by Ivy Barrett
* * * * *
Petra stood in the open doorway letting the night wind caress her naked body. After the latest bout of hedonistic sex, the others sprawled on the makeshift bed. They’d fucked each other in every way possible. No partner had gone unsatisfied, no combination unexplored. Time had blurred into a continuous blending of fingers, tongues and cocks. She honestly couldn’t say who had touched her where or how long she’d been lost in this sexual abyss. Was this still the same night or had the sorcerer somehow distorted time?
With a trembling hand, she reached for freedom. Her fingertips crossed the threshold and searing pain shot up her arm. She ignored the sensation, forcing her hand through the invisible barrier. Her skin blistered and the stench of burning flesh filled her nose.
It was only an illusion! She closed her eyes, but the pain intensified and the image manifested in her mind.
“You’re wasting your time.”
Someone touched Petra’s leg and she snatched her hand back from the doorway. Glancing down through tears of frustration, she found Ratauni kneeling beside her. The demon’s arm encircled Petra’s thigh and Ratauni pressed her cheek against Petra’s hip.
“I know it’s not really burning me.” Petra rubbed her arm. The skin was smooth and unharmed yet the sting lingered. “If I can just force my way through…”
“The spell will attach. You will run through the jungle screaming as flames consume your flesh.”
“I can’t stay here.” She covered her eyes to hide her tears as hopelessness crowded in around her. “Why is he keeping us here?”
“He isn’t. I am.”
Startled by the casual announcement, Petra disentangled the demon and shoved her back. “Why? What do you gain by keeping us prisoner?”
“I want to go home.”
It was the same pathetic voice Petra had heard in her mind the night they arrived. Was this some cruel trick? She looked at Drey Fon. He was sound asleep, one arm resting across Ebon’s abdomen.
“What’s stopping you?” She knew the answer. If Drey Fon had summoned Ratauni from one of the outer realms, she was linked to him. Though far from powerless, she was bound by his will until he released her or died.
“Your voice is familiar to me. I’ve even seen your face a time or two.” Blue light burst within the demon’s eyes and all traces of the helpless little girl vanished. “You are no stranger to our ways.”
“That was a long time ago.” Petra swallowed hard, unable to suppress the memories. One of her Pleasure Masters had been using spells and mental compulsions to increase his popularity. When she’d tried to terminate his employment, he’d offered to teach her how to harness the power of the outer realms. The temptation had been too much to resist—at first. “I learned quickly that there is nothing in any of your dimensions that interests me.”
“If you know what I am, you know what he is doing to me.” Ratauni crouched in front of her, demonic nature twisting beneath her human façade.
“How is this helping? I’m not strong enough to kill him.”
“Serena is, or she will be soon.” Ratauni hissed and shook her head as if memories of the person caused physical pain.
“Who is Serena?”
“Drey Fon’s obsession. She doesn’t know it, of course, but he despises her almost as much as he wants her. Rather like you and the golden man.”
“Is she the woman Matt was with when you showed me his image, the woman you look so much like?”
“Yes.” She rocked forward onto her hands and knees, her head cocked to one side. “She grows stronger with each passing day. We must let her power build.”
“And then what? How do we get Serena to…” She glanced at Drey Fon. He’d rolled onto his back, but his eyes were still closed. “Why would she help us?”
“She already has the motivation. We only need to give her the opportunity.”
Petra shook her head. “Few people are as willing to kill as you presume.”
“Then Drey Fon must threaten the golden man. Serena would kill for him without hesitation. I have never seen a connection as strong as theirs, never tasted love so vile.” Ratauni shuddered again. “It was disgusting.”
Petra felt a shiver slip down her spine. Had she ever inspired that sort of connection? Would a demon have been disgusted by their love? It didn’t matter. She was here to bring Matthias home. They’d sort out the rest once they returned to the Dark Star.
“What are you two plotting?” Drey Fon grumbled in a sleep-roughened voice. “If you want to lick her, Ratauni, bring her over here.”
“Do you ever get enough?” Petra snapped, her posture mostly bravado. She was trapped between a demon and the mirror image of herself, and she couldn’t decide which revolted her more.
He yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Last night was rather muddled. I didn’t get to watch you two pleasure each other.” Struggling to his feet, he wobbled a bit before his stride stabilized. “Lean against the door and let Ratauni lick you. Her tongue feels just like fire.”
“I’ve had enough fire to last a lifetime.” She rubbed her arm and turned her head, looking out at the moonlit night. “I’ve had enough of just about everything.”
Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Then we’ll just have to find something we haven’t done before.”
“Are you really that daft? There is nothing we haven’t done!” She turned toward him and shoved at his chest. “We’ve been stuck here for God knows how long while your pet mind-fucked us all!”
He released Petra so suddenly, she stumbled into the worktable.
“What have you done?” He grabbed Ratauni by the hair and dragged her to her feet.
Trepidation squeezed Petra’s heart. Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life? Even Ratauni spoke of Serena as if she were some sort of goddess. How was she supposed to compete with that? No, it worked to her advantage if Drey Fon got the goddess and she got the golden man.
“The moon is nearly full,” he snarled. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice?”
“I didn’t open the door.” Ratauni offered a completely unrepentant smile and he slapped her to the floor.
“Do not interfere in my plans again, or I will never release you.”
“You have no intention of releasing me and we both know it,” Ratauni shouted.
“Try any more of your tricks, and you will never find out. You will do exactly what I tell you, nothing more and nothing less. Do you understand me?”
She glared at Petra for a long silent moment before she answered, “I understand.”
Chapter Eleven
Serena sat up in bed with a startled gasp.
“What’s wrong?” Matt pulled her into arms, putting his body between her and the door.
The protective instinct was almost enough to soothe her fears. “The shields just dropped. Something’s wrong.”
“What shields?”
“The Order has maintained protective shields around me ever since my ascension. They weren’t supposed to dissolve until the full moon rises.”
“That’s still three nights from now.”
“I know.” She reluctantly wiggled away from him. “So what happened to the shield?”
He swung his feet to the floor and gathered their garments. After handing her the robe, he fastened the soratti around his hips. “We must move you to safety until we’ve determined what caused the change.”
“The Order uses—”
“No. If the shield is down, the Order has been compromised.”
A pounding on the door seemed to verify his words. Serena tightened the belt at her waist and stood beside the bed.
“It’s Hyalee,” the high priestess called out in warning before barging into the cottage. “Listen carefully, and do not ask questions until you’ve heard all I have to say. We set a trap for Drey Fon, but something went horribly wrong. We intended to use your final assessment to flush him out, but he—”
; “Drey Fon attacked me?” Serena’s stomach lurched as memories surged to the surface. Having a face to put with the burning blue eyes made everything seem more real. “How long have you known?”
“We had suspicions from the beginning. It was only when Kapali pretended to form an alliance with Drey Fon that we were able—”
“You intended to use Serena as bait again?” Matt’s hands clenched into fists and stepped closer to Serena.
“He will be here before I’m able to explain if you keep interrupting me. Kapali approached Drey Fon and gained his confidence. As we suspected, Drey Fon has delved deeply into the forbidden rites. He has summoned a demon. That is how he was able to create such a massive illusion the night of your ascension.”
Serena crossed her arms over her chest and let determination burn through the memories. Never again would she be controlled by fear. “How do we stop him?”
“We is the operative word. It will take every member of the Order working together to end this threat.”
“I’m a soul seer—beyond enticing him to the fight—what can I do?”
“Have you begun manipulations with Matt?”
“I have.”
“How have they gone?”
“Extremely well,” he told her. “She is amazing.”
Hyalee acknowledged his comment with a nod then turned back to Serena. “As you have loosed constrictions within Matt, you will be called upon to create them in others. When a person feels too much anger, they must learn to decrease the flow of energy through that soul strand.”
“That makes sense,” Serena said.
“Depending on the size of the constriction, you can render a person powerless.”
Serena laughed, the sound a bit brittle in her own ears. “And Drey Fon and his demon are just going to stand there while I tie his soul strands in knots?”
“You won’t see them, but every member of the Order has been dispatched to different places along the trail.”
“The trail to where?” Matt demanded.
“We’ve waited long enough and gotten nowhere.” The high priestess motioned toward the open door. “Tonight we take the fight to the enemy.”
They paused long enough to put on their shoes and grab Matt’s weapons. Serena had longed to face her attacker since he ran away into the night. She was stronger, far more confident, and she was no longer alone. Matt walked at her side, his posture loose and watchful.
“Where is Kapali?” Serena asked as they entered the jungle. The trees swallowed the moonlight, making the trail nearly impossible to see. Night creatures scurried about and a cool breeze wrestles the leaves.
“Drey Fon summoned him shortly after nightfall. He warned me to make preparations, that he might be required to make a show of his loyalty.”
“You believe he deactivated the shield?” Matt asked, sounding none too pleased.
“He is the only one strong enough to bring them down. Not even I could have accomplished that.”
Serena didn’t miss the catch in Hyalee’s tone. She placed her hand on the high priestess’s arm. “Has Drey Fon harmed him? What aren’t you telling us?”
“Shortly after the shields fell, I sensed… I think I sensed his passing.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Let his death not be in vain,” Hyalee insisted.
They trudged on together, deeper into the darkness. A bird called from the canopy of twisting vines. Moonlight slashed through the shadows then disappeared.
“This is a horrible place to stage a fight,” Matt grumbled. “Even a scientist can figure that out.”
“A scientist?” Hyalee glanced over her shoulder. “I thought you were a warrior.”
Muttered voices warned Serena that they weren’t alone. The high priestess had said other members of the Order had been dispatched to assist them. So why were they being so careless?
“Make him move,” though spoken in a frustrated whisper, Serena picked up the words.
“It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
A small scuffle ensued and Hyalee rushed them toward the riverbank. The area was less cluttered, yet the tree line offered cover directly behind them. Hyalee’s strategy hadn’t been as flawed as Matt feared.
The river wasn’t especially deep here, but the current was swift. And Matt was terrified of water. Serena tried not to be discouraged by the realization. Drey Fon had yet to appear on the opposite bank.
“I know you’re there, you Wikoli coward,” Hyalee called out. “Show yourself!”
A lone figure emerged from the tree cover on the far side of the river. Serena squinted. The moonlight was brighter here, but all she could make out was a silhouette. This was not Drey Fon. Her heart lurched within her chest. Could this be the demon?
Light gleamed off the woman’s sleek hair. Her face was still in shadow.
“Matthias, is that really you? Move into the moonlight so I can see you.”
Shock rocked Serena back a step. This was the unfaithful lover from Matt’s nightmares. The owner of the Dark Star. What was she doing here?
“Grief is a horrible thing, Ma’am,” Matt said as he took a step closer to the river. “I know how much Matthias meant to you, but you have to accept the fact that he’s gone.”
“Gone? Not dead?” She put her hands on her hips. “You created yourself in your own image. Does anyone else get the irony? The first time I saw you, I said you looked like his son. I had no idea how close I was to the truth.”
“Petra, it’s over. Matthias is dead. I can’t be any clearer than that.”
“You can accompany me to Halley Prime as my guest, or I’ll have you arrested as a fraud and racketeer. I know you’re laundering money through the Renaissance Foundation.”
“Have your lawyers com my lawyers. They can fight it out over lunch.”
She made an exasperated sound and turned toward the trees on the side of the river.
“He’s not as enamored of you as you thought. Is he?” Drey Fon mocked. He emerged from the shadows with Kapali clasped in front of him. Moonlight gleamed off the blade he held to the high priest’s neck. “I’ve got something you want and you’ve got something I want. How about a straight-across trade?”
“I don’t barter with criminals,” Hyalee said calmly. “Release my brother immediately or we’ll attack.”
“Make a move and his life ends before your feet get wet.”
Kapali twisted and tugged against Drey Fon’s hold, yet his movements seemed sluggish and haphazard. Had Drey Fon drugged him?
Serena summoned his soul strands and blinked. Knotted and twisted as she had ever seen before, every strand was the same inhuman blue. “That’s not Kapali,” she whispered. “Or not just Kapali.”
The demon laughed and shook off Drey Fon’s restraining hands. “And she’s not as easily intimidated as you thought. Is she?”
“Release my brother!” Hyalee demanded.
“I fucked him to death right after I drained Petra’s guard. It takes a lot of energy to maintain this level of control. Of all possible deaths, it’s not a bad way to go.”
Hyalee screamed in anguished rage and lunged toward the river. Serena grabbed her arm and held her back. “Not yet.” I don’t sense the others.
“What others?”
Serena’s heart missed a beat. How had a demon intercepted her thoughts? Only priests and priestess could access that link. Matt took the grieving high priestess away from Serena so she could concentrate on the conflict. She studied the Kapali apparition more closely and carefully hid her reaction. Beneath the bright blue knots curved a second set of strands, faint yet distinct.
The creature lied. Kapali yet lived.
“What do you want with me?” she asked the demon.
“I want nothing with you. Your fight is with Drey Fon.” She said the words with precise emphasis, as if Serena were supposed to gain special significance from the simple claim.
“Enough,” Drey Fon snapped. “Come to me now and no one els
e will be harmed.”
Matt scoffed. “Except Serena of course.”
“She doesn’t belong to you, and she never will. My mentor created her especially for me.”
Serena gasped. All her life she’d heard rumors and she knew that her mother wouldn’t lie about something so hurtful, but to hear him brag about the violation was more than she could bear. “I will end my own life before I belong to you for even a single night.”
“We shall see. Ratauni, bring her to me.”
The demon splashed across the river as if it were no hindrance. Matt stepped in front of Serena, and Hyalee dragged her back nearly to the trees.
Matt raised his pulse pistol and the demon sent it flying from his hand. An annoyed grunt was all Matt achieved with his powerful punches. Ratauni shoved Matt to the side and advanced. Matt tackled the demon from behind, wrapping both arms around Ratauni’s legs. They rolled across the grass in a flurry of kicks and tight jabs.
Go get Drey Fon, you fool!
The demon’s order startled Serena out of her stupor. Drey Fon paced on the riverbank, his gaze focused on the fight. She summoned his soul strands. His pattern was nearly as twisted as the demon’s. Carefully choosing the most strategic location for the constrictions, she braced herself against the current and waded across the river.
A violent shiver escaped her as the water reached her thighs. Her foot slipped and she extended her arms for balance. Priests and priestesses slipped into her mind, offering support and comfort. She accepted the assistance without being distracted by the meld.
“Call off your creature,” she said as Drey Fon pulled her from the river.
“A wise decision.”
Serena got her footing on the riverbank and thrust her hands into Drey Fon’s soul strands. Summoning all her strength and confidence, she squeezed.
“What are you doing?” He gasped and grabbed her wrists. The connection held, dragging her with him no matter how violently he twisted. “Stop it! What… Ratauni, make her stop!”
He shook and groaned, color bleeding from his face. Wrapping his hands around her throat, he choked her as she was choking him. Strength flowed into her, feeding her vital organs despite his bruising pressure. She remained focused, utterly unflappable.