Baron

by Plum Pascal

  Flumph stares at Noni in obvious annoyance. “Why you serve him?” the sprite asks as he motions to Pyre and crosses his arms against his chest.

  Noni crawls clumsily onto the table to light a candle, not hearing the annoyance in Flumph’s tone.

  “Noni’s master take good care of her, so Noni take good care of him,” she responds with a large and genuine smile.

  Flumph’s eyebrows meet in the middle of his creased forehead and his scowl deepens. “That’s what the giants want you to think!”

  “No. Not Master. Noni love her master.” The brownie looks genuinely upset by Flumph’s insinuation and Pyre growls a low warning at the fool sprite. Flumph hides in Eilish’s hair as Noni climbs into the necromancer’s pocket, seeking his comfort.

  “Noni was nearly dead when I found her,” Pyre informs us. “She was trampled by Variant’s soldiers when they raided a faerie village,” he continues to explain. “I took her in, healed her, and she chose to remain here as my companion.” Then he turns his sightless gaze to Flumph, who swallows hard. “She’s no slave, so I’d advise you to watch your tongue.”

  Flumph deflates a bit. I feel myself floating towards the table and release a heavy sigh as the tension in my bones seems to worsen. Pyre catches my wince. “The pain will leave you soon.”

  “I don’t know what type of poison caused this,” I respond.

  Pyre shakes his head. “Your discomfort is not caused by poison.”

  I frown because the pain is quite obviously caused by the tip of the poisoned blade. There’s nothing else to which I can attribute it.

  “The sigil causes your distress,” Pyre finishes.

  “The sigil?” I repeat as I glance down and behold the glowing red lines of the mark Pyre left on my forearm.

  “Yes,” he answers. “The sigil contains powerful necromantic energy. Energy that requires a price in return for the benefits it offers.”

  “Benefits?” I scoff. “I’ve yet to witness any benefits that equal the tax it’s placed on my body.”

  “Then I daresay you haven’t noticed that you can walk in daylight?” Pyre asks with a knowing grin.

  “I thought that fact was simply owing to the ether of the atmosphere surrounding Variant’s palace,” I respond. “The clouds impart different abilities on those with shadow magic.”

  “The mark is made of very dark magic, which means you carry darkness with you all the time. Thus, you no longer require potions such as Nightshade or the like. You are now your own source of shadow fuel,” Pyre explains, then he turns to face Dragan. “I’m in the process of finding a solution to your problem of turning into stone when out of your realm.” Dragan scoffs as Pyre continues. “You cannot continue to safeguard yourself by relying on the energy flowing through Eilish.”

  “Safeguard himself?” Eilish asks.

  Pyre faces her and nods. “The only reason Dragan has not returned to his gargoyle shape while outside the shadow plane is owing to you. Your energy allows Dragan to suppress this curse Variant placed upon him.” Pyre turns back to Dragan. “Gargoyles are very particular beings; you must hence grant me time to find an antidote for your curse.”

  Dragan just nods but glances at Eilish, with an expression I can’t quite figure out. Perhaps it’s a mix of awe, gratitude, and anger in equal parts.

  “Cambion, while in the veil, you must wear a talisman so the ethers don’t deplete you of your strength,” Pyre continues. Then he holds out his hand and a golden cuff-like ornament appears in his palm. The gold cuff glints in the starlight and Cambion is instantly awed by its beauty.

  “The Necklace of Adaptation,” Pyre announces. “It will allow you to maintain your aura and health in this atmosphere.”

  “And me?” Eilish asks.

  “You require nothing to exist here,” Pyre answers. “The shadows and the light within you protect you against the ethers of the veil.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Eilish asks the necromancer. “You seem to have a world of knowledge hidden beneath that mask of yours.”

  “Here in the veil, time does not exist the way it does in the realms, I, therefore, had eternities to study and learn, while your world's time would constrict you of these same valuable lessons.”

  “Lessons from whom?” Eilish continues, eyeing Pyre.

  “We are no longer in the world of the living, which means I exist with spirits from all times, all realms, and all species. I have and continue to learn from them. When applicable, I use that knowledge.”

  “So, does the veil have a balance that needs to be maintained like the realms?” Eilish continues.

  Pyre shakes his head. “No. This is a wellspring of raw energy—there is no balance here, no stasis. The veil just is. The only rule that governs it is one of guardianship.”

  “Guardianship?” I repeat.

  Pyre nods as he faces me. “The veil requires a guardian, someone to ensure the power inherent in all the realms is never abused. While balance is not applicable here in the veil, it is quite crucial elsewhere.”

  “And you’re the guardian of the veil?” Eilish deduces.

  Pyre nods, his expression somber. “I am the guardian.”

  ###

  Flumph

  The Veil

  Ok, soze jist ta make sure I’m followin’ Masky’s point—that weird, glowin’ red thing that appeared on the vamp’s arm—that be solvin’ his little dilemma known as vamp’s can’t walk in the sun?

  Yeah? Well, good fer him. But what that mark doin’ for the rest o’ us? Jack shit, that be what. An’ what good’s a necro-whatever if he ain’t all-powerful? Jack shit good, that be what. I don’t care if he got some cool tricks up his sleeves, I want me some real answers!

  I notice that little slave o’ his be outta his pocket and walkin’ ‘round and chewin’ on one o’ them pieces o’ bread she brought out fer all of us. I already stoles like two of ‘em when no one was payin’ no attention. An’ I stole some cheese too. Right befores I cut the cheese!

  There’s a little bit o’ humors for ya.

  Anyhows, I flies right over to that brownie an’ I give ‘er my best tough look. “Looks here, I need ta know if your master up to no good.”

  “No good?” she ask an’ her eyes goes all wide like.

  “Yeah, what he been doin’ all this time if he ain’t been fightin’ Variant?” I ask her. My arms cross in front my belly as I squint my eyes at her real mean like. I seen Dragan an’ Cambion do that plenty of times at each other an’ it makes ‘em look meaner soze I figures I oughtta try.

  “Master watch.”

  “Master watch what?” I demand.

  She look all concerned like. “He watch the naughty king and the Unseelie to make sure they not tapping into the veil. Spirit magic dangerous. Only Master know how to control it. Noni walk through the veil with him and them spirits and she hear stuff too.”

  “Like what? What ya hear?”

  She shake her head like she ain’t supposed ta say nothin’.

  “Outs with it.”

  She swallow real hard but then she start confessin’. “Noni hear the Unseelie Court talking about the naughty king. Unseelie Court say he out of control and need to be teached a lesson. Noni gets scared and goes home, but first she see the pretty Unseelie lady get hurt by the naughty guards.”

  The pretty Unseelie Lady? “You talkin’ ‘bout Aima?” I ask an’ that little brownie just nod right quick. “When you sees this?” I leans up ‘gainst the wall, an’ inhale real deep so my chest pull out further. Noni needs to understand jist who she be dealin’ with. Noni cross her little legs and sit down next ta my feet. She lookin’ up at me with them freaky big eyes o’ hers. They kinda pretty.

  “Noni see Aima hurt after you and gargoyle man taken by the naughty king.”

  “Did you see you a big ugly satyr too? He gots a nasty ass beard an’ real long hair.”

  Noni nods. I can tell she thinkin’ real hard. “Noni see him. He real big, Mr. Flumph. N
oni see him at the Unseelie palace. There be lots of naughty soldiers at the Unseelie palace. They make the big satyr beg and he fight lots and lots of soldiers, but he not win.”

  “Why he not win?” I interrupt. “They kill him?”

  “No, they tooks him to the dark place in the Unseelie kingdom. That be a right bad place from what Master tell Noni,” the annoyin’ critter finishes. Thank fuck.

  “So they gots Aima and Assface in the Unseelie Palace?” I repeat. “The elf ain’t gonna like that one bit.” I fly up to the table, leavin’ Noni on the floor where she looks all worried like she done said too much. My feet pounds on the table and I grab the font o’ the elf’s shirt to make him looks me in the eye.

  “What the hell do you want, sprite?” he snarl all scary-like. But I not so scared o’ him. Not when he dress like he do.

  “Yer allies been taken by your fuckhead brother!”

  “My allies?” he repeats.

  “Kolver, the fugly satyr, an’ your old girlfriend,” I spit backs at ‘em. “Aima.”

  That shuts him up real nice an’ I hurry over to Pretty ‘cause she let me sits in her lap an’ that be the most comfy place ta be, I reckon. I notice she been might interested in this Necro character, Pyre. She been watchin’ him nonstop.

  I think he ain’t too bad even if he a whole lotta crazy fer talkin’ to ghosts an shit. An’ that mask make him look a little weird-like. He a lot better when he take that mask off. But his eyes... they the real scary part o’ him. Ferget the tattoos all overs his body an’ the dark robe. Them eyes give me the shivers.

  “How did Theren get Kolvar and Aima?” the elf ask as he turn to face Pyre.

  “Aima surrendered to Variant’s soldiers after putting up a good fight,” Masky explain. “She’s a member of Theren’s council and Variant was unable to kill her without risking a war with the Unseelie.” He pause for a second. “I'll help them escape when Aima reaches out to me again.”

  “What about Raflamir?" Dragan barks.

  I can't believe this dick gonna ask ‘bout that schemin' elf! What be there to ask? Raflamir done sold us out to Variant! Ain’t nothin’ more ta know!

  Noni peek her head up over the table an make her eyes cross over her nose. Then she duck back outta sight. She look up again an’ I stick my tongue out at ‘er an’ she just copy me, which make me real mad like ‘cause I ain’t in the mood ta play no dumb games. Good thing Pretty there to pats me on the head so I keep my cool.

  “Raflamir is unharmed,” Pyre inform us. “I only hope whatever he gained in return for your capture is worth the guilt that will plague his soul for the rest of his days.”

  “That does little to ease my anger,” Dragan grumble. I agrees with him, but Pyre shake his head like what he spoken oughtta be enough.

  “Raflamir faced an impossible decision,” Pyre begins but Dragan shake his head.

  “Bullshit! He sold us out and he should answer for it.”

  I notice Cambion be right quiet.

  “I’ve looked at your past,” Pyre tell Dragan an’ the gargoyle look all surprise like. “I have walked by your side, through time, while you were dreaming. You’ve never had a family, Dragan. You do not know the horror that fills you at the thought of losing someone you love. You’ve never had to watch someone slip through your fingers as you fight to keep them alive.”

  “I watched Baron die,” he grunts. The vamp look over at him real quick an’ then he look away. Cambion look at the gargoyle too like he be surprised King Shadow Dick even mentioned the vamp. I be surprised too.

  “And your attachment to Baron was a close one, yes, but I speak of attachments that are far closer,” Pyre say. “Raflamir faces repentance, not punishment. Such is justice.” Masky man stand up an’ hang his robe an’ mask on the hook-thingy by the door o’ the cottage. He all muscley an’ pale with them runes on his body.

  Pretty’s eyes all but bulge outta her head when he take his shirt off an’ pull the band from his red hair. That girl must be in heat ‘cause the only one she ain’t eyein’ like they be prime cuts o’ meat be Noni. Well, an’ me, I guess.

  Pyre must feel her watchin’ him ‘cause he turn an’ give her a look that feel all heavy with lust, I be thinkin’. ‘Course, I ain’t good with this shit soze what do I know? Whatever that look is, it say a lot when a blind psycho can give a look like that. I think she wantin’ him an he wantin’ her an it make me wantin’ to get the fuck off her lap. When he go an’ smile at her like they gots a private joke er somethin’, I notice the red blotches on Pretty’s cheeks.

  NINE

  Dragan

  The Veil

  I hate the way Eilish keeps looking at me—like she expects me to say something or do something to let her know where I stand on everything Pyre just told us, but the truth is... I don’t fucking know where I stand or what I think about any of it. The only thing my brain can comprehend at the moment is how much I want to beat Revenant to death and have Pyre reanimate him just so I can do it again.

  I hate his sleazy fucking face.

  He keeps glancing at me with expressions that bear the weight of something I can’t quite fathom, but I know he’s taunting me, in any event.

  It shouldn’t matter, right? Whatever the hell he’s thinking, why he thinks he has something over me, whatever the fuck he’s doing with Eilish, none of it should fucking matter!

  But, it does. And it’s burning me up to the point that I can’t fucking concentrate on anything else. Well, there is one other thing I’m concentrating on and that’s the fucking pain that seizes my whole body every time I turn the wrong way. When the Fae soldier speared me with his magic right before I busted out of my cell, he must have gotten me better than I thought he did because my body’s been aching ever since.

  I’ve got to admit that it fucking irks me that no one’s noticed—yeah, I’m wearing a black tunic so it’s not like if there was a bloodstain, that anyone would notice. But, I don’t fucking care! It should be obvious in the way I’m favoring my right side or the fact that I can’t take a deep fucking breath.

  Stop feeling sorry for yourself, I yell inwardly. And pay attention to the real reason you’re in such a funk. And it has nothing to do with the fact that some asshole got a good one in.

  Why am I so upset that Revenant fucked Eilish? Why do I care that he fed her when I’ve done the same? Unknowingly or not.

  Maybe my anger is owing to the fact that feeding the Succubus within her doesn’t bother him when it bothers me palpably? In fact, he seems to enjoy the idea of feeding her. He seems to fucking love the fact that she’s half demon and in response, she’s now like his little lap dog.

  Well, what the fuck do you expect? I yell at myself. Eilish has no one—no family, no friends, no memories, no idea who she is. She has no one else to turn to. Of course, she’s going to accept the first person who shows her even a tinge of kindness.

  That used to be me, I respond. She used to show all that affection to me.

  Then you turned on her. You have yourself to thank for that, you fuck.

  There’s something horribly wrong with this possessiveness that throbs in my veins. I can’t think straight when all I can see and smell is Eilish. And the memory of seeing Revenant so close to her in that fucking cell—it’s an image I haven’t forgotten—a memory that haunts me constantly.

  Just the memory of them—so guilty, their hair in disarray, the smell of sex thick in the air… it still makes my blood boil. Why? Because I still fucking want her. It doesn’t matter that she’s half Succubus. It doesn’t matter that she’s demon and that every time I touch her, she unwittingly or not drains me of the essence of my life. I still fucking want her.

  Whatever this is between Eilish and me, it’s something I don’t understand. It doesn’t feel the same as it did with Lamia and her bloodthirsty daughters. It feels different, but the same darkness writhes in Eilish, nevertheless. And it’s a darkness I should hate. It’s a darkness I do hate.

  �
��There is nothing more to be said on this subject,” Pyre announces and faces all of us. I have no idea what he’s talking about but whatever it is, it appears to be over now. “As you are my guests, please make yourselves at home. Noni will see to whatever needs you have while you’re here.” Then he faces Eilish and a slight smile plays on his lips. “If you intend to rescue the Midnight Queen, you’ll need all of your strength.”

  She smiles and drops her attention to her lap. The sprite sits there and appears to be annoyed. He can’t be half as annoyed as I am. As soon as I look at Eilish, my cock starts throbbing.

  Pyre points to a winding staircase that appears in the center of the room. It wasn’t there before so I imagine it’s just another example of his extreme magic. Then he stands and a doorway appears in front of him. He nods at each of us and then disappears through the door.

  “This way!” his house brownie says as she scurries across the floor and begins to climb the stairs. She turns to face us and beckons with a wave of her little hand. Each of us follows her up the winding staircase and into a hallway.

  There appears to be no ceiling above us and no walls—just the expansiveness of the sky and stars. When we step foot into the hallway, the stairs dissolve into the ether and all that exists is the stretch of wood flooring ahead of us. Again, there are no walls—just doors that appear on either side. One of the doors opens and I notice several beds lined up along the far wall. The next door reveals a bathing room.

  “Noni find you clothes,” the house brownie says as she faces me. “You big like Master, so I bring you some of his.” She pushes open a large trunk at the foot of one of the beds and faces Eilish. “There be dresses and lady clothes here. Mr. Flumph need to wear some of Noni clothes?” The brownie scrunches her tiny nose at the sight of the sprite’s abhorrent clothing.