Beyond the Veil Mira- The Complete Series

by Trina Bates

  Getting up and flinging myself into the closest set of arms, another agonized sound comes from behind me. Turning, I see Ebbin's cute little skirt torn into pieces on the ground, and in his place, Enbarr stands, or holds himself up rather, on his green gem colored tail. Smiling at me, he slithers towards me, dipping his hooded head, he bows in greeting.

  Smiling at the sweet Naga, I know he’s here to keep me company while we follow Kigiree. Thankful I wouldn't be alone in this I give him a quick hug.

  -Would you need me as well, Mira?-

  Cynide's voice sounds hopeful and I’m sad that I’m about to let her down.

  -No, thank you. We already have two strange creatures prowling the night. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Could you stay here and watch over the other weirdos for me?-

  I can tell she isn't happy with that, but she accepts. I wish it doesn’t have to be this way, but for all of our safety, it does.

  -Of course. They are quite weird. I’ll keep them out of trouble.-

  -Thank you, I’ll see you soon. We really need some time to ourselves.-

  -I would like that very much. Be safe.-

  -Promise.-

  Walking into the warm night air, I look up to the sky which is full of new constellations that take my breath away. I have never seen anything quite like this, even in books. Instead of the sky its usual black like my world at night, this was a deep sea green, and the stars sparkle brighter and seem closer. Everything is so strange and amazing here. I love it all so much. I don’t have the time to stargaze sadly, so I turn to my shifters and wait for them to lead.

  Kigiree takes off like a bat out of hell with no warning, I try to keep up with him but it’s no use, he’s too fast. Enbarr is having no issues with the speed, slithers behind me with ease as his muscled tail slides back and forth, giving him an extra push. He can tell I’m having a hard time and before I know what’s happening, he picks me up in his massive arms and catches up with Kigiree in no time.

  Kigiree:

  I have never hunted with anyone before, especially not with a woman, that is my Doyen’s, and that I cannot protect properly if anything should go wrong.

  The need to tear into this vile creature, one that would dare to hurt an innocent child that is no doubt unable to protect themselves, drives me into a deep, blinding rage. The Naga holding my Doyen’s precious woman can contain himself and his rage. I, on the other hand, cannot. Though I can feel his animosity and smell the disgust flowing off of him; it’s quite impressive.

  -I think I could learn to like this beast.- I think to myself, knowing my Doyen can hear me. His acceptance hits me powerfully, and I wish in this moment I was able to smile like he can in his other form. Enbarr looks powerful, but I do wonder what he can truly do with such a strange, scaly, body. The tail might come in useful at times, but having no feet is like having no asshole to shit out of. It makes no sense to me.

  My prey is close. I can smell his lust in the air and the child’s fear. I must run faster, push myself harder. If any harm comes to this child, it will be on me. Living with that regret is hard enough. Keeping my Doyen out and not letting him see and feel what I do is harder. I have to protect him just as much as I do everyone else. The child, his woman, and the people around us. I might be able to live with this in secrecy but my Doyen could not. My Doyen is a good man, one that shouldn't be burdened with these things. That's what I am here for. He knows what is coming, I quickly close him off from my sight and feelings, locking him away in the cage I have made for him over the years. He is in my mind always, but I can lock him away so he is unable to bear witness to these things. It’s the least I can do for how good he is to me.

  Rounding the corner to where I scent the child the most and where the deviant’s mind is the most volatile. I snarl, readying myself for the excitement of the kill. Ridding any realm of predators like these is honorable. Mira is right. I don’t kill for sport. I kill and infect for justice, to protect the weak.

  The smell of fear permeates the air, and in front of the three of us stands a man wrapped in some stupid fucking cloth who has a young boy on his knees in front of him. The child is crying and screaming for help, but his screams are muffled by the man's hands that are covering his mouth. I hear Mira gasp and scent her hate, disgust, and despair at the sight in front of us.

  That is enough to push me forward, I will give him mercy in my own way, by killing him swiftly, but it isn't for him. It is for her; she doesn't need to be here any longer. If I could, I would lock her away as I do with my Doyen. Sadly, I cannot. I feel her power and know she can break through even if I did try to subdue her somehow. That is not my way, however. She is one of us, and I must treat her as such. The only reason I keep my Doyen safe, is his heart. It is too good to be tainted with the evil that is inside me.

  With my jaws open wide, all it takes is one leap, and I knock the man down. His entire head is in my mouth before he knows that something has happened, or that his life is about to be forfeit. I close my jaws, biting his head completely and cleanly off before he can even scream.

  The thick, sweet blood, runs out of my mouth and down my throat and all I can think is, This is a sweet victory. I know the boy has been spared and he will, hopefully, live a long happy life with this act never happening to him again. My time here is done. I would only scare the boy further if I turned my head and let him see the carnage on my face.

  -I don't wish to frighten the boy further. Would you calm him and help him find his family? I need to let Rhydian have his body back. I have kept him locked away, and he's trying to claw through. I don't want him seeing this when he takes over.- I ask Mira.

  -Of course, I will.-

  The Naga, Enbarr, sets her on her feet when she taps his large green chest. Nodding once to him in thanks, I start to trot off, but not before this tiny woman grasps me under my neck, not worrying about the blood, she hugs me so hard it becomes a task to breathe.

  -Never, ever doubt you're amazing and good. Thank you for what you did tonight.-

  If there were a way for me to cry, I would have been. This amazing young woman, thinks I, a fearsome beast, am good! Never have my Doyen, or I ever heard those words. I’m too shocked and amazed to reply. Instead, I nuzzle her belly carrying the small child that will soon be mine to teach. I walk back to the little cottage, pride, and joy in my steps.

  Mira:

  Walking over to the scared little boy who can't be more than five, my heart breaks at that knowledge. Someone so small, innocent and helpless was about to be forced, most likely tortured and killed to keep the silence of the injustice he was about to face. -How could anyone be so vile?-

  The rage coursing through me intensifies, I can barely contain it. If I don’t calm myself, I can feel that I’m going to cause harm to those around me. Including the man I love that’s inside of Enbarr, and this small child that’s crying at my feet, curled up into a tight ball calling out for his mother.

  I can’t handle it. How do you fucking stay calm when an act so horrendous was about to happen here?

  Clinging to my stomach and thinking about it happening to my daughter, the beating of my racing heart fills my ears as a new feeling rushes through me, something I can’t quite put my finger on. Letting it take over, I know where my anger needs to go. Without a thought, my mind takes over my body, and I go on autopilot. I lose control and damn if it isn't a sweet feeling.

  I race to the dead man's body, and with a strength I didn’t know exists inside me, I pick it up with one hand and grab his disgusting detached head with the other and will his body to mend. I throw the body back to the ground, watching as a sticky black tar like substance winds itself over the man's neck, connecting his head back to his body. I throw my hand into the air, air which has become thick, humid and filled with the putrid smell of sulfur. I grasp onto something I can't feel, like I know it’s in my hands, but there is no substance to it, I’m still watching myself, through my own eyes, not in control. I watch as the m
an's soul connects with my hands and I drag it back over to this side of the veil and back to his dead body, thrusting it back inside.

  Coughing and puking up the black tar that put him back together, he looks around awestruck, and then the idiot spoke.

  “Th- thank, thank you! I don’t know what that beast was, but thank you for saving me! How did you do it?” He says, patting his body down, making sure all of his parts are where they need to be.

  My voice is deeper than normal and filled with a power I hope to one day be worthy of.

  “You, are the only beast here. I brought you back only so I could have the joy ending you, enjoy the thrill of the kill, so to speak.” I can feel myself reveling in the thought of ripping him apart over and over, just so he can feel what he has caused others for so many years. “Your time in this world has come to an end. You deserve far worse than what was originally given to you. A quick death was a mercy for you,” inhaling a deep calming breath, I stare him dead in the eyes and surprise myself with my next words. “I am Death, you answer to me,” I say, adding emphasis to each word as they fall from my lips.

  He begs and begs for another chance, promises he will change his ways. I feel the darkness inside him, I can taste it. I can see that not only is he lying, but he’s done this many times before, leaving mothers weeping for their lost children, fathers desperate and still searching. Brothers and sisters too scared to leave their homes. Children raped and killed for his pleasure. -I’m going to enjoy this.-

  -Naga, I can feel you have the power of illusion and the ability to make people forget things. Take the child, wipe his memory but shroud yourself in a form from his memories to ease his fear. Come for me when you're finished. I will not harm any but the creature in front of me.-

  -Where is Mira?- The Naga asks, his tone, filled with questions and fury.

  -I am her and she is me. We are one. I am what she has yet to accept, her Demon half. She is speaking but is not. She is aware but clouded. When she accepts me fully, it will be done.-

  -You cryptic demon, that makes no sense. I will have words with you when I return here. Do NOT harm her, or my Doyen and I will find a way to banish you from her.-

  -That is harming myself. Did you not hear a word I said? I hope not all of you in that body are as dense as you, snake. Go, now!-

  Hearing the beast hiss at me adds to my fury. I want to turn on him, but logic wins the battle. He is mine just as much as I am his. Beasts and all.

  Hearing the snake slither away with the boy safely in his arms, I turn my attention back to the simpering worthless piece of flesh in front of me. He’s crouched in the corner with his head in his hands, crying like the worthless fuck he is.

  Stalking slowly over to him, the scent of fear and piss fill the air. It’s his time, and he can feel it. The smell might have disgusted some, but to me? It’s sweet vengeance and victory.

  Grabbing him by the hair and lifting him high above me with his feet dangling in the air, he doesn’t even try to fight, though he does grasp my arms trying to ease the pain from the grip I have on his head.

  “I am going to enjoy ripping your soul apart, just to put it back together and do it all over again. Pray to whatever god you want, though I promise you, they won't hear your cries. Your soul is mine now. I am your only fucking god!” Those words, my words ring truth throughout my entire being. This is who I was supposed to be, meant to be. This is what a Death Demon truly is. Vengeance. Love. Savior, Death and a simple, beautiful Terror.

  Merrick:

  Rhydian walks through the front door, naked, acting as nothing has happened. He doesn’t say a word, just wanders down to his room slamming the door behind him. When he comes back like this, we all know that Kigiree kicked him out and locked him away so Rhydian wasn't able to witness what happened. He might be mad about it, but it was honestly a gift. I watched the destruction his beast caused once before. Even I could feel the wrong that came from the man Kigiree had killed. I can't imagine what Kigiree actually has to endure when he takes over, but we’re all thankful he keeps Rhydian hidden, most of the time.

  Coming back out of the room clothed and a bottle of water in his hand, he sits in one of the chairs with defeat, his head in his hands, and his shoulders slouched forward. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. This is a bad one if he's like this.

  “You wanna talk about it? Kigiree closed you off again?” I ask, trying to keep my tone steady and strong for him. He needs to let go and get this shit off his chest before it drives him down a hole he can’t dig himself out of.

  “Yeah, that mother fucker, yeah he fucking did. Mira was there and he fucking caged me. I couldn’t feel her, hear her or save her if anything had happened! It’s bullshit! I couldn’t do a fucking thing about it.” He glares at the ground. When he looks up to me, the desperation leaks off of him and the grated tone of his words messes with me. She means everything to all of us. If anything happened to her, not only would he blame himself, we would too. I’m stupid enough to think otherwise. She is ours to protect and if we don’t do it? It’s on us, simple as that.

  “Where is she?” Worrying over my previous thoughts, I don’t know how I missed her not coming in.

  “She stayed behind with Enbarr. They were going to calm the kid and help him get home. That's all Kigiree would tell me when he let me shift back,” he says, putting his head back down in his hands, his frustration evident.

  Taking a deep breath, I think about the snake and how much he enjoyed his first meeting with Mira. Enbarr will no doubt keep her safe. So will Ebbin and the others he carries inside himself, they don’t seem to kick Ebbin out the way Kigiree does.

  “Where’s Rhett?” he asks me while looking around and listening to see if he could find or hear him.

  “He was out with the Spriggans last I knew. He was trying to figure out how those fuckers held me back. I didn’t want to deal with them again, in case they tried anything.” I can’t help the smile that slips through, but they really do freak me out. I’m strong, and they held me back for longer than I would’ve liked.

  “That was pretty good. I want to know too,” he says, laughing, at my expense. I give him the middle finger, and he blows me a kiss as he gets up and strides to the door. I’m not about to go with him, so I stay where I am and grab the bottle of water from his hands as he leaves with a chuckle.

  Rhett:

  After Rhydian, Ebbin, and Mira rushed from the little cottage we were staying in, I wanted to figure out just what the hell was really going on with the trees. -Was this her doing? Could Mira control nature? Fuck, that would be amazing!-

  -Probably, she never stops amazing me. Little witch is a complete unknown.- Merrick's words in my head make me laugh.

  -You're just mad she bested you.-

  -Pretty much. Tell her, and I will put hot sauce on your little dick, every night, for a year straight.-

  -Damn, so fucking hostile. Alright, alright. Lips sealed.-

  I send him an image of me flipping him off and another of my not so ‘little dick’ as I pounded into Mira. I close myself off to him before he can say anything back.

  Walking slowly to the same tree we saw her scaling down and not the one she called ‘Birchwood’, I sit at the base of the enormous trunk trying to feel for anything strange. I push with my own magic but there’s nothing out of place, everything feels normal. Though sitting here does have a calming effect on me. I’ve been sitting here for a good thirty minutes before the sudden intrusion in my head scares the shit out of me. Almost literally.

  -Mira will need all of you soon. I have received word that she is in pain, not physically, but in her heart and mind. She is also confused and scared.-

  The strange words have me jumping from my spot and looking around for any threats that might be near.

  -She is not in danger, Warlock. She is fearful of herself. She can't control her powers. You must find her something, or make her something, that ties all of her mates to her. Something that she will neve
r be without. It will be her anchor and help her control the darkness she carries inside.-

  “Who the hell is saying that?” I say, clutching my head, still spinning in circles. “How are you doing this?”

  -I am the spirit of the tree you were just seated against. My name is Grunwald. -

  “So, this is how Mira got away.” My voice laced with wonder and excitement, but also worry for her and what she’s going through right now.

  -She is lovely. She gave us all something we haven’t been able to enjoy in many years. Joy and the friendship of a new soul.-

  “She is captivating. That’s for sure. How can I help her?”

  -Let her rest for the night. Find an item that can be bound to all of you and that she will keep with her always.-

  “I will; we will. Thank you, and please thank the rest of your, tree friends? Mira needs to let go and have a little more fun. It was amazing seeing her so free.”

  -It was our pleasure, though they can hear you, they send their affection to her through you and their gratitude as well. Go now, Warlock. She will be here in a moment.-

  “The name’s Rhett!” I shout over my shoulder, already heading back to the cottage.

  Before I can get to the front door, Rhydian’s standing there with a worried look on his face.

  “What, what is it?” I exclaim, turning to look behind him and then I look him over, trying to see if he’s injured.

  Shaking himself out of whatever daze he’s in, he looks at me with slight confusion crossing his features.

  “I’m just wondering why the hell you’re talking to the fucking trees, man.”

  I can tell he’s deflecting, but I let it go, for now.

  “That, my good man,” I start while slapping him on the shoulder, leading him to the front of the cottage. “is how Mira got Merrick trapped. The trees are sentient. They can talk into our minds. That one,” I say pointing back to the one I will now be calling Grun. “is Grun, he talked into her mind and got the other trees in on their plan to help her. Smart little shit that she is,” I say with pride falling off me and in my words.