by J. C. Diem
Lord Dallinar split the images in our heads so both Nandon and I were on display. The vampire suddenly became aware that he was being hunted. From the wild look in his eyes, he’d already sensed that something was wrong. Seeing the Night Cursed all leaving his District would have been a clue. None of his friends were with him, so he hadn’t known he was the target until now. “No!” he shouted in denial. “You can’t do this to me, Lord-” His words cut off as he was muted, but the image of his terrified face remained.
I’d had a hunch that Lord Kreaton was sacrificing his pawn and it had just been confirmed. Nandon had been chosen to die and his fate was now sealed. What I didn’t know was why he was being sacrificed. I suspected it had something to do with the artifact that had been smuggled into the city. This execution was either incentive for the minions to find it, or a warning to the people who were hiding it. Lord Kreaton must have informed his allies about the artifact and had convinced them to order Nandon’s death. If he fell, that meant they could all fall. The fairy and werewolf were banding together with him to put a stop to their mutual demise.
It was lucky for me that Nandon had only been a vampire for a century or so. He didn’t have the strength to use his incredible speed for long. None of the skeletons who drove the carriages would ferry him to safety now that he’d been marked for death. He was on his own and he had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
My carriage took me to the heart of the Vampire District and I climbed out. I hadn’t had time to dry off and was instantly saturated by the deluge again. I saw flashes of where Nandon was, then the images vanished from our heads. It was just him and me now and the hunt was on. The Triumvirate didn’t want to make it too easy for me. I would have to find him on my own now.
I took off and headed for the park where Nandon and his friends had cornered Jardine. He was long gone by the time I got there, but I sensed him on the periphery of my mental radar. I followed in his wake and slowly closed the distance between us as he began to tire from using his energy. Uncursed bloodsuckers watched from their windows as I raced past their houses in pursuit of my prey. No one would interfere with us. The unholy trinity would frown on anyone who delayed their executioner.
Leeches didn’t need to breathe, or Nandon would have been gasping for air as I closed in on him. I was close enough to hear his footsteps splashing in puddles on the cobbled road up ahead. The sound changed and his footsteps echoed strangely, then they began to recede. I followed him to a set of stairs that were concealed behind an alley between two stores. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I muttered. The vamp had fled to the one place I’d never expected. He’d just entered the Demon District.
A sense of excitement from the watching crowd swelled in the back of my head as I descended the stairs and entered the cave system that lay in the bowels of Nox. There was no light in the catacombs. If I hadn’t had excellent night vision, I would have been completely blind. Vampires could see in the dark, so Nandon had no trouble negotiating his way through the tunnels.
Rock walls, floor and ceiling enclosed me as the passageway sloped downwards. The rock was dark gray, with wide black threads running here and there. Tunnels branched off at random, creating a confusing labyrinth that was impossible to memorize.
Wrath began to glow shortly after I descended into the catacombs, casting his own form of light. Demons and other dangerous monsters dwelled down here. Evil lay thick in the air, making it hard to breathe. This was my first visit to the Demon District. I’d hoped I’d never have to come down here, but I’d had no choice. Nandon knew he was doomed and had fled here in panic. Not even the threat of being torn apart by hell spawn would stop me from hunting him. I was Night Cursed and I would come back to life tomorrow night if they killed me. He was uncursed and he had no hope of survival.
Glowing eyes in a variety of colors peered at me from the tunnels as I pursued my target. Sly chuckles and hungry smacking noises followed in my wake. The demons were keeping their distance from me because of Wrath. His holy glow was enough to keep them at bay. I wasn’t sure how long that would continue once I caught up to Nandon and ended his life. I had a feeling the denizens of the catacombs were just waiting for me to finish my task before they would move in to take me down.
I kept my senses sharp as I raced along the passageways in search of my target. Nandon was doing his best to lose me while avoiding the demons. After a while, I realized we were being herded somewhere. I caught glimpses of chambers and large caverns that had some light, but the vampire stuck to the tunnels. He didn’t seem to realize we were being maneuvered to a specific destination. The only thought on his mind was the desperate desire to escape from his destiny.
Chapter Nineteen
NANDON HAD COMPLETELY burned through the energy that he’d gained from his last meal of blood by now. He was stumbling with exhaustion when I cornered him in a chamber. Tunnels branched off in a few places, but they were blocked by demons. They lurked in the dark passageways, eyes glowing with glee as they watched the spectacle unfold.
I could feel the weight of millions of spectators watching the scene in their heads as I closed in on my target. Nandon darted to each of the tunnels only to veer away from the hell spawn who were blocking his path. He backed away from me, then put his back to the rock wall.
“You have broken the laws set by the Immortal Triumvirate and you are hereby sentenced to death,” I informed him. As always, Lord Dallinar’s words entered my head and I spoke them out loud as he wanted me to. After I finished speaking, our conversation became muted. Once again, the Triumvirate didn’t want the civilians to overhear anything my target had to say. The demons who were witnessing the execution firsthand could hear us, so I wasn’t sure how our overlords would deal with them.
“You don’t have to do this, Xiara Evora,” the vampire pleaded.
Wrath’s holy glow lit the chamber well enough for the citizens who were watching us to be able to see. “I’m the Guardian of Nox,” I reminded him. “It’s my job to take down evil monsters and bad guys who harm others.” Our exchange would now be like watching the mimes in action for the citizens of the city, but with more blood and violence.
“Then you should kill the Immortal Triumvirate!” he said in desperation. “They’ve killed more beings than anyone else in this cursed city! They hide the bodies well, but they’re there. You just need to look for them and you’ll find the proof you need.”
I’d already seen one pile of slaughtered vampires. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were other dump sites where they’d stashed their enemies. The problem was that I couldn’t kill our leaders. All I could do was defend myself from them when they tried to harm me. “You’re the one who is on trial, Nandon,” I said. “It’s time for your execution.”
With a last-ditch effort to survive, the bloodsucker launched himself at me. I sidestepped him, but his long fingernails raked furrows across my arm. The cuts stung, but I shrugged off the pain. I could sense the anticipation from the demons as my staff swung towards the fugitive. Wrath’s blade missed Nandon’s face by an inch when he jerked his head back.
“Kill him!” one of the hell spawn said in a guttural, growling voice. Others took up the chant until their harsh voices reverberated around the chamber.
Nandon let out a hysterical laugh. He knew that even if he were to get lucky and kill me, he would be torn apart by the creatures that had us both surrounded. “You believe you’re so righteous, but you’re too stupid to know the creatures who are pulling your strings are even more evil than these demons!” he spat.
Lord Dallinar would never have allowed that message to be relayed to the population of Nox, hence why our conversation was muted. I knew the things Bonzo had said when I’d hunted him down a decade ago hadn’t been relayed to the spectators. The unholy trinity pretended they were benevolent, but some of us knew better. I didn’t bother to respond and swung Wrath’s long blade at his throat.
Nandon threw himself to the side and raked his finger
nails across my stomach. More burning pain made me hiss, but I was on the leech before he could scramble to his feet. The smaller blade punched through his chest and entered his heart. White light blazed from the vampire’s every orifice, then he exploded into ash.
An image of the Immortal Triumvirate appeared in my head. They were still standing on their platform so they were elevated above the masses. “There you have it, ladies and gentlemen,” Lord Dallinar pronounced. “Justice has been served.”
“Unfortunately, it’s doubtful that our champion will make it out of the catacombs alive,” Lord Kreaton said next with a fake look of sorrow. “The unruly demons will no doubt feast on Ms. Evora’s flesh for daring to enter their domain.”
“But the Guardian of Nox will rise again tomorrow night and she will resume her duty to keep the citizens of the City of Night safe,” Lord Graham added. The image faded from my mind as the hell spawn moved in for the kill.
I could sense hundreds of demons in the nearby tunnels and chambers. I had no hope of fighting my way free, especially since most of them were uncursed and I was forbidden from killing them.
“Xiara Evora,” a familiar and despised voice grated as one of the creatures pushed his way through the crowd to face me. “Welcome to our humble abode.”
“Gee, thanks for the warm welcome,” I replied as the creature I hated the most pushed his way through the throng.
Demons came in many different colors, sizes and forms. Azazel was black from head to toe, with large, leathery wings and scarlet eyes. A long, thin tail with an arrow shaped tip was curled around his leg. His horned head was hideous and strangely hard to look at. His body was humanoid and muscular. When he stood to full height, he was around eight feet tall. “How I have anticipated your arrival in our domain, Guardian of Nox,” he said slyly. Chuckles sounded from all around me. Glowing eyes peered down at me from hulking, hideous faces.
“Go ahead and kill me, then,” I said in resignation. Wrath was glowing so brightly that they’d all stopped twenty yards away. Their malevolence was so cloying in close proximity that it made me feel slightly ill.
“I would be delighted to peel the skin from your flesh,” Azazel said in a gloating tone. “But I must follow orders. You are to come with me. Our leader wishes to speak with you.”
I glanced down to see Nandon’s ashes had already been magically whisked away. Even the demons’ domain was cleaned by the power that resided in Nox. Given the option of either dying immediately, or postponing my demise for a while, I nodded my agreement. This was my first visit to the catacombs and I had to admit I was curious. “Take me to your leader,” I said, then fought down a nervous snicker. I’d heard the cheesy line in a lot of b-grade movies that I’d watched in the entertaining area of our warehouse with my friends.
Azazel gave me a sardonic look, then led the way along one of the tunnels. I could feel the disappointment of the other demons that they were being denied their chance for fun. Their leader had to be scary if he could keep these creatures in line.
Wrath continued to glow brightly as I followed my guide deeper into the cave system. It was even more extensive than I’d realized. There seemed to be several levels and we descended along sloping tunnels until we were deep beneath the city. I caught glimpses of buildings made from rock and what looked like brightly lit marketplaces. Men, women and children were chained up. They were standing on a podium as demons and other creatures made bids for them. I couldn’t tell if the slaves who were being sold were human, fae or something else. I was too far away to be able to sense what their breeds were.
At last, we came to a wide hallway that was being guarded by two huge demons. They were gray, around twelve feet tall and had thick, scaly skin. Tusks jutted up from their lower jaws and both of them held gigantic war hammers. Their lime green eyes glared down at me as we passed between them and approached a set of double doors. They were made of metal and I doubted I would be able to open them on my own.
Azazel knocked and waited for a response.
“Enter,” a voice called out. He sounded human rather than demonic and my curiosity was piqued even more. My guide pushed one of the doors open with one hand and I followed him into the room.
Chapter Twenty
THE ROOM I STEPPED into was made of black rock rather than dark gray. The floor was smooth and had been polished to a high sheen. The chamber was lit with magical candles that didn’t drip wax. They flickered as though there was a draft that I couldn’t feel. Thick red rugs lay beneath elegant furniture. A living area sat to the right, with comfortable looking leather couches and armchairs around a massive coffee table. The coffee table was formed out of the same black rock as the walls, floor and ceiling. A dining area was to the left, with a table that could seat a dozen people. The chairs were made of plain wood. Another door stood ahead that probably led to a bedroom. A library stood beyond the dining area, with rows of bookcases lined up neatly. To the right of the library was a den, with a huge wooden desk and a green leather chair.
“Welcome to the Demon District, Guardian of Nox,” the leader of the demons said. He was seated behind the desk.
I stared in surprise at the wickedly handsome human who had just addressed me. He was just over six feet tall, had midnight black hair, dark blue eyes, tanned skin and a killer smile. He wore a dark gray shirt beneath a black suit. His teeth were very white and his smile seemed genuine. If I hadn’t been able to feel the evil that emanated from him in waves, I might have been fooled into thinking he was just a normal man. “Who are you?” I asked.
Azazel made a warning noise and lifted his hand threateningly for not showing enough respect to his boss. “Leave us,” his ruler said before the blow could land. Azazel snarled at me, then obediently turned away and loped back out through the door. It closed behind him with a hollow boom, leaving me alone with the strange demon who had borrowed a hapless human to use as his puppet. It was a surprise when I sensed the human shell was uncursed. Maybe this creature was so powerful that he could possess anyone he wanted. “I am Raum,” he said in a pleasant tone and ambled towards me.
“Who is the meat suit you’re possessing?” I asked.
“This is my human form,” Raum informed me, placing a hand on his chest. “Only the most powerful of our kind can change our forms at will. I am told that most human women find my appearance pleasing.” He stroked his hand down his lapel with a seductive smile.
“You might look human, but you can’t hide what you are from me,” I told him.
“What might that be?” Raum asked. He sauntered closer, then winced at the warning flare of holy light that came from Wrath.
“Evil,” I said flatly. “Wrath and I can both sense that you’re a demon, no matter what form you take.”
“I see,” he said and backed away again. He leaned against one of the couches and examined me. “Aren’t you wondering why I arranged to have you brought here?” he asked.
His sly tone hinted that it hadn’t been Nandon’s idea to head to the catacombs. “Demons have no power over vampires,” I said. I didn’t actually know much about his kind, so I couldn’t be sure of that.
“You’ll find we have far more power than your rulers are aware of,” Raum said. He crossed his arms and his smug smile widened.
“What do you want?” I asked him bluntly, cutting to the chase.
“I want what everyone wants,” he replied smoothly. “World peace and happiness for all.”
I snorted out a derisive laugh. “What do you really want?”
“Power,” was his answer, which was a far more believable reply. “Our master sent us here when he heard that Nox had been created. We were to scout the city, then report back to him. It quickly became obvious that we were trapped and that we had no way to return home.” He lowered his eyes and his tone was mournful, but I wasn’t buying his act.
“You’re stuck here with no way home, so what would you do with power?” I asked. “Do you plan to overthrow the Immortal Triumvira
te and try to take over from them?” Maybe he was behind the artifact that had been brought to Nox. Maybe some of the vamps were in cahoots with the demons.
“We simply want to gain the power to be able to leave,” Raum said. “We had no idea we would become trapped here against our will. Nox has its benefits,” he admitted as he gazed around at his comfortable surroundings. “But we don’t belong here anymore than the Night Cursed do.”
“There’s nothing any of us can do about it,” I pointed out. “Our fate is set and it can’t be changed.”
“Ah, but who knows what our fate is?” he said slyly. “I’ve heard whispers of conspiracies and talk of rebellion. I spoke to a seer who foretold unrest sometime in the future. She can’t see what will happen yet, but she believes it involves the Immortal Triumvirate.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked, getting back to why he’d apparently led me here.
“She also believes you will play a key role in the events that have yet to transpire.”
“I’m loyal to the Triumvirate,” I told him. “I couldn’t turn on them even if I wanted to.” I did want to, which was the problem. I hated being their pawn and having to follow their orders, but it was my destiny.
“Azazel believes you aren’t like the other Night Cursed,” the demon said, suddenly changing the topic.
“Why does he think that?” I asked.
“Because you remember him,” he said in a tone of utter certainty.
I mentally winced that I must have called Azazel by his name sometime in the past. “I remember some things,” I hedged.
“You are strange,” he said, dark blue eyes turning sharp. “Even I can sense that you are different. There is more to you than you allow others to see.”
“I’m a complicated woman,” I said in a forced casual tone. “I’m tied to Nox more tightly than most because I’m its Guardian. This role has made me different from the rest of my kin. I have to be able to remember the evil monsters and bad guys so I can stop them from tormenting others.”