The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga) (52 page)

I then focused back on the demon and it was his head that was the most distinct difference
, when comparing him to a human male. Although most of his features remained the same, nose, eyes, ears and head shape, it was his mouth and his forehead that held the most differences.

Around his mouth there were no lips, just all open jaw with teeth that although the same shape as ours, were about ten times bigger. The fangs however hung down and locked with the bottoms ones
, which were the same size as a jungle cat’s. This gave the appearance that his jaw was far too big for his face. Then there were the holes in his forehead that looked like someone had ripped out a central horn that was meant to still be there.

A pai
r of deep set eyes gave the illusion that he might not have any, if it wasn’t for the reflection from the moon that shone in them when he raised his head to roar at Cerberus.

And then he charged. Only this time Cerberus had obviously had enough of watching for his enemy’s weaknesses. He let the raging giant run at him and at the last minute he used the flint wall of the courtyard to jump from, landing behind him. But this wasn’t the only thing he counted on as the giant not being able to stop his momentum, went crashing into the stone head first.

“Show’s over.” Marcus said from behind me and just as things started to fade I saw Cerberus lunge for his back and deliver the killing blow to his neck.

“Wait!” My plea was lost somewhere in that courtyard, one we were no longer in. After a brief touch of darkness
, I found we were now in some sort of mausoleum. It didn’t take long, thanks to the moonlight shining down on pale stone, to realise I had seen this place before. Earlier that day in fact, I had walked up the hill behind the Hellfire Caves and looked through its locked gates.

It was a large open space of green grass and tall flint walls with no roof. It was an enormous hexagonal building with each side having a large arch flanked by Tuscan columns
, as well as smaller arches, and rectangular openings. Most, I gathered, were designed to hold memorial slabs, busts or urns. All along the top in the corners of each bend were three vases of stone with the one in the middle being larger than the others. It was a beautiful structure, but right now I was a bit lost in what was happening below.

“Why did you do that?” I asked turning to Marcus.

“Orders spunky… just following orders. So you might as well get comfort…” His word ended abruptly on a shocked expression and a wheezing noise. I looked into his wide eyes amongst all the makeup he still wore and then when his gaze lowered, I followed it only to find an iron rod sticking out of his chest.

“
Wh…at th..e.. fuck!” He spluttered with blood not only seeping from his wound but now also his mouth. I was frozen in utter shock at what I was seeing. One second I was talking to the cocky face that spent most of his time fooling around and then next he was stood in front of me loosing blood and looking far too close to death.

“Marcus
!”
I uttered his name and then something snapped me into action.

“I am going to get help!” I said taking a step back
, about to turn when he just spluttered out one word…

“Run!”       

Chapter 47

Prisoner of Promises

“RUN!” He bellowed at me when I didn’t move.

“I’m not running.” He groaned rather in pain or frustration, I couldn’t tell.

“I’m not leaving you to die…but I need to get…” I didn’t end up finishing that sentence as Marcus screamed out in agony and I watched the steel rod in his chest start to move downwards, forcing him to his knees.

Then I screamed.

There was a demon stood right behind him holding the end of the rod, controlling Marcus like a diabolic Puppet Master. But more disturbing still
, was that I had seen this demon before, only back in my nightmare he had that rod painfully set in between his cheeks. Now, there was just gaping holes either side where it had been, leaving his face misshapen even more than before.

“NO!” I screamed and without putting much thought behind my angry actions, I flew at him. I had no weapons other than my rage that blinded my fear. I pushed against his chest making him let go of the rod and M
arcus. But, more unbelievable than him flying back through the air and landing on the wall of the mausoleum, was the damage I caused. He fell down like a repulsive broken doll and I looked at the damage one push of mine had caused. The whole of his chest cavity had caved in from my tingling hands and I was in such disbelief that I had to look down to see for myself, half expecting to see a weapon.

There was nothing.

“Get out of here! Run girl!” Marcus shouted at me, but instead of climbing the gates, I was running back to him. I skidded on the wet grass and fell in front of him. His head was slumped and a strange wheezing sound came with his breathing.

“Hold on, I will get Jared and he will…”

“You sho…d…should have run… gir…ly.” He forced out in pain and then raised his head to look not at me, but the person I could now feel behind me. Before I could turn my head, I was seized from behind and stabbed in the neck with a needle. The world started to fade into a colourless fog, just as I heard words at my neck, from a voice…

I remembered,

“He’s right you know…you should have run from me.”

Then everything went black.

I woke up with a start to feel ice cold water being dunked over me. I shot up, coughing and spluttering
, only to hear garish laughter echoing in the darkness.

“There, she’s awake, now go n’ tell the master so he can quit his belly
achin’.” I heard the heavy sound of a metal door bang shut then the grating noise of a lock sliding home.

I rubbed the water from my eyes and fe
lt groggy, like waking after being on some heavy drugs…unfortunately it was from past experience that I knew this. This thought had me wrapped up in a moment of panic as I jolted from was must have been a bed. I fell in a heap on the floor with a painful thud and I scrabbled my way to a corner.

“It’s not Morgan…it’s not Morgan…it’s not Morgan
.” I whispered over and over again. I pushed away that broken part of me until it was locked away in pieces, lost in a vault. Finally, I looked up from where I had huddled my knees to my chest and saw the moon’s beam, coming through the bars on the window.

It lit up the space enough to semi recognise where I was. This prison was the same tower room from my nightmare. It may have started different in Sigurd’s shadows but it had twisted into what I sat in now. So
, it hadn’t been a nightmare at all…it was my future!

I jumped up at this and ran over to the arched window and looked out to…nothing. We were too far up to see the ground in shadows so I would have to wait until
the morning light. I turned back to the room and took in the small blocks that built up the circular room. Old iron pieces that once held candles stuck out of the rock, like battered arms hanging limp. The floor was covered in dirt and old straw. There was a small cot at the far end that looked to be made from crates and a battered mattress only a few inches thick.

I felt my lips start to quiver, not just from being cold and wet. The slow build of tears started to rise, threatening at any moment to fall, mixing with my cold damp skin. I didn’t want to cry, I knew it wouldn’t help but seeing Marcus slumped over like that…please…don’t be dead. I held on to the idea that Jared had found him in time
, but this didn’t help with my emotional overload. I glanced at the wall of bars that was the only way I would be getting out of here, knowing that it wouldn’t be tonight. So, I did the only thing I could do at that moment, whether it helped or not,

I cried myself to sleep holding onto my necklace.

I don’t know how long I slept for, but I knew exhaustion made it a dreamless night. However, it was when I opened my eyes that I remembered I was already living through a nightmare. The sun shone through the window shedding more light on my dire situation. I gingerly got up, feeling the pain in my back from a hard night on this board for a bed. I was thankful at least that the grogginess had gone from whatever drugs they had injected me with.

I rubbed my neck where the needle had penetrated and thought out loud,

“Hell, its last year all over again.” This was when I jerked to the sound of a door being opened in the distance. I remained still, half hoping no-one would come and half hoping that they would so I would know what was going on. Another door pushed open and from the sounds of it, this one was much larger as it ground against the stone floor. Then came the sound of someone trying to whistle a tune, which no doubt produced more spit than actual sound!

A tall lanky string of shit waltzed in, swinging a bunch of metal keys round on a ring
, looking smug.

“I see you’ve dried from your shower last night…consider that the start to your prison initiation process
.” The man who spoke was no questions asked ugly because the answers would consist of A: being dropped on his head repeatedly or B: mother and father were already mutants!

His eyes bulged, like one bum burp and out they would come flying. His lips were near
ly none existent they were so thin and what was there was cracked skin and some weird white snotty stuff collected in the corners. His nose was more like a beak that bent off to one side at the end.  Jeez, even the guy’s eyebrows looked like a pair of slugs had worked their way across to join in the middle and die!

Ok
, I think you are getting that this guy was ten different types of ugly all wrapped into one bone thin package!

“I hope the next initiation step is the chance to kick your ass!” I said
, my anger flaring. I heard a snigger from behind one of the pillars and the guy in front turned and snapped,

“Shut it you dumb shit!” At this the snigger died.

“You think you’re funny bitch, yeah? Well just wait and see what’s coming to you, then you won’t be so quick to disrespect me!”

“And you called him the dumb shit
.” I said sarcastically, knowing that whatever happened to me in this cell, the last thing on that bloody list would be to respect this guy...! Now, the guy hiding who laughed might be worth my time.

“What did you say to me!?” He boomed…or as much as he could with that nasally voice of his.

“Wow, deaf and dumb…really, what are the chances?” I said again, this time leaning against the wall like I had not a care in the world…when deep down I was praying to make it out of here in one piece.

“That’s it now bitch, you will be sorry
.” He now looked enraged and if possible his eyes bulged further. He held out his hand behind him and snapped,

“Food
!” To which a small guy appeared from behind the pillar just long enough to hand him a wooden bowl. I didn’t really get a good look at the guy other than to see he was about five foot in height.

“This is your breakfast, enjoy it like the bitch you are
.” He said before he threw its contents at me, making it splat mainly on the floor and wall behind me. I closed my eyes as he started laughing at me and decided what he wanted was to see me get upset. So I opened my eyes, ran a finger along the slop on my cheek and then licked my fingers to taste the lumpy porridge.

“Thanks for that, from the taste of this shit, you just did me a favour
.”  Then I grinned at him because to see his face turn beetroot red in frustration was a funny thing to behold. He looked ready to blow but before he did, he threw the empty bowl to the floor making it bounce and then stormed off swearing.

“
Thhhat wasnhh’t a good idea missth.” The stuttering that came from behind the pillar sounded gentle, not threatening. I scooped the rest of the porridge off my face and top, and shook it off onto the floor.

“What can I say, I am just
a glutton for punishment…besides, that demon’s toothpick doesn’t scare me.” Not after all I had seen in my short life!

“He
doesth me.” I gave his general direction a small smile and said,

“What’s your name?” I asked hoping
, in spite of the low chances, that I could make a friend here, one who might help me.

“
Perthcy.”

“Well Percy, I’m Keira and I would love to know what I am doing here?” I said getting up and walking closer to the bars, hoping to lure him out of the shadows.

“You don’th know?”

“Not really
, but I am guessing it’s because of a man called Gastian.” At the sound of me saying his name, a hissing noise came from behind the stone.

“He
isth no man.” I wanted to say ‘no shit’ after seeing what guests he brought to the party last night, but decided to give the little guy a break on the sarcasm.

“So
, who is he or more importantly what does he want with me?”

“I
don’th know but he doesn’th like you very mucth.” He said like this was news to me. Again I squashed down the sarcastic remarks and stretched my head to try and see the other rooms from my cell.

“Percy, do you know where I am or do you know if anyone else is kept here?” I asked, suddenly thinking that maybe somewhere in this rotting
shell, Draven could also be held prisoner.

“I am not
thsurpossed to talk to you about thhat.” As soon as I heard the slightly panicked edge to his stutter, I knew I had lost him by going too far with my questions.

“Ok, but do me a favour…don’t listen to what that idiot says to you
.”

“Why are you being
thso niceth to me?” I shrugged my shoulders and then answered honestly,

“I don’t like bullies and besides, you laughed when I threatened to kick his ass, so in my book that counts for something
.”

“
Don’th be niceth to me, I don’th dethserve it.” He said in a sad voice that had me feeling sorry for the guy. It was obvious he was only doing what he was told in this situation and in the supernatural world of the fittest, I was afraid my new friend must have come low down on that scale.

“Well
, you haven’t hurt me and you have not bullied me, so that is a big plus in my situation.”

“PERCY, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE NOW!” I cringed at the sound of my new best friend being a dick once again and bellowing for my ‘actual’ new friend.

“I have to go, but don’th make him mad again, I don’th wanth him to hurt you.”

“I can’t promise that my new friend, as I have a feeling it mig
ht just become a favourite pastime for me.” I heard a burst of cute giggles before another yell had him leaving without a word or giving me my first real glimpse of the guy.  

Now that I was alone, I let my mind begin the process of self-preservation and trying to find a way out of here! I didn’t know where I was, so trying to reach out for help was not a doable idea at the moment. I had looked out
of the window and saw that not only were we in the middle of some nowhere field, but that I was at least six stories up, which translated to suicide if I had the inclination to see if I could fly.

The next step was to see if there was any weak spots in the bars but that took all of about five seconds and a swear word to realise that was a big fat no go! Then came the walls, running my hands along them to see if there was any crumbling but without my very own Jared in beasty form
, I wasn’t getting anywhere with that either. So, after a frustrating few hours, I slumped down on my rickety bed and tried to stare a hole in the wall.

In the end I got so bored I started to peel away the porridge that had hardened worryingly into something that resembled cement and plaster. I was now glad that ugly stick man had thrown it at me instead
of demanding I eat every morsel like some creepier version of the witch in Hansel and Gretel.

I was half way through a really big peeling bit
, that shamefully was exciting me (And yes, this was an indication of the deterioration of my mental state) When I heard the doors opening again. I was secretly hoping for it to be just Percy with maybe a McDonald’s bag in hand. Of course, when I saw the sleazy walking pencil, I knew one could only hope.

“Hey Bitch, miss me?”