Warriors returned and whispered reports in her ear. She smiled.
“I am called Desecration,” she announced, “the Rakshasi queen of this clan. For now, I will open my hand to you. At least until you present more of a . . . challenge. Come.”
She snarled at the burly demons surrounding us until they dispersed, leaving only the two of us and a few guards. She ran a hand over one of the demon’s biceps appreciatively and indicated that I should follow her.
Leading me to a tent, she ducked inside. Two guards stayed close by while I entered and sat across from the queen. After sprinkling some kind of powder into a cup of steaming drink, she handed it to me. It smelled sweet and coppery, and I immediately suspected it was blood.
I set it aside and proceeded as if I had no time for small talk. “I have come on a matter of great importance.”
The tattoos on her face flared momentarily then returned to their normal color. She sipped from her cup, indicating to me that I should go on.
“My two best hunters are missing from my clan and I believe they have been taken by your people.”
She shrugged. “My hunters have the right to take anything from the forest that they can overpower.”
“So you do have them.”
“And if I did?”
“I was hoping you’d be willing to barter for their lives.”
“Barter? What does this word mean?”
“It means trade. I’ll give you something of value in exchange for their freedom.”
“Trade? Rakshasas do not trade.” She licked her lips greedily and shifted in such a way that made me think she was ready to spring. Tilting her head, she studied me suspiciously. “What are you? You are no Rakshasi queen,” she spat. “Your teeth are as dull as those we eat and you do not even extend your claws when threatened. Your venom must be as weak as your hunters. I do have your men, pale and sickly though they are.”
She swirled her drink thoughtfully. “If you wish to take them with you, you must first prove yourself in battle.” Desecration smiled evilly. “If you win, they go free. If you lose,” her eyes sparkled, “we eat you. The flesh of a queen, even a weak one, is luscious.”
Fear and disgust merged, and I felt a burst of emotion inside me that grew into a hot flame. My new body responded and my fingers elongated, producing another knuckle. My nails extended into sharp daggers and stretched out from my hands several inches. The tips of my claws tingled, and a shiny black drop that fell to the ground where I knelt hissed when it hit the soil.
I moved into a crouch. My legs were strong and I felt powerful. With all the cruelty I could muster, I leapt toward her, and slashed the air near her face. I sneered and replied, “I accept your challenge.”
Desecration smiled as if pleased with my display. “Very well. We will fight at twilight tomorrow, for tonight is a feast.”
I was taken out to the revelry and had to watch in revulsion as they feasted on the remains of the zombie they’d captured earlier. I shivered at the sound of bones cracking, bones being almost all that remained from the previous night’s feast. There was no sign of Ren or Kishan anywhere, and I hoped that with their healing ability they were at least alive.
I caught one of the largest demons smiling wickedly at me. Bony protrusions pierced the skin of his shoulders and his forearms were so thick, they looked like tree trunks. When he turned in the firelight a certain way, the handsome illusion slipped, and I saw that beneath it, his face was a frightening skull with glowing eyes.
The queen watched my reaction to the feast with a mocking expression and noticed the demon that was paying particular attention to me. She called him over and whispered words in his ear as the two of them looked at me.
Grinning widely, he approached me and bowed low. “My queen has given me over to you for the evening.”
“Oh. How very . . . generous of her. And what exactly does she expect me to do with you?” I asked nervously.
“You may use me in whatever way you wish,” he answered hungrily.
I smiled at the watchful queen and inclined my head, then threaded my arm through the burly Rakshasa’s. Weighing the risks against the possible benefits, I said, “Then perhaps you could take me on a tour of your camp. If you are finished feasting, that is.”
He smiled rakishly. “I was instructed to indulge you in your every whim. A tour of the camp is only the beginning of the things I could do for you,” he bragged and boldly ran a hand down my hair. Hoping I could keep his claws off of me long enough to figure out where they were holding Ren and Kishan, I let him lead me off alone.
He took me to the largest tent and showed me a trophy wall of sorts that sported bones and skulls arranged in a gruesome display. “This place is dedicated to our best hunters.” He picked up a necklace made from tiny bones and handed it to me. “It belonged to the greatest hunter of our generation, Thunder Cloud. I am his descendant and was named for him.”
“You’re called Thunder Cloud as well?”
“No. I am Lightning, Thunder Cloud’s son.”
“Oh? Is he here? Did I meet him?”
“He has gone the way of all the infirm.”
“What happened to him?”
“He was injured in a hunt. Every year the greatest hunter enters the cave and tries to capture the Phoenix. He returned to us alive but unsuccessful. His arm had been broken.”
“So his arm didn’t heal?”
He hissed. “True Rakshasa hunters have no desire to heal. They sacrifce themselves for the clan. Their energy is absorbed and rechanneled.”
I swallowed thickly. “You mean . . . you ate him.”
He set down a painted skull and looked at me. “Do you not do this honor for your injured hunters?”
“Oh, we do, we do. It’s just that . . . my hunters have the power to regenerate. They’re never permanently injured, and they don’t age.”
He caught my arm and whispered conspiratorially, “I knew from your appearance that you were a special queen. You must grant me this power. Discard your weak hunters, and you and I could slip away and start a new clan, our own clan.”
He looked me up and down, smiled, and stepped closer. His sharp, pointed teeth glistened in the flickering light created by our hair. “Of all the hunters here, I am the most . . . gifted.” He stroked my arm with his long claws, not piercing my skin, but leaving wicked scratches along the length of it. “I assure you, I would be a most loyal companion.”
I gripped his forearm and allowed my claws to dig into his skin. He groaned as if I’d kissed him.
“I’ll consider it,” I promised suggestively. “Now . . . I’d like to see the rest of your clan’s relics.”
He showed me a crude painting of the first Rakshasa leader, which was a male, not a female. Interesting.
“He was a great magician and illusionist,” Lightning explained. “He could shape-shift into an owl, a monkey, a human, or even a great black cat.”
“Really?” I remarked, studying the painting with interest. “Can your queen still do this?”
“Our queen claims she has the ability, but I have not seen it. She can create illusion though. She is very powerful.”
“I see. Do all of you have this ability?”
“The people of our clan are all experts at cloaking our life force. Does your clan not have this power?”
“My clan has . . . a different kind of magic.” I placed my hand on his arm. “Perhaps I’ll be able to demonstrate some of my abilities later.”
His grin was frightening. “I look forward to it.”
He showed me other truly vile keepsakes—a dried wreath of entrails, a collection of scalps and furs, and several frightening masks, as if their own faces weren’t already vile enough. Their handsome façade no longer fooled me. Now that I knew how to look, if I squinted just right, I could see his skull peeping through his skin, but it was easier to pretend he was just a handsome demon.
When I’d had my fill of the place, he took me outside and s
howed me a sort of corral. He hooted softly and I heard the thunder of hooves as a large herd of animals approached. Dark shapes moved toward us and then, as if someone had clicked a switch, the animals blazed into color. They were the most beautiful creatures I’d ever seen.
“What are they?” I whispered as one of the animals approached me and stretched out its neck.
“They are Qilin. We captured them from the forest of the Phoenix.”
“Ah.”
The Qilin were the size and shape of a horse but had the face and teeth of a dragon. Smooth fish scales covered their bodies, but they still had flowing manes and tails. They came in a variety of colors—red, green, orange, gold, blue, and silver. And, like the Rakshasa, the hair of the animals glowed as if on fire.
My guide shouted a command, and the animals jumped in fear and galloped in a circle. Flickering flames spread out from their hooves, manes, and tails as they ran.
I climbed the fence and held out my hand. A bold, blue Qilin walked toward me. It flared its nostrils and blew out a hot breath into my hand when I touched its muzzle. When I patted its smooth cheek and ran my hand through its blue flaming mane, I could hear its thoughts: Fiery one, you are not of them. I can smell your humanity. We are of the other side of the mountain. They feed us on the flesh of our brothers. You must save us, princess!
I allowed my fire power to blaze into the Qilin’s side and it shuddered at the warmth. I sent a silent message. I will save you. Watch for me and prepare your herd.
I will watch for you, fire princess.
“The morning comet approaches, my queen. You must rest so that you may be victorious in your battle.”
“Very well. Let’s return to the camp.”
The demon escorted me to my tent and tried to follow me in. I put my hands on his broad chest and stopped him. “The time for such things is not yet. First, I must defeat your queen.”
He growled in frustration. “I will leave you alone for now, so that you may prepare, but I will not be set aside so easily in the future.”
I nodded and turned to leave when he took my arm and whispered a few of the brutal things he wanted to do either to me or with me. I wasn’t sure which, and I really didn’t want to know. I just smiled at him and hissed slightly, which he took as a good sign, and then he finally left me alone.
Inside my tent, I pulled back the blanket on the bed—and found a box full of dead insects. I figured they were used either as a mattress or as a late night snack.
I curled up in a corner and spent the next hour wondering what I’d gotten myself into. So far, I’d seen no sign of Ren or Kishan and for all I knew, Queen Desecration was bluffing and didn’t even have them in the first place. Knowing I needed rest, I pillowed my head in my hands, figured out how to dim my hair and tattoos, and tried to sleep.
I quickly learned that the Rakshasi queen didn’t really leave me to my own devices. Two huge guards stood just outside my tent and squashed any ideas I had of sneaking out to find Ren and Kishan. I napped on and off during the day, worrying about my tigers.
When the night comet passed overhead and the fire trees extinguished, I was summoned for battle. The queen had dressed for the occasion in some kind of bone armor, and her hair was teased out to look like a bonfire. The tattoos on her face glowed vivid red as if someone had slapped her across her face with red paint.
We marched to a large clearing, and the Rakshasa demons melted into the surrounding trees so that only their torch-like hair was visible.
The queen faced off from me and raised her arms into the air. “Rakshasas! Witness the power of your queen!”
She circled her arms dramatically and produced sparks and black smoke that swirled around her. The smoke moved as if alive and twisted toward me. It circled around my body and then back to the queen. She shouted, and two bolts of lightning hit the ground.
The smoke cleared and two stone altars appeared—with Ren and Kishan tied to them. They looked around in confusion and struggled vainly against the ropes. Their shirts hung in ribbons, but other than that, I could see no injury.
The queen walked up to Ren and ran a dagger-like nail down his bare chest. She clucked, “Now, now, my pretty. Don’t jostle around so.” She touched his lip with her grotesque claw. “I like my meat . . . tender.”
She moved as if to kiss him, and Ren turned his head in disgust. In retaliation, she ran her claws across his cheek. Bloody gashes dripped rivulets down his neck. Desecration turned to Kishan. “Perhaps this one will be more cooperative.”
She smoothed her hand across Kishan’s broad shoulders and down his arm. He snarled angrily at her.
The demon laughed throatily. “Perhaps I’ll let you live just a bit longer. Your aggressiveness is charming. Well, don’t despair, my fragile hunters. Your queen has come to redeem you, for as much good as it will do her.”
Both Ren and Kishan desperately sought the surrounding forest for me but their eyes passed over my new form.
I stepped forward and shouted, “You’ve wasted enough of my time and have insulted me by abusing my warriors before my eyes. I don’t think you have the venom necessary to defeat me.”
Smoke swirled around Desecration, and her eyes glinted dangerously. “I will suck the marrow from your bones as you choke slowly on your own blood.”
I put my hands on my hips and smiled, baring my fangs. “If only your bite were as strong as your rank perfume.”
Ren and Kishan were gaping openly at me, and the Rakshasa hunter from the night before stepped out of the tree line and grinned triumphantly.
Just when I was starting to feel like I had the upper hand, a streak of smoke slammed into my stomach and threw me to the ground. It wrapped around my throat, cutting off my oxygen. Quickly, I untied the Scarf from my waist and whispered painfully, “Gather the winds.”
Smoke billowed and pulsed into the bag the Scarf had created. The air swirled around the clearing and blew my hair in every direction. Finally, the winds were gone and the bag danced in my hands. I smiled at the woman glaring at me from across the clearing, lifted my eyebrow, and opened the bag. Smoke shot toward the queen, circled her, and began choking her. She coughed, raised her arms into the air, and brought them suddenly down. The smoke disappeared.
Desecration snapped her fingers, and the light of her hair and body went out. I took a battle stance, turned off my own inner light, and watched the darkness carefully. I heard her laughter as she appeared briefly and was gone again. I tried to sense her, but she moved stealthily. A hiss came from my right, and as I spun around, her claws raked across my arm and shoulder.
She jumped onto me and pushed me to the ground, but I thrust her back and attacked with my own claws, managing to get her thigh and calf. My shoulder began to burn horribly like acid was gnawing its way into my muscle. I’d thought the bear scratches on my leg were excruciatingly painful. This was far worse.
She disappeared again, only to materialize a few feet away. She whispered some words, and with a flourish, the trident appeared in her hands. She aimed it at me.
“Perhaps you are missing this?” She brandished the weapon and circled. “I have to admit I was surprised to see your collection of war prizes. For such a weak queen, you have accomplished much.”
“Come a little closer,” I threatened with an evil smile, “and I’ll show you how much more I can accomplish.”
She attacked with the trident, but I stepped aside and blasted her in the back with my fire power. I heard the collective hisses and shifting of the demons in the trees and smiled until I heard the queen laugh excitedly.
“Now that felt good.” She turned and stretched languidly. “You must tell me the secret for that power before you die, my little queen.”
“Not likely,” I hissed and crouched for the next assault. Stupid! Fire is good for them. Time to change tactics.
I sprung at the queen and pushed her to the ground. She blew a palmful of some kind of dust that ignited and sent sparks flying everywhere.
I couldn’t see anything but white flashes. Still, I slammed into her blindly, and we tore at each other with claws until I had stinging hurts everywhere.
The queen overpowered me, pinned me with her muscular legs, and wrapped her claws around my throat. The tips pierced my neck, and I could feel her poison entering my body.
“What have you to say now, tiny queen?”
I bared my fangs and smiled. “How about some rain?”
Her eyes narrowed in confusion. I whispered to the Pearl Necklace to rain only on the Rakshasi queen. I could smell the water before it touched me. It gathered in the air above us as a white mist. The cloud darkened and rumbled, then a light rain shower began to fall. The queen screamed as the drops hit her back and arms. It hissed when it touched her skin and her tattoos faded.
I punched the demon queen in the face and pushed her aside. Rolling away, I stopped the rain shower and whispered to the Scarf to tie her up and gag her. Threads shot out from the Scarf and wrapped Desecration’s legs and arms. She used her claws to break the threads several times, but the Scarf just thickened the ropes.
I blinked, trying to clear my vision and bring all the shapes around me into focus. I felt for one of the stone altars and bumped into human flesh.
Ren spoke proudly, “You make a beautiful demon.”
“Thanks.” I smiled weakly and raked my claws across the stone. Sparks flew, and the tight ropes binding Ren fell away from his body. He freed himself the rest of the way while I stumbled to the other altar to cut Kishan loose. My blood was boiling from the venom, and I knew it would soon overpower me.
The fallen queen struggled on the ground. I slashed the ropes holding Kishan and stood as tall as I could. “Lightning. Come forward.”
The powerful demon strode into the clearing boldly and prostrated himself before me. “My queen,” he said and lifted his head. “Let me dispose of those weakling warriors who couldn’t protect you and then take my place at your side.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled almost lovingly at him. “I have other plans for you, great hunter.” I could feel Ren and Kishan standing at my back. “I would not have you kill these two warriors, for they are special and far from weak. I promised you a demonstration, didn’t I?”