Horns and Halos, page 13
Alan grunted in pain, and Draki let go of the blade as he grabbed my hand and made me take a hold of the weapon. I turned to face my assailant, and our eyes locked. His were filled with anguish and mine with fear.
Alan’s raspy voice struggled to gurgle out the simple phrase, “You’ve ... got a ... devil.” Blood dripped from his mouth, and his eyes looked at me with disgust.
With Draki’s guidance, I brought the blade down. I heard the sloppy plop of something hitting the ground, and I felt my stomach lurch. The devil’s bloodied face was all grins, and the ethereal glow of his eyes was like a torch in the thick darkness. His touch on my stomach became warm as he let go of my hand and tilted my face up to meet him. “Hold it together,” he ordered. I knew that it was his power—not my own will—that kept me from expelling everything in my stomach at that moment.
He spun me back around as Gerald came toward me, snarling, “You bitch!” as he went to attack.
The blazing touch of Draki washed over my skin as he took each wrist in his grasp and whispered in my ear, “Can I have this dance?” In his words, I could hear the smile he was wearing. He was enjoying all of this carnage. He liked that he was making me do it. He reveled in every motion that I complied with, and his joyful laughter echoed through the tunnels as I followed his movements. I lifted the blade and slashed downward, slicing Gerald’s face wide open. His erupting cry of pain was cut short as Draki made me stab the villager through the throat.
Jerking it out, I felt hot droplets hit my face and heard Elijah call my name, “SIA!”
Draki’s hold on me fell away, and I felt shock take over, calming my nerves and stopping me from shaking. “Yes,” I whispered, feeling like I was a million miles away.
He held my shoulders and strained as he looked through the tunnel for any signs of movement. “Are they—”
“They’re dead,” I admitted as my voice cracked a little.
He drew me into a hug and then pulled away as if he had forgotten we weren’t out of danger yet. “Where’s your bag?”
Lifelessly, I pointed behind me in the tunnels. He looked beyond into the blackened void and then pushed me ahead. “You keep heading for the exit. I’ll grab the bags and meet up with you. I don’t know if there will be others coming.”
I nodded, but I felt hollow inside. After I took a few unsure steps forward, Elijah ran off into the pitch to get the bag. I expected to feel alone. I expected to be lost in my own thoughts as I relived the moments that had just passed. Instead, I felt a blazing touch grasp my wrist. Out of reflex, I blindly swung the blade. It went still like I had tried to slice a wall in two. The blade had been stopped by Draki’s finger, and his expression was cold and curious as he flicked his eyes from the machete and then to me.
“Not the thanks I was expecting,” he said with a grin. He was free of blood, and not a single droplet stained his hair, skin, or clothing. Had it all been a dream? “Come on,” he sighed.
With that, the devil slipped his hand down to hold my own and led me toward the exit. When I could see light pouring out from the other end of the tunnel, I heard Elijah running up behind me.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” he said, taking my other hand and leading me the rest of the way out of the secret passage.
Meanwhile, Draki let go of me and watched me leave. I looked behind me to observe his form fade from my sight. As I did, his haunting voice echoed through the chamber. “I’ll handle the mess back here. Go somewhere safe with him.”
Chapter 12:
Nowhere is Safe
Outside of the tunnels, the light was almost blinding, and I had to shield my eyes with my arm as soon as we emerged from the darkened space. After several minutes, I looked to the sky and then searched the surrounding area. The mountain ranges were a dead giveaway to our positioning.
Pointing to them, I lifelessly said, “We need to head that way. North.”
Elijah looked at the stretch of protruding rocks rising out of the land and nodded. “Okay.”
Some of the fog lifted from me, and I felt more in control when I focused on where we were heading. “We can make camp further up, over there. We headed out later than expected, and we’ve had a few ... setbacks,” I said with an expression that swirled with a mix of emotions.
He nodded in reply, and we both silently headed toward the mountains which would take us a few hours. The good news was that we weren’t heavily injured. My face throbbed like I had been hit with a wooden club, but it wouldn’t attract any demons later on that night. We were close to the river too, so we could get water to cook with since Elijah brought a few fresh ingredients from the house. After tonight, we’d be stuck with rationing cornbread and jerky. We might as well have a feast before we had a stretch of meager meals. We’d also be able to clean up some of the blood and bury the tainted rags.
I was trying to process what had all taken place, and I was sure that Elijah was too. As we walked, I could only hear the dirt crunching under our feet. Draki wasn’t around, and if he was he was even hidden from me and not saying anything. I wondered what it was that he needed to do back in the tunnels.
I must have been sighing a lot because Elijah nudged me with his elbow with a soft chuckle. “You going to talk about what’s eating you or just sigh until you don’t think about it anymore?” he asked.
I was bewildered. Looking up from watching my footwork, I blinked rapidly at him. “Huh?” It took a second for his words to sink in. “Oh,” I stated and then looked back to the ground.
“Should I prepare myself for you to sigh again?”
“No,” I said, and before I could stop myself, I sighed again.
We both laughed.
“I’m just lost in my own head, I guess,” I explained.
He nodded. “I understand.”
I was glad that he did because I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I had a deal with a devil. I didn’t have it in me to tell him that I felt like everything that happened back at the village was somehow my fault. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to admit it. I just wanted to forget for a little while. I just wanted to pretend that it was all a bad dream and that I managed to get by on luck these past few days.
Even if I knew the moment wouldn’t last.
Within a few hours, we made it to a spot with trees and a rocky overhang. It would provide us with shelter. I knew that it wouldn’t be enough if I wasn’t traveling with a devil. Elijah didn’t know that. He also didn’t know any better, so his lack of knowledge became my saving grace.
“We need to collect firewood. It’s going to get cold,” I said.
He tossed the bags down saying, “Good thing I packed extra blankets from the house.” When he turned to look at me, he grimaced and made a face.
“What?”
Elijah pointed to my cheek. “That looks painful,” he said, stepping closer. He gingerly took hold of my chin in his grasp and turned my head to the side. He inhaled sharply. “No bleeding, but it’s going to be one hell of a bruise.”
I gently pulled away and laid my palm over it. There was already a welt, and the skin felt tight over the inflicted area. Sighing, I tossed my things onto the pile. “We’re alive. I am going to wash off and bury the rags. With neither of us having fresh wounds, we don’t have to worry about the blood attracting demons. I think we should gather firewood, get some water from the river, eat, and sleep before the sun sets.”
“Right. I’ll go to the river,” he stated quickly.
“Are you sure?”
He gave me a look that said it all.
Shifting uncomfortably, I forced a smile and said, “Yeah. I think I’ve had enough of the river.”
Elijah laughed and patted me on the back before going to grab the pot hanging off one of the bags. “You going to be okay by yourself?”
Not like I’m really ever by myself, I thought. “Yeah, I’ll be all right.”
With one last worried look to me, he nodded to himself and headed off for the river. Meanwhile, I started to collect wood from around the trees. Around the third armload, I turned and stifled a scream. Startled, I dropped the wood and then stared annoyed at Draki standing in front of me.
“Could you not do that?” I hissed.
He looked at me as if he were bored. “I honestly don’t know how you’re not used to it by now.”
“Where have you been? It’s been hours.”
He looked around him and then to the sky. “I suppose I was rather lengthy with my torture session.”
“Torture?”
“Mmmm, yes. That little she-devil took her cunning stunt a step too far.”
“What do you mean, took it too far? With Elijah’s parents?”
He chuckled. “Please, no. I told her if she listened to me they would willingly give themselves up to her. I just said I wanted you and the boy to go free.”
I glared at him. “So, it was you?”
“I merely suggested, dear Sia. As for them wanting to turn you two into slaves ... that wasn’t part of the plan.”
“That was her?”
He nodded. “A very dumb but brave decision that cost her much pain ... and an arm.”
“You took her arm?”
He waved the thought away. “It’ll grow back in a few years.”
I balked at him, and he pointed to the twigs on the ground. Muttering a few choice words under my breath, I knelt down to pick up the lumber. “It’ll be nightfall in a few hours,” I warned with a touch of pepper to my tone. I wasn’t happy with the devil at the moment. He had caused two people to die today, two people that didn’t deserve that kind of fate. He also forced Elijah and me into a difficult position that ended with us killing three people.
Draki nodded. “Yes. And I still have something that I need to do.”
“Will you be back by nightfall?” I asked.
He smiled at me. “Scared without me?”
“We have a deal,” I reminded.
Rolling his eyes he said, “Yes. Yes. I’ll be back by nightfall. Even if I wasn’t, I’ve already cloaked you. Nothing would try to harm you if they did come across you. Not without fear of dealing with my wrath.”
A sigh of relief quickly escaped me. “Oh, good. I was worried Elijah and I would be sitting ducks.”
Draki ticked a finger from side to side and shook his head. “You mistake this little comfort that I’ve given you. I said you were cloaked. Not the boy.”
“We have a deal,” I whined pathetically.
“He’s not part of the deal, yet!” he barked.
To the sound of his booming voice, I fell back with the twigs hugged to my chest. “I can’t let him get hurt.”
With a wide, toothy grin, Draki bent over and got uncomfortably close to me. “Does that mean you want to—”
“No!” I shot out. “No,” I repeated a touch more calmly.
He rose to his full height and fixed his robes. “Then let us hope he gets back from the river before it gets too much later, hmmm?”
“You’re a monster,” I whispered.
“Correction, I’m a devil and a damn good one.”
I gathered myself and came to my feet before storming away to the campsite. “Hurry up and handle your business. If any of these creatures are as reliable as that she-devil, I don’t trust a moment you’re not by my side.”
He gave a quick smirk. “Such a demanding little thing, but ... when you are right, you’re right.”
With that, red plumes of smoke were left behind, and Draki was gone once more. Within moments, Elijah came back with a pot of water, and he smiled as he set it near where the fire would be.
“You start boiling the water, and I’ll fill up our canteens,” he said, and then rushed off again.
“Be careful!” I yelled to him as he raced for the river.
The sky was getting dark, and I had been feeling uneasy with each minute ticking by. Elijah still hadn’t returned from the river. It shouldn’t take this long to get water, should it? I paced around, gazed into the distance, and then paced some more. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to make a canyon in the middle of our campsite.
“Where are you?” I whispered and stood on my tip-toes as I watched for his form, hoping he would show up soon. But he didn’t. “Ugh,” I growled and wrung my wrists white as I walked back and forth again to pass the time. “He should be back by now,” I muttered to myself. But all I could think of was what Draki said. I would be safe. Elijah wouldn’t.
Worried for his safety, I snatched up my machete and tied it to my waist as I marched off toward the river. It was a slow, sure march that quickly turned into an all-out run when I heard a nearby owl hoot. Nightfall would be soon. Too soon. And being out in the open like this wouldn’t be good. Maybe—if I was lucky—Elijah being near me would cloak him too. That’s what Draki said. That I was cloaked, so I was safe to venture out and find Elijah ... right?
But why did I feel so uneasy? Why did I feel like something was wrong? Why did I feel like I should have stayed next to the campfire?
The sun was a whisper on the horizon, and my mind was a blizzard of tormenting thoughts. I looked all too happy when I could see the river up ahead. He hadn’t fallen into the river, had he? I worried that I was too late. That I was going to find him dead and washed up on the banks downriver. I picked up the pace. Sliding to a stop by the water’s edge, I looked around wondering where to start searching first. That’s when I heard it, the distinct sound of water splashing. My heart rose up in my throat, and I raced around a boulder in my path. Instantly, my heart hit the floor of my feet, and I went unbelievably still for longer than I wanted. There was no way that I was seeing what I was.
Its body was gaunt and shaded like the bark of a desert ironwood. Its limbs were long, and the unnerving extra set of arms rested on its hips. Despite the apparent dips and hollow pits that covered its tall body, there was defined muscle under its unnatural skin. A thin stretch of fabric was tied around the creature’s waist, fastened on each side of its hips was a bone medallion with a strange marking carved deep into the surface. All over its form, there were things that looked like a cross between bone and metal, and they protruded from the skin like it had been melted and forcefully made to be armor that was a part of the creature. It was very clear that this was a dreaded soldier.
Soldiers were nothing like a grunt. They typically traveled alone or in small groupings, and enjoyed toying with humans before killing them. Their whole objective was to break you down and have you lose all hope before they ended your suffering. They were smart, quick, and deadly.
Elijah flopped over as he tried time and time again to stand and fight back. The blood marred his pale skin and hid his freckles. While on his knees, he swung at the demon. But even I could see that it lacked power and was too sluggish to actually hit the beast. How long had he been fighting it? The soldier triumphantly loomed over Elijah. With hissing laughter, it raised its taloned hand. Before the killing blow could be made, a rock bounced off the side of its head.
“Leave him alone!” I yelled after mustering up my courage.
The demon snapped its vision to me and snarled.
“No ... Sia!” Elijah croaked.
He was backhanded and hit the ground with a grunt of pain. “Two stragglers,” the demon hissed, turning its head from side to side. “I’ll have my fill tonight.” A roar of laughter left its disgusting mouth. “I was just finishing up playing with this one.”
I focused on all the things I shouldn’t have. I focused on the orange, glowing eyes, the hooked nose, and the rows of jagged teeth. Shaking off the fear, I made a face at it and took a step back.
“Kind of hard to eat when you’re dead,” I snapped.
Its eyes narrowed, and the snarky smile was washed clean off of its smug face. “We’ll see who will be dying tonight,” it growled and then raced toward me, kicking up dust in its wake.
Now that the soldier’s attention was on me, I could distract it until ... well, I hadn’t come up with part two of the plan. A short scream escaped me as I turned and ran, ducking behind a boulder as I heard talons scraping over the rough surface of the rock in its hot pursuit.
“I’ll tear off your pretty face right before I end your pathetic little life!” It yelled and then howled into the bleeding midnight hue that was fast approaching.
Holding my weapon out in front of me, I spun around and took a slash at it. The moment it leaped back to avoid the blade, I turned and ran again. Grunts were small and easily picked off. Heck, I could pick them up and punt them into the side of a mountain. But a soldier? I was no match for a soldier!
Why did I throw that rock?
Frantically, I searched the area, but aside from a few scarce shrubberies, some lone trees, and a couple of cacti, I didn’t have a lot to work with. Heat flared through my back as I felt something slice straight through my jacket and t-shirt. I screamed out in agony, and my body lurched forward as I tried to escape the claws that were sinking into my flesh. I hit a knee, and the soldier tumbled as it slammed into my back and careened into the dirt. Scrambling to my feet, I went to get away, but the demon was fast. It grabbed my ankle and yanked. It was the injured one, too. Instantly, I hit the ground. It pulled again, and I was dragged across the desert floor and closer to those haunting eyes. My blade flung out in front of me as I tried to land a blow. With a cackle, the machete was slapped out of my hand like it was a stick. The soldier’s maw opened unnaturally wide, and the demon dove at me. I turned my face to the side and flattened myself to the ground with a shriek.
But the attack never came.
I dared to peek out of one eye. At the sight before me, I became a little braver. Opening both eyes, I gawked in surprise. Draki was standing over me and the soldier was flailing desperately in his grasp.
“How dare you touch my things!” he boomed.
