She pushed to her feet. “And now I’m off, and you are to battle and to win. And we are here doing everything we can to inspire you, to give you hope, to cheer you on. Our influence is only so strong, but it is present. They’ve been helping as much as they can all along, and when you find yourself doubting, I want you to remember me and know that I’m there, cheering you on.”
“Thank you, Maggie. Thank you so much.”
Kinzer suddenly found himself in front of Janka once again. He crawled across the floor, toward him, forcing himself to his feet once again, having regained at least a little courage from his vision—real or imagined.
Janka’s expression shifted. He didn’t seem amused anymore. He appeared annoyed.
Kinzer moved quickly, grabbing the sword Janka had, in his arrogance, discarded. He pulled in front of him and charged Janka, but Janka didn’t retreat. He grabbed the sword by the blade with both hands—another demonstration of just how powerful he was, and just how weak Kinzer had become.
“You dumb fuck,” Janka said as he maintained his hold on the sword, despite Kinzer’s efforts at prying it from his grip. “Do you see now how much I am your superior? You humiliate yourself as you attempt to match my strength. It’s pathetic, really. But then again, you’ve always been rather pathetic. Now worth less than nothing. A cockroach. Because you have nothing left to offer this world…nothing to offer me but your pain. No, really, Kinzer. Tell me right now, with a sword in your hand and me with nothing but my bare hands, do you really think you stand a chance? What good does this sword really do you?”
“It served as a perfect distraction,” Kinzer said, bending down quickly and grabbing the belt of the strap-on cock, which lay beside Janka’s feet, where Janka had abandoned it earlier.
Kinzer released the sword and took the belt with both hands, swinging it at Janka so that it slammed against the side of his face, knocking him to the ground. Kinzer hadn’t realized until then how impressive the weight of it was, and Kinzer knew, with Janka down, he had to take advantage of this opportunity. He lunged at Janka, feeling not like a divine immortal of the Almighty’s, but like some sort of primitive animal of Earth. He landed on his knees, straddling Janka before driving the razor-wire-covered cock into Janka’s mouth.
The bastard higherling made a sound like he was gargling on his own blood as Kinzer shoved deeper, forcing the tip into Janka’s throat.
With the girth firmly set in his enemy’s mouth, Kinzer pulled his hands away from the piece and clasped his hands together before driving them down like a hammer, nailing the cock into Janka’s throat even more.
Kinzer’s scream warred with Janka’s attempted shout, which just sounded like choking. Kinzer unleashed all his hurt, all the pain he had endured throughout this twisted, fucked-up adventure that he had been on since Janka’s betrayal. His scream echoed across the walls as he murdered the fucker who had destroyed his life…taken away the very thing that made him immortal…taken away his very dignity…his pride, even.
And Janka stirred a moment, his final moment, before his body stilled, assuring Kinzer the deed had been done.
***
Eilee could feel the sweat collecting on her forehead.
Sweat…how unsightly!
She was annoyed with it but had to focus on the task at hand, especially as Vera’s attention shifted to her fallen comrade, whom Kinzer had just taken out.
Eilee was impressed, considering his weakened state, but she didn’t have time to appreciate the clipped’s victory. With Vera distracted, she was able to get a good slash in, which took off Vera’s arm. It fell to the floor, crashing against it with Vera’s sword. Vera cried out, her shout nearly as loud as Kinzer’s had been moments before. Vera’s eyes widened with her mouth, and Eilee sliced off her opposite hand, which dropped to the floor with the dagger she held.
Eilee grinned, feeling as victorious as she had when she had bested Trey in the cabin the day before. “And I’ve won again,” she said with glee.
Vera looked to her dismembered appendages as Eilee moved in quickly, wrapping her arm around her.
“Have I ever told you,” Eilee said, “how pretty I think you are?”
She wasn’t feigning attraction. She had always found Vera to be one of the most desirable of the immortals, as the Almighty had intended.
“Indeed,” she added. “While I adored my Trey, I think what pained me was that neither of you considered what fun we all could have shared together.”
Eilee offered a kiss, one Vera accepted and returned. Eilee could have burst into laughter at her ability to capture the interest of even a nemesis in a moment like that.
Because of her birthright. Because of her beauty. Because of her gift.
She bit down on Vera’s lower lip…hard. Then she opened her mouth and took another bite, getting as much of a grip on Vera’s flesh as she could. Chomping down, she dug into the flesh with her teeth, driving down hard. Vera pulled away and then pushed against her with the stub that was left of her arm. Eilee reared her head back, tearing the flesh on Vera’s jaw from her body. She felt warm blood filling her mouth and spraying across her face as she tore the skin off, and when she pulled it loose, she spit it out. The flap of flesh hung from Vera’s face, exposing her teeth and jawbone covered in bright-purple veins and deep-red blood.
Eilee swallowed what blood had collected in her mouth.
“The outside finally matches the inside,” Eilee announced. She knew of Vera’s past, of what she’d sold off to get her looks back, and she knew just how much that would hurt her.
Vera reached for her face with what remained of her arm before screaming out and hurrying to the stream of water that encircled the room, where she beheld her hideous reflection.
Eilee followed behind her, and as she reached the water, saw that it drained into a deep pit.
“This is your end,” Eilee announced before stabbing into Vera’s back. She drove the blade deep and withdrew it before kicking Vera into the pit. Vera called out, her scream becoming more and more distant as she fell. And when it ceased, Eilee felt a calm sweep through her. One she felt she deserved.
