by Lori Aisling
Boz and Tala followed behind, both of them still looking dazed and shocked at what they had witnessed.
“You ok, Elf,” Bristol asked her Fae friend.
“I am still trying to wrap my head around everything I saw tonight. I feel shell-shocked, to be honest. I mean, there were fucking gods, Bristol!” He whispered.
“What in the hell are you guys talking about?” Ristan asked.
“Later. We gotta go. Less talky-talky, more walky-walky,” Jayson said.
The group made their way out of the motel and headed to the outskirts of town where they had left the horses. Halfway there, Tala pulled on Bristol’s sleeve. Leaning to her ear to whisper, she said her goodbye. “I know a secret passage to get to my aunt’s home. I need to stay here and try and find my family. I am Pueblo and my people are here,” she explained. “I will never forget any of you and everything you did.”
“May the gods keep you safe,” Bristol said, giving the woman a warm hug before watching her open a cellar door and disappear into its depths.
Moving closer to the outskirts of town, they could hear the thundering of horse hooves. Crouching down, they watched five riders enter the town. Two demons stepped onto the street and motioned for them to stop. Pulling the mounts to a stop a woman dismounted and walked up to the soldiers. Wearing all black, with knee-high, heeled boots, she ordered the mounted riders to continue into town. “Where is Alexander?” She asked the two demons.
“He is, umm, getting to know one of the town residents,” the demon smirked.
“So he’s getting his rocks off. Lovely. Well, go get him. Tell him it is urgent I speak with him. I have vital information to share. Tell him it’s concerning one of the Others,” she said, satisfaction in her voice.
Bristol felt Ristan and Bror tense on either side of her. “Is that fucking Chaos? Is that her?” Bristol yelled at her men.
“Nah, love. Although there is somethin’ familiar about her, that is not your nemesis. We would all know,” Bror answered.
Suddenly, the night air was filled with the sounds of chayn as they screamed. Indiscernible voices yelled and hollered back and forth as pandemonium broke out. “He’s dead! He’s fucking dead!” Bristol heard a male voice scream. “Someone killed Alexander!”
Throwing her arms above her, the woman let out an unearthly howl. The wind picked up around her and her hair whipped through the current. “Find them!” she screamed. “Find every last living being in this fucking town! I want them to burn! It’s Death! He is here!”
Bane
Hearing a massive number of chayn shrieking all at once made the hair on Bane’s neck stand up. He continued on, moving through the shadows, watching for demons and any members of the horde. Hearing the flapping of wings, he watched as four Empurin landed in what would be the center of town, the exact spot where he had killed the two soldiers earlier for violating a woman. “Time to get out of here,” he thought to himself. Working his way through cross streets, he was just about to the residential district that would lead him to the outskirts of town where Qian was waiting. Rounding a corner, he came face-to-face with two demons, flanked by half a dozen chayn. Internally cursing his lack of vigilance, he flicked his wrist and took the offensive. Before the hell-spawn could react, he had imbedded two throwing stars in the throats and faces of each. Swinging the glaive, he cut an advancing chayn in half. The other three sent their shrieking call of alarm into the night. Fighting for his life, Bane knew that if he couldn’t dispatch of this group in a hurry and disappear, he would soon be overwhelmed. As he spun, his glaive hissing through the air, he watched the second demon fall. Left with only the three chayn as they surrounded him, he could hear shouts and screams coming from the town. Something had happened and he could only hope it would buy him some time. As he beheaded another one, he saw a new group of them float out of the alley he had just exited. Trying to find an exit, the chayn created a circle around him, effectively removing all options for his escape. As they advanced, he fought. Spinning, kicking and releasing throwing stars, he fought for his life. Resigned, he thought of his Other. The Balance he had failed to find and fight for. His heart pounded hard in his chest as he contemplated failing her so early in her battle. “I am sorry, my beloved. May the gods help you in this realm,” he thought as he buried his glaive in the chest of one of the many chayn surrounding him.
Bristol
Nearing the outskirts of town, Bristol heard another group of chayn shrieking. These were close. Ducking and running, the group made their way, finding cover as they went. As they came to the end of a dark alley, Bristol could make out a group of demons and they had surrounded a man. Seeing the man spin and carve at the horde using a wicked-looking staff with a big blade at the end, she noticed a silver glow emitting from him. When he spun towards her, the moon’s light reflected off his silver eyes. His body was drenched with sweat, his muscles straining to stay one step ahead of the chayn that had surrounded him. Her breath caught in her throat as she held back a cry. Her mind threw image after image of the man in front of her. So many memories. Without a second of hesitation, she ripped her whip off her waist and ran headlong into the fight. Hearing footsteps flanking her, she could feel the closeness of her Others as they waded into the battle with her. Pulling her power, she grabbed at theirs as their runes began to glow. Laced with the yellow glow from her magic, her whip whistled through the air, slicing the stinking demons in half, their noxious, black blood pooling on the streets. Ristan and Bror fought next to her, effectively taking down more. Seeing a chayn coming up fast behind the silver-eyed warrior, she screamed. An arrow pierced its forehead before it could attack. Turning her head, she saw Boz draw, letting loose another arrow into the fray.
As they killed the last of the chayn, Bristol ran straight for the man standing in front of her. Throwing herself into his arms, she embraced him fiercely. Pulling back, she cupped his face in her trembling hands, staring at him as tears ran down her face for the umpteenth time on this awful day and she whispered, “They killed you. Last time. They killed you. You died for me.” She threw her arms around his neck and pushed herself into him as sobs wracked her body.
Bane pulled her close, burying his hands in her hair. “Qīn'ài de,” he whispered, his voice clogged with emotion. At the use of his pet name for her, she shuddered and pulled him even closer, her tears soaking into his shirt.
Staring in disbelief at Bror and Ristan as they stood behind her, Ristan nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Welcome back, brother,” he said.
Looking down at Bristol and then back at his two brethren, Bane was at a loss for words.
Bror smiled at him. “It’s different this time, Bane. She remembers.”
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Lori Aisling lives her life wrapped up in the fantasy worlds that dance around in her brain. Blessed with the gift of gab, Lori started her obsession with storytelling by working in the radio industry. Her desire to delve deeper into other worlds has led her down a path overflowing with magic, survival, love, and honor.
Lori lives in Colorado with her lovable brute of a BF on a little farm. When she’s not writing, she’s probably playing with goats, chasing chickens or sinking her fingers into the dirt of her garden.
If you are anxious about her next release or would enjoy chatting about current work, please hop on over to her Facebook page!
Or drop her an email at [email protected]
Also by Lori Aisling
This is Lori’s Debute novel but Book 2: The Change: Four Others will be coming soon!
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