“What now?” Xlina quipped, thoroughly exhausted.
“She’ll need a ride,” Oxivius replied. “Like our friend Brick there hitchhiking in Amber.”
“Hells no,” Xlina protested.
“It is the only way,” Oxivius added.
“Not a chance,” Xlina stated flatly.
“Just until she recovers,” Oxivius replied.
“It’s not that bad,” Amber chimed in.
“You tongue kissed me after throwing me across the room,” Xlina replied skeptically.
“Is that why it took you so long to rescue us?” Oxivius teased with a raised eyebrow.
“Shut up, Ox,” Xlina replied.
“We can’t leave her,” Amber echoed.
“How long?” Xlina asked, her arms folded in front of her defiantly. “How long do I have to carry her?”
Oxivius began chanting, drawing again the evil necromantic magic. The stench of burning souls hung heavy in the air as Valeria withered into a dark cloud of smoke. He gestured high in the air, allowing the cloud to swirl about his hand as he looked one last time at Xlina.
“It won’t be long, love,” he said. As he dropped his hand, the cloud of black smoke raced into her face and down her throat. She shivered at the feeling of darkness inside her as her body quivered, her eyes rolled back, and the world went dark.
“That was no fun,” Valeria cooed seductively as Xlina’s eyes fluttered open. They were back in her room at the Heart’s Hearth, but the smell in the air was wrong. It reminded her of the dream the night before.
“We’re in...” Xlina asked looking around curiously.
“Dream Realm,” Valeria answered. She appeared again in the full demonic form Xlina had seen before as she lay on her stomach lazily on Xlina’s bed, her hands propping her up. Her wings stretched, flapping twice for good measure before settling back in place. Her tail waved innocently as she stared at Xlina. Noticing her gaze, she slipped her forked tongue out, once more teasing the girl.
“Why here? Why now?” Xlina asked, taking a defensive stance and clenching her fists.
“Relax, sweetie,” Valeria cooed, rolling to her side to expose her trim torso and naked breasts. “You’re exhausted from the battle. I guess taking me on wore you out.”
“Or was it that part where you fed on my soul and nearly drank me dry?” Xlina countered angrily.
“I was dying,” Valeria replied, feigning a hurt look. “What would you have had me do?”
“I don’t know,” Xlina shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. “I thought you’d be grateful instead of just being—”
“A demon,” Valeria purred with a seductive smile. “It’s my nature, Xlina.”
“Nature,” Xlina scoffed. “Do demons even fit in with nature?”
“We are just as natural as you,” Valeria retorted with another feigned look of hurt. “Why do you resist me so?”
“Oh I don’t know,” Xlina cursed back sarcastically. “The eternal torment, my soul burning in hell might have something to do with it.”
“Well sure, there’s that,” Valeria laughed mockingly. “But before that, we could have worlds of fun.”
“Hard to have fun knowing the ending like that,” Xlina said, bluntly examining the dream’s recreation of her room.
“Not all souls burn,” Valeria stated matter-of-factly.
“Really? Isn’t that whole fire and brimstone your trademark thing?”
“Hardly,” Valeria replied with a slight chuckle. “That’s just what some secular folks would have you believe. The Infernal Realm is vast, much larger than the Earth Realm, but less populated. There are wastelands, fiery pits, and whatnot of course, but we also have lakes of acid, frozen tundra of bitter cold, rivers of blood.”
“Enough,” Xlina protested. “I’d rather be surprised.”
“Not every wicked soul burns,” Valeria continued. “Some become something more...”
“More?” Xlina asked, her curiosity piqued.
“I mean, how do you think demons are born?” Valeria replied suggestively.
“I assumed you were hatched,” Xlina replied coldly.
“Hatched?” Valeria laughed out loud. “No souls of our own, we need yours to fuel the spark of life. Silly girl... hatched.”
“You mean...” Xlina stammered.
“Souls,” Valeria continued. “They are our life source. The secret to our existence. So you see, if all humans were wiped out, we would die out as well.”
“That’s why you play these devilish games?” Xlina demanded.
“Not really,” Valeria scoffed. “Sometimes we are just... bored.”
“What does your patron want from me?” Xlina asked directly, tired of the damn demons and their infernal games.
“Your power,” Valeria cooed with a flick of her tongue. “Your kind is rare, and he is a bit of a collector.”
“Great, so I’m just finishing his set,” Xlina said dismissively.
“If that makes you feel better,” Valeria snickered casually.
“You’re not staying,” Xlina barked. “As soon as we figure out another solution.”
“You’ll cast me out,” Valeria interrupted. “My dear, you hurt my feelings, after we have become so close.”
“I hate you,” Xlina replied coldly. “I hate what you have done to me.”
“See,” Valeria replied. “When you say things like that, it makes me jealous to see you with others like that pretty blonde. I just want to snap her neck.”
“Again proving my point,” Xlina exclaimed, bewildered.
“Just to show you how much I care,” Valeria pouted. “I just want your attention.”
“Yeah,” Xlina replied sarcastically. “No.”
“Oh you’re no fun,” Valeria hissed as she grabbed a pillow and lobbed it at Xlina.
“What about this is fun?” Xlina barked, swatting the pillow aside.
“You,” Valeria replied, bouncing up on all fours. “And I. Girls sleep over in your head, or is Amber more your style?”
“Leave her out of this,” Xlina ordered, her hands flaring to life with energy.
“Ohhhh let us not forget tall, dark, and pallid,” Valeria mocked, sliding off the bed. “Mr. Necromancer himself. Careful snuggling up to that one; he’s just as much a monster as I am.”
“Shut up,” Xlina bellowed, diving at the demon with a flurry of punches, but Valeria snapped up both arms by the wrists and held them in place.
“I’m not as weak now,” Valeria purred, pulling her arms down and forcing Xlina close enough to her face to feel her breath on her skin.
“This is my realm,” Xlina nearly spat defiantly, staring Valeria in her blackened eyes. Slowly Valeria released her grip, and the pair stood face to face, unflinching in a battle of wills.
“So it is,” Valeria relented, turning away and returning to the bed, slithering in like a snake. She lay on her side and seductively ran a finger down her torso before gently patting the bed. “Do come join me.”
“I need to regain my strength,” Xlina huffed, turning to the door.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Valeria cautioned. “I’m repressing all my thoughts and memories to keep them from burning you up. I can’t guarantee if you go hopping around I’ll be able to keep any of your victims safe. Nor would I want to.”
Xlina looked at the door knob a mere handful of inches away and paused, her hand outstretched. She remembered the flash of pain from the night before when the dream had collapsed, and for just a split second, she had experienced Valeria’s memories of hell. It had nearly killed her, but the surplus of nightmare energy had at the same time saved her life against the coven’s death squad. Still, she couldn’t say she really understood how her dream magic worked while she walked others’ dreams, and if there was any possibility Valeria would unleash the memories of hell on anyone, she couldn’t take that chance. She lowered her hand and turned, seeing Valeria sprawled on the bed and patting gently for her to join her once mo
re.
“Going to be a long dream just standing around,” Valeria warned. “Come over, and I promise to be as human as I can muster.”
“Well that’s something,” Xlina relented as she cautiously crossed the room and reluctantly climbed up on the bed. Valeria gave her space, neither advancing nor retreating as she settled in.
“See? That’s more like it,” Valeria cooed. “How about some girl talk?”
“I don’t think so,” Xlina replied, shifting uncomfortably this close to the demon.
“Will you relax?” Valeria huffed. “You’re my vessel right now. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Secrets out, Val,” Xlina rebuffed her. “You are being compelled not to kill me. That kind of makes your gestures lose their meaning.”
“Come now, Xlina,” she replied, daring to lift her hand and gently stroke the side of Xlina’s face. “There are many ways to hurt you that don’t result in death.”
“Am I supposed to find that reassuring?” Xlina retorted, pulling away from the demon.
“Yes,” Valeria replied, her voice low and husky as she leaned forward, her crimson lips pursed. She drew closer until she was but inches away. Xlina could feel her exhale and froze in the moment. She was attracted to Valeria but had figured that had more to do with her innate magic than any true feelings; however, she couldn’t deny that something inside had very much anticipated this moment as her lips drew dangerously close.
“You still with us, love?” Oxivius voice chimed as Xlina awoke with a cough to the smell of salts fresh in her nose. She looked up at the ceiling of the Hearth and felt the firm table below her. Oxivius, Amber, Penny, and Burglecut stood in a circle around her, looking concerned.
“Damn,” Xlina cursed, feeling she had lost yet another round with the nefarious demon.
Chapter Eighteen
The Devil You Don’t Know
“She’s up,” Amber sighed, her voice filled with relief. The red streak of hair hanging down over her left eye was an indication that Brick was still present in her, the fire spirit riding along as both passenger and protector. Xlina’s back felt sore; overall, her body was rather worse for wear from the encounter with the coven’s death squad and the subsequent standoff with the fae, Puc, pulling their strings. Amber shot a glare across the table to Oxivius, who merely answered with a sheepish smile, handing the vial of salts back to Penny. There was an unspoken tension in the air that hung between the two as they stood over her, both faces wrought with concern.
“How long was I out?” Xlina groaned as her exhausted body fought against her efforts to sit up. Her abs ached with a dull pain; portions of her skin still tingled like a sunburn from the magic duel between Oxivius and Puc, and the venom-soaked scratch that the snake witch had inflicted on her arm was raw and irritated despite her nightmare energy burning off the worst of the poison.
Not long enough, Valeria’s voice chimed in her head. Things were about to get interesting between us.
“Just a few hours, love,” Oxivius replied, offering a hand to help her up. Xlina eyed the outstretched hand, feeling a tug inside to refuse, but she pushed on, knowing Valeria was rattling around in her head and causing all sorts of conflicting emotions.
“Thanks,” she said, loosing another groan as he pulled her to a sitting position. She had expected the Heart’s Hearth to look like a warzone, with broken furniture scattered about and blood stains marking the floor. Instead, Burglecut and Penny had the place looking immaculate. Penny, relieved to see everyone alright, shuffled back toward the kitchen, beckoning for Burglecut to join her with a snap of her fingers and a stern look that seemed to say “leave the kids alone.”
“But we’ll get a good hot dinner started,” Burglecut explained with a sheepish grin before following his sweet Penny back into the kitchen.
“How are you feeling?” Amber asked, her voice marred with genuine concern. “With you-know-who?”
“Okay,” Xlina nodded. “I don’t think she’ll let me rest though.”
“How so?” Oxivius asked inquisitively.
“She talked to me in my dream,” Xlina explained slowly, wincing at the ringing in her head. She was famished, yet she knew nothing Burglecut could whip up in the kitchen would sate her appetite. Xlina had never exhausted this much of her energy before, and it left a cold and empty feeling inside. “She warned that it would be dangerous to the dreamer for me to enter their dreams.”
“She is lying,” Amber stated flatly.
I should have snapped that girl’s neck, Valeria’s voice chimed in again, adding to the ringing sensation in Xlina’s head and forcing her to rub her temples gently.
“She might not be,” Oxivius countered. “The dream world doesn’t function at all by our rules. Think about it.”
“She just doesn’t want Xlina strong enough to kick her out,” Amber retorted again defiantly.
“Xlina’s marked,” Oxivius countered, shaking his head. “If she wanted, she could be controlling her like a puppet. I don’t think it matters how much energy Xlina has; if anything, a stronger Xlina provides a safer vessel.”
Listen to the necromancer, Valeria cooed. A good head on his shoulders. I see what you like about him, dear. Oh the fun we could have with that one.
“Shush,” Xlina snapped, drawing startled glares from Amber and Oxivius. She looked at them both with an embarrassed smirk. “Not you.”
“Interesting,” Oxivius mused, leaning close and looking in her eyes as if he were checking her pupils to see if he could spot the demon looking back.
Now’s your chance to lean in and kiss him, Valeria teased.
“Knock it off,” Xlina replied again, causing Oxivius to shrink back.
I could compel you, Xlina, Valeria taunted wickedly. Oh how good it would feel to look on at Amber’s broken little heart as she watched. You know how she feels about you.
“She won’t stop, Oxivius,” Xlina pleaded in frustration. He met her eyes, and a look of guilt washed over his face.
“I nearly destroyed her mortal coil,” Oxivius explained. “Once a demon’s mortal coil is destroyed, they are banished back to the infernal plane for a hundred years or more.”
More like until our patron needs us again, Valeria corrected. Foolish mortals always think they know so much. You would have been better off taking advice from Morticae, you know. I bet he could tell you a lot about demons, but you choked the life out of him, didn’t you? Your hands wrapped around his throat... The look on his face. It gave me chills.
“I don’t know how you do this, Amber,” Xlina gasped, her head ringing again from the power of the demon’s voice.
“Brick’s not like that,” Amber interjected quickly. “I don’t hear him; I just feel warm inside. Confident and powerful, but that’s all.”
“Brick’s a spirit,” Oxivius explained. “He is meant to travel in a vessel. Amber’s body blends with the fire spirit and takes on traits naturally, but ultimately she is still just Amber. You have a whole other person in there with you.”
“How long?” Xlina demanded. “How long will it take before you can separate us?”
So eager to be rid of me? Valeria chimed again, feigning offense. You have no idea the power I can show you, the fun we can have together.
“I’m not sure,” Oxivius answered truthfully. “Your soul needs to replenish from what she siphoned off at Pandora’s. Then as time passes, she can siphon off some more. Each time she does, the regenerative properties should aid in restoring her mortal coil back to its natural state.”
Why doesn’t he spare some of his souls to feed me? Valeria asked.
“Why can’t you just use some of your souls?” Xlina repeated, not able to tell for sure if it was her choice to ask or if Valeria had compelled her.
“I’ve already burned more than I am comfortable with,” Oxivius answered. “Ertigan is out there still, and once news reaches him of Puc’s demise, I am afraid we’ll need all the energy I can muster.”
Etr
igan already knows, Valeria warned. The moment his life ceased, he knew. Just as I will know the moment you die so I can collect the soul that is owed.
“Can’t you just eat more?” Amber asked.
“Well, yes,” Oxivius explained. “But the amount I would need to consume to replenish my store in such a short time... It would be hard to come up with that many folks without doing something... gruesome.”
“He’d have to kill a whole lot of people,” Xlina remarked absently, weighing the costs.
“I’m trying to cut back,” Oxivius smiled in jest, rubbing his stomach. “Have to watch my waistline.”
Not that I wouldn’t mind taking a taste of him, Valeria purred demurely. How about just a bite?
“How about mine?” Amber offered meekly. “Just a little, if it helps.”
Yes, Valeria squealed in excitement. I could drink from sweet Amber.
“No,” Xlina replied firmly. She had intended the remark for Valeria, but her firmness rattled Amber, causing her to draw back a step.
“I was just...” Amber stammered in frustration.
“Sorry, Amber,” Xlina said, sighing in irritation. “That was for her, not you.”
“Oh,” Amber replied, smiling weakly and uncertain of how to respond.
“It is rather like listening to half a conversation,” Oxivius mused, stroking his goatee. “Perhaps we can do something about that.”
Hellish nobility is lurking for you, and he’s worried about the voices in your head, Valeria scoffed. You’ll need me in here before this is over, Xlina. In the end, you’ll be grateful I’m here. Mark my words.
“Marking is your specialty, not mine,” Xlina scolded. “Now be quiet for five minutes, or I swear.”
You’ll do what? Valeria goaded wickedly.
“Amber,” Xlina beckoned. “Can you run out and get me a CD of religious hymns? Play it non-stop, no matter what I say or do, until she learns to be quiet.”
“How divine!” Oxivius laughed deep from his belly, a laugh uncharacteristic for the man. His laugh was infectious, however, as he stood ragged and worn from his imprisonment, such a stark contrast to his usual attire and demeanor. Amber chortled first, stifling a chuckle, but soon the trio shared in a moment of much needed levity, laughing wildly at Valeria’s expense.
The Infernal Games Page 27