Autumn's Calling (Book 2): The Battle

by Michelle Weese

  “Wh... what? Demon?” I squeaked out.

  “Don’t try your wiles on us, we are the Summoner’s. Your deceiving ways will not work against us. Now give us your name, or else we will send you back to the bowels of Hell where you belong!” she bellowed, her voice echoing around the immense ballroom.

  I was so confused. I didn’t know how to respond. She gave the impression that anything I say would be the wrong thing. She studied me for a moment, looking thoughtful, then instantly pierced me with her frosty blue eyes. Her glare froze my brain and stopped any thought process from developing. It was like going braindead.

  I had no reasoning.

  I couldn’t speak.

  The nerves in my head stopped firing, and all I managed was to stare into her enchanting gaze. The mystical being pulled me inside her mind and showed me what she was seeing. Through her eyes, I glanced at the floor where I had been, and observed a foul monster. A grotesque, blood soaked demon stared back at me with my emerald eyes.

  Chapter 11

  Astonishment captured my emotions as I saw the creature lying at my feet… well, the woman’s feet. The only likeness the beast showed was the eyes. The rest of the figure appeared larger than the real me. I calculated an extra foot of height. My long auburn hair did not exist on this beast, but a massive pair of horns coiled from the scalp instead. Black hooves replaced my feet. The alabaster skin given to me at birth now as black as the midnight sky. This… demon version of me, bore an incredible resemblance to the monster in my former dream. The vision of myself transformed into the precise thing I feared the most was truly overwhelming.

  I tried to leave the witch’s body, but she had a firm hold on me. The sensation of her form wrapped around me felt alien and disturbing. I saw inside of her mind. All the rituals she performed. Spells she had cast on people who betrayed her. She wanted me to learn about their way of life. I didn’t understand this foreign revelation at first, but then she showed me all the evil she encountered in this world. Her coven had been the strongest in the country at one time. The estate was a safe refuge for their reunions. Where they were able to practice freely and not be judged or persecuted for it. Witches from all over would traveled there to congregate with others like them. Elegant galas would assemble in the same ballroom. Very important individuals attended and got to witness the mystical world most never learned about. Mayors, governors, chief of police, magistrates and wealthiest of the wealthy graced the immaculate hall over the decades.

  But not everyone was so intrigued and accepting of the coven’s craft. They became threatened by the townsfolk and were forced into hiding their magic. Some members were burned at the stake. Single-minded or religious people thought they lived as evil beings and brought forth turmoil, but she showed me they were the ones who fought the evil trying to escape the underworld. On many occasions, the coven saved the territory from falling victim to plagues, wars and more malevolent intentions. They never confessed it to the townsfolk though, in fear of the locals straying from the truth and inventing their own stories to tell.

  The Summoner’s built the estate around a hot spot for supernatural activity. A tremendous amount of bloodshed occurred, before their time, on that earth that now rests underneath the foundation. It boosted their power structure and attracted witches from all around, like a ship lost at sea to a beacon on the shore. I discovered the fountain concealed a hidden portal. The coven created the portal to send in-human spirits, that endangered the people on earth, back to Hell where they belong. The fiery lake I encountered had been a portion of Hell. That’s what happens to the wicked men and women of this world. I did not want to end up there. I needed to avoid becoming the beast this woman revealed to me. She played her memories in my mind and gave me information I required to help save the planet from being entirely consumed. Her name was Luna. She no longer dwelt in the realm of the living, but somehow trapped in between life and death. Luna’s soul was taken many years ago, along with the rest of her coven. They sacrificed themselves for the lives of the townsfolk when an evil struck and devoured many, much like the disaster now.

  I sensed her hold on me slipping. Something had happened. Her visions gradually faded away. She whispered through my mind as I drifted into darkness. She said, “Look to the moon and stars, Autumn. It’s the only way.” Then she was gone.

  The ballroom stripped away from me piece by piece. The coven disappeared and the tunnel of red doors sucked me in once more. My arm burned with a more intense pain than before. I glided past the doors and into a beam of bright light, then came to a screeching halt in a dimly lit room. The pinch in my arm was sharper, and I screamed. The space grew into focus as Alastor inserted a long needle into my vein that connected to a thin rubber hose. My eyes darted around the room in panic as I lay on a broad bed with oak posts extending from floor to ceiling. The hose filled with red liquid draining from his arm toward mine. Realization struck, and I jerked away shrieking in terror.

  “No! Leave me alone! What are you doing to me?” I continued pulling away from him, but he snatched my arm and held me steadfast.

  "Hold still, Autumn! I am only trying to help you,” he demanded. His big hand squeezed my wrist as he held my arm in place. “You have hurt yourself, just as I assumed you would, now I have to save you yet again.”

  “I didn’t ask you to save me! I wanted away from you that’s why I did this!” I hissed at him with every drop of hatred I could find.

  Disappointment and rejection crossed his eyes, but his hand remained on me and would not relent. I gaped in terror as his blood flowed through the clear hose and into my vein. I struggled against his grip, but it was no use, he was too strong. The wound on my opposite wrist was bandaged with gauze. Specks of blood seeped through and looked harsh against the snow-white bandage. Suddenly, I felt a jolt of electricity inside me. My nerves danced and burned with a need to explode out of my skin. A shrill cry filled the room and echoed off the surrounding walls. A second or two passed before I comprehended that the cry I heard had escaped my own trembling lips. The blistering heat of a thousand flames surged throughout my body as his blood mingled with mine. I imagined that is how it feels to be burned alive. I squinted down at my writhing body expecting to see fire engulfing it, but everything was as it should be. A blanket stretched across my lower half and I kicked at it to release my legs from the inferno. My veins bulged as I thrashed in agony and ended up pulling the needle free from my skin. Blood spurted across the room as I howled. Alastor grabbed my arms and put his face within inches of mine.

  “Be still! You will die if you do not calm yourself!” he shouted at me and pressed his hand over the hole I opened in my arm. My crimson blood oozed between his fingers as he tightened his grip until it slowed then finally stopped. I eventually held still for him, realizing that I didn’t stand a chance of fighting him off anyway. With a pitiful whimper, I glanced around the room and observed the mess I had created. Blood splattered the walls, bed and floor. It appeared to be a bedroom at one time, but the sole resemblance it had to the former status was the bed I lay upon.

  Circling me were medieval weapons on exhibit in every manner imaginable. A battle axe hung over a mammoth fireplace that was crackling with the sounds of wood burning. Five-foot long swords crossed over one another to form an X above the doorway. Heavy looking clubs, with spikes protruding from one end, lay on a long plank table awaiting their next victim. Many types of flails dangled from the ceiling on meat hooks. Daggers, hatchets, and other intimidating weapons decorated the rest of the area with a promise of violent torture.

  Alastor sat beside me on a winged-back velvet armchair. His face showed specks of my blood across it. In the time it took for me to observe the room, he had stopped my bleeding and placed a gauze bandage over it, like the one on my wrist. I looked at him with pure animosity. The excruciating pain in my veins subsided a little, and I started to relax against the gore soaked sheets. My body throbbed under his touch and could have filled a bucket with
all the sweat seeping from my flushed skin. He fussed with my bandage until it was snug then stood to leave my bedside. I regarded him with malicious intent as he grabbed a filthy rag and returned to wipe my body down. I shifted uncomfortably while he brushed my clammy skin with the itchy fabric. He reached for my face to wipe away the blood and sweat, but I jerked away from his touch.

  “Please allow me to help you, my love. You will grow ill if I fail to keep you dry and warm. I know it is difficult for you to understand, but I cannot let you die on me. I need you,” he pleaded while continuing his insistent dabbing on my body.

  “Spare me the phony concern. I don’t give a shit if I get sick or die as long as it gets me away from you.”

  He heaved an agitated sigh and shook his head. “So be it. You do not recognize how fortunate you are to still be alive. I have done everything in my power to keep it that way. You can reject me for as long as you choose. But just remember, I will eventually grow tired of your ungrateful attitude and will not be so kind.”

  “You can threaten me all you wish. I’m not afraid of you,” I sneered.

  I wanted to piss him off so he would kill me. There was no reason to live. He stole my choice, my right to die, and I would make him miserable for it. Nothing he appeared capable of could instill more fear than I had already endured. His warnings were useless. I knew now he wanted me alive more than he desired to hurt me, so the threats seemed null. He ventured to pin me with his eyes. But after Luna’s chilling gaze, he had no effect on me. Those golden tiger eyes I saw as beautiful before, now reminded me of the demon he truly is. I resented him for bringing me back to life. His evil blood now pumped through my veins because, in his own greed, he wouldn’t just let me die. I would make him pay for that.

  A surge of fear festered in my mind as I imagined his blood mixing with mine. Would it transform me into the beast I witnessed? Was that vision a premonition of what’s becoming of me? I couldn’t help but question if his blood ran through me or the individual’s blood of the body he possessed. He behaved like he had never been in a physical form before, so maybe he didn’t share bodily fluids with the host. That was too much information for my frazzled mind to comprehend at the moment, so I let it go for now. He seemed satisfied with my cleanliness and lay the towel down. I turned my head away, so I didn’t have to engage in eye contact anymore. The sight of him sickened me, although he was quite exquisite. But if he assumes he can force feed me his love, he’s sorely mistaken.

  I listened to him stand up and approach the fireside to tend the flames. At least I got out of the basement of this hellhole where I had been freezing to death. The medieval torture chamber wasn’t exactly a step-up, but I felt a little less perturbed being in an actual bed and not chained to a wall. My eyes swam around the room, taking in all the odd devices, and pondering what I should use to kill Alastor. The decor surrounding me, both weaponry and zombie, sent a shiver down my spine. Alastor’s prized soldier, Lt. Fredericks, was stationed in front of the single entrance to the chamber. He stared off in space, hypnotized and awaiting his orders.

  Alastor’s menacing frame loomed over the chimney at the base of the bed. The firelight caressed the edges of his dark silhouette, causing him to look almost luminescent. I narrowed my eyes when I figured out he made himself appear more alluring by standing in the soft glow. His hair glistened like strands of fine gold. The curves of his muscular body swelled as the flames danced, casting an exaggerated shadow on the wall behind him. Even though I despised him and the very air he breathed, it didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the sight of such a splendid figure.

  I pulled my gaze from the demon before I could gain an ounce of desire for him. My blood sprinkled the stone walls, reminding me of a gory scene you would see inside of a slaughter house. The disturbing weapons, presented around the room, gleamed with a metallic luster. I stared past it all to the windows lining the far wall to my right. The sun had set and a few faint stars peeked through the thick gray clouds. The moon was invisible tonight, snuffed out by the murky sky. Snow continued falling, pelting the glass with soft white flakes. I noticed we stayed several stories up by the height of the evergreen trees. The flurries gathered on their limbs, growing into small mounds scattered over each branch. I focused on the beauty of the outside world and pretended I wasn’t in a dreadful place. It might be the only means for me to remain rational in that moment.

  Alastor didn’t communicate anymore, leaving me to my thoughts and silence. He brought me a glass of water and examined my injuries again for blood flow. They had already sealed up like week old wounds. This prompted a gasp of shock from us both. It made little sense. How could it be possible? I wasn’t certain, neither was he, but I kept my mouth shut and worked to contemplate a plan. If I was healing this fast, then I must be growing stronger. If I was becoming stronger, then I could eventually escape. My family must be out there waiting for me. I knew they continued searching far and wide. But I needed to get better and gain my strength back so I could kill Alastor and be free.

  He rested by the fire, staring off into his private world. I imagine he concocted a plan of how this would all pan out. He would persuade me that his admiration for me was sincere. I would come to love him in return and devote the rest of my days bowing to his every command. My life would become encompassed by the dead walking among us like pet Chihuahuas on a mystical leash. Hell, he would probably even name them, if he hasn’t already. What did he expect? Was I expected to just shut up and agree to a world overflowing with death and destruction like it was nothing? Hell no. Not this girl.

  I huffed at him and rolled back over to face the windows. A reflection of my dream as Leland carried me through the rose garden came to mind. It seemed so real. The caress of his hand on my face. The aroma of sun-kissed roses floating all around us as we embraced one another. The sensation of his tender lips pressed against mine. That was my idea of paradise. If only I could remain in that portion of the illusion forever, I would die a pleasant death.

  Chapter 12

  Alastor lingered in the bedroom with me throughout the night. My brain tried to shut down on me numerous times, but I resisted and remained alert. The hours of being confined in the chamber of horrors caused a swarm of bad thoughts to run their course. I imagined the zombies eating me alive as I lay helpless on the bed while Alastor watched in pure satisfaction. Then I pictured him severing parts of my body with the enormous battle axe and sucking the marrow from my bones like they were a rare delicacy. Ideas of what he and the biters could do kept me sharp and on edge. I was vulnerable right now, and he knew it. I didn’t trust that he would not attempt something rather gruesome, and perhaps sexual, if I fell asleep in his presence. He sat by the fire, zoned out in his own world, then paced the room like a wild animal locked in a cage too long. He occasionally gazed at me with wicked lustful intent, making my skin crawl. As the sun ascended the pale blue skies outside and glinted through the evergreen treetops, nature called and I asked him to permit me use of the restroom, knowing the answer before I ever got it.

  “There is a bedpan on the floor beside you. That is all I can offer to relieve yourself in. You have proven you cannot be trusted. I will not fall for your trickery again,” he said with contempt.

  “Well, can you at least leave the room? I can’t use it with you standing there gawking at me,” I said.

  “I will not,” he replied.

  “Dammit, Alastor! Please let me use the restroom,” I begged him.

  He shook his head and crossed his arms over that powerful chest with an unyielding determination. He was not willing to give in this time. I growled in frustration and snatched up the bedpan. My feet cringed as I stepped on the ice cold floor. By the time I unraveled the blankets and pulled my pants down, my bladder was on the verge of exploding. I turned my back to his intruding eyes and squatted on the far side of the bed, trying my best for a little privacy. I might be shy, but my bladder sure wasn’t. The pan filled up quickly as I relieved myself. Spl
ashes echoed off the walls, adding to my discomfort. It sounded like a small waterfall trickling down into a mountain stream. The release was a feeling like no other, and I forgot about all the bad things around me for a split second. I finished up and pulled the baggy trousers up around my waist and tied them. I risked a glance at Alastor and found him standing by the window, gazing out at the rising sun. After a few seconds of assessing his mood, I decided to drill him for valuable information.

  “How did you find this place, Alastor?” I urged him, seeking answers about where we were exactly. I would need to have some idea of which direction to run if I ever escape him.

  “It is a magical place. Any supernatural being would be attracted to it.”

  “Okay…” I said, uncertain of what to ask next. Then another idea hit me. “What did it used to be? A hotel or what?”

  “Not a hotel. A secret society would gather here and throw extravagant banquets. They lived as a coven.”

  “A coven? Like witches?” I asked, feigning surprise. Although, I already learned the truth from the coven’s leader herself.

  “In a sense, yes.”

  “So why is it abandoned now?”

  “There was a plague many years ago. They all died, and no one has settled here since then. But the property still contains tremendous power.”

  “How do you know so much about it? You weren’t even of this planet until a few months ago, right?”

  “We detect all things from the darkness.”

  “Um, okay. So you stated before that you created this zombie outbreak, correct?”

  “That is true.”

  “And how did you manage that? I mean, it spreads like a virus, but it’s not actually a virus at all, is it? That’s why the CDC can’t find a cure or come up with a vaccine.”

  “As I mentioned before, the angels of darkness contain many abilities. One of mine is that I can bring about death and destruction to anyone or anything I so desire. When I escaped the underworld, I needed an outlet for all the pain, abhorrence and madness I had trapped inside. I yearned to watch the earth become consumed by disease and chaos. It is the finest feeling in the universe to view people tearing each other to pieces and feasting on the flesh you all so dearly possess. Humankind were spoiled since the moment they existed. The Light King always paved the pathways for mankind to walk in peace and happiness. All I ever wanted was to destroy that.”