Demon Singer II (17 page)

        "I'd sooner do it with the demoness." She growled, and headed back to their cabin.

        The captain, to his credit, stayed upright, chuckling and rubbing his jaw.

        "You've got your hands full with these two, Demon Singer." Lyric winced at the Blue Man's continuous use of the unwelcome title.  The captain either didn't notice or - more likely - didn't care. He turned his attention back to Acheron. "To answer your question, she stole my heart. Coaxed him to the water and dragged him to the deep." The captain stared back out over the water.  "She's always there, just beyond my reach, taunting me. I will catch or kill every mermaid I run across until I find her. Mermaids fear very little and respect less, but they will fear and respect the blue men of the Minch by the time I'm done."

        "Will you kill her when you find her?" Lyric asked.

        "I thought of that." Glas took a swig from his bottle, "I believe my queen would be annoyed if I meted out justice against her daughter. No, I won't kill her. I'll take her before Calypso, though, and let the mother deal with the daughter."

        “The mermaid you're hunting is the daughter of Calypso?”

        “Aye lad, Calypso's finest daughter, Tovi Rafe.”

        “Tovi Rafe is a mermaid? I need to find her too!”

        Glas cocked an eyebrow.

        “What business do
you
have with that wretched murderess?”

        Lyric fished the gem he was to deliver from his pocket and presented it to the captain. Glas took it and examined it closely.

        “This is a memory.” He said.

        “A memory of what?”

        The captain shrugged.

        “The only person who knows is the one who took it, the only person who can retrieve is the one it belongs to. If you're looking to deliver it to Tovi, it must be hers.”

        Lyric accepted the gem back. He bid the captain goodnight and retired with Acheron to their suite. The demoness was unusually quiet and pensive, Lyric looked at her quizzically.

        "Bitch-face called me demoness," Acheron explained with a misty look in her violet eyes.  "I think she's starting to like me."

*   *   *   *   *

        "Your highness?" The Keylac spoke so softly, Trytohn barely heard him.

        "Don't be shy." Trytohn kicked free a supporting pillar for one of the rain tanks tended by the Thunder Monks. The pillar bounced off one of the pacing hellhounds awaiting his command. The Monks themselves were conspicuously absent. Trytohn noticed the Keylac looking around nervously. "I set off a volcano out east. The Monks are trying to reign in the ash cloud." He said. "And my hellhounds are looking to join this flood I'm sending to middle America. What news do you have for me?"

        "Leviathan failed. The Verger and the Singer cut off his head."

        Trytohn smiled.

        "That's downright impressive. Who would've thunk it?" Trytohn kicked another support. He stared off into the distance, checking his aim. Kansas would do nicely. "I confess, I am more than a little annoyed by this news. I have just enough time to get this flood going before I need to get back to hell to greet Lisian when she attacks. I suppose Acheron and her friends will have to wait until I'm done cleaning house.”

        Trytohn set a foot against the final column and whistled at his dogs. The huge beasts perked up, virtually vibrating with excitement. Trytohn shoved the support free and the rain tank tipped forward spilling across the sky and sending calamity toward Overland Park.

*   *   *   *   *

        "Any idea how long this is going to take?" Jessica Fairfield spun her ball cap around backwards on her head.

        Lisian glowered at the pretty girl.

        "You know, if you lost the ball cap and put on some makeup, you might actually look like a girl." The demoness said as she led Jessica to the cellar beneath an old barn in Iowa.

        "I look amazing. Don't be jealous that you can't rock this look." The human responded sourly.

        The demoness stopped herself from ripping the girl apart, partly because Jessica was necessary for the binding of Trytohn, but mostly because her shoulders still hurt from the last time she tried.  

        There was no doubt about it. Whatever the vamps did to the girl was powerful magic indeed.  The most interesting aspect being Lisian's own ignorance.  A spell that strong should require an immensely powerful binding.  Lisian was the Power of Bondage. The fact that she could sense no such binding was curious to her.

        Speaking of binding.

        "Now Jessica, in order for you to enter the Verge alive, I have to possess you. Humans aren't built to pass through the second veil alive."

        "Whoa," Jessica backed up quickly, hands raised in protest. "What do you mean possess me? That does not sound good."

        "We can't take the route of Varia's army because I can't enter Markhato undetected.

In order for you to use this door you must be bound to a demon or another spirit of sufficient strength. The only other ways through the veil for you that I'm aware of are either dead or in the company of a monster you don't want to meet. We can do this my way or I can return you to the vamp as defective merchandise. I'm not sure what they do with returned items but I don't like your chances."

        "I'm not real worried. I can't be hurt as you already know from experience." Jessica pointed out smugly.

        Lisian laughed, a delighted tinkle of merriment.

        "Poor, sweet, ignorant human.  There are countless of ways to torture you without hurting you." Lisian tucked a lock of hair behind Jessica's ear. "I can come up with plenty of ideas myself. Maybe I'll just keep you and we can experiment. My last pet wasn't nearly as special as you."

        They reached the far wall of the musty cellar and Lisian traced a door with her finger.   Immediately the wall vanished in a puff of smoke.

        "Moment of truth sweetheart." Lisian's pleasant smile seemed sinister in the context of their conversation.

        Jessica peeked into the dark hole in the basement wall.

        "How long will you possess me?" She asked nervously.

        "Just until we get through the veil. The second we arrive on the Verge I'll release you, I promise."

        "What's the promise of a demon worth?" Jessica asked.

        Lisian shrugged.

        "Not much, I'm afraid. But that's a decision you'll have to make on your own." Lisian paused thoughtfully and turned to face Jessica squarely. "Perhaps this will help you decide. I have a lot riding in this little venture and the odds are not exactly in my favor. If I fail, I will be cast into the pit. Guess who I will make certain is riding shotgun?"

        Jessica thought carefully. Typically she had some help with these kinds of decisions but the muses were silent.

        
What the hell?  
She thought to herself.
I've come this far, might as well jump in.

        "Let's do it." The girl said.

        Lisian made a motion as though stretching out a rope and tossing it over Jessica's head. An odd sensation overcame the girl, then Lisian smoked out.

        Jessica blinked in surprise, then became aware of a presence inside of her.

        "What the hell?" She exclaimed aloud.

        
Not yet, but that's where we're headed.
Lisian's voice spoke inside her mind as she seized control of Jessica's tongue.
Quit bitching, this is exactly what you agreed to.  Besides, I'm not fully possessing you, I'm just hitching a ride to mask your humanity. I'll leave as soon as we're across the Verge. As long as you're not a complete moron, I'll even let you have control.

        
Jessica felt her tongue loosen.

        "I don't like this." She said

        
I don't care.
Lisian replied.
Let's go.

        Upon entering, Jessica was attacked by a slew of various spirits; phantoms, poltergeists, wraiths and elementals.  

        The girl blinked in surprise but otherwise stood calmly amidst the frenzy of activity. The shrieks and snarls of the spirits increased dramatically as the harm they attempted to inflict in the girl was turned back upon themselves. Lisian urged Jessica to keep walking.

        The girl obeyed, ignoring the monsters surrounding her. They were in a large cave that had a tunnel leading up carved into the wall. Upon reaching the tunnel, her attackers suddenly lost interest and vanished.

        
Sorry about that,
Lisian said unapologetically.
This is one of the few entrances accessible to humans. It's guarded by the angry spirits.

        "Why are they angry?"  Jessica asked curiously.

        
Because you humans screwed everything up for them.

        "What did we do?"

        
You broke the law.
The demoness answered vaguely as they made their way up the tunnel.
None of
us
care, of course. Us demons were already fallen by the time you showed up. Half of us lamented your stupidity, the other half laughed our asses off.

        "I'm guessing you're one of those who laughed," Jessica said.

        
Sweetie, I'm still laughing. You retarded apes had even more to lose than we did before you went and screwed the pooch. We only hurt ourselves, but you broke
everything
.

        Enough of that, listen carefully. Humans don't belong on the Verge. Your protection is strong and should keep you safe from others.  Even so, it is essential no one knows you're a human.

        "Won't it be kinda obvious?" Jessica gestured to herself.

        
No, a lot of Vergers look human. Just keep your mouth shut. I don't want to waste time and energy fighting our way to the Gates.

        They reached the entrance to the cave and encountered a man standing quietly, his hands at his sides. Suddenly, Jessica's stomach went cold with fear. She could feel Lisian trembling within.

         It made no sense. There was nothing remotely menacing about him. If anything, he looked pleasantly average. So why was she terrified?

        "Cassum! I didn't know you'd be here!"

        Lisian spoke with Jessica's mouth and sounded nonchalant, but Jessica could feel the tension within her.

        "Hello, Lisian, who's the meat suit?"

        "Flavor of the week. What are you up to, handsome?"

        "I've been called to a catastrophe in Kansas. What's your name?” Cassum fixed his eyes on Jessica, curiosity traveled the path of his gaze.

        Abruptly Jessica felt Lisian let go and vanish. She was again in control of her own body.

        “My name is Jessica, Jessica Fairfield... sir?” Her trembling voice turned her last word into a nervous question. How were you supposed to address someone who filled you with dread?

        Cassum chuckled.

        “Cassum, please,” he said kindly. “You're an interesting girl, Jessica Fairfield. I can't see
any
of your due dates. What are you doing with Lisian?”

        “Due dates..? We're… I don't… I don't really know.” she said lamely. “All I know is that I'm supposed to go to hell and push some trident into a hole.”

        Cassum’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

        “That is bold, I certainly admire Lisian's initiative. How is she going to get you there without getting you mutilated beyond recognition? Let alone in good enough shape to push a ‘trident’ into a hole?”

        Jessica shrugged helplessly. Why did Lisian abandon her?

        Cassum laughed again.

        “Don’t worry, as I said, your due dates are a mystery to me.” Cassum continued to stare at Jessica intently. The weight of his gaze felt like what she imagined staring into the muzzle of a shotgun felt like to most people. “That makes you fascinating. I'll be keeping an eye on you.”

        With a friendly wink, Cassum strode past her in the direction from which she has just come with Lisian. As soon as he disappeared, the demoness smoked into being beside Jessica and expelled a relieved breath.

        “Who was that?” Jessica asked immediately. “And why did you leave me alone with him?”

        “I didn't, he pulled me out and held me aside while he talked  to you.” Lisian couldn't stop grinning. “And he couldn't see any of your due dates.”

        “Due dates for what?” Jessica asked in exasperation.

        “You due dates are all the points in your life where Cassum might come for you.”

        “WHO IS HE?!” Jessica shouted in exasperation.

        “The angel of death. Come, let us go.”