by Emery Skye
“Move! Move!” Nathan crouched and ran toward the black building. I grabbed Amalie’s hand and drug her behind me. She tripped a few times trying to keep up. I pulled harder.
Lucas and Taylor followed us quietly. Nathan paused behind a massive column that looked like a corkscrew. There were three columns: Amalie and I stood behind the center one, Taylor and Lucas behind the left. We waited as ten Dretches passed.
Dretch demons were second level demons known for their thick scales. The thick scales made fighting and killing one difficult but not impossible. It was highly unusual to see so many traveling together. In the other world, Warriors saw maybe one or two together. Never more than three. Overall, Dretches were stupid, slow, and couldn't fight. This was a rarity. Demons had all sorts of purposes, like spiders. They didn’t do much for anyone other than eat flies.
“Dretches,” Amalie said in a gagging whisper.
“I know,” I whispered. “Why are there so many?”
“Let’s kill them,” Amalie hissed.
Her sudden bloodlust scared me.
“Kill them? There are a million of them. They’ll kill us,” squawked Taylor. Reasonable cowardice.
“No, Anna’s right. If there are ten Dretches, there must be a higher-level demon too. There is no point in risking ourselves. Over there,” Nathan tipped his head to the right. “They’re passing, look.”
Sure enough the mindless creatures passed right by us. They really were dense.
“We need transportation,” Lucas whispered.
“And, where are we going, exactly?” I asked.
“We’ll find out along the way,” Nathan answered.
He shot a knowing look at Lucas who nodded in return. Something was going on with those two.
“I'm sure there are hundreds of demons who'll give us all the horses we need," Taylor stood up and cracked her back.
Gotta love a little sarcasm when we’re inches from dying.
“Well, not give, but if we make the wager great enough...”
“You’re not seriously considering—” Taylor interrupted, frowning.
“We need to go to the Tricksters,” Nathan was on a roll with his indifference.
“What are Tricksters?” asked Amalie, confused.
“Tricksters like to gamble, and they're great at it. They're the scavengers of the Dark World. They keep things no other demon would. They also have a ton of connections here. They're our best chance at transportation,” Nathan explained authoritatively.
“Yeah, if we win.” Lucas added, unconvinced. “They won’t play unless they think they can win.
I was going a little nuts. Trickers. Games. Dark World. Those three things didn’t go right together.
Now we had to play against Trickster demons. The day just kept getting better.
“Oh, they’ll play.”
The sky remained gloomy as we traveled, ducking from one dark building to the next. We blended perfectly into the darkness and moved as silently as we could on gravel that behaved like black ice. It was critical that we made it to the Tricksters' Lair undetected. Nathan led the way. He’d told us it would be a couple of hours until we arrived. He seemed to have some sixth sense about the Dark World. He knew things no Warrior should. It was unnerving. I didn’t believe it when Erick said he’d been here before, but by the way he seemed to have a mental GPS, it confirmed he had. Weapons drawn, ready to fight, we were silent. It was eerie. So different from just a few days ago.
In the Dark World, I heard every monstrosity was possible. I didn’t understand that before. Now, I did. There were ghastly creatures, like vultures, gnawing on bones—bones that could have been animal, human, demon, or angel. Three of those possibilities made me want to vomit.
The Dark World smelled of grotesque death. The only way I can compare it to anything is to think of a really concentrated, sickly, cloying, sweet smell. Like two-hundred pounds of rotting meat left in the heat for a week.
Taylor and Amalie covered their noses, but I knew it wouldn’t help. It is a smell you will never forget; it will never leave your nose or your brain…it burns all the way down; it makes your eyes water...and each time you think of the smell your brain will recall it, and you will smell it all over again. That’s what the smell of death did. We'd probably smell this place for the rest of our lives, assuming we got out of here alive.
I saw the source of the smoke and dust: eight grinders like old feed grinders for livestock, fueled by God knew what. I was also not sure of what exactly they were grinding, the deepest part of my mind sent treacherous assumptions that not even the extreme magnitude of a Warrior’s imagination could create the images.
Sounds that had been indiscernible were now excruciatingly clear. I heard not only the grinders, but also the agonized screeching of several demons from dilapidated structures. Nerve shredding echoes distracted me from our path.
“Oh, hell. Is that…” Amalie asked, her fear palpable.
“I don’t know,” I answered.
Amalie choked on sobs.
I seriously wanted to kill the shit out of the demons responsible for this, but we were on their turf. If I tried, I'd undoubtedly get us all killed.
Why? Why couldn’t things be easier?
A Warrior's hardest decision comes when weighing the costs and benefits of our actions. What made saving one life worth the deaths of many?
We were taught that our deaths were never meaningless. Lost in vain. Saving lives was our duty. Our calling. The question was, did we really have free will?
Most Warriors would say that duty always comes first. I always thought I agreed. Now, I wasn't so sure. The lines were blurred, and I couldn’t seem to bring back the black and white.
Being on the front lines with my baby sister made me think. Which was more important, my duty to my sister or my duty as a Warrior? Warriors didn’t defy orders and go to the Dark World. They listened to their commanders; they followed the Law. I broke the Law being here.
Now that I thought about it, Nathan and I were in the same position. He’d disobeyed the Law to come with us. Alyosha was his brother, and he was protecting us, but he would face unthinkable consequences when we got back, if we got back, but he did it. Alyosha was more important than The Powers, than the Law.
It didn’t seem fair that angels were forced to feel the way humans do but unable to act the way humans could.
I hated double standards.
I needed to stop thinking like this. It would get me killed.
Just then, Nathan stopped. We were human dominoes. It might have been funny in different circumstances.
We crowded behind insufficient cover—three or four medium boulders stood in front of us. We’d traveled into a structure built like an underground parking garage. Of course, it wasn’t, but the area was underground and the mouth of it was large and gradually descending into an open space. The area was alive with vibrant decay. I hoped Amalie wouldn’t vomit again. Her hand still covered her nose.
Lucas sauntered up to Nathan and whispered. I couldn't hear what. Nathan shook his head. Lucas fumed as he resumed his position.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We’re here,” Nathan’s eyebrows lifted as he swallowed. One mistake now would destroy us. He stood, fully exposing himself. What in the world? He’d give away our position.
“Nathan,” I crept toward him, reaching for his arm, when I saw the Trickster demon.
The Trickster’s near transparent skin had a slimy quality, and he stood less than three foot tall. He smelled like he lived in a dumpster. He didn’t have eyelids.
“Thal’Kituun.” The Trickster uttered slavishly. He spoke Erudun.
Erudun was, I thought, a dead language among demons. Noviates were taught a few words and phrases.
I figured I would kill first and never ask questions. Demons weren't big on conversation.
I was wrong. Go figure.
“Something strangers,” Amalie said in Erudun.
It fig
ured.
“Do you speak a language of the humans?” Nathan asked. He couldn’t understand the Trickster.
“What you want?” The creepy thing asked. At least I understood him.
“We want to play a game... with your master.”
The Trickster threw his head back and laughed with mischievous glee, clapping his hands and hopping from boulder to boulder.
“A game! A game! What type of game?” He stopped. His smoky eyes focused on me.
Before I knew what was happening, I heard children screaming in agony and felt wicked rapture at the sound. I moved closer and strained to see through the blackness. I wished I hadn’t.
I saw the faces of dozens of children. I watched as an abundance of blood flowed between the crevices in the rocky ground.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I'd seen enough. I threw myself at the demon; my dagger sliced air. I was so close; I could taste the satisfaction of killing him.
“Ow! What did you do that for?”
Nathan knocked me down, and Lucas pinned me to the ground. The Trickster gazed down at me. I fought as hard as I could to get him off me. I writhed underneath him causing sharp rock to dig into my back.
“Anna, you need to stop,” Nathan ordered.
“You didn’t see what I saw! It was horrible! So much pain! Suffering!”
I cried. Nathan gave me a bone-deep look shutting me up. Only then did I realize what I’d said.
“I no like that one,” the Trickster complained.
“I don’t like you either... you murderer!”
“Fuck off, you freaky piece of shit!” growled Taylor.
“I no help you,” He folded his arms across his scrawny chest and turned his back to us.
Fine, I thought. All I want to do is rip you to a million tiny pieces, anyway!
“I think I saw some Spector hounds that looked really hungry!” I screamed at him.
“Anna, enough!” Nathan shouted, gripping my wrist tighter. There was something deeper, more desperate in his voice.
I nodded.
He let go of me, and Lucas pulled me to my feet.
Lucas smirked. I wanted to beat that look off his face with a steel billy club. I didn’t know what he thought was so funny.
Lucas hadn't let go of me. He treated me like a child.
“Let go of me! Now!” I growled. Lucas had no right to boss me around.
He thought differently. What once was a smirk was now a full-on grin.
“Let go of me!” I repeated. He made the mistake of looking me in the eye. A blood red inferno in his soul blinded me. I felt the heat of deception, but couldn’t see it. This was something new. Lucas was apparently immune to my power/gift thing, but I could feel what he'd done. It felt wrong, and so did Lucas.
He suddenly averted his eyes; he frowned, and his eyebrows furrowed. He let go of me. I relaxed, but gripped my dagger so hard my knuckles turned white.
“Anna, say you're sorry to Fawn,” Nathan commanded.
“What?” I screamed, shuddering at the thought.
“Seriously?” Amalie asked.
“Just do it! Now.”
I jerked my head to the side and looked at the ground. My hair hung in my eyes. “I am... sor...ry,” It took many deep breaths and a few pauses, but I managed it. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I hoped biting my tongue would be easier than having to apologize to another ghastly creature.
“That okay, Annnnnna,” the words slithered out of his mouth.
Great, now the freak knew my name. I rolled my eyes.
It was a long walk through the hellhole. Mounds of rocks on either side created a valley as rock crunched under our feet. Occasionally, I heard a noise like bees swarming and saw the gravel falling down the rocky hills while other Trickster demons gathered at the peaks to gawk. This was their dream come true: Angel Warriors, walking willingly into their territory, no doubt as a gourmet snack.
Trickers were pack demons—some of the weakest demons, and they were devoured by larger demons. Fawn reveled in their admiration and envy. He strutted, chest out, head high. He licked his lips repeatedly.
“What was that about?” Amalie asked.
“You don’t want to know,” I replied. It was true. She wouldn’t understand, and I didn’t have time to explain.
“NO more talk,” Fawn snapped. She gave me a look that said you-will-tell-me-what’s-going-on-ASAP.
I responded with a curt nod, too tired for anything else.
A gagging pulled my attention back to Fawn, the cocky malignant vile of mucus.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Nathan tried to say something, but Fawn cut him off again.
So much for developing a plan.
I kept my composure by imagining myself ripping his throat out—with my teeth, if necessary.
The angelic Law forbade everything we had done, and would still do. Even thinking about our punishment, when or if we returned, chilled me to the bone. Above all else, this was the last place I ever wanted to see Amalie. Still, we were here.
If I’d turned her in, sure she’d be in a load of trouble, but she’d be alive. Instead we were here.
The further we walked into the Trickster’s Lair, the less I liked our chances. Pinning our hopes on an unknown game, with an opponent that would undoubtedly cheat, was beyond ridiculous. Then again, we were in the Dark World. How much crazier could it get?
I concentrated on Nathan. He marched in front of Amalie, who walked in front of me. He knew we'd win. His confidence lighted me up. He wouldn't have brought us here otherwise. I hoped. Then again, I’d done things for Amalie, like come here, and deep down, I didn’t know if we’d survive.
This was the absolute wrong time to think about our kiss, but I couldn’t help it. It was amazing. Unreal. Now that we marched to our deaths, I wished I'd had let him finish his sentence when we first got here. Well, unless he was going to tell me even one of the many reasons we couldn't be together. That would be too much.
We stopped at the wrought iron door of the lair. A peephole suddenly opened at the demon's eye level. Fawn said something in Erudun, and the heavy door opened slowly, revealing a large chamber. The Tricksters turned a large, wooden wheel to open the door. I made a mental note, just in case. I crossed my fingers.
Dozens of appalling Tricksters sat eating at several large wooden tables that spanned the length of room. Their food smelled repulsive and looked worse. It took every ounce of self-control not to both throw up and start killing.
I suddenly tripped and saw…a body. Not just a body, but more than a dozen. We were walking on a carpet of corpses. Most were dismembered. I didn't react, all urges to the contrary, because Amalie hadn’t noticed them. I prayed she wouldn't.
“Ugh,” I heard Taylor squeal. She'd noticed. I shook my head, put a finger to my lips, and pointed to Amalie. Taylor nodded and pulled her shirt up, covering her mouth and nose. I was grateful for her understanding, compassion... and guts. It took a moment to realize that I ... respected her.
Candlelight revealed a tall and hefty Trickster sitting alone at a table identical to the others. His mouth and fingers dripped blood. I suspected he was the leader. We stopped a few feet from him.
“Who dares enter my chamber?”
Yep. He had a deep voice, but he sounded mentally challenged. Fawn strode proudly to the table, climbed a chair, and whispered into his master's ear.
“So, you want game?” The fat Trickster asked.
“We do,” Nathan answered.
The five of us stood in a circle, back to back, facing our enemies. I counted four-dozen Tricksters, all of whom had stopped eating and were now snickering, jerking as if having seizures. If the Trickster refused a game, the only way out was through them. Nathan appeared to ignore the danger, but the rest of them knew it too. We could handle this, but it wouldn't be fun. Like a new noviate handling a chain whip. At least I trusted my squad.
“Games don’t come without a wager,”
the Trickster suddenly sounded smarter.
“We understand that,” Nathan replied.
“What you play for?”
“We need horses, and answers about a missing noviate.”
“Hmm... have horses, but no know about noviate.” The Trickster wiped his lips with his fingers.
“I think you're lying,” Nathan looked calm, but I heard a dangerous undertone. I found myself hoping he'd let himself go.
“Maybe, but you want lot. Puts us shits with Council.”
Every Trickster looked up at the master, squirmed in their seats and stopped snickering at the mention of the Council. I assumed he meant Lucifer’s Council. I felt the same way. If they were scared, Alyosha was in more danger than we imagined. We were too.
“Wager big, or no game. What offer?”
Nathan tensed. So did I. It only lasted a moment, but it was too long.
“What do you want, Master Trickster?”
“Least two of you stay. Serve me. Life.”
Nathan scoffed. “Like hell.”
“No Warriors, no deal.” The Master Trickster spoke to Fawn briefly. “Besides, can buy slaves now.”
The last part of what he said wasn’t lost on me. What the hell did he mean by ‘buy slaves’? Where, and from whom, could they buy Warrior Angels as slaves?
“We need a moment to discuss this,” Nathan told him.
He appeared bored and said something in Erudun.
Nathan turned inward. I was the last to turn, still watching the Tricksters.
“He ordered them not to attack,” Nathan assured me.
I turned, and we formed a huddle. The intensity of his eyes was captivating.
“What do you want to do?” he asked.
Amalie spoke first.
“We have to do it, unless there is another way to find Alyosha.”
“There isn’t. They have the information we need; we have to do it,” asserted Lucas.
“Oh yeah. Please tell me who the hell we are going to put on the chopping block, because it sure as hell is not going to be me,” contended Taylor. She had a point, if we did lose, who would stay with the Tricksters? They gazed down at the floor.