Ephemeral creatures, p.34
Ephemeral Creatures, page 34
Before Kevin could even think of formulating a response to the man’s ravings, the air peeled back, and light spilled through momentarily. The rift slammed shut, and Lidia stood there, interposed between Kevin and Vollan. She spared him a brief, sad smile before turning her attention to the monster.
Vollan gave Lidia that wolfish grin. “Ljosalfar! I urge you: take my offer and stand with me at Ragnarok! Mighty Fenrir shall grant me the fullness of his power, and we shall inherit the Earth.”
This dude is seriously nuts. Kevin hadn’t doubted it before, but now he was certain. He hadn’t brushed up on his Norse mythology in years, but Vollan seemed to be altering it to fit his delusions.
Lidia simply stood before Vollan, unwavering in the same implacable determination with which a thirteen-year-old girl had sought to carry Kevin on her back when he was injured all those years before.
***
Despite Kevin hunching over on the ground, his appearance faint and nebulous, Lidia still sensed a glimmer of life in him. Unfortunately, the other dead would be able to as well. Already, the Others were gathering though they balked at approaching, seemingly held at bay by the Nazgul for the moment.
The Others held back with good reason. The killer looked truly fearsome, his runic tattoos burning with an otherworldly radiance. And his left eye blazed like the Eye of Sauron. Lidia had to fight down that deep-rooted terror as she stood her ground before the deranged monster calling himself Hrym—or Axel Vollan or whatever his true name was.
“I want nothing to do with you, you bastard,” Lidia replied as fiercely as she could to his offer. “You hurt my friends and killed countless innocents in your depraved crusade.”
Vollan considered her. “I was too hasty when I slew you. I should have taken my time and hurt you first. A lot.” He withdrew a dagger from a sheath on his belt. About eight inches in length, it appeared carved from bone. And much like the runes on his body, the marked blade seemed infused with an infernal incandescence.
“Even the dead fear Wolf’s Tooth,” Vollan growled. “And they are wise to do so. I have achieved mastery of the necromantic arts. I am the wayfarer who walks between worlds.”
Lidia glanced at Kevin, fully aware he was dying while Vollan stalled.
“Enough blathering, you psycho freak,” she said.
Vollan scowled. “This time, I’ll destroy your soul. And your friend shall be devoured by these pitiful shades.”
“You’ve forgotten one thing,” she said. “You are in my domain now.”
Lidia focused her will as she had when she’d created her hideaway. Even though she’d expended a tremendous amount of her strength in the material world, she was taxed much less in her own environment.
Kevin had only moments to live, a realization that poured jet fuel on the fire of her determination. She needed to defeat this monster once and for all and send her friend back where he belonged. There was no room for fear any longer, only time enough for desperate action—to go balls to the wall, as Chad was fond of saying.
As Lidia concentrated, a warm effulgence blossomed between her hands and coalesced into a short sword. And as she faced off with Vollan, she found she truly was no longer afraid. She would save the man she loved. Then, perhaps, she could finally find her eternal rest.
***
Lidia looked like an angel facing off in battle with a demon—an angel in the form of a slight girl in a pink Karma Police T-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. Argent light radiated from her, the strength of her will a palpable thing. The sword in her hand flared a lustrous silver in counterpoint to Vollan’s vermillion blade.
Vollan raised his voice and cried out, “You cannot defeat me—I am Fenrir’s Herald! Ragnarok is at hand.”
Ignoring Vollan’s declaration, Lidia took the offensive. Their exchange was no grand duel, marked with dramatic strikes and counterstrikes—no epic Luke Skywalker–versus–Darth Vader showdown and certainly not a fanciful Westley–versus–Inigo Montoya fencing match. Instead, it was over in an instant.
Lidia took several quick strides forward then lunged at her foe. She glided gracefully through the air like a wuxia heroine.
Kevin gasped as the tip of Vollan’s malevolent dagger burst out between Lidia’s shoulder blades. She’d made no effort to protect herself, almost as if she’d intentionally thrown herself onto the blade.
In response, her sword plunged unerringly into Vollan’s face.
The killer voiced a bloodcurdling shriek as he reeled backward, hands clasping the lambent blade jutting from his burning red eye. He wobbled and sank to his knees. After a moment, he pulled the blade free and tossed it aside. With the hellish lantern extinguished, blood the color of ink spouted from the wound and turned to smoke in the air. As if putting out his eye had quenched his source of power, Vollan’s runes dimmed, and he lost his coherence, becoming yet another dim shade. He collapsed onto his side, curling up and cradling his head, making pained keening sounds like those of a mortally wounded animal.
Lidia staggered over to Kevin’s side. She’d lost much of her substance also, turning translucent and grainy. The dagger, Wolf’s Tooth, blazed like a coal between her breasts.
“You’re hurt!” Kevin exclaimed.
She shook her head. “I’m already dead, Kev. He can’t do anything more to me. Or to you or anyone else now.”
“Your soul might perish!”
Before she could protest, he reached out and plucked the dagger free. The blade was clean of blood, and once it was free of Lidia, its glow dimmed. He tossed it aside with revulsion. Returning his gaze to his friend, he gasped when he saw a hole through her chest, as if the knife had created a vortex causing the rest of her essence to slowly collapse into.
“Liddy, no… you can’t leave me so soon.”
Her sad smile broke his heart in the moment before she wrapped her arms around him. He couldn’t feel the contact, only a cold siphoning sensation.
Lidia pulled away with a gasp. “Oh, Kev, I’m so sorry! I forgot about that. We need to get you back to where you belong. Give me a moment to focus.”
Kevin glanced around, feeling chilled and thinner—less there—than he had a moment earlier. The shifting shadows had intensified around them, and he could make out the penumbral forms of other spirits, held at bay like wolves frustrated by a blazing bonfire in the night. A primal fear rattled his nerves, for he could sense the specters’ despair and hunger and hatred of the living.
When he turned back to Lidia, the gaping hole in her chest had mostly closed up. Just a small scar of darkness remained. Her touch seemed to have weakened him and strengthened her, for she was much more solid again. Her eyes were closed, and she was sucking at her lower lip in concentration, a familiar mannerism that tugged at his heart.
“I-I’m having trouble… no, damn it. I won’t fail at this.” A line formed between her eyebrows, and the force of her gathering willpower was palpable.
She needs more strength. Kevin took her hand. Lidia started and pulled away. Touching her was like trying to hold onto mist, but for an instant, he managed. More essence slipped out of him, and as Lidia strengthened, he felt colder and more drained.
“Don’t bother, Liddy. Just let me stay with you.” He wished he could hold her in these final moments.
“You can’t—this place is killing you.”
Kevin shrugged. “I don’t have anything waiting for me back there. This is where I should be. You’re the one who should have lived, not me. At least this way, we can be together.”
“Don’t say that,” she said fiercely. “Don’t you dare say that, damn you!” Tears spilled from her eyes. “You have people who love you out there in the real world. You have to go now. Live your life. And if you need a reason, then live enough for the both of us and make up for those lost years. I love you, Kev.”
Before he could reply, he was struck with the force of her will, like a concentrated blast of air that made his whole being reverberate, body and soul.
Then nothingness.
***
Lidia wept once Kevin was gone. Of course, she wanted to be by his side, but she wanted even more for him to live and be happy. She had done what she could, though he was dreadfully weak, as bad off as Mallory had been. Perhaps worse.
Damn it—I should have sent him to the hospital! With her emotions in turmoil, she hadn’t been thinking clearly and had simply pushed him back to where Tara and Chad were.
Lidia hadn’t attended Mass since her mother used to drag her with every Sunday until she turned sixteen or so. But now she said a quick prayer: God, if you’re out there somewhere, please don’t let him die.
Unsurprisingly, she received no response. What she did hear was more of the pitiful mewling Vollan was making. Putting out his eye had broken the power contained in the latticework of runes covering his flesh. His death resistance was gone. He was simply a weak, dying mortal, like all the victims he’d left there to die.
I should let the Others drain him dry. He deserves that. They certainly desired that, the restless shades hovering a short distance away, repelled by the aura of Wolf’s Tooth, she presumed. The dagger gave her an icky sensation in the very core of her being.
She almost walked away and left Vollan to the Others but then thought of her friends—and not only them, but all those who’d lost loved ones to Vollan’s evil.
They’ll want answers and closure. And they’ll need Vollan for that. His power is gone now. He might not even survive the wound I gave him.
Lidia sighed, then gathered the shreds of her dwindling strength. She’d been almost entirely spent, but Kevin’s essence had refilled her reserve. That was a poor trade, in her opinion, but she wouldn’t let his gift go to waste.
She gathered her will once more as she approached Vollan. Then, with a swift kick to the ribs, she punted him back to the real world and the consequences awaiting him there.
-44-
Tara climbed out of the pool, chilled both physically and mentally. The whipping wind made her skin prickle with goose bumps even though the air temperature was still near seventy degrees. She stood by the poolside, gingerly holding the gun as if it might bite her if she wasn’t careful, trying to come to grips with the situation.
What the hell just happened? My God, poor Kevin! She looked around warily, expecting Vollan to lunge out of thin air again, but after long seconds passed with no sign of him, she reluctantly lowered the gun. With a slow exhalation, she tried to collect her whirling thoughts. Aiden and David need me. But Chad’s hurt pretty bad. And what if that psycho comes back?
Another gust of wind struck her. She shivered and hugged her arms tightly around herself for warmth, teeth chattering.
We need help. Police. Ambulance. Her mind made up, she grabbed for her phone in her back jeans pocket, but it was gone. Casting about, she didn’t see it anywhere. Probably fell out at the bottom of the pool. But it was screwed up anyway.
Tara spotted Kevin’s phone nearby, which had evidently fallen during the struggle. She snatched it up and dialed 911. When the dispatcher answered, she told the woman she and her family had been assaulted and they urgently needed an ambulance and police. The words tumbled out in a rush, probably making little sense other than the need for help.
The woman started asking questions, but Tara interrupted, “I’m at the Dove Creek Estates community pool. I can’t stay on the line—there’s people I need to help. Just send police and paramedics right away!”
She left the line open and set the phone down on one of the clubhouse’s windowsills. Chad was unconscious but still breathing, albeit shallowly. He seemed hurt pretty badly, with blood specking his lips and the concrete.
Without knowing how best to help Chad, her instinct was to run and check on Aiden next, but a rational part of her mind noted that David was a doctor and could provide Chad first aid.
“Hold on, honey, I’ll be right there,” she called to Aiden.
The boy looked to be in shock, not comprehending what was happening.
She paused at the end of the diving board, afraid it would wobble and spill David into the pool if she wasn’t careful. Something glinted near Chad, and she recognized his bloodstained knife lying on the deck. Tara retrieved it. She stuck the gun in the waistband of her jeans at the small of her back like people did on TV shows. Then she cautiously knelt on the diving board and crawled out to David.
With their combined weight, the diving board dipped alarmingly by the time she reached David’s feet. He tried to shift around and nearly fell off but somehow managed not to with Tara holding his legs.
“Hang on, David. I’ve got you.”
The sharp knife made quick work of the duct tape securing his ankles to his wrists and bowing his back. David groaned as he straightened out again. She freed his ankles then wrists. He massaged his wrists and slowly rose to his hands and knees after a long moment.
“Come on. Let’s back up nice and slow.” Tara took hold of his belt and crept backward, pulling as best she could. Slowly and awkwardly, they scooted off the board.
David wobbled as he stood and steadied himself with a hand on Tara’s shoulder. He ripped the piece of tape off his mouth and grimaced.
Tara embraced and kissed him. “You okay?”
“I’ll survive. What the hell is going on, Tara? Who was that madman? And these other people? And where did they disappear to?” He gestured in frustration toward the pool, where Kevin and Vollan had disappeared.
“Wish I knew where they went. The rest is a long story—it’ll have to wait a bit, but I promise to fill you in. Cops and ambulance are on the way. Can you help Chad? He’s hurt pretty bad, I think. I’ll get Aiden.”
Not waiting for a reply, Tara ran to her poor little boy. She carefully cut him free. Aiden reacted robotically, rubbing at the red ligature marks on his arms and staring at her as though she was a complete stranger.
“Aiden? You okay, baby?” Tara hugged him and kissed the top of his head.
When he didn’t respond, she sat down beside him, examining him with concern. Is he hurt? Maybe it’s just shock…
Tara rocked him for a minute or two before she felt his arms wrap around her.
“Mommy?” Aiden looked up as if seeing her for the first time.
“I’m here, honey. Everything’s gonna be okay.” She felt her tears starting again as she hugged her son fiercely and kissed him on the head again.
“Daddy.” He pointed at David, who was kneeling and working on Chad.
“Let’s go see your dad, all right?”
Tara took his hand and led him around the pool toward David. Her heart nearly broke at the fearful way Aiden looked around as though Vollan might appear from nowhere again at any moment. The little boy plucked at his father’s shirt sleeve.
“Hey, buddy,” David said with a relieved smile. He embraced Aiden briefly then turned to Tara. “This guy’s in bad shape, Tara. Without access to an X-ray or MRI, my best guess is broken ribs, punctured lung, and other internal bleeding. Not to mention the fractured wrist. I can’t do much for him, but the paramedics should be able to stabilize him until they get him to the ER.” He paused, as though truly noticing her for the first time. “You’re shivering, honey. Come on, we have to get you warm.”
Tara allowed herself to be led by the arm to the clubhouse. David tried the door, but it was locked.
“Should have the clubhouse key here,” she said. Her purse was in the Escalade, but she’d stuck her key ring in her pocket.
As chilled as she was, she needed a few tries to get the door unlocked with numb fingers. Mercifully, the clubhouse was free of the blustery wind. Not only that, it was as sweltering as a sauna because the afternoon heat had built up with no ventilation and the air conditioner was switched off. It felt wonderful.
After a minute or so, Aiden pulled on David’s pant leg. “Daddy.”
“What’s up, buddy?”
“There’s a man there.” Aiden pointed at the pool, where a body floated facedown.
“Kevin!” Tara forgot all about being cold and wet and didn’t hesitate to dive back into the pool a second time.
She made it to Kevin in a few strokes. Grabbing his arm, she towed him over to the side, where David pulled him up on the deck. Kevin looked dead, his skin a corpselike blue.
“He’s suffered cardiac arrest,” David pronounced after checking for breathing and a pulse. His voice was flat and clinical. “Administering CPR now.”
Tara struggled to climb out of the pool, chilled to the bone and utterly drained from the traumatizing day. She felt like she could sleep for a week.
After watching David give Kevin CPR for an agonizing minute or two without success, the tears started again. She also felt sick to her stomach. And cold—she was shivering. “I-I need to warm up.”
“Go back inside. Keep Aiden with you.” David kept methodically applying chest compressions.
Tara took Aiden’s hand. “Come on, honey. Let’s wait inside.” When the wind quieted, she could just barely make out the sound of approaching sirens, which brought a bit of relief.
“Mommy, a gun.” Aiden stared wide-eyed at the revolver, lying on the carpet just inside the door.
It must have fallen from her waistband when she ran back out to the pool.
Tara retrieved the weapon. “That’s right. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again.” She dragged an armchair over and sat down just inside the door, pulling her knees to her chest for warmth as she kept watch. “Here, sit with me.” She patted the cushion, which was wide enough for Aiden to join her.
“You’re all wet.” His comical look of disgust made her smile.
She stroked his hair. “I know, honey.”
He resisted a moment longer before reluctantly cuddling against her.
She almost hoped Vollan reappeared so that she could shoot him until he was finally dead. Not understanding what had happened or knowing where he had gone terrified her. As they waited, all she could focus on was the nerve-racking rhythm of David continuing chest compressions, without success.
