The Wishing Game

Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

"I t's Luce. You can call me Luce."

"Luce," he repeats my name, his voice rough. "Very well, human. From now on, I shall call you Luce."

I sigh deeply. On one hand, he might be a good addition to our demon hunt. On the other, he'll be a pain in the ass to deal with, so I guess I'll just have to limit my interactions with him.

"Is he always like this?" I whisper to Thea.

She fights a smile as she nods.

"This is Ze being nice. Most days he's much worse."

"Lord," I groan. "At least he can help us catch the demon."

"For sure. With Ze and Cer by our side, we'll definitely win in no time," Thea adds enthusiastically.

As Thea helps me to my feet, I'm happy to see that my ankle is fully healed. But since my gown was destroyed, I need to find something else to wear.

A little snooping through the wardrobe and I find a pair of pants and a loose blouse that should be comfortable for the remainder of our sojourn here.

The men agree to wait outside while we change, and Cer tries—rather pointlessly—to convince Ze to change into some non-glittery clothes too. Of course, he immediately refuses, going on a soliloquy about how worthless human clothes are, not worthy of touching his skin. I barely hold my laughter as they exit the dressing room, Ze's voice still booming from a distance.

"Ze is quite the character, isn't he?" I chuckle when we're alone in the room.

"I told you this is him at his best. Back home, no one likes him. Well, except Cer and Aethon, and sometimes Molokai."

"I can't imagine why." I crack a smile, which she returns.

"He's...different. Don't take his words to heart. He doesn't realize if he says something offensive or how his words might come across to someone else."

"Why's that?" I frown.

Thea's lips flatten into a thin line. She looks as if she wants to tell me more but cannot, perhaps from a sense of loyalty—they are friends, after all.

"He doesn't socialize much." She eventually shrugs. "I'd be willing to bet this is his first time in this world."

"Now that would make sense. He thought the makeup was dangerous." I point to the broken makeup containers on the vanity.

Thea laughs.

"Just don't judge him too harshly. He might be a bit of an asshole, but he's not that bad. My brother wouldn't be friends with someone he didn't like or respect, and against all odds, Cer looks up to Ze the most."

"He said he was his superior?"

She nods.

"They're part of the military—or the equivalent of a military in your world. Cer has been with Ze since he was little. He trained under him, and he not only sees him as his best friend but also his beloved mentor."

"He's that old?" My brows go up.

"I'm not sure how old he is, but yes. He's much older than Cer and me."

I nod slowly while I shrug the blouse over my head and button up my pants.

"I think I'm done," I tell her, and she wastes no time in calling the men back into the room.

Ze walks in first, his spine straight, his hands behind his back as he assesses me with narrowed eyes. Cer trails behind him, maintaining a protective stance.

"What is that monstrosity you're wearing?" he demands.

"What do you mean?" I frown, looking down at my outfit. It's comfortable and casual, but it's nothing to scoff at.

"Why are you wearing that?" He points at my pants.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Females don't wear pants in our world." Thea leans in to whisper. "And no one wears pants this tight," she clarifies.

My lips tremble as I fight a smile.

"I'm sorry for offending your alien sensibilities. But you're in my world now. You don't get a say in how I dress in my world," I fire back.

"You impertinent little?—"

"My name is Luce," I state in an even tone, meeting his icy gaze.

He stares at me, and I know fully well that the word human was about to leave his lips.

"Very well. I shall not comment on your lack of taste in garments," he says, pleased at his magnanimity.

I roll my eyes.

All the while, Thea and Cer are trying their hardest not to laugh at us.

"If we could focus on our task?" I interrupt.

"Yes, indeed. Why don't you tell us about the demon encounter," Cer suggests.

We draw a few chairs to sit, but Ze is the only one who refuses, claiming he's more comfortable standing.

I do my best to describe the events in the secret passage, omitting the fact that I saw Nikki. For some reason, I don't want them to know that his ghost is with me.

"And you fought the demon," Cer addresses Ze, his tone strange.

"I merely cut his arm," he shrugs. "As soon as he saw my sword, he ran away."

"You used just your sword?"

"I know the rules well enough, Cerenios," Ze states, and the air suddenly becomes chillier.

I frown at their exchange but think nothing of it as I focus on the matter at hand and how we're going to work as a team when we're constantly at each other's throats.

"Can you break the barrier for them to get out?" Cer continues.

"It is only I who can come and go. To break through the barrier would draw unwanted attention."

Cer nods, his gaze straying to Thea. I don't fault him for being worried about her after what happened.

"We don't need to leave. We'll just nab the demon and move on," Thea intervenes. "Why don't we draw him out in the auditorium and you guys can end him or whatever you've got to do to him?"

"That is a sound idea." Cer nods.

"I'll do it. He must already be mad at me from before," I offer. With Nikki out of the way, I don't have to worry about the demon being a danger to him. And despite the fact that my teammates seem to possess some special abilities, I want to pull my weight in this team. Maybe I can't do a lot, but I'll at least try.

"No," Ze immediately says.

"Why? I'm a lowly human after all." I narrow my eyes at him.

"It is precisely because you are a lowly human that it will not work. Erithea can do it," he says as he turns to Thea.

"No." Now it's Cer's turn to refuse. "She's not well. There's no telling if she'll have another fit."

"And who allowed her to eat meat in the first place?" Ze comments. "You should take better care of your sister, Cerenios," he adds in an odd tone.

Damn, why do I feel like they're speaking in some sort of code?

"Erithea will do it," Ze insists. "She is better suited for this."

"I said she will not," Cer reiterates, getting to his feet.

They're both giants, and although of similar heights, Ze is slightly taller, his features more fearsome due to his inherent coldness. Although Cer tends to be aloof and sometimes reserved, there's a warmth to him that is completely absent in Ze.

"Stand down, soldier." Ze gives Cer a deadly stare.

"I'll do it. There's no reason to fight over this," I interject, getting between the two of them.

"You're going to get yourself killed." He pins me down with his gaze. I hold it, not letting his impressive height intimidate me, even though I barely make it to his chest.

"I'll do it," I repeat, turning my back to Ze and ignoring Cer.

I can feel Ze's gaze boring into my back just as an arctic air descends upon the room. Damn, the man is the definition of chilly .

"She's our best bet, Ze. Twice the demon has shown up until now, and both times it was when she was alone," Cer says.

Ze doesn't reply, but he doesn't agree with the plan either. He's just intently watching us as we start plotting.

"You can wait on the stage," Cer continues. "Ze and I will be on either side of the auditorium. The moment he shows up, we'll corner him from both directions."

"Then what?" I ask.

"We need the demon alive to check whether the souls he swallowed are still alive within it. After we ascertain that, we perform an extraction and subsequently we exterminate the demon."

"It sounds so easy when you say it." I smile.

Ze grunts from behind.

"And me? What am I supposed to do?" Thea suddenly asks, getting to her feet and dusting her pretty dress. Her long red hair's waving back and forth as she moves, swaying in a hypnotic rhythm. For someone who was struggling to breathe just a few hours ago, she certainly looks the picture of health. I wonder how she managed to get well so quickly—not that I'd begrudge her that. But I'm curious about these odd teammates of mine, and if I'm honest, a little skeptical too. Especially with our new arrival. Ze makes it very hard not to be even more suspicious considering his even odder behavior.

"You can stay in the back, at the museum we saw earlier," Cer tells her.

Thea's eyes positively sparkle with joy.

"That is perfect," she gushes, probably already thinking which pieces she's going to steal. I sneak a look at Cer, noting the light curl of his lips. He did it on purpose! He remembered she liked the museum, and instead of making her feel useless on the mission, he gave her something else to think about so she wouldn't place herself in danger. Smart.

He notices my gaze and raises a brow. I smile.

Yet as I look away, it's to find Ze glaring at me. Of course, that seems to be his favorite pastime.

Once our roles have been decided, we head to the auditorium. As I take my place on the stage, Ze comes toward me, withdrawing a small pouch from his clothes. He doesn't say a word as he pours some black dust onto the floor in a circle around me.

"What's this?" I frown.

"A barrier. It will protect you. But don't step outside of it until the demon is caught."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

After he finishes, he places his pouch back in his clothes and turns to leave.

"I'm not as weak as you think I am," I call out after him. I don't know what makes me say that, but I hate that he sees me as a lowly human. "I can do this."

"See that you do," he replies, his back still toward me as he walks down the stage.

Thea is already in the back while Cer takes his position on the left flank of the auditorium.

Soon, everyone is out of sight, and I'm left alone in the middle of the stage, my movements restricted by the circle Ze has drawn around me.

Silence descends in the auditorium and time passes. After about half an hour of waiting, my legs are starting to cramp up, so I stretch a little, jogging on the spot.

My stomach emits a low growl of hunger, and I pat my pants for the protein bar I sneaked earlier. Considering it's been too many hours since I last ate, and the fact that I don't know how long I'll be stuck here, I had to make sure I won't starve.

I peel off the packaging and take a big bite out of the bar. It's chocolate flavor, and the sugar is already doing wonders for my mood. I close my eyes, letting out a soft sigh as I nibble at the chocolate crust.

Despite playing bait for a dangerous demon, I'm in quite high spirits. My husband's ghost is somewhere around, attached to me. I'm competing for a chance to bring him back to life, and I actually stand a chance to make that reality.

Maybe my luck hasn't completely run out.

I munch slowly on the protein bar, and though filling for the moment, my mind can't help but conjure up pictures of sumptuous dinners, a nice steak, maybe roast potatoes and some greens—but mostly steak. Oh, my. I take another bite and imagine the taste of juicy beef flooding my mouth.

Soon.

After we're done here, we must have a celebratory dinner. And if Thea can't eat the meat, then more for me. I smile cheekily to myself.

Maybe I should have packed more than one bar. I'm clearly too hungry if I'm already dreaming up these types of scenarios.

Just as I'm about to eat the last bite, the typical demon smell hits my nostrils. The food barely goes down my throat. I gag a couple of times as I try to swallow everything before our guest makes his appearance. God, but this smell is really something. For as long as I live, I don't think I'll be able to delete it from my olfactory memory. It's right there with the smell of death at the hacienda.

The air, too, becomes colder and thicker, so much so it's increasingly harder to breathe.

I stuff the packaging of the bar in my pocket as I get into position, knowing that the demon is not far behind.

A sudden noise erupts in the middle of the auditorium, and the demon appears in his full monstrous appearance.

This is the first time I see him fully as he walks toward me. Yet there's something different about him than before. His arm has healed, and his face now has eyes.

Where did that come from?

His teeth are still the same rotten yellow that gives off toxic fumes, but his face resembles more of a human face. His body is semi-naked, his skin a rusty, peeling color, almost as if he's about to shed a layer. As he walks closer, I note he did shed parts of his skin, the remaining tissue looking normal and healthy.

Thea had mentioned that there are levels to demons, and the more souls they ingest, the more humanoid-like they become, losing their monstrous appearance for a normal one. Is this what's happening? Did the demon consume more souls? When? From where?

As he steps toward me, I note that it's an ongoing process. He's continuously developing. Oh, God. Does this mean he's more powerful now? If so, what does that mean for us?

Panic grips me as the demon approaches. But when he's a few meters away from me, he suddenly stops, his eyes on the black circle around me. He snarls at me, the power of his breath almost knocking me over—and making me double over from the smell.

"Easy, buddy," I murmur as I hold on to my balance.

His nostrils flare as he glares at me, but suddenly, he tilts his head to the side, sniffing the air.

What...

One moment he's in front of me, the next he's gone. But he doesn't go into hiding.

"He's here!" Thea cries out from the back.

My eyes widen in shock, and without a thought for my own safety, I step out of the circle, dashing off the stage. Cer and Ze are already there when I reach the museum, the two of them circling the demon while Thea is nestled behind Cer.

"He's evolving. We don't have much longer before he reaches the next level."

"Then we'll have to end him quickly," Ze responds in that calm, unruffled tone of his. He takes a step toward the demon, but Cer's voice rings out in warning.

"We need to check the status of the souls first."

Ze doesn't give a verbal answer, but his features tense, his eyes on the demon just as his hand is on the top of the scabbard of his sword.

"He's ascending, Cerenios," he grits out.

"My guess is that he needs one more soul for the process to be complete," Cer adds.

When I step inside the small enclosure, the demon turns toward me, his eyes gleaming with greed as he licks his lips.

" Lora Re ," he whispers again, a semblance of a smile appearing on his face.

The others are completely forgotten as he focuses his attention on me.

Before I can blink, though, Ze is in front of me, his broad back filling my field of vision. His sword is in his right hand, and he rotates it once in the air before he drives it straight into the demon, severing his head from his body.

Yet just as I think the demon's dead and the entire ordeal is over, the head that just fell to the ground dissolves into a caustic mist—like his arm did before. The demon sways lightly on his feet as the flesh at his neck starts melding together, muscles and skin knitting right as bone lengthens from his spine. In less than a minute, his head is back on his body. But this time, his features are even more humanoid-like than before.

"What the hell is happening?" I mutter in shock.

"He's ascended," Ze adds quietly. "We were too late."

"What do you mean too late?"

"He's consumed the energy of the souls and now he's on a different level. Stay behind me, human," he says tensely.

It's on the tip of my tongue to tell him that my name is Luce, not human, but maybe now's not the time. Not when his words create even more panic in my breast. If the demon has already consumed all the souls, then is this all in vain? Is the trial already lost?

Ze's right hand holds his sword, and with his left one, he reaches behind, holding on to me.

"When I move, you move. Understand? I'm your only cover," he instructs.

"All right," I whisper.

Fear travels down my back, small tremors overtaking me. No matter how much confidence I have in the guys, this doesn't seem like a development they were expecting.

"Be mindful of our limitations, Ze!" Cer calls out.

I frown. This is not the first time I hear them mention limitations. I wonder if this is related to them being in a foreign world. But if that is so, then what does that mean for us? Do we stand a chance?

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Ze states, his voice even and calm.

Okay, maybe he knows what he's doing. He's supposed to be an expert in this, right?

He steps back, coordinating with me to move alongside him. His eyes are on the demon, his attention unshakable.

I gulp down as I reach for his hand, grasping tightly onto it. I'm not sure if this is for his sake or mine, but I find that I'm truly terrified the more I stare into the morphing face of evil. My hands are hot and clammy. His are cold and dry. Yet they provide the modicum of comfort I desperately need.

The demon now looks completely human—except his eyes. They are two black swirling orbs of shadows. His mouth is set in a grim line, and as he sets his sights on us, he lets out a loud howl that materializes into black clouds of pure energy—all aimed at us.

The white of the metal of Ze's sword gleams against the darkness of the demon's shadows. I blink as I take in the smooth appearance of the surface of the sword. I could swear I saw some indentations on it earlier.

With inhuman swiftness, Ze wields his sword around as he cuts through the shadows. He's only using one hand, the other still firmly grasping mine.

Every blow the demon throws our way, Ze deflects it with his sword, waltzing around and keeping the exchange purely defensive.

"Why aren't you striking back?" I ask in a whisper, almost afraid to ruin his concentration.

"If there's the smallest chance that the souls are still alive, I can't destroy him yet." His reply surprises me.

"But how can you know for sure?" I frown.

"I'll know."

Slipping his hand out of mine, he reaches into his inner pocket to withdraw the same pouch he used to create the magic circle before. He puts it in my hands.

"If he comes at you, blow this in his face."

"What do you?—"

I don't get to finish my question as Ze grabs my wrist, twirling me around as we get farther from the demon. When he's satisfied with the distance, he pushes me to Cer's side before going back to face him alone.

My heart beats loudly in my chest as I join the others. Thea grabs my arm, squeezing it tightly.

"Are we going to let him face the demon alone?" I ask, my eyes wide with worry as I watch him parry all the blows the demon sends his way.

"Don't worry about him. He knows what he's doing," Cer comments, watching the fight intently.

"But—"

My words die on my tongue as a deafening noise explodes in the museum. The air crackles around the demon as the shadows envelop him further, becoming a third arm, a fourth, and so on. It's almost as if from mist they have become matter, uniting themselves with the humanoid-looking body of the demon.

"What's that?" I point to the appendages forming on the demon.

"The essence of the demon is coming to the surface," Cer explains. "It's the core of his power. Ze's been trying to draw it out in the open because that's when demons are the most vulnerable."

"When it solidifies like that?"

"Yes."

I turn my attention to the fight. Ze effortlessly wields his sword, parrying each blow from the demon while making him expend more energy in order to draw out the entire essence of the demon.

The building quakes as more black fumes exit the demon's body, spreading all around him. Yet this time, instead of attaching themselves to his body, they become new ones, slowly becoming smaller solid replicas of the demon.

"Where would he get the power to do that ?" Thea asks with a frown. She's glued to Cer's back, watching the fight from the crook of his shoulder.

"I don't know," Cer mentions, his tone... worried? "I've never seen a demon ascend so fast before. Just how many souls did he consume?"

"There's a chance we won't win this trial, isn't there?" I ask in a low, hopeless voice. The possibility has been on my mind since they mentioned he had consumed the demons. And if there are no souls to save, doesn't that mean we're doomed too?

Cer's features are tense. Thea averts her eyes as she bites her bottom lip.

I guess that's my answer.

Regardless of whether Ze kills the demon or not, if the souls have been consumed, we've failed.

My God... All this effort for nothing.

I swallow hard as a wave of hopelessness overtakes me. But I won't let it swallow me up—not while the fight is still raging on. Yet seeing Ze battle the demon alone makes me feel more useless than ever. I wish I had some sort of power to help him. I wish I could do something more than just stand around and watch, fear my only companion. God, but how I wish I could have done something earlier, when the demon had not yet ascended.

Yet I must face the unequivocal truth.

I am useless. And if I want to stand a chance in this game—if I want to win so I can get my beloved back—then I must learn how not to be useless.

I must learn how to prevail.

Turning my attention to the fight, I see even more shadow minions arise from the essence of the demon—to the point that they are all surrounding Ze, with some of them turning their attention to us.

Cer removes his own sword and parries the attacks of the shadows—how have I not realized he was carrying one up until now? With his right hand, he maneuvers his sword to slay the shadows. At the same time, he extends his left hand to the side, telling us to stay behind him.

Thea, too, unleashes her claws, ripping at the shadows sneaking past Cer.

The enclosed space becomes overwhelmed with the essence of the demon that is seemingly infinite. As Cer and Thea tackle the incoming shadows, I'm jostled to the side, tripping and falling on the hard floor. I drag a deep breath in, trying to get to my feet, only to be knocked down again by a mist that's slithered its way past Cer.

I give a low yelp of pain as I feel a burn where the dark shadow touched my arm. Their touch... it's acidic. As the shadow comes once more toward me, I fiddle to open the pouch with the black dust. But I'm too slow, and before I can untie the end, the shadow is upon me, striking my hands.

"Agh!" I drop the pouch to the ground, red, gnarly burns forming on the back of my hand. The shadow moves to strike again, but it's cut down by a sword at the last moment. A familiar back is in front of me, wielding that marble-white sword and cutting through the shadows until they evaporate in the air.

"Thank—" I don't get to thank him because in the next second, he's gone, already on the other side of the room, fending off attacks from the main body of the demon—the one that now has doubled in height and width.

I quickly grab the pouch, though the burns look raw and angry. Slowly getting to my feet, I return to Thea's and Cer's side.

The two of them managed to drive most of the shadows away, but it seems that the main body is creating more. At this rate, he's just going to multiply ad infinitum and we're never going to get to the bottom of it. If we want to end him, we need to limit him somehow...

"I have an idea," I suddenly say, grabbing onto Cer's sleeve. "Are you as fast as him?" I nod to Ze.

"What are you thinking about?"

"What if we cage the demon in? I have the black dust from Ze. If we create a barrier around them, then maybe..."

"It will help Ze tackle them all in one place." Cer nods. "Could be worth a try."

I hand Cer the rest of the pouch, and before I can blink, he's gone.

"Wow," I mutter when a moment later he's back by our side, a circle of black dust in place surrounding the demon.

Ze gives Cer a smirk before he jumps into the circle with the demon.

"Does the barrier work against Ze, too?"

"No." Cer shakes his head. "He made that dust."

"Made?" I frown.

"From his blood."