by S. A. Price
“Don’t look at me. No matter what anyone thinks, my dad is not a fallen angel. Although we do get a kick out of that one.” She cocked her head and looked at the last pictures. “I thought the Light and Nightmare Courts didn’t play well together. Those don’t look like war depictions. Think they could be done before the wars?”
“Before the Rift,” Alyx said. “Document all of this. If it’s like the other stop, it won’t be here after and we don’t wanna miss anything.” She turned the corner and stood still. “This one...” she said as they walked over. People stood together, the day and night one piece in front of them. “It seems like it was before anything.”
“I’m documenting,” Bax said. He snapped several more pictures when they heard clicking from behind them.
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Alyx said.
“Khalid...” Scur said, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He knew that feeling, knew it as well as he knew the silken skin on Alyx’s inner thighs. But with Alyx, he enjoyed it; whatever that clicking sound was, it was like nails on a chalkboard.
“On guard,” Khalid said, taking a step toward them.
The coyote growled low in its throat and moved past Khalid. Ears back, he positioned himself as if he was ready to lunge at any moment. At least Scur assumed it was a he, not like he ever bothered to look.
“What the hell makes that noise?” Eli asked and when he turned to look at her, she had two short-handled scythes in her hands. He couldn’t stop his snort of laughter. “What?” she said to him with a knowing grin.
Alyx pulled out her short knives. “Get ready.” She looked to Scur. “Ready to play, baby?”
“Ah, sugar, I’m always ready to play. Which means you guys better be ready to fuel me up,” he said and cracked his neck. The clicking got louder and he started to hear something that sounded like scraping against the ground. Before he could let his imagination go wild on what could be making that noise, it came into view.
“Fucking hell,” Khalid breathed out. “You definitely don’t want that crawling on you while you’re sleeping, Alyx.”
Wasn’t that the damn truth. They’d been worried about scorpions, but not one that was as big as a double-decker bus.
“I’ve seen this movie,” Eli said. “Pretty sure they went for its legs.”
“Well, we got to watch the kraken die,” Scur said, flexing his fingers. “As long as Medusa doesn’t show up, I can deal with the scorpion.”
Scruffy, ‘cause if Alyx wouldn’t give the coyote a name, he was going to call it Scruffy, growled again and took off like a shot, right at the scorpion. “That fucking dog is crazy!”
“You’re just jealous he is getting first blood!” Bax called from his right. “Make sure there’s not a dude that looks like he’s made of wood riding it...”
“Djinn aren’t real!” Alyx said as she raced in.
“Baby, I’m pretty sure everything is real,” Bax retorted.
“Take out the stinger!” she called as she launched herself at the body, bouncing when her blade struck hard. The coyote was under it biting at it, or attempting to, as Alyx side jumped a massive claw.
“So much damn stone around, but can’t fucking use it,” Khalid said with a sigh. “Plenty of sand, though...”
Scur looked at the other man and he grinned. “Good thinking.”
Particles of sand started to blow through, presumably being pulled through the crack in the opening they previously came through. As Scur charged into the melee, he watched Khalid manipulate the sand into a ball and toss it straight at the scorpion’s eyes. If it was like the smaller version of itself, it couldn’t see well to begin with, but that should blind it from their movement for a while.
The scorpion let out a high-pitched cry and Scur made a running leap onto its leg and climbed up. If his princess wanted the stinger taken care of, he would tear the fucking thing off for her. First, he needed to get up there.
“Hold onto something, Scur,” he heard Eli call out right before the scorpion shifted to its side and let out another scream. “One leg down.” His vision sharpened and he could feel his muscles start to swell. Whatever they were doing down there was feeding his beast, a beast that wanted to come out to play. “More. Hurt this fucker more.”
Abaxley slid under the thing, dagger up as he dragged it across the plates of armor there.
“Shit. I think something else is coming. Come on!” Alyx yelled.
It was too damn close for Scur’s comfort. He leapt up and wrapped himself around the scorpion’s tail and reared back. “Khalid,” he called down. “Looks like he’s got a friend coming for a play date.”
“Fuck! I’m heading that way,” the captain said, not sounding all too happy about it. Scur didn’t know what his problem was, he was having the time of his life. “Alyx, my little vixen, wanna get that sexy ass up here and help me cut this fucker’s stinger off?”
She was on the meaty trunk of the arachnid in moments, eyes wild, color high in her cheeks. She grinned and took a stance. “Bring it to mama...”
“You two have fun,” Eli said. “Heading over to help Khalid, but first you might want to hold on again.”
Leaning down, he grabbed hold of Alyx’s hand, jerking back on the scorpion’s tail just as its entire body shook, Eli taking out another leg before sprinting across, catching up to Khalid. He let go, wrapping himself around the tail again and he felt another surge of strength. If they spilled a little more blood, removed a couple more legs, he would be close to full on beast and would be able to rip the damn stinger off with his bare hands if he wanted, but what was the fun in that? Watching Alyx do it was way more satisfying.
Knowing his eyes were already glowing blue, he looked down at her. He didn’t need to voice what he was thinking, he knew she would know exactly what to do. Spinning his body around until he was hanging on upside down, he used all his body weight to jerk the tail down before it swung him off and into a stone.
Alyx scissored her small knives as the stinger came perilously close to her face, she screamed as she sliced through, and then slid, avoiding whatever it was that the thing called blood. Abaxley was there then, a grin on his face.
“She’s fucking magnificent,” he said to Scur as they watched her set up an aerial, coming down to her feet and crouching as the large bug flailed on less legs than it needed. She attacked again, catching a leg on the joint and pried it free. “Holy shit.”
Scur didn’t land so gracefully. As soon as Alyx had removed its stinger, the scorpion’s tail went wild, probably from the surprise and pain, and sent him on a ride he never wanted to be on again. If it wasn’t for the extra boost, he wouldn’t have been able to hold on. When it finally fell, he released his hold and rolled off its side, slamming onto the ground. “I really hope Scruffy wasn’t under there.”
Bax pointed to the coyote who was literally chewing off a claw on the other scorpion while riding it. Alyx ginned. “He totally belongs with us.”
“Bloodthirsty little fuck,” Scur said. “Definitely belongs.” He pushed himself up and cracked his back. Much better. “Think we should go help them?”
“Teamwork makes the dream work,” she said and blew him a kiss, slapped Abaxley on the ass with one of her knives and raced into the fray, going for the thing’s eyes.
He looked over at Bax and shrugged. “I think it’s time I got to have some fun.” He grinned and knew it wasn’t the kind he usually had. There was nothing playful about it, the beast was riding him hard, it wanted blood, it wanted death, and he wanted it to be by his hands.
Feeling his body swell even more, the scene around him glowed along the edges. His eyes were now full glowing blue. On a low growl, he took off in a dead run, charging straight for the other scorpion. When he was only a few feet away, its tail swung over its head, stinger heading straight for him. Swerving to the right, he dove under it and punched up, going straight through its body. He grabbed onto whatever he could and started to pull it out.
He heard Alyx whoop. “Yeah, baby!”
“If one of you fucks decide to kill this thing before I do, warn me so I can move,” he said. Though by the way he was tearing this thing about, he had a feeling he was going to get to the finish line first.
“I really hope we find a spring when we’re finished,” he heard Khalid say, “because Scur is going to stink to high heaven.”
“This is all you, with consolation prize going to the coyote, since he got a claw there,” Bax said. “Finish him!”
The next few minutes were a blur, which was something he was used to. When he turned full berserker, or as close to it as he could without multiple deaths surrounding him, he turned himself completely over to it. All that penetrated were the sounds of skin tearing. When he finally came to, the haze rolling back, he was hunched over next to the dead body of the scorpion, breathing hard, and covered in things he didn’t want to look too closely at.
“Fatality!” Bax said and then laughed.
“Seeing him kill something is a thing of beauty,” he heard Alyx say.
“It seriously sucks that I can’t strip you naked and fuck you right now,” he said, pulling off his shirt to wipe the gore off his face.
“Watching you kill that thing was almost as good as sex,” Eli said. “I mean shit, that was insane. If you ever have a family reunion on the battlefield, I want to go watch with popcorn and beer.”
“He’s the best of the Nordscov clan.” Alyx grinned at him and then licked her bottom lip. “Feeling is mutual, baby.”
“Well before this turns into some kinda fetish porno, what were they guarding?” Abaxley said.
“Damn good question,” Khalid said and tossed him a towel he must have had in his pack. “Whatever it is, it better be good enough to sic those two creatures on us.”
Alyx walked over to the far wall, training her light on it. “More pictograms. Bax?”
“On it,” he said.
“You see anything?” she said to Khalid. “’Cause I see another crack like the one we came through...”
Scur stopped a couple feet behind them, his body doing what he liked to call it’s deflating ritual. His bones were cracking and while it didn’t hurt, it was uncomfortable as fuck. Better to watch from a distance while he went back to what his mother referred to as his wee little size. But he guessed compared to his brothers, he was a runt. “You were first through the other crack,” Khalid told her, placing his hand on the small of her back. “I think it will open for you. They seem to like royalty.”
“Seems everyone here seems to like royalty.” She grinned. “I think there’s another room.” She walked to her right and disappeared behind stone. “Yes. Ooh...”
“Damn woman is walking off,” Scur said with a laugh. “Damn fearless woman.”
“Sexy as hell, though,” Khalid said before heading behind the stone.
“Better believe it.” Scur followed the rest, interested in seeing what she found.
“I think Nihar is going to combust,” she said as they rounded the corner. “We have treasure...”
“Okay,” he said, pulling at his beard, “last thing I expected to find in the middle of nowhere were more scrolls.”
“Makes sense,” Bax said as he, Eli, and the camel came around the corner. “Why else would those fucking monsters be here?”
“Floor’s not lighting up this time,” Khalid said. “Think it’s safe to touch them?”
“You thinking trap?” Eli asked.
“I’m always thinking trap, but I’m not getting any sense of one.”
“Me neither,” Scur said and watched as Scruffy headed straight toward where the scrolls were laying in stone cubbies. He sniffed around and Scur thought he might pee on them, but instead he turned in a circle then laid down. “Scruffy doesn’t think so either.”
“Well then, let’s see what’s what?” She walked over and bent, scratching the coyote behind the ear. “Thank you for checking,” she said to him and then stood to her full height and ran her hand across where the scrolls were. “Odd.”
“You want to elaborate on that?” he said. Finally feeling back to normal, he went to stand next to her. “Are they stuck or something?”
“No, they’re blank, all but...” She ran her hand across them. “This one. It’s got a pulse.”
“Why does everything have to pulse?” he said with a groan.
“Are they really blank, though?” Eli asked, coming up to her other side. “Or is whatever is on there magically protected? Is that something Nihar would know?” She looked around at everyone.
Oh, Scur could not wait until Eli got the full frontal of what it was like to be around Nihar when he was on a quest for answers.
“If he doesn’t, he’ll figure it out,” Khalid told her. “Wonder if the storm has died down enough to get a call out.”
“They feel blank,” Alyx said. “This one, though...” She opened the scroll in her hand and smiled. “A map? Bax, baby, you get through to Hendy yet?”
He shook his head. “Maybe we pop out?” he said and pointed to where a slight breeze was coming through the rocks.
“As good an idea as any. Grab the scrolls,” she said as she went forward to where Bax pointed.
He started to grab the scrolls, along with Khalid and Eli, putting them in one of the empty bags Khalid had tucked in his pack. Damn man always had thought twelve steps ahead. As each scroll was pulled out, he couldn’t help but hope they didn’t set off a trap. As much as he loved death and mayhem, he’d just gutted a giant fucking scorpion and needed a few minutes to decompress. “You guys find something else?” Eli asked.
“An exit.” They heard Alyx’s word. “The camel is already through...and it’s night.”
“Shit. How the hell long have we been in here?” Khalid asked. “Whatever we do, just watch where the damn moon is.”
They walked out following Abaxley and Alyx, noticing it was indeed night. As Eli, the last through with the coyote, passed the threshold, their phone started blaring.
“Guess that’s Hendrix,” Bax said and looked to him. “Scur... Dude...”
Alyx grinned. “Cool.”
“Oh, did you want me to answer that?” he said with a smirk, letting the phone continue to ring.
“Scur...” Khalid gave him a look, a look that had many huntsmen following his commands.
He sighed and pulled the phone out, answering it. “Alyx’s House of Mayhem. We’ll slay it, maim it, and lay it. How can I help you?”
“I was going to say you’re clean but hey, you do you,” Bax said as Hendrix had a tantrum on the other line.
“Where they fuck have you been? It’s been fifteen hours! Holy shit, how the fuck are you only seven miles from the Oasis?! Seriously, what the fuck?”
Ignoring Hendrix, he looked down at himself then back up at Bax. “Well shit kittens, I am. I didn’t even notice.”
“Spent most of your life covered in scorpion guts, have you?” Eli said with a raised brow and a smile. “Guts, yes, though this was the first giant scorpion.” His attention turned back to the phone. “Sorry, Hendrix, did you just say fifteen hours?”
“Fifteen fucking hours! Where were you? Nihar had a slight meltdown.”
“Gogo give him mouth to mouth?” Alyx said into her headset.
“I can assure you, we have not been fucking for the last fifteen hours. Although, that would have been preferable.”
“I was not having a meltdown.” Nihar’s voice could be heard in the distance. “Stop placing your feelings on me. You were the one freaking the fuck out.”
“Well then, guess we won’t share with old friar tuck what we found,” Abaxley sniped.
“Stop. Where the fuck were you?”
Alyx sighed. “Remember that weird version of Lalibela? Well, a sandstorm kicked up, we raced into there, and then we found some shit an
d fought two massive Clash of the Titans style scorpions.”
“She means we fought and killed two massive Clash of the Titans scorpions,” Scur said, shooting her a grin. Damn if he didn’t want to find a couple more to fight with her. There was nothing sexier than Alyx in full on murder mode.
“Scorpions,” they heard Nihar mumble. “Yeah, that makes sense. We were trying to reach you when the weather went crazy. I wanted to tell you I found some obscure text about this particular stone structure. It dates back to well before Faerie became its own realm.”
“How do you know what predated Faerie?” Eli asked.
“’Cause I have Cetus’s history literally flowing through my veins,” Nihar said. “In fact, I’m currently glowing. But that isn’t what I wanted to tell you about. The place you’re at is called the Stones of Evanesce.”
Eli started singing “My Immortal” under her breath, causing him to laugh.
“Not that Evanescence,” Nihar said with a groan. “Quade did the same damn thing.”
“Quade sings?” Abaxley asked, horrified.
“Okay, you tell us what you found, and we’ll tell you what we found. Aside from scorpions,” Alyx quipped.
“You have heard the man talk before, right?” Nihar said. “He makes Gogo all giggly just when he asks her to pass the butter. He sounds like Marvin fucking Gaye when he sings. It seriously isn’t fair. But I digress. The Stones of Evanescence, like the name implies, make what they don’t want just anyone to find disappear. Back in the day, fae used to bring items they wanted to keep hidden and if the stones felt what was being offered was justified in being hidden, they would be.”
“Falls in line with the relief carvings we found. Bax is uploading now,” Alyx said.
“Holy shit,” Hendrix said. “Where did you find these?”
“Middle stone in the impression,” she said. “There are a few others. Anyway, after we looked at all four sides, two scorpions attacked up. Scur got his death on, and then we found a room of scrolls. One with a map.”