Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  “It’s a deal.” He waved at her. “See you later then.”

  At least he knows how to take a hint. Cassie sighed in relief and made her way toward the bar. Dan’s attention was flattering, but lack of attention was not the problem. It was just she never put herself out there to get much male notice. “Nah-uh. Not going there. Time to let loose,” she reminded herself. Besides, she wasn’t naive enough to think she wasn’t going to be hit on in a place like this, especially with her outfit. It’s why people come here, to have fun, to let their hair down, to meet people, to flirt. She eyed a woman whose lack of dress pegged her job description as rhyming with snore.

  “Probably much more than flirt,” she murmured. But that didn’t concern her. She had her hands full with one man right now, sort of.

  The bartender, a slim tall redhead encased in a tight black skirt suit, nodded in Cassie’s direction. “What’s your poison tonight, honey?”

  “Let me have a...kamikaze, please.” It took her a second to remember the name of the drink she liked when she ventured out on one of the rare club outings with Zoey. She remembered the smooth sensation it made going down and the relaxed feeling she experienced afterwards. Limey drinks were her choice any day, and she intended to have a few tonight. Maybe even more than a few. She quirked a brow, counting the liquor bottles behind the counter.

  The bartender, whose shiny silver on black nametag read “Carla”, nodded and produced the drink within fifteen seconds. “Nice work.” She laid out a couple of bucks on the counter and cupped the drink with both hands. A few long swallows had her turning on the stool to engage in a bit of people watching. The bar sat nearest to the table games, and she became fascinated with the excited atmosphere at one of the tables.

  “Craps,” she said, reading the sign above one table. “A game I just don’t understand.” She shrugged and watched the players. The energy within the casino was contagious.

  The drink began working within minutes. Cassie started to relax, the muscles in her body becoming nice and loose. She gulped the rest of the drink, anxious to hold onto the feeling.

  “Another one?” Carla asked with a knowing wink.

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “Same dice. Same dice.” She heard a deep voice grow louder over the flood of noise at the craps table. A lone dice rolled down the black and red carpet to land at her feet. She stooped to pick it up.

  “Right here, honey,” said the dealer at the table and waved a hand in Cassie’s direction.

  “This what you’re looking for?” Cassie asked as she got off the bar stool and came to hand the dice to the dealer.

  The man with the booming voice who demanded “the same dice” looked her over with a large lopsided grin. A heavy-set guy, his round face flushed red with the excitement of the game. The big cheeks and bright eyes made it hard to pinpoint his age with any assurance.

  “You ever rolled before?” he said, nodding at the dice with an incline of his head.

  “No. Never.” Through the light daze of the alcohol, Cassie wondered why he asked.

  “Let the lady roll.” The man addressed the dealer. Then to Cassie he said, “Come here, darling.”

  “Oh, I don’t know...”

  “Go on, roll these babies. You’re beginner’s luck and lady luck rolled into one.”

  The table exploded in laughter and people started nodding their heads in approval.

  Cassie grinned and took the die. “What the heck.” She fiddled with the die, rolling them around her palm.

  After the dealer got everyone’s bets in, she nodded to Cassie to roll. Aiming for the far wall of the table, Cassie threw as hard as she could. The die hit the wood and splattered across the green tarp. The dealer tapped the dice and called the number, “Seven.”

  “Thatta way,” the heavyset man said, patting Cassie’s shoulder, then clapping his hands. “Throw again.”

  She rolled another seven. An approving murmur spread among the players at the table.

  Cassie rolled seven, seven, and seven again before she hit a number. Six, eight, four, ten, she hit the numbers over and over. The excitement at the table flared with everyone screaming and encouraging her to keep going. A throng of people gathered around to see what all the happy commotion was about. Through the thrilled crowd, a cool hand reached out to her and landed on her arm. She turned to see Dan with a drink in his hand.

  “How’s it going?” He winked at her.

  “Great,” Cassie said. “I’m having so much fun playing.”

  “So I see.” He put the glass down in front of her in the little cup holder under the table. “For you.”

  Cassie’s heart skipped in alarm as she eyed the limey drink. “How did you know to get me a kamikaze?”

  “I asked Carla what you were drinking,” he said without a moment of hesitation.

  Cassie smiled, most of the suspicion flowing out of her with the first sip of the drink.

  “Hey, can I ask you for a favor?” Dan leaned in so Cassie could hear him better over the noise. “Can I borrow your cell for a sec? The battery on mine is dead, and I need to let a friend know where I am so he doesn’t worry.”

  “Sure,” Cassie said, her concentration back on the craps table. She handed Dan her old flip cell phone.

  “Thanks. Be right back. It’s too noisy here.”

  She nodded and took up the die once more. Dan walked away. Somewhere in the back of her mind a little voice told her it was a bad idea to give her cell phone to a stranger. Worse even to accept a drink. But with every sip of the drink and roll of the die, she pushed the voice down deeper.

  “The number on the table is six. All bets in.” The dealer called to the table and pushed the die toward Cassie.

  The blood pumped hard through her veins. She grabbed the die, shook them once in her hand and blew on them for luck like she’d seen players do in movies. The die flew from her grasp and hit a stack of chips. The dealer called the throw, “Seven.” People around the table sounded a collective sigh of disappointment.

  “You did good, sweetie,” said the guy who asked her to roll the first time. “You’ll get another chance when the turn gets back to you.”

  Cassie nodded at the man in appreciation. Dan appeared back at her side a breath later. He slipped the phone into her hand.

  “So do I get to find out your name now, seeing as how we shared a cell phone?” he asked with a quick laugh.

  “It’s Cassie.” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear with one hand. The drink held firm in the other.

  “Well, Cassie, want to do something a little more fun?” he whispered into her ear.

  By now, three quarters of the drink he brought her were gone and whatever inhibitions remained dissipated.

  “Sure, why not,” she heard herself saying. The words surprised her. A heavy haze settled in her head. “What do you have in mind?”

  They moved away from the table, Dan leading them toward the casino exit.

  “I was thinking ‘The Fall’.” He kept walking forward, guiding her by the hand.

  “Yeah. I dunno. Not a good idea,” Cassie said but didn’t remove her hand from his grip.

  “Why not?” He raised his brows at her, but never stopped walking.

  Through the heaviness of her drunken state, she tried to think of an answer that made sense, but any good reason for “why not” refused to float into her brain. They walked through the crowd, sounds and laughter mingling in a strange array to Cassie’s ear. I’m drunk? I didn’t drink that much. She wondered to herself with faint amusement. A hiccup bout threatened to unfold.

  When they reached “The Fall”, there was no line but many curious onlookers stood around to see the next brave soul. Cassie looked up…and up. The top of the tower loomed too high. The net underneath it swayed as if in a light breeze. Heat rose in her cheeks, sticky sweat beading at the back of her neck.

  “I can’t,” she whispered, pulling her hand away from his hold.

  “Come on, it�
��s such a rush. You’ll love it! Besides, you look like a girl who’s not afraid to try something new.” He grabbed her hand again and jerked her forward.

  “No, you don’t understand. I can’t!” Panic hooked her in its grip, even through the thick brain fog.

  “What if I’m next to you? We’ll do it together. Don’t you want to do something out of the ordinary, something to push your boundaries?” Dan nudged her forward again.

  She didn’t protest this time. His words struck too close to home to argue against.

  Two employees were talking to each other near the sign announcing “The Fall”. One of them, a tall lanky man, locked eyes with Dan. Cassie thought she detected a quick knowing look between the two. Alcohol never made me paranoid before. She peered at the Obelisk employee again but his gaze turned distant, bored.

  “Welcome to The Fall.” His tone was flat and unpleasant. “You will remember this fall for the rest of your life.”

  Is he repeating a script? She narrowed her eyes, trying to lay a finger on what bothered her about the employee. When she could find nothing amiss, she turned to meet Dan’s gaze. He squeezed her hand.

  “Come on, let yourself go,” he said. The heated look in his eyes no longer matched his prep-boy style. He struck a note within her, the wild abandon of the ride somewhat appealing. She nodded.

  In a daze, they entered a small lift, the lanky man behind them. The ride up took close to a minute, but in her haze Cassie lost all sense of time. She tried to pull herself out of the stupor, but after a few tries she gave up, too out of it by now to care.

  Once at the top, the man said, “All you have to do is get to the edge of the lift and take a step out whenever you’re ready. The net will catch you. It’s very safe. Enjoy your fall.”

  Dan took her hand and moved them to the edge. “Are you ready?”

  Mute with terror, but also excitement she could not express, Cassie nodded again.

  “Okay, we take the step on three,” Dan said. “One…two…three.” He didn’t let her think about it for another second as he took a step out and pulled her with him.

  Cassie’s heart went into her throat. She was convinced so did the rest of her organs. Then something changed, she floated weightless. She didn’t feel Dan’s hand holding hers anymore. In fact, she didn’t feel any part of her body. For a heartbeat, she wished Gabe was there with her, soothing her terror.

  A rainbow of brilliant colors exploded in front of her eyes. Wind rushed past her face, cooling it. She felt like she was falling forever. Then, within a second, or was it a lifetime, the colors faded to black. She tried resisting but darkness pulled her in and swallowed her up. She stopped struggling.

  Cassie floated out of the darkness. The first sensation struck without warning, an intense throbbing in her head. “Ugh. That’s the last time I drink.”

  The memories of the fall flooded her mind.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God!” She pried her eyes open. At first, all she saw before her was gray fog. She raised a hand to her eyes and rubbed. The fog faded away. She found herself leaning against a soft couch cushion. The room came into focus but she wished with all her soul it hadn’t. The next sight was something she did not want to see, ever - a face, so terrifying and familiar; a face resembling her own in so many little ways.

  “Hello, Cassie,” said a deep mocking voice, sending chills over her skin. “It’s time you met your daddy, don’t you think?”

  Seventeen

  The cryptic voice boomed in Gabe’s ear. “We have the girl. The Obelisk. D entrance. Ten minutes. Come alone or the Key dies.”

  Gabe tensed, ready to bolt out the door, but a moment of clarity kept his feet on the floor. He spoke into the phone, “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

  “Check the number I’m calling from,” said the stranger without a pause.

  Gabe turned over the phone in his hand. Cassie’s cell number glowed. “Damn,” he cursed, and placed it back to his ear.

  “No games, fallen. The girl’s running out of time.” Click.

  Three taunting beeps signaled the end of the call and ushered him into action. Going for the quickest exit, he reached the low ledge and hoisted himself through the open second story window. He hit the ground with a thud before rolling forward and springing to his feet. With a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, he ran through the winding streets and down the Vegas strip. He reached the Obelisk within five minutes.

  The ominous building loomed over him. He stalked the perimeter of the monstrous hotel and casino. Each exit point, every security flaw, all the miniscule details that could be considered weaknesses and aid in a potential escape were committed to memory. Overhanging balconies, lazy security guards, ventilation systems and garbage shoots, nothing escaped his expert eye. Satisfied with his assessment, he headed for the designated entrance with one minute to spare.

  Passing several garage gates, Gabe found two massive steel metal doors branded with an unmistakable crimson colored “D”. As he approached, the right door creaked open a foot or so, and a sickly looking man slid out. He appeared to be human with gray drooping eyes, brown matted hair, and an odd yellowish complexion. The black slacks and red-collared shirt he wore made his strange skin stand out even more. A plastic nametag read, “Ted.”

  “Excuse me,” Ted said after a coughing fit. “Welcome. Good of you not to keep the Master waiting.”

  Gabe stood a moment analyzing Ted. Definitely human. No power coming from him at all. Weak even for a human. Something’s off. When the silence lingered, he said, “Can’t say I’m happy to oblige your Master.”

  “No, don’t imagine you would be,” Ted said sympathetically while pushing the door wider and ushering Gabe inside. “Follow me.”

  The entryway opened into a cavernous loading dock. The garage gates Gabe passed earlier led into the space as well. Each was marked by a number. Parallel yellow lines signified three eighteen-wheelers could fit into the space, each one lined up next to the other. Around the outer walls innumerable sealed boxes, two story ladders, mammoth waste bins, and suspicious electrical wiring blanketed the area.

  With shaking legs, Ted climbed a set of narrow stairs toward the back of the dock, leading to an unmarked door. Gabe peered at the staircase, but pushed aside his reservations for Cassie’s sake. Just do what they want until you see she’s okay. There’s no way to know if she’s alive until then. Decision made, he followed Ted up the stairs and through the inner door. It was two narrow hallways, another flight of steps, and an elevator ride to an undesignated floor before Ted spoke again.

  “You’re to go inside alone.” Ted pointed to the sole door on this level. It was a simple green metal door with no handle on the outside. “I wish you luck. I don’t expect I’ll see you again.”

  “Thanks,” Gabe muttered as the elevator doors closed and Ted disappeared.

  A heartbeat later, there was a click as the door opened and another man said from inside, “Come in. Come in.”

  The voice was familiar. Gabe recognized it from the phone call. He seethed and gritted his teeth as he stepped into the room. “Where is she?” he said struggling to keep his cool.

  The stranger sat in an iron chair placed in the center of the room upon a low wooden platform. A hanging overhead bulb, the lone light source, highlighted the man’s short brown hair. His gray slacks and navy blue shirt crinkled in a checkered pattern like the indentations of a net. Ignoring Gabe’s question, the man rose and walked to the southernmost corner. A communication system, built into the solid cement wall, blinked red.

  “Tell the Boss, he’s arrived,” the stranger said, holding a button. A voice broke through the crackling unit from the other side, but Gabe couldn’t understand it. “Yes. Tell him Dan will take care of it.” Another transmission echoed it’s static. “Blood. No kills. Got it.”

  Dan let go of the button and waved a hand at the chair. “Have a seat, fallen. We’re going to have some fun.”

  “Where is Cass
ie?” Gabe remained in place.

  “Now, now. That’s hardly the way to behave when you’re someone’s guest. You’ll see your little puppet soon enough.” Dan trailed across the room and stood mere inches in front of Gabe. Inclining his head, he whispered, “But if you don’t want to behave it’s fine with me. I’d enjoy torturing her much more than you.”

  Gabe’s eyes narrowed as he thrust a hand over Dan’s neck. “You’re not a demon. You’re not even impressive for a human. Why don’t I just kill you now?”

  Instead of attempting to fight, Dan flicked a switch from a device inside his pocket. The door slammed shut and a TV monitor flicked on behind the pair. Gabe swung around, lifting Dan off the ground. The monitor showed Cassie in the middle of a room with four white walls. She laid face up, eyes closed, looking as if asleep or dead. Gabe dropped Dan to the floor.

  Dan coughed before saying in a scratchy voice, “That’ll cost you I’m afraid. But, in fairness I did warn you. You wouldn’t have gotten as much warning from a demon.” He rose to his feet. “But then, no demon could make you suffer as much as I will.” He smiled a wide toothy grin showing off his perfect white teeth, the picture of the all-American boy. “Now, will you have a seat or should I go see her instead?”

  Gabe walked toward the iron chair without further protest. A thin metal frame with nothing but space in the middle provided no relief for a person’s back, and the rough solid seat ensured maximum discomfort. As he sat, thick metal restraints bound his ankles and wrists to the chair’s unyielding legs and arms. The binds fixed into the chair in such a way they could turn without giving an inch of release to the occupant. They began to circle around Gabe’s limbs peeling the flesh right off with each pass.

  The pain ignited every nerve in his body, but Gabe knew it was only the beginning of the brutal torment. He wasn’t about to let Dan have any satisfaction even if he chewed his cheek to pieces or grinded his teeth to the gums to hide the agony. He stared ahead, using the dim light to count the cracks in the far wall as a distraction.