“Of course, she still can’t admit it,” he continued with a raised eyebrow. “Friends like her are hard to come by, vanilla bean.”
“I know,” Amber said somberly. She picked at the plate in silence for a few moments longer before adding. “At least the police will put an end to all this, right?”
“Human police don’t get involved with Otherworlders,” Xlina dismissed.
“Sure, there will be damage to the building,” Oxivius added ruefully. “But the bodies and blood were spilled in the Mist and were sealed away within the Mist, leaving nothing left in your world. The police, no doubt, will question the commotion, examine the damage, and probably rule it a domestic squabble or a break-in and file it away.”
“We are going to stop them, Amber,” Xlina finished with a grim determination. “I promise you that. They won’t come looking for you. They are after me.”
“So what?” Amber retorted. “I go back to class? I forget everything I have seen and just pretend like everything’s okay?”
“I could help with a spell,” Oxivius offered.
“No more magic,” Amber insisted with a shiver. “Xlina, you can’t treat me like a child who is going to go hide under my covers and pretend the boogey man isn’t standing at the end of my bed. I can’t change what I saw.”
“You could make her forget, Ox?” Xlina asked softly.
“No,” Amber repeated forcefully. “If you just learned magic was real, would you want to forget? To go back to class and just meander on?”
“Knowing of the Otherworld makes for a tough life,” Xlina lamented. “A solitary life filled with danger. You don’t have to live like that, Amber; you are normal. You could have a normal life.”
“And then what?” Amber protested. “We just go back to sniping each other in the hall? Trading barbs and insults while you remember everything. How did you put up with me taunting you like that while going to save my life? Why? No, you can’t take this from me.”
“It would be for your protection,” Xlina pleaded.
“I want to know more,” Amber insisted. “If there is a whole other world out there, then somewhere deep down inside, I’m going to regret not having the chance to explore it. Dammit, Xlina, would you take that away from me?”
“You’re not scared?” Xlina asked.
“Terrified,” Amber answered, locking Xlina’s gaze with her own.
“Then why?” Xlina persisted with a shrug.
“Because it’s better than not knowing,” Amber answered. “It’s better than being an unexpecting victim. Knowing at least gives me the dignity to face it, unlike in your apartment. I just froze. I was a mess.”
“It’s natural,” Xlina said comfortingly.
“Not for you,” she fired back in response. “I saw you charge that thing. I saw you! You’re like the embodiment of women’s empowerment. You didn’t fall to the floor sobbing like a child.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Amber,” Xlina soothed.
“Not for me,” Amber said sullenly. “I am always afraid. I don’t want to be like that anymore. I don’t know what I am doing, Xlina. I am attending class, but I don’t feel a calling. I don’t have a purpose. I haven’t even selected a major yet, but this calls to me. It’s terrifying, but at the same time exciting.”
“And deadly,” Xlina continued. “This isn’t some feel-good Disney movie, Amber. The things that stalk the night aren’t poor, misunderstood creatures. They see you as food. Nothing more.”
“I’m not looking for a prince,” Amber protested. “But come, Xlina, look at this place. There is magic here, and it’s real. How could I go back to being in the dark?”
“I can’t promise your safety,” Xlina continued. “I’m not a good protector.”
“I’m not expecting it,” Amber said firmly.
“It’s settled then,” Oxivius said, pounding his fist on the table.
“Fine,” Xlina agreed with a grim nod. There would be no wiping of Amber’s mind.
“Okay, so what now?” Amber questioned, picking at her plate of food, which seemed to bring a smile to Oxivius’ face. He obviously wasn’t used to the company, having prepared enough food for her entire sorority instead of a breakfast meant for two.
“We go back,” Oxivius stated as if it were obvious. “There was one more assailant. I doubt he is willing to return to his master with news of his defeat. No, he is probably still looking for us.”
“It’s been a day, Ox,” Xlina objected. “I doubt he is still lingering.”
“Ahh, but neither of you have been to the Otherworld in person before, love,” Oxivius replied with a knowing smile. “Time moves differently here. By the time we get back to Earth, only a mere couple of hours will have passed.”
“Really?” Xlina blurted out.
“Monsters are real, and my neighbor’s friend lives in Narnia,” Amber stated blankly. “Sure, why not?”
“An apt description,” Oxivius applauded. “Many tales of humans venturing to the Otherworld involve a kind of internal time dysmorphia.”
“We are so coming back when our next term paper is due,” Amber smiled at Xlina. It felt good to have someone sharing her secrets, and thus Xlina returned the smile thankfully.
“Humans are not welcomed in the Otherworld,” Oxivius warned sternly. “Do not trifle with the denizens of this place lightly.”
“But you live here,” Xlina interjected.
“I live in the Necropolis,” he corrected. “A place forgotten and uncared for except by fiends and grave robbers.”
“It can’t be all bad,” Amber replied, plucking another piece of bacon from her plate and chewing on it.
“Tell me,” Oxivius said menacingly. “Do you think that’s pig you’re eating? Xlina, did you see any farm animals outside?”
Suddenly, Xlina felt very ill to her stomach. She looked at her plate in horror, not wanting to inquire further; she pushed her plate away with one hand and looked back at Oxivius with the faint smile you give when trying to be polite.
“Your sense of humor,” Amber said giggling. “You are a riot, Oxivius.”
“I think it’s time for us to go,” Xlina remarked quickly, grabbing Amber’s hand and dragging her from the table. “It was delicious, Ox, and we understand it’s a dog eat dog world here.”
“To the hearse,” Oxivius smiled warmly, removing his apron and flinging it toward the sink. He gestured to the far wall of the kitchen, where a double set of doors now stood. “This way.”
Xlina just shook her head in amazement as Oxivius’ cane appeared in his hand. She had seen illusionists do the same trick on television, but she suspected that in his case, it was more magic than sleight of hand. He led the way to the double wooden door, placing his hand on a large iron ring and tapping his cane twice on the floor. A thunderous boom rang through the kitchen, and when Xlina opened her eyes, they were back in the mausoleum, standing before the bronze plate on the wall that read Oxivius Soulforge.
Xlina looked around again at the mausoleum, amazed that Oxivius lived in such a place. His house seemed to exist between worlds, expanding and changing as he so desired. It was quite special, and judging by the way he carried himself, with a somewhat lighter step and a content smile, it has been a long time indeed since he had company.
They all piled into the front of the hearse due to Amber’s protests at the notion of riding in the back where the bodies should go. Xlina rode in the center, squeezed between Oxivius and Amber, and felt relaxed. Despite everything that had gone so horribly wrong, this felt right. Oxivius reached up to adjust his fuzzy dice and looked in the rearview mirror, smiling.
“Hold on, love,” he whispered in a barely audible voice before dropping a heavy foot on the gas, sending the hearse loping down a dirt trail leading away from the mausoleum and back into the Mist.
Chapter Ten
Cat And Mouse
The ride back to Portland Maine had been quick, with Oxivius barreling through the Mist and laug
hing with glee until bursting out on a quiet side street around the corner from Xlina’s apartment building. It was the wait that was promising to be her demise as her legs cramped uncomfortably from her crouched position behind the dumpster in the alley across the way from her front door. Oxivius had suggested they fan out and was somewhere finding a suitable perch to watch the door as Amber prepared to return to the building. It had taken some persuasive strong-arming, but Amber had relented, finally agreeing to act as a decoy by returning to the building and heading up to the second floor. It had been nearly twenty minutes since they had formed the plan and split up, and now Xlina crouched, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger. The last day had been a tumult of emotions as she developed new thoughts and feelings in regard to both Oxivius and Amber.
Xlina had been alone and in truth had always seen herself as alone since that incident with her first boyfriend. When she had come to Portland it certainly wasn’t with hopes of finding friends or allies and she couldn’t have predicted the curious Oxivius Soulforge. Nor could she had foreseen his sudden and dramatic impact on her life. Where she tread cautiously between the mundane human world and the magical allure of the Otherworld, Oxivius seemed to bask in the mystical enigma of it all.
Much to her surprise, Amber was handling the news of the Otherworld with stoic dignity, refusing to allow Oxivius to wipe the memory of the encounter with the Cu Sith from her mind. She had surprised Xlina, not only by accepting this strange new characterization of herself as a Baku, but also by being generally supportive. It was as if what Amber, in her life of masks and social pleasantries, truly longed for was the bare naked truth. In that moment, Xlina had laid herself bare, completely exposed, and Amber had seen it and connected with it. That moment had brought them closer together than Xlina had even thought possible. Now her former rival was fully committed to this plan they had hatched, putting herself back in the line of fire, trusting that Xlina would be there to save her just as she had against the Cu Sith hounds.
Xlina smiled to herself, contentment seeping in at a most inopportune time, but regardless of the demon mark, regardless of the fae assassins waiting to lynch her, she was content. She felt the mark on her ribs just under her right breast and found a resolve deep within. A reservoir of hope had begun welling in her. She would find a way to make this right. She would find a way to remove the mark, with the help of her friends, and that thought made her agony just a little more bearable.
She glanced at her cell phone, and a slight relief washed over her as she saw the connection restored now that she was back to Earth. The magic of the Otherworld was great, but cell service towers on Earth were somehow more comforting. She relaxed slightly, feeling that the world, at least as she knew it, continued to move on despite the machinations of demons and fae overlords. The time was just about right, and so she moved, adjusting so she could keep an eye on the door to the apartment building.
Amber was right on time. She moved at a quick and steady pace down the sidewalk, with a nervous look back every so many steps as if to ensure she wasn’t being followed. It was exactly as Oxivius had instructed, saying The first element of surprise... is to do exactly what is expected, naturally. Oxivius thought the second assailant would lie in wait, looking completely natural, until the police had come and gone. He would wait, patiently knowing one of the girls would return. She had faith in Oxivius; so far, he had predicted every move with uncanny accuracy. He was like a vampy, gothic Sherlock Holmes with that pointed beard and roguish smile.
Amber quickened her pace as she drew near to the door, as if her nerves were starting to get the best of her. Once she was inside, Xlina would follow. That was the plan, not to leave Amber alone in the apartment building with a potential attacker. Fortunately, that plan was not needed, as Xlina eyed a well-to-do man rising from a bus stop bench further down the way. He folded his newspaper under his arm and began briskly walking toward Amber. As she changed her pace, his quickened in response, and it was clear he would intersect her before she even reached the front door of the apartment building.
Xlina held her breath, wanting to spring into action, wanting to rush out and pummel the man for all the harm he had potentially caused with his damn Cu Sith hounds, but this too was a fallback as part of Oxivius’ plan. Amber cut hard from the sidewalk, crossing the street abruptly and walking directly toward the alley where Xlina lay in wait.
“You can’t be this stupid,” Xlina mused under her breath as the man altered course in response, cutting across the street and quickening his pace yet again. “Okay, Amber, last step; look at him. Let him know he has been made. You got this.”
Amber did as planned, making eye contact with the man and then turning back quickly. She stopped for but a moment, a second long enough to send the message of hesitation, before bolting for the alleyway. The man dropped his paper and ran in full pursuit. His polished black shoes clacked noisily on the cement walk as his hand held his red tie in place. He looked comical running down the street while dressed for business. Xlina leaned back against the dumpster, hiding as best she could as Amber raced past her and down the alley. The man bolted by in a sprint, trying desperately not to lose sight of his prey and his only hope of redemption in the eyes of his fae overlord. Amber pulled up to a stop twenty feet from the other end of the alley and turned, placing her hands triumphantly on her hips. The man lurched to a sudden stop in response. Taken aback by the sudden change in behavior, he now sensed the trap and spun on his heels to meet the gaze of Xlina closing in from behind.
He was of average size and build, nothing remarkable. He would have blended into any coffee shop or business background flawlessly, but now in his desperate attempt to corner his prey, he found himself the mouse caught in the trap.
“You underestimated us,” Xlina warned.
“You underestimate me,” he snarled back, clenching his fists and taking a low horse stance. He obviously had some training under his belt.
“Who sent you?” Xlina demanded, not giving an inch.
“A concerned citizen,” he shot back, his voice filled with venom. “We don’t like known associates of demons in our coven’s turf.”
“Your turf,” Amber said gruffly, trying her best to sound intimidating. “This is sorority territory, buster. My friend over there is about to go all Phi Theta Kappa on your ass.”
It was all Xlina could do not to be bowled over with laughter at Amber’s attempt at tough talking the goon. They were definitely going to have to work on her intimidation game if this was going to become a regular habit. The man didn’t take the threat kindly; stalking in with a quick shift of his feet, he closed the distance between Xlina and himself, lunging with a series of strikes aimed at her face. Xlina fell back a step with each strike, bobbing and weaving to slip the first two and countering with a stiff sword arm block on the final thrust. She returned with a snapping combination of her own, leading with a strong thrust from her right hand, which the man effortlessly parried away. She followed with a pair of quick left jabs, sliding forward with each as the man fell back in synchrony, swatting away the blows with his lead arm.
“Get him, Xlina,” Amber cheered from behind. Her timing couldn’t have been worse; Xlina’s eyes switched to Amber for a second, but as a trained fighter, a second was all the man needed as he pressed his assault again. He narrowly clipped her temple with a glancing blow from a solid cross as she quickly retreated. Her vision blurred for a second as she accepted the blow and raised her right arm to counter the expected follow through punch. Moving in unison with the incoming strike, she pivoted through her block in a clockwise motion and returned with a quick spinning backfist of her own. He ducked at the last moment, sending her arm wide from the force of her swing and emerging with a thrust kick that connected solidly on her stomach and bowled her back to the unforgiving pavement.
“Not so tough,” he mocked, standing to his full height and dropping his guard as he stood over her prone form.
“N
ot so smart,” Xlina quipped, striking back with her legs, crossing them around his with a twist of her hips. Her legs found purchase with her right calf against his shins, and her left shin scissored to take him behind the knee. He tumbled forward, catching himself easily but giving Xlina the moment she needed to roll forward and into a standing position. He returned to his feet and squared up again, looking through her with grim determination.
“Ineffective at best,” he snarled with contempt.
“I’m just getting started, heavy bag,” she shot back in retort, sliding forward with a flurry of rights and lefts. She waited for the blocks. She expected the parries as he resumed a boxing guard and slapped away her blows defensively. His comfort in the timing of her rhythm and attacks fed his arrogance, and he smiled, challenging her to keep expending her energy in a flurry. It was the moment she counted on as he brought his arms together to block her flurry. He covered up like Muhammed Ali executing the famous rope-a-dope. A solid tactic, but Ali’s opponents couldn’t channel nightmare energy into their fists. With a cry of rage, Xlina focused the energy stored within, and the familiar blue glow returned to her hands, crackling like lightning and waiting to be unleashed on the poor unsuspecting man. His block was solid as her enhanced punch landed with a devastating force that shattered his forearm. His cry of pain was quickly muffled by her second blow, which landed high on his shoulder with explosive force, spinning him around like a ragdoll as he unceremoniously fell in a heap, slamming hard into the pavement.
“You bitch,” he snarled in contempt as he struggled to get to his feet, his right arm hanging limply by his side with his hand already turning a dark purple. His left moved stiffly from the heavy blow to the shoulder, and he stumbled slightly as he regained his footing. “You want to sling magic out in the open without the Mist to hide it. You’ll doom us all.”
“You attacked my home, you filthy bastard,” Xlina spat back angrily. “Now you want to chastise me on the rules? I hope the fae mongrel you’re serving consumes your man parts slowly while you still draw breath.”
The Infernal Games Page 15