Kinzer threw his arms forward, sticking his sword out so it would drive into the creature. Hoddy lowered Dedrus and turned its eye-slit to Kinzer. The movement was just enough to spoil Kinzer’s plan. His sword pierced nearly a foot away from its target.
Fuck!
Hoddy shook its head about, dislodging Kinzer and his sword. Kinzer tumbled to the ground, his back slamming against the asphalt. Hoddy pulled Dedrus back to its razor-mouth and shoved his arm in.
“Ah!”
It was painful for Kinzer to hear, but he couldn’t do anything about it. The blow to his back was so intense that it had left him temporarily paralyzed. From the edge of the tentacle that was wrapped around Dedrus, several mini-tentacles popped up. At their tips were sharp, blade-like claws. They slashed deep, penetrating wounds into his face.
“Holy fuck!”
Kinzer struggled to his feet. His sword was a few feet from him. He hobbled over to it and picked it up, turning to the creature, defeated.
One of Hoddy’s highest tentacles came crashing down.
Now or never, he thought.
Just before it struck, Kinzer leapt into the air and mounted it. As it swirled around to the back of Hoddy, Kinzer kicked off. He flew through the air and landed on his knees on the beast’s head. Kinzer cried out, summoning as much strength as he could. Raising his sword, he fell forward and drove it into Hoddy’s eye-slit.
Hoddy’s razor-filled mouth unleashed a loud shrill. Its tentacles flailed around it. It tumbled forward. Its tentacle released Dedrus, and he went soaring through the air.
Knowing he would be crushed if he didn’t get out of Hoddy’s path, Kinzer bounced off the monster’s head. As he hit the asphalt, he tucked his sword close to his chest, closed his eyes, and rolled for his life.
CRASH!
The asphalt cracked open as Hoddy slammed into it. It was like a semi-truck had fallen from the sky.
***
Kid approached a chair before the desk. Vera sifted through a drawer, pulled out a stack of papers, and set them on the desk. Maggie's screams and cries continued outside.
“Come on,” she said. “We don't have all day.”
Kid sat. She slid the papers to Kid.
“This is our agreement. It's just as I said. Agree to it, and our dearest Treycore keeps his life, and you lose yours.”
Kid gulped. He'd made a hasty decision, but something in him assured him that it was the right one. Treycore probably didn't love him, but that didn't matter. He loved Treycore, and he didn't care if Treycore didn't feel the same way.
Vera placed a black fountain pen on top of the papers. “It's your choice. Sign the last page, and it will be done.” She gazed into his eyes, giving him a look that he'd only ever received from immortals—a look that stared into his soul. “Don't, and I will rip Treycore limb from limb right in front of you.”
His eyes turned to Treycore, who shook his head violently. Kid picked up the pen. Flipping to the last page, he closed his eyes and signed on a dotted line.
Vera retrieved the stack and skimmed through it. As she came to the last page, she stroked her finger across his signature. “Oh, mortal,” she said. “It's so sweet seeing how much you care for my love.” She turned to Treycore. “He really does stink, though, doesn't he?”
“Just let him go,” Kid said, resigned.
Her lips curled into that familiar smirk. She opened the desk drawer and tucked the papers inside. “In a moment. It says in your contract that I get to see this through as I desire, and it's my desire for him to watch.”
The matter-of-fact, serene look in her eyes switched to something else—something twisted, like when he'd first seen her.
“Bind them.”
Mika reached into his sack and pulled out a strand of rope with barbed wire twisted around it. Craetis pulled Treycore’s hands behind his back while Mika tied the rope around his wrists, fastening it so tight that the barbs drew blood.
“You always did like it kinky, didn’t ya, Treycore?” Craetis mocked.
Mika approached Kid’s chair, grabbed him by his shirt collar, and tossed him to the floor. He pulled another strand of barbed rope from his sack, knelt down, and bound Kid's wrists behind his back. As the barbs punctured into Kid's flesh, he gritted his teeth. Vera rose from her chair and stepped around to Kid, who lay on his side, blood dripping off his wrists, on the floor. She knelt and grazed her fingernail under his chin.
