by Joe Jackson
“Anything strange going on?” Kari asked.
“Haven’t heard a whisper, ma’am, and gods willing, it’ll stay that way,” said one of the guards before he rubbed his goatee nervously.
“What can you tell us about the werewolves that attacked the last time there was a ruckus in the cemetery?” she asked.
“Thankfully, not much,” said the other. “They come and chased off whatever fools were messin’ around in the graves, but once they seen us, they ran off into the darkness to wherever the hell they come from. I seen them close up: slavering, vicious beasts, and that’s enough for me in this lifetime. We hear them howlin’ and bayin’ out on the plains at night sometimes, but they usually don’t come near the city. Don’t know why they come to the graveyard that night, but they done chased off whoever was messin’ around.”
“Would you gentlemen mind letting us in?” the demonhunter asked with a gesture toward the gate, but she was shocked when a voice answered from a little ways behind her.
“Not without us,” called Piotyr from a short distance down the street. Piotyr was muscular and handsome, and stood a little taller than Kari. He was solidly built, testament to a life spent defending the faith, but there was a leanness to him as well: he lacked the bulky, overbearing presence of Kari’s half-guardian in-laws. Like most serilian-rir, his hair was black, tied back in a tail that reached his shoulderblades, and his wide eyes were a smoldering red that bordered on orange, like glowing coals in the deep night. His snout was medium in length but softly curved, giving him a gentle appearance that was somewhat odd for a serilian-rir. His companion, Deirdre, was also with him, and other than keeping her hair in numerous small braids, she looked much like Piotyr, whom Kari assumed was her mate. Deirdre drew up beside Piotyr and he continued, “I had a feeling you might come take a look around the cemetery yourselves. We’d prefer you don’t go in there at night without at least one of us to help you.”
Kari looked the two over again briefly and couldn’t help but see the differences between these undead-hunting priests, her mate, and her mother-in-law. Kari wondered if an encounter with undead would awaken such a fire in Grakin, or whether he was simply a different kind of priest of Kaelariel. Whatever the case, she was glad to have the help of Piotyr and Deirdre. “I appreciate it,” she said at last, and Piotyr gestured for the guards to unlock the gates.
The humans seemed much more at ease with the priests of Kaelariel around, and they moved to unlock the gate to the cemetery. Even with the superior night vision of the three half-demons, and Kari’s own fairly powerful night eyes, they headed into the graveyard with several bright torches so that they wouldn’t miss any details. The heavy iron gates creaked loudly and conspicuously as they swung open, and Piotyr and Deirdre led Kari and Eli into the cold and creepy confines of the burial grounds. Kari suffered a chill that seemed to be more than just the crisp spring night, but she shook it off, shoving down her trepidation and reminding herself that Piotyr had said the graveyard had never seen anything more than the occasional zombie or skeleton. Kari had faced far worse in her lives than a walking corpse.
The graves nearest the gate were all undisturbed, and this part of the cemetery was obviously well-tended. The grass was short and dark green, beginning to awaken from its winter sleep, and while some of the headstones were worn, their engravings were all still easily legible, even by torchlight. Kari was curious to why some of the headstones had rocks atop them, but rather than act like Piotyr and Deirdre were tour guides, she simply kept up with their pace as they led her and Eli toward the middle of the cemetery. Silence hung over the graveyard like a burial shroud, and only the soft crunch of the grass underfoot and the gentle lapping of the torches broke that silence. They approached the center of the graveyard, where the land was bathed in the strong light of the moon, bright and full as it crested the city and the walls.
“This is where most of the disturbances happen,” Piotyr said. He gestured toward the crypts that stood in silent vigil, adorned with angels or gargoyles, in the center of the graveyard.
“We end up coming out here to perform burial rites over the disturbed graves before the keepers inter them again,” Deirdre added. “It takes a fairly strong necromancer to overcome the consecration of the land, and when we re-consecrate each of the disturbed graves, the blessing becomes that much stronger. Whoever was here the last time, though, was beyond anything we’ve ever encountered. They didn’t just raise the corpses; they despoiled the very land they were buried in. Behold.”
They led Kari and Eli around to the far side of the crypts, where the mausoleums formed a cul-de-sac in the center of the cemetery. The land was shrouded in deep shadows, and the half-elites held their torches high to illuminate the area. Kari could immediately see that the grass had blackened and shriveled so that it looked more like shredded black glass. The ground itself was hardened and cracked as though by drought. The risen bodies had already been reinterred, but if the two half-elite priests had blessed the land, it certainly didn’t show. Even the very dirt seemed despoiled, as though it had once been alive and suffered some convulsive, painful death, with cracks and odd, wave-like grooves showing throughout what had been carefully sculpted topsoil. Kari understood that the priests were not exaggerating: the necromancer who’d done this seemed to have nearly given life to the dead earth itself.
“Is this the worst of it?” Kari asked, and the two priests answered silently with nods. They kept their torches held high while the demonhunter inspected the area. Kari wasn’t sure what could have done something like this to the very land, and she was at even more of a loss to figure out why werewolves would’ve been attracted to it. She half-expected something to rise out of the dirt and attack them, but with two priests of Kaelariel with her, she wasn’t worried about it. With everything else going on, a necromancer wreaking some small amount of havoc raising zombies hardly seemed troubling at all – unless they were connected to or, even worse, if they and the assassin were one and the same.
A beastly howl that echoed off of the cold stones around them sent a shock of shivers down Kari’s spine, and she rose to her feet and dropped her hands to the hilts of her blades reflexively. “What the hell was that?” she demanded, her eyes scanning the dark cemetery around them. She had heard wolves before, and could remember the depth and power behind Trigonh’s howl when he let loose to scare off forest creatures, but there was something disconcerting about this howl and the one that answered it moments later. Adrenaline flowed freely through Kari’s veins, and her survival instincts nearly took over completely.
“Those are the werewolves,” Piotyr answered, though he didn’t seem particularly concerned. “Sounds as though they are hunting, but rest assured, they are a good distance from the city. Sound carries for quite a ways here; do not worry.”
“Do you ever have any problems with vampires down this way?” Kari asked, and Eli fixed her with an amused gaze.
Deirdre beheld Kari curiously. “There hasn’t been a single reported case of vampirism on Askies that we’re aware of,” the priestess answered. “I have heard tales of an adventuring company on Terrassia called the Red Mask that hunts them, so I assume there must be a fair number of them there. We’ve also heard tales of them on the far island of Arkalman, but they’re generally very isolated cases. Why do you ask?”
Kari looked at Eli, and he chuckled. “Just wondering,” she said. “Eli made a joke about them, and it had me wondering…there are so many things at work here in the city, and this is looking less and less like a simple demon-hunt.”
“Perhaps your demoness is a necromancer as well,” Deirdre offered noncommittally. “I fail to see what she’d stand to gain from dabbling in raising corpses here, as it would only draw more allies to your side. On the other hand, whatever accomplished this is no apprentice of the necromantic arts: this was done by something much, much more powerful, and with a very strong tie to some dark power. Perhaps it is a part of her plan, or perhaps she is not inv
olved with this at all. But demons are known for spreading chaos, misery, and death – and this would provide her the means to do all three.”
“True enough,” Kari said with a sigh. A necromantic, sorcerous succubus was far more than Kari had expected, and she knew this hunt was going to be anything but simple. What nagged at her was trying to figure out how necromancy figured into what the succubus really wanted. If she just wanted to spread chaos, misery, and death, why draw Kari down to Barcon and potentially ruin her own plans? What was her ultimate goal?
Kari glanced around the graveyard in the flickering light of the torches one more time, but nothing stood out to her. She understood that the undead were not her area of expertise, and she was thankful that Kaelin Black had made an exception and allowed the two half-elite priests of Kaelariel to live and work in the city. “All right, I think we’re going to head back to the inn, and start our search in full in the morning,” she said to the priests at last. “If we need anything else in the cemetery, we’ll be sure to stop in and ask you to come along.”
“We would appreciate that,” Piotyr returned. He began to lead Kari and Eli back toward the gates. “Defending the graveyard is our responsibility, so even if you are able to handle yourself – which I’ve little doubt you are – we would like to be involved. Deirdre and I live upstairs in the church, so you may find us there any time.”
“Do you two have any kids?” Kari asked casually, making small talk.
Piotyr looked at her quizzically over his shoulder before sparing Deirdre a glance, and the two half-elites chuckled. “Deirdre is my sister,” he said, gesturing toward the priestess. They chuckled again and Eli joined in, and their laughter only deepened when Kari blushed.
“Sorry,” she offered, but the priests waved her apology away.
“An understandable mistake,” Piotyr said, slowing his pace so Kari drew up beside him. “Female half-demons are rare, so it stands to reason you’d expect we were mates when you saw us living and working together. But no, we are brother and sister: both by blood and by faith. Just out of curiosity, are you mated?”
“To a half-guardian,” Kari answered, and the two priests laughed again. She then elaborated, “To a fellow priest of yours, actually: Grakin Tesconis.”
Piotyr beheld her with wide eyes. “Ah, you are Grakin’s mate! I should have made the connection sooner,” he said.
“Well, thank you again for your help,” Kari said as they exited the cemetery, and the guards locked the gates. “We’ll keep you informed of anything we find out. Also, feel free to stop by Zalkar’s church and talk to Master Devin Sanstrom, the head priest. He sent us to you, and I’m sure he’ll be happy to speak with you and pool our information and resources.”
With Piotyr and Deirdre’s agreement, Kari and Eli split off and headed back to One Small Favor. Along the way, another massive howl split the air, causing Kari’s hackles to rise, though she saw that Eli’s did as well. They looked to each other with concern, as this time, the howl was answered by three others.
*****
Surprisingly, Alyssa showed little enough concern when Kari and Eli returned to find Zalkar’s priests had already placed protective wards around the requested inn rooms. Alyssa assured Kari that she had seen no trouble since the killings had begun, and was able to add that none of the killings had happened within the temple district. The woman was secure enough in living near the temples, and with the wards placed around her room by Zalkar’s priests, and the marshal’s men watching the building, she seemed content. It eased Kari’s spirit a bit to see such strength in the woman and her faith, but she bid Alyssa and Chelsea keep the door of their shared room closed and locked at all times.
Kari’s own room was likewise warded, and Eli retrieved the blankets and pillows from his bed and brought them into her room. The dorm was long enough for Eli to lay his bedroll lengthwise against the wall and leave room for Kari to come and go as needed. Kari watched him arrange his bedding on the floor, and considered whether or not she should simply wear her armor to bed. While it was possible the succubus could still enter the inn and the rooms without using magic, Kari decided it was unlikely with the men watching the building, the traps around its upper floor windows, and the wards that would surely give her pause. Kari figured she was about as safe as could be reasonably expected during a hunt, and though her armor wasn’t all that uncomfortable to sleep in thanks to its flexibility, she didn’t want to get it dirtier than necessary or become fatigued from wearing it all the time.
Kari briefly considered Eli, and then began removing her armor, but she was satisfied in knowing he had seen her naked once before and hadn’t made an issue of it. She removed her armor and piled it carefully next to the nightstand, and then she hung her cloak, padded clothes, and undergarments in the armoire. Even without turning around, Kari could feel Eli’s eyes on her, but rather than acknowledge his stare, she simply pulled down the covers and slid into bed. Sure enough, when she rolled onto her side facing him and tucked her wings tight to her back, he was staring at her, though it was a soft stare that spoke of curiosity and perhaps confusion.
Kari wasn’t sure what to make of his gaze; she figured he had to see naked women of all types fairly often while working in a brothel. She guessed he had probably sampled women of nearly every type as well, as it was no secret that the girls who worked at the Satin Palace found him charming and appreciated his protectiveness. Kari couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, and he shook his head lightly and turned away before beginning to undress himself. The look he’d given her wasn’t one of interest or lust; it was more like shock, and such that she couldn’t just attribute it to the difference in how serilian-rir viewed nudity. Kari half-expected Eli to undress completely, but after he stripped down to his loincloth, he pulled out the sleeveless tunic he’d slept in at Lord Lajere’s castle and put it on.
Eli started to lie down, but stopped and paced back to the door to check that it was locked. Kari watched him put his hand against the door and let out a long sigh. After a few moments, he returned to his bedding, but he paused again when his gaze met Kari’s, and the terra-dracon woman was at a loss as to what he was thinking. He was unnerved, his breathing slightly quickened though he tried to mask it, and his blinking was rapid as he held Kari’s stare. Kari was sure he was also trembling ever so slightly, and he looked around their shared abode. She wondered if he was simply afraid of being alone with a naked, mated woman in a small dorm, but then he returned to the door. He opened it and scanned both directions down the hall before closing and locking it again.
“Something wrong?” Kari asked.
“Hard to explain,” he said quietly before letting forth another sigh. He looked around again, and he reached up absently and ran his fingers along the tips of his small horns. “I just…the size of this room…it reminds me of the orphanage.”
It wasn’t a pleasant memory, Kari could tell. She wasn’t sure exactly what to say; shades of her own dark past dampened the light on the edges of her vision. While she’d felt somewhat liberated by sharing a part of it with Eli, Alyssa, and Chelsea over supper, it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about frequently or in great detail. She wanted to forget her past, but to possess the strength she had drawn from it while burying the pain and the sorrow in a way that it would never again haunt her. While she had learned several mental exercises to combat the pain, it was like bandaging a wound. Kari wanted to erase the wounds instead.
“You said you grew up on the streets of Solaris?” he asked, sitting down cross-legged on his bedding. He folded his hands in his lap, giving her his full attention.
“For five years,” she confirmed quietly. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she also didn’t want to shut herself away from Eli if he needed to talk. Kari took in a deep, quiet breath through her nose and steeled herself.
“Because you ran away from home?” he asked, but he didn’t wait for a response. “I’m guessing abusive father?” He apparently didn�
�t miss her reaction: her dark eyes must have glistened as tears came to them in an instant, and Eli looked down toward the floor. “I’m sorry, I’m getting too personal. Didn’t mean to pry into your personal life; it’s none of my business. It’s just… there’s something about you. I thought maybe you were…like me.”
Kari got a grip on her emotions pretty quickly, partly because she was getting better at dealing with the shadows of her past, but also because of Eli’s words. “Like you?” she repeated. “You were abused by your father?”
Eli looked away briefly before he rose to his feet and moved to the door to check its lock again. Kari’s heart sank; now she understood exactly what he was doing. She had never had the luxury of defending herself in the same way. Eli punched the door and Kari jumped slightly in shock, and she watched as he clenched his hand several times in pain. “Not my father,” he said, his voice wavering as though he were trying not to cry. “I never knew my parents; I was abandoned when I was born. I’m a goddamned half-corlyps, something even a mother can’t love.”
“Eli…,” Kari said, rising to a sitting position in the bed. “Don’t say that.”
He sighed, trying to calm himself, and Eli leaned his head against the door. “I lived in the orphanage til I was twelve,” he continued after a minute. “Spent twelve years getting beaten, told I was worthless, treated like I was barely more than an animal. No, less than an animal: at least the dogs got fed regularly and didn’t get kicked around all the time. As I got older, I learned to take the beatings, but they just…found other ways to abuse me.”
He turned around, and Kari was all at once saddened and angered by his tale. She could see now why Eryn had said she’d enjoyed Oge being burned to the ground. Kari could only imagine how many ghosts haunted the burnt ruin of that evil city, the psychological remnants of all the hurt and pain that was doled out and taken on a daily basis for as long as the Devil Queen had ruled it. And yet, some of those ghosts lived on in the hearts of those who’d survived the Apocalypse and the city’s razing – much like the ghosts of her own past lived on in the core of her being. Kari wondered how she had failed to realize it to this point: that there was a kinship between her and Eli that went well beyond their service to the Order or desire to do good. And with that thought, Kari had to wonder if meeting him had been more than mere coincidence.
