Hair of Gold: Just Right (Urban Fairytales Book 6) (18 page)

I felt frost on my cheek where Isla had kissed me, and it faded to warmth as the wind died down. I saw little Isla standing on some stones at the back of the cave. She nodded sadly to me once as she faded back into some shadows while I absently touched my cheek where her kiss had been for so long. Her favor. She had interfered with mortal concerns, breaking those rules that seemed to bind her and the Scales. The icy spot was now gone.

My left arm and shoulder ached like I had been buried in a landslide and I had lost my blade in the impact somewhere. I had never been hit so hard in my life. I stared in horror at Hansel and the love of my life as amber strings, with the green overtones of their magic started streaming out, questing and seeking the focus Baird held.

I snapped out of my horror as the two rock creatures charged again, now I saw them for what they were, some sort of golems, made of stone and mud, not demons. Baird started laughing and interrupted his chanting by saying, “Finish her now. It is fitting that the life energy and magics of your companions who aided in the murder of my mother will help usher Styche the Trickster back into the mortal realm and bind him to me. All will bow to my power.”

My blood ran cold. Styche? He was truly a madman! Styche the Trickster would destroy the mortal world given the chance. The last to have bound him almost caused the downfall of mankind with the cursed Lycan Contagion. This madman didn't know what he was doing.

The golems ground out a challenge as they charged. I pulled in all the power I could from the amulet and roared right back, my bellow drowning theirs out. I slammed into the lead golem and struck it with both hands clasped together, and I heard bone snap in my hand as I shattered the boulder that made up its chest. I bit back a scream of pain as it flew to pieces that slammed into its companion, tearing its leg off and sending both to the ground in heaps of rubble.

I cupped my left hand in my right and assessed the damage as I started striding toward the druid. His eyes went wide, and he started chanting again, almost desperately. An artificial, chaotic wind whipped up, howling as it tore through the cavern and into that tear in the fabric of the world which was solidifying into a watery looking-glass.

I stumbled as the rocks and debris from the golems started rolling back together and regrouping. Within moments, the two were blocking my way to the dark druid. Swinging massive stone fists at me. I caught one fist in my right hand and crushed it to rock chips. I felt my teeth, they were fangs and my jaw ached, it felt wrong, elongated.

I yelped in pain as the other golem landed a blow to my left ribcage, and I heard more cracking of bone as my ribs broke. I roared, and I could see my own fangs in my own misshapen jaw as I did so. I heard a crinkling in my left hand as it felt like it was on fire as it reformed and I swiped a massive claw at the golem. Cracking the boulder that served as it's head in half. It fell, unmoving into a pile of rocks and mud.

The two blood red rubies which had been embedded in the creatures head, serving as its eyes, rolled off onto the cavern floor. That was it, that was how to defeat these seemingly unbeatable creatures, their heads were the only weak point. It is where their power was derived from. Those rubies.

I realized I was hunched over, so I stood up. I seemed to be growing as my perspective changed. Standing felt a little awkward like it was not natural. My clothing was starting to tear it was so tight. I roared my challenge again, and this time, it sounded an odd hybrid of human and Kodiak as I kept drawing upon the amulet, more than I ever had as I slammed into the second golem.

The chaos of sounds and wind being sucked into the breach were confusing and deafening. I could barely make out Baird as he started yelling out Styche's name and some archaic words, then again in Romanian, “Styche I call you forth, I bind you by my blood and by the sacrifices I have offered in your name!”

I was grappling with the pile of stone as ungodly screams and shrieks of pain, despair, and promise drown out all the other sounds around us. They were coming from the portal. Many hands started reaching through, trying to drag themselves into the mortal realm. They all pulled back quickly when the screeching scream of a beast who should never roam the world of man challenged them all.

My blood ran cold as I saw his shadowy outline approaching the portal. He had great leathery batwings which stretched out maybe twenty five feet, larger than his sibling, Hagareth, who we had sent back to his damnation in the underworld. His horns curled under, forged over the millennia into a crown of bone that marked him as one of the oldest demons, possibly older than mankind itself.

I could feel waves of malice and despair radiating off of the demon as he neared the opening between worlds. And there was a whispering of thousands of voices, promising me riches, promising me power beyond my wildest dreams if I were just to give Styche the small gift of my soul and serve him.

I couldn't tell where my thoughts ended, and the whispers began, they were like my own inner voices. I growled violently and shook my head to clear it as I tried to force my way past the golem. I tried to cuss in frustration but it just came out a bestial growl, and I cried out, “Brothers, I need you!”

I felt a rushing sensation as power streamed out of my chest then the golem threw me into a column of stone like a rag doll as my strength left me. It started to charge me, but Little Bear slammed into its side, tearing its body from its legs and knocked me away.

He roared at the golem as it tried to reform only to be crushed into dusty rubble when Andrei came down upon it with both massive claws.

Vladimir reared up and came down on the boulder that served as the creatures head and slammed down a great paw, swiping across it, claws leaving deep furrows in the stone and tearing the rubies out of is and it crumbled into a pile of stone and mud.

I rolled to my feet and favored my side again, without my strength, my reformed bones had broken again. I staggered to the outer circle and hit it like an invisible wall. I pushed into it, it was like flames were ravaging my flesh as I forced my way slowly into it, trying to get to Baird. I screamed a human scream of pain and frustration. I was so small and weak again, but I couldn't give up. I had to free Gretel, Hansel, and my brothers.

I leaned into the dark magics that started buffeting me like a great wind as it burned deeper into me, trying to take me over. I screamed in defiance then my brothers were there, leaning into the barrier with me, protecting me as they took the brunt of the damage from the chaotic wall of power and crackling sound as the winds in the cavern picked up, blowing debris past us.

I smelled burning fur and flesh as I finally stumbled into the first circle and started running toward a wide-eyed druid who started screaming Styche's name now in desperation. I glanced back to watch my brothers stumble into the circle. Then I screamed as they dissolved and their power came slamming back into me.

I grasped at that power. My rage, over what Baird was doing to my love, fueling me while I was blinded by more pain than I had ever known was possible. I dropped to all fours and charged the man. I was still as tall as him even on four legs. My clothing shredded, and my cloak tightened around my neck as I realized I had become full bear and felt stronger than I had ever been since the cursed amulet had fused with my flesh.

I was reaching for the druid when a long, leathery arm slung out of the portal and grasped my shoulder, its skin burning as it crossed the inner circle. Styche had me, I bellowed in pain as he tore me through another energy barrier into that inner circle. My fur and flesh were burned but healing fast as I pulled upon more and more power in my panic.

I slashed with a great paw and tore flesh from his arm, causing him to release me and screech in his own pain. The wind was pushing at my bigger form as I slid toward that breach, in reality, I scrabbled with my paws on the cavern floor, claws sparking as they dug deep furrows in the stone.

Then I tumbled to the very edge of the opening that singed me like the heat of a thousand suns when the rubble from the dead golems was blown into the underworld, pummeling me with stone. I glanced into the breach, and it almost drove me out of my mind, I saw the hell that was back there, and I cannot describe it to you lest I remember and I lose my tenuous grip on my sanity after witnessing the horrors.

But the scariest thing was the fires burning in Styche's eyes and the smile on his face. I saw myself reflected in his eyes, as a demon, serving him and wielding the power to corrupt. I roared in defiance to the sick promise I saw in his eyes, and I could hear my roar, the roar of a great beast, of a Kodiak, drowning out the moans and cries of that hell.

I whipped a claw out through the inner circle, the flesh and fur burning off my bones as I sank my claws into Baird's stomach and I yanked him through the inner barrier. His skin bubbled and burned, and his scream eclipsed mine as I threw him through the rift and into Styche who's smile turned into something purely delighted and evil. I figured if I were to die, I was taking the dark druid with me for the evils he had visited on my families.

But the rift wavered as Styche caught the druid. Then with a great explosion that sent me sailing through the air and slamming into the cavern wall fifty feet away, all of the chaos ceased, and I laid panting on the cavern floor, bathed in the eerie amber light from the alcoves.

My ears were ringing, and I could barely focus through my pain as I seemed to be getting smaller as my wounds started stitching together with the last remains of power which trickled into my core from the Kodiak Amulet.

I dragged myself along the floor toward the alcove where Hansel and Gretel were in the air with their backs to me, frozen in time. I was so tired. So very tired. I had never felt exhaustion like this before.

I heard voices I recognized and tried to make them out. Then someone slapped me, pushing away the fuzziness of pre-hibernation fog. I blinked up at Jacob, who was standing above me. He smiled and said, “No time for that yet. This isn't the right place for you to recharge. It will take more time than you would believe this time. You have used more magic that should have been possible.”

Wilhelm was looking around with a look of distaste as he hissed, “So this is where the monks had hidden the harvesting ring. This is magic that shouldn't be here. No mortal should be allowed this.”

His brother nodded agreement as he pulled me to my feet and I stared at my love behind the shimmering honeycomb of magic energy. I asked weakly, “Gretel... can you free her?”

They shook tier heads in unison, and my heart fell. Jacob said with genuine sorrow, “This is the magics that were on the Earth long before the rise of man. This is the work of the fairies and ancient gods. It would take one of the goddess mothers to free those in the harvesting ring.”

Wilhelm almost growled, “Archaic things. Devised by interference from those long past to siphon the life forces from other to infuse upon themselves. The Monks have been hiding this and using it in secret, beyond our scrying eyes.”

I sobbed once before getting myself under control in my exhaustion. I whispered, “So she is trapped for eternity?”

They both shook their heads and Jacob said, “No there is still one that wields the spark from one of the old mother goddesses of nature. Perchta, who can free them all.” He motioned to all of the other alcoves.

Wilhelm said, “You need to sleep the sleep of the bear spirits which infuse you. To recharge the amulet before you can walk the mortal world anew. But not here, we will place you where Gretta Snow, where Perchta and the other Avatars are sure to find you in another era of man. Then she can free your woman and the others.”

This gave me hope, but I was so tired. I could barely move.

Jacob seemed to sense this and exhaled in frustration. “We had thought to put you with Rapunzel and Evelyn where they sleep in the Heart of Silver, but you have but hours before we cannot stave off the hibernation sleep of your animal spirit.”

Then his eyes flew wide, and Wilhelm just nodded with a smile. “Yes... yes that will do.”

They were speaking in riddles again. I growled weakly and hit Jacob in the gut with what little strength I had left. I hissed in a shaky voice, “What did I say about speaking in riddles?”

The two men laughed and looked around, then each laid one of my arms over their shoulder, and they half walked me, half dragged me deeper into the cave system. Tears silently rolled down my cheeks as I cried, my heart hurt so much as I thought of the woman who had loved me for me, for the monster I was, and her fate.

This will be my final entry into the journal as I will have to hibernate soon. I have been slowing down as I have written out my story as they asked the past few hours. I can tell they are doing something to keep me conscious, and it must be bending their rules because Isla is here, sitting beside me, laying against my side as I have written this all out for others to read and to know my story, and the story of my brothers and of Hansel and Gretel.

I can barely keep my eyes open so please forgive my sloppy handwriting, the quill feels like it weighs thirty pounds.

We had come out of the immense cave system outside the walls of London on the other side of the River Thames. Just a stone's throw away from the cemetery of the Black Crypt. They walked me through the night and up to the black briars, the moonlight cast eerie shadows around us.

Jacob asked the little spirit who was holding onto the hem of my cloak, which was all that hid my modesty, “Is this satisfactory, watcher?”

Isla nodded solemnly. “You push the rules to the breaking point once again, Scales, but I like this one. She is nice to me like Rapunzel was. So I am inclined to not speak to the higher powers about your indiscretions.”

They nodded seriously at the girl. Jacob turned to me and asked, “Will you trust us?”

I snorted, and Isla tittered. Then I sighed and nodded once. I pulled away for a second when Wilhelm reached from behind me to put a blindfold over my eyes. I relaxed and allowed it as he said, “Let us guide you, do not move your hands from your side, don't even breathe deeply until we take the blindfold off. There is only one way through the maze of briars, and if you even think about it you will go astray, and the briar patch will claim yet another life.

I exhaled shakily when I understood what was going on. I nodded once and then Jacob took one of my elbows, Wilhelm the other and they dragged me toward the barrier that was put up by the love of Nicole of Arad.

We twisted and turned, my feet shuffling as I tried to make myself as small as possible, it felt like an odd dance, there felt like some sort of rhythm to it, then I heard the creaking of heavy metal doors, and we stepped into a hollow sounding space, and the doors slammed shut. A moment later I was shading my eyes from an oil lamp as the blindfold was removed. I was in shock, I was in the Black Crypt. I had passed through the impenetrable living barrier and yet breathed.

Then I sucked in a breath when I looked around and saw a beautiful warrior woman in gleaming, polished silver armor, laying on a granite slab. I blinked, her two swords were with her, and they had the same markings as my broadsword bore. It truly had been a blade owned by Nicole of Arad. She looked so pale and beautiful, and I blinked because she looked so peaceful and... she was breathing in her endless sleep... Alive!

Jacob told me that this is where I too would sleep until the Kodiak Amulet was recharged. Wilhelm scared me a bit by speaking about other eras and future wonders to be seen. Just how long did they think I would be hibernating? And how long before I could free my love?

***

Sorry... I dozed off there for a moment.

***

And again... the Scales look to be at the end of their ability to keep me awake. I will sleep and hope that someone somewhere reads this and doesn't forget about my story and the sacrifices all who have come to be loved by me have made.

Sweet little Isla just said, “It is time Kat.” She kissed my cheek again, saying, “Thank your for seeing me and making me feel like a real person again, if just for a little while.”

I smiled at her and said, “I will see you when I awaken little one.”

She smiled and promised, “I will watch over you as you sleep, just as I do Nicole.”

She moved to the corner of the crypt and crouched as I finish this entry. Good night all.