Cursed

by Sue Tingey

  “I think this is where we should wait for the ravens,” Jinx said.

  So that was what we did.

  The waiting made me nervous and gave me time to think. I wanted to get on with it and have it over and done with. Of course “it” was no longer just a matter of rescuing Kayla, Vaybian, Angela and possibly Philip, but the whole of the Underlands from Amaliel’s twisted ambitions. My heart was pounding, and my chest felt like it was encased in an iron bodice.

  The enormity of the task ahead of us wasn’t lost on my men and they were in similar moods to mine. Even Jinx wasn’t his usual jovial self.

  Shenanigans and Kerfuffle were handing out skins of water when the first of the ravens returned. Three of the creatures landed a few yards from where we were sitting. Jinx got to his feet and moved toward them, holding out his right hand. The largest of the birds cawed twice and with a flap of wings flew up to land on Jinx’s outstretched fingers.

  Jinx cocked his head to one side and the bird did the same, and for a moment bird and demon looked very much alike. The creature cawed again and was joined by a chorus from his friends. Jinx frowned and they cawed some more.

  Jinx reached out and stroked the creature’s head. “Thank you,” he said at last, and the bird fluttered down to join the other two. All three gave one more cry and then launched back into the sky.

  “Good news I hope,” Jamie said.

  “Could be better, could be worse,” Jinx said, dropping down to sit cross-legged beside me. “The Sicarii have set up in the caverns below this wasteland.”

  “Below it?”

  “If we travel due north we will come to a ring of stones; in its center there is a slab of rock that once served as an altar and beneath the altar there should be a flight of stairs leading down into the caverns. Millennia ago it was a temple to the Fallen One. Now the Sicarii have resurrected it as their own.”

  “Where better to hide than a place that is shunned by all daemonkind?” Jamie said.

  “Why is it shunned?” I asked.

  Shenanigans gave a shudder, which was mirrored by Kerfuffle. “The worshippers of the Fallen One were creatures of the night,” Kerfuffle said. “The nightwalkers believed in blood sacrifice. On the day they were finally outlawed and put to the sword, it was believed that their blood turned the earth surrounding their temple black and the plains were forever cursed.”

  “Superstitious hogwash,” Jinx said.

  “In the tale I heard, it was the Deathbringer that led the royal soldiers against them,” Kerfuffle said.

  “I wouldn’t believe all you hear,” Jinx said.

  “Still—” Kerfuffle started to say, then saw Jinx’s narrow-eyed stare and shut up.

  “I’m actually wondering whether maybe the Sicarii and the nightwalkers are one and the same,” Jamie said.

  “We saw them during the daylight hours,” Shenanigans said.

  “They were creatures of the night only because they chose to be so,” Jinx said. “Don’t go believing all this nightwalker rubbish.”

  Shenanigans and Kerfuffle exchanged a glance. “Are you saying absolutely, categorically that the stories weren’t true?” Kerfuffle asked.

  “I am,” Jinx said.

  Kerfuffle squinted at Jinx and Jinx looked straight back. “Well, I’ve heard many stories about the Deathbringer and so far none of them have lived up to the myth, so I’ll take you on your word.”

  “So, it is possible that the Sicarii could be either survivors from the previous cult or have chosen to continue some of its practices?” I said.

  Jinx rubbed his chin. “The more I think on it, the more likely it seems.”

  “The only difference is the Sicarii marketed themselves as assassins to make themselves appear more respectable,” Jamie said.

  “Being an assassin is respectable?”

  “Come on, Lucky. In your world there are contract killers who are considered, if not respectable, then certainly glamorous because they work for government agencies. Look at James Bond,” Jamie said.

  “He’s a fictional character.”

  “Yeah, right. A fictional character allegedly based on the author’s experiences within a government agency.”

  “Hype, pure hype.”

  “Do you understand what they’re talking about?” Kubeck asked Shenanigans from behind his hand.

  The huge demon shook his head. “Not a clue.”

  “Now we know where their temple is, what’s the point of Lucky leaving herself open to capture?” Jamie asked.

  “Come now, wouldn’t you be interested to find out why they’re so keen to get their hands on her and what they intend when they do?” Jinx asked.

  “It could be their intention to kill her slowly and horribly,” Kerfuffle said.

  “But we won’t let them. We’ll be right behind her.”

  “Jinx, what exactly has come over you? Why are you suddenly so willing to risk the life of one marked by both of us?” Jamie asked.

  Jinx reached out and lifted my hair in his palm. “She’s demon now. She’s stronger, tougher, more powerful.”

  “And scared shitless,” I said.

  “Yet you say you will do Jinx’s bidding and not mine,” Jamie said.

  Typical that he should make this into some kind of macho one-upmanship thing. “I’m not going to do anyone’s ‘bidding’”—I made quotation marks with my fingers—“I’m going to do whatever I think will get Kayla and Angela back safely, and—not to put too fine a point on it—save your world from Amaliel Cheriour.”

  “Oh, so you’re Superwoman now?”

  I was very tempted to tell him to go forth and multiply, but he was an angel, whatever he might say. Anyway I didn’t want Jinx thinking he’d scored points. He was far too confident that he could twist me around his arrow point tail as it was. “Let’s get moving,” I said getting to my feet.

  “Perhaps we should camp here so we arrive at the temple in the full light of day?” Kerfuffle suggested as they all stood to join me.

  “Still scared of nightwalkers?” Jinx asked with a smirk.

  “No, I just want to make sure I can see my mistress if she follows your counsel and walks into the Sicarii stronghold alone and unprotected.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to your mistress,” Jinx said. “She means more to me than you can possibly know,” and suddenly all eyes were on him and his expression became sheepish.

  “Jinx?”

  He ignored me, clearly embarrassed that he’d said more than he’d meant to. “Come on,” he said as he started to walk away. “Let’s make for the ring of stones and see if we can find a good spot from where we can keep watch.”

  We could see the circle of stones a good few miles before we reached them. Not only were they huge monoliths upon a mainly flat although rocky landscape, but they and the ground about them were death black, as the legend said.

  Slightly to the east there was an outcrop of red rock, which was close enough for us to keep watch from, but not so close that we would be at risk of discovery. We circled around so we came at it from behind. That way, in the fading light, we wouldn’t be seen from the temple if they had lookouts.

  The outcrop was a good place to hide. It was actually three or four huge lumps of rock that had erupted out of the earth and plenty of nooks and crannies where we could lay in wait. The best hidey-hole was a large wedge-shaped crevice that directly overlooked the ring of stones below. It was large enough for all of us to sit quite comfortably, and had an overhang above so that we were sheltered from the elements.

  Jinx had sent Bob off when we had started walking up from our landing site, so it was just the seven of us.

  The two rising moons allowed quite a clear view of the circle of monoliths and I could see how abruptly the earth around them changed from blood red to black. It was most strange, as though someone had drawn a circle around the area.

  “The whole place looks cursed,” Kerfuffle said with a shudder.

  “It is ra
ther creepy,” I agreed. “How do you think they turned the earth and rock black?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s a good way of scaring superstitious folk into keeping away,” Jinx said.

  “I’m not superstitious, but even I’d think twice,” Kubeck agreed.

  Darkness fell and the two moons rose fully into the sky, casting their orange glow across the rugged terrain. The circle of stones could have been huge lumps of coal bathed in fire. I glanced across at Jamie and Jinx. They were sitting side by side, staring out across the landscape, their expressions unreadable, which set me to thinking about what Kerfuffle had said. Had Jinx led the slaughter of the people who had worshipped here? He’d denied it, and although he could be mysterious and secretive, I didn’t think he’d ever lied. But maybe he would about this? He’d seen my reaction to the massacre of the villagers, when I’d thought he might’ve done it. But the villagers had been innocent, and by all accounts the creatures who had worshipped beneath this plain had been anything but.

  Then I thought about Kayla and the leaden feeling in the pit of my stomach got heavier and the steel corset about my chest grew tighter. Was she alive? Was she hurt? Was she scared? Then there was Angela, the poor little thing was probably terrified. And Vaybian: were they using him to control Kayla, or was he already dead; sacrificed to whatever deity they worshipped? Would I see his washed-out gray spirit when I entered the underground caverns? A ghastly thought crossed my mind. What if we were sitting here waiting for dawn while Vaybian was being horribly murdered? Panic surged through me and I could no longer sit and wait, I had to do something; anything.

  I took quick look around me. Kerfuffle and Shenanigans were curled up with their heads resting on Pyrites’ belly; Kubeck was sprawled out on his back and snoring; but Jamie and Jinx were both still awake and they were the ones I had to worry about. Jinx said he thought I should go in alone, that was his plan; his very odd plan, though I could see the method in his madness. I don’t know why but I thought it was like he was testing me and, call me proud, I didn’t want to be found wanting.

  I climbed to my feet trying to appear nonchalant, but my heart was hammering so hard I was surprised they couldn’t hear it.

  “Where are you going?” Jamie asked as I walked to the ledge leading down to the ground below.

  “Comfort break.”

  “One of us goes with you.” He went to stand, but Jinx beat him to it.

  “I don’t need a babysitter, thanks.”

  “You’re not going anywhere on your own.”

  “I’ll avert my eyes,” Jinx said with a grin.

  I gave an over-the-top sigh, said, “You’d better mister,” and stalked off, guessing he would be right behind me.

  When we had got almost to the ground and well out of Jamie’s earshot I turned to face him. “I’m going in now,” I said without any preamble.

  “Why?”

  “They could be murdering Vaybian as we speak.”

  “When did he become so important to you?”

  “He isn’t, but Kayla is. Even so, I wouldn’t want to find he’d been tortured to death overnight and we’d missed being able to help him by a few hours.”

  “I can’t let you go.”

  “Why not? I thought that was the plan.”

  He looked at me, his eyes sparkling gold in the moonlight, and I suddenly had another thought, “Or were you just messing with Jamie’s head?”

  “It is—was—the plan, and my head tells me that it’s the best way to get in there and find out what’s going on, but my heart tells me something else completely.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When we marked you we didn’t realize what you were.”

  “The Soulseer?”

  “That’s right. We are meant to be together. Together we are more powerful than you can possibly imagine, but you, you’re powerful in your own right and we need to let you come into that power. We can’t always protect you and I doubt you’d want us to. You’re strong and independent and I want you to stay that way, because that’s what makes me …” He stopped and looked down at his feet.

  “Makes you what?”

  He started fidgeting. “If I let you go down into the Sicarii temple and it all goes wrong and you never come back, James would never forgive me.”

  “Would you care?”

  “Yes, because I’d never forgive myself.”

  This was getting confusing. “But you were all set to let me go before, what’s changed your mind?”

  “James changed my mind.”

  “Jamie? How? I didn’t see you talking.”

  “We didn’t. He did.”

  “What did he say?”

  Jinx shook his head. “I can’t tell you.”

  “Shall I go and ask him?”

  “Maybe you should.”

  “Jinx, why must you always talk to me in riddles?”

  He took a quick peek at my face then looked away. “He said that if I didn’t love you enough to keep you safe, I should let you go. And when I thought about that and letting you be his alone, I knew I couldn’t do it.”

  “So this is all about you not wanting Jamie to have me to himself?” I said in exasperation.

  “No,” Jinx said, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s about me being unable to let you go—it would suck the warmth from my soul, and my soul has been so cold for so many years. I couldn’t bear for it to be that cold again.”

  I think my jaw dropped open. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll let us protect you,” he paused, his eyes searching mine, “and promise me you’ll never ask me to let you go.”

  “Oh, Jinx,” I said, resting my palm against his chest. So warm, so solid; his heartbeat so steady.

  Then my fingers were on fire and Jinx went rigid beneath my hand. Something warm and sticky ran down my wrist as Jinx sank to his knees. I looked at my hand, blood was pumping out from between my fore and middle finger and my palm was slick with blood; Jinx’s blood mingling with mine.

  “Jinx,” I whispered as he crumpled onto his side, an arrow sticking out of his back. “Oh my God,” and I was about to scream Jamie’s name when the back of my head exploded in pain and the whole world went black.

  Eleven

  I woke up to the Royal Marine Military Band marching up and down and round and around inside my head, banging the biggest drum I could possibly imagine. The right hand side of my face felt cold and numb and for one horrible moment the word “stroke” floated through my mind and then I remembered Jinx collapsing to the ground and my heart froze.

  I struggled to sit up and the world gave a lurch and began to spin. “Oh God,” I groaned and then threw up. I kept on retching long after I’d emptied my stomach and until I was sure I was going to rupture something.

  When I eventually stopped and managed to sit up straight, I wasn’t particularly surprised to find myself in a black stone cell with wrist irons hanging from the wall. The solid, wooden door was banded with iron and had a small grill at about head height for someone a good few inches taller than me. Well, I thought, I suppose this was Jinx’s original plan, and then my eyes filled up. He couldn’t be dead, he was the Death Demon for heaven’s sake; you surely couldn’t kill a Death Demon. I’d been wrong about Pyrites; he’d been alive and well, and Jinx would be too.

  Then I looked down and saw the cut in between my fingers and the blood on the palm of my hand and my eyes filled up again. I brushed the tears away, they wouldn’t help anyone, least of all me. Anyway, I was a demon and demons didn’t cry, at least not in this world. I looked at my hand again, my pink, human hand. Typical—now I needed to be strong and powerful I’d reverted to my puny human self. I took another look at the cut between my fingers where the arrow had pierced my skin. It was only a nick, yet it was still bleeding. Red blood; it was bleeding red blood and it had been bleeding red blood when Jinx had been shot. If I was Baltheza’s daughter it would be blue.

  “Oh crap,” I mutte
red to myself. Could my life get any more complicated?

  I managed to crawl into the corner as far away from the pile of my vomit as I was able and wished I had some water to wash my mouth out—and wash Jinx’s blood from my hand.

  I slumped back against the wall. He would be all right. He would be. He had more or less just told me he loved me. Why hadn’t he said the words damn him, then I would at least have that; the knowledge that he and Jamie loved me. Oh shit, this was such a mess.

  The pounding in my head gradually subsided to a steady hangover throb and I built up the courage to touch the back of my skull, hoping it wasn’t soft and squishy. It wasn’t, and there was no more blood, so I supposed that was something.

  With nothing to do but wait I began to mope and worry. What had happened to the rest of my friends? Were they locked up too? Were they dead? No, that wasn’t an option. Wherever they were they were still alive. And how about Vaybian? I’d promised I’d come and find him. Being locked up near him was no help to him whatsoever. I wondered whether Kayla was in a similar cell to mine. Maybe it was she who was in the cell next door?

  I lost all track of time, then dozed a bit—probably thanks to the head wound—and each time I opened my eyes I was disappointed to find it hadn’t all been just a bad dream. Then I heard the slap of leather on stone as several pairs of feet approached, followed by the rattle of a key in the lock, and the door swung open.

  Two brown-robed minions came in first and stood on either side of the door to allow a Sicarii in gray to enter. I didn’t bother to get up.

  “Awake, I see,” he said. I ignored him, and instead studied my hands that rested in my lap. “Take her up.”

  The two minions grabbed me by the upper arms and hauled me to my feet. The room shifted alarmingly and I would have fallen if they hadn’t had such a tight hold on me, but the moment passed and my legs started working again as they marched me out of the cell. We walked along black stone passageways and up a flight of narrow stairs where I was sandwiched between the two minions at the front and back. As soon as we reached the top they grabbed hold of me again. They certainly weren’t taking any chances.