by Matthew Roys
Déaþscúa took one last look over her then nodded, a cocky smile spreading across his rugged face. “As you say, Ma’am. We moveout in the morning.”
Chapter 23.
It felt as though just about everyone in the camp had told KT to rest. Sure, she was exhausted and every inch of her hurt, but how could anyone expect her to sleep when the next day would be the most important of her life. The very air around her was charged with anticipation and fear.
Her first port of call was food. Elizabeth had offered her soup but the growling in her stomach demanded something more substantial. She could smell roasted meat, so with Kai hovering nervously around her, she made her way through the tents to an open fire where men and women were sat around eating and drinking.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kai asked. “No offense, but you look like hell.”
“Cheers. I feel like I’ve gone twelve rounds in a boxing ring with a gorilla. It’s okay though. I remember something that Déaþscúa told me on the night he saved us from the succubus. He said ‘always remember, it’s when we don’t feel pain that we’re most vulnerable to death’. I’m hurt but I’m still alive. I intend to keep it that way.”
“It’s just, I was scared, you know. More scared than I’ve ever been in my life. I thought I’d lost you and I had no idea how to cope with that.”
KT offered him a smile. “Since when have you ever been sentimental? I’m touched you think so highly of me.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me. It’s hard for a pillar of blazing masculinity such as myself to express all this emotional crap. Just don’t do it again, you hear.”
“It’s not on my list of experiences to relive. I can’t make any promises though.”
She grabbed a plate and began to eat. Between mouthfuls she craned her neck to look around in every direction.
“Look at us, Kai. We’re sat surrounded by warriors and magic and nobody is trying to send us away. We’ve fought against the odds and come through the other side still breathing. Maybe this is who we are.”
“And maybe they just have more pressing issues on their minds than some nobody teenagers. I’m happy that you feel useful but don’t forget we’re here to save dad.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten. We’ll save dad and Susan, beat Annis, and get revenge on that over-dressed swordsman.”
“Susan is dead.”
The words cut through KT, taking the wind from her sails. She placed her plate on the floor by her feet, her appetite suddenly gone.
Kai stared at the stars above. “Annis killed her as me and dad stood by helpless. She killed her as though it was nothing. She’s stronger than before.”
A new voice made KT jump.
“Black Annis is powerful but you must have faith in your own strength, Mordekai Redthorn.” The voice belonged to the dark skinned lycan, Arteeru. He turned to KT. “You must be Mordekai’s sister. I have heard much about you both.
“Did you decide to stay and fight with us?” Kai asked the older man.
“As I said, our objectives align. The blood lycan will partake in the battle so I shall too. He is too dangerous to be left to kill those around us.”
KT felt like she was missing something. “What is your objective? If you don’t mind me asking? Are you here just to kill that red furred lycan?”
“Yes. Members of my clan seek to erase the sins of our curse. Perhaps you should think of me as a policeman for lycans across the world. Policeman and carer. Our curse is a violent one. It takes time to control the beast inside. We try to find newly turned lycan to protect them from their own actions, and to kill those that choose violence once they have gained control.”
“What is it like, being a wolf?” she asked.
Arteeru struggled for words. “It is hard to explain. There is an all-consuming bloodlust and a heightened sense of everything. Most don’t even have memories of the wolf form until the human mind can conquer the beast. This is why we try not to judge lycan on their initial actions. Too often they judge themselves for this. Many lycan are burdened with causing the death of loved ones.”
“That’s terrible,” said KT. The lycan smiled at her sadly.
“That is life. It is why those like myself seek redemption. We try to give back when we have taken so much.” As he spoke, his fingers ran along a deep scar on his throat.
KT turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Déaþscúa joined them, collapsing into the seat beside her. He looked worn down. Pretending to act strong and confident for the others when he should have been healing was taking its toll on him.
“Jeez, I feel how you look. Utter shit.”
“Thanks,” KT muttered.
Arteeru stood and bowed his head to them respectfully. “Forgive me but I must go. Good luck for tomorrow. You will need it if you have dealings with the fairies.” He left quickly.
Déaþscúa laughed softly. “The damn fool needs to lighten up. He still can’t bear to look at me.”
“You know Arteeru?” Kai asked. “He’s a bit formal but seems a cool enough dude.”
“We had a run-in a few years back. I gave him that scar on his neck. Not a bad feat against one of his kind. He’s top tier lycan. I mean, he literally tore out my liver, but I’d say it was a fair tradeoff.”
“What happened?” KT said.
Déaþscúa shrugged. “It’s not my place to say. Put it this way, we all have dark moment in life. Arteeru reached a crossroad and needed reminding that he was free to choose which path he took.”
“Christ. Is there anybody here that you haven’t tried to kill?” Kai asked.
Déaþscúa frowned and looked around the camp. He was silent for a moment. “Do you two count?”
KT started laughing. Here they were on the eve of battle, with the entire world potentially in the balance, yet she was enjoying herself. It was surreal. Tomorrow’s problems were for tomorrow. This last week had taught her that life needed to be lived in the moment because you never knew when it would be gone. She was in pain and was terrified but the laughter cut through it all. She laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks with Kai and Déaþscúa looking on in concern.
***
Ailia stood at the edge of the camp, her back against a tree that was thicker than she was. The night was a vampire’s ally, but it was also a lonely place, a place where quiet contemplation came all too easily.
She ran her tongue along the scarred gum where her fangs had been. It had become a habit lately. She’d expected them to have grown back by now. The cuts on her body were still visible too. Whatever Golman had done to her hadn’t been overwritten by her powers yet.
As a child, this prospect was upsetting. She was hurt and the wounds weren’t going away. As a vampire it was an insult to her dignity. What was a vampire without fangs? She was like a declawed cat. As an intellectual though, the whole situation interested her. How had he done it?
She turned and slammed her hand into the tree. The wood split and groaned as it collapsed to the ground. She looked at her hand. No damage.
“We have a global warming crisis on our hands, you know? Hardly the time to be killing trees. Not that you should be killing something centuries old because you want to throw a tantrum.”
“That’s rich coming from someone who flies everywhere in a house sized helicopter. You’ve never been one for nature.”
Glory stepped out from the light of the camp to stand beside Ailia. She grabbed her chin and looked her up and down.
“Man, they did a real number on you.” Her tone was light but her eyes looked concerned.
Ailia batted her hand away. “It’s nothing. Why are you here anyway?”
“Lots reasons. Annis needs to be stopped and Déaþscúa offered me a fair price. That and I may be wanted by the Moot for breaking into the Heart. I needed to see some things for myself.”
“Fair enough. That’s not what I meant though. Why are you here talking to me?”
“That? No reason. Ju
st wanted to see how you were. You put on your childish persona and most people accept that as who you are. I know better though.”
“You think you know me better? I’m over three hundred years old. You’ve known me fifteen years. Ten of which we’ve barely spoken in. You are nothing to me.”
“Maybe,” Glory said softly. “I’ve grown up but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight to protect you.”
“Protect me? I’m a motherfucking vampire! I could kill half this camp before anyone even noticed. I don’t need protection from someone like you. In another hundred years when you are dust, I’ll still be alive and just as strong as ever.”
“Yup. You’ll still be a three foot tall vampire without fangs, friends or family. Makes the cold embrace of death seem kind of comforting, don’t it?”
Ailia reached up to rip the woman’s throat out but stopped herself. She lowered her hand and turned away.
“Just leave me alone.”
“Fine. You’re no fun to taunt when you’re like this. Just know that I’m here for you. I might not be that same girl but you’re still important to me. Got that?”
She walked away, leaving Ailia alone with her thoughts. Ailia stayed there awhile until she finally reached into her pocket and took out a small case. Inside was a set of fanged dentures. She stared at them for a moment then fixed them into her mouth.
It was only something simple she’d put together in her free time while others had been planning. She had felt naked without her fangs but acknowledging that she wasn’t coping without them felt nearly just as bad. She practiced smiling a few times. They weren’t very strong but hopefully they would do.
She tried to cast the negative thoughts from her mind and focus on tomorrow’s bloodshed. This improved her mood no end. Death always made her happy. It was what had drawn her to Déaþscúa. They were both cold-blooded killers who hid behind playful veneers.
Yes. That was why she fought. Because she enjoyed it. Plain and simple. What side she was on didn’t really matter, so long as she could kill.
She smiled a genuine smile this time. The night was still young. She might as well enjoy it. She shadow-stepped away, her twisted giggles rising through the cold night air.
Chapter 24.
The sun was showing no sign of rising yet but KT’s phone told her it was early morning. Déaþscúa had gathered up herself and Kai a few minutes ago after a handful of hours’ worth of sleep. Niall was already up, directing activity as the camp was deconstructed.
“You all set?” Déaþscúa asked the Scotsman.
Niall ran his fingers along his weapon’s hilt. “We will move out at sunrise and journey down te a few miles from this village. We’ll make our final preparations there before attacking at dawn tomorrow. That gives ye just over a day te git yer wish from the fairies.”
“That should be enough time,” Déaþscúa said. He held out his hand and Niall clasped his wrist. “I’ll see you on the other side. Try not to die.”
“Ye donae need te tell me. You’re the reckless one. Telling ye te be careful would be a waste of me breath.” They both nodded then turned away from each other.
“Good luck to you all!” Déaþscúa roared at the gathering as he walked away. He slowed as he passed Ailia and Elizabeth. “Look after yourselves. Try not to have too much fun,” he told them then strode away from the fire. KT and Kai had to jog to keep up with him.
Jearl met them at the edge of the camp. Déaþscúa didn’t slow. His face was set in a grimace though as he pushed his body through the pain. The SUV was parked a short distance away but Déaþscúa showed no signs of getting in. Jearl opened the boot, revealing a small pile of weapons.
“That’s all the gear I could recover and a few replacements for y’all,” he told them in his usual cheerful manner. He personally handed over Déaþscúa’s sword. KT and Kai grabbed everything that they could practically carry while Déaþscúa waited patiently.
“You know what to do, Jearl. We can’t have any mistakes,” Déaþscúa told the scruffy man.
“Course. There’ll be no issues at all, boss. Scout’s honour.”
Once they were ready, Déaþscúa walked away from the SUV, going deeper into the forest.
“We’re not driving?” Kai asked when they caught him up. “Are these fairies nearby then?”
Déaþscúa shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you where they are. For all I know, they could inhabit an entirely different realm of existence. The only way I know how to get to them is by using the faegates.”
“Are they really as horrible as everyone was making out? I mean, in the stories they’re little magical people with wings. Mischievous but kind.”
“Worse,” Déaþscúa answered grimly. “They’re foul creatures. Not evil but certainly not good or kind. They look down on all other forms of life. Nastiness and greed are their biggest traits. You could say that they suffer under a delusional god complex. Never underestimate them though.”
The air was bitterly cold as they made the short trek through the forest to the closest mushroom ring. The glimpses of sky between the branches were clear blue. Their breath misted and KT’s skin quickly became a flushed red. Each day felt colder than the last.
Déaþscúa moved between the trees with a confidence that even his limp and rattling breath couldn’t dampen. It still amazed KT how he could navigate his way through the masses of trees to find something as small as a circle of mushrooms. She had never known him to get lost or even hesitate on direction since she had met him. She asked him how he managed it.
“Depends,” he answered dismissively. Some places I’ve been through before. I’m a hunter so I can follow trails and have a keen eye for details. In this case, I’m following the faegate’s aura. They're places of power so emit energy, just like living creatures. The closest is about thirty yards more that way, behind a large tree,” he finished, pointing off ahead.
Sure enough, there was a ring of pale mushrooms just behind a wide tree where Déaþscúa had indicated. Knowing what to expect from their last journey through the magical portal, KT and Kai stepped inside of the ring while Déaþscúa moved around them. He touched the mushrooms in a seemingly random pattern.
Déaþscúa stepped inside and tapped one final mushroom. KT braced herself for the wave of nausea that she had experienced the last time she’d used a faegate. It made no difference. If anything, the sudden sickness hit her harder than before. The tingling across her entire body felt more like a million hands pinching her and her vision was not just blurry but completely warped like a nightmare acid trip.
The feelings stopped abruptly but it took KT several seconds to recover. She could hear Kai throwing up somewhere nearby. He’d always had a weak stomach. Breathlessly, she managed to look around. There was no snow and the air was pleasantly warm. Colourful flowers grew everywhere while grand trees surrounded them, lush leaves forming a roof above that allowed through the light of the sun.
“This is the fairy’s domain. Watch your step and don’t agree to anything without thought, and then only if you must.”
Before they could move away from the faegate, a gong sounded from seemingly everywhere all at once. Tiny shapes fluttered into sight from the trees, swirling around them and tittering in high, musical voices. The creatures were just like KT had always imagined fairies to look. They were small, angelic beings with glimmering, transparent wings, who wore beautiful dresses and decorative suits. All of them had feminine frames and androgynous faces.
One hovered just in front of her and she reached out, mesmerised by its beauty. When her finger neared it, its mouth suddenly opened wide like a snake as it beared several rows of thin fangs that looked to go down its throat. KT pulled her hand back fast as it snapped at her. The fairy hissed at her then returned to the others in their swarming mass of colours.
“I am Déaþscúa and I come seeking a deal,” Déaþscúa announced in a clear voice that filled the air.
“We know you, reaper of souls.” Th
e reply was haunting, the words coming from every fairy in perfect synchronization. “We know what deal you seek. We want to know more. Enter. Ghodot awaits.”
Déaþscúa began to walk forward through the spinning wall of fairies. They parted around him like water. KT and Kai reluctantly did the same. No sooner had they passed beyond the fairies than the creatures reformed as a single long line that extended through the trees. Déaþscúa followed them.
Just ahead of them was a golden tree that stood slightly apart from the others. A tiny balcony was built into it just above head height. A circular door about the size of a human fist led from the balcony into the tree. They approached it until the fairies once again circled around them, blocking their path.
“Kneel,” the thousand voices told them. They obeyed.
The only sound was the fluttering of the fairies’ wings like a plague of locust. Their pace seemed frantic, ever increasing toward a grand crescendo, but nothing visible was changing. Then, the fairies came to a sudden stop, hovering in place around them as a vast halo. Slowly they descended until their feet rested on the ground and their wings became still. All was now silent.
Deep blue smoke rose up from the grass until a strong wind blew it all high into the sky. Now, the balcony on the tree was occupied by another fairy who had appeared under the smoke’s cover. He stood slightly taller than the other fairies and carried himself with a grave nobility. His beauty made the others look plain except for dark, angry eyes, and a cross-shaped scar that ran across his mouth. The other fairies were now chanting the word “Ghodot”.
“So the son of Arkaei’ra has come to my realm for help on his ceaseless quest of death,” the fairy said in a thunderous voice at odds with his tiny stature. “And with him are two children with no concept of the true harshness of the world. You should not have brought them,”
