Into the Darkness

by Michael Clement

  My wife’s golden eyes bore into his.

  “The color of my skin is… immaterial,” she hissed. The words floated on the air, growing stronger with each echo.

  “What is important,” my wife mused. “Is the size of my fangs.”

  Brynn struck like lightning. The dwarves had been distracted by the snakes, especially when they made her breasts wiggle and shimmy.

  Fuck.

  “Dagaḍa Tvacā,” I shouted, turning my skin to granite. My body twisted and grew until I towered over the women and dwarves.

  One of the constable’s guns fired both barrels. The bullets pounding into my chest with buckshot and silver. Roaring, I raised my hands over my head and screamed, ““Rākṣasī āga!”

  My hands began to burn with blue flames.

  More guns erupted, as several things happened at once.

  Gavin ran away with Abigail in his arms.

  Mary’s chest exploded, and she was thrown backward, spraying blood and gore everywhere.

  Taesa screamed and turned into a swirling white mist.

  And, Hana drew a knife in both hands and hunkered down behind me.

  Mary’s pain--and regret--roared through my mind.

  Furious. I picked up a dwarf with one hand.

  Then, I punched his neck. My hand exploded through his throat like a gunshot, leaving the dwarf hanging in the air, supported only by my fist through his skin. Flames poured into my victim’s brain, cooking his mind.

  Taesa’s mist shape flowed into a dwarf’s mouth. The creature fell to his knees convulsing, as remnants of her mist leaked out of his mouth.

  Another dwarf knelt next to him and tried to save the thrashing victim. Then, he screamed as Taesa’s mist flowed into his mouth as well.

  Bullets ricocheted off of me. Swearing, I dropped the dwarf’s corpse and charged three of the constables. I slammed into them like a bowling ball, sending their bodies flying in every direction as I punched with my flame covered hands.

  But there were too many constables. Seven more of them took up a stance around me, firing everything that they had.

  The pounding of gunfire drove me to my knees. Screaming in pain, my stone began to fracture and crack.

  There were too many of them. I couldn’t concentrate or even move. Covering my face, I prepared for the worst.

  Then, the dwarf to my right’s head exploded.

  The other six turned and stared in shock as two constables began firing on them. Gunshot after gunshot rocked my attackers… as two dwarves advanced on the others. White mist filled their eyes, turning them a milky white. Blood leaked from their wounds, but they barely noticed.

  Possession.

  Taesa’s spell that I couldn’t decipher had to be some sort of demonic possession, or…

  I looked closer.

  The two dwarves were dead.

  Taesa had turned them into zombies that she could control like puppets, while she hid inside of them.

  The zombies shuffled forward, firing in unison. Horrified, the remaining dwarves tried to flee.

  Taesa cut them down, one by one.

  I fought my way to my feet and wobbled over to Mary. She was bleeding from a massive wound in her chest. When she breathed, I could hear a wet, sucking sound.

  “Oh, Fuck,” I moaned. I could feel Mary’s heart struggling to beat. Darkness yanked on our bond, as my lover fought to breathe.

  Brynn slipped up next to her. Before I could yell at my overly aggressive wife, she moved Mary’s head to the side and bit her.

  I stared in shock as Brynn pumped venom into my lover.

  The two zombie dwarves kept picking up weapons and ammunition, ignoring the debacle at my feet.

  “You bitch,” Hana screamed as she charged Brynn. “This is all your fault.”

  I barely had time to slip in front of her. Hana’s knives screeched and sparked on my stone, but didn’t hurt me. Rage filled our connection. Overwhelming, mind-numbing anger. Hana’s ability to think was gone. All she could see was red.

  Brynn.

  Kill Brynn.

  That was her only thought.

  I wrapped my arms around Hana. “Brynn is the only one who can save Mary,” I roared.

  Brynn ignored both of us, as she took one of Mary’s wrists and bit her again.

  Hana’s face was bleeding. Her blood covered most of the left side, pouring down her neck and drenching her clothing.

  Dammit.

  - 34 -

  “You’re hurt,” I exclaimed, as I held the wiggling woman tightly against me.

  Hana growled and head-butted me with a resounding clang.

  It should have knocked her out. But, instead, her fury only intensified.

  A knee came up and slammed into my nuts. If they hadn’t been stone, she would have ruptured both of them.

  Kill Her.

  It was Brynn’s only thought. Nothing else mattered in her mind. Static and dark madness floated through her mind. It felt like she was on a drug-induced frenzy, like a Norse berserker.

  Cut Her.

  Images of Brynn sliced to bits filled Hana’s mind.

  And, they only excited the woman more.

  Both of Taesa’s zombies shuffled up to us, as I held onto a woman that didn’t want to be restrained. Hana kept squirming and slicing away at my rock surface.

  “We need to go,” one of the zombies rasped.

  Brynn took Mary’s other hand and bit it, injecting more venom into her. I could feel Mary’s heart beating faster, as the healing venom tightened around her wounds, squeezing off the severed blood vessels.

  “Hana,” I gasped, as her knee slammed into my nuts again. When that didn’t work, she yanked an arm free and slammed the dagger down on one of the cracks in my stone armor.

  Fuck.

  That hurt.

  Cursing, I ripped the knife out of her grip and threw it away. Then, I fought to restrain her other arm so that she couldn’t cut me again.

  Brynn looked at zombie number one, and said, “Pick up Mary and carry her, carefully.”

  Taesa looked like she was going to tell my wife to go fuck herself.

  “Please,” Brynn added, changing the command to a request.

  Taesa growled but complied.

  Hana poked me hard in the eye.

  “Fuck,” I growled, starting to lose my patience.

  Hana’s thoughts pummeled against me. Instead of wanting to cut Brynn, now she felt… violated… and infuriated… at being restrained. Her entire mind became laser-focused on becoming released. Her body began to thrash even harder.

  God Dammit.

  I didn’t want to hold her. But, if I let her go, she would just make matters worse. Hana was utterly out of control.

  “Hana,” I growled, as I stood up with the angry wildcat in my arms. “Please. Stop. We need to go.”

  That command should have done it… but, Hana shrieked even louder, ignoring my orders, which should have been impossible.

  Spittle and blood dripped out of her mouth, as she shrieked, “Let me go!”

  Fuck it.

  I dropped Hana but kept myself between her and the others.

  The zombie carrying Mary began to march in the opposite direction that Gavin had run.

  “Dammit, Taesa,” I roared. “That is the wrong way.”

  Hana reached into her robe and yanked out another knife.

  “You bitch,” Hana shrieked, as she tried to get around me.

  “No,” Brynn shouted at Taesa, ignoring Hana. “Keep going. We need to get to the Whitehaven Express.”

  “But,” I shouted, pointing in the other direction, as I tried to keep Hana, who was much quicker than me, from attacking my first wife. Sparks snapped off my arms as I held her at bay.

  Through our link, I felt Hana’s burning, erotic desire… to cut.

  Hana liked cutting people. Sinking the blade into their flesh, almost made her cum. Everyone hated her acne, pockmarks, and scars. Cutting them... made her feel better
. It was almost an emotional release. Mary’s injuries were just an excuse to let go of her control and let the madness that simmered beneath that control loose.

  Bonding with her had been a fucking mistake.

  “Bazal,” Brynn began, drawing my attention away from Hana.

  Hana grabbed my hand and sank her knife deep into my arm, plunging the blade deep into a crack.

  I snapped.

  Without thinking, I backhanded Hana. She took two steps backward and collapsed.

  Oh, Fuck.

  How could this get any worse?

  Feeling like shit, I scooped her up, hoping that I hadn’t killed her.

  --M--

  I carried Hana over my back in a firefighter’s clinch. She was dripping blood from her injured face down my back. But, healing her right now was impossible.

  Her mind still burned and shook with the madness that was eating away at her sanity.

  And, I felt like a real bastard. Hitting a woman was… terrible. I had never done it before, especially to one of my own lovers.

  The two dwarves lurched ahead of us. One of them carried Mary, while the other kept shooting people. That should have repulsed me, but I was way past caring.

  Dwarf number one threw a hand grenade into an airship.

  “Dammit,” I cursed, hurrying past it as the ship exploded.

  It was the fourth airship that they had firebombed. Flames roared behind us.

  But, at least, people were more focused on the fire, than us.

  I didn’t stop Taesa. Frankly, it was a good idea.

  We were firmly in the role of villain today.

  Together, we exited the airfield. The road ahead of us was ancient. Cobblestones led away, through shops and homes. Terrified citizens ran in panic, as the fire intensified.

  Brynn seemed to know her way around Charleston. She didn’t stop to ask which way to go. Like a born leader, she dragged us through the crowds, never stopping. We hiked for almost a half-hour before Brynn led us through the front door of the Whitehaven Express. The guards at the gates were staring at the flames behind us, unaware that we were the people who had created the inferno. I could feel the heat of the fire on my back.

  Brynn arrowed through the terrified crowds inside the station to the front desk.

  Everyone was shrieking about a different, potential reason for the fire.

  The Goblin tribes had risen up.

  The lizardmen were invading.

  The Boo Hags were slaughtering the faithful.

  Each idea was more obscure and crazy than the last, but the crowd was in a near panic.

  Brynn ignored them all as she zeroed in on the ticket counter, pushing past several other customers.

  “I need a private coach to Ashmouth,” Brynn demanded.

  The attendant paled when he saw the snakes moving under her dress. Especially when the white one peeked up from her breasts.

  Hana groaned on my shoulder. Her ass was pointed directly at the man, and blood was dripping on the floor behind me. And, I was still covered in stone and looming over everyone. Without the fire outside, we would never have been given access to the inside of the building.

  And, Taesa’s dwarves were busy reloading their guns.

  The clerk turned away from us and squeaked at his manager.

  A tall fat man with multiple chins waddled to the front counter. He had black hair that had receded on the top and dark brown eyes.

  “She is demanding a private coach,” the younger version of the fat man wheezed.

  Before the manager could ask a question, Brynn said, “I am…”

  “Brynn Tawret,” the balding man said, interrupting her. “The daughter of the Fell-Serpent of Ashmouth, and the third richest woman in America.”

  Then, he cleared his throat, “But, only if you arrive at Ashmouth… before the Naming Ceremony.”

  Brynn looked taken aback. Apparently, she hadn’t been prepared for the man to recognize her.

  The fat man stared at my wife. I could see all manner of calculations spawning in his mind.

  Then, he made a decision.

  “Malcolm,” he said, addressing the clerk. “See that all of Ms.Tawret’s needs are taken care of.”

  The clerk looked at him in astonishment and then nodded.

  “Right this way, Ma’am,” he announced.

  Royalty has its privileges...

  - 35 -

  “It’s beautiful,” one of the dwarves grumbled, sounding more like the Pale Woman, than a grumpy male dwarf.

  We were in the Whitehaven Express’s most expensive car. The walls were a dark wood that shone from being glossed. The dark black and gold patterned carpet sank in when we walked on it, and the furniture was hand-stitched and plush. Golden chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, and in the distance, I could see a spiral staircase that led to the upper level.

  “Ma’am,” Malcolm said, addressing Brynn. “I took the liberty of having a bath drawn.”

  The young clerk snapped his fingers and two maids, in expensive outfits of black and white hurried in his direction.

  “It will take six hours for the Whitehaven to arrive in Ashmouth,” he added. “After your bath, the kitchens will have a delightful meal prepared for you… and your guests.”

  “My husband and our wives,” Brynn corrected.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Malcolm said with a nod.

  Then, the nervous clerk, who was now our attendant, said, “If you will follow me?”

  Brynn nodded as I shifted Hana so that she was in my arms, instead of lying face down on my back. I had already changed back to my human shape, and she was starting to get heavy, even though Hana was tiny.

  Malcolm led her, and us, to the back of the car. The maids were waiting on either side of a huge, golden bathtub.

  “I will leave my lady alone with these maids,” Malcolm said quickly, afraid that Brynn would strip in front of him.

  We had two injured women to worry about, but Malcolm was more interested in making Brynn as comfortable as possible.

  Sensing my mood, Malcolm looked at me, and the dwarf carrying Mary.

  “If you gentleman will follow me, please,” he said, talking to us like we were servants.

  The last dwarf took up position outside Brynn’s bathroom, which surprised me. I hadn’t expected Taesa to act the part of a guard. She winked at me as I walked by, which made me nervous. I hoped that she wouldn’t try to kill Brynn as well when they were alone.

  Malcolm led us to the far back of the coach into a large, fully furnished medical facility that was staffed with two nurses and a doctor.

  I looked at him in surprise.

  “The Dark is dangerous,” Malcolm answered. “The safety of our guests is paramount. Especially a guest of Her Grace’s stature.”

  The zombie that was with me laid Mary down on the center table. The nurses looked at the creature with unease.

  The more courageous nurse beckoned for me to bring Hana to her.

  I laid my lover down on a bench, worried about both her and Mary. Hana had been violently fighting with me when I had backhanded her, and Mary’s life force was low. I could feel her healing, but slowly.

  And I was worried about Abigail. I didn’t care what happened to Gavin, but the baby was important to me, especially now that I knew that she was mine, at least partially. Behind the examination table, I could see Charleston burning. It didn’t look like their mages had gotten the blaze under control yet. Going back there any time soon would be a hard no.

  The nurse began cleaning off Hana’s face.

  There was a deep cut that ran from her left ear, over her cheek, through her lips, and down her chin. It spiderwebbed like lightning on her cheek, making her acne look like a love bite compared to it, not to mention the pockmarks on her forehead. It hadn’t been caused by my hit. This is what had covered her face in blood and had set the younger woman off.

  Hana was going to be devastated. She already thought that she was a trainwreck in the
looks department. Having a massive scar would only make things worse.