by R. J. Wolf
“She’s waiting for you,” he said and stepped to the side.
“Here we go,” Gary grumbled.
Eric followed him into the lobby and gawked at the opulence that poured from every direction. The floor was made of white marble with flakes of gold. A mysterious waterfall cascaded down the middle of a set of stairs that circled up toward the sky. Luminous, golden orbs danced around the room, enchanted with fae light, casting a hypnotic glow.
Gary ignored the decadence and crossed the floor toward a row of golden trimmed elevators with wide, glass doors. A slender red headed woman cut him off and pressed the call button. She swept her long, crimson locks out of her face and looked him up and down with deep, blue eyes.
“How are you today, sir?” she asked.
Gary nodded then waved his hand toward Eric. “Are you coming or not?”
Eric blinked away his fascination then hurried to catch the elevator as Gary stepped onboard. The woman tipped her head to them as the glass doors slammed shut. She stared at Gary in silence then winked as the elevator lifted into the air.
“You know her?” Eric asked.
Gary frowned and shook his head from side to side. As the cart ascended Eric turned and looked out over the lobby, gazing in awe at the massive waterfall that plunged into an aqua colored pool. His face lit up as he leaned back against the wall and sighed.
“Crazy looking place, huh?”
“You know we’re here to see some all-knowing all-powerful thing called the Oracle? You need to focus.”
“You gotta learn to enjoy the little things Gary. You’ve been in a bad mood since they stole your flask in that basement.”
Gary glared then turned his back. Eric laughed and shoved him on the arm.
“Oh, come on. I’ll find your some more whiskey.”
“You can’t find anymore of that. Those hooded idiots took the last bit of a special recipe that can’t be replicated by any magic known to man. Yeah Eric, I’m in a bad mood.”
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to a flurry of strobe lights and fog. Lasers cut through the mist and bounced off diamond reflectors, creating various shapes and images. A wave of smug looking underworlders danced like no one was watching. There was a massive party going on and they’d just crashed it.
The music thumped like the heart of some ancient beast. It reminded Eric of Thirst, but this this time he wasn’t a scared and powerless tag along. He was one of them, one of the underworlders, full of power and mystery.
He bobbed his head as the bassline pulsed in his veins like blood. Spinning around, he slid up against a tall, skinny fae and grabbed her by the hips. She leaned back into him and smiled.
“What’s your name, tall, dark and handsome?” she asked and stroked the side of his face.
“Eric,” he said with a stupid grin and leaned forward to kiss her.
“Hey!” Gary said and grabbed him by the arm.
Eric shook his head and looked down at the woman in confusion. He’d completely forgotten why he was there until that moment.
“It’s a trance,” Gary yelled over the blare. “Don’t fall for it again or you’ll find yourself dancing around for weeks. Now, follow me.”
Gary charged forward with a look of annoyance on his face. Eric pushed his way through the bustling crowd behind him. He looked back at the fae and cursed under his breath for being so naïve.
A chorus of voices jeered with laughter and Eric glanced upstairs toward a landing that overlooked the room. A neon blue glow spread across the second floor, illuminating the secluded lounges that buzzed with the underworld’s elite.
“Who parties like this in their own home?” Eric mumbled.
“Rich people,” Gary said and started toward the stairs.
They ascended the massive, stone staircase disregarding sideways glances from the party goers and shady security staff. Gary looked around for a second then started toward a bar at the back of the room, his favorite place for planning.
“We don’t even know what she looks like,” Gary groaned and took a seat. “I need a drink.”
Eric pulled out a stool next to him then turned back and surveyed the eccentric crowd. While his memories were slowly returning, it was still odd to see so many underworlders in one place. He was learning what was normal all over again.
Gary leaned across the bar and waved his hand. “What do you got on tap?”
“Scottish Ale,” a hairy, long-nosed lycan growled.
“Let me get two,” Gary replied then glanced at Eric. “You thirsty?”
Eric shrugged.
“Make that three.”
The bartender quickly filled three mugs and slid them down the bar. He gave Gary a sketchy look then went back to attending to the other patrons. Eric grabbed hold of his glass and clinked it into Gary’s. He took a sip and set it down while Gary finished the mug and started on the second.
“How is getting drunk gonna find us the Oracle?”
“It’s not, but you know what they say, when in Rome.”
“We don’t have time for this, Gary.”
“Calm down. I’m pretty sure she’s in there.” Gary tilted his head to the side toward a roped off area with two enormous men standing watch outside.
“So, we just tell them to let us in. Commission business,” Eric said and sat his badge on the bar.
Gary laughed. “That won’t get you far in a place like this. People in here are connected, all the way up.”
“Then what are we gonna do?”
“Drink, until we find some inspiration.”
Eric slammed the cup down and stood up. “Come on, I got an idea.”
Gary quickly slurped down the last of his drank, spilling the frothy brew down his collar. Grumbling, he ran after Eric as he cleaned his face with his sleeve. Eric was storming away, pushing through the crowd with a head of steam, causing a raucous in his wake.
“Hey!” Gary called to him. “Calm down, these are not the kind of people you want to get angry.”
Eric dismissed him and kept shoving the mob a like patrolman during Mardi Gras. He charged toward the roped off area and eyed the two men standing guard, who had to be half ogre. He made a beeline for them, shrugging off Gary’s hand as he tried to pull him back.
“This is a bad idea,” Gary called out.
The men were clad in all black suits with long, thin neck ties. The collar of their shirts was tight enough to strangle them, and the slightest move looked like they’d rip through their jackets.
One had stringy brown hair that fell over is eyes, and a jaw made of granite. The other had slick, blonde hair with a part down the middle and a beard thick enough to hide in. They were towering figures, both stood nearly seven feet tall and as wide as freezers.
“You two!” Eric shouted. “I’m looking for the Oracle. She in there?”
The men shared a glance then turned back to Eric and gave him a quick once over. Suppressing grins, they looked past him and continued scanning the partygoers.
“Hey!” Eric snapped and tapped one of them on the shoulder.
The brown-haired giant looked down at him and huffed. Straightening his jacket, he rolled up his sleeves and tilted his head to the side, his joints crackling with audible pops.
“Excuse my friend,” Gary said as he grabbed Eric and pulled him back. He pushed him into the wall and threw his hands up. “What is wrong with you? Are you trying to get us killed?”
“I’d like to see them try it,” Eric growled.
“Snap out of it man. We’re here to find Anna, right? Remember her?”
Eric took a deep breath and swallowed. He hadn’t noticed it before, but something dark had been building up inside of him since they first walked into the building. He felt it coiling around his soul like a snake, casting an icy shadow throughout his body.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He stared at Gary with cloudy eyes and frowned.
“We’ll figure this ou
t okay? Whatever is happening to you, we’ll figure it out. Let’s just try and get through tonight.”
“Yeah…yeah you’re right.”
Gary scratched his head and smiled. “Maybe it’s time for you to do some of that mind-bending stuff you used to love?”
“I don’t know if I can,” Eric sighed. “There’s so much going on in my head, I can hardly control my own mind.”
“We’ve got nothing to lose. Give it a shot.”
Eric looked back at the guards then to Gary and braced himself. He hesitated, but Gary gave him a reassuring nod and together they walked back to the entrance.
“Here goes,” Eric mumbled.
Gary watched as Eric contorted his face and started pushing his way through the shower of thoughts clouding the room. The guards took a half step toward them and Gary flashed a nervous smile then held out his hand.
“Any time now Eric,” he cringed.
“I’m trying.”
The dark-haired guard shook his head and rubbed his eyes then a faint look of confusion glossed over him. He staggered for a moment then straightened up and grinned like he’d just heard a joke.
The other guard gagged and started to cough loudly. He gripped his throat as drool spilled down his beard, clinging to it like a rope. Grunting, his eyes rolled into his head then he collapsed to the floor with a thundering boom.
“One out of two ain’t bad,” Gary said. “You’re rusty.”
“Let’s go,” Eric replied.
The ambulatory guard moved the rope and escorted them into the back. They passed through a string of curtains where the music and lights faded into a dim calm. Ahead there was a soft green glow that just barely illuminated the space in front of them.
A set of red fuzzy couches were pushed against the back wall. Stretched out across one was a long, dark-skinned fae with bleach white hair and crimson eyes. She was wearing a bathing suit with a blue, fur coat covering it.
Her head was slumped backward, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Smoke swirled from a lit cigarette in her hand and in the other she clenched a glass filled to the brim with a dark yellow liquid.
“That has to be her,” Eric whispered.
“Excuse me?” Gary called out. “Miss…excuse me?”
The woman slowly leaned forward and fixed her eyes on them. She smiled then took a drag from her cigarette and blew the smoke into the air. Swirling her cup, she held it up and looked into the glass then took a sip. After she emptied it, she threw it across the room and it smashed into the wall.
“Shadow walker,” she whispered as her eyes lingered on Eric.
“Excuse me?” Gary said again. “Are you…are you the Oracle?”
The woman stood up and struggled to balance. She wore exceptionally long, white heels and her legs bowed out to the side as her ankles folded. Stumbling, she started toward them and fell onto Eric’s shoulders.
“The Oracle is not a who, lover. She is the why. Come and dream with me.”
She intertwined her arm with Eric’s and walked him toward the couch. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out a tiny orange pill that she smashed between her thumb and fore finger. A glowing, liquid spread across her fingers and she rubbed it all over her face then stretched her hand toward Eric.
“No thank you,” he started. “I um, I’ve had my fill of drugs for a while.”
“Dream with me,” she said again.
“I’ll take it,” Gary said and forced his way between them.
Suddenly, the streaks of color started to squirm across her cheeks like worms. She smiled and let out a euphoric coo then dropped onto the couch and fell asleep.
“What now?” Eric asked.
“I don’t know, but no matter what don’t take that drug she’s pushing.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure, but by the smell, it’s something very strong.”
“You seemed eager to get your hands on it.”
Gary cast him a tiresome glance. The woman suddenly kicked her leg out and Eric jumped. He looked down at her with an anxious face and took a step away. Gary laughed then grabbed her wrist and lifted her arm and dropped it.
“She’s out. That’s just reflexes,” he said. “Hansel sent us to find another junkie? I’m gonna kill that guy.”
The woman jumped again and swung her hand through the air. Gary ducked then stepped back beside Eric. Her eyes jolted open and she snapped forward then turned to face him.
“What is it that he wants?” she said in a deep, raspy voice.
“Oracle?” Gary asked hesitantly.
“Yes warlock, we are the Oracle.”
Gary’s eyes widened, and he looked back to Eric in shock. Biting his lip, he took a tiny step forward. “We came to ask a question,” he said as his voice quivered. “My, my friend needs your help.”
“Your friend? This one has been touched by a demon and an angel. The balance wanes as the darkness grows. You may not wish to call him friend much longer, warlock”
Gary frowned and took a quick glance at Eric. They shared a confused look, but deep-down Gary knew there was something very wrong with him. He’d felt the shadows surrounding Eric growing, and suspected that Eric wasn’t the only thing that had come back from hell.
“I’m, I’m trying to find my wife,” Eric said, ignoring her cryptic message.
“The one who gifted you with life?” the Oracle asked.
“Yes.”
“She has taken your place, a very dangerous game she plays.”
“Taken my place?
“Yes, a soul for a soul, it was written. But it wasn’t always so.”
“How do I find her?”
“You must pass through the shade and steal from hell what was taken.”
“The shade?”
“The portal to hell. The barrier that stands between our worlds. You may cross through the shade shadow walker,” the Oracle smiled. “I see the struggle inside you, the battle of light and dark. I fear you may not return a second time.”
“I just want my wife,” Eric replied out of frustration. “How do I open this portal?”
“There is a place where it is thinnest, the darkkin call it Hotel California.” She leaned across the sofa and grabbed a cocktail napkin and a pen. She scribbled an address onto it and handed it to Eric. “Once every five years the shade falters, and souls can cross over, only then and only at the hotel. Perhaps you are strong enough to bring something back.”
“Five years!” Eric growled.
The Oracle smiled. “The time is approaching shadow walker. The shade will open this year, on All Hallows Eve. I will warn you, be quick. There are some that wish to keep the portal open and your presence gives them advantage.”
“What does that mean?” Gary asked.
“I know you feel it, warlock…as afraid as you are. Things are not as they seem. The shadow walker may be the key…and if the shade is allowed to remain open the darkkin will take over this world.”
Gary looked at her blankly and shook his head. “There has to be another way,” he mumbled.
“There is no other way,” she replied then grabbed another napkin. She scribbled across it and held it out for Eric. “Perhaps this will help you return.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Items you will need to for your journey.”
Eric grabbed the list and sucked in a lungful of air as he read over the items. Suddenly, a grunt sounded behind him as the bearded guard stumbled into the room. The Oracle let out a painful scream and fell back onto the couch. A white mist rose from her eyes then she blinked and looked around the room like she didn’t know where she was.
“Hey!” the guard shouted.
He charged Gary and wrapped him up in his arms before he could react. With enough force to shatter a mountain, he slammed him into the ground. Gary crumpled silently as the massive guard pushed himself to a stand and turned on Eric.
“Whoa! Calm down,” Eric grumbled and held his hands up.
Clenching his jaw, Eric tried to set his will against the guard. The giant man roared and thundered toward him, slamming his fist into the side of Eric’s face. The blow lifted him off his feet and sent him back into the couch beside the Oracle.
She turned to him and stared with a blank face. “Who are you?” she asked in a groggy voice.
Before Eric could reply the guard grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him into the air. Eric grabbed his wrists as the guard shook him back and forth then threw him across the room into a wall.
“I’m gonna kill you!” the giant barked.
Eric rolled over in time to avoid the man’s massive foot as it stomped into the floor. The ground shook, shattering the mirror along the wall, sending fragments crashing to the ground. The guard continued to chase, trampling forward as Eric rolled out of his way like a barrel.
A blur of blue light suddenly streaked across the room and hit the guard square in the face. He stumbled then looked up as Gary stepped in front of him, his hands swirling with energy.
“Eric get up!” he roared and hit the guard with another ball of light.
Eric crawled onto all fours then scampered to his feet. “Watch out!” he warned but was too late.
The dark-haired guard had come back to his senses. He swatted Gary like a fly then charged Eric, swinging his fists like a wrecking ball.
A dark energy rushed over Eric and he grabbed the man’s hand, stopping his attack in mid-swing. With a distorted face, he squeezed like a bear trap, crushing the man’s fingers with a loud, gut-wrenching crackle.
The other guard rushed toward Eric as his friend fell to the floor gripping his mangled arm. He dove, but Eric lifted his hand and an invisible force grabbed him and tossed him to the side.
Fuming, Eric turned and redirected his rage. Fire swirled around his fists as he stepped over the broken-handed guard and began to taunt him. Flames leapt from his hand and singed the man’s beard then crawled toward his face.
“No! Stop!” the man cried.
Eric laughed, and the fire rose higher, scorching his cheek. Burn, a voice inside Eric’s head demanded and he closed his eyes as the fire on his hands grew and engulfed the guard’s entire body.
