Renegade (The Cross-Worlds Coven Series Book 5)

by Phil Stern

  *****

  Drawing up near Wendily’s yacht, Rhapsony impetuously waved at the captain. “Good man, please take our lines and secure us alongside. I’m here to visit her ladyship.”

  “I’m sorry, my lady,” the captain hesitantly replied. “But Lady Wendily is indisposed. She’s said that no one is to come aboard.”

  “Nonsense.” Red hair blowing in the breeze, Rhapsony smiled. “Lady Wendily and I are old friends. Please do as I ask.”

  Staring down at the arriving launch in confusion, the bearded captain then glanced all about. But Wendily was nowhere to be seen, leaving him alone and without guidance. “Uh, my good Lady Rhapsony, I’m not sure...”

  “Now, now. Just do as you’re told.” Standing tall in the middle of the powered launch, resplendent in a fine suit and top hat, Sathron impetuously waved at the captain. “I find myself in ill humor today. Trust me, your prevarications are most unwelcome.”

  The captain blanched. “My prevarca....what, my Lord?”

  By now they were only a few feet apart, yet none of Wendily’s crew had made any move to take in the proffered lines and secure the two craft together.

  Sathron let out a great sigh. “It means making me wait, you idiot.” With a tiny flick of his wrist, the demon swung his cane, top first, at the other vessel.

  The silver wolf ornament instantly roared to life. Detaching from Sathron’s cane, the predator enlarged into a ferocious, full-sized animal mid-air. Almost regally sailing over the water between the two vessels, it landed on Wendily’s deck with a heavy thud. Before anyone could even think to react, the wolf promptly sank oversized fangs into the captain’s leg.

  Screaming in pain, the captain dropped down to the deck, helplessly beating the molten metal beast with his fists. In reply the wolf raked a fearsome claw across his chest, blood splattering all about. No one tried to help or intervene.

  Thrashing all about, the wolf dragged the captain over to the deck’s edge. With a final wrench, the demon’s familiar casually flung him over the side. Landing with a huge splash, the struggling captain flailed and yelled before mercifully slipping from view.

  But not all of him. Ripped off at the hip, Sathron’s wolf was left with the man’s entire right leg. Happily growling at the other crewmen, the supernatural beast contentedly settled down to gnaw on his prize within a large pool of blood.

  “Well, then,” Rhapsony cheerfully announced, even as a silver snake peered up from her ring. “Who wants to take in our lines now?”

  A half-dozen men sprang forward, quickly securing the two vessels together.

  *****

  Breathing hard, still strapped into the wooden chair, Caylee tried to rally her magic once more. But delivering that last blow had completely depleted all available reserves. Once again the earth stone merely sat on her waist, silent and inert.

  “You bitch!” Wendily raged from behind. Amid several thumps and additional curses, the demon shakily stood once more. “You’ve burned my fucking face!”

  “Really?” Despite the desperate circumstances, the begrimed sorceress laughed. “You must look like the freak you are, then. What a shame.”

  Stalking around the safe, Wendily came to face her captive once more. Glancing up, Caylee saw that her nose was indeed almost completely blackened, with additional blazes of earth fire radiating out in all directions.

  “That does look nasty,” she lightly observed. “It may not heal very well.”

  “You fucking bitch!” Wendily snapped. “I will have you!”

  “Never!” Caylee breathed. “You can kill me, but you’ll never enslave me.”

  “We’ll see about that!” Drawing back a fist, Wendily socked her right in the nose.

  Caylee’s head snapped back, with more blood flowing from the ripped cartilage. Yet, compared with the demon’s attempted mental takeover, the sensation was oddly manageable. “Now, now,” she murmured, her bruised and bloodied face relaxing into a smile. “Frustration doesn’t suit you.”

  “Despicable witch!” A roundhouse right now impacted Caylee’s cheek. This blow was even harder, sending both sorceress and chair tumbling backwards. Hitting the safe at an untenable angle, chair and captive promptly clattered down to the deck itself.

  By now the demon’s paralyzing effect was beginning to wear off, though the only practical result so far was increased pain from Caylee’s bound wrists and ankles. “Is that the best you can do?” she sighed. “Untie me and I’ll show you how to really punch someone.”

  “You little bitch!” Looming over the prostrate sorceress, eyes blazing, fist cocked, the demon nearly shook in rage. “I will not stand for...”

  Out of nowhere a fist pounded on the cabin door, almost obscenely loud in the small space. “My Lady Wendily! Please, you must come up on deck!”

  “Stupid imbecile...” Taking a step back, Wendily glared at the closed door. “GO AWAY!” she bellowed. “I specifically said that I was not to be disturbed FOR ANYTHING!”

  “But, my lady,” the man persisted. “Lady Rhapsony and Lord Sathron are demanding to speak with you.”

  “What? Now?”

  “Yes, my lady!”

  Wendily frowned, gently touching her burned nose. “Are you saying they’re here? On board the yacht?”

  “Yes! And his Lord and Ladyship are in a desperately foul mood, my lady. That I can assure you!”

  “Oh my.” Staring up at the ceiling, Caylee coughed up a trickle of blood. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “My lady, I beseech you to come right away!” Clearly, the man was terrified. “The captain is already dead! I fear we’ll all perish if you don’t!”

  “Dead?” The demon frowned. “Are you saying they attacked him?”

  “Indeed, my lady! Please come.”

  Wendily threw up her arms. “Rhapsony will pay for this!” she seethed. “They all will!” Shaking in rage, the demon slowly glanced back down at Caylee once more. “To be continued, I assure you.”

  Yanking open the door, she stalked from the cabin without a backwards glance.

  *****

  Climbing up through the hatchway up onto the main deck, Wendily did indeed find Rhapsony and Sathron awaiting her. Their steam-powered launch was tied up alongside, the same one she’d noticed approaching before. Spread all around them, like some great tapestry, was the expansive bay, Donlon’s inner harbor, the racing crowds, and sailing yachts dancing off in the near distance.

  Still, the mood onboard was anything but festive. Sathron’s silver wolf sprawled nearby within a large pool of blood, methodically devouring a mangled human leg. Obviously terrified, the crew all hung back as far as possible. Tapping their feet, the two visiting demons were clearly losing patience.

  “There you are!” Rhapsony cheerfully called out. “Isn’t this wonderful? Why, Sathron and I were just out on the bay, and decided to stop by for a visit.”

  Gritting her teeth, Wendily somehow forced a smile. “How nice of you,” she replied, slowly striding forward. “Though my captain seems to have suffered somewhat dreadfully by way of hospitality.”

  “Well, he wasn’t very hospitable,” Sathron drawled. “My word, Wendily. What happened to your face?”

  Shit! “Why, thank you for asking, my Lord.” Rocking to a halt, she raised a tentative hand to her burned skin. “A little accident with a lantern down below is all.”

  “A lantern? How very odd.” Idly wandering forward, Rhapsony leaned in to study her injuries more closely. “I would swear those look like earth fire scars.”

  *****

  Cast to the floor, still tied to the chair, Caylee felt sensation flowing back into her arms and legs. By now Wendily’s initial paralyzing effect had almost completely withdrawn, giving the sorceress full control over her own body once more.

  It made sense, really. A demon would first immobilize their victims, assuring their physical helplessness during the initial takeover. But since this was to be their new body, the effect would have t
o be fleeting. Just long enough to get comfortably settled in, so to speak, before master and slave began their new lives together.

  Still, without her magic, Caylee was stuck. The bonds were far too strong to just break, while her earth stone was only now beginning it’s latest reanimation process. Between the vile stink of Wendily’s magical rocks and the throbbing pain from her own battered face, it was hard to even think straight.

  Yet what was a little physical discomfort compared to the looming horrors of Caylee’s new life? For this was merely a temporary reprieve. No doubt Wendily was even now sending her unwelcome visitors away, and would soon return to finish enslaving her.

  Eyes drifting closed, the sorceress firmly quelled the sharp stab of fear shooting out from her abdomen. For despite her earlier bravado, she had little hope of permanently resisting the fiend’s mental intrusions. This time Wendily would strap down her head, or perhaps remove Caylee’s earth stone completely. (Really, why hadn’t she taken this simple precaution to begin with?) But surely the demon wouldn’t be caught out again. Unable to mount any kind of effective opposition, Wendily would be free to ravish the hobbled enchantress at her leisure.

  Enjoying the slight sway of the yacht beneath her back, Caylee listened to the wind play against the small porthole. As a demon’s slave, would she still have full use of her senses? Or just enough awareness to carry out Wendily’s depraved will?

  For that matter, would she still be alive at all? Perhaps Caylee’s consciousness would be mostly eradicated, leaving just enough facility to effectively serve her mistress. It would be like a perpetual death, fully subjugated without any hope of eventual freedom. Or perhaps, even memory of who she’d once been.

  No, worse than that. For obviously, Wendily intended to use Caylee’s magic for her own ends. Unable to resist the demon’s depraved desires, she’d become the greatest monster that ever lived.

  Even now the sorceress heard footsteps rapidly approaching in the corridor outside. The doorknob rattled, the portal itself briskly swinging open. Unchecked, Caylee’s terror burst out of control. Whatever happened to herself didn’t even matter, but she couldn’t just allow her power to be subverted, becoming a force of pain and death.

  Taking a deep breath, the bound young woman began furiously rubbing a trapped hand against the wooden chair. Within a few strokes she got some leverage on her exposed wrist. The medical arts weren’t terribly advanced here, and if she could just nick a vein...

  But the figure rushing into the tiny cabin wasn’t Wendily. Instead, a muscled guy in an odd, exposed getup stared down at her, irritably pulling at what looked like a dog collar about his throat.

  “My name is Max. I’m here to help,” he offered, even while fearfully glancing at the cabin door and back again. “The demon’s up on deck. If we hurry, we can both get off the ship before she returns.”

  *****

  “Earth fire scars?” Drawing back a step, Wendily tried to force a smile. “Why Lady Rhapsony, whatever are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about your face,” the red-haired demon evenly replied. “I’m also curious about that huge safe you brought on board. Whatever was inside, I wonder?”

  Pointedly ignoring her, Wendily glanced over at Sathron. “Your pet is frightening the crew, my Lord.”

  Indeed, even as the huge silver wolf finished the last scraps of their late captain’s leg, Wendily’s sailors all cowered at either end of the ship. “So true, my dear,” he jauntily replied. Rapping his staff on the deck, the demon’s familiar obediently leapt towards his master. Rapidly shrinking mid-air, the creature unerringly landed on Sathron’s cane, settling once again into an inert ornament. “But the brute does have his appetites, I’m afraid.”

  “As do we all, my lord.” Turning again to her fellow demoness, the yacht’s mistress smiled. “Personal papers, of course. Whatever else would one have in a safe?”

  “Well, I don’t know.” Feigning puzzlement, Rhapsony gave an exaggerated shrug. “Maybe something, or someone, that burned your face so badly?”

  Wendily petulantly stamped a foot. “Lady Rhapsony, I hardly think...”

  “And is that a broken nose? Did the lantern down below do that too?”

  “Of course not, though thank you so much for asking.” Brushing back some hair, the brunette demon feigned a demure shrug. “I tripped on a stairway and went down hard, is all.”

  “Oh my, this all just sounds so clumsy!” Holding a hand to her own face, Rhapsony made a great show of concern. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Quite. But as chance would have it we are trying to catch the wind.” Wendily vaguely motioned at the powered launch. “So if you both don’t mind...”

  “All these mishaps, my dear, and you aren’t even wearing gloves,” Sathron drawled. “Awfully chancy, don’t you think, on a wooden boat?”

  “It’s my boat, to burn or not as I choose!” Eyes narrowing, a hint of silver now entered Wendily’s eyes. “But now I must insist...”

  “But my dear, you’re injured! We can’t just leave.” Unintimidated, Rhapsony leaned in to inspect Wendily’s injuries more closely, even gently tracing one line with a red-gloved finger. “Though I would swear those burns came from an earth stone.”

  The yacht rocked gently beneath their feet. In the distance a seagull called out, while the regatta crowd cheered anew. Not backing away, Wendily deliberately knocked her hand aside. “You forget yourself, Rhapsony.”

  “Do I?” the elegant lady demon breathed back. “Actually, I remember your perversities quite well. Especially when it comes to your history of trying to ascend directly into a Coven witch.”

  *****

  In moments Max sliced Caylee free from her bonds. Tossing the rope aside, the strong youth then roughly hauled the shaking, black-clad sorceress to her feet.

  “I understand she’s been working on you, but there’s no time to waste.” Holding her upright with a firm hand, Max once more apprehensively glanced at the door. “We have to...”

  “I know.” Nodding briskly, Caylee desperately tried to regain her equilibrium. “There’s a storage space down the hall we can use to get off...”

  “No, it’s been locked and bolted. We’ll have to go up and over the side.”

  “Up on deck?” Even with her earth stone perking up again, Caylee was in no condition for a fight. “But aren’t there three demons up there?”

  “True, but they’re distracted.” Reaching behind him, Max pulled two double-barreled, dueling-type pistols from his belt. “And we’re armed. So let’s go.”

  Rubbing the circulation back into her wrists, the enchantress dully stared at the proffered gun. At best, it looked unwieldy and inaccurate. “Are you sure it even works?”

  “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.” Max pressed the weapon into her hand. “Stay quiet and low.” And so saying he darted out into the passageway once more.

  Carefully putting her forefinger on the trigger, Caylee followed him without a backward glance.

  *****

  “Ladies, please.” Strolling forward, Sathron gently pushed the two female demons apart. “Public brawling will get us nowhere.”

  “She has the witch down below!” Rhapsony snapped. “I’m sure of it!”

  “How dare you!” Drawing herself up, painful sunlight played over Wendily’s burned and swelling face. “You must both leave. At once!”

  “Not on your life.” Folding her arms, Rhapsony pointedly didn’t move. “Not until we’ve inspected this entire ship!”

  “Permission denied.” Wendily took a step forward, the two female demons again face-to-face. “Now you must...”

  “Wendily, that’s quite enough!” Tossing aside the top hat, Sathron began unbuttoning his coat in the hot sun. “Look, we have no wish to intrude, but this is a matter affecting us all.” Belying his master’s measured words, the grumbling silver wolf glared up from Sathron’s cane. “Do you have the witch, or not?”

  Bri
skly tapping her foot, Wendily glowered. Time was definitely working against her. Even now the Haven bitch was recovering her strength, both physical and mental. And yes, she was tied down, but if any crewmen got curious while their mistress was detained up on deck...

  Max! Head pivoting wildly about, her sex toy was nowhere to be seen. In fact, she hadn’t noticed him skulking about for quite some time now.

  “Don’t you dare look away from me!” Stepping back, Rhapsony pointed at the hatch leading down below. “Is she still alive? Or did you at least have the sense to kill the witch and just take the stone?”

  “Yes, we must know,” Sathron demanded. “Right away.”

  Warily glancing from one to the other, Wendily realized it was all slipping away. “To be honest, I’m not sure what’s going on,” she quietly said.

  “Not sure!” Rhapsony screeched. “What the fuck are you saying?”

  “So the witch is down below?” Aghast, Sathron stepped back. “Right now?”

  “Yes, she is.” Visibly flinching, Wendily could almost feel Caylee’s magic roaring back to life. “And my man is missing. I fear that...”

  “You bitch!” Snarling a quite un-ladylike oath, Rhapsony’s snake burst to life. Dropping down to the wooden deck, it rapidly grew into a slithering, snapping silver python. “When the Conclave finds out...”

  “Not now! There’s a witch on the loose. Whatever else, we can’t fight among ourselves!” Curtly ripping off his topcoat, Sathron then briskly rolled up his sleeves. “Wendily, what condition did you leave her in?”

  “You have to ask?” Rhapsony laughed. “Look what condition the witch left her in!”

  “I’m not sure, my lord,” Wendily seethed, glaring first at Rhapsony and then Sathron. “Why don’t you go below yourself and find out?”