The Infernal Games

by Reed Logan Westgate

  “I merely made him believe.” Xlina nodded in understanding.

  “Exactly. That charm was far more potent than you realize,” Oxivius explained. “Just like the witch who could achieve greater power by shape shifting but chooses not to in order to preserve herself, you could have reached new depths of power to secure your desired outcome. There is power in that choice, Xlina. It represents your authority over your life. It speaks to who you are, both as a person and as an awakened.”

  “So it was a test?” Xlina asked.

  “It was an opportunity,” Oxivius corrected with a satisfied grin. “An opportunity for you to realize that you are still in control, the bloody mark be damned.”

  “Thanks, Ox,” she said, leaning into to his side and resting her head on his shoulder. He stiffened immediately at the motion, and she could feel his shoulder muscles tighten against her cheek. For a moment he seemed staggered, but he eventually brought his hand up behind her to land on her shoulder, and she could feel the tension in his body release as he allowed her the moment.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Devil You Know

  It had been three days since she had first acquired the demon mark from Valeria and she was beginning to settle in to the reality of her entrapment by the foul succubus. It had been awkward and messy finding her bearings, but she was surviving. She even had a chance to catch up on her missed assignments thanks to Amber convincing her professors that the trauma of a home invasion had merited an extension. It looked like she wasn’t going to fail out of her accounting program at the local university after all. The damages and rent had consumed most of the money she had gotten for selling the cephalopod parts to the treacherous Brothers Three, and she seemed to be stable, if a little poor, for the moment. Oxivius had helped clean up her apartment so it didn’t look like it had been ransacked and then bid his farewell, promising to dig up the location of the pukwudgie. All that remained was to wait for Valeria to appear as promised and find out what it was that the demon expected from her.

  Xlina had asked Amber and Oxivius to stay clear, fearing that any exposure to Valeria would cause further complications. She felt their absence now acutely as she sulked about her apartment. Alone again for the first time in days, she found herself awash in thought. It left her to consider Oxivius’ warning and her pledge to give up her moonlighting life of hunting creatures from the Otherworld, creatures that seemed to consistently spill over into Earth Realm to hunt and prey on the human population. Perhaps it was nature’s way of keeping the human population under control? Humans thought they were the top of the food chain despite just being another rung on the evolutionary ladder. It wasn’t really their fault though; everyone in the know spent countless resources to keep the rest of humanity in the dark. From the original forming of the Mist, which concealed magic, to the machinations of the religions and governments of the world, it was in the people’s best interest not to know what truly lurked in the night. Was that really what she wanted, to be another silent cog in the machine? Or was it just a knee-jerk reaction to Oxivius pointing out the danger she was placing Amber in by letting the human girl in on her crazy life?

  She sat cross-legged on her couch in a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a purple t-shirt with the nightclub Pandora’s lettering stenciled on it in black calligraphy. She casually turned the page in her magazine, no longer reading the articles as her thoughts swirled about what the right course of action could be. Was it really fair to drag Amber into the affairs of the Otherworld? Was it her place to stop Amber from joining in? Amber was a grown adult, capable of making her own decisions, and if she chose to run headlong into danger beside Xlina against the creatures from the Otherworld, then who was Xlina to try and stop her?

  “Troubled?” Valeria’s sultry voice rang out in the otherwise quiet apartment, causing Xlina to nearly jump out of her skin.

  “Yes,” Xlina remarked sarcastically. “I’ve been marked by a demon, and my life as I know it is over.”

  “Don’t be so melodramatic, X,” Valeria cooed, walking across the wood floor, the sway of her hips accented by the clicking of the black stiletto heels she seemed to favor. Xlina looked up from her magazine to see the demon, casually standing before her in a red strapless dress that fit snugly to her curvy body. Her figure, purposely selected for its grace and beauty, belied the raw power simmering below the surface. Valeria could snap her like a twig without breaking a sweat, and the thought was humbling and repulsive. She no longer made the attempt to hide her natural beauty behind the attire of a social worker. Her black hair hung loose with just the right amount of bounce. If it were any more perfect, she would be in a commercial for some salon shampoo that cost a fortune.

  “Really?” Xlina asked sarcastically, eyeing the new door.

  “Redecorating?” Valeria shrugged, not obliging the reference with the slightest glance. Her lips were painted a dark crimson which looked well on her pale porcelain-like features. She was attractive, even by human standards, being so pretty it almost hurt to look at her.

  “Yes; it happens when you’re attacked by Cu Sith hounds,” Xlina grumbled, closing her magazine and tossing it aside.

  “Ooooh, some one’s been naughty,” Valeria purred in response. “You have been asking around about marks, silly girl, and in response, they tried to purge you.”

  “The Brothers Three sold me out,” Xlina spat back angrily.

  “Of course they did,” Valeria smiled back. “They are Norse gossip hounds. Fates! Hah, more like the information brokers to the Otherworld. The Greek Fates at least take the form of teenage girls; I admire the honesty in their choice.”

  “I had to go to the police,” Xlina continued solemnly. “You’re still my social worker, right? Shouldn’t you be handling this?”

  “Of course,” Valeria responded with a lewd wink. “Though our relationship is going to be a lot more fun now that I am out of the closet, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yeah, fun,” Xlina retorted in a huff. “I don’t know who will kill me first, the witches, the fae, or you.”

  “Come now, X,” Valeria responded in a soothing tone. “If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you three days ago.”

  “So what do you want?” Xlina asked in defiance.

  “Maybe I just want a nice little human pet to come play with every so often,” Valeria quipped back. “Have you ever considered that?”

  “Great, so I am just a demon’s chew toy,” Xlina countered in disgust.

  “If that’s what I want,” Valeria answered seductively, the black pupils of her eyes expanding until the whites were gone. She looked at Xlina with black, soulless eyes that seemed filled with hunger.

  “Well what do you want?” Xlina barked back in frustration.

  “In due time, X,” she responded with a pouty expression. Xlina hated that the demon had started using her initial as a nickname; she hated even more how the mark flared to life every time she did. Instead of pain, like before, the mark was releasing a flood of pleasure that rippled through her. She knew it was Valeria, toying with her using the innate abilities of her kind, but she refused to give her the satisfaction and maintained her stalwart composure.

  “Well then I guess I’m just going to finish my degree then,” Xlina said with a shrug. “Settle down and have my two point five children and get a nice little home in suburbia then.”

  “I guess,” Valeria nodded. “You can toil away at some dead-end job, where your soul slowly dies each day, trapped in a monotonous march through time until you wither and die of old age, shriveled like a prune and shitting your diaper, hoping the resident attendant at the nursing home isn’t on lunch break too long. Such a noble end humanity has to offer. Is that the life you choose?”

  “You promise more? Is that it? An offer I can’t refuse?” Xlina quipped back.

  “No, I offer you only to live life as you are, little Baku,” Valeria responded with an alluring smile. “Eat dreams, hunt until your heart’s content, unleashi
ng your nightmare fury on the foul interlopers from the Otherworld. I’m not asking anything more of you, sweetie, than for you to be what you already are.”

  “Why the mark? You could have just left me be,” Xlina questioned suspiciously, knowing full well it all sounded too damn good to be true.

  “Oh, every now and then I’ll need favors, X,” she responded with a mock hurt expression. Despite Xlina knowing it was just another demon lie, it still tugged at her heartstrings; such was the magic of the demon to influence emotions.

  “What kind of favors?” Xlina countered defensively. “I’m not becoming evil. I’ll not help you invade.”

  “Invade?” Valeria asked in reply, followed by a deep laugh that seemed sincere. “Oh sweetie, you’re listening to that anti-demon propaganda again. We don’t need to invade.”

  “You’re not looking to cross the gate?” Xlina questioned cautiously.

  “Heavens no,” Valeria laughed again, bringing her hand to her chest. “Whoever in the world gave you that idea? The Brothers Three?”

  “Maybe,” Xlina answered cautiously. She tried desperately not to let her guard down, remembering how quickly Valeria could go from friendly to ferocious.

  “Why would we want a war with humans?” Valeria asked with a stern look. “It would be the equivalent of your people declaring war on cows. You don’t massacre your food supply, at least not until Thanksgiving when all your relatives are coming over.”

  “What about the war?” Xlina asked again, looking up to the heavens to clarify her point.

  “Such innocence,” Valeria cooed with a chuckle. “Do you think there is a war still raging between the divine and infernal? How quaint.”

  “You’re lying,” Xlina retorted with a shake of her head.

  “Spoiler alert, X,” Valeria countered with a Cheshire Cat grin. “The war is over; we won.”

  “Bullshit,” Xlina spat back.

  “Really?” Valeria asked, feigning a hurt expression. “Let’s tally the score, shall we?”

  “You’re lying,” Xlina countered defiantly. “I’m not going to be tricked by your tales of despair.”

  “Where to start?” Valeria mused, completely ignoring Xlina’s defiance. “The Dark Ages, the bubonic plague, the conquests of Genghis Khan, which killed nearly ten percent of the world’s population, the burning of the Library of Alexandria was just plain fun, the Spanish Inquisition took care of a majority of the witches, the Holy Wars were a real hoot, the transatlantic slave trade was a watershed moment for your people; it even shocked some of us. Civil Wars, world wars, Stalin’s Great Purge, the Holocaust, the atom bomb—”

  “Our worst moments,” Xlina choked back. “Doesn’t mean you won.”

  “Reality TV, politics, the adult film industry, pharmaceuticals,” Valeria continued. “Where are your divine saviors, X?”

  “There were just as many good folk inspired along the way,” Xlina countered. “Many examples of humans pushing forward and overcoming. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King—”

  “Oh really? How do your great peacemakers fare today?” Valeria asked with a quizzical expression. “Besides, culling the herd is needed from time to time. The elimination of the species was never our goal.”

  “For our souls,” Xlina answered. “You want our souls.”

  “Mmmmm the source of all magic,” Valeria said, licking her lips as if she could taste Xlina’s soul from across the room. “We already have those.”

  “Right,” Xlina said sarcastically.

  “Honest,” Valeria responded, holding her hand up like an eagle scout. “Demonkind’s collection of human souls has never been higher. Just look at your politicians, your entertainers; hell, you even have twice weekly lotteries just begging for some pathetic, knuckle-dragging mouth-breather to trade up his eternal soul for the winning numbers. The world is tainted, religion is on the wane, most of those who traded their souls scarcely even believe they have one to begin with.”

  “What’s the point of it all then?” Xlina demanded, tired of the demon’s callous attitude. “If you have all the souls you could want and you have the McDonald’s of the demon world at your fingertips, then why the deception and the lies?”

  “Fun,” Valeria answered. “Do you have any idea how long a demon lives? How utterly boring existence is?”

  “Ahhh, I see now,” Xlina answered, her voice laced with sarcasm. “The whole ‘demons are just misunderstood’ angle. I see it clearly now; you’re not evil, you’re just bored. The world has a vast conspiracy to sully demonkind’s reputation. How utterly foolish of me to think otherwise.”

  “See, now there’s an amount of disrespect in your voice I find most distasteful, Xlina,” Valeria said with an air of superiority. She outstretched her hand, and a numbing pain shot through the mark, causing Xlina to jerk and spasm violently until she rolled from the couch to land with a resounding thud on the hardwood floor.

  “Was that...” Xlina struggled between breaths. “Your idea of fun? It needs work.”

  “We were having such a pleasant chat,” Valeria said with a hint of disappointment as she walked next to Xlina who lay gasping on the floor and used the toe of her shoe to push her over onto her back so she was looking up at the ceiling. “You can choose, Xlina, how this relationship goes. It doesn’t always have to be confrontational.”

  Xlina looked up at the demon dressed in red. The sheer black stockings on her legs rose from her side as she looked up to see the demon. Valeria seemed like a giant standing above her, and the pain from the mark subsided, giving her a brief respite.

  “I’m...” Xlina gasped between heavy, labored breaths as she lay staring up. “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s better,” Valeria cooed with a smile, sending a pulse of pleasure through Xlina’s mark.

  “I’m new to this,” Xlina explained. The power of Valeria to completely dominate her through the mark was embarrassing, humiliating. Valeria treated her like a puppy—firm discipline when she strayed and rewards when she did as she was told. It made a fire simmer deep within her, but she knew she was helpless in the current arrangement and was just glad neither Oxivius nor Amber could see her like this.

  “You’ll learn, my dear,” Valeria said firmly. “Now stand up. I haven’t got all day.”

  Xlina slowly rolled to a crouching position before standing, cautious not to make any sudden movements that Valeria would deem offensive, lest she incur the demon’s wrath once more. She rose to her feet, taller than the diminutive demon, but feeling completely overmatched.

  “What can I do for you today?” Xlina asked, looking into Valeria’s black empty eyes with a sigh of resignation.

  “That’s a good start, X.” She smiled in appreciation. Leaning forward on her toes, she closed in and kissed Xlina gently. Unlike when she had acquired the mark, Valeria was soft and supple. Her lips tasted of cherry gloss, and Xlina felt her shoulders and back relax reflexively as the demon brought her arms up to the sides of her face, cupping them sensually. She drew back slowly, leaving Xlina lingering in a frozen state. As suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Valeria released her hold and backed away, bringing her hand up to caress her chin as she thought.

  “What was that?” Xlina asked, swooning like she never had before as waves of pleasure flooded from the mark, sending tingles of anticipation through her body. The demon was intoxicating, breaking down mental barriers as if they were nothing. Her body craved the embrace, despite her mind screaming in warning at the dangers.

  “I needed to see what you’ve been up to,” Valeria stated simply. “Tell me, are Oxivius and Amber going to be a problem?”

  “No,” Xlina stammered at the mention of her friend’s names, snapping her from the haze. The demon had walked in and taken it from her mind while her defenses were down. She had plucked the events of the past days from her with little effort beyond a sensual kiss.

  “No? They seem awful intent on removing my mark,” Valeria said with a pouty expression t
hat belied her strength. “I might need to intervene. That Amber girl looks like she would be loads of fun.”

  “Please, no,” Xlina pleaded, rushing forward on instinct. “Please don’t.”

  “That’s more like it,” Valeria smiled, holding Xlina’s shoulders with her hands. “That’s what I like to see. You have people; how nice. Our little Baku has made friends.”

  “Don’t hurt them,” Xlina begged, realizing the danger the demon posed in this very moment to Oxivius and Amber.

  “I won’t so long as you don’t bore me, X,” Valeria responded. “You can do that... right?”

  “Yes, of course,” Xlina pleaded. She could no longer tell if the swirling emotions within her were her own or infernally manufactured manifestations being passed through the mark, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was the demon dominating her friends.

  “Excellent,” Valeria smiled, placing a warm hand on Xlina’s cheek. “That’s what I like to hear, my little Baku. I want you to clean up your mess.”

  “My mess?” Xlina questioned softly, trying not to incur Valeria’s wrath.

  “Yes. You brought this fae’s attention on yourself,” Valeria scolded firmly. “I’ll not be cleaning up after some wayward pup who doesn’t appreciate my efforts.”

  “You want me to handle the fae,” Xlina said.

  “I want you to kill the fae,” Valeria corrected, grabbing Xlina firmly by the chin to hold her eyes locked deeply in hers. “Kill the fae and I’ll leave pretty Amber alone. That’s the deal.”

  “You don’t need to make deals with me anymore,” Xlina stated matter-of-factly. “You’re not bound to honor it.”

  “No,” Valeria affirmed. “But you have my word that I will... which is more than you had before, is it not?”

  “I’ll kill the fae,” Xlina stated flatly. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t killed an Otherworlder before, but doing so on the order of the demon just felt wrong. “And you’ll leave Amber be.”