Seed of Sin (An Urban Fantasy Horror): The Edge of Reflection Book 3

by Carver Pike

  “They’re crazy!” Lisa shouted.

  “They’re images!” Gabe reminded her.

  Tact was in the process of pummeling Po Boy when he saw Emma standing next to Bronc. His sudden lack of movement caused everyone else in the crowd to turn toward her, too.

  “We should go,” Lisa said.

  “Cover the babies,” Gabe warned her.

  “Emma?” Tact shouted.

  Chapter 8 - Shrieks in the Night

  Traven sat atop his horse and stared at the dark forest in front of him. His knight’s helm rested on his head. He was about to release the Shriek Kava, and anytime they were released, things could get messy. Growler paced back and forth at the tree line, having a hard time containing his excitement.

  “Release the Shriek Kava!” Traven ordered.

  Soldiers ran out of the trees and back to their horses and vehicles, scared to death to be caught out in the trees once the Shriek Kava were set free. Traven always found the mad dash quite amusing. It really was a spectacle.

  “Wait!” someone yelled from within the trees.

  “What do you think?” Growler asked, looking up at Traven. “Should we wait or let him fend for himself?”

  “Let me ask you this, my idiot, metal-faced friend. Who would follow a leader who would sic a beast on them out of sheer enjoyment?” Traven asked.

  “I…uh…” Growler started to answer.

  “It’s a rhetorical question, Growler,” Traven stopped him. “No, give the man a second. He was searching the forest on my orders. If you love the Shriek Kava so much, maybe I should let you play with them.”

  “Fuck that,” Growler said. “We’ll wait.”

  “Wait on releasing the Shriek Kava!” Growler announced.

  Finally, the terrified soldier stumbled out of the bushes, tripping and falling on his face in the process.

  “Please, wait,” he called out as he slid across the ground.

  “Pick yourself up, climb back on your horse, and catch your breath, soldier,” Traven said.

  “Thank you, my lord. Thank you,” the soldier said as he rushed to his horse.

  Was he being soft again? Traven had to think about it. Would he have given the order to let the beasts go, last week? Even with one of his men traipsing around in the treeline? Surely he wouldn’t have sicced those monsters, knowing it would be the death of one of his soldiers. It would have been interesting, seeing how quickly the Shriek Kava devoured somebody. That was always great fun, but ultimately it would mean one soldier less if they got into a major fight. That was the real reason for not doing it, right? He didn’t give a shit about the life of one soldier, but he might need that extra body if shit went bad.

  “Now? Now?” His thoughts were interrupted by Growler’s eagerness.

  “Yes, now,” Traven said.

  Growler giggled an evil, sinister laugh as he gave the order.

  “Release the Shriek Kava!” he yelled for a second time.

  “Let’s start with only two cages,” Traven said.

  “Only two cages!” Growler howled.

  Toward the back of the army sat the tarp-covered cages attached to the sled machines. Upon hearing the command, soldiers rushed to two of the wagons and yanked the tarps from them. The cages appeared to be empty until a set of yellow eyes blinked in each of them.

  With the blink of their eyes, the shadowy form of each creature took shape, but barely. Shrouded in darkness, only their outlines were visible, like silhouettes of large panthers, only much more massive and grotesque, monsters on all fours.

  One of the Shriek Kavas sat back on its hind legs and let out an ear-piercing shriek. The other mimicked it.

  The soldiers fell to their knees and held their ears. Traven put his fingers in his ears and watched the beasts, finding a strange beauty in their ferociousness.

  “Argh! I hate these things!” one of the soldiers yelled from his crouched position.

  One of the Shriek Kavas whipped its head around and glared at the soldier, its snout long and wide. Saliva dripped from its bearded chin.

  “I was only kidding!” the soldier yelled. “I swear it. It was a joke!”

  The Shriek Kava growled, then turned its attention back to the sky and let out another shriek.

  ***

  In the woods, Haylay was struggling to keep moving. He had to keep yanking Tania along the whole way. Tania clutched her stomach and begged him to rest.

  “We can’t, baby! Gotta keep moving if you wanna live!”

  The cry of the Shriek Kava echoed through the night air. Haylay and Tania stopped moving.

  “What was…” Tania spoke.

  “Shh,” Haylay interrupted. He looked up at the trees above, worried that it might be some sort of monkey. A second shriek confused him even more.

  “It’s not coming from above.”

  “What is it?” Tania asked. A wave of pain went through her, and she pitched forward onto the ground, hitting all fours. She lifted her dress and looked down at her stomach, which had grown. Something moved beneath the skin.

  “My stomach!” she yelled.

  Haylay looked at the girl, shocked.

  “Did you eat some bad gumbo or somethin’?” he asked. “I ain’t never seen a belly move like that.”

  They heard the shriek again. It was closer.

  Tania held her stomach and looked up at the sky.

  “What is that?” she asked again.

  “I don’t know,” Haylay said. “And I don’t wanna find out. We gotta speed up.”

  “I can’t,” Tania said, rubbing her belly. “It really hurts.”

  Haylay looked down at her stomach and felt for the girl. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was feeling, but he could imagine the pain they’d both be feeling if the soldiers caught up with them, or if whatever was making that God-awful noise did.

  “Look, we’ll get you checked out as soon as we can, but first we’ve got to get out of these woods alive,” Haylay said.

  A loud roar sounded off in the distance, like that of a large lion. Tania climbed to her feet and moved closer to Haylay. Back to back they turned slowly in a circle, not sure in which direction the roar had come.

  Every noise suddenly seemed amplified. The wind blew through the trees. The dry leaves crackled beneath Haylay’s feet. Tania held her stomach and winced as she breathed in and out through pursed lips, wheezing with each breath. Everything else was quiet. Suddenly a shriek broke the silence, very loud and very close.

  “It’s closer,” Tania whispered.

  “Shh,” Haylay warned her.

  As he strained to hear which direction the animal was coming from, he caught the sound of water running nearby.

  “A river,” he whispered. “Come on.”

  Haylay raced off with Tania struggling to keep up. The sound of something thrashing through the trees and bushes behind them drove them forward in a frantic rush. Silence was no longer an issue. Something was on their trail.

  They broke through the trees and skidded to a stop, nearly toppling over the edge of a cliff. They looked down and saw the river below. The terrain was steep and rocky, but possible to climb down.

  “Can we make it?” Tania asked.

  Haylay looked down at Tania’s stomach.

  “In your condition? I wouldn’t recommend hopping off of a cliff.”

  “Maybe we can climb down?” Tania suggested.

  Suddenly the beast charged through the trees and jumped on Haylay, snapping at him, desperately trying to sink its teeth into his head. They fell from the cliff as the monster’s teeth clamped shut, inches from his ear. He yanked to his right, and his wig came off in the Shriek Kava’s mouth. Haylay stabbed at the creature with his broken coral reed as they smashed into the water below.

  ***

  When the giant animal pounced on Haylay, it knocked Tania over, too, but instead of sailing straight down to the water below, she hit a rock and slid down the side of the cliff, tumbling as she descended. She ro
lled over another stone and was launched through the air.

  She hit the river, semiconscious, and sank. The current gripped her and whipped her body around brutally. The freezing water brought her back to reality. Her eyes popped open and she swam as hard as she could, unsure which direction was up. Finally her head broke the river’s surface. Blood ran from several gashes.

  “Haylay!” Tania yelled.

  She scanned the world around her but saw no sign of Haylay or the monster.

  “Haylay!” she yelled again, but then her voice caught in her throat.

  Thirty feet away, she saw the beast climb onto the shore, wet and angry, its yellow eyes searching. Tania quietly dipped back into the water, relieved that the river was able to keep her hidden.

  ***

  Haylay rose from the water quietly, makeup running down his face, his wig in his clenched fist. How he’d managed to save it was a mystery. He thought he’d lost it, along with his head.

  Ahead of him, Tania struggled to stay afloat. He kicked his feet and swam soundlessly toward her. He reached around and placed his hand over Tania’s mouth. Tania screamed under her breath.

  “Shh. We have to swim away. Under water,” Haylay informed her.

  Tania quieted down. They sank into the water and silently made their escape.

  Chapter 9 - New Acquaintances

  Tact and Emma walked ahead of the rest. Emma looked back at Bronc with an apologetic look but he waved her off. Gabe and Lisa held hands and kept the babies they carried tucked safely away in blankets.

  It was clear that the brawler was a popular fellow, especially with the ladies. Nearly every person they passed slapped him on the back or shook his hand. Most of the men congratulated him on a good fight and most of the women giggled and batted their eyes.

  Gabe had to admit that he kind of admired Tact’s superstardom and thought it must be a cool lifestyle, or at least it would be if it didn’t require having the shit kicked out of him every night for the pleasure of the spectators. The man was basically a modern-day, dark side gladiator.

  Tact led them toward the large purple tent at the center of the gypsy camp. They’d left their wagons parked off to the side of the celebration. Tact assured them their goods would be safe since they’d been seen with him. It seemed everyone respected or feared the man.

  On the way to the tent, they passed a circle of women soundlessly crawling through a pit of hot coals.

  “How can they do that?” Lisa asked Gabe.

  “They’re witches,” Hawks answered.

  Tact overheard and cut him off before he could say more.

  “Hey, John Denver, they’re wenches maybe, but not witches. We gypsies don’t practice witchcraft. What you see there on the coals is the Blister Sisters. They practice the art of mind over matter. I don’t know how they do it, but I can assure you there’s no black magic at work.”

  Tact turned his attention back to Emma and Hawks turned to Gabe.

  “What did he just call me?”

  “John Denver?” Gabe asked, quizzically.

  “The white country singer?” Hawks added, still looking confused.

  Ahead of them, Tact and Emma were in their own world.

  “Missed ya, Em. But I have to say, you look filthy. Fuckin’ filthy,” Tact announced.

  Bronc glared at the man.

  “That my wife you’re talking to,” he reminded him.

  Tact turned around and laughed.

  “Chill out, Red Man,” he said calmly.

  Emma reached back and put her hand on Bronc’s chest

  “Tact jokes a lot,” she said. “Calling me filthy is his way of saying that I’m taking care of myself.”

  “She’s right,” Tact agreed. “That is, unless she’s fuckin’ filthy. Then I’d mean it. Ha!”

  A knife whizzed past Gabe’s face and slammed through an apple that was sitting atop a drunken man’s head. The drunkard angrily picked the stabbed apple up from the ground and chucked it at the knife thrower.

  “You’wre zuupposed ta close yer eyezz when you sthrow it,” the drunkard yelled. “Now dzo it again!”

  Gabe stared at the drunkard, who noticed and called out to him.

  “Zyou wanna try?”

  “No, man. No thanks,” Gabe replied.

  The drunkard placed a new apple on his head and hiccupped, burped, and stumbled before giving the thrower a thumbs-up to signal he was ready for the next throw.

  Gabe turned around to see he’d been left behind. The group was entering the tent. He jogged to catch up with them.

  Gabe shoved his way through the tent flaps. Inside was a more peaceful version of the festivities taking place outside. Belly dancers sashayed sensually around the tent, moving their hips to music being played by a tiny man with a guitar. The sexual atmosphere was thick.

  Gabe swatted away some of the incense and hookah smoke that drifted through the air. The smell of massage oils was nice. Gabe liked it and sensed there’d be some kind of big top orgy starting any minute.

  ***

  Hawks moved forward one step at a time, in the center of his group of friends, until one of the belly dancers caught his eye and it seemed all went still.

  She was tall, had long, jet-black hair, and olive skin. Her eyes were beautiful, with black eye liner drawing them out to a point, and gold glitter dusting the space around them. The rest of her face, from the top of her nose to below her chin, was covered by a red scarf.

  Hawks watched the woman dance. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her aura was strong, and something about her was drawing him to her. Finally, her eyes met his, and she seemed to fall into the same trance-like state, slowing down her dancing and focusing on him.

  As Hawks concentrated on her striking face, the image of his long dead wife took her place. Suddenly it was Savannah dancing in front of him. There was a strong resemblance between the two women. The other dancers moved in front of her, and as she vanished from sight, Hawks was shaken from his stupor. He scanned the tent, searching for her, but she’d disappeared somewhere in the crowd of entertainers.

  ***

  At the far end of the tent, sitting in a golden throne, was the flamboyant leader, his face made up prettier than the girls in the tent. He wore a red silk vest with gold trim on his muscular torso. His arms were covered in tattoos, all strange symbols from the gypsy world. His long beard was tightly wrapped in five gold rubber bands and a golden spike was tied to the end. Gabe imagined a genie would look a lot like this man if he ever had the chance to rub on a magic lamp. The man sucked on the hose from a hookah and blew a cloud of purple smoke into the air, while clapping his hands to the rhythm of the music.

  “Yes, may all be merry,” he announced.

  “Sasha?” Emma said softly as they approached his throne.

  Sasha stood up and made his way into the parting sea of belly dancers. He looked shocked to see Emma standing before him.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said. “Emma Leone.”

  “I haven’t heard that name in a long time,” she said as Sasha wrapped her up in a strong hug.

  “Sasha,” Bronc said as he stepped forward, ending their unnecessarily long embrace.

  At the sight of Bronc advancing, guards stepped out of the shadows, wielding swords, axes, and spears, ready to come to Sasha’s aid if needed. Sasha’s open palm calmed his protectors. Bronc held out his hand for Sasha to shake.

  “Well, if it isn’t the Mad Red Man,” Sasha said as he accepted Bronc’s hand, and shook it with a grin.

  “Another name I haven’t heard in a long time,” Emma said.

  “You don’t go by that name anymore?” Sasha asked.

  “That was fighting name. Emma calm me. I no fight in long time,” Bronc said.

  “So what brings you…” Sasha looked behind them and saw the rest of the group, “…and your friends to my land? Wait…let me guess. You need traveling money and wish to fight a few rounds to earn it.”

  Bronc laughed
and shook his head.

  “I wish was so easy,” he said.

  “Well, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my Emma Leone,” Sasha said.