Evenstar

by Darcy Town

  Belial jumped out the car and walked up to the car next to them. The driver looked up, shocked at her haggard appearance and torn up clothes. Belial smiled. “Give me your cash and credit cards now.” He handed his wallet over with a dreamy look on his face. She flicked a credit card at Jacob. “Full tank.”

  Tracy and Celeste got out of the car, Belial handed them cash. “Get snacks. I want licorice, red, I hate black.” She looped her fingers around Celeste’s hand. “You call anyone and I will break your pretty black legs.”

  Celeste pulled out of her grip. “I won’t all right?”

  Belial smiled and leaned on the car. A group of sorority girls pulled in, stopping on a road trip. The girls spilled out of the vehicle, giggling. Belial walked over to their car and addressed the group, “I need clothes. Give me some of yours.” The girls went blank-faced and handed her a suitcase. Belial stripped down and changed in the parking lot.

  Jacob gaped as pedestrians walked around her, oblivious. “Can’t people see you?”

  Belial ignored him. She ripped her greasy and burnt hair out in chunks and it grew in clean. Jacob couldn’t take his eyes off the process. She left bloody clumps of hair and scalp on the ground. She caught him staring and glared at him. “What?”

  He looked away. “Nothing I guess.”

  Celeste and Tracy walked out of the store with water bottles and armfuls of junk food. Tracy shoved licorice at Belial. Belial smiled and clicked her heels. “Yay!”

  They piled back in the car. Tracy sat in front. Jacob retook his spot behind Belial, Celeste sat on the other side, and Tokala rested on the seat in-between them. No one spoke.

  Belial turned in her seat with licorice hanging out of her mouth. “You need to know something.” She pointed towards the people outside the car. “You are not like them. You are like Tokala.”

  Jacob frowned. “We’re fairies?”

  Belial chewed through her licorice. “Lilliam is the correct term.”

  Celeste looked at her hands. “Wouldn’t we know?”

  “No, you’re mixed breeds, diluted back some generations ago.” Belial put on her seatbelt and they did the same. “Dahlia is like me. That leaves everyone outside this car on the bad side. Don’t be fooled by the way they might act now, because they’ll kill you. Just like those guys that attacked the house. They can get flipped on in an instant and go psycho killer on your butts. You trust any of them and you’ll die.”

  Jacob picked up an iron bolt. “But, iron doesn’t hurt us.”

  “You have enough human blood that it wouldn’t, lucky you.” She pulled out of the parking lot and got onto the highway. “I am really the last person that should be explaining this.”

  Tracy looked over at her. “Why?”

  Belial smiled, showing off pointy teeth. “Patience, empathy, and kindness are not my strong traits.”

  Tracy nodded. “But we’ll survive if we’re with you.”

  “Yes.”

  “And we’ll get an explanation from someone else after we get through this?”

  Belial switched lanes, cutting a car off. “Yes.”

  Tracy smiled. “I’m fine with that. Drive on.” She cracked a beer open and chugged it. She handed one to Belial. They clinked cans.

  Celeste looked at them, aghast. “We’ll get pulled over if you do that!”

  Belial drained her can. She rolled down her window and tossed the garbage. “Any cop that pulls me over is going to find it’s the last thing he does. Besides, I’m pretty sure we’re still invisible.” She reached for a licorice straw and put it in a fresh beer. “Okay, I’m in a better mood. Anyone have questions?”

  Jacob raised his hand. “What’s the deal with iron anyways?”

  “Fuck if I know.” Belial changed lanes. “Next question!”

  Jacob leaned forward in his seat. “Dahlia’s really a fallen angel?”

  “Yeah and she’s dating Lucifer. And yes, that means he’s the devil, Satan, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

  Jacob smiled. “Go Dahlia.”

  Celeste stared out the window and muttered, “I knew you guys were evil!”

  Belial grinned. “I never claimed to be otherwise. But…” She lost her smile. “We love our Dahlia dearly. This is all about protecting her.” Her eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror. “Not again. Everyone get down.” The three ducked automatically.

  The car was peppered with bolts. Belial scowled. “I hope your bathroom breaks were worth it!”

  A hook broke through the back windshield and caught on their back seat. The car lurched. Belial swerved to shake them off. A van pulled up beside them. She glanced over. “Shit.”

  She grabbed Tracy’s hands and pulled her over the center console. “You drive!”

  Tracy’s eyes went wide. “I’ve had three beers in the last two minutes!”

  Belial tore through her seatbelt. “Doesn’t matter!”

  “Yes, it does!”

  Belial put Tracy’s hands on the wheel. “You’re lucky, magically so, embrace that. Drive.”

  “But—”

  “Drive!” Belial climbed through the back. She grabbed the grappling hook and ripped it out of the seat. The metal dislodged, hit the concrete, and bounced back at their pursuer. The hook went through their windshield. The pursuing car swerved and rolled.

  Belial climbed out the broken back windshield. She moved to the roof, and her talons perforated the metal.

  The passengers in the van beside them rolled down their windows. They pointed their guns at Tracy and Jacob. Tracy swore and hit the gas. The van jerked forward to keep pace. The shots missed.

  Belial grinned and leapt at the van. She punched in a back window and crawled inside the vehicle.

  Jacob and Celeste watched her from the backseat. One man was kicked out of the van, then another. Tracy swerved to avoid them. The bodies rolled down the road, hit and killed instantly by oncoming traffic. Jacob covered his mouth. “I’m going to be sick.”

  Belial made it to the front seat of the van. She broke the neck of the driver. She scrabbled out of the vehicle and hung on to the door. She leapt back to her car as the van turned off the road and ended up in a ditch. She clung to the roof and scanned the road. “Show yourselves.”

  Two cars sped through traffic, gaining on their position. Belial tracked them. She tensed and jumped. She landed on the hood of an SUV. She jumped again and dropped into the bed of a Solomon Soldier’s truck.

  The passenger shot out the back window and unloaded a shotgun at her. The blast threw her into a hard, heavy object covered in a blanket. The fabric slipped onto her head. She tore the blanket off and spotted the harpoon gun it had hidden. She grinned. Belial swung the harpoon around and faced it towards the driver.

  The passenger shot her in fear. Belial shook it off and fired her gun. The harpoon pierced the truck, the driver, and hit the engine. She leapt onto the roof of another car as the truck caught fire and rolled. She spotted the next enemy truck and jumped.

  Tracy white-knuckled the wheel in their small car. They raced down the highway at over one hundred miles an hour. She could barely see the road, but it didn’t matter. Cars veered out of her way as if pushed. She changed lanes and no one was there even if they had been a moment before. The road was always clear no matter what she did. A smile touched her lips. “Embrace it, huh?”

  Jacob grabbed her shoulders. “Tracy, don’t!”

  Tracy closed her eyes and swerved across traffic. “Fuck fuck fuck! Oh, Christ!”

  They drove unscathed and hit the guardrail, throwing up sparks. She grinned and swerved back the opposite direction. The second truck Belial damaged hit the guardrail they had just run into. Tracy laughed and opened her eyes. “Badass!”

  Belial hit their roof with a thud. She dropped her head over the side and knocked on Celeste’s window. Celeste rolled it down. Belial stuck her tongue out. “Having fun yet?”

  Celeste punched her in the face. “I want to go home!”

  Be
lial shook off the blow. “Party pooper.” She pulled open the front passenger-side door and slipped inside. She was covered in blood and gunpowder. “Someone pass me a change of clothes from the back?”

  Jacob handed her the suitcase she’d stolen earlier. Belial changed and smiled at Tracy. “Good job!”

  Tracy let off the gas. “Can you drive now please?”

  Belial nodded and they switched seats. Tracy got into the rest of her beer and it disappeared in seconds. She did not look well. She rolled open the window and puked.

  Celeste gagged and looked at Belial. “Why are those guys chasing us? It’s because of you isn’t it.”

  “No way.” Belial grinned. “I’m not a fucking fairy. They’re here to kill you guys.”

  Celeste sunk lower in the seat. “No one has tried to kill me before.”

  “Actually yes, at least one other time that I know of. We stopped that attack too.” Belial checked her hair in the mirrors. “Not even a thank you either.”

  Celeste went silent. Tokala stirred in her lap, his voice came out a croak, “Where are we?”

  Belial didn’t take her eyes off the road. “Getting you to a healer, Tokala.”

  “Belial, is that you? I can’t see very well.”

  “Yeah, it’s me, you’re safe.”

  Tokala nodded wearily. “Oh good, that sounds good.” He closed his eyes and went limp.

  Belial looked back at him. “Let me know if he gets worse.” Jacob and Celeste nodded. Belial flipped the radio on. “What kind of music do you guys like listening to?”

  ***

  Paimon ran headlong down a wooded slope. He hit the bottom and tripped. He skinned his knees on concrete and broke his ankle. “Son of a bitch.” He popped his ankle into place and checked on Furcas; he was still unconscious.

  Paimon stood up and looked around. He’d hit a road with a sidewalk. The town in front of him was sleepy; half of the stores had already closed for the day. A few people window-shopped and walked their dogs. The sun barely hovered in the sky and sank rapidly as he watched.

  He smiled. “Good progress.” He high-fived Furcas’ limp hand. “Go team.”

  Paimon adjusted Furcas like a backpack and walked into town, invisible to everyone around him. He hopped onto a sidewalk and looked for signs. People weaved around him without knowing why. A child walked by with a candy bar. Paimon grabbed the chocolate and popped it into his mouth. “Thanks.”

  Furcas made gurgling noises behind him. Paimon stopped and looked over his shoulder. Furcas had slumped back and away from him, his face tilted towards the sky. Paimon hunched over so Furcas would fall the other way and lean on his back.

  Furcas opened one eye. “Ngh?”

  Paimon smiled. “Hi you. Look, we’re no longer camping!”

  “Good.” Furcas caught sight of himself in a window. Paimon saw the look and picked up his pace. Furcas hit him in the head. “Take me back, I want to see.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “I am in control of this cruise and we are going where I say.” Paimon ignored the weak blows Furcas landed on his head. “Stop being a child.”

  “Not a child,” Furcas slurred his speech.

  Paimon found the type of store he had been searching for. He untied Furcas and leaned him against the storefront. “Stay here. Don’t pick at your face, your chest, just don’t pick at anything. Okay?”

  Furcas nodded. Paimon stepped into the general store, leaving him alone. Furcas untied his wrappings, starting at his neck. They were soaked with blood and other fluids, but it wasn’t as bad as the flesh beneath. He gagged at the sight of himself. The pain had settled in his limbs like sleep, dragging him down with weakness, but his mind was clear. He knew his skin was a color that living skin shouldn’t be, and he knew what that meant for his health.

  Paimon walked out of the store with two bags in hand. He saw Furcas and nearly chucked the bags. “What did I say? Can I not leave you alone for five minutes without you doing something completely stupid? Get your hands out of yourself!”

  Furcas held his hands up, but he kept his eyes on his injury.

  Paimon set his bags aside and re-bandaged him. He slung Furcas over one shoulder and picked up his bags. To their west, the sun hit the horizon, painting the town a reddish hue.

  Furcas stared at the sidewalk as Paimon walked. “I think you should leave me.”

  Paimon ignored him.

  Furcas continued to mumble, “You have to get to Portland. I am slowing you down.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides, Portland’s just a place. I can cause mayhem anywhere.”

  “I’m worthless and I am a liability like this.” Furcas shuddered.

  Paimon set his bags down and flipped Furcas to his feet. He held him up by his armpits and hugged him carefully. “It’ll be okay.”

  “No, it won’t.” Furcas struggled not to collapse into sobs. “I’m dying, Paimon.”

  “Furcas, you’re too stupid to know what dying looks like.”

  Furcas squeezed his eye shut. “Just because you’re a genius does not mean I am stupid!” He gulped. “Paimon, I don’t want to die.”

  “That’s better.” Paimon leaned back and looked him in the eye. He smiled. “You’ve never given up at anything, don’t start now.”

  Furcas looked at Paimon’s tattered and bloody shirt. He ran a finger weakly across the material. “I got you all messed up.”

  Paimon smiled. “Yeah well, I guess you owed me a few.”

  Furcas sniffled and managed a small smile. “True.”

  Paimon lit a cigarette and stuck it between Furcas’ lips. “I’m glad our roles aren’t switched, I’m pretty sure I would be back in the woods abandoned by now.” He carried Furcas cradled in his arms.

  Furcas took a drag and felt better. “No, I’m the attractive one. It’s a travesty when I’m messed up. I probably wouldn’t even notice if you looked like this.”

  Paimon grinned. “Glad you’re still yourself, vain prick.” He stopped at a shop and kicked in the door. Paimon looked at those still inside. “Closing early. Out you go!”

  Furcas stared at the tile floor. “Where are we?” Men and women stumbled past them in a daze. Furcas looked around from his limited perspective. “Why are there dog toys everywhere?”

  Paimon did not answer. He carried Furcas into the back room. Stainless steel tubs lined the walls, and tables of varying sizes filled the rest of the space. He set Furcas down on a long table and set his shopping bags on another. He stripped off his coat and shirt. He tossed the dirty clothes in a garbage bag and wiped his bare skin with a wet rag.

  Furcas eyed Paimon nervously. He finished his cigarette and let it drop to the tile floor. “Paimon, what are we doing at a dog grooming shop?”

  Paimon grinned and went to a long tub. He examined the labels on the shampoo bottles. “Do you want to smell like an apple? Maybe mint? No, not mint. Strawberry. I love the smell of strawberries, don’t you?”

  Furcas looked at the dog shampoo. “You are joking.”

  “No, I don’t think I am. This stuff is industrial grade, perfect for you.”

  Furcas leaned back. “That shit is not touching my hair.”

  Paimon left the bottles. He yanked off Furcas’ shoes and peeled off his socks. “Your hair is full of dirt, blood, and pus. I think this stuff is good enough for that.”

  “There’s a salon down the street.” Furcas gulped. “Why can’t we go there?”

  Paimon eyed his bag of supplies. “I have things I need to work on and you need a bath, not a haircut.” He threw Furcas’ shoes and socks in the trash. Furcas scooted away. Paimon grabbed his pants and gave them a tug. “You’re going to make this hard on me?”

  Furcas sulked. “No.”

  “Then stay still.” Paimon ripped off the rest of Furcas’ clothes. He scooped him off the table and set him down in one end of a steel tub. Furcas clung to the lip of the metal; he tried to pull his body out
. Paimon pushed Furcas’ hands aside. “You’re wasting strength trying to fight. I’m trying to help.”

  Furcas leaned back slowly. He eyed Paimon.

  Paimon sliced Furcas’ bandages off and examined the wound. The smell alone would have given away the rot, if the blackened skin didn’t make it obvious. “Damn fucking shit.”

  Furcas winced. “I knew it was bad.”

  Paimon drummed his hands along the metal. “I’ll be right back.”

  Furcas reached for him. “No! Don’t leave me here naked!”

  “Why not? You’re invisible. Bye!” Paimon ran out of the store.

  Furcas stared at his feet. He really wanted another cigarette. He touched his wound and flinched. He ignored the pain and pulled his skin back. His organs were not badly damaged; Michael had missed them with the spear. He sighed. “Small miracles.” The door banged open. Furcas looked up.

  “Just our luck.” Paimon rushed back inside. “There’s a fishing supply store next door.”

  Furcas eyed the package he carried. “Don’t you dare!”

  Paimon grinned. He upended a bag of maggots onto Furcas’ chest. Furcas kicked. Paimon held him down. “You’re going to hurt yourself like that. This is for your own good. Now stop it.”

  Furcas flushed, but went still. “It is beyond foul, degrading, and embarrassing.”

  Paimon rolled his eyes. “Oh please, we have done far worse.”

  Furcas stared at Paimon, unable to look down at his body. “How long does this take?”

  Paimon gave him a small smile. “No idea.”

  Furcas hissed. “Wonderful.”

  Paimon grinned. “Buck up.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Paimon smirked. “Pity sex isn’t going to make you feel any better about yourself. Well, actually it might, but I doubt you’d live through it.” Furcas stared at the ceiling, not amused. Paimon sighed. “What exactly will make you feel better? I’m trying to get you clean, you love being clean!”

  Furcas pulled at the bandage on his face. “Let me see my face.”

  “No way.”

  Furcas ripped the material off and threw it. Paimon gulped at the sight of the damaged eye. Furcas caught his expression. “If not even you can look at me I am screwed.” He slumped down into the maggots. “This is what I am reduced to, a maggot beneath everyone’s notice.”