A Night without Stars

by Sabrina Albis

  Rick’s lips formed a pout. “Yes sir.”

  He turned to Autumn. “I just want to get an idea of the path ahead. I will be right back. I promise.”

  Mandy shook her head disapprovingly.

  “That is exactly what they say in the horror movies before they croak.”

  Rick narrowed his eyes. “No one’s dying.”

  Not being at Rick’s side made Autumn uneasy, but she didn’t argue with him. If anyone here could get themselves out of a jam with their exceptional fighting skills, it was Rick.

  “Alright but please, be careful Ricky,” Autumn murmured.

  Rick kissed her on the forehead gently.

  “Always sweetheart.”

  Nathaniel looked at Mandy, shuffling his feet. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t get the words out.

  “Mandy, I want to say something too,” he began sheepishly.

  “Don’t,” she warned him. “Just get it done Nate.”

  Autumn watched gloomily as Rick and Nathaniel plodded off together.

  She watched until they faded into the distance, becoming minuscule and fleeting, like specks of dust in the light.

  Eric continued setting up his items. He lit candles, sprinkled powders and hauled out a giant tome that looked to weigh at least five pounds. He flipped to a bookmarked page then grabbed a red ornate box. He went on pulling out vials from his satchel, setting them beside it.

  Autumn watched, lost in Eric’s endeavour when she heard the jolting sound of footsteps pounding across the rocky floor. Hard, fast and spirited, they were headed her way.

  Autumn looked out into the darkness, eyes wide with panic.

  “Did you hear that?” she asked and Mandy nodded.

  “Footsteps.”

  Suddenly, the footfalls grew louder and closer and before long Rick and Nathaniel appeared, running towards them swiftly, their faces frozen in terror.

  “THEY SAW US!” Rick bellowed, through sharp, quick breaths.

  “THEY ARE COMING!” Nathaniel added.

  When they finally stopped, they looked at the girls, both catching their breath.

  “We tried to be stealthy, but they spotted us,” Rick said. “They are headed this way.”

  “We need to draw them away from Eric now,” Autumn said, gripping her scythe so tightly she felt her fingers cramping up.

  Eric, who had finally finished setting up for the ritual, stood up, his face lined with concern.

  “You guys, please be careful.”

  “We will. The same goes for you,” Autumn said.

  Knowing full well this moment could be hers and Eric’s last, she reached out and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, his warm breath against her neck.

  “I want you to know,” he whispered. “You are the best thing to come into my life. You make me stronger and braver Autumn. Without you, I wouldn’t be here now.”

  “Stuck in a dark cave full of bloodthirsty demons?” Autumn offered back weakly.

  “Finally finishing this battle,” he replied, his eyes meeting hers. “You were the catalyst. You helped me move forward. You gave me the will to trust people again. I thought there was nothing for me in that school, no one worth knowing, but you helped me see I wasn’t looking hard enough.”

  Eric kissed her softly on the forehead, his hands gently gripping her face.

  Autumn closed her eyes, wanting to stay here, in the alcove with Eric, forever.

  When she opened them, Eric was looking at her, his eyes filled with adoration and something else.

  Something hidden, something fragile, possibly something he wasn’t even aware of.

  Was it love?

  She wasn’t sure, but either way, she leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek tenderly.

  “Good luck Eric,” she murmured, fighting back tears again. They stung her eyes and she wanted to let them flow, but it still wasn’t time to cry.

  Not yet.

  “Be safe,” she said.

  Eric went on to reiterate words of caution to everyone before retreating back to his semi-circle of burning candles. He didn’t dare to say good luck, because luck had nothing to do with it.

  Luck was too fleeting and too fickle.

  Luck was a charm, a winning lottery ticket, an item of clothing that helped win the big game.

  To live or die, that was their choice to make.

  They had to fight. They had to win. Losing wasn’t an option.

  Losing meant dying, and no one was dying tonight.

  Autumn and the others began running.

  Against the relentless terrain, they zipped along. Their leg muscles stretched, and their hearts pounded. Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads and trickled down their cheeks.

  They were attempting to cut the creatures off before they discovered Eric in the alcove.

  They rushed into the darkness, running towards the commotion, towards the sounds of wild beasts screeching and growling. They should’ve been running the other way. Autumn had always run away in her nightmares.

  Tonight she was jumping in.

  Everyone was geared up, their weapons ready to be unleashed, as they sped along, eyes meticulous and watchful.

  “How much further until we hit the jackpot?” Mandy asked impatiently.

  “They weren’t that far ahead,” Rick said as he moved cautiously but quickly along the jagged rock floor.

  “Oh shit!” he grumbled.

  Autumn glanced at him quickly. “What is it?”

  “They are drawing us into the cave,” Rick said as he dodged past a large cluster of rocks. “They know the deeper they bring us in, the harder it will be to escape.”

  “I hate to admit it,” Mandy said bitterly. “But it’s crafty. And we are playing right into their hands.”

  “We have no choice Mandy. We have to keep them far away from Eric,” Autumn said.

  There weren’t any arguments because everyone knew it was true. Tonight, they were Eric’s bodyguards, and their objective was to take out as many creatures as they could.

  So into the fray they went, no looking back.

  Everything seemed to move in slow motion when Autumn saw the first wave of creatures descend.

  It was like she wasn’t even there, like this was happening to someone else. She was just watching from outside herself. One moment they were running through the empty and still caves.

  Next, they were staring down three monsters.

  They stood barrier-like, solid as the rocks surrounding them, blocking the path ahead.

  Noises escaped them, a series of guttural sounds and grunts.

  The night vision goggles made them even more terrifying.

  Their huge bulging eyes, flat noses, and tiny fleshy mouths.

  They stared at Autumn, Rick, Mandy and Nathaniel, hungrily, acknowledging them with stone-cold eyes.

  Tonight the pesky demon hunters became the prey.

  Autumn watched in horror. The beasts began to screech, the sound reverberating off the walls. It was almost deafening, like sharp nails on a chalkboard. Their jaws began cracking and dislocating, revealing gaping pits that replaced mouths. All along the circumference of the holes were teeth. Sharp, pointy teeth exposed and ready to rip them all to shreds.

  25

  Eric was mixing potions wildly, his hands steady, sweat dripping down his brow.

  He could hear the vile shrieking, the sounds of creatures unleashing wrath on his friends, on her, his beloved Autumn, but he couldn’t think about it. He couldn’t do anything to help her.

  He had to focus on the task at the hand, every minute, every second counted now.

  Every minute he wasted they were closer. She was closer, to getting hurt or worse.

  He couldn’t live with himself if anything happen
ed to Autumn.

  Eric mixed the ingredients faster, keeping his hands stable and his movements deliberate.

  There was no room for error tonight, no second chances to get it right.

  Eric reached the last vile when he felt something strange. The energy around him was shifting. Being a sorcerer meant having heightened senses. Eric didn’t even need night vision goggles to see in the dark. His sight was so sharp and keen. He could feel, smell, see, taste and hear things tenfold.

  The only way he could describe it to those who weren’t imbued with magics, was the surrounding air became heavy. It was like in the summer, when it rained. Eventually, it stopped and the sun came out, soaking up the water from roads, grass and sidewalks, leaving behind humidity.

  The thickness in the air was similar to what he could feel when magic was being used nearby.

  His brown eyes scanned the alcove, searching for the source of this new energy. Suddenly, there was a crackling sound and Eric felt enormous power surging around him.

  The last time he felt this amount of power, his mother and father had been alive.

  He hated himself for even considering it, but his heart was heavy with hope.

  Could it be? Had they returned to him in his time of need and reckoning?

  He saw a shadow moving towards him, heard shoes clicking on the canvas of rocks.

  “Who is there?” Eric asked, just as the shadowy being stepped forward.

  It wasn’t his parents.

  Eric should’ve known better. They wouldn’t be here after all these years. He scolded himself for being gullible, ridiculous and stupid. He knew their return was impossible.

  When she walked into the alcove, Eric didn’t recognize her.

  Whoever she was, she was stunningly beautiful. With flawless alabaster skin, full lips and piercing catlike eyes of ruby. She was surely one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen.

  She wore a hooded red cloak over a black lace and velvet dress. On her wrists were many golden bangles, and her neck was adorned with long shimmering necklaces with different colored gemstones on them.

  Despite her appearance, Eric knew there was something dark lurking inside this woman, something wicked. His father always said that evil often came in the form of something unbelievably beautiful.

  “Eric King,” she spoke, her voice low and sultry.

  Eric’s heart thumped in his chest. She knew who he was?

  “How do you know who I am?” Eric asked.

  She chuckled throatily.

  “I know everyone in this sleepy little town,” she said mockingly. She pulled down her hood revealing long straight black hair streaked with red.

  “So you know me,” Eric said, his eyes narrowing. “Now tell me who you are.”

  The woman made a tsk sound and wagged her finger, scolding him.

  “Now, now. Manners young one. You wouldn’t want me to get offended would you?”

  Eric stood up and dusted his pants off with both hands.

  “Do you mind? I am kind of busy here.” He gestured to the ornate box now filled with various ingredients.

  The woman chuckled, deeply, heartily like Eric truly amused her.

  “And therein lies the problem Mister King,” she said. “This cave is my domain. Those demons are my followers. So I cannot possibly let you continue the spell. If I did, all my hard work would go to horrible waste,” she said, pouting as she placed her hands on her hips.

  “And we wouldn’t want that would we?”

  Eric’s body went rigid, as fear crept across his skin. Something about this woman was pulling him in. Her lilting voice and unmatched beauty made him want to know her, to learn everything about her.

  While at the same time, her commanding posture and glowing eyes of ruby pushed him away like a blinking sign, warning him she was danger incarnate.

  Then it hit him, like being sucker punched in the guts.

  It was her.

  The woman Eric had been researching, the master.

  She was the queen of demons.

  “You look astonished,” the woman said, almost sadly. “In case you really don’t know me, I will introduce myself. I am Bianca. Also known as The Demon Queen.”

  She bowed formally then lifted her body back up, grinning wickedly.

  Eric had no words. There had been very little information in his books about her but what Eric did find out wasn’t good.

  Much like his family, she came from a family of witches. That he remembered. In the history books he had, mostly consisting of witch ancestry, heritages and family trees, her family were one of the first to settle in what became Whitan in the 1900’s. Bianca’s age, vast knowledge, and her lineage of fire sorcery, made her a deadly foe.

  “Why are you doing this?” Eric asked, eager for the knowledge and to keep her speaking. He needed the time to hatch a plan, to figure out his next step. “Why this town?”

  Bianca blinked at him, looking stunned. Was she not used to people inquiring about her motives? Surely someone who had lived as long as her, through as many decades and centuries, had garnered some curiosity from people?

  “Certainly you have no interest in my life’s tragic tale,” she said flippantly.

  “Truly, it isn’t a novelty. All the usual components are there. Betrayal, bitterness and sweet revenge. A story with much similarity to yours actually.”

  “Do tell,” Eric said, his eyes entranced by her while his mind ran through the best ways to get rid of her. He wasn’t foolish enough to fight her directly. He knew it was a losing battle. She was stronger, older, and more skilled than him. He wouldn’t last one round against her magics. He needed some way to outsmart her. He needed to use his brain not his magical brawn.

  She shrugged. “Fine. I will tell you. After all, the story is anything but dull, and I have nothing but time. You see, it was my mother who planted the seed that would inevitably doom this town into the hell hole it is now,” she began. “She decided though she was a witch, she wanted to marry a normal man, a human man. My father, you see, wasn’t a warlock. He was a noble and honest working man, who managed to woo my mother with his good looks and boyish charm.”

  “Much to my grandparent’s chagrin and protest, she decided to follow her heart and ended up marrying him. Unfortunately, he had no idea she was a witch and when that came out … let’s just say father lost his mind. He thought she was a demon, a woman possessed, a deviant, a monster.”

  Eric listened intently, in spite of himself. The story was intriguing, and it wasn’t something he would likely ever read in the historical magic books. However, it was more than that. There was something about the way she spoke, the sadness in her voice, that reminded Eric of himself.

  Bianca’s face contorted with pain as she recalled the agonizing memories.

  “My father, who was apparently scared out of his wits, the pathetic swine he was, told the wrong people of my mother’s affliction. Mind you, this happened right in Whitan before it was known as Whitan of course. However, I digress,” she said, ruby eyes flaming with scorn.

  “So, much like in the movies, the townspeople rounded up a lynch mob. They were intent on burning my witch of a mother at the stake. I was only young when it happened, but even I could feel the revulsion and hatred in the air, the fear my mother felt as they tied her upon the pyre as everyone watched her, feverishly anticipating her demise.”

  “My father wanted to take me with him, to keep me from my grandmother. But it was her that came with mother’s brother, a warlock, to rescue us. Together, they saved us but when we tried to flee, the town’s people wouldn’t have it. They began attacking us, with no regard for even a young child like me. They threw their rocks; they swung at us with their shovels and pitchforks, all the while calling us the evil demons. My family had no choice. It was either run or fight back. My mother didn’t
want to hurt anyone in the town, despite their animosity towards her. They were people she had grown to know and care for. So though my grandmother and uncle wanted to stay and stand their ground, we turned to escape. Just as we went to leave, a rather ferocious and ambitious villager managed to stab my mother quite literally in the back with a pitchfork.”

  Bianca averted her eyes from Eric’s, and he swore he saw dark, ruby tears trickling down her face. But when she met his gaze again, there was nothing but cold, hate-filled eyes staring back at him.

  “No amount of magic, no caliber of it, as I’m sure you know, can bring back the dead. So my sweet, gentle mother died that night. Not a death of flames like many an honorable witch had in days past, but at the hand of a man who didn’t even have the decency to look her in the eyes while he stabbed the life out of her.”

  “And so my path for revenge was laid before me. I started studying the dark magics and in turn, I began summoning dark creatures to terrorize this town. Hence, my notoriety as Queen of Demons. They do my bidding, like puppets on strings.”

  “But it is more than that now. The revenge became bigger than me. Power begets power, and I became well,” she paused, looking thoughtful. “Thirsty for it. So I spent centuries becoming more and more powerful and decided eventually it might be nice to conquer the world.”

  She looked up at the cave ceiling wistfully.

  “But I was never in a rush. One day at a time as the saying goes. As you’ve probably noticed, age means nothing to me. Magic cannot bring back the dead, but it can prevent one from dying.”

  She stared at Eric, awaiting his response. He hated himself for feeling any compassion for this woman who had cursed this town and killed his family, but he couldn’t help relating to the loss and bitterness she felt.

  Still, it changed nothing.

  His mission was still the same.

  “I understand how it feels to lose loved ones better than most,” he replied, looking at her watchfully. “But these people are not the ones that killed your mother Bianca. You know that much.”