by Unknown
The flimsy door of the small dwelling suddenly burst inwards, the fragile timber splintering and crashing to the ground. Two large Kell warriors barged through, one at a time, swiftly advancing on him.
"Are you Darrel Summerton?"
"I am," he declared. They reached down, seizing him by his arms and dragging him to his feet.
"What is the meaning of this?" Nasten kept up the pretense of being human.
"You have been summoned to Kell by the King, human," rumbled one of the warriors as they pulled him out of the house, hastily down the street and across to the isolated park. Behind a few tall bushes, Nasten could see the glowing blue portal waiting for them. He let himself be dragged through and into the land of the Kell. Revenge would soon be his.
~ * ~
"Is that him?" Adalardo asked her.
Penny stood, staring down at the man she had known for six years as her husband; the man who had beat her, demeaned her and kept her in a constant state of fear. She didn't fear him any longer.
"Yes, that is Darrel." She drew in a slow breath; all she felt towards him now was pity. He was a sad, pathetic man.
"We shall get this over with as quickly as possible," Adalardo said, his eyes on fixed Darrel.
"I want to talk to him before you issue your challenge."
"Are you sure? You never have to be near him again." Adalardo frowned in concern. Penny offered him a reassuring smile.
"I understand, but I need to do this, please."
Adalardo gave a nod. "I shall have him brought in here."
"Thank you."
Adalardo bent to give her a comforting soft kiss before turning and leaving the room. She could hear him barking orders, to bring the 'unworthy human' to him.
~ * ~
Nasten, under heavy guard, was issued into a large chamber where a small red headed woman waited. She lifted her pretty brown eyes. Nasten knew this woman from the images imprinted on Darrel's mind. She was his mate.
"I'll be just outside, Penny, have you need."
"Thank you, Adalardo." She smiled fondly at the King. This was very curious. He liked the lush curves of this female better than he did the thin Tamara.
She would do very well to breed his demon off-spring.
"Who can blame you for wanting a Kell king over a little human such as me," Nasten spoke.
The woman pursed her lips. Darrel thought he had control and complete power over this human woman, but by the angry gleam in her eyes, not any longer.
"Consider yourself divorced, Darrel. I know the King has to challenge you, but do yourself a favor and just concede."
"Why? You are a prize, little Penny. One I would not give up readily."
"You're just full of shit. You always have been." She stepped boldly up to him. "You don't frighten me anymore. I was an idiot to put up with you for so long, but not anymore."
Nasten liked this one's spirit. She had a strong soul. Yes, he would take her, as well as Tuthal's human. Two for two.
"What makes you so sure I will lose you?" Nasten goaded.
The woman gave a snort. "You lost long ago, even if by the rare remote chance you could beat a Kell warrior. There is no way you can ever have me again. It's my life, and I will choose how I want to live it."
Nasten smiled again. "Your human was unworthy of you, but I will not be so. I will beat the king and claim you as my prize."
Chapter Twelve
Nasten glimpsed Tuthal, who had come to watch from the sideline. Now Nasten was here in Kell, he had easy access to Earth and Kell. But first he had to ensure that once the challenge battle started, he would not be interrupted. To those who observed, it would soon become clear he was not what he seemed, especially when he started to use his powers and demonic strength against the King.
The hand full of men who had gathered to witness the challenge would be nothing to shove out of the way when it came time to taking the women. He noticed Penny and Tamara were standing together; Tuthal was standing behind the women.
Inwardly Nasten smiled, he had what he needed, and it was more than he could have ever wanted. He had access to both the human and the Kell Realm. Now he could travel to and from each of them. How convenient of Tuthal to do this for him.
Nasten stood waiting in the large courtyard as the king of the Kells strode forward with a fierce look of anger on his face.
"Do you know why you are here human?" the King snapped. Nasten glanced up at the warrior King, deciding to play the fool just a little longer.
"No. Who are you and where am I?"
"I am Adalardo, King of Kell. You have been brought here on the matter of your mate, Penny."
"Ah yes, my little red haired wife. Quite a tasty morsel isn't she. I'm sure you've already sampled her delights. Is that not the right of a king to taste the delights of his kingdom?"
The King was a thundercloud of rage. Nasten smiled in amusement.
"You are an unworthy creature. I have given my word not to kill you. So I give you the choice of relinquishing your claim upon her or fight for the right to keep her."
The King motioned to one of his men who stepped forward and threw a sword down at his feet then backed away to join the ranks of the warriors. Nasten glanced down at it briefly.
"If I decide to accept your challenge and win?" Nasten could see the arrogant confidence in the King's eyes. The King assumed he would win easily against a smaller, weak human male.
"If you win, then you are, by Kell law, free to take your woman and leave in peace." Nasten knew the King would not give up that easily.
"This whole thing hardly seems fair. What are you, six foot four? And I am a mere human. You are skilled with a sword when," he held out his hands to show the soft human skin, "I am not. Do you not believe in a fair fight, King of the Kell?"
Adalardo frowned.
"I will grant you hand to hand combat, if you so wish, but the outcome will still be the same. You will lose, so forfeit now, and relinquish your claim."
Nasten backed away before bending down to pick up the sword, pretending to handle it clumsily, dragging the blade drag through the sand of the area that had been set up for this challenge. Nasten made a complete circle. He had yet to use his magic to seal it, so no one and nothing could penetrate unless he wished. He dropped the sword in front of him and reached into his pocket.
The King tensed as if he was going to pull out a weapon. When the King saw he only had sand in his hand, he relaxed his stance.
"Are you going to fight me with sand, human?" Nasten tossed the sand in a wide arch within the circle.
"Conplentum sclus cirkeus." Nasten began to mutter under his breath.
"Speak plain, human."
"So, if I kill you, does that make me King here?"
"My warriors would never obey such a vial creature as you. To beat a woman is an act of a coward."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Yes, I agree. His soul is a dark one, weak and greedy. He is a lost cause. But I, on the other hand like your pretty female. I have decided to take her. I am not going to beat them, but enjoy their womanly pleasures. Mayhap watch as the one you desire grows round with my sons. I must thank your sorcerer for introducing me to the human world; once I am through plundering their world, I will come after yours."
The King was again frowning in confusion. "You speak strange words for a human."
"Ahhh, not as dumb as I had assumed, are you, King of the Kells. You can thank your sorcerer for my presence. This human body is only a shell of what hides beneath. The human within is dead. I can not possess a body without killing it."
Darrel took that moment to scream in betrayal. Nasten killed off the mind of Darrel, and the voice faded; only the soul remained, keeping Nasten strong. As soon as he shed the body, it too would die. Before the King could turn to call forth his sorcerer, Nasten raised his sword and attacked.
~ * ~
Adalardo was surprised by the strength behind the human's sudden attack. All his words
were still echoing around in his head. The eyes of the human began to glow then it all snapped into place. This was no human. This was a demon disguised as a human. This was the very demon Tuthal had dealt with and betrayed.
"Demon," he hissed, deflecting another attack and was pushed further back. "I have no quarrel with you."
"Lay blame where it belongs. Tuthal, along with everyone around him shall suffer by my command. I will take your woman along with Tuthal's. Learn that I do not take betrayal lightly."
No! Adalardo could not allow such a thing to happen. It was his duty to protect his subjects against any danger, even if their own foolishness had been the cause.
Anger surged through Adalardo. No one threatened to take his woman and live. He leapt forward with all the strength he could muster, yet he only managed to push the demon back a fraction. Nasten mocked his efforts, swinging his sword faster than he could dodge. He felt the blade slice through the shirt of his arm and into the flesh of his shoulder. Automatically, he clutched at the wound with his free hand, rolling out of the way before Nasten could strike a deeper blow.
"I am going to make you all pay for his folly, through what you hold most dear," Nasten continued to torment.
Adalardo jumped forward again, trying to strike from under the demon. Nasten was prepared, blocking his blow, swiftly kicking his undefended right side. Nasten's demonic strength was a formidable force, as he was shoved a good four feet backwards. Adalardo would not give up, nor would he surrender.
~ * ~
"Something is wrong."
Tamara glanced up at her husband; she saw his hand was gripping his staff so tightly his knuckles were white. His whole body was ridged and tense. His miss-matched eyes focused on the King and Penny's soon to be ex-husband. "Look at the human."
Tamara did so. His ease, his confidence, he hardly seemed afraid to be on an alien planet about to get the crap beaten out of him. Darrel swung the sword and attacked the King with a power she knew he couldn't possibly possess. She gasped in shock as Darrel's blade swung so fast it sliced into the king's arm.
"That's not Darrel."
"Nor is he human. Stay here," Tuthal commanded firmly, broke rank and stalked forward.
The human saw him coming. He jumped back and a sudden lightning bolt shot out from the palms of his hands into Tuthal's chest, knocking him back. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud as his head hit the stone floor.
"Holy shit!" Tamara scrambled over to her husband. She saw Drystan swiftly unsheathe his long blade along with several other warriors.
"Nasten," moaned Tuthal in pain before passing out.
"No wait, you step in there and he will kill you," Tamara warned Drystan, as she cradled her husband's head. Penny knelt down on the other side, looking bewildered. Drystan and the warriors ignored her warning and raced in to defend their King. Running smack into some kind of invisible force field, they were all thrown back and knocked down.
"What's going on? I've never seen Darrel like that, I…" Penny stammered in confusion.
"It's not Darrel." Tamara checked her husband's pulse, relieved to feel his heart still beating.
"I don't understand."
"Your ex-husband has been possessed by a demon. The demon, Nasten, is the same bastard Tuthal stole his soul back from."
~ * ~
"Why do you not relent, King of the Kells? Is she worth the pain and suffering I am about to put you through?" Nasten charged, his powers in one hand while swinging the blade in the other. "You know you cannot win against me."
Not while there was breath in his body would he let anyone take Penny away from him. She was his and she belonged to him. Adalardo would protect her with every last ounce of strength he possessed.
"I will not let you take her! The woman is mine. This is my Kingdom. You do not belong here. Return now or be destroyed," Adalardo growled in warning. Nasten laughed at him.
"Human's are weak, and Kells are weak. After I have taken the human realm, I shall be unstoppable. I shall come after your people. I shall enjoy taking their souls one by one." The king watched stunned as the body of the human man began to shake. A red shimmering light burst out from the center of the man. He screamed for a split second and convulsed before dropping dead to the sand of the training ground. Adalardo was forced to look up at the large red demon.
Nasten picked up the blade and advanced. Adalardo did not fear this beast. He could see the red shimmering flame in his hand as he moved forward. He managed to avoid the blade but not the fire bolt that hit him in the left shoulder, paralyzing his entire body. It felt like a thousand needles stabbing through every nerve-ending, making him want to scream in agony. Adalardo wobbled and collapsed, panting in pain. He would not give up. He would not give in. Nasten walked forward and kicked him hard in the face then in the stomach.
"Pitiful, I expected a better fight than this," Nasten sneered.
Adalardo struggled to climb to his feet, his face now bleeding. He turned to shout a warning to his men. But Nasten punched him before he could utter the command.
"Say good bye to your woman. She's mine now." Adalardo could see his warriors trying to get to him, held back by Nasten's demonic power. Penny was crouched next to Tamara and an unconscious Tuthal.
Nasten turned and stalked towards the women. Adalardo, ignoring the searing pain, struggled to climb to his feet. Nasten easily cleared the blockade his warriors had formed around the women. The warriors watched helplessly as Nasten bore down on them.
~ * ~
Penny glanced up. Her eyes grew wide at the huge red man-like creature that approached. Tamara jumped up, gabbing at Penny.
"Run, Penny. Get the hell out of here, now."
"Oh no, you two won't be going anywhere, except with me." Tamara had pulled a blade from Tuthal's robes, standing protectively in front of her. The beast moved fast to grip her wrist. Tamara cried out in pain as he yanked the dagger from her, throwing her down. Penny's fear melted into anger. She jumped to her feet.
"Leave her alone, she is with child," Penny blurted out, standing up to the beast.
"You see, that is why I choose you; I will let the men live only as I know it will cause them more suffering to know you are now at my mercy." He smiled evilly. He turned, raised his arms and a swirling red portal appeared.
"And a child, how charming. Do not fret, little human. I will see it is raised as my own." He reached forward and grabbed Penny's wrist before taking ahold of Tamara's, dragging them back towards the portal. More warriors burst into the courtyard. Nasten tossed the women through and followed after them.
Chapter Thirteen
"What the hell just happened?" Jane held a cloth to Adalardo's wound. Men were scrambling for crystals to heal their king.
"Nasten used a human body to escape his realm." Tuthal had regained consciousness. He looked weak and strained.
"He was strong," said Adalardo, struggling to get up. "The demon has our women."
"And I shall get them back," he snapped at the King. Tuthal stood in a daze. Why hadn't he seen it, and why hadn't he felt Nasten's presence in the human? He growled as he rose to his feet. He was going to get Tamara back and kill the soul dealer once and for all.
Through all the commotion there was a voice yelling for them to part the way. Everyone glanced up.
Escorted in by Anyon and Merlon, the elderly Kell man had flowing silver hair and grey robes. The lines on his face and hand showed his advanced age. Tuthal was momentarily stunned to see him.
"Let him pass," Tuthal told the guards. "He is known to me."
"We do not have time for this," Adalardo growled, in anger and frustration.
"We shall make time to listen to Riagan. He is a wise sorcerer of my cast." Tuthal moved towards the old man to grip his arm when he extended it.
"Tuthal, your majesty, too long has it been since I have come to the palace, not since the youth of your father." His dark eyes gleamed with past memories. "But I have not come to recollect d
ays past. I have been watching you Tuthal. When I saw the demon breach our lands, I came to offer my help. Despite the foolishness of your youth, I see at last you have become the man I hoped you would. Your protected has been a blessing in your life and in your soul."
"She is my life; there is nothing I would not do for her, even if it means I must give up my soul again. I will do it."
"He has my lady; there is no other I want as my queen," Adalardo stressed.
"Then listen well, your majesty, only you and Tuthal must go, any other will be just fodder for the demon to devour. If you value your warrior's lives, you will not allow anyone to cross the threshold into Nasten's hell world."