My heart sinks into my gut, and I steady myself against Bones.
“What makes you think he’s still alive?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. I can’t imagine Kieron not putting up a vicious fight. He’d rather die than be held captive.
“The Hlbafa told Callux they were keeping him as a prisoner. They only plan on killing the two of you, and whoever else gets in their way…Guess they just want Kieron as a hostage for fun. A sort of trophy. ”
Prisoner. Hostage. Trophy.
An ache permeates my body. I can’t even begin to imagine the cruel torture Kieron is being subjected to at the hands of the Hlbafa at this very moment. The unspeakable suffering he’s being forced to endure for their sadistic amusement.
“We have to find him! We have to save him!” I choke out desperately.
Beside me Bones stiffens, and Alik shifts his eyes away. Khalil looks taken aback by my suggestion and stares at me in shock. Micah just laughs.
“You got a mouse in your pocket, sweetheart? Who is this ‘we’ you speak of?” Micah chuckles. It takes every ounce of my self-restraint not to lunge at him again and throw him through a boulder.
I turn to Bones. “We have to save him,” I repeat, with more force this time. Bones avoids my gaze, but Khalil steps forward.
“Impossible,” he says. “There is no way you can save him. It would take an army—”
“Then we raise an army—”
Micah’s loud guffaw cuts through the night. “You can’t be serious. Why would anyone care about rescuing your little half-blood boy-toy? He’s not even one of us!”
Bones and I both turn to him with deadly glares. But Micah shrugs, unfazed. “I can see my common sense isn’t wanted here. Bones, if you ever decide to ditch the crazy, let me know. I think I’m better off on my own if the Hlbafa are after the two of you. See ya.” And with that he instantly phases into an enormous white hellhound, lets out a snarling growl in our direction, and takes off running.
Good riddance assface.
I take a deep breath and turn to the others. “Will you help us?”
“Now wait a minute, Lucky. I never agreed to go after him—” Bones starts, holding one hand up.
“But he saved you. He saved your life that night! You would’ve died if it weren’t for him!”
“Well, now, that’s not exactly true. I was pretty bad off, I admit. But I wouldn’t have died. None of those hellhounds were pure demon. I would’ve recovered from my injuries eventually. Kieron just helped speed it along.”
“But—”
“—and it’s not exactly as if he was doing it to save me. He only did it to win favor with you.”
“But—”
“But nothing, Lucky. We have enough to worry about with the Hlbafa hunting party hot on our trail. The last thing we need to do is walk into the lion’s den waving around fresh meat.”
“So what are you saying? Are you saying you won’t help him?”
“I’m saying we have plenty of our own problems to worry about right now, and we don’t need to be looking for more.”
Forgetting about the others, I stare at Bones. It’s like I’ve never seen him before…like he’s some stranger. He’s never not stood by my side. He’s my strongest supporter and staunchest ally. I can’t save Kieron alone. There’s no way.
“Fine, I’ll just have to go by myself, then,” I bluff, feigning bravado. “Right after I get some drinks at Demon Bar.” I spin on my heel to turn away, but Bones grabs my arm.
“You know you’d be dead before you even reached the border.” He releases his grip and lowers his voice. “Look, at least for right now we need to stay together. If they’re still looking for us, which they are, then splitting up is the worst thing we can do. We have to stay together,” he repeats, his voice firm.
I let out a deep sigh. I know he’s right. As much as I want to save Kieron, I’m not completely stupid. Or suicidal. I’ll need great reinforcements and an even better plan.
But right now, I really need a drink.
“C’mon, let’s go in,” I say heading to the Portal. “We go to Demon Bar. And we stay together.”
~~~~
Bones and the others shift into hellhounds as soon as we cross through the outer walls of Thiberoux. Alik is in the lead, Bones runs next to me and Diablo, and Khalil takes up the rear. Bones had insisted I stay right by him in case there’s even the slightest hint of trouble.
But as we race through Dryndara’s forests, I can’t shake the nagging thought that something doesn’t add up. The Hlbafa aren’t exactly known for their cunning, or even their great prowess. Their demons are more of the troublesome sorts: insanity causers—like the Altrumina— disease spreaders, water poisoners, crop destroyers… They aren’t warriors by nature, and their collective intellect is average at best.
So how were they able to track—let alone catch—Kieron? As a Latros Demon, he’s a highly-trained and exceptionally skilled bounty hunter whose talents are coveted by even the Legionare. How were they able to break a spy into Dryndara? And where the hell did they get a demon-witch from?
These thoughts plague my mind, but I shove them aside as we approach the hidden entrance to Demon Bar. I dismount Diablo, and we all glance around cautiously. As we head inside the massive boulder I hold my breath, not knowing what to expect.
Bones stays beside me as we descend the narrow staircase. A new demon is guarding the doorway, and I realize that Daisy didn’t survive the attack. Of course not. She would’ve been the first one killed.
Bones, Alik and Khalil quickly grab some jeans and t-shirts from a small closet near the entrance. Demon Bar insists the hellhounds clothe themselves when they visit, otherwise some of the demions would feel uncomfortable. Many of them are used to the Sapie’s values and norms, and don’t appreciate having to take their nightly drinks next to dozens of naked men—as beautiful as they may be. I, for one, have never minded. Leave it to a few prudes to ruin it for the rest of us.
“Hello, Aria. Nice to see you. It’s been too long,” Bones greets the unfamiliar demon. He lifts her hand to his lips and gives it a soft kiss. Her emerald eyes are cool and calculating, her long chestnut hair flows freely down her back, past her curvaceous hips.
“Hello, Bones. I see you’re still as charming as ever,” she replies with a coy smile. Her voice is deep and throaty, not at all what I was expecting her to sound like. As I watch Bones flirt with the new beauty, I feel a surge of envy. She seems so…womanly.
Aria glances at me and arches an eyebrow. “Don’t bother being jealous, little girl. Bones knows he can’t handle me. He values his life too much, don’t you pretty doggie?” She playfully pinches his cheeks with her fingers and lets out a cackling laugh.
Don’t think anything. Don’t think anything. Don’t think anything…
Aria’s gravelly chuckle interrupts my silent mantra. Then, her voice rings through my head, as clearly as if she were speaking aloud. “You only have to fear me if you wish to cause harm to us or others. Otherwise you can just relax pretty child. I will not destroy you.” Her lips never move and her brilliant green eyes stay fixed on Bones. I shudder and shake my head.
“Let’s go,” I mumble, yanking Bones’ arm and pulling him inside the Bar. I’ve never had a telepath enter my mind like that before. Not even when the Altrumina put me under their psychic-torture spell. This was different. It’s like she was inside my head and had total control…like I was at her complete mercy.
“They brought out the big guns having Aria work the door,” Bones says as we walk to the main bar. “No way is anyone getting within twenty miles of here who shouldn’t. Guess we can kinda relax now.” He nods to Alik and Khalil, who head to a back corner to play some darts.
I survey the room, surprised. Demon Bar doesn’t look half-bad, considering last night it looked like something out of a war movie. “They sure fixed this place up fast,” I observe as I take a seat.
“The vamps did it. They have nothing better
to do during the day,” he replies.
“Hmph. Well, at least they’re good for something.” I frown, not bothering to hide my disdain. If pure demons were our parents and grandparents, demions our brothers and sisters, witches our wise aunts and sirens our sexy cousins, the vampires are the crazy loser uncles no one wants to have over at the holidays. Unable to access the Source of Energy themselves, they have to survive by stealing the energy of others—mainly humans, as demions would put up too much of a fight. And since they never get the proper nutrition, they’re always weak…nothing more than shallow bodies with a permanent, almost unbearable stench.
“Gyan! You’re alive!” My heart lifts when I see the bartender come around the corner. I’d figured he was a goner for sure.
He smirks and instantly vanishes before my eyes, only to magically re-appear a second later. When he sees the astonished look on my face, he laughs. “You didn’t know I was a Vaporans?”
I shake my head. Truth is, after Cody was killed, I hadn’t ever really spoken to his ginger-haired replacement other than to order my nightly drinks. Cody had been a magical eunuch, and for some reason I just figured Gyan would be defective as well.
“I vapored the second I saw the fireballs flying,” he continues with small frown. “Hid out in the back until the coast was clear. Not exactly brave, I know. But hey, better a live coward than a dead hero—that’s what I always say.” He places two large glasses of Energy mixed with vodka in front of me and hands Bones a shot of pure green elixir with a beer chaser.
“Smart man,” Bones says. “So what’s the body count?”
“Sixteen of ours, twenty five of theirs. Rough estimate, since most everyone ashed up right away. We had to make do with eyewitness accounts.”
“Really? That’s all?” I’m flabbergasted. I’d thought for sure there’d be more. Dozens, at least. There’d been at least two hundred patrons inside Demon Bar last night when we were attacked.
“Well, they caught us off guard, yeah, but we gave a good fight….from what I hear. They fled almost right away after the initial surge.”
“It was just a warning shot,” Bones grumbles and chugs his beer. “They sent their stupidest henchmen in on a suicide mission just to let us know they can mess with us.”
“But they can’t anymore, not with Aria guarding the door.” My thoughts return to the mysterious vixen. I’d heard of her before—her unparalleled powers of mind control are legendary—but I’d never actually met her. For some reason I pictured her as older…more like Tatiana.
I’d heard how she can read and control the mind of any creature—living and undead—within a hundred mile radius. She could channel my thoughts right now, even though she’s behind three feet of solid stone. And if she wanted to, she could will me to cut my own head off and I’d do it happily and without hesitation.
As Bones chats with Gyan, I slowly sip my drink and spin around in my seat to survey the scene. Small groups of demons and demions are talking excitedly amongst themselves. I hear shouts of anger, and see many unhappy faces. I know it’s only a matter of time before the Dryndarans deliver payback to the Hlbafa. But my thoughts are on Kieron. I’m concerned that my family cares only about revenge…about retaliating for the attack on us.
They care nothing for Kieron. Not even Bones. I’m the only one who wants to save him.
And I don’t think I can.
Chapter 7. Liora
I stumble to the kitchen where Tatiana is calmly sipping her morning tea.
“What did you mean yesterday?” I demand, my voice hoarse. My eyes hadn’t been open for two seconds when I remembered Tatiana’s dire words to me and had immediately jumped out of bed, even before I was fully awake.
“Good morning, Liora dear. What do you mean ‘what did I mean’?” she asks, confused.
I pour myself a piping hot cup of coffee, my hands shaking. I probably could do without the caffeine, but I’m still unusually groggy and tired. I really wish whatever this bug is that’s causing me to feel so sluggish would run its course already.
“I mean…” Setting down the pot, I turn to face her. “Yesterday, right before Lucky took over. What you said to me while you were floating on your back in the air…”
“What did I say, darling? I have no recollection—” Her face is a blank mask of innocence.
“You said I was in danger!” I explode, slamming my mug down. “Grave danger. What does that mean? Why would you say that?”
Tatiana furrows her brow and angles her face to the window. “That’s strange. I have no memory of saying that. I apologize if I frightened you…”
“I just wanna know what the hell is going on around here,” I snap. But then I take a deep breath, immediately contrite for my outburst. It’s not Tatiana I’m mad at—it’s myself. I can’t stop thinking of Kieron. How he never returned to me. How I was lied to. How I was tricked. Used. Deceived.
Played for a fool.
Tatiana stands up and wanders to the sink, her mouth pinched tight. “It is true I am constantly concerned with your safety, and I fear perhaps I misspoke while under a deep trance. Maybe it wasn’t even you I was speaking about.”
I wipe away the coffee that spilled on the countertop and refill my mug. I carefully carry it over to the table and take a seat. “But you know what happened yesterday, right? What happened at the mines?” I ask, blowing gently on my steaming cup.
She nods. “I felt something.”
“I’m right, aren’t I? It’s something supernatural? Something bad?”
Tatiana pauses, choosing her words carefully. I’m fuming inside. I hate when she does this… tries to keep me in the dark, shielded like a pitiful child who can’t handle the dangers of the big, bad world.
“There is something, yes. But I cannot see what it is. Remain vigilant, and promise me you’ll stay away from there until I can see more clearly what is happening. I sensed you went there yesterday, but please do not return again.” She turns back to the stove and starts loading food on a plate.
“We didn’t make it to the mines. They stopped us and sent us all to the McKenzie Boarding House.” I grudgingly poke at the eggs and sausage Tatiana has placed before me and force myself to eat some because I need my strength. But the way I feel now, all I want to do is go back to bed and sleep all day.
Tat raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “Who is this ‘we’ you speak of?”
“Tristan drove me since I didn’t have my car.”
“Who?”
“Tristan…you know, my new friend… I’ve mentioned him to you before…” I add when her expression remains blank.
“Refresh my memory,” she says thoughtfully.
I stare at her, confused. Tatiana never forgets a single thing, not ever. She remembers the most mundane detail of a meaningless conversation we’ve had years before. But now she’s blanking on something as significant as me actually having a new friend? What’s this about?
“He moved here a few weeks ago with his sister…” I start slowly. “She’s kind of obnoxious, but he’s really nice. I think their family might be really rich, ‘cause he has an amazing car. He’s tall, good-looking, slightly too-long blondish hair and a huge scar on his face…remember?”
“Ah, yes,” she says, not very convincingly. She turns away. I focus on forcing some food down, and try not to be too freaked out by what she just said. I know she wouldn’t lie about not remembering Tristan, but I’ve told her plenty and talked about him almost every day. How could she forget? Is something wrong with her? Is she going senile?
Truth is, I have no idea how old Tatiana is, and I’ve never asked. Sometimes she seems like she could be in her thirties, other times she seems like she’s over a hundred. Despite her great wisdom and powers, she is still a human. And all humans, magically gifted or not, eventually succumb to the fate of all mortals—old age if they’re lucky enough to make it that long, and eventually, death. But in all these years I’ve known her, I’ve never actually thought of Tat as
being a real human. She seems so much stronger and more powerful than any mere mortal. Somehow it seems like she should live forever, and never die. I know that’s impossible. One day she will start to deteriorate, mentally and physically. But in all the craziness that has been my life, she’s been the one to keep me grounded. She’s been my anchor…my one source of stability. I pray this isn’t a bad sign. Hopefully she’s just been preoccupied with other events lately. Maybe Lucky is stressing her out more than I’m aware.
I eat all I can manage…which isn’t much. Tatiana moves nimbly as ever around the kitchen as she begins clearing away the dishes. She seems fine. “How are you feeling these days?”
She pauses to look at me. “I feel fine. Never better. Why?
I shrug. “No reason. Just checking.” I push my plate away and get to my feet. “Gotta go. Don’t wanna be late.
I run to my bathroom to get ready, and give her a quick kiss on the cheek on my way out the door. I pause, staring at my car keys on the hook. I debate for a moment before grabbing them. “I have an errand to run after school,” I say over my shoulder, answering her unspoken question.
I don’t want to tell her where I’m going, even though she’ll figure it out soon enough.
I don’t want to admit how weak I am, and that I’m only torturing myself.
If I want to spend my afternoons in a cemetery, reading poetry all by my lonesome and thinking of Kieron, that’s my right, isn’t it?
I really don’t care how pathetic it is.
~~~
“Hey, Liora, come here. I wanna talk to you for a sec,” Tristan calls out, waving me over with his hand and flashing an adorable smile. I stop my conversation with Corrine mid-sentence and turn his way.