by E. J. Krause
Andi giggled. "They're just concerned about you."
"I know, but yuck." He took her hand. "I guess they have cause to be. You know, if …"
"If circumstances were different," she finished. That sobered them both.
"Let me go get my sword and shield, and we can go."
She followed him up the stairs to his room. "I wonder if we can put ourselves right into the cell? Maybe we can grab them and be out in less than a minute."
"That would be cool. Do you think all we need to do is think about the cell while we cast the spell?"
"I don't know, but let's try it."
As soon as Ben grabbed his weapons from the closet, a loud bang rang out from everywhere. The window in his room shattered, along with, from the sound of it, every other window in the house. Various creatures, from zombies to vampires to ghosts and more, pushed in. Ben could hardly move at the sudden onslaught of pins and needles down his back. Andi pulled him out of the room and down the stairs, but by the time they hit the bottom, the undead flooded the house.
Ben swung his sword at those nearest, but no matter how hard they fought, even if Andi transformed into her true form, they'd be overwhelmed in no time. "The spell," he shouted, and she said the strange words. Like last time, Ben concentrated on the necromancer's realm, and in the blink of an eye, he was there. Andi wasn't. She was still back at the bottom of the stairs, unhurt but scared. He imagined just as she'd finished with the important words, the monsters had grabbed her, ruining her concentration.
He was in the same spot they'd arrived at last time. He hadn't had a chance to think about the cell. The mass of zombies was now gone, though the pock-marked dirt all around the area showed signs they'd been here. The throne on the rock was again empty, which was no surprise. No doubt the necromancer was in with Andi's parents. Hopefully they were okay, but he couldn't take them back without Andi. The undead would bring her here, and he wouldn't leave without her. If he beamed both her parents back, she'd be stuck, and he wouldn't allow that. He'd wait for her and find a way to save her and her parents together. Or, if he couldn't do that, he'd choose her. That sounded harsh, but there it was. He'd sacrifice Andi's parents to save her.
He took a deep breath and headed towards the stone cells. Maybe being evil wasn't as far off as he thought.
*****
As soon as the vampire grabbed her, breaking her concentration, she was sure this was it. It'd reach out and suck her blood or hold her there for the others to tear her apart. At least Ben got away, though unless he rescued her parents, it was all for naught. But he wouldn't. He'd do everything in his power to save her. She knew because if she was in his shoes, she'd do exactly the same.
Surprisingly, pain didn't hit. She should have known. The necromancer wanted her, too. As they dragged her to the center of the room, she thought of Ben. He was terrified, though mostly for her, but he was safe. At least for the time being.
Without a big ceremony or spell, she found herself in the stone cell with her parents and the evil necromancer. A cry arose in her throat as she saw them, how awful they looked. How had the fiend kept them alive to do so much damage?
"Andi? Run!" Mom shouted, while Dad looked up with pleading eyes.
Before she could tell them no, that she was here to save them, her whole body went rigid. She tried to move, but not even her fingers or toes would obey. The necromancer stepped in front of her.
"So nice of you to join us, child."
"Stay away from her, you bastard!" Dad yelled.
"Andi, fight it," Mom pleaded.
The necromancer gave a laugh that chilled her to the bone. "But you just got here. You'll miss all the fun." He lifted a hand to her face, and searing pain ran along her cheek. She screamed as her flesh peeled down her face.
*****
Ben made it halfway to the cells when Andi popped in, and he sprinted the rest of the way. Once at the door, he moved to peek in when the pain hit. Her pain. Rage bubbled through him, and he burst in to see Andi standing stiff as a board in the middle of the room, her left cheek covered in blood. The necromancer stood in front of her, an evil smile etched on his face. Ben charged, intent on knocking that grin straight off.
A few steps away, an energy gripped his chest and hurled him face-first into the wall. His nose exploded, spraying blood all over everything. He fell down and slumped against the wall. Andi screamed his name, and somewhere in the back of his mind he heard her parents. He looked around the room, but couldn't see much through his red haze.
The necromancer laughed. "So glad you decided to join us, boy. This is getting deliciously fun. But I have so many decisions to make. Do I continue on the girl while you watch?" Andi screeched as another line of blood scratched across her right cheek. As her parents screamed and protested, the crimson fog lifted from Ben's vision. He gripped his sword and stood, ready to run the evil toad through. "Or do I kill you in front of her? It's a feast of options."
"Or three, I kill you!" Ben lunged forward, but the necromancer threw up his hand, catching Ben in his tracks, unable to breathe.
"No," Andi whimpered. She still couldn't move.
"Fight it, Ben," Mr. Thomas yelled. Ben glanced over and saw for the first time how awful he looked. A quick peek at Mrs. Thomas showed her in the same state. If he died here, it wouldn't be long before Andi looked like that, too. He couldn't let that happen.
Ben thrust his shield up and broke the magic hold on his throat. Air, glorious air, flooded his lungs. He staggered a bit, but managed to step towards the necromancer, who laughed.
"You are more of a treat than I imagined. Killing you will be fun. But first, I'll allow you to say goodbye to your would-be mate." The necromancer waved his hand, and Ben cartwheeled into Andi, who tumbled with him, free of the magic restraints.
"Andi, Ben," Mr. Thomas called. "Mix your blood."
Ben wasn't sure what that meant, but Andi grabbed his head and jammed his broken and still bleeding nose into her torn cheek. Both yelled out from the pain, but it didn't last. Her parents uttered some strange words, and then his world went fuzzy. All that existed was Andi. Previously he could sense agony and fright, but now he felt the adrenaline coursing though her veins, hear her heartbeat, and recognize that her pain centered on both her cheeks. He also felt a tidal wave of love erupting from her, and he knew she felt the same from him.
Ben did what he could to push everything away and focus on the necromancer. Dispose of this monster and his Andi, his Alexandria, would be safe. Ben hefted his sword and shield with more grace than he'd ever before possessed. Power pulsed through him, and fear was a foreign concept.
The necromancer cursed but didn't back down. "You haven't won. In fact, you've prolonged your suffering." He hurled a bolt of black energy, which Ben knocked aside with his shield. Another bolt dissipated on the blade of his sword. Fear, real fear, now shone in the necromancer's eyes.
While this happened, Andi ran to her parents and broke their magical bindings. Ben didn't so much as glance her way, but he saw her free first her father, then her mother, as if he'd been standing right beside her. She helped them hobble to the far side of the room, out of the way of the battle.
Ben swatted away another spell and spun closer to the necromancer, his sword aimed at neck level. "No Ben!" Mr. Thomas yelled, but it was too late. His blade sliced through the necromancer's neck, but it wasn't the euphoric sense of victory he'd hoped. Even as the head tumbled to the dirt, the necromancer laughed. A bright green smoke hissed out of his body.
"Quickly," Mrs. Thomas said. "We'll regroup at home."
Ben turned and rushed to her. Andi already had her father in her arms, and as soon as he reached her mother, he yelled, "Back to my house." He had to make sure the monsters weren't still around when his parents got home. Andi nodded, and they blinked out of the demonic necromancer's realm and landed in his living room, thankfully now clear of the multitude of undead that had invaded earlier. Too bad the windows, doors, and all the fur
niture were busted. Mom and Dad were going to have a conniption.
Chapter 28
"Alexandria, Benjamin, behave yourselves." Mr. Thomas's voice was as hard as ever, despite his battered body. One leg couldn't support any weight, while the rest of him looked to have been worked over by a mix between a sledgehammer and a blowtorch. Mrs. Thomas didn't look to be in much better shape, but at least she was mobile.
"Patience, Lee. Remember how we were after we were bound."
Mr. Thomas's face went bright red, and he spat out, "There will be none of that tonight or any other night in the near future."
Ben followed the conversation, but most of his attention was focused on Andi, his Alexandria. Her hand ran under his shirt and caressed his chest, her touch both fire and ice. He supposed that was what her father complained about, but he made no effort to stop his new dragon bride. In fact, if he could, he would slide his hand under her shirt, just to feel the smooth skin of her flat belly on his fingertips. But even in this lust-driven state, he had enough wherewithal to keep himself in check. No doubt Mr. Thomas, broken leg or not, would get up and punch him in the face if he tried. Though he knew Andi would welcome his touch. In fact, she hungered for it. Just a half-hour earlier, that thought would have scared him to death, but no longer. Now she was his, as he was hers.
"Geez, Lee, you need to get a grip. Andi, take your hand out of Ben's shirt before your father bursts some more blood vessels. He can't afford to lose anymore tonight."
She obeyed her mother, though only Ben realized how hard it was for her. As her touch fluttered on his skin, he couldn't tell where her heartbeats started and his ended. Once her hand was free, her father started talking, his voice softer, more under control.
"You two are now fully bound, though I'm sure you figured that out. We're sorry you had such an abrupt, brutal binding, but it was necessary.
"We wanted to make it special," Mrs. Thomas said, "but obviously we couldn't. We'll make it up to you at your human wedding."
That, too, no longer struck terror into Ben. In fact, he'd marry her right now if they'd let him. They weren't still going to make them wait 150 years, were they? He couldn't bear that. Andi glanced back at him. She, too, was uneasy they may still have to wait to truly belong together.
"You're going to notice subtle things, both of you," Mrs. Thomas said. "In a few minutes, we'll leave you alone to test telepathy and other shared powers."
"But that's all you'll be doing," Mr. Thomas snapped.
"Yes, Lee, they get it."
"I hope so." His stare bored a hole into Ben. "Anyway, Alexandria, your entire life you've only been using half your brain's capacity. The binding opened the rest. You'll find you now know things you never learned."
"And Ben," Mrs. Thomas said, "you're going to notice you can now do things that were hinted at before with the minor binding. For example, your nose is almost completely healed, and Andi's cheek wounds might have happened days ago, not minutes."
"He could already heal," Andi said.
"What?" her parents asked simultaneously.
"When we saved his parents, I saw energy radiating off him onto them. They were practically mummies, but Ben healed them faster than possible. He also kept us awake and alert."
Her parents shared a strange look. "You don't suppose …" Mrs. Thomas said.
Mr. Thomas cut her off. "Now's not the time, Cassie."
"What's not the time?" Andi asked. "Is this about the prophecy?"
The look they gave her proved it was, though Mr. Thomas didn't budge. "As I said, now is not the time. Derian could strike at any moment. I'm hoping we have until morning, at least, but we need to be ready."
"I shouldn't have cut his head off," Ben said. "I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for, sweetie," Mrs. Thomas said. "I'd have done the same thing in your shoes." She grinned at him. "Felt good, didn't it?"
Ben smiled back. "Yeah. Very satisfying." He reached for Andi's hand while he said it.
"I don't fault you, either," Mr. Thomas said. "Though we should have waited a few days for revenge. I'm afraid if he strikes soon, neither of us," he pulled Mrs. Thomas to him, "will be of much use. You two are going to have to defeat him on your own."
"But I still don't understand," Andi said. "Why isn't cutting his head off a good thing?"
"Search your mind," her father said. "You should find the answer."
Andi frowned for a second, and then her face lit up. "Oh, yeah. Hmm, that is a problem."
"Word of caution, Ben," Mrs. Thomas said. "She's now a walking encyclopedia. No doubt she'll be a know-it-all like her father."
Ben chuckled and squeezed Andi's hand tighter, while Andi rolled her eyes and Mr. Thomas growled at his wife. Ben then asked, "So why is it bad?"
"You unleashed the demon essence from him," Mr. Thomas said. "It was the only thing holding him in that realm. He's absorbed all of the demon's powers, but he had to live with that leash. Now he's free to move around the multiverse as he likes."
"So why doesn't he come straight for us? Why is he waiting?"
"Lucky for us," Mr. Thomas said, "his head won't reattach instantly. He'll be here as soon as it does."
"And once he's here on this realm," Mrs. Thomas said, "it won't reattach at all. He'll be as powerful as a demon, but with the mortal vulnerabilities."
Mr. Thomas let out a sigh. "Like I said, it would have been better to wait until we could help, but you two can do it. As Cassie reminded me so many times before we were captured, you seem to be built for this coming battle, Ben."
Andi smiled at her father's compliment – it was still weird how he knew that without even looking at her face – and snuggled into him. Ben had to bite back a smile at the way her father gritted his teeth at that.
Before anything more could be said about the demon, the front door opened, and Ben's parents walked in. The horror was evident in their eyes from across the room. "How …" Dad said while Mom just stared.
"Trent, Heidi," Mrs. Thomas said. "It's so great to finally meet you. Sorry about the mess. We'll have it taken care of in the morning. I promise."
"But the outside," Dad said. "It looks fine."
Before anything could be said, Mom snapped out of her trance. "Cassie, Lee, you're back. So great to meet you, too, though I feel like we already know you." She grimaced at their injuries. "What happened?" She gave them both a careful hug. Though he was pleased, Ben still couldn't get over the change in his parents. Just last week, his mom would have spiraled out of control if the front rug would have been mussed out of place. Now with the entire house destroyed, she practically ignored it.
"An exciting story, I assure you," Mr. Thomas said. "But it'll have to wait. We need to talk about other things at the moment." He motioned towards the kitchen, and then turned to Andi and Ben. "Behave." With that, he limped out of the room.
"How are you walking, Lee?" Mrs. Thomas asked. "I can't heal you that fast." She turned to Ben, her eyes wide. "I feel better than I should, too. Thank you."
"Uh, yeah, sure."
"What's going on?" his mom asked. "What did Ben do?"
Mrs. Thomas took her arm and led her towards the kitchen. "We'll explain. There's a lot to talk about." Before they disappeared from view, she shot them both a "be good" look.
As soon as they were out of sight, Andi leapt into his arms, her lips devouring his. He pulled her closer, closer than should be possible, and kissed her back for all he was worth. He wanted to carry her to his room and tear her clothes off, and she wanted that more than anything, too. But they couldn't. With both sets of parents in the kitchen, they'd never get away with it.
After a few more passionate kisses, Andi pulled away from him. Both her feelings and the way she looked at him spoke to not wanting to leave his arms, but he understood. They had other business to attend to. She mouthed, "Ready?" and he nodded.
Pain flashed into his head, first just a small twinge, but then he had to grab his temples to keep his head
from feeling like it was going to tear apart.
"Jeez, this hurts. Can you hear me?" Her voice was as clear as if she'd spoken aloud.
"Yeah, I hear you, but let's stop."
The pain died away all at once, and they let out simultaneous sighs, and then laughed. Their lips found each other's again, and Ben lost himself in her, as he would for the rest of eternity. Okay, so maybe it wasn't eternity, but with this expanded lifespan, it might as well be. As long as they survived what was coming.
He gasped at that thought, and she pulled away, a sudden fear bleeding off her. "What is it?"
"Nothing, sorry. I was just thinking about the danger that was coming. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"You didn't. Well, not really. It's not your fault, anyway." She grabbed him in a hug. "I can't lose you now that you're truly mine."
He stroked her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead. "It works both ways, you know."
"I know." She chuckled.
"What?"
"It's nothing. I was just wondering if we were going to be one of those couples."
"What do you mean?"
"You know when you go to the mall and see a couple that can't keep their hands off each other? They're in their own little world, while everyone around them is gagging. Are we going to be them?"
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm sure we won't be able to keep our hands off each other long enough to hit the mall."
She burst out laughing, smacked his shoulder, and melted into him. As she did, he looked around the room at the broken furniture, the busted in windows, and the front door hanging by a single hinge.
"Andi, can I ask you something?"
"Do I have to let go?"
"No, I'd rather you didn't."
"Good. Ask away."
"It's about when my parents came home. They said they didn't notice anything was wrong until they walked in. But there's no way they wouldn't have noticed all this destruction from outside."
"I don't know. Give me a second." She pressed her face into his chest, and then looked up at him. "It's a spell. The house looks fine from the outside, no matter what's happening in here. We could blow it up, and until the spell wears off, no one would even notice."
