by Tara West
Piano music filtered in from the saloon as two demons tumbled out of it, fists flying and claws scratching when they rolled onto the ground. Then, much to my horror, one demon opened up an impossibly huge maw and bit off the other demon’s head, swallowing it whole. The headless demon ran into a post before falling to the ground, flailing around before it vanished into dust. Yikes. This place wasn’t just the Wild West. This was the Wicked Wild West on steroids.
I thought I heard Mar seizing. “Oh, dear heavens!” she exclaimed.
She was lying on Aedan’s other side, leaning into him way too close for my comfort, squeaking and gasping every five seconds.
Jeez, Louise! Why did Aedan insist on bringing her again? Oh, yeah, because he’s an idiot.
I squinted at the soft light in one of the hotel windows. The silhouette of a shapely woman passed behind it, and my first thought was Katherine. Mar gasped again, but since she’d been doing it ever since we’d gotten here, it was no surprise.
Whoever she was, I was suddenly envious. She had to have been having a better time in Hell than I was. As if on cue, I clenched my stomach as a wave of pain swept through me. Oh, holy Hell. I did not need PMS in a place like this. How the heck had it hit me so soon, anyway? I wasn’t supposed to start for another week. And this heat wasn’t helping things, either. Hot and sweaty didn’t exactly compliment bloated and achy.
“Do you think they have air conditioning?” I asked on a moan.
“My word,” Mar exclaimed. “I’ve never been this hot in all my days.” She had no idea how lucky she had it. She probably hadn’t had a visit from Aunt Flo in over a hundred years, and I bet she wasted all of that period-free sex time knitting sweaters.
Aedan still hadn’t answered my question. “Do you see anything?” I asked.
“The same scenery from ten seconds ago,” he answered dryly.
Okay, it hadn’t been ten seconds. More like two minutes. Guys were so freaking bad at measurements, especially when it came to dick size and units of time. In their world, four inches equaled six, and five minutes was equivalent to twenty. I had no idea how any of them ever passed math.
Another wave of misery washed over me. I wondered how long my undies and jeans would last before the red bulls-eye of shame made its mark. “Damn, my stomach hurts.”
“My hair has gone limp,” Mar whined. As if limp hair was as remotely as excruciating as period cramps.
Aedan set down his binoculars, glaring at her and then at me. “Do you two think you could stop complaining for a few minutes?”
“I beg your pardon!” Mar sounded crushed, as if Aedan had spit in her face.
I nudged Aedan in the ribs. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to deal with PMS.”
“Oh, no.” Mar peered around Aedan, and for the first time looked at me as if I was a human being and not some nuisance. “It’s your womanly time? Have you no rags?”
Rags? Ewww. I so didn’t want to know the time-of-the month hygiene details from her day. Something told me it involved washing used scraps of nastiness in a water basin.
“Actually,” I said, trying to keep the sound of disgust out of my voice, “I use tampons, but no I don’t have them.” I should have been thankful I’d changed into my jeans this morning and didn’t go down in my borrowed white toga. I would have looked like a walking maxi-pad.
And then Mar did something totally unexpected. She sat up, ripping the hem off her flowing pale gown. “Here.” She leaned over Aedan, handing the scrap to me. “It’s not the most reliable coverage, but it will have to do.”
I looked at the fabric. It was thick enough that it might work for a day. “I appreciate it,” I said. “I wasn’t looking forward to ruining my jeans.”
Aedan shook his head before blowing out a sharp breath. “Can you two talk about something else? I don’t think my stomach can tolerate talk of feminine issues.”
I glared at him. “And you say we complain too much.”
Mar waved a hand in the air. “Oh, this is so typical Aedan behavior.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m starting to see that.”
Poor Aedan. Even though he deserved it, I felt kind of bad for him as he did his best to ignore us while looking through his binoculars. Boner and the giants still hadn’t come back, so I quickly unzipped my jeans and inserted my makeshift maxi. Wow. I totally got where the expression “on the rag” had come from. If only I was back in my bed at Delta house with a big carton of Ben and Jerry’s and maybe some of Basil’s pain meds. I wiped a bead of sweat off my brow and hunched over as a wave of pain sliced through me. The only thing more torturous than being on the rag was being on the rag in Hell. Could my life suck any worse?
Boner clomped up to us, chest heaving. Jack followed him, noses stuck to the ground as his heads frantically searched for something.
“Hey,” Boner screeched, “they’re gone!”
Aedan flipped over and put a finger to his lips. “Quiet. Do you want the whole town to know we’re here?”
Boner waved his hands wildly while stomping his hooves. “But they disappeared!”
“Who?” Aedan growled.
His eyes widened. “The freaking giants!”
Aedan sat up, scanning the area with his binoculars. “Goliath!” he hissed loudly, but there was no response. He stood, placing the binoculars to his eyes.
I held my breath for a long moment, watching for any sign of hope.
Finally, he lowered the binoculars, a perplexed look in his eyes. “How could three Nephilim just disappear?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” But whatever the reason, I was sure it wasn’t good. Crap. My confidence in this assignment was waning quickly. If level four could swallow up three giants, what chance did I stand?
“I don’t like this place.” Mar squeaked, sounding as frightened as a timid mouse.
And though I still wasn’t crazy about her, I had to agree. The fourth dimension wasn’t exactly my ideal vacation destination.
Even though level four was far more sinister than an overflowing gas station sanitary napkin waste bucket (sorry for the visual—I had PMS on the brain), I needed to find the giants.
My wings hummed as I lifted off the ground.
“Are you crazy?” Aedan grabbed my arm, pulling me down with not-so-gentle force. His eyes had a wild look in them, like he’d just smoked a crack pipe or was truly terrified.
I shook off his grip. I knew it was a risk, but they needed us. “They could be in trouble.”
Aedan pointed to the horizon, where I could definitely make out storm clouds. “We’ll all be in trouble if we don’t get out of here.”
The clouds shifted as if they were a school of sardines. Huh? That was strange. Clouds didn’t move that way, and certainly not that fast. A line of black broke from the formation, spinning toward the ground like the arched finger of a tornado. The tip scraped the ground, clearing brush and weeds in its path and tossing up an angry cloud of dirt into the sky.
I squinted. “What the hell is that?”
I heard a faint buzzing sound, like a million angry bees. I gasped, and no surprise, Mar did, too.
Those weren’t storm clouds. That was a plague of locusts or maybe killer bees. Either way, we would be easy targets if they were looking for their next meal.
“Where do we go?”
Aedan’s binoculars transformed back into a hammer as he nodded toward the town. “Forward.”
Callum O’Connor
I followed Cara through a series of dark tunnels dimly lit by flickering wall sconces, a lead ball settling in the pit of my stomach, for spider webs with strands as thick as ropes were at every turn. Some webs blocked off tunnel exits that were at least sixteen feet high. Even the ceilings were covered in the sticky stuff.
We finally descended into a wide circular cavern that sloped toward the middle with an infestation of webbing crowding the back wall. In the center of the largest web was a black boulder the size of a horse. When that boulder
sprouted eight long legs and began walking down the strands, I fought the urge to turn and run. A fuzzy dark head with the facial features of a woman popped up from the body, as well as a distended red abdomen. Good God! It was the most hideous demon I’d ever seen.
Cara bowed her head. “I am sorry, Mother, but he refused to rest.”
“It is okay, sweet one,” the spider said with a sibilant tongue that sounded like the hiss of a steam engine. “Leave us for a moment.”
When Cara quickly padded out of the room, I fought the urge to go after her, but I had to keep my focus on the spider in case she was in the mood for a snack.
The beast stopped at the edge of her web, crooking a long leg at me. “Come forward.”
I hesitated, focusing on the pinchers that extended from her otherwise human mouth.
Frowning, she tilted her head. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of spiders?”
I puffed up my chest, determined not to let this creature know how much she unnerved me. “I have seen scarier demons,” I lied.
She smiled, sweeping her front legs toward the mesh beneath her. “But I am not a demon. I have shed my earthly sins and embraced the light.”
Not more of this religious mumbo jumbo. “Look, I need to rescue my friend before he becomes dragon bait.”
Her smile faded, and she nodded toward a silvery web hanging like a mural along a side wall. The web seemed different from the others, for every strand glowed as if it had been spun of shiny metal. “You are too late. He will perish. I have seen it in the web of light.”
Oh, boy. What kind of crazy pit had I fallen into? “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather be on my way.”
“But you are not healed.” She nodded at my back. “Look at your wing.”
Her scratchy voice took on a tenor so high, I fought the urge to cover my ears.
It made no difference what this insane spider had seen in a web. I wasn’t going to let my friend die without a fight. Besides, Ash and Aedan could be up there looking for Sarge. They’d need my help.
“It’s sore,” I said as I struggled to move my wing, “but I can still use it.” I did my best to keep my features impassive, even as pain ripped through me.
The spider’s limbs shook and rattled as she walked off the web and crawled right to me. I wanted to make a run for it, but where would I go in this maze of tunnels?
“Do you know what Zahaka does with other dragons?” she wheezed as her pinchers rattled. “She calls them her hatchlings, and they do her bidding.”
“Well, then.” I shrugged, forcing a note of confidence into my voice that I didn’t feel. “I won’t have to worry about being eaten.”
The spider raised a furry foot, tapping me in the chest with surprising force. “She will poison your soul, transforming you from the inside. You will be fashioned in her image and become her mindless servant. It is a fate worse than eternal damnation. And when she tires of you, she will eat you, discarding your bones and trapping your soul inside her forever.” Her black eyes took on an unnatural glow. “I cannot let you go up there.”
I stepped back, clenching my fists as I took a deep breath of humid air. I did not want to burn this beast, but if I could not find a means of escape, she would leave me with no choice. “But my friend is up there, and more may follow. They may be searching for me even now.”
“Believe me, your friends are safer with you down here. With the dragon controlling you, they will all be doomed as well. You are staying.” The pinchers in her mouth made an ominous clacking noise as she stood on her back two legs, nearly doubling her height and towering over me like a monolith. That was when I noticed the armor plates on her abdomen. “My word is final.”
Even as she was issuing her orders, I was observing the webs behind her, for I could distinctly feel a draft coming from that direction.
“Do not eye my webs.” Malicious laughter rang in each word. “They are impenetrable, even to dragon fire, just as I am.” Her eyes narrowed as she tapped a plate on her chest. “How else do you think I keep my children safe?”
Callum O’Connor
What was wrong with me that I’d given up so easily? I sat on my cot and stared down at my hands, angry with myself for capitulating to the spider. But what could I have done? Try to burn her to a crisp and end up angering her instead? No, it was best to let her think she’d won. In the meantime, I would plan my escape. I’d endured Scorpius’s captivity and torture. I would survive this. But my friends wouldn’t if they were eaten by the dragon.
“Do you like pie?”
I looked up to see Cara standing in the narrow doorway, holding a stone bowl in her hands. Her modest robe hung off one shoulder, giving me a glimpse of smooth dark skin, and much to my surprise, the top of what resembled a tribal tattoo. I wondered if it was a part of her religion or perhaps she had demon markings underneath that robe.
Mother had sent her to me, I was almost positive. She was trying to distract me so I wouldn’t find a way out. But why? Was it so I wouldn’t become Zahaka’s mindless slave? Surely this spider didn’t care that much about my immortal soul. There must have been something in it for her.
“What?” I asked the girl as she shifted from foot to foot.
Her soft gaze wavered. “I have made a fresh pie. We have ambrosia fruit. Some call it the food of the gods.”
Ambrosia fruit? I’d eaten it in the Nephilim’s pyramid. I’d thought only the giants had access to such delicacies, which made me wonder once again what the spider was hiding behind her webs. Was it a passage to level one? I knew it had to exist, for I’d heard tales of demons who’d been cast down crawling their way up through a narrow hole which led to Scorpius’s pit. And the nettles I was always dusting somehow found a way to come back and haunt me. I knew I’d have to find a way to get past the spider so I could see for myself.
In the meantime, I would allow the spider to think I’d become entranced by the company of a beautiful woman. In truth, Cara was a welcome distraction, though I knew it would never last. Nothing good lasted in this infernal place.
I patted the side of my bed, beckoning her to sit. “I haven’t had pie in over a century.”
Her full lips pulled back in a dazzling smile as she handed me the bowl and a wooden spoon. I hesitated, wondering if it could be poisoned. But looking into her innocent, transparent gaze, I dismissed that notion. What the heck was this girl doing in Hell? I took a tentative bite, amazed at the taste and texture. The flaky, buttery crust reminded me so much of my Ma’s pie, and the ambrosia fruit was as savory as I remembered.
“Do you like it?” Her eyes were wide and hopeful.
I took another bite, repressing the urge to devour the entire bowl. “It’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“Hold on.” She jumped from the bed and rushed into the narrow hall.
I relished the pie in her absence, eating the entire bowl and shamefully licking the sides. I couldn’t help my greed. Other than my brief stay in the Nephilim’s pyramid, it had been a long while since I’d tasted anything so good.
When Cara returned, she held a pear-shaped jug in one hand and a wooden goblet in the other. “Ambrosia wine?”
Who was I to refuse a drink? It had been weeks since my last drop of Devil’s Whiskey, and the need for it had nearly driven me mad. I set my bowl down and greedily took the goblet from her, somewhat embarrassed by my shaking hands. It was not to be helped. I’d suffered a painful injury. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
I swallowed the wine in a matter of seconds, unable to fully enjoy the sweet, mild refreshment before I was holding out my goblet for seconds.
“More please,” I asked, trying hard to keep the note of desperation out of my voice.
After she refilled my glass, I forced myself to drink with deliberate slowness, stopping several times to savor each crimson drop. Finally, I leaned back and let out a satisfied belch. “How did you make wine and pie?”
She set d
own the jug and sat beside me, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. Her hair was wild and beautiful like Ash’s. I clenched my hands as I fought the urge to run my claws through it.
“We grow the fruit and grains ourselves.” Her voice was much softer now, as soothing as a song. “The web provides the seeds.”
“Amazing. How does the web do such things?” I sighed, sinking against my pillow and feeling content.
“It is magical, given to Mother by the angels as a reward to those who embrace their fate and believe in the web’s truth.”
Weird, but I’d seen it before with the Nephilim. The angels had helped turn their pyramid into a virtual paradise.
“And the butter?” I asked with a lazy drawl as my eyes began to shut. The wine was potent, and I was in need of rest.
“Oh, Mother supplies all our milk, and we churn it into butter.”
My eyes flew open. “Mother supplies the milk?”
Cara nodded. “She excretes it.”
I could hardly believe she’d said this with a straight face. I burped into my fist again, fighting the urge to vomit on the aftertaste.
“I ate spider butter?” I rasped.
She placed a delicate hand over her mouth, laughing. “Have you seen any cows in Hell?”
A dairy spider? Dare I ask if there are any grotesque baby spiders with human heads crawling around?
“See?” She beamed. “It’s not so bad down here, is it?”
Apparently drinking spider milk was no big deal to her. I had to agree the pie had been delicious, and I’d eaten far worse things in Hell.
“No, it is not, but my friends—”
She held up a silencing hand before leaning into me. “Shadow is looking for them as well,” she said on a whisper, as if the demons above would hear.
But that was the least of my worries. “Shadow is controlled by an evil demon.”
