“It has to,” Lexxes answered, her voice filled with resolve. “If there is no hope of atonement, if there is no other path for you to choose, then we drive you down the path Morticae walked. In the end, we create that which we fear most, as humanity often does.”
“What about the Burglecuts?” Xlina added, not able to let her doubt go so freely as Lexxes. “What about Heart’s Hearth? What will become of Oxivius?”
“You seek a guide to what will be,” Lexxes answered solemnly. “I warn you against such divinations. Your own fears and desires will cloud any such attempts, masking reality with your fantasy. Following those fears, you will descend further into despair. Better, I say, to live your life making your choices free from the burden of what might be. Make the choices as you would make them, being true to yourself, and whatever may come, at least it will come with a clear conscience.”
“You speak in circles,” Xlina barked defensively. “With the one hand you tease me with the ability to control the dreams, yet with the other you yank away any hope of using them.”
“Selfishly,” Lexxes corrected. “Such is the nature of divination, always seeing what will be for others while resisting the temptation to see for yourself.”
“But you dreamed of my arrival,” Xlina countered. “Is that not self-serving?”
“No one is perfect,” Lexxes quipped. “However, I did not seek that future. You will find some events in life cause such a ripple that you will not be able to ignore them, either in the Earth Realm or here in the Dream Realm.”
“Wonderful,” Xlina huffed, turning away to look at the fallen Morticae once more. His blood-filled eyes seemed hollow, etched on a face that captured his exact moment of death. Oxivius would reanimate his corpse shortly, calling for it to attack Puc, just as he had in the Earth Realm. The grotesque corpse would spring to life, biting and gnawing at the fae. She did not wish to see that again, yet she found herself unable to pull away. His body shimmered unnaturally as if it floated between worlds.
“What was that?” Xlina asked, examining the corpse more closely.
“A distortion of the dream perhaps,” Lexxes answered, slowing the dream once more.
“No. There was something more there,” Xlina insisted. “Something just happened.”
“Alright, let me see.” Lexxes grimaced as she focused her energy, and slowly the dream churned in reverse. A bead of sweat appeared on her brow, and Xlina began to register the awful strain she was bearing in order to manipulate the Dream Realm. She seemed exhausted, yet still focused as the dream rewound to the moment of the shimmer. Xlina gasped as a black ichor seemed to leak from the corpse, as if his tainted soul was evaporating before her eyes.
“What the hell?” Xlina questioned in awe as thin streams of black smoke coiled up from the corpse and coalesced in the air. They swirled in a manner of microseconds, forming a cloud not more than a foot above the body. From deep within the darkness of the cloud, two red orbs stared back malevolently before the cloud dissipated into nothingness.
“We must return,” Lexxes ordered, her voice laden with fear. “We must get back. Now!”
“What is it?” Xlina asked again, growing concerned at seeing the stalwart woman shaken so.
“We just watched the birth of a wraith,” Lexxes replied, her voice grave. “I fear your friends are in great danger.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Xlina sighed in exasperation. “Is anything we killed in that basement going to stay dead?”
“Come, take my hand,” Lexxes ordered, reaching out for Xlina’s hand and grabbing it firmly. “We have not the time to return gently.”
The dream world shattered around Xlina, the dream falling like shards of splintered glass into an abyss of darkness. The sudden jolt to her senses sent a searing pain through her mind as it struggled to keep pace. She lurched forward as her eyes flung open in the dim red glow of the sweat lodge. She retched violently, tossing the contents of her stomach into the center of the room before rolling over in a sweaty heap on the pile of furs. Her head spun as the world turned around her. Lexxes movement, sudden and deliberate, caught her attention at the edge of her senses. She couldn’t decipher what she was doing as the room continued to spin around her until she felt the cold rush of air from the door flooding in.
The cool late autumn air danced against her sweat-covered skin, shocking her awake with a shiver. She heard Amber gasp from a few feet away, undoubtedly equally shocked by the sudden jet of cold air. Lexxes was at her side then, cup of water in one hand as she reached out with the other, bracing Xlina behind the head and encouraging her to drink.
“Hurry,” Lexxes urged. “You must get your bearings. We need to go.”
Xlina took a sip from the cup, realizing how dry her mouth and throat had become from the hot sauna-like lodge. Her body quivered uncontrollably as the cold air teased her damp skin. She blinked twice, trying to push her disorientation to the side and focus on Lexxes’ face. The proud and stoic woman now wore a mask of concern that drove her to focus on the tasks ahead. She grunted as she pulled herself upright to a sitting position and grabbed for her stack of clothing. She could see Amber doing the same, moving with unbridled haste at Lexxes’ urging.
“Where are we going?” Xlina asked, still groggy as she fumbled with her clothing.
“Back to Portland,” Lexxes said firmly. “Before the wraith that was Morticae kills us all.”
Xlina staggered from the lodge. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she found herself pawing for the black box containing the choker that now contained Valeria. She retrieved it, welcoming the sudden sensation of warmth and approval flooding into her body as she slipped the choker back around her neck. In the corner of her eye, she caught Amber frowning in concern.
“I can’t leave it behind,” Xlina reasoned as she made way for the docks at the front side of the house.
“I’m not judging,” Amber quipped defensively.
“Yes you are,” Xlina retorted, moving with haste to the dock, Lexxes and Amber following behind her.
“Okay, maybe just a little,” Amber replied. “I don’t understand.”
“You can’t understand,” Xlina corrected, stepping into the aluminum boat.
“I can try,” Amber responded with a hint of hurt in her voice. “You can explain it to me, and I can try.”
“Is this really the time for this?” Lexxes chimed in with a motherly tone that took both girls aback.
“No,” Xlina relented. “We have to get back.”
“You’ll need your rest on the way back,” Lexxes replied. “You’re going to need your energy for the fight ahead.”
“She can’t drive anyway,” Amber stated plainly.
“Fine then,” Lexxes agreed with a nod. “You can tell me all about yourself on the ride back then, Amber.”
Sleep came easy for Xlina despite the uncomfortable back seat of the old Malibu rental. Amber and Lexxes had taken the front seat, and at Lexxes’ request, Amber had begun telling her story. Xlina’s eyelids were heavy, and she longed to experience the dream world as she always had before at her own pace, consuming and absorbing freely. She had seen enough of both Valeria and Lexxes controlling the Dream Realm and was ready to recharge her reserves. She absently rubbed the gem on her choker, thinking of all Lexxes had said and seeing the eyes staring back at her from the black cloud that was the wraith.
She drifted in and out of sleep as the car rumbled along the dirt road back toward the reserve, catching bits and pieces of the two women in front exchanging tidbits and details about Amber’s high school days leading up to her first apartment just down the hall from Xlina. Before they had reached the main road, Xlina was adrift in her dreams.
“Time to chat?” The familiar voice of Valeria caught her attention as she awoke on a brilliant red velvet couch. She was in an upscale apartment with black and steel decor. The floor was like a pool of obsidian, and she saw her reflection staring back at her in its tranquil surface. She looked around, taking
in the large bay window that overlooked what could only be the city of Boston. They were high, possibly in a penthouse, and the city glowed with bright lights under a tapestry of stars. The window was framed with black sheer curtains that fit with the rest of the decor.
“Valeria,” Xlina said solemnly, drawing her eyes to the kitchen nook in the corner, where Valeria stood in her demon visage next to a black Keurig with two mugs. Her alabaster skin seemed out of place in the black and steel-lined kitchen as she whimsically floated from a double-door steel refrigerator back to the counter with a bottle of cream. In her human form, she would have looked perfectly normal in this swanky high-rise apartment, but with her demon wings fluttering behind her and her forked tail swaying as she moved, the whole scene was jarring.
“Why, haven’t you been busy, my pet,” Valeria said, bringing the mugs over to the red velvet couch and placing them on an end table before slithering on top of the couch herself. Xlina shifted as Valeria pressed her body against her. She could feel Valeria’s taut breasts pressing on her back as the demon snuggled in behind her on the couch. Her taloned hand came up to gently stroke Xlina’s hair, and she laid comfortably snuggled against her.
“I need to be resting,” Xlina stated in irritation. “Morticae turned into a damned wraith.”
“Ohhhh,” Valeria cooed in surprise. “And now you rush back to save your friends once more.”
“Yes, and I need my strength,” Xlina answered uncomfortably as Valeria traced a talon down her neck and shoulder, coming around her front to tease her chest before continuing down to her abdomen. Her caress was light, and Xlina fought the urge to pull away not wanting to fracture their fragile truce by insulting the demon.
“I just thought we could have a moment,” Valeria pouted, her lips nearly touching Xlina’s earlobe. Her words came in hot breaths that sent tingles down Xlina’s neck and spine. “I have been cooped up in her for so long. I’m getting bored.”
“Are you healing?” Xlina asked, shifting forward to put some space between her and Valeria’s mouth.
“Yes; thank you,” Valeria cooed, flicking her long demonic tongue out to caress Xlina’s retreating earlobe. “I wanted to see how our little arrangement is working for you.”
“I appreciate you not being in my head, if that’s what you mean.” Xlina squirmed, trying to pull away, but Valeria’s caressing hand grabbed her hip and pulled her close.
“You wanted some space,” Valeria continued, her voice growing husky. “And I wanted to prove to you that I am just here to give you what you want.”
“Like Morticae?” Xlina reasoned, struggling against the demon’s grasp on her waist and hips to no avail.
“Morticae made his own choices,” Valeria answered, her hands squeezing Xlina’s hips and pulling her body tightly against her own.
“Choices you would have me make,” Xlina countered, wriggling under Valeria’s strength.
“Hush now,” Valeria scolded in reply. “I thought we had come to an arrangement? I’m giving you your freedom and space so long as you perform in the game and keep taking out Ertigan’s pawns. As long as you do that, my patron will be happy, which will make me happy, and in turn you’ll be free to pursue whatever ends you desire.”
“Forgive me for not trusting a demon,” Xlina said, grabbing at Valeria’s hands.
“Forgiven,” Valeria smiled in reply. “I am a demon after all. It’s in my nature.”
“So what is this?” Xlina asked, giving up on prying Valeria’s hands free. “Your attempt to seduce me?”
“This,” Valeria added firmly, “is my home in Boston. I thought I would show you mine since I have seen yours.”
“It’s nice,” Xlina replied, rolling her eyes at the sexual innuendo in the demon’s words.
“I won’t take much of your time,” Valeria added, releasing Xlina from her grasp. “It’ll do me no good to be inside you if your body is destroyed. I have just as much to lose as you do in this arrangement.”
“So this is a pep talk?” Xlina pondered aloud.
“I just wanted to be sure we are still on the same page, my pet,” Valeria responded. “And I don’t want you forgetting about me in here.”
“Trust me, you’re not so easy to forget,” Xlina answered. Free from the demon’s grip, she scooted forward, putting some space between them.
“I know,” Valeria purred in reply.
“I’ll stay focused,” Xlina said.
“You could show some gratitude, you know,” Valeria huffed in dismay. “Do you have any idea how good you have it?”
“You’re about to tell me,” Xlina quipped dryly.
“One of my counterparts is a demon who feeds on self-loathing and hate,” she explained, ignoring Xlina’s sarcasm. “He would not be so gentle, trust me. He would compel you to shave off strips of your flesh just for his amusement.”
“I thought your patron didn’t want me dead,” Xlina replied confidently.
“My dear girl,” Valeria answered firmly. “When dealing with demons, there are fates far worse than death.”
“Like Morticae,” Xlina added. “A wraith?”
“Enough about Morticae,” Valeria huffed in frustration.
“What do you know about wraiths?” Xlina asked, turning on the red velvet sofa to stare into the endless black pools that were Valeria’s eyes.
“They are dangerous,” Valeria answered flatly. “Satisfied?”
“No,” Xlina answered. “Do you want your mortal coil to die with me against the wraith? How will your patron judge your success then?”
“Fine,” Valeria relented, taking a more serious tone. “When a soul becomes stained enough, it can become fused with magic. After years of such fusing, the soul can linger on after the body has passed. It is sustained by feeding off the living. A wraith is a specter, an incorporeal threat that you’re not going to be able to punch your way through. Its touch is like a kiss from the abyss, cold and empty. It sucks the life out of you, leaving you in a state of despair, until you care not whether you live or die. Of course at the point that you no longer care, you’re as good as dead. Worse yet, Ertigan has rights to the soul, which of course can only mean he is allowing it to roam freely rather than consuming it himself.”
“How do I stop it?” Xlina pressed on intently.
“A wraith is bound by its essence,” Valeria answered. “Its soul clings to this world.”
“So Oxivius can stop it,” Xlina stated.
“Perhaps,” Valeria replied. “But the wraith feeds on despair. A death eater like Oxivius, who has wandered the Otherworld for centuries, cast out by his peers and alone in his exile—is a veritable buffet for the wraith.”
“So what do I do, Valeria?” Xlina asked. “How do I stop this thing?”
“I don’t know,” Valeria answered seriously. “But I am confident you will. You and Oxivius, as well as that somewhat annoying little Amber.”
“That’s reassuring,” Xlina said dryly. “It’s almost like you want me to fail.”
“You’re the one looking for an inspiring pep talk from a demon,” Valeria quipped playfully. “Look, if you want to beat the wraith, then you need to keep it hungry. Starve it by holding back despair. That’s not necessarily in my wheelhouse, okay?”
“Okay,” Xlina agreed with a nod. “Thanks, Valeria. You have been... helpful.”
“Self-interest, my pet,” Valeria replied with a flick of her tongue. “Don’t go reading into it.”
“I won’t,” Xlina teased with a smile. “You are after all—”
“Just a demon,” Valeria finished with a smile. “It’s in my nature. Now enjoy your nightmares.”
With a flash, Xlina found herself engulfed in flames. The room around her faded into a fiery maelstrom as the hellish landscape contorted and twisted. Black obsidian pillars rose from the floor, and the echoes of screams rang in her ears. Blood dripped freely from the ceiling, hissing as it hit the flames and filling the air with the heavy, noxious aroma
of burning flesh. Xlina struggled to take a breath, to take but a single step forward, but she was held firm in place. A wrenching agony filling her legs. She looked down as shards of metal rose from the floor, piercing her calves and hamstrings. She wailed in agony, unable to focus on anything but the pain filling her body as the shards expanded, eviscerating her flesh.
The smell of burning souls, so familiar thanks to Oxivius’ magic, filled her nostrils, and she stifled a gag. Her throat burned as if she had swallowed a glass of fire as the steel shards continued to rise. There in the flames a shadow moved, its horned head stalking just beyond the glow of the flames. It was large, twice the size of a normal man as it thundered through the flames.
A large muscled torso of bronze flesh emerged from the fire, carried on lizard-like legs that bent in the wrong direction at the knees. His face was angular like Valeria’s but marred with cuts and scratches. Instead of her black orbs, his eyes were a puss yellow and dripped a strange goo that fell down his cheeks like tears. A purple tongue, thick and strong, hung like a rope from his overly wide maw, which was accented with rows of jagged teeth. He raised a clawed hand to touch her face gently. His every touch was like fire, sending waves of pain through her skin. She flinched at his embrace, drawing a hard slap from him in response. He said nothing as he stood over her, bent at his waist so she could look him in his puss-like eyes. He snarled in contempt as he laid a finger on her cheek, a long filthy, hooked black talon extended from his finger. Effortlessly, he pushed the talon into the skin of her cheek, the sharp jagged nail slicing through her skin like a hot knife through butter. She wailed in pain, but he didn’t stop. Drawing his finger down to her jaw, his talon peeled the flesh from her face in a two-inch strip. She wailed again, struggling to find her arms, for her body to respond, but she stood enthralled in the demon’s baleful glare.
He plucked the flap of skin from her face and popped it into his mouth as casually as if it were an afternoon snack and chewed, his lipless maw dropping bits on the floor to be consumed by the fire. He nodded in approval as she screamed, her voice disappearing into the mass of screams echoing through the area. Xlina could no longer distinguish her screams from those of the victims around her as the massive demon returned his attention to her face. His thick purple tongue flapped off his chest as he settled in, seemingly content with his new plaything. He brought the talon back up before her eye, the black nail glistening with her blood. Xlina closed her eyes in disgust, wanting the dream to be over, but the demon wouldn’t have it. She felt the sharp talon on the edge of her skull just below her eyebrow. She could feel him press the wicked thing through her flesh as he traced a circle around her eye socket, neatly peeling away her eyelid in a single smooth pull.
The Infernal Games Page 34
