Hair of Gold: Just Right (Urban Fairytales Book 6) (15 page)

I urged my horse into motion, and we started barreling down the winding and twisting path as fast as the old mare could manage. Gretel was calling out to me, her voice almost lost to the wind, “What is it, Kat?”

I shouted back, “The demon, it lies in wait on the cliffside. The Scales have almost reached it.”

I yelled out to the Scales as we approached, “Jacob, Wilhelm, stop!” My voice was swallowed by the violent winds as they approached the rope bridge, which was swinging in the gale, without slowing. I could smell the demon's anticipation, I knew it had reached the cliff face just below the bridge by then. I couldn't see it anymore from the angle of our approach.

I had to stop them, so I called upon the spirits of my brothers and roared, the wind had no chance against the voice of a great Kodiak like none other, as the sound cut through the howling wind and shook the rocky landscape. My horse reared up and sent me unceremoniously tumbling to the ground before bolting away from the predator who had been on its back.

I twisted and landed in a three point stance, my claws, no, my nails digging into the stone below me, leaving furrows. The Scales halted their progress to look back in shock. Hansel and Gretel were trying to calm their mounts and just opted to dismount and the horses scattered.

We started running the last fifty yards toward the men, drawing our weapons and drawing in magics. They narrowed their eyes as we closed the gap between us. A foreboding specter rose behind them, moving up from the edge of the cliff, leather wings spreading wide, defying the whipping wind. The stench of demon reached me on the wind.

The creature was immense, standing maybe twelve feet tall with a twenty-foot wingspan. The men looked to be preparing to defend against us. “Chert!” We had distracted them to the demon's advantage.

I shouted, “Demon!” As I called upon all the strength of my brothers and launched myself into the air and over Jacob's shoulder as the men started to spin to look back. I roared out my challenge and the beast hissed and roared back, flapping it's great wings once to throw itself into a dive to meet my fury.

I twisted in the air, grasping my blade in both hands and swinging down in a slash with all my might. The creature threw out an arm to deflect my blade, but I don't think it was prepared for the strength behind my strike as my blade sparked against its stone hard hide and sank into its flesh to the bone.

My eyes widened. That strike would have rent the trunk of a tree the thickness of a man's chest, yet it only cut three or four inches deep into the demon. My momentum slammed me into the beast and sent us tumbling back toward the cliff edge, and my blade was yanked from my hand.

It raked a claw at me as it hissed, “You dare?” In a voice which resonated like a chorus of anguished moans and cries of the damned. I caught it's claw with my own, but it was insanely strong, and it radiated a sickening feeling of despair and fear that tried to seep into my bones. I went tumbling and skipping along the ground even closer to the cliff edge.

I growled, mentally batting the mental assault aside, clearing my head and slamming my claws down onto the ground, sparks flew from the stone as my fingers dug in. I went over the edge but slammed into the side of the cliff as my hand gained purchase on the stone edge.

I heard Gretel scream my name then bellow a challenge worthy of a bear. Then I felt magic being slung around as I pulled myself back up over the edge onto firm ground. I had to blink, the beast was fast. It was taking on Hansel and Gretel, and charging the Scales while brandishing my blade. I felt a vibration thrumming in chest as I growled out to myself, “Mine.”

The demon was deflecting the green magics arcing from Gretel's hands like eerie lightning, taking damage but not reacting to it. I watched the end Hansel's whip which was now glowing that same green as it struck at the demon's flesh, spark at each impact.

I launched myself again at the beast's back as it started hacking at the two defenseless men. I had to blink at what I saw while I hurtled through the air, propelled by my mighty leap. Every slash of the blade seemed to miss the Scales as each man simply stepped aside calmly, almost leisurely, leaving the blade catching nothing but air where they had been standing.

They made no moves to defend nor attack, but the demon couldn't seem to hit them, and they weren't moving very swiftly, but somehow they anticipated every attack and simply moved away.

I caught Gretel's predatory grin as I slammed into the beast's shoulders. Digging claws into its rocky and leathery hide. Causing it to stumble forward.

I wrapped my legs around its neck and grabbed one of its leathery wings which stank of death and decay and repeatedly slammed my other fist into the more delicate bones on the leading edge as it hissed and grappled at me to get me off of its back.

I slammed my fist into the bone with three blows that would have felled a charging bull and it shrieked and hissed. On the third strike, I was rewarded with a crack that sounded like a thunderclap or a tree snapping in an ice storm. It echoed around the rocks until the sound was swallowed by the wind.

I was almost deafened by its scream of pain, and it's voice threatened to allow his mental assault through my defenses as I felt utter despair trying to work its way into my head. I released my legs from its neck as it thrashed and I was swung upward by its attempt to spread the shattered wing.

I used the momentum to swing my feet around to jam into its side and pulled back with all my might. With a wet tearing sound, I found myself sprayed with black, burning blood which stank of brimstone, sulfur and rot as I tumbled to the ground holding the wing I had torn from the demon.

It staggered back grasping the gory stump of bone where it's wing had been. Then the demon was knocked back to the ground when it was struck by a bolt of green energy to the chest. The beast scrambled to its feet then crouched on all fours It yanked Hansel's whip from his hand when it cut deep into its shoulder, aided by Hansel's druidic magics.

It hissed at me as it pointed a long finger tipped with a hooked claw, which was at least three inches long. It's blackened skin looked to be made of singed bone and dried flesh, giving it that rock hard toughness and a dark reddish undertone that reminded me of dried blood.

When it spoke, the sound chilled my bones. It sounded as if the anguished souls of it victims lent their voices to give the demon a voice of his own. “You dare lay hands on Hagareth the Eternal, mortal? I am brother of Styche, father of plague which consumes your precious mortal world?”

I huffed hot air out my nostrils, we had been correct, this was one of Styche the Trickster's kin. I growled out, my voice deep and reverberating as I slipped deeper into my bear aspect. “I dare far more... Hagareth. I mean to end you here and send you back to whatever hell you may have come from.”

He sneered and glanced at the Scales, who were just impassively watching this all unfold. Then he turned his yellow, jaundiced eyes to me and hissed, “For spoiling my fun in hunting the little godlings, I would have your head. But you dared rob me of my wing, for that I shall make you suffer in eternal damnation, and watch as I consume your pathetic companions here without your protection.”

I cringed at that statement and tried to stop a sardonic chuckle as his head whipped back and he screamed in a thousand anguished voices as a small dagger glowing bright green, slammed through its left eye.

I laughed, it came out the booming chuffing sound of a bear as I growled back, “Nyet. They do not need my protection. Not from the likes of you. Good shall always overcome evil, that is why your kind is trapped in the underworld you spawn from. This is our world.”

I dove into it as it thrashed, pulling the dagger from its eye. I charged beside it clasping both hands together and slamming them into its chest like a woodcutter would swing his axe. There was a loud cracking and crunching sound as I caved in the right side of his chest, sending it tumbling back toward the cliff. A claw raked my shoulder, digging deep as his body was thrown back.

I bit back a scream of pain, the long gashes burned like acid. I advanced at it, and its one good eye had something new in it, uncertainty and... fear? It rolled up and reared to its full height, favoring its right side and threw a torrent of black magics that stank of death at me.

It felt as if I were on fire but the pain faded as the energy seemed to flow into my chest, the Kodiak Amulet devouring it. Their magics resonated, and I narrowed my eyes in realization that it must have meant that this abomination had been the one to help Narcisa to fashion the amulet that took my brothers from me.

I screamed at the beast, my scream becoming something more as all of my brother's power slammed into me, giving more strength than I had ever felt coursing through me. We exchanged a flurry of blows. His cutting deep and mine breaking and cracking his tough hide and bones alike.

I roared and delivered a blow to his arms he had crossed in front of him to stop a blow meant for its heart, and it fell to the ground as I shattered both of its arms. I kicked its chest, and it tumbled even closer to the edge of the cliff.

It screeched in fear now, and it screamed in agony as it stood and arched it's back. Part of his own flesh tore out of it, decreasing its mass as a new wing, dripping in his acrid blood, spread behind it, globs of flesh dripping off onto the ground. I realized that it was going to flee as I staggered from blood loss.

Nyet. I wouldn't let this thing terrorize our world anymore. I whispered, “Andrei. Brother, I need you.”

The demon gave me a hateful glare and hissed out as it started to turn to jump off the cliff and fly. “We will meet again insolent mortal, and I shall be your...” It screamed in pain as Andrei in bear form, who towered over him by three feet, grabbed him from behind and lifted him into the air, huge claws sunk deep into demon flesh.

Andrei roared, shaking the ground we stood on as he brought the demon down with such great force onto a rock outcropping that the stone cracked, and Hagareth's spine snapped like kindling. Then he lifted the demon with one paw and slammed the other into the demon's chest and pulled out its black heart.

Then a moment later, my brother was standing there naked glaring at the dead demon in his hands and said in a dangerous and protective tone I had never heard from my big brother, “Nobody threatens our tiny kotenok.”

Then he looked at me and the rage on his face turned to deep concern as he said, “Little sister, you are injured.”

The unnatural exhaustion of the hibernation calling to me, added to the cold and dizziness I felt from my blood loss. I smiled weakly at him, shrugged, then fell forward into the waiting darkness. I thought I heard my love calling me in her sweet voice as that darkness swallowed me, and I felt at peace.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was looking at an unfamiliar stone ceiling, I could hear the ocean beyond the thick stone walls. My stomach growled loudly, and I heard a giggle to my right. I glanced over to see Gretel sitting in a chair beside the bed I was in, reading a hand bound book. Her smile was glowing with happiness as she looked at me.

She said in humor, biting her cheek to try to stop that sly smile, “Morning, love.”

I smiled as she reached out to stroke back my hair as she cocked her head. I croaked out, my throat dry, “How long?”

She shrugged and put the book down on a side table and slid over to sit on the side of the bed as she cupped my cheek and said, “A little over four weeks.”

I blinked and asked more to myself than her, “Had I used so much power?”

She gave me a sad grin and nodded, “Yes, you did.” She laid down on the bed facing me and said, “I have never seen you pull in such strength, that Hagareth was worse than anything we have faced, and you went toe to toe with him. We couldn't get close, he radiated temptation, corruption, and despair, it was all we could do to not give in, and to distract the demon for you.”

Then before I could say anything, her smile turned to something more... primal, as she shared, “You were glorious.” She bit her lower lip and then kissed my dry, cracked lips. I melted into it then took a couple deep breaths when she pulled back with a smug look on her face. I grinned knowing she loved taming the beast inside of me.

I started to sit up and winced at the pain in my shoulder and side. She cringed slightly in sympathetic pain and said, “The Scales said that you will be scarred for life, you are healing slowly, but they say it is a miracle you are healing at all. Hagareth's claws had a demonic magic and incipient venom that would have killed a... well, a bear.”

She smiled cutely at that remark, then sobered and continued, “But the accelerated healing the Kodiak Amulet gifts you, from your brother's strength, has slowly been gaining on the wounds and fighting off the taint. We only just got the bleeding under control last week. At this rate, you should be fine in another week. Scarred, but fine.”

I gave her a shrug, and she tilted her head and shrugged back saying with a little heat and desire in her voice, “Scars are sexy.”

I blushed and went to stand, she tried to hold me down in bed, I just grinned at her effort, she was like a rag doll with my enhanced strength so I scooped her up in a giggling heap and stood. Wincing at a pain in my leg. Hargareth had clawed me there too. Then I glanced around, there was no kitchen area in the room, we must have been in an inn or tavern.

I walked toward the door, still carrying my grinning load. Her scent was so intoxicating. I paused as I shouldered open the door then let her back down to her feet in a curving hallway as I realized I had no clue where I was going. I asked, “Kitchen?”

She patted my stomach with a little smirk on her face as she teased, “My Goldilocks is always thinking with her stomach.”

I scrunched my lips to one side of my face as I cocked an eyebrow and countered, “Da. You try sleeping for four weeks and see if you do not wake up hungry love.”

She tilted her head and nodded sagely, “Touche.” Then she grabbed both of my hands and started dragging me along as she stepped backward down the hall. “This way you silly bear.”

I paused as we passed by a large glass paned window and blinked. We were surrounded by water, and high up, like on a cliffside. I turned to her and asked in wonder, “Inima de Argint?”

She nodded with an impish grin, then let go of one of my hands to brush some errant locks from her face to tuck the hair behind her ear in that endearing way that made me growl in want. I said, “I thought the Damaschin's have barred entry to outsiders.”

Her smile turned sly as she shrugged very slowly and coyly said, “They have.” Then she reclaimed my other hand and started dragging me down the hall as she chirped out, “Now come along, I thought you were hungry.”

We went down a stone staircase that had a carved stone and metal raceway spiraling down along it which had some sort of light oil which was aflame, both lighting and heating the space in the center of the tower. We came out on the ground level in a great entry hall, beside a little iron-bound wood door set beside the stairway.

Then she released one hand and looped her arm in mine and hugged herself to me as she walked me back to an archway with a large, open, oak door. I could hear men arguing as we stepped into a large kitchen.

An old man was hissing at the Scales as they seemed to be looking over some mechanical, clockwork gadgets, “I told you not to touch my stuff you fuckin' bastards. Put that down, you...” He paused when he saw us step into the room, the Scales turned to follow his gaze as they put the items they were examining onto a tiny, messy, kitchen table with four chairs.

The gangly old man, with his wispy white hair sticking out in all directions, stared at me with wide eyes, “You're awake.” Then his eyes narrowed as he turned to Gretel and chastised, “She's not fully healed, what were you thinking bringing her down here?”

I wasn't paying attention, as she weakly defended, “You try restraining a woman with the strength of a Kodiak bear.”

Instead, I was focused on the large pot on the wood burning stove as my nostrils flared and my mouth watered at the tantalizing aroma of mutton stew. I picked up my girl by the waist, detaching her from me as I set her in front of the man, then walked over to the pot while the two bickered back and forth with sharp tongues, as the Scales chuckled in mirth.

I asked absently, “Is this for anyone?”

The man didn't even look over as he continued his exchanging snark with my girl, “Help yourself.” He waved me off dismissively as his barbs toward Gretel were getting more... creative. She dished it right back at the crazy old guy.

I grabbed the pot from the stove without wrapping the handle in a cloth, barely aware of the heat, the skin on my hands now thick like a bear's paw.

I sat the pot on a long counter between the stove and the table and just started scooping the stew into my mouth with the large wooden serving spoon that was in the pot. I was growling and wolfing the food down when I paused, noticing the room had gone quiet.

I glanced up to see the four blinking at me, Gretel had this cute crooked little grin on her face. I shrugged and said, “Shut up. I'm starving.” Then I went back to eating. I was too hungry to be embarrassed.

The old guy sighed heavily then walked past Gret, squinting an eye and shaking a finger at her, which she deftly batted away. He opened a little sliding door on a wooden box and pulled out a loaf of bread and put it on the counter beside me. Then slid a pitcher of water over to me. I took it and drank straight out of the pitcher and nodded my thanks.

Then old coot softened and said softly, “You really shouldn't be out of bed.”

I shrugged, and around the loaf I was tearing a chunk of bread off of with my teeth, I said. “I'll be fine. I hear the worst is over.”

He huffed and looked at the Scales who still had not said a word, complaining to them, “She's as bad as Punzy.” Then his eyes dropped at that statement. I felt for the old man who looked as though he had lost his best friend and I laid a hand on his shoulder. He exhaled then pulled himself up straighter and laid a strong hand on top of mine then patted it as he said, “Eat what you need. I can make more if you need some, the little pain in the ass there say you need a lot of fuel for recovery.”

Gretel shot him a beaming smile when he called her a pain in the ass, and he returned her smile. I grinned, they seemed to get along splendidly. Gret lived for snark, and this man seemed to be at the masters level with her the way he slung it around.

She said to me, “Katiana, this is Gilbert, caretaker of Inima de Argint.” Then turned to the man. “Gilbert, this is Katiana Inanov. My woman.”

He squinted at me then her and asked, “Katiana? I thought you said her name was Goldilocks.”

I lowered my wooden spoon and growled low, the pots and pans hummed with the vibration. He held his hands up in a placating gesture and spoke quickly with mock terror on his face, “Katiana is fine name... a good name.” I pointed my spoon at him and narrowed an eye, he shot a toothy grin back. I liked this Gilbert, he was a character.

After I ate the entire pot of stew, the loaf of bread and some fruit and cheeses the man scrounged up for me, I was feeling much better, much stronger and the aches and pains of my injuries were just a faint throbbing.

I finally felt more sociable and able to carry on a conversation. Han had joined our little gathering in the kitchen, and I stepped over to the table with a bunch of grapes in one hand and bumped Jacob off his chair with my hip. Then I sat down and Gretel sat on my lap and stole a grape from me, popping it in her mouth as Wilhelm chuckled at his brother until he was shoved off his chair and Jacob took it.

Wilhelm slid a barrel over to sit, and I glanced around at everyone, and then asked plainly, “Hagareth?”

Hansel said, “Dead. You and Andrei did a number on the demon.”

Jacob shook his head and corrected, “Not technically dead, you cannot kill a demon. But it has been sent back to the underworld after you and the manifestation of your brother beat him soundly.”

I nodded slowly and said with a shrug, “He was going to ambush you. As much as I dislike you, I have no desire to see you dead.”

The brothers exchanged amused looks and Jacob said, “I don't think it would have come to that.”

I chewed a grape and swallowed and asked, “You would have defended yourselves?” Were they that strong?

Wilhelm said, “Yes.” And Jacob added as if he had responded, “And no.”

I stopped chewing and growled, “I will hurt you if you don't stop talking in riddles.”

They chuckled nervously, and Wil shrugged, asking, “Well we don't need to defend if a demon cannot strike us, do we?”

I remembered how they just seemed to sidestep each attack from the demon so easily like they knew where it was going to strike. I whipped my hand out and felt a satisfying crack as I slapped the man, sending him tumbling off his chair onto the ground. Huh. I hit him, he didn't know it was coming.

He had one eye squinted as he stood, rubbing his jaw and sitting again as he said in good humor, “Ow.”

Jacob was all smiles as he said to me, “It doesn't work that way.” I raised my hand in threat not to speak in nebulous terms, and he held his hands up in front of him, nothing but grins. I rolled my eyes and popped another grape into my mouth.

They changed the subject off of them, and we spoke of what transpired after the fight. Gilbert had witnessed the battle and after the demon was vanquished he crossed the suspension bridge to see if he could lend assistance. When he discovered who Hansel and Gretel were, he bid them bring me to the tower for care. Something about Rapunzel never forgiving him if he didn't offer shelter to the young ones. I remembered their connection to her and that Rapunzel was of the Damaschin line. That is why we were allowed entry into the tower.

I asked Gilbert, “So the Scales are allowed in the tower? They visit often?”

He almost spat, “Hell no. Theses pains in the asses haven't been allowed in here since...” He paused, catching himself before he revealed something that must have been a secret. He added, “Well not in a long time. I wouldn't have let them in if they paid me.”

Wait so they were heading to the tower and knew they couldn't gain entry. Then why did they trek here to... I froze and growled deep and loud, the table shaking with the rumbling as I accused the men, “You sons of bitches! You coming here was a lure for us. To what end?” My hand gripped the edge of the wooden table, the wood splintering as my claws cut deeply into the wood.

They lost their cocky looks and swallowed in tandem, looking at my hand. Jacob said in a hoarse voice, “Just moving the pieces on the board.”

Wilhelm finished, “Bringing things to balance.”

Hansel cocked an eyebrow and said, “You wanted Kat to face that demon.”

The men looked sheepish and Gretel gave them a growl worthy of me and prompted, “Why did you not just ask? Why the games?”

They shot us all apologetic looks and shrugged, saying, “That would have been too close to interference, and that damn Isla is always around somewhere, watching.” The two looked around as if invoking her name would reveal her.

I absently raised my hand to the icy spot on my cheek at the mention of the little spirit.

I was so tired of these frustrating games these two played. They allowed themselves to be tracked, putting themselves out there for bait so that we would come to fight Hagareth. They had never been in any real danger apparently. If Gretel had been harmed, I would have put their immortality to the test.

I paused thinking about what the beast had called them... godlings. Were they truly gods? I just shook myself out of my thoughts as topics changed to my recovery and heading to the great walled city of London in pursuit of Baird.

Gretel said in a reverent tone, “Maybe we will have time to see the Black Crypt. That is where Nicole of Arad sleeps, protected forever by the black briars of her love, Mother Death herself. Lady Nicole had trained Rapunzel in the art of the blade.”