He glanced at me, and I could see thoughts churning behind his eyes. “Lillim, I don’t know what your problem is exactly. I’m sure it’s valid, but the Queen here is correct. You really should help her. I cannot. I am bound by the others not to interfere directly.”
“You’re interfering now,” I snapped and pointed at the Queen of the Hot and Bright. “She tried to kill us. She sicced her Breaker on Kishi and me.” I glared at him. He was my boyfriend after all. The least he could do was take my side.
Caleb shut his eyes and ran his fingers over his face. It was the reaction he had when he was going to tell me something he knew I wouldn’t like.
“You’re both going to have to suck it up and help her anyway,” he said before turning back toward the Queen and sighing. “Do you have another in mind to be your Breaker?”
“There is none other of my line. The Breaker was the last of my brothers. I am now alone.”
“Who killed the Breaker? Was it you, Lillim?” Caleb asked, picking the Queen up in his arms and cradling her like a baby. The sight of it made me frustrated and a little jealous. Why was he helping her?! She’d tried to kill us! I mean, we’d tried to kill her too, but that was different.
“It was me. Why?” Kishi said, stepping toward him.
“Because you’ll have to take his place,” Caleb replied.
“I must not have heard you correctly because I’m pretty sure what you said was crazy,” Kishi said, this time taking a step away from him and the Queen of the Hot and Bright.
“If you killed the Breaker, some of his essence should have entered you when you killed him. Have you been feeling different? More bloodthirsty perhaps?”
Kishi stared at the ground at his feet and didn’t say anything. Silence fell over us like a big, uncomfortable blanket.
“I can feel the Breaker of Rage and Flame within her like a tiny spark. His essence is dwindling, but it is there.” The Queen reached her hand out toward Kishi and a small arc of electricity leapt from Kishi’s body, sizzling the air and leaving the smell of ozone in its wake.
Kishi stumbled backward, hitting the marble wall. Her eyes went wide as the fog around her ankles evaporated. She reached out, steadying herself against the wall and steam curled off her fingertips.
“What… what did you do?” Kishi croaked, but her voice sounded different. There was a fine tremor running along it that reminded me of a desert wind.
“She claimed you as her Breaker.” Caleb’s voice was flat and empty as he spoke.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, running over to Kishi and reaching out to touch her.
Caleb was between us in a flash. He moved so fast that he must have stopped time. He held the Queen easily in one arm while his other reached out to hold me back if it became necessary.
“You can’t touch her until the transformation is complete. She isn’t a fairy, becoming the Breaker will take time. If you touch her, some of that energy could leap into you.” He tried to smile but it never really reached his eyes. “You don’t want that, trust me.”
I didn’t. As much as I liked Kishi, I did not want to be the Breaker or any other weird fairy creature. The chances of that ending up well for me were practically zero. Which, yeah, fine, makes me selfish, but I was pretty at home with my own selfishness. Besides, the way Caleb said it made me think touching Kishi might make things worse for her. In this particular case, being selfish was also the wise decision.
Kishi collapsed to the floor, her hand sliding along the marble wall as she fell. Caleb set the Queen of the Hot and Bright next to her. The Queen reached out, her skin already a little less drab, a little more vibrant and pulled herself on top of Kishi and settled there like a napping cat. Kishi’s body shuddered once and a small tremor wracked her.
“This is not good,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Caleb. “I don’t think there’s any way out of this, and I have no idea what will happen when we get back to Lot. Assuming we do at all.”
“No. It isn’t good.” Caleb sighed and held out a large, blue sack out to me. I hadn’t seen it a moment ago, so where had it come from?
“What’s that?” I asked, taking the bag and opening it before he could reply. Inside were the twin blades of Shirajirashii, my Beretta, and my shotgun. “Well… isn’t that a dainty dish to set before the Queen,” I said.
“Yeah, I thought you’d want those.” He grinned at me and leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head and his lips met my cheek.
“Don’t think I’m not still mad at you,” I said, but the words came out of my mouth slurred. That seemed a little weird. I tried to think about why, to figure out what was going on when the feel of his lips on mine sent a small shiver down my spine.
Before I realized what I was doing, I’d wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling my body against his. His eyes opened wide as I forced him backward against the wall. My hands ran down the front of his shirt, feeling the hard muscle beneath. I had the sudden urge to rip the clothing from him, to run my hands along the warm flesh beneath.
“Stop,” he choked out and raised his arms to try and push me back. His eyes were open wide in shock.
“I want you, Caleb,” I said, and my voice was husky and raw.
He shut his eyes as my fingers slipped under the back of his shirt, my nails running up his spine and a soft sound escaped his lips. His hands settled on top of my armor-covered shoulders, as if unsure of what to do. I glanced over at his hands, so big on my tiny frame and wished I had taken off the armor. If only I was still wearing my dress… If only Caleb could see me in the dress…
The Queen of the Hot and Bright was watching us with half-lidded eyes. Her tongue flicked out over her lips before she settled her face back onto Kishi’s chest, nuzzling her in that same way a cat might.
“Don’t stop on my account,” she purred, and her voice was like honey and silk. It swam over my body and made my knees go weak. I fell forward against Caleb, and he caught me in his arms, pulling my body against his. Even through the armor, I could feel his heat. Despite everything feeling so good, something about it didn’t feel right. I tore my gaze away from the Queen and looked back up at Caleb.
“I think she’s doing this to us,” I said, and forcing the words out of my mouth was like pushing a boulder up a mountain. The only thing I wanted was to feel his warm flesh pressed against mine. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, glancing from me to the Queen. A blue sheen that reminded me of sapphires fell over his skin. His eyes glowed with blue-white flame, and he pushed me away, not roughly, but forcefully enough that I wouldn’t have been able to stop him without serious effort.
His hands fell to his sides as he took a step toward the Queen. The moment he stopped touching me was like waking up from a dream. I could think again, and a blush spread across my cheeks. I banished all the thoughts that had taken over my brain behind the heat of embarrassment.
“You dare to try and use your power on me?” Caleb’s voice was like crackling thunder, and it boomed in the tiny space. “I am the seat of emotion, the essence of all the darkest thoughts and pettiest desires. Your power stems from mine, not the other way around, fairy.”
The Queen waved her hand dismissively. She stretched, her body unfurling like a cat after a long nap. She moved slowly, languidly, pulling herself away from Kishi’s and crawled toward him, head slightly bowed. She rubbed her face against his thigh, her skin brushing against the fabric of his shorts.
“How can I make amends, Blue Prince?” She smiled, her skin glistening despite the obvious lack of sunlight in the room. “What would you have me do?” she cooed.
“I’m going to shoot her,” I said. My voice was cold as the urge to keep her from touching my boyfriend swelled up inside me. I pressed the barrel of the Beretta into the back of her head. “Back up right now, Queenie, or I swear to god, the only part of you touching my boyfriend will be the bits of goo between your ears.”
The Summer Queen sat back on
her haunches, her wings wrapping around her like a cloak. She waved one hand at me while pushing the barrel of my gun away with her other hand. Her skin sizzled at the touch of the barrel and the scent of burning meat filled the air.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” she cooed, and her sugary voice nearly gave me cavities. “I have forbidden my kind to deal with virgins. Your boyfriend’s virtue is safe from me.” She grinned and her mouth was spread so wide, I wasn’t sure how it fit on her face.
Caleb blushed so hard that it looked as though he had gotten a sunburn. He stepped back from her shaking his head and spluttering. I looked up from the Queen and stared at him, my head cocked slightly to the side.
He looked away from me, and I fought the urge to reach out and tell him it was okay. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it for even a second and now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t really care. Especially since I was a virgin too. It seemed kind of perfect in a way.
I shook my head at him and gave him my best smile, the one that really makes my eyes pop. “That doesn’t matter to me,” I said.
Caleb seemed to deflate a little, and an expression I’ve never seen before settled on his face. “It’s different,” he said, and his voice was a little choked.
“No, it’s not,” I said, reaching out toward him. He grabbed my hand before I could touch him and held it. His skin was so hot that it reminded me of trying to blow out a flaming marshmallow.
“Yes it is. I’m a boy. I’m not supposed to be a nineteen-year-old virgin. If we did wind up… well…” He blushed and swallowed so hard, I could see his throat move. “I want it to be good, be special, ya know?” As he said the words, my heart melted a little, and I couldn’t help but blush a little myself
“Caleb, it will be special. If it’s with you, it would be special,” I said, smiling at him.
“Special is different from good,” he replied, looking anywhere but at me.
The Summer Queen cackled, tongue snaking out to lick her lips, and I had the sudden urge to shoot her. “Does the poor Blue Prince have performance anxiety? Want a few pointers?”
“No!” he snapped, turning toward her, hands wreathed in blue-flame as he took a menacing step toward her. “I want you to shut the hell up before I unmake you.”
The Queen smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay,” she said.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, blue fire dancing up his arms like little ballerinas. “Stop thinking too.”
“No,” the Queen replied, teeth barely opening to reveal a flash of tongue.
“What’s going on, Caleb?” I asked, reaching toward him but stopping just short of actually touching him because, well, he was one fire.
“Nothing,” Caleb said, his eyes growing distant as he stared off into the corner of the room. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it without speaking. “Lillim, I have to go!” he said, turning toward me as the flame died out.
He wrapped his huge arms around me and pulled me against him. Heat swam through my body as he leaned down and kissed me. A moment later, he released me and I almost fell forward into him, eyes a little dazed as he smiled. “Good luck,” he said and vanished in an explosion of blue-fire.
10
“And that’s pretty much when Caleb left,” I told Kishi. It felt like I’d been waiting forever for her to recover from her transformation into the Breaker, and then proceed to catch her up on the events that had followed. Thankfully, that was done. Now, it was time to get this show back on the road.
“So I haven’t missed a whole lot then.” Kishi sighed and shook her head. “What are we supposed to do about that anyway,” she added, jerking her thumb back at the Queen of the Hot and Bright.
“I am not a that. I am the sunlight that kisses flesh, the heat between two lovers, the lightning that chases away the darkness,” the Queen snapped and put her hands on her hips, turning her head up in an effort to snub us. She was standing behind Kishi, and I was pretty sure that Kishi hadn’t even noticed her movements.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kishi muttered, turning to face the Sidhe Queen. “That really doesn’t help a whole lot.”
“Then I’ll just tell you what to do, Breaker. You must disrupt the Winter Queen’s seat of power enough to balance the great scales of Fairy.”
“And how do I do that?” Kishi asked.
“A Queen’s power is in her subjects.” The Queen grinned, running her hands over the gilded bars of our prison. There was a flash of light and heat that reminded me of a solar flare. The bars blew outward in a spray of molten metal that cracked the marble floors and shattered the otherwise silent corridor.
Kishi swallowed visibly and glanced at me, her eyes wide. I gave her my best smile of support, but I’m fairly sure it wasn’t all that comforting. Kishi sighed and looked back at the Queen who was grinning like a cat with cream.
“So what do we need to do with her subjects?” Kishi asked tentatively.
“Kill them all and let God sort them out?” The Queen shrugged.
“But not too many or we’ll just unbalance things in the opposite direction, right?” I asked, and they both looked at me like I was a very small child interrupting the grown up talk.
“The Breaker will know when balance is achieved. Even now she can feel the unbalance in Fairy. The farther we shift toward Winter control, the more powerful she will become. Fairy will continue to feed energy into her until she tips the scales back. It is the only chance we will have to defeat Winter.”
“And there is no way to do that without slaughtering innocent people?” I asked.
“They aren’t people, Lillim,” Kishi spat. “They’re soulless monsters.”
“Who haven’t done anything to us,” I said, deciding not to venture into the whole xenophobia angle. Not only did I not have that kind of time, I kind of agreed with her since most of the sentient things out there had tried to turn me into breakfast or worse.
“Hello. We’re in their prison.” Kishi gestured at the room.
“Which could be a misunderstanding,” I replied.
“It’s not,” the Queen said, narrowing her eyes at me before turning to face Kishi. “Go forth and break them.” Her voice filled the room with heat and Kishi staggered backward. I barely caught her as her legs gave out. She was so hot that it was like being next to a vat of magma. Just holding her made the sweat beading on my forehead evaporate.
I glanced back toward the Queen of the Hot and Bright, but she was already gone. All that remained behind was a blackened pool of molten marble.
“Well isn’t that just peachy,” I said as footsteps thudded in the hallway. Two Sidhe with shoulder-length white hair in ankle-length blue parkas stopped just in front of our cell. They were out of breath and one of them put his hands on his knees, leaned forward, and gasped for breath.
The other stepped closer, a Nordic axe clutched so tightly in his fist that his knuckles were noticeably white against his pearl-colored skin.
“Don’t try and escape, Dioscuri.” His tone was filled with annoyance as though having to check on us disrupted his normal guarding activities.
Kishi jerked violently in my hands like someone struck her with a live wire. The Sidhe’s eyes got as big as dinner plates as he stumbled backward, reaching out to his partner with his free hand.
The gasping one looked up, a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. “The Breaker…” he mumbled, voice so low that I barely heard it over Kishi’s struggles.
Kishi’s head snapped toward him, and she growled, a low guttural sound that I pretty much only associated with angry dogs. Her lips peeled back to reveal her teeth as she slipped from my grasp like an eel.
She hit the first guard with outstretched hands that seized him around the throat and slammed his head backward against the wall behind him with a wet thud. The Sidhe’s eyes rolled back in his head as he slid to the floor leaving a trail of scarlet on the marble wall.
Kishi turned as the gasping guard swung his axe down in a cr
uel arc that should have taken off her head. Instead, she reached out and caught the haft of the weapon on her armored, left forearm. She lashed out with her other hand, slamming it into the Sidhe’s chest in a burst of light and heat that reduced him to a charred corpse in a fraction of a second. The body stood there unmoving for another moment before crumbling to the ground in a flurry of gray-black ash.
Her hand was no longer armored. The metal on her palm was punched outward and melted around the edges, which was surprising because I’ve seen those things ward off a lot of fire on their own. Her skin shone through the opening like a flashlight.
“Well… that’s new,” I said, taking a slow step toward her, palms out and unthreatening.
She turned toward me, green eyes blazing like twin torches, mouth twisted into a half-grin, half-snarl. A shudder ran through her body as the light from her hand faded.
“I could feel their energy pass into me, pass into Summer.” She swallowed and shut her eyes. “I liked it. I liked it a lot.” She paused to lick her lips. “Maybe too much.”
“Those guys didn’t seem that powerful. If that’s what happens when you kill some redshirts, what happens if you drop something with some real juice?” I asked, sort of hoping Kishi might become powerful enough for us to actually win the night. There, was of course, the niggling problem of what to do after that, but right now, I was focusing on one thing at a time. If I didn’t, I’d never get out of here alive.
She opened her eyes and they were glassy and swollen. “I’m inclined to find out,” she slurred, reaching a hand out toward me.
“If you’re thinking about trying to eat me, you had better step off right now, Kishi. Otherwise, I am going to shoot you.” I pointed my Beretta at her chest and settled into a two-handed shooting stance.
“You don’t want to hurt me, Lillim, we’re friends aren’t we?” She licked her lips and took another step toward me.
“Friends don’t do what you’re trying to do,” I said, letting the emotion drain from my face, letting everything shutdown and turn cold and empty.
The Lillim Callina Chronicles: Volumes 1-3 Page 47
