Struck: (Phoebe Meadows Book 1) (10 page)

Fen hoisted himself out of the pool in one fluid motion, turning to situate himself on the ledge surrounding it. He moved with the grace of a dancer, which belied his bulky frame. He was still wearing his shorts, which seemed like it should be a relief. I hadn’t had the courage to look before. They clung to every single inch of him, his powerful thighs outlined in stark definition. They were utterly breathtaking. I’d never seen muscles stand out like that before. As he began to address me, I had to tear my eyes away from the spectacle of them and focus on his face, which was not much of a hardship either. “No, Valkyrie, they are in no way humanlike. Humans resemble gods because they were created in the same likeness long ago. Here in Muspelheim, nothing human would survive for very long.”

That didn’t bode well for me. “What do they look like?”

“Fire demons.”

“Um, can you be more specific?” I slid off the rock and rose out of the water, finding my way to the edge of the pool. It took me two tries to make it onto the ledge and another blundering turn to sit.

Fen had me beat in the grace department by a long shot.

“They are skeletal thin, with skin as dark as night. Their eyes burn brightly, and their bodies are feverish to the touch. They have forked tongues, and their teeth are sharp, like bits of coal made to points.”

Water dripped down my body, settling in my skirt. “They sound…delightful.”

“They are not powerful beings, but their blood is acid and can devour skin. They lack any real battle skills and can be killed in numerous ways, unlike the ettins you’ve already encountered. In the scope of our worlds, a fire demon is among the least fearsome.”

“Good to know, even though they sound fearsome enough to me. And, in case you’ve forgotten, I have nothing to defend myself with, thanks to you. So their sharp teeth might be enough to kill me if they get a good hold.”

“You will not need to defend yourself. They will not get past me.”

Absentmindedly, I pulled my skirt up, hoping to get the water to run out, and ran a hand over the dagger wound Fen had just given me. It was sealed, but tender. Then I brought my ankle up and crossed it over my knee so I could investigate the bite marks. The numerous punctures from Bragnon’s hateful incisors were gone, and the skin had fully knitted back together. I reached up and caressed my neck where Verdandi had gouged me, and felt only smooth skin. This really was a miracle healing pool.

I glanced up to find Fen staring at me. I cleared my throat. “Listen, I can’t hide out in this tiny cave forever,” I told him as I uncrossed my legs. “Like you said, this world is no place for a human. It’s already inhospitable to me. It pushes down like a heavy weight on my chest, making it hard to breathe. It’s like being forced to live in a stinky sauna. I don’t stand a chance of surviving for any length of time. I’m going to need to find a way to get out of here.”

“You are no human.” He jumped off the ledge and walked toward me. “You will find that you can survive in a lot worse places.” He was still wet, but less so than I.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I swung my legs around, dangling them off the edge. “I’m not who you think I am, and there’s no way I will last here. I need to get home.” I eased myself down and went to pick up my discarded clothing, which I spotted by the bloodstained rock I’d passed out on.

“No, shieldmaiden, I think you are possibly much more than even I anticipated.”

I turned toward him, totally ticked off. “How many Valkyries do you know who’ve passed out recently from blood loss? If Ingrid is any indication, Valkyries are strong and noble. It doesn’t seem likely that they’d faint unless someone had a sword wedged between their ribs.” I gathered up my clothing and errant boot, spinning to face him again. “I hardly think I fit the bill of a woman warrior. One bite of poison, and I was ready to throw in the towel.”

“Say what you will.” Fen stood his ground, crossing his arms. “But I know what I saw to be true. No human could glow as brightly as you did. You are going to have to dig deeply, Valkyrie, because at some point you will be forced to live up to your fate. No human could land in this world. No human could traverse a dead
cillar
. You are
no
human.”

“I don’t have to do any digging,” I grumbled. “I just have to make sure I get out of here before the fire demons flay me open or melt me with their acid blood. I don’t care if you believe me. If you’re not going to help me, I’ll do it myself.” I made my way around him, toward the fire burning in the small alcove above the pool. That must be where he lived, and I was tired.

I would plan my brilliant escape tomorrow.

As I took the few steps up the makeshift stairway, I heard what sounded like a flare gun, followed by the sound of a hollow firecracker.

There were two more in quick succession.

Pop…pop, pop.

I spun around. “What was that?”

Fen was a few paces behind me. His face said it all. “They are here.”

9

__________________________

____________

“W
hat do you mean
they are here
?” I cried. “The fire demons? Already?” There was another hollow popping sound. “That sounds like a flare gun shooting off a firecracker.”

“They’ve tripped my wires.” Fen bounded up the stairs past me, flinging himself into his living area, grabbing a loose shirt, and scooping up several weapons from the floor all in one motion. “I have rigged lines throughout the cave entrance that are attached to small explosives. It will keep them busy for a few moments.”

I rushed to the other side of the cave, following him, tossing my clothes to the floor. I plucked up my shirt and pulled it on. It stuck to my still wet body, making it harder to put on than it should be. Once I was done, I spun around and took a good look around. Fen’s makeshift house was rough, to say the least. There were a few cobbled together places to sit and eat, all chunked out of rock. A very crude-looking fire pit sat in the middle with a bedroll to one side.

What I was really looking for was Gram.

It was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s my dagger!” I yelled, fear seeping into every word. “Give it back. I need something to protect myself with in this horrible place. That’s what Ingrid told me when she gave it to me.”

“Valkyrie, you are to stay here,” Fen ordered as he ran down the steps, shirt on, weapons at the ready. “Do not follow me out of this cavern. You will be safe here. I’ll be back as soon as I am able.”

“What if you don’t come back?” I called, fisting my hands at my sides. “I have no way to defend myself. You’re leaving me here to die again!”

“I will return, shieldmaiden,” he said simply as he leaped onto a small raised platform, then jumped, landing gracefully by the tunnel opening. He turned toward me, his body looking powerful and ready. “They will not best me. I will always come back.”

“Don’t you dare leave me here with nothing!” My voice sounded hoarse in my own ears. “I swear I will lose my mind, Fen. I will not stay in this wretched world without protection!” Gram had been my only sanity and lifeline since I’d been separated from Ingrid. Without it, panic would settle over me quickly.

He paused at the tunnel opening. “There are a few iron rods buried under those stones.” He gestured somewhere behind me. “If the demons manage to get back here, which is highly unlikely, use iron on them. They wither and die if you hit a vital organ.”

Then he was gone.

I raced over to the stone pile he’d pointed to and fell to my knees. There was a small recessed area under one side. I used my hands to dig under it like a dog uncovering the best, most rewarding bone of its life.

There, lying under a coating of sand and dirt, were two small iron rods, both honed to crude points. They each measured about as long as my arm. I got up, clutching them, one in each hand. They weren’t samurai swords, but I guess they’d have to do.

I glanced around the small cavern.

Now what?

A loud screech rent the air, and my head snapped to the mouth of the tunnel Fen had just disappeared through. It sounded like something awful had just died a horrifying death.

It was followed by a bellow of rage.

The roar sounded like Fen, but it was a much rougher version, more primal.

I searched frantically for a place to hide. There was nothing in Fen’s lair, so I ran down the steps and scoured the cave. There was absolutely no cover to be had in this tiny place. The walls were all smoothed out. There were lots of boulders scattered around, but nothing that could hide a body completely. I ran by the pool, hoping there would be something there, and found nothing.

Crap!

Another horrid screech hit my ears. Then another. Followed by a bigger sound from Fen.

Victory didn’t sound like a sure thing.

What if there were a hundred this time, instead of just fifty? Or two hundred? If there were enough of them, couldn’t they overpower him and swarm the caves? I was trapped back here like a rat. That feeling was getting old fast.

I spun, searching for another way out, an offshoot tunnel or something. But the only exit I could see was the tunnel Fen had taken to the larger cavern.

If the demons rushed back, I was toast, with nowhere to run. I couldn’t stay here. If I made it out to the bigger cavern, where the portal was, I could at least try to find a place to hide. There were tons of dark, recessed areas I could conceal myself in until Fen was done fighting. If the demons could smell me, I’d be out of luck, but it was worth the risk.

I hadn’t gone through everything to end up dead, skewered through the heart by a fire demon with burning blood! I wanted to go home, and to do that I had to stay alive.

Holding on to that thought, I ran toward the mouth of the tunnel, gripping the iron rods tightly in both hands. They felt warm and secure.

Not like Gram, but good enough.

I stopped at the opening, cocking my head to listen. I heard screeches, but my best guess was they were coming from farther over than just the next cavern. This cave network had to boast a lot of different rooms.

Now was my chance. I had to make a break for it.

I crept into the tunnel. It was a long one, and after one turn, it got darker. I reached up and placed a hand along the wall, running my knuckles over the bumpy rock as a guide. The skin was going to get torn up, but there was no way I was letting go of either of my rods.

After a few more turns, I stopped and crouched down to listen.

It wasn’t easy to move stealthily in a skirt. Why did I have to pick a skirt to wear today? I owned a total of only three. Without hesitating, I stood, tracing my fingers along the seam on the side. Then I took the point of one of the rods and slashed it into the cloth and ripped down, tearing open the seam. Then I did the other side.
Voilà
.

Now it was an oversize loincloth—a skirt I could actually move in.

A loud snarl brought my head up.

Fen sounded angry.

What if he was in trouble? Was I going to stand by and let him get killed? If he died, I would die. If I joined him, wouldn’t two of us against the hordes be better odds? But I wasn’t ready to fight. I’d never done it before.

I’d likely be a nuisance, rather than a help.

I inched forward. I’d decide when I had to, not before.

One more curve, and a faint glimmer of light hit the walls, casting flickering shadows and giving the tunnel a reddish glow. The big cavern I’d first landed in was straight ahead.

Very slowly, I halted in front of the opening. With relief, I could see the noises weren’t coming from this cavern. Tentatively, I placed a foot into the room.

Something jumped in front of me.

It took me completely off guard. All I saw were red, glowing eyes, and I screamed.

It must’ve been perched up on a boulder waiting. In the low light it looked like a specter—a mere shadow of a thing. Thin didn’t quite cover it. The demon was literally a bag of bones. Black, charred skin covered nothing more than a skeleton.

A pair of hot, fiery eyes peered at me fiercely. It stood right in front of me, reaching out its dark digits, trying to snare me in its clutches, its forked tongue spitting disgustingly out of its mouth.

I reacted instinctively, bringing up both weapons. I thrust once without thinking, and the weapon landed with a
thunk
in something solid.

The thing in front of me let out a loud screech.

The iron rod hadn’t struck anything vital, but I’d hit it! It wasn’t a total fail.

A second later, the demon wrapped its skinny talons around my rod and tried to yank it out of its body. To stop it from succeeding, I pushed my weight against it, keeping it pinned in place while I swung my other arm around and plunged the crude weapon into its neck. It made a gross suction sound, and I choked back the rising vomit.

Killing things was not for the faint of heart, but I had to survive.

I kept that mantra running over and over again in my mind.

The creature’s blood splattered my arm. The acid was painful, but I kept my hold.

The thing fell to its knees.