It was a losing battle as the warrior mages were far outnumbered against the dark shades that kept spilling forth from where they were hidden in the mists. Wherever these shades touched the warriors, their flesh peeled back, flayed by some invisible blade. It was a gruesome scene. While some men lay dying, others seem to fall victim, as the entities entered them through their nose, ears, mouth, and gaping wounds. The sight was monstrous to behold, and Erika was paralyzed by fear, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
She saw Ransom. No, that was not right. She thought she saw Ransom's tiger fylgja. Only it was not – it was Ransom. Only Ransom was now as much a tiger as he was a man. He stood dressed in leather brigandine lined with steel plates at least eight feet tall, swinging a Korean Geom. When his sword cut down one of the faceless entities it seemed to burn through them like molten lava and the creatures exploded into ash.
Erika tried to call out to him, but he could not hear her. He was being surrounded. The mists were thick now, and visibility was nil. "I have to do something," she thought, desperately trying to make her way to him. She took the knife on her hip out of its sheath. Glancing down, the runic script read, "We are the Ones who Remember." Slashing through the dark ones, she tried to make it to him as the great tiger cut down the shades even as they enveloped him. Crying out his name, she knew she would never get there in time.
Lightning crackled up and down her skin, she did not know where the words came from, but they came. She slashed her hand with the blade and holding the blood up to the sky, she made her offering. "Ancestors, blood of my blood, bone of my bones, sluagh, unwanted host, those who once called the sky, sea, and stone home - I am the unnamed, the shadow, and I call for your power and your spirit to heed me and answer my call. Outnumbered and dying, I need your strength to defeat this perversion of life!"
Wild power crackled on the west's winds, and with great rolling thunder, sparks of flame rained down as the sky above split as though torn in half. A dark host of riders spilled forth in a whirlwind of flapping wings and shadows. They were beautiful and terrifying and not of this world. Leading them was a fierce warrior with long gray hair clad in black leather riding an eight-legged horse. He wore a patch on one eye, and the other burned cold blue fire. From his hand, lightning crashed across the sky and struck the ground. Each place it touched, shades of inky blackness burst into cinder and ash.
Erika looked frantically for Ransom, but the mists were too thick. Out of the shadows, a black shade in the shape of a black wolf jumped out of nothingness. She was knocked to the ground with such force that she blacked out.
Chapter 25
Midnight that same day…
Erika awoke, startled, and confused, now shackled to the bed in Preach's house with Felix lying beside her. A trickster's smile played upon his face as her eyes met his. There was a smugness in his eyes, the look of a man who had a secret. More importantly, a secret about her. For the briefest moment, she thought she saw something in his eyes that she recognized, but it was gone when she looked deeper.
Stretching beside her, Felix purred her name like a cat, "Oh, Erika Lily. I have always known you were special. But O.M.G.," he trilled like a teen, "I had no idea, just how special." He slid out of bed, a contradiction of boyishness and alpha male. She just stared after him before she desperately tried to pull free. She knew she was trapped but she felt as powerless as a bird with a broken wing cornered by a house cat. He laughed at her then. Then gently, so gently, traced her cheek.
"Such a pretty little bird," he said in a low, seductive voice, using the nickname only her closest friends used. "Sadly, we don't have time to play," he told her as he roughly undid her restraints. She looked up at him, confused when he pulled her to her feet. Rifling through the closet, he tossed some clothes on the bed. "Change. You look like Brother Timothy's little Stepford wife in that getup," he growled with a wave of his hand indicating the silk and lace gown.
Erika gave him an apprehensive look, "Who are you?"
"I am the blade that cuts to remind you," he said, his eyes meeting hers with an intense, hungry look. She shivered, thinking of the knife in her dream. Did he know what was engraved on its hilt?
"No - you are the man who murdered my mother," poison dripped from her tongue.
Felix looked at her as though he had been struck. "Is that what you think, Þrungva?" he asked her, looking genuinely hurt. “Michael is the one who killed your mother, I was merely present. And if not us, Brother Timothy would have simply gotten someone else to do it." Turning, he caught both her hands and gazed deep into her eyes, "I saw to it her soul was taken by the Valkyrie Eir herself. Your mother will serve the Gray Wanderer at Valhalla. It was a good death."
Erika stared at the brooding stranger and wondered if what he was telling her was true. Eir was the Valkyrie known for mercy. If he did as he said, her mother would be waiting for her upon her own death. And she could never repay him for that honor should he be telling her the truth. Raising her eyes, she searched his eyes and whispered, "Who am I to you?"
She did not understand. Was he helping her? Or was this some perverted game? She was not sure anymore. But she was fine playing along. Unbound, she had a much better chance of getting home.
Ignoring her question, the man turned his back so she could change. Quickly she pulled on the pair of black high-waisted tailored pants and a white silk blouse. Self-conscious she did not have a bra on she hurriedly slid into the thin silk before tapping him on his shoulder and looking from him to her bare feet. He gave her an appreciative look at her in the white shirt before turning back to the closet. There he dug through a bunch of strappy sandals and ridiculously high heels before finding a pair of plain black Mary janes that he put on her feet, muttering something about her not being a barbie doll.
Opening the door, he guided her into the darkened hallway. The mysterious man checked his watch and told her in a low voice, "Brother Timothy is on the phone. If we are quiet, we can be gone before he comes to get you."
"Where are you taking me," she demanded, suddenly worried she may be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Her head was swimming, and she was baffled - part of her wanted to trust him, but she did not believe that feeling at all. Angry at how unsettled the man was making her she knew she had to go with him. If she stayed, it was not a question of if Preach raped her, it was simply when. Her only chance at safety was with Felix.
"Don't worry Wish-maid," he chided, leading her to the stairs. "Your virtue is much safer where we are going than with Brother Timothy."
Surprised at the use of the familiar term used in myth and folklore for a Valkyrie, "What did you say," she asked. For the first time, she really looked at Felix. She opened her third eye to see the real him. In the glimmer aided by moonlight, his face was half-illuminated and a half in shadow. He was not as tall as Ransom, but still tall enough that she had to look up at him. A scar started over one eyebrow and came down over his eye to high on his cheek, giving him a sinister look. The man obviously had not shaved in a few days, and while not wearing a full beard or mustache, he was past scruffy. There was an air of danger about him, close to the energy of Jim Standingfoot. But more than just a stone-cold killer, Felix had the stern look of some of the Navy Seals and Rangers she had met through Ransom. Feral creatures who had crossed the gray line one time too many to come back ever fully to themselves - part human and part wild thing.
Instinctively she held her breath when he reached out to touch her face. Taking his four fingers, he traced a crescent moon over her brow before bringing them down like a paw over her face. It was a sacred symbol of something that her soul recognized immediately, but she found no memory of it. Looking closely, she noticed the side of his face lost within the shadow, had taken on the amber eyes of the black wolf that had been haunting her dreams.
"You," she started. Dizzy, she suddenly felt light-headed and off-balanced. "The wolf isn’t your fylgja, is it? You are the wolf.”
An enigmat
ic smile played upon his lips as he took her hand "I have been many things and lived many lifetimes, but at my core, I am always your stalking wolf," Felix told her gently, kissing her fingertips before leading her down the darkened corridor.
In stunned silence, Erika did as she was told. As they began their descent down the stairs, he brought his finger to his lips for her to be quiet. The house had the bone structure of something built during or right after the civil war with tall ceilings and hardwood floors. The staircase creaked under their weight and she stepped in the exact spot Felix had to lessen its groans. She guessed the time was close to midnight but the sedative she had been given was keeping her thoughts foggy. Erika heard Preach’s voice coming from behind what she supposed was the kitchen door. From what she could tell, it sounded like he was either on the phone or on a video call. She recognized a fevered pitch to his raised voice and moved closer to listen.
"But Mistress, the sheep are ready to be culled - they just need a shepherd."
A female voice, sleek and seductive, responded, "And I guess you, Timothy, want to assume the role of High Priest for this… Congregation?" The woman's tone was an equal mix of bored amusement and condescension, "How long do you anticipate it will take to build such a following?"
"Actions have already been put into motion with the Church, Pandora. It is called the Church of Apocalyptic Blessing and I already have over fifty families I minister to, and the Army is its Brotherhood. New followers join daily, but I need to spread more fear to turn the masses quicker. The government occupation has helped but I need more."
Listening to the exchange Erika felt sick to her stomach. Preach had often spoken of starting his own church, that was where his nickname came from. He could be charismatic but there was a predatory and manipulative intention underneath it that she had felt. Remembering how his glamour had been working on her, she suddenly felt dirty and wanted to wash his touch off her.
The sound of the woman’s commanding voice broke Erika free from her thoughts, "I told you NEVER to use my real name, Timothy." Her voice was impatient now, irritated with the man she was speaking, “Don't worry yourself with the details. Patience, dear, all will happen when the time is right. For now, just focus on your… Brotherhood. And be prepared."
The abrupt sound of the chair falling to the floor echoed in the quiet house when Preach started yelling, “Damn it! Do not dismiss me. I was the White Queen’s consort - her confidant. I was there when she opened the portal. She appointed ME to be her emissary to the Unmakers. And unlike YOU, I was there when those beasts killed her. It was not my fault it ended before we finished! If you have been there rather than that damned cat of yours, the outcome might have been different."
Erika felt the tug of magic thick like honey when the woman's lowered voice vibrated throughout the old house. She could not make out her exact words, but she could feel the hum of her power. The combination had the hair on her arms standing on end.
As though in pain, Preach's voice cracked, "Maybe your boy Felix knows, why don't you ask him? He sure as hell won't tell me anything."
At the sound of his name, Felix stopped moving. Erika looked at the man beside her, half obscured in the shadows. His amber eyes caught hers as he lifted a finger up in warning. Moving closer to the door he opened it just a hair so he could see inside.
"I gave him the weaver as you requested, and what did he do?” Preach complained, “I don't know, but whatever he did, the girl is useless now."
The woman's voice cut through his tirade with surgical precision, "HE did what I commanded, Timothy. Felix is MY soldier, Timothy. Not yours. He does as I command. Not you. The weaver has been neutralized and is no longer your concern. If you pay Felix the price he is asking, I am sure he will tell you what you need to know."
Erika nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud crash came from the other side of the door. She imagined Preach's fist coming down on the table. He sounded like a spoiled child when he shrieked his response "No! The price he is demanding is too high!" There was a pause as he fought for control of himself, "Why does he want to take mine? She was promised to me!"
The lights flickered as the female's voice boomed, "You dare to challenge ME?"
"Of course not," Preach said, backpedaling all his blustering gone in an instant. "I am merely speaking of the contract made on behalf of the White Queen."
Erika could hear Preach pacing the floor now and grew concerned that he might notice the door ajar where Felix watched. She was afraid he might come through the swinging door any moment and she would never get away from this place. She tried to flatten herself against the wall and noticed that Felix had seemingly disappeared into the shadows. She was startled by the sound of a chair being pulled across the kitchen floor and she released the breath she was holding.
"What is it about this Wish-maid you desire, Timothy?"
"She and I are destined to be together. The White Witch prophesied that with the Black Bird of the Doom at my side, I will usher in the birth of a new age on earth. An empire built on the souls of the righteous. I will know riches and power unfathomable. A congregation of millions across the globe devoted to me," he proclaimed in a voice full of fire and brimstone.
Erika looked at Felix with concern. Moving fast he pulled Erika with him towards the front door. But not before she heard Preach give the woman his ultimatum, "My price, should I agree to Felix’s request, is to be named your consort. Nothing less will do." Before Erika could hear the woman's response, Felix pushed her towards the door.
Stealthily, the pair exited the house. Once outside, she was surprised to find they were on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. "River City," she marveled, realizing they were west of Chimneyville. She was relieved to see that he was not in Chimneyville. In fact, he was quite a good way from where she, Hermit, and Millie had set up their camp. “Small things,” she thought, she just hoped he was not aware of where the base camp was. Remembering the wolf tracks, her thoughts turned to Felix. Didn't that dream she had with Wren mention something about a man who was a wolf? Shaking her head, she tried to clear her thoughts, everything was so muddled in her mind's eye. Must be the lingering effects of whatever mojo Preach was using on her combined with the sedative she supposed. She followed Felix in silence as they cut their way through the sleeping neighborhood. The pair made their way through backyards and quiet streets until they came upon a motorcycle parked just outside the illumination of a streetlamp.
Saying nothing, he took the helmet from the motorcycle’s saddlebag and handed it to her. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her as he waited for her to mount behind him. Taking a deep breath, she tied her long black hair into a knotted bun and slid the helmet over her head. She wondered what she was doing as she climbed on the bike behind Felix. She had questions, and after hearing Preach's conversation, it seemed apparent Felix had answers. She held onto the thought of Ransom and she wondered where he was and if he even knew she was missing. Feeling like she was betraying him somehow, Erika wrapped her arms around the mysterious stranger's waist. Just touching the man made her pulse beat faster and Erika tried her best to not hold him any tighter than necessary. She was not dead though and could not help but notice the coil of tight muscles every place her body brushed against his.
As the miles went by, she puzzled through what she had learned in the last 24 hours. Preach had tried to glamour her. Like used real magic. Not just incantations or illusion. "Well, tried to glamour," she thought, realizing that somehow, she had been able to ward off his charisma. Then there was that prophecy from Jewel. She was no bird of doom, but what the hell was that about? Did he see himself as the next great TV evangelist? She had known that he was obsessive where she was concerned, but this was a whole new level of crazy. She had known he was a narcissist but the whole psychopath thing had somehow flown under the radar.
Equally troubling was the vivid nature of her recent dreams. That and the fact that Felix seemed to be in them. In fact, he seemed to
know a lot more about her than seemed humanly possible. Throw in that on some level she felt a recognition of him, and well… it was disturbing.
Erika believed in past lives and reincarnation, but she had never met someone that she had felt such a strong link to. Sighing heavily, she thought, at least no one other than Ransom. Just thinking about her man made her heartache. Subconsciously she tightened her grip around Felix's waist and wished it was Ransom.
The long strip of blacktop moving underneath the bike did not stop as Felix half turned his head, "You ok back there, Miss Lily?" Erika was glad her face was hidden behind the helmet as she nodded her head. She resisted the urge to tuck herself into him as they rocketed down the road towards Chimneyville.
There was a sense of urgency in Felix's manner, and the pair rolled into Chimneyville about fifteen minutes later. Erika tried not to think how fast they had been traveling. It usually took thirty minutes to make the drive, but Felix had made it in less than half that. She was thankful to put those miles between her and Preach's crazy ass.
Skillfully Felix maneuvered the bike down the off-ramp and drove into the vacant city.
Having not seen the city since the night of the shutdown, Erika was shocked to see buildings she had seen all her life boarded up and the streets empty. The city had the forgotten air of a ghost town. Felix turned the bike and crossed the railroad tracks to a derelict area that had been overlooked by the City leaders in their attempt to revitalize the city. The houses were in various states of disrepair and had the tell-tale signs of urban decay. However, underneath that, there was more. There was a seedy underworld element to the area. A hellscape usually limited to warzones.
Tapestry of Worlds : Part One - The White Raven Awakens Page 16