“I don’t know.”
“Take a guess.”
She looked back and him and shrugged. “Bears?”
“Bears it is.” Lord Raion waved his arms, and when she looked back at the slime wolves, they began to clash. They snipped and bit at each other, and one by one the many transformed again into several hundred bears.
“Each time there’s less.”
“The many join to become one.”
“Like Pollution?”
“No, not like Pollution. Once you join with Pollution, you become him. There’s no turning back.”
“Aren’t you afraid he will want to rule one day?”
Raion laughed. “To develop the purest loyalty in a soldier is a skill only few leaders have. Now imagine a leader who has harnessed the power of a hundred loyal men, a thousand…more.”
“I don’t know.”
“Pollution is made of hundreds of thousands of loyal solders. His devotion is absolute.”
“I see.” Amber faced Raion again. “So, what do the bears become?”
There was a flash at her back; Raion smiled.
“Turn and see.”
Amber gasped. Where the bears had been now stood at least a hundred people, all nude. “What the—”
“The wedding party has arrived.”
The crowd waved and smiled at her.
“Fuck…”
“It is time for us to start,” Lord Raion announced.
“No. No. No. I’m not ready. Where’s my wedding dress? My shoes? My flowers?”
“Your dress?” Raion smirked. “Look around you, fairy. You are overdressed.”
The puddles of living oil at her feet stretched up and began to tear the clothing off her body.
“Stop!” she shouted. “Stop that! No!” She had suffered enough insults for one day. I’m a fighter, I’m a killer…and still I must pretend to be weak. How much longer? How much longer do I have to pretend to be someone—something I’m not?
Amber amped her wings, just enough to burn what remained of her clothing off her body and singe any living oil that touched or stood too close to her.
When several shrieked and rushed away, she hoped her rash action would not create a larger problem.
“You still have some fight left in you. Good. Save it for tonight when I have you. I welcome your fight when we consu—”
“When we fuck? Oh, you’ll be lucky if you survive the night,” Amber said as she placed her hands on her bare hips.
Lord Raion did not like her boldness. He quickly stepped to her and snatched her by the neck. As he lifted her off the ground, she struggled to free herself, but there was no use; his body was basically made of solid rock.
“No, water fairy, it’ll be you who is lucky to survive the night.” His grip tightened.
She could see in his eyes and the eyes of the other fairy princesses—he wanted to kill her. And she knew he could. But she also knew he wouldn’t. He needed her alive now, tonight, and tomorrow.
“If you kill me, you’ll never know…” Amber’s voice was weak but clear.
“Know what?”
“What it’s like to be inside me.” When her words did not touch him, she guessed his other desire. “Or inside the great halls of the Otherworldly Assembly.”
That had done it. He loosened his grip, letting her fall to the ground. When her foot slipped and she fell onto her ass in the trash and muck, Amber nearly lost her self-control.
“What’s the matter? Did you get dirt on your perfect clean skin?”
Amber stood and tried to wipe the filth off her legs, but she only managed to smear it. “What are you fucking waiting for?” she shouted.
“I—”
“You! You! You! Fuck you all! I’m here! I’m ready!”
She bent over and put her hands in the muck, then smeared them down her chest, over her breasts and ribs, to her belly button. “I thought you wanted this? Well?”
Raion looked shocked. He held still—in fact, the entire dump had grown still and silent. Amber wanted to wretch from the smell, and she felt like she might pee herself, she was so anxious. But she stood her ground and stared Lord Raion down.
After a long moment, when no one moved, he lifted his hand to signal someone. “Minister? Are you ready?”
A green ball of light appeared to her right. It hovered a moment and then opened into a portal just like one of Dunyasha’s.
Duny? Here? No, she’s War now… Amber could not make sense of it, and as her mind searched for answers, a hooded man stepped from the portal and it closed behind him.
“Who are you?”
The man did not answer; he did not even face Amber. All his attention was given to Lord Raion. “I’m here as you requested. Does our deal stand?”
“It does.”
“Good. Very good.”
He faced Amber, but she could not see past the shadows of his hood.
“Who are you?” she repeated. “Who is this?”
“You do not know me, child of life. Why would you?”
Amber squinted, but then her other senses answered when her eyes could not. “Vampire.”
He stepped closer to her, and she could feel the chill of death radiate from his presence.
“I am called many things,” he said. “Nevertheless, I am Parasite to all.”
“You’re an elder…” Amber realized something that she guessed the Tainted did not know: this might be one of the Four. “Are you…” she stopped herself right there.
“He is as ancient as your friend Dunyasha. I sought him out after our encounter last year. I wanted to even the playing field as the humans say.”
“So, you’re as old as Dunyasha?” she asked.
“She and I are equals in that respect.”
“Equals,” Amber whispered. “Not anymore.”
Lord Raion walked past her, raising his long, spindly arms to the sky. “It’s time. Gather around, my people. Witness the beginning of our new future.”
The place seemed to come alive, everything moving at once.
“Slimes, mold, fungus of the Tainted, step forward. You are the army of our yesterdays and tomorrows. Today, you are our guests.”
The slimes that had taken shape as nude humans moved closer and took seats in the garbage. They had formed eight rows and contently waited.
“Living oil of the Tainted, our backbone, our armor—you the walls that hold out our enemies. Today, I ask you to turn in and watch your friends and family.”
Amber looked down at her feet. Her ankles, thighs, and hips were covered in spots of oil.
“Elemental smog of the Tainted above us, you do us the honor of watching and protecting our skies. Today, I ask that you come down from the heavens and witness the birth of our future.”
The air got thicker, and Amber began to cough. She wasn’t sure how long she could live in these conditions, but she knew that, with all of them in proximity, it would be easier to wipe many of them out in a single attack.
“Irradiated earth, of the Tainted, my brothers, all cursed to a terrible existence of pain and suffering…but not for much longer. Soon, you will have what you need to heal.”
“You need me conscious, right?” Amber coughed. “Well, I need air to breath.”
Lord Raion made a gesture and a gust of fresh air blew into the dump. “Better?”
“Much.”
Lord Raion nodded to the hooded man and stepped to Amber’s side.
“Let us begin,” the hooded man said. “The Tainted are gathered here today with the heirs to each elemental kingdom to witness the joining of Sabrina London, Queen of the Water Kingdom, and Lord Raion, Ruler of the Tainted Kingdom of Filth.”
Amber wrapped her arms around herself; she figured that is what Sabrina would have done in this instance.
“Lord Raion, do you take this Water Kingdom fairy to love, honor, and cherish? To form an unbreakable bond through sickness and health? To face and fight the future together not as two but as
one?”
“I do.”
“Queen Sabrina, do you take this irradiated earth golem, born of the Chernobyl disaster, to love, honor, and obey him? To form an undeniable bond through sickness and death? To face and fight the future together not as two but as one?”
Amber knew what she had to say—she had waited for this moment for months—but it was still no easier to speak the words. “I do.”
“By the powers vested in me by many clans and the species, people, and worlds, I have dominated, I now proclaim this marriage of Filth and Water, Raion and Sabrina, complete.”
Amber felt a chill run down her spine.
“You may kiss—or whatever it is you Tainted do—your bride.”
The Parasite stepped back as he spoke, and a portal opened and swallowed him almost instantly.
“Come, Sabrina, Queen of the Tainted, kiss me.”
Lord Raion bent toward Amber as he spoke, but she lifted a finger and placed it over his stony mouth where his lips should have been.
“Not like that,” she said. “Back at Moselle’s estate, you promised me you’d look like Chris Hemsworth.”
Lord Raion smiled and snapped his long fingers. “So be it.”
Two of the naked slime humans stood and walked to Lord Raion. When they reached him, they burst into a multitude of slimes that oozed and climbed up his rocky body.
Amber stepped back—she had not seen this before, but it matched Sabrina’s description. The slimes coated Lord Raion and slowly changed in color to a skin tone. Then, in a flash, the king of the Tainted’s horrific exterior was transformed into that of the beautifully chiseled man who played a Norse god.
“Yummy,” Amber said, regardless of finding Robert Downey Jr. more attractive. “Now, we can kiss.”
She fluttered her wings to lift herself off the ground and meet him halfway. She knew she should have been more disgusted by the touch of his lips, the feel of his hands on her waist—but she wasn’t. She knew his smooth, soft flesh was nothing more than gross, sticky slimes doing their best to mimic the real deal. But she didn’t care. In fact, Amber felt all warm and tingly. Her heart filled with excitement, and before she knew it, she found her nude body pressed into that of her enemy’s.
When her lips left his, she smiled and said, “Please tell me there’s a nice, clean, bed in this warehouse of yours.”
“So suddenly willing…”
“I’m happy,” she said, and why shouldn’t she be? Amber had succeeded. She had passed the final test. She had fooled Lord Raion and the Tainted.
One Night in London Makes the Hard Man Humble
Sabrina shivered.
“You okay?” Rae asked.
“Yeah…”
The two girls sat cozied up, staring at the sun as it set. Sabrina had enjoyed a good meal, danced, and drank herself numb. She needed this.
“If there’s something wrong, something you need…want, you can tell me. I won’t judge you.”
Sabrina looked into Rae’s eyes. That might have been the signal she was looking for. “Ever get that feeling like…like…like someone just stepped on your grave.”
“No, not really.”
Sabrina laughed a little. “Happens to me more than I’d like.”
“But you’re so alive,” Rae said as she took Sabrina’s hand.
“Am I?”
Sabrina turned and tilted her head. She was moving in to kiss Rae when she saw something large fly overhead.
“What?” Rae asked—her breath sweet with alcohol.
Sabrina wanted to kiss Rae, to squeeze her breasts and press herself tight against her. She wanted it all so bad she punched the sand as she saw the thing fly by again. “Wait here, I have to pee.”
Rae placed a small kiss on Sabrina’s lips. “Hurry back.”
Sabrina stood up and pretended to wobble. She was not drunk but had to put on a good show. As she dashed around the abandoned lifeguard station, she watched the thing circle again. As it passed, she waved, and sure enough, it lowered enough for her to get a good look.
“I knew it.” Cade’s gargoyle friend. “H.B.,” She called out as he landed. “Careful, don’t want anyone to see you.”
“Engaging stealth mode.”
She shook her head. “Sure…do that.”
“Greetings, Emo Sabrina.”
“Hello, H.B.” She reached out and pet his smooth stone eagle head. “Nice scarf. So, not to be rude or nothing, but why are you here?”
H.B.’s head moved very slow as he looked from side to side. Sabrina didn’t know if she had the patience for the pauses in his movement and speech.
“Where do I start?”
“Why are you here, H.B.?”
“I heard…you were here.”
Sabrina did not like the sound of that. She suddenly felt light-headed. “You heard I was here? From who? Who told you I was here?”
As she waited for the gargoyle to speak, Sabrina felt her cell phone vibrate. She fished it out of her tight borrowed shorts as fast as possible. “It’s Jackson. I promised to text him tonight.”
“Jackson. Human. Alive?”
“Yes, he is,” Sabrina said as she replied to the text. “Now, tell me…who told you I was here?”
“Smog told me.”
Sabrina’s hands went numb, and she fumbled her phone. “What did you just say?”
“The smog at the wedding—”
“The wedding?”
“Yes, I was…there.”
“What wedding, H.B.?”
“The wedding of Faker London and Lord Raion.”
Sabrina felt her heart nearly seize when H.B. spoke. She lunged forward and covered the gargoyle’s beak with her hand. “You were there? At the wedding?”
He nodded yes, albeit slowly.
“So that’s what I felt. I felt something…something…” She shrugged. “She’s done it. She married Lord Raion. Holy shit, H.B., did you see it?”
He shook his head no until she removed her hand. “I left…before it was done.”
“But you saw her there? You saw it start?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit. She did it. So, all that’s left is…is…”
Just the thought made Sabrina want to both cheer and puke.
“The faker needs to…consummate the marriage…for it be real…in the eyes of the elemental kings.”
“Yes, I know she does.”
Sabrina realized Rae might come look for her soon if she did not do something.
“Stay here.”
She pranced around the side of the lifeguard station and pulled down her pants to pee. She knew she was giving everyone a show and laughed to herself when she heard the boys cheer, but she had to do something to distract them all, so she could go back to talk to H.B. some more.
That’s right boys and girls, Sabs is so drunk she got lost and walked fully around the lifeguard station to pee. Now she’s gonna walk around it again and again before she comes back to the party.
Sabrina stood and pulled up her shorts, then stumbled back to where H.B. waited.
“Why were you there?”
“Why…was I…there?”
“Yeah.”
“I was flying from…desert to Los Angeles. I stopped there for a moment…took a break. Boy were my wings tired.”
“Funny.”
H.B.’s beak looked like it curled into a smirk. Sabrina would have liked to laugh, but she was still concerned about what H.B. was doing there.
“You were in the desert? With Cade?”
“I was.”
“Were you with him when…”
“Boom!”
Sabrina closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. “What happened?”
“An explosion at his cave.”
“Dunyasha said she unmade him.”
H.B. simply cocked his head in response, and Sabrina understood. She felt the same way sometimes, and right now, these past few days, she was living in a world that had no time for emotion. All
she had time for now were facts.
I can grieve when this is all over.
“And Nico?” Sabrina asked. “The others?”
“Nicodemus was at the cave.”
“He’s gone too?”
“No, he’s there…digging…searching for Cade.”
“Loyal to the bitter end.”
H.B. nodded slowly.
“Where will you go now, H.B.?”
“Home.”
“Sabs!” Rae called out from a distance.
“Then safe trip, and…and know you are always welcome on my island.”
“Thank you.” H.B. spread his wings. “Sweet sunshine.”
Sabrina smiled warmly at H.B., she knew he meant well, using Cade’s term of endearment for her, but it still stung. After a few flaps and a dash down the dark beach, H.B. was airborne and Sabrina was back on her phone.
I hope you forgive me, Jackson, because I’m running out of people who… She wasn’t sure if she could even call it love, but she had to. I’m running out of people who love me.
“Sabs?” Rae called out again. She was closer; Sabrina guessed only around the other side of the lifeguard station.
“I’m here.”
“Where?”
Sabrina looked down. H.B. had lost the pink scarf he’d been wearing. It was a touch chilly, so she picked it up and wrapped it around her neck.
“Here.”
“Hey,” Rae called out as she rounded the corner. “You lost?”
“No, just answering a text message.”
“Oh…” Rae frowned. “Boyfriend?”
“Not sure.”
Rae raised her hand to her face and almost covered her mouth. “Oh! Shit! Is it the guy you were supposed to marry?”
“No,” Sabrina said, with a yuck face. “God no.”
“Oh, good. What did he want?”
“He wants to meet tonight.”
“Well, tell him to come here. We’ve got beers and pot.”
“Good idea. Safer for him to come here than for me to go to him, right?”
Rae looked confused. “Safer?”
“I mean, I’m kinda drunk and it’s late,” she amended. “Don’t know if I trust an Uber right now.”
“Yeah, smart move.”
Three Burning Red Runaway Brides Page 25