29. The Lost Sheep #2
Trying not to think about what killed them, I attempt to step over the bodies before me, but end up tripping and stepping on them instead. Gross. Hopefully, it was another group of students who did this. Since when do I wish students were killing other students? Man, my life has taken a weird turn.
As we move along the tunnel, little fuzzy demons the size of jackrabbits pop out every once in a while, and once they see either JP or Moni, they bow and disappear back through the walls. I blink, believing I’m becoming disoriented once again, until Lynx chimes in.
“Since when did Hell turn into a Disney movie?” Lynx asks, watching a pair of fuzzy bunnies running away.
“It didn’t, they’re just showing you your future as bunny slippers,” Knots murmurs.
“What are those?” Moni whispers in awe.
“No fucking clue,” Ryker answers.
Reaper darts off down a side tunnel, but luckily, his leash gets wedged between some rocks before he gets too far.
“I swear, I don’t know what to do with you sometimes.” I bend down and release him as he licks my cheek. “Okay, so I guess I could just love ya no matter what, huh?”
He barks and takes off like a bullet back towards our group before I can grab his leash again. Damnit. Well, I’m sure one of the guys will grab him. Standing with a stretch, I turn to catch back up, but my mind goes blank, and all I see is darkness.
“Oh. Hell no.” My hand immediately goes to my side, reaching for my glaive as I slowly turn around to take in my surroundings.
I’m no longer in the cave; instead, I’m in a decent-sized office that is full of shadows that dance around, along with a sparing amount of light that allows me to see somewhat.
I catch sight of a bookcase to the left and a wingback chair to the right, but there’s nothing close to me but dark, empty space.
“Is this better?” Cain’s voice filters through the room, but I can’t see him yet. “I know how much you don’t like my shadows.”
“Your taste in decor sucks; you really should step out and try some color. Have you tried pastels?” I suggest.
“Something tells me they would clash,” he retorts.
“You never know until you try. I think pink could be your color.”
Cain’s deep laugh echoes through the chamber, putting me on edge since I can’t figure out where he is.
“Stop playing, Cain, and tell me what you want. I need to get back to the Gauntlet.” I snap.
“I want to talk and get to know you. It’s not like you’ve set aside time for me, so I have to make the time, like now,” he says, stepping out of the shadows before me.
I glare at him as I clench my jaw. “I’m pretty sure you got to know me pretty well while you hitchhiked Zeke’s body,” I growl out.
“Oh, that small thing,” he waves off. “I wasn’t paying that much attention; I was focusing on gaining power to break free,” he admits as his shadows roll back, revealing a sitting area. He sits down across from the wingback chair I saw earlier and motions for me to sit across from him.
I move over with him but refuse to sit, smirking at him instead.
“Lie,” I call him out, and he frowns as he looks up at me.
“Excuse me?” he sits back against his seat.
“You just lied. You were paying attention; small details wouldn’t have gotten past you.
And something like highjacking Zeke’s body isn’t a small thing.
So why am I really here?” I step to the back of the leather chair across from him and lean on the back of the seat, lowering my stance so we’re eye to eye.
“And don’t think about lying to me. I’ll know if you do. ”
If I’m not mistaken, that only makes his eyes sparkle with interest.
“I think you need to know the truth, then.” He nods. “Want a drink?” He points to the coffee table in front of our chairs and starts pouring himself a drink.
Deep red liquid pours into a clear glass, and if not for the absence of a copper scent, I would guess it to be blood from a virgin. The monster would be the type to do something like that.
Cain chuckles, obviously catching my thoughts.
“No, she wasn’t a virgin, just an annoying pest,” he admits as I squint my eyes in confusion.
He snaps his fingers, and something covered in messy, brown, matted, and stained hair appears in the middle of the table.
He slowly brings the cup to his lips and swirls the liquid around as he winks at me.
The middle of the table slowly begins to rotate like a Lazy Susan, but I can’t take my eyes off the cup as gold and silver sparkles swirl within the red liquid.
I’m mesmerized as he works the muscles in his throat, taking a slow sip of the liquid, closing his eyes, and moaning as he licks the red stain off his lower lip.
Essence.
“She tastes delicious. Are you sure you don’t want some?” he offers, opening his eyes with power radiating within his pupils.
My eyes finally drop down to the object on the Lazy Susan, and my legs almost give out as I catch myself on the wingback chair.