The shelob scuttles away from the intense burst of sunlight streaming through the door, smoke rising from the three of its legs and the parts of its body that had been in direct line of sight. They really hate sunlight. Lift Pain lightly and skewer it through the back of the neck. A wiggle and its head falls with a thump, body still clinging to the ceiling, gripping fast in death. Roar of combat from the first chamber. Hear the gentle pops of banishing even above the sounds of gunfire and screaming. A thrumming noise and a silver bolt sails through the arch and skids across the floor towards me. Franco and his crossbow. Sounds of movement from the chamber behind me and the tunnel to my right as the other demons respond to the sounds of combat.
“Cat, Wickham. Ten, no eleven, banished. Minor injuries so far.”
“Good. You have some more coming, by the sound of it. Should be no more than ten coming your way. Will give you the count as they come through.” Draw a deep breath. “I am standing in an egg chamber. I'd estimate it at five thousand eggs. So no one who is bleeding comes in.” Thank Him for Luigi and his knowledge. Demon eggs feed on blood. That's why they are shiny, attractive and covered in razor sharp edges. People really are monkeys at times.
“Jebem ti zivot!”
“Indeed. He must love us, he gives us work to do.” Rush of wind past me as a group of demons race past. “You have six War Lyches and four imps, inbound.”
Another demon, slowly flowing in the direction of combat. The glow of ultra violet radiating off it, painful to my enhanced sight. A Spektor. Invisible in normal light. One step, slash, and it falls headless, before dissipating away to nothingness with a sigh. Spin and skewer it's partner through the chest, ripping upwards and tearing it in half. Swing Pain in a tight half circle and it joins the first in death. Spektors are strange, even for demons. One demon in two bodies. You need to kill both bodies fast, or the second suddenly gets really fast and aggressive. Then it eats you and divides again.
No sound from the chamber behind me, where the Soul Eater sits. Noise from the tunnel. Mentally flip a coin. Move to cover the tunnel.
Something emerges. Something new. Looks like the bastard child of a tunneller and a twelve legged pig, with a bit of hydra thrown in to confuse you. Recorders running, of course. Swing Pain up in an overhand loop and bring it down hard on the junction of the head tentacles and the body. Pain bounces off with a stinging vibration. It stops and stares at me, with what I would swear was disgust in it's eyeless face.
Shit. Not again!
* * *
Gently, slowly drift along the corridors of the mansion. Take out the bodyguards with eight hour sleep darts. We can pull them in as necessary. No need to kill people who are just doing their jobs. Only the principals. Getting closer. Can hear the sound of an argument ahead. Loud and vigorous. Useful, it covers any sounds we may make.
Four guards outside the partially open door. Holographic cloak is starting to overheat from the strain of covering three people. If it was just me, I could walk between them without them ever knowing. Need to take them fast.
Four soft pops and the four guards slump. Glance around. Luigi holding his automatic, a wisp of smoke rising from the suppressor. He shrugs and whispers “They served evil.” Damn. Stop thinking of him as a bookish geek, instead of a man.
Slide through the partially open door. Tempting to simply dart them at once, but listen. Maybe learn something. Another three guards in the room.
“... the hell has gone wrong! You swore, on your abilities as a seer, that they could not know.”
“They have a better one, blocking me from seeing much of their actions” Sergei gives his trillium pin a gentle caress. Seraphina's additions to it have worked. “I tell you what I see, not what you want to hear. And I am not seeing the rewards you promised me when I agreed to join you.”
“You will. This is a temporary setback, nothing more. We still have people in place. We can still turn this around.”
“Everything is clouded. I cannot see.”
“Then trust me. I may not see, but I know how to deal with enemies. Send the orders, then release the Eater from your control.” This is getting serious. Time to intervene. Drop the shield, gratefully. It's generator like a live coal next to my back, burning me.
“Gentlemen. Please do not move, or my colleagues and I will take the greatest pleasure in killing you.” Say it mildly and with tones of infinite sadness. One bodyguard goes for his weapon. A double pop as James and Luigi both shoot him. The rest freeze. Gart raises his hands above his head, his fingers twitching.
Fingers twitching? Three guns blast his life away as his fingers stop moving. Too late. Far too late.
* * *
This is ridiculous. Claws ripping into this thing as I sit astride it like the worlds biggest kid on a funhouse ride. It is careening around the chamber like a pinball on steroids, ninety percent of my effort and attention on not slashing myself on the thrice bedamned demon eggs. It doesn't seem to have a life core to rip out. Keep attacking. People in the entryway, watching helplessly.
“Belly soft. Roll” The command from Flash is unmistakable. Roll sideways with every bit of my strength and flick the beast on its side, slashing myself on two eggs, which promptly start pulsing. Before it can cover it's soft vitals with its legs, a snarling, black and tan streak is upon it, ripping and tearing through nerve trunks and muscles. Give a massive heave and flop it onto it's back. Claws extended, I start to dig into it's belly myself, alternating with Flash's strikes until it stops moving.
Look around. Six eggs have had my blood spilled on them and are getting ready to hatch. Shit. I really need to deal with the Eater. A slash from Pain, and the six eggs open, half formed baby demons laying on the ground, helpless to prevent being banished. Quick backhand, and they are all dead. Up and head for the final chamber at a run. The Soul Eater is waiting.
“I have been waiting for you.” It's huge voice echoing through my mind like an explosion. It moves slightly to one side, showing a slim, delicate figure, standing like a statue. No volition. Not one spark of humanity.
Tanekawa.
Riku.
* * *
Race through the access to enhancement. No need to wait, there is not a member of the Guard anywhere in the Free State that will get in the way of Captain Cruz on any pretext, especially when she is in a hurry. She gestures for half the squad to fall in behind her as she sweeps through the airlock. Inside, the inner locks to the ward are open, the viral vector having been flushed out overnight. Suilien looks up in surprise as we burst in. Marta and Annasophia are there, Marta sitting across the bed table from Suilien. Chessboard on the table. Mate to Marta in three moves.
I rush to Luis, tossing and muttering on his bed. Clamp my hand hard on his arm to stop it moving. Close my eyes and concentrate, blasting through his layers of fever and hallucinations like a blow torch on snow. No time to be gentle. Follow the writhing, twisting thoughts back to the solid core of knowledge that all the Sighted have.
Open my eyes to find myself the focus of the room. Try twice, before I find my voice. Don't want to say it. Eyes digging into my soul, demanding answers.
“Milady, what is it?” The gentle question from Cat's friend, Vasquez, I think his name is, helps me to re-ground myself.
“Death is coming. Right now.”
He grins and gestures. No doubt at all. Scared, but playing his role. As his half squad unlimber their weapons, he says, “Then death had better have some serious fucking fire power.”
* * *
“You will defeat me and kill my unborn children” The demon's calm statement is like a natural law. Inexorable. Unchangeable. “My summoner is dead. I cannot even get revenge on him. I can on you.” It gestures with the stump of its arms to Tanekawa. “Before you can kill me, she, or what I have left of her, will be dispatched to kill everything you love.”
Seraphina. Marta. Annasophia. Luis. Margareta. It shows me. They are all in the same place. Awaiting sacrifice. My friends. My family. A kaleidoscope of images cascade though my mind. I can't risk them. Not now, not ever. Slowly lower Pain from the attack to the ready position. Keep my eyes away from its gaze.
“'Phina?” my mind pleads across a thousand kilometres. No answer. Just a memory.
“Trust the Gods. They rarely tell what they know, but are also rarely wrong.” She is wearing nothing but a sheet, the afterglow of loving on her. Eyes flashing, arguing with me after yet another nightmare about my ride through hell. Persuading me I was right. Showing me her wisdom. Another memory pushes to the front of my mind. “I am not coming on this next run, Cat. I don't know why yet, but I know I am needed here this time. Badly.”
The demon laughs at me. Such a stupid fucking mistake.
Demons lie.
My wife does not lie. This I believe. More than Him, more than the rage, more than anything.
A leap and a twist, and Pain takes its head off at the shoulders as Tanekawa shimmers into nothingness. On her way to kill my family.
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