Chapter Seven
The Spawning
Xlina entered the chamber beyond the gold door and nearly retched in her mouth. At the center of the chamber piled nearly seven feet high stood a pile of emaciated bodies. Soulless husks piled high that writhed and churned. Maggots littered the pile, crawling from agape mouths and nostrils. Centipedes like insects swarmed over the bodies, gouging chucks of flesh and skittering into the pile. Dozens of faces looked out in frozen anguish, eyes listless and vacant, peered out as if in eternal torment. The sight was overwhelming, and she dropped to her knees as her body dry heaved.
Oxivius slammed the golden door shut and rushed about the room, finding a pair of large metal skewers which he used to bar the door shut. He turned and looked down at Xlina, who folded over at the midsection as she heaved again. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed affectionately.
She looked up and away from the pile of bodies. Seeing the rest of the room for the first time. It was lavishly decorated with tapestries of tattooed and tattered flesh hanging from red stone walls in a macabre display fitting the place. The room was lit by an enormous round hearth in the corner, large enough from a demon to walk into without having to slouch or bend at all. The hearth was made of sturdy brown brick and shaped in the form of a giant demon face. The opposite wall was lined with devices that looked like torture racks from the dark ages. They were made of a dark wood that appeared as hard as steel as their prisoners yanked and pulled on their restraints. They seemed to function like a stretching machine, elongating and pulling at the victims’ limbs. Strapped into the machines were souls, or at least they resembled the outline of souls. Unlike the white ethereal luminous beings she had seen before, these were tangible and solid, blackened. Instead of the wisp-like substance, they seemed composed of a thick tar like black mass that seeped out over the restraints like a thick jelly.
“What are they?” Xlina gasped, looking at the poor things stuck in a suspended state of torment.
“Souls,” Oxivius replied grimly. He turned from barring the door and approached the nearest wrack gingerly. He moved his hand over the blackened chest portion of the inky tar-like being and the blackness split as if receding from his touch to show small white wisps of a soul at the center of the being.
“I don’t understand,” Xlina replied, shaking her head in dismay. “What is wrong with it?”
“The light,” Oxivius replied, his voice dropping in tone and growing distant. “The light is almost gone.”
“The light?” she questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder and rousing him from deep introspection.
“Yes, the light of the soul,” Oxivius nodded, waving his hand over the tar like chest once more. “When a soul has been tortured long enough when its spirit can endure no more... its light is... purged from its essence.”
He motioned to the floor below the wrack where a white substance dripped down from the torture device into a brass collection bowl. Xlina looked at the milky white substance in the bowl and then returned her gaze to Oxivius. She met his eyes with a look of trepidation.
“Is that?” She stammered, pointing to the collection bowl.
“The last remnants of the light. The last vestiges of a soul, the part that makes it human,” Oxivius answered grimly. “I saw it in the Marilith’s flesh... this room... this place.”
“What?” Xlina exclaimed in shock. She was stunned as she looked over at the blackened soul.
“The soul,” Oxivius replied absently as if his thoughts dwelled elsewhere, “When the torment wins out, however long that it takes. They expunged the soul of its light. Maybe over the course of a hundred years... or even four hundred. It may take a lifetime or many lifetimes... but eventually, the soul, if not devoured by a demon first, is squeezed until there is nothing but darkness left. Until there remains no trace of humanity.”
“That’s horrific,” Xlina gasped, looking at the poor tortured soul with dejection, a profound pity in her eyes.
“Only then,” Oxivius continued, looking at the pile of emaciated bodies in the center of the room. “Only then can the black stain, the remnant of a soul, be planted in the fertile mound. There it will take a coil; the withered soul will assume a form and from the pile, it will emerge. This is how the demons are born.”
“That can’t be,” Xlina backed away in horror.
“Born, of course, is a human term,” Oxivius finished, his voice distant. “It is mammalian, an endearing process where a mother carries and nurtures the offspring. Demons have no such equivalent. They are not born to say... they are spawned. Taking the form of their deepest sins and lament.”
“This...,” Xlina stammered, “This is the fate that awaits Amber and I? This is the fate of one who is marked...”
Oxivius face flinched as her words slapped him back to the moment. The necromancer looked at her with sorrow filled eyes. His face softened, as if to apologize.
“Xlina, I am sorry,” he lamented softly, “It was not my intent.”
“You wanted me to see this?” she questioned as the horror of her fate sunk in. “You wanted me to know what I’ll become?”
“No,” Oxivius barked forcefully, then softened. “I wasn’t thinking about your mark. I was thinking... about something else.”
“Something else?” Xlina asked incredulously, “You were what, just curious about the birds and bees of demon kind after sampling the Marilith?”
“It’s not like that,” Oxivius answered, turning away. “I needed to know. After I saw the room through the demon’s eyes. I had to see it for myself. I had to know... what turns a human. A loved one... into such an abomination.”
“I’ll not become that,” Xlina hissed defiantly, pointing to the pile of bodies in rage. “That will not be my fate. I swear it!”
Oxivius turned back and looked her in the eyes, his blue eyes rimmed with emotion. His face suspended as if he were about to say something and stopped immediately thinking better of it. He stood looking at her for a moment.
“No, you certainly shall not,” he answered firmly. The sound of voices filled the corridor beyond as the golden door jostled as if struck by massive force. He looked to the door, barred shut with the iron pokers from the hearth. “First, we need to get you out of here.”
“Right, where is the exit,” She nodded, collecting her emotions and letting her eyes dart around the room once more. “There is no exit, Ox!”
“Only the door through which we came,” he replied, looking at the hearth. The clamor of a hundred voices echoed from beyond the door as it rattled and shook on its hinges. “Guarded and blocked by a foul army of demons and hell spawn.”
“They trapped us?” Xlina echoed, looking around the room desperately.
“No, you are not,” Oxivius replied, approaching her closely. “You have the means to escape. You have a way home. Return to earth realm. Go back to the Burglecuts and tell them what happened here.”
“What?” Xlina gasped shaking her head defiantly, “No... no I can’t we are trapped.”
“You are not,” Oxivius stated firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her roughly. “You are not.”
“How?” Xlina looked around the room as the door rattled again, “I don’t...”
“Here,” Oxivius slipped a hand down and pulled at her top, exposing her mark, “Here is your out, it’s time to break the glass, love.”
“No, you can’t be serious,” Xlina replied as her eyes rimmed with tears, “What about you? I can’t leave you behind.”
“I’ll be right behind you,” Oxivius replied, holding her chin in his other hand, “I’ll be right behind you.”
“Ox...” Xlina began, not knowing how to convey everything she was feeling inside.
“Valeria Furtul DeSuflete,” Oxivius called out, invoking the succubus, “I summon you by your mark and name.”
The mark flared to life in Xlina’s ribs. A fiery sensation filled her lunges as if a flare had ignited on her skin. She grabb
ed the mark and fell to the floor, wracked with pain as the flames in the hearth surged. The center of the flames grew black, slowly at first and spreading until the flames had been enveloped in a black glow that cast a dim pallor over the room. Valeria emerged from the flames, a look of anger on her fine porcelain like features. In this place, the illusion of her mortal form was gone. She stood the succubus in all her glory. His snow-white skin, glowing in contrast to the dark flames behind her. Her black hair fell down her shoulders as her leathery wings opened to their full length with a flap. She stood powerful and nude, her body covered at the hips in ghost white scales like armor. Xlina look up at the demon who held dominion over her soul. She had seen Valeria in this form before, when the demon came into her dreams.
“Oxivius, you fool,” Valeria spat with disgust, looking around with a fit of annoyance until her eyes settled on her pet Baku lying on the floor.
“No time for banter,” Oxivius replied, ushering Xlina up from the floor hastily and pushing her into Valeria’s arms. “Take her, and return.”
“Ox,” Xlina sobbed, reaching back for the necromancer, but he retreated from her reach and turned to face the door. His body lurched as smoke erupted from his garments. Never had she seen such a release. It was as if he were burning all the souls etched on his skin.
“What were you thinking bringing her here,” Valeria spat with a voice filled with venom. She wrapped her arms around Xlina’s waist and began dragging her toward the black flames in the hearth. Dragging her away from Oxivius.
“What are you doing,” Xlina called, struggling against the demons’ pull as she was dragged closer to the flames.
“No worries, love,” Oxivius replied, looking back over his shoulder, “A little redecorating is all.”
“The soul bomb,” Valeria replied in awe, lifting Xlina from the ground by the waist and backing closer to the black flames, closer to the portal home, “He means to bring the citadel down around him.”
“No, you can’t,” Xlina replied desperately, “The door is there come through the flames.”
“I’m afraid that road isn’t available to me now, love,” Oxivius replied, a look of regret on his face as his hands began weaving a complex series of sigils in the ash of the burned souls.
“What will I tell Penny and Burgle,” Xlina replied desperately. “Don’t make me tell them I left you behind, Ox. There has to be another way.”
“Tell them...,” Oxivius replied, stifling a tear and looking back at her. His eyes met hers and were filled not with sorrow but contentedness as the door caved and the metal skewers bent and twisted, revealing talons and claws vying for entry, “tell them I said... It was the right thing to do.”
Valeria gave a last pull on her waist, lifting her like a rag doll and backing into the flames, and the blackness closed around her. In a flash, it was over. She was back at Pandora’s with Valeria’s arms wrapped tightly around her. His last words echoed in her ears as she remembered his lecture... ‘The right thing to do was a human excuse for making a choice with one’s heart instead of their head.’ Tears streamed down her cheeks as she collapsed to the floor. Valeria stood silently above her, shaking her head in dismay.
“What have you done now, Ox?” Valeria asked rhetorically, not expecting a reply.
Chapter Eight
The Soulforge
Xlina looked up from the floor of Pandora’s, seeing the demon Valeria in her mortal form, standing above her with arms folded and a disapproving glare. She sniffled and wiped away a tear, losing Oxivius, still fresh in her mind as Valeria pulled her away from the infernal plane. She wanted to punch the demon square in the jaw, but knew better. She knew the mark would prevent her from striking. The mark and the cursed barb in her throat which protected Valeria from any form of rebuke. So instead, she merely wiped away her tears and sniffled heavily. Valeria did not deserve to see her vulnerable and hurting. The demon was not worth it.
“That was stupid,” Valeria stated flatly through pursed lips, “And reckless. Just what were you hoping to accomplish?”
“I don’t know,” Xlina lied, looking sheepishly at the polished dance floor of the club. “It was his idea. He thought we could save Amber.”
“Foolish man,” Valeria purred, nudging Xlina with the toe of a designer black stiletto heel. “Not a complete loss, however. Is that a demon blade strapped to your back?”
“Not a complete loss?” Xlina questioned back in frustration, “Oxivius is gone.”
“He has served his purpose,” Valeria replied coldly, nudging Xlina once more. “Come now, don’t make me ask twice... not after dragging you from the depths of hell my dear.”
“I don’t know,” Xlina answered honestly, looking up at Valeria. The demon was dressed in a chic black pencil dress with silver buttons and cut out sleeves that accented her shapely arms which were still folded on her chest like a scolding parent. “It was wielded by a demon, if that’s what you mean?”
“A blood red sanguine blade with a bone hilt,” Valeria admired with an approving voice. “A spirit dwells trapped within, no doubt screaming a lust for blood. The sheath is tanned demon skin.”
Xlina shrugged. At the moment, she was to overcome with grief for the necromancer to care about the bounty from the infernal realm. She merely slouched on the floor in a defeated manner.
“If you want it, take it,” Xlina answered listlessly, “I don’t even know how to wield it properly.”
“That is something we shall remedy,” Valeria answered with a cooing voice. “What manner of demon was this?”
“Oxivius called it a Marilith,” Xlina replied absently.
“A Marilith,” Valeria cooed, her voice rising slightly, “You bested a Marilith?”
“Oxivius and I,” Xlina nodded, her voice cracking slightly. “Together, we faced the Marilith in the obsidian fortress.”
“Most impressive, my young Baku,” Valeria replied with an approving grin. “Marilith are bread for combat, serving as guards for many demon houses. They are normally proficient in both combat and spell casting.”
“Oxivius’ necromancy was...,” Xlina paused and swallowed hard, “His necromancy turned the tide.”
“Indeed,” Valeria answered firmly. “Despite his reckless nature, his abilities and talents will be sorely missed. An important, powerful piece removed from play.”
“Is that all he was,” Xlina retorted bitterly, “A powerful pawn in your infernal games? Just another chess piece in your power-play?”
“No,” Valeria answered flatly, “He was also a pain in my ass if it makes a difference.”
“It makes a difference to me,” Xlina spat back, her voice laced with venom.
“Oh please,” Valeria laughed heartily, turning and walking to the bar and selecting a bottle of expensive bourbon. “What did you think was going to happen?”
“We were going to save her,” Xlina answered firmly as she rose to her feet.
“No, I mean with Oxivius,” Valeria answered as she poured the bourbon into a glass. “Were you going to swoon over him, perhaps? Enchant him with your feminine wiles? Convince him to run away with you and live happily ever after? Seriously.”
“Why would you ask that?” Xlina replied coldly.
“Because you’re mine,” Valeria answered firmly. “There is no happily ever after for you, my dear. That isn’t how this story ends.”
“That’s what you think,” Xlina retorted angrily, but Valeria simply sipped on her bourbon and smiled that devilish smile of hers.
“You’d like that?” Valeria continued prodding Xlina. “You and him together happily ever after? But what life would that be, I wonder? Which of your heritages would ruin your tranquil bliss first? Would it be his cannibalistic need to consume flesh, perhaps? No... he has survived far too long in the mortal world to slip... no, it would be you, Baku.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Xlina barked defensively.
“I wouldn’t?” Valeria replied with a pouty expressi
on. “You could just turn off your nature then? What do you think would happen, Xlina?”
“We could run,” she replied angrily. “Run from demons, the fae, and the council. We could find a place... where no one would bother us?”
“Sounds divine,” Valeria replied smugly. “At first anyway. But I wonder, when there are no more nightmares to consume... when you are secluded and alone with your happily ever after. How long before you siphon his dreams? What kind of relationship would you have, I wonder, after consuming his hopes and dreams?”
“I only feed on nightmares,” Xlina quipped defiantly.
“Now,” Valeria cooed, enjoying twisting the knife, “But what happens as the years ebb by? Alone in your sanctuary, safe from the monsters out here in the world that have caused you so much pain. How long until he realizes the monster is the woman he has locked himself away with? The Baku that in its hunger and desperation will consume his dreams and desires until nothing remains but a melancholy shell. A withered husk of a man.”
“I hate you,” Xlina spat in reply.
“No dear,” Valeria cooed, sipping on her drink. “You hate yourself. You hate what you are. You just take it out on me because I am the only one in your life that tells you the truth of it.”
“You ruined my life,” Xlina answered coldly.
“Did I?” Valeria replied, raising her eyebrow, “I thought we had worked through all that.”
“You marked me,” Xlina answered, “You stole my soul.”
“Pish posh,” Valeria countered, leaning against the bar and smiling devilishly.
“You think you helped me?” Xlina asked, infuriated.
“Indeed,” Valeria replied smugly. “Who took you from the mental ward in Boston? Who brought you to Portland? Who put you in college? Who moved you into an apartment down the hall from that spunky blond?”
“You were just posing as my social worker,” Xlina answered stoically. “You were getting me to drop my guard, to trust you. It was all a ruse.”
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