Follow the Screams
Book 2 of the Executioner Trilogy
Kindra Sowder
Burning Willow Press, LLC (USA): 3724 Cowpens Pacolet Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307
This edition published in 2015 by Burning Willow Press, LLC (USA)
Copyright © Kindra Sowder 2015
Cover Art © Lisa Vasquez
Photography © Bobby Walton
Model © Elaina Germanson
All rights reserved.
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Chapter 1: Burn
I was pinned against the scalding and unforgiving ground, fighting for my life once again. A man with eyes the color of charcoal was above me; those eyes were dead on the inside with no sparkle. These eyes were unlike Gordon’s. His had the tiny sparkle of life in them that let you know he wasn’t the demon he used to be. He had my arms pinned beneath his knees on either side of me. While he whistled a jaunty tune, he was running his thumb over the edge of the blade of the rather large knife he had in his possession. Not sure where he got it from, but I really didn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever he had in store for me with it. Not even a tiny bit of me was curious.
He leaned down, putting some of his weight on my torso while keeping my arms pinned with his legs. He wasn’t holding his weight up with his arms at all. He was balancing his entire torso on my chest with his forearms barely grazing my shoulders, causing me to feel like I would suffocate under his bulk. The knife was directly in my face and a menacing stare crossed his that I knew I’d see in my dreams for the rest of my life. That was if I ever slept again. As I looked down at the blade it sparkled slightly. The fires burning around us cast enough light to throw itself against the metal and back in my direction, making the knife look so much more threatening.
“You don’t remember me, do you Executioner?” he asked.
His voice was full of gravel. His breath smelled like burning cinders in my nostrils, making me want to sneeze. I fought the urge. That small tickle in my nose was enough to make anyone go crazy. I just happened to be in a place where going insane could only hurt your chances of survival.
The truth was, I did remember him. I remembered him very well. Too well, actually. I had the unfortunate chance to meet this demon a few months after I had met Beth. Beth and I had partnered up to make our journey to the final battle we were destined to lead. Still one of the best decisions I had ever made even though I ended up here. There was no happiness and no sunshine. Only pain, torture, and hopelessness. No one person could live off of those things alone.
We had infiltrated a night club that just happened to be full of vampires, demons, and all manner of creatures from the deepest depths of Hell. That was where I was now, and I wished I could get out of it. There was nothing worse than being sent to a place that was a prison, and one where and you had sent most of its detainees there yourself. They would all love nothing more than to kill an Executioner the first chance they got. Especially the Executioner who had sent them here. It would help them rise up the ranks in this fiery pit of a place full of hatred and heat. Nothing more than that. Well that, and notoriety.
This demon in particular had been the most troubling of them all that I had encountered at that point. Malicious, cunning, and utterly twisted beyond anything I had ever known. Lilith had quickly taken his place once I had met her and learned of her viciousness. Lilith’s brutal nature was so much greater in comparison. This man was nothing compared to her, but he still made my skin crawl. When I had first run into him I was prepared to strike, but he decided he would play a little game of torture before we got to the good part. This little game had left a nice long scar across the top of the right collarbone. It was like a signature so everyone would know he had been there. So I would never forget it. It would be stuck in the dark corners of my mind forever. This was a scar that Gordon, in the midst of our love, had always planted soft kisses along.
I didn’t remember exactly how I was able to get out from underneath him and kill him a year ago since I had blacked out from pain and blood loss. When I came to I was lying on the ground, and staring directly at the head I had removed from his body. Its dead eyes made direct contact with mine as it sat there, mouth gaping. Opening and closing, opening and closing. That sent chills up my spine just remembering that night. The memory was so vivid that its intensity shook me to the core. I didn’t have too many memories from my time as the Executioner that made me shiver like that. This was going to be a new one to add to the collection in my mental file room.
He laughed and sat up slowly like he wanted me to feel the painful pressure of his body on mine. It was almost as torturous as looking at that blade glinting in the firelight. He then ran his blade along the top of my left collarbone, looking to add one more scar to his inventory, and mine. Not hard enough to leave a scratch, but lightly. It sent shivers through me as I remembered the pain. He chuckled as he felt them rack my frame in fear. It was like he was wondering if I would like a matching pair. Also if I would scream like I had when he had inflicted me with the first. More than likely, I would have to give into the pain like I had before. That would be my only release from it.
He sighed in pleasure. “Of course you do,” he said. “Who wouldn’t remember someone with such fine craftsmanship?”
He leaned down again, dipping his head so I couldn’t see what he was doing. This made me even more anxious. Then I felt the slick and wet roughness of his tongue as he licked the scar he had given me. I shuddered in repulsion, holding back the wave of nausea that filled my belly. As he sat up his eyes were closed and he licked his lips, like he was savoring the memory of the sweet torment he had caused me so long ago. It had felt like a cat’s tongue and just the sight of him enjoying this moment sent disgust and fear licking through every part of me and gripped me like a vice. Just waiting for the inevitable was even more torture than the act itself.
Of course I had left him with a scar that he got to wear here in Hell, for all to see and know he had been defeated at least once before. He got to wear the shame as a constant reminder that he had lost. The scar across his throat from where I had ended his life was all that remained on him from that night. My blood he had been soaked in was gone as well as the scent of my fear as it escaped from me and rolled over his body in waves as my screams ripped through the atmosphere. My blood had flowed freely into fabric and onto the ground. I still couldn’t remember for the life of me how I had escaped his hold, but I knew I had and had killed him. I had done this while my vision was as black as night and my mind was completely gone.
As I laid there struggling to free myself from his grasp once again he chuckled maniacally as if he was enjoying this even more than he had the first time. This was revenge against me for killing him and revenge was much sweeter. That laugh rolled over my skin and seemed to graze every part of flesh. It left goose bumps behind, filling me with vengeance. Revenge was my plan of action as soon as I could free myself from my blazing prison. I had been looking fo
r information on how to get out, and had found him.
I just needed to figure out how I could possibly make it out and back up to the surface where Beth was. Where Chase was. I hadn’t known him for very long and I had met him when I had lost Gordon to death. What I knew about him and what I could sense about him were some of the best attributes you could ask to find in a human being. He was caring, warm, and willing to help others even if he wasn’t rewarded for his kindness. Just like he had with me right up to the moment of my own death. The knowledge that he could help someone was good enough for him. There was no better reward than that.
He had helped me in my time of need, physically and emotionally, and I was thankful. I just felt horrible for the fact that I wasn’t able to tell him that. I was going to make it out and I would finally give him the thanks he deserved. I was going to make it out somehow, that I was sure of. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make this happen just yet. There was still a lot of information I needed to find, but I doubted this demon had any answers no matter how badly I needed them. If he had he would have had a plan and made it out before I ended up here too. Maybe he was just poor at execution. This I didn’t doubt.
I was still asking myself the question that was probably on every demon and creature’s mind when they came across me. Why is an Executioner here? Undoubtedly it was just another thing Lilith had cooked up as a way to get rid of me for good. Considering Executioners are reincarnated almost immediately Lilith had to have been working on this since the first moment we came across one another. Possibly even longer. If I died here, I would surely be gone. I wasn’t sure how death worked in Hell, but it seemed final and pure. The only way I could explain the finality of it was that there was a plain of torture underneath this one that we couldn’t see and when we were gone, all there was left was darkness. This definiteness was more pure than anything I had ever known before and it terrified me more than anything else.
When I looked into his eyes one more time I felt a renewed strength and resolve. He had intimidated me the first time and even more this time, but never again. I was tired of being afraid. I was going to get out of Hell. I would shock them all with my strength, my power, and my will. I used every last bit of strength I possessed and got my arms out from underneath his knees. I kicked him off of me with such ease you’d swear someone would think I was used to doing such a thing. Truth is I was hardly ever held on the ground by someone else even if I had gotten knocked on the ground. I might have ended up there a lot, but only once before now because someone was holding me down. It had been like he weighed nothing. Like he was a ragdoll I could just throw around with no effort. And that was a great feeling.
As I brought myself to my feet I could feel every muscle fiber stretch with tons of energy and strength and vigor. This was strength I hadn’t had before I died. Maybe it was one of the perks of being in a place I shouldn’t have been surrounded by creatures. Or was I just becoming stronger because I was meant to? It was my weapon to get out of a place where I was never meant to be. I was given the tools to fight back. Who knew? I wasn’t going to complain. Not even a little bit. I was going to use this new found strength to my advantage and maybe, just maybe, it would be my key out. There was only one way to find out for sure.
He came at me with his knife, making large, aggressive swipes towards me with the weapon. I easily avoided them with agility and precision without even having to try. I could hear the whistle of air as I moved through it. With one swipe I could feel the cold air of it as it swept right by my left ear. I could hear it whistle by as I leaned to avoid it hitting me in the shoulder like a small bird flew by. An injury to my shoulder was one injury I definitely didn’t need. Yes, I would have one perfectly working arm, but without the other I was a sitting duck. I had to keep them free of injuries at all costs. I mean really what was I going to do? Behead someone with my feet? Yeah, right.
I knew I had to get the blade away from him, but how could I do that when it seemed like it was surgically attached? It would be my only way to kill him, and I was going to do it just like I had the first time.
The trees of the blackened forest were off in the distance and we were in a clearing which contained fires of varying sizes throughout its expanse. It didn’t offer anything to defend yourself with but the flames. I lashed out with my foot, taking him down to one knee as it made contact with the other. Then one of his fists made contact with my stomach with brute force. It knocked all of the breath out of me and I instantly curled around my injured abdomen. I was coughing and retching in waves. I stumbled backward a few steps, my hands instantly making their way to the place the blow made a connection.
Interestingly enough, I didn’t lose my footing at all. I was able to stay on my feet despite the pain racking my stomach. I was making a quick recovery. He was behind me in almost an instant, one arm around my waist and the other holding the knife. He was ready to take his trophy and waltz around the underworld bragging about how he had ended an Executioner. Well, we’d see about that now wouldn’t we? Little did he know I had now made a full recovery from the blow and he was about to meet his end. I sent my head back into his teeth and he stumbled backwards. He dropped his knife, which I grasped just as quickly as a cat trying to catch a mouse. As soon as I had it I knew I would be the victor in this fight to the death. His teeth were blood stained as he bared them at me in anger and frustration.
I lashed out with the blade as he came closer and heard him scream in pain, his hand making its way to his neck. Without knowing it I had nicked his neck right along the scar from where I had once ended his life. That obviously angered him, which I was about to do again. He just didn’t know it yet. As the shocked expression crept onto his face I decided this would be the time to make my move and end this.
Sliding through the black ash that littered the darkened rock ground, I advanced. The knife was in the ready position when a punch landed square on my jaw. This sent me to the ground and I landed right next to a raging fire. This one wasn’t as small as most of the ones surrounding us. This fire was gigantic. It was just like the one Lilith had blazing in her sanctuary which I had thought had become her tomb. I had learned differently when she came back to finish me off on her own, sending me here.
I turned onto my stomach and searched for the knife, but I had lost it as soon as I hit the earth. The ashen ground had swallowed it whole. I wasn’t going to be seeing it again no matter how badly I needed it. I heard him walking up behind me and knew I had to do something. I wasn’t going to be cast out into oblivion. I was going to make it back up to the land of the living and nothing, especially not this tiny pion of a demon, was going to stop me.
I turned back around in just enough time for him to be standing over me and bending down to take my arms in his hands with a superman grip. He bit me right above my left collarbone. Apparently he didn’t need his knife to give me a matching set of scars. As I screamed out in agony he tore at my flesh with his teeth. Pain ravaged me as I thrashed beneath him. If I couldn’t take him down the way I had originally planned, he was going to end up in that fire right next to our struggling forms.
If I kicked hard enough he would go straight back into the flames. They would engulf him and devour him until there was nothing left. I brought my hand to his face and raked his skin with my ash caked nails, leaving four distinct bloody and black claw marks. As he sat up and vowed vengeance with a scream and a growl I knew I had to bring him back down to my level for the finale.
I punched him in the face, grabbed the soiled collar of his shirt and pulled him close so my lips were at his ear. Right in the perfect place for me to whisper my final goodbye.
“Burn in Hell,” I whispered.
When his body went rigid with shock I curled my knees up to my chest and pushed with all my might against his body, sending him into the broiling flames. I watched in awe as the flames overtook him and his screams of pain pierced the air. He thrashed in the fire, but it was unforgiving. He had trespassed into its spac
e and it was going to devour him until there was nothing left but ash and bones. Not even his soul, if he had one at all, would survive the scorching heat of the flames as they ravaged him.
He fell to his knees as his body began to weaken from the flames leaching all of the life from him. As I looked away from the brutal sight, I saw a flash of silver in the fire light about ten yards away. Go figure.
I rose to my feet and felt blood from my ravaged collar bone soak the collar of my shirt. When I reached down and took the blade in my hand I couldn’t help but think of how unshakeable I had become now that I was faced with my own mortality.
Chapter 2: Falling to Hell
I fell against a tree at the line of the forest, holding my shoulder. My collar bone was a complete mess. Blood was pouring from the wound and down my arm, soaking my shirt. The pain was searing, and moving my arm was out of the question and I couldn’t help but grunt at the impact of the tree against my body. I decided to take a minute to collect myself and catch my breath. The pain had rendered me breathless, and a slight chill was taking over. It hadn’t stopped bleeding since the demon butchered it with his own teeth.
I sat there, hand over my collar bone to try and stem the bleeding. I couldn’t help but think about how I had gotten into this situation in the first place. The memory still shook me. A chill ran up my spin every time I thought of it, but it came rushing back like a tidal wave. Powerful and unstoppable.
The horrible image I met as soon as I had fallen into Hell caused me to flee into the dark and black forest, and I was trying hard to hide from it. This had drawn me towards my very first fight as a new prison inmate. A few yards in I had to stop and I hunched over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. It was funny how every time I turned around here I had to do that. There was no way around it. There was always something else that you met that was scarier than the last. I had looked up to find myself surrounded by red and glowing eyes floating in the trees, and nothing else. Those eyes would haunt my dreams, just like everything else here. I was discovering new creatures every day down here, and I knew I’d never be the same once I returned to the surface. Nothing would ever be the same.
Follow the Screams (The Executioner Trilogy Book 2) Page 1