by Sheri Lyn
Jericho opened his blood encrusted eye and glared his hatred at the evil spawn standing a few feet in front of him. “Amo m hrepimjd zblmi njzlih oepg wpfns rmng.” “May a thousand fleas infest your pubic hair” He spat out in their language.
Aeron cocked one eyebrow in amusement, “Do you kiss your mate with that mouth?” He waved a hand and the three small demons who’d been beating Jericho stopped and backed away. “As amusing as it is to spar with you, I have some uninvited guests to see too.” He leaned forward so he could whisper into Jericho’s ear. “Dej'h eggo fgehrlg n'bb fl hrl zngih he dgnjc oepg amhl’i fbeed. rl ej'h dnl hrepvr, n mjh oep he rlmg rni isglmai mi n dlwepg rni iepb.” “Don’t worry brother I’ll be the first to drink your mate’s blood. He won’t die though, I want you to hear his screams as I devour his soul”
Jericho screamed obscenities at his brother as the man walked away laughing. “By all that I am, if you lay one hand on my mate or his friends, I will make you wish father had drowned you at birth. Mark my words, that is my solemn oath, brother.”
He didn’t know how long he had before the low-level demons would be back to torture him, but he welcomed the respite. With luck, he’d be able to send a message to Brogan before it was too late. They needed to turn around and leave him to his fate. He wasn’t worth what they were about to face. He gathered what little energy he had left after sending his last message, “Turnaround, save yourselves. It’s not worth it, that you’ve come this far means more than I can say, but please, if you care about me at all, don’t do this. I need you to stay safe, I can survive what they dish out, but not if they hurt you because of me. You are my soul, the only one I’ve ever had. I need to know that someday I can reunite with my soul, but not here, not like this.”
Jericho panted from the exertion of those few words. There was so much more he wanted to say, but his time had run out. The evil little bastards were back with a vengeance as they cackled and brandished their weapons at him.
Chapter Twelve
Brogan
Brogan stumbled as a wave of overwhelming pain sliced through him, he gasped and dropped to his knees as tears fell freely down his cheeks.
“What’s happening?” Rook cried out as he ran to his side and knelt down offering what comfort he could.
“The closer we get to the portal the stronger their connection will be.” Cadence reached down and pulled Brogan’s face up so they could look into each other's eyes. “Focus on me, I know it hurts, but I need you to focus on me.” Seconds passed before Cadence nodded, “Good, now listen to me. It’s only going to get worse until you learn to push it aside. You have to block it until you are ready to handle it. Now is not the time. Push it away, build a wall so thick it holds it locked in tight.”
“Hurts so much.” Brogan whispered brokenly.
“What are they doing to him?” West asked hesitantly. “Why is he reacting like this?”
Cadence glanced up to West, “Their bond is different than most, he’s feeling Jericho’s pain, if he doesn’t learn to control it and use it for himself, it will kill him.”
“Why didn’t you warn him of that beforehand?” Rook growled. “Look at him, can’t you do something. Give him a potion, say a spell or do something?”
“There is no preparing for this. I had hoped it wouldn’t be, but there’s nothing I can do. Only he can save himself now, he has to learn to control it.” She turned her attention back to Brogan. “Do you hear me boy? Focus on my words. Control the pain, lock it away until you need it. Don’t let it consume you. You can do this, I wouldn’t have let you come if I didn’t think you were strong enough to survive.”
“I don’t know …. If I can…. It hurts… so much.”
Rook sat down behind his friend and pulled him into a tight hug, “You’ve got this brother. Fight, your mate needs you to fight. We need you too. I’ve got you, I’m not letting go. We’ve come too far. I refuse to look for a new best friend, damn you. Fight, use my strength, my will whatever you need just win this, damn it.”
Brogan could hear his friend’s pleas but he didn’t have the strength or the words to respond. All his attention was on the pain that wracked his body. He was trying to do what she said, but for every brick he placed in the wall, three more collapsed from the overwhelming force. “Don’t give up on me, love. Fight.” As Jericho’s words filled his ears, he reached down and grasped Rooks hand for support and began to build the wall faster and faster until he was putting the bricks up quicker than they could fall until slowly they stopped all together.
“That’s it. Add another layer to help it hold.” Cadence instructed softly. “I knew you could do it.”
Slowly Brogan came back to himself as he felt the pain drain away. He was covered in sweat and exhausted. This was not a good beginning he thought as he pulled himself from Rook’s arms and attempted to stand, but stumbled. Luckily West was there to catch him.
“Whoa, buddy. Take it slow and easy. We can wait a minute for you to be steady before we move on.”
“Jericho can’t though.” Brogan squeezed his eyes shut in a grimace of pain before releasing a deep breath. “Let’s go. I could feel his strength ebbing away. I can find him now, I know that, but we have to hurry.”
“We’re almost there. The portal is close, if you concentrate you can feel the negative energy from it already.”
West nodded slowly, “Yeah, now that you mention it. It’s like a bad vibe that makes me want to avoid the area. No, not avoid, run from the area with due haste.”
Brogan didn’t say anything, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward. He was too close to stop now. With every step the overwhelming feeling of despair and sadness built until it was a physical force that he had to push against. The small group strained and grunted as they fought closer and closer, until all of a sudden it was gone.
“We’re here.” Cadence whispered sending a chill down all of their spines.
“Why did I suddenly get a flashback from that old horror movie of the little girl sitting in front of the T.V.” West whispered to Rook with a shudder.
“We wait. It’ll open, but I fear what will be waiting on the other side for you now.” Cadence spun in a slow circle before stopping with her back to them and bowing her head in concentration. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it open. If for some reason it’s closed when you return. Find a safe place close to here and wait. I will get it opened again and I will give you a way out. This is my promise to you and my brother.”
Without warning a pin prick of darkness formed in front of them and slowly opened as if the fabric of time and space was unzipping. Brogan craned his neck trying to get a better look inside, but it was useless. There was nothing but blackness and an overwhelming smell of sulfur, decay and death.
“It’s time.” Cadence intoned in a dead voice. “Go quickly and may whatever gods you believe in be with you.”
Brogan took a hesitant step forward and froze as a thought came to him, “Cadence, will you be okay out here? You’re part demon, will they come after you for this?”
“No child, they have no power over me.”
With a nod, he stepped up to the opening and paused. “Will you think less of me if I ask if we can hold hands. It’s dark in there and I don’t want to lose track of each other.”
“Would you think less of me if I demanded it.” Rook replied quickly. “Even my wolf is urging me to ride your asses through this doorway.”
They quickly clasped hands and stepped forward as one into the blackness. Brogan shuddered as a sudden wave of heat and sulfur made him falter a step. “Can anyone see anything?”
“My eyes are starting to adjust.” Rook said as he cursed softly, “And I wish I couldn’t. Is it too late to come in a different entrance?”
The other two echoed his sentiments as their eyes adjusted too. “What in the...well I was gonna say Hell, but yeah that’s exactly what it is.” Brogan murmured.
All around them were what once might
have been trees, but now were rotting carcasses resembling them only in the broadest sense of the word. “Are they moving?” Brogan stepped forward cautiously only to freeze as he heard snapping sounds under his feet. “Grab one of the flashlights.”
“Why the hell didn’t we remember we had those before now?” West grumbled as he pulled his backpack off and passed them out.
Brogan turned his on and quickly wished he hadn’t as he scanned the ground beneath their feet. It was littered with bones of all sizes and shapes. His stomach heaved and he pulled the flashlight up away from the disturbing sight. “I don’t even want to know who or what left these bones littered on the ground. And that’s even worse.” He said as he pointed the light at the trees. “Are those maggots?”
“Do we have to go through there?” Rook grabbed West’s hand. “Don’t think less of me for this, but that’s beyond disgusting and I don’t want to go in there.”
West rolled his eyes, “Man up, love.”
“I’m not saying I won’t, I was just asking if we had an alternative.” Rook grumbled. “Let’s do this. I don’t want to be in here any longer than I have to, but I’m telling you now, if there’s a room full of balloons, I’m outta here.”
Brogan opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again before giving up and walking away. There was nothing he could say to such an irrational fear. He knew he had a few of his own that people would make fun of him for. But that was the nature of irrational fears, they weren’t rational.
They crept their way forward trying to go as quickly and carefully as they possibly could. No way were they going to get to close to any of the trees if they could help it. “Anyone else getting wet?” Brogan questioned as he wiped at his forehead. “Something keeps dripping on me.”
“What the fuckity fuck?” Rook exclaimed as he turned his flashlight to Brogan’s face. “Dude, that’s blood.”
“Guys, it’s raining blood.” West explained softly. “What is with this freaking place?”
“It’s Hell. Did you expect rainbows and unicorns?”
“No, but damn Brogan.”
“Come on, guys let’s get through here. Something tells me this is the good part and it’s only going to get worse.” There was no doubt in his mind truth be told. So far, they hadn’t faced anything compared to what he’d expected. There was no doubt that Jericho was worth it. He needed his mate like he needed his next breath.
They walked for what seemed like forever, but in truth was probably only twenty minutes or so. The forest was starting to thin and the smell of wrongness that he’d associated with the demon from last fall was getting stronger.
“Is that a kitten?” West asked incredulously.
Before anyone could respond the little tabby kitten meowed and waddled closer to them. Rook stepped back causing the other two to stare at him in bewilderment.
“What?” He cried. “We’re in Hell or did you forget. No way would a sweet innocent kitten be down here if it wasn’t somehow evil too.”
“Babe? Seriously?” West bit his lip to keep from laughing at the expression on his mate’s face and stepped closer to the kitten. “Look,” West said as he reached down and stroked its little head. “Nothing to be afraid of.”
Brogan wasn’t as nice, he burst into laughter at the horrified look Rook gave West. He’d just made it past West when he heard a strangled cry of alarm behind him. He spun around to see Rook being attacked by the small creature. It had transformed just as he’d walked close and leapt at the other man. Where once there was a cute kitten, now it had red eyes, razor sharp claws and two-inch teeth.
“Garfield’s attacking me. I told you it was evil.” Rook cried as he used his flashlight to beat the small thing away from him. “Someone do something, I’m only pissing it off here.”
Brogan pulled his backpack off and froze as he glanced inside. “What do we use on psychotic kitties?”
“I don’t know, water maybe?” West called as he tried to get closer to the feline beast and offer Rook some aide.
“Water?”
“Yeah, haven’t you ever been around cats before? They hate water.”
“West, we’re wolves. Cat’s don’t like us much.” Brogan huffed and pulled out one of the water bottles. “This had better work. I don’t want to waste what little water we have for nothing.”
“Stop talking and do something.” Rook yelled.
“Fine.” Brogan opened the bottle, poured some into his hand and threw it at the demonic cat. Instantly the feline menace turned and hissed at him as it slowly advanced. “Holy shit.” he quickly started throwing water at the cat from the bottle and laughed like a maniac as the cat backed up and took off in the other direction. “It actually worked.”
“If either of you,” Rook panted “breathe a word of me getting my ass handed to me by a little pussy I will destroy you, mate or not.”
“Dude, my only fear is that where there’s a baby, there’s a mama. Let’s haul ass outta here before she comes looking for revenge.” Brogan zipped his bag up and pulled it on. “Come on, I can feel Jericho, we have to go this way.”
Chapter thirteen
Jericho
“Listen to me.” A voice whispered close to Jericho’s ear. “Your mate and his friends are here. I let them in by the forest. They will have a fighting chance for a bit until Aeron and the rest discover the ruse. I’ll do what I can to help them, but I’m afraid soon even I won’t be of use to them.”
Jericho tried to turn his head to see whose voice it was but the man shifted out of sight. He vaguely recognized it, but in his pain induced fog he couldn’t place it.
“No, don’t turn around. What you don’t know, they can’t make you tell. I’ve got to go now. Be strong.”
Jericho was torn between happiness that his fool ass mate had disregarded all he’d said and come for him and fear because his mate had disregarded him. He felt his presence as soon as he’d crossed the threshold and with each step closer he got, the stronger the connection became.
That voice though, if it was telling the truth, was an ally worth discovering. His life here would be a thousand times worse than Jericho’s if he was discovered. It nagged at him that he couldn’t figure out where he knew it from though. Was the demon using his powers to somehow mask his voice in his attempt to hide?
“Wake up brother. I thought it would be fun to watch a show together.” Aeron sing songed as he strolled into the chamber. “I prepared a surprise for your friends.”
Jericho clenched his jaws tight to keep from saying anything that might result in making Aeron lash out at them. If he was the only one at risk he’d taunt and prod like only a sibling could. But his mate and his friends didn’t deserve the treatment that would befall them.
“So stoic aren’t we.” Aeron laughed as he flicked his wrist to the wall and a static square appeared. “Wait for it brother. I promise it will be worth it.” Moments later the screen cleared to show a large room full of boxes. They ranged in size from a shoebox to a refrigerator box to one as big as a house.
“What are you doing?” Jericho growled. “You can’t do that. Brother, if you ever cared for me even a little don’t do this.”
Aeron laughed, “You always did have a soft spot for mortals. Never fear, they have a chance to make it through. I’m not totally heartless, besides what fun would it be if I knew the outcome before it even began.”
Jericho could do little else as the scene before him unfolded. He watched helplessly as Brogan stumbled through the narrow entryway and paused in confusion. “Okay, what is this?”
The Sheriff came through next and he too froze, a look of confusion crossing his face before he turned and yanked Rook in by the arm. “Get in here. The cat isn’t coming back for you any time soon.”
Jericho frowned in confusion, what cat could they be talking about that would put that weary cautioned look on the poor man’s face. “What have you done?” Jericho demanded of Aeron. “What are they talking about?”
> “That wasn’t my doing at all. Was quite lucky actually. They escaped rather well considering, but then again. The little fur ball had just eaten a few days ago, so it was probably still full.”
“What fur ball would that be?” Jericho gritted out between clenched jaws.
“Oh, you haven’t met him yet. I forget you’ve been gone. Hell has a new pet. I’ll round him up later once your friends are in custody.” Aeron grinned evilly, “I’m sure he’ll want a little payback too.”
The bastard wasn’t going to tell him anything willingly. Jericho huffed and turned his attention back to the viewing screen.
“I say we pick one and see what’s inside. Better the devil you know, the old saying goes, right?”
“Sure, Rook. Let’s pick one. Any ideas on which one could be the least deadly?” Brogan asked with sarcasm dripping from every word.
“I say we go for a middle sized one. Law of average or something like that.” Rook raised his eyebrows and gestured to West. “What’s your thoughts, big guy?”
“My choice is a little one. If it’s deadly, smaller may be easier to defeat.”
Rook barked out a small laugh causing the other two men to turn and stare at him in disbelief.
“Care to share with the rest of us?” Brogan questioned.
“It’s just that you know how guys always say it’s not the size but how you use it.”
“Are you serious?” West demanded, “You’re still making jokes?”
“In his defense, it was kind of funny.” Brogan interjected with a shrug, “and he’s got a point. The biggest creature can fall if it’s feet are knocked out from under it and the smallest can be hard to trap.”
Jericho smiled and glanced at Aeron. “Not as stupid as you thought they’d be are they.”
“Shut it.” Aeron snapped.
It didn’t matter what his brother said now, he knew deep down his friends were going to make it through there and come out the other side, one step closer to where he was being kept.