One of the Hellhounds makes its way towards me, dragging something in its mouth. A body. It lets out a loud, ferocious growl.
“What? It can’t be! I thought—” Kieron starts, then stops.
Corrine screams, and Kieron puts his arms over her. “No… no, it’s okay. He’s on our side!”
“Who is that?” I yell. “And where’d the Amazèa go?”
Kieron pauses for a moment, then shouts, “He has the demon wizard from the Hlbafa! And he looks half dead. Don’t see the Amazèa anywhere!”
The Hound looks at each of us in turn, then rips the head off the wizard and flings it to the side. And before I can even react, the Hound has transformed, and Vincent is standing before me.
Chapter 31. Liora
“Vincent!”
“Sorry we took so long.” He sounds out of breath. “Big battle in Hlbafa territory, and needed to gather reinforcements. Brought the wizard to release your chokers, but I guess you don’t need him now.” He glances over at the headless corpse. “Good. Well, that’s his payback for destroying Dryndara.”
He studies me for a moment, then looks at Kieron. “What the hell is going on with her?”
Kieron shakes his head. “She woke up that way. Her eyes were all glowing red, and she’s got these crazy powers I’ve never seen from her before. She’s been keeping us alive this whole time by projecting some shield, but I think she was just about to lose it when you showed up.”
“My eyes are glowing red?”
Vincent quickly herds us off to the side of the stage. But no one is really paying attention to us anymore. They’re all trying to save their own skins from the sudden and unexpected onslaught.
“What is all this? What’s happening?” I look around in amazement at the new arrivals. Now that the merciless pounding on me has stopped, some of my strength is starting to come back. I’m still working to keep the shield up, and this time I make sure it includes Vincent too.
“Had to round up some allies,” Vincent replies, his mouth drawn tight. “Belith have pissed off a lot of tribes lately.” He glances at the Legionare. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend…”
I look at him again and finally notice that even in his human form, he’s completely covered with blood. And very naked.
Sweet mercy… God, I wish I could see better right now!
I shake my head. “But you brought the Legionare? Are you crazy?!”
“Just a small fraction of them.” He points to the group of soldiers on enormous red-winged horses, charging through the crowd. “From Kieron’s former unit, actually. Ran into them while fighting the Hlbafa and told them what was happening here, and why I needed to take the demon wizard alive and not let them kill him. They insisted on coming to help. For Kieron, but also to put down the Belith once and for all.”
“My unit is here?” Vincent nods.
We turn back to the fray, but is seems apparent that the Belith are being conquered quite handily. Hounds rip through flesh like butter, while sword wielding gladiators are eliminating most of the fighters in the Belith camp. Those remaining are being picked off by the horsemen hurling balls of electric fire, and the flying white serpent spits its fire bullets at any Belith trying to flee.
There’s only one problem.
“Where are the Amazèa?” I ask.
Suddenly the flying white serpent turns and heads straight for us. Corrine screams, but several feet away from us the beast suddenly stops and hovers in the air. It twists and turns, and morphs into a beautiful, ethereal woman, with long blonde hair. She gracefully floats our way, also quite naked.
“Holy shizz, who ordered the flying Playboy model?” Corrine mutters.
The woman comes over and throws her arms around me. “Sweetie, are you okay?”
I step back, stunned. “Do I know you?” She looks a little familiar, but I’m not sure.
She laughs. “Well enough. We met the other night, but that’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Us girls need to stick together, you know.” She gives me a wink.
For some reason, I have no idea why, I feel like I can trust this woman… this, whatever the hell she is…
“Wait!” I say as she starts to leave. I turn back to Vincent and Kieron. “Take care of Corrine. I have to do something.”
“Where’re you going?” Vincent grabs my arm.
I look at him, then at Kieron. “I have to do this. You know I have to. I must find them!”
“No!” they both shout together.
I silence them with a look. “Yes! Protect Corrine!”
Vincent slowly lets go, and I turn to the girl. “Can I ride on your back? Can you help me find some demons?” She nods.
“Wrap your hands around me and hold on tight. And you can communicate with me with your mind. I’m a telepath.”
Well, that’s convenient.
I feel a hand on my arm and turn to see Vincent again, his eyes pleading. “Don’t… please… It’s suicide.”
I shake my head. “No… it’s not. I’m not fighting to die. I’m fighting to live.”
“Then let me go with you.”
“You can’t.”
Neither Vincent nor Kieron look happy, but there’s nothing they can do.
This is my destiny.
“I’ll take care of her, I promise,” the beauty tells them. She morphs back into the serpent and hovers in the air beside me. I take a deep breath and swing my leg over her like a bike, then lean forward and wrap my arms around her neck.
I give my three friends a smile as the creature rises gracefully into the air and takes off, so smoothly we hardly seem to be moving at all.
“Where are we going?” her words sound in my head.
I take a deep breath, and search the area below. The fighting has all but died out, and the Amazèa are nowhere in sight. Naturally. They would have fled at the first sign of trouble.
I close my eyes and force myself to block out everything from my mind… the chaos, the drama, the fighting… it all becomes nothing but a distant hum. My mind is clear, focused. Searching.
Where are you… where are you…
If they’ve left, then it’s all over for me. But for some reason my instinct tells me they’re still close by. They went through a lot of trouble to get Kieron and me, and I don’t think they’ll give up that easily.
Again I clear my mind… focusing… searching…
Slowly, an image begins to form… of a small hillside, with strange, grey rocks stacked like ruins from a forgotten time.
“I see it perfectly,” the creature thinks to me. I feel her bank to one side, and a moment later she’s hovering only a few feet above the ground. The rock formation is just ahead of us.
I take a deep breath and dismount, while she continues to hover. “What do you want me to do?” she asks.
I shake my head. I know this next part is up to me and me alone.
“Just stay here… stay close.” I start to walk toward the pile of rocks. Dark, black and blue clouds cover the sky, strangely illuminated by the moons of Illyria. There is no sunlight here in Thiberoux, but that’s okay. I can see what I need to see just fine.
Slowly I creep up the hill. Then I hear the giggling.
“Look who’s come to play again!” a delighted voice calls. A moment later the Amazèa are standing just a few feet in front of me.
I shake my head. “No, I’m tired of playing. I want to end this. Now.”
They laugh again and look at each other. “Yes, we agree. Time for you to give us what we want!”
I raise my hands and let the stream of electric fire flow from my fingers. But it seems to barely touch them. They just laugh, as if it even feels good to them. Quickly, I build a fireball and throw it with all the power I can muster. Then another. And another. But they still aren’t fazed. They absorb these impacts just as easily as they had my lightning bolts.
I stop, as the reality of my situation sinks in. What was I even thinking? Whatever made me th
ink I could beat them? I have no weapons. I have no plan. I was driven only by blind hate, and a desire for vengeance. I’m throwing everything I have at them and nothing is making the slightest difference.
The Amazèa start walking toward me. And then I feel it – the overwhelming sensation of something pulling at me. They raise their hands, and suddenly a powerful vacuum jerks me forward. It seems to be suctioning out my insides, robbing me even of my breath. I gasp and fall to my knees. I try to form another protective shield, but this time nothing works.
I feel different. Like my powers are leaving me… I’m being drained of everything… my essence… who, what I am.
I fall forward, moaning… weakened. No, no… not like this… They come up to me, and I can see their shining, cherubic eyes and dimpled smiles.
“And now, mean lady, it’s time for you to die,” they sing, and reach out toward me.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My babies… Tattie…
Then, suddenly, I feel an infusion of strength erupting from the recesses of my soul. Deep reserves of power I never knew I had.
I open my eyes and look at my tormenters.
“Think again.”
I shoot out my hands and snatch their tiny wrists. Instantly I project a tight bubble around them, sealing them in, and preventing any chance of escape. Now I begin to reverse the flow, as I pull their essence into me with every ounce of strength I possess.
Electricity burns its way up my arms, and I feel the rush of evil power flood through me like waves of toxic poison. I throw my head back and scream… but instead of sound, black smoke shoots up into the sky, releasing their fumes from my body to dissipate into nothing.
Their arms begin to shake, and I grip harder. Now their bodies writhe and contort, until they are no longer little girls, but black, scaly creatures over twice my size.
They lash out weakly with their free arms, but they don’t touch me. I continue to drain from them every last drop of energy, until they finally collapse in a pile of broken black shards at my feet, and the stream of smoke firing from my mouth slowly dies.
Breathless and shaking, I collapse in a heap to the ground.
********
The white serpent delivers me, dazed but exhilarated, back to where she picked me up. I can barely think, let alone process all that’s just happened.
I see Vincent and Corrine and Demetri waiting for me. I don’t see Kieron.
“Liora!” Corrine comes running over and throws her arms around me. She gives me a hug, then pulls back and scrutinizes me. “Are you okay? You seem more… normal. Your eyes aren’t red anymore!”
I nod. “Where’s Kieron?” I ask.
Vincent and Corrine exchange a quick glance. “He left,” Corrine says. “He was needed by his unit, and he wanted to help. Felt that was the place for him to be right now. He said that you’d know why and that you’d understand.”
Her words feel like a punch in the gut. So that’s it. No goodbye. Nothing.
I swallow, and she puts her arms around me. “He said it’s just for now, until things settle down around Thiberoux, and that he’ll be back to check on you soon.” She nods to Vincent and Demetri. “He said we were in good hands with them.” I notice that they are both wearing pants now, although neither pair seems to fit exactly right.
I turn back to the white creature. “Thank you,” I think to her. She bobs her serpentine head, and lifts up and flies away.
I grab Vincent’s hand.
“Let’s get the hell out of here. Now!”
Chapter 32. Liora
This can’t be right. I must be dreaming.
I reach out… It really is her. And I’m really here. I blink several times and throw my arms around her.
“Tattie!”
I squeeze her tight. I never, ever want to let her go.
“There, there, my dear child,” she coos, patting my back. “You’re safe now. You’re home.”
The dam breaks, and the tears flood from my eyes. I’m so overcome with emotion, I can’t even begin to process what just happened. All I can do is shake my head, unable to speak.
“Come, sit.” Tatiana urges me over to the couch, and I feel the familiar softness creak beneath me. I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath, and when I look up, Corrine, Vincent, and Demetri are all staring at me.
“How did you know?” I ask, looking at Vincent. “How did you know to bring me here?”
He shakes his head in complete amazement. “This wasn’t me… this was all you.”
“What do you mean, ‘all me’?”
“You did this… you sent us here.”
“What? How?”
He shakes his head again and shrugs his shoulders. “I’m still trying to figure that part out myself… that and a lot of other things.” He turns a chair around and straddles it, facing me.
Corrine comes and sits next to me, and Demetri leans against the wall behind Vincent.
Demetri’s mouth is tense. “Are we safe here?”
“Light-angels surround the outer perimeter of my lands, but we are buried under many layers of enchantment,” Tattie replies. “But so was my sister’s house. What happened? What went wrong?”
I let out a short laugh and brush my hair from my face. My hands are caked with dirt and blood. “Where do I begin?” I shake my head, unable to make sense of everything that’s just happened. It’s all just so… surreal.
“Are you hurt?” she asks softly.
I actually have to consider that a moment.
“No,” I finally whisper. Then she looks at the others. Even though we look like we’ve been hit with Mack trucks and tossed off a cliff, they all shake their heads as well.
I turn to Tatiana and bury my face in my hands. “They’re dead! I killed them!”
“What?”
I lift my bloody, tearstained face. “The Amazèa. I killed them with my own two hands.” I hold my palms up for her to see. “And I had all these crazy powers… Lucky was there, and something else. Maybe the babies, I don’t know. It’s like I was possessed… but I wasn’t! I was in control. Me. And I killed them. The Amazèa are dead now.” I take a deep breath and look at my trembling hands.
“But nothing has changed!” I continue in a hoarse whisper. “I don’t feel any different. Not relieved, not satisfied… not whole! I’m still not me! I killed the Amazèa but I’m just as cursed as ever!”
“We were never positive that killing them would lift your curse,” Tatiana reminds me gently.
“So now what? All that for nothing? I’m still a target. We’re still not safe. Light-angels are circling as we speak—”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but something has changed, right?” Corrine asks. “I mean, Liora has all these crazy powers now! You should’ve seen her back there. I mean, it’s like she was this warrior goddess!”
Tatiana gets an odd glint in her opaque eyes. “Well, yes, it is true that something has changed. Liora is indeed quite strong and had access to powers that were previously hidden from her. But…” Her mouth turns up in a playful grin, and we all look at her expectantly.
“But what?” I ask.
“Well… I may have helped you out a bit. Actually it was a duel effort between Anastasia and myself. It was quite fun, I must admit. We haven’t done a tandem spell in decades.”
“A what?”
She nods. “I heard you calling for me. Well, Lucky was anyways. I knew you were in trouble, but I couldn’t find you. I knew that if anyone would be able to see where you were, it would be Ana. And even though she was unable to locate your exact position due to the heavy dark magic clouding it, we were able to combine some of our powers and channel them to you.”
I look at her, and slowly I begin to understand. “So all those crazy powers and magical fighting… that was you?”
She shakes her head. “No, dear. That was you. Well, you, Lucky, and the babies. And make no mistake, they are extremely powerful indeed. We just helped you access those po
wers and manifest your will.”
“Like making the invisible shield around us and turning the rope into razor wire,” I murmur.
She nods. “Among other things. I was actually quite impressed to see your manifestations. Those take great mental discipline to execute, even with our help.”
“So you were there all along… you and Anastasia.”
She smiles. “I said I will always be here for you, and I meant it. I’m always here, no matter how far away you are. I’m always here.” She places her withered hand on my heart.
“Can’t we stay with you? Can’t we make the Light-angels leave somehow?”
Tatiana shakes her head. “My magic is strong, but you know the best I can hope to do is keep them at bay. My sister is far better suited to caring for you under the present circumstances than I am. She knows more about your condition, and her protected lands are vastly superior to these—”
“Then come with us!” I clutch her hand again and plead with my eyes.
But she shakes her head again. “My home is here. You know that.”
I bury my face in my hands again. “So nothing has changed,” I whisper. “I’m still a target, even with these borrowed powers.” Why does it feel like anytime I take a step forward, I take two steps back?
“So my choices are… spend the rest of my demonic pregnancy battling Light-angels with my sometime powers, or what? Keep hiding? Forever?” My eyes fill with tears, and Corrine places her hand on mine and gives it a gentle squeeze.
But those aren’t my only choices, and I know it.
“Magic holds many mysteries and few guarantees,” Tatiana murmurs. “Sometimes the strongest forces come from the most surprising sources.”
“You sound like a supernatural Dr. Seuss,” I grumble.
She shakes her head. “I just marvel at your strength.”
I look at her, confused. “No, you’re wrong. Whatever that was, it wasn’t me. I’m still the weak one, the powerless one. I’m just the temporary vessel.”
“Your powers dwarf mine. One day you’ll realize that the only magic you need is already within yourself.”