by Bonnie Lamer
After a century or two, we finally see something ahead of us other than dark tunnel walls. It’s not a light at the end of the tunnel. No, I don’t think this place has anything that resembles true light. At least not of the solar kind. It is a flickering light. Probably from a fire. Hopefully not a giant fire pit like the hell from religions back home is described as. I would really prefer not to fall into a giant fire pit at the moment. I’m already sweating so much my skin is peeling under the moisture. Tabitha can whip up a great deodorant with her herbs and magic, but it definitely does not stand up to the heat of Demon hell. If I make it home, I seriously doubt Kallen will want me rushing into his arms until after I’ve had a shower.
We reach the end of the tunnel and Felix lets out a low whistle. At least, the closest sound to a whistle a creature with no lips can make. It’s actually more of a high pitched hum/exhale kind of thing. “Not much of a life for the other thirteen, is it?”
No, it isn’t. We have come to a large cavern, and by large, I mean colosseum large. The floor of the cavern is several stories down from us. With no way to get there other than to teleport, which I am not quite willing to do yet.
This is not an opulent cavern like the ones Hades has in hell. There are no buffet tables or comfy chairs. There is no furniture at all. The only thing in the cavern other than thirteen Demons is a blazing fire which is shooting flames a good twenty to thirty feet in the air. With each burst of light and heat, the layers of my skin deteriorate even more. At least I’m not sweating anymore. The air is so hot here, any moisture coming from my skin has instantly evaporated. Unfortunately, my eye sockets are trying to do the same thing. I glance down at my Familiars and find they are blinking maniacally like I am in an effort to generate lubrication. Alita, her mother and Keelan do not have this same issue. They are hot and uncomfortable, but not on the verge of passing out like I am.
The Demons, oddly enough, are also on the verge of passing out. I suspect this is because they have been exposed to this inferno for millennia. No living creature could be surrounded by this much heat and not succumb to it eventually. It just probably took them longer than most. But it has taken its toll. They are not moving. One may flick a hand or twitch its head every now or then, but for the most part, they are lying where they fell to the ground at some point. I seriously doubt there is any propagating going on anymore. These Demons can hardly move. Which explains why they have not replenished their numbers over the years following their war with the Angels.
Is this lethargy also a side effect of having all of their power syphoned away to be used by The Seven? No wonder they never revolted. I don’t remember who said the rest of the Demon population didn’t mind the sacrifice for The Seven, but I think they were misinformed. It’s not that these Demons don’t mind, it’s that they are unable to resist.
“Do you believe it is safe to go down there?” Felix asks.
I cock a brow at him. “Safe? I don’t think it’s safe to go anywhere near Demons wherever you are.”
A snort comes from behind me. “Yet you brought my son here.”
Guilt washes through me but I tamp it down. This is the only way, I repeat over and over in my head. When that doesn’t work, I make the decision to push on. “We need to find The Seven,” I announce.
“Do you see a door anywhere down there? If so, you are having hallucinations,” Taz informs me.
“There must be a way out,” I argue.
“There,” Alita points. I follow her finger and can just make out what she is pointing at.
Squinting, I ask, “Is that another tunnel entrance?” If so, it is just as high up as this one. Someone does not want those Demons down there to have any chance of escape.
Reading my mind, Taz muses, “I guess the masses don’t get to leave that room. Ever.” After a heartbeat, he adds, “I wonder why it’s not littered with excrement.”
I scowl down at him. “Does it really matter what Demons do with their poop?”
He shrugs his little shoulders. “I possess great curiosity. Something your feeble brain can obviously not appreciate.”
“I would assume they simply throw it in the fire,” Felix points out reasonably. I cannot believe he joined the conversation.
“You are probably right,” Taz agrees.
Shaking my head, I snap, “We’re going to the next tunnel. Maybe on the way out we stop in below and you can figure out where Demons do their business.”
“Much appreciated,” Taz says with a nod of his head like he thinks I’m being serious. I just roll my eyes.
Turning to Alita and her mother, I say, “I am going to let my magic go. Are you going to fight me on going forward?”
Alita cocks her head to the side. “Would it do any good?”
I shake my head and respond honestly. “No.”
“Why will you not tell us what is going on? Why did you bring us here?” Alita’s eyes slip to her mother. “I mean, I know why you brought Keelan, and I assume you brought me because he’s my son. But, why did you bring my mother?”
With a heavy sigh, I say pointedly, “You know, I wish I could tell you. Chances are we are being observed, though…”
Fear radiates through both Alita and her mother and they both glance around nervously. After a second, Alita squares her shoulders and brings her eyes back to mine. “I am going to trust you. For now. But, I want to hold my son.”
Thank god. Who knew babies could get so heavy? Letting my magic go, I gladly return Keelan to the arms of his mother. For the briefest of seconds, I see the idea of fleeing pass through Alita’s eyes. It must dawn on her that she just exited a labyrinth to which she has no map and she decides against it.
Reaching out, I grab hold of both Alita and her mother’s arms. Felix and Taz grab on to me. None too gently I might add. I am definitely going to talk to them about just how deeply they need to sink their teeth into my flesh to come along with me. Definitely not this deep.
Reading my mind once again, Taz says, “Um, Xandra, that’s not us biting you.”
Did he read my mind or did I speak my thoughts out loud? That thought is immediately pushed out of my head by the next one. “What?!” My eyes shoot to my ankle and sure enough, something is biting me, but it’s not one of my Familiars. Felix extends his snout and rips the Demon rat away. Along with some of my flesh. Immediately, I begin to feel woozy. Not from blood loss. I’m pretty sure the nasty little rat just poisoned me. It was probably following us waiting for me to release my magic so it could bite me. I knew this was all too easy until now.
30 Chapter
Poison or no, we need to make it to the other tunnel. “Hold on tight,” I tell everyone. Pulling magic, sluggish, heavy magic, I imagine us on the other side of the cavern in a hole in the wall just like the one we’re standing in. I am ever so relieved when I open my eyes and find us there.
“Xandra, are you alright?” Alita’s mother asks. She is probably asking because I just fell to my knees. Always the first clue someone is not alright and is probably about to pass out.
No, I refuse to pass out. I have a plan, damn it. I will not let the Demons win. The Angels, Grandma specifically, gave me the recipe. I mixed it together. Hopefully I measured everything correctly. It’s not like they told me if I would need a thimbleful of blood or a whole bucket of it. Blood. That reminds me. I haven’t mixed it all together. I have a feather doused with Cowan blood, but I haven’t added mine to it yet. I need to rectify that. Holding my hand out, I mumble, “Bite me.”
“Screw you, too,” Taz snarks back.
I shake my head and the walls of the tunnel waver. “No, I mean actually bite me.”
“Xandra,” Felix says in such a calm, soothing voice I want to lie down next to him and take a nap. That could be the poison, though. “There is no need for subterfuge now. Create a knife.”
Create a knife? Why would I do that? Oh, because I don’t need to trick myself into giving up my blood. I can just cut myself. I give Felix a lopside
d grin. “Good plan.” I do create a knife and I do cut myself. Not on the palm like they always do in TV shows and movies. Who the hell would cut their palm like that? That would hurt like a son of a bitch. Do they not know how many nerve endings are in a palm? Those directors need to take a few anatomy lessons. And it’s not like the blood coming out of a palm is different than the blood coming out of say my wrist. No. Wrists are bad, too. Anyway, blood is blood. It doesn’t matter where it comes from and it doesn’t need to be something showy like a palm. Just below my elbow. Yes. That’s a good place to take a little blood from. Just a little nick in my skin. Um, that might have been too deep. Actually, I didn’t even realize I already had the knife in my hand. Wow. This poison is really messing with my head.
“She is going to pass out,” a voice says from far away. It’s a pleasant, motherly voice. Alita’s mother. Yes, it’s her voice.
I force my hand to move. It’s starting to become painful to move. I think my joints are beginning to lock up. Still, I force my hand into my pocket and take out the feather from Grandma’s wing. I use it to wipe the blood from my arm.
“You could have created a tissue, you know,” Taz grumbles. But there’s no force behind his words. He’s afraid of what’s happening to me and just trying to hide his feelings behind snark.
I finish mopping up the blood, all the while hoping the poison running through my veins isn’t going to taint the spell. When it is thoroughly soaked, I pull out the other feather and I mash them together. I expect there to be a sizzling sound or something. I am sorely disappointed.
Waving a hand about toward no one in particular, I say, “Help me up.”
“It is doubtful you can stand right now,” Felix says unhelpfully.
“We need to keep going,” I insist.
“Why don’t you heal yourself first?” Taz asks. Is it my imagination or did he say that like I’m a complete idiot?
“I can’t heal this,” I slur. My tongue, I believe, has doubled in size. “It’s attacking my Angel blood. This is how they killed Angels.” I don’t know how I know that. Some innate sense, maybe?
“You are dying?” Alita gasps.
I scrunch my face up in the best scowl I can manage while my nerves are refusing to communicate in full sentences to my muscles. “Not if I can help it.”
Arms slide under my armpits and I am suddenly heaved to my feet. Wow, Alita’s mom is really strong. Must be all that gardening she does. “Come along then. I will help you.”
“Should we not turn back?” Alita asks. “We need to get you help.”
I shake my head and instantly regret it. The pain from the poison is really starting to set in. Unless I actually do have a thousand tiny soldiers firing tanks in my skull. Could happen in the world I live in. “We go forward,” I slur.
As we start walking, well I’m hobbling and they are walking, Alita’s mother says, “I wondered why the Demons were not coming after us.”
“Sent rats to do their dirty work,” I grumble. Ow, ow, ow. My legs hurt like hell now. I think the poison is made from the hell fire in the pit, because I believe it is literally burning through my veins and soft tissue.
My vision is dimming around the edges but I can still see the soft glow emanating from Keelan. Alita and he are taking the lead now. Taz is walking in front of me and Felix is following behind. Both are on the lookout for more rats. I doubt any more are coming. It seems one was enough to do me in.
After another century or two, we finally see something other than dark walls and other tunnels. Once again there is the flickering of light. Flames. Not a raging inferno like the last one. This one is smaller with significantly less heat emanating from it. Thank goodness. I don’t know if I could deal with the pain from the poison and the moisture sucking flames of the cavern.
When Alita stops abruptly, her mother and I run into her. What do you know, my skin is just as sensitive as my insides. “Ow!” I exclaim louder than I should. Though, it’s not like they don’t already know we’re here, or that I’m in pain. “Keep going,” I urge through clenched teeth.
“I cannot,” Alita says. “My feet will not move.”
My eyebrows try really hard to furrow. “Literally?”
This earns me a sour look. “No. I am scared.” For her son. I know Alita better than to think that she would not face Demons on her own if it meant saving everyone she loves.
“Me, too,” I assure her.
“Liar.”
She is right. I’m too painful to be scared. Pissed off and ready to get this over with is more like it. It is my sincerest hope that before I kill the damn Demons I can torture a recipe for an antitoxin out of them. Hopefully one exists. “We need to do this,” I tell her.
“I know.” Alita stares down at her son with the saddest expression I have ever seen in my life. “It is his destiny to die to save the universe.”
I open my mouth to say something about that but clamp it shut when a figure moves at the end of the tunnel. So, instead I say, “We found them.”
“Yes,” a voice calls. It’s Tana’s voice. “You have.”
Damn, I really hope this day doesn’t end with me having to kill Tana. Whether I have good reason or not, Dagda would never forgive me.
31 Chapter
“We’ve come to make a trade,” I call as loudly as my constricting vocal cords will allow. I urge Alita’s mother to help me keep walking. We need to confront all seven of the Demons, and I seriously doubt they are going to crowd into the tunnel to accommodate us.
A snarl curls up Tana’s lips. “You are dying. You are in no position to make a deal.” She shows no signs of moving from the end of the tunnel as we approach. Is she supposed to keep us out?
“We both know that isn’t true,” I counter. I don’t know that, I’m bluffing. We’ll see how that goes. “There is the prophecy, after all.”
Tana’s face furrows into a frown. “You lower beings and your prophecies. Lies spoken by immortal tongues to scare the masses.”
“Yeah, most of the them,” I admit. “Except this one. It was written by an omniscient Angel. He said the birth of a dark beacon would bring you guys scurrying into the light and he was right.”
There is a roar behind Tana that curdles my blood. I have never heard a cry of anger and frustration such as this. There should be a recording of it in an online dictionary, for it truly conveys the emotions like no words I’ve read or sound I’ve ever heard. Even if you had really bad speakers on your computer or laptop, you’d still get the gist of it.
“We need to keep going,” I murmur to Alita and her mother under the noise of the continued scream. I have goosebumps over my entire body now from the sound. “We need to get into that room.”
They oblige me. When we are just a few yards away, I take advantage of the fact that Demon infested Tana is distracted. She is partially turned away from us, trying to shush the Demon making all the racket. Summoning the last bit of strength I have, I send out a burst of magic. Tana goes flying. It is an oddly satisfying spectacle on many levels. Mostly, I am excited to get the better of the Demon inside her. It is caught completely off guard. And, because I am addled by poison, I will admit that a tiny part of me has regretted never being able to get the teensiest revenge against Tana for the things she did to me and my loved ones when she was evil. Yes, I’ve grown to care for her a great deal since then. But, still. If you can’t be completely honest when you’re dying of poison, when can you be?
This gives us enough time to push over the threshold. Gasps emit from Alita and her mother’s mouths. I don’t have the energy to gasp. I simply let my mouth gape open. It may have already been doing that from lack of muscle control, but it’s the thought that counts.
Suddenly, we find ourselves in an alternate reality. The Demons may have been laying low over the last few millennia, but they certainly have been paying attention. The disgust I detected toward the Cowans earlier was a ruse, apparently. At least, they are not disgusted by Cowan possessio
ns and tastes even if they despise the actual beings. For we have stepped inside what looks very much like a high rise apartment in someplace like New York. There are ultramodern furnishings and even a carpet on the floor. I half expect track lighting, but electricity is lacking in this part of the universe, I guess. Instead, there are fire places surrounding the walls filled with the same hell fire that roared in the cavern behind us. A muted version of it anyway.
It is strange seeing the Demons in such an environment. At least they didn’t make the mistake of picking white furniture. Part of them is probably left behind when they jump to their feet and the black leather of their furniture probably disguises this fact. Unless their furniture was once white cloth and this has happened so many times that it only appears to be black leather now. That thought is so disgusting I don’t even want to contemplate it any longer. So, I turn my attention to the annoyed Demons holding cocktail glasses full of some sort of dark liquor and glaring at me.
“You made it passth the pit,” one lisps. He would have benefitted from the services of a speech pathologist when he was young.
“Yeah, I’m good like that,” I snark.
Demon infused Tana lifts itself from the floor, red flushing across her face. It’s probably embarrassed that it’s weakened state of possession allowed it to be such an easy target for my magic. “She came to offer a trade. The child for this body.” The Demon glares down at Tana’s body and I can almost see the images dancing in its mind over what it wants to do with it. Permanently marring ranking probably only slightly above killing it slowly and painfully.
Alita rears on me. “You are going to trade Keelan for Tana?”