Enclave

by Brandon Varnell

  A gurgle came from behind her. She didn’t turn to see the creature die and instead threw herself headlong in the fray.

  Maybe killing some goblins would help ease the anger she felt toward Lilith.

  ***

  Lilith watched from behind Christian as her mate mowed through goblins faster than a scythe cut through wheat. This wasn’t the first time she had watched him fight, but she felt no less impressed. While not a fan of violence―unless it was fictional violence—she could not help but admire his grace. Christian was beautiful when he fought. He somehow combined the grace and elegance of a dancer with the speed and precision of a bullet, somehow turning a life and death battle into something, not beautiful, but at least not ugly. No one else she knew could do that.

  She would admit to being biased.

  As she followed Christian while he carved through the goblins, Lilith took in a bit more of the scene. Over to her left, those two new women (what were their names again?) were cutting through the ranks of green skinned monsters almost as fast as Christian was. The raven-haired one used an odd fighting style. She would pull her blade from its sheath, then put it back in again right afterward. Goblins fell in her wake. The other woman, the short one with big breasts, was using a set of gauntlets with sharp-looking claws on them to tear through goblins like they were wet toilet paper.

  So they were also members of the Executioners? Was every person who came from that group a monster in battle?

  To her right, Lilith could see Catherine standing almost right next to her, taking shots at any goblin that was not in Christian’s path. It was loud. Booming. Lilith flinched, her face turning green, as she saw the damage done by the gun. There was so much blood. Lilith had to turn away, and it was all she could do not to vomit.

  She thought she would be used to this by now. She had told Christian that she was used to it, but the truth was that even after everything she had seen, everything she had gone through, the sight of so much blood made her sick. Worse, it made her remember that train ride, the one where Asmodeus, disguised within the body of a human called Nicholas Cruor, had brutally slaughtered everyone on board and tried to rape her.

  While much of that memory felt like a distant dream thanks to Christian, it had not disappeared. It remained in her mind, lurking within the depths of her subconscious, restrained by Christian’s love for her, but not wholly gone. Part of the reason why she didn’t want Christian protecting her was simply because she wanted to overcome the leftover fear she felt from that experience.

  Up ahead, Andrew had grabbed two goblins by the head and smashed them together, crushing the skulls and causing blood and some kind of pink ooze to leak out. He howled, tossing the dead bodies away and bounded up to another enemy, which he began mauling with sharp, blooded claws.

  Lilith turned her head again, her teeth grit, her mind struggling not to let the repulsive scene get to her, her body fighting against its natural inclination to run. She didn’t want to be weak anymore. If she wanted to have any hope of being useful to Christian, then she had to overcome this, her fear of battle, the sickness that came from the sight of blood, from its scent invading her nose, the repulsive aroma of death.

  The goblins within the room were soon disposed of. Lilith found herself surveying the cafeteria, the dead bodies lying strewn about the ground, like dolls that had been tossed aside by an angry child. A majority of the dead were goblins, but she saw at least three succubi. Her heart clenched. She had not known these girls very long, but they had been supportive of her. Seeing them like this, their bodies lying still, their eyes wide and sightless, filmed over and dull, made her eyes water and her heart tremble.

  “Lilith,” Christian said, making her look away from the bodies and turn toward her mate. His eyes held compassion and love. They drove the desolation seeping at the edge of her mind, making the terrible sights, sounds, and smells around her a little bit more bearable. “Come on. We need to keep moving.”

  Lilith nodded and followed the group as they made their way out of the cafeteria. The walkway on the other side had more goblins on it than she could count. Their forces extended all the way to the end, where walkway turned into buildings, their bodies crowding the one-meter wide path.

  Andrew, Kaylee, Samantha, and Sif led the charge, plowing into the horde with the force of a terrifying and powerful storm. They proceeded to rip through the forces arrayed against them, slaughtering the goblins with ease. Limbs were removed in sprays of gore, and bodies were sent flying off the walkway. Andrew’s howl went up as he leapt several dozen feet into the air, over the heads of several goblins, and then landed on one of them with bone breaking force.

  Christian stayed behind. Lilith knew that he wanted to go and help, but he was not willing to leave her. Her heart warmed up.

  “Excuse me,” she said to the nearest Valkyrie, a woman not much older than her, or so she thought. This female looked around the same age, but her stormy gray eyes told a different story. “Do you have a weapon I could use... like a pistol or something?”

  “Lilith?” Christian turned questioning eyes on her, but Lilith only smiled.

  “I want to help out.”

  “Lilith...”

  “Please,” she said, “let me do this.”

  Christian sighed. “I’m not trying to stop you because I don’t want you to help.” Lilith didn’t think he was being honest, but she didn’t get a chance to say anything about his desire to shelter her before he continued. “I’m stopping you because you don’t even know how to use a gun yet.”

  Lilith felt her cheeks turn red. She also felt her face puffing up, just a bit, as she pouted. “I know how to fire a gun. You showed me.”

  “No,” he corrected, “you know only the basics of gun handling. You know how to load and unload, and you know how to shoot. But there is a big difference from knowing how to pull a trigger to being a capable marksman. Right now, you’re just as likely to shoot an ally as you are an enemy.”

  Lilith looked down at her feet, embarrassed. She had not thought about that. A part of her was already berating herself for her lack of forethought. She wanted to help, but without being a good shot, there was little she could do.

  Well, she might be able to use her succubus powers, but she still didn’t know how to use them to any great extent. So far, she had only managed to wield them during times of great duress, like when Asmodeus had been going to kill Christian, or when that troll had been about to kill Christian. Basically, the only times she’d been able to use them were times when Christian was in danger.

  “I guess you’re right,” she mumbled, her voice soft.

  Christian put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise, when we get out of this, I’ll teach you how to shoot. I’ll make sure you become a capable marksman.”

  Lilith looked up and smiled at him, her heart soaring. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  ***

  Catherine walked behind Christian and Lilith, taking up the rear. Her Desert Eagle had been tied to her gown with a belt she’d found on one of the dead succubus. She didn’t like raiding dead bodies, but her gun was out of ammo. She didn’t want to leave it, but she also couldn’t hold it if she wanted to have use of both her hands.

  In her hands was a new gun―or new to her. It was a standard 9mm pistol. The weapon was small, too small for her tastes. While she would never admit it to anyone, she had a taste for larger, powerful guns. They were more effective at killing things that went bump in the night. She also loved the sound they made when fired.

  The only 9mm she had seen that had proven capable of killing powerful supernatural creatures were Christian two handguns, but there was nothing standard about those weapons. She knew they were special somehow, even if she had no idea what made them such exceptional weapons.

  She looked up ahead. Andy and those two women had really torn through those goblins handily. They were almost at the end of the walkway now and were mopping up the last few enemies i
n their way. Even as she watched them, she saw Andy run into the building, which she realized from its design must be the command structure.

  Catherine found herself shaking her head. She couldn’t believe she was actually fighting goblins. While Andy had told her they existed, she had never really taken him seriously. Goblins? Really? They were supposed to be fictional beings, creatures created by nerds who played Dungeons and Dragons. They weren’t supposed to be real.

  Times like these made her almost regret agreeing to become the head of the SIU.

  To distract herself from those thoughts, Catherine let her gaze wander over the women they were surrounded by. Each woman was beautiful. Catherine thought herself rather attractive, but these women made her feel hideous.

  They must be succubus, she reasoned. There were no other creatures on this God given earth who could be so insanely ravishing.

  Great. So she was surrounded by succubus. She didn’t have a problem with that, not really, but these women were just killing her self-esteem. It was a good thing she had never been one to care for her looks as much as other females.

  Christian and Lilith entered the building ahead of her. As she stepped into what appeared to be a hallway, a loud roar, several of them, in fact, shook the building.

  “What was that!?” she asked of no one in particular.

  Christian answered her anyway, his eyes wide. “Trolls.”

  Catherine felt her own eyes widen. “You’re kidding me?”

  “I wish I was. The goblins must have brought them here.”

  That was just fantastic, Catherine thought to herself in sarcasm. Not only were there goblins, but there were trolls, too. How many more mystical, magical fantasy creatures was she going to run into today?

  In spite of her feelings, and her trepidation about coming face to face with a troll―or trolls, as Christian had used the plural term—she ran alongside the young man and Lilith. Her hair swished around her, getting in her eyes and making her wish she’d had time to at least pull her hair into a bun. She really didn’t need this kind of distraction, and she would feel humiliated if she died because her hair was blocking her view.

  They entered what looked like a command room. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it had looked like a command room at one point. Now it was just a mess. The table in the center was broken, its frame shattered, the metal that made it up was warped, crushed, and dented. Several craters littered the ground, cracks spreading from them to form intricate patterns. A part of the wall farthest from her had been destroyed, like someone had taken CO2 and blasted it apart.

  She could see outside, the endless expanse of steaming water, several walkways where a number of succubi were being pushed back by the overwhelming forces. Catherine still didn’t have the foggiest idea as to what was going on here, but she knew one thing for certain.

  This place, base, enclave, whatever, was lost. All they could do was save as many of the women—succubi—as they could and make their escape.

  Though Catherine was beginning to wonder if they even could escape.

  The reason for this was because of the three large trolls standing in the room with them. They were massive things, gigantic even. Each one towered over everyone in the room. The smallest one of them stood at least two times larger than Andy in his werewolf form, and he was pretty damn big. Green skin, thick arms the size of tree-trunks, oddly small legs, a distended gut, and a tiny head made them one of the most hideous creatures she had ever laid eyes on.

  Why were most supernatural creatures so ugly?

  The giant beings were fighting against several succubi, along with Andy and those two human women. Andy seemed to be having some trouble. His speed allowed him to get in range of them easily enough, but his claws were unable to penetrate the troll’s thick hide.

  The two women were having much more luck. They wove around the monster they were facing with impressive dexterity. Their weapons flashed out, and each swing of sword or claw caused blood to arc out of a newly made wound. The troll would roar and attack them more furiously, but it seemed to do little good against the nimble women.

  The last of the trolls appeared to be having the most success. It was roaring and flailing its arms, keeping the women surrounding it from getting too close. Guns didn’t affect it. The bullets just bounced off its hide.

  Already, the woman who had been fighting alongside Andy was several feet away, her limp body lying on the ground. Dust and debris from the wall she had crashed against covered her like spray paint. Catherine hoped the woman wasn’t dead.

  “Stay back,” Christian demanded of Lilith. The girl looked ready to snap at him, but he sent her a look. “I mean it. These things are strong, and unless you can do that transformation thing again, I doubt you’ll be able to help out much.” That made the girl stop in her tracks. She sighed but nodded. Christian then looked at Catherine. “Protect Lilith for me, alright?”

  “Okay.” Catherine knew she wouldn’t be much help against those trolls—not with her dinky little handgun. The least she could do now was defend Lilith. “I’ll keep her safe for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Standing there, the two women watched as Christian dashed forward, his two swords in hand, traveling toward the troll giving the succubi a handful of trouble in a full-blown sprint.

  Catherine turned to Lilith. The young woman, her eyes staring longingly at Christian’s back, looked like she wanted nothing more than to go after him. The way she stood, the look in her eyes, the pursing of her lips, all of it conveyed her desire to remain by the side of the dark-haired young man with the dual-colored eyes.

  She found herself envying Lilith, just a little. Catherine had never had any luck with men. Most were afraid of her. Those who weren’t couldn’t deal with her because they gained an inferiority complex around her. Even her marriage years before, when she had been just a simple officer with the LAPD, had dissolved when the man had proven incapable of dealing with her independent streak.

  Yes. Her love life truly had sucked ever since her husband died.

  A shake of her head brought her back to the present.

  “Lilith,” she called, getting the blond woman’s attention. “Let’s move off to the side. I don’t much care for standing in the doorway where we could get run over.”

  Lilith nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  Together, they moved over to a corner, the one farthest from the action. Catherine then turned back to the battle. Samantha and Sif had already managed to kill their troll. Somehow, the shorter woman had made it onto the large creature’s back, and then driven her clawed gauntlets right into its skull. The troll had died instantly, its body belly-flopping to the ground with a loud rumble, Sif flipping off its back before well before it smashed against the stone floor.

  The two split off. Samantha went to assist Andy, while Sif rushed toward the troll Christian and the succubi were fighting.

  That particular one already looked to be on its last leg, literally. Christian had taken to weaving around the much larger creature, flaying its skin with quick slices of his swords. The troll was covered in cuts, dark blood oozing from the multitude of slash marks. It was also missing a leg, which Catherine found lying nearly a few yards from its body.

  A roar erupted from its mouth. One of the women was sent flying when it swatted at her. It didn’t have as much power as it used to. Because of its missing leg it couldn’t generate much force. She was surprised it was still standing. The succubus got back to her feet, albeit, she was shaking from the pain of the hit.

  Christian darted forward. The troll spotted him. With another roar, it attempted to smash him flat, but the young man sidestepped the attack. He then closed the rest of the distance and thrust the sword in his left hand upward.

  The blade went straight through the creature’s chin. Blood spurted out of the wound, dark black, looking more like ooze than blood. It hissed and steamed. Christian pulled back before it could touch him, his b
lade going with him, pulling out of the newly made hole, which gushed blood the moment his sword left. The troll hunched there, its body wavering left and sight, back and forth. Its eyes rolled up in its head. It gave one last gurgling, like a desperate moan, then pitched forward, smashing into the ground with earth-rumbling force.

  Andy and Samantha managed to finish off the other one in short order as well. Even now, Catherine could see the woman with midnight hair standing on the monster’s back, pulling her sword out the back of its neck. She flicked the blade, sending blood arcing out to splatter against the ground, then resheathed the weapon and jumped back to the floor.

  Catherine looked over at Lilith. “Let’s―” she started, then stopped when she saw that Lilith was no longer standing next to her. She looked around before spotting the woman in question, already running over to Christian. She sighed. “What an impatient girl,” she said, then started off after her.

  ***

  Christian, flicking Rafael clean of blood, sighed, resheathing the blade and bringing his now free hand up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. This day had been long and difficult, and he already knew it would be longer still. Even now, upon looking out the window, he could see the battle taking place outside. His swords and guns would be getting another work out soon, it seemed.

  “Christian?” someone asked.

  But there was a conversation that needed to be had first.

  “Clarissa.” Turning to the woman speaking to him, Christian decided that Clarissa had obviously seen better days. Her hair was a mess, covered in blood both her own and not. Lacerations littered her body, and though most were tiny and inconsequential, they added up. She looked tired. He imagined that she had been fighting for a long time now. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Right to the point, I see.” The woman chuckled, though it was without mirth.

  “We don’t really have any more time for discussion.” Christian shrugged. “Your people are still in danger.”

  By now, Lilith had reached them and was standing by his side. He glanced at her but focused most of his attention on the olive-skinned woman.