by K T Munson
When he stepped through the door, the heat of the day hit his face first. He took another step forward as he turned in a circle. Elder Ha stepped through as well and closed the door behind him. There was a door in the middle of the woods, one they had constructed a door. It stood like a short fat tree amongst the tall narrow trees.
“We are in Hystera.” Ki gaped as he glanced around.
“Yes,” Elder Ha confirmed as Elder Il left them behind, “and that isn’t the most amazing thing.”
He almost didn’t reply but then remembered that normally he would. After a moment, he stopped looking around in amazement and said, “It isn’t?”
“Come,” Elder Ha said and led him through the trees.
The trees were grouped more tightly together the more they walked until they emerged in the clearing. A warm wind pushed against his skin as the bamboo trees clattered. An unconscious girl was chained to a great stone slab that had been positioned in front of the only tree in the clearing. An old man was bound and being guarded by two people Ki didn’t recognize. Most of the elders were gathered around the other side of the slab, between it and the tree. They were scratching something into the ground with long decorative sticks.
“You can’t do this,” the old man yelled, but his cries were ignored.
Elder Ra looked up when they approached and looked pleased when he spotted Ki. He stepped away from the group, and they all turned their heads toward them. The youngest of the elders stood tall among scooped necks. His spine was made of steel.
“Ki!” he called and held his arms out as though he wished to embrace him. “Finally, you join us.”
“I have returned in shame,” Ki managed, trying to keep up his ignorant mask. “I failed to save the woman.”
“We shall fix that later,” Elder Ra responded, putting hands on both sides of Ki’s shoulders. “Now you shall know why you are our savior. You have given us the means to return the Shadow Clan to its former glory.”
“What is this? Who is she?” Ki asked, glancing around.
“So much to tell you.” Elder Ra all but sang his reply. “Where should I start?”
“With her,” Ki said before he could help himself.
“Good idea!” Elder Ra boomed. “She is the offspring of our fallen king. He came into this world with the help of a powerful elemental called forth by another follower. He impregnated a woman, and she bore this child. This beautiful child shall be his vessel into this world.”
“She is only a child!” the old man yelled.
Elder Il turned. “You keep yelling and I’ll remove your tongue,” he hissed.
The old man leaned back, clearly startled. Ki didn’t even glance back for more than a moment; he knew Elder Il would follow through on this threat. Whoever the old man was, he was not long for this world.
“Who is he?” Ki asked, finally sparing a glance back to take in the dots on the old man’s face.
“The Keeper,” Elder Ra answered, hardly glimpsing back himself. “I want him to witness this and return to tell others what happened on this day. Not only that, but he is leverage if the woman you couldn’t save returns.”
“It is time,” Elder Lo called. “He believes forty are enough.”
“Then we shall proceed,” Ra replied and looked at Ki. “You have made this possible.”
“Who is he?” Ki asked, genuinely confused this time.
“Our King, the Black King of Croatoan,” Ra explained with pride. “The World Eater.”
Chapter 53: Ashlad
Elisabeth rematerialized in her father’s study and was surprised to find that he wasn’t there. Nathan and Duke looked around the study as well, seeming confused. She was about to send them to find him when the tapestry shifted and the stone door opened. She took a step forward, expecting Malthael, but instead Milo stepped out.
“Milo!” Elisabeth cried out, relieved.
“Elisabeth?” he replied, seeming startled. The stone door sealed off the passageway.
Elisabeth rushed over and threw her arms around him, hardly noticing his green skin. Milo had been with her since she was a child, and it was a relief to see him healed. She was near tears, and hugging a lifelong friend made her sniffle from the sudden rush of emotion. She suppressed them, but she was suddenly relieved.
“Where is Malthael?” Elisabeth asked as she put a determined smile on her face.
“Looking for you,” Milo responded, clearly relieved as well. “We were all so worried when you left without saying anything.”
“I felt like I needed to go alone,” she admitted before patting Duke’s head as Nathan went over and lay down by the fire. “With the exception of Duke and Nathan, of course.”
“What has you so upset?” Milo asked, drawing her over to her father’s overstuffed chair.
“I went to Hystera,” Elisabeth replied, thinking about the twelve men and the fact that she’d had to abandon Jinq. “I think I found Ki’s family, and they are planning something. I fled so I could come back and get Malthael. He would know what to do.”
“Before he went to find you, Malthael spoke with Emera of Lyreane,” Milo replied, putting a hand on hers. Elisabeth braced for the pain from her burn but it never came. “They spoke of a Shadow Clan. They were worried that the clan planned to use you.”
She glanced down at her fingers that had been seared earlier and found only pink and tender skin, benefits of her demonic half no doubt. Elisabeth cupped their hands together, relieved to have someone she loved with her.
“I think the Shadow Clan had a plan for me as well,” Elisabeth admitted. “Although I don’t know what for. I haven’t taken a life, and I don’t have a mortal sin my soul, so they cannot take anything from me. I have to go back.” The realization hit her, and she knew she could no longer fight the inevitable.
“Not if your life is in danger,” Milo insisted, and she looked up at him with a smile.
“Don’t worry, Milo. I have a backup plan,” she said, glancing down at the swirling mark on her palm.
“Well, I won’t let you go alone,” he insisted, standing. “We can send Duke or Nathan to find Malthael, and then you and I can go back to Hystera.”
“I do worry that the longer I wait, the more likely that Kerrigan and Jinq will suffer,” Elisabeth admitted, concerned that it was already too late.
“Then we should go right away,” Milo replied and held out a hand.
She took it and stood. “It’s fortunate that you are a demon and can travel with me through the spirit lines.”
“It is fortunate,” he responded with a crooked smile.
“It’s good to have you back,” Elisabeth replied, looking closely at one of the people who helped raise her. “I missed you, and though Malthael wouldn’t admit it, he did, too.”
“I have missed you as well,” Milo responded, squeezing her hand as she held her other hand out.
“Nathan, go and find Malthael,” she commanded.
Nathan stood and shook his great head before fading into his spirit form. She held her hand out and Duke came to her. It suddenly felt wonderful to be doing something, but more so to be doing it with someone she trusted. All through her time at the university, he had been there to help her. She had gotten her doctorate in Fringe Sciences because of her abilities. She’d wanted to understand herself and the world better, and throughout that adventure Milo had been her support.
They sunk into the floor and she closed her eyes, readying herself for the fight ahead. When she opened them, they were in a darkening world, the last remnants of the sun falling away and dusk settling in. Leaves fell around her as she took a step, aware that she was not very far from the clearing. She didn’t see or sense anyone there as she walked slowly forward.
“We will have to distract them,” Elisabeth whispered without turning back. “Perhaps then we could…”
She paused as the clouds started swirl above her head. They turned black and stormy. As they continued to spin, she moved a little to the l
eft so she could see it better. It was as though something was controlling the storm, the wind picking up and leaves rustling across the forest floor. She was running out of time.
Elisabeth heard a yelp like that of an injured animal. She turned back and saw Milo bent over Duke. She nearly screamed his name but then remembered where she was. She didn’t want to alert anyone to her reappearance. The rock next to Duke’s head was covered in black blood and for a moment she thought the wind had somehow picked up the rock. But then she considered its size.
When Milo looked up at her, her breath caught in her throat. There was no shame or regret or worry; there was only pride. Elisabeth felt her ribcage expand as she fought to keep herself calm. She shook her head, not believing what she was seeing. A knife of betrayal was stuck deep within her gut, and she felt it twist. She couldn’t run from this or the truth.
She felt all the blood rush out of her face and into the pit of her stomach as a thought occurred to her. “What happened to Malthael?” Elisabeth shouted over the storm as she took a step back.
“I had to delay him,” he replied, and she felt the treachery of his actions cut deeper. “He should live long enough to see what you were meant to become.”
Fear touched her fingertips and traveled up to her brain. She felt it start to take hold of her as he took a step forward and over the unconscious Duke. She felt sick to her stomach as she turned and ran. Without Duke, she was trapped here, but she could still call Nathan. He would be looking for Malthael, though, and she dared not pull him away yet.
She looked over her shoulder. Milo was following her, but he wasn’t running. She veered toward the clearing, the center of the storm making her hair slap wildly around her face. The bun she had clipped her hair back in came loose. She slowed when she reached the edge of the clearing.
Every villager had their hands above their heads and their palms touching. It looked like the stained glass at the cathedral, but she knew they were not praying to some divine god. She approached them and saw that their eyes were completely white. They were all muttering the same thing, a language she didn’t recognize.
Let me out, a voice whispered, but she ignored it.
Out in the clearing were a group of twelve men with their hands raised to the sky. The wind whipped their cloaks around wildly. She could see many of their shadowed faces and pale bony fingers. Her eyes darted to the old man who was held in a kneeling position. Jinq looked on with terror, and beside him stood a younger man who was half turned away but seemed familiar. They were both looking at the same place—the slab of stone. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Milo growing closer.
She ducked between two of the people on the clearing’s threshold, going under their elevated hands and into the clearing. Behind her, she heard Milo shout something as the girl seemed to wake up and start screaming. Kerrigan fought against the chains that bound her wrists and ankles. Her screams were mostly lost to the storm as the stone behind her started to ripple.
Elisabeth heard someone shout as she darted toward the ring of men. She saw a hand come out from the other side of the gate. The stone behind Kerrigan was no longer stone. A dark shadow appeared behind the girl, and her eyes grew wide with fear as she stopped struggling. She looked over her shoulder, and her face portrayed true terror.
“No!” Kerrigan screamed, and then the shadow passed into her.
Elisabeth shouldered her way between two men. She felt her powers rise, and she glowed from the sudden release. She might have lost the boost from life energy, but she hadn’t lost her natural abilities. Kerrigan was mortal, and her soul could be saved. Elisabeth’s hand was outstretched and her fingers reaching. She was steps away when an arm wrapped around her waist. She felt her fingers move through Kerrigan’s wispy hair as she was pulled aside.
“Let me go!” she shouted as the sound of the storm began to lessen.
“Stop,” she heard Ki say. “You cannot do this.”
“I have to,” Elisabeth said, reaching out for Kerrigan.
“It’s too late,” Ki said, and she felt his warmth around her against the storm.
She fell between his arms, and he let her down gently to her knees. A tear fell down her cheek and splatted against the dead soil. She felt sick from betrayal and worry as she gazed upon the innocent girl. All stilled as the storm stopped and silence fell.
After a moment, the girl seemed to stir. A strained moment passed. It was as though no one dare to breathe for fear that time would leave them upon the next inhale. The girl lifted her head back and drank in a deep breath. When she leveled her head and opened her eyes, they were red.
Chapter 54: Ashlad
Nanette had been reading a book about the Netherworld when the dog burst into the room. She was only in a nightgown, having changed some time before. She stiffened and drew the blankets up around her in a futile attempt to protect herself. When the dog turned, she realized it was just one of the guard dogs Elisabeth had told her about.
It wasn’t what she would call a dog exactly. Its tails chimed together as it held them aloft. She wondered if the spikes on the tails were as deadly as they looked. She looked back at its face.
“Yes?” she asked tentatively as the dog’s full attention was on her.
It ran back out of the room, and she relaxed back against the headboard. She was about to return to the book when the dog dashed back in again. It bounced up and down before sprinting back out of the room and then returning with an expectant look on its face. She gave it a strange look, wondering if the poor thing had gone insane.
Then it looked out of the door and whined. Nanette’s eyes went wide and she asked, “You want me to follow you?”
Its tongue rolled out of its mouth as it looked happy again. She didn’t know how, but this guard dog, with all its terrifying features, actually looked adorable. Perhaps she was becoming accustomed to these strange things. With a sigh, she stood up and set the book on the bedside table. Luckily, she had borrowed one of Elisabeth’s full-length nightgowns and only had to step into a pair of her shoes. Elisabeth was a little bit chestier and taller, but her older clothes fit. Not sure exactly how to put on Elisabeth’s strange clothes by herself, Nanette decided to follow the dog right out in the nightgown. She paused by the door to pull on a long gray coat, though, to fight the chill of the house.
The dog led her down the hallway and down the massive staircase. She was happy she’d decided to put a pair of the indoor shoes on, and she buttoned the coat. The shoes scuffed softly against the cold stone as the dog waited patiently for her at the bottom of the stairs. Metal chimed as its tail swung back and forth.
Nanette smiled at him. Once she reached the bottom, he led her down another hallway. She followed. When they turned down the hall with the tapestries, she knew where they were—by the study where she had first entered the house. The dog ran toward the closed door and vanished, but to Nanette’s surprise she could just make out its hue a second after it did so. It wasn’t clear, but it looked like the light didn’t bend around it right.
Elisabeth had warned her that with time she would see a little more of the hidden world around them. She would never see like Elisabeth saw, but she would experience more. She had taken the spirit world inside of her, accepted a small part of it, and now she was bound to it. However, knowing and seeing were two different things, and she paused a moment.
Waiting patiently, she went to the door and turned the knob. It turned without hesitation and she pushed it open. The demon dog waited on the other side. When she saw him and hurried over, he pawed at one of the large tapestries. She closed the door behind her before going to the tapestry. She pushed it aside and saw a great stone wall. It looked completely blank. When she touched her hand to it, she immediately sensed that everything wasn’t what it appeared to be and that something lay beyond it.
She looked down at the dog and asked, “How do I open it?”
The dog whined, and its tail shot out. It pointed like a glittering deadly a
rrow at a light fixture. She had to go up on her tippy toes to reach it, but when she touched it, nothing happened. Frowning, she looked down at the dog. He bobbed his tail and his head at the side time. She looked back up at the light and put her hand against the stone as she went up on her toes again. Her fingers wrapped around the metal, and she pulled down.
With a click, it gave way, and the door popped open. Nanette had to jump back to avoid it and nearly tripped over the demon hound. He hurried around her and down the stairs. She slipped through the doorway and hurried after him. She couldn’t see much at first, but her eyes soon adjusted.
Around her the richest green color she had ever seen met her every glance. The dark marble was constructed and carved to cover every inch of the floor. The railing matched the pillars, which were inlayed with intricate gold designs. The splendor of it was beyond anything Nanette had ever seen—and she was a princess!
When she neared the bottom, she saw the dog whining over a limp body. She lifted up the slightly too long dress further and hurried down the last of the steps. Recognizing his skin immediately, she hurried over to Malthael’s side. She knelt down by him and saw the strange black blood spread around his back.
Then she saw the blade and the outline of a hilt buried in his back. If she shifted too much, its golden handle vanished. She touched Malthael’s shoulder and shook it slightly. “Malthael?” Her voice echoed softly in the room, and it gave her the chills.
The demon didn’t respond, and she bit her lip slightly. She didn’t know what to do exactly, but she had to do something. When she looked up at the demon dog, he whined and licked Malthael’s outstretched hand. Frowning but determined, she reached out and wrapped her hand around the handle.
When she tried to yank it out, Malthael gave a startled cry and his eyes opened wide. She immediately let go, leaned back on her heels. Her hand smeared in his blood as she cried, “I’m sorry.”