by D. N. Leo
Michael scrambled to his feet to give chase. Cole tackled him again.
“Let him kill Lythe, Cole.”
Cole stopped fighting as soon as he heard the soothing female voice. Michael looked behind him where a beautiful woman in a long white dress stood. A halo of light surrounded her.
“She deserves to die, Mai, but she can be used for more important purposes,” Cole said.
There was something about this woman called Mai that Michael found hauntingly familiar. He would have liked to have talked to her to figure it out, but for now, he was on a mission. He ran in the direction where Lythe had just vanished.
Cole stopped him in his tracks again.
“Let me go. You claim to be my father, yet you’re on the side of the creature that wanted to kill me.”
“I don’t claim to be your father. I am your father. I’m not taking Lythe’s side, but she traded your mother’s soul and hundreds of other souls, and we can’t get them back if you kill her.”
“Why do you point at her,” Michael asked, seeing Cole pointing at Mai, “when you talk about my mother’s soul?”
Cole dropped his hand and looked at Mai.
Michael looked at the woman, too, waiting for an answer.
Tears rolled down her face. “Sara Fraser’s body was a vessel I lived in for the eight years I took care of you. She was supposed to die before you were born. I don’t deserve you, Michael. To hide you from Lythe, I took half of your power and deposited it into Lyla. To secure the power, I made her your soul mate. You and she can only be whole when you are together. Together, you are the One that Lythe has been looking for. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean you made Lyla my soul mate?”
“She cast a love spell on Lyla,” said Jaxper.
“But she’s very strong, Michael. She’s the daughter of Ciaran LeBlanc, the most powerful man in the multiverse. I’m sure her feelings aren’t caused solely by the spell—”
“I don’t care!” Michael threw his arms in the air. “It doesn’t matter if her feelings for me are caused by a love spell. You can’t do that to people. She’s the princess of Eudaiz. There are things larger than our lives and all those love butterflies you’re talking about. There’s going to be a bloodbath in the multiverse. We’re trying to stop that war from happening. That’s hard enough, and now you’re making us do that while under your love spell as well?”
“Don’t talk to your mother that way, Michael,” Cole scolded.
“You both literally come out of the woods now, telling me you’re my parents and that you also cast a spell on me—for my convenience. What do you expect me to say?”
“Spells and magic are sacred, Michael,” Jaxper said.
“Like your love spell on Gale. What does that spell give you other than disaster, Jaxper? You will never be able to tell if his feelings for you are true. And he might never dare to talk to you again because he doesn’t know which is which.”
“The love spell saved Lyla’s life once. That’s something you should appreciate,” Mai said.
“When?” Michael asked.
“Ten years ago in a hologame. A creature was about to kill Lyla, so I cast a love spell on it to save her. It worked,” Mai said.
“That was what you used? I thought it was a protective spell. A trade,” Cole said.
Mai shook her head. “No, the creature was too strong. I was afraid that, because I have no direct ties to Lyla, the protective spell wouldn’t work fast enough or be strong enough.”
“So you cast a love spell on a random creature and you didn’t tell us and let us travel into the Kingdom of Champa for Lythe’s ashes? If Gale hadn’t opened the portal to get us back here, we’d still be stranded in that land with unknown magic and all sorts of spells hanging over our heads!”
“But Gale didn’t open the portal. He was still looking for you. We thought you found your way back by yourself!” said Jaxper.
Chapter 26
Lyla couldn’t find Michael and Jaxper. Jaxper had been pretty upset when she left Gale. Lyla thought Michael had gone for a walk with her to give her some comfort. She had to admit Michael was good at that. There was something in him that always made people feel comfortable and safe.
When this whole war ordeal was resolved, she couldn’t imagine life without him in it. But if she was exiled forever, she would be looking at a life on her own. That was for sure.
She saw a movement in the woods. She turned on her internal micro-system and did a quick scan, but she wasn’t be crazy enough to go into the woods by herself.
She saw nothing suspicious but felt a cold breeze blowing at her back. Before she could turn to see what it was, she was lifted off the ground. The thing that grabbed her by the back had sharp claws that cut into her flesh. Searing pain shot through her head.
She managed to turn her head, and she saw Kan’s face.
Kan was a high caliber mercenary and a space creature that took a human male’s form, but she had no idea he could fly. She had fought him before, and she didn’t think highly of him.
“What do you want from me, Kan?”
“You wouldn’t give it to me, Lyla, so I might have to force you.”
“Try me.”
“I am.”
She flexed her hands and aimed two fire balls at his wings. He roared and dropped her to the ground. She lay face down on the damp grass and didn’t move, dazed after being dropped from such a significant height. And then suddenly Kan dropped down on top of her from above.
She could see his face clearly now, a human face, If he weren’t doing what he was now doing, she might consider him handsome. He straddled her. She couldn’t move, not because of his weight on her, but because her hands and feet were pinned by the tentacles that grew from his singed wings.
His face was so close to her she could smell his breath. “You obviously don’t recognize me, Lyla.”
“Remind me.”
“We met in the hologame ten years ago.”
“You were that creature?”
“Yes, and I’m still that creature. But I fell for you. I took this human form just to be compatible with you. I floated around the multiverse for years, searching for you, Lyla.”
“Then set me free, and we can be together.”
“Oh, you’re a smart cookie, Lyla. I know that much. I don’t care about your family’s power. I only care about you. I want to be with you, Lyla, but you’re a Eudaizian royal. You will never consider me an equal. You can never be with a rogue mercenary like me.”
“How can you be so sure? We’ve never talked.”
He chuckled. “You think I’m stupid?”
“Not at all.”
“You have a reputation, Lyla. You’re a talker. A negotiator. A leader. A goddess to many in the Daimon Gate. So I’ve heard. But you can’t trick me.”
“I have no intention of tricking you.”
He shook his head. “I know my place. I can never have your love. But I cannot live without you. I have to have you.” He lowered his head and kissed her.
She bit his lip and turned her face away. She struggled and tried to pull her limbs from his grasp. She couldn’t get out from under him. His tentacles pinned her hands and feet like nails. A tear rolled down her face.
“Oh no, I made my princess cry!” He rubbed a thumb over her cheek. “How about you beg me? I might change my mind then.”
She was the princess of Eudaiz, and that wasn’t a solution she’d ever consider. She was her parents’ proud daughter, and one day she would lead that universe. She would die with dignity, but she would not beg.
“I guess that’s a no,” Kan said.
His tentacles began to tear off her clothes. His hands were all over her body. She could turn her hands, summon the fire, and burn him. But he was straddling her. Burning Kan meant killing herself as well.
She was Lyla J. LeBlanc. She might die in battle, but she would not kill herself to avoid bodily pain. If he killed her, so be it. He could rape her body, but
he could never destroy her spirit. As long as she lived, she could be useful to her people, to her universe.
She closed her eyes, shut down her mind, and let him violate her.
The noise.
The movement.
The violation of her body.
The pain may have been unbearable, but she shut all of it out. The only thing she needed to keep in mind was that she must not die. She must live, and she must not let her spirit be broken.
After a while, her body and mind were so numb she couldn’t feel or hear much. But she felt Kan’s weight lifted from her body. She heard shouting and commotion. Michael’s voice.
She rolled over, searching for whatever was left of her clothes. When the numbness faded, she ached everywhere. She was cold, and her teeth chattered. Her mind wasn’t working properly. She couldn’t tell much of what was happening around her.
Then she felt Michael’s familiar arms wrap around her. There, she felt some warmth. She nuzzled into him, seeking comfort. He said something, but she couldn’t quite hear him. She felt the muscles in his body quivering. He could feel her pain.
She felt safe now. Maybe she should get some rest. She let her head loll into his chest and shut her eyes.
Chapter 27
Lyla opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a bench. Soft fabric cocooned her body. The mild fragrance of wildflowers hovered in the air. She thought it must be Jaxper’s work. She could tell she was in the dark cave that Jaxper’s witch clan used for healing. Michael sat, leaning against the cave wall.
Seeing her awake, he came over and sat next to her. He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his soft green eyes. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Okay…” She began to feel the physical wounds on her body. She turned her internal healing system on and accelerated it.
In a short while, the pain subsided significantly. In just another moment, she knew the wounds would be negligible.
“How long was I out?”
“Long enough. I know you’re healing now. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“Once you’re healed, I’m taking you back to the Daimon Gate.”
“We have things to sort out before that, don’t we?”
“I’m taking you to the Daimon Gate,” he repeated. “From there, if Eudaiz doesn’t take you, I’m taking you to Iilos. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Michael, it wasn’t your fault.”
“Yes, it was. There is nothing I can do to fix it. And I know that.”
She could see the pain in his eyes, and she knew she couldn’t convince him to think otherwise about what happened. He’d carry this guilt for the rest of his life.
“All right. Let me heal first.”
He nodded and stood to leave. When he was at the door, she called out, “Michael, these are just physical wounds. They’ll heal. You know that, right?”
He nodded then exited the cave.
In a second, Gale rushed in and sat down next to the bench.
“I’m going to repeat to you what I told Michael. These are only physical wounds. I will heal them.”
Gale nodded.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded again.
“Have you made more progress on tracking the shadow and the mastermind?”
He nodded.
“Can you do something other than nod?”
Silence.
“What did Michael do to Kan?”
“He chopped him into pieces. Then he burned Kan into pile of ash.”
“And you? What did you do?”
“I mixed the ashes with the most toxic and contaminated dirt, and I scattered it everywhere. It will never reform. If I had the option to use more technology, and we were in the multiverse, I would have made sure it was all disintegrated.”
“All right. Have you talked to Jaxper?”
Gale shook his head.
“Well, this is your chance. Could you get her for me, please?”
Gale nodded, stood, and exited the cave.
In a short moment, Jaxper entered.
“How do I look, Jaxper?”
“Beaten, but getting better by the second.”
“Yes, I’m healing. Could you do me a favor? I need some new clothes. I guess that’s the one thing my internal healing mechanism can’t help me with.”
“Clothes?”
“Yes, Kan tore off my clothes. And these scraps of fabric will fall off when I stand up, won’t they?”
“Yes, but—”
“You think I must be devastated? Should I be crying?”
“I know you’re from the multiverse, and we’re different and all, but do you know what happened to you?”
“Kan raped me. He wounded my body—but he can never break my spirit.”
Jaxper went to the compartment in the corner of the cave and started to pull out some clothing. “It’s good to know your spirit isn’t broken. That wasn’t what it looked like when we found you.”
Lyla shifted, sat up, and leaned against the wall. “It must be, judging by the looks on the men’s faces.”
“What?”
“Gale and Michael, especially Michael—they’re devastated because of what happened to me. They’re more broken than I am.”
Jaxper came back to the bench with the items of clothing. “So what are you going to do, Lyla?”
“I’ll fix them.”
Jaxper nodded. “Anything else you need, apart from the clothes?”
“Just some time by myself so I can get dressed. Grab me some weapons if you can.”
Jaxper nodded and exited the cave.
Sitting in the dark for a little longer, Lyla felt her stomach churning. She darted to a corner and was violently ill.
She sat down to let her stomach settle. Soon after, she got up and put on the clothes Jaxper had given her. She walked over to a small shiny piece of metal on the wall and looked at her reflection. All the cuts and bruises on her face were gone. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, a sign of weakness. She pulled her hair back, then exited the cave.
Chapter 28
Someone called her name. Lythe’s substance flew to the part of the woods where the temple with her ashes used to be. She hated to refer to her formlessness as simply substance, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She traded souls as her main business, and she had been successful for hundreds of years—until Cole. That had been such a poor trade and an ill plan on her part.
She’d underestimated the spirit of a soldier.
When Cole was desperate to save Mai, she tricked him into making a deal—that he would spend the rest of his existence creating her a child who would grow up to be the Son of Fire. She had secured the eternal binding deal in the House of Gods so that Cole had no way to get out of it.
To save Mai, she had turned her into a soulless witch—without Mai’s consent—and that creation had cost her. But the benefit of having a Son of Fire outweighed all the thousands of years being the goddess. It was worth it until Cole figured it out.
To create the Son of Fire, Cole had to consummate a union—and it had to be with the right human at the right time. After he figured out what each soulless witch creation without consent cost her, he spent every moment of his unlimited time in the immortal life he now had to turn as many witches as possible in the name of her deal. He deliberately chose the wrong witches, those who would never give her the Son of Fire.
The costs piled up, and eventually Lythe lost her form, floating from place to place to pass time. She thought she would remain like this for eternity—until she found out she actually had a Son of Fire and that Mai had managed to suppress half of the power. She didn’t know how Mai managed to do that, but half was better than nothing.
She arrived at the forest, and what she saw made it worth all the time she had been waiting.
On the ground, Michael stood, desperate, confused, just like his father a long time ago. This was
her chance. Michael had only half strength, but she swore to the thousands of gods she would make the deal work for her this time.
“How dare you call for me after you burned me?”
“I thought you wanted to hurt Lyla. My job is to protect her. I had no choice but to burn you.”
“So what’s different now?”
“I know you want me, not Lyla.”
“That’s correct. But that wouldn’t make you want to give yourself to me.”
“There’s a creature in the multiverse that wants to burn and take the souls of all the creatures in and out of the multiverse. I know you’re a goddess and a soul trader. Do you know of such a creature and where to find it?”
“Why do you want to find it?”
“It sent a creature to rape Lyla. I need to find it and kill it.”
“That’s unlike him. Raping gives him no value. He wants souls and their essence, bones and ashes.”
“You talk as if you know the creature.”
“I do. What will I get in return for giving you the information you want?”
Michael shifted his stance. She could tell this was the important information he had been looking for.
“What do you want other than me? I’m here, and you can take me. But that’s all I have.”
“All right, should we agree on a deal then?”
“Not so fast. How do I know you’ll give me the right information? I need to meet the creature. After I kill it, I’ll give myself to you, and you can do whatever you want to me.”
“How do I know you won’t burn me as soon as I give you the information?”
Michael pulled a small jar from his pocket. “I’m the commander in chief of Iilos. I have a code of ethics. But I don’t expect you to trust me, so here is proof of my good intentions. Your ash is in here. I believe you want it.” He placed the jar on the ground.
Lythe dove into the jar. It was like inhaling a breath of clean air after being suffocated for years. Her body formed instantly, her feet touching the ground after so many years.
Michael took off his coat and covered her naked body.
Lythe smiled. She was pleased.