Chapter 12 #2
Lanias flinched at the level of blood lust that exploded off Alek.
Before she could stop him, he had Fabian jacked up by the collar of his shirt.
His other hands raised, and nails long like five needles pointed at the boy’s throat.
“How do you know him?” he demanded, his eyes bleeding red and violence vibrating in his voice.
The boy clutched at Alek’s wrist, as his staff fell to the floor. “Ow, st-stop.” Fabian kicked his legs as he attempted to break Alek’s hold.
“Alek, let him go,” Lanias shouted, grabbing his arm a look of alarm on her face. “Why are you—” He turned on her, his hand still holding the boy up.
“Back away,” he growled, the look in his eyes something she’d never seen before. He turned his attention back to Fabian “Tell me where he is, now.”
“Let him go.” Lanias pressed her blade to Aleks’ throat. “Don’t make me have to choose between you or him.”
Alek stared into the frightened gaze of the boy. He wanted to rip the boy to pieces, he’d said Eris’ name so casually. The one who’d destroyed his past existence, his everything, his kingdom, his people and his Queen.
Lanias’ blade pressed deeper. “Alek, let him go.”
Gritting his teeth, he shoved the boy away from him. “Fine, I’ll get my answers from you later.”
Lanias lowered her blade and took the boy’s arm, pulling him to her side. “Not without me there because apparently you can’t control yourself.”
He barely glanced her way more focused on regaining his control. “I’ll take heed of that.”
She looked him over before she turned to Fabian who was rubbing his throat with a look stark fear on his face. “Are you okay?”
He smacked her hand away. “Who would be okay after that,” he demanded, angrily before he pulled away from her. “I thought you two said you’d protect me. Instead, I get attacked just because of a name.”
“The name of the man who killed my wife,” Alek said softly.
Both Lanias and Fabian paused in place to allow this confession to sink in. Lanias looked at Alek in surprise. “Eris killed your wife?”
“Along with his damned brother,” Alek gritted out a dark look coming to his eyes. “Though it was long before either of your times.” He turned away giving them his back. “I apologize for losing my cool.”
Lanias barely heard him, her mind caught up on the fact her father had killed Alek’s wife.
She stared silently at his back before she moved to look away as a bitter taste filled her mouth.
Aware that she could never reveal to him that her father was Eris.
Not that she’d planned on spilling her guts anytime soon.
She wondered, when would she stop paying for the sins of her predecessors?
“Don’t say that name. Good to know,” she said, focusing her attention on Fabian. “Go get your things and we’ll leave.”
He shot Alek another fearful look before giving her a short acknowledgement, and left to the room to gather his belongings. She hoped he didn’t try to make a run for it. Life was hard enough without having to chase down a kid.
“When we get back, you’re going to tell me what your relationship is with the Surrem.” Alek demanded, as he spoke with his back still to her. “How did a Witch from Veil City get involved with them?”
“Would you believe me if I said that my uncle is the one with the relationship,” she said. If she had to lie she would. She wasn’t willing to lose something else because of her father, and she refused to unpack the emotional luggage that implied.
He turned around so she could feel his heavy stare. “And what pushed him to have a relationship with those,” He paused before he averted his gaze. “Surrem.”
She sighed not answering him. “You said once that you left Tiller to settle something. Did your debt have to do with the Surrem?”
He flinched at the question, lips parting to answer—just as Fabian stepped back into the hallway. He wore a backpack and carried his staff again. With the all-black hoodie pulled over his head, he almost looked like a regular kid. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Good, let’s go,” she said.
They turned to leave just as something registered out of the corner of her eye.
“Watch out,” Alek yelled as he appeared before them, wrapping his arms around them both.
Lanias released a scream as the house seemed to explode all around them.
Fabian’s hands clenched around her arm, as they came to a staggering halt on the street.
Her hands shook from the wave magic that had slammed into the side of the house.
She felt the trembling of Fabian, “You’re okay, you’re okay,” she repeated several times over, unsure if she was doing it for him or herself.
“A Vampire.”
She shivered as she looked at the figure that stood a few feet away.
Their arms raised and pointed at the house.
The shattered pieces of the house were still in the air.
The amount of control and will to do what the person across from them was doing was immense.
They lowered their hands and time reversed.
The house came back together and settled once more.
“This is not something that involves you, hand the boy over.” The Surrem commanded.
Lanias wondered why this one wasn’t glowing like the other two before.
“Get behind me,” she told Fabian, who quickly did so. “Don’t move an inch away from me, understood?”
He gave her a shaky nod.
Facing forward, she kept her eyes on both Alek and the True One. The Surrem glanced in her direction. The next words from the Surrem were said as she moved her hand in circle, a wide bright layer of light expelling from her hands.
“Hand over the boy.”
Alek sighed pulling his sword from his sheath and casually shrugged. “Unfortunately, my dear wishes to take him for her own. And I’m not the sort of man who’d want to see her unhappy.”
Her chin twitched to the right. “Then die.”
“Death is so unattractive, why do you think I became a Vampire in the first place?” Alek chuckled, moving just in time to avoid the first attack. The ground shook, and Lanias lifted a shield to block the debris from hitting them.
Without missing a beat, Alek moved so that he sped directly to the Surrem’s front and slashed across. Spinning away, he casually rolled his wrist with the sword in it. “Now, that’s a better look on you.” He grinned as he moved the sword like it was his own arm.
The front of the clothes layered over the Surrem were shredded.
A droplet of black liquid leaked from the wound on its chest. Their expression remained empty as it looked back up at Alek.
Their lips parted and from where Lanias stood she couldn’t control her expression.
Just like Zaharis the lips showed nothing but a black gap as the thing tried to smile.
“You’re different.”
The creature flew toward Alek swinging its sleeves up, the cloth clanging against Alek’s sword as he blocked each strike while moving back. Each step maneuvering him closer to where Lanias and Fabian stood.
As he deflected each blow, he pivoted right to avoid its reach for his side
Lanias quickly thought over what she could do. When she felt a sting to her cheek, her eyes widened as she felt the line of white light cut across from her side intended for Alek.
Without thinking she felt her magic rush up, a wall of black shooting directly for Alek’s back.
The limber limbs of her magic swallowed the magic shot.
Turning around she lifted her hand; two thin strings of her magic wove around the neck of the Being that had come up from behind her.
The person’s neck snapped; their eyes remained wide in shock as their body hit the ground.
She registered what she’d done only after she’d killed them. When the fog faded from her mind, she realized it was a Cambion demon. Turning back to Alek, she found him still fighting with the True One.
Turning quickly she grabbed Fabian, “Come.”
“What—where are we going?” he asked, looking from her stone-like expression to the two who were still fighting. “You’re just going to leave him?” he loudly exclaimed.
“No, I’m going to get you out of the way so I can help him,” she said, reaching the sidewalk she stomped on the ground.
He yelped as the stone rose up and surrounded him. “What’s this?”
She offered him an empty smile. “My way of keeping you safe.”
“What—wait.” A layer of stone rose up and covered his head, hiding his face from view as he yelled out in alarm, it lowered back down taking him with it.
She left him enough space to breathe.
Turning away from where she could still hear his screams, she walked toward Alek. She’d been angry for a long time, and her emotions needed someplace to go. She watched as Alek drew his sword along the ground as he ran at the enemy.
Drawing it up with a red mist trailing it, he cut across the True One’s face, A line of black blood erupted.
He twisted his wrist; and brought his sword up to block another solid blow. Sliding back, he gritted his teeth against the force.
“Alek.” He looked over his shoulder at her shout.
“Move!”
He barely dodged out of the way when a ball of white and black magic shot past him and slammed into the chest of the Surrem. He stopped rolling, coming up on one knee, his eyes going to the cool eyed Lanias. Her coat flew back as her hair lifted from the force of magic she’d just used.
The Surrem was slammed back.
Lowering her arm, Lanias looked at Alek and shouted. “Now.”
Not hesitating, Alek jumped up flying into the air, he turned 360 degrees, letting his body fall.
His sword turning into a spinning blade.
It sounded like a whistle as it bit into the head of the Surrem.
He landed in a crouch, his blade hitting the ground with a cracking sound creating a small crater beneath the feet of the Surrem.
A ghastly scream escaped the thing as a thin black line appeared down its center. The creature’s body split down the center. Its mouth opened before it became consumed as the skin turned black as well melting as it hit the ground.
Standing, Alek looked down at it, his expression grim. He half-turned to find Lanias’ expression twisted in pain, her lips parted as she coughed up red blood.
Alarmed, he ran to her side. “Lanias?”
She leaned right.
He caught her, realizing she was about to faint. “Are you okay?”
She chuckled, lifting a hand to wipe at her mouth. “Do I look okay?”
She glanced over to where she’d hidden the boy. Raising her trembling hand, she forced the ground to move once more.
“Get him for me,” she whispered just as her eyes closed
“Lanias!” Alek yelled in alarm.
VEIL CITY
Jackal H.Q
Tiller stood in front of the large-scale map. For the past week there had been many fatal attacks against beings. Those who’d been able to escape only spoke of a glowing figures, who asked nothing, only attacked. He placed the red marker in his hand on his desk.
The door opened behind him; the familiar iron scent let him know it was Raijin. He didn’t turn to face him.
“What news have you brought me? Hopefully something good.”
Not receiving an immediate answer, he turned to see why the Ogre was remaining quiet. “What is it?”
“Someone reported a fight between two beings in a dilapidated part of the city.” He held up a few pictures, his red eyes grim. “Luckily, the automatic shields prevented humans from seeing it, still the magic was so strong that it nearly tore a hole in them.”
Moving away from his desk, he approached Raijin. “Does it relate to our current case?”
“Yes, the magic signature matched.” Raijin said, Tiller took the pictures from his hand. As he looked through them he could see three figures, but the pictures were blurry. “That’s all we could get from the cameras in the area.”
Tiller tossed them on the table. “Well, these are barely clear. We need to figure out what these people are after. Especially before these attacks become a serious problem.”
“Are you sure it’s not already a problem?
” Raijin asked. “So far they’ve not entered the Veil, but something tells me it’s only a matter of time.
” He pointed at the pictures. “They are clearly strong. Hell, I’m sure they’re stronger than the damn Unseelie.
Something tells me we’re about to get involved with something dangerous. ”
Tiller scoffed, “What do you think they are? Gods.”
Raijin didn’t join him in his humor. “All I know is that every person who’s managed to get away alive from their attack has said the same thing.
They’ve mentioned cleansing the world. Now I don’t know about you, but any being who’s said that has always landed either in the bowels or succeeding somewhat in their plan. ”
Tiller side-eyed him. “This is my first time seeing you nervous Ogre.”
Raijin lifted his chin, his red eyes narrowing. “I am not stupid enough to ignore my intuition, and it’s saying these Beings aren’t up to any good. They need to be annihilated as soon as possible.”
“Indeed.” Tiller turned away from him, looking at his large map covered with pictures and pieces of news articles, along with a few handwritten notes. “Well, it would seem we are of the same mind. If my suspicions are correct, we are indeed in danger.”
Raijin frowned, “You know who this might be?”
Tiller didn’t answer right away, instead he asked a question.
“What if there was another group out there that’s far scarier than the Unseelie or the Elves?
We know of other realms and higher beings, but what if there were those who existed before the great flood, and they’ve been here hiding?
” He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s just hope they aren’t who we’re dealing with. ”
Raijin frowned, there was someone out there stronger than Unseelie and Tiller knew of them. “I think you better start explaining.”’
Tiller chuckled, “I can and after I explain, we should prepare for the worst for now let the shadows investigate first. Our best bet is they leave without running into our own people.”
“Okay, I’ll send the shadows, I’ll also send some of our men to look around and see if they can find anything on these guests. When I’m done, I’ll come back for that explanation.”
“They’re called Surrem.” Tiller said, causing Raijin to stop short. “That’s where they should start.” Taking this in, Raijin gave a short nod before he left the office.
Leaving Tiller to sighed as he wondered aloud to no one. “Alek, what are you doing? Weren’t you supposed to be killing them?”
He groaned, rubbing a frustrated hand down the side of his face.