Death Waltz

by A. M. Hargrove

  “How in God’s name did you get to Earth?”

  “Shandro helped me. I traveled there, in a coffin of all things, aboard a freighter. He injected me with a drug to make my bodily functions all but cease so the scanners couldn’t detect me. When I woke up, there I was, in Center City, hunting you down. But that place was scary bad. Everywhere I went, those freakish nasty Xanthians were hanging out. It wasn’t safe at all. But ironically, that’s when I met Jurek and he helped me. Obviously we found you but lots of stuff took place in between, including you shooting me.”

  Tommy was paying close attention. “What? I shot you?”

  “Yeah. But Jurek took care of me so it was okay.”

  She glanced at Jurek and knew he disagreed. That shooting was anything but okay.

  Tommy asked, “Did January ever tell you what I did?”

  “Yeah, after some persuasion.” Liasare laughed. “You might say I threatened her and it took a while for me to realize she knew. They hid it really well. By the way, January and Jurek knew each other from way back. But he and I didn’t know that until well after we met. He actually walked her down the aisle when she married Rykerian.”

  “What?” Tommy asked in shock. “Okay, this is one hell of a story story.”

  “Right? I told you we had tons to catch you up on. You need January to tell you about it. Doesn’t he, Jurek?”

  “Yes, it was a strange time for all of us. Rykerian wasn’t too pleased about it,” Jurek added.

  Jurek noticed how Tommy kept looking at the two of them so he said, “Liasare, why don’t you tell him about us.”

  So she began the long tale of how she met Jurek and how he helped in her search for Tommy. When she came to the part where the Dark Creatures took her captive, Jurek had to take over because Liasare began to stutter. The memories were still too vivid and horrid for her. Jurek filled in the blanks but then after he told Tommy how he healed Liasare, she jumped in and explained to him how she now had the Praestani power as well. She showed him her arms so he could see her markings and the absence of all the horrific scars she bore for so long.

  He reached out and took one of her arms in his hand, rubbing it up and down, turning it this way and that. “The other one is the same?”

  She nodded, showing him. He repeated his actions with the second arm, feeling how smooth her skin felt. “The rest of your body?”

  “Is the same as this,” she said, smiling.

  He stared at the arm he held in his hand and she saw how his throat worked as he attempted to swallow. He opened his mouth to speak several times, but said nothing. Finally, when he was able to talk, his voice was hoarse as he spoke. “I regretted every single minute of my life, ever since we took that idiotic ride, for what it did to you. I begged God every night to take those scars away. I pleaded with Him to send you a miracle and somehow, those prayers were answered. I don’t know how it happened but I’m glad it did.” His face glistened with his tears when he was finished speaking.

  Liasare pulled Jurek close to her and told Tommy, “This man is the reason my scars are gone. He took them away. His hands removed every single one of them, so your prayers were answered.”

  Jurek wrapped his arms around Liasare and said, “Liasare was the answer to mine as well.”

  “So I take it you are a couple?”

  She half-laughed as she said, “Yeah, we’re a couple all right,” she said, kissing him.

  “Why does he call you Liasare?”

  “Oh!” she exclaimed, and then chuckled. “I don’t go by the name of Sarah any more. When I came to Earth, I created a new identity for safety purposes. I didn’t want the Guardians to be able to follow me and I knew they would find me if I didn’t change my name. I never had an attachment to my old name. Mom always hated me and I thought it was time to start a new life. So I created a new name from the old. Sarah Liana St. Davis became Liasare Davidson. And honestly, I haven’t regretted a moment of it.”

  Tommy stared at her thoughtfully for a moment and then smiled. “It suits you well, Liasare.”

  There was a knock outside the entrance to the dining room and Shandro stuck his head inside. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all,” Liasare said. “We were just going to eat some breakfast. Everyone else should be here shortly.”

  A few minutes later, January and her mate Rykerian arrived followed by Jurek’s team, which included Tak, Marik, Ludo, and Naroo.

  As they ate, they talked about everything Tommy had missed since the chip had been implanted in his brain. He was shocked at the number of people that had been abducted from all over the universe. There were over seventy thousand reported missing, so the armies they were creating out of the minions were probably much larger than that. Jurek and his men tried to keep up with the numbers, but those were sketchy at best.

  “We think the Xanthians are connected to Abaddon, and he’s directing the creation of the armies. We know, because of you, that they use the nanochips to create the minions. We’re not sure of any specific details and it’s an assumption, of course, but he definitely wants Liasare for her power,” Jurek explained.

  “Whoa, wait a minute. Slow down here. Who is Abaddon and what power does Liasare have?”

  Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably, but all eyes ended up on Liasare.

  Taking a deep breath, she took the plunge. “Tommy, have you ever heard of Apollyon, The Destroyer?”

  “You mean like Satan?”

  “Yeah, well that’s Abaddon. He’s always been after the Praestani power because he wants to overthrow God as the strongest force that exists. Apparently I am the Key to the Light. In other words, I am a gateway of sorts to the Praestani power, as I understand it. The bad news is that I can also be the Key to the Dark. Abaddon can use me to give him the power he craves, so he’s after me in a serious way.” She glanced at Jurek and he nodded and smiled. She sighed, glad that she had it right, but not glad she was in this ridiculous position.

  Tommy stared at her, his mouth hanging open like gaping canyon.

  “But how?” he finally eked out.

  She snorted and said, “Well, remember when Jurek told you about how the Dark Creatures took me? Abaddon orchestrated it all, and I was as close to dead as you can get. Luckily, Jurek found me and brought me here. But he literally got to me barely in time to save me. I was dying Tommy. Even the power of the Praestani alone couldn’t save me. So Jurek had to transfer some of his power to me in order to give me life.”

  Jurek interrupted her here, “Tommy, your sister was preordained to be a part of this. She is part of the Prophecy of Thul. It predicts the end of the world unless someone can step in and prevent things from happening. I believe that person is Liasare. I knew it the first moment I met her. I felt her energy source surge with mine. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s the best I can do.”

  Tommy stared at the two of them, not quite understanding this power thing. Jurek, reading his unease, said to Liasare, “Hold out your hand.” She did as he asked, and he did the same. The light erupted between them and did that beautiful dance as it began to grow. It soon covered both of their hands and traveled up their arms, extending upward and outward. “Call it back, love.” Suddenly, the light receded and disappeared.

  “Well wasn’t that the shit?” Tommy asked.

  Shandro was speechless.

  “She can do a lot more than that, like zap your ass if you’re not careful,” Rykerian added.

  “No way.” Then Tommy eyed her. “I want another demo, sister.”

  Liasare started squirming. “No, you don’t,” Jurek said, coming to her rescue. “It’s most unpleasant and Liasare doesn’t have complete and total control yet.”

  January piped in saying, “Trust me Tommy, you do not want a demonstration of Praestani power. It’s very unpleasant.”

  “Just how powerful are you?” Tommy asked.

  “Very.” Jurek eyed an empty platter on the table and he sent out a beam of light from his
eye, destroying it, turning it to dust.

  “Jesus! Did you see that?” Everyone else at the table, other than Shandro, either rolled their eyes or grunted. “Hey, give me a break here. This is all new to me.”

  “It’s new to me as well. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Shandro chimed in.

  “They’re right,” Jurek decided, defending them. “Tommy, to aptly answer your question, the Praestani are the most powerful beings in the universe.”

  “Seriously? And my baby sister has hooked up with one and is sharing his power.”

  The violence in the room suddenly burst forth. Jurek was on his feet and next to Tommy. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. You’re her brother and she adores you. But we are mated, not hooking up. She is my queen, my lady, and my love. She will be honored and revered by you and all who enter here. Is that clear?”

  “Well, yeah. I would never do anything other than that. It was just a bad choice of words. Sorry!”

  Jurek bowed and went back to his seat. Tommy looked at Liasare and she shrugged.

  “Well then, now that’s over, are there any other questions you’re not afraid to ask?” Liasare blurted out. She put her hand on Jurek’s arm, rubbing a circle on his wrist. He knew exactly what she was doing and he felt the corners of his lips curve into a smile. Before she knew what was happening, he’d pulled her onto his lap, and when she saw his expression, she burst out laughing.

  Everyone looked at the two of them, expecting an explanation, but none was forthcoming.

  It was Rykerian who spoke next. “So what should our next plans be?”

  “I think my men and I need to go back to Earth to Club Down. We felt the presence of evil there last time. It would be wise to further investigate it.”

  Liasare started pouting.

  Tommy, noticing her expression, asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I’m not allowed back because I busted up a sex show and beat the crap out of three guys the last time we went there.”

  That brought a round of laughter from almost everyone at the table. Rykerian slapped his knee and Marik hugged himself (which was a sight, since he rarely laughed). Liasare didn’t laugh.

  “I didn’t know it was an act. I thought the woman was being raped, okay?”

  January wasn’t laughing either. “Go get ‘em girl. I would’ve done the same thing, not knowing it was an act. It makes me sick to think of watching something like that, thinking it’s a rape. Who likes that kind of thing?”

  “Sickos, that’s who. You should’ve seen this place. It was dirty ... and I mean that in both senses.”

  After the laughing subsided, Rykerian asked, “So when are you headed back?”

  Jurek thought about it and said, “Probably in a couple of days. Tommy, you can to go back to Vesturon to fully recover, or you can stay here if you’d like. The choice is yours. Earth’s not an option. You’re marked now, and the Xanthians would pick you up in no time.”

  “Tommy, I know you have a ton of catching up to do, but I’d love for you to come back to Vesturon,” Shandro said.

  “Right. I’ll think about it. I could always help with research here, if need be,” he added.

  Everyone started drifting back to their own quarters and Liasare hugged Tommy. “It’s so great to have you back with us again.”

  “I’m worried about you, Sis. This Abaddon thing is quite a lot to shoulder.”

  Shandro stood in the background, intently watching the three of them. He wasn’t exactly happy when he thought about what Liasare had been unfairly handed. He was glad he would be heading back to Vesturon where he could put this all out of his mind.

  “Tommy, I’ve been to hell and back and I don’t intend to revisit it. Honestly, I’m scared shitless, but I can’t sit around shaking in my boots over it either. The universe is a much more dangerous place now than it was when you became a minion. Abaddon wants to end it all and if it’s up to me to stop it then so be it. We’re all put here for a reason. Unfortunately for me, mine happens to be a bit overwhelming. The thing about it is this: if I don’t do anything we all die. So the way I look at it is what do I have to lose?”

  “That doesn’t make it any easier for me to swallow. I love you Sarah. I’m sorry, but I’ll always think of you as my little Sarah.”

  They spent the rest of the day together as Jurek showed him around Lare-Stell and introduced him to everyone. Tommy took a keen interest in what they were doing to track the Xanthians and their activities and he thought that perhaps this might be a good place for him to stay. Liasare was happy to see how Tommy and Jurek were joking and laughing together.

  When the time came for them to head to bed she hugged Tommy. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you here with us.” When she released him, Jurek flashed them to their quarters.

  Extreme weariness overtook her as soon as they turned from energy to mass. Jurek sat her on the edge of the bed and brought her a warm cloth for her to wipe her face. Then he undressed her and put her to bed. Climbing in next to her, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. With her head nestled on his shoulder, she whispered her thanks, and promptly fell asleep.

  Chapter Two

  Liasare was alone when she headed back to headquarters after a night at the clubs on Earth. As she neared the building, an iciness invaded her veins, racing through her like a serpent, and coiling in her intestines. Frozen needles pricked her skin everywhere. Her head exploded with pain, crashing into her like a wrecking ball. She fell to her knees, clenching her skull, the pain so fierce she couldn’t even scream.

  “It’s nice to see you again Sarah Liana St. Davis. I told you I would find you one day and that you weren’t safe from me.”

  Footsteps approached her. She couldn’t open her eyes. Blinding agony gripped her, but she could hear everything he did. He circled her slowly and reached out to pet her hair. Her power surged forth, singeing his hand. He hissed at the pain, but seemed to like it that her power reacted to him.

  “I will tame you soon and when I do we will rule the universe. You will be mine one day Sarah. You shall see. If you don’t come to me willingly, I will destroy everything you have ever loved.”

  Visions began flashing in her mind. Her sister, her nieces and nephews, all bound by some kind of a mesh shield, screaming within the realm of hell. Then the most disturbing vision of all was Jurek, her Alaric, bound and being drained of his power, weakened and dying, his beautiful eyes fading to lifeless orbs of nothing.

  Liasare began screaming, “Nooooo! Please, stop it!”

  “Then you will join me as mine Sarah Liana St. Davis. You will be my mate or your visions will become reality. Your time is running out. I will find you. I will always find you.”

  She was screaming and sobbing when she heard Jurek say, “Liasare, wake up! You’re having a nightmare. Wake up!” He shook her until she opened her eyes. She was frigid and trembling, so he pulled her into his arms. This was the worst one she’d had. Her trembling was as bad as he’d ever seen. He put her beneath him and let his energy seep into her, igniting a warmth inside of her.

  When he felt her skin begin to lose its iciness and her shaking subside, he rolled to his side keeping her tucked next to him. He threw his leg over her, so she would still feel all of his body heat. “What was that all about? I know it was about Abaddon, but what did he show you this time?”

  “He showed me what would happen if I refused to become his mate.”

  Jurek’s rage all but exploded from him. His anger became a tangible thing, a violence that created a force of destruction. Things in the room flew off the walls and furniture, breaking and cracking. “That will never happen, unless I am a dead man,” his voice was veiled in steel.

  “That’s what I was seeing Alaric. You were dying.” That brought another round of sobs. “It was awful. Your beautiful eyes were faded and nearly lifeless. He was draining you of your power. I’m so afraid that will happen.” She reached for his face a
nd told him, “I have to learn how to wield this power of mine Alaric.” Jurek knew how upset she was because she was using his formal name. She normally reserved that for when they were locked in the heat of passion. “I have to learn how to become stronger with it. If it comes down to fighting him for your life, I have to be able to do it. I can’t bear the thought of seeing you like that again. It unraveled me. You’ve given this power to me for a reason. Alaric, you have to teach me!”

  “It wasn’t real Liasare. Look at me, love.” Her eyes pierced his. “I’m here with you, in the flesh. I’m fine. It was a vision. Abaddon loves pulling that shit. He’s a mindfucker. He wants to weaken you that way. Let your strength defeat him.”

  “I’m trying, but remember when you told me how you felt when you found me in that dungeon? That’s how I felt when I saw you trapped in that hell. I have to learn how to defeat him with my powers Alaric. Not just my mind and my strength. I have to have the confidence in myself that I can defeat him and right now, I don’t.”

  “We’ll go to Praestan then. Your power should fully manifest itself there. The forces of Praestan will bring it out to its greatest potential and I will teach you what you need to know.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  His hands tangled in her hair. “Liasare, remember when you were there and you thought about the waterfall? What happened?”

  “I went there.”

  “Not only that, but your power also advanced to the next level. On Praestan, your power will recognize its source and grow within you. It’s exactly where you need to be.”

  She nodded and snuggled closer to him. “I’m scared shitless right now,” she said in a small voice.

  “You have every right to be. But Liasare, you’re my brave warrior. You stood next to me, fighting, when you had no power to speak of. You were willing to fight evil when you thought you were a mere human. You blazed a path to Earth to find your brother, going to a place that was filled with all sorts of danger and evil. You’re the most courageous person I’ve ever known.” He held her face within his palm and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.