Followed by Fire

by McKenzie Austin

  She had no intention of telling him that they wouldn’t be coming out. That only she was going in. He’d find out soon enough. Esven turned back toward the door, digging out every scrap of courage she possessed.

  They looked menacing. Had Balvo told her the truth? Could such mindless looking creatures be capable of revering her mother? Of revering anyone?

  That her mother would ever enter this world willingly was hard to believe. Then again, after reading small fragments of the books that Elias had given her, she knew Amadeia’s life was a series of unanswered questions.

  One deep breath. One step. That’s all it would take.

  A startled gasp flew from her the moment she lifted her foot. A familiar face threw itself against the door. He looked haggard. Beat down. But she recognized him immediately. Esven narrowed her eyes, leaning her face inches from the translucent doorway. “Balvo?”

  Vahldod perked out of his casual stance quickly. He took one step toward her before harnessing his alarm. “Pay him no mind, m’lady.” It was supposed to be a calm statement, but Esven was sure she heard a sliver of panic in his instruction.

  “Don’t do it!” Balvonak slammed his fist on the invisible glass that sealed him inside. “Forget the whole thing, Esven! Just get out of here!”

  His voice was muffled by the door, but she heard him loud and clear. Esven’s eyes showed her displeasure as she threw a look to Vahl.

  “He’s delirious,” the demon muttered, chucking in between trying to maintain his composure. “Go on. Release them from their prison.”

  The stampeding demons were moments behind him. Esven stared at Balvo’s determined face. He willed her with his eyes to go. She barely had time to think.

  Probably for the best.

  Seconds from Balvo getting trodden by the stampede a second time, Esven pushed herself through the gate. Her protection sphere swallowed him inside as the others collided into it.

  Her feet planted into the ground. Her eyes squeezed shut. She had managed to get the sentiment right. To keep Balvonak in and the others out.

  On top of all that, it withstood the onslaught of thousands of pounds worth of charging demons.

  The sphere snapped and fizzled against the weight of the running creatures, but the unseen barrier kept the beasts at bay. Esven forced her eyes open. She needed to concentrate. One step away from the door. Two. Three.

  The witch managed to distance herself several feet from the door that Vahldod raised, allowing the other demons to approach it. They clawed at the glass, shrieking violently. Trapped. Still condemned to the Netherworld.

  Esven breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Two for two. An admitted dread stemmed from entering the door. If she had gotten the feeling wrong, even for a second—she feared they would escape.

  “Are you mad? What the—shit—what are you doing?” Balvo threw his arms out from inside the sphere. He had to find his footing, stepping with Esven to stay inside with her.

  “Saving a demon. Ending a war.” Esven hardened her appearance, watching the sea of demons who clamored for the light. “Initiating myself into the classic Greenbriar chaos.”

  Balvo scowled, shoving her attempt at calm aside. “Esven, you need to get out of here. You aren’t ending any wars today.”

  Several of the beasts who could not reach the door started scraping at Esven’s bubble. Balvonak’s cautions fell on deaf ears. Concentration was required. She tested the longevity of the protection sphere in the tranquil environment of Elias’ home. It held up well there. Esven hoped it held up just as well when faced with wild demon claws.

  Stepping forward, she threw her voice out. “I am Esven Greenbriar, daughter of the great witch, Amadeia. I seek counsel with the Demon Lord, Mar—”

  Balvo’s hand flew over her mouth to silence her. He did not leave it long—just enough to stop her. He did not want to burn her. “If you say His name,” he reprimanded, “you will summon Him!”

  Around them, demons settled at the mention of Amadeia. The more cognizant beings present sent whispers through the horde. Even the wilder beasts, those who lost themselves to mental anarchy, ceased their chaotic stirring. They remembered the name. The attachment to it was vague, but it held a weight. Something about the word ‘Amadeia’… it penetrated the turmoil in their brains.

  Esven couldn’t help but gasp when she caught sight of them. A majority looked every bit human. Just as much as Balvonak, or Vahldod. It was hard to imagine them as anything but.

  Around the inhabitants of the Netherworld, dull gray shapes vibrated with a dim radiance. Esven could barely see their features; their eyes, noses, and mouths were only a shade darker than the ashen hue that made up the whole of their bodies. They looked lost, their faces haunting her.

  She couldn’t lose herself to the things down here. Esven pulled herself from the shock, and turned to Balvo, determined. “I intend to summon Him.”

  The fire demon shook his head, his face inches from hers. “Esven, look, I was wrong, all right?” He tried to emphasize his alarm without touching her, but it was hard. “The Demon Lord wants you dead. I can’t explain everything, but you need to get out of here as soon as you—”

  Vahldod stepped through the door, cutting Balvonak off mid-sentence. It took effort to force himself through the pile of demons who hovered near the entrance. By the time he squeezed himself out of their densely packed bodies, he appeared more disheveled than before. Dusting off his arms, as if the very act of entering the Netherworld showered him in filth, Vahldod flung a disdainful gaze toward Esven. “This is not what we agreed on, m’lady.” He put his hand on his hip, his bottom lip jutting out. “I was under the impression that you’d break the seal.”

  Esven tore her attention off of Balvo. She wasn’t surprised to see him. Only surprised that he had waited as long as he did before following her. “You were incorrect.”

  An annoyed huff tumbled out of Vahldod’s mouth. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

  “I have come here to help this end. I cannot bring a war to the surface world.” Esven straightened her spine, hoping the correction of her posture would give more room for courage to spill into her lungs. “Amadeia wished for no more harm to come to Brigovia’s people. She died for that belief.”

  “Actually, no,” Vahldod corrected, holding up his index finger. “She died because people tied her to a stake and burned her.”

  Esven flinched. Her sphere flickered once before it returned to its full integrity. The demons around them shuffled, restless after Vahldod’s appearance. “Look, I understand all of your feelings. The Demon Lord’s feelings.” Esven grounded herself, keeping her focus on Vahl. “I feel the stabbing inadequacies of humanity each day that I wake and am denied the sight of my mother. But He must end this endeavor to vanquish civilization.” Her conviction trembled as she added, “It’s what she would have wanted.”

  Vahldod pushed his lip out in another mocking pout. “Save your limited oxygen, little one. I do not care what motivates the Demon Lord to annihilate the human race. I only care that I receive my reward.” He gazed around the Netherworld, with a limp wrist and disgust on his face. “I have been here all of twenty seconds and already it stifles me.” He turned back to Esven and Balvonak, taking a step closer. “Now, open the gate.”

  Despite the limited space in the sphere, Balvonak stepped in front of Esven. His hands and fingers shed their skin, becoming engulfed in a scalding, yellowed hue as he commanded the power of lava.

  Esven stepped up beside him, preferring he not use himself as a human shield. “I demand the Demon Lord’s counsel.”

  “Esven,” Balvonak muttered from beside her, his focus fixated on Vahldod, “you can still get out of here. This war is almost as old as humanity itself. You cannot win. Not against the Demon Lord.”

  The raspy nature of his voice caught her attention. Esven glimpsed Balvo from the corner of her eyes. Humanity was around for an awfully long time. Could a witch who had only seen two decades of existen
ce in a world that had seen thousands really end a timeless war?

  Her doubt showed in her sphere. The bubble snapped and popped. Esven swallowed, trying to regain her confidence. “I can win. If He respected my mother—”

  “He loved your mother,” Balvonak interjected, tensing his shoulders as he kept his eyes on Vahl. “That is precisely why He wants you dead. He will obliterate us both as soon as He gets you to break the seal.”

  Esven scowled. “I’m not breaking the seal, so we’ve nothing to fear.”

  “We have everything to fear,” Balvo sputtered, tearing away from Vahl to face her. “He is the damned Demon Lord!”

  Growing more frustrated, Esven’s voice grew louder. “My mother knew how to handle him!”

  “Yeah, well, my mother was a whore,” Balvo declared, “but that doesn’t mean I give good hand jobs.” The demon frowned when he realized his statement had no effect. He bore witness to the determined principle still living in her. He couldn’t convince her. But, he could save her.

  It would only burn her for a moment.

  Balvonak wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her writhing body to the door. The audience of condemned souls and demons watched, still stuck in uncertainty of how to react to the progeny of Amadeia Greenbriar.

  Esven cursed, feeling the heat of Balvonak’s arm penetrate her clothing. “Balvo, stop!”

  He reached the door. “Just go home, Esven. Get the key, and go home!”

  Before she could react further, he shoved her through.

  Chapter Sixteen

  By the time Balvonak turned around, Vahldod was already pouting at him. The vile demon tapped an impatient finger on his crossed arms. “I think you’re forgetting that, unlike you,” Vahldod muttered, “I can still go get her.”

  Balvo snorted. “You’ll have to make it passed me first.”

  “I did it once,” Vahldod sang as he sprang forward a step. A ring of fire spewed from Balvonak’s body over to his, stopping him in his tracks.

  Balvo couldn’t let him leave. Vahldod would hunt Esven until the day that he died. He’d done far more, for far less valuable prizes in the past. The only way to ensure she’d remain free from his relentlessness was to end him. Permanently.

  Sensing Balvonak’s thoughts, Vahldod smirked. He stepped away from the flames, holding his unbroken arm out at his side. “One step closer to the wild ones…”

  Balvonak glared, digging his heels into the ground. “Fool me once.”

  The attack was sudden.

  With Esven gone, the demons spiraled. No longer bound by the confusion of what to do around the great witch Amadeia’s daughter, they shrieked. Fueled by the adrenaline of Vahldod and Balvonak’s fight, the mindful demons lingered to enjoy the spectacle. The feral ones returned to attacking the door.

  Outside, Esven tried to force herself back in. It was nearly impossible with the countless wriggling bodies all clamoring to get out.

  Who did Balvonak think he was, shoving her out the gate like that? It was with some fortune that he had; Esven was able to use the anger she felt to thrust herself back through.

  Once she got her torso inside, she found her body was small enough to squeeze through the untamed demon’s legs. They paid little mind to her, far too absorbed in attempting to free themselves. To run toward the light.

  Esven took note.

  As Vahldod and Balvonak sparred like animals, Esven flew her fingers forward. In the far distance, she summoned a false light. A beam. It flooded the Netherworld with fabricated illumination. Just enough to pull some of the clamoring demons away from the true door.

  Vahldod struck the ground. A successful punch from Balvo drove him farther into the rocks. Climbing atop the fallen demon’s body, Balvonak pressed his thumbs into Vahldod’s throat.

  Delicious justice. Though his ribs still ached from being crushed by his brethren, Balvonak knew when it came down to raw power, Vahldod stood no chance.

  “I’d ask if you’d like to utter a final prayer,” Balvo sputtered, increasing his already unforgiving grip, “but who would listen?”

  Writhing beneath him, Vahldod’s complexion began to reflect his loss of oxygen. His nose leaked blackened blood. His cheeks swelled from the onslaught. He smirked through the agony, having just enough air left in him to choke out a reply. “Just one,” he wheezed. “Marumon!”

  Balvo’s eyes widened. His head flung forward. A sudden and forceful wave almost knocked him from Vahldod’s body. It swept across the entirety of the underground, rippling through the souls and toppling all the demons who stood nearby.

  Marumon appeared.

  “Who has summoned the Demon Lord?” He scanned the area, locking onto Balvonak. Quickly taking note that the demon appeared to be in the midst of snuffing the life from Vahldod, His voice boomed with the power of an earthquake. “What is the meaning of—”

  He stopped. Movement to his right. A strange fleck of color. Red. Marumon’s chest felt as if it collapsed when He saw the hooded cloak. Amadeia’s cloak.

  Was it her? His precious Amadeia’s ghost? Had she warred against death and returned to Him somehow? Marumon scanned the face hiding beneath the hood.

  Esven stared back at him, wide-eyed. He was colossal. It was hard not to freeze at the sight of Him.

  Marumon edged forward a step. This human… she wore Amadeia’s eyes. She boasted His love’s high cheek bones, her full lips. But no… this was not His Amadeia.

  He knew then who she was.

  And it broke Him.

  The Demon Lord’s head swung back. He faced the towering stalactites above. His jaws parted. A shriek left him. A blistering, horrendous sound.

  Esven threw her hands up over her ears. Still, the violent wail penetrated.

  “My Lord!” Vahldod pushed himself to his feet, though his wounded arm cursed him for doing so. “The demon Balvonak has lost his senses. He is trying to stop the Greenbriar child from breaking the seal!”

  Balvonak froze. His heart stopped. He thought perhaps luck had aided him, and Marumon did not hear Vahldod’s cries through His own forceful lamenting. But when the Demon Lord ceased His miserable howl, and the weight of His eyes flew to where Balvo stood, he knew fortune had evaded him.

  One move. A single flick of His wrist. That was all it took for Marumon to send a cataclysmic series of serrated lava rock up through the ground. Balvo dodged two before the third pierced his foot. Before the fourth gutted most of his thigh.

  Bearing witness, Esven bolted toward him. No time to dwell in terror. She raced to Balvo’s side, engulfing him into her protection sphere once more. The witch grunted as she ripped his howling body off of the rock. Terrible idea. Blood spewed from the gaping wound like a gushing river.

  She pressed her hands onto his thigh. Her skin burned. The heat from his body ate the flesh from her palms.

  But the wound was sealed.

  Marumon gawked at the display, more enraged to see Esven showed compassion. Affection. More than Amadeia had given unto Him.

  “Balvo—” Esven jostled him, but he had gone into shock. Too much blood loss. Balvo stared at the ceiling, like death incarnate.

  They didn’t have time for him to recuperate on his own.

  Fueled by adrenaline, she grabbed him again. Suppressing the whimpers that stemmed from seizing his burning flesh, Esven dragged him to the door. Enough demons had fled to her false light. She could squeeze him through.

  They were so close.

  She could get him out before—

  Resistance. Esven tried to hurl Balvo through the gate with her, but his body would not shift through the invisible line.

  Vahldod grinned at the sight.

  Trembling in His growing rage, Marumon unleashed another attack. An insurgence of fire evacuated from His open mouth. It swallowed Esven’s sphere, fizzling it immediately. Smoke wafted around them when the flames died away.

  The Demon Lord had destroyed their protection. Their safety net.

  H
is rage nearly sent another attack. Only logic stopped him. He could not destroy her. Not until she broke the seal. Marumon writhed inside Himself. Never before had the Demon Lord felt so powerless to an outcome.

  Her lungs choked on the unforgiving atmosphere. The pressure. Esven reached into her satchel, fishing around for Balvonak’s key: the locket.

  It was gone.

  “Looking for this?” Vahldod’s bloody hand dangled the jewelry from where he stood at a distance. His smirk, though surrounded by swollen tissue, showcased his pride.

  How did he…? Of course. When she bumped into him, after he opened the door. He must have taken it then. Esven scowled. She had hoped she was the only one who had thought to filch the others jewelry. Apparently, great minds thought alike.

  The spell faded on her faux light. She couldn’t keep it up. Too lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. The demons shrieked, missing their illumination. When they spied enough still shining through the door across the open space, they fled back toward it.

  “Predictable,” Vahldod chuckled as he held his throbbing side. “I knew you’d try to take him with you. He won’t be going anywhere, m’lady. Demons don’t leave the Netherworld.” He grinned. “Not without a human blessing.”

  Esven flew her stinging gaze to Balvo. He made gulping gasps for air, still a victim to the injuries he had suffered from Marumon. She had to get him through. Vahldod was right. Human permission. A key.

  But Esven had no objects to give him.

  Her asphyxiated lungs screamed. Her skin boiled at Balvo’s touch. Her mind swirled, wavering, but she clung fiercely to her cognizance. Time was fleeing. She felt stripped of everything. But she still had herself.

  Yes. Herself. She’d be his key.

  As soon as she thought it, felt it, her body and Balvonak’s tumbled through the glass. She collapsed halfway through, her legs still in the Netherworld while the rest of her breathed in the life-giving oxygen of Brigovia’s surface. She was so close to freedom. Close to safety.