Horns and Halos, page 4
My chest tightened as my heartbeat stumbled over itself involuntarily. It felt hard to breathe. My head felt foggy, and I started to feel dizzy. Fear was choking the very life out of me, and I wanted nothing more than to take in a slow, unrestrained breath of air into my tired lungs. Was something watching me? The longer I felt it, the more that I realized that it wasn’t just dread that I was feeling. It was more uncomfortable and more unforgiving than that. My heartbeat threw itself against my sore rib cage, and I winced in pain.
There were only two things that could summon this level of anxiety. I very much doubted that it was the half-dead grunt sliding its way toward me. I froze as a cold, angry tone slithered over my being.
“Pathetic.”
My heartbeat fumbled and then quickened in tempo. My eyes darted open. I wasn’t sure if I should look in the direction of the voice or not. I didn’t want to see what new nightmare was coming my way. But there was a sound that tore my eyes from the sweet, blue sky. A sick snap that said—without words—that the crawling grunt’s life had been extinguished. It was a sound that came a little too close for comfort. Jerking quickly in the direction of the new threat, I felt the blood drain from my face as I held the new assailant in my gaze.
He was a dark beauty despite his robes of impeccable white and with his hair like freshly fallen snow that fell down to his hips. One look at this being told me he was danger incarnate. Trimmings of black and vivid silver framed him in a way that was both refreshing and frightful. His skin was as cold as his voice and sculpted like he had been carved from alabaster. But those eyes—they were gold and otherworldly, yet, they held the breath of winter deep within those brilliant hues.
This wasn’t a grunt, this was a ... a devil.
My mouth dried up and my eyes refused to blink, and I watched him glide toward me like a snowstorm in the middle of the desert. I tried to lift my blade, but my strength wasn’t there. My arm flopped over, and I struggled and strained to stand. Despite my better judgment, my body reacted on its own and tried to escape the doom that was fast approaching.
Devils weren’t like grunts. No. They would torture you first. They would make you wish that you were dead. There are some things that were worse than death, and the devils knew them, used them, and enjoyed every minute of them. I didn’t want to be his next mangled toy. Even though my mind knew it was pointless, my body desperately tried to carry out the motions that it simply couldn’t perform. I made a small sound of dissatisfaction, and his laugh chilled me to my core and beyond.
“Hahahaha, please ... run. I do enjoy a good chase.”
My legs buckled after two steps, and I fell forward. My weapon flung from my sweaty grip, and I whimpered as I watched the sunshine glint off the blade as it escaped me. It fell with dust clouds and corpses surrounding it. I slammed into the unforgiving ground with a groan of pain. Dirt was now sticking to the tacky, half-dried blood on my face. Frantically, I reached for the weapon, as if wordlessly begging it to come to my hand and help me survive just one last fight.
“You did the best you could, darling. Don’t beat yourself up. Nothing could prepare you for me,” he warned.
My lower lip quivered as I still tried to touch the hilt. Grazing over the edge of it with the pads of my fingers gave a spark of hope, but it was snuffed out by the shadow of the devil draped in white. His sandaled foot leisurely hovered over me and then ever so slowly stepped onto my aching hand. I wailed in pain and used every ounce of strength that I had to punch at his foot with my free hand. He bellowed with laughter that made my whole body freeze in place.
“Awww, it’s so cute that you are trying,” he said with a snicker.
His foot lifted off of me and I was free to move. The devil sneered in disgust at me and swiftly kicked my side. Heat flared over my ribs. Rolling over, I coughed and tasted a metallic essence dance over my tongue. I spit the blood out of my mouth as I gasped for air. My eyes gradually glided over to him just in time to see his nails grow like needles. My mind raced. A thousand ideas and possibilities danced through my head at a speed I could not fathom. Everything moved so slow in that moment. I could see the end that was heading for me and knew that I was powerless to stop it.
Those dagger-like talons raced toward me, poised to kill. They were aimed at my throat and diving down faster than anything I had ever seen. My mouth opened to scream. But, to my surprise, words replaced what I thought was going to be a shrill cry of horror.
My voice sounded like it was made of sandpaper as I yelled, “I want to ... make ... a deal.”
Something so sharp and deadly had never been held that close to my neck for so long. When I swallowed, I felt the tip of his nail graze my throat. Even the drumming of my chaotic heartbeat made the skin jump up just enough to caress the edge of those dangerous claws. The deep scent of spice and smoke swirled around my nostrils as I breathed in his personal perfume. Silence stretched, and I didn’t know if he was happy or upset. Not a sign registered over his face to give me some sort of clue. His eyes, however, held me in a way a madman would. Ticking off his options while trying to decipher which one would bring him the most enjoyment. There wasn’t a sliver of concern for me or my well-being in that gaze. There were only the quiet calculations of a sinister being.
The smile that graced his lips made my skin crawl. Something deep inside me knew that the smile he wore was all for show and he didn’t feel anything. He had somehow learned how to master the art of a smile and made it look appealing. But my soul knew. Like meemaw would always say, “Your spirit knows things that your mind doesn’t grasp the understanding of yet. And we call it gut instinct, but it’s really the spirit telling us the truth we fail to accept right away.”
He knelt in a way that was deadly and alluring. As if I was watching him float like a ghost of misty white to my side, but those nails never left my neck. The smile changed then. It became a grin. A flash of white teeth behind a wild curl of lips that was almost inhuman. A light flickered like amber fire within his golden gaze.
“What kind of deal?” he purred darkly.
After an entire day’s walk, we had made quite the progress considering that I was walking on a gimp ankle. A long way off, a village could be seen, though the details beyond the rooftops peaking over the spiked tops of the defensive walls couldn’t be made out. It was the first town that I had seen since I had left my own. The heat carried by the lonely wind washed over my cheek. I touched the puffy skin on the side of my face and heard him speak behind me.
“I could’ve healed that too,” he stated.
Back where he found me, I had allowed him to heal my internal injuries, but not the exterior. “At a price, I’m sure,” I answered in a raspy voice. His dark chuckle that swiftly followed my reply made the hair on the back of my neck rise.
“Everything comes with a price, my dear.”
“I’m not willing to pay it.”
“I’m not terribly picky. You can let someone else pay for you.”
I looked over my shoulder and glowered at the devil. He replied to the look with a slow curl of lips and a wink, but he remained standing tall, fair, and unmoved by my anger.
“No,” I said finally.
“I’ll be here if you change your mind,” he said and then laughed at himself. “I’ll be here for a long time.”
His words cut me deeper than his talons ever could have. The price I would have to pay for my recent deal loomed over my head. I was sure that he wouldn’t let me forget that I owed him any time soon. I scanned the land surrounding the little town ahead as I carefully resituated the backpack on my shoulder.
Curiously, I asked, “So ... how does this work?”
He blinked at me and sighed. “How does what work?”
“Can ... can they see you, or will they?”
“Do you want them to?”
I thought about it. I really thought about it. The answer was a very loud, “No.”
“Then no, they won’t see me.”
“Why did you say it like that?”
“I don’t know what you mean?”
Great. I was stuck with a devil that thought I was an idiot. “What can see you if they can’t?”
His eyes flicked to me, and he sighed again before leading the way to the town. “I figured you didn’t want me to be seen with you. I don’t exactly look like your standard apocalyptic-ruffian. However, I am not hidden from other demonkind. Not unless I desire to be.”
“Like you were last night?”
The first trace of curiosity tinted his words. “Oh? You knew that I was there?”
I followed behind him and nodded. “Faintly. I could sense something dark, hidden, and watching me when I was fighting the grunts.”
“Hmmm ...” he hummed. “Interesting.”
I let the conversation die off there. The last thing I wanted to know was why the devil found that interesting, and I was more focused on getting to the next village to hopefully barter for a place to sleep, some food, and maybe some extra supplies. If I was lucky, I could do some mild chores and earn my keep and the extra provisions in less than a week. After that, I’d be on my way again. My goal was still to reach the faith city, Saint Augustine.
We were several yards away from the town when an unnatural wind kicked up. I had to shield my eyes from a miniature dust storm. Tiny rocks pelted my face, and I sucked in a sharp breath of air as the slight stinging pain struck every visible piece of skin on me. Naturally, the devil did nothing to shield me from this annoying burden.
Before I could register what was happening, a tall woman was looming over me. She looked like she could stomp me into the ground without breaking a sweat. My mouth unhinged as her finer details swarmed me.
Her skin was like pale mud with gray undertones that made her look half-dead and like she would be cold to the touch. Her face was sharp and her eyes too large, which made her human appearance twisted. She wore a black, slim, silk dress with spaghetti straps that scooped down dramatically in the front, showing off her very apparent bone structure beneath her sickly flesh. Her smirk was mesmerizing as her oil-drenched fingers curled to me, calling me closer. My eyes drifted over her limbs that were a touch too long, and I noticed that every portion of her body was elongated in a way that made my skin crawl. With how thin she was, it made her seem taller and came off as unnatural. Instinctively, I slowly fumbled backward to put distance between us.
“Another outcast,” she purred. “I’ve longed to play with something that was still breathing.” She took a dangerous step toward me, and my eyes grew so wide that they hurt, and the action made her chuckle darkly.
I parted my lips to speak, but my mind drew blanks. My mouth suddenly dried up, and I felt like I was swallowing sand as I attempted to regain my composure and failed.
“She’s with me ...” my devil warned.
Turning swiftly, the female snarled, “And why do you think I would care who she is to y-y-y ... it’s you!” Her words were sapped of all confidence, and she instantly hit the ground on one knee and crossed an arm over her chest as she respectfully bowed her head. “Forgive me, my lord. I didn’t know that she was claimed.”
It was clear that this devil was weaker than the one I was bound to or she wouldn’t be asking for forgiveness. There were lesser devils out in the Wastes just like there were lesser demons. Looks like I lucked out with a powerful devil.
The devil robed in white looked proud and bored at the same time. He waved at the female saying, “Rise.”
“Yes, Lord—“
“Don’t say my name ...” he ordered before she could think to continue.
Her mouth was left agape as she floundered on how to finish. “I-i-it is not something to be ashamed of,” she replied, confused.
His calm demeanor was replaced with anger that quietly lapped at his irises. “Who said I was ashamed of it?”
She practically flattened herself against the dusty earth below. “I meant no disrespect!”
His eyes narrowed at the folded form before him. “I desire to not hear it for now.” He sighed audibly. “Forget it.” He looked away as he said, “Rise. I forgive your ignorance.”
“Yes,” she whispered with a raspy quake to her voice.
“I just call him annoying,” I admitted with a cheeky smile.
The female rose faster than I had expected any living thing to move, and she bore her fanged mouth in my face with a hiss. “How DARE you!”
“Let it go.” He looked her over and came a little closer to me. Something I wasn’t exactly happy about.
I took another step back from both of them. Honestly, it was the best option. I felt a little safer with the minor bit of distance between us. The closer I was to them, the more suffocated I felt.
She cut her eyes at me, and a low growl could be heard trapped within her throat.
“Bushyasta, calm yourself,” he ordered.
The sound stopped, and her large eyes lost their anger as she turned to him, flabbergasted at his decree. “My lord,” she quietly gasped.
He held a hand up at her, and the belled sleeve to his robes danced gently in the breeze. “She and I have not had the delight of trading titles yet.”
I forced a smile. “Oh, I guess the blood loss made me forgetful.”
He smirked and an emotion, dark and cruel, swirled in his vision. “My dear, let’s not dance on the edge of rudeness ... your name?”
There were two very important things that most people learned in the world that I lived in. There is power in a name, and you don’t give yours to someone that you don’t trust. I looked him over and knew that I didn’t want to know his name either. It gave you power over the other person or gave them personal power. Both are dangerous if you don’t know how to wield them.
“Sia.”
“Sia ... you gave me a nickname, eh, clever girl?”
The she-devil snarled. “You disrespectful—”
“Be still. I rather like this game she and I have going.”
Good news, the devil wasn’t bored with me. Bad news ... he wasn’t bored with me.
I shivered as he let his icy gaze rest on me. Nervously, I looked away and gained some mental clarity before I returned to him and asked, “And what do you want me to call you?”
“You do not desire to know my real name?”
“Not really,” I admitted.
He smirked. “Just call me Draki.” He then looked to the she-devil, “I’d like you to refer to me by this name as well. Tell the others.”
She bowed again, “Yes, my—I mean, yes, Draki.” The look she cut me out of the corner of her eye said that she would have flayed me if I wasn’t already branded as his.
“I take it the next village is under your care?” Draki asked.
Turning to face him, she nodded as she said, “Yes, sire. It is my sleepy little village. I’m quite fond of it.”
“We will need to venture to it and stay there for a short while.”
“What is it that you require? I’ll get it for you,” Bushyasta stated with an elated expression. “I’d be more than happy to serve you.”
“I need nothing,” he admitted and lazily pointed back to me. “It is she that requires these supplies and such.”
I already knew that she wasn’t happy with that explanation. She slowly looked over her shoulder, and I figured that if I was already on her crap list I might as well have a bit of fun. Waving with an overjoyed grin, I explained, “I just need a place to sleep, some food, and to pick up some supplies for my journey.”
“Oh.” She swept her ebony hair over one boney shoulder and stood a little more proudly. “I can get you the things you desire.”
I didn’t like that. I didn’t like how she treated me, and I especially didn’t like being handed something for nothing. It felt cheap and like I was cheating people. I knew the value of a bed and a safe place to sleep. I knew the cost of a decent meal and life’s little comforts. They weren’t things that were easily come by. They were earned with hours of relentless work and gathering much-needed items from around dangerous areas. The price they carried could be etched into the gravestones of those sacrificed for some semblance of peace that we all enjoyed.
“It’s fine. I’ll do some work for it,” I explained.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Suit yourself, human.”
Before continuing, I dug through my sack and found my favorite army jacket. It was oversized and would hide most of the blood and wounds from sight. As we walked to the village, I wondered ... what price did these people have to pay for their safety? What did they sacrifice for their illusion of freedom and happiness within this demon-infested land? Did I really want to know the answer to that question?
No, I didn’t.
And I really hoped to keep it that way.
Chapter 4:
Only Rest for the Wicked
We arrived at the village and were greeted at the entrance. Though I was the only one that they saw, and they were clearly astonished to see me—mangled or not—standing outside their gates asking for lodging and food. I was met with a couple of guards who both wore friendly smiles and urged me to join them despite their confusion.
The first guard was short, had shaggy, russet locks, and green eyes. He looked the happiest to have a stranger approaching the gates. The second guard was bald with a beard, and he had bright brown eyes that sparkled with an untold joke. Both of them pushed the massive doors open and urged me to come closer.
As they approached me, Draki and Bushyasta disappeared, and I honestly felt a little better with them gone.
“What are you doing? Come in. Come in! The hour is getting late. You don’t want to be caught dea—” the first guard started, and then rubbed his tattooed arm nervously. The picture was a chain link and came completely down to his elbow. Quickly, he motioned for me to walk through the main gate. “I mean, you don’t want to be out there. Hurry up and come inside.”
“Thank you. I was hoping to perhaps rest here for a while.”
“Yes, yes. Of course!”
