“You’ve made things difficult for us,” she said as if Lanias was a naughty child who’d made a mess. “I was forced to agree with Zaharis’ plan to draw you out. So, just as he’d expected, you boldly returned to the world for all to see.”
Lanias really wanted to tell the damn woman where she could shove her comments. But sadly, she was still poisoned.
“The key must be returned; the gate cannot stay open for too long. Or riff raff will enter,” Lanias wasn’t sure, but she swore Icarus glanced at Zaharis who was fiddling with something in his coat. “Once the key has been removed from you, we’ll—” The woman stopped talking abruptly, her eyes widened as her body lurched. Her mouth opened and black liquid slipped out the corners as she turned slowly around and stared at Zaharis who held a dagger deep in her back. She returned forward once more, a look of confusion and loss in her eyes. Lanias felt pity for her.
“It hurts.” She whispered right before she hit the ground dead.
Lanias couldn’t believe her eyes, why would he kill her.
“Weren’t they on the same side”?
This came out of nowhere. What just happened? Lanias felt dizzy.
Zaharis bent down, grabbing the handle of the dagger. He jerked it out. “And that’s for treating me like shit.” Kicking the dead body, he glanced at Lanias. “True Ones, they always think they’re so smart. But for some reason they always end up dead.”
“At least she’ll be more useful like this.” He added as he grabbed her arm and dragged her behind him to the center of the circle.
Conversationally he continued, “You’re probably wondering what I’m doing. You see when you kicked me into the gate, you must not have had full control because instead of shoving me all the way through to the other side, you tossed me on their doorstep. Figuratively speaking.”
Dropping the body roughly he continued. “Fortunately, or unfortunately this was akin to an annoying knock on the door for them. For me it was like being abandoned in the cold.” He reached down and lifted the dagger, and he emotionlessly brought it down on Icarus’ stomach and started carving her open. Icarus’ black blood spilled out coating the floor.
“Anyway, when they opened the door just a creak and they saw me and wondered how I got there. Well, being the intelligent Surrem I am, I told them that the children between men and Surrem, were terrorizing the world and using their blood to suppress the others. And blah, blah, and such until they themselves insisted they come here and rectify the issue.” He reached inside her chest and jerked out what looked like a dark black beating heart. “But instead of giving me a proper body. They gave me this broken thing.” He stood, twisting the heart this way and that. “So, let’s first repair this broken thing.”
Without hesitation he opened his mouth inhumanely wide and swallowed the entirety of Icarus’ heart. His skin turned bright orange as it slipped off, the smell of something burning like brimstone filled Lanias’ nose. Her lashes fluttered as the last effects of the poison left her. She could only watch in silent horror as Zaharis regained his body. The pale flesh slowly turned black, as his markings resurfaced. Black wings burst from his back as he groaned in pain. He rolled his shoulders as he stood once more before her, a terrifying demon from her dreams.
Looking at his long claw-like fingers, he hummed.
“I missed this body.” He turned his attention to her. “Now, what shall I do with you my dear, dear niece.”
Lanias felt her skin tighten as she stared at this creature she thought she’d killed. She could barely breathe even though she knew she should be able to run. She couldn’t move because of his terrifying aura of blood lust.
He took slow steps toward her, his sightless eyes glowing in the center with an ominous green light. Overly long arms swayed at his side as he drew closer.
“Are you scared?” He asked, his tone amused. “No need to answer, I can smell it.”
Reaching out towards her, Lanias widened her eyes at the sharp claws aimed at her face. “Let me free you of that fear.”
Lanias’ eyes shook as she screamed at herself to move.
It was like she was watching herself die again.“Come on, come on. MOVE!”
“That’s enough!”
Lanias’ reflection passed her as a sword passed across her view. Someone grabbed the back of her chair and yanked her backwards abruptly.
A second later, the sword was raised and sliced downwards cutting the hand that’d been aimed for down the middle. As the hand slid apart, black blood sprayed out.
In surprise, Lanias stared at Alek’s back. Strands of his silver hair brushed her cheeks, causing her heart to tremble as she realized she was safe.
The ropes that had been keeping her bound loosened and slid from her hands.
Alek stood between her and Zaharis, a staunch wall between her and her nightmares.
“Lanias, are you okay,” Malcolm asked as he helped her up.
Eyes still focused on Alek; she bent at the waist coughing, not yet answering.
“Shit, what’s that?” Malcolm said, seeing the purple liquid that spread on the ground as she gasped. “Come on, we need to get you out of here.”
