by David Aries
Blair shook her head, swinging her clumsy twintails. “It’s more than that. Something happened. I know it did. But she’s never told me. Even though we’re best friends. Supposed to be best friends…”
“You’re still best friends. I’m sure of it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s something tricky for her? I could ask for you.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course,” I said with a big nod. “Anything you need, I’m there for you.”
“Thanks, J-Jake,” she giggled. It was an outrageously sweet sound. One capable of melting the heart of men.
“What is this?” someone snarled.
I jumped. I’d been so focused on Blair I hadn’t noticed we had company. The worst company imaginable. One which lacked a heart.
It was my first time seeing his face but I knew who he was. Frederic Charles Montgomery. Better known as the bastard who’d been harassing Blair.
His haughty face was one only a mother could love. Spotty, bloated cheeks sandwiched his fat caterpillar lips. Tiny eyes looked down at us, emphasized by downturned pencil-thin eyebrows. His blond goatee was of the same thickness, because he needed to draw attention to his features. The same went for his dome. His toupee was as fashionable from the front as it was from the back. A greasy, blond bush atop a greasy, overweight man.
He wore a red, velvet smoking jacket and a jewelry box’s worth of sparkling crap around his neck. A second box provided the multiple rings squashed onto each of his chubby fingers. Talk about overcompensating.
Frederic’s company flanked him. The same armed guests as last time. His personal security.
“You,” Frederic said. “Don’t you talk to my woman.”
Blair trembled, shrinking behind me. “H-he’s early. He never comes this early.” Her voice was back to a shattered whisper and I couldn’t blame her.
“She’s not your woman,” I said.
Frederic flinched. “You dare talk back to me? Don’t you know who I am?”
“Yeah. Some rich asshole.”
His face turned red. “You cur! I am Frederic Charles Montgomery, head of the Montgomery family.”
“Like I said. Some rich asshole.”
“You… you.” He was so pissed he couldn’t get his words out.
His guards stepped forward, hands resting on their weapons.
“How dare you talk to me that way,” Frederic managed to croak out. “I earn more in a day than you will in your entire life. I could have this entire district flattened if I so desired.”
“And you still got rejected,” I reminded him. “So much for all that money and power.”
“Why you… guards! Take this cretin to the dungeon!”
“And so much for all that big talk,” I said, backing away from two incoming guards. “Can’t handle anything without your lackeys.”
“Keep that cur quiet!” Frederic snapped. His glare found its way to the now vulnerable Blair. “You. How dare you associate with such a barbarian. I shift my schedule to see you and this is how you repay me.” He was half a foot taller than Blair yet seemed to tower above. “If I catch you flirting with another man again, you and that blasted dwarf will be sorry!”
Blair shrieked and covered her ears.
“Don’t ignore me,” he snarled, pulling her arms away. “It’s time to stop playing these games. You can’t escape me. Stop this foolishness and take your place as my mistress.”
“Leave her alone!” I growled. It was as Sophie predicted.
I’d seen a lot of jerks harassing girls, but this was another level. He was more than some big bozo throwing his weight around. Frederic was a man of considerable clout using it to corner and capture a frightened, isolated young woman.
The guards drew their blades. I was not to intervene. Frederic had Blair where he wanted her.
“Say it,” Frederic demanded, spitting in rage. “Say you’ll be mine.”
“Don’t do it!” This wasn’t right. Blair was a good girl. She didn’t belong with a pig like him.
“Silence!” Frederic reaffirmed. His bloodshot eyes returned to his prey. “Answer. Now!”
I was out of the equation. The guards were too close and I was a moment away from cold steel piercing my throat. It was up to Blair.
She trembled, shying away from the harsh reality. If she was ever going to crack, it was now.
“No,” she whispered.
“Come again,” Frederic said. “I didn’t quite catch your reply.”
Her shoulders stopped shaking. Blair stared him right in the eye. “No. I won’t go with you. I’ll never go with you. I… I hate you!”
I grinned from ear to ear. Way to stick it to that jerk.
Frederic’s head turned tomato red and he snorted like a wild beast. “How dare you. I’m offering you the world and you throw it back at me? Learn your place, woman.” He slapped her with the back of his hand.
Blair dropped with a shriek.
I stared, unable to believe my eyes. Blair was down and Frederic was standing above, looking at her with pure disdain. He’d just… he’d seriously just…
The next thing I knew, I was decking the bastard.
I’m not sure how I got past the guards. Maybe the slap distracted them? Nor am I sure how I managed to avoid activating my demon power. Of that, Frederic can count himself lucky. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. I’d knocked the jerk out cold.
His guards were slow to react. Likely stunned by my stupidity.
“Get him!” one of them finally ordered.
“Shit,” I grunted, bolting onto the main road. There wasn’t time to check on Blair. I ducked into traffic before the guards could stop me.
Remember when this wasn’t your style? These days, all you do is run.
“Quiet.” I had enough problems without an imaginary demon judging me. My pursuers weren’t far behind. It wouldn’t be pretty if they caught me.
Staying in the crowd seemed a bad idea. I muscled to the nearest alley and banked on my legs to pull me clear. I was no runner but I used to cycle to work every day. That had to count for something.
Three guards emerged from the throng. They were fast. Not the types to lose me easily.
Took a few streets for me to realize an issue. I didn’t know my way around Grabadon. Do this on my home turf and I could show you half a dozen places to lose a crowd. I was running blind. One wrong turn and I was down a dead end, cornered by armed soldiers. I had to outrun or outlast them before that happened. The first wasn’t happening. My eggs were in basket two. Lasting longer than a bunch of trained warriors.
My long legs kept me a step ahead but my calves burned themselves to an inferno. Half-breed recovery didn’t mean shit if I didn’t have time to catch my breath. The persistent bastards chased me all over, accumulating members.
Three turned to six.
“Shit, shit,” I panted, lungs fried to a crisp. Unless I stumbled upon a miracle, I’d have to stand and fight. No chance I could take them without exposing what I really was.
If we have to. I’m not one for flight.
The time was almost upon me when a sliver of hope appeared. A short green angel minding her own business.
“Titania!” I yelled.
“Jake?” she said, turning toward me. Her eyes bulged. “What the hell are you&emdash;”
I grabbed her hand and brought her along.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” she barked, running beside me.
“What’s it look like?”
“What’s that got to do with me?!”
“I need your help,” I said.
“Why me?! They’re gonna think I’m your fucking sidekick!”
“Erm… good point.”
“You idiot!” she screamed.
“I panicked, okay?”
She growled, glancing at the chasing rabble. “The hell did you do?!”
“Nothing much,” I panted. “Decked the jerk who slapped Blair.”
/>
“What?!” Her red eyes stared a hole in me.
Oh, that was right. Titania didn’t know about Frederic and I wasn’t supposed to tell her. Also, I wasn’t to get involved. So much for all that. “I’ll tell you when there aren’t six guys on my ass. You gotta know somewhere we can hide.”
“Fine. Follow.” Titania took control, guiding me through Grabadon with satnav precision.
We arrived at a rundown church, located deep in the festering slum. The front door was boarded shut and the entire structure seemed to be midway through sinking. We had to break in through a shattered window.
“Watch your step,” Titania said before I plunged to ground level. The floor was missing, reduced to a gaping pit. “Up here.”
I clambered onto the thin wooden beams that scaled above the bottomless abyss. They groaned under our combined weight.
Guards gathered at the window, but they hesitated to enter the death trap building.
“Damn traitor,” one of the soldiers spat, glaring at Titania. “Surround the church. Don’t let them leave.”
Titania ground her teeth. “Knew they wouldn’t come in here.”
“I can see why.” It wasn’t exactly safe.
She grabbed my collar. “Alright, spit it out. What happened to Blair?”
“Whoa, easy. Shouldn’t we get outta here first?”
“Don’t gimme that crap. What happened to&emdash;”
Titania took another step. The pressure became too much for the rotten beam. It shattered, dropping us into the lurking darkness below.
“Shit!” I yelled, plunging into the unknown.
Chapter 7
Solid water slammed against my plummeting back. It was a more comfortable landing than splatting on hard stone but by less than you’d expect.
I fought my way to the surface. Darkness greeted me. The only light was a single shard trickling from the hole above. It was barely enough to see the bitterly cold water lapping my flesh. Good thing I’d picked up that night vision. My demon eye lit up my surroundings. Not that there was much to see. An underground lake and a large cavern.
Titania splashed up alongside me. “Fuck! It’s freezing.”
“Think I ain’t noticed?” I replied through chattering teeth.
“You,” she growled, red eyes piercing through the black. “What did I say? I told you to watch your step.”
“I didn’t do anything. You picked that deathtrap.”
“Shut it. You were the one getting chased. And what happened to Blair?!”
“Ain’t we got bigger problems?” I said, gesturing. “Where are we?”
“Underground caverns. Duh.”
“Thanks. Next question. Where’s the way out? Is there a way out?”
“Of course there is.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Somewhere.”
“Somewhere? That’s it?”
“Fuck do you want? I didn’t ask to come here,” Titania snapped.
“I want a way out.”
“We wouldn’t need one if you hadn’t broken that fucking beam.”
“That wasn’t… this is getting us nowhere. We’re gonna freeze in here.” As a half-breed, I had an increased body temperature. It was no match for a glacial pool.
We swam for land. It wasn’t too far away, but only I could see that. Titania followed my lead.
“Stop kicking,” she said.
“Stop tailing me,” I countered.
“Move aside then.”
“And freeze? No chance.” I did ease off on the splashing, for her sake. She repaid me by splashing back. “How mature of… huh?”
I glanced over both shoulders. Titania wasn’t there.
“Titania?” I said, scanning the surface. “If this is your idea of a joke you need new material.” I reluctantly dipped under the surface in search of the punchline.
There was no side-splitting climax. Titania had company.
Something black and vile had her wrapped up in its tentacles. Titania struggled but couldn’t beat the demon with brute strength. The circumstances were against her. For once, she was without her spear. It didn’t matter how tough or talented Titania was, she couldn’t fight a demon barehanded. Nobody could, besides me. I was an anomaly. The rest of the civilized world had one nasty handicap. Disarmed, they were helpless against demons.
This fiend was similar to an octopus, except it only had four tentacles. They were all occupied with Titania, decreasing its diving speed.
My demon eye scanned the aquatic monster. A yellow-level threat. Stronger than I would have liked, not that it changed anything. An apocalyptic red wouldn’t have deterred me from saving Titania.
I dove after her while cursing my ineptitude. How had I overlooked the possibility of demons lurking in the water? They’d invaded an impenetrable city. Why wouldn’t they be lurking in a cave system of all things?
My swimming skills were average but my progress was swift. Just a little more…
Slick tentacles coiled around my neck and limbs. A second one!
I gargled, struggling. Its appendages were soft but it had an iron grip. Useless wiggling got me nowhere. Every second wasted took Titania deeper. She could only breathe for so long. My own reserve was depleting. Escaping quickly was paramount but I couldn’t punch it. Its positioning made kicking a no-go and my flame breath was obviously out.
Do something. Anything. You’re supposed to be a good fighter. Prove it.
That pestering inner demon was right. I’d beaten bigger and badder. It’d be a disgrace to lose to a demon squid.
I swung my head back and smacked the demon in its gooey mug. It didn’t falter, so I delivered a second. I hammered over and over until its grip crumbled. The second my wrists slipped free, I turned and buried my fist through the demon’s center.
My foe deflated like a punctured beach ball, but there was no time to celebrate. I rushed to the surface and refueled my drained lungs. Three hasty inhales and I was back under. I had to catch Titania.
The inky lake smothered all that lurked within. My demon vision wasn’t enough. She was too deep. I had to sink faster than my rookie swimming skills could accomplish. If there was only a way I could move quicker…
It seemed so obvious once I’d thought of it. How hadn’t it come to me sooner? I kicked using my demon power, releasing as if jumping. The propulsion sped me up, shooting me like a torpedo. I flew toward the bed and the two of them.
Titania was still bound by tentacles. Her resistance had ceased.
I saw red. My pace increased. I used every ounce of my power to rush to her aid. Titania’s captor was no match for one rage-fueled fist.
The demolished demon’s limp tentacles deposited Titania’s still body into my arms.
My heart hammered. Not like this.
I shot back to the surface as fast as my feet could manage. More of those tentacle bastards emerged from the shadows. I ripped them to shreds without pausing to heed them. I didn’t stop until we’d burst from the surface and skidded along dry land.
“Titania,” I spluttered, cradling her in my arms. “Speak to me.”
No response. Not even a breath.
I placed her on her back and re-enacted my first aid training. I’d done it so many times, in various courses, that I knew it by heart. Each forced redo had pissed me off. No longer. I’d take as many repeat classes as they wanted if Titania pulled through.
Pounding on her chest didn’t work. I went mouth-to-mouth and prayed. I couldn’t lose Titania here. Not after I’d dragged her into this mess.
On the third cycle, as my hope was waning, Titania coughed up a lungful of water.
I gasped and clenched my relieved heart. Too close. That’d been far too close.
Titania’s small chest moved rhythmically. She didn’t open her eyes; didn’t say a word. It was enough. She was alive. That was all that mattered.
***
The fire crackled, adding a snippet of warmth to the otherwise frigid c
avern.
Finding wood was easier than expected. The sinking church had hemorrhaged old flooring. Plenty of driftwood lingered around the shoreline. Thank heavens for it. The heat was essential. Titania was in a delicate state. I couldn’t leave her to freeze to death.
She was asleep, resting by the fire. I’d set up camp in a crevice not far from the lake. I was watching the perimeter. No more letting my guard down. Demons prowled the land as they did underwater. Because of course they did. Anything else would be too convenient.
A handful of blobs wobbled into sight. They weren’t the first of their ilk I’d encountered during my shift. The fourth lot, if I’d counted correctly.
Twenty-first intruders in total.
This particular bunch of handsome chaps were rather similar to slimes, a standard enemy you get in fantasy video games. They lacked the glowing blue eyes all other demons had, mainly because they lacked eyes altogether. Instead, their gelatinous bodies glowed that stand-out color.
I dragged my heavy body to its feet and cracked my sore neck. “Alright, let’s get this over with.” I rushed them, eager to get the first blow.
They beat me to it, barfing slime at me.
With Titania somewhere behind, I didn’t dare dodge. I took the blow and bit back the searing agony which sizzled my flesh.
Did I mention that slimes are corrosive? That included their attacks.
The acid ate my bare flesh, which was as pleasant as it sounds. The urge to drop and scream was close to unbearable, but I couldn’t do it. Titania was counting on me. I struggled through the pain threshold and lashed out, kicking the closest slime.
I didn’t knock it back. Slimes don’t work that way. It was closer to kicking a puddle. My foot sunk into its acidic body, hacking off a portion. It was at least enough to kill it. Shame I had to deal with a couple of more. They followed the same script. Subject myself to agony to eliminate them. They were definitely a demon it was advised to use weapons against. Even for a half-breed. My flame breath didn’t do shit to them.
Weren’t slimes supposed to be weak to elemental attacks? Damn lying games.
I slumped at my post and let my half-breed power do its thing. My skin grafted itself back together. Shame it couldn’t prevent the injuries in the first place.