by Jex Lane
She wouldn’t say that if there’d been a trap or some other danger. It seemed safe for now.
Fate-Pebble ran ahead. “This way. Change into your dog form.”
Children. He could smell them. Human and incubi. And decay. Jet shifted into a Rottweiler.
One of the doors had piles of desks, books, and chairs barricading it. Fate-Pebble grabbed a desk and tossed it out of the way, then she grabbed another, trying to clear their path. Jet clamped down onto a chair leg and dragged it down the hall a bit.
“H-hello?” a quiet voice said from the other side of the door.
“Hi! We’re here to save you.”
Quiet sobs motivated Jet to work faster. When they had cleared enough out of the way, Fate-Pebble pulled the door open and squeezed through, Jet following her.
There were thirteen children inside. Five were incubi. At least as far as Jet could tell. Before incubi underwent their transformations, they passed as human for the most part. They were usually good looking though. The children looked underfed and dirty, except the five who were a little less gaunt and the dirt didn’t cling to them like the others.
If Jet could gag, he would have. The room smelled dreadful. One of the corners was being used as the bathroom…and the other…where the decay came from…had a tarp covering a small figure. One of the children hadn’t made it.
Fury rose in Jet and he regretted leaving the fight with Krampus. Fleshlings had such short lives as it was…no child should have it cut even shorter.
The eldest, an incubus boy maybe ten years old, backed away. “V-vampire.”
The other children followed suit, even if they didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Fate-Pebble held up her hands. “We’re going to get you out of here.” When that didn’t seem to convince any of them, she added, “Look, your choices right now are the vampire with her dog or Krampus. How’s Krampus working out for you?”
“It’s not a dog,” the boy said.
“He is right now,” she said.
Jet sat down and let his tongue loll out of his mouth, pretending to pant. Humans often found that action ‘cute’.
The boy studied the two of them, then nodded.
“Alright, let’s—” before she could finish, her eyes glowed white for a moment before fading back to their silver color. “Shoot. Tell you what, we’ll come back and rescue you in a few minutes. Jet and I have to do something first. Stay put.”
She left the room, Jet behind her, and closed the door again. “So, um, you need to go back to your gargoyle form.”
To use her word: seriously?
“Yeah, sorry. Come on.”
He shifted as they ran down the hall together, paws turning sharp, skin hardening, wings emerging.
At the courtyard, Fate-Pebble stopped so abrupt that Jet nearly plowed into her.
Krampus stood before them.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The stench of death emanating from the creature confirmed it was a demon, but not one Jet had ever seen before.
Thousands of years ago, the Pit opened and flooded Earth with the vile creatures. It took an alliance unlike any the world had seen before to beat them back. Dragons, vampires, incubi, elves, dwarves, centaur, witches, gargoyles, shifters…all fighting side by side. Sadly, many species perished, and others, like elves who had trouble breeding with humans, never recovered. Even today, there weren’t enough of them left to save themselves.
Krampus hunched over, grabbing its side. Its whole body covered with blood-matted fur, except its face which had mottled grey skin, a sharp nose, and a large set of twisting horns. A long, fur-covered tail twitched behind him.
It pulled three bolts out of its leg and tossed them to the ground. Somehow, it had escaped a warrior incubus, six hunters, and three vampire lords.
Impressive.
It probably returned here to feed on the children’s fear. Typical demon. Jet refused to let that happen.
Lowering his head and raising the spikes along his back, he let a growl escape from deep within him.
“If you surrender now,” Fate-Pebble said, not a hint of fear in her voice, “we’ll send you back to the Pit where you belong. If not, Jet will destroy you.”
Krampus sneered at her; its sharp teeth half-rotten. An unnaturally long tongue emerged and licked the side of its face in amusement. The demon attacked, springing forward; its hooves pounding on the concrete walkway of the courtyard.
Jet moved to place himself between Fate-Pebble and Krampus. Lunging, Jet went for the demon’s legs, biting the air, trying to make contact. Krampus dodged the attack, moving faster than Jet anticipated.
Uttering a demonic chant, Krampus pointed a clawed finger at Fate-Pebble. Jet planned to bite each and every one of those fingers off for daring to threaten his stone. He leaped at Krampus, who held out its hand. Black smoke hung in the air like a snake and took the form of a long chain.
Krampus grabbed it and swung, hitting Jet in his side and sending him tumbling. Jet hadn’t felt pain like this in years. Not much could hurt him.
Pushing it away, he scrambled to his feet and, using his four powerful limbs, charged again.
“Dodge right!” Fate-Pebble shouted at him.
He did and somehow managed to keep his footing as the chain missed him by inches. Changing tactics, Jet flapped his wings and went into the air.
Krampus pulled its arm back to swing the chain, and Jet used that opening to swoop past the creature, clawing it across the face. It hissed. This time when it went to swing, it aimed for Fate-Pebble.
She started to run away but the chain cracked against her ankle and she tumbled down with a cry. Jet wanted to go to her but he needed to control the situation first.
He wished she wasn’t so stubborn all the time. It put her in too much danger. Then again, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to save the children. She could be selfish sometimes, but she had a kind heart. At least life stayed interesting around her.
The demon uttered more words, and in his other hand, a bundle of birch branches appeared from black smoke. Closing in on Fate-Pebble, he swung the branches at her.
Half-flying, half-running, Jet moved to prevent that from happening. That is until she screamed at him. “Jet, no! Go behind him!”
Jet paused long enough that Krampus had time to swipe the branches at her. She raised her arms up to protect her body. The sticks cut through her clothes and broke her skin. She whimpered, and Jet returned the pain in kind by sinking his claws into the creature’s fur-covered back, raking them into the skin. An unnatural scream tore from the demon’s lungs.
Swinging its chain as it turned, it struck Jet again, this time on his back leg, and yanked. Jet toppled down, trying to shake the chain free, only to be dragged along the ground. Clawing furiously at the chain, it wouldn’t detach.
The bundle of birch connected to the left side of Jet’s face, burning his rocky skin like a million strands of superheated metal. It missed his eye but only just.
Krampus swung the bundle of pain branches again but never made contact. Instead, Jet watched as a club-like weapon connected with Krampus’ back with a bone-crushing crack. He stumbled away, and Tarrick grabbed the chain and shook Jet free of it.
“You take low, I’ll take high,” the Warlord ordered. His armor was beat up—chain marks indented across it. There were bleeding cuts all over his body and sticks in his hair.
Jet rolled to his feet, and before Krampus could get away, he bit the back of its leg. Oily black blood oozed into his mouth. Unpleasant.
Tarrick, bigger than the demon, barreled down on it, relentless in his attack. He and Jet tag-teamed the creature as it tried to get away. Jet would get a bite in while Tarrick used his kanabō to block and counter. With a forceful blow to the arm, Tarrick hit hard enough to stagger Krampus, letting Jet use the opening to grab hold of Krampus’ tail, tugging it.
Tarrick came in with another swing, this time across
its chest. Krampus fell onto its back and Jet pounced, landing on its body and sinking his teeth into its neck. Jet ached as hooves and claws and painful demonic tree branches lashed out at him. He felt as if he might shatter apart, but he refused to let go, clamping down harder, teeth ripping through flesh and fur and muscle fiber.
The demon stilled as its soul escaped, leaving flesh behind.
Fate-Pebble had been right—if it had surrendered, Jet would have been content sending it back to the Pit where it could reform and exist again. But it had hurt his stone, and for that, there was no forgiveness.
The soul itself looked like an outline of the creature in life, but Jet knew that was his own perception. Souls weren’t truly tangible things. Instead they just were. Few creatures could sense them: gargoyles, spirit witches, the divine…
Demons existed to corrupt souls, blacken them to empower themselves and the Pit…while gods needed them to expand their realms. Gargoyles were made by the Earth Mother herself to ensure no souls stayed lost in this realm forever, and she gave them the power to usher them away or destroy them.
There’d be no ushering tonight.
Jet touched the soul and pulled it into his body. There, he broke it apart and it was finished. Never again would it harm another.
A cold hand rested on his back and Jet released Krampus’ body. He spat out as much of the oily blood as he could, then pressed his head into Fate-Pebble’s thigh. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “Good boy.”
Yes. Yes, he was a good boy.
He pulled away enough to look at her. She held out her arm; the lash marks had healed but left behind thin scars. Rage-Boulder was going to have a fit when he sees them.
“I’ll talk him down, don’t worry. I think he’ll be more upset about yours.” She ran a finger over his face where parts of it had been chipped away by the demonic weapon. It’d regrow. Eventually.
Where was Tarrick?
“Oh, he went for the children.”
Jet grabbed Krampus’ arm in his jaws and dragged the body behind a planter, out of sight, then returned to the center of the courtyard.
Fate-Pebble plopped down on the ground beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his wing around her. “It’s been an exciting night.”
Jet nodded in agreement.
“The winter solstice tomorrow will be fun, but tonight’s not over yet,” she said. “You’re going to like the next part. Well,” she laughed, “after we go shower and change.”
Again? Life would be easier if they didn’t have any clothes.
“But then how will the incubi peacock if they can’t dress all fancy?” she asked.
“Stoooooones…”
“Oh, I guess they could wear jewelry instead. I’ll suggest that to them at the next party. I don’t think you’ll ever get Tarrick out of those suits though.”
No. He suspected not. Although, when Tarrick was younger he wore a lot more leather and furs.
Fate-Pebble looked at him. “You’re kidding.”
“Braaaaaids.”
“Goddess, Tarrick had braids? No way.”
He did.
“We’re talking back when he was, like, a young adult right? Around all the other Vikings? Tell me his hair was really long…”
Jet nodded again.
“Father is going to crack up when he learns that.” She sighed. “Fate sure didn’t make my life an easy one, did she? I envy my sisters who could spend their days giving prophecy. They were revered for their talents, you know? But me?” She sighed again. “Why does my life—unlife—have to be so hard?”
Jet shifted into his human form. Sort of. He kept his wings, one still wrapped around her. She re-adjusted as he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in.
“Your oracle sisters had their own challenges. Not all of them ended up in the history books.”
“They didn’t lose their parents, live on their own as a teenager, get turned into a vampire, lose their sire, then get tossed into a war that won’t end until I die…”
He regarded his stone for a moment. Jet enjoyed the closeness he shared with her, that she spoke to him, entrusting him with her fears. She carried many burdens, more than most. But she was harder than any diamond. “There are many things set in stone. The future is not one of them.”
She looked at him. “To change even the smallest thing takes a near impossible effort.”
“We live in a time of impossibles. A demigod walks with an oracle at his side.”
She frowned. “Don’t call him that. You know he’s not a demigod, not really.”
Jet nodded. “The Judge believes so, and comes all the same.”
“And we’ll stop her.” Fate-Pebble’s face went hard. “Maybe…maybe we can change the future.”
“And if we cannot, I will be there with you until the end. And after, I will make sure your name is never forgotten.”
She laughed. “That’s kind of grim but, you know, thanks.”
Smiling at her, Jet’s job was done. He returned to his gargoyle form.
They waited in silence for Tarrick to return. About five minutes later, he emerged from the building, back in his human form, weapon attached to his back, and carrying a child in each arm. The other children followed him, keeping close.
Given how calm they seemed, he likely had a hold on all of them, which was confirmed when Archduke Günther appeared before them and none of the children reacted to the sudden arrival of a vampire.
Günther disappeared and reappeared by the planter Krampus’ body hid behind. He nodded his approval and returned to the group.
“The other demons?” Tarrick asked.
“Have been taken care of. My children are managing any fall out now with your hunters.”
“Other demons?” Fate-Pebble asked.
“Krampus had demonic children in his bag, we had to deal with them,” Günther answered, then addressed Tarrick. “I have already called our police and a car should be here for you soon.”
Tarrick nodded. “The police belong to you, I assume.”
“Everything in this city belongs to me.” He looked at the children. “If the demons are returning…”
“I know,” Tarrick said.
“We need the demigod. Sooner than later.”
Fate-Pebble scrunched her nose but said nothing.
Tarrick nodded. “It’ll be handled soon.”
“‘Handled’,” she snorted.
A black, unmarked van pulled up. The driver was human. Tarrick ushered the incubi children into it. Fate-Pebble and Jet took a seat in the back. Before getting in, Tarrick looked back at the human children then to Günther.
The vampire hummed with amusement. “I’m not going to eat them. I give you my word they’ll be returned to their families.”
“Good luck with my son tomorrow.”
“I won’t need it. He is new to our game.”
“Don’t underestimate him. He had a good teacher.”
Günther tilted his head forward once in acknowledgement. “Safe travels, Warlord.”
Tarrick took a seat in the center of the van and ordered the driver to head to the Archduke’s home to drop Emissary Falise’s child off, then to the leystone. The incubi children surrounded him, touching him. He grabbed the back of the neck of a girl maybe six years old, and asked, “Is your name Vilde?”
She nodded and pressed her face against his chest armor.
Another child crawled into his lap. He allowed it.
Having stood sentinel over his household for centuries, Jet had seen this behavior often. Incubi craved touch, even the children. In their case, it was the innocent longing for contact. Nothing sexual—that desire didn’t come until their teens, same as humans.
“You’re good with kids,” Fate-Pebble said from the back seat.
“I’m a father,” he said.
“Do you have grandkids?”
He tossed her a glance over his shoulder. “You don’t know the answer
to that, Oracle?”
“I don’t know everything, and…our fates are too closely tied.”
“I had many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but many have been lost to this war.”
Fate-Pebble slumped down a little. “I’ll never have a baby.”
“Perhaps you’ll sire a child when you’re older.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
Jet lay his head in her lap and she began to absentmindedly rub her fingers over one of his spikes. “Excited to see them?”
Yes. Jet was.
“Who are we seeing?” Tarrick asked, adjusting a little as a child gripped his arm and refused to let go.
“Pebbles.”
“Pebbles?”
Fate-Pebble smiled.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jet had the rock they’d acquired from the witch in his mouth.
“This entire section is closed,” Tarrick said, putting in a cufflink.
They had returned from Blutbad, sent the children off with hunters to be returned to their families, showered, and changed. Well, Jet had curled up by the fire while the fleshlings changed. He didn’t usually shower—rocks could get clean with rain and snow—but Fate-Pebble forced him into the shower with her. You have black demon ooze all over you.
Humph.
He hadn’t been happy about it.
And now, they were in the bowels of the fort.
Cold and deep and dark and surrounded by rocks: it was perfect down here.
“We’re almost there. Come on.”
“Hang on.” Tarrick, being the only one who didn’t have perfect night vision, pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit a torch.
Fate-Pebble led them through the maze-like passages until they arrived at a stairwell. She grabbed Tarrick’s wrist. “She’s under there, but let Jet go first.”
Jet didn’t want to go first. The last time he’d talked to her, she’d nearly ripped his face off. Hormones.
“Stop being scared. Go,” Fate-Pebble said.
Fine.
Jet lowered himself and crept forward. Coming around some boxes, he saw her. Asper. Curled up and unmoving.
In front of her, six other gargoyles. These ones smaller than a human’s hand.