by K R Leikvoll
Eve quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I expected some sort of magic thing to happen with the light. Instead, the man's flesh quickly healed itself in the same matter Lydris had healed, only it was accompanied by a loud hissing sound. It seemed mildly painful as the man grimaced slightly during the process, but he was left completely unscathed. People gasped and clapped excitedly. A few approached Eve and requested a try as well. I strained to hear the man's next question. I was being pulled from the vision. I tried to cling to my mother's form, but I grasped at black space.
My body was burning. A sensation I was familiar with, but unpleasant just the same. I ran out of energy to scream a long time ago. I was reaching the point of wanting death again, but I was almost positive I was already dead. That this is what death probably felt like, I was sure of it. The burning was unlike the first time in the way that it was localized. My legs and arms were the worst.
I was scared to open my eyes. I didn't want to see my mutilated body. I definitely didn't want to see that psychotic bitch, either. It was my human nature to be curious though, so I carefully looked at the ceiling. The empty, gray walls stared back at me. I slowly glanced around the room without looking at my body. It seemed like I was alone based on the absolute silence.
I tried to move my right arm. Nothing. The thought of being paralyzed creeped through my brain. Deep breaths. I wasn't paralyzed. I couldn't be. I had to remain calm. I needed to stay conscious just a little longer. Even though my brain was screaming not to look down, I fought the fear and glanced at my arm. The wound on my wrist was sizzling and burning, but the flesh was healing. I'm sure the ring would be buzzing against my finger had I been able to feel my arm. Apparently, it remembered what it was supposed to be doing that entire time. It was a really uncomfortable sensation. I would still take it over being cut any day.
I took a deep breath and looked at my legs. New, bright red layers of skin had been reborn in a sizzle. It wasn't all relief. I was deeply scarred all over my body in the places I had been cut. I could clearly see where Lazarus had chosen to peel my skin away. I was like an odd, puzzle-piece person. The process wasn't at all pleasant. As much as it burned, it exhausted me as well. I wanted to fall asleep on the stone floor. I had to fight it.
A loud slam echoed through the room, making me flinch from fear. Lazarus clinked into the room in all of her regalia. She had a dark blue gown draped over her arm, which she discarded to the side. She was instantly interested in me when she saw the ring mending my wounds.
"You know, Nephilim, I did not think you were going to wake. I am pleased to see your injuries healing, although not the way I asked," she said as she walked toward me. I couldn't help letting out a panicked wince and trying to move away. She put a cold hand on my leg. "Do you know what that means, Nephilim? It means we get to try again."
"Why are you keeping me alive?" I yelled at her in fear. She was wiping dried blood from her dagger. Her eyes flickered to me.
"I know you wish for death. A weak feature; you will die soon enough. After we have left this cursed Naadean land," Lazarus responded. She put her knife to my warm, new skin. I desperately tried to get away, even though I knew I couldn't.
"I can't control it. Please don't hurt me anymore," I implored. She smiled with all of her fanged teeth showing.
"You will learn, one way or another," she told me, dragging the knife across my leg. It stung, but not nearly as bad as my body healing the wound simultaneously. Lazarus slashed the knife over the same spot again. I winced from the burning more than the wound itself. I was really hoping she would continue to make shallow cuts instead of stabbing me again. That was something I could go the rest of my life without experiencing multiple times.
She didn't stop. She ran the knife over the spot, deeper and deeper each time. Between exhaustion from healing—and screaming my fucking brains out—I was close to passing out again. There was no way the amount of time I was spending unconscious was healthy for me.
The edge of darkness was creeping into my peripherals. I didn't cry out anymore. I couldn't. Just when I was waiting for the sweet embrace of pain-free land, Lazarus started forcing me to stand up. She unclasped my wrists and used the collar to hold me on my feet. My calves felt completely torn up. The positions I had been forced into for an unknown period of time were making it difficult to stand. She didn't stop practically choking me until I stood on my own. My legs were pleading to collapse, but I kept my balance.
Lazarus released the chain, almost causing me to fall. She hastily grabbed the blue fabric and brought it over to me.
"As much as I adore your nakedness, our companions might take it as an invitation," she said, unclamping the metal collar.
I coughed and sputtered. It was slightly too tight the entire time, and I had come to the conclusion earlier that it was never coming off. I massaged the parts of my neck that had been rubbed raw by the metal. Lazarus didn’t want to wait, visibly irritated. She forced the navy-blue fabric over my head and pulled my weak arms through the holes. The dress was super long and flowy. It was too long as usual for me, so I couldn't help stepping on it. The sleeves were massive and nearly dragged on the ground. It was probably some random dead woman's casual Sunday dress. It would've been nice of them to not cut my clothes up.
"Put these on," Lazarus said, dropping my gray boots in front of me.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I pulled my first shoe on. My shaky legs caused me to lose my balance. I landed on my tail bone rather than my pained knees. I stopped trying to put my other boot on and waited for the soreness to pass.
"Why do I have to take her? Surely it would be better to execute her here," Lazarus hissed at the air. She was seeing someone I couldn't see, clearly. It didn't really matter if they killed me there or across the ocean. Once I got on a boat, I was done for. It had been an interesting purgatory, that was for sure.
The sting of Lazarus' armored hand hit my cheek. The blow may have caused a hairline fracture, but the ring healed my face with a loud hiss. Fucking fantastic. Now the ring wanted to do too much. I wasn't an infinite source of energy! Even healing something small like that made me feel faint.
"I do not have endless time!" Lazarus yelled, grabbing me by the hair.
"Let go!" I responded instantly. I grabbed at the other boot which was just out of reach. Lazarus' long ears twitched toward the door. Whatever she heard made her let me go. I strained to hear what she was hearing but was met with silence. I took advantage of her distraction and slipped the other boot on. I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to try and sneak away. What was really the worst that could happen, though? I'd die one way or another. I'd rather die on my feet.
Lazarus turned back and hurriedly clamped the metal collar on me. She kept glancing toward the door as she made sure the chain was secure. At last, I finally heard the sound of a wolf's chilling howl.
"Morgan is back! I know you have been eager to leave," she said cheerfully. I think my life flashed before my eyes. At least James did.
Another spine-tingling howl rang through the room. Lazarus' eyes turned from excitement to concern. She seemed to forget about me entirely as she walked away and threw open the stone door. The echoed howls were much louder, though they sounded distant. Despite that, they were frantic and more like an alarm from deeper within the city. I could see Lazarus' glowering eyes glaring at me as she slowly shut the stone door.
It was going to be over soon then. Well… soon, relatively speaking. I wasn't sure how long a boat ride across the ocean was. Thoughts of Lydris crept into my mind. I had been so traumatized by the knife, I was distracted from how dirty I felt. Thinking about his touch made my skin crawl. I wished Alex had let Kirin kill him. I wished Lazarus would've killed him. Tears ran down my cheeks. I wanted James' arms more than anything in the world. I wanted him to be the one to escort me to death's door. I didn't want to get on that boat, trapped with Lazarus and possibly him, too. She would just let him violate me the entire time. I'd rathe
r jump off the boat and drown than suffer his touch again. I had to fight. Fuck them. I didn't care if it hurt anymore. It was scary, but not nearly as horrid as the shit I was imagining they'd do to me.
Lazarus hadn't chained my hands back up. I had been in too much distress to notice. Watching the door, I fumbled with the metal collar around my throat. My right hand was still numb. It felt like it was asleep. My left hand was shaky, barely able to undo the twisted lock. I was terrified Lazarus was going to walk in at any second. Slowly, the lock unclasped, and the collar fell open around my shoulders. My eyes scanned the room for another way out. Nothing. I wanted to run for the door, but I was scared shitless. Just as I started to get the courage to move, the door flew open.
My heart dropped. I was sure it was Lazarus' form in front of me, but the light was so blinding I couldn't tell. When they reached out to me, I flinched away. I held my hands out to cover my face. Any second now she would be snatching me up.
"Val... can you run?" the beautiful voice of my aunt said. I didn't trust my ears. I opened my eyes and reached out with my shaky left arm.
"Alex?" I asked in disbelief as my eyes adjusted. She pulled me into her embrace. I could smell the forest and blood. Her fiery hair cascaded around me. She was just as shaky as I was as she held me in her arms. It took me a few seconds to notice the dried blood trailing down her neck.
"We don’t have a lot of time. Come," she whispered, pulling me to the door. Walking was hard as if I hadn't done it in months. We passed through the stone threshold and out of the stone prison. The air felt crisp, reminding me of being near the ocean. Was I in a dream? Where was Lazarus? The city looked like an immense marble maze now that I had a clear view. Alex gently guided me into a narrow alley to our right. It ended with a drop off and a slanted stone roof.
I started bawling. I couldn't help myself.
"Alex, I thought I was going to die. I thought you weren't coming!" I sobbed. I wiped my face on my long sleeves, but I couldn't calm down. Alexandra put her hands on my shoulders.
"Valentine... I need you to listen to me very carefully," she started as she took off her bow and quiver. I looked at her puzzled. She put the quiver on my back and thrust her bone bow into my grasp. "You are going to jump onto that roof and climb down quietly. Follow the alleyway all the way. You need to keep low and stay silent. Kirin will be waiting for you at the end, in the fourth building to the right."
She kissed my forehead again and hugged me hard.
"Wait... you're leaving me? Alex, you can't leave me!" I said, refusing to let her go. She pulled against my grasp and held my hands.
“I need you to be strong. I love you," she whispered. No, no, no. I couldn't leave her behind! I wouldn't last a second without her! I could hear distant roars and bellowing cries.
"Don't do this," I pleaded softly as I cried. Alexandra looked up suddenly and then back to me.
"She is coming. Go! Go now!" she entreated me. She pushed me lightly toward the drop off. When I turned to glance back at her, she was walking around the corner in confident strides. Her simple, gold and silver sword was in her limp hands.
I walked numbly toward the edge. I was a huge fan of parkour videos, not the actual thing. It was only maybe a foot-and-a-half jump, but it terrified me. I took a deep breath. A loud howl echoed through the buildings; it was getting close. I threw the bow around my body and took a few steps back. I tried not to scream as I leapt through the air.
The slanted roof was painful on my knees. I couldn't roll into my fall without falling off entirely. I took the impact, clinging as much as I could to the stonework. More roars reverberated in the streets. My right hand hardly helped as I slowly made my way down the side of the building. It was still at least a story drop. I didn't let myself hesitate in fear. I dropped down and did my best to protect my face. My hands were scraped from the dirt, but they only bled for a moment. In a loud hiss, the scratches sealed themselves.
The alleyway was long. I could tell by the tops of the buildings. There was a pile of rubble I was going to have to climb a few hundred feet away. Streets were also going to be an issue. They were few in number, but it was still open space with no coverage. I started jogging down the alley, trying to make my steps as quiet as possible. Alexandra was up there fighting Lazarus. She gave me her bow; she probably didn't plan on winning. I felt so guilty. Another person was out there suffering for me, and I had been useless that entire time.
I paused briefly between buildings just in case. I could hear more cries of monsters, but they seemed to be behind me. It was still scary all the same. I approached the first street opening. My heart was in my throat. I peeked around a building's wall and glanced down the street. Nothing. I sighed in relief. I turned my head and glanced to the other side. My heart sank.
A red-skinned beast that reminded me of some kind of ogre was looking in the opposite direction. It was twelve feet tall with a head too small for its massive body. It had a huge club as long as its arm dragging on the ground behind it. Shit. Shit! I was too scared to jump into the empty street. It was still about thirty feet away, but I couldn't outrun that thing in a dress. I definitely didn't know how to use a bow either.
I peeked out at it at least five times before I made up my mind to run across. The beast had been facing the opposite direction the entire time. It was probably too stupid to comprehend the cries from other demons. Come on Val, you can do this. I took a few rapid breaths to pump myself up. I had to stay low and silent.
I hopped into the middle of the street with one leg and used the momentum to throw myself to the other side of the alley. I landed harder than intended.
"Damn it," I whispered, watching my scrapes heal. It was really taking it out of me. A loud grunt rang through the open street. The ground shook as heavy footsteps lumbered from the road. I jumped to my feet and ran for the pile of rubble. As the crashing got closer, I stopped caring about being quiet. My pace picked up. I flung myself at the stone and started to climb.
That damn dress was annoying to hold while I ran, let alone as I climbed. I didn't care if I ripped the entire thing; I clawed at the pile until I made it to the top. I turned just in time to see the monster's shadow filling the street. My legs buckled under me. I let myself slide down the rocks and held in my cries of pain. The demon let out a loud, confused bellow down the alleyway. I kept as still as possible. Several large crashes shook the earth as the monster slammed its club against the ground. I didn't dare move.
Minutes passed. I couldn't waste a lot of time; I knew I had to be fast. I peered over the edge of the rubble and was relieved to see the monster had passed. The alley was mostly open all the way down to the end. It looked like it was nearly a mile away, shrouded in shadows by a titan-sized stone wall that shielded the entire city. It seemed deserted on this side. Something must've drawn the attention of all the demons.
I bundled the dress into my arms and ran.
My mile time had never been that great—and that had been in shorts and running shoes. That mile was by far the fastest I ever ran, and it was in a dress and boots. Fear does wonderful things for your personal records. Between the exhaustion and exertion, I had to stop running near the end. My stomach was in unhappy knots. I gagged and dry heaved. I couldn't even remember my last meal, so at least there was no puke. I forced myself to continue moving as I gasped for air.
The buildings on that side of the city were almost completely intact. It was like a ghost town. There was neither monster nor person. The interiors that I could see through small open windows looked like the occupants had left everything and fled. It was eerie. I wondered if any of those people got out alive. I would have loved to have scavenged for something else to wear, but that was the last thing I needed to be worrying about. I had to keep reassuring myself of that as I made it to the giant stone wall.
The end of the alleyway was a street. The small buildings were made of wood and looked more like shacks than actual buildings. I checked to make sure there were no
demons before I entered the uncovered road. I was uncomfortable with being in the open. As I walked to the fourth building to my right, I spun in circles making sure I wasn't going to be ambushed. Absolute silence was the response to my nervousness.
I threw open the rickety door and scrambled to shut it behind me. There was a lock I made sure to latch, although it was silly. Would a lock really stop a demon from beating the door down? The sound of a small clink made me turn around, frightened. My fear was replaced by a wave of relief.
Kirin was hunched in the corner of the shack at a small, circular table. He had a stein of something that he was sipping on. His body was curved inward in a way that suggested he was in pain. The silver of his eyes glowed in the darkness of the room at me. I had never been so happy to see that asshole in my entire life.
I tripped through the darkness right into his arms. I didn't have it in me to feel embarrassed or nervous. I was so fucking happy to be away from Lazarus and within his safeguard. For the billionth time, I burst into tears. I was surprised to feel his arms wrap around me stiffly.
"We don't have a lot of time," he said quietly. I could feel him lifting his drink to his face to take a sip.
"We have to rescue Alex," I whispered into his chest. Kirin put a hand on my head.
"She is creating a distraction so we can run," he responded faintly. My body started to shake. I knew in my heart that she was sacrificing herself. It didn't matter; I still wanted to rescue her. I had to fight the denial my brain was feeling, telling me there was a chance. I could only answer his remark with silent sobs. She had officially been there longer than my mom... Kirin may have been protecting me, but she truly cared about me that whole time.
"I want to go home," I mumbled as I reached for Kirin's shoulders. "Take me home."
He ran a hand through my hair. It was so uncharacteristic of him, but I ignored it.
