Demon Singer

by Nichols, Benjamin

  I can work with this Lover, but it might break your mind, back off.

  Lyric recognized the wisdom in these words and ignored the nagging dissonance, concentrating instead on the euphoric experience of singing with the demoness. Exhilaration and a dizzying sense of completeness overwhelmed him. As he opened his eyes, he tried to discern what was different. It was as if he could see more. Examining the patch of ground that used to hold Errol's cottage he saw different shades of brown and gray and various densities in the dirt. He could hear ants working and see spiders hunting. He could feel the air move when a butterfly passed over the wreckage. His largest surprise was looking at his companions. With a start, he realized he was experiencing the second sight. Errol was considerably more youthful than he thought. Joe was covered in a dense, brilliantly white cloud, Acheron looked just as beautiful as ever, but had black and violet sparks and flames that danced off her body wherever it moved. The shock came when he looked at Cadence. She was radiantly beautiful and shone with a silvery glow. Except for the violet streak in her hair. It blazed so brightly that it almost looked like a dancing violet flame. It's luminosity revealed that it not only traveled down the left side of her face, but down her shoulder, around her upper arm all the way down her forearm to an ugly black scar in the shape of a hand encircling her wrist. Lyric set this aside for later reflection remembering Joe's chastising.

  You're losing focus.

  Lyric pulled his attention back to the task at hand. He envisioned a grand home, picturing large thick windows, rustic plank flooring, strong walls with a solid roof and various amenities that might be appealing to a man living in the bayou. Unbidden, strange and beautiful ideas flooded his mind; cascading fountains, flower beds with large fragrant blossoms. Victorian architecture and industrial accents gave the house a decidedly steam punk feel. He realized as these elements meshed with his own that he was seeing Acheron's influence and in spite of himself found it captivating. The tingling exhilaration spiraled higher and higher within him. As it reached its peak, Lyric pulled their song into the music of the bayou.

  He was awestruck by what happened next. Trees sprung from the ground, dropping foliage that became lushly carpeted flooring. The trees wove together and became walls and beams. Metals flowed from the earth and formed pipes and appliances. Lyric watched his envisioned house go through the entire fabrication process on the spot as the Song of Creation absorbed his song, turning fantasy to reality.

  As it became solid, Lyric let the song end and breathed a shaky sigh of contentment tinged with a bitter sense of loss. The sight left him and he again saw normally. Even without the sight, though, the result of their endeavor was stunning. Where Errol's dilapidated shack had stood was a large beautiful home, sturdy, stocked, furnished and landscaped. It matched their vision identically and Lyric couldn't help but smile at the beautiful and fragrant lilac bush that looked as though it was ancient as the bayou itself. His smile froze when he noticed that entangled in the branches of the lilac and rooted right next to it was a stand of white heather. The flower of which was a symbol of his guild. He pondered the portent indicated by his guild's flower being entangled with the lilac he'd come to associate with Acheron. Dismissing such thoughts for the time being, he forced his attention to his companions and their reactions to the work wrought by Acheron and himself.

  Errol was already inside, exploring his new home. Cadence was sitting against a tree, her face pale and drawn in pain. He started toward her when a hand lay firmly on his shoulder.

  "Now's not the time, boy. That revelation will need some patience." Joe's soft voice didn't match his grip.

  "What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?"

  "She'll make it. When you approach her though, you should be alone. And as I said, now's not the time."

  Lyric regarded the Prophet Man thoughtfully.

  "How did you know we could build that house?"

  "You're a Singer. Young and inexperienced you may be, but greatness sleeps within you. The day will come when you set your selfishness aside and wake it up." The old man patted Lyric's shoulder and headed towards Errol's new house smiling at the delighted shouts of the man exclaiming he had hot water.

  "Did you like our signature, Lover?" Acheron's breath on his ear sent a spasm through the by now familiar knot that twisted his lower back every time she was near him.

  "It was... interesting. What are the odds of me being able to convince you to stop making everything about sex, especially during a soul song?"

  Acheron stared at him with a mystified expression before she burst out in that laughter that sent tingles up his spine.

  "Are you referring to that delightful suggestion that we should have sex while singing?"

  "What else?" Lyric growled uncomfortably. Acheron pressed her body against his and whispered in his ear, Lyric blanched at her words.

  "That thought didn't come from me, Lover."

  * * *

  Lyric, Cadence and Acheron took their leave early the next morning. Lyric wondered briefly where Acheron spent the night, but the brief glimpse he caught of Errol following her around like a lovesick teenager as they prepared to depart convinced him he didn't want to know. The Prophet Man vanished in the night without a word to anyone.

  Errol was determined to travel with them to protect Acheron from the dangers of the bayou. Acheron was very clear that wasn't going to happen. She was so clear, Lyric had to sing a healing song to repair the concussion she used to emphasize her point. Thankfully, Errol chose to take her seriously and stayed with his beautiful new home.

  "So what did your fortune teller say?” Acheron hooked her arm through Lyric’s as they headed back toward Sta Catoe.

  Lyric unhooked her arm before replying.

  “He said a lot, the majority of which made no sense to me. The one part of the prophecy that was clear is that Markhato is in danger. That’s something we already knew though, so the only conclusion that I can reach is that we need to start there in search of a way to sever our tie.”

  “So it’s off to Markhato then!”

  16 OUCH!

  Lisian stalked back and forth among the corpses littering the floor. Keith Normvy knelt in sullen humiliation, waiting for her to kill him.

  "How hard can it possibly be to kill one Singer without his companion? You are supposed to be this bad ass warrior and you and your Verger get beaten by a Singer who doesn't even know the eighth measure yet!"

  Normvy didn't bother replying. The last person to speak to Lisian during her rant was by the bar... and by the stairs... and a little bit by the front door. The Dancing Demon was likely going to have to change its name.

  "You can't kill your Master, you can't get me into your Guild, and you can't kill a student. What good to me are you?" Lisian rounded on him and Normvy flinched in spite of himself. His anger surpassed his fear and loosened his tongue.

  "I'm one of the most accomplished soul singers in the world, Lisian. Without me, you wouldn't have your pet psycho. Without me, you wouldn't even know the identity of the high master. Without me, you wouldn't have found Legion, nor come up with your plan to overthrow your master. Let's not forget we have a deal demon."

  Lisian glowered at the soul singer, seriously considering - yet again - just killing him. Still, he told the truth. He had been invaluable in helping get this far.

  "Go back to your Guild, Keith. Go back to bullying students and lying to your master. Be quiet and be still. I'll call for you when I need you."

  Lisian smoked out.

  * * *

  Lyric and Cadence drove into Denton, Texas. Acheron had become bored with tormenting the two of them and taken off to hunt. Lyric was tired of driving and imagined that the same must be true for Cadence, though she'd never show any indication. It was with a mixed sense of relief that Lyric found a motel and pulled in. He wasn't thrilled about spending more of his dwindling resources on a room, but at the same time, it was far more comfortable than camping or sleeping in the car. Acheron h
ad offered to give him the Mandragora's money she'd taken, but he refused. The man at the desk looked over Lyric's beautiful protector and gave them a sly wink asking if they'd be renting the room all night or just an hour. Lyric coldly asked for a room with two beds, slapped the money on the counter, took the key from the attendant and left without another word.

  Parking the car in front of room seventeen, Lyric wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale cigarettes and frightened dog that hung in the parking lot as he grabbed their bags while Cadence unlocked the door. Following her into the room, he collided with her as she stopped abruptly. Flipping the light switch on he saw what surprised her. The Keylac sat comfortably in the chair on the opposite side of the room from them.

  "You can go ahead and put that pig sticker away, miss. It won't do any good on me, and besides, I mean neither of you any harm. Despite the disappointing outcome of the first payment, I'm here to deliver the terms of payment number two on Lyric's contract.” He gracefully rose and approached them on silent feet. “There is a black luxury sedan outside in the parking lot that needs to be delivered to a gentleman by the name of Aldrich Seam who lives about nine and one half hours away in Albuquerque, New Mexico at this address.” The Keylac held out a card with an address written in lovely, flowing script. “I don't like to be pushy, but this one is time sensitive and needs to be completed by nightfall the day after tomorrow."

  "What about my car?" Lyric asked.

  "Your car will be detailed, tuned up, gassed up and delivered to this address in Albuquerque." He motioned for Lyric to turn the card over...

  "If you're sending my car to Albuquerque anyway, why do I need to deliver yours?"

  The Keylac smiled patiently, his flawless white teeth and well-groomed appearance really didn't do much to compensate for the offensive odor that accompanied him.

  "That's not important, Lyric, all that matters is that you do it, as required by your contract." Abruptly the Keylac's composure seemed decidedly ruffled as his focus slid past Lyric at the same time Cadence whirled around to face the doorway they’d just entered. Lyric almost gagged at the suddenly overpowering stench of the Keylac's disquiet. Then the odor seemed to dissipate as the fresh scent of lilacs wafted through the air.

  "We'll deliver your master's car, asshole," Acheron's annoyed voice came from behind Lyric. "You are dismissed."

  The Keylac vanished and Lyric was sure he heard him yelp as he went.

  "I'm not super excited about driving his car if it smells like him." Lyric said stepping aside for Acheron to enter the room.

  "No worries, Lover, a few miles with the windows down and it will smell like us." The demoness made sure she brushed against him as she passed, sending jolts of electricity across his nerve endings.

  "We don't have a scent, Acheron." Lyric’s annoyance at his reaction to her touch was matched by his annoyance at her insistence of lumping them together.

  "Of course we do, I know you can smell it, it's really quite lovely."

  "The only thing I smell when you're around is lilac, which definitely doesn't come from me."

  Acheron laughed that magical, tinkling laughter that Lyric found so intoxicating.

  "That's not me, my obstinate Lover, it's us. I don't smell like that unless we're together."

  Lyric didn't know how to respond to this revelation, so he handed Cadence her pack and turned his attention to getting fresh clothes out and making for the bathroom...

  "I'm taking a shower."

  "Want some company?" Acheron called after him.

  "No!"

  Lyric got out of the shower to the sound of his phone ringing.

  "Hello, you've reached Lyric's answering service." Acheron purred. "I'm so sorry Lyric is otherwise occupied right now and unavailable to take your call, but if you tell me what you want I promise I'll tell him just as soon as-"

  Lyric plucked the phone from her hand.

  "This is Lyric," he said, giving Acheron an evil look that left her completely unfazed.

  "Lyric! It's Nit, I have news for you."

  "I found the Prophet Man, Nit. Did you have any luck with my town?"

  "That's part of the reason I'm calling. The town has been quarantined by the government. I snuck in anyway and almost got caught for my trouble. I haven't been able to figure out what happened there yet, but it's definitely weird. I have an idea, but it shouldn't be possible. I'll continue to look into it. Which way are you heading now?"

  Lyric didn't typically consider himself paranoid, but events of the last several days had made him a bit more circumspect when it came to security.

  "West," he replied vaguely.

  "Lots of goings on out west. Word around the Guild is that Lady Melody has been upgraded from serious threat to public enemy number one. Apparently, she's managed to amass a large army to march on Markhato. The Masters haven't been terribly worried up to now, but they took notice when the reports changed from a few thousand malcontents to a few hundred thousand well-trained zealots, many of whom are supernaturals of one kind or another. This is just within the last few months. Reports say she's found some former military man to train them who was discharged for being bat crap crazy. Since he's been in the picture, the army has grown to a size the likes of which hasn't been seen since the first second sight war. The Soul Singers Guild has decided it's time to get involved, they've recalled all Singers to prepare to help Markhato."

  "All the Singers?" Lyric asked in surprise.

  "All of them," Nit confirmed. "You know what they say, if Markhato falls so does the world.

  "There's more. Melody attacked and destroyed a small second sight city that served as one of the major food suppliers for Markhato. She left no survivors, but did leave a bunch of bodies to spell out 'the veil will fall'."

  "Sick," Lyric growled in disgust.

  "No doubt, brother. Apparently she tells her followers she's a goddess and she will punish the oppressors and rip the second veil so they can be free."

  "Wow, that's a whole special level of crazy isn't it?"

  "I want you to be careful, Lyric. There's another reason the council is getting involved." Nit's voice lowered. "There were three soul singers guarding that town, all three are dead. Hung at center of town."

  Lyric sat in stunned silence for so long Nit asked, "still there?"

  "Yeah, sorry," Lyric finally answered. "Nit, what the hell can possibly kill three soul singers?"

  "That's the question of the day my friend. If you find out, let me know."

  "Will do, thanks for the update."

  "Be safe, Lyric."

  Lyric ended the call and looked at Cadence and Acheron.

  "You remember that war I told you was brewing?" Acheron nodded. "That woman, Melody? She's destroyed an entire second sight city."

  "So maybe your town's disappearance has nothing to do with you and it is about your mother. Maybe someone needs leverage. " Acheron replied.

  "Maybe," Lyric admitted. "Though I can't say that makes me feel any better. There's more though. Three soul singers guarding that town were all killed and strung up in the middle of the city. Do you have any idea what could kill three Singers?"

  "I could. Legion, Trytohn, a handful of others could manage it alone. None that would make such an indiscreet move, though. Otherwise, it would take a well-trained army or two, and even then, they'd need a way to combat magic. Although," Acheron paused thoughtfully. "Those vamps we fought were being controlled, the banishing blade they had is ancient elven magic that shouldn't even exist anymore."

  "What's that got to do with anything?"

  "There's tremendous magic being used. Consider everything we've already faced since being together. Now Vampires, who hate elves, are wielding powerful weapons made by elves, who hate vampires. The last two vamps I killed seemed to be being controlled like marionettes.

  "How would vampires get their hands on any kind of elven magic?" Lyric wondered aloud.

  "If anyone could do it, it'd be the leeches." Ach
eron shrugged. "Regardless, things are escalating. We've got to continue your training."

  * * *

  “You've gotten comfortable focusing on the tie, do that and start your song.”

  Lyric closed his eyes as he sat cross-legged on the bed across from Acheron. When they decided to start working on the eighth measure, Cadence decided to leave. Listening to Acheron’s guidance, he began his soul song and moved along the tie toward the demoness. The familiar discord became evident and distracted him from his purpose. It was like a speed bump in their tie.

  You’re distracted. Acheron’s thoughts filled his head. You need to focus carefully, I’m not certain how this will go down and after the fireball you summoned at the Jam, I’d rather not have you blow us up because you can’t focus.

  Lyric pulled back from the tie carefully and stopped singing. Opening his eyes, he saw Acheron looking at him with an unreadable expression.

  “What?” He asked.

  “Nothing, handsome, let’s start again.”