“He willnae tooch ye while Ah am haur,” Tallis promised her firmly.
“I would not touch her until the time she asks me to,” Alaire said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “After all, if nothing else, I am the quintessential gentleman.”
“I will never want you,” Jenny spat at him, shaking her head furiously. “Now take your demons and get the hell off my property.”
“As you wish, my dear,” Alaire said, without making any move to leave. He just stood there, rooted, as if someone had just pushed the pause button on him. Jenny regarded him suspiciously and just as I was going to face Tallis for his reaction, I heard the sounds of heavy breathing right beside my right ear. In slow motion, I turned to face the horrible rows of pointed teeth of one of the Hanuush demons. It stood barely a foot away from me. In shock, I let out a little cry and jumped back as the thing started growling. In my panic, I dropped my makeshift crutch and placed all my weight on both of my feet, the sudden pain in my ankle immediately crippling me.
“Lily!” Tallis called out, but I was too afraid to look at him, and too afraid to turn my back on the hideous creature who was now stalking me.
“Ah, so Ms. Harper is here, after all,” Alaire said. I started to back up from my hiding place, keeping my eyes on the creature the entire time. “Do not run from it, Ms. Harper!” Alaire yelled.
I didn’t run, because I couldn’t. I just continued to limp away, toward the hill, wanting only to be as close to Tallis as possible.
“She’s hurt?” I heard Alaire asking the others. Apparently, it didn’t slip his notice that I was favoring one side.
“Don’t let the demon see you limp!” Jenny called up to me. “They prey on the wounded!”
I felt the lump in my throat doubling in size. Dropping all my weight on both of my feet, I tried to ignore the stabbing pain in my ankle. I started down the hill backwards, with the creature only a foot or two from me. The aberration followed me, continuing to growl as it bared its rows of jagged teeth.
“Go away like a good little demon,” I whispered softly, hoping it might like me better if I didn’t seem to be a threat.
But it started growling louder, so I immediately shut my mouth and just focused on walking downhill backwards. That wasn’t easy to do, especially with a bum ankle. When I felt my foot slip on the loose dirt, I quickly tried to correct it, but my center of balance was already off. I began to wobble, and before I knew it, I was falling backwards, down the hill. I hit the ground hard and then rolled twice before I dug my heels into the sandy earth and stopped myself. When I opened my eyes, all I could see were the jaws of the Hanuush demon as it pounced on me. In an automatic reflex, my hands immediately went up to shield my face as I turned my head away from the creature. I screamed as I felt the demon’s teeth sink into my forearm. Pushing against the heavy creature, I tried to kick the thing off me, but it clamped down even harder on my arm. The pain was excruciating and sent waves of ache throughout the rest of my body.
I heard a grunt and then watched as Tallis lifted the horrid thing off me and threw it aside. The creature yelped when it landed against the ground. But moments later it stood up, shook its head and then trotted off into the darkness.
My heartbeat racing, I sat up and glanced down at my arm, only to find the skin shredded and blood pouring from the sizable holes from the demon’s fangs. “Dinnae tooch the wound,” Tallis instructed me as I glanced up at him and found Alaire and Jenny had joined him.
“It bit her,” Jenny announced as she glanced over at Tallis, with a blank expression.
“We moost git her tae the barge noo,” Tallis replied. He reached down to collect me in his arms. I eagerly looped my hands around his neck, the pain in my forearm morphing from an acute, localized agony into a long, drawn-out dull ache that affected my entire body, its tendrils of infernal pain reaching all the way to my head.
“You know that won’t do any good,” Alaire said. His tone of voice was level even as he studied me in a detached sort of way.
“Why won’t it do any good?” I asked, my voice breathless and scared.
“Because you, my dear, have been bitten by a Hanuush demon,” Alaire answered as if I could make sense of his statement.
“So what?” I asked.
“A Hanuush demon is quite like the Komodo dragon species you have in Indonesia,” Alaire informed me while tapping his index finger on his cheek. “They bite their prey only once, and the toxicity of their venom creates rapid blood loss, while inhibiting blood coagulation, leading to paralysis and, eventually, death. At that time, the Hanuush demon returns to consume its victim.”
“There’s nothing that can be done once one of them bites you,” Jenny added as she faced Tallis, the worry becoming etched in her features. “That’s why it won’t do you any good to take her out of here; but you already knew that, Tallis.”
“Aye,” Tallis answered, his lips tight as he studied me. I’d never seen fear in Tallis’s eyes before, but I saw it clearly now. And seeing it made me realize the gravity of the situation I was now in.
Tallis thought I was going to die. I glimpsed as much in the midnight blue depths of his eyes.
“Tallis,” I started, my voice breaking.
“Shhh, lass,” he whispered, shaking his head to reassure me not to worry. “Ah willnae let anythin’ happen tae ye.”
“You can’t do much of anything for her,” Alaire told Tallis, shaking his head as he shrugged. “But of course, there is the anti-venom …”
“Anti-venom?” I repeated. “How do I get that?”
“I’ve never heard of an antidote for the Hanuush demon’s venom,” Jenny pointed out, eyeing Alaire suspiciously.
“That just goes to show that you, my fair lady, should be more current on Underground City events,” Alaire responded loftily. “I discovered an anti-venom only one month ago.” Then he faced me and smiled broadly. “And luckily for you, Ms. Harper, the anti-venom is still in my office as we speak.”
“Ye bludy bastard,” Tallis seethed and I had a feeling if he hadn’t been holding me, he would have lunged at Alaire.
Tallis’s anger suddenly made sense to me. The whole situation suddenly made sense to me. Not only Alaire’s unexpected appearance on Jenny’s island, but also the mystery of how and why the Hanuush demons had randomly shown up … There was nothing random or happen-chance about it. It had all been orchestrated and planned.
“You son of a bitch,” I shouted at Alaire. “You planned this entire thing!”
“Those are strong words for a woman who is well on her way to a most painful death,” Alaire replied with a frown.
“If anythin’ happens tae ’er,” Tallis started, his chest rising and falling with his ire, “Ah will find ah way tae kill ye an’ ’twill be moost unpleasant.”
Alaire shook his head and frowned at Tallis. “Black, when will you get it through that thick skull of yours that you are powerless in this city now? Any former influence or authority you previously had is long gone and has been for some time now.”
“Ye dinnae know whit Ah’m capable o’,” Tallis responded stonily.
“Stop arguing!” Jenny screamed at them. “She needs that anti-venom, and she needs it now!”
“Ah, Ms. Harrington, always the voice of reason,” Alaire said with a smile. Turning toward the bank of the river, he brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. Moments later, a small boat appeared at the bank, driven by no one. Alaire turned around and headed toward it, with all of the Hanuush demons following him like he was the Pied Piper. “The boat will be the fastest way for us to return to my office,” Alaire explained to Tallis and me.
“Well, if I weren’t convinced that Alaire planned this whole thing before, I am now,” I said in a soft voice to Tallis as he carried me toward the boat which was maybe ten feet long. I watched as the Hanuush demons followed one another, single file, onto the boat before willingly entering a large cage that sat in the rear of the boat.
 
; “Shh, lass,” Tallis warned as he looked down at me and smiled consolingly. “Ye moost conserve yer energy.”
“Am I going to die?” I asked, visions of one hundred years in Shade already haunting me.
“Nae, Besom,” he answered, shaking his head ardently. “As long as thaur is breaf in mah body, Ah will make sure thaur is life in yers.”
“They smote each other not alone with hands, But with the head and with the breast and feet”
– Dante’s Inferno
THIRTEEN
“Shit, nips, don’t look so hot,” Bill declared as Alaire moored the boat in a small inlet of water with a short wall on either side of it. There was a dock that ran up to the street and a few poorly constructed wooden boats moored to the dock. The lights from the street lamps illuminated the city buildings in the distance. Tallis stood up, causing the small boat to rock from side to side.
“I don’t feel so hot,” I announced, my entire body clammy with sweat as my heartbeat continued to race. I was so fatigued, it was all I could do to keep my eyes open.
“We’re gonna take care of you, sugar mounds, don’t you worry,” Bill said with a big, albeit uncertain, smile. Although he meant to console me, his empty words didn’t do much for me. I was more than aware that Bill had no idea what was happening to me or what was going to happen to me. In that respect, he and I were, unfortunately, on the same page.
I’d been in and out of consciousness since leaving the Toy Store and I couldn’t remember when Bill rejoined our group after his escapades with Jenny’s girls. But I was glad to find him with us now—well, as glad as I could be, considering it felt like my body was burning from the inside out. Nausea churned my stomach, and now it was all I could do not to throw up all over Tallis.
As far as I could tell, Jenny had remained on her island because I didn’t see her now. But that was just as well because I could honestly admit I had my fill of watching her with Tallis. Not that I was jealous, but maybe a bit territorial … Well, and maybe a bit jealous …
“Hey, man,” Bill started, addressing Alaire as he reached over and patted him on the back. “She’s sweatin’ a whole lot and she’s, like, really white. Like dead-person white.”
“That’s because she’s dying,” Alaire replied succinctly. He jumped out of the boat and onto the dock that led up to the streets of the Underground City. Once he was on land, he extended his hands toward me as if he intended to take me from Tallis and lift me out of the boat.
But Tallis shook his head. “Ye willnae tooch ’er,” he stated before nodding to Bill as the much smaller man approached us.
“Really, Black, will you give this hero business a break?” Alaire asked and then rolled his eyes dramatically.
Tallis didn’t answer as he handed me off to Bill, bride-style. Bill nearly buckled under my weight, but somehow managed not to drop me. Meanwhile, Tallis hefted himself out of the boat and reached down to collect me back into his arms again.
“You and I are fighting for the same thing,” Alaire said to Tallis and turned his head in my direction as if to say I was the thing that they were fighting for.
“Boot nae fur the same reasons,” Tallis said while cinching his arms around me protectively. I closed my eyes, feeling like I was about to pass out again. When I felt someone caressing my hand, I opened them and found Bill hovering over me.
“Stay with us, baby girl,” he whispered as his lower lip trembled. There were unshed tears glistening in his eyes. “Conan’s gonna make sure nothin’ happens to you, ain’t that right, Tido?” Bill asked. Facing Tallis, Bill’s eyes begged the Scotsman to make his words a reality.
“Aye,” Tallis answered simply, but his expression revealed nothing.
I couldn’t find the strength to formulate any words. A few seconds ticked by before I heard the sound of tires on the pavement. Tallis carried me to what I supposed was a car and Bill opened the rear door for us. Seeing the interior, I recognized the Tesla immediately. Tallis bent down and placed me in the back seat in a sitting position. I couldn’t keep myself upright for long though, and eventually, my body slid down the leather seatback. My arms and legs began to tingle like I was being poked by thousands of tiny pins.
I heard the door beside me open and felt Tallis lifting me by my shoulders as he situated himself next to me. Moments later, he allowed me to fall back against him and settled the back of my head on his lap. Looking up at him, I searched his face for any clue as to what sort of condition I was in, but his expression remained unreadable. He glanced down at me and ran his hand over my forehead before his eyes left mine and he settled his gaze on something outside the car window. There was no slack in his jaw.
But I didn’t really need to search Tallis’s face for the answer to my question. I already knew I was dying. I could feel my body slowly shutting down. With every breath I took, my insides ached. Exhaustion had already claimed me and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and fall into the blackness that awaited me. But if I closed my eyes, I’d be giving up. I’d be giving up the fight and accepting death.
And I wasn’t ready to die.
Alaire opened the driver’s door of the Tesla and seated himself while Bill sat down in the front passenger seat. Alaire put the car in gear, stepped on the gas, and we were off.
Sweat continued to bead along my forehead as the temperature inside my body rose. It felt as if my blood was on fire, transporting itself through my entire body until all my organs were consumed by flames. I scrunched my eyes shut tightly as each wave of pain hit me. All the while, Tallis ran his fingers through my hair, but never said one word.
When our eyes met, he held my gaze only for a few seconds before turning to face the window again. I had no idea what was going through his mind.
The seconds continued to drip by and I wondered when we would reach our destination. With every second that passed, the fire inside of me burned more intensely and more painfully until the agony was too much for me to bear. With tears streaming down my face, I could taste blood. It took me a second or two to realize that the taste was coming from me biting down on my lips every time the searing pain overwhelmed me. I was faintly aware that Tallis was holding me, and every now and then, I thought I felt the pads of his thumbs mopping up my tears.
My eyelids suddenly felt very heavy. Even though my body was an incendiary of pain, the abrupt urge to close my eyes and be swallowed by the agonizing pain gripped me and wouldn’t let go. Just as my eyelashes dusted the tops of my cheeks, my entire body started to shake as if an earthquake were erupting through me. My teeth rattled against each other and my vision grew blurry with each wave and spasm that shook me.
“T … Tallis!” I managed to scream in a frightened voice as my eyes went wide. Then I lost all control and felt my eyes rolling back into my head before tremors shook me.
“Shhh, lass, joost ride it oot,” Tallis whispered as he continued to run his hands through my hair and held me in place. “’Twill nae be mooch longer.”
“Dude!” I heard Bill yell at Alaire. “Somethin’s wrong with her! Why’s she shakin’ like that?”
“She’s having a seizure,” Alaire responded in a level tone, sounding almost annoyed. “The venom has poisoned her bloodstream and is now causing her nervous system to shut down.”
“So drive faster!” Bill commanded. The Tesla squealed around the turns in the road. “How much longer ’til we reach your place?” Bill asked, alternately checking on me and facing Alaire.
“Mere seconds,” Alaire answered and, true to his word, seconds later, the Tesla began slowing before coming to an abrupt halt. Alaire’s office building loomed over us, but I wondered if we were too late. My entire body felt like it was quitting, giving up and preparing itself for a death that was inevitable.
“Just hold on, sweetcheeks, we’re gonna have you right in no time!” Bill promised. He reached back and squeezed my arm consolingly. But his touch provided little reassurance because I couldn’t feel it. I glanced down at
my arm, trying to move my head so I could get a better view, but my head wouldn’t budge. Starting to panic, I attempted to move my arm, but it, too, wouldn’t respond.
“Ah willnae forget this, Alaire,” Tallis ground out.
“I don’t recall accusing you of having a poor memory,” Alaire responded with a quick laugh.
Tallis didn’t respond but glanced down at me as I continued to try to move my arms and legs. But, still nothing. I tried to ask Tallis what was wrong with me and why my body was failing to respond, but I couldn’t. I opened my mouth to speak, but my tongue couldn’t or wouldn’t form the words. “Shh, lass,” Tallis whispered as he ran his fingers down the side of my face. “Save yer energy. Yer fight is joost beginnin’.”
If my fight is just beginning, there’s no way I will survive. The thought utterly depressed me and I had to forcibly banish it into the deep recesses of my mind.
I could feel the cold air on my face as soon as Tallis opened the car door. He lifted my head as he stood up and gripped me beneath my arms to pull me out. Once I was outside of the car, Tallis hoisted me into his arms, but I still couldn’t feel a thing aside from the chilly air on my face. The rest of my body was entirely numb.
The only good part about the numbness was the absence of the burning agony that previously beset me. Now there was no pain at all—actually, there was nothing at all. No throbbing, no heaviness, nothing. And I still didn’t have any control over my appendages. It seemed like my body was on strike and wouldn’t do anything my brain ordered it to.
“We must hurry. It doesn’t look as if she has much time left,” Alaire announced, pulling his attention from me and heading for the entry to his office building. Tallis darted up the curb behind him, nearly on his heels as they traversed the concrete that led to the double front doors of the building. Bill was directly behind us, his eyes wide with fear. I wasn’t sure if his fear was due to my worsening condition or because we were in the Underground City. Probably both.