Death's Reach, page 9
part #2 of Hungry Gods Series
The chamber disappeared completely.
The two of them still crouched on each side of the bowl, though their surroundings had been replaced by a landscape of twisted brush and dead grass. Bones poked up through the scorched earth, and as she stood she kicked up a cloud of ash. A few miles away, a city of dark stone marred the horizon like a scab.
She shuddered as a cold wind came out of nowhere and buffeted her, carrying with it the voice of a thousand screams.
“This isn’t right,” she said.
The daemon looked up, confused. “That is the gravewind. We are on the Planes of the Fallen. We do not want to be here. Concentrate. You must take us to him.”
Lara nodded and pictured his face. “Dorian,” she whispered, “Where are you?”
The landscape blurred again, and disappeared as though the chill of the gravewind swept it away. Instead of open land, they were surrounded by darkness. It threatened to suck her breath away, and pressed against her like a physical weight. Even though she knew in her heart and mind that they were in a room far away and safe, she shuddered. The fear developed subtly, the feeling like a thousand eyes upon her, though she could see none of them. The daemon’s presence gave her some comfort. She would not want to be alone in this place.
Was this what Dorian saw? Her eyes strained, trying to see anything other than her guide. Shadowy forms moved around her. She could hear fingernails on stone, scraping. They approached from all directions, with a sharp intake of breath, forming words she could barely understand. “Warrmthhhh… Hhhhhot bloooood… Deliciousssss….”
“He’s not here,” Lara said, “Try again.” Though barely audible, she may as well have shouted. She refused to believe Dorian was here.
The daemon leaned forward, eyes glowing red. “One more time,” she said.
Their surroundings blurred again, sweeping them away from the shades, and faded back to black. It felt as though they hadn’t moved. Two figures approached, only shadows, moving through a forest of alien trees, illuminated slightly by the sorcery channeled through the bowl.
Lara recognized one as the goddess Death… and the other…
It looked like Dorian, though he’d been horribly disfigured. His eyes had been removed, with claw marks from the empty sockets creating long scars down his cheeks. He turned to her as though he could see her.
“Dorian!” She screamed his name, hardly able to believe.
The succubus grabbed her by the arm, holding her back. “No, you must not touch him. He is lost to you.”
Lara tried to jerk away, but the daemon held on. “Let me go to him – we have to save him!”
He had heard her! He reached out. Lara fought to pull free from the daemon’s grasp. The daemon’s grip was too strong. So close, their fingers almost touched.
The succubus kicked over the bowl, spilling its contents over their feet. Their surroundings swirled and she fell to her knees as vertigo overwhelmed her.
Where Dorian had stood was only the wall. She’d lost him… again.
“Why?” she sobbed through tears, “We found him. He needed me. Why did you take me away?”
The succubus knelt down next to her and reached for her hand. Lara pulled away.
“He’s dead,” the daemon said, “He’s in the underworld. If he were to grab you, I may not have been able to save you.”
“You should have left me.” Lara climbed to her feet. Another wave of vertigo hit her and she fell to her knees. “Take me back.”
“I can’t.”
“You can. Do it again.”
“I’m sorry, what you’re asking you’ll need another daemon to do. I want no part of it. The dead never return whole.”
“Then you should have left me.” Lara hugged her knees to her chest, and wiped her tears with the edge of her dress. She’d failed again. She’d taken too long to save him.
All of the tears she’d held in, dammed up behind a thin veil of hope, burst free. Her heart felt as though it had been torn out, leaving behind an empty spot she would never fill again. She’d just believed for so long. She’d had nothing else to hold onto. Everything she’d faced had been in hopes of finding a way to save him. She wept until there was nothing left. She looked up to find the succubus gone.
The room looked as empty as she felt. She was truly alone.
CHAPTER 15
They’d found Lysa.
Taegar hurried from his room, following the messenger. The man did not think it odd to find both of them in Taegar’s chamber, though when they’d knocked on Lara’s door, she didn’t answer. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as they waited, hoping she wouldn’t notice how guilty he felt. She shouldn’t care. It wasn’t like they had anything between them. Why did he fear looking her in the eye?
Why did the thought of her make his stomach tighten and heart ache?
“She’s not in,” the messenger said.
“I never heard her leave,” Taegar said. He paused and added, “Can you tell she’s not there?”
“Of course I can. Can’t you?” the man raised an eyebrow in condescension and stroked his narrow, two inch beard.
So Lara wasn’t in her chamber. They would catch up with her later. It would be the kind of news she needed to hear.
Taegar winced in the morning sun as they emerged into the street. He hadn’t realized just how tired he’d been with the constant threat of the dead. For the first time in weeks he’d had a decent night’s sleep, and it wasn’t nearly enough.
The man led them across the city to what he assumed was some sort of town hall, though in his eyes, it looked like just another tower, this one white and opulent. The tower’s interior was devoid of furnishings, hollow and cold, with lights reminiscent of wisp orbs, yet nothing held them, and they moved as though alive, with no set pattern. They illuminated the chamber, yet made the shadows dance.
The room had a quality to it –though not particularly wide, it still felt as though he were in a monstrous cavern. When he looked up, he saw it to be true. He could not see a ceiling. The entire tower had no other floor, which meant for all its height only a vast emptiness existed. What wasted space, he thought. What purpose could it ever serve?
The messenger led them to the far side, to a set of gigantic double doors. They extended up the wall, not out of sight, yet high enough a very large giant could pass through them. They were high, yet fairly narrow in comparison. If a giant capable of using those doors were to enter, he’d have to be a skinny one.
The doors were carved with subtle, simple patterns. They depicted no scenes, but were a jumble of squiggles, and for all their chaos, the runes were aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Every few seconds a pulse of light, nearly imperceptible, traveled along the pattern.
The messenger stood, facing forward and eyes closed as though in silent communication. There were no chairs anywhere, and nothing to do but stare at the door and at each other. Taegar shifted impatiently from foot to foot.
“Why are they making us wait?” he asked, “Do you think something’s wrong?”
Serina shook her head. She stood as still as the messenger, yet legs slightly apart and arms loose, as though she were ready for anything. To a bystander that had never seen her fight, she might have looked relaxed, yet he’d been around her just long enough to know she was ready to pounce. “I don’t think so. Knowing the wizards, they’re interrogating her.”
“Interrogating? A little girl? Sounds a little harsh. They didn’t mention Mykel. What do you think that means?”
“Nothing good.”
Mykel had bought them time to get away. The man was dead, but he was as much a part of the motley group as any of them. His presence had made their traveling much easier. “We couldn’t have made it without him.”
Serina’s face looked as blank as an empty slate. When he met her gaze, it held no emotion, not for him, not for their loss. She knew the value of each person they’d lost more intimately than he did. She’d lost her friends and her lover.
As they waited outside the doors, he wondered if he should say something to her. He opened his mouth, maybe to comment on the room, or to wonder about Lysa, but nothing came out. He had nothing. The way she stood there, she might as well have been a stranger that he had yet to meet, just another face in the crowd. It didn’t matter that hours ago he’d held her, using one another to vanquish the nightmares that plagued them both.
They’d tried to make a difference, but they were too few, too unprepared. They couldn’t save the world. No one could.
His own thoughts went back to his family, but he quickly squashed it. If they were alive or dead, he didn’t want to know. He didn’t have time to think of them, half way across the kingdom.
Finally the doors parted, revealing a room much smaller than where they had waited.
Inside, Theondrin stood facing Lysa, surrounded by a contingent of twelve of his fellow wizards. She turned and saw them, and ran before he could take more than two steps. She hit him like an arrow, wrapping her arms about his waist. He knelt down and hugged her back.
She looked none the worse for wear, considering. Aside from tear streaks that had formed channels through the grime on her face, she looked fine. From her bearing, he could tell that she was anything but.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, “Did they hurt you?”
“They took Mykel,” she said, “They won’t give him back.”
“You found him!”
She nodded. “They came along and found us. But they took Mykel away. I told them he wouldn’t hurt them but they took him anyway. You’ve got to get him back, Taegar.”
“Don’t worry, we will.”
Taegar stood, and with a deep breath, walked forward. He tried to act more confident than he felt. Arguing with wizards never went well. He’d done it a time or two, but then it had been about philosophy.
Behind him, Serina’s boots echoed alongside his. He didn’t look back; he could hear Lysa’s rapid footsteps next to hers. At least he wasn’t alone.
Theondrin nodded in greeting as he stopped a few feet away. The man had a smile on his face that put Taegar on edge. The man looked very pleased for some reason. His retinue stared impassively, arrogant and detached.
“Thank you for finding Lysa and Mykal.”
Theondrin bowed. “You are welcome. I am pleased to say she came to no harm. She apparently burned down nearly a thousand acres of ancient forest.”
“Yes, she’s a fighter.” Lysa grabbed his hand and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. Here came the battle. “About her brother. He’s not like the other dead. He’s something else. He’s safe to be with.”
Theondrin’s eyes lit up, almost with an eagerness that put Taegar’s nerves on edge. “Yes, he’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like him. We’ll have to study him of course, but…”
“With all due respect, we’d like him with us.”
Theondrin waved his hand, brushing Taegar’s words away as though they were a bad smell. “In good time. He may have the answer to dealing with the zombies. He is a miracle, nothing less. I assure you he won’t be harmed. As soon as we have a better understanding of what he is, I will return him to you unharmed.”
“I want him now,” Lysa said, “He’s my brother.”
Theondrin’s eyebrows drew together, but his words were cautiously patronizing. “My dear, as I said, all in good time. You will be reunited with your brother before you know it.”
“He saved all of you,” she said.
Theondrin turned his back to her and the other wizards stepped between them. In a flash of blue light the archmage disappeared.
“You are dismissed,” a man with a thick black beard said.
“Bring me back my brother!” Lysa shouted.
Taegar dropped to his knees in front of her. “Don’t worry,” he said, “This isn’t over. We’re going to find him. They won’t hurt him, I promise.”
Lysa jutted out her lower lip, but she nodded. Taegar waited to make sure she had calmed before standing back up.
“Let’s get out of here,” Serina said, “This place is too cold.”
Taegar nodded. She didn’t mean the temperature.
CHAPTER 16
The three of them returned to their quarters. Serina took Lysa into her room while Taegar checked on Lara. He knocked three times, listening for any sound of her.
Still nothing.
He wasn’t worried… yet. They had all been together for so long, it was difficult not to worry when one of their number wasn’t around. To add to that, he had Mykel to worry about too. He willed Lara’s door to open, just so he could know for sure that she wasn’t there. The door didn’t budge.
He glanced up and down the hallway. Aside from Serina’s door, he’d seen nobody else on this floor. While he appreciated the solitude, it made him wonder. The presence of other people brought with it a sense of safety, of normalcy, that he’d missed. Being alone made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Taegar stood outside of his own door, not wanting to go back in. Why? What had he to fear? This city had withstood the invasion, it still held off the zombies, it allowed them to return to a normal life.
Then why couldn’t he go back to his room? “This is crazy,” he muttered, “I don’t need anyone.”
Were the words less true now? He’d never needed others before. He walked in, finding the room as he’d left it, the blankets on the bed, still in disarray, a reminder of Serina’s companionship.
He sat down on the edge and rested his face in the palm of his hands. He knew he didn’t mean anything to her, she just didn’t want to be alone. He’d be lying to himself as well as to her if they thought there had been anything more between them. His feelings for Lara hadn’t changed, and sharing his bed with Serina felt as if he’d betrayed her.
But it doesn’t matter, as long as Dorian is alive, Lara will never be interested.
A light knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. He opened it, only slightly startled to see Lara.
She didn’t say anything, she didn’t look at him. Her eyes stared at the floor, or the wall, anywhere and nowhere.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
Lara stepped forward, wrapped her arms about his neck, and kissed him.
For a second he was caught off guard. A voice in the back of his head asked, What about Serina? He buried it, pushed her from his mind. Lara.
He embraced her. She felt so different than the mercenary. Lara was delicate, perfect, and untouched on the outside, with no scars marring her young body. On the inside though, she’d been through as much as anyone.
Yes, he wanted her, and whatever the reason that brought her to his door, he didn’t care. Whether or not she’d come to terms with the possibility of never seeing Dorian again, he would accept it, and if she were willing to give him a chance, he would wait for her.
He lost himself in the feel of her kiss, the light touch of her tongue playing against his own, the feel of her hands pressing lightly against his back, their chests pressing together almost cautiously. Lara had a naïve inexperience to her touch, so different from Serina’s, and he kept himself from taking advantage of that.
A salty bitterness tinged her kiss, and he realized that he tasted her tears. Her body shivered, almost more of a shudder. He kept the kiss gentle, and when she pulled away, he let her go.
She glanced up, into his eyes, but couldn’t hold his gaze.
“Lara,” he said, “I… could make you happy. I want to…”
She stared at the floor. He reached for her but she took a step back, away. “I know,” she said.
She turned and walked quickly for her own room. He watched her go, longing to call her back. Something warred within her, and she’d have to face it alone and come to terms with it before she could move forward with him. He watched her until she disappeared into her room. She never looked back.
He stared at her closed door, feeling it as a barrier reflected in his heart.
CHAPTER 17
Lysa stared sullenly at the others. The four of them gathered for lunch, and a strange tension hung in the air. Serina had cleaned her up, and despite her protests that she could do it herself, she appreciated the woman’s efforts. It felt good to be clean again.
Serina was nothing like her mother. Her mother had been gentle, loving. Serina was all business. Lysa didn’t care, and right then she didn’t want to think about her family, only Mykel. They were the last, at least until they could free Dorian. She couldn’t do it alone, she needed Mykel. He could protect her while she figured out how to free Dorian.
Of course, she could take care of herself now. The thought made her smile. The others, when they saw what she could do, they’d be in awe. She could fight the zombies just as good as them now. She could do magic.
They were in a city of wizards, and she could do magic! That meant she was one of them. As soon as possible, she would learn as much as she could and free Dorian. Then maybe she’d come back to stay in this city. She’d never really thought about her future. She’d always just assumed she would grow up and marry someone in Briar’s End. It had seemed like a good plan at the time, but things were no longer the same, and the thought of being a wizard was exciting.
She could be like Serina. She liked that thought. Ever since losing her parents, being a serf didn’t sound as appealing anymore. She never wanted to see the farm again, even if the world did recover. And it would, things always went back to normal. She didn’t have her parents to depend on anymore. She’d have to make her own way in the world, with her brothers by her side. She would be the one to protect them now.
Lara looked sad. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she wouldn’t look at her. She sat and ate in silence.
Lysa liked Lara, she reminded her of Briar’s End, and she also believed they could save Dorian. If anyone would go with her, she would. Lara also had a harder time with the world changing, she needed the world to go back to normal. Lysa couldn’t see her running around and fighting monsters, and she never participated in the battles unless she had to. Lara had always hung back with her. But now Lysa had no plans of hanging back ever again.
