Death Waltz

by A. M. Hargrove

  Naroo wrung her hands when she said, “I did not ask him. I only thought of Liasare. I figured something bad must have happened at Club Down. He told me to remain here. And he left. That’s all I know.”

  Tak and Naroo told Liasare to put her mental blocks up because whatever was happening to her had something to do with Jurek.

  Liasare was panting now, trying to get control of her pain.

  Tak bent over her and said, “Listen to me, Brownie. You have to put everything you have into blocking him. Your connection is so strong that whatever is happening to him is effecting you. If you don’t block him, it can harm you. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand so I know you understand me.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze.

  Then he said to Naroo, “We have to surround her with our power, at least for a few minutes. It will give her time to disconnect from him.”

  Naroo and Tak held each other’s wrists over Liasare’s body and their energy spread over her. When a shield was formed, Liasare was finally set free from the clutches of her agony.

  “Oh, God! Oh, God.” She curled up like a cooked shrimp, and hugged her knees to her chest.

  Marik immediately called for the Guardians and they all came at once. Every single one of them. They were all present and accounted for and none of them said they had spoken to Jurek that evening.

  “What the hell happened to him?” Liasare said as she lay on the floor.

  Tak and Naroo looked at each other over her and then Liasare cried out, “Oh, no! It was all a ruse. To get me away from him. I was never the target. Jurek was. My vision. Oh, dear God. Abaddon has him.”

  Tak spoke first. “What in the hell vision are you talking about?”

  “I’ve had this vision. Jurek kept telling me it was only a nightmare. But now I know it for what it was. It was a vision of the future. I have them you know.”

  Liasare sat up. Her head fell back as her eyes closed. She dropped her hands to her sides, fingers spread wide, and sparks began to burst from the tips. The colors danced forth, lighting up the room, as the wind swirled around her. Moments passed before she called it back and when she did, she told everyone, “It was all a ruse. He used the club and the Dark Creatures to lure us out. He knew we would go there to seek him out. His minions were there because we could sense the evil.”

  “So you think he wanted Jurek all along?” Tak asked.

  “He wants me, but he knows that I’ll do anything to save Jurek. And if he separates us, he thinks he’ll have power over us.”

  “But how did he get him in the first place?” Xarrid asked.

  “Trickery. By pretending he was one of the Guardians. That has to be the only way, since you are all here.”

  Tak stood, legs apart, arms crossed, head slanted. He reminded Liasare so much of Jurek when he did that. “No. I disagree. Jurek wouldn’t buy that. He knew all the Guardians too well. How many years now? Fifteen? Sixteen? Trickery, even from Abaddon, would never work with Jurek. There is a traitor among you.” Tak stared at the cluster of Guardians.

  As their leader, Rayn stepped forward. “If that is true, then who can it be? We are all here. We were outside the club the entire time with your men. Who else is there?”

  “I cannot say. But we will find out. And when we do, I shall take immense pleasure in killing that person.”

  Liasare cut him off before he could say anything else. “All of that’s good and well, but the fact is that Abaddon has my mate and I have to find a way to get to his realm before he can do him any more harm.”

  Everyone looked at Liasare like she’d lost her mind.

  “How can he harm him? His powers are second to yours?” Tak asked.

  Liasare glanced out the window where she could see a slice of starlit sky peeking through the shutters. “My vision told me so. And how am I going to function? I can feel everything he does. Whatever Abaddon is doing to him, is ...” Her hand shook as it covered her mouth. Her tone was such that they knew it was the truth.

  No one spoke, because none of them could imagine someone as powerful as Jurek being trapped.

  “Then the only logical answer is to make yourself exposed for Abaddon. Unshield your mind. Let him in. That’s the only way to his realm. As soon as you’re there, reestablish your mind blocks,” Naroo said.

  “But the pain. How can I control it?”

  Tak paled when he said, “You won’t. You will have to learn to live with it.”

  “Then I suppose I must do that. I only pray I’m not too late to save him.” What worried her the most was that her visions of when Justus was two and three years old had never included Jurek. Was this the reason why? Her body and mind refused to accept that answer. She would fight for him to the death if she had to.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Liasare would have to wait several days for her wish to be granted. It wasn’t at night, as she’d come to expect. This time, it happened during lunch, while she ate with her comrades. He waltzed right through the front door of their headquarters like he owned the place. No one else knew he was there, except for her. Her fork clattered to her plate, as she was getting ready to take a bite of her food.

  “I hate to interrupt this quaint little lunch, but I believe I may have something you want.”

  Everyone in the room was paralyzed, frozen in place and couldn’t move. His wretched powers had planted them in their chairs like silly little marble statues. Liasare felt like a fool. She was unarmed and fully unprepared for this meeting. How stupid could she have been?

  “Quite. But then, no one ever expects me when I show up.” He laughed. “Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to join me? I have so much to show you, my love. You are absolutely going to love what I’ve done with the place.” His laughter rang out though the room, vibrating the walls to such a degree that things shook and fell from their places where they hung or sat on shelves. “I’m such a jokester, aren’t I?” He extended his hand toward Liasare, waiting for her to rise from her seat.

  And she did. Slowly. Her eyes didn’t leave the blackness of his robes, or the hood as it hung low over his forehead, obscuring his face. An involuntary shudder passed through her as she thought how hideous he must look beneath the voluminous gown he wore.

  “Don’t worry my dear, you are going to love what we do together.”

  His statement reminded her that her shields were down so she immediately rectified that situation.

  “Ah, I see how it is then. You don’t like me inside of your head then, do you?” He jerked her arm until her body was up against his and she could smell the rot emanating off him. “You’ll love the way I feel inside of you even much better than that,” he hissed. His power was a painful thing to her. She had to hold back her screams and it took everything she had not to struggle. She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer so she squeezed her lids shut, as tightly as she could. Suddenly, the pain was gone.

  When she opened her eyes, she wished she hadn’t. She’d been transported straight to Abaddon’s realm. She didn’t know if it was truly Hell, but she thought it must be for right in front of her, Jurek was chained and held prisoner behind a mesh grid of some type of power. She could only assume it was Abaddon’s that was keeping him locked in there because she knew of none other that would hold him. The chains were a curiosity to her. Why didn’t he break out of them? The only way he could be held in chains was if they had been forged with Praestani power and who would do something such as that? Especially against his own king? What made Liasare the sickest of all was that somehow Jurek’s power was being drained from his hands. His arms were stretched wide, chained at the wrists, and she watched as his power seeped out of him. She wanted to touch and heal him, but there was no way to do that. Her own power flared in response, seeking his, and she had great difficulty in reining it back. He appeared to be unconscious as his head hung down, lifeless as his chin touched his chest.

  Next to Jurek were January’s children. They were held in the same type of c
age, sealed behind a mesh-like power grid. They were screaming but she heard no sound. Their young faces showed pain and sorrow, and Liasare wanted to blow up the whole place.

  Not hearing anyone approach, she startled when a voice said, “Amazing, isn’t it? And to think this was all my doing.”

  “You! What! Why?”

  “Did you not think I would ever tire of being played the fool?”

  “Being played the fool? What do you mean?”

  Shandro looked at Liasare and his features darkened with anger. “I did everything for you. I spent hours and hours trying to get you to notice me. And you never gave me the time of day. I did everything I knew to earn your love. But instead, you chose him,” he spat. “So I decided if I can’t have you, then nobody can. Well, nobody in the physical realm. Certainly not him.” He jerked his head toward Jurek.

  “But I don’t understand how you did it.”

  Shandro’s laugh was nearly as evil as Abaddon’s. Liasare took note of how much he had changed since the last time she’d seen him. Even his eyes no longer held the warmth she’d remembered. His features were distorted. Gone was the softness around his mouth, and the easiness that she’d loved about him. In its place lay something sinister. She wondered how much time he’d been spending here. “I fooled everyone for so long, even I began to believe the lie. My mother was Praestani so I have their powers. I covered it up for years, but I was surprised your Mr. Magic over there, didn’t pick up on it. I guess he was so impressed with himself and you, of course, that he never thought a stupid Vesturion was worth his time. Well, I showed him, didn’t I? And now, I’m responsible for creating this masterpiece of a plan.”

  Liasare looked around her and wondered how the hell she could get out of here.

  She put her hand on his arm and said, “Shandro, it’s not too late to change your mind. You and Tommy ... you were so close ... like brothers. Don’t you remember those days? When we were young and the three of us were like family?”

  He shrugged her arm off and sneered, “No, Liasare we were never like family. I bent over backwards to try to become your family, but you resisted in every way imaginable. I risked everything ... even my position as a Guardian to get you to Earth. I thought even then you might take notice of me. But no, what did you do? You fell for that!” He pointed to Jurek and backed away from her. And in a mocking tone, he added, “And look where it got you! Down in the realm of Abaddon with a powerless king. Enjoy your mating, Sarah. Maybe you’ll think of me every now and then.”

  He’d already turned away when she said, “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  The words stopped him dead. He didn’t even bother to face her when he asked, “What did you say?”

  “What? Has Abaddon’s realm fucked up your hearing as much as it’s fucked up your mind?”

  He pivoted and his eyes had taken on those of a Praestani. But he hadn’t seen Liasare recently. He underestimated her own powers. She pointed her finger at him and commanded him to shut his eyes.

  “Dare you look on your Queen with rage? I think not. You are not worthy of the eyes of a Praestani. I’m going to make you regret ever being born. Look at me now, you piece of shit.”

  When he did, he saw her markings that had been covered by the cloak she’d been wearing. She’d taken it off but now he understood she was no mere human any longer.

  Shandro tried to speak, but he was now under Liasare’s power.

  She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him. Putting her mouth up against his ear, she hissed, “For every pain, every iota of discomfort you caused him, you will feel a thousand times the misery as I drain you of everything, Praestani. I’ll not do it slowly, like you’re doing it to him, it’s going to happen fast. Do you know how that’s going to feel, Shandro? Too bad you won’t live to describe it, traitor.”

  She slid her hands down his arms, not bothering to mute her power at all. It was so much stronger than his that this alone could kill him, but she took precautions to prevent this, because he deserved the most severe punishment for what he’d done to Jurek. When her hands reached his, she clasped their fingers together and took his power from him. The only things that kept him on his feet were her hands. In the end, right before the final hint of life left his body, she whispered, “I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.”

  When she released him, her eyes turned into beams of energy that destroyed his body. When he was gone, the power that had lit up the cuffs on Jurek’s wrists and ankles, ceased to glow. He was so weakened, however, that he didn’t take notice.

  “NOOOOO!” Liasare screamed. Her own power all but leapt across the space between her and where Jurek hung. It was a matter of like seeking like, and it took all she had to control it.

  An eerie laugh filled the room.

  “It’s too late my dear. You are now mine. He is gone, nearly drained, just as you drained my little puppet, Shandro.”

  “You’ll never have me. You may think you do. But I’ll never submit. I’ll end it all before I will.”

  Abaddon laughed again. “I think not. What if I make you a deal?”

  “What do you mean?” Liasare couldn’t trust him. He would do anything to get The Light from her and trickery was his game.

  “What if I agree to let him go? But you would have to stay with me willingly.”

  She laughed. “What’s the point of that? You yourself already stated that he’s as good as dead.”

  Abaddon let loose another grating laugh. “I think you may be miscalculating the extent of my capabilities.”

  “And how can you guarantee this?”

  He circled her and said, “Alas, I cannot, because your mind is not open to me. If you, however, tear down your offensive shields, I can, perhaps, show you. The choice is yours to make.”

  Liasare knew he was toying with her. She paused to think how to handle this. There was no doubt she would do anything to save Jurek. She had to keep in mind though that Abaddon could not have her. That would spell disaster. Jurek made her promise not ever to trust him and she didn’t. But how could she get out of here if she didn’t have some kind of inkling of where she was.

  “Where am I? And don’t tell me I’m in your realm. I already know that. I want an exact location.”

  His laugh rang out again. It was becoming less congenial. He would stop playing games soon.

  “You can’t get here unless I bring you.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Really? Then try to leave.”

  “Abaddon, do you take me for a fool? I know I can’t leave. But I also know it’s possible to transverse from here to my world. I’m sure Shandro did it.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she began to move from the area she was in to another room. There weren’t really rooms, per se. They were divided into sections, without true walls. His Dark Creatures weren’t there, as Liasare expected. In fact, the place was empty save Jurek and the children.

  She kept moving through the space, and it seemed endless. There was no furniture that she could see, just large vacant rooms. Then it occurred to her that everything here was simply an illusion. She wasn’t in his realm at all. Wherever she was, it wasn’t real. Retracing her steps, she found her way back to Jurek, but Abaddon was gone. She put her hand up to the mesh grid but found that was real. Moving to the nearest wall, she tried to touch it, but her hand went straight through.

  She ran back to Jurek and tried to wake him. Maybe he could help her figure this out.

  “It won’t work. Try as you may, you’ll never get through to him,” Abaddon’s voice came to her.

  She faced him and said, “What will it take to free him?”

  “You. I only want you. But you already know that.”

  “And the children?”

  “They’re yours. In exchange for you.”

  Too easy, she thought. He would never agree to this. There was a catch and she knew it. Should she throw it out on the table and let him know she knew his game or keep it to hersel
f? She was terrible at subterfuge. She’d never even been able to tell a white lie to her mother when she was a child. How in God’s name was she going to pull this one off? Gah, she would pay for a poker face right now.

  “Decisions, decisions. Wouldn’t he be happy to know you grappled so long to make a decision over his life?” He chuckled.

  “Let him stay but release the children. They hold no meaning for you now that I’m here.”

  “Agreed.” He snapped his fingers and they were gone.

  “Where did you send them?”

  “To your precious headquarters. They will be tended there, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Now, tit for tat. You owe me something.”

  “What do you want?”

  “You!” The room darkened. “Do I need to call in my friends?”

  “Friends?” she asked.

  “You saw them the night I coaxed your former,” he flicked his middle finger against his thumb twice, “mate down to my little nest here. Sarah Liana, you are mine whether or not you choose to believe it. I will have you by night’s end. You may come willingly or not. If you choose to fight me, my creatures will see to it that you will never fight me again. Oh, I don’t intend to let them have you ... only to play with you for a bit. How does that make you feel?”

  “Sick.”

  “Then come to me my sweet pet.”

  “Abaddon, you must know by now, that the only way you’re going to have me is if I’m stone cold and dead.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  His arms spread out like wings and hundreds of his Dark Creatures began descending into the room, as if he’d called out to them. The mesh on Jurek’s cage didn’t prevent them from entering, but only a select few were able to cross the barrier. Liasare knew what was about to happen and she would die first.

  “Get away from him!” she growled. Her voice had deepened and no longer sounded like her own.

  Her mind was set on one thing and that was saving her mate. In the background, she heard the sound of harsh laughter, but paid it no heed. Her arms stretched towards Jurek, and a current burst from her. It was so strong it almost threw her backwards, but she held on and stood her ground. It snaked around, like a giant bolt of electricity. It reminded Liasare of a magnet seeking its other half. When it touched the grid, the mesh exploded and vanished. The space took on a phosphorescent glow as The Dark Creatures looked on in fear. The current broke off into as many different arms as needed to destroy the vile beings. Then it headed directly to Jurek’s fingertips, where his power was draining. It latched onto it and turned it back into his body. In the meantime, another branch of the current had begun to encase both Jurek and Liasare within it. She closed the distance between them and wrapped his body in her arms. As she continued to send his power back into him, her body healed his too. With him in her arms, she closed her eyes and took them both back to their headquarters. The last thing she heard were Abaddon’s screams as she morphed them into energy.