by Marian Tee
All around them were creatures with horns, fangs, and tails, their skin flaming red. But none of them, unfortunately, looked even as remotely friendly as a candy-bar-eating Hellboy.
Not taking her eyes off the monsters staring at them with menacing red-rimmed eyes, George hastily groped around for her jersey even as she hissed at her captor, “Look at them.”
Even though his body felt like it was being pummeled by light, Silviu turned to where the girl was looking with such intense wariness. A hiss of fury escaped his bloodless lips at the sight of the imps. These were the worst of the lot – soulless and mindless creatures that faithfully followed the bidding of the demons who created them.
To George’s shock, the growing crowd of nameless creatures scurried back, terror falling on their horrifying faces. Even so, she had the presence of mind to take advantage of it, quickly pulling her shirt over her head.
When she was dressed again, she saw that their numbers had swelled by the dozens. The trembling of the ground had worsened as well, as if the earth was about to give birth to something heinous.
George’s fingers were moving on its own accord, curling around the arm of her captor. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, she told herself grimly.
A jolt of shock ran through Silviu’s body at the girl’s touch, and a fierce wave of protectiveness surged inside him as he saw the way she was trying so hard to look strong despite her world being turned upside down – by him.
“What’s your name, milady?” he rasped out.
Without taking her gaze off the monsters, George hissed, “You’re going to fucking ask me that now? Really?”
Somehow, the snarky words only made Silviu want to protect her more – as well as take her lips for another deep kiss. He said simply, “Yes.”
It was just her luck, George thought despairingly, to be almost raped by a psycho. Now the said psycho was her best bet at staying alive against the Woods of the Wraiths’ terrifying inhabitants.
Feeling the heat of his gaze on her face, she growled, “George.”
Silviu blinked. “A man’s name?”
“No, it’s actually a homosexual name, haven’t you heard?”
He didn’t answer, his gaze remaining questioning, her sarcasm easily missing its target.
Mentally cursing her captor, George snarled, “Georgina – which is fucking short for George McCartney, named in honor of two fucking Beatles. You want my fucking Social Security number while we’re at it?”
A small distance away, the sound of the ground exploding reached them, like a geyser shooting up. The imps howled and his lady – George – stiffened.
Immediately, Silviu sensed the presence of a higher-ranking demon, the leader whose command the imps had been waiting for.
In his mind, Silviu called for his Galeré.
Your Grace. Mihail was the first to respond, and the markings of their bond blazed into life, showing Silviu the image of the vampire prince starting to run towards him. The others answered his call not seconds later, all three of them expressing shock and, after a few moments, gratitude at the discovery that Silviu had not yet killed himself.
I have found my heartkeeper but we are in grave danger. The heartkeeping process has started, and it has unexpectedly weakened me. I will hold them off for as long as I can but you must come quickly.
His Galeré did not answer and so it should be, with all four of them trained to rely on their instincts and their bond. Silviu had asked, and his Galeré would follow. No other words had to be spoken. It had been so for a thousand years.
“Something’s coming,” the girl beside him suddenly whispered. She – George – was doing her best not to let her voice shake, and again her courage impressed him.
“Georgina.” Her beautiful name suited her, and it rolled off his tongue easily, like he had always been using it.
“Yeah?” But she didn’t look at him, didn’t take her eyes off the dark hulking creature slowly heading their way. What the hell was happening? Did these mini-monsters call for backup? It was just the two of them against their army and they needed to call for fucking backup?
“Georgina, look at me.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Georgina.”
There was something about the steel underlining her captor’s quiet command that made Georgina turn, even though she was mentally cursing as she did. “Wha---” Ah, fuck!
It was her last thought just before her captor stole yet another kiss from her, his lips covering hers completely, his tongue boldly thrusting in her mouth, leaving his brand all over her.
Just as George was about to close her eyes – ah, well, it was a fucking nice way to die, with a hot kiss like that – her captor pulled away.
And then he whistled.
Oh my God, he’s really gone cray-cray.
But a second later, his whistle was answered by the beating of wings, a horse’s neighing, and the crush of pebbles under strong hooves.
She nearly fell in her haste to turn around, and George’s jaw dropped when she saw a powerful stallion glaring at the monsters around them as it raised its hooves in the air in challenge.
George couldn’t help but turn again, needing to know if the monsters had been scared away. And they were – but the larger, darker creature behind them was so close now. She didn’t think she could take it if that being ever came to light and its entire visage was revealed.
“Aaah!”
George was suddenly lifted in the air and then plopped down on the stallion’s back.
She looked at her captor in a daze.
“Tell Granite where to take you and he will do as you bid.”
George’s lips had a hard time moving. Finally, she asked, “You really want me to talk to your horse?”
His eyes bored through her. “My lady, after everything you have seen, you are still doubting this? Really?” He mimicked her tone.
Even as she became red-faced, George glared at him. “No need to be fucking sarcastic and you can’t blame---what the hell!” Her captor had stiffened, and a second later he was sending out a powerful blast from his hand, creating a literal wall of fire around them.
She gaped. She choked. She---
---was pulled down for yet another kiss. The movement of her captor’s lips was slow, damnably so, like they weren’t in a middle of some jungle war and it was man against beast. It was also firm and commanding. Trust me to keep you safe, those beautiful lips said. Trust me to see you in the morning and fuck the daylight out of you.
Silviu pulled away with an effort, the taste of her lips somewhat calming the liquid light that was still running through his veins as it purged the blackness inherent in him.
His powers were near drained by now, but he had to make sure that his diversion would be enough to let her get away safely. Beyond the wall of fire, the imps were hissing, wanting to go through the fire but unable to because it was created by a demon with a much higher rank than them. Even their leader could not get past it, but the wall of fire would not last – and Silviu and his opponent knew it.
“I smell your weakness,” the other demon spat in their language.
“No, demon,” Silviu answered in the same language, his lip curling. “You are smelling yours.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” George demanded in a furious, anxious whisper as something beyond the wall started having what sounded like a tantrum. The ground shook even harder underneath them.
Silviu shook his head. “Do not concern yourself with that. You must go now, milady. I need to be sure you are safe.”
Yes, go. She had a flying horse. She could totally be safe. George knew that was the totally sensible thing to do. Her fingers tightened on the stallion’s reins, but somehow she couldn’t make herself say or do anything that would tell his horse to fly her away.
Before she could stop herself, George said, “Come with me.” She swallowed. “Please.”
“I cannot, milady. It is the only
way I will be able to ensure your safe return.” His face turned hard. “But I promise you, I will see you again. Now go.”
He slapped Granite’s back and the stallion neighed before he started to run towards the wall of fire.
What the---
Her fingers tightened their grip on the reins, and she wondered if the horse was as crazy as its master and intended to burn them both to death.
Granite was speeding up now, and they were inches away from the wall of fire.
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my---shiiiiiit!
Granite took off at the last possible moment, so close to the fire that George had actually started to sweat due the intense heat it gave off.
“That was so fucking close!” she yelled at the horse as they rose into the air. They were flying now, flying! If it had been under other circumstances, George would have probably enjoyed the experience of being thousands of feet above ground with the skies seemingly within reach.
But now, all she could think about was the danger – the many fucking dangers that she had just gotten past – like being a second away from being barbecued. “You almost got us burned,” she yelled.
The horse snorted, as if ridiculing her doubt of its ability.
She glared at its head, hoping Granite would be as sensitive as he seemed to be intuitive because if looks could kill, Granite would be near death by now.
The horse neighed, its head twisting left and right as if searching for their destination.
Oh.
George quickly told Granite where to go, and the horse actually nodded, pulling the reins as it did. They were flying fast, covering miles in seconds. George knew she should be rejoicing by now, but something inside her felt heavy and restless.
“Granite,” she whispered.
The horse stilled in the air, the sound of its beating wings like a whirlwind trapped in a bottle.
“Let’s go find a weapon then get back to your master and help him beat the crap out of those little shits.”
****
“Take His Grace to a safe place, Adrijan.” It was Mihail’s first command as he made it to Silviu’s side after slashing his way through dozens of imps.
“No,” Silviu gritted out just as Adrijan started to summon a wave of water to aid him.
Do not be stubborn, Your Grace, Ilie snapped. You look near death. Are you sure you’ve found the right heartkeeper?
There was no time to reply as another wave of imps leapt towards them, spit coming out of their snarling mouths.
Mihail, leave us and deal with the demon commanding these imps.
Mihail tensed but did not stop swinging his sword and cutting off heads, which rolled down the ground and were trampled underneath the clawed feet of the other imps.
Now, Mihail.
With a curse, Mihail made his way to the higher-ranking demon.
Why aren’t the Wraiths attacking them? Adrijan asked as he blasted the imps that came flying their way with ice as sharp as daggers, each one slitting its target by the neck.
The Wraiths are not under my command. They have sworn to protect Brimstone – the land itself – from harm, and clearly these demons only want to kill me.
Damn---
No, Ilie. Do not speak ill of the dead.
With a snarl, Ilie pounced on the nearest imp and tore off its head with his giant ferocious jaws in an attempt to release his frustrated rage.
We must call for our people, Adrijan said.
No. The imps will go back to Hell once their master dies.
From afar, Silviu saw Mihail sink his sword into the heart of the demon, driving his opponent to the ground. The demon roared in pain, twisting and jerking but unable to escape. Mihail twisted his blade, shredding the demon’s insides, and he continued to turn the blade with a merciless look in his eyes until the demon twitched for the last time.
But the imps still did not stop attacking.
Instead, their aggression rose to a fevered pitch, bordering on manic and suicidal, scratching and hissing as they tried to decapitate Silviu and his Galeré.
Mihail was doing his best to get back to their side. We have been deceived, Your Grace. The one I killed is not the master. There is an archdemon here, and he wants you.
Ilie growled, No other option, Your Grace. You must go – NOW.
Silviu was swaying on his feet in pain and exhaustion but even so, he shook his head, tightening his grip on his sword. We stand together---
The sound of beating wings stopped him, and Silviu looked up, his heart racing fast.
It was his heartkeeper.
Her dark hair flew against her back, her eyes shining brightly, her face a mixture of fear and defiance.
“I told you to go to a safe place, milady.”
How was it that this man kept proving himself to be crazier and crazier than she thought? Even though he stood proudly, fighting off those creatures next to men she assumed were his friends, George also saw the pallor of his skin and the way his lips had thinned with the pain he was trying to hide.
This man…would never abandon a fight.
And she…could never abandon him.
“Let’s go down, Granite,” she whispered.
The horse nodded and flew down. When Granite reached the ground, she jumped off his back.
Silviu was stunned. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Committing suicide, like the rest of you,” she snapped, but her voice was shaking as she twisted the rusty bar of iron Granite had located for her.
I take it back, Your Grace, Ilie thought with amusement. Seeing that she is as stubborn as you are, you two make the perfect match.
Silviu ignored his friend’s words, instead concentrating on the small girl beside him. “These are demon imps we are facing, you stubborn girl.”
She swallowed at his words even as she lifted her chin. “Yeah, well, if you’re not running, I’m not running either.”
He’s coming. Mihail growled the words into their minds.
Silviu pushed George behind his back just as the archdemon finally trudged forward, gaining momentum with each heavy step, with the entire ground shaking even more powerfully underneath them. With a savage bellow, the archdemon jumped into the fray with a murderous look on its hideous face, his clawed hand clutching a sword raised high in the air.
The stench of the creature was the first thing that reached George, making her want to puke. It was the smell of rot, and if she had to compare it to something, George would have sworn it was the smell of decaying human flesh.
Its features were…misshapen – that was the only way to describe it. Every living creature was supposed to be made by God’s hands, but not this – not this beast, with its unevenly curved horns, soulless eyes, nose-less face, and its gaping, salivating mouth.
The creature suddenly swung its sword towards her captor, who barely managed to deflect the strike.
“No,” George screamed, seeing the tip of the blade graze her captor’s neck. Without thinking, she rushed towards them.
“Stay back,” Silviu growled at his heartkeeper even as he parried the strikes of the archdemon’s sword, twisting and turning to avoid being nicked again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the imps had swelled to impossible numbers, as if Hell had found a way to defile the earth and impregnate nature with its soulless offspring.
Granite was doing his best to protect his heartkeeper, but it was only a matter of time before they would all be overrun.
“Die,” the archdemon howled, and this time it managed to swing his sword with enough force to knock Silviu off his feet. The archdemon lifted his sword for another blow, and Silviu immediately took advantage of the moment, rolling away to keep him out of striking distance.
His body continued to war with the soul that heartkeeping was forcing on him, and the battle between his demonic cells and his newfound soul was like an internal wound being slashed open again and again.
The pain blurred his vision, but Silviu forced himsel
f to his feet.
Protect my heartkeeper, Silviu commanded his Galeré even as he was nearly split in half by his opponent.
She is doing fine on her own for a human. Mihail sounded grim and reluctantly impressed at the same time.
Don’t be stingy with your compliments, Adrijan chided even as he continued to blast the never-ending wave of imps coming at them. She is doing magnificently.