Dirge of the Dead

by Reed Logan Westgate

  “You seem to enjoy that part.”

  “What can I say?” Valeria purred, her tone growing soft and sultry once more. “I’m a demon.”

  “If the druids come for me,” Xlina stifled a tear, wiping it away. “Then let them come, let them end my existence.”

  “Rush you away to hell where the real fun can begin,” Valeria’s voice grew with excitement, “That’s my X, you’re going to make a fine demon.”

  “You don’t win,” Xlina answer wryly, “You don’t get to keep my soul.”

  “That’s how it works X.”

  “Not with Owen,” Xlina looked up at Valeria, the demon’s eyes black pools of emptiness. “He is the Druid of Morrigu. With his blade, he doesn’t just strike down your mortal coil. He removes you from all existence. No heaven and no hell. Just gone as if you never were.”

  “The Scythe,” Valeria recoiled slightly, looking away in thought, “After all this time The Morrigan returns to meddle in the affairs of man.”

  “So, you see,” Xlina turned a satisfied smile, “For all your schemes in the end you will lose. The order has come as they have for all time to set things right.”

  “A most interesting turn.” Valeria turned back to Xlina and smiled wickedly. “You will kill Owen, this Druid of Morrigu and claim this weapon.”

  “I’ll do no such...” her words were cut short as Valeria raised a hand igniting her mark. She writhed in pain on the bed as the mark sent waves of agony roiling through her body. She thrashed and clawed at the sheets wildly as if she could just escape the burning sensation lighting through her nerves, but there was no escape. The flames came from within, and she wailed in pain.

  “Xlina Xanni Dar’Karrow, daughter of Moriko Riatha of the Baku tribe,” Valeria used her full name to assert her infernal authority over her soul. “You will kill Owen, the Druid of Morrigu, and claim his weapon in the name of your master, Valeria Furtul DeSuflete.”

  The command resonated in her core, the magic of the mark sealing the order in her soul. Xlina could not resist. She could not fight it. Deep down, she knew she would kill Owen. She would stand over his lifeless body and claim the Scythe for her demon master. Xlina lay still as the pain subsided, panting as sweat trickled over her body.

  “Please, don’t make me do this,” Xlina pleaded between ragged breaths. “I don’t want to kill him.”

  “Well, that’s just too bad, X. He brought the weapon to the fight, and we shall not let it go to waste.”

  “I don’t know,” Xlina’s voice drifted softly, “I don’t know how much more I can bear.”

  “I warned you, didn’t I? I told you resisting would only prolong your suffering. And look, here you lay in a pathetic heap, broken-hearted. Over what? Humans? Mortals? Come on X, the infernal awaits you if you would just claim it.”

  “I don’t want it; I don’t want any of it.”

  “My dear sweet girl, no one gets what they want from life. They only get what they take. That is your problem. You expect life to reward you for your virtue, while the rest of the rat race scrambles for wealth and power. They are rewarded while you are constantly disappointed. Alas, the true fate of an idealist.”

  “Better an idealist than a demon,” Xlina cursed.

  “Oh, but what a fine demon you will make,” Valeria jumped on the bed, landing on all fours above her. Her tongue lashed out of her mouth long and forked it, flicked at Xlina’s nose. “Abyzou, if I were to guess, a life filled wanting what you cannot have. You would make a fine envy demon. A green, pallid face with a body of pure shadow. Oh X, we would make such a delightful pair.”

  Valeria stalked in, allowing her allure to take hold once more as Xlina’s mark flooded her body with pleasure and lust. Valeria was on her then, her hands groping and prodding her body, eagerly moving to the mark. Xlina tried to pull away, but the allure was too strong, she was too vulnerable and instead she found Valeria’s lips pressed to hers. They were soft. Valeria’s caress sent tingles through her core as a wanton desire bubbled within her. The demon pressed her body into hers. She could feel the warmth of her skin against her bare stomach. Valeria’s hands searched her ribs, caressing gently until coming to the mark. She leaned back with a wicked smile as her fingertips traced the ridges of the mark, sending waves of pleasure through Xlina.

  Valeria placed her palm over the mark, and Xlina’s body flooded with sheer ecstasy. She shuddered and trembled as the demon push wave after wave of pleasure through her. Xlina quivered, snapping her legs together as a hot sensation grew in her loins. The demon only smiled the more as her human form melted away, revealing the naked white skinned succubus in all her glory. Her body toned and sleek, yet powerful. So very powerful. Her black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, covering her bare breasts. Xlina gasped as another wave of pleasure flooded through the mark. Her body was fully engaged with the demon’s advances. Between the magic of the mark and the allure of the succubus, Xlina’s will melted like butter on a hot sidewalk. All thought of Amber’s soul melted away as a carnal desire grew within her.

  “My turn,” Valeria snickered, and the flow reversed. Xlina could feel her very soul being drawn through the mark as Valeria feasted. Valeria threw her head back in pleasure as she gyrated on top of her. The demon drank of her soul deeply, siphoning it through the mark. Valeria arched her back in pleasure and her gyrations became longer, slower as she devoured Xlina’s life force. Her breath came in staggered gasps and her chest heaved with each breath. Valeria’s body shuddered atop her as she trembled in ecstasy. Xlina felt drained as the world grew dark around her. Her soul was being consumed, but she couldn’t resist the powerful allure of the demon. For the moment, all that mattered was that her patron, Valeria, was happy. Then she stopped. Suddenly, as if slapped in the face, Valeria simply stopped withdrawing her hand from the mark and breaking the connection.

  “You hussy!” Valeria nearly spat the words as she recoiled back. Her wings opened wide to their full six-foot length. “You’re hiding a soul. I can taste it.”

  Xlina snapped back to the moment. The allure and connection through the mark having been broken, her head no longer swam in the pleasures of the flesh. Fear gripped her. Valeria had discovered Amber buried deep inside her soul.

  “I...”

  “After everything I have done,” Valeria flapped her leathery wings powerfully. “Who is it? Is it Ox? Did the damned Necromancer hide his soul in there? Is it that blond bitch? You did not fail after all. You stole Amber’s soul right out from under Ertigan’s nose. Didn’t you?”

  “We did,” Xlina dropped her head low in shame. She could not protect Amber from Valeria. She could not resist the demon’s commands. It was over. Surely, at this moment, it was over.

  “Isn’t that grand,” Valeria simply laughed, flapping her leathery wings once more and returning to her human form. She tumbled down onto the bed next to Xlina, laughing and holding her belly. “You plucked his prize out from under his nose and destroyed his citadel.”

  “You’re not angry,” Xlina ventured cautiously.

  “About your deception,” Valeria paused, catching her breath amid her amusement. “Naturally, but about your success against that bastard Ertigan. Well, how could I possibly be mad about that?”

  “What will you do now?” Xlina wrapped her arms about herself sheepishly.

  “Will I suck out poor Amber’s soul?” Valeria rolled to her side and bopped Xlina on the nose with a finger playfully. “Keep your prize Baku, it is well earned and for the last time know I am not your enemy.”

  “Why?” Xlina shuddered at a loss for words.

  “Why not?”

  “Are you just going to yank her away again? Use her to torment me more? Is that your plan?” Xlina held her tone, throwing walls up again between the demon and her.

  “Well, because it’s good fun,” Valeria giggled, rolling onto the king-sized bed like a rowdy teenage girl. “Because I want to see if you can do it.”

  “The druids, the a
ngels, the magic council... all align to stop me from resurrecting Amber.”

  “They protect the natural order,” Valeria threw an arm over Xlina, squeezing her like a long-lost friend and whispering in her ear, “Above all else, we desire chaos. The natural order is boring. It ekes on and on endlessly. Chaos? Well, that my dear is exciting. It promises change and disruption. I want to see if you can do it.”

  “You’re crazy,” Xlina shook her head in awe, “Full blown psychopathic.”

  “No,” Valeria kissed her cheek delicately, “I’m your biggest fan. I want you to win. Piss off to all the others, cause chaos and anarchy. I am rooting for you. Don’t you understand? I’m your best friend now.”

  The demon’s words chilled her to the bone, sending a shiver through her body. It was not the inflection of her voice, but the raw truth behind her words. It stung her inside that Valeria was right. The pain of Lexxes’ trap still fresh in her mind. The lies of omission Oxivius had told. Even her brother now came to purge the demons from Portland, but had not Valeria’s intervention saved the Council? It was Ertigan’s schemes for power that had corrupted the Council of Magic, but to the Druids, one demon was the same as another. They would never give Valeria credit for her part in revealing Ertigan’s treachery, nor for casting him back to the infernal realm. Her emotional walls crumbled before Valeria and she pushed forward, pressing her lips to the demon passionately.

  She was, after all, her best friend.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Choir of Angels

  Xlina awoke and stretched. Her head swam with thoughts and feelings as she rolled out of bed. With the apartment in the basement, she couldn’t be sure if it was midday or later, but Valeria had already gone. She rose to stand on wobbly legs and cast a longing eye back at the bed, which showed ruffled sheets and scorch marks. What had she been thinking? She stumbled to the dresser and picked out an outfit. Noting Valeria’s choice for her once again favored fashionable over functional. She desperately needed to replace the things she lost in the back of Oxivius’ hearse. She mused at the thought of a denizen of purgatory finding her stash of yoga pants and smirked.

  She fumbled about, feeling the lingering effects of the lust filled morning with Valeria. In her pain, her rejection, she had given in to the demon’s allure and the guilt laid heavy on her heart. Valeria was a powerful ally and an insatiable lover, but she did not offer love. She did not really offer anything except meeting the temporary needs of the flesh. What Valeria represented was not real. There were no feelings attached to the demon. It was pure carnal lust. Empty and unfulfilled the feelings of intimacy were fleeting.

  Xlina moved to the bathroom, quickly shuffling through the motions and avoiding the mirror at all costs. She swung the medicine cabinet open wide, obscuring the view of the mirror. She could not bear to look at herself. She did not want to look at herself. Instead, she jumped through a hot shower, as if scrubbing her skin would remove the foul taint of the demon from inside. It did not help. The shame still lingered as she washed her hair and exited. With a heavy heart, she dressed casually, selecting a pair of hip hugging blue jeans and a loose-fitting black top. Paired with a pair of black boots, she at least felt confident about the day ahead.

  Owen would return this night, with Arrivan in tow. Regardless of her prior plans, she would kill him and take the weapon as Valeria ordered. It was a command ingrained through the mark. She could not disobey. She did not want to disobey. Her hand absently drifted to the mark under her right breast, and she felt comfort in it. Her connection with Valeria was growing stronger. She stopped to consider if her new abilities in the alley were the natural progression of her Baku lineage or whether her nightmare magic was being enhanced through Valeria’s infernal mark. How much of her blossoming power was truly hers and how much was the demon?

  It was something she had not considered until now. She had bested Ertigan twice, but had she really? Had it just been her nightmare magic that led her to victory? She had her doubts as her hand lingered over the mark. She felt Valeria’s absence keenly. She could not tell where exactly the demon had wandered off to, but she was certain she would not find her on the main floor of the club.

  She brushed aside the idle thoughts and moved to leave the dresser behind, pausing for a moment as the light bounced off something on the bed. She moved back slowly as the light reflected off the blood-red stone of a black choker. It was an identical copy of the one Valeria had bound her with after she had fled earth realm with Oxivius to his home in the necropolis. She gingerly extended her hand and slowly lifted the choker, pawing it with her fingers. It felt cold and smooth to the touch. Without a second thought, she unclasped the golden latch and brought the elegant piece up to her neck, trussing it. It felt... right.

  She turned from the bed, full of confidence and feeling her nightmare energy brimming inside. Stopping only to gaze at the sanguine blade leaning ominously in the corner, she made her way up to the main floor of New Pandora’s. The club was bustling with activity as she came through the door behind the bar. Ivanka stood in a white tank top and black jeans directing cleaning staff here and there. Her petite frame in stark contrast to her bellowing voice berating the cleaning crew. Her blue dyed hair hung in a braid, giving her the outward appearance of a spoiled teen.

  “Get the smell out,” Ivanka chided an immigrant worker derisively. “And for all that’s unholy, don’t use a pine scented cleaner.”

  “The druids stunk the place up?” Xlina crossed the bar, drawing an indignant stare from Ivanka.

  “Their foul magic reeks of pine and manure, it’s not appropriate for a proper establishment,” Ivanka placed her hands on her hips and glowered at Xlina. “Aren’t you supposed to keep the riff-raff out?”

  “Yeah, but Valeria said I couldn’t toss your ass out to the curb so... what’s a girl to do?”

  Ivanka leveled a wicked glare in Xlina’s direction. Her eyes flashed black in the same manner as Valeria’s when she glowered. Xlina smiled in return playfully. She had faced both Ertigan and Valeria. Ivanka reeked of hired help, lacking poise and authority in her actions. She demanded servitude through yelled commands and threats where Valeria simply walked into a room in charge. Valeria exuded power from her pores.

  “You snot-nosed...”

  “Got something in your eye, Ivanka,” Xlina pointed to her own eye in reference as she mocked the demon’s black orbs staring back at her. “You’re practically falling out of your coil.”

  Ivanka huffed as she closed her eyes, focusing on returning to her mortal form before one of the hired help noticed her demonic eyes. She squinted, showing far too much exertion for something Xlina had seen Valeria do as naturally as blinking. It confirmed her suspicions that this was a minor entity. A demon fresh from the maggot pile.

  “Wow, don’t pop a blood vessel,” Xlina crossed her arms over her chest, mocking the lower demon, welcoming her rage and enjoying being able to inflict a little torment back on the demon race.

  “There,” Ivanka blinked twice, revealing her human eyes once more. She looked back at Xlina with a threatening glare but focused her rage on an immigrant in a white pair of overalls who fumbled with a mop and bucket as he exited the bathroom. “About time. We aren’t paying extra for sloths. Get moving.”

  Xlina only shook her head in dismay. This was a low-level demon’s work. Stuck in mid-management while the more powerful demons like Valeria roamed freely about their business. Her curiosity could not help but speculate on what kind of demon Ivanka was. Valeria was a succubus, and she had mentioned Xlina could be a fine envy demon someday. Naturally, she looked on Ivanka with an unbridled fascination, wondering which of the traits the girl had inherited when she emerged from the spawning pile.

  Ivanka shot her a steely glare and returned to work barking directions and storming through the club. It was an odd sight, but it felt somehow normal to her. Like things were coming together. Xlina absently brought her hand to the red stone at the center of the choke
r and felt it warm to her touch. An icy shiver ran down her spine as if her soul flinched in warning.

  “Amber?” Xlina whispered, feeling an odd sensation within warning her of danger. She looked around Pandora’s and for a moment the feeling of belonging was replaced with a deep-seated foreboding. She felt the walls closing in on her. Her breath came in gasps as her heart raced. Was she having a panic attack? Why here? Why now? Her hand found the support of the bar and she leaned heavily on it as the room closed in around her.

  “Xlina, Xlina Dar’Karrow,” a soft hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned to see Tamera. The Caplata woman’s face holding a look of concern. Her features were hard, with high cheekbones. Her hair tied back in a weave of braids interwoven with purple ribbons.

  “Tamera?” Xlina shook her head to clear away the cobwebs and took deep breaths to steady herself.

  “Come, let’s get you some fresh air,” Tamera wrapped her arm around Xlina and escorted her from the club, drawing a stern, disapproving glare from Ivanka. As they passed through the main door into the fresh Portland day, the crushing feeling on Xlina’s chest evaporated.

  “What are you doing here?” Xlina placed both hands on her knees as she bent at the waist and drew deep breaths.

  “Your brother has a charm about him, no?” Tamera patted her on the back. “What was that back there?”

  “A panic attack, I think.” Xlina stood to her full height, her body quickly recovering.

  “I disagree.” Tamera placed a palm on Xlina’s forehead and whispered something in her native tongue. “It’s as if your soul was... enraged.”

  “Amber,” Xlina shuddered, feeling something wrong deep inside.

  “Perhaps,” Tamera lowered her hand. “We need to go see my brother.”