by Eric Vall
Now, I was pissed.
I lifted my arms around her hands and grabbed her by the neck as I rolled to flip us over. She struggled and gnawed at my forearm like an animal, but I shook her violently until she couldn’t bite any longer.
With a few practiced moves, I locked one of her arms behind her back while I pressed a hard knee into her sternum. She snarled and thrashed, but her position was too unfavorable, and she could scarcely move while I kept up the pressure.
I expected her to give in, but she laughed again in that horrible, musical way.
“My patience is immeasurable,” she gloated. “You resist now, but you won’t last forever.”
“Try me,” I growled.
“Oh, I intend to,” Sera assured me. “You may think you can last now, but you’re human. How long can you hold me here? Hours, days? How long before your mind begins to unravel, and I take control while you aren’t paying attention?”
“What do you mean?” I asked brashly. “I can knock you out, or my team will find me.”
She snickered. “Your team can’t find you here, and neither of us can fall unconscious either. Don’t you get it, human? You’re in a dream. To them, it will be as if you’ve drifted off to sleep, never to awaken again.”
I stared at her in horror, but she anticipated my response and flailed her body until I lost my grip.
I couldn’t stay here forever. I couldn’t. The beautiful, terrible power of the Archon grew clear to me as I considered how completely she had me in her grasp.
She was a monster so powerful she was almost a deity. She was a queen who once ruled over every creature from every rift I’d ever fought against. How could I ever hope to defy a goddess?
She was right, I wouldn’t be able to hold on forever. No wonder Gawain had given in to Phi’s possession.
I had to do something, though.
My grasp on her failed, and Sera came at me with her teeth bared at my throat. I did the one thing that popped first into my head, the only thing I could think of that might possibly free me.
I kissed her.
The Archon froze for one deadly, unknowable moment.
Then Sera melted against my body, and her yellow eyes closed as she sank into me. Her lips were soft but strong, and I ran my hands along the curve of her pale breasts. Her long, ebony hair felt like the softest spun silk in my hands, and it flowed away between my fingers like water through a sieve.
Power thrummed between us, and the heat grew until I felt like I was kissing the core of the hottest fire.
It burned, but the burn was pleasant, and I felt willing to do anything to continue that kiss, even if I had to throw myself into the flames to do it.
Sera moaned into my mouth as her lips parted, and the seductive purr that rumbled from her chest was barely human. Her tongue delved past my lips and scoured my mouth as if she could taste my soul.
I groaned and deepened the kiss, and Sera shivered as she moved against me responsively.
In a jolt, the world suddenly snapped out of existence as the power of the Archon who held me here grew unfocused and fell away.
Then I woke up.
Chapter 12
I jolted awake with a series of coughs as the real world swam into existence around me.
My gaze landed first on Layla, whose hazel eyes glittered with unshed tears as she gasped at the sight of me awake.
“Gryffie!” Layla cried as her arms enfolded me in a crushing hug.
As I felt Layla’s warm embrace, I knew I was truly back in the real world. The terrible dream about Sera loomed, but I knew she couldn’t touch me here. I shivered as I considered her threat to take over my body. She would have eventually beaten me in that fight, if I hadn’t been so lucky with my plan.
I sat up and patted Layla on the back as I glanced around with a perplexed smile. It looked like we were still in the main cavern with the waterfall and the enormous crystal pillar. Our one remaining gas lamp burned fitfully from where it sat on the ground, but it barely illuminated the cave walls around us.
Cyra crouched by my side as she regarded me with a worried frown. Varleth stood near the crystal pillar and glowered out into the darkness of the cave around us.
“You’re all here,” I burst out with a growing smile as I considered my team.
The whole thing felt unreal. I could scarcely believe I’d fought an ancient monster goddess and escaped to tell the tale. However, stranger things had happened, and the dream had a ring of truth to it I just couldn’t shake off.
“Are you okay?” Cyra asked me as her eyebrows knitted in concern.
I blinked and smiled reassuringly. “I think so. What happened?”
“The fog knocked us out,” Varleth grumbled. “The three of us woke up at least ten minutes before you.”
“We thought you maybe hit your head,” Layla added as she released me from the hug. “I was worried you weren’t going to wake up.”
“I’m fine,” I assured them, but as I tried to sit up, my back twinged painfully.
The space between my shoulders flared with a searing pain, and my skin burned as if it was on fire.
“Agh,” I gasped as my hand flew up to try and reach the spot.
“Are you hurt?” Varleth asked.
“I don’t know,” I wheezed from between gritted teeth.
“Sit still,” Cyra demanded as she moved in to hold me by the shoulder. “I need to see what the injury is.”
I complied as she carefully folded my shirt up from behind and rolled it all the way to the base of my neck. As Cyra did so, the pain faded to a dull ache, and gradually I found I could breathe easily again.
Cyra’s hands slowed, and she peered at the space between my shoulders. “What the … ?”
“What?” I asked nervously. “How bad is it?”
“Layla, Varleth, come take a look at this,” Cyra requested as she ignored my question.
The petite summoner shuffled over on her knees to see the wound, and Varleth strode over hurriedly on long legs to stand behind the girls. They all squeezed in to peer closely at my upper back.
“That’s not a wound,” Varleth said, but his voice was uncertain.
“Are you sure?” Layla asked. “Maybe it’s a burn mark.”
Cyra shifted my shirt up higher. “You can’t get blackened burn marks without any blisters.”
“Gryff, do you have any tattoos?” Varleth asked in a perplexed tone.
“No,” both of the girls answered knowingly in chorus.
I couldn’t take it any longer, and I twisted around to eye the three of them. “What do you mean, tattoos?”
Cyra hesitated. “On the left side of your spine, you have this marking that looks like a wing done in black.”
“You’re serious?” I asked as my eyes went wide.
My thoughts flew over the events of my all-too-real dream fight with Sera. Could it be some strange injury? I certainly didn’t hurt from anywhere else I remembered her attacking me.
“Try to get it off,” I directed.
Cyra traced a pattern over my back, and the burning sensation flared back as she rubbed at the wing marking.
“It’s not going to come off,” Layla said worriedly.
“Yet one more mystery about this damn cave,” Varleth growled.
My heart sank as I considered what the mark had to mean. With its unmistakable wing shape, the foremost possibility was that even after I kissed the Archon and woke up, I hadn’t escaped Sera’s influence after all.
She followed me back. Her mark was on my shoulder.
“This isn’t a mystery at all,” I said grimly as the implications sank in. “I think I need to tell you guys about something. You’re not going to believe this.”
I took a long time to explain about the angel-winged woman, her recitation of monster history, her request of me, and the fight between us.
Layla and Cyra were concerned about me, but they couldn’t come up with any good ideas for how to deal with the ma
rking on my back.
Varleth wanted more answers than I could give, but I decided it was fair for him to be unnerved about the whole thing. If what I told them was true, they had reason to believe that I myself was in some way possessed.
“What did she look like?” Varleth interrogated as his list of questions ran long.
I huffed out an impatient breath. “Black hair, black wings, mostly naked, and completely frightening.”
“You don’t have anything more helpful than that?” Varleth asked.
Make sure you tell him about my beauty, a voice suddenly purred in my head.
I wouldn’t have been able to hide my reaction if I’d tried. I swore and jolted as if I’d been struck by a bolt of electricity. My mouth dropped open, and my eyes widened in shock as I stared at my concerned teammates.
“What was that?” Layla exclaimed. “Are you okay?”
Varleth unsheathed his sword in a much less charitable display of concern.
“Sera’s in my head,” I managed to force out through my shock. “She talked to me.”
“I’m going to try to take her out,” Varleth said with bared teeth as he advanced on me.
I leaned away with raised brows as I watched his sword, but he sheathed it again before he set both hands on my shoulders.
I watched the gypsy as he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. His breathing deepened and grew louder as he exerted his will. For a long time, we stood like that in silent anticipation.
Sera’s disturbing, tinkling laugh rolled across the surface of my mind. He’s trying so hard, poor little human banisher.
“Then why won’t you take the hint and leave me alone,” I snapped aloud in reply.
Cyra and Layla exchanged worried glances.
“I’m fine,” I told them as my voice softened. “She’s making fun of us for trying to get rid of her. I’m not sure this will work.”
Varleth sighed as he relaxed his efforts and stepped back. “It doesn’t feel possible. You’re not even emitting the same dark energy as the catalysts and those other possessed people.”
Of course, Sera scoffed, I’m not using magic to merely influence your mind, Gryff. I’ve escaped my prison, so I can actually inhabit your body without detection. And my, my, my, what a wonderful body it is. I quite enjoyed our kiss. I want more, don’t you?
“It sounds like only her magic is detectable, not Sera herself,” I informed the team as I tried to ignore the dark angel’s voice. “I guess that means she’s seriously taken over part of my body.”
“Is that better, or worse?” Layla asked with wide and worried eyes.
Only as long as your delicious mind resists my power, drawled Sera.
“Maybe better,” I said carefully, “as long as I can keep her at bay.”
“I wonder how long was Gawain keeping Phi a secret,” Layla wondered in a concerned voice.
“Probably ever since we entered the Shadowscape, and we fought her to get Nia back,” I answered.
“That long?” Cyra asked with a frown. “Sera is supposed to be more powerful. Do you think you can keep her from doing the same to you?”
“I sure hope so,” I said with a worried smile. “I just need to stay focused on not letting her get any ground.”
“I’m guessing Gawain failed to do that with Phi in the long run,” Varleth said darkly.
Layla nodded. “We probably even saw her mark on his back. Poor Gawain, he’d been haunted by her for so long … “
I shivered at the thought of having Phi in my head instead. Sera was supposedly more powerful, but I had no doubt Phi’s blend of childish naivete and horrible violence would be nightmarish to listen to day after day.
That said, Sera’s seductive nature would make her offers all the more tempting. I would have to be very careful with the Archon in my head for the foreseeable future.
“We can’t worry about it now,” I declared. “Varleth, you have the right to overrule any of my decisions or arrest me if you think I’ve fallen prey to Sera’s influence.”
You’re no fun, Sera lilted in her smooth, musical voice.
“Got it,” Varleth said almost overtop of her words, unaware of the Archon’s snide comments.
“Time to get back to Bathi,” I said with a determined but slightly strained smile. “The mayor and all the people we rescued are waiting for us.”
“And we should be prepared for Gawain’s arrival,” Cyra added. “Now that we know what Phi did to him, we can try to capture him and reverse it.”
“I just hope Erin reaches us soon,” I mused. “Those earth powers will help a lot.”
Layla smiled and nodded. “She should’ve gotten the note by now, and she might even be on her way here. Everything will work out fine.”
With our concerns resolved, well, as much as they could be for now, the four of us gathered our gear together and wandered back down the tunnels we’d come through. Our journey was far easier and faster than the first time, since we had the list of directions in front of me and no more possessions to reverse.
“I don’t think I’ll look at Rori’s gray prowler the same way again,” Layla chattered as we neared the brilliant light of the cave entrance. “You killed his prowler so fast, but boy, they’re terrifying as a group.”
“And so sneaky,” Cyra added. “Sure, they’re not bright enough to plan an ambush, but they did stay out of sight. I mean … “
The tawny-skinned summoner trailed off as we emerged into the field we’d fought in. The clearing of grass and dirt looked normal, but in the distance, the tiny outpost of Bathi Highlands was visible.
And it was burning.
“Shit,” Varleth snapped, while Layla gasped.
“It’s Gawain, it has to be,” I assumed with growing anger.
Of course, it wasn’t really Gawain, it was Phi acting through his body. Her bloodlust and desire for revenge on all of humankind was endless, and she would destroy countless innocents without a second thought. To make matters worse, she insisted on kidnapping my friend’s body and mind to make her violence possible.
I was beginning to truly loathe Phi with all my heart.
Now you know how I feel, Sera said smugly. Tell you what, just give your body to me, and I’ll get revenge for both of us.
In your dreams, I thought to myself.
I was unsure if the telepathy went both ways, but the winged goddess answered that question for me.
Suit yourself, Sera said in a miffed tone.
I knew she wasn’t too upset, since she’d already proven she was willing to be patient for as long as it took.
“There’s no time to waste,” I told my friends. “We need to stop Gawain and save the outpost.”
I took out four speed slugs and passed out the other three. Then the four of us pressed the slimy monsters to our necks as we prepared to make our journey back to the outpost in record time.
We took off at a run, and our feet pounded along the rocky path as we sprinted with alarmingly enhanced speed down the mountain. What had seemed merely strenuous on the way up now seemed precarious and dangerous as we avoided loose pebbles and jagged boulders at every twist of the trail.
Finally, the ground leveled out again, and we were almost there. Screams echoed out from the outpost, and as I watched, another gout of flame roared up to lick at the roof of a building.
I could only hope that because the miners were used to adversity, they’d possibly find some way to mitigate the danger or take refuge from Gawain’s attacks.
We were nearly to the outpost, but a growing silhouette in the sky above us made me stop and gesture for a change of plan.
“If we’re lucky, that airship up there is Erin,” I called to my teammates. “I want Varleth to go get her with an extra speed slug while Cyra, Layla, and I stop Gawain in his tracks.”
I crushed another crystal between my palms and handed off the tiny slug monster to Varleth. I didn’t usually like to let people run off with my monsters, since if they got too
far away, my influence would weaken and even break entirely.
However, the outpost was small, and even if Erin landed on the other side of town, it wasn’t too far away for me to be able to handle.
“Got it,” the banisher agreed as he cupped the speed slug in his hands. “Good luck.”
“Same to you,” I wished back.
My girls and I ran into town as we raced against the sounds of fighting and shooting.
How long had we been in the caves? How did Gawain catch up to us so quickly? It was hard to say what went wrong, but we would keep it from getting worse.
We had to.
We entered a wider, paved portion of town that probably served as a market plaza usually.
Today, it was nothing more than a battlefield.
The blaze of fire had swept through the center of town and wrought destruction in its path. Now, it billowed smoke as it roared and spat out fitful flames across the gaps between houses.
“Phi really has him,” Layla gasped out as she stared at the mayhem in front of us.
I understood her shock. It was one thing to consider Gawain’s possession, but it was another thing to witness it.
In the center of the plaza stood the man we used to know as Gawain. From his back sprouted two enormous white wings, and his clothing was torn into shreds where the feathered appendages sprouted from his back. His mage cloak was gone, and Gawain looked like he hadn’t slept a moment since we’d seen him last. His green eyes bulged with exertion, and his hollowed cheeks spoke of starvation.
The fire mage didn’t look like an angel even with those incredible wings. With his frantic, rheumy gaze and crouched, slumped posture, Gawain seemed more like a wild animal struck by illness than an Archon.
Despite the stolen potions he’d doubtlessly been chugging, Gawain was in very bad condition. Nobody could stay up forever through elixirs alone. If we didn’t save Gawain from Phi, it was possible she would end up killing him herself through sheer neglect.
She never treats her toys nicely. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you after you give in, Sera promised in a hungry whisper. Very, very good care of you.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine. If Phi was impulsive and reckless, Sera made a much more deadly counterpoint with her ancient endurance and restraint.
