Follow the Screams (The Executioner Trilogy Book 2)

by Kindra Sowder

  I crept onto my tip toes and quickly kissed Gordon on the lips and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

  He smiled down at me and as I gathered the rest of my clothes and dressed as quickly as I dared on shaky legs, I knew with all of my heart that we were that much closer to home.

  Chapter 15: Move Along

  We had started our trek across what felt like an endless wilderness with a few fires here and there to break up the darkness. The small breaks in the darkness didn’t help my eyes adjust to the dark in between the light though. I was walking sluggishly. When you’ve been walking for what felt like hours you had a tendency to slow down. Not so much because you’re tired, but because you begin to lose hope. Well, I was beginning to lose hope, but I knew that we could’ve been walking for minutes instead of hours and it would’ve felt just as long because of where I was. The darkness makes things seem to take longer than they really do.

  I was beginning to wonder if my time of perception here was correct or if it was Hell's way of messing with my head. I wasn't sure, but a huge part of me wanted to know. A very huge part. I just wasn't sure how to ask without offending Escara. Who knew how short her fuse really was. I wouldn't want her to think I didn't trust her when I obviously did. Was this place really this expansive? I thought very possibly yes. I was tired, my feet ached, and I was irritable. Of course, when you can't sleep uninterrupted you had a tendency to be that way. Between the nightmares and creatures trying endlessly to kill me I had barely slept a wink. The life of the Executioner. Isn't it grand? Not as far as I was concerned. I was always covered in blood, usually someone else's, dirty, exhausted, achy, and Miss Bitch. I was ready to rip someone's head off after a huge hunt. I was either just that amped up or that irritated that no matter how many I killed, they always seemed to come back tenfold. Hell wasn’t an exception.

  If anything it was worse here than on the surface, but at least it gave me plenty to do. At this point in our trip though I was either ready to lie down and sleep or ready for a fight. I would take either one. Anything else but this relentless walking that seemed to be leading nowhere. I felt like I was walking in place because everything looked the same. Every fire we passed looked no different except for maybe in size, ranging from small to very, very large. The tree line of the black forest beyond still looked like it was the same exact distance away as it was when we started. The only difference was that I was much more tired now than I was when we first started. Of course I had been full of adrenaline and completely amped from the nice session between Gordon and me. I still felt like blushing like a school girl.

  He was walking in front of me. Well, more like gliding. Normally they’d be more like the Incredible Hulk in how they moved and walked, stomping around to try to make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. Not him, though. He was so confident in who he was and how he looked that he didn’t have to. That must’ve been the confidence you get when you’re a demon. At least I think that’s where that confidence comes from. I wasn’t so confident. I felt like the ugly one between the two of us even though he would beg to differ. He moved like a predator, all grace and instinct, and it was beautiful to watch.

  I hadn’t realized it but my jaw had gone slack just watching him walk in front of me, and I snapped it shut hard enough that I could hear my teeth grind together. He was a major distraction, but a very welcome one at that. I could watch him all day if my lifestyle would allow. Maybe one day it would.

  I think he felt my gaze on him because he turned and glanced at me over his shoulder. He winked at me and smiled, causing the blood to quickly flow to my cheeks. How in the world did he do that? It didn’t matter how many times he did this, I was sure I would always react this way. I was glad it was dark to hide the blush because I knew my face was beet red.

  He turned back around and slowed down to take his stride beside me. Escara didn’t care how far behind her we were. She seemed to be at least twenty feet ahead, if not a little bit farther. She was looking from side to side like she was scanning the darkness for anything that could cause us any harm, especially me. I was the key to her final goodbye and she needed me. I wasn’t going to let her down. If anything I was more worried that I would disappoint Gordon. I wasn’t sure how, but a part of me was scared of that.

  Gordon took my hand gently in his, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the moment. We were walking past a large and roaring fire. The flames were reaching high into the sky and my eyes were drawn to the dancing orange, yellow, and blue. An unhindered sigh escaped from between my lips as the warmth crept into my face and the chill from the darkness was beginning to slip away. I stopped in front of the looming tower of light and reached out towards the welcome heat on pure instinct. The flames began to reach out towards me, like they had a mind and thoughts of their own. It was like they were seeking me out and they wanted to reach out and touch me.

  The flames reached out and caressed my fingers, welcoming me. There was no pain as the fire caressed my palm as I turned my hand up, palm facing the dark sky. They curved along the center of my pam and curved around my fingers like they found a part they were missing. I was drawing it to me, and it was like the flames were a living being. I stood there in pure and utter amazement, and even heard Gordon gasp in bewilderment as he processed the event. This was when I figured out that not only could I produce my own flames, but I could draw them to me and draw on their heat and power, and they would listen.

  I could hear Gordon call Escara, and there was a flutter of wings and a slight cool breeze as she landed beside me. She was just as amazed as Gordon and I were, and it showed in the sound of excitement that poured from her throat. I was half expecting her to start jumping up and down and clapping like an adolescent girl who was seeing fire for the first time. Me, I was a seasoned pyromaniac.

  The flames grew stronger and seemed like they were flowing into me, causing the veins running up through my hand and forearm to become radiant like the sun. My body was absorbing the heat that the blaze provided and I could feel it, smooth and fluid, flowing like a river to my heart. The light began to swirl in the epicenter of my chest and the warmth continued to grow as more and more light pooled there. Escara put her hand on my shoulder and said what everyone must have been thinking.

  “Executioner, this is the source of your power. Damnation and hellfire. And you must use it.” Her voice was low and deep, like she wanted only me to hear these words. It was our little secret and would probably remain that way. I was in awe at what was taking place as it had never happened before. Maybe she was right. Hellfire was the source of my power, and I could only draw hellfire into me like so and draw from it. If only I had known about this before. I would’ve been sitting around bonfires sucking up as much as I could before getting back up to the surface so I’d be packed with plenty of juice to take Lilith down like I was destined.

  Who knew what else I could draw my power from down here? I really wanted to know and it seemed Escara had all the answers I was looking for. I was going to have to have a sit down with her, and very soon. I sighed loudly and dropped my hand away from the flames. They fell away and rejoined their partners in their slow and sensual dance. They looked like lovers intertwined and writhing with one another. I could stand there and watch it forever. That was if I didn’t have to make the arduous journey to get back to the surface and fulfill my destiny.

  I pulled my eyes from the dancing flames and looked to Gordon, who was still entranced by them. He saw in them what I saw, and he couldn’t look away. I could see their reflection in his eyes and they seemed even more alive than before. Maybe he drew something from this too. Was it peace? It looked like it. The look on his face said it all as he turned to me.

  His lips were slightly parted and eyes hooded as he looked down at me. We were both made of the same stuff, and that just happened to be Hell. Its fire and destruction made up the both of us, flowing through our veins and breathing into every cell. No wonder we were so compatible. I knew, in that
very moment, the flames would overtake us both and burn everything down around us.

  Chapter 15: Need

  We were sitting next to the fire while Escara scouted ahead, way ahead at that. It was like she knew we’d need the privacy and our blatant humanity sickened her in some way. Was it because she would never know what it was like and wanted to? Or was it because it genuinely bothered her because of the evil she was? I guess I would never know. So many unanswered questions down here, and I was beginning to get tired of not having answers to any of the questions. If anything I was finding the answers all on my own.

  Now I knew the root of my power and knew that it didn’t make any sense. You had to have the power of Hell to back you up so you could take the devil’s own creations down? Was that how it worked? I was getting an answer only to have more questions sprout from it. It was like the hydra. You cut off one head and more sprout back.

  I was watching the flames dance and I was tempted to reach back out to them. It was like I was calling out to them, and I knew they would answer. I had my legs pulled up against my chest, my arms crossed over them, and my head resting just so. Gordon was sitting next to me with his hand resting on my lower back, like he was guarding me from some unseen danger. I reached out with my consciousness and couldn’t sense anything waiting in the wings so what was he so worried about?

  There was no telling. The only thing I could sense from him was an overwhelming feeling of love and emotions associated with that. That was all there was. Nothing else. Unless he was just good at hiding his other emotions from me, like his fear or sadness. He knew something I didn’t. That much I discerned. I lifted my head and turned slightly to see if I could see Escara in the distance, but there was nothing but the darkness that had swallowed her whole. Just looking into the darkness and concentrating on just it I could feel the things moving within its depths. They had gnashing teeth and snapping jaws. They were made up of blood, bone, and gore. Nothing but evil instinct flowed from them and I could see flashes of these creatures in my mind like a slideshow. Each image was more disturbing than the last and I had to look away from the dark and concentrate on the light in front of me.

  The fire was a welcoming sight, but the man sitting next to me was an even more welcome one. The lines of his body were perfectly outlined by the light, leaving no shadows that could hide anything. I then realized I didn’t know much about him. He was evil before, but what changed that? What made him turn away from everything he knew before to turn into the man I now saw? He was incredible and everything a woman could ever ask for, but he had a story and I wanted to know what it was. Maybe I shouldn’t have given away the farm before now to get the answers I needed.

  “Gordon,” I said, trying to get his attention. He quickly turned to me, and the fire reflecting in his dark eyes in that moment almost took my breath away. He sat there looking at me and I had completely forgotten why I had said his name to begin with. I sat there and looked at him in awe, and I came back to reality when he said my name. My mind had turned into complete mush and I could barely form a coherent though.

  “Robin, you okay?” The concern was back in his eyes, and I hated to see him worry. He needed to know there was nothing to worry about. That I was just curious.

  I shook my head to rid the cobwebs and said, “Yes, I’m fine.” I looked down at the ground and traced little circles in the ash, and when I looked back up at him his eyes were still focused on me like I was the only thing in existence. “I was going to ask you about your life before now. That’s if you’re willing to share it.” I felt stupid asking, but I felt he knew more about me than I did him. That just not how things are done.

  He sighed and turned back to the fire, his jaw clenching and unclenching over and over. He didn’t want to talk about it, but I needed to know something about him besides the gut wrenching pain I felt when he died and the love and adulation flowing through my veins. I needed more.

  “Gordon,” I reached out and touched his arm and pleaded. “Please.” I wasn’t sure what I saw cross over his face in that moment. Maybe fear that I would hate who he used to be and change my mind about him altogether. There wasn’t a chance in Hell that would happen, even though we were actually in Hell. I needed to know so much more about him. I had already given everything I had.

  The pained look in his eyes when he turned back to me was enough to know that I was about to hear about the purest evil I would ever know beside Lilith. I was about to get the whole truth, and I was really hoping I could handle it. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

  “I wasn’t a good person for a very long time, even before I began life as a demon. Do you know the story of Vlad Tepes?”

  I nodded in response. Who didn’t know it? He was the basis for the Dracula story, and everyone knew it.

  “Well, I began life as his brother Radu cel Frumos. I betrayed my brother and was condemned for an eternity in the river, but I made it out and survived the forest. I was offered the rank of a demon and I took it. It was either that, or never get to walk on the surface again and get thrown back into the river. I didn’t want back in that river. I have been a demon for over five hundred years and I was one of the most evil you had ever seen. That was until one night in particular.” He took another deep breath. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear more.

  This was already more than I bargained for. The man who we had called Dracula for centuries was his brother, both monsters in their own right.

  “I did horrible things, and then a woman came to me in a dream. A vision, more like. She told me it was my destiny to fall in love with the Executioner, and I would know when that time would come. But I had to change my life. I tried to resist the change altogether, but I couldn’t. I did a complete one-eighty, and I will never look back.” He took my hand in his and squeezed, and I clutched his in return.

  This was what I needed. I didn’t need all of the gory details, I just needed the key points and I got them. Now I knew what caused the change of heart, and it wasn’t a bad reason at all. And now I had him, and he would never leave just like he was destined. It was somewhat comforting to know we were meant to be in this moment in this place, just where we were. It wasn’t the best place to be, but that’s why I felt it was only somewhat comforting. I still had one question. I knew what happened before, but what happened in the in between?

  “So, what did you do after that?” I know I was prying, but he had to have a more fascinating history then I did. He was much older in a sense and I had really only been killing the evil and undead for a year and a half or so. He had to have many more stories to tell.

  He began to tell me about how he had travelled the world and done pretty much anything you could possibly do. He had no limitations on what he could do, and he took full advantage of it. He had even helped out a few Executioners while he was at it. He wouldn’t admit it, but I felt he helped them in hopes that one of them would possibly be the Executioner he was destined to love. Who knew that would be me? Well, besides fate.

  He was excited as he talked about everything he had done. He got to hike through so many amazing places, and I couldn’t help but be jealous. Maybe one day he could take me so I could at least experience some of it. I knew my life expectancy wasn’t great, but maybe after all of this was over we would have some time for just us. No more fighting, no more blood and no more war. I was so ready to not have to fight for my life anymore. Even after only a year and a half you get tired when death is all you do. I couldn’t wait to be able to take a deep breath and breathe clean air that wasn’t filled with the stench of loss and blood.

  His excitement was contagious and I found myself smiling and laughing along with him. This was the most relaxed we had been in quite some time and I was ecstatic that we could have these rare moments. We were always running and killing and screaming, but never laughing. I would cherish this moment forever, and I hoped there were more like this to come. Gordon than let his laugh drift away and sighed, looking into the fire as it contin
ued its animal dance. I was intoxicated by him, and he knew it. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him.

  I looked back to the fire and we both sat and watched it silently for minutes that felt like hours. He was still holding my hand, his thumb rubbing across mine in that loving way men tend to do. He may have been a demon, but he acted like a typical man in love. There was no doubt about it. I could see out of the corner of my eye that his eyes were gleaming and the smile hadn’t left his face.

  I sighed and leant against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I craved more of these moments. I was only hoping we would be able to have more of them once Lilith was a distant memory. Maybe then a life together would be something we could look forward to. I think I was getting away with myself, but I decided children weren’t even out of the question at this point. That was if we made it out of here alive, and I would do all I could to make sure that happened.

  Nothing would stand in my way, and as we sat there in the warmth and light there wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. Fate had it set in stone that we were destined for each other, and I would see to it that fate had its way.

  Chapter 17: From the Fire

  Escara had still not made it back from scouting ahead and we were beginning to worry. Without her we were lost and I was practically pacing back and forth biting my fingernails. All I could taste was ash and a hint of iron. When I finally got back up to the surface I was taking a very long and very hot shower, with lots and lots of soap.

  At the present, I just couldn’t stop moving. She had been gone for longer than she had estimated, and she was our ticket home. If we lost her we’d have to try to find the pit ourselves, and that would take even longer with even more detours. I was too impatient and in too much of a hurry. I guess that could’ve had a lot to do with the millions of years old vampire demon bitch who was up on the surface wrecking who knew what kind of havoc. Beth was up there having to deal with it all by herself, and I felt awful about it. Of course, I couldn’t help that Lilith had killed me and cooked up something to put me here. The more I thought about it, the more agitated I got. I needed to calm down somehow before I got so upset that the beast would come out full force.