by Lori Aisling
As Tala began to clean Jessie’s wound, Boz and Bristol made their way down the hallway and out of the motel into the night. Knowing they would have tried to stop her, Bristol waited to tell Bror and Ristan until they were already out of the building. “Boz and I are going to get the medical supplies from the saddlebags,” she said.
“Be careful. Tell us immediately if ya get in trouble,” Bror responded. Bristol was surprised she hadn’t gotten more kick-back. She was even more shocked that Ristan hadn’t responded to her. She prayed that they would get the answers they needed before the demon soldiers and the chayn realized their leader was missing.
With Boz’s excellent night vision, they moved quickly through the darkness with ease. Jogging down an alley, Boz came to a fast stop, shoving Bristol up against the wall. He covered her body with his, holding them out of the light and using his Fae magic to disguise them. Looking over his shoulder, she saw a group of four chayn float past the entrance of the alley where they hid. Releasing her held breath, Boz gripped her hand again and they continued on. Once they were clear of the town, they moved faster, running through the short brush to the abandoned auto shop where they had left the horses. Grabbing the medical kits from two different saddlebags, they quickly made their way back to the motel.
Sneaking back through the deserted hallways, they found the room where Jessie lay unconscious. Knocking quietly, they waited for the door to open. Tala quietly opened the door. Handing her the kits, Bristol gave the woman a questioning look and nodded towards Jessie. Tala shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. Bristol hurried across the room to her friend’s side. Jayson lay with his head on her chest, tears on his face.
“Oh God, Jayson. She’s not…,” she couldn’t even bring herself to save the words.
“No, Bristol. She’s not dead. But Tala thinks the knife punctured her intestines or something. There’s more leaking from her than blood,” his voice shook. “I need you to fix her, Bristol. Fix her, dammit. I know you can!” He looked at her with desperation on his face. “Light the fuck up, girl. Light up with all that fucking power the gods gave you and fix my girl,” he begged.
“Jayson, I don’t know how,” Bristol cried.
“Then fucking learn, goddammit! Do it, Bristol. And least fucking try!” He cried.
Bristol looked at her friend’s pale face and shallow breathing. Tears blurred her vision and ran down her face as the thought of losing her dearest ally and companion took hold. Setting on the bed, she took Jessie’s hand. “I will try. I don’t know if it will work, but I will give her every last drop of power I have.”
“Good. Do it now, Bristol. And while you fix her up, I am going to kill a fucking demon,” Jayson said and he rose to his feet and stalked out the door. Boz started to follow him and Jayson stopped him. “Stay here, Boz. Protect them. And be a vessel for Bri, or whatever the fuck it is you guys do. Just fucking fix her, man.” Running his hands through his hair, he left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Bror
Ristan had done his best. He had taken the pound of flesh from the demon to vindicate Jessie and more. But Alexander refused to budge. He insisted he knew nothing about Caspian, and refused to tell them anything about Chaos’s powers or plans for the realm. Bloody chunks of meat and a couple of fingers lay in a gruesome mess on the floor.
“It’s not working, brother. And we can’t stay here indefinitely. We are going to have to come up with another plan,” Bror told him.
Hearing the door open, Bror turned his head to see Jayson stalking towards the demon. His vampiric features were obvious in the dim light and his fury soaked the room in its intensity. Walking up to Ristan, he shoved him away.
“Enough of this bullshit, pussy-footing around. The fucker talks, or he dies,” Jayson snarled.
“What the fuck do you think we have been trying to do?” Ristan snarled at him.
Alexander smiled, blood caked to his busted lips. Before speaking, he spit out a broken tooth and it bounced across the hardwood floor, making a macabre sound. “Ooh. This one’s got moxie! Pissed about your kitty-cat, kid? I couldn’t get a close look once she shifted, but I just gotta know. Do the curtains match the drapes? Because that would be hot as fuck.”
Jayson leveled the demon with a glare before punching him. The strike threw Alexander’s head back, splitting his cheek open to the bone. Fresh blood dripped from the new wound.
“I like this one! Can I have him? Pretty please?” He smirked, addressing Ristan.
Bror had heard Jessie, Boz and Bristol talk about Jayson’s mean streak. They were grateful for the calming effect that Jessie had on him. From what he had gathered from the conversations, Jayson was prone to violence due to his vampiric mutation but struggled to control the rage. He realized he was about to have a front-row seat of Jayson’s cruelly infamous reputation.
“I’ll tell you something, you piece of shit. I didn’t know anything about you before coming to this town. When Ristan and Bror saw you, they told us you were a high-ranking lieutenant in Lucifer’s army. A high-ranking lessor demon. They spoke of your conquests, blah, blah, blah. Do you want to know what I took from all that?” Jayson asked the demon, leaning down to look him in the eyes.
“I can’t wait to hear, dear boy. You have impressed me thus far. Please continue to do so,” Alexander crooned.
“Lessor.” Jayson said. “That is all I heard or cared to recall. Lesser. That means you are less than. Less than your master. Less than a god. Less than anything relevant,” Jayson spat. “You are nothing more than a puppet. Lucifer has his hand up your ass making you dance. You are a pathetic piece of shit with no real power of your own. You. Are. Weak.”
Bror felt Alexander tense and Bror tightened his hold, pulling up on the axe, digging it deeper into the demon’s ribcage.
“Fuck, kid. I gotta hand it to ya. That’s good,” Alexander spat. “But your words mean shit. Your words won’t help your kitty that’s in that room, bleeding out like a stuck pig. They won’t help your buddies here save this shitty realm. So keep it comin’. What else you got for me?”
“I have two options for you. You tell us everything you know and we kill you. Or you keep your mouth shut and I’ll make your never-ending life unbearable. It’s simple.”
Bror couldn’t figure out where Jayson was going with his train of thought. “What’s he shootin’ at?” He asked Ristan.
“Fuck if I know, but let him go. Everything we have tried has failed. And you are correct; we are running out of time,” Ristan replied.
Jayson raised his wrist to his mouth, letting his dagger-like canines protrude from between his lips, making a large gash. As his blood pooled, then began to drip, he smiled a blood-laced grin at Alexander. “Tell us,” he slurred around his large teeth before retracting them. “Tell us about Chaos, the gods and anything else you know. Tell us and I will let Death here kill you. Then you can start all over at the bottom of the demon cess-pool and work your way back up the ranks, or however your freak shit works.”
“And this benefits me how, exactly?” Alexander asked, obviously confused. “I was rooting for you, kid, but you kinda lost me. Get on with it, or get out, and let Ristan get back to carving up the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
“Tell us or I turn you,” Jayson said.
Alexander’s head jerked up and he stared at the vampire. Ristan raised his eyebrows, looking curious.
“I funnel this toxic fucking blood down your sorry throat. Enough that you will turn shortly. Then, without feeding the poor, weak newborn, I will bury you. Bury you so fucking deep no one will ever find you. You will lay there for the rest of time- alive, in agony, and suffering. But you will never die. You see, the only way to kill me is to actually remove my head from my body and destroy it. No stakes to the heart, sunshine, or any of that bullshit. Just a good old-fashioned beheading. So even as your flesh rots and worms feast on your entrails, you will live. Your body constantly regenerating enough to keep your b
rain alive. And here’s where it gets really ripe, buddy. I have no fucking soul. Turning you will rip yours from your body, leaving you undead. Just like me. So your precious Lucifer-daddy won’t be able to find you and save you. Oh, no. It will be an eternity of insufferable agony. Eternity,” he stressed. “Choice A, or choice B. You choose. Now. Or I make the choice for you.”
Silence filled the room as all three men stared at Jayson. It took everything Bror had to not break out in a grin. “By the gods, I think the guy’s on ta something,” he said to Ristan.
“I would have never thought he had it in him. I like this. It just might work. Alexander cares for nothing more than his own immortality,” Ristan responded, obviously impressed.
Bror could feel Alexander shaking as the reality of his situation took hold. Jayson took a step closer and grabbed the demons face, shoving his head back. “Time’s up asshole. Bottoms up,” he snarled shoving his bleeding wrist into Alexander’s mouth.
Jerking away and crying out as Bror’s axe buried deeper still into his ribs, the demon caved. “Fine. I’ll tell you what I know in exchange for a sure death. But for the record, I never saw you coming,” he said to Jayson, respect in his eyes.
Bristol
Holding her dear friend’s hand between hers, Bristol let the tears roll down her face. Tala came up behind her and put her hand on Bristol’s shoulder.
“I’m really sorry. There is just nothing I can do with a punctured bowel. I am afraid she will suffer a slow, painful death if she regains consciousness. We just don’t have the medical facilities to treat injuries like this anymore.”
Boz came to stand next to Bristol. “Try it, Bristol. Try to pull your power and see what happens. What could it hurt? You have accomplished feats that Ristan and Bror didn’t think you were capable of. Isn’t it worth trying?” He whispered to her.
Without answering, Bristol called her magic. It responded immediately, her conditioning exercises of late paying off. The warm, yellow glow filled the room and Boz raced to pull closed the thick drapes over the window. Pulling the magic into her hands, she draped it over her friend’s torso, willing it to heal her. The glow danced over Jessie’s chest and abdomen, but no one saw any change. Bristol pushed her will harder, demanding her power heal her friend. Try as she may, nothing was happening. Sobbing, she let the tears run, unabated down her face as she pushed the golden glow into her friend. Boz placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.
“You tried, lass,” he whispered, his voice clogged with emotion.
“I can’t give up on her, Boz,” Bristol sobbed.
As she called more and more power, pushing it into Jessie, she sent a plea to the gods. “You made me to help you! You did this! I demand you heal my friend! If you want me to continue to play your fucking game, then do something!” She pleaded. “I swear it! I will quit. I will walk away and you will lose! Do you understand me? You will lose this realm and all the power that comes with it!”
The room started to glow with a strange silverish-green hue. A crackling sound filled the air. Bristol heard Tala take a shuddering breath. Looking up from Jessie, she saw a strange creature standing at the foot of the bed. She couldn’t tell if it were a man or a woman. Standing on four powerful legs, the being dominated the space, consuming a big majority of the room. Standing at over 7 feet tall, its head was a strange shape, more oblong than round. Its features were indiscernible, muted somehow, and it held a long metal rod across its shoulders, balancing two large metal cages held by chains on the rod. Black smoke twisted and swirled inside the cages. A silver cape covered its body, but seemed to have a life of its own, clinging to the massive beings body.
Instantly, Bristol knew their visitor, yet she had no idea how she knew. “Libra. Save my friend or I swear to you and all the gods I will walk away from this fight.”
“You demand the gods, child?” A chilling voice left the god, but there was no mouth to move with the words.
“Yes. I do. I have played your game for centuries. I have defeated Chaos many times. But I am figuring out your game, Libra. My Others have believed all this time that we were created to maintain the balance to help the realm and preserve life. Although that might be true, there is one crucial piece of information that has been missing. The balance is your power. The balance feeds you. Also Adrestia, Ma’at and any other god that needs it. This was not a selfless plight perpetuated by gods that actually cared. You care about your power, just like the rest of them. If you want the juice from this realm, then you will heal my friend. I’m not done. Hell, I haven’t even gotten started. You’ll know when I have. You will get your rush, but you will earn it.”
The deity seemed to contemplate the request and Bristol held her breath, squeezing Jessie’s hand tightly.
“We will not fight your fight for you, Balance. Nor will we be demanded or ordered,” the god replied.
“Call it what you will. I’m just stating facts,” Bristol responded.
“Be cautious, Balance. The game can always be re-worked,” Libra said, and she vanished.
Bristol cried out, but the god was gone. Spontaneously manifesting above Jessie’s body, floating above the bed was a golden goddess. Her beauty was unmistakable as she shimmered and floated above the dying woman.
“You called, Balance. I am Panacea. I have agreed to Libra’s request. The gods do not do favors. You should tread lightly,” she fixed Bristol with a stern look as a small vial began floating in the air. Tipping, a tiny drop fell from the vial. Landing on Jessie’s chest, the silver and gold droplet held its shape, then was instantly absorbed into Jessie’s chest. Jessie took a deep, shuddering breath and squeezed Bristol’s hand tightly. Tearing her gaze from Jessie, Bristol looked back to the ceiling where to Goddess had been. She was gone. But Jessie was alive!
Boz crawled across the other side of the bed and grabbed Jessie’s face between his hands. “Jess, oh God, Jessie. How do you feel?”
“I feel like I got stomped on by a herd of horses,” Jessie said. “But I don’t feel like I’m dying. I had some pretty wicked hallucinations, though. Some really pretty lady floating over me. I thought she was an angel and I was dying,” she said, somber.
Choking on a sob, Bristol hugged her friend. “We’ll fill you in later. Just promise me one thing. You won’t fucking try and die on me again!”
Tala cleared her throat and Bristol looked at her. “I don’t know what I just witnessed, nor do I know who or what you are. But I do know that I am indebted to you and your friends. I will do anything within my reach to repay you for kindness and sacrifice.”
“I will not hold you in any debt,” Jessie told her.
“Nor I,” Bristol said. “I will ask that you find safety. Live the best life you can live, Tala. Find friends, love and family. Appreciate every day we are given,” she advised.
“May Father and Mother Earth bless you,” Tala said, lowering her head.
Bristol arose from the bed and hugged the woman. “You’re brave and selfless. May the gods bless you, too,” she said. “Boz, get Jessie ready to get out of here. Our luck is bound to run out at some point. Tala, help him with her. I’ll go and get the guys. We need to get the hell out of here.”
Leaving the room, Bristol tip-toed to the honeymoon suite where she had left her Others. Upon entering, she took in the gruesome scene. Jayson swung his head towards her, his face twisted in rage. “She is good, Jayson. Go to her, she needs you.” Relief flooded his features and he turned back to the demon in front of him.
“We got what we need. Time to meet Death, asshole. Ristan, this is all you, man,” Jayson said, as he walked past Bristol and out the door.
“Is this The Balance?” Alexander asked.
Walking up to him, Bristol tipped her chin in defiance and stared at the defeated demon. “Yes. I am Balance. And we will win,” she said.
Chuckling, Alexander smiled. “Perhaps. I guess we will see.”
“You won’t,” Ristan said. Closing his ey
es, his runes began to pulse and his amber glow filled the room. When his gaze returned, his irises were the same amber color, but this time they were surrounded by black. His body began to morph, as his beast surfaced. He pulled more magic and Bristol could feel it pulling at her, too. She opened herself to it and Ristan immediately pulled from her. Her yellow glow was absorbed by the dense amber that now surrounded him. Manifesting a black blade he walked towards the demon. “Look away, Bristol. You don’t need to witness this,” he said.
“Yes, Ristan. I do. Be Death and do away with him,” she calmly replied.
Pushing the blade into Alexanders chest, the demon screamed. Working quickly, Ristan carved a hole. Then reaching inside the cavity, he pulled out the still-beating heart. Taking the blade, he drove it through the center of the organ. Alexander’s chest stopped moving and the heart ceased to beat. Dropping the useless piece of meat to the floor, Ristan’s body returned to normal and the amber glow dissipated. Bror released his hold on the demon and pulled his axe from the corpse. The lifeless body fell to the floor. Wiping the blood off on Alexanders jacket, he slid his weapon into his belt. “We got a lot of information about Chaos and her plan, Bristol. Sadly, no new information about Caspian. He really didn’t know anything about his capture. I am sorry, love,” he said, walking to her and pulling her into an embrace.
“We have a lot of talk about,” Bristol told them as she wrapped her arms around Bror’s waist. “Right now, we need to get the fuck out of here before we get trapped in this building.”
Ristan walked to her, pulled her head back and kissed her mouth. “Let’s go get your friends and get out of here,” he said.
Walking out the door, they found Jayson carrying Jessie who was looking quite bright and alert. The color was back in her cheeks and she grinned at the guys. “Thank you, guys. For everything,” she said.
