Rian had settled in a few moments after he left Aubrey’s room. Sean had curled up on the bed while Rian had gone over his notes while listening to one of his wife Sitara’s songs. When he closed his notebook and set it aside, he looked over at Sean, who was gazing up at him endearingly.
“Yeah, I know, Good Boy, I miss Mama too.” He scratched Sean behind the ears and then rose and got into something more comfortable. “It will be a good day to have an adventure out in the wilderness tomorrow.” Sean beat his tail against the bedspread and let out a doggy sigh of impatience. Once he had confirmed that everything was as it should be, he spent a few minutes in a prayer of gratitude.
When he climbed into bed, Sean got up briefly and gave Rian a few doggy kisses goodnight. He then curled up alongside Rian’s chest. The demigod smiled and ruffled his hounds ears, then reached over and turned out the lamp. Tired for the first time in a couple of days, he closed his eyes and slid into slumber.
Sunlight streamed in through the window of his office. He heard Zhon and Dee talking in the kitchen as they started to make dinner for the evening. He sighed happily and leaned back in his chair as his eyes scanned the last few paragraphs he had written. Galloway had flopped all of his fuzzy self in the top of the cat tree directly in the beam of afternoon sunlight. Belly up, of course. He heard Zhon say something and then peals of laughter came from the other room. He reached over and picked up his cup of coffee and realized that it was empty. He reached forward and tapped save. He then rose from his seat and wandered out of his room to get a refill.
“So guys what’s so funny?” he asked as he stepped out of the hallway and into the kitchen. Silence met him. He glanced around. No one seemed to be home. He set his coffee cup on the counter next to the coffee pot. It was half full and still hot. There was no evidence of dinner being prepared. “Dee?” he wandered through the living room “Zhon? Moira?” He checked each of the bedrooms. The house was quiet and empty. All of the furniture and other items were in their proper places; there was no evidence of any attack or foul play. He walked back into the kitchen. He whistled for the hounds. They did not come running. Silence rang hollowly around the house. He stepped back into his office. Everything was still in its proper place, but now Galloway was gone. A shiver of unease ran down his spine. An old memory rose in his mind; of being lost as a little boy, unable to find his mother. Old panic pulled at the edges of his mind. He snatched his phone off of his desk and pulled up Dee’s number. It rang and rang then went to voice mail. He left a short message, concern filling his voice. He made one more circuit of the house and stepped into the garage. Both cars were present. He ran his hand through his red hair. He pulled up several other numbers on his phone. Zhon, Aubrey, even Max. They all rang until they clicked to voice mail. He stepped from the garage and back into the kitchen.
“Come on, where are all of you?” he asked the empty house. The feeling along his spine was now icy cold and the hairs rose on the back of his neck. He poured himself a cup of coffee. The thumbed through his phone again. He stopped on his mother’s number. A muscle jumped in his jaw. He knew he shouldn’t have kept her number when he changed his, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to have the ability to check in on her if necessary. He pressed the number. It rang and rang. When it too went to voicemail, he hung up. Panic brought its emotional buddy Despair. He gritted his teeth and put the coffee down. He scanned the room,
“Okay guys, this isn’t funny anymore. Olly-olly-oxen-free. You got me, you can come out now.” He let out a heavy breath, no one popped out from where they were hidden. The only sound in the house was the almost silent hum of electricity in the running appliances.
“You’re alone.” the six-year-old version of him whispered in his mind. He drew in a sharp breath, shoved his panicked doubts down into the recesses of his psyche. His eyes caught the late afternoon light that fell on the garden in the backyard.
“Maybe they took an evening walk out to the BLM land.” He murmured to himself as he crossed the living room and opened the French doors that led out to the back deck and the backyard beyond.
The late afternoon breeze, filled with the scent of growing and green things calmed him for a moment.
“If they went on a walk, they forgot to invite you…” the childlike voice whispered. “you’re all alone again.” then the child-self’s voice took on a more sinister almost feminine tone, “You will always end up alone.”
Rian shook his head to banish the thought and stepped out on the back deck. He gazed up at the sky, heavy, rain-laden clouds were rolling in. Sunset would be in an hour or so, but with those clouds it would get dark fast. He walked around the gardens for a short time. All of the supplies were arranged and organized, once again nothing was out of place.
“What the hell is going on?” He walked further on out into the edges of the wilds of the BLM land.
“You are all alone.” a female voice whispered at his ear. It had the musical cadence of his wife’s voice. Tears sprang to his eyes as frustration rose in his heart.
“Dee?!” he cried as he turned, but there was no one there. He cast his eyes to the now churning sky, searching for the first signs of stars. He whispered their safe word. There was no answer. The mix of emotions running through him was eating at the edge of his control. “My Star! Where are you? Please come out! Why are you hiding from me?!”
“You know why.” came the sultry voice at his ear. Frustration boiled within him. A growl rumbled in his chest. He turned in a full circle, searching for the source of the voice. A flicker of warm light sparked to life at the edge of his vision. He whipped around and noticed that the light on the backyard deck had turned on. He dashed back to the yard,
“Dee?!” he cried, “My Beloved, you’re home!” He tromped up the short steps and opened the doors. “My Star!” he called. His voice echoed through the silent house once again. He now ran through his home, no one was within. He stifled the rising growl of rage. He felt the beast stir in its sleep within him. He walked back out to the deck and heavily sat in one of the deck chairs.
Rian put his head in his hands. Despondency filled his heart,
“There has to be a logical explanation for this.” Tears welled up in his eyes, “What if she is gone? What if I wasn’t there to save her? Did I miss something? What if she has been stolen?” A choking sob erupted from him. “What if I did something wrong that I cannot fix?” He ran his hands over his face and wiped the tears away with the heel of his palm. He lifted his head as he heard the click of heels on the deck.
***
Aubrey stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel. Steam still billowed around the bathroom. She let out a sigh of relief as she wiped the condensation from the mirror.
“That is so much better.” She put on her pajamas and wound her towel around her head. From beyond the door that led to Rian’s room, she heard soft snores.
“He doesn’t let himself sleep very often,” she mused to herself and then a sudden surge of curiosity hit her. She stared into the mirror and a sly grin spread across her face. After toweling her hair to soft dampness, she walked to the door. As her hand settled on the handle, a flash of her dream came back. The lambent green eyes filled with predatory hunger. This gave her pause. She shook her head in the negative and she lightly chastised herself,
“Come on, it was just a dream. Rian has shone no evidence that he would change or act like that,” a soft smile graced her lips, “He has been nothing but kind to me.” She quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
Soft light from the bathroom spilled into the room. She grimaced, afraid to wake him and then reached back to pull the door halfway closed. Rian lay in the bed, the sheets tucked up to his waist. Sean lifted his head and then saw that it was her. With a wuffled sigh he laid his head back onto his paws. She came over to the side of the bed and gave him a couple of pats. His phone was still on and a thin soft melody came from one of the earbuds he forgot put back on the charger. Curious, she picked it up and slid it in. Her brow wrinkled as she listened to the beautiful female voice singing. She didn’t understand the language, but the song sounded beautiful. She glanced over at the screen and saw Damayanti, or Sitara singing. She studied Rian’s wife as the image danced and sang on the screen.
“Wow,” she thought with a sinking feeling, “I can’t hold a candle to that.” Her eyes could not help but slide back to Rian’s gorgeous sleeping form. She chuckled to herself as she removed the earbud and placed it where she had found it. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not here and I am.” A sly smile spread across her face as she had a sudden urge to run her fingertips along the well defined muscles of his chest. She stood there and fought down those urges. As she bit her lip, she studied him.
His copper hair was rumpled across his pillow, with one perfect curl laying artfully on the left side of his forehead. His chest rose and fell in the easy breathing of sleep. His eyes moved rapidly underneath his closed eyelids. Aubrey scrutinized the planes of his face, searching for any semblance of a monster. She went suddenly still as he shifted, his beautiful brows coming together in a frown.
“Even that is beautiful, elegant.” she thought, “Is this what it is like to become a demigod?” His breathing became more rapid. His hands clenched into fists, gripping the bedclothes tightly. Aubrey reached forward, hand hovering over his brow, so close to brushing back that errant lock of hair. His eyes moved even more rapidly beneath his lids. A soft mewling gasp escaped his lips and a tears beaded at the corners of his eyes. She took this as her signal to head back to her room. Silently she crept back across the darkened bedroom and upon reaching the bathroom, quietly closed the door behind her.
***
Clack. Clack. Clack. Rian looked over and his eyes widened. A statuesque woman stood there. Dressed in a deep navy power suit, her long raven black hair bound up in a bun. Her skin was a warm honey tone, an enigmatic smile on ruby red lips. Warm brown doe-like eyes glanced down at him. She held Rian’s coffee cup in her hand, steam rising from it in the evening air. She smiled and brought the cup up to her lips. Rian blinked as he studied her, this wasn’t Dee, she seemed familiar. The light behind her on the back porch flickered. There was a momentary silhouette of an antlered monstrosity behind her. Rian got up from his seat,
“You!” he exclaimed. Her smile widened. He noticed how white her teeth were. She set the coffee cup down on the railing.
“Good brew, my complements.” Rian’s mind raced as he suddenly remembered her name,
“Sogohdiyah!” he hissed, taking a step back. The chair made a scraping noise as it slid backwards.
“You remember me, how sweet.”
“You’re dead!” She looked down at herself, extending one shapely leg then the other. Sogohdiyah then held out one arm and Rian saw her manicured nails, the same ruby red of her lips. She interlaced her fingers and then stretched her arms over her head. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she winked at Rian,
“No, evidently not.” She smiled and retrieved the cup. After taking another sip, she grinned at Rian. “I heard that there was going to be a small party, just a joyous time with friends and family. I figured it would be best to dress nice for the occasion,” she looked around, “I guess I am early,” then she glanced back to Rian, her lips in the mew of a pout, “or maybe I am late.” She let out a low sultry chuckle, “Forgive me for crashing, but the door was open.” Rian’s eyes narrowed and he started to turn from her,
“You are dead. There is no way you could be here.” A musical trill of a laugh escaped her lips,
“Yet here I am!” she moved behind him and lazily trailed her fingertips along the back of his shoulders. With a violent shift of his shoulders he shoved her hand off of him. “Maybe weren’t as thorough as you should have been.” she crooned. Rian spat a few choice words. He stalked off of the deck and stepped down onto the garden path. Sogohdiyah grinned and followed. Rian’s thoughts still spun,
“What in all the Hells is this?” He glanced up to the sky once again. None of the stars above were visible, they were imprisoned far above the thick wall of roiling clouds. A cool breeze blew and the scent of Dee’s flowers and herbs in the garden washed over him. He closed his eyes and inhaled; worry and anguish rose in his heart.
“You seem to have such a happy and peaceful home.” Sogohdiyah mused as she reached over and ran a fingertip along the coral colored petal of a peony. Rian turned and glared at her in annoyance.
“Thank you,” he said curtly, “but you have shown up uninvited.” She plucked a petal and brought it to her nose. Her long lashes fell over her eyes as she inhaled.
“I have heard by reputation that your wife is very hospitable.” She dropped the petal to the flagstones as her large brown eyes gazed into his across the near distance. “She welcomes all who come to her door.” Rian raised an eyebrow as his lips drew into a tight line. She looked around innocently, “Where is everyone? I was sure that there was going to be a party. I have also received news from some very good sources that your wife is excellent in the kitchen.” She stepped forward and plucked a sprig of rosemary. Crushing it between her fingertips, she brought it to her nose. “As excellent in the kitchen as she is with social functions and negotiations.” The trill of that musical laugh erupted from her. Rian’s lips turned down in a frown and he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yes, my wife is hospitable. She is evidently not here at the moment. However, as I have stated, you are uninvited. This is my home and my castle.” His eyes grew dark, “I will defend it.” Sogohdiyah smiled and she straightened her posture,
“As it should be,” she purred and held up a finger, “However, one of the prerequisites of having a secure home and castle is to lock the door.” His eyes blazed and his nostrils flared as annoyance approached anger. She placed the tip of a lacquered nail to her bottom lip. “You look tense,” she cast her gaze around the area again and then back to him. Her eyes softened, taking on that doe-like aura, “There is something bothering you.”
Rian snorted and laughed, breaking the anger within him.
“That is none of your business,” he turned from her and continued off the garden path into the lawn beyond. He raised his hand in farewell, “I am sure since you found your way in, you can see your way out.” Sogohdiyah caught that he was searching and looked to the sky every so often.
“Our conversation is not finished,” she whispered, “Not in the slightest.”
Shadows closed around Rian’s heart as the sky darkened from twilight to an inky black. In the faint illumination that came from the back of the house, he spied fresh footprints in the damp grass. He heard Dee’s laugh somewhere out in the darkness. He strode forward, his pace quickening with hope.
“Beloved!” he whispered following the trail.
The trail wove in and out of the edge of the forest.
“She’s playing hide and seek.” He chuckled, “I know this game.” He spied a flash of crimson in the ebony shade between the trees. He rounded the nearest trunk seeking to cut her off and capture her. He ran into the clearing and slid to a stop. All that he spied in the dimness was the movement of the wind in the branches. He whipped around, eyes focusing on the shadows. “Dee!” he called, “Come inside! The weather is taking a dark turn. This is no time for this kind of game.” A sudden gust blew icy. “Dee! Sweetheart! Where are you?!”
“Chasing shadows, I see.” Sogohdiyah whispered in his ear. He rapidly turned,
“Bitch!” he hissed, “You’ve now crossed the line!” She stood there in the grass behind him, features in shadow. Her eyes glittered. He could sense her smile in the dark. He stepped back, fighting the urge to backhand her.
“You’re alone, Water Hound.” she stated in a sultry tone, “You have been abandoned.” Rian’s jaw tightened.
“What did you do with my wife?” he demanded. She smiled again and did not answer. She then turned and started to walk back towards the house. Rian stalked back after her, yet could not seem to catch up with her. “You monster! You have taken her!” Within a few minutes they were back at the stone walk of the garden. He finally caught up with Sogohdiyah. He placed his hand on her shoulder to force her to face him. She simply looked down at his hand.
“Tell me what you have done with her and the others!” he snarled.
“Mmm.” she purred, “Let’s see. What have I done with her?” she let out a short laugh, much like the bark of a doe, “I have done nothing with her, Rian. I have never met her.” Rian’s features grew stony and he tightened his grip. “That is why I came this evening,” she continued, her tone silken, “to meet the family of my murderer.” Her eyes brightened, “There is another reason that I came. We never finished the conversation that we started in New Castle.” She grasped his hand and lifted it off. “Now, now, Rian. Just because you are lonely and confused, there is no reason to manhandle me.”
“What?”
“You should be used to being lonely. After all, haven’t all of your relationships been strained and fleeting?” His eyes met hers in shock. She ran a nail down his chest, he could feel the prick of it through his dress shirt.
Memories played in his mind. His strengthening resolution over the years as he grew from childhood to young adulthood for self-reliance and not expecting too much from others. Feeling the odd-one-out at times. Having to grow up so fast, since his father wasn’t present.
He shook his head in the negative and started to pace.
“No! I have grown beyond that! I have friends and a devoted wife.”
“A devoted wife?” Sogohdiyah threw her head back and laughed in sheer delight. “You know very well she has found comfort in the arms of other men.” Her eyes narrowed as she saw that he stopped still as stone. A sly smirk spread across her ruby lips. She watched studying him as he continued to stalk back and forth along the path in front of her. Rian was flexing his hands into fists. She her tongue along her bottom lip. “How long did she spend in Japan?” He blinked out of his reverie just long enough to glance over. He was silent, but his eyes showed how tempestuous his emotions were becoming. “I wonder what delightful techniques she has learned under his disciplined touch.” she theorized, her voice smoother than silk. “Word on the street is that Smoking Mirror has even taken a shine to her.”
“That was transactional.”
“Really?” she purred as he continued to stalk around the garden. “You are only adding weight to the theories in my argument. Your wife is not as devoted as you think.” He kicked a clot of soil and sent it bounding into the peony bushes. “As for your friends,” she grinned, “friends are usually the ones who surprise you by betraying you. I am certain that you know that already.” Rian’s features twisted in momentary anger. She set her well-manicured hands on her ample hips.
“Please Rian, I would like to know more, to get to know you better. How does your wife’s constant infidelity make you feel?”
“There is nothing to say. I have it handled.” he growled.
“It seems to me that these things are bothering you.”
“It’s complicated. We’re under a lot of pressure.”
“I am sure that it is,” she said simply with a smooth shrug, “Life is complicated. Life needs pressure to thrive.” Sogohdiyah leaned over and took in the scent of a rose. “Then again, I am sure what is good for the goose is good for the gander.” she cast a side long glance in his direction. Rian’s posture was tense. He ripped up an offending weed and tossed it out into the dark. “After all, we all have skeletons in our closets. I know that I do.” She ran a finger along a thorn on the stem, and then pressed down on it. Blood welled up in the tiny wound and she licked it with relish. She then plucked the rose from the bush. She gripped the stem tightly, a sweet and naughty look on her face as she felt the thorns bite into the flesh of her hand. Her steps were mincing, extremely feminine as she walked up to him. He ignored her and continued to stalk around, taking out his growing frustration on any stray weed of his wife’s garden.
Sogohdiyah held up the rose and ran the soft blossom along her lips. A trickle of blood dripped from her fist clenched around the stem. The droplets made a soft spattering noise as they hit and stained the stones.
“I know that along with the lies, your hands are indelibly stained. You have been this way since childhood. So disobedient. I know how many that you have harmed.” she shook her head in mock sadness and offered him the bloodied rose.
Rian stopped and turned. He stepped close to face her and his eyes narrowed, “How would you know that?!” Sogohdiyah’s fingertips of her free hand brushed his jawline and he jerked his head back in disgust. A seductive look came into her eyes, she snapped off a portion of the rose stem and slid the blossom into the top buttonhole of his shirt. Drops of her blood spattered Rian’s collar.
“I have done my research. I know enough to be certain that you are more of a criminal than I ever was. You have spilled far more innocent blood than I ever had a chance to.” A genuine smile crossed her face and she brought her hands together in a slow clap, “Bravo! I may have to stay here a while to learn at the feet of the master.” She glanced back at the house, “Besides, with you being here alone, you would have the room to put me up.” Another musical laugh pealed out of her.
The emotional floor in his mind started to crack as he started to see logic. Panic rose along with his gorge. Rian swallowed heavily as he took a couple of steps to the side and walked around her. Sweat broke out on his brow as his thoughts worried her statements as a dog would a bone. He ripped the rose from his shirt and dropped it to the stones. With one swift motion, he crushed it underneath the sole of his shoe. He walked back into the house.
He flicked on the lights as he traversed through the house. His heart pounded within his chest. As he stopped at the threshold of the hallway, he looked over his shoulder. Sogohdiyah had not followed him. He peered in to the shadows of the garden. There was no evidence of her there. He ran his hand through his red hair.
“Great, I guess I am seeing things.” he muttered, “Or worse yet, I am haunted.” He headed down the hallway and into the master bathroom. Anguish seized his heart as he caught the scent of Dee’s perfume. He flicked on the light of the vanity and turned on the tap. Cool water rushed out of the faucet. He placed his hands under the stream and splashed some on his face. He glowered at his image in the mirror as he snatched the hand towel off of the hook. After he dried his face, he placed his shaking hands on the marble counter. “Dee,” he whispered forlornly, “I may be lost, I pray, my Beloved that you can find me.” He tossed the towel to the side, his face twisting in anger as Sogohdiyah’s words threaded their way through his mind. “Have to keep control. She is the intruder.” his gaze was hard as he peered into his reflection again. “Time to see my guest out.”
There was the sound of movement in the kitchen. A frown marred his features as he turned his head. He strode purposely out of the bathroom. He rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt as he made his way down the hallway.
“Oh, Hey.” Sogohdiyah said brightly as he stepped into the kitchen, “I figured we both could use a cup of java.” Rian’s annoyance had boiled into anger. Fuming, he strode towards her. She went hand him a cup
“No thank you.”
“Oh, well suit yourself,” she looked around the common area. “You really have made a place for yourself here.”
“I am only going to tell you once.” he stated, a low growl in his voice, “Get the fuck out of my house.” She set the second cup to the side and took a sip from her own. She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow,
“You are mistaken, my dear, sweet demigod.” she said coolly, “I did not just come here to party and mingle with you and your friends.” She leaned forward and locked eyes with him. “We have real business.” A red glow erupted within them. She held up her hand and Rian’s brows drew together as his emerald eyes darkened. Swinging between her index and thumb was Rian’s old rosary. “You’ve broken one set of chains,” she said with a syrupy tone, “How about we break all of your chains.” With a swift slap of his hand, Rian sent the cup on the counter flying. It hit the tile of the floor and shattered, spraying hot coffee across the dining room.
An angry bellow erupted from him. He reached forward and wrapped his hand around Sogohdiyah’s throat. Giggles spilled from her lips. A sneer of disgust played across his face as he lifted her off of the floor.
“That’s it,” she gloated, an artfully arched eyebrow ascended, “Let it all out.” A growl reverberated from the depths of his throat,
“We’re done, cunt.” He pitched her across the room. She smashed into the flat-screen TV on the opposite wall. There was a crackle of electricity and the TV fell from the wall mount onto the floor. Rian leapt over the couch. He flipped the wreckage off and found that she was not there. His eyes narrowed as rage rose within him. There were whispers at the edge of his perception, conversations that he could not recognize. He turned, eyes scanning the room, then glanced down at the section of floor at his feet. More whispers that he couldn’t understand, they gathered around him, moths to the flame of his anger. He gritted his teeth, as the air pressure seemed to change. The lights of the house suddenly went out, plunging the house into shadows. He stepped forward, there was a faint grinding sound as he crushed a shard of glass. The whispers grew loud, a mess of white noise that filled Rian’s ears for a moment. He raised his hands to his ears, tension causing his heart to pound.
Echoed laughter came from the shadowed hallway just beyond the living room. His head swiveled to the source of the laughter.
“Silly boy,” Soghodiya chided, “You thought that you could defeat me so easily?” She stepped out of the darkness of the hallway. Her deep navy power suit was tattered starting to show some wear. Her ruby lips parted in a smile, slowly revealing too many teeth. He lunged towards her. she danced aside, her heels clacking against the hardwood floor. He came around the couch and tried to snatch her by the arm. Faint light from outside barely defined the furniture and layout of the house,
As she moved out of his reach, her form started to stretch. The nubs of antlers budded from her forehead. The expensive high heels were kicked away, she sighed in relief. Rian noticed her feet now ended in dainty cloven hooves. A knowing grim smile spread across Rian’s face, as he realized that Soghodiya was revealing her true form.
She gestured to the house around them,
“You know that this is all a facade. A pretty, sugar-coated illusion. It has no inherent substance.” Her eyes narrowed, her crimson lips forming a seductive pout, “I know the truth of the world.” Rian stepped closer and she side stepped, staying just out of reach. A fire was kindled within him. He resolved to end this once and for all. He raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, playing some semblance of curiosity. Soghodiya grinned again, her arms had grown thinner, her elegant nails were now claws the hue of cinnabar.
“Are you curious? Now we can finish our conversation that we started all those nights ago.” She ran her claws through her hair, around the now sprouting antlers that rapidly branched into tines. “I am only offering you your freedom,” she purred, “Freedom from care, from this facade.” She leaned closer to the son of Ogma, “From caring about your wife, who is a whore and is using you for just the convenience. You are being used to increase her status and the benefits that you and your family can bring to the Deva.”
At the mention of his wife in such terms, the fire became an inferno. He stepped, feinting one direction. When she moved in the opposite direction, he was close enough to grab her by the shoulders. With a scoop and a heave, he threw her into the kitchen. She hit the range and there was a loud crack. He closed the short distance as her body slid bonelessly to the tiles. He knelt, balanced on the balls of his feet and studied her. No breathing and the top half of her torso was bent at a disjointed angle compared to the bottom half of her body. Her eyes rolled underneath her lids. He reached forward and as he put his hands on her, her eyes popped open. Embers of red flame lit in their depths. With cracks and snaps, her body transitioned fully into her skin-walker form. Her deep navy formal business outfit was left in wasted, ripped strips. She pulled back one leg, Rian did not have time to dodge her vicious kick.
The couch screeched across the living room floor as he was flung into it. The crash of ceramics and the cacophony of wood splintering and breaking filled his senses for a moment. He snorted as dust filled his nostrils. Somewhere, he heard both children’s laughter and shrieks of alarm. He rose out of the wreckage of his furniture. Soghodiya let out a screech,
“Why are you not reacting?!” She leapt at him, “Your life is a lie! You play this pretense of being a kind, civilized man.” He caught her and a hiss escaped from between his teeth as her claws bit into his back. She peered at him, “I see the true you, bound by all of those chains.” He let out a grunt of pain as she dug her claws in deeper. “Let it go! Free yourself! Enjoy the thrill of the hunt, lose yourself in sensation!”
Rian flung her down the bedroom hallway, letting out a bellow of pain as her claws ripped free. His body shuddered as the warp roiled beneath the surface. With a heavy exhale, he let his war form take him. A red haze filled his vision.
The sky cleared as dawn broke. Rian awoke as a beam of sunlight fell across his face. He glanced around the room and noticed that there were splattered flecks of blood all over his sheets. He looked down and noticed that he was naked. A towel was thrown over the back of a chair next to the bed. He got up and wandered into the bathroom. Everything was as it should be, there was just the scent of his soap and the recent dampness in the air. His thoughts were muddled, but the morning sunlight streaming in through the window lightened his heart and mood somewhat. He had a lingering sense of unease, but he could not place where it came from. He got dressed, gently musing on what Dee would be making for breakfast.
He stepped out into the hallway to the kitchen and his eyes strayed to the lengthy claw marks that marred the walls. He blinked as the sense of unease came rushing back. Fingertips trailed along the gouges. He then dropped his hand and quickened his pace. Birdsong and buzzing sound of insects met his ears as he came into the main room. His eyes widened and he gasped.
Drying blood clotted on the walls and furniture. Evidence of the lavish spread that existed before the carnage was spilled among the detritus of the scene.
The french doors to the backyard hung shattered, barely attached to their hinges. The range was bent and twisted, he caught the scent of leaking gas. The refrigerator door hung open. He tentatively glanced over, swallowing the rising panic. Max Anderson’s head sat on the top shelf. Eyes rolled up in death, the skin of his neck ripped and torn. Coagulating blood dripped off the glass edge, staining the tiles of the floor. Rian ran his hand through his coppery hair as his heart pounded in his chest. His breath was coming in great gulping gasps as he moved around the silent space. Bodies were strewn everywhere. Valentino’s body sat against one wall, what was left of his head pounded into jelly and dripped from the large hole in the wall just above his neck; the vertebrae shining wetly crimson in the morning light. Aakash and Nalini lay unmoving, sprawled brokenly on what was left of the living room furniture. His feet crunched through shattered glass and sent shards of what was left of the dining ware pinging off the tile and splattering thickening puddles of blood.
Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision as he stumbled out of the wreckage of his home.
“What happened?” he whispered to himself. He choked back a sob. The gardens were trampled and more bodies lay among bruised blossoms and fragrant herbs. The ground had been churned up, as if a gigantic bull had gone on a rampage. His eyes alighted on those who he recognized; with each one, the tightness of despair filled his chest. For a moment, he glanced back at the back wall of the house. More blood and some severe scorch marks pockmarked the painted siding. The deck furniture and most of the scroll worked railing had been reduced to kindling. As he scanned the tableau, he heard a small scream. He whirled in the direction of the sound. Crouched behind a shrub, Aubrey had hidden herself. Her panicked eyes met his for a moment.
“Bre!” he called, but she let out a scream of fright and took off headed towards the front of the house and the street beyond. Rian started after her, but then his thoughts traveled back to the scene. He made his way to one of the oaks in the back yard. One had evidence of scorch marks on its bark and some of the branches had been broken. He looked up and spied the fluttering yellow sash of Zhon’s caught on a branch. Haltingly, he retrieved it. His eyes blankly scanned around, in the shock and sinking despair. He was unwilling to take in anymore.
“This can’t be happening, this can’t be true.” he whispered.
“Oh, but it can.” was Soghodiya’s whispered reply. He whipped around,
“Show yourself!” he ordered fiercely. Laughter was in the reply,
“In due time, my sweet. I am really impressed, freeing yourself to your true self is quite the spectacle. You should do this more often.” Rian started to shake as he stood there with Zhon’s sash in his hands. In the tall grass beneath the tree, lay Zhon. His head was facing the wrong way, a look of shock still on his features. Rian’s mind reeled as he spied a fly land and crawl across his friend’s eye. He glanced down at his hands, there was blood crusted deep under his fingernails and staining the cuticles. He dropped the sash and put his hands to the sides of his head,
“No…no…no…” he stammered. The wind whistled through the trees.
“Yes,” was Soghodiya’s whisper. His eyes shot wide,
“Dee!” he whipped around. “Dee!” he called, “Dee are you out here?!” The wind was the only answer. He ran around calling her name as panic completely took him. There was a flash of gold in the morning light, just at the edge of the property line. His foot caught a section of flagstone. He fell sprawling, his hand landing in a half dried patch of blood. Reseema lay on was once Dee’s patch of roses, her skin swollen with the purple blossoms of bruises. Felix lay over her, his arms and legs broken in multiple places. The whiteness of his bones stuck through the fabric of his well tailored clothing. The buzz of insects grew louder, evidence of the oncoming touch of the Corruptor. He studied his hand, coated in their blood and shook to his soul. He scrabbled up to his feet,
“Dee!”he called, then lowered his voice, “Please be okay.” he dashed to where he spied the gold bordered sari. Ice seized his heart, trapping his breath in his chest as he came upon her. Asi lay dark and tarnished in the grass above her head. She lay on her back, legs at unnatural angles at the hips. Blood coated her from her pelvis to her ankles, the deep navy silk of her sari stained a rusty brown. Arms were flung to out from her sides. One hand was in a fist, clenched around a tangled lock of copper hair. Her face was turned to it left side, pillowed on the emerald cool grass, her face peaceful.
“No…” he whispered as his hand moved to his head, there was a tender patch on his scalp where the hair had been ripped away. Tears flowed copiously from his eyes and his chest burned. “No…oh no…Not this…never this…Dee!” He fell to his knees and then scrabbled over to her. Sobs erupted out of him as he pulled her broken body onto his lap. Her head lolled to one side, almost tenderly against his chest and his eyes widened. Insanity ate at the edge of his mind. Deep indentations of teeth marred the soft flesh her throat. The flesh on the left side of her face had been ripped away from the corner of her lip and back to above her left ear. What remained of the left side of her upper lip was swollen and bore more teeth marks. The edges of bone gleamed dully and her left eye bounced on the exposed muscles of her cheek and jaw. Raw insane emotion took hold and his mind filled with static. A sound of a wounded animal escaped his lips as he rocked the body of his wife. He buried his face in the jasmine scent of her hair. He could not erase the metallic smell of aging blood and ichor that came with it.
“Well this seems to be your magnum opus, Water Hound. I know that Arlo O’Halloran is dead, but maybe Rian Fitzgerald should be put out of his misery too.” Soghodiya whispered in his ear, “Give in, let go of that last chain, my dear. That of your conscience.” A rapid mutterings of disbelief and protests poured out of him and he could not help but hear Soghodiya’s voice around him, taunting and laughing in sheer delight.
Sunlight flashed off a broken piece of glass. He clasped Dee’s body to him as his eyes drifted over. Soghodiya’s face floated up at him, no longer the deer-like skin-walker, but the gorgeous femme fatale.
“You’re dead,” he managed to sputter.
“No, my dear.” she stated coolly. “Time to take the masks off.” As Rian watched, the image shimmered and was replaced by his own reflection. A sly smirk crossed his reflection’s features, the rage simmering in his eyes. The voice shifted to match his own, a deep chuckle echoed around him.
“It was always us.”
Rian turned his face away, burying it once more in his wife’s ebony tresses. Despair turned into a gibbering, chattering madness. He raised his eyes to the endless expanse of the cerulean firmament above.
“Noooo!”
Rian awoke with a yell and a start, sitting straight up in bed. The blanket and sheets were twisted around his body. Drenched in sweat, he rapidly glanced around the room, not quite sure that he was fully awake. Sean rose and went over to his owner. He pressed his head under Rian’s hand. Rian blinked, trying to gather his thoughts as he scratched his hound behind the ears. Sean let out a low whine.
“I think that I am okay, boy.” Rian whispered. He glanced over to the bedside. His phone, earbuds and wallet lay there. He picked up his phone the alarm was set to go off in about ten minutes. Contemplating dialing someone, he set the phone back down,
“I was just a dream,” he muttered. He ran a hand along his face, trying to wipe the sweat away. “Just a dream.” The images were still clear as crystal. He disentangled himself from the bedclothes. Sean stood at the foot of the bed, his tail slowly wagging. Rian let out a shudder as he looked around the room. “Shower first.”
The water hit him with heavy force. A pins and needles sensation along with heat started to physically relax him. He let the water flow over him.
“It was just a dream,” he repeated to himself. He looked down at his hands, scrutinizing them closely to see if there was any trace of blood. There wasn’t any. He washed up, letting out slow steady breaths center and ground him.
After he stepped out of the shower, he wiped the steam that had condensed on the mirror. Rian snagged a hand towel from the bar to the right of the vanity. He wiped down the mirror, revealing his reflection. He stared, going over every detail. There was evidence of wariness in his eyes. Part of him toyed with the thought that his reflection would respond. His hand found his brush and he ran it through his wet hair. Echoes of the nightmare flitted about him, he had the sensation of moths battering themselves against a lamp lit in the darkness. Rian shivered as goosebumps rose on his skin despite the warmth and humidity in the bathroom.
“Come on,” he chided himself, “It was just an awful nightmare. There was no way it was real.” Even as he told himself this, he didn’t fully believe it. He tucked the brush back into his toiletries bag. His eyes narrowed as he ran his hand through the area of his scalp; where in the nightmare, Dee had ripped a huge hank of coppery hair away. Rian let out a sigh of relief as he found that he had no bald patch, no missing hair. He shaved and did the rest of his daily grooming. A longing for Dee rose up within him.
“I have to make sure that she’s okay.” he muttered. There was a gentle knock on the door.
“Rian?” Aubrey called from beyond the door, “Are you alright? I heard you yell a little while ago.”
“I’m fine.” he replied, “I’ll be out in a sec.”
“Okay.”
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