by WEST
Cole began obstinately to shake his head but then stopped and looked a bit startled. “I-I’m not sure, but once in Afghanistan I may have experienced something. I was separated from the rest of my unit, trying to get back to them when an insurgent just came out of nowhere. He wasn’t there one minute, and then the next he came running out of a bombed-out building in front of me. He had the drop on me and I thought I was dead. I mean, I couldn’t even get my gun up in time, and I knew it, you know?” Cole glanced over at Levi, whose eyes were glowing softly. “Without even thinking it through, I flung out my hand—” he laughed bitterly. “Like I could stop a bullet with my damn hand. But something crazy happened. He flew backward so hard into the wall behind him that it just…smashed him. He looked like every bone in his body had been broken.”
He looked back over and met Levi’s eyes. “I thought he must have stepped on some kind of mine, but I didn’t see any explosion—no shrapnel hit me. Nothing.”
Levi nodded. “Telekinesis—a known Faery power. You must have pushed him back into that wall with your mind.”
Cole stared down at his palms, a strange expression on his face. He looked back over at Levi. “What else am I supposed to be able to do?”
“You have greater strength than a human, but not so much for Vargr. Not like a demon, for example. You have the ability to move quickly in this realm. You can communicate telepathically with others of your kind and you can become—invisible.”
“Invisible?”
“It’s more like a blending with the things around you. You can take on the coloring of objects close to you, and if the light is dim, you can fade into them and not be discerned by any but the closest inspection.”
“Oh my God…”
Levi glanced over at him quickly. “It’s nothing to be alarmed about. It’s a protection for you, like your beauty.”
Cole made a scoffing noise in his throat. “My beauty. What kind of protection could that be?”
“It deceives people into thinking you’re not dangerous. Others see you and think that no one so lovely could be evil or treacherous. Your brother uses his own to great effect.”
“And that person you said was my uncle and his consort, Lariol. He was with those creatures, those Dark Elves.”
“He wasn’t only with them, I suspect. I think he orchestrated the whole thing. The question is why.”
“What do you think is going on?”
“I’m not sure. We knew that Marek was sending his goblin mercenaries after you, but what’s the connection to the Dark Elves? Lariol is his wizard and advisor, not to mention his lover. Obviously he must have opened a Blood Gate for them, maybe for all of them. He may have come here to supervise the goblins’ attack and take you back to Marek. Maybe he decided to kill two birds with one stone, as humans say, and oversee the Dark Elf attack.”
“But why are the Dark Elves murdering people? What does that have to do with me?”
“Dark Elves eat humans if they get a chance, and it looks like Marek is giving them that chance. Possibly to enlist their aid in the coming revolt Marek is planning against my father. King Egill put a stop to predators crossing over to your realm and in doing so he made a lot of enemies. If Marek is promising them a return to the old ways that would be a major enticement to join him.”
“And how do I figure into all this?”
Levi shook his head. “I’m not sure, unless, like I said, Lariol could have been pulling double duty. I suspect his main goal was to oversee your capture. According to local law enforcement reports, the murders began here on the day you arrived in Mexico City. You were supposed to begin your WRAITH training, so maybe they wanted to keep me busy up here while they took you out down there. They had no way of knowing you’d accompany the WPDA team to our meeting, and I’d decide to take possession of you then and there.”
“There’s that ‘take possession’ of me again. What the hell does that mean anyway?”
Levi gave him a quick glance. “It’s…uh, just a manner of speaking. I only meant that I decided to keep you close by in case Marek tried something.”
Cole didn’t look convinced, but dropped the subject and went back to staring out the window. He was tapping his fingers nervously on his thigh and Levi reached over to squeeze his hand. “Don’t be nervous. We’re on the way now to the Blood Gate they opened. We’ll use it to go directly to my father’s fortress.”
“You know where the Gate is?”
“Oh yes. We can detect them quite easily. When one opens, it sends something like a light directly up into the sky in the Vargr Realm. It’s how we’re able to detect it and close it down so quickly. Not, of course, before whoever opened it goes through, unfortunately.”
“Will we go back to your father’s fortress?”
“Yes, but our destination this time is not merely to an anteroom like you were in before. We’re going inside the palace itself within the walls of the fortress. Passages there lead directly to the Demon Domain.”
“The-the Demon Domain? Do you mean…hell?”
“Yes, some call it that, but don’t be afraid. There’s nothing there to fear for you.”
“Nothing to fear? In hell?”
“The Demon Domain is vast—one of the largest of all the domains. Think of the Vargr Realm as a huge, circular pie. Each so-called slice of the pie is a different domain within the Realm. Some are larger than others—the Demon Domain is one of the largest, for example. And in the center of the pie is the high king’s fortress. It touches all the domains, but belongs to none of them.”
“And this Demon Domain—that’s where Hell is?”
“There’s a section of the domain called the Shadowlands that houses the shades of those who have died, both in this realm and in the Vargr. It’s not a place of fire and brimstone, but a dark, lonely place where some souls wander. Most of them are in pain or badly confused. Not from anything done to them, but from the turmoil and malignancy of their past lives or possibly even the sudden, violent manner of their death. The things you see in the mortal realm that you call ghosts are simply projections of their souls that they’ve managed to send to the living world. They’re trying to break through to hold onto something there, even if it’s simply life itself.”
“Do they suffer?”
Levi glanced at him, wondering what was going on in his head. He’d told Cole that both his mother and father were dead, and he wondered if the thought of them wandering in that place was bothering him. “Not really. Not necessarily. The majority of souls don’t linger there in the Shadowlands. They pass through quickly and are reborn.”
“And the rest of the Demon Domain? What is it like?”
“It’s beautiful. But you can see it soon for yourself. We’re not too far from the Blood Gate.” By this time they’d reached the road that led into the park. It was a winding, curvy road around the foot of the mountains, following the path of a wide creek that splashed and tumbled its way around the rocks below. The road finally ended near a park ranger station and museum and Levi turned to follow the road up the mountain and away from town. In a few miles he pulled into a turnoff and a small parking lot where visitors could leave their cars and hike to a nearby peak.
“Here?” Cole said, looking around in confusion at all the cars parked in the lot, despite the gloominess of the weather. “There’s a Blood Gate here?”
“Close by. Not on the trail the tourists use, of course, but not far off it. It’s a perfect place to leave a car for days at a time and no one questions it. Come on. It’s not too far.”
****
Cole climbed out of the car, feeling conspicuous in the black WRAITH uniform he’d put on before they left the motel in Pigeon Forge. Levi was similarly dressed and the two of them garnered more than a few curious glances as they made their way up the trail. Levi had been right about one thing though. As they traveled farther in, they saw very few hikers on the trails. Levi paused after about a quarter of a mil
e and pulled Cole to the side to let a man and his two small sons pass by, the man nodding good-naturedly at them, showing open curiosity at their uniforms. With any luck, Cole thought, he might assume they were some kind of park rangers.
Once they were out of sight, Levi headed off the trail into the trees. Like most southern woods, the undergrowth was thick for the first few yards, but it soon cleared out and the ground beneath their feet was surprisingly free of small bushes and grass. Levi took Cole’s arm and headed toward two large pine trees sitting side by side in a small clearing. As they came within a few yards of the trees, two big men wearing flannel shirts and jeans stepped out from the nearby bushes and into their path.
Cole tried to pull back instinctively in surprise, but Levi kept walking toward them, pulling Cole along with him. He didn’t even seem surprised to see the two men and as they got a little closer, Cole figured out why. The men had the stench of an abattoir.
“Goblins,” Levi said. “Stay behind me.”
“The hell I will,” Cole said, wrenching his arm from Levi’s grip and stepping up beside him. The big man in the lead was tall and balding, while the other man was shorter and stockier and badly in need of a shave. The second man had a pistol stuck down in his belt.
“Cole Gregory,” the bald one snarled. “You’re coming with us. Don’t struggle and we won’t hurt you.”
“Much,” the other thug said, grinning and showing several missing teeth in front. The stocky man glanced over at Levi. “Stay out of this, Demon. We have no quarrel with you.”
“Really?” Levi said softly. Cole could see a little smile forming on his lips and took a deep breath. This was about to get very ugly. “Because I have one with you, asshole.”
The bald one snarled and whatever glamour he’d put on slipped a little. His true goblin form shimmered in front of him for a moment before he shrugged and moved his neck around as if he were adjusting an ill-fitting suit.
“Back off, Demon. You can’t take both of us.”
“Want to bet?” Levi said and slammed a fist into the bald man’s throat, collapsing his windpipe from the choking sounds he made and knocking him back a step or two. He clawed at his throat as he fell backward, and the other guy went for his gun. He aimed directly at Levi, but before he could pull the trigger, Cole lowered his head and plowed into him from the side. He saw the muzzle flash, but the man’s arm went sideways as he stumbled from the impact and the bullet went wide of its mark.
Cole was jerked backward off him and Levi delivered a devastating kick to the man’s knee as he scrambled to get back up. He screamed and crumpled forward as Levi turned to haul Cole against him. Holding him around the waist, he stepped around the bodies and into the space between the trees, and once again Cole plunged in the dark chaos. Blackness surrounded him and thick currents swirled over his body, touching him with icy fingers. Cole gasped and Levi shifted his arm so that he could pull Cole’s face to his chest. He held him as they fell together.
After what seemed like an interminable time, Levi landed suddenly in a crouch, pulling Cole almost into his lap, so Cole didn’t fall to his knees as he had when he’d traveled this way before. Cole was still catching his breath when he heard a deep laugh coming from behind him.
“Leviathan, my boy, I can always count on you to make a dramatic entrance.” Cole blinked at the sudden brightness around him and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. He peered upward to see the demon king leaning over them and regarding him closely. “And you’ve brought me Prince Elvie, I see. Just in time to buy off his brother.” He nodded toward one of the horrible, goblin creatures who was standing behind him. “Take him to our dungeons until I can contact Marek.”
The goblin bared its saw-like teeth and reached for Cole, who tried to struggle to his feet, except that Levi was holding him down. Levi flung off the goblin’s hand as it extended toward Cole, and he growled menacingly at his father. “You won’t touch him! He belongs to me.”
King Egill drew himself up to his impressive height and looked down imperiously at the two of them where they still crouched on the floor. “You forget yourself, boy. I told you to find the prince and secure him for me. You can fuck him all you want, but you know better than to form an attachment to a faery! Have you lost your senses?”
Levi got to his feet and pushed Cole behind him, still holding onto his wrist with a steely grip. “I claim him as tribute. It’s my right since I’ve come of age. I told you I’d found my royal consort in a member of your own realm. He’s mine and I’ll kill anyone who tries to take him from me.”
“Your consort is Prince Elvie! Have you lost your mind?” The king shouted, throwing up his hands and spinning on his heel to pace up and down. Sparks flew from his feet as he walked and the air around them suddenly smelled of brimstone. The king drew in a deep breath, his eyebrows slamming together on his brow as he stepped toward his son. “I never agreed to that!”
“I never asked you!” Levi stood his ground, glaring back at his father.
The air around them trembled with fury and the goblins who had been backing the king slowly began to move away. From over Levi’s shoulder, Cole could see that they were in a huge and sumptuous chamber. The stone walls were hung with colorful tapestries and filled with dark, ornate furnishings. A big throne sat on a dais, with four people, two men and two women sitting on the steps leading up to it. All four were beautiful and all four looked human. They were dressed in rich velvets and silks and were staring at Cole and Levi in frank curiosity.
The huge king glared at Levi for a moment longer and then incredibly, he opened his mouth and laughed. “You’ve always been a handful! Couldn’t be satisfied with a human, like your father or your brothers, could you? No, you have to choose a faery prince.” He peered around Levi’s shoulder and looked Cole up and down speculatively. “And a beautiful one, even for the faery tribes.” He shook his head. “Very well, if you’ve made your choice, I will allow it, though this makes everything more complicated.” The king made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Take him to your rooms and rest for now. We’ll discuss this over supper.”
Levi nodded and moved his hand up to tighten around Cole’s upper arm. He pulled him along behind him as Cole stared around them in wonder. Nothing could have prepared him for the luxury and beauty he saw everywhere around him. Even the windows in the walls were of the finest colored glass he’d ever seen, displaying strange scenes of beautiful demons and unicorns and goblins and faeries and flying monkeys and so many other creatures, half of which he didn’t even have a name for.
The king’s voice stopped them again at the door. “Oh, and Leviathan…”
Levi turned to look at him. He was reclining on his throne, one of the pretty human women at his feet while one of the males bent over his lap, already giving the king a blow job, his head moving rapidly up and down. Shocked, Cole dropped his gaze as Levi answered his father. “What now?”
“Sleep with one eye open, my boy. You’ll have to get used to that now if you’re taking a faery lover.”
Levi shook his head and turned back around, pulling Cole with him. “I’ll take it under advisement,” he said.
The very floor they were walking on gleamed and sparkled with precious gems that looked like sapphires and rubies and emeralds set into the stones. Levi led Cole up an ornate, marble staircase to a huge, baroque door at the top of the stairs. He opened the door and showed Cole into a gigantic room with floor to ceiling windows and sumptuous draperies, over to a big four-poster bed in a rococo style.
“This is my room, Cole,” Levi said gently. “Don’t look so frightened. Nothing can hurt you here. I won’t allow it.”
Cole flushed and pulled away from Levi’s grip on his arm. “I’m not frightened, so just shut up. I can fucking take care of myself, and I don’t need you to baby me like I’m some girl!”
“All right,” Levi said, folding his arms and looking back at him. Now that they were in the Vargr
Realm, Levi had assumed his true half-demon form. He was bigger here and even more muscular. His tattoos had morphed into gleaming, jewel-toned scales that covered his left arm and shoulder and even crept up to his jawline. The tiny black horns on his forehead gave him a wicked look that shouldn’t have made Cole’s cock twitch in excitement, but it did. His small black wings were folded neatly behind him, and Cole could have sworn he was fighting to keep a smile from his full lips. It only served to piss Cole off even more.
“I mean it!” Cole pointed a threatening finger at him. “You’ve been lying to me, haven’t you? All this shit about wanting to keep me safe—your father sent you to kidnap me to give me to my brother! That’s what you meant by ‘taking possession.’” He ran his hand through his hair and began to pace back and forth beside the bed. He caught a glimpse of a figure moving in the full length mirror on the opposite wall, and he froze for a moment, thinking someone else was in the room. It took a moment for him to realize the man in the mirror was himself.
A tall, slim, elegant creature stared back at him, its curly golden hair shot through with platinum streaks and highlights. The creature’s face was beyond beautiful, its delicate features glowing softly as if from some inner light. Impossible eyes, as green and sparkly as polished emeralds framed by thick, long black eyelashes blinked back at him as he stared. Lush, full lips that were an unnatural ruddy red fell open in shock as he stared. Cole reached out to touch the image and started back as he felt the cool glass beneath his fingertips. He whirled around to glare at Levi.
“What have you done to me? What’s happening?”
“Calm yourself, Cole. I haven’t done anything to you. This is your true form. When we passed through the gate this last time, the glamour finally cracked open completely and fell away. This is how you truly look.”
Cole stared at him incredulously and turned back to the mirror. He stepped closer and then rubbed the back of his hand violently against his lips, then stared down at his hand and back up at the mirror. Rubbing them had only made his lips redder, if that was possible. He made a disgusted sound in his throat and grabbed a handful of hair on either side of his head and started tugging. If this was a wig on his head, he’d rip it away. He’d rather shave his head completely than have these riotous curls hanging around his face and falling to his shoulders.
