Part 10 (1/2)
”Can't Lord Loss use another human instead?” I ask.
”No. Only the one who made the sacrifice can serve as the key. He could try again later and get someone else to make another sacrifice. But if we beat him tonight, we'll take steps to ensure he never has that option.
”Juni's the one we go for. Her companions will do everything they can to protect her. We'll have to fight them, but we mustn't let them distract us. Juni is the target. The others don't matter.
”So, you know what we have to do? Are you ready for one more battle, the most important ever? Are you primed to go boldly into the breach and grind these demons into the dirt?” He grabs my right hand and Kernel's left. ”Are you with me, boys, all the way to the glorious, victorious end?”
”That's more like it.” I grin.
”Exactly what you want to hear before you step into the gladiatorial pit,” Kernel agrees.
We enjoy the moment, smiling at one another. (Kernel smiles a little off to the side, at a nearby tree.) Then we face the entrance to the cave and take a decisive step forward.
”Hold it!” I gasp, ruining the mood, but struck by a sudden thought that I can't let pa.s.s.
”What's wrong?” Beranabus asks.
”Nothing. I mean . . . I don't know if you can . . . it's no big deal, but . . .” I nod at my naked flesh. ”I don't want to face them like this. You couldn't conjure up some clothes, could you?”
Beranabus stares at me in disbelief-then laughs. ”The things you worry about! But, in a way, you're right. One should always go into battle suitably clad.” He waves a hand regally and the trees rustle overhead. I have the sensation of being wrapped up tight by rough blankets. Looking down, I see that I'm clad from neck to ankles in a suit of green, brown, red, and yellow leaves, as are Beranabus and Kernel.
”The best I can do in a pinch,” Beranabus says. ”The material won't hold for long, but it should see us through the fight.”
”Perfect.” I smile, shaking my arms to make sure I'm not bound too tightly. Then we face the hole, take a step forward onto the slope and then down.
The shaft feels narrower than before. The rock's hot to the touch and it seems to throb with magical energy. I climb silently in the darkness, searching for toeholds and fingerholds, careful not to send any pebbles tumbling in case the noise alerts the demons.
I hate this. No excitement at the thought of the battle to come. Just sheer terror. If there was any way to avoid it, I'd be out of here in a flash. But there are no alternatives. It's fight to the death or surrender this world and everyone I care about to the Demonata. I'd like to think I'm a hero, but the truth is I'm just doing what I have to. There isn't a choice.
Can I kill Juni if the opportunity falls my way? I'm not certain. I despise her, maybe even more than Lord Loss. He's a demon, born to be evil, but she made a conscious decision to betray her people. At the same time, she's human. It wouldn't be like killing a demon. I don't know if I could do it. Hopefully, I won't have to. Beranabus is the man for that job, and I imagine he'll relish the task of terminating the treacherous Miss Swan. But if things don't work out that way . . . if I come face-to-face with her . . . if it falls to me to finish her off . . .
I drive the thought away. No point worrying about it. I'll just have to play this out and hope for the best. I've got to go in there focused on the fight, confident of victory, not filled with doubt.
I concentrate on the climb and our crablike descent, hand by hand, foot by foot, slowly, carefully, edging ever closer to the demons below.
We reach the bottom and group together on the solid cave floor. I can see light ahead of us. Soft, blue, unnatural. Three distinct, separate sounds - Someone chanting.
Occasional growls and snapping noises.
Whimpering and moaning.
Beranabus checks that we're ready, then advances. I keep a few steps behind, slightly to his right so I can see ahead of him, guiding Kernel by his leaf-clad arm. I stub my toes on rocks with almost every step I take, but that's a minor pain, easily ignored.
We enter the main cave and the scene unfolds before us. Juni and Lord Loss are in front of the crack close to the waterfall, the crack I I made. Momentary guilt-have I inadvertently helped the demons? But it doesn't last. Logic tells me not to worry. They could have created a similar opening without much effort. made. Momentary guilt-have I inadvertently helped the demons? But it doesn't last. Logic tells me not to worry. They could have created a similar opening without much effort.
A few yards behind Juni and her master, Dervish and Bill-E are kneeling, arms bound by ropes, gags in mouths. Artery, Femur, and Spine are dancing around them, cackling, making sudden lunges, teeth snapping, claws extended-then pulling away before making contact. Bill-E's the one whimpering and moaning, trying to squirm away from the demons. Dervish is kneeling upright, glaring hatefully at Lord Loss and Juni, beaten but defiant.
Instant relief-Dervish and Bill-E are innocent. They haven't been bewitched by Juni. They're victims, not adversaries. A weight lifts from my heart. Whether or not I can kill Juni, there's no way I could have harmed my uncle or brother, even if they'd been working in league with the demons.
”Good evening, all!” Beranabus booms, startling me almost as much as the others in the cave. Lord Loss, his familiars, and Juni whirl round. Dervish and Bill-E's heads twist as far as the ropes allow. ”I trust we're not late,” Beranabus says, striding forward, saluting Dervish. ”Got delayed en route. You'd never believe our story if we told you.”
The rabbit-shaped Femur snarls and crouches, meaning to use its powerful hind legs to leap across the cave at Beranabus and splatter him with acid.
”Wait,” Lord Loss stops the familiar. He taps Juni's left arm with one of his eight hands and nods at the crack. She shoots us a hateful glance, then faces the rock and resumes her chant. ”This is an unexpected pleasure,” Lord Loss says icily, drifting past Dervish and Bill-E and toward us.
”When we heard about the party, we had to drop in,” Beranabus quips, very different from his normal, serious self. ”I hope we're not unwelcome?”
”Certainly not,” Lord Loss smiles. ”I am delighted to see you. Especially young Grubitsch. I thought, when he slipped through our clutches on the airplane, that it might be a long time before our paths crossed again. Yet here he is, fresh and wide-eyed, ready to die. And you know you'll die, don't you, Grubitsch? You realize time has run out, that you, your uncle, and your brother are doomed?”
”Shut up, you ba -”
I stop abruptly. He called Bill-E my brother. Of course Lord Loss knew about that-Bill-E was infected with the family curse-but Bill-E didn't. We never told him. I try looking past the demon master, to catch my half brother's gaze, but Lord Loss is blocking the view.
”Yes, Grubitsch,” the monster purrs. ”I told him. We spent quite an amount of time tonight discussing how you kept the truth from him and ran away when the going got tough, leaving him behind for me as an offering.”
”That's not true!” I shout. ”Don't believe him, Bill-E. I -”
”That's not important now,” Beranabus interrupts. ”I want to know who's the mastermind behind this? What foul h.e.l.l sp.a.w.n are you working for? Who organized the demons and gave them orders to come running when the tunnel opens?”
Lord Loss frowns. ”You know about our plan?”
”Obviously. Now tell me who's behind it.”
The demon master chuckles. ”No, Beranabus. You have been very clever. But if you do not know the full magnitude of the force you've chosen to pit yourself against, I will not enlighten you. It's not my job to explain. Do your own detective work. I am sure you and your capable a.s.sistants can . . .”
He pauses, catching sight of the eyeless Kernel Fleck. ”But what is this? What happened to poor Cornelius?”
”Never mind,” Beranabus snaps. ”I want to know about -”
”I recognize those wounds,” Lord Loss continues, raising his voice. ”Those are the marks of my familiar, Spine. Such trademark injuries are unmistakable. I can even see some of his maggoty offspring embedded in the bloodied pits. It must have been a recent attack. But Spine has been with me the whole time.” He looks back at his familiar. The scorpion with the semi-human face stares at him blankly.
”And your hair,” Lord Loss says, facing us again. ”You're as hairless as myself. You've been in a fight of great viciousness. Spine seems to have been in it too. But how . . . ?”
”Tell us about the demon who put you up to this and I'll tell you about our fight.” Beranabus grins.
”If I thought you were genuine, I'd happily make that deal,” Lord Loss replies. ”I sense great magic and mystery in this. If I did not know better, I would say . . .” He trails off into silence, then sneers. ”But I know you, Beranabus. You are a rogue. You would renege on your promise and tell me nothing. So I'll hold my tongue and torture the truth out of the boys once I've defeated you.”
”Nay,” Beranabus snorts. ”Secrecy and surprise were the only advantages you had. Now that we've thwarted you, you must face us openly, on our world, where your powers are diminished. You can't beat us. If you abandon the spells and leave, I'll let you walk away and settle for sealing this place off. But if you force us to fight, we'll kill you all. Even those of you who have died before.”
”Ah,” Lord Loss chuckles. ”You've seen through Miss Swan's disguise.”
”I knew her for a cuckoo the moment I laid eyes on her,” Beranabus says as Juni continues to chant, not glancing around even though she's the subject of their conversation. ”It took me awhile to pierce the illusion, but I knew of her true face long before she moved against Grubbs.”
”What are you talking about?” I mutter.
”Watch,” Beranabus says, and murmurs the words of a quick spell, waving a hand at Juni. Lord Loss makes no move to defend her. He's loving this. As I stare at Juni, her flesh ripples. She stops chanting and cries out, but with surprise, not pain. Her hands dart to her face and she turns sharply, flas.h.i.+ng a furious glare at Beranabus. Dervish gives a m.u.f.fled cry of shock and jerks away from her.
Her face has changed completely. Much plainer. Bad acne scars. Dirty short blond hair. Blue eyes. A sullen expression. Quite fat. Pale skin, but not as white as her albino flesh. She appears younger than before, maybe mid to late twenties.