by C. B. Miller
“I have a feeling I’m going to wish someone could remove this memory after this..”
“I’ll burn out my eyes and scout it out first. Be ready for show time though. This many people it probably will get ugly real quick if things go badly.” I said.
The stairs went down a half flight to a landing and then turned to the right to another set of steps. As I crept down the stairs, quietly taking step by careful step., a haze incense and weed hung in the air and lightly obscured everything.
I reached the landing and peered around the corner. Five steps led down to a finished basement room. In the center of the room was a pile of discarded clothing, and three tan couches and several mounds of pillows filled the rest of the burgandy carpeted room Small groups of people in various stages of undress and sexual related activities occupied the couches and mounds of pillows scattered throughout the room. . There were two men with their backs to me, dressed in dark suits held assault rifleslow at the bottom of the stairs. The walls were covered in sound proofing foam and a few tapestries hung throughout the room, each depicting large spiders with throngs of people worshipping, serving, or fighting for them. Colin and Tom were in the process of binding Shirene to a low altar on the far side of the room., while the mysterious older man stood behind them.
My stomach flipped as the realization the gray and white ropes they were using to tie her up came out of the older man’s belly.
I crept back up the stairs, trying to balance stealth with speed. I was sure that with all the noise going on downstairs I wouldn’t be heard but I didn’t want to risk it. As I reached the top of the stairs, I stopped cold. I hadn’t known what to expect from Alex’s magic, and when it appeared to be centered around manipulating her body, it felt familiar. It was a lot like what Eden did really so that wasn’t that shocking to see her remake her body but I think even Eden would have stopped to appreciate Alex’s creativity. She had ditched her four armed hand bladed form. and instead of transforming into the hulking beast she had fought the vampires in previously, she was nearly a foot shorter and thinner. Quills like a porcupine poked out from every inch of her flesh and her hair shifted into long spear-like spines that relaxed like tendrils, and then hardened into deadly spikes at a moments notice. The whole effect made her look like she was covered in rippling waves of red across her naked body.
Nake or not, there was nothing sexual about her; Alex was a killing machine to be appreciated.
After I recovered my senses, I quickly described what I saw. There wasn’t much to discuss, as we agreed this was going to be a smash and smash operation. Hit them hard and see how the cookie crumbles.
Alex led the charge. We crept down to the landing and she pounced on the guy to the left. Four spines ripped through his back as she shot them out from her chest. It was over before he could even gurgle out a word as she leaped on to him and wrapped her a around him. He went rigid as herr spines hardened puncturing his flesh in hundreds of places as she rode him to the ground. His rifle clattered to the floor..
His companion’s rifle rose as he twisted toward Alex before falling from his grip. A flash of remorse gripped me as Ekurzakir’s Judgment slid into his skull and his eyes went wide before he went limp.I didn’t want to have to kill these two but it’s hard to negotiate when you have assault rifles trained on you in a small space. I let him slid off my blade, and charged forward. Alex and I were half way to the alter before anyone noticed.
The Aezzai looked up from the bindings on Shirene and glowered at us as we charged. The strands detached from his belly, the sphinter like muscles cutting them loose as he yelled and pointed at uswhile backing away. Colin looked up from his task and grinned widely revealing segmented jaws like mandibles He flexed his back and two pairs of thick arachnid like legs erupted from his back ending in sharp glistening claws. Before we could close the distance he brought two of them down on Shirene at the base of her neck, both barely breaking the skin.
I skidded to a halt. “Wait! Alex don’t!”
Alex stopped, her hands held out in front of her as she went rigid.
The Aezzai, grinned from behind Tom and Colin.There was maybe ten feet between us and the alter, and we’d have to hurdle Shirene to reach them.. I didn’t think there was a way either Alex or I could reach them before Colin killed Shirene.
A thousand curses flashed through my mind.
“Alex so good to finally meet you in person, although I wish the circumstances were different.” The old man said. His mouth was curiously out of sync with his words, like we were watching a badly dubbed foreign film. He bowed deeply, sweeping his hands broadly before him.
Rising, he turned his attention to me. “KaedinKaedin Jones, you have been causing quite a stir in the past few days.You’re pretty fucking annoying too, did you know that?” Anger radiated from him as he glowered at me.He placed both hands on Colin’s shoulders, “Let’s make this easy and most of us can walk the fuck away in peace. How does that sound?”
The party goers in their drug and pleasure induced haze., began to notice us. They ceased their pleasure seeking and unwound themselves from each other in a daze. . They halting, jerking manner in which they moved made me think they were not in control of their actions. I had a sinking feeling as they slowly stopped and turned their attention to us.
“Sounds like a lie, but we can hear you out. Hell, I have a counter offer I’m sure you will want to take.” I said confidently.
Hearing my words, Alex turned her head and looked at me. It didn’t take a rocket scientist or a FBI behavioral analyst to realize the look she gave me said. ‘What the fuck are you doing back there?’
I ignored her look and took a step forward, dismissing Erukzakir’s Judgment as I splayed my hands palms up.
“You are in no position to bargain, or cut a deal of any sort. But, if you give me the sword, I will forgive you. I’ll let you walk out of here and leave Chicago to fuck off elsewhere for the rest of your natural life.” The old man seemed exasperated and anxious.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He blinked, and his mouth opened slightly as he cocked his head. As he blinked, I took another half step closer.
“What. Is. Your name? It’s not that hard of a question really. Hi I am Kaedin, but you already knew that. You are?” His eyes flicked to Colin and then to Tom. I slid another half step closer.
I was a full step ahead of Alex and I could feel her eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.
“You have some stones.” He said appreciatively. “You can call me Maurice.Now, relinquish the sword and the both of you can walk out here. Get the fuck out of my city and live out the rest of your days in blissful peace.“ His tone shifted from grudging respect to hostile in an instant.
“Oh, we aren’t a couple.” I said and jerked a thumb back at Alex. Marrice shifted his weight uncomfortably and his eyes had darted towawrd Sirene involuntarily. I took another small stutter step closer. Colin attention was focused on Alex, and my movement snagged his gaze. I was still eight feet or so away, but it looked like this is as close was going to get.
Maurice smiled at me, but it was a soulless gesture. Hismimicry of humanity lacked the genuine warmth necessary to pass as completely human. I could see it now in how he spoke and how he moved. He was just wearing a disguise, and the man I was talking to was nothing more than a skin suit for the Aezzai.
“The sword for Shirene and both of your lives. It is my final offer.” His jaw opened a little too widely when he spoke and there was a deeper darkness down his throat.
“I have your word? The riffraff will let us go as well.” I asked.
“What the hell Kaedin.” Alex said in a low growl.
I stared directly at Colin a gave him a toothy smile, “You are included in the riffraff.” Maurice laughed. It was like a thousand tiny voices gathered together and attempting to giggle at the same time, but they were all off just slightly in their timing. “Everyone present will let you all leave. Scout’s honor
.”
“Ok, I can trust that.” I said dryly.
I extended both hands behind me and called Erukzakir’s Judgment back to my right hand, eying Colin the entire time. I brought the blade up in front of my face in a salute.
“Um so how’s this work? I can’t exactly toss it up to you? Hey Colin, I need to know something first.”
As Colin opened his mouth to reply,I hurled the sword at his head.
Colin dropped to the floor retracted his claws from Shirene’s throat I followed Erukzakir’sJudgment as it flew through the air, powering my power into my speed gift and hurtled the altar. Maurice;s face was a mixed of shock and pain as four quills pierced his gut. Alex launched another barrage of quills at Maurice that slammed into the wall behind him as he ducked behind a petrified Tom. A hallow cry of rage went up from the collected party goers as they surged towards us.
The sword slammed point first into the wall behind Colin and I skipped over his prone form and pulled the blade out. He kipped up and my blade narrowly missed him as he faded back. He rushed forward as Erukzakir’s Judgment sailed past and grunted in pain as my kick connected with his chest.
The blow lifted him up into the air and sent him over the altar, crashing to the ground. He popped back up, the spider legs whirling him back on to his feet and launched a yellow-black bolt of energy at me. It sailed pasted my face, searing the flesh on my cheek as it burned a hole in the wall behind me. . He grinned revealing inner mandibles and a mouth full of viscuous green fluid.
“I can’t wait! Eat you!” Colin screamed.
Quills flew across the room and screams of pain melded with the battle cries, as I feitned at Colin. Alex must holding her own but I have to finish this clown off now.
“Going. Enjoy. Kill you.” Colin screamed, the green spittle flew everywhere. The carpet and drywall sizzled wherever it landed.
“Nah, I have a liver transplant I need to get to. I’m donating.” I taunted. I feigned like I was going to charge him and he lashed out with two of his spider-like appengages in front of him. I brought Erukzakir’s Judgment out in a wide arc in front of me and severed the lower part of a leg. Black blood sprayed from the wound, and he recoiled in pain.
“Kaedin he is getting away!” Alex screamed over the din of battle.
“Working on it!” I shouted back.
Colin snarled in frustration at me and clicked his inner mandibles, in a off-beat rhythm He thrust his hands out and ten long barbs materialized, flying through the air at me. I dropped into a crouch and deflected two of the spiny darts with my sword. Three of them struck my left arm, biting deep into my flesh and a warm, tacky sensation filled my veins. The barbs itched, and the liquid flowing into my body had to be a toxin, but I didn’t feel a thing.
Colin laughed in triumph, clicking his mandibles as he took a step forward. “Now, you die like the little pest you are.” Two claws arced out low from his back, racing toward my head.
I skipped forward out of my crouch, cleaving through both clawed limbs and punched Colin in the throat as he cried out in pain. He gasped, eyes wide as he clutched his throat and his remaining clawed limb raked my left side, snapping the barbs off and leaving four ragged gashes in my flesh. With a soft ‘pop’ he vanished as I thrust my blade toward his chest and struck nothing.
“What the hell?”
Things whistled through the air behind me and a half dozen bolts pierced my back before I could spin around. The scent of charred flesh was overwhelming, and I realized it was coming from me. I spun around, blade at the ready, and Colin was fifteen feet away, weaving a complex pattern with his hands.
I hurled Erukzakir’s Judgment at Colin. It wasn’t meant for being tossed through the air and tumbled awkwardly as Colin teleported away again. A faint rush of air pressed against my back and I mule kicked, striking Colin in the gut, and driving the air from him.
“Yeah, that trick only works once.” I said and rained down blows on his face. His eyes were unfocused, and he brought his arms up in a feeble attempt to block me. I called Erukzakir’s Judgment to my hand and plunged the blade through his heart.
I spun ready to face the throng of cultists. They were all sound asleep, curled up in small groups. The momentary relief I didn’t need to cut down any of the brainwashed masses fled as quickly as it came.
Alex, Tom, and Maurice were nowhere to be seen in the room.
“Where the fuck did they go?”
Warmth filled me as heat flood from my amulet, and part of the wall slid away, revealing a dark corridor beyond. A whisp of smoke rose from my flesh as it turned searing hot for another moment and the cooled so fast it sent a chill through me.
“That works,” I muttered to myself and charged down the hallway towards the faint outline of a door. Dim light filled the edges where the door hadn’t shut completely. I brushed away cobwebs, halting when I felt something thicker and more substantial stuck to the wall. It was tacky and warm to the touch, and as I pressed against it lightly, I made out the outline of someone’s nose underneath. A woman screamed in pain on the other side of the door, and I bolted to the door, leaped into the air, and kicked it.
My foot connected with a thud, and I bounced off it, clumsily landing on my feet. I reached up and tugged on the amulet, pouring my will into it to do something.
The door didn’t move.
“Damnit, why aren’t you doing anything now?”
Maurice laughed, and Tom said something unintelligible from the other side. Rage flowed through me, and I drove my heel into the door, splintering the wood from the hardware securing it to the wall. The door creaked before it fell free and landing softly in webs that covered every inch of the floor and walls.
Maurice stood in the center of the room, a bemused expression on his face. “You survived the wards but couldn’t figure out that door slides?” He laughed as I stepped into the room. Light glinted of metal to my left.
“Nope,” I whispered, and lightning lashed out from my ring. It struck Tom in the chest and sent him flying back into the webs. Smoke rose from his eyes and mouth, and the webs held his lifeless body fast as he twitched, clenching a knife in his hand. Magic wouldn’t work against the Aezzai and while a tremor of remorse ran through me at Tom’s death, the relief I felt at not allowing Maurice to grow even larger was greater.
Something told me that my lightning would have been a bite-sized appetizer for him anyway.
Maurice’s head split down the middle. Two claws pried it apart further, pushing against the man’s shoulders as the Aezzai extracted itself from its skinsuit. Impossibily, he pulled his seven-foot wide form away from his human disguise and it crumpled to the floor like a ballon emptying. He legs almost reached me as he stretched out and latched onto the webs around him. Each one was almost as long as his body, and he drew closer to me with a sudden flex against the webs. His fangs glistened as he grinned. Each of his twelve eyes seemed to devour me in their red depths and his tongue ran over his lips.
Maurice let out a rumbling laugh and pointed with a claw at Erukzakir’s Judgment. “You think your magic stick is going to do anything to me? Or did you forget again that my kind devours magic?” He loomed closer and spread his lips wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth behind his fangs.
“Actually, now that you mention it, you’re right. It’s pretty silly to provide you with two meals. You might get a tummy ache.”
I released Erukzakir’s Judgment and dismissed it back to wherever place the sword goes to.
“Oh, I’m not going to eat you. I’m going to enjoy wearing you Kaedin. There’s a certain, honor in that you know? You’ll be a part of the grand design, at least for a little while.” He twisted his head to the side and shifted to peer back at the remnants of his previous host.
I released the knot holding the rope around my waist with one hand and let the rope slide through my fingers. The weight of the cast iron skillet tied to its end was just a bit heavier than the weapons I had practiced with, but it would have to do.<
br />
His lips curled at the corners as he glanced down at my improvised weapon. “Curious, did you plan to let me cook you too? That doesn’t seem like a very good strategy. Then again, you got this far just to end up like everyone else.”
He gestured at the half-dozen cocooned bodies in the room. One twitched on the far-side, it’s occupant struggling against the webbing. At least know I know what happened to Alex.
I smiled, “Oh this thing? This is for kicking your ass, Maurice. Say hello to my dragon’s fist.” The skillet flew through from my hands and struck a leg, cracking his carapace. It rebounded back and I swung it around my head, whipping it back at Maurice.
He hopped to the side, and narrowly evaded my strike. His mouth was slack as the skillet slammed into his back. His shell cracked from the impact and the skillet lodged itself in the wound. Maurice roared as he reared back in pain, drawing the rope taught. I stepped forward, spinning, and anchored it against my elbow before yanking backwards on the weapon. The weight pulled free of the Aezzai and I danced back, spinning it above my head as he swiped at me with a claw.
He flexed his abdomen and webbing sprayed out from his spinnerets, latching against my legs. The skillet raced through the air toward Maurice’s face and cracked against his leg as he twisted away. The steam of webs shifted with him and splattered next to me.
From the knee down, my legs were covered in the gray ropy substance, and I couldn’t pull free. I struck out repeatedly, my improvised dragon’s fist bashed into his legs and body as he twisted and blocked. The room was large, but he was too massive to avoid my strikes entirely. Each blow cracked his exoskeleton, and yellow goo seeped from the wounds. Despair crept in as I realized I was hitting him with everything I had and none of his injuries appeared severe.
Maurice turned, offering his side as my dragon’s fist whipped out again. He didn’t attempt to dodge or block it as the skillet slammed into his side. He pounced and drove a claw through my shoulder. The rope slipped from my hands as he pressed against me.
