by Nikki Landis
I shook my head. Kellen could never help him through this, he didn’t have the experience. “No, I think I need to find out where he’s been spending all his time.”
“I know it’s not easy but try to give him a chance to explain. I remember being that young and I didn’t make it easy on my parents either.” He paused and lifted my chin so our eyes met. “Why don’t you let your father take care of it?”
This was the first time he asked and didn’t hint.
“That’s not possible.”
“Why?” His hold tightened as he brought me closer, our lips nearly touching. “Tell me.”
“He’s not around Kellen. Permanently.”
He stiffened slightly. “And who takes care of you both? Who’s been providing all of your needs?”
“Not now,” I pleaded, trying to look away.
“Yes, now,” he argued, “what money do you have?”
I sighed. “We can take care of ourselves.”
The last thing I wanted was his charity. I didn’t want him to look at me differently than he did now or think of me as poor or needy. What if his parents or sister thought I wanted him for his status or wealth?
“Renee, baby, we’ve been close now for months. Surely you know how I feel about you.”
I did. “I know.”
“Then trust me. I want to know that you’re taken care of, that you have plenty to eat and you’ll be alright when I’m gone.” He leaned in and nibbled my bottom lip. “We’re getting serious. I’m serious about you.”
My eyes widened. What was he saying?
“Renee, I love you.”
I gasped. “What?”
He smiled that cocky grin of his and crushed me to his chest. “I’m in love with you.”
He didn’t have to kiss me, I leaned in first, hugging him around the neck with tears in my eyes. “Kellen, I love you too.”
When our lips met, full of passion, I knew he was the future I would choose and fight for, all the way until the end. As long as he loved me, I’d never give up hope.
LATER THAT NIGHT I followed Aedan as he left the house, determined to find out what he was involved in. Once or twice he nearly caught me but I darted into the shadows before he could see. If only I could take that night back, perhaps I could have stopped the catastrophic chain of events that followed. I’ll never know if staying home would have delayed the inevitable or if my presence only added fuel to the fire.
The only thing for certain was that this night I would be forced to make choices that affected not only my own future but Aedan’s as well.
We arrived at a local inn across town. The Bumbling Oaf was a popular tavern with men across the valley. Ladies of the night sauntered about, plying the oldest trade in existence. Loud and raucous teasing, boisterous singing, and plenty of ale and mead were bandied about well into the wee hours of early morn.
I found Aedan seated at a long table of men playing cards. Cigar smoke filtered into the hazy air, joined by the large hearth that sported a roaring fire to chase away the chill of late winter. The room was too warm and sweat poured down the faces of those who had taken up dancing. Clapping hands startled me as I slid passed, concealing myself within the darkest corner of the room. Hood up, I kept my identity hidden from those who would take advantage of a girl alone.
I managed to catch myself from nodding off but boredom was setting in. I didn’t quite understand why Aedan was associating himself with these people, drinking and flirting with the barmaids, and gambling. What was becoming of my younger brother?
“Hey!” A burly man nearly twice Aedan’s size jumped to his feet. “You’re cheating!” His voice was slurred as he rose and swung a meaty fist at my brother.
Aedan laughed. “You drunk idiot. I never cheat.”
His humor was not appreciated. “I’ll show you better than to lie and cheat a Braunn.”
Who the hell was a Braunn?
Five seconds later I got my answer as a bunch of men who resembled the drunk approached Aedan, cornering him.
Shit.
“Let’s go!” Aedan shouted and it took me a few seconds to realize he was staring right at me and gesturing for the door.
We ran into the dark night as Aedan took my hand and chuckled loudly, running into the forest.
“This isn’t funny!” I whispered furiously. “What the hell are you doing Aedan?”
“Shhh!” He admonished and pulled me along for the hour trek toward home.
We might have made it but the next series of events cemented the drastic turn this night was going to take. A low howl split the air as Aedan stiffened.
“Lycan?” I should have remained quiet.
He didn’t answer but rushed through the forest at a hastened pace. Lake Barrow was to our right. Home was only a brisk hour walk from here but too far for us to lose the Lycan. Several more howls joined the one from a moment ago.
We were being hunted.
“Run and don’t look back Renee. I love you!” Aedan pushed me away after a quick kiss against my cheek.
He thought he could force me from his side but I’ve been protecting Aedan since the day he was born. Tonight would be no exception and I wasn’t about to let him become a midnight snack for the Lycan. I kept a small dagger in my boot at all times. Yanking it free I began to stalk the hidden shadows for my prey.
Two howls pierced the night, one to my left and one to my right. My scent was downwind which meant they were searching for my location or maybe Aedan’s position too. Splitting up was stupid but perhaps we could confuse them by having our scent spread out.
A rustling in the bushes ahead caught my attention. I pressed my back against the nearest tree, my heart racing wildly in my chest. Heavy breathing and a low growl were my only indication that I was caught. Clenching the knife in my hand, I darted out and plunged the blade into the chest of the Lycan who stood towering over me.
With a scream I yanked the steel back out, ducking and rolling out of the way of his sharp claws as they swiped and a rumbling howl of pain escaped his lips. I don’t think I did much damage but my only objective was escape. Running in the opposite direction, I nearly smacked right into another of the abominations. He spun on me, snarling and snapping his jaws as drool dripped from the slimy canine teeth only inches from my face.
Fight or flight kicked in and I dropped, swiping my leg and taking out the Lycan who was too stunned to realize I knocked his feet out from under him. My advantage was being faster and smaller than these creatures whose height was well over six feet. More growls and snarls surrounded me from all directions. They were closing in.
Where was Aedan?
“Renee!”
I’ve heard my brother yell many times since we were kids but never with as much fear as his voice held at that moment. Forgetting everything but him, I ran through the trees, nearly frantic with worry. When I burst through I nearly passed out in fright. Aedan was surrounded by a dozen of the brutes but it wasn’t the Lycan that caused my skin to crawl.
It was the demon who held him.
Chapter 3
The demon was cloaked in a form similar to human but I knew better. I saw the crimson haze to the eyes, the dark edge that vibrated close to his frame, and the evil that emanated from his every pore. Maybe I was more perceptive than most but I knew the game had changed and I must be careful now.
Holding up my hands in surrender I approached with caution. “We seem to have a misunderstanding.”
My brother shook his head sharply but I ignored him.
“Little girl, you are coming with me. I’ve been sent to fetch you.” His voice was warbled, like he carried a bag full of marbles in his wide gaping mouth.
I might have made a sarcastic comment but his words sank in as I trembled. “Go where?”
The demon laughed, the only sound that seemed to agree with his temporary form. I wondered what human he possessed. Was it someone I knew?
“To my master below.”
I think I
was going to have a heart attack. Did I hear that right?
The demon sneered at my expression. “Bring the girl and the boy.”
Hell.
For a moment I wished that Kellen would appear. Maybe, just maybe, the Guardian knights would show up and fight the evil that threatened us. Maybe I could receive the fairy tale and true love’s kiss but nothing happened, of course. I wasn’t the girl that got rescued by her knight in shining armor or lived happily ever after. Tonight was only a reminder of how precarious our survival always was and always would be.
Aedan and I were doomed. The Fates must hate us.
His eyes met mine and both of us smirked. Danger, fear, unknown circumstances – we were familiar with how this worked. In an odd way it was comforting because I knew we could make it and live another day. No matter what happened, nothing was worse than years of childhood abuse. If we could survive my father, we could survive this night.
Death was less threatening than that man.
Hours later Aedan stood next to my side as we stopped in front of the Lake of Eternal Fire. Flowing beneath the throne of the Death Dealer, who was none other than Death himself, the heat rose up to scorch the room. Sweat trickled down my back but I never moved. Aedan blinked as he reached for my hand and squeezed.
The events of this night would be irreversible. Whatever fate awaited us, we would face it together, like we have since childhood.
Flames licked their way up the black throne, chiseled out of volcanic rock. The dark cavern we stood in was littered with hundreds of shadows, demons, and malevolent. Low wails and keening, excited little chitters, and clicking could be heard around the room.
In the Lake of Eternal Fire bobbed the bodies of human souls who met their final moments in torment. A mixture of lava and human blood, the river bubbled and gurgled, the screams of those who could not escape piercing the air in agony and despair. I tried to avert my gaze. Human souls perished in the underworld but as descendants we could linger without harm, at least for a short duration. Long term exposure carried its own hazards.
My gaze rose to the Death Dealer whose eyes were already fixed on mine.
“Renee, we meet at last.”
I didn’t ask how he knew my name. “Why are we here?”
Death laughed, a sound that rattled his bones and the thin flesh that covered his archaic frame. “You are never anything but blunt, are you?” He seemed humored.
“That’s not an answer. We may be at your mercy here but we’re descendants. Your power is limited.” I hoped the reminder would aggravate him enough that he didn’t toy with us for long.
“You don’t fear this place. Either of you. Why?” He sat back, steepling his fingers, as if he was asking how I enjoyed the weather at a dinner party. He wouldn’t be rushed.
I sighed dramatically as if addressing a child. “Our father is much worse.”
This information seemed to interest him a great deal. “Is this father alive?”
Aedan scowled. “Yes.”
“I can change that. Would you like to end his life?”
Ah, here we go. I knew there was a motive. “No, thank you. We don’t have need of your services.”
At this Death laughed loudly, his booming voice echoing off the walls. “I like you Renee.”
“I can’t say the feeling is mutual.”
This earned me another pompous grin, his thin lips raised in a curling sneer that might have been less horror filled if he wasn’t so deplorable. Muscle and sinew connected the bones of his body but he wasn’t covered by skin, rather a thin filmy substance like fascia. The result was a sickening view of vessels, blood, and shriveled body parts. He was magnificently grotesque.
“What do you want of us?” Aedan scowled in my direction. He didn’t like that Death had taken an interest in me. I wasn’t all that keen either.
Death rose, his body snapping and cracking as he stood, clawed feet slamming down on the ebony rock as he descended. Once he was towering above me, his fingers touched my chin and lifted it until we met eye to eye. “You have great power. I want it. I want you.”
Shocked, I backed up, nearly falling down. “I’m not yours. My soul doesn’t belong to you.”
“Not yet,” he replied calmly, “but it will. Soon.”
Aedan pulled me close as he began to back up toward the exit. “I believe my sister gave you an answer.”
Death chuckled. “But she didn’t hear the bargain yet.”
“What bargain?” Fear churned in my gut. This was going to be bad.
“You’re a liar, a thief, a cheat, and a swindler Aedan.” Death seemed to enjoy saying those words. “You’ve deceived your sister, stolen from innocent people, and taken a life. The Darkness demands your payment and I am here to collect.”
I held up a shaking hand to halt Death as he approached. “Wait. Aedan hasn’t taken a life.”
“Oh, but he has. A life that deserved death, but a life nonetheless.”
I shook my head. “You lie.”
“He speaks the truth.” Aedan hugged me tight, his face buried in my neck. “I killed that man for what he did to us...to you, and I don’t regret it. Not then and not now.”
My knees buckled as he caught me. “You killed our father?”
“Yes.”
“When?” I asked, tears filling my eyes. How could he carry such a burden and not tell me?
“Last month.”
No wonder he had become so withdrawn and angry. “Why? Why couldn’t you trust me?”
Remorse crossed his features. “I didn’t want to involve you Renee. You carry enough burden for us both. Just once, I wanted to take care of things as man of the house. It’s my job to keep us both safe. I had to do it.”
“But...” I couldn’t speak passed the lump in my throat. “Aedan.”
“At first I wanted to confront him that was all. I needed to hear him say he was sorry for how he treated us but he didn’t care.” Bitterness crept into his voice. “He couldn’t be bothered to confess. You know what he told me? He said you deserved everything he gave you, especially as you grew older.” Aedan’s voice broke as I held him, biting my lower lip.
“It’s done Aedan. The past should stay buried there.”
“No,” he roared, “he doesn’t get to walk away. He didn’t get to say those vile things and hurt you and not suffer for it. So I took care of him. I ended his pitiful existence before he could say one more word. He shouldn’t be living or breathing. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Oh Aedan,” I sobbed, holding him close, “don’t you see? You’ve killed now.”
“Yes, and I accept punishment, whatever it may be.”
I wiped my eyes and turned to Death who watched me in eager anticipation. He was ready for my question, nearly giddy. “What’s the bargain?”
“Your life for his.”
“No!” Aedan shoved me behind him, ready to attack Death. Such a stupid boy.
“What are the terms? How long do I have to decide?”
Death smiled, a grin that was akin to a scary clown. “Your life becomes mine, to do with as I please. I will give you until midnight tonight.”
“So I would serve you? How?”
“In any way I wish. Do we have a bargain?”
“What happens to Aedan?”
“Nothing, he is free.”
“Never to be approached again?” I clarified.
“Yes, his soul will be as free as it was prior to this night, with the exception of the kill he’s been hiding. The Taint will be washed away. The Lycan will no longer hunt him.”
So that was why they chased us. I sent a glare in Aedan’s direction.
“I refuse to kill.” There were some actions I would not complete. This was one of them.
“Agreed. Any other stipulations?”
“My body is my own. I won’t be forced to do anything.” Never again.
“I agree.”
“I want to return home. I’ll give you my decision at midnigh
t.”
Death grinned, knowing he had already won. “Goodnight Renee. Until we meet again.”
Chapter 4
I paced the length of the house, my nerves a frazzled mess. For a few hours I managed to rest but I couldn’t stay in bed any longer with the way that Aedan was throwing things around the house and banging dishes in his anger.
“Aedan.”
At the sound of my voice his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry Renee.”
I hugged him from behind, resting my head on his strong lean back. For a few minutes neither of us said anything. “I won’t allow you to hand over your soul Aedan.”
“So you think you should sacrifice yourself instead? In order to save me?” He gripped my arms in desperation. “Haven’t you done that enough?”
“No, that’s the thing Aedan. I love you. You’re my little brother. Everything I’ve ever done has been to give you a better life. Don’t you see? There’s no other choice.”
“No,” he argued, “There’s always a way.”
“Not this time.” I was firm on that. We would have to handle this the right way.
Tears filled his eyes but he blinked them away. “I don’t accept that. I could run.”
“Not anywhere far enough. They would hunt you until the day you died. What kind of life is that?” I shook my head. “The only choice is trading myself for you. Maybe I can find a way out of the contract.”
“He’s Death Renee. There’s no escape.”
I didn’t reply. He was right.
“Don’t fight me, just let me make this choice. Please.”
Outside, close to the front door, I heard voices.
“Kellen is here.”
“Don’t tell him. After tonight it won’t matter but let me have this last night with him,” I begged.
Aedan sighed. “I think you should tell him. What if he could save us? What if he knows a way out?”
Maybe the Guardians did know how to defeat Death but I knew it wouldn’t help my brother. I had to keep his secret in order to save his life. “I’ll think on it.”
Aedan stomped passed Kellen and Seasnan as they entered, greeting them both briefly before he slammed the door.