by HP Mallory
“Ah, there you are, Ms. Harper. Apparently, I just missed you at the gate.”
Lily’s voice was as flat as the land we just walked across. “I didn’t miss you.”
Me foe did one of his usual chuckles before looking over at the gate guards. “Well, what are you waiting for? My guests would like to enter and so would I.”
The one who insulted me didnae look thrilled by Alaire’s command but he had the good sense to say naething. He looked over to his right, making a gesture before waving the rest of his infernal brethren back. While the gates slowly opened, Alaire looked at me. His smile became a rictus that reminded me of the smile of a skull.
“Now, sir…” the bastard started. He looked over his shoulder at Besom. “And lady and angel…” He gestured at the still-open car door. “Dothe three of you care to join me?”
As me two boon companions came back around to me side, the angel harrumphed at the offer. “I dunno if ya noticed, Blondie, but I never did git those wings I ordered from AE so it ain’t like I can fly my way over.”
Alaire looked over the wee fellow in mock evaluation. “So you didn’t…”
He quickly clapped his hands three times. A metal ramp suddenly slid out from under the door before landing with a bang on the ground. Alaire looked at the angel again. “Will that suffice?”
By now, Besom was standing next to me, the rocket launcher on her shoulder was lowered and her other hand was on the hilt of her blade. I could see the blond bastard’s eyes taking her in before he gestured towards the door once more.
“Shall we?” he asked.
I swept me own hand up to the door. “After you.”
All that got me was a shrug from me Besom, followed by a casual stroll up the ramp. I didnae want her anywhere near the bastard Alaire and tried to walk around her but she stepped in front of me, shaking her head. The angel was the first to enter the car, Besom behind him. Figuring I was left with nae other choice, I followed suit.
The inside of the vehicle was more comfortable than the outside indicated. Two plush sofas with a single coffee table between them. The table had a pewter tea set upon it, and a thin stream of steam came from the kettle. Alaire arranged four cups on the table when I walked in. Lily sat on the left side, her blade in her lap. The stookie angel sat on the opposite end, a rocket launcher by his side.
The fair-haired conspirator paused from his task to clap his hands three more times. The metal walls echoed the sound harshly but not as harshly as the sound of the ramp yanking itself back up. The door shut on its own, sealing off all sounds from the outside. The engine came alive again and a sudden shift to the right told me we were on the move.
Now that the tea pouring was over, Alaire sat down beside Besom which grated upon me more than I would have imagined.
“It would seem you didn’t need my help after all,” the bastard said.
I could ever so subtly see Lily slide away from him, towards me. “You say that like you’re shocked.”
Me successor hummed. “I suppose I am. It has been centuries, if not millennia, since I have known such a determined woman as you, Ms. Harper.”
“You should get out more often,” she grumbled.
Alaire smiled and reached for her, making the angel leap to his feet, at the same time I did. Besom was quick to slide over and then she stood up, so she was towering over him.
“Nonetheless, I am glad that—” Alaire’s voice was interrupted by Besom.
“No tricks, Alaire,” she said, her blade tip pointed right at his neck.
“Like I said outside, that makes one of us. Now unless you want me to ruin that seat with a lot of blood, back off.”
She kept the sword pointed at him as she walked backwards towards the opposite sofa. She was still pointing it when she sat down. Alaire tried to move her tea cup closer to her but the angel headed him off. The wee fellow looked like he’d have done Alaire some grievous bodily harm if the rocket launcher didnae hurt us in the process.
“I got this, Blondie,” he said and reached for the cup.
Alaire did his best to act casual. But I could sense he was seething inside. Mayhap ‘twas the reason why he looked at me when I took me own seat beside Besom.
“I never thought I would see the day when you would be the most polite of you three, Yeti,” he said.
I smiled at him in much the same way he did at me earlier. “Ye did a better job o’ buryin’ yerself than I ever could.”
Alaire picked up the closest tea cup to him. “Fair point…”
I waited until he sipped his tea before reaching for me own. It tasted of blueberries and fine sugar, naething more. I nodded at Besom and the angel to say I believed the tea was safe to consume. Both took up their own tea cups. Only after Besom took her first sip did she lower her blade back into her lap.
The angel made a point of slurping his tea noisily. It made Alaire wince such that I knew it would. The stookie angel concluded the implied insult with a loud “Ahhh.”
Apparently, Alaire wasnae finished making a fool of himself. “Really, Ms. Harper, is all this hostility necessary? The unfortunate Persephone business aside, I have treated you rather well overall.”
That got him another loud slurp and “ahh” from the angel. As for me, I probably should have kept me mouth shut. But this oath-breaker’s feeble attempts to justify his behavior was too much. “Dinnae matter if the bars are painted gold… a cage remains a cage.”
Some of that buried anger leaked out with his answer. “Was I talking to you, Bladesmith?”
“You know, it’s not like you really talk to people. It’s more like you talk at them,” Besom responded.
Alaire chuckled at her with tight lips, his unmasked contempt showing. “So the wallflower suddenly presumes she knows enough about people to figure them out, least of all me?”
The angel took an extra long slurp of his tea while Besom responded. “It’s not like I haven’t had plenty of practice since I died.”
Alaire took a quieter sip of his own tea before putting the cup on the table. “And lessons to boot, I agree. However, I feel it behooves me to say that your education in such matters is still far from complete.”
While Lily took another sip, she shrugged. “I never said I knew everything, just enough to figure you out.”
He slapped his thighs in anger as he faced her and appeared quite like a toddler throwing a tantrum “I did things to you, you did things to me and we both came out of the experience bruised but unbowed. As I said during our last conversation, can we not just let bygones be bygones?”
The angel, who finished his tea with one last epic slurp, nearly threw his cup back on the table. “Well, I’d like ta say bye ta ya an’ begone… does that count?”
Alaire ignored the wee angel and, instead, focused his attention on Lily. His lips grew tight and then broke with what could be termed a smile, I suppose. “Have you informed your… lover,” he started as he turned to face me. “Of everything that went on between us?”
“He knows,” she replied but sucked in a deep breath to show her discomfort.
“Ah, very good,” Alaire replied as he turned his burning gaze to me. “Then you’re well aware that I’ve been inside your woman numerous times.”
“Against her will,” I answered, realizing his game. “And she was Persephone then, nae Lily.”
“Persephone, Lily,” he started, as if to say ‘twas one and the same.
I laughed at that. “If ye believed that, ye wouldnae be here now.”
“Perhaps,” he answered. “As to your previous point,” he continued before I interrupted.
“Which was?”
“That I took Ms. Harper against her will,” he explained and then smiled at Lily. “I would not be so certain...”
“Be certain,” Lily interrupted. “Anything you did to me was while I was playing host to Persephone. I never would have willingly allowed you to touch me.”
“And yet I know the sounds you make, the ex
pression of lust in your eyes. I know the way your breasts bounce and the moans you make when you are just about to orgasm.”
“Yo, this is getting’ way too weird,” the angel interrupted, shaking his head.
“You don’t know anything about me,” Lily spat back at him.
Alaire faced me. “Tell me, Bladesmith, when she orgasms for you, does she dig her fingernails into your back? Does she scream out your name? Does she beg you to bury your cock as deeply into her as it will go?”
“Ah willnae fall fer this game,” I managed although I would be lying if I said his words didnae upset me. They did. Just as he intended.
“Tallis knows me in a way you never will,” Lily seethed as she faced the son of a bitch. “Whatever I did for you—that was Persephone. That wasn’t me. And you will never know what it’s like to have me beneath you… willingly.”
I looked at her and she looked back at me, the expression of love thick in her eyes.
Alaire kept shifting his eyes between the two of us. Whatever vision he had for this little chat, it was becoming obvious that none of it would come to pass.
“A Soul Retriever, a fallen angel and a damned man walk into a car…” he started but nae one cracked a smile.
The engine on the car gradually died down, bringing the ride to a halt. The door once again opened, and the ramp slid out. Footsteps came bounding up the ramp and pretty soon a Pure was standing in the doorway.
Alaire jabbed me with a hard glare. “And somehow, it never occurs to the damned man that his ability to walk away rests entirely on the mood of his host.” He punctuated his meaning with a snap of his fingers.
In a situation like this, surprise is the only advantage one has. The Pure barely took a step when I leapt from me seat and rammed me shoulder into the greater imp’s gut. He managed to lose his footing on the slick metal floor, making it easier for both of us to fly out of the car. He hit the ground first, giving me another chance to punch him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. I popped up and cold-cocked him with a few more punches.
I pulled back for another when a pair of strong and heavy arms seized me from behind. The owner of the arms pulled me back as I struggled. I continued to struggle against me captor until a metal bang went off right behind me head. I heard a cry before the grip around me loosened as I drove me heel through me attacker’s foot. That made him release me completely, allowing me to ram me elbow into his face. He banged his head into the ramp, falling over unconscious.
Six more of those Dis-based greater imps started running at me, their weapons drawn. I pulled out me own blade and snarled at them. “Anyone? Anyone else dare tae risk goin’ oop against the protection o’ the Lord High Judge Minos?”
At that, all of them stopped cold and looked at each other. At the sound of footsteps, I turned to see Alaire who came strolling down the ramp with a blade at his back. He laced his fingers together while Besom prodded him. He didnae appear angry now, but rather disgusted with himself.
“May I assume from that statement that all three of you are now officers of Minos’s court?” he demanded of me.
The angel came bounding down the ramp, a rocket launcher on his shoulder. He jumped off when he got halfway down. “I dunno, Blondie. Wanna find out?”
The pompous Master of the Underground City reluctantly looked at his troops. “This is all just a misunderstanding. Minos’s officers will cause us no further trouble as long as we cause them none.”
The Pure took the hint and ordered the others to put away their arms. I looked at Besom for confirmation. Once she gave me the nod, I sheathed me blade and she did the same. The two Pure who tried to attack me groaned in agony as they came to.
Alaire turned to me, casually giving the last Pure I knocked down a kick to the face that made him cry out. “Now, I assume Minos must have consigned you with a mission? Otherwise why would he grant you such authority?”
Lily answered. “We’re here to see Asterion.”
Alaire’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Really? I have to admit that is rather… unexpected.”
Mayhap if we surprised him enough, I could pump some information out of him. “Ye know o’ Asterion, then?”
Alaire was back to acting amused, barely holding back a chuckle. “You mean to tell me that you never met Pasiphae’s son?”
I glowered at him. “Nae.”
“Very good. If you will kindly follow me, I can take you to him,” the bastard finished.
Without waiting for us, he started walking towards the arena. I knew in me heart he was up to something but I supposed we would find out just what the hard way. The three of us followed along, our weapons not far from our hands.
###
The roar from the crowd nearly drowned out the screams coming from the arena floor. Me first impression of a Roman coliseum was more accurate than I wanted to believe. Rows filled with raucous attendees surrounded the “bowl” where the unfortunates were packed with demons from every level of the Underground City. Most of them were Pure, although I spotted greater and lesser imps from the other levels too. I’m fairly sure one or two of the shaggier Asylum boys were loitering at the far end of the stands.
But naebody came to watch the crowd. All eyes were fastened on the action below. A trio of humans with the type of bodies you only see in works of art were squaring off against another man with a beard and a pair of greater imp bodyguards. Two of the humans were in the process of getting murdered where they stood, one by a spear and the other by a sword to the gut.
But the last one, a female, fought them back with a pair of gladiuses in her hands. No matter how much the beard tried to jab her with his trident, he never came close. When Alaire suddenly halted to stare at her, I could hardly blame him. Watching her weave an impenetrable net of steel around her using nothing but her wits, will and blades was a truly awe-inspiring sight. One of the demons swung too wide with his sword, leaving himself open.
The woman saw the opportunity to slip her sword between his ribs, deep into his chest. The other greater imp came up behind her, ramming his spear at her head. She ducked and missed it at the last second, letting the spear land right beside the buried sword. Then she tossed her free blade right into her would-be attacker’s eye, dropping him at her feet.
The crowd went absolutely mad. Many of the spectators were on their feet and cheering as loud as their infernal throats would allow them. The warrior woman in the pit took no notice; she just wrenched free the blade in her first victim’s ribs before facing the bearded man again.
Alaire glanced at us. “If you will indulge me a few moments, I am quite curious to see how this match plays out.”
For the first time ever, all of us were in agreement with Alaire. So we watched as the woman yanked her second sword out from the dead demon’s skull. Then she pointed it at the bearded man, who began circling her while directing his trident at her and dragging a net with his other hand. Although I couldnae be sure from so far away, I think she was yelling at him. However, the crowd’s strident roars muffled any words she had to say. The man crouched down and aimed his trident at her gut before he began jabbing with it. Each attempt was blocked by a gladius.
Watching all this brought a question to mind. “Ye’re nae more a friend o’ the Romans than I ever was, Alaire. So why do ye employ their distasteful practices?”
Alaire leered while keeping his eyes fixed on the match. “You remember the Thracian, Spartacus?”
My lips opened after Besom blurted out an answer. “Spartacus? The gladiator who wound up leading a rebellion against the Roman republic?”
Alaire and I couldn’t help staring at her, despite the growing intensity of the match below. Alaire found his voice first. “Correct… I am rather impressed you would know such ancient history.”
Besom looked a bit embarrassed for reasons I didnae understand. Then the angel explained. “Youse can thank that Kubrick flick. Lils here had a major crush on Kirk Douglas once upon a Lifetime movie.”
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Alaire laughed. “Did she?” he asked as he looked back at her and raised one eyebrow as if to say he was intrigued.
The fuck.
Down below, the match was well past the initial feint stage. The woman battered away at the man’s trident while he tried to tangle her in his net. She kept sidestepping the latter while staying too close to the trident for it to be of much use to her opponent.
Alaire returned to watching the match as he went on. “In any case, Yeti, Spartacus was the one who suggested I build this arena. He made the eminently reasonable argument that it was the fastest, most efficient way to cull the weak and cowardly while cultivating and promoting the best fighters among my willing recruits.”
The man was relegated to blocking the incoming blows with only the pole of his trident. Going by the splinters I saw flying off it, it was fair to assume it was less sturdy than the metal at the trident head. The net now hung uselessly from his grasp, all but forgotten in his need to block the attacks. I could feel the raw bloodlust coming off the woman in waves whilst she hammered away at him.
Besom looked upset. “So those two are your next possible Janissaries?”
The angel’s squinting told me he was examining them already. “The chick is. The dude, not so much.”
I took a closer look at the man whose pole was nearly severed in half from the sword blows. “So he’s a demon, then?”
“Uh-uh,” the angel answered.
I looked at Alaire but all he said was, “The angel isn’t wrong.”
When the trident pole finally snapped in two, the beard suddenly changed his tactics. He swept the net over the woman’s head. She quickly became entangled in it and he tried jabbing her through the mesh. Whilst the two of them struggled, I gave Alaire a sour look. “Is that Spartacus tryin’ tae break in yer next recruit?”
Seeing Alaire flash his teeth was never a good sign. “Spartacus?” he repeated, shaking his head. “No, no. The man down there is a far more eminent personage! Someone whose name you would recognize.”
