NIGHTMARE

You're the devil whispering in my ear. Now, go do as you're promised and leave.

You didn't have a problem before. The devil on your shoulder is merely temptation; I'm salvation. You can't run away from me now.

How about you get the fuck out of my brother? We don't need you.

Right, brother– forgot that my lovely host debased himself by calling himself your brother. He continues to lower his standards by staying by your side and treating you as anything more than what you are. A time-wielding parasite that's useless without a fight to throw himself into.

You're not my dad.

Oh, but I am, Marina. Maybe not the one that you think you care for, but your father all the same.

Wow, you're a lot more cocky than the Azriel I know. I don't see what the big deal is with you.

Cocky and self-assured is a fine line, Brooks. Of course, you don't see the big deal– you never were one for the bigger picture.

Sometimes, you have to make a deal with the devil to receive what you want.

Fuck, I don't know what everyone's bitching and whining about. It's just one goddess.

When did vampires and goddesses start fraternizing anyway? It's never a mix that ends well.

There you are. I've been looking for you.

"I told you, I'm willing to pay it." Even though it might mean frequent visits, more time away from her Azriel when he needed her the most especially in the moments he spent longer at Bellora's beck and call. In a way, she too would eventually succumb to her own destruction, seduced by the darkness that lay within this version among his psychotic glories. Certainly so, Emilia could imagine the other reason entering Az's mind and while she intentionally brought herself here to foolishly ask advice on the goddess problem....there's a deeper desire she could not admit to him much less her own being. "Really hate the way you said her name with familiarity. You think my Azriel missed the chaos a part of him relished, maybe, but he's been struggling coping with a complicated emotional toll." Much time must have passed between the last they interacted and now, although, neither talked about the family Azriel built beyond the bedroom door. Mil could feel each muscle in her body go rigid as Azriel minimized their space, his finger leaving a scorching sensation from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. She should turn around that instant, never providing the dream witch an opportunity to do something unpredictable while her back was turned. "Bellora is using Jadis Hawke as a vessel, but Jade's growing too weak to sustain the power. Using Marina isn't just for her abilities, it's a punishment for a reincarnated version of her priestess who stole away one of her lovers. Bellora knows she could wipe out more than the city without lifting a finger." The latter plan likely on the horizon, draining powers like a super battery. The Weaver's lips instantly parted and released a small moan the moment Az's mouth glanced against the flesh of her neck, despising the way her body instinctively leaned against his front, back feeling the warmth of his frame. "How do we fix it?" Emilia snapped away from the fantasy before slowly turning around to face the male, resisting the urge to reach out and touch any part of him. Why did he drive her crazy? "You aren't in the business staunching chaos when it thrives, Az, but how do we truly stop her from destroying everything I care about? If you want these visits between us to continue, you'll tell me."

A hum of satisfaction left his chest in a quiet rumble, the smile never leaving his face. How bravely foolish this Emilia was, to seek knowledge without fully understanding the price before placing everything on the line. Oh, how delicious. "I say it with familiarity because she's my daughter in this timeline, darling. Chaos calls to your Azriel and me like the air we breathe; the only difference is that one controls it and one refuses to. Doesn't matter what he's been coping with, Emilia– he ran. From you, from that Prince of his, he still can't seem to keep his hands off of. All in the name of protection, because when it comes down to it, he can't pull the trigger on what needs to be done. A pattern." In the many memories of his doppelganger that he had picked through, Azriel was impressed, at least a small portion, by the various plans that the other him had hatched in the name of protection; he rarely followed through, and it was irksome. Azriel had so much power, and yet it was stunted, placed behind a barrier to be locked away when it should be free. His lips quirked into a smirk at the sound that Emilia made, knowing that her mind hated what the other Emilia gave into willingly, was conditioned to look for in his embrace. The witch's fingertips ran through Emilia's dark locks, lifting the ends to his lips and inhaling before letting the strands filter through his fingers with a sigh as she moved to face him. "Sure, if Bellora were single-minded, taking Marina would be the ultimate payback to get back at her ex-lover, whatever, but I highly doubt she's as single-minded as everyone thinks. At least not when an opportunity arises, and Marina is an opportunity." Az stared at the brunette for a moment, cocking his head to the side as he allowed himself to take in her question. There was a clear answer in his mind, but he was not her. He wasn't even the small emotionally conflicted version of him. "I only enjoy the chaos I can control, my love. You know how to fix it, deep down you do." Azriel took Emilia's hand in his, leading her to the balcony– pushing open the double doors with the night air rushing to greet them. "Your Jade's body will not be able to keep up with the goddess, which means she will be discarded, and Bellora will either find a new body or, with the help of Marina, deem it safe enough to show herself in the flesh. My money is on the latter, and with so-called 'powerhouse' witches on her side, she will not only take over your realm, but systematically dismantle the gods. She is the goddess of war and chaos, and what is the ultimate satisfaction than conquering your own kind?" Steering the two of them to stand by the banister, Azriel bracketed Emilia in front of him with his hands on the banister around her, leaning in with just a whisper. "The only way to fix it is to do what no one seems to be doing and kill her. Cut the head from the snake. It's not as hard as it seems, look around." His finger traced the skyline of his part of the city that he lorded over before landing on the pathway to his home. On pikes lining the drive were the heads of his enemies– every single King, Queen, Prince, and Princess of Hell save for two that managed to escape to the realm that Emilia hailed from. His collection so close to completion, but that wasn't the point. "There are no gods here. They have not set foot in this timeline because they know better– we are lawless, boundless, limitless. There are several people who have the power to take down the gods, but they just won't. Not even the gods themselves, but me?" A dark chuckle left his lips at his next words, a truth that he knew full well. "I am a god. You fix it by letting me in. Let me take care of it."

She must have been out of her mind seeking out a psychotic version of her Azriel before ever being called upon as the brokered deal's terms implied, but it's necessary. With Kai and Az now in Bellora's clutches, a timer hung over the city counting down to their demise. After Marina was taken, Emilia knew there was no one who could dive into a goddess' psyche better than the one person able to understand the darkness. Convenient too knowing a part of her actually missed the asshole. Mil found him in his study once the incantation landed her in the other version's body, not bothering to change out of the skimpy lingerie she was wearing. The silky nightgown came to just above her knees complimented by the matching robe. A vision in white. "There's a reason for that." Emilia distractedly picked at the intricate lace of her sleeve and found Azriel's gaze again. "I need your help with a goddess problem, Az. Kai and the other you have joined her side to protect a witch she's taken, but without knowing what she planned on doing with Marina, I have to think outside of the box." She approached the man, the two leather chairs in front of the desk maintaining their distance. "In exchange for your assistance, I'm willing to give you whatever you want."

"That's the reason? There's a hefty price to pay for an answer you might have known the entire time," The witch responded with a sly smirk on his face, knowing that while this version of his Emilia may very well have needed his help, it wasn't the only reason. He hummed, crossing his legs at the ankles as he mulled over what the other witch said, tapping a faint melody against the desktop with his fingers. "Marina. Always destined to cross paths with me, no matter the timeline. I've peeked into your Azriel's head every now and then, nothing malicious, I've kept my word, but I saw it was only a matter of time before he ran from complicated situations, and following your Marina into the fire was a convenient excuse." It was honestly sickening. He was no expert in emotions, and yet he was leagues ahead of the other Azriel, who had the emotional awareness of a rock. He lifted from the desk, moving around the leather chairs that the woman carefully placed between the two of them, running a finger along her back from shoulder to shoulder. "You know what the goddess wants to use Marina for, the question is why? The goddess is a goddess for a reason. Power beyond reason, one of the many weights in the ethos of the gods, keeping balance. In theory, she has no reason to use a witch like Marina for conquest when she has the power herself to achieve basic domination of your world." A fact he knew well. He, his brother, his wife, and the First Son annihilated Hell on their own, without Marina's abilities, simply because they could. It was a testament to their power that they did it on their own, a point they proved to themselves and to anyone who tried to stand against them. It was an unwinnable battle for anyone else, especially with Marina by their side. Azriel smoothed Emilia's dark locks over one shoulder, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck, "unless she isn't just planning on dominating your world but all realms?"

You still see the demon back at the farmhouse who terrorized you and your brother before forcing a crown on your sister's head. It's a dark spot in our history that I wish didn't come from the worst parts of myself, but I can't change that choice. It's a grudge I don't expect you or Kai to forgive me for as you shouldn't. Feel what you like, but I wouldn't mind finding a place where you aren't looking to repeat what my son tried. Tolerating without retaliation.

You are never in a better mood, that's a moot point.

I can be in worse moods.

You two are real fucking idiots, I just hope you are aware.

I'm aware that you should insult me when I'm in a better mood, Ainsley.