Fantastic. Instead of the beautiful sorceress, her golems had decided to pay me a visit.
“Hey, guys, don’t you think it’s a bit too early for a rematch?” I said.
“That’s up to you to decide, slayer,” a rich, husky voice replied.
The robes slipped from Octurna’s magical constructs, revealing two gorgeous women. They were tall and athletic, with curves in all the right places.
“I am Nuala,” the one on the left said. “And this is Zemira.”
Both the beauties appeared to be multiracial, as though all of my fantasies had been blended together to create the women standing before me. Nuala had bronzed skin with vaguely Japanese features and dark hair that fell in a smooth wave down her back. Zemira had curly caramel-colored hair a shade or two lighter than her complexion and a full, pouty mouth.
“You fought well today, Jason. The sorceress wants you to have some fun,” Zemira said, taking a step toward me.
Fucking a rock creature wasn’t my idea of fun. But neither Nuala nor Zemira shared much in common with the faceless mannequins that snuck around this place like a couple of spooks—and that only minutes earlier had tried to kill me.
The first goddess stepped into the Jacuzzi and drifted toward me, her ample cleavage carving the water’s surface. I sat there as if frozen, my body responding to the sight of these two gorgeous creatures even while my mind reeled. I tried to think of them as the faceless golems I had battled in the arena but couldn’t.
“You’ve trained hard for the last two weeks,” Zemira said. “The sorceress feels you deserve a reward.”
“Uh, I’m good, thanks. I don’t need a reward!”
My body seemed to have a different opinion about that.
“Why do you fight what your body craves?” Nuala purred.
Good question. To be honest, I wasn’t putting up too much of a fight. Nuala pressed against my muscular frame. I automatically reached out and drew her closer, her breasts brushing against my chest. From the corner of my eye, I saw Zemira circle us and lean into me from behind, her hands running down the sore muscles of my broad back, exploring.
Screw it. A man has needs, right? I buried my face in Nuala’s cleavage. The dragon blood had increased both my stamina and sexual appetite, and I felt like an uncaged lion as I claimed the two Amazons who gave themselves so willing to me. Soft lips trailed kisses over my skin, and hands caressed me everywhere at once.
But as I built up to my release, I found my mind turning to another woman. One with snow-white skin and a haughty smile.
7
For the first time since starting my new life at the Sanctuary, I slept like a baby. When I awoke—alone, I might add—I felt energized and refreshed. For a change, Octurna hadn’t deemed it necessary to wake me in the middle of the night for more training. As much as I appreciated feeling well rested, I was suspicious of the sorceress’ sudden generosity. Why had she sent the golems to my quarters and turned them into sex- crazed Barbies?
My blissful hours spent with Octurna’s magical assistants filled me with mixed emotions. I wasn’t proud of myself. They weren’t people, not really. But they’d seemed so real. I wished I could blame too much wine for what had gone down last night. But I guess I’d needed the release after the last few weeks of torture. Still, who or what did I have sex with? And the next time I faced them in the gladiator torture chamber, I doubted I could think of Nuala and Zemira as two faceless mannequins.
I got dressed and ate an apple. As soon as I took the last delicious bite, the door of my sleeping quarters opened. Right on schedule. Did Octurna ever take her eyes off me?
Had she been watching me last night? Did she enjoy the show?
I sighed and stepped out of my room. It didn’t come easy to a guy like me, but I had to accept that Octurna was in charge. At least for the moment. If this arrangement was going to work, I would have to swallow my pride and play along. Didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Jason. It doesn’t become a warrior.”
I flinched as my tats lit up, and Octurna’s seductive voice filled my mind. I wisely avoided being baited into an argument regarding what was becoming or not in a so-called warrior.
“What’s on the schedule today?” I inquired. “Are we gearing up for another round in the arena?”
“No. Today we take the fight to the Shadow Cabal. Meet me downstairs in the library.”
The sorceresses’ words sent a shiver up my spine. My body tingled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. This was it. I was finally going to get a real fight.
“So does that mean we’re done with the training?”
“Far from it. I hesitate sending you into the field ill-prepared as you are, but the enemy has forced our hand.”
I wasn’t sure if I should feel insulted by this blunt assessment or worried.
“You know, being locked away from humanity sure has done wonders to your social skills.”
“What’s your excuse, brute?”
I shook my head and decided to drop it. It was too early, and I was in far too good of a mood to get into a verbal sparring match with my supernatural hostess. Instead, I did my best to maintain a positive attitude and an open mind as I descended the stairs.
Most of the Sanctuary remained a mysterious labyrinth to me, but after spending a few weeks here, I knew how to get from my quarters to the library. Waves of blue-red light washed over me as I joined Octurna in the circular chamber. She faced the shimmering bank of stained-glass windows, unmoving as a statue, her gorgeous features locked in an intense mask of concentration. From my vantage point, the windows still looked like painted glass. Only once I drew closer to her did the windows change, offering glimpses into the real world.
“So what’s the scoop?” I struggled to keep my tone even and measured. It did not become a warrior to sound too excited, right?.
Octurna didn’t turn to look at me. “I hope my constructs were to your satisfaction?”
I shrugged, not sure how to respond to that question. “I feel well rested,” I said at last.
“Good. I thought you had earned a reward for your dedication.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
So why didn’t you swing by yourself, I wondered.
For a beat, we stood in front of the windows in awkward silence.
“What are we looking at?” I asked.
“The dark handiwork of our first target.”
I concentrated on the windows, allowing the details to come into focus. They showed multiple crime scenes. Bodies that had been discarded in city alleys, subway tunnels, and sewers. All the victims were male and looked as though their chests had been torn open. My good mood dissipated as the harsh reality of what I faced settled in.
“The succubus has been busy,” Octurna said.
She pointed at two more windows, which showed medical examiners inspecting the murder victims over autopsy tables. The harsh halogen glow of the forensic lab’s lights revealed all the gruesome details. I couldn’t hear what the MEs were saying, but the ragged cavities in the victims’ chests told their own grim story.
“She took their hearts?”
Octurna nodded. “The mark of the succubi.”
“I thought she infected people the way she did back in the building, turning them into crazy zombies?”
“No, she was ravenous when she first arrived in our world. Normally, her kind is selective about their victims. They target either males or females, depending on their preferences, and then seduce them, even make them fall in love, before feasting on their crushed hearts and lovesick souls.”
“Sounds like a couple of my exes.”
This statement earned me a cocked eyebrow from the sorceress. She wasn’t amused at my half-assed attempt at humor.
“Sounds to me like you show poor judgment in your selection of mates.”
I raised an eyebrow right back at her. “Hey, you tell me.”
Octurna held my gaze for a beat. Chr
ist, a man could get lost in that hypnotic gaze. It felt like the sorceress was looking into my soul. It took all my will power to resist pulling her toward me for a kiss.
“Okay, what else have we got? What do we know about the vics?”
“Six dead so far. As you can see, none of the victims were exactly prime physical specimens.” Octurna was referring to their bloated faces, bulging waists, and receding hairlines. Poor bastards. “All of them were middle-aged, unhappily married or recently divorced, and flush with cash.”
I chewed this over. “Go on.”
“Succubi feed on emotion. Consuming the heart is symbolic. Some of them find betrayal to be a delicacy, so she might enjoy convincing these men to love her before revealing how badly they’d been fooled.”
“How does she hunt these victims?”
“All of these poor fools had plenty of disposable income. Where do men with too much money, bulging waistlines, and raging hormones go when they are feeling lonely?”
The way she pronounced lonely made me think of a very different word. I already knew the answer to Octurna’s question before the palace of flashing neon filled one of the stained-glass windows. The strip club was called Island Fantasy, its fiery red letters impossible to miss.
“Are you telling me an interdimensional being has nothing better to do than set up shop in a titty bar?”
Octurna shrugged. “The succubus is a predator and follows its prey. Quite cunning, but still a beast driven by its baser desires and needs. Honestly, she is nothing but a lower-level demon.”
A lower-level demon who had wiped out my entire team, ruined my life, killed an entire building’s worth of college kids, and since then had added six more poor schmoes to its growing list of victims. I didn’t want to think of the kind of chaos a full-fledged demon could cause.
“I know this is personal for you, Jason. And I believe you stand a chance against this enemy.”
I gave Octurna a long look. “Thanks, I think.”
“Are you ready to avenge your fallen brothers and sisters?”
I grimly eyed the dead men whose only fault had been to seek love and comfort from a beautiful woman. In a strip club. Okay, maybe they were sleazebags. But being a middle-aged horndog didn’t mean you deserved to get your heart torn out of your chest.
“I’m ready.”
“Are you sure? You’re going up against a formidable enemy here.”
“Listen, this isn’t my first rodeo…”
She frowned. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost mistake her expression for concern. “This war is nothing like the ones you fought on Earth.”
“You’ve never faced the Taliban on the battlefield, have you now?”
The momentary softness in her expression crystalized into her usual hauteur. “And you’ve never faced a werewolf ready to tear out your throat with his bare teeth.”
Touché.
“Are you trying to talk me into this crazy war or out of it? I’m ready. As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Octurna regarded me for a beat. Then she flashed me a satisfied smile and pointed to my right. I turned, and my gaze landed on the most badass motorcycle I’d ever seen.
This was love at first snarling engine roar. I’d ridden since I was sixteen and owned multiple bikes over the years, but this was a set of wheels in a league of its own.
I let out a low, appreciative whistle as I advanced. The bike must’ve sensed my approach. The engine revved and the hog lit up with a spectral green light. Orange flames licked the tires.
“Holy Shit! Don’t tell me this is a magical motorcycle?”
“Haven’t you learned anything in the last month? Everything is magical here.”
No kidding.
“So what can it do?”
“You’ll figure it out soon. The Nighthawk has a few tricks up its sleeve.”
Nighthawk? Was Octurna having a joke at my expense?
I drew closer to the bike, admiring the cycle’s ferocious design and throbbing horsepower. Visually, it resembled the Triumph Rocket III, which I had been eyeing for a while. I had a feeling this bike’s specs would put the Rocket to shame. I circled the roaring cycle, eying it with respect as it bucked like a wild bronco. I felt like a sixteen-year-old kid again, about to take my first set of wheels for a spin.
I was ready to conquer the world.
“You will need this,” the sorceress said.
Octurna waved her hands, the air crackled and shifted around me, and the bladed gauntlet appeared around my right hand. And that was just the beginning. Octurna’s magic had fully armed me. Strapped around my shoulder was my submachine gun, but with a few new mods. It looked like it a prop from some Hollywood science fiction flick, crossed with my beloved HK MP5, with some runic engravings for good measure. A weapon both familiar and fantastical. Over the course of my training sessions, I had learned that the rifle fired both silver ammo and magic-charged bullets. I also sported a 9mm handgun loaded with silver ammo.
I touched the daggers sheathed on my bandolier. Between the two spells I’d mastered, the machine pistol, the knives, the 9mm handgun and the gauntlet, I felt pretty much invincible. I’d seen enough combat to know that this feeling would wear off soon enough, but for now, I enjoyed the ride.
A thought occurred to me. “Okay, I have some serious firepower here, but what happens if I need cash or an ID?”
Octurna considered this. She opened her hand and tossed me a glittering object. I caught the gold coin, which twinkled in the multi-colored light.
“Your missions, if you should survive tonight, will take you all over the globe. The coin can become any currency as needed,” Octurna explained like it was a normal, common thing.
I was still wrapping my head around this latest revelation when Octurna removed a star-shaped medallion from a necklace which she wore around her neck. It shimmered ominously as she handed it to me. I took note of the series of sigils engraved in the metal. I was still studying the jewelry when it morphed into my driver’s license. Within seconds it became an FBI badge, a police badge, and then a military ID. Whoa.
“The medallion can become any form of identity you may need while carrying out your missions. You’ll be able to visit crimes scenes, infiltrate government and other secure buildings. And I think that’s quite enough to get started. Now go!”
Feeling like the biggest badass in the universe, I straddled the humming hog. Doubt filled my heart for a split second—I was on a collision course with fate. Could I conquer the challenges that lay ahead? Was I ready to face the demon? I was a cop, not some comic book superhero. But then I thought of the friends I’d lost to the succubus, and my face tightened with steely determination. There was no turning back. I had sworn my life to protecting the innocent. Time to see what I was made of.
To my surprise, Octurna approached and laid a gentle hand on my cheek. The tattoos covering my skin pulsed briefly at the contact.
“I will monitor your progress and remain in contact while you make your way in the outside world. You won’t be alone out there, Jason Night. Godspeed”
I nodded, ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of my gut. God seemed very far away.
8
The tapestry of stained-glass shimmered and warped, light bending and twisting as a giant doorway to reality opened up before me. I was never going to get used to this. Outside the magical portal, the sun was setting over the glittering Los Angeles skyline, and I could almost taste the smog drifting into the Sanctuary’s library.
To the naked eye, it looked like only a few feet separated me from the streets of LA. But in reality, I was looking out from one dimension into another. It’s hard to wrap your mind around the concept. Trust me, I know.
I revved the Nighthawk, took a deep breath, and exploded through the interdimensional gateway. As I passed from the Sanctuary into the real world, my stomach lurched and my hairs stood up, magical energy sizzling around me. By the time I exhaled, I found myself surrounded by long-abandoned
warehouses and tenement buildings. This wasn’t exactly one of the popular sections of downtown Los Angeles. Still, after being stuck for three long weeks in Octurna’s castle, it felt like paradise. The city lights shimmered up ahead, and I struggled to wipe the big grin off my face. The air was thick and stifling, the sounds of traffic loud, yet I was in heaven. The sounds of the city energized me after the silence of the Sanctuary. I had missed my hometown something fierce.
I stole a glance backward and couldn’t entirely hide my wonder at seeing the Sanctuary transformed into a rundown hotel that blended in with the other buildings in this neglected part of the city. It made me think of the famous Chateau Marmont on Sunset, its European flair and castle-like towers sharp reminders that this was no ordinary hotel. Octurna stood in the doorway, her eyes following my departure, unable to join me unless she wanted to risk the consequences of the Cabal’s death spell. She was indeed a prisoner inside her magical fortress.
Was there a longing in her eyes? A sadness in the slight downturn of her lips?
“Under that macho veneer, you’re a real poet, Jason. Now focus on the road.”
Octurna’s voice inside my head shattered any sympathy I might feel for the sorceress. Even out here in the real world, our telepathic link persisted.
Almost as if to confirm this connection, the tattoos lit up all over my body. Octurna’s power raged inside me, and as long as it did, the sorceress would always be with me.
“You make it sound so tragic, Jason.”
Hey, I like my privacy. Now let me concentrate on the road.
I twisted the handlebars, took a sharp turn, and shot down into an even seedier section of the city. The strip club was located right off the 101 freeway, surrounded by several blocks of a homeless tent village. The club took advantage of the relative isolation downtown offered compared to the rest of Los Angeles. Their homeless neighbors wouldn’t complain about loud drunkards partying late into the night.
Night Slayer: Midnight War Page 7
