Supernatural Games

by Casey Knight

  “I didn’t expect this turn of events. Jason told me to let you know they blasted Ker and Moros to ashes. I guess we made it a family affair.”

  Corbin dove over the cliff and toward the floor of the ravine. I took two steps and jumped over, pulling my wing suit open as I glided down behind Corbin. It was a shame we had no more angry gods to kill, because it was a beautiful day. I felt almost invincible since we had removed those three from among the living. Almost as wonderful as flying on my favorite dragon, I rode the currents until I landed lightly behind Corbin. I hurriedly gathered up my suit before the wind could pick me up again. I stowed it under a tree until I had time to pack it. Then we raced back down the gorge where Jason and his team waited. I couldn’t speak for Corbin, but I was feeling euphoric knowing those three were dead. As we raced forward, I had Corbin fly ahead to look for any traps Ker might have planted. We had no clue where or if he’d left any surprises. We knew he was the god of violent death. A charmer that one, I didn’t want to test the theory. While Corbin searched, I sent out my senses to find out where Ker might have set traps. Nothing, nada, zip. Where the hell had he set them? Stumped, I motioned for Corbin to check with Jason, and settled in to wait. I thought about zipping my hologram around like the bunny in the greyhound races to see if anything blew it up. Fortunately, Corbin returned before I could act.

  He motioned and mimed that Jason had no clue. Great, this was like looking for a live wire while wading in water-the outcome would be shocking. I decided to pass on that plan, and Corbin and I took to higher ground to wait. That is when all hell broke loose. We were caught in a hail of gunfire, explosions and small arms fire. I fired first and asked permission later, but something made me take a T.O. This was not Ker’s style. He would have left traps, snares etc., but wouldn’t use gunfire. This wasn’t the handiwork of the gods. I didn’t like these loose ends and questions. Maybe he put these amateurs up to this hoping we would expose our positions. I sent Corbin to instruct everyone to hold their fire until we figured this out. I settled in to wait and see who tipped their hand first. It was looking like hell might freeze over before we got an answer.

  I nearly nodded off in my little trench while waiting for the combatants to tip their hand. By now, I believed the gods were not responsible. Maybe the Red Court vampires were firing on us. We knew they were after me. Maybe the three we’d buried had freed themselves and were now on the offensive. My musings were cut short when a thunderous explosion and the resulting concussion sent me sprawling face first to the ground. I knew our team wasn’t throwing any live ordnance. It looked like the guests of honor had arrived. Better late than never - I was over these fools. I motioned for Corbin to do a fly by to check it out. He streaked past, and I rechecked my weapons. I was locked, loaded, and ready to rumble. Before I could fire a shot, I was hit by a serious cramp in my stomach. I didn’t have time to find a bush to throw up behind. Without so much as an if or by your leave, I emptied the contents of my stomach. When I guessed there wasn’t anything left, I rolled over and sat back against the nearest tree trunk. I hoped I wasn’t exposed to poison or bad water. I rarely threw up. I felt shaky, but better. I watched as Corbin circled the area before turning back and landing on my shoulder.

  “I can see where Jason is fanned out on the opposite ridge. The vamps have shown their ugly, ancient mugs. My guess is they have a warren of tunnels under this area.”

  “So they think they can pop in and out, harrying us until someone stumbles into one of the traps. Not a bad strategy. Unfortunately, it sucks to be them. We’ve no intention of putting a toe down in that ravine.”

  “Which is a good thing, as I spotted at least two booby-traps. Who knows how many pits the gods had rigged to drop us into?”

  “Signal Jason and his team to lob concussion grenades on them. Let’s see what we can uncover.”

  “Yeah, it’s time to rock their Red Court asses.”

  I watched as Corbin signaled Jason’s team. A few seconds later, the whizzing whirr of grenades launched, sounded like a Fourth of July fireworks show, followed closely by the thunder of several explosions. Trees, rocks, dirt, and debris flew skyward, spraying everything in its path. A cloud of dirt temporarily blocked out the sun and an eerie silence made my breathing sound loud in my own ears. Where the hell were they? Nothing, I motioned Corbin forward to check the area for any sign of traps or vamps. He flew a quick pass before coming back to fill me in.

  “Lauren, the grenades exposed pits filled with spikes, snares, and what I guess might be pressure bombs. I can’t be sure without getting too close. The vamps may still be roaming free to maim, mutilate, and murder.”

  “Signal Jason and his team to launch another volley in a wider radius.”

  Corbin nodded and sent several flickers of his flashlight at Jason’s team. A few seconds later, an answering beam acknowledged the signal. This time I asked Corbin to take to the air directly over my position. He might see something from that vantage point, and remain out of the line of fire. This time we didn’t have long to wait before the grenades landed and ignited a giant concussive detonation. The ground shook and dirt flew in every direction, nearly burying me. Holy shit! I think we hit the lottery. I brushed dirt off my arms, legs and out of my mouth. I crawled farther from the edge before sitting on my heels. Now I was pissed. It was time to finish these vamps. As soon as the air cleared and we could see again, I signaled Jason and his men to be ready to fire

  I muttered the spell to activate my hologram, and sent her over to the edge of the cliff. I had to make this look realistic, so I centered my focus on my holographic twin. I put her through her paces as realistically as possible. Everyone’s eyes locked on mini me as she scampered from the cover of the rocky ledge and dove behind boulders. An Academy Award act, if I were being modest, which I’m not.

  Corbin tapped me so frantically on the shoulder I nearly lost focus and dropped my hold of the hologram. I turned to chew his ass, but he flew right at the hologram. What the hell was he thinking? I’d kill him if he screwed this up. What the heck?

  Corbin dropped a softball size rock that landed by the back foot of the holographic image. There was a loud snap, and a snare flew forward on a spike-covered catapult. If Corbin hadn’t interrupted, the catapult would have skewered mini me. The vamps would have been on to us. Instead, the impact from the sling triggered a fiery blast. Anyone hit by the trap would have been incinerated. Damn Ker, he had been a medieval homicidal maniac. Hannibal Lecter had nothing on this guy. Thankfully, we were rid of him, even if his traps still menaced us.

  Then I felt more than saw a disturbance of the air to the left of the hologram. It’s about damn time. The guest, or guests of honor, were arriving fashionably late. I watched, I admit, with a small amount of admiration. The disturbance shimmered slightly above the ground and spread like fog creeping inland from the ocean. A chill invaded my bones, my breathing picked up, and fear’s grip seized my heart. Sweat dripped down my face and stung my eyes. I had to fight the urge to break and run. A blood-curdling scream filled the air as one of Jason’s men broke cover and ran. The fog engulfed him and he melted like hot wax until his screams died with him. OMG! I leaned over and my stomach heaved. Stomach cramps wracked my body. I’d never seen a man vaporized.

  I gathered myself and looked out at the area where the man had been killed. Nothing moved, and the drama built. If I wasn’t mistaken, a god or a powerful Red Court vampire was toying with us. Thankfully, I knew Ker was dead, but he had a doppelganger. Whoever this was, they acted like the harbinger of violent dread inducing death. So far, this freak lived up to Ker’s rep. We couldn’t use our vials until we knew where to fire. We didn’t have a clue at this point. Unrecognizable terrors saturated the air. We’d be firing blind. Think. I’d need to draw it out. If we waited for it to turn our minds to jelly, we would all be dead. The entity obviously knew we had tricked it, and was pissed. There was no way to know where it would attack next.

  I hate it when I�
�m right. The inhuman sound of a man wailing in agony assailed our senses. His shrieks brought me to my knees, tears streaming down my face. I never heard anything so heartbreakingly painful, and debilitating. Terror held me transfixed, unable to flee or fight. I was grief stricken, and fell to my knees with my hands clamped over my ears, tears streaming down my face. Fear paralyzed my ability to think or respond. Luckily for me, Corbin dove right into my right ear, providing me another reason to shriek. Blood oozed from my ear lobe. As much as my ear hurt, I realized why Corbin had hit me. Note to self - kick Corbin’s ass. Later. I conjured earplugs and slipped them into my ears, clearing my mind. I no longer felt incapacitated by dread. I wiped my eyes and sent my energy in search of the source.

  I scanned the area until I found where the air rippled, telling me whatever the unholy hell it was, it was nearby. I caught Corbin’s eye and nodded, then dropped my shield and yelled for the evil entity. The air sparkled and shimmered, and as I watched, a form materialized in front of me. It must have assumed it had me on the ropes. That would be its last mistake. I gave Corbin enough time to let Jason know when we needed his team to fire.

  “Devil spawn, you despicable dumbass, you are done, finished, a footnote. Forgotten.”

  “Lauren, I’ve waited for this moment for longer than you deserve. I’m going to kill you slowly, painfully, until you beg me to slay you.”

  “Do you actually believe that B.S.? You are so dead, there won’t be enough left of you to put on the head of a pin. Give it your best shot.” As I said that, I dove, rolled, and transported twenty feet straight up. As I hovered overhead, I watched as Jason’s team and Corbin caught whatever menaced us in their crossfire, blasting away until nothing but its own dying curses remained, echoing through the air. I walked over to see who we had ended. Just as I got a quick glance, I saw Nyx turn to ash and blow away. I’ll be damned. I hadn’t seen that coming.

  “Good work, guys. Let’s get back to headquarters, declare a winner and close the games.”

  “Lauren, we are right behind you. Did you recognize the attacker?” Jason said, as we transported home.

  “Nyx, who knew I was a magnet for deranged Greek gods and goddesses?”

  “I guess that tells who sent Ker and Moros. I’d stay out of the underworld. Erebus will rain zombies, lava and rock on you,” Jason assured me.

  “Not a chance in Tartarus I’ll be visiting Styx.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Traygen, I am glad to see you, My Love.”

  “Lauren, tell me Moros and Ker are dead.”

  “They are dead, decaying motes of dust along with Nyx. We finally finished them, but lost one of Jason’s men. Nyx killed him before we could get her caught between us.”

  “Nyx? What the hell? You sure attract a crowd. Lauren, I’m sorry, but I’m glad they are dead and that you are okay. Let’s wrap up these games. We need some R&R.”

  “Traygen, My Love, you’ll get no arguments from me.”

  I let Traygen lead me back to our conference room. When I arrived, everyone was present. My heart was full because we had all survived. I’d already spoken to Jason, and the slain man’s family would receive full benefits. It wasn’t enough. His screams would haunt me for the rest of my life.

  “Tokem, can you summarize the standings? Tell us who won. Were there any protests? Where do we stand?”

  “Lauren, I’m glad you are back in one piece. I’m sorry about Lars. He was a good man.”

  “The fae won, the vampires were second, and the wizards took third. Jason radioed about the Red Court vamps. We have them locked up, and we’re satisfied they acted on their own. The vamps won’t be eliminated. Blessedly, there have been no protests, and so far, the results have held. We are watching the video footage to confirm each stage, but think we are good to go.”

  “Tokem, thank you. Are we set for the closing ceremonies? The sooner we can send the contestants and their entourages home, the sooner we can all go home.”

  “I am with you on that. The arrangements for the closing ceremonies are being coordinated by Jason and his team. He wants us to concentrate on verifying and finalizing the standings, then we’ll meet back here in an hour and a half to close out the games,” Tokem stated.

  “You heard Tokem, go get changed and then we can all go home. We’ll meet back here in an hour.” I told everyone. Traygen and I transported home to shower and change. I took a shower, and while I dressed, was overcome by another wave of nausea.

  “Lauren, My Love, are you okay? Do you want me to get you a doctor?”

  “Traygen, I think it’s nerves or bad water. I feel better since I threw up. I promise if I’m not better by tomorrow, I’ll get a checkup.”

  “Okay, my dear. Are you ready? You look stunning.”

  “This is a Carolina Herrera silk crepe with a satin halter. The pumps are Christian Loubouton’s. It cost you a small fortune, my Handsome Dragon, but I’m worth it.”

  “Lauren, you are most priceless. Are we ready to wrap this up?”

  “I am my dashing dragon, let’s get this over with, so we can return to our honeymoon. Did I tell you how dashing you look in your Brioni tux?”

  “You might have mentioned it, My Dear, but I was too focused on you. You look stunning. There’s a glow about you. Come on, I will twirl you around the dance floor. I’ll be the envy of every man there.”

  We transported to the command center, where we checked in with Tokem and were assured everything was finalized. All we needed to do was mingle, enjoy our dinner, and then wrap up these games. No loss of life, no major incidents, and we would be nobly homeward bound. Traygen twirled me around the dance floor and before I knew it, the last guests were leaving.

  “Lauren, you and your team outdid yourselves. Thank you all for your services. You’ve earned a nice break. I’ll be in touch when we need to call you in again,” Jason told us before he transported himself home.

  “Thank you all. You heard the man. Go enjoy some well-earned R&R. Tokem, well done. We couldn’t have done this without you coordinating this operation.”

  “Lauren, stop it or you’ll bring a tear to my eye,” Tokem said as he transported homeward.

  “Corbin, thank you for always having her back. I owe you man,” Traygen said as he clasped hands with Corbin. Shall we, Lauren, my love?”

  “Later you two,” Corbin yelled as he made his way home.

  “Traygen, if you are offering to take me home, it’s about time.”

  We transported to our beachfront home and didn’t come out of the bedroom until sometime the following week. We had been on assignment every moment since we returned from our honeymoon.

  “Rise and shine, sleepy head. Would you like breakfast?”

  “If you’re cooking, my handsome dragon, count me in.”

  “I’ll be right back, my inamorata.”

  While Traygen made breakfast, I snuggled back into the silk sheets. Heaven, I knew I’d found happiness with my favorite dragon, and recognized I was truly blessed. We’d been married for only two months, but my forever had finally arrived. Considering I was, never mind an exact age, I was in seventh heaven with Traygen.

  “You ready Lauren? Let me pump up your pillows. I brought you eggs, hash browns, crispy bacon, and orange juice.”

  “Thank you, dear, I’m hungry enough to eat yours and mine.”

  “No need, I have enough for us both. Here is your tray. Let me. Lauren, what’s wrong?”

  “Sorry Traygen, I think I’m going to be sick,” I said, then ran to the bathroom and heaved the contents from my stomach into the porcelain throne. When I was certain my stomach was empty, I rinsed my mouth and staggered back to sit on the edge of our bed.

  “Lauren, are you okay? Speak to me.”

  “Traygen, I think we need to have this checked. This is the third or fourth time I’ve thrown up. I either drank bad water or was poisoned.”

  “Come on, I’ll take you right in,” Traygen told me, as he helped me dre
ss and get into the car. We weren’t far from USC Medical Center, and the way he drove, we were there within minutes. We waited for half an hour before a nurse ushered me into one of the exam rooms. I assured Traygen I was fine and left him pacing in the lobby. The doctor came in, asked me questions, and ordered blood tests. I settled in to wait, and I must have drifted off to sleep. The next thing I remembered was the nurse shaking my shoulder.

  “Lauren, we have the results back. The nurse has gone to get your husband. He should be present for the news.”

  “What news? Am I all right?” I sputtered but before he could answer, a concerned Traygen walked in behind the nurse.

  “Lauren and Traygen, we’ve run a whole battery of tests and I’m happy to say you’re fine, Lauren. You aren’t sick, you’re pregnant.”

  “Pregnant? I stammered.”

  “Yes, I think you are four weeks along. You and the baby are both healthy.”

  Traygen slumped down next to me. I turned to see if he was all right. He was beaming.

  “Doctor, are you sure Lauren and the baby are fine?” he croaked.

  “Yes, everything looks fine at this point. The baby is still too young to tell much. I’ll leave you two to absorb this.”

  Once the nurse and doctor left the room, Traygen took my hand and kissed it before he dipped down and kissed me gently on the lips.

  “Lauren, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world. I thought the happiest day of my life was the day I married you. I was wrong. You making me a dad is better.”

  I stared at him, taking it in. Stunned, unable to form words, as tears trickled down my face. We were blessed.

  “Lauren, are you okay? Speak to me, Love,” a concerned Traygen whispered.