by Robbie Cox
Laci glanced around the darkness. I’m doing this wrong. I only need to find one voice. The dybbuk’s.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to pinpoint Regina’s voice out of the myriad of people chattering around her. C’mon, Regina, say something. Talk to me.
The voices rushing her ears sounded like a waterfall roaring down a mountain, the water pummeling stacks of boulders. The sounds assaulted her, making her wince with the pain of how loud everything reverberated in her head. How am I ever going to hear just one…
“Get away from her!” Regina’s voice sliced through the jumbled cacophony.
Laci’s eyes popped open as she spun to the left. Thank you, Regina.
Twenty-Seven
Wanda and Famallumi arrived, the elf in full glamour, and the three witches circled Regina’s prone body, arms extended, as they chanted a protection spell around her. Cynthia stood off to the side, arms over her chest as she stared at the scene in front of her. Reggie stood just behind Tansy, wringing his hands as he bounced from foot-to-foot, worry creasing his brow.
“This is ridiculous, Reggie,” Cynthia said, blowing out a frustrated breath, her exasperation dripping from each word. She pointed to where Regina was sprawled out on the couch. “We need to call an ambulance and get this crazy woman out of our house. This is some sort of hoax or setup or something. Why are we pandering to these people? We have our son to think about.”
Reggie, however, ignored her as he focused on the scene in front of him. Tansy only wished the woman would shut the hell up. “We are not here to harm your son,” Tansy said. Staring at Regina on the couch, she continued to chant the spell, wondering where Laci and Nazareth were. They needed them here, to help solve whatever Regina was going through, to fight whatever attacked the woman.
Regina had screamed one more time, shouting, “Get away from her,” and then she went suddenly still and quiet.
Tansy felt the power of their spell pulsating around them as Reggie begged to know what happened, why his mother was lying still on the couch. Tansy had no answers for him. She had no answers for anyone. She could only stand there and watch, just like everyone else.
Regina screamed, jarring everyone in the room, her eyes clenched shut as she tightened her fists, and then she went deathly still.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Laci heard Regina scream, following the ear-shattering sound from the inky blackness that surrounded her. The further Laci walked, the more her surroundings changed, shifting from the darkness between realms to a brighter light that resembled the pale beige of bedroom walls. Laci imagined Sherri must have created a room to hole up in, while Regina controlled her body. Smart on her part. It had to suck being confined inside a constant darkness. Laci realized there was still so much she had to learn about the workings of the mind, especially if this wound up a normal part of her life.
Reaching down, she touched on the power at her core, feeling her power wrap around her like a shield. She had no idea what she was about to walk into, but she would not go in unprepared. Tharon would not catch her unawares like he did last time. It was time to kill another demon.
The mental house Sherri constructed shifted into several rooms with open doorways. Laci wandered from room to room, her arms down at her sides, ready to call her power forth at a moment’s thought. She heard Regina scream one more time and then silence.
“It ends here, Tharon,” she heard Nazareth say. “Leave these women alone and return to the Underworld where you belong.”
A deep guttural laugh. “Oh, Nazareth, you amuse me.” The sound of Tharon’s voice sent tremors throughout Laci’s body. “You’ve always amused me. I thought you’d be happy I was here to send the dybbuk on to her next journey.” He laughed again. “I’m doing your job for you.”
“You’re not doing my job,” Nazareth sneered. “You’re just a whacked out bugger who needs to go back to Hell.”
The sound of power ripped the air, if air is what it could be called inside someone’s mind. Laci moved faster, her power sparking around her fingertips. She couldn’t hear anything from either Sherri or Regina. Hopefully, they were unharmed. The silence worried Laci.
She reached one of the doorways and peered around the corner, remaining hidden. Nazareth stood facing her, his arms out in front of him as power sizzled around his hands, Regina unconscious at his feet. Tharon had his back to Laci, as he focused on Nazareth, and off to the side stood Sherri her arms straight down as a circle of power encased her.
Laci nodded. Smart woman. With a deep breath, Laci stepped around the corner, lashing her arm out in front of her as she sent a bolt of power into Tharon’s back. The magic hit him in the left shoulder, spinning him around, and knocking him off his feet. His burning eyes flamed brighter as he spotted her.
He laughed again, the sound unnerving Laci. “I should have known Nazareth’s little protégé would be hiding somewhere nearby.” He shook his head, and the cowl fell from his head, revealing a scarred balding head that appeared like it had been burnt over and over. He had no eyebrows, and his nose appeared almost melted now that she could actually see it. She could only stare. “I thought I already told you, you are underwhelming at best.”
Laci stepped into the room, her arms still down at her sides. “And yet, I’m standing, and you’re flat on your ass.” She glanced past the revenant to Nazareth. “We need to talk about how you left me back there.”
The old man shrugged. “I assumed you’d find your way. If you couldn’t, then you didn’t need to be here.”
Laci glared at him as she turned back to Tharon.
The revenant just laughed. “Nice to see you two getting along so well.” He shifted as he started to get to his feet. “Hekate must be bored with me, if she sent an old man and an inexperienced…” He glanced at Laci as he stood straighter, his lips twisted in a sneer. “…girl to attempt to stop me from doing what must be done.” He shook his head, taking a deep breath, as he stood straighter. “It will be my pleasure to send you both to the Underworld to show her how insulting that is.” He jerked his arms upward, power lashing out and striking Laci in the chest, sending her spinning backward, her head hitting the wall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Maria opened the back door, whistling as she carried a plate of steaks into her backyard. She tried everything she could think of so far: regular dog food she borrowed from a neighbor, hamburger meat, hot dogs, pieces of ham. This was her last effort to get the hellhounds to eat. If they were going to hang around her house, she would at least make sure they didn’t starve. However, so far, they refused to touch anything she set before them.
The two giant mastiffs stretched out on the lawn, basking in the hot Florida afternoon sun. They glanced up at her as she walked out onto the grass, then laid their heads back on the ground, dismissing her as unimportant.
Maria gave a small snort of laughter. Animals are a lot like teenagers. She laid the steaks down on the ground, a few feet away from the dogs, and took a step back, waiting to see if they would take the food.
They never moved.
Okay, you are more stubborn than Jayden was when I tried to get her to eat asparagus. She planted her fists on her hips and stared at the dogs. How did they not need to eat? “What’s the point of you two just lounging around my backyard? I don’t get it.” She shook her head, wondering what their purpose was for being there.
A deep growl rumbled from one of the hellhounds, then the other, both leaping to their feet, hackles raised. Maria cocked an eyebrow as she stared at them. “Don’t like steak?” she asked, her voice a soft whisper.
Both of the hellhounds leaped to the side, racing for her privacy fence, but each disappearing before they reached it. They just…vanished.
Maria stared at the spot, brows arched, eyes wide. What the hell?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Laci groaned, rolling to her side as she clutched her shoulder. Nazareth slumped against a far wall, blood trickling from above his right eye, and Sherri moved
to make sure he was all right. Regina still laid unconscious on the floor near the revenant’s feet. Laci pushed herself into a standing position, stretching her arms back out, magic sparking at her fingers. She had to get Tharon out of Sherri’s mind if they were going to help Regina. Think, Laci, think.
“Silly move, necromancer,” Tharon spat. “You should have remained on the floor until this was over. You might have lived through it then.” He lifted his arms again, his demon’s power at the ready. “Now I’m afraid you’re just going to have to die.” He shot a bolt of his magic at Laci’s head.
Laci threw her shield up as she dropped to the ground. A quick glance over at Nazareth showed him easing to his feet, his back pressed against the wall as Sherri helped him. Laci swiped at the revenant’s feet, trying to kick his legs out from under him, but Tharon jumped clear, throwing another bolt of power at her, the demon’s magic shattering her shield. Laci screamed as her body twisted under the onslaught, the pain excruciating. The power faded, and Laci collapsed, her breathing a splatter of ragged gasps as she laid there, trying to get her senses back.
Tharon just laughed as he prepared to throw another bolt at her. “I told you Hekate chose wrong. Now it’ll be my pleasure to send you back to her.” Just as his arm shot outward, though, Nazareth tackled him from the side, twisting the revenant of Death on to his back as they rolled across the floor.
Laci heard the older man grunt as he wrestled with Tharon, power exploding from their fingers and striking the walls of Sherri’s mind. The blonde screamed, clutching her head as she fell to the floor. Regina screamed as well, her body bucking on the floor as the air smelled of sulfur and smoke. Laci rolled over on to her hands and knees, taking a couple large gulps of air. She had to get Tharon out of there. You can move between realms. Nazareth’s words repeated in her mind. How could she get Tharon to another realm?
She stared around her as Nazareth kept the revenant of Death occupied. By the looks of things, Laci needed to move fast. Nazareth was on the losing end.
Laci thought back to when she first entered the Summerlands. She saw the lines of power connecting Rose Tillery to Alex and Jayden and just…followed them, building a bridge on top of the lines. Laci turned and stared at Tharon. Could she do something similar here? She stared harder, searching for some way to connect Tharon to something else she could use to rip him out of Sherri’s mind. Then she remembered something else Nazareth told her, something about there being a residual trace of Tharon’s presence in the people he killed. If she could find that…
“No!” Tharon yelled as he shoved the older man off, tossing Nazareth like a doll against the wall again. The sound of the necromancer’s head hitting the wall echoed around them, and for the second time in a matter of minutes, Laci watched as the lanky man slid to the floor, a panic gripping her.
Tharon stood, growling. “Enough!” He turned to Laci, his hands out in front of him. “You will not interfere again.”
Laci saw the magic flickering around his hands, knowing she had no time to dodge the blast. She braced, throwing up her magic shield as shattered as it was from the revenant’s previous attack.
Tharon sneered at her as he shoved power from his hands, but just before it could unleash upon her, the hellhounds appeared out of nowhere, growling and snapping as they struck Tharon in the side and back, crushing him beneath them. The revenant of Death roared his frustration as he turned his power on the hellhounds.
Laci jerked around her searching for the… There! A murky trail through the universe’s consciousness around them, leading from Tharon to Emma Croft. Laci jerked into motion, picturing the bridge just like she did a couple of weeks ago as she moved across the room. Just as Tharon shoved the giant mastiffs from him, Laci struck, barreling into him and shoving him onto the path. As soon as they hit the bridge she created, she willed the other end to vanish, cutting them off from Sherri’s mind.
And from anyone who could help her.
They both landed in the darkness of the lifeless body, the wind rushing from Laci as she hit the solid floor of Emma’s mind. Laci rolled, shoving off the pain, as she reached out to the surrounding elements, creating a circle around her and Tharon.
The demon was slower to rise, having already battled Nazareth and the two hellhounds, and Laci finished creating the circle by the time he stood to his feet. He glared at her. “You will die for this,” he snarled.
“A little cocky for a demon who just got his ass handed to him by an old man and a couple of dogs,” Laci said as she stood there, magic buzzing around her fingertips. “And now you’re about to get beat by a girl. Won’t that ruin your reputation in the Underworld?”
Tharon laughed. “I think you forget, that old man is lying on the ground back in that junkie’s mind. I doubt he’ll move again anytime soon. The dybbuk, who could have used the other woman’s body, now will die, as well, for her interference.” His grin grew as he moved to face Laci. “And as far as you beating me, my reputation will soar when I bring back the soul of a necromancer, and make no mistake, I am taking your soul today.”
Laci reached out, touching Emma’s mind, bringing her to life. Through the dead woman’s eyes, she glanced around at the inside of the autopsy room. Mark and Tricia huddled around the crumbled form of Nazareth against the wall, while Laci’s body stood there, her hand still touching Emma’s arm. All right, that’s a little weird. Glancing back to Nazareth, she noticed him shift a little, groaning. A sigh of relief escaped her as she turned back to Tharon, cocking her head to the side. She had to trust the older necromancer to do what needed to be done to end this. Her job would be to buy Nazareth time. “Was this a personal mission of yours?” she asked the revenant. “Or did Death or Sleep or Dream send you out to wreak havoc on innocent people for sport?” She dropped one arm down to her side as she kept the other up in front of her, her magic raised in a shield. With her gaze on Tharon, she started to walk around him. “Are all demons jealous bullies?”
“I am Death’s revenant,” Tharon answered, his hands still up, ready to shoot his power at Laci at any moment. “I serve him by sending him the dregs of existence. These people have no real purpose. They merely take up space in a world already too crowded. You should be happy to be rid of them.”
She shrugged as she continued to walk. “That’s not my decision or yours. Everyone has a right to live their life as they choose. Who are we to judge?”
The demon laughed. When he spoke, each word dripped with sinister arrogance. “I am Tharon, revenant of Death. It is my role to judge.”
She shook her head as she finished her circle. “You’re a bully, pure and simple. Our world has no place for bullies. I’ve seen enough people like you to know the world is better off without your kind. You need to go.”
“Ah, and who is judging now?” the revenant asked with a shake of his head. “Humans. Always full of double standards and hypocrisy. You merely prove my point.”
Laci raised her other arm, sending her power up, creating a wall around Tharon. He stiffened, bracing for her attack, but he misunderstood her intention. Laci just smiled as she created the dome over the demon, and then ran her hand over the ground underneath him, sealing him inside her circle. With a deep breath, praying to the Goddess that the circle held, Laci lowered her hands, but kept her magic at the ready. With a quick glance through Emma’s eyes, she noticed Nazareth looking down into Emma’s face, giving her a curt nod. Closing her eyes, she ended her hold on Emma. There was no need for the woman to suffer what was about to happen. Laci snuffed out the power in her hands, crossing her arms over her chest as she shrugged. “Perhaps, but then, you won’t be here to worry about it much longer.”
Tharon sneered. “You arrogant fool!” He lashed out with his power, but the demon fire only hit the walls of the barrier Laci erected around him, bouncing off harmlessly. His eyes went wide. “What is this? You really think you can hold me?” He laughed again as he threw more magic at the shield. His power snapped and sizzled,
the barrier trembling a little this time.
“I only need it to you hold long enough for Nazareth to do what must be done,” Laci said, knowing she had to remain in Emma’s mind until the plan worked. It was the only way for her to be sure. It was the only way she could guarantee they destroyed the revenant. With Emma dead, Laci would never know when the moment for her to escape arrived. There may be no escape for her.
Tharon threw another bolt of power at the shield.
At least the others will be safe.
Twenty-Eight
Nazareth stirred on the floor, his head screaming at him with each movement. When he woke inside Sherri’s mind, the blonde kneeling over him, he told her to help Regina and to warn the witches the fight there was over. Laci took the revenant somewhere, and he could only guess as to where. The hellhounds had already left.
Without another word, Nazareth closed his eyes and traveled back to his body, the pain just as bad from where Tharon had tossed him around like a rag doll. I’m getting too old for this shit.
When he moved, the detective and the medical examiner helped him to his feet, his body protesting every movement. There was no time to give in to the pain. He had an idea as to what Laci intended, but he had to make sure.
“What the hell happened?” Tricia demanded to know as she stood there, arms over her chest, her body trembling.
“Laci isn’t moving,” Mark said as he held on to Nazareth until the man was more stable on his feet. Nazareth gripped the man’s shoulder, appreciating the gesture for the moment. “Is she all right? Why didn’t she come back with you?”
Nazareth pushed away from the others, his legs still a little wobbly. “She left without me. She took the revenant with her.”
“Where did they go?” the detective asked as he followed Nazareth to the autopsy table.
“I’m not positive, but I have an idea,” Nazareth said as he reached out and touched Emma’s forehead. “I’m just hoping I’m right.”
