Demon Singer II (25 page)

        Lyric had never seen this before. He wasn't even sure what was happening, but he sang stronger, giving the last of his strength to the fire. The violet flames spread across her chest and shoulders, forming a cloak of fire that turned her watery prison to steam. A pained cry sounded from the flood and the waters suddenly released, pouring out of the town and sending the townsfolk washing away again. Lyric grabbed an unconscious Acheron and held her tight as they were carried further away from the town.

        Eventually he was able to find some footing and wearily stood up.  He held Acheron cradled in his arms and marveled again at how light she was, even without his demon enhanced strength. The strength he gave her helped, but she remained unconscious.

        Slogging back to the town he found himself being joined by villagers.  They looked at him curiously, but no one challenged him or tried to stop him.

        "The lass doesn't look too good." A familiar voice spoke from his right.  He glanced over to see Dispo Sitorem walking beside him.

        Upon reaching the town he saw Cadence laying on a roof, sunning herself peacefully.

        "Nice work, your majesty." He called up to her.

        "And you as well, sir. I should have known he would cheat. How's the whore? My tie to her feels numb."

        "I'm worried about her." Lyric looked down at the unconscious demoness in his arms. From this angle she looked like an exceptionally pretty, but otherwise totally normal girl. He felt that familiar twist in his lower back that seemed to be the place where his desire collided with his self control. He sighed in frustration. Then sighed again as he realized Cadence, who was making her way down the side of the building, was still conscious and knew every detail of his very carnal struggle. "She's fading fast.  If we're attacked again before restoring her magic I'm afraid we'll all be in trouble. Even if Calypso was telling the truth."

        "Truth?" The Verger frowned as she joined him and Diz. "What truth?"

        "Calypso says the soul tie doesn't influence our final judgments." Lyric laid Acheron down on a soggy patch of grass.

        Diz joined Cadence in frowning at Lyric.

        "That doesn't ring true, boy." He said. "Everything we've learned about the Soul Tie indicates otherwise.  Revelation himself told Ervin and me years ago that Vergers share the grace of their Singers. Calypso was lying."

        "For what purpose?"

        "Probably so you'd give up on your Verger. Even with your demoness out of commission no one wants to tangle with the Demon Singer."

        "Why did you call me that?" Lyric's hackles raised in alarm.

        The old man held up a large hand to restrain Lyric's concern. "Calm yourself, Lyric, I knew who you were immediately. Though I was surprised to see you were the answer I've been seeking. I've been aware of the Demon Singer since before you were being called that. But, I had no idea you would be connected to my personal situation."  

        "What are you talking about?" Lyric asked irritably. "Why not just be honest?"

        "Curiosity." The old man said unashamedly. "That and my natural tendency toward discretion and protecting the people of this town."

        The Singer shook his head.  Having no secrets from Cadence and Acheron was difficult.  On the other hand it had the consequence of making it more difficult for him to tolerate dishonesty in others.

        "Be straight, how do you know of me and what business do we have together?"

        Dispo opened his mouth to reply when an odd shift occurred in Creation's Score.  Suddenly the old man was flying sideways and standing in his place was an enormous and misshapen brute with four eyes and lopsided body easily nine feet tall.

        "Run boy, that's a Fomorian!" Lyric glanced to the side to see Dispo pinned against a wall by another of the giants. Cadence was already attacking a third and more were coming.

*   *   *   *   *

        "Lisian, I'm disappointed."

        Jessica felt the demoness tremble beside her at the sound of the voice. Turning around they saw a man come strolling toward them. The most beautiful man Jessica had ever seen, even as he tossed aside the shattered body of what used to be a large man. He was breathtaking, she knew this to be true when she inhaled suddenly, unaware that she had, in fact, stopped breathing.

       Lisian launched herself at him and a part of Jessica protested. It would be a crime to damage something so beautiful.

       Trytohn swatted the demoness aside like she was an insect and Lisian came skidding to a stop on the edge of the pit. In a flash she was up again and running at the king of hell.

       Just before she reached him Blink appeared behind him with a big man with blue tattoos in tow. The tattooed man threw his meaty arms around the prince of darkness and held him. Trytohn registered a look of surprise then winced just before Lisian hit him so hard his head really should have come off.

       His head remained attached, though, and he broke free of the tattooed man's embrace. Turning to face him, he pushed him in the chest.  Jessica watched in horror as the unfortunate man's chest sunk in so far his organs must have become soup.          

       Unfortunately for him, this was hell, so he couldn't die until Trytohn allowed it. All he could do was lie broken in agony, unable to move or breathe.

       Jessica Fairfield was not easily moved by anything.  For some reason witnessing this particular horror did just that. Leaping forward she began hitting Trytohn as hard as she could.  It seemed to take him a moment to realize she was attacking then he backhanded her.

       It was a gratifying thing to see the beautiful one go spinning to the ground. Staring up at her in surprise, then anger, Trytohn leaped to his feet.

       He made a sweeping gesture and a gout of black flame leapt from the pit he stood beside and washed over Jessica. The girl actually flinched as the fire fell but it was a masculine scream that split the air.

       Looking back at Trytohn she saw he was bubbling from head to toe. She almost felt sorry for him until he began screaming actual words.

       "I'm going to find your mother and rip her apart every day and shit on the remains! Your father is down here roasting on a spit! I'm going to make him watch, then feed him the result! Everyone you've ever cared about is going to die horribly for all eternity!"

       An oddly pleasant smell washed through the air, out of place amidst the odors of hell. Trytohn looked past Jessica's shoulder and shrieked.

       "NO!!"

       Jessica turned in spite of herself to see a large tree beside a burning river engulfed in the same flame that had been intended for her.

*   *   *   *   *

        Lyric looked back at the creature which was staring at him with all four eyes.  Very aware of Acheron's helpless state and position on the other side of the creature, Lyric opened his mouth to begin his battle song.  The fomorian declined him the opportunity, a decision it indicated by shoving a mammoth fist into his gut.

        The Singer flew through the air in a graceful arc and landed in a heap that was not at all graceful.  Shaking off the pain, the singer scrambled to his feet, even though he was certain he'd never be able to breathe again.

        A sudden surge of strength flooded through Lyric's body and his concern became jubilation.  The giant lumbered toward him but was abruptly knocked off course by a leather clad figure that slammed into its head, forcing it to its knees.

        "Get up, Lover!" Acheron crowed from atop the fomorian's shoulders. "We got work to do!"

        "Acheron? How'd you get your magic back?"

        "No clue, don't look a gift whore in the mouth!" She yelled gleefully as she twisted the giant's head all the way around. The demoness smoked out and reappeared next to Lyric. Cadence surged past them, clinging to her sword which was buried to the hilt in the back of her giant.

        "Just let go of the sword, you have more!" Lyric yelled as he turned to deal with the fomorian that was preparing to paint a house with Diz.

        "I like this one!" She shouted as her giant went staggering back the other direction.

        Lyric was relieved to see Diz standing over a smoldering pile of ash.  The old man met the Singer's eye and pointed past his shoulder. Lyric turned around to see at least fifty fomorians standing in the trees at the edge of the town.  They were largely outnumbered by the various creatures standing with them, many of which Lyric remembered being with Oberon earlier.

        Cadence walked up beside him, wiping her sword on her jeans.

        "So, do we go kill them there or wait for them to come to us and kill them here?" She asked.

        "I don't really want to do either," Lyric said watching as more bodies appeared among the trees.  He could see trolls and elves and vampires and dwarves and Amazons and several he'd never seen before. "Look at them all.  They're going to be a handful, no matter how you slice it. Acheron, what do you think?"

        "I think I feel great, let's kill stuff."

        The three of them began walking toward the trees. Then abruptly stopped as Lisian stepped through the line of supernaturals to face them.

*   *   *   *   *

       Turning back around Jessica saw Trytohn was beginning to heal. His face had become a mask of beautiful stillness.

       "Lisian, you managed to surprise me," he said calmly. "It is unfortunate for you that the flame from the pit can't kill me before my time."

       Trytohn was back in control of his faculties. All trace of his rage had vanished.  He seemed almost friendly.

       "Master," Lisian knelt in terror.

       "Don't be foolish," the beautiful one said amusedly. "You've betrayed me on so many levels it makes me dizzy.  Don't call me master and don't kneel. You have a different master now, and I don't believe he will protect you from my wrath."

       Lisian stood up, visibly trembling, but kept her head down, refusing to look at Trytohn.

       "Don't be afraid dear," Trytohn smiled at Jessica, "I'm not foolish enough to attack you again. I heard you were special, but had no idea how much so. The magic used to make you what you are didn't come from me or my realm. You have nothing to fear from me."

       For some reason that didn't make Jessica feel terribly reassured.

       "What are you waiting for?" She whispered loudly at the demoness as though the Prince of Darkness couldn't hear her from a few feet away. "Do something."

       "She can't, my dear." Trytohn closed the gap and took hold of Lisian's hand, holding it up to display Varia's ring. "She hasn't been ordered to yet by her new master because I'm interrupting his influence." He took hold of the ring that marked Lisian as Varia's mistress and pulled it off her hand.  The demoness whimpered and crouched down, covering her head with her arms.  "That's why she's so terrified. Forgive the double negative, but poor Lisian can't not have a master. She is unique among my Nychta Polemistis. It's the flip side of her power.  The Power of Bondage must be in bondage.  Now that I've rejected her and removed her tether to her other master, she can't do anything but sit there and cry." Trytohn kicked the demoness over in contempt and she lay in the fetal position, sobbing. "Of course I'll have to replace her, I need someone responsible for the gates.  But this creature is worthless to me."

       He squatted down beside the demoness.   He almost sounded wistful when he spoke again.  "It's too bad really. The entire time I watched you betray me I kept thinking you would come to your senses. You had to know there's no way for you to defeat me."

       Trytohn stood up and threw the ring into the pit. Then a remarkable thing happened. The steel band came zipping back, growing as it came. The prince of lies had just an instant to look surprised before it spun and broke and twisted and wrapped itself around him.

       "There's the beauty of this plan," another voice said. "You kept watching her, even though you knew she wasn't a threat." Varia Tur had appeared on the other side of Trytohn.  "Your contempt for the rest of creation caused you to dismiss the real threat."  

       Lisian stood up and smiled brightly.

       "You're right, I don't stand a chance against you, Trytohn." She said.  "I'm part of your power source. Vergers on the other hand are completely independent of Hell and your powers. As long as you can't touch them, they're immune to you. You were watching me and Acheron so closely that you missed the whole plan."

       Trytohn strained against the bands encircling him, murder on his face.

       "You cannot begin to fathom the punishment I'm going to rain down on you both."

       "That's completely terrifying," Varia said cheerfully. "Thankfully I've come prepared. That steel band wrapped around you was made by me, it's powered by me but it was designed by your very own Power of Bondage." Turning, he beckoned to Jessica. "Here's your moment child. Neither Lisian nor I dare get near him. You are the only created being alive that can touch Trytohn without fear.  All you need to do is give him a firm shove into that pit."