Shared Redemption

by Michel Prince

  I sped off on my bike. It was close to dusk, but it’d be hours before I could kill something and that was killing me. All I could think of was digging my blade into the man. What I wanted to do to him was inhuman, but right now I had nowhere to go and nothing in my life.

  Wasn’t that why I killed myself in the first place? Having nothing. What was stupid was this time I threw it away. She wanted me. She wanted to be with me. Past tense now. She rebounded just fine. Or maybe she had been lying to me all along to get away. No. I couldn’t convince myself of that. The way she spoke into the helmet told me everything I needed to know.

  The town blurred around me as I wove in and out of traffic. I was sure the black of my motorcycle and the combination of my black helmet, black leather pants, and black coat put me in danger of being hit, but I stopped caring. My life lost all meaning the second I said good-bye to Kiri at her apartment.

  Only I hadn’t said good-bye. I just left. Ran away. I was still drawn to her. I wanted to go to her and fight. Kill the fucking normal curled up on top of her. I wanted to kill him. Well, wasn’t that a straight shot to Hell? Killing a normal with malice and forethought.

  My fingers curled around the grips of my handlebars. The steel hidden in-between the leather over the knuckles pressed hard against me. I increased my speed to a level close to flying. Could I kill myself twice? Run this cycle into a tree? What would happen at the hospital? Would I even be found? Or would my body turn to dust? Before I knew what had happened, I was at the bridge in Burlington. Well, wasn’t that poetic.

  I pulled my bike to the edge of the road and parked it in the bushes. Walking toward the Great River Bridge with its cable-stayed design, I stayed focused on the single tower in the center of it. There really wasn’t a place to walk on the bridge and I had to figure out how I could stay unnoticed.

  “What is it with you and the Mississippi River?”

  I turned to see Gabriel behind me. His shaggy brown hair looked uncombed as usual. His gray eyes were about as comforting as a block of concrete to your head.

  “It always seems to be there for me.”

  The cars buzzed past us. I could just take a step to the left and end it, but I didn’t want to end my life like that. And it would be unfair to the person driving the vehicle.

  “So close to the end of your sentence and you want to end it all.”

  “I wanted to come back to the beginning. I needed to clear my head.”

  “You want to go down by the docks? That you can drive to,” his voice stern, but mocking.

  “I was thinking under the bridge.”

  “May I join you?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “You’ve always had a choice, Nye. Since the very beginning.”

  “A left or a right, never the option to just sit still. You limit our choices.”

  “How is that? Would you have preferred to sit in limbo for the rest of your existence instead of the two choices I offered?”

  We walked together under the light green bridge. The thump of the cars as they went on and off the bridge was almost rhythmic. I hadn’t thought traffic was this regular.

  Sitting in the soft dirt, I looked at the graffiti and rust under the bridge. The Mississippi lapped at the shore, reacting to the boats that cut through the fast-paced river. Speed-boats buzzed along the banks while the barges lagged in the middle.

  “It’s cleaner up here. By the time it reaches the Gulf, it’s like a big mud puddle.”

  “You should see the river’s beginning. Clear. Cool. Four big steps to cross it.”

  “Since when do you try to stop people from killing themselves?”

  “You’re not a person. You’re Frozen.”

  “Lately, I’ve been forgetting I’m no longer human.”

  “You’ll always be human. To be human is to have a soul. Last I checked, your soul is why you are where you are.”

  “Will it ever end? The fighting? The souls you grab?”

  “Not that I can foresee, but what do I know? Humans could quit taking their own lives. The demons could stop emerging. Have you ever figured out why I choose the souls I choose?”

  “I thought everyone was given the option.”

  “No. Not by a long shot. Suicide bombers, family annihilators and, well, there are many I don’t. The Mayan culture believed suicide was a straight shot to Heaven,” he laughed. “I’m so glad the Catholics spent so much time converting them. Could you imagine if I just waved them through the gates because it was their dogma?”

  “Is there a point somewhere in this history lesson?”

  “Do you know there are about a million successful suicides a year? How many Frozen have you met? I bet I haven’t even offered a million times.”

  “So why am I so damn special?”

  “Because your heart was never focused on throwing away your life. You tend to come to a decision and stick with it. Like your woman. You convinced yourself that you’d seen something more. This led to you being destroyed when the last shred of humanity in the woman had been an illusion like she was. She’d always been a superficial woman with only a love for herself and her advancement. You were a means to an end for her.”

  “I’m a lousy judge of character. Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Some might say that, but it seems too simplistic to me.” Gabriel leaned against a column holding up the bridge. “Nye, you’ve suffered some of the worst indignities known to man. Among the Frozen you have seen the worst in humanity, but never lost faith in it. The problem you have is the faith you put into those you believe in. Humans fail, but you try to see the good in them still.”

  “Why do you waste time having us save them if they have no good in them?”

  “I didn’t say that. Look at the way humans love their children and spouses. The unconditional devotion that occurs when it’s true?”

  “If love is so amazing to you why must we choose salvation or love?”

  “That my friend, only an other could answer for you.”

  “Right. Even my questions aren’t to be answered unless you wish it.”

  “Did you tell the horse where you were going when you saddled it? Or did you just use it then place it back in the barn?”

  Wiping a tear from the cheek opposite of Gabriel I held my tongue, but didn’t know why. Maybe it was so I didn’t have to spend one more minute on this planet without Kiri by my side. I needed to reach my goal so the ache in my heart could disappear…but to what? Maybe death from a demon would be better than the last two hundred plus years of being controlled.

  Born in slavery, every moment of my life had belonged to someone else. I knew what would happen if I stepped out of line. I would always be chattel. Controlled. Bonded. Frozen. Even my death wasn’t my own.

  I stood, picked up some rocks, and whipped them across the river. They hopped a few times before going under.

  “You seem angry.”

  “Sometimes that happens. What can I say? I’m human.”

  * * * *

  Damarion

  Keir had gotten better at plugging all of us into the visions around her. She was the most powerful at connecting psychically. I must lay with her tonight. It might kill me, but I’ll have Zuma there to protect me. A woman as strong as Keir had to strengthen me.

  Keir was cutting across the Blue Bird bus factory on the western edge of town. The bright yellow buses in all states of assembly were allowing the bantling a little fun; it was undoing lug nuts and playing like a child pretending to drive at the wheel.

  This one morphed into a monkey-like creature. Well a monkey with bad fur and claws. Its face was long with acidic drips coming off the tips of its fangs, melting into the vinyl seats. The bantling was growing, but Keir was having a problem not letting it just play. We could all sense her joy, watching like any mother would with a child playing. But safety had to be her concern.

  A skeleton crew was at work in the factory, but the playtime could be a risk. Damn it, why w
asn’t there a way to tell her to come home? We had this great connection…just a moment. Keir’s head turned abruptly and one of the Frozen came quickly toward her. She scanned the area to assess the situation only to see three more Frozen running at breakneck speed down the rows of buses toward her.

  The Dark One leapt, almost flying, toward Keir and took her down. The woman yanked Keir’s hair back and she screeched like the banshee she was. The Dark One then searched inside a bus. Luckily, he picked an empty one.

  The bantling came quickly to the aid of its pseudo-mother; it jumped and landed on the soldier, who howled in pain.

  “Nye, Schmitty,” the Viking yelled.

  He held his knife and looked frustrated, obviously afraid of cutting one of his own.

  The Dark One barreled out of the empty bus and punched the bantling hard, sending him yelping as he flew until he hit a yellow metal wall with a thud. The Viking’s blade sliced through the air, decapitating the bantling. Ash spun through the air. A whirlpool of ash surrounded Keir and the Frozen until it eventually settled on the concrete floor.

  There was no way the bantling’s soul could make it back to Hell being left in an enclosed building, unable to fly on the wind.

  Noises came from the distance. The normals had been alerted! Yes, the Frozen would have to flee. Keir had been stabbed, but not killed; she got loose from the grips of the woman and vanished.

  I raced up the stairs to wait on her. I had to discipline her, but I hated the thought of it. She had been hurt. She had been surrounded by four Frozen. Would I have been able to get out of there unhurt? Probably not, but she was supposed to. Fuck this. I needed to step up my way of retrieving these creatures.

  Keir’s body flopped to the ground as she appeared on our lawn. She crawled toward the door. Her eyes pleaded with me to help.

  Nemesio rushed to her aid.

  “Do not distress, my Yahweh, I shall help her be healed by the next rising. She shall not be a trouble to you. Let her heal before you punish her for her naiveté.”

  She applied pressure to the wound while allowing Keir’s head to gently rest on her lap. I glared at Pivane. My arms began to flail and I stormed around the front lawn.

  “This failure is on you. Have you not instructed these Deumos they are not to play with the bantlings? They are not toys put here for their amusement. And why do we not have a form of communication? Our houses are nearly empty and now another bed shall not be filled.”

  I backhanded Cailean, who had the misfortune of standing by me.

  “Failures. Every one of you.”

  I turned to look at Cailean, who held her hand to her left eye. Silence surrounded me. No one was brave enough to enrage me further. Zuma appeared before me and her hand instantly went around Keir’s throat.

  “You bitch, fucking cunt, whore. Where did you learn to track? To fight? You are pathetic. We don’t let them play. You find them and bring them in. You’re as weak as Kanga. Letting her child swim in that pool. Did you even feed him while you walked around the factory? How the hell was he supposed to survive?”

  Keir’s eyes bulged while she gasped for air. Even Nemesio would not pull off Zuma. Nemesio held tight to Keir’s wound, but didn’t try to save her from Zuma’s wrath.

  “If you want to play with them, stay home and I shall buy you a deck of cards. They are immature, weak males when they emerge.”

  She shoved hard and Keir’s head hit the step.

  “Take her inside and fix her. If she is to be my cohort, we might as well close up shop.”

  As she passed by me to enter the house, Zuma glared at me, daring me to take her on. Not daring me. Telling me I’d better to keep Pivane at bay. I clutched the back of her neck and shoved her hard through the door.

  “Where the hell were you? You should have been there.”

  “I was there. I got there as the Viking killed the bantling. Why should I engage after that? Keir can be replaced, can she not!”

  “You think you are the one to administer punishment. I suppose you and I shall have a nice discussion so you know who’s in charge.”

  I pushed my way down to my bedroom. Zuma’s rage and my need were matching quite nicely. I tossed her body on my bed, and it squeaked when she hit it. She rolled on her back to face me. I slammed the door hard and the walls shook.

  “I’ve always hated that bitch. So full of herself,” Zuma said. “Keir thinks she is our most important asset.”

  Zuma’s eyebrows raised.

  “Your pussy’s the only asset I’m interested in.”

  “Your rage increases…mmm,” she purred. “Let’s make enough noise to let Pivane know challenging you would be a fool’s mission.”

  I tore off the black buttons of Zuma’s dark red leather coat and they flew across the room with such force it cracked a window. Her perfect E breasts overflowed from her bustier popping out at me like two jacks-in-the-box. My lips latched on to the first nipple that had crested the hem and the soft flesh hardened.

  “Damarion, whatever shall you do for me today?” she mused while she stroked my head as one would a pet.

  “You do for me, bitch,” I said, raising my head as she laughed hard and arched her neck back.

  “No, my Yahweh. Today it shall be for me.”

  She flipped me over pinning me underneath her.

  “I won’t bite hard I promise,” she said.

  She slithered down my body, ripped off my pants, and threw them against the wall. I spun clutching her waist, trapping her underneath me. As she fought, I got more and more excited.

  “You wanna fight,” I said. This was not a question.

  “Yes,” she growled. “I want you the way you should be. Powerful. Great.”

  A challenge. A taunt. God, she got me going. Zuma brought out the animal in me.

  My fingers locked around her wrist, wrenching it behind her back, and I pushed her down hard on the bed. With my other hand, I reached for a knife. The pale skin of her legs showed through crisscrossing leather strips that held together the tight leather pants she was wearing. I ran the sharp blade of my dagger from her hip to her ankle. Small droplets of blood appeared where I had pushed the knife too hard.

  “Oops,” she smirked. “Someone was sloppy. Lick it up.”

  “No,” I replied, insulted by the suggestion.

  Her hand flew to my chin and held my face tight.

  “I said lick it, bitch!”

  “Who the hell put a quarter in you today?”

  Our faces were less than an inch from each other.

  “I want you to fuck me so hard bones break. Drink from me.”

  She raised her leg up to my ear and I had become her bitch. She commanded and I obeyed. My tongue licked her ankle and she growled with pleasure as I made my way to her hip. I was expecting the metallic taste of blood, instead it tasted like a fine Bordeaux. Her finger wrapped around the strip of leather on the other side of her pants. She pulled hard and released them completely. Her crotch was completely exposed to me. It looked swollen. From the rubbing of the leather, I assumed.

  “Now. Lick me like a good puppy.”

  “Zuma, I hope you’re enjoying this power rush, because it will not last.”

  “Of course not. You will take it from me. Now…do…as…I…say. Don’t make me get the leash.”

  I thought for just a second whether I should make her. I would love to fight with her for control of the leash. She would be even stronger and a collar being held tight around her throat would be nice.

  As I dove between her thighs, my tongue was the first to meet her. Licking her center, she tasted of warmed caramel. Slightly salty. Perfect for me. A dose of salt I didn’t need, but it couldn’t hurt. My tongue reached deep inside her, sliding in and out, while she clawed at my skull. I clutched her hips, while my head moved with her as she fucked me more than I was fucking her. I pulled and sucked on her as her scream turned into a howl. I knew it was pleasure. The others in the house might not be so sure. The mo
an wasn’t like a woman normally makes when in ecstasy. These were almost pained and making me harder by the second.

  I could feel my biceps strengthening. I was breathless as I pulled away. Her pussy was swollen more and she was panting as hard as I was.

  “Please, Yahweh. Please,” she begged.

  I smiled at her. I had her where I wanted her. Removing my shirt, I howled, arching my back and flexing the muscles in my chest. Flushed and waiting, she lay before me, begging for me to take her with force.

  I reached for her wrists, pinned her down, and slid myself inside her center, which clenched me as I pumped. The wall shook from the headboard hitting so violently. I heard the plaster cracking. The crack in the wall taunted me to go faster. It was a race and I was going to win. I needed to destroy something—even if it was just this small house. I’d fuck her until the walls came tumbling down around us. She wanted me strong. In control. That was what she would get.

  Pulling out, I saw her wetness dripping from the end of my hard cock. I flipped her over and yanked on her hips to pull them harshly to me. I dropped to my knees and licked her, my tongue darting in and out from her core to her ass. Standing up, I pushed her tail aside as I rammed ruthlessly into her asshole, and her neck arched up and she howled, but this was familiar. This was pleasure.

  I rocked in and out of her as she moaned my name along with praises worthy of a deity. Her tail whipped around, scoring my neck twice before locking tightly around it. The lack of oxygen made me euphoric.

  “You want more, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” she begged.

  A heat built between my thighs. I felt lips around my balls and looked behind me to see Nemesio. My balls were in Nemi’s mouth, while her nose tickled my taint. Her fingers crawled up my torso clawing at my chest. Her mouth pulling skillfully, she held herself tight to my ass. Now I moved Zuma’s body, instead of the unforgiving ramming I had come to enjoy in her wet ass.

  This was right. Fuck the rest. I was the man of the house.