He was never sure which he’d hated more.
He’d taken the gun from the lawyer’s office with the promise and full intent of returning it to the safe in his father’s office for safekeeping, but on the way home it had spoken to him from inside its polished rosewood box.
The Luger had returned with Royal to Fort Jackson. In the weeks that followed, Royal changed. He’d always been strong, competitive, and athletic. He’d played every contact sport available in school, and the Army training had awakened an interest in all sorts of new combat skills, but it had all stayed within some sorts of acceptable boundaries.
The Luger changed that.
Minor annoyances became major catastrophes. Casual friendships that had been competitive became adversarial. Royal had never had any trouble finding women to date, but he began to eschew the easy targets, aiming instead for women who were more of a challenge: married or above him in rank. These changes in Royal’s behavior inevitably led to conflicts, which he savored. Fort Jackson became his training ground, and, in short order, his hunting ground.
Some bad behavior gets ignored, particularly when it is perpetrated by a young, good-looking, clever white man. But Royal, driven by the bloodthirsty nature of the Luger, pushed the boundaries too far. An affair with a Major who was married to a Senator proved his undoing, and nearly ended in the beheading of the Senator when he arrived home unexpectedly one afternoon.
Due to the depraved nature of the events that had unfolded in the Major’s bedroom that day, and the proximity of her husband’s next political campaign, both she and the Senator were interested in keeping things quiet. Royal spent less than a month in lockup on the base before receiving a Bad Conduct Discharge. No civil or criminal charges were ever filed. And then he was set free.
Royal spent the next year or so honing his skills. Blessed with more than adequate funds from the family business, of which he was now entirely in charge, Royal thoroughly enjoyed the process of becoming a monster under the tutelage of a demon who had created many. The SS officer had been a joy to the old imp, but in Royal he found not only an apt pupil, but a human being with a true gift for atrocity.
Acquiring a mother for Royal’s son had been a challenge for the pair. Royal wouldn’t be satisfied with someone who was completely pliable like his mother and grandmother had been. He wanted a woman with looks, some smarts, and spirit. He wanted a challenge, and someone who would provide him with a son who had spirit as well. He wanted a son who would be worthy of the Luger, and a wife who would be worthy of breaking.
There was no ecstasy, he had learned, without blood.
The Luger spoke, and Royal snapped out of his daze.
Your damned hure has found herself some helpers, it seems, or perhaps brought them with her. Vee may haf more of a challenge on our hands than we thought, bengel.
Bengel was what the Luger called him when it was interested in something new. It meant ‘scoundrel’ or ‘troublemaker’. Whenever he used it, Royal had learned, he was wise to anticipate some new, often inspired wickedness.
He smiled. “What is it, sir? Who does she have?”
I believe our little Ukrainian princess has taken up with a brood of Mavkas.
“Mavkas?”
Waldnymphen, nymphs. From the wood, the forest. Demon women. Loud, ungrateful whores. It is said they died violent deaths so they return to avenge themselves. HA! They should think to protect her. All they have is some gypsy spells and weak magic. HA! I say such whores need to STAY DEAD.
“How do we find them, sir?”
You leave that to me, Bengel. Find us some place where we can have our way. We shall need some nourishment for this search.
“Ecstasy, sir?”
Ja, ja. Yes, Bengel. We must have blood.
***
Royal followed a playbook they’d used many times in the past. He booked a room in the nicest hotel in the area where he showered and changed. Leaving the Luger locked in the hotel safe, he set out to find the seedier part of the city. It wasn’t difficult; it was a relatively small city. He found a pocket of rough bars and rougher convenience stores located near the old downtown and followed his instincts to the working girls.
The deed itself was completed outdoors. He and the Luger had participated in this ceremony so many times over the past years that it was no longer necessary for the old gun to be physically present. The creature’s hold on Royal was strong enough that, with the proper elements in place, it could be there, within Royal, taking part of and adding power to the ritual.
No ecstasy without blood.
There was plenty of blood. The girl, a runaway of perhaps 15, provided for that need admirably. This ceremony, Royal knew, did more than provide the Luger’s spirit with the power it needed to find their prey; it cemented anew its hold on him. It was a bizarre and horrible marriage, and he loved it, welcomed it. Every stroke, every slice, every blow bound them together with chains of depravity. The shreds of Royal’s soul ornamented the Luger’s demon like ribbons on a bride’s bouquet. For a time, they were one, and Royal was complete.
And then, it was over. The demon was sated for the moment, and Royal was left wanting more. Always wanting more.
He dragged the remains of the girl’s body to the edge of the lake and rolled it in. He felt no fear at the thought of being discovered. The old Luger’s magic was strong enough to protect them in more trying circumstances than this one, and the shoreline was swampy. Odds were some of the local critters would recycle this chunk of meat before anyone was the wiser. These backwater parishes were handy that way.
Royal stripped off the scrubs and latex gloves he always wore. He would still need to bathe vigorously to remove the rest of the mess from his skin, but he’d learned to minimize it. He bundled the shower cap into a ball with the rest of the items he’d used and walked back to the small fire he’d lit. He waited while the items burned completely, allowing the last drops of the girl’s blood to smolder away into the dark air.
Royal returned to his five-star suite, showered until his skin was tender, put on the thick comfortable robe provided by the fine establishment, and fell to on the room service he’d ordered before the kitchen closed. He checked to see that the Luger had everything it needed to complete its next magical workings, and relieved, flung himself onto the king-sized bed and slept, drenched in glorious dreams of blood and ecstasy.
***
It was late in the night when Brielle first felt the pulsating energy pushing against her protection spell. She knew instantly who it was and was relieved that Laelia had anticipated this and given her time to augment her spells. Forewarned was forearmed.
As Brielle walked the intricate series of concentric circles interlaid with runes and sigils with which she had surrounded the entire clinic, she allowed herself to wonder how Laelia knew so much about this particular demon. A sudden tear, a rip in one of her lines interrupted her musings. Leaping and spinning through the glowing bands of force, she identified the exact place, mended the tear, and then re-routed the lines around it to avoid the tender spot. She finished in time to feel another line rip.
For the rest of that long night, Brielle had no time for thought, only action. All the while, as she danced and stitched and drew and gathered her lines of power into an ever more protective web, Mary and Leo slept peacefully for the first night in a countless stretch of nights.
From her nest near the girls’ hidden sanctuary in the woods, Laelia watched, and was satisfied.
From his box inside the hotel safe, the Luger cursed and growled, aiming increasingly calculated and vicious attacks at Brielle’s spell.
***
Sunrise finally came, boosting Brielle’s magic and weakening the Luger’s. Exhausted, Brielle lay on the floor underneath intersecting ribbons of glowing magic fading into the sunbeams. Dust motes flickered down, blissfully unaware of the battle that had so recently raged. Brielle knew a few of the demon’s thrusts had made it through for more than a quick instant, and
she feared what he may have learned about their location or, worse yet, their plans.
Brielle pulled herself to her feet. She had to get Mary and the baby out of there, now.
***
Royal awoke to find the Luger in a foul but pensive mood. A road map from the car lay on the table near the sandalwood box. It looked like it had been hit with a round of buckshot. However, amid the scattering of holes, a faint pattern emerged. A path.
“Looks like we’re headed northeast, Kemosabe,” Royal said, packing up his few things.
Hmmmph. Do not waste time. Move now. There is a chance we can catch up with them before they enter the Mavkas’ den.
Royal was intrigued. The Luger was talking strategy, not just force. He took a risk and pushed for details. “Tell me more about these Mavkas. Who are these bitches that have my boy?”
You drive the auto. I will tell you what you need to know. Schnell!
Royal did as he was bid.
***
Brielle was wondering how in the world she was going to have the energy to drive another eight or ten hours when her phone buzzed. It was Anna, with excellent news. Reinforcements had arrived. A car was waiting. It was time to go.
She knocked and entered to find Mary sitting up, ribs bandaged, carefully feeding Leo. She was smiling. Brielle paused and let the peace of that moment wash over her. Heavens knew it may be a while before there was more peace to be had.
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. Laelia has sent us a vehicle and some additional help. Unfortunately, we know Royal is on our trail, and he has help too. We need to get moving.”
A look of fearful concern crossed Mary’s face and her embrace tightened around the baby. “It’s that gun, isn’t it? The German one?”
Brielle sighed. “Yes. It is. But it’s an enemy Laelia is familiar with. She has experience with his kind and I promise, we will get you to safety and we can protect you,” she said, praying that she was right.
Mary, jaw firm, baby at her breast, looked Brielle in the eye. “Either I fight back or he will kill me. I am ready. Let us go and do this.”
Brielle grinned. Leo let go his hold on his mother’s breast, turned to look at her face, and a peal of joyful baby laughter emerged from him, the kind that makes the sun shine brighter and the hardest hearts melt. It was as if he were cheering them on. Brielle and Mary looked at one another, eyebrows raised.
Leo gave one last giggle, then filled his diaper and fell promptly to sleep.
***
Royal checked out of the hotel and threw his things in the trunk. He stopped for gas and breakfast at the same place, a practice that guaranteed heartburn later in the morning, and hit the road. The path the Luger had determined would lead them north and east across Mississippi and Alabama, toward Georgia.
He had no idea why they were headed that way. Mary knew nobody in any of those places. In fact, Royal believed he’d made sure she hadn’t made any significant friendships since she’d been in the States.
Where had he gone wrong? His mind raced back and forth over the events of the last two years. Everything had been so good, so perfect… so according to plan. Royal loved nothing more than having things fall into line, especially difficult and spirited things. The more Mary had struggled, the more he’d loved putting her back into her place. Recently, however, it had seemed she’d given up some of her fight. He’d had to work harder to get the responses out of her that he wanted.
Well, you know what they say. You have to work on relationships to keep them fresh. This little jaunt may just prove to be the thing needed to spice up their relationship. Of course, the likelihood that Mary would survive the reunion celebration was pretty low, but that was all right too. There was nothing more romantically appealing to a young woman on her own than a handsome wealthy widow with a baby to raise.
Royal drove on, his thoughts alternating between fantasies of showing Mary the error of her ways and the challenge of breaking in someone new. Once, he might have been appalled at his own thinking. Once, he may have tried to escape the hell he was trapped in. But not now. Royal’s mind didn’t even go there any more. Not after the last time. This was his life now.
His hands played over his crotch in concert with the smile on his handsome face.
***
Brielle and Mary stepped outside the clinic, laden with medicines and instructions. Brielle carried the motanka doll and the baby paraphernalia, and Mary had Leo. The sun-bird perched on Mary’s shoulder, keeping a sharp eye on her charges.
Waiting outside the door was a hulking black SUV driven by a petite, dark-haired woman wearing a bright green jacket emblazoned with the number 10. The other woman appeared to be finishing up casting a spell that encompassed the SUV and the clinic itself. She motioned them over to stand next to the passenger doors.
They did as instructed and waited while she loaded each of them quickly and efficiently with magic so thick, even Mary could see it hanging in the air. Leo looked like he was surrounded by fireflies before she was done. And then, with one final movement of the woman’s hands, the sparkling lights were gone – absorbed by each of them. The motanka doll sneezed, Mary giggled, and Leo farted.
The women exchanged another amused look as they loaded in. Mary, Leo and Anna, the spellcaster, took the large, roomy back seat. Anna instructed Mary how to adjust the seat so she could stretch out and rest per the doctor’s instructions. She reminded Brielle in the passenger seat that Laelia expected her to rest as well, and they set off.
In truth, they hurtled off, as though someone had waved some otherworldly checkered flag. Mary’s eyes widened as she peered out the tinted window at the trees and buildings and other cars flying by. It was as if they were slipping along in some jet stream just outside everyone else’s reality. Despite the fact that they were traveling well over the speed limit, and defying all sorts of laws of physics, nobody raised an eyebrow or honked a horn.
She looked across Leo to Anna, eyebrows raised. “Have we engaged the warp engines, Captain?” Mary asked, pleased to remember the phrase from the old American TV show she used to watch back home.
“Ha! In a manner of speaking, yes. One thing is for sure, we will reach our destination long before he does.”
“That is a good thing,” Mary murmured, stroking Leo’s hair. She felt a glimmer of renewed hope. “A very good thing.”
***
Royal was tired. He’d stopped only once in nine hours. He wasn’t even sure where they were at the moment. Somewhere north of Atlanta. The land had become increasingly hilly and he’d seen some signs mentioning the Appalachian Trail. Royal wasn’t much of an outdoorsman, and the extent of his knowledge of Appalachia was that sick movie with Burt Reynolds and Angelina Jolie’s dad. Chuckling to himself, he hummed snatches of Dueling Banjos as he drove along.
The Luger had been muttering to itself for the last hour or so, only occasionally directing Royal to turn. They’d gotten off the interstate some time ago and were creeping along twisty state highways at an infuriating 55 mph.
It is close, I can feel it. I can feel their hexenwerk… majick. Dummen huren. The place, it is close. There! Leave the auto there. We must walk.
Royal pulled over as instructed. The sun was going down off to the left somewhere, behind the hills. It was going to be a dark walk. He popped the trunk. The Luger may not have instructed him to pack much in the way of toiletries, but it seemed to have thought ahead to a hike in the woods. Royal pulled out his hiking boots and utility jacket. They were items made more for style than practicality, but they’d have to do.
More important was some of the other equipment; the lantern, axe, and rifle would all come in handy. He shoved smaller items into a backpack, holstered the Luger, and stepped away from the parking area onto a clearly defined path. He caught a glimpse of the sign by the entrance, telling him that in just over 2,000 miles he’d be in Maine.
The Luger’s muttering got louder and more excited once they were out of the car.
They were close. Royal could feel the demon’s excitement enter his consciousness. It lifted his exhaustion and filled him with electric energy. Royal welcomed it. When they were together like this, primed for a fight, he felt immense, powerful, and driven. Anticipation of the ecstasy he knew was coming grew in him like a ravening hunger.
It got dark fast. There was no moon this night. Royal hiked at a steady pace while they stayed on the path. His senses, augmented by the demon’s presence, were alert to the smallest sounds, the tiniest movements. He intuitively altered his pace so his footsteps made little sound on the trail. It was early spring yet, so many of the trees were still bare. The air was cold and damp.
After about forty-five minutes, the Luger directed him off the main path. Royal tried to keep on the direction the demon pointed him, but it was hard. The wood defied straight lines. He stumbled and struggled through undergrowth, over fallen logs, through stickers that tore at his hands and face, but he hardly noticed.
He could sense them now, as well. They weren’t far. It was a small house, more like a hut, really, in the wood. He could sense their presence – women, all of them, except for Leo. He could sense the lines of magic surrounding the house, snaking out into the wood.
They had to know he was coming. They’d be fools not to know, not to have taken precautions. He strained to sense hidden lines of magic, booby traps, spies. He doused the lantern and continued on by the faint starlight, hunting knife drawn.
Royal and the old demon were so preoccupied with the terrain, they failed to look up.
***
Mary, Brielle, and the others had arrived hours before. Mary knew a little of the Mavka from fairy stories when she was young. She wasn’t surprised when they came out of warp, or however they’d been traveling, in a fairly dense wood. She was a little surprised at the sheer number of women who came out to greet them, given the relatively tiny size of the house they’d emerged from. Once she was ushered inside, it became clear that magic was at work here as well.
What Goes Around Page 23