Curse of Shadows and Light

by Penelope King

  My heart is racing so hard it almost hurts. I grab Corrine’s hand, and we both squeeze tightly.

  The footsteps grow closer and louder, and the ground beneath us trembles. Soon, a large figure emerges from the grey mist.

  Then I gasp, and behind me Corrine whimpers softly.

  Oh no, oh no, oh no….

  Demetri was wrong. Otto didn’t come back alone.

  Behind him are a half-dozen demons with murderous looks in their wicked eyes.

  And they are all staring at me.

  Chapter 24. Liora

  I force myself to remain calm, steady. It’s okay… it doesn’t matter. All that has to happen is for Otto to release the shield and then Vincent will teleport us out of here.

  “Oh God, help us,” Corrine begs softly. I can feel her trembling against my back.

  A large demon with black hair and yellow eyes standing next to Otto gives a cackling laugh. “Your God can’t help you now!” His voice is the sound of pure evil, and it turns my stomach inside out.

  “There she is, just as promised,” Otto says, motioning to me. “The other is a bonus. The demion has an emotional attachment to her companion so she’ll be good for leverage if you need it.”

  The yellow-eyed demon looks at me with disdain, then at Corrine. “The only plans for the demion are torture, followed by death. The human girl is of no use to us. Discard her, or keep her for yourself.”

  Otto just shrugs, as Corrine digs her nails into my skin. “Well, I ain’t got no use for a human girl, neither. Especially not one as ugly as that.”

  “What you do with her is up to you. I only came for the demion child, and I’m not paying a cent more for a worthless human.”

  “Suit yourself,” Otto says. “Might as well just kill her here then.”

  Corrine squeezes my arm even tighter, and I hope she remembers that Vincent and Demetri are just a mere few feet away waiting to whisk us to safety the moment Otto releases the shield.

  “The demion is harmless now,” Otto continues. “She’s in her human state.”

  “I’m not one to take chances,” Yellow Eyes says. “She’s a freak. An unknown. If I wasn’t under strict orders to bring her back alive, I’d kill her now myself. Okay, ready for the transfer. Guards…”

  Immediately the other five demons move around us, encircling the shield. One even stands right where Vincent and Demetri were crouched not a few moments before.

  Oh crap!

  I close my eyes and pray they’re still in a good position to grab us the first chance they get.

  “Hey, what’s that?” One of the demon guards points to the ground, and the unmistakable track of footprints depressing the snow behind him.

  “What the—is there someone here?” Otto roars. He jerks his hand like he did on Anastasia’s beach, and a second later Demetri and Vincent are visible and flying backward through the air.

  “No!” Corrine screams. I watch in horror as they sail out of sight.

  Otto turns back to us, his eyes ablaze with fury. “Any other surprises, little girl?”

  Corrine and I shake our heads, tears streaming down our faces.

  “Just for that—” He lifts his hands, and immediately a black stream of electricity shoots out of his fingers, straight at Corrine. She jerks backward, and her body convulses violently as she flops on her back like a fish gasping for air.

  Now it’s me screaming. “No!” Without even thinking, I throw myself on top of her to block the current. I don’t care if it kills me.

  I brace myself, but nothing happens. Corrine has stopped shaking, and I turn my head to see Otto glaring at me, his hands lowered.

  “Get them out of here!” he shouts. “I’m sick of their ugly faces!” He pulls the stick thing from his pocket and taps the air again. The green mist wavers and fades away.

  I look around, desperately hoping for any sight of Vincent or Demetri anywhere. Corrine remains motionless on the ground, her eyes closed. I can’t tell if she’s breathing or not. Suddenly, a pair of rough hands pull me back.

  “No, let me go!” I twist and squirm, but to no avail. Whoever is holding me has me locked in tight. My legs flail harmlessly as I’m lifted up by my shoulders several feet into the air.

  “Take the other one, too,” Yellow Eyes orders. A guard reaches over and picks up Corrine’s limp body and throws her over his shoulder like a rag doll.

  “Vincent! Demetri!” I scream as loud as I can. Suddenly my head flies back so hard and fast I’m surprised it doesn’t come completely off. I taste blood.

  “Shut your damn mouth,” a guard snaps. The whole right side of my face feels broken, and I can’t move my jaw. Tears of fear and pain blur my eyes as I look around one more time. If they take us from here, we’re dead.

  I watch in horror as a swirling cloud of black smoke rises up and surrounds each of the demons in turn, including the ones holding Corrine and me. One by one they shoot up like rockets into the sky.

  Suddenly, I’m looking into Vincent’s frantic eyes. His hand reaches out to me just as my feet lift from the ground and everything goes black.

  ********

  It’s dark, and I feel like I’m being sucked through a pipe that’s way too small. I go from feeling very cold to very hot, but the sensation passes in an instant. My body slams down on something hard and wet. The air is thick with moisture and smells like rotten eggs. It’s all I can do not to vomit. For a moment I stay as still as possible, wondering if all the ribs in my chest are broken, or just a few. It’s hard to get enough air, and every breath I take feels like tiny knives jabbing into my chest.

  Where am I now?

  Slowly I sit up, and finally manage to stand. The light is dull, and I can only barely make out what appears to be a small room with a ceiling so low I can reach my hand up and touch it. It feels like mud or clay. Am I under the earth?

  There are no doors, and no windows. Like a large coffin, buried away and forgotten. I close my eyes and try to ignore the pain in my chest. Breathe normally. Now is not the time to get claustrophobic, and if I think too much about where I am, I just might. I don’t know where the creatures are that brought us here. All I know is that I seem to be alone, and every bone in my body feels broken.

  Suddenly I spot something sprawled in the corner. Corrine! I rush over to her and grab her arm. She’s not moving and doesn’t seem to be breathing.

  “Corrine… Corrine, can you hear me?” I whisper.

  I touch her face, and I’m shocked at how cold her skin feels. Her bare arms are like sticks of ice. My hand trembles as I desperately feel her wrist for a pulse.

  “No… no!” Tears spill from my eyes. I quickly move my fingers to her neck, searching for any sign of life. I can’t find a heartbeat. I put my cheek to her mouth, but I feel no breath coming from her lips.

  “No… no… no!” I cry out in a strangled whisper.

  I wrap my arms around her and pull her close, refusing to admit to myself that I can no longer feel her life force. Where there was once a warm, inviting energy, it now feels hollow and cold.

  “No… no,” I moan again. I pull her closer, burying my face in her hair as I begin to sob in earnest. Her arms dangle limply at her sides, and I rock her back and forth like a baby.

  Corrine… poor, poor Corrine. She doesn’t deserve this. She is innocent. Her only sin in life was being my friend. Another casualty of my wicked curse.

  I can barely breathe, and I hold her even tighter. I’m so wracked with sobs it takes a moment to register that it’s more than my grief that is causing my body to tremble and shake so violently. It’s like some external force is vibrating rapidly against my skin.

  Then, inexplicably, I start to feel warmer. The warmth spreads from my belly up through my chest, and down my arms and legs, hotter and hotter, until I feel like I’m made of pure fire.

  A strange sensation, like electrical energy, now flows through my body and suddenly I feel a jolt… then another… and another. Corrine flop
s in my arms.

  Panicked, I try to pull my hands away. But despite my efforts, my arms remain wrapped around her. My body seems to have a mind of its own, and I realize with horror that I’m no longer in control. Did the demons who captured us implement some sort of torture device on me?

  But oddly, despite the bizarre sensations, I feel good. Very good. As if my tolerance for pain has changed somehow. Because deep inside I know this should be causing me great agony. But instead my entire body feels better. I can breathe without the daggers, and my other aches have vanished.

  I feel another strong jolt, and Corrine again flops in my arms. Then again.

  “No!”

  My arms are frozen to her as the shocks continue to come in rapid succession. I can only watch helplessly as her body jumps in spasms, and try to protect her head so it doesn’t hit the ground.

  From somewhere in the deepest crevices of my mind, a buried memory of long ago comes to the surface. A memory of when Lucky and I were one… when we could use our ‘warm hands’ to heal people who’d been injured. We did it on Kayla once when she’d broken her ankle, right before she was killed. And I know Lucky can still do it to this day.

  But this… this is so much stronger. A million times stronger.

  What the hell is going on?

  Suddenly Corrine begins to cough—hard. I gasp and stare in disbelief as she slowly opens her eyes. She coughs harder, and I sit her up and gently give her a few pats on the back. The electrical fire within me has faded.

  She wipes her eyes and looks back at me, obviously disoriented. “Wh-what happened?” she whispers in a scratchy voice.

  I continue to stare at her.

  “That’s a damn good question.”

  Chapter 25. Liora

  “Okay, so now what?” Corrine asks as she eases herself up against the back wall. “We’re just supposed to sit here and wait for someone to come kill us?”

  After I’d told her how she’d been knocked unconscious by Otto, I explained that we’d been relocated to a different holding cell. I didn’t feel the need to mention that she’d died… how one minute I was holding her lifeless body in my arms, and the next minute I was bringing her back to life. That was way too freaky, and I’m not even going to let myself think about it right now. I’m already on freak-show overload. But apparently she hasn’t suffered any weird side-effects, except for the fact that her glasses are broken and she can’t see anything. I assured her she wasn’t missing much.

  “I don’t know what’s happening exactly,” I say, as I reposition my legs to a more comfortable position. “I haven’t seen anyone since we’ve been here… at least an hour.”

  “What about Vincent and Demetri?” Her voice sounds scratchy, but hopeful.

  I shake my head, hoping she can’t see my worried expression in the darkened room. “It’s just us.”

  “Oh. Maybe they’ll find us again?”

  “I hope so.” God, I hope so. The vision of Vincent reaching for me, and the horrified look in his eyes as I shot up in the air is burned in my memory. But I’m glad he wasn’t able to grab me in time. Because that would’ve meant Corrine would be here all alone. And that would mean she’d be dead.

  “Do you hear that?” she hisses. “Is someone coming? I can’t see anything.” I move closer and we huddle together, our hearts thumping wildly.

  “I can’t see anything either,” I tell her. For some reason I’d felt oddly safe in this place with no windows or doors… like whatever evil was outside couldn’t reach us.

  Stupid me.

  There are two of them, and they just simply enter, one after the other, through some trick door in the wall. Most demons I know are specimens of beauty and perfection. These mutants look like they got the crap kicked out of them with a dozen ugly sticks. One is tall, the other stockier. Both have hideously overlarge human features, choppy black hair and strange, bright-yellow eyes. They’re wearing odd, chainmail-like skirts and no shirts, revealing their hairy chests and bulking arms.

  I feel their evil before they say a word. Even the air feels dead in their presence. Beside me, Corrine’s breath comes in ragged gasps, and I reach over and grab her hand. It’s shaking.

  The taller of the two steps forward and looks at us, and gives what is probably supposed to pass for a smile. My stomach churns as actual drool drips from his cracked lips. He points at each of us in turn and chants in a raspy, sing-songy voice:

  “Eenie meenie miney moe… catch a human by the toe… poke and stab her ‘til you blow… teeny, weenie, hiney, ho!”

  His fat finger lands on Corrine, and his grin broadens. The other demon stands behind him holding a long silver sword with strange markings on it. It’s an unusual metal, and reminds me of Lucky’s favorite dagger— the one specially designed to kill other demons and demions. Only this one is much, much bigger.

  Oh, God… Are they our executioners?

  “Today’s your lucky day, lasses. Both of you. We can’t actually kill you until the others have arrived, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun!” He laughs, and the hairs on my neck stand up.

  “What do you want?” I demand, trying to make my voice sound unafraid and strong and failing miserably.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll get your turn next. But for now you can just watch. From over there—” He flicks his wrist and sends me flying back against the wall, where I crash with a violent thud before sliding to the floor in a heap. “We need room to operate.”

  I feel like every bone in my body is broken again. I lie crumpled on the floor, trying to recover the wind that’s been knocked out of me. The other demon starts laughing. “Yeah… especially if she puts up a fight. I love it when they do that. Let’s keep her unbound while we play. Watch her try and get away!”

  The room is spinning, and I blink several times to clear my head. Corrine curls up as much as she can, but the stocky demon reaches out and grabs her wrist.

  “No!” I scream. Despite my injuries, I get up and lunge toward them. The taller demon holds up his large palm toward me, and suddenly I’m unable to move… stuck, as if the air has turned to glue.

  They both laugh again. Corrine is sitting in the corner with her back pressed to the wall, sobbing. The tall one pulls her to her feet before viciously ripping off her dress.

  “No!” I scream again. Only this time no sound comes out. I struggle to move forward, but I can’t. It’s like trying to move through frozen molasses.

  The demon throws Corrine’s dress to the side, then rips off her bra. Screaming, she twists away and starts punching him as hard as she can.

  They both just laugh with delight.

  “Keep it coming… please. It’s more fun this way,” the tall demon says. Then he rips off her underwear, leaving her totally exposed.

  I choke on my own terrified screams as she frantically tries to kick, punch, and claw at everything within reach. And I am powerless to help her.

  “I haven’t got all day to waste with this one,” the tall demon says to his partner. “We still need to get to the other. Hold her hands above her head and pin her against the wall.”

  The other one grunts and sets his sword down, then grabs Corrine’s wrists. She screams and kicks at him, and he whacks her with a wicked backhand across the cheek, splitting her lip and spattering blood against the wall. Her screams become sobs and whimpers.

  Furious, I exert every ounce of my energy and strength trying to get to her. But whatever is holding me is much more powerful than I am.

  But then the horrifying scene takes an unimaginable turn for the worse. The taller demon unhooks his chainmail, and I can see his naked body underneath. I gasp.

  Oh God… he really will kill her!

  Corrine looks down and screams with renewed terror, twisting and turning while they laugh in her face.

  “Don’t worry, missy,” the shorter one says. He licks the side of her face with his long tongue. “If you lose too much blood or your innies get too man
gled, I can do a quick fix and have you ready to go again in no time!”

  Then he calls to me over his shoulder, “Can you see okay? Wouldn’t want you to miss the show. I’m sure you’ll want to see what’s in store for you!”

  He turns back to Corrine and pins her tight, while his cohort starts running his hands over her body. He roughly grabs her breasts, then he moves his hand down between her legs.

  Suddenly, I’m consumed by a fiery anger unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and every cell in my body is exploding with unprecedented hate and rage. My skin grows so hot, I expect to see flames at any second. Somehow, the invisible glue holding me hostage begins to melt away.

  I fly across the room so fast my feet don’t even seem to touch the ground. In a flash, the sword is in my hand, and as the demon holding Corrine turns to look at me, I slice through the air with all my might. His head falls to the floor, and the rest of his body turns to ash.

  In one fluid motion I spin around and plunge the sword through the larger demon’s chest. Stunned, he staggers a few steps backwards before falling to his knees. I pull the blade back ready to swing it like a baseball bat at his head when I hear, “No! Wait!”

  Corrine’s eyes are wide with fury. She reaches out and grabs the sword from my hand, and with a determined glare she aims and takes a powerful swing.

  “Asshole!” she screams, as the demon’s head falls to the ground. Then she kicks the decapitated skulls away and turns to me.

  For a moment we stand there in shock. She drops the sword, and we both collapse to the ground, trembling and crying.

  “Are you all right… did he hurt you?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.

  She shakes her head and wipes the blood from her face. “No… I’m okay. I’m okay. Are you hurt at all?”

  “No, no… I’m okay.”

  But we just killed two enemy demons in their own home. I know that both of us are as far from ‘okay’ as we can possibly be.