in swords and I'll grant you one wish, no matter what it is."

She agreed and we began fighting. At first it was more a slow dance of violent thrusts but as time could not really be measured here, it hardly mattered any more as she became more and more fluid with her style.

I sharpened her skills for her as we traded blows back and forth. Every time she let her guard up is swat her ass or get close enough to kiss but pull away as our dance of blades became more and more elegant until finally after so long even I'd lost track, she went all the way on her own and kissed me.

In the heat of the moment I let down my guard and she struck, unintentionally burying her sword in my thigh. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I meant to throw you off guard but-"

I waved her off as I removed the sword and golden ichor flowed out before sealing the wound. The blade was coated in it though. Her expression became stern before demanding. "What manner of dark creature are you?"

I sighed and handed her the sword saying. "I'm an immortal. Have you not heard the Greek tales of blood that flowed golden ichor?"

She shook her head. "I've not studied the gods as much as my commander. So you're an immortal what? What immortal creature are you?"

I smiled wryly. "The most vexing of them all, man."

My words didn't amuse her one bit so I asked her. "If you'll allow me, I'll catch you up on what I am if you'd like. All I need is permission and I'll give you the information you seek."

She sighed. "Fine, now tell me what it is that I wish to know."

I smiled and entered her mind albeit gently. There I gave her the mind arts as I helped her build a mind scape capable of withstanding all the information I wished to impart to her. At first it was the basics of schooling, then higher education and masters degrees.

Then and only then after she'd learned all the classics, did I branch out into spell craft, warding, runes, languages. There was so much that it would take her a decent amount of time to absorb and adjust. After she'd learned Greek and understood what I was, she'd been less hesitant in allowing access though still cautious.

I continued to slowly give her so much more. Demigods, my life as one. My heritage as Lucifer's son and what the devil truly was. She was hesitant at first and a bit appalled by the fact that I was indeed the devil but I think she only continued for the next while to pump me for information.

So I gave it to her in spades. I showed her what the future holds and her role in it. She was to retire after she returned and have many kids from what history tells of her and that's when I showed her my true self as a god. That was a total shocker to her.

I didn't stop at my simple Greek godhood either. I showed her the path to ascension and how I'd help her achieve it if she became mine. How I could help her become a real goddess and join my other wives as they too were being tested now.

All that I offered her and more as I continued to feed her curiosity until finally she stopped and I pulled away. She had tears running down her face before sighing at her lot in life if she chose one way or the other.

Finally she slapped me and I returned the favor with a kiss. I'd been without so long that when she gave way, I persisted until I took her there on the alter of these so called gods. Only when my seed spilled across the alter and she was thoroughly sexed did I clean up.

Then she grabbed the sword shamelessly and insisted I use a real sword. I agreed so long as she ate an apple. When I handed her a golden apple she murmured. "Just like your father to tempt a woman so."

I chuckled and pulled her into my embrace while humming a tune. She ate the apple after what seemed like days and after eon like feelings passed I tested her blood. It was nearly completed so I picked up a wooden sword and she gave me a droll stare.

Smiling I waved the blade faster than she could react and cut her clothes off, leaving not a stitch on her so that I could enjoy the view of her full breasts and shapable ass along with the very sexy tuft of hair betwix her thighs.

When she noticed my hungry gaze, the hair around her nether regions began to glisten as moisture pooled and she rubbed her thighs together.

I dropped my sword and took her again right then. It'd truly been to long and she really did remind me of all my wives but unlike Ella, she was unique in her own way that drove me to new heights.

When she lay across my chest on the floor, she reached for something beside us before tapping me with a blade. "It seems I've bested you with a blade dear."

I chuckled. "Very well love, what is it you wish. It can be anything your heart desires."

She said softly. "I wish to see this twenty first century in all it's marvels."

I entered her mind and pulled her into mine before showing her all she wished to know. All she had to do was think of it and it would be there as if her answer was clear as day. After a good while I felt my spells unravel and ignored them while watching movies of romance and passion along with adventure.

Her particular favorite was Pirates of the Caribbean and The fast and the furious franchise. They were about adventure, love and family, all of which I promised her I'd give her. I didn't stop this time as I kept her mind occupied until I heard Crane and Abby coming.

Then I removed her gently from my mind and repaired her clothes before dressing us both. When they opened the chamber and saw us, Crane was a bit surprised while Abby was even more so. "Wraith, what are you doing here? And who is she?"

I didn't get to answer as Crane told her. "This is Elizabeth Ross. It's good to see you again Betsy."

Betsy, to her credit, welcomed him as a friend and nothing more, to his surprise. I finally answered Abby. "I've been here ever since you first arrived. After all, I'm the one that shielded you from the blast."

That apparently wasn't what she wanted to hear. She made an angry Face saying. "Three months! You left me alone here for three months!"

I shook my head. "No, I left you alone here for ten months. Seven of which I put you in stasis to preserve your sanity. After that I gave you three months to explore and learn about the emblem of Thura."

She was flabbergasted by my admission before s cowling coldly at me. "And not once could you have revealed yourself?"

I shook my head and told her coldly as my demeanor changed. "Abigail Mills, I believe you've become under the impression that I am your subordinate or perhaps that I owe you some kind of explanation. On both these accounts you are wrong. What I did I did out of kindness, nothing more. I could just as easily have left you alone and awake for those ten months and not lifted a finger."

I stepped forwards growling. "I owe you nothing and have even done more for you and your mission as a witness than you'll ever know. Now, either complete your current task or go home, it matters very little to me in the end."

I passed her and Ichabod as I left the interior chamber. They could do as they wish with it. A while later I heard them gather the box while I debated on warning them any way. I decided against it in the end as Abby wasn't my full concern now. I could prevent any further problems later.

When the box attacked her and Crane stopped it, preventing the complete process, I told Betsy from the doorway. "It's time for you to return to your time. I shall join you in a moment."

She nodded and looked at Abby and Crane sadly before saying goodbye. On her way out, she indulged a kiss with me before them and left slightly less sad.

I told Crane as I made the box follow us before he stored it in his ring. "There will be severe repercussions because of your ritual today. One thing you should know though is that the eternal soul of a witness is like a phoenix only in that it's never fully extinguished. It sparks the soul of the next witness as one dies such as it has done since the beginning of time when Adam and Eve carried it."

I left them there to get out on their own as I headed to the well to see Betsy leave. When she finished passing through, I jumped in like a cannon ball and came out in the river beside the Sleepy Hollow reserve park. There I headed to the cemetery the good Reverend Knapp was interred before I removed his cursed beads and let his witch body burn to ashes like it was meant to.

There I headed before the tomb above where a piece of the philosopher stone was held. A sphinx woke up sensing my intentions and with a wave of my hand, I sent it to my realm.

I shadow traveled below and grabbed the stone piece, storing it with the Sphinx. I then shadow traveled to the the battlefield where Ichabod once died and opened a portal to the past with the Grand Grimoire. "Pateo so petos us que ta, ignos nutus seorsum pareo ne ta. Patus que te, ignos nutus non et norium et sa ah!"

I stored the grimoire inside my realm as I entered the portal and closed it behind me. The battlefield here hadn't been set yet. I mimicked Crane's clothes and changes my appearance to my original form I'd chosen as my base with a particularly powerful body modification spell.

It was quite painful but worth it as I no longer looked as I once did. I was older, around mid twenties in looks and my build was far more powerful looking. I couldn't bring back my true physical power to this form without essence and magic to absorb but then there are plenty of wars between now and then.

As it was I shadow traveled to where I felt Betsy come out of the Catacombs. There by the Delaware River I smiled as she waded our soaked from head to toe with a wave of my hand her clothes dried and she appeared much happier to see me.

She hugged me exclaiming. "You made it!"

I chuckled and pulled her chin up and kissed her before saying. "Of course my love. Now, I believe it's time you reported in to your commander in chief. Remember we cannot change the past without changing the fact that we met so everything must go on like usual. Just introduce me as a powerful supernatural ally and witch dedicated to the cause and you."

She huffed and blushed a bit at the last part before asking. "Is that really necessary?"

I nodded seriously. "It is. They know you as Crane's girl and that even my pride can not abide. You are well and truly mine now and I'd do a lot to dissuade them of the notion that you belong to another."

She raised an eyebrow saying. "I am my own woman."

I nodded. "Of course, we each have a piece of another and while I understand I do not own you, it doesn't change the fact that I'd destroy any man who tried to assume you were not with me."

My eyes burned with magic at my claim and she slapped my chest sighing. "Fine, I shall tell the General I am yours and you are mine wholly. I expect you to remain faithful though, other than those who are to be my sister-wives of course."

I nodded easily. "You know me more than anyone living on this earth and you know I'd never take such trivial females to my bed. I am very selective and now that I've found you, I'll not stand for a substitute. I fully intend to see the limit at which you can take me before giving you just a bit more to break us both."

She snorted and led me to Washington's camp as I shadow traveled us both there. We arrived just as this time period's Crane left. Washington was finishing up in New York as his battle in New Jersey had went well.

When we entered the camp, Betsey did all the talking where necessary and as we planned, introduced me as her Shadow. Washington didn't understand until I demonstrated my abilities with the shadow traveling and shadow whispers. With it I was a one man spy ring and assassin all on my own.

I proved my powers as a witch now and he agreed I would be her partner from now on as it was my only demand. I wasn't in the revolutionary army perse, but instead an independent contractor like sell sword. Betsy led me on our missions and relayed my gathered information to Washington and his cohorts while I made sure history played out accurately.

Damned if that wasn't a job all it's own. For the next four years I provided valuable intel and assassination skills to Washington with Betsy at my side. I trained her more and more as time went on and on the side I gathered the essence of the fallen into the Eye of Providence.

It began by turning red then green as I changed ownerships of it to me instead of the hidden one. Along with the gathered essence I stored vast amounts of magic and all else I could gather inside it. My power was limited as I'd been cut off temporarily from my godhood and my links to the rest of my powers.

It didn't stop me from gathering vast resources though and on occasion, making enchanted times for the war effort. I was a veritable one man coven and actually began to build my own in secret. Betsy herself learned magic and began her path to ascension in our down time while we rested.

She'd long since cut ties with Ichabod as well to spare herself and him. He moved on easily enough to Katrina. On the eve I heard of ichabod's death, I did Washington a solid and agreed to kill General Howe.

With a simple but powerful use of telekinesis, I stopped his heart from across the street from his current abode in Philadelphia. He died amongst many witnesses from what appeared to be a heart attack.

My assassination job became more of a seven year hunt and kill mission as I slaughtered demons and gave information to the revolutionaries. Demon after demon I killed them and stole their essence. Only those I knew from the future and what was to come were spared death and instead sealed away with the help of various skilled forefathers.

Betsy found it both exhilarating and terrifying to play bait for several of them. We heard word of Jeremy Crane's plight but were forced to stay away as was required to preserve the future. I did however get to know and be acquainted with many of the forefathers of this country and see first hand some of their eccentricity.

It's certainly wasn't a pleasant visit to see Benjamin Franklin nude and doing his experiments with electricity. Betsy insisted I not kill him or at least turn him into a pig. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for nudists and the natural way of life but when a balding fat naked man starts winking at your lover it's hard to resist skinning them to see if they squeal like the pigs they are.

He seemed to have sensed it was a bad idea after he heard me growl inhumanly and piss himself so he no longer invited us over willingly. I did however make the necessary modifications to the Kindred that would allow them to accept new parts like wings easily.

When the war officially ended in 1983 I'd been happy but my demon hunt and the spies of the British still needed weeded out so I'd went on until Betsy had made me stop in '89 right before we met with Washington for one final time.

There he declared Ichabod Crane would lead an organization that would be passed down whose sole purpose was to battle the supernatural. When he finished writing that letter, I told him. "It is time Betsy and I retire from the active duties. I've created a very powerful illusion that will masquerade as us and our eventual pedestrian life."

I set a string of cursed beads on the table before him and he nodded as this was the last goodbye gift I intended to give him before me and Betsy disappeared from human history. He asked as he put away the cursed beads he'd asked for before. "What will you do now that you're not hunting demons?"

Betsy smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Who ever said we won't be hunting demons? Though you're partially right. We intend to travel the globe hunting for artifacts that will aid Crane and us in the future. Hopefully by the time I see Ichabod again I will have several great stories to tell our old friend."

He smiled wryly as he was one of the few who knew about our immortal nature now. He bid us farewell and safe travels as we set out to hunt down god artifacts and slay powerful demons and monsters to fill the Eye I owned. It now radiated power like the old version of itself and I was the only one who could safely handle it without activating it's unique binding properties.

It had a boundless and limitless storage capacity and I intended to make the most of it. We traveled around the world, starting with the Native American tribes. Our first bout of luck was the supposed locks of Ta'xet and Tia's hair, their only remains in the human world and their god artifacts of sorts.

We headed to South America where the Aztecs and Mayans were and found their artifacts with scrying and vast spells. I had to barter with the current tribes in the area as the Spaniards had mixed and intermingled with them and they'd lost a great deal of their heritage.

They agree to trade so long as I could show them what they'd lost. I agreed easily as I gave them scrolls and tablets I dug up of their history in various places. I even had to teach a few to read the various languages they'd been written and transcribed in.

A true pain in the ass to say the least. They created their own secret society to preserve their own heritage and almost refused me when I took their gods artifacts. I'd taken more than just the god of death's as my plan was intended for all gods.

I left in the night with Betsy and headed into Peru and looted a good part of the god artifacts, some still being prayed to by their tribes there. When we arrived back in North America, I built us a ship made with runes and steered it with magic across the sea to Africa.

No place was really safe from my looting of the god artifacts including Japan and Korea where we were chased out, laughing our asses off as we'd looted their god artifacts as well. The gods there weren't pleased with us but they were weakened and without their artifacts they would fade further.

I drained most of the gods using their artifacts as a conduit to fill the Eye of Providence. Hundreds of gods from various cultures fell over the century we traveled. On occasion Betsy and I would settle down for a few years in places like France and Australia. We even started the boxer rebellion in China as I drained their gods who seemed almost untouched and while at the time, of their essence.

Our presence was detected in the chaos as we fled and one god, the dragon shenlong, caught up to us while I was draining the rest. He stood before us a dragon headed man in his closest human form and asked why I was doing it.

I simply told him. "You all are just nature spirits who feed on belief. Like you feed on the humans, I shall feed on you. It is a fact of nature that the strong feed on the weak. Though you are a mighty dragon, I'd you agree to serve me, I shall help you become a real god and no longer need mortals to sustain your powers, what say you?"

He growled. "You are barely an immortal yourself, what makes you think you are worthy to command me?"

I snorted and showed him a glimpse at my true form while I weighed him down with killing intent and bloodlust. Even for an arrogant and angry dragon, he knew his place once he saw the truth of the world and this reality. I was in essence, his only chance at becoming more than he is.

I however did not treat him as a pet but as a subordinate and fond friend as we left China. When I stored him in my realm, he learned what it meant to be helpless but humble as inside there I was a true god and could smite him like a common lizard before a thunderstorm.

I returned his god artifacts to him, a naginata with twin dragons along the handle. The only reason I myself could even touch it let alone steal it was because I was technically only an immortal in body and not a god as they defined it, thus exempt from that rule.

Betsy has a hell of a fight in India against a cult of Kali's made entirely of Vitala. She eventually killed most of them while I watched. We actually weren't here for Kali, not that the goddess of destruction cared as she picked a fight to watch us squirm.

When we picked off the rest of her pantheon, leaving only the death gods alive, they fought amongst themselves while I stole the rest of their artifacts except Kali's to the goddess's surprise.

She declared herself their ruler as we left the country and as she dominated, she gave her artifact to the last of her living followers to rebuild her cult of worshippers in secret. Demons and monsters of all kinds were found in Greece and Rome as we took the bulk of their artifacts in secret.

The Greek and Roman gods had created new ones when their center of power had changed to the new world but they left their old weapons behind and I was more than happy to retrieve them all.

When we left Rome in 1850, we headed to Russia to obtain Druidic and Prussian artifacts along with all artifacts of a magical nature. Our coven grew strong inside my realm as I'd taken in those of significant magical power from each country that had any of note.

Their rituals and magic's were obtained and spread amongst the coven to learn as all magic was free to learn except those that hail from demonic origins or the grand grimoire's pages which was the worst of the worst.

Our coven was led by Betsy herself as she taught them magic's to slow the aging process. We'd taken a copy of the liberty bell and used it to awaken magic users in certain villages to join our cause.

In the 1860's we arrived in america fro the first time since we went abroad with our ship. There we joined the north in freeing slaves and under Abraham Lincoln, thanks to the masons, we were welcomed back with open arms.

Like before we were spies and assassins while our coven was healers and spell crafters. A great deal transpired but the worst of it was the corrupt sense I got from the government and the weakness it felt like.

The cause we fought for so long ago had been rained over time as demons and evil had made their way into the halls of power to corrupt it from the inside. Betsy and I went by Edwin McMasters Stanton and Ellen Hutchison. We'd had to take the place of Lincolns cabinet member and his wife when they were both killed by a demon in the night.

We used it to our advantage as she faked her death and became a covert spy for the south and I set in to protect Lincoln until his appointed time with Booth. After we won the war and Lincoln was killed, I led the manhunt and helped capture and seal the demonic Booth away. Boy was he not happy about that!

After that I retired from office and bought a plot of land in DC, not far from the Lincoln memorial. We left america to continue our travels but I left two bots to fake our lives there and continue inheriting our property in our place. I left the wagon full of Barber dimes with them to be used after 1907 to increase our funds through trade and help stabilize the economy.

Their side mission was to build a vast secret fortune through use of my own memories of the future and what would eventually happen anyway. When corporations like Microsoft and such were to come around they would find the owners and invest appropriately to gain at least a fifty percent share in it.

With that and all I knew of my time playing the stock market, when I was ready, I'd command a very formidable influence to crush Dreyfuss enterprises. Until then I'd be a shadow of a shadow building an occult army to face off against the demons of purgatory and all those that wished to start the apocalypse.

Washington had the right idea about the secret department to help Crane but he forgot that politics were influenced by the most vile of creatures, politicians and lawyers. In the end we left America and headed around the world again.

By the early nineteenth century we'd had more than a thousand practitioners in our coven, each who knew most spells we shared and were as powerful as Katrina in the arts.

Our community lives off the food and herbs I'd procured in my ring and were armed with powerful protection talismans. During the First World War we sided with America and it's allies while those from the suffering countries went to reduce the damage as best they could.

Our ship was constantly traveling to help out and in places heal where we could. The entire coven carried talismans that drained the vitality of the recently dead and if they were magic users, their magic as well. All to feed my Eye of Providence I'd dubbed the coin of death.

It thrummed with more power than anything I'd felt in this reality except the flaming sword I'd obtained all those years ago. No other magical artifact came close and the only the being that felt far stronger was the Christian god when he'd effectively spanked me.

Lucifer, the god of destruction doesn't count as he wasn't actually in this reality when I was born and even though my mother Nyx was powerful, even she was no match for my coin as it was now. I'd drained or obtained almost all the available gods and their artifacts in this world.

I had the gods of death's artifacts and had yet to drain them but the rest, other than the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse and Christian pantheons, were drained of all but their gods of death.

World War One was a busy four years for our coven and the outbreak of Spanish flu that I suspected a demon or pestilence was behind, didn't help the mortals. Our coven though was there healing who all we could and burying the dead of those we couldn't help. A hundred million lives lost and yet it filled the coin all the same.

Add that to the twenty two million that died because of the war and the stone grew ever more powerful. When the epidemic ended the coven returned to my realm and rested while Betsy and I went to America. There we set up aid organizations for veterans as the first of it's kind.

A charity of sorts that helps the families of those who were wounded or dead and a relief effort to help those effected by the epidemic. We stayed and lived in Boston and New Orleans, traveling between both homes throughout the years as we enjoyed the roaring twenties.

Our coven settled temporarily in New Orleans to teach those with the gift of magic there how to use it properly. Hoodoo and voodoo was a big thing there but it wasn't practiced much as it was a darker aspect of magic in some cases and relied on the dead too much.

We did however get around to using the bell and the awakening ritual on most of New Orleans. Hundreds of witches secretly joined us and others joined the priestesses there as we taught them all equally. Those who couldn't handle the truth had their magic bound and minds erased of the event.

We would not allow another Salem to happen. When World War Two came around we once more joined the effort under Teddy Roosevelt. We met with Amelia Earhart as well. She herself was much like Betsy in that she was the president's trusted spy and all around bad ass.

We helped the war effort this time in secret without revealing ourself to history as pictures tended to react weirdly with magic. We fought German and Japanese monsters on the battlefields and healed those we could as our ever growing and expanding coven helped significantly in the war efforts.

Our job was simple, eliminate all demonic and supernatural threats not related to the future and seal away all those that were. Unfortunately the Nazi's were heavily into the occult just like before with the Hessians.

We knew who their master was and as such we beat them back while keeping our presence hidden with enochian runes and protections I provided the coven members. As such we gained eighty million human's worth of vitality and essence.

The magical sand demigods hidden and dying on the battlefield upped it even more as my coin gained nearly as much as the great civil war between the Roman and Greek pantheons that had taken place during the actual civil war.

Damned if I didn't stay the hell away from that personally. Though the constant deaths of monsters, demons and demigods continued to super charge my coin like always. Even though the world wars were bad though, they didn't actually feature pantheons going head to head so less demigods died in them over all.

As the final main conflict winded down and Shenlong collected the essence for me durning the nuclear blasts that rocked Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After that we were pretty much done with the world tour as our coven relaxed and only made talismans and magical items for the coming battles ahead in their free time.

I had stopped by a Nazi camp outside Berlin during the war and killed the Nazi looters before making off with the broken down famous amber room that was reported to almost be the eighth wonder of the world. I'd stored it away for a rainy day and left the dead Germans naked in various sexual positions for their high command to discover.

I'd made sure allied soldier had seen it when I was done and left in the shadows as they began looting the camp. There was no real magical value to the room but it would most certainly come in handy after I began making moves.