Fire and Fantasy: a Limited Edition Collection of Epic and Urban Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  It had been trapped in that body with that monster.

  I crushed myself against the wall and could only stare with wide eyes when the freed ghost stared down at its former self. That had been a person once. Maybe a neighbor, maybe a man with a family. Now he was dead.

  The army comforted him, speaking in hushed, reverent whispers, before one led him away. Through the cave wall I'd been pressed against.

  The rest turned to me. "You're safe now, but not for long. You need to leave this place," a woman said. Her battle axe dripped with demon blood. "You are Navi's friend, and we will protect you, but the aswangs will hunt you. Now that your eyes are open, they will follow you."

  "Asw—aswang? Is that what that is?" I pointed. "It—it chased me. All over, it wouldn't give up. It wouldn't die."

  "Yes. They are demons that rise from the ocean. There are more. Many more and the battle is just beginning. The sea queen rises and our fight is dire. But you can escape. Go away from the ocean." Their many voices spoke at once, and I had no idea what a sea queen was, but I could tell that she was bad. Maybe the leader.

  "My friend — he went with Navi through this wall. He needs help and I don't know—"

  "You must go. Quickly now." The ghosts tried to push me from the cave, but their hands had no effect on me. I felt the cold against my skin, but there was no movement. Even so, I wasn't anxious to stay in the cave that had almost been the death of me, and I fled. Out of the cave, down the trail to my car. I almost made it, and if I had, I would have driven away and never looked back.

  But I didn't make it, not before the giant, flaming dogs burst from the cave. I felt their heat on my back and I spun in time to see them rocketing down the trail toward the beach. Navi rode one, and a mysterious, cloaked figure rode the other.

  My best friend was riding a flaming dog.

  What was she?

  They leaped, one single, huge leap, and disappeared inside Devil's Gate. A rock formation that was commonly believed to be solid, and yet—

  Seconds later, Bryson went after her.

  I could hear the sounds of battle now. Screams of pain and terror, the horrific screeching of the aswangs. Inside that rock formation, there was a war raging and the two people closest to me in the world were fighting in it.

  And I was going to run away.

  I leaned against my car and sobbed. I was scared. I didn't want to go after them. I wanted to run away and be safe and not die. What help would I be against any of those demons when I hadn't been able to kill even one?

  So I got in my car. I even put the key in the ignition but I didn't start it. Navi needed me and I told her I would be there for her, no matter what. I wasn't going to let her face this alone.

  I just needed a weapon.

  The glint of the knives I'd thrown onto the passenger seat caught my eye and I smiled.

  Bryson

  * * *

  Navi was losing. She was risking everything, life, limb, and her army, to beat that horrific creature that crawled out of the sea.

  Like a monster from The Little Mermaid, it was huge — the size of an elephant but with eight tentacles. The face, though, and body were clearly female and her voice was sweet and hypnotic as she called to Death. Everything else swayed toward her, but Death did not. He was entirely unaffected by her charms.

  Death. Navi's boss. And I'd met with him.

  They said a piece of my soul had been torn and taken. Taken to create a shell for the sea witch to come to land. Now I could see it — not my small piece of soul, but her shell, made up of hundreds of thousands of souls trapped to her body for eternity.

  Or until Navi set them free.

  Navi's army fought the horde of demons — aswangs, shape shifters who stole human bodies as their shells to protect them from daylight. Otherwise, they were driven back into the ocean at the rising of the sun. The same time Navi's army of ghosts was sent back to their cells and Navi lost all her magical powers.

  We had until sunrise to defeat her.

  We. I hadn't realized I would do anything more than watch from the lip of the canyon until that moment, but her army was falling. She needed every soul she could get.

  Including mine.

  Because if Konstanz lost her best friend, she would never recover.

  Especially if she already lost me. And if Navi died, there went my only chance to make it back to Konstanz. I wondered briefly, because fear held me frozen at the lip I crouched on, how Konstanz would feel with a ghost for a boyfriend.

  Especially since I'd opened her eyes. She'd seen me in the hospital and now she could see everything. Everything Navi had fought so hard to keep her away from. As long as her soul's eyes were closed to the demons and the monsters and the ghosts, she was relatively safe. But once her eyes were open, they hunted her relentlessly.

  And I'd opened them. Because I hadn't wanted her to cry.

  I was just glad she was at a hospital. Hospitals were safe. As long as she stayed there, and as long as Navi's army didn't let any monsters past these walls.

  Below me, a warrior fell. Their weapons laid useless in the sand as the aswang dragged them toward the sea witch. To give her another soul for her shell.

  I jumped, landing in the middle of battle, and grabbed the weapon, suddenly grateful for Navi's torturous lessons. I attacked the nearest demon, amazed at what these swords could do compared to the practice swords we'd been given. It was light, my arms didn't tire, and they glowed with the power of the moon. Elizabeth, Navi's second in command, had called them moon blades. Or something like that.

  I sliced and jumped out of the way, moving from one demon to the next before anything could hit me and take more of my soul. I slashed with my sword, trying to remember my lessons, and stayed mobile. Keep moving, keep moving.

  Make it back to Konstanz.

  It was working. I was alive, relatively speaking. Fighting like her warriors. We were beating them back, but the sea witch wasn't slowing. Between Navi and Death and the hell hounds they'd ridden in on, they were making her crazy but she wasn't dying. I didn't have time to watch, though. I had to keep fighting.

  Keep moving.

  I was surprised, then, when Navi screamed and I risked a glance over to see her being forced deeper and deeper into the water while her ghosts fought to distract the sea witch and the demons fought to drag her further in. Toward the lair. If she was pulled there, she would never make it back.

  "Hey, you stupid monster!" My blood froze as a kitchen knife shot end over end past my face and embedded itself in the sea witch's neck.

  A kitchen knife.

  "Leave her alone!"

  Konstanz. Konstanz was here.

  "No," I moaned as she climbed over the rock wall into the interior.

  "I told you," Konstanz kept screaming, "I wouldn't abandon you again."

  The demons went insane, like someone had presented a drug to an addict, and they raced toward her, climbing the wall like possessed spiders.

  "Konstanz, run!" Navi screamed, leaving the sea witch to go after the demons chasing her best friend. The ghosts, the army, joined her, leaping up the rock to protect Konstanz.

  And Konstanz, my brave, sweet, beautiful Konstanz, stood on the rock like a goddess and hurtled sharp kitchen utensils like a professional knife thrower.

  I couldn't let her fight alone. I had to get her out of there. I had to protect her.

  I moved, between one breath and another, from across the chasm to her side. She couldn't wield these weapons, but I could, and I fought with a ferocity that frightened even me. She didn't seem to realize, though, that I was protecting her and she should run. She kept fighting, kept slicing at the demons like she'd done it a thousand times before and it was then I saw the deep claw marks across her arm and her shoulder.

  She had fought them before. While I'd been so worried about my own soul, distracting Navi and selfishly worried about what would happen to me, the demons had found her.

  Because of me.

&
nbsp; "Konstanz, you have to get out of here. They'll kill you!" I screamed at her. "I'll hold them off. Just—just run!"

  The words rippled the air in front of me, knocking everything back, giving her room to breathe.

  She didn't take her eyes from the monsters in front of us, didn't glance my way, but the sweetest, briefest smile lit her face.

  "No."

  "We'll protect her, Navi! Kill the witch!" one of the ghosts yelled and Navi sent one last, desperate look toward Konstanz before turning on her heel and sprinting back across the chasm toward the witch.

  The demons didn't care about Navi anymore, though. They wanted Konstanz. The force of the horde was focused on the sweet, fearless woman who fought bravely at my side. Which was bad for the sea witch because there was very little standing between her and Navi.

  But bad, so bad for Konstanz.

  For every soul that fell under the onslaught, Navi freed ten from the sea witch's shell, and several stayed to fight. When given the option of an afterlife or a war, they were choosing to fight.

  That was true bravery. I wasn't sure I knew many in this world who would do that.

  "You did," a voice whispered. My mother's voice.

  It was different though, I argued between the slashing of my blade. I stayed for love. I couldn't abandon Konstanz, and I couldn't abandon Navi because if she died, I died, and Konstanz would lose us both.

  So I fought. Over and over, slashing and bashing and kicking when they got too close, trying to knock them down to the chasm below. The army, too, wouldn't give up and wouldn't surrender, even when friends fell under the onslaught. They kept fighting.

  My father had always said that everyone fought for themselves. When men were on the battlefield, they fought to make it out alive. That was the way he'd fought, and the way he'd taught me to fight.

  But he was wrong.

  This army, and I suspected anyone who fought in battle, fought for the one beside them. They fought for those they loved and they fought for those they'd lost.

  From the ground below, Navi yelled. She was barely visible, darting around the sea witch, under legs that she hacked at with her two mighty swords. "Death! We're out of time!"

  It was true. The sun was rising. And the sea witch's shell was cracked and full of holes. She wouldn't survive.

  She didn't seem to care, though. All she cared about was Navi.

  She was pushing them both back to the water. She was giving up her chance at freedom all to take Navi's soul. The waves washed over her, pulling Navi back while in the distance, the water bubbled and boiled and the doorway to her lair shimmered and beckoned.

  Konstanz screamed and scrambled down the side of the wall, fighting demons, shoving them out of her way. They tore at her, reached for her soul even as the sun killed them. They were so focused on Konstanz, they'd forgotten the sun.

  And it roasted them alive.

  I followed, trying to clear her a path because she wasn't stopping no matter what was in her way.

  But Navi was gone, pulled out of sight by the sea witch. What few demons remained went after her. There was no coming back from that.

  Konstanz kept screaming. She would have followed them into the water, I truly believe that, but the mighty hell hound, Garmr, that Navi was so fond of, made of flames and poison, growled deep in his throat.

  And dove into the waves.

  Steam sizzled as his fire—his very life force— was extinguished, but he didn't hesitate. He shoved his muzzle into the water and bounded backward.

  Carrying Navi by the ankle.

  Twenty

  Bryson

  The sun's rays hit the interior, chasing away every shadow, and any remaining demons died under its onslaught. The ghosts, the army, those who had just fought so valiantly, were supposed to be sent back to their cells until the moon rose again, but somehow they stayed, gathered reverently around their mighty leader.

  Konstanz raced to Navi's side, sobbing. Navi wasn't moving. She was covered in blood, hers and the sea witch's. Bones were broken and exposed, and water no doubt flooded her lungs. Her throat had been torn.

  Death, silent and hooded, approached.

  If Konstanz happened to even glance in his direction, he would take her soul. To gaze upon Death as a mortal was, well, death.

  "Konstanz, don't look at him! You'll die!" I bellowed, but she ignored me.

  "Death," Navi murmured, blood spilling from her lips, trailing down her chin and across her cheek to soak her hair. "Please don't take her yet. She was trying to help."

  "I think it is you we should be worried about," Death responded. He sounded amused, of all things. Konstanz turned her head and I lunged for her, trying to keep her from his view.

  "No! You can't have her! I need her," Konstanz sobbed.

  "Konstanz, you can't—" Navi murmured.

  "No!" Konstanz bellowed. "I'm a vet. I can stitch her up. She'll be fine! Just—I won't look at you. Please let me help her.!" she cried.

  "Bryson," I heard Navi's weak plea and I hurried to her side. "Tell Alec I love him."

  No. She was giving up. She was going to let Death take her.

  Konstanz sobbed, trying to stop the bleeding, but there was too much, it came from too many places. There were too many injuries. She would never recover from this.

  "Tell him yourself, Navi," I said softly, trying to sound lighter than I felt. "You aren't leaving until you save my soul."

  A hint of a smile turned her lips and Konstanz looked up hopefully.

  "Navi," Death started and I froze.

  Don't take her yet. Please don't take her yet.

  "You are one of my most powerful agents. You have fought the sea witch and drove her back into the ocean. It is your choice — will you come with me now or will you stay to fight another battle?"

  He was giving her a choice.

  I held my breath. Konstanz whimpered, tears soaking her cheeks, dripping onto her blood-stained collar. "If you say you'll go with him I'll be so mad at you!"

  "Navi!" Alec's voice echoed through the chasm and I looked up to see him racing down the side of the wall, heedless of the fact that if he fell, it was a long way to the bottom. One he probably wouldn't survive. But all he saw was Navi. "Navi, please!"

  "Alec! Joanna! She's hurt!" Konstanz could barely speak through her crying.

  Joanna was there. Navi's mom. The one who taught Navi everything she knew. She'd be able to convince her to stay, surely.

  "Alec?" Navi whispered.

  Elizabeth, Navi's second in command, the most powerful ghost anyone had ever met, shimmered next to Navi's side, her icy hand against Navi's cheek. "Please fight beside us."

  Alec hit the ground and ran to us, falling to his knees next to Navi and gathering her into his arms. "Angel, please. Please fight this."

  I held my breath, staying close to Konstanz's side, trying to protect her from a pain I could do nothing about. Who would choose to stay? After a battle like that, with so much pain and so much loss, who would choose to stay?

  Above us, Death said, "That's what I thought. Joanna, nice to see you again."

  I jerked my head toward him but his face was clothed in the darkness of his cloak. Only the red, glowing eyes. That looked faintly amused.

  "Does that mean—" Konstanz breathed, barely daring to hope.

  Joanna nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.

  Navi was staying. She'd chosen to stay, despite everything.

  Or maybe because of it.

  "Wait," Navi croaked, and for one horrific second I thought she was changing her mind, that she would let Death take her after all, but she raised her hand. "Garmr, come." She groaned, trying to muster strength. "Alec, don't touch—Garmr—"

  Because of the whole made of flames thing, I didn't think Alec had a problem with that.

  The big dog pushed his head against Navi's hand and chuffed. "Thank you, dear friend."

  Konstanz held a shaking hand to her mouth, almost smiling. She always ha
d loved dogs. Probably even the fiery hell-hound kind.

  "Come, Garmr. We'll see her soon. We have our weekly meeting tomorrow night, remember, Navi. Please don't be late." Death gave us one last amused chuckle and was gone.

  Joanna took Death's place next to Navi. "We hurried as quickly as we could. But I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry Navi." Navi's eyes were closed and she would never see the guilt and the pain that crossed her mother's face, but I did. This would haunt Joanna for the rest of her life.

  "Mom." Navi started. "I fought the sea witch." A grin split her lip but didn't falter. "And I won."

  Her dad, who I hadn't even seen arrive, laughed.

  "At least for today. I won for today. And I freed souls. But not Bryson's." She struggled to sit up and I struggled to conceal the crushing disappointment. She'd freed so many, but mine hadn't been one of them. And I'd been so busy protecting Konstanz, I hadn't even noticed. "I didn't free yours. So I'm not done yet."

  "I don't understand what happened…" Konstanz said. She was in a hospital bed, having been checked for injuries and waiting for the results from x-rays. She'd received many stitches and the poking and prodding and constant questions had hurt her.

  And I hadn't been able to hold her hand.

  Now she lay alone, and I sat silent next to her bed. Or, floated, as it were. "Well, I followed Navi that night—" I started slowly because I'd already told her how I came to be a ghost twice.

  She shook her head. "No. Navi. What is she?"

  We'd thought it would be best if Navi told Konstanz herself, but Navi wouldn't go to a hospital. She said her injuries would be too hard to explain, especially when she healed with the rising moon. Alec fought to keep her alive at our apartment, her mother and father by his side. Apparently, this was a thing.

  A thing Konstanz had been doing for months.

  "She wanted to talk to you about that." I attempted to smooth her hair off her cheek but only succeeded in brushing the strands a little.