Victima

by K R Leikvoll

"How?" the creature asked with a slight bark in his voice. Someone else close to Alex. I felt guilty about her death all over again. The same heavy grief I usually endured flooded my chest.

  "Lazarus... and Lydris," Kirin said as calmly as he could.

  His words sent the creature into a rage. One of his massive clawed hands went into the air to strike at him.

  Without thinking, I pushed my way in front of Kirin. The beasts' hand made a cracking sound as it hit the barrier the ring was forced to manifest. The fatigue was instantaneous, and I was caught by Kirin before I fell to my knees. He helped me regain my balance.

  "Your fault! Everyone told you to kill him and you didn't!" the wolf yelled at Kirin before staring directly at me. "And this... what is this? Why does this Sacramented whore have my mother's ring?"

  "This whore, as you so delicately put it, is your sister. Valentine Ash: the Divinus and the Nephilim, not Sacramented at all," Kirin replied in a tone that suggested that he was holding back fury. I'm his sister—that wolfman?

  "Arturio," I breathed, pulling myself out of Kirin's arms. The ring was happier to see him than I was. I almost felt the urge to pet his snout. The creature—I mean Arturio—took a step back.

  "This woman? The woman that has your blood all over her is supposed to be the Divinus?" Arturio asked in disbelief. I scratched at my face. Dried blood flaked off onto my fingertips. Ugh... those assholes hadn't even had the decency to tell me I had stuff all over my mouth.

  "She is. We must take her to Alvir immediately," Kirin said firmly. "You know where the Evyans are. I know you do. For the sake of our world, you are going to take us there."

  Arturio let out a wolfish howl that might've been a laugh. "Do you expect them to believe that this is the Divinus?" he scoffed.

  "How else would I have the ring?" I asked, flashing my hand. "I think that for everyone's best interest, you should take us there."

  I was losing my patience. I just wanted to lie down and get some rest. They all peered back at me curiously. I guess they weren't used to me threatening people.

  After giving me five seconds to wash my face, we started walking again. The weather in Evya was similar to the mugginess on the other continent and it was making me wish we had stayed at the river. My legs were giving me issues too—four months without walking meant body wasn't used to it anymore.

  Arturio, my supposed half-brother, was incredibly silent as we trekked. I kind of wanted to talk to him about something to break the ice, but he was shooting me glares every chance he had. It was really rude of him. Eve abandoned me just like she abandoned him, except my abandonment wasn't something she could've helped. If anything, shouldn't Arturio like me? I wasn't sure why he acted so put off by my presence.

  The day dragged on to the point where I couldn't keep up anymore. Instead of giving us all the chance to rest, they decided it would be better if someone carried me. Obviously, I expected Kirin to be the one to do it, but Ronen was the person to kneel down. Kirin needed to be able to fight at any moment, and he wouldn't be able to do that if I was on his back.

  Eventually it got to the point where we needed a torch again. As the evening grew, the spirits came back. They whispered the same things as before, but not owing a debt seemed to lessen the volume. I was so tired that I was having trouble clinging to Ronen's back. Like clockwork, I kept nodding off and startling myself awake.

  "Listen guys... we really need to stop. I need to sleep. I can't do this anymore," I told them, dropping off Ronen. Everyone continued to walk a few paces before turning back to me.

  "How far off are the Evyans?" Ronen asked Arturio.

  The wolf shrugged. It was silly seeing human emotion in an animal.

  I didn't really feel like listening to everyone argue. I grabbed random pieces of wood and began to stack it into a small pile. While the group of stupid men scratched their heads and acted useless, I started a moderate sized fire. Of course, I cheated a bit by using the demonic power to light it, but it was only for a second. It wasn't until I sat down next to it that my companions finally started removing their gear.

  "Princess wants to stop," Mortos chuckled, sitting beside me. He had a smile on his face that was begging me to retort. I just rolled my eyes and poked the fire with a stick. Ronen and Arturio sat down on my other side. I waited for Kirin to join us, but he didn't. He was peeking around the trees as if he expected something to jump out.

  I guess his instincts were right. Before I knew what was happening, we were surrounded on all sides by an overwhelming amount of men. There were at least five of them mounted on orchid panther-beasts. The cats had piercing yellow eyes, giant bat wings, and were covered in as much armor as their riders. The soldiers' armor was grand: silver and gold, heavy plated. They all carried lances with curved, golden blades.

  One, slightly taller than most of the others, hopped off his purple cat to approach us. He removed his helmet, revealing long auburn hair like some kind of shampoo commercial. He had bright, slanted blue eyes, a long nose, and the same long ears that Lydris and Lazarus had. The man pulled a short sword from his waist and approached Kirin.

  "I would it's say nice to see you, Arturio, but you seem to have led outsiders into our midst," he said with a honey sweet voice. The man pointed his sword at Kirin. "I thought we made it clear that you are not welcome in Evya."

  "You speak to the High Emperor of Naadea!" Mortos yelled in disbelief, brandishing his own sword. Really, dude?

  All of the soldiers proceeded to point their spears at us, trapping us all in a circle. The man chuckled at Mortos’ comment which only aggravated the situation. Even Ronen had a cautious hand on his blade’s hilt.

  "How many people had to die for you to get that title, Maundrell?" he asked before laughing harder.

  "The death of my people is not a laughing matter, Arubai. I didn't ask for this title, but it's my burden," Kirin replied angrily, as if he could barely get the words out. Despite the fact that I could see he really wanted to start a fight, he didn't summon Famine.

  "Why have you come? To beg for our help?" Arubai asked with a snooty smile.

  I thought about Alex and Codd and all of the people back at the castle getting close to dying. It made my guts writhe in fury. "We came – " I started, shouting above everyone else.

  Arubai used his sword to move Kirin to the side so he could see the source of my small voice.

  "We came because of this," I declared, holding my hand in the air. "I need to see Alvir."

  My agitation gave me enough strength to force the ring to manifest a weak bubble that shimmered around my body. It only lasted a moment before it dissipated with a glimmer.

  Arubai walked in large strides toward me, and I nervously took a step back in response. Naturally, it surprised the hell out of me when he sheathed his blade and kneeled at my feet.

  "Forgive me, Divinus. I did not recognize you. It has been quite some time," he said, trying his hardest to be charming. Everyone besides our group followed his actions and kneeled in droves around me. Ugh... so unnecessary. Mortos shot me a knowing look and a smile.

  "Um... yeah... nice to meet you," I grumbled, rolling my eyes as they stood back up.

  "Alvir will be delighted to see you again," Arubai told me directly as his panther padded over to us. He took my hand and tried to get me on its back. I resisted for a second before I saw Kirin shoot me a nod from across the fire. Unsure, I clumsily climbed onto the purple creature. It was smaller than a horse in height, and it prowled with an awkward gait. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep my balance. Arubai hopped on its back behind me. It was pretty uncomfortable, especially when he put his arms around me to hold the reigns.

  "And what of her companions?" another rider asked.

  "Arrest them. They can face judgment for their crimes back at the city," Arubai called to him. The soldiers made their way to Ronen, Kirin and Mortos to bind their wrists.

  "Excuse me! You can't arrest my friends! If it wasn't for them, I woul
dn't be here!" I yelled at Arubai over my shoulder.

  "And we will take that into consideration during their trial," he said as if he was being understanding. I dug my elbow into his side.

  "No! You will not arrest them!" I protested more fiercely, trying to fight to get off.

  Arubai whipped at the reigns. The panther began to run in massive strides, taking me further and further away from Kirin and the others. The darkness of the forest was overwhelming, but both the cat and the rider could see better than me. I was afraid I would be hit in the face unexpectedly at any moment.

  "I do apologize that you have only been around beasts, but we will take care of you now, Divinus," Arubai told me after an indeterminate amount of time in silence. "Don't fret over that demon. He's nothing but trouble."

  "If you expect me to want to help people that point weapons at my friends, you're wrong," I replied through gritted teeth.

  "All will be made well with the council. Rest now, Divinus. You look like you could use it."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I wasn't sure how far or how long we traveled on the back of Arubai’s panther. It was long enough for the dawn to greet us again, but not long enough for me to completely pass out from exhaustion. I didn't remotely trust that guy. Being far away from Kirin made me legitimately anxious. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Lazarus. What if this was some kind of trap? I wouldn't be able to fight very well alone.

  We managed not to run into a single living thing until we reached an out-of-place boulder. It was a giant, salmon-colored egg resting against the carbon black mountain lining. I wasn't surprised when the panther slowed to a walk and Arubai hopped off its back. He gave me a look over his shoulder that suggested I shouldn't move.

  "Regent General! Returning so soon from your patrol?" a man's voice said from behind the rock. Another Evyan walked around to face us. He wore slightly more armor than everyone else and clutched a sword.

  "Grand news! I bring the Divinus—home at last with her worshippers," Arubai said in a tone that I think was supposed to sound gracious, but it sounded sarcastic to me.

  The Evyan man immediately removed his helmet and kneeled. "Lux Eterna," he murmured before returning to his position. "Leave your katoma with me."

  Arubai helped me down. I had to hide how hard it was to stand after that. My thighs felt bruised from the saddle, plus I had to consider how tired I was. My knees were shaking so badly I thought I might need to use him for support, but I fought it. Fuck that.

  The guard put his hand against the egg stone. Golden beams in the shape of hexagons and triangles danced around the stone for a moment in a brilliant display. It looked like alien spell work—not at all what I would have thought. For a moment I was distracted by its beauty. The stone levitated off the ground and onto a large, metal circle embedded in the earth to the right of us. Where the egg had been, a giant dark tunnel appeared in its place. The tunnel didn't lead into the mountainside like I assumed it would. Instead, it led downward into the ground. I was terrified when Arubai started to lead us into the tunnel. It was all too familiar.

  Once we got through the initial darkness, my fear faded. It was replaced with a wave of pure awe. I was standing at the top of an underground city bustling with activity. It was shaped like a massive beehive beneath the ground—a very smart idea considering all the demons wandering around on the surface. It had to be at least thirty stories deep. From where I stood at the top, the floor went in a spiral along the outer rim to the very bottom. A giant rock caught my attention more than anything else: in the center, a multistory, silver geode that had been converted into some sort of building was hanging from the roof of the cove. There were several crystal bridges leading to the center building on different stories. It was small in comparison to the total depth of the underground honeycomb.

  As we walked on the downward road, we passed shops, houses, inns, bars—everything a city might have—all carved into the stone. People of all sizes and species were bustling around us in a hurry with whatever their everyday activities might've been. Some were tall like Arubai, but others were incredibly petite and had varying degrees of rainbow-colored hair. I even saw some creatures that I wasn't sure were Evyans, demons or even sentient.

  When Arubai led me down the first crystal bridge, I nearly stopped moving. There weren't any railings. If I tripped, it was a seriously long drop. I had to force myself to keep my cool as I followed him into the silver building.

  I instantly felt dirty and underdressed when we crossed the geode’s threshold. The room was completely white: white stone walls, white stone floors. All of the people inside were clearly Evyan. They wore pale dresses and robes with elaborate hairstyles and makeup. A woman with silver hair and ink-black eyes was the first to greet us. Her body was slender and tree like; she reminded me of a gray giraffe.

  "Regent General, you've brought us a real treasure," the woman said in a singsong voice. Her thin hands took my right palm into her grasp and she kissed the ring. "Welcome home, Divinus. Your people have missed you greatly."

  I wasn't sure how to respond. I just gave her an awkward half wave with my other hand. I didn't even say hi. My voice sounded oafish compared to the Evyans. I was a dirt stain in comparison to the room and its inhabitants. Everything was intimidating.

  "I must attend to the arrival of her companions. Can you handle it from here?" Arubai asked the Evyan woman.

  "Oh, yes," she responded. "Come now, Divinus. Let me take you to your residence." She pulled me further into the room than I wanted to walk. "We finished it a few years ago. I'm relieved that you made it here in one piece."

  We walked through the crowds of beautifully dressed Evyans to another door that led back outside. They all stared at me with excited curiosity and shared whispers. We started down a silver spiral staircase that spun its way around the geode stopping on various floors. I never thought I had a fear of heights until that damn city.

  "That's the thing," I replied, trying not to fall. "My friends… Arubai took them hostage. I want them released."

  The woman shot me a kind look with her black eyes. "We will not harm your protectors. Don't fret, Divinus," she replied as we neared the bottom of the geode.

  I tugged back on her arm; she was dragging me. She turned and stared at me as though she had never seen that amount of force in her life. Her eyes grew wide as if I had smacked her grandmother or something.

  "I don't believe you. Please just let me go back to Kirin," I protested, attempting to move back up the stairs.

  "Divinus," she started, forcefully yanking me back. "I have a seat on the council. I won't let them arrest your companions. If it is the will of the light, then I trust you entirely."

  She opened a door at the very bottom of the geode. It led into a parlor with another set of giant doors made of marble, or at least the Praetisian equivalent. The Evyan crossed the room and opened them for me.

  Inside everything was, of course, still white. The floor was draped in thick, white furs. There were two cozy white chairs and a small glass table in the center of the room. On the east wall, a huge open window let in the orange glow of the city below. Across the room, there was a set of glass doors revealing a white plush bedroom with a gigantic feather bed. My bones might've actually groaned when I saw it.

  "I had some of your old clothes brought in from the last time you visited Evya," the woman explained casually, striding to the bedroom. She threw open the doors and motioned for me to come. I nervously followed her. My very presence was probably staining everything.

  When I reached the bed, I had to cover my mouth. I nearly screamed. Lying on the bed was a silver dress eerily similar to the one I had seen Eve wearing when…

  It shimmered so brightly that it appeared to be made of tiny stars. I touched it with a shaking hand. Had I worn it before? The fabric felt familiar in between my fingertips. My head was beginning to spin. "I'm not wearing that thing," I groaned, holding my temples. The woman peered at me curious
ly.

  "Get some rest for now, Divinus. I will send you some handmaidens shortly to help you get settled," she said before bowing her head and shutting the glass doors. I watched her cross the fur covered room and leave.

  I turned back to the dress. In the dim room, it shone so bright it was paralyzing. If only Eve would've left, she wouldn't have died. Then again, I wouldn't have been born, right? Wrong time to think about that. A head rush was coming on so strong I knew what was about to happen. I didn't want to pass out on the floor, so I climbed into the bed. God, it was so comfortable I almost didn't mind that I was being taken away.

  I was very hesitant about touching the orb of light. After what I had seen the time before, I knew immediately that anything remaining with Eve would be leading up to her death. I didn't want to see that—nobody would, but I knew that I didn't have a choice ultimately. I had to do it for her. I had to do it for the sake of everyone. I crushed it in my palms and waited for the hell to begin...

  And hell it was. I was in a black box that was far scarier than the stone prison from the Capitol. The only lighting was a torch sitting in the corner, nearly burnt out. The floor was drenched in silver liquid and reeked of metal. Everything was so cold.

  My eyes followed the trail of silvery blood to the gruesome sight of Eve. She was crouched in the corner as far from the torch as possible. Her bare, pale skin practically glowed in the darkness. Giant black and purple welts decorated her body. There was a tangled mess of red scars forming various patterns on her back and legs. Her white hair was destroyed and matted. She was crying softly into her knees. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew it was no use. Her sobs intensified when the heavy black door behind me was thrown open. She drew further away as a mass of shadows entered the room. A loud slam signaled they were completely alone.

  "How is my lovely flower today?" Vince's skin-crawling voice asked as he stroked the flames of the torch to relight them. He then turned his attention to Eve and gave her a sideways stare. Her eyes fluttered, but she refused to look in his direction. I folded my arms across my chest to comfort myself as I went to the furthest corner away from him.