Erecting Barriers

by L. J. Vickery

  She got a huge, captivating smile in response to her question.

  “With pleasure,” the delightful female answered, and the small army, headed by Bee-Dee and Lavarette, moved in.

  The first thing Obedience saw were five Lauernley, dipping and twirling in place, each one taking out a host of ghouls on each turn before regrouping and attacking more. They had studied well, and had a system; their moves like a dance. Stab, decapitate, skewer a life essence and smash it to bits on the rocks. Demon bodies disintegrated like water on a hot griddle. The glowies plunged into the action alongside their long lost brethren.

  Dorian and Kabta worked a one-two punch. Dorian would hold a Hell-spawn in thrall and Kabta would reach an invisible hand forward to yank out its bio-source. They needed no assistance.

  The two human DEA agents were busy near the entrance to the cave, Flick fussing about around the periphery, while JP, with the aid of Scobalt, pinpointed visible and invisible threats for decimation. Bee-Dee smiled. Evil satisfaction curled her lips. Because that left Sal―cowering behind his desk―for her.

  She approached with fire in her eyes. This piece of trash had hurt her man. She would have so much fun making him weep, then stripping the flesh from his bones. Never had she experienced such anger, nor lust to hurt someone. She felt some dangerous impulses bubble within her. He was the one who had brought her to the boiling point. Bee-Dee honed in on her target. She threw out a hand and tossed the desk out of the way like an empty husk, then wrapped her power around Sal’s throat with little effort. She squeezed until his face turned blue. Ah, too easy. He needed to suffer more.

  She raised her twitching fingers and drew him up from the ground, up into the heights of the cavern. He twisted and squirmed, kicking his feet to get away from the unseen force. Bee-Dee laughed…and then obliged. He fell twenty feet. Dropped like a stone. Not a killing distance, especially because he was already deceased, but far enough so that he broke both dead legs in the fall. A shrill scream tore from his throat. Bee-Dee had not finished. She approached the fallen male to inflict more damage, but before she could reach him, a voice snagged her attention.

  “Bitch.”

  Obedience turned to the sound and saw the evil Beletseri staring her down.

  “You’re a war goddess, then?” Bel intoned, having watched Bee-Dee play with Sal. “You have the powers,” she speculated, “and you’re Kulla’s Chosen.” She beamed from ear to ear, and Obedience wondered for a moment if the evil one realized that she would lose this battle. If she didn’t, she’d know it soon enough.

  “I am Kulla’s Chosen, and the one who will see you dead before this is over.” Bee-Dee moved forward with intent, bringing all of her power together into her hands. A flaming ball appeared which she hurled at Beletseri’s head. The evil goddess knocked it away, but singed her knuckles in the process.

  She screamed in pain, but moved fast toward the witch. “You’ll be the one who stays in Hell.” Bel’s voice came out loud and shrill. She vaulted over a pile of bodies and plowed into Bee-Dee, knocking her back on her ass.

  Obedience, not prepared for the strength of the evil goddess, momentarily found herself at a loss. Bel straddled her and landed two closed fist punches to her head before Bee-Dee could call up another spell. Immediately, oozing sores and scorpions covered her combatant’s neck, the latter heading down snapping and stridulating into Bel’s ample cleavage. The goddess yelped and scrambled back, knocking the stinging creatures to the ground as she leaped. The bugs crunched under her feet as she wailed and came back at Bee-Dee, more incensed than before.

  “I will not play your games, Pestilence.” Bel swiped at the weeping lesions that covered her skin, sealing them off and heading back to the witch. Obedience managed to clear her head from the blows that had landed, and recognized that Beletseri tried to pin a name to her powers. Fat chance. Once the goddess knew her for a witch, it would be easier for her to fight. Bee-Dee wouldn’t giving anything up.

  “Call me what you will. It won’t help you in the long run.” She staggered to her feet, more lightheaded than she cared to be, and whipped out with another spell that bound Beletseri with vines. Before she could move to finish the goddess off, she was blindsided and tackled to the ground. Dammit. As she’d moved in for the kill, a male had snuck up from behind. She gasped as hands surrounded her neck and threatened to choke the life out of her.

  “You can’t kill her. She’s a Chosen and we’re forbidden,” Beletseri cried out.

  Her head spun with relief. Matthew couldn’t kill her. If immortals―the ones who knew of the contract―breached any part of it, it would mean instantaneous death for them. Bel didn’t want her pet, Matthew to die. She shuddered as his hands released her neck and she dragged in air.

  “Put her in the cage. And don’t let her arms free. Whatever kind of goddess she is, she uses her hands for power.” Bel screeched as she ground the last of the scorpions under her heel. Matthew grunted his understanding.

  Bee-Dee was picked up with her legs slung over a broad shoulder while her face buried into a hard chest. Her arms were clasped to her sides with brute strength. Fuck that. One weapon remained available to her. She bit into the muscle under her mouth, and a roar emerged from her captor. Good. She chanted and imbued the bite with poison that would irritate and refuse to heal. Served him right.

  He raged, furious and spitting when he flung her into the cage and slammed the door, his visage a livid purple. “I’ll have my fun with you, later, god-whore,” Matthew snarled. Ah, but he’d forgotten to bind her arms. Not that it would make a damned bit of difference to her powers. The motions she made with her hands were just for show.

  He turned to unloose his lover from the vines, all the while rubbing at his chest.

  Bee-Dee took a moment to catch her breath. She looked around. Besides the bad-guy god and goddess untangling foliage, Sal writhed in pain on the ground. A happy sight. Everyone else still engaged in battle. The Lauernley looked to be tiring, but the glowies were taking up the slack. She bit back a cry when the blue king went down.

  Bee-Dee nearly spelled out of the cage―and wouldn’t that just burn Beletseri, who thought the witch a goddess to be trapped by osmium―when Lavarette came to Waylon’s rescue. The Champion stood over the king, wielding a sword that looked twice as long as the diminutive glowie. She fought and stabbed with intensity, finally slicing the spawn from neck to groin, and yanking out its essence where it lay in a sagging mouth on its belly. When the thing lay dead, she turned worried eyes to the king.

  “Are you all right, my liege,” she said with that drifting, comforting voice that all the collective shared. She reached a hand down to Waylon and he raised an eyebrow before taking it.

  As if he weighed nothing, Lavarette yanked him up.

  When the blue king reached his feet, he towered a good foot and a half over the glowie, and looked down at her with an incredulous open mouth. “I’m fine. Thank you,” he stammered. “How did you…what?”

  For the first time ever, Obedience saw the king tongue-tied. It seemed he immediately became lost in the large pools of blackness that looked up at him unflinchingly. Cute.

  Dammit. Danger approached. Now was not the time for the royal to space out.

  “Behind you, Waylon,” Bee-Dee called out, and the king spun on one heel and stuck his sword through a chicken demon, grinning and saluting Obedience in the process. Laverette twirled until the pair stood back to back, challenging all comers with their new, joined position of power. Obedience couldn’t help but smirk. She’d give Waylon some shit later. He deserved it after that “little-Lauernley-women-stay-home” crap. Lavarette had saved his sky-blue ass.

  She had no more time to think as a small group of demons broke away and headed toward Flick’s new position at the back of the cavern. She sent out a bolt of power that surrounded Flick, Scobalt, and JP with a ring of flames. Time to get her ass out of jail. She didn’t even wait to see Bel’s reaction.

  Bee-Dee s
pelled to the human’s side, and quickly wove an incantation that allowed him to work at a speed where he no longer remained visible. Another few minutes and they’d be home free. She made sure he still had the protection of Scobalt, then popped to Dorian.

  “Gather everyone up. Flick’s close.” She took his place alongside the still battling Kabta, while the warlock moved all the good guys to the entryway. Once Waylon had been made aware that time grew short, he called for all the glowies to leave, and laughed aloud when Lavarette took down two more of the enemy before complying. Her liquid body shimmered in response.

  When everyone finally amassed in the doorway, Bee-Dee nodded to Kabta, and they both joined the away-party. Now it was up to her and Dorian.

  She and her cousin hooked together mentally and combined the strength of their powers to erect a force field between themselves and the remaining demon. Step by step the pair of witches moved back, facing their enemy, holding them in the cavern with a strength that would quickly be sapped.

  Just another minute.

  Flick gave the word, and everyone turned to run.

  An explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet, and a roar filled the air at their backs. Dirt and dust rose to choke them as they ran, slowing their progress, but Flick kept them moving.

  “That was only the first,” he yelled. “Go, go, go,” the agent chanted, all the while counting under his breath. The immortals could hear him. “Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve…” When he reached three, everyone got thrown from their feet. Bee-Dee would have landed hard, but glowies spread out on the ground before them to cushion everyone’s fall. The soot and grit became thick, but Bee-Dee heard Flick clear enough over the fall of detritus.

  “Shit. Three seconds too short on the fuse. I must be losing my touch.”

  Someone laughed, and a chorus of chuckles joined in. Then a triumphant whoop arose, and everyone stood up and brushed off to clap each other on the back.

  They’d done it. They’d rescued Kulla and destroyed Sal and hundreds of demons. If Bel had survived―and everyone thought she probably had―it would be a very long time before she had force enough behind her again to bother the gods.

  Bee-Dee coughed discreetly as she watched King Waylon reach a hand down to the glowie who had softened his landing. She wasn’t surprised to see it had been Lavarette, but still felt a little stunned to see a flare in the king’s eyes as he hauled her up. And the way he held onto the little glowie’s hand a bit longer than necessary told an interesting story.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kulla knew the fight had ended. He’d heard the triumphant yells of the glowies who had remained behind in this place, whatever it was, where he’d been left by Nergal. He thought it might be the throne room.

  The good guys had won. Within minutes, Kulla heard voices. The room filled with immortals, and even the human agents, left behind in the Blue Hills, joined in. Nergal and Ereshkigal were ferrying everyone to Hell for a celebration. Marduk’s voice boomed next to him.

  “Flat on your back again, you lazy son of a bitch.”

  Kulla thought he felt a punch in the upper arm as his boss castigated him. That had to be a good sign of returning nerve endings.

  Anshar’s voice joined Marduk’s. “What were you thinking, man? You didn’t have many brain cells to begin with,” he taunted. “What made you think you could do without the few you had?”

  Kulla tried to snort, but could tell nothing came out. He resorted to mind-speak.

  Someone should bless you with a few more IQ points, asshole. I’ve had half mine sucked out and I’m still smarter than you. He appreciated the comic relief, but he really needed someone to fill him in.

  Can you tell me where Bee-Dee is? His worry cut into the banter. Kulla’s still functioning brain told him that if something had happened to his mate, he wouldn’t be hearing the celebratory sounds in the room, but he would worry until someone told him she remained untouched.

  “Don’t worry, big guy. She’s fine.” Perhaps Anshar’s hand touched his wrist? “Your witch is walking back out with the rest of the victors. They did a great job.” Anshar dropped the teasing and leaned down. “Seriously though, you need to get back on your feet. You’ve occupied the sick room too many times this month. Are you getting any of your sensations back?”

  I think I can smell your halitosis, if that qualifies, Kulla quipped. As long as Bee-Dee remained fine, he’d resume poking at Anshar. He heard his companion laugh.

  “Yeah. Good news for you that…”

  Nergal’s voice interrupted whatever insult the whole sky god came close to hurling.

  “Tsunami,” he yelled. “The explosion in the cavern triggered an earthquake in the trench and an eighty foot swell is headed toward Japan.”

  “Yeehaw.” Anshar hooted, so loud it almost hurt. “Break out the boards. We’re going for a ride.”

  Marduk didn’t sound nearly as amused. “Get your asses in gear, gods. I want this stopped before it goes too far.”

  Kulla knew they were all misting out, and got confirmation when conversation changed to in-head. It took the group only minutes to reach their destination.

  There it is. Marduk’s voice rose loud and clear. And it’s a beauty. Could be a hundred miles long. Anshar, head north, Dagon to the south. See if you can hold it back. Kulla pictured the wave, and the god action in his brain. He knew the cousins would have changed into their serpent selves to traverse the expanse of sea.

  Marduk’s orders continued. Ninurta, some kind of equal and opposite deep ground disturbance might help. If it gets by you…

  It won’t, Ninurta assured their boss. I’ve got this. Dumuzi’s going to help by erecting miles of thick kelp barriers.

  Kulla could almost see Marduk’s nod before he spoke again. Enlil, Ishkur, you’re with me.

  The storm gods would band together, Kulla knew, but to what end?

  We need to split this beast apart.

  Kulla could hear the tumult that arose as immortal-made storms brewed. The ambient noise became part of every god’s consciousness.

  Let’s suck the life out of it. Marduk’s head-voice rose to be heard over the winds. We’ll build the largest damned water spout anyone’s ever seen. Their leader laughed. Let’s see what CNN has to say about that on tonight’s news.

  Kulla yearned to be part of the action. He tried to move but his body would not yet respond. Frustration ate at him. It had been a long time since the group had tackled a freak of nature like this, joining all of their forces. It was something they excelled at, and he wanted to join in. But as much as it ate at him, he had to let it go. Instead, pride at his friend’s powers, filled his chest.

  Kulla refocused and pictured the monsoon that the three fury gods would build. He could almost feel the energy they’d unleash to raise massive amounts of water out of the ocean and up into the air. The swirling abyss they created below would wrestle the rogue wave’s power, interrupting its flight.

  To his surprise, Absu’s voice entered the fray. Enten, are you ready?

  What had the pair cooked up? Apparently Marduk wanted that information, as well.

  What’s your plan Absu? The thunder god’s voice sounded taut with the strain of keeping so much water aloft.

  I’ll be changing as much of the wave as possible from salt into fresh H2O, the sweet water god answered. Then Enten is going to freeze the bastard.

  I’m all set, Absu. The voice of their winter god emerged from the pack, already cold.

  Emesh, Enten’s summer twin chimed in. And if you all can keep your bits and pieces in place, my lovelies, once my brother turns that bad boy solid? I’ll let the water thaw at a safe rate, back into the surrounding ocean, no problemo.

  Kulla knew Emesh would harness the sun and help the assemblage tame the colossal threat.

  The only two gods not present to participate―and feeling much like him, Kulla assumed―were Lahar and Shamash. The pair had been ordered to stay back at the compound and kee
p an eye on things there. Kulla could hear their voices cheering the action from afar.

  His mind centered miles above, and he flinched when he felt what might be a hand on his shoulder. Who…?

  “It’s Huxley.” The blond-boy royal must have squeezed him, because nerve endings fired.

  “And Dani.” The doctor’s voice hovered above him. He had to assume she monitored his physical condition.

  How am I doing, Doc? He knew she’d be honest and tell him if he looked like crap.

  “You’ve got some serious twitching going on, and every now and then you speak some unintelligible garble. Any improvement in your vision yet?”

  Totally in the dark, but I think I felt Huxley touch me.

  “He did.”

  Kulla could hear the satisfaction in Dani’s voice. So his body fought back, even if his vision didn’t. He wouldn’t worry yet. He’d never had an injury that hadn’t healed. He changed the subject to get his mind off his troubles. Sounds like our guys are kicking that big wave’s ass. He might have spoken too soon. Anshar’s strangled voice came in fast and hard.

  It got by me on this end. I took the edge off, but couldn’t stop it.

  Ninurta and Dumuzi will take it from there. Don’t worry, Marduk assured, smoothly, then called to Dagon in the south. Dagon, you?

  Stopped and holding here. Dagon struggled for breath. The energy he expended was evident from the stress in his voice.

  Good. A few minutes more. Ninurta, it will be coming at you from the north.

  On it, boss. The excavator didn’t wait for orders. He knew what to do. Starting a rumble.

  Kulla held his breath along with everyone else. He could feel the strain of his own muscles as if he too, were holding things back.

  My game-changer is gaining momentum on the ocean floor, Ninurta cried. The suspense became palpable. I’ve got a surge. It’s headed for the incoming wave. There’s going to be a massive collision.

  An adrenaline saturated moment hung, before a cacophonic chorus of cheers emerged. Apparently the efforts of the gods had paid off.