The Malevolent Witch: The Book of Khayin Volume 1

by Matt Gross

  A burst of pain exploded onto Khayin's face. His eyes shot open. Before the tears blurred his vision he saw that he was eye to eye with a man who had a perfectly trimmed beard. He was much cleaner than the others. The man in the shadows.

  Khayin tried to kick out, but his legs were tied. He tried to scream, but only produced a muffled whimper. He rocked his chair in hopes to fall over, thus breaking the chair and freeing him. Another man got behind him and grabbed Khayin in his big burly arms. His grip was hard, stopping Khayin's struggle and steadying the chair.

  “You will watch.” Trim Beard's voice was low and he spoke with a cadence. “You will watch or your daughter is next.”

  The look in his eyes told Khayin that he wasn't lying. Khayin's chair was positioned perfectly for the brutal show. He watched as his wife was repeatedly raped. Each man took his turn. No perversion was neglected; they were like animals in the wild showing their dominance. Rebekah didn't cry out, she just laid there limp and devoid of emotion. Khayin wasn't sure if she was dead or simply unconscious. Khayin was horrified and he felt sick. His stomach twisted.

  The rape seemed to last for hours and Adelaide's howling felt like daggers in his ears. Scar crawled onto the bed and pulled Rebekah's listless form up toward the head. Khayin could see her chest rise and fall, but she didn't move otherwise. Scar held her and put a stone knife to her throat. Khayin heard an interruption in his daughter's wailing.

  He saw Adelaide get partially dragged and partially carried to the bed by her arm. Bruises started to form under the man's grip. Her eyes burned with rage. She threw punches, kicks and even tried to bite her captor. Adelaide was thrown onto the bed at her mother's feet. She was then held down by a couple of the bandits.

  “Papa, please!” she cried. Tears ran down her face, eyes pleading.

  Khayin was wide-eyed and he shook his head wildly. He tried to scream, but nothing got past that damn rag in his mouth. They said they would leave her alone if I watched. Trim Beard approached Khayin.

  “Now it’s my turn.” He looked at Khayin's wife, then back to Khayin. “Your woman is a bit too old for my taste.” Khayin tried to protest, again yelling through the rag. “Oh, you will watch this too or your wife will die.” The man grinned.

  “Watch,” said a gruff gravelly voice that came from the man holding him. “She may enjoy it.” He heard him laugh.

  Trim Beard tore Adelaide's clothes leaving her totally exposed. He dropped his breeches. There was screaming, a screaming Khayin had never heard before. It was unnerving, and terrifying, and then everything suddenly went quiet. Khayin could still hear her cries tearing at his mind. Adelaide laid still, like a corpse. Her eyes were closed and there was blood, too much blood.

  Trim Beard pulled up his pants and faced Khayin. “My name is Molek. I want you to remember me. I own these lands now and I own you. Nothing you possess is yours, it all belongs to me.”

  Khayin stared at the man. He memorized that face, as he did every man in the room. His blood ran hot. Rage filled him. He hated this Molek. I'm going to kill you and everything you love.

  “I see that anger, that...hate. Good. Remember what happened here today. Never cross me.” He spat in Khayin's face and left.

  Khayin rocked his chair till it fell. His head hit a nearby table and knocked a lit candle off. The tiny flame landed onto a pile of furs which quickly went ablaze. The impact broke the chair, but his bonds were still very tight. It took several minutes before he freed his hands. It would have taken several more if it weren't for all the blood.

  The home filled with smoke and it was hard to see. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His heart beat rapidly and his breaths were shallow. Khayin grabbed Adelaide first and ran out. He laid her on a cart and darted back into the burning house. The bed was aflame. Rebekah was screaming, and half her body was burning. It was hard to breathe. Khayin beat the flames with a towel he found on the table and carried his wife out. He placed her on the cart next to his daughter.

  Adelaide was dead. Khayin didn't have the heart to examine her. There was a lot of blood and bruising. Her tiny frame couldn't take the abuse. He touched her face and brushed a golden lock to the side. Khayin could feel the ache of his ravaged heart.

  Rebekah would sustain permanent injuries from both the attack and the fire. Her entire left side would be scarred from the fire and she would forever be with a limp.

  The scene faded and was black for several minutes. There was blinking and fluttering of light. In the distance Khayin could see a body hanged from the neck. He walked closer. The image before him looked as if he were looking through a window. He saw Rebekah as she hung from the rafters of their home, then everything faded to nothingness.

  ****

  Khayin awoke.

  Chapter 21 The Coin

  There was a gasp, a large intake of air, a convulsion, then Khayin sat up. Something fell and bounced off his leg and into the dirt. He looked down and saw his phone. Codex. I need to call Codex. Khayin picked up the phone. “Huh, how'd this get here?” He hit the send button and Codex picked up immediately.

  “So, you died,” she said in a little sing-song.

  “Yeah. Wait, how'd you know?”

  “Kira found you.” She went straight to the point. Khayin liked that.

  “Shit! What happened? Did she call you?”

  “No, I called to update you, Snuggly Bear, but you were dead, so Kira answered. As to what happened, I'm not entirely sure. You'll have to ask Kira, but she seems to think she killed you, so go easy on her. She likes you and I don't want you to muck things up like you usually do. You two can make a good team. I know, I know, you work alone.” She said the last part in her best Khayin imitation. “But that is bullshit and you know it. She was really shaken up about it, which shows she cares. And that is not a bad thing. Having someone watching your back would be good for you. Maybe then you'd die less often and you'd not rely on me so much. I can't be your mom. I don't think Kira would want to be your mom either, but you know what I mean.” She finally took a breath. “You know what I mean, right?”

  “Yes, I know what you mean.” Khayin sighed. “Codex...” he hesitated.

  “What is it, Snuggly Bear?” The inflection in her voice changed to a more sympathetic tone.

  “I don't know how this is possible. I don't usually see anything while I'm regenerating. It's like waking from sleep and not remembering your dreams, but...” He was trying to gather his thoughts, trying to focus on an image that wasn't there before he died.

  “What is it? You remember something?”

  “Yeah, I've got a flitting image of a man. I think I recognize him, like I knew him.” He strained to keep the image in his mind’s eye.

  “You think you knew him? From when?”

  “I don't know, but I think I remember where I saw that face recently. I'll have to get back to you later on this.” Khayin toyed with the bloody hole in his shirt while his mind shifted back to the problems at hand. “So, Chicago?”

  “Yeah, right.” Codex began. “The Nueden Corporation runs the city. And they have their own specialized security force, which is run by Chief Lawrence Rantz. And directly under him is a guy named Joshua Dorne. Dorne is the guy who sent that Battlemage after you. Seems he is the man in charge of all field operations. He is a sick individual. He tortures and kills whomever to get what he wants, a real nice guy. What they want with our Kira, I have no idea,” she said in a casual pace.

  “Maybe Kira found something. I should go check on her,” Khayin said.

  “No, stay put. Let her find you. She's had a rough day, and it would be better if she came to you. The last thing she needs is zombie Khayin sneaking up behind her.”

  “I should've never taken you to that movie.”

  “Night of the Living Dead was a great movie.” He could hear her smile. “Anyway, get back here as soon as you can; something is going down. And I think it has to do with our friend Kira.”

  “I need to get back to Panama b
efore that. Is there any way you can get me there fast?” he asked.

  “Dial 507 on the phone and send, but, Snuggly Bear, I'm not sure if there will be enough energy in that phone to get you here if you go there first. You know that only the mage that created it can charge it?” He could hear the concern in her voice.

  “Yep, don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure out something.”

  “OK, I'll trust you, but don't dilly. Things are getting a little tense here.” The line went dead.

  Khayin closed the phone and looked up to see Kira. She looked...different. Her tattoos seemed to move. No, they did move. They not only crawled over her skin, but they changed shape as well, from tribal to symbols to numbers and some language Khayin didn't seem to recognize. As he studied her face more closely he could swear the tattoos reflected her mood as well. The blue of her eyes were brighter and took on a more aqua color. Those eyes bore holes into Khayin.

  They both stood silent and motionless. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to make the situation any weirder. Kira approached him. He didn't move. He began to sweat and felt a flash of warmth in his face. She poked him in the bicep. He just looked in her eyes. There were tears, small ones, but definitely tears. She poked harder, and then the poke turned into a hit in the arm. He still didn't flinch. There were a few more tears. She cocked her arm back to swing again, but she turned it into a hug. Her arms wrapped around him fully, and while he tried to return the hug, his arms were pinned.

  “I'm so sorry.” Her tears flowed. Her face was buried in his chest.

  Khayin reciprocated the hug, forcing her arms to rise to almost around his neck. “It's fine, really.” He smiled and held her.

  She stepped away and turned her back to wipe her tears. “Everything I know and love is dead, then to see you...”

  “It's OK,” Khayin tried to assure her.

  “The thought of...” she began.

  “Really, Kira. I'm fine. When we get some time we should talk. I think I should probably explain some things.” He smiled as she turned to face him again. “You know, since we are going to be working together a little while longer.”

  “So, we need to go back to Panama?” she asked, completely changing the subject.

  Khayin just stared at her. Kira had successfully burrowed her way into his head and heart and he wasn't too sure how he felt about it.

  “Are you OK? You're staring.” Her left eyebrow was raised.

  Khayin shook his head. “Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.” And that flash of warmth returned to his face.

  “Panama?”

  “Right, Panama. We have that bounty, remember?”

  “Right, the one Mrs. Barragan gave us.” She paused in thought. “Her daughter.”

  “Correct, I also have this image floating around in my head ever since I woke.” His thoughts ran wild. He was trying to focus.

  “An image?”

  “A man's face. He is important somehow, someone I haven't seen in a very long time until the other day.” It was hard to keep the face at the forefront of his mind.

  “You saw him?”

  “Kinda, I think it was the face on the coin from Atlantis. I've got to take another look at that coin.” He walked toward Kira and placed his hands on her shoulders. “We good?”

  She looked into his eyes. “You're my only friend, Khayin. Of course we are.”

  “Good. Let's go visit Tippy. I've got a few favors to ask of him. Then we'll check in with Codex. I've got a feeling we're going to be kicking some Chi-Town ass.” He winked at her. She smiled.

  Khayin pulled the phone from his pocket and flipped it open. He grabbed Kira's hand and dialed 507. He looked at Kira and hit send. The teleport dumped them in the heart of the city. Khayin vomited. His body was weakened from the resurrection and the queasiness he normally got from a port made for a bad combination.

  “Give me a second,” he coughed.

  “Take your time, gorjcha.” He could hear the smirk.

  After he coughed up the last of the bile, he must have looked the spectacle. He still wore the bloody clothes he had died in. He straightened up and walked down the street, ignoring the onlookers. He led them to Hotel Panama first. They went to their room and packed their things.

  “Just take what you think you'll need. We'll have to leave the horses behind again.” Khayin rummaged through one of the saddlebags. He had to change his clothes.

  “How many horses do you go through?” Kira asked.

  Khayin chuckled. “Too many, but this is a special circumstance. I usually don't go through this many so close together.”

  Kira flung her bags over her shoulder. “Ready.”

  “OK, I'll pack what we won't need in this other bag and we'll take it with us. I think I'll just leave it with the hotel clerk.” He finished packing the last bag and they left.

  Khayin walked to the front desk and slapped the room key on the counter, giving the clerk a little startle. The clerk quickly regained his composure and he smiled.

  “We're checking out,” Khayin said.

  “Of course, sir.” He took the room key and looked up the room in the registry. “And how was your visit? I hope everything was to your satisfaction?”

  “Yes, everything was fine.” Khayin looked at Kira, then back to the clerk. “Do you have some paper and a permanent marker?”

  “One moment, sir.” The clerk disappeared into another room and brought out a couple sheets of paper and a handful of markers and handed them to Khayin. “Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

  “Nope, and thanks. You can keep the rest of the payment for the room, and you can have this.” Khayin lifted the saddlebags of extras and laid it on the counter. “Extra clothes and stuff we don't need. Give it to the homeless, sell it, toss it, I don't care.” He examined the paper and smiled. Excellent. This'll do nicely.

  “Uh, thank you, sir?” The clerk sounded a little unsure, but he picked up the bag and placed it behind the counter.

  “Don't mention it. Are we good?”

  “Ah yes, sir,” the clerk responded and nodded.

  “Good,” Khayin said as he turned away.

  Khayin walked to a table in the foyer and started to write and draw on the paper. Kira hovered over his shoulder watching. When he was done he examined his work and smiled. He tucked the page away in his inside vest pocket and they left the hotel, walking down the street toward the shipping port. The street was alive with vendors and gypsy performers, but Khayin didn't stop to browse or gawk.

  “Where is the bounty? What's her name? Rosa?” Kira asked.

  “Yeah, I believe I spotted her with Tippy.”

  “Really?”

  “There was a human woman in his office, or throne room, or whatever he calls it. The only human aside from us anyway. Kinda looked like the picture too. Not sure why she's with Tippy.” Khayin explained.

  “How are you going to sneak a peek at that coin, get him to teleport us and get Rosa?” she asked.

  “I've got a card up my sleeve.” He winked at her.

  “A what?” She looked at him, head cocked to the side.

  “It's a card player term.”

  “Card player. Is that some kind of game?”

  “Yes, like poker.” He smiled, pleased that she understood.

  “Oh, you mean the game where you won me?”

  “Yes. Er...no. I mean yes, but it wasn't like that.” Khayin was flustered.

  “Relax, gorjcha. I know.” She smiled and Khayin recognized that she had just made a joke. He smiled too.

  They approached the guard post at the shipping yards. The same ogre guard stood watch. He tensed when he saw Khayin and Kira, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Khayin grinned at the large oaf's nervous display.

  Khayin looked at Kira and whispered, “Seems I made an impression last time.” She smiled.

  The ogre opened the gate and waved them in. Khayin flashed him his pearly whites and passed through. They walked through the yard to th
e warehouse and entered the building, making their way to the back corner of the large room. Tippy was sitting at a large table full of food-- roast pig, fruits, vegetables, breads, wine and mead.

  “Khayin!” Tippy exclaimed.

  “We're here on business, Tippy, and we're a little crunched for time.”

  Tippy looked shocked. “How did you's get here so fast, Khayin? I's just sent you's to that island a few hours ago, you's couldn't have gotten here so...”

  “You know one of these days I'm going to ask how you knew about my friend Kira here, but right now I need to see that coin I gave you earlier today,” Khayin said straight to the point.

  “Wha...why would you's want to see that?” Tippy asked.

  “I'm also looking for a girl named Rosa. I believe I saw her here this morning.” Khayin didn't waver in his speech. He knew if he spoke quickly and with authority Tippy was more apt to listen. “And when I find said girl I need you to port us to Tuxtla Gutierrez. There is a circle there, so it should be an easy port.”

  “And why would I's do all this?” Tippy got some of his composure back.

  “Because then I won't turn you in for the bounty that's on your head,” Khayin said with a smug smile.

  Chapter 22 The Bounty

  “What bounty? I's smell bullshit. I's would know if there was a bounty on my's head.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  Khayin pulled a rolled-up piece of paper out of a side pocket of his saddle bags, throwing it at Tippy. It landed on the table in front of him, missing the plate of food. Tippy picked it up and unrolled it.

  “Wanted: Tippy 20,000 chips.”

  This better work.

  “This is fake. I's would have heard,” he protested.

  “Really? It was a private contract. The client asked for me personally. If you don't believe me you can check with Codex?” Khayin pulled out his phone. “I'll even call her for you.”