by Jeff Gunzel
She leapt into the air, her body fanning out into a living black cone. Orm’rak dropped from his perch, his body immediately liquefying into a black spin. The black funnels collided in midair, two swirls of black melting together to form a violent twister. Cawing black birds whirled about, pecking and clawing, shredding one another in a blur of primal, animalistic violence. With deafening screeches echoing through the forest, the birds shed feathers that came fluttering down, spinning like tops before settling on the ground.
The single funnel danced about, crashing into the trunk of a tree before spinning back the other direction to crash into another. Injured birds fell from the cone, hitting the forest floor before melting into small pools of blood. The twisted funnel drifted down, then separated back into two sets of whirling birds.
Liquid black shifted again as both melted back into their humanoid forms. Stumbling back against a tree, Viola grasped her bleeding shoulder. Breathing heavily, she glared at Orm’rak with murder in her eyes. Her shoulder was hardly the only spot she was bleeding from, but it was the most significant injury.
Faring no better, Orm’rak leaned against another tree. Blood seeped from his right thigh as well as from a deep gash on his side. He met her glare with pure hatred, but was reluctant to rush her again. She had proven to be far more formidable that he had ever imagined. When did she become so powerful? He glanced around at what was left of his undead. The green skeletons had made short work of most of them, and were still racing around, snapping spines and tearing off heads. There was simply no way Viola’s creatures would lose this battle.
“Impossible,” he growled, unable to grasp what had happened here. How did it all go so wrong? “What are you?” he rasped, spitting blood on the ground. Before she could answer, a streaking blur flashed up to Orm’rak. He ducked at the last second, and the flesh blade exploded through the trunk of the tree he was leaning on. Wood shavings burst out in a bloom of cream-colored dust, the ruined tree crashing to the ground.
In a blur, Orm’rak zipped away to another tree. Even with his injuries, he was still faster than any living creature. But when he whirled back, another flesh blade flashed towards him. He ducked again, and the blade slammed into the tree trunk just above his head. He was already in trouble, and now it seemed that Viola had found yet another ally. There are two of these creatures! There was no other choice left. The only thing to do now was cut his losses and flee. Dying here would serve no purpose. Revenge would have to be served another day. This isn’t over!
“Face me, demon!” Jarlen called, watching the laberath speed away in a trail of rising dust.
“Jarlen!” Viola called, hobbling towards him. He caught her as she collapsed in his arms. Weary, wounded, her tired gaze spoke of all she had been through. He looked around at the sea of bloody bodies. Undead? What had happened here?
“I knew you would come. I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind.” Reading his confused expression as he gazed around at the bloody massacre, she stepped over to block his vision, keeping his attention on her. She would explain everything soon enough, but now was not the time. “We have to go. We have to get out of here, now!”
“Dear sister,” he said, pulling her close, embracing her in a warm hug. “I’m so very sorry for all of this,” he whispered in her ear. Content in the embrace of her long-lost brother, the meaning of Jarlen’s words hardly registered. He was going to protect her from now on. She would be safe. She would be—
Click...
She felt a coolness around her neck as the collar snapped shut. A numbing weakness rattled down through her body. It was all she could do to stay upright. Using her last bit of remaining strength, she stepped back on wobbly legs, staring into his eyes. “You betrayed me,” she said softly, trembling legs keeping her up by willpower alone. Off in the distance, cut off from their source, the skeletons she had summoned crumbled to dust.
“I had no choice,” he said, his once compassionate voice now cold as ice. “You would have done the same if it were you in my position.” No longer able to hold herself up, she dropped down to all fours. The irony made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Here she was, running away from the humans who had shown her nothing but love, only to be betrayed by her own flesh and blood. They had warned her of what he was, and she didn’t listen.
“Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night, dear brother?” she hissed, trembling arms unable to keep her head upright as she wilted towards the ground. “You think I would betray you, or anyone who loved me, so easily? If that is the case, then you obviously know nothing about me.”
With her head spinning, Viola had no concept of how much time had passed. Paralyzed, lying on the ground, she heard the clopping of horses approach. When she managed to roll onto her back, she found herself looking up at two dozen mounted soldiers. King Milo looked down at her from his horse. “Well, what have we here?” he asked, his upside-down face grinning down at her. “I suppose you were telling me the truth after all, Jarlen. There are more of your race than we once believed. New blood will be an excellent addition to our show. Does the thing have a name?”
“Release me!” Jarlen demanded, tugging at his own collar. “We had a deal. I bring you another of my species and you let me go.”
“Yes, yes, so we did,” said Milo, waving his hand dismissively. “Let it not be said that the king of Shadowfen goes back on his word. You have outlived your usefulness anyway. Your time with me is spent.” He snapped his fingers towards Diovok. The masked shaman swung down off his horse. Jarlen approached him cautiously. Placing his hands on Jarlen’s neck, Diovok uttered a single word and the collar snapped free. The moment it hit the ground, Jarlen kicked it, then streaked away a good twenty feet or so. He was free! Rubbing his bare neck, it was all he could do to keep his emotions in check.
“Oh, one last thing,” said the king, motioning to one of the horsemen towards the back. A soldier trotted forward with a long black sack draped across the front of his saddle. After untying the drawstring, he pushed it off the horse with a hard shove. Hitting the ground with a thud, Queen Bella turned face up.
Her nose was broken, and both eyes swollen shut. She rolled over with a groan.
“I do believe you’ve met my wife,” said the king with a chuckle. “Since you are now a free man, consider this a parting gift from me. After all, your plans were to run off together, yes? I offer you that very same opportunity. Go on. Take the bitch, and be gone from my sight.”
Jarlen looked at the broken woman. Displaying just enough vision through her swollen eyes, she wormed her way from the sack and began crawling towards him. “Jarlen,” she pleaded, crawling along on all fours.
When she clasped his ankle, he kicked her hand away. “I’ve no use for a broken human,” he snarled, spitting on the back of her head.
The king leaned back in his saddle, roaring with laughter. “Funny,” he said. “I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps you and I are not so different after all.”
When Bella reached up for Jarlen’s shin, he kicked her hand a second time. “We are nothing alike!” he shouted, then turned and sped off into the forest.
The king shrugged and looked around at all the undead bodies. A few were still wandering around aimlessly. “Dispose of all this,” he ordered, displaying no real curiosity as to what went on here. It didn’t matter to him. He had what he came for. He turned his attention towards Bella, who lay on her back, sobbing softly. “Well, my dear, it seems that nobody wants you after all. I should just kill you and be done with it.”
She continued to sob, showing no interest in his threat. It didn’t matter what he did to her anymore. Nothing mattered. Her heart had been shattered.
“But I won’t,” he said after a moment. “You are free to go. Free to wander the world as a former queen who will only be recognized as the traitorous whore you are. Your existence means nothing, and not a day will go by that you aren’t reminded of that. That is...if you even live another day.”
Milo hopped down off his horse and lifted Viola by the back of her collar. Paralyzed, all she could do was stare back at him with watery eyes. “You, however, are not free to go,” he said, flicking her nose in a humiliating fashion. “I have plans for you.” He draped her over the front of his horse and smacked her on the backside. He and half the men galloped back towards the city while the other half remained behind to clean up the mess, disposing of any signs that the undead were ever here.
Face down, the only view Viola had was of the horses’ galloping hooves. She was terrified, heartbroken, but most of all she couldn’t stop thinking of Xavier and the others. It was so clear to her now that they never would have betrayed her like this. How could she have been so blind? And now it was too late. She would never see her friends again.
Epilogue
Lightning flashed, illuminating the room through the window. Assirra bolted upright in her bed, panting and sweating as she rubbed her eyes. Nightmares had haunted her dreams of late, and tonight was no different. Driving rain drummed against the window, its rapid beat echoing throughout the temple. She wanted to lie back down but decided against even trying. She had gone to bed this evening with a strange feeling, and that feeling had only grown stronger throughout the night.
Unable to shake these distracting thoughts, she swung out from her bed and went out into the dark hall. The floorboards creaked under her bare feet as she made her way towards the temple entrance, this strange feeling urging her on. Briefly, she considered waking someone from another tree hut to accompany her, but discarded the absurd idea. Her actions appeared crazy already, why draw further attention to them?
She scooped up a knife that was sitting on the table as she passed by. Just holding it might help put her mind at ease. At least, that’s what she told herself. As she stepped out onto the outer platform, driving rain peppered her face and soaked her nightgown. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the slow rumble of rolling thunder. Blinking against the elements, she made her way down the spiraling steps. Even she didn’t know what she was looking for.
Reaching the bottom step, she strained her eyes to see in the dark. A triple flash of lightning lit up the area, allowing her to get her bearings before the scene plunged back into darkness. Knife in hand, she stalked towards the trail leading into the forest. She had no intention of going very far, but still had a driving need to satisfy her curiosity. If she could just do that, then perhaps she might still get some sleep before daybreak.
After wiping rainwater from her blurred vision, another flash lit the trail. Brilliant and nearly blinding, she thought she saw the outline of a man standing on the trail. A second bolt, not nearly so bright, illuminated his face for just an instant. “J-Jarlen,” she gasped, her trembling fingers barely able to hold the handle of her knife. In a single step, he flashed towards her with impossible speed. Bringing the knife up in a panic, she lost her grip and it tumbled to the ground.
They came together, arms wrapping around each other tightly. Ignoring the elements, their kiss was long and passionate. Lightning flashed, revealing two long-lost lovers in the night as they melted together as one. “I never thought I would see you again,” Assirra whispered once she found the strength to tear her lips away. “Your sister, she was here, and—”
“I know,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “She came for me. She is the only reason I stand before you now.” His red eyes shied away, clearly somehow bothered by that fact. Regaining his composure, his eyes blazed. “How much do they know? What did you tell them about me?!” His questions sounded urgent.
She smiled innocently, a flash in the sky lighting up her creamy blue eyes. “What did I tell them?” she repeated the question. “I told them a tale. I told them exactly what they needed to hear.”
Note from the author:
I hope you’ve enjoyed book 2 of the Tainted Blood series.
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Other work by Jeff Gunzel includes:
Books by Jeff Gunzel
The Legend of the Gate Keeper Series
The Shadow
Land of Shadows
Siege of Night
Lost Empire
Reborn
The Trials of Ashbarn
End of Days
Tainted Blood Series
A Rip in Time
Of Blood and Blade