Twisted Sister of Mine (Overworld Chronicles)

by John Corwin

  I spotted Shelton crouching behind a tree just to the left of the splintered one. A shadow moved a few yards behind him. Another dark figure moved to his left and another in front of him.

  "Come out, little mousy," said someone in a mocking voice. "We'll make this nice and quick."

  I pulled Cinder into a crouch. "Take out the man behind Shelton. I'll nab the one in front of him. Hopefully Shelton can handle the third guy."

  Cinder nodded.

  "Go," I whispered and blurred through the trees toward my target.

  He stood about Shelton's height and wore a gray cloak which blended with the dim light in the forest. Unfortunately, the price of speed was a lot of noise. My target's head jerked toward me. I'd hoped to close the space faster, but the choking underbrush pulled at my clothes. The man cursed, aimed a staff at me, and a shaft of blue energy speared inches from my shoulder.

  I dodged, nearly slamming into a thick oak as I did. The energy blew a smoking hole through the trunk of another thick tree. I felt a flare of heat, and the blast sent me stumbling sideways. I hit a tree full on and bounced off it, slamming onto my back.

  "Acworth, get your ass out here!" my target yelled. "He's got friends!"

  As I lay stunned in the underbrush, hopefully hidden from another attack, I heard a deep growl soon joined by another and the crack of leaves and twigs accompanied by sniffing. Another rumbling growl sounded, much closer this time, and I crouched, ready to dodge whatever made the sound. Two saplings bent away from each other, and glowing eyes filled the dark space between. A large furry muzzle poked through followed by a ginormous wolf. Another wolf—undoubtedly a lycan—joined the first. The monstrous werewolf let out a blood-chilling howl.

  "Hear that, Shelton?" my target shouted. "Doesn't matter how much help you have, you're mine."

  I braced myself for an assault and shouted, "Can't we settle this peacefully?"

  The man laughed. "Peacefully? Peacefully? You must be kidding me. He took my girlfriend!"

  I mentally face-palmed. Shelton had stolen a guy's girlfriend? "Look, I know it's bad to steal someone's girlfriend, but killing is a bit much."

  "Stole her? Ha! He only wishes." The night lit with another brilliant blue lance. "He turned her in for a bounty!"

  "She was a criminal, you moron!" Shelton yelled.

  Apparently, diplomacy was off the table.

  Acworth, the giant wolf, I presumed, lunged at me. My hands gripped his muzzle inches from my face. His weight and power strained at my muscles, making it very obvious I was nowhere near full strength. Otherwise, I might have been able to shove him off. I growled with effort.

  His teeth pressed closer to my face. Saliva drooled onto my cheek. I shifted into my incubus senses. Aether hung like a heavy mist in the forest, light and dark swirls painting the air. But drawing in the ethereal substance was like trying to drink water through a bent straw. I tensed, pulling at the elusive energy with all my might. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the other lycan draw closer, its tongue lolling as it watched its mutant buddy try to eat me. And then I saw the bright sensual aura drifting around the smaller wolf. It was a female. Lashing out with my essence, I caught the female's halo and let her have the full brunt of my sexual super powers.

  Her bright blue eyes caught mine. Lifting her head to sky, she howled. Struggling to keep Acworth from biting my head off, I gritted my teeth and extended my essence from the female to him. Her attention shifted. She howled again. Acworth's ears twitched, and he gave her a sideways glance even as he pressed harder against my hands.

  The sound of someone tromping through the underbrush neared me, and the gray-cloaked form of Shelton's accuser appeared, aiming his staff at my head.

  He glanced around, eyes bright with anger. "We've got your friend, Shelton. Give yourself up, and we'll let him go."

  Silence.

  The man chuckled. "Yeah. I didn't think so." He leaned over me. "Harry Shelton doesn't have friends. He's a user. He's filth. I'm not going to kill you, but I'm gonna give you a reminder about how important it is for you to choose your friends wisely."

  The female wolf howled again, the sound followed by popping bones and shifting muscle. The Arcane's brow wrinkled as he noticed the naked woman panting and staring lustfully at the big wolf looming over me. Acworth made a whimpering sound that almost sounded like a surprised human saying, "Huh?"

  Strength coursed into me from the bond with the woman. "Go play with your chew toys, bitch." I clamped the huge wolf's muzzle shut with both hands, planted my feet on his belly, and kicked. Acworth flew back several feet, slamming into a tree with a yelp. I amplified the connection between him and the female. Lust flared in the stunned wolf's eyes. He began shifting back to human. The Arcane shouted at Acworth. He aimed his staff at my head, and blue energy coalesced around it.

  I rolled away as a pulse of heat baked a mud pie in the earth where my head had been. He fired again, and I wasn't quite fast enough to avoid a searing wave of heat across my infected leg. Intense cold raced through my calf, my thigh, and crawled into my groin. Anger surged through me like a shockwave. I felt my skin ripple, muscles bulge, and bones creak. A guttural roar burst from my throat as a gray-clad figure burst through the trees. Shelton appeared right behind him, his staff rippling with energy.

  Shelton's accuser screamed in terror as my body grew to tower over him. Agony in my head tore at my consciousness, and the rage of my inner demon tried to snuff out lucidity. I gripped a nearby sapling and squeezed. Felt the satisfying crunch of bark and wood beneath my huge hands.

  "No!" I roared. "Stop!" Fighting back with everything I had, I forced myself to stagger backward, away from the people. I saw Acworth and the woman, my connection with them gone, as they stared in horror at the beast consuming me.

  Shadows crept from the forest, silent wraiths with faces I recognized. Maximus. Dash. Brad Nichols, his face consumed with rot from the vampling curse, and right behind him Mortimer, his head dangling at a grotesque angle, eyes pleading for mercy.

  Feed. Drink. Devour. The voices in my head grew in volume until I could hardly hear my own defiant roars. The curse was waging a war in my mind, and I was losing.

  Elyssa, I need you!

  The cold in my body strained to expand my rage, my bloodlust. I couldn't let it happen. I'd rampage. I would murder everyone in sight. I thought back to the first time Elyssa and I had made love. I remembered when she'd died in my arms after I'd drained her life. "No, no, no!" I cried in a guttural voice. I reared back my head and howled in anguish. Tears sizzled in my eyes, burnt to steam by soul flames.

  I dropped to my knees in supplication. Elyssa was my anchor. My solace. And suddenly, the anger evaporated. My muscles contracted, and my bones shrunk. After a moment, I stood panting, my stretched and ripped clothes hanging loose around my frame. My shoes were little more than strips of material hanging to my bare toes. I definitely couldn't pass this look off as the latest in fashion. A hand settled onto my back, and I looked up into Shelton's concerned eyes.

  "You okay, buddy?"

  I almost laughed at the understatement.

  Instead, I nodded even as my body shivered from the cold pulsing in my leg. I felt the tendrils spreading across my crotch, reaching toward my stomach. Despite the potion, the curse was spreading. My body had been through tremendous trauma in the past few hours—golem robots, evil shape shifters, angry Arcanes, and their drooling lycan buddies. Was that causing the curse to accelerate its spread?

  I looked up and saw Shelton aiming his staff at Acworth, the female, his accuser, and two other men with gray cloaks who looked like Arcanes. Cinder stood behind them, his gray eyes keeping a constant watch.

  Trembling, I rose to my feet.

  "Damn it, Zagg. Why the hell can't you just let it go?" Shelton glared at his accuser.

  "Because I love her you heartless piece of sh—"

  "What crime did she commit?" I asked, in a croaking voice.

  "Illegally sellin
g magic items to noms," Shelton said. "She's lucky she didn't get the death penalty."

  "It was a setup!" the female cried, hands crossed over her bare chest. "Kayla would never do that! I know my sister better than anyone. She would never break the covenant."

  "Doesn't matter what you think, Natalie" Shelton said. "She broke the rules. She's paying the price."

  "She's innocent!" Zagg screamed. "And you took her away from me, you bastard."

  I couldn't help but feel terrible for the guy, but didn't know what I could do except tell him and his buddies to leave us alone. On the other hand, the negative impact of Shelton's past had morphed from annoying to beyond ridiculous. Who else had a vendetta against him? Would I be dodging spells my entire educational career?

  I bit back a curse. "Look, I know some higher-ups in the Templars. Maybe I can get someone to investigate her case and get back to me. If she's really innocent, maybe they can get her out. In return, you have to promise not to try to kill me or my friends." My request sounded so ridiculous, I shook my head in disbelief.

  Zagg looked at me with such pain and hope in his eyes, I had to look away. "Who do you know?" he asked in the voice of someone daring to believe.

  "My girlfriend is Elyssa Borathen."

  He sucked in a breath. "You know Thomas Borathen?"

  "He's a legend," Natalie said. "If he can prove her innocence, nobody would doubt it."

  "I'm not promising Thomas himself will look into it, but someone will," I said. "I want your word."

  Zagg jumped up, and Shelton looked like he was about to fry him with whatever he had cooking at the tip of his staff before he stopped himself at the last minute. Zagg shook my hand.

  "You have my word. If you can free my Kayla—" He choked up. "We were supposed to get married, and then…" He trailed off, looking with pure hatred at Shelton.

  Shelton held up a hand in surrender. "For crying out loud, man, I was just doing my job."

  Acworth and the other group members regarded me with suspicious expressions. Natalie, however seemed to believe me, if her expression was anything to go by.

  "Cinder," I said. "Can you give her your suit jacket, please? It's kind of cold out here."

  "Of course, Justin." He handed it to the girl, who wasted no time in covering up. "Shall I give her my pants as well? I do not think the cold will affect my genitalia in the same manner as—"

  I quickly waved him off. "No, that's not necessary. I'm sure they have clothes nearby."

  Acworth nodded. Even in human form he was a big man, thicker and taller than even the meaty MacLean. "We do." His voice was a low rumble. "Why should we trust you, spawn?" He spat the last word like a bad taste.

  "Look, I may be demon spawn, but I'm still…a nice guy." I shrugged. "I mean, would Elyssa Borathen date a creep?"

  He regarded me with narrow eyes for a moment. "I don't personally know her, but I know from my Templar friends the Borathens are honorable people who won't stand for corruption. But don't think their honor gives you a free pass, spawn."

  Natalie gripped his big arm and whispered something. He looked at her, his eyes going from rock hard to gentle in an instant, and nodded.

  "Alrighty, then," I said, rubbing my hands together. "Why don't we get out of here and back to civilization?"

  A basso roar sounded from somewhere in the forest, and the sound of trees bending and breaking reached my ears. An alarmed look flashed across Zagg's face.

  "Just great," Shelton said. "All that noise attracted the tragon."

  "The what?" I said as the crunch of vegetation grew louder by the second.

  "Everybody run!" shouted one of the other Arcanes, jumping to his feet and plunging with abandon back in the direction of the castle. The other Arcane screamed, leapt to his feet, and followed the first one.

  Acworth and the girl shifted back into wolf form and loped away while Zagg hurried after them, fear blazing in his eyes.

  "Judging from the reactions of the others, I recommend we do as suggested and run," Cinder said.

  "Okay." I tilted my head at Shelton. "Cinder, throw the slowpoke over your shoulder and carry him back."

  Before Shelton could let out a cry of surprise, Cinder slung the Arcane over his shoulder and ran through the forest.

  A deep rumbling growl reached my ears. I glanced behind me as the hairs on the back of my neck rose to full attention. A Tyrannosaurus Rex regarded me with glowing red eyes. Correction—it looked like the dinosaur, but its forelimbs were longer, its scales glistened red, and dinky little wings flapped on its back. The creature blinked. Then it bellowed and shot a jet of fire from its mouth. A tree to my right burst into flame. I yelped and ran. The monster roared and gave chase, plowing through underbrush and tree alike as though they were made of paper. Even as I blurred through the forest, underbrush snagging my torn clothes, I knew I'd be lucky to get away.

  A blast of bright yellow light hit the thing square in the eyes. It stumbled to the side, breaking a swath of trees. A cloud of what looked like giant spiders with bat wings screeched and took flight. I looked ahead and saw Shelton bumping along on Cinder's shoulder, somehow managing to aim his staff at the tragon. Cinder burst from the trees and into daylight ahead. Using his path instead of blazing my own, I swerved around a large tree and toward the edge of the forest.

  Something caught my foot. I flipped through the air, glanced off a tree, and rolled to a stop in the grass a few feet outside the forest. Before I could scramble to my feet, the tragon, less than ten yards away, lunged for me.

  I was dead meat.

  Chapter 22

  The air a foot away from my nose shimmered blue, rippling like water as the tragon's snout struck it. Rending jaws with more teeth than a pool full of sharks snapped at me, but missed, slipping harmlessly off the blue dome. The tragon's maw opened wide. Flames jetted from its throat. I flinched back, even as the fire clouded the shield without penetrating it. At first, I thought Shelton had saved me with a defensive spell, but then I noticed how far the rippling shield extended. Even he couldn't manage one so large.

  "Ha!" Shelton said, whooping. "Saved by the fricking shield again!" He laughed maniacally, panting like he'd been the one to run from the forest and not Cinder. "Oh, man, that reminds me of the good old days." He clapped a hand around mine and pulled me to my feet.

  "This shield is normally here?" I asked.

  He nodded. "Yeah. All sorts of creepy crawlers live in the forest, man. It's like a nature preserve for nearly extinct animals. They sure as hell don't want any getting loose and gobbling up the students."

  "Any unicorns?"

  He snorted. "No, but plenty of spider bats. I used to make a hole in the shield so they could terrorize Greek Row." He laughed again. "C'mon, let's get back to the academy."

  "Whose bright idea was it to crossbreed a T. Rex and a dragon?" I said.

  "Science Academy nerds."

  They really are mad scientists.

  Cinder, Shelton, and I headed toward the shuttles bound for Science Academy.

  "I need to call Elyssa," I said and sighed as I remembered her unavailability. "Or someone."

  "About Kayla?" Shelton said. He snorted. "Waste of time."

  I wrinkled my forehead and gave him a look of disbelief.

  He held up a hand to ward me off. "Look, I appreciate what you did, but they practically caught her red-handed."

  "But not literally," I replied.

  "Yeah, that too." He huffed. "The girl is guilty, and I guarantee you Thomas Borathen won't do a thing to help her. He'll take one look at the evidence and blow you off."

  He was probably right. Thomas and I were on better terms now that he'd accepted I wasn't evil incarnate, but we were far from being buddies. Elyssa would help me in a heartbeat, but she was in the middle of her Templar tests. I went through a mental list, but the only other Templars I knew who might help were Ryland and Elyssa's brother, Michael. I put Michael in a similar boat with Thomas. He accepted my relationship
with Elyssa, but only barely. I had a feeling it was less about being demon spawn and more about being a guy who was dating his little sister. What Michael and Thomas conveniently overlooked was Elyssa's ability to kick my ass anytime she wanted. She didn't need protection from me. If anything, I'd need protection from her if I tried to do something she didn't want me to do.

  "Michael," Shelton said out of the blue.

  "Huh?"

  "He'll help you. He won't like it, but he will."

  I narrowed my eyes. "What makes you think he will?"

  "He knows Kayla and Zagg from when he attended the university."

  I stopped dead in my tracks. Cinder nearly ran into me. "Michael Borathen went to Arcane University? He doesn't even know magic."

  "That wasn't why he went. A lot of Templar candidates attend to learn defense against magic." Shelton shrugged. "Even your girlfriend probably went when she was younger. In case you hadn't noticed, there are other supers here. The university caters to a lot more than just Arcanes."

  The thought had never occurred to me. "They should change the name to Supernatural Academy then."

  "Yeah, well I ain't on the naming committee." He resumed walking. "Anyway, ask Michael. It's still a waste of time, but at least it'll keep Zagg and his merry band of idiots off our butts for the time being."

  I matched his pace. "Who else do we need to worry about, Shelton? Did Zagg give you the split lip, or was that someone else?"

  "Well, aside from a couple of professors, most of the people I pissed off don't go to school here. Zagg and his bunch are grad students, I guess. I didn't expect him to be here." Shelton wiped a clump of muddy grass off his leather duster. "I was following Jeremiah and literally ran into Zagg when I came around a corner. He was with the other two Arcanes I don't know, and they chased me down. I tried to get to the shuttle, but I guess he'd already called Acworth and Natalie to cut me off."

  "So you ran into a forest with a tragon." I shook my head. "I'm surprised someone didn't get eaten sooner."

  He chuckled. "Guess my plan worked out okay in the end."