One Insatiable(62)

“Stop this,” Hayden soothes, sliding his pale hand down one sleek black head. The heads are compact and square like a Rottweiler’s, as is the body. The entire thing is black and sleek, and murder burns in its eyes.

“She’s your new mistress,” Hayden continues, walking to where I’m hiding in the tree. “Come down, darling. He won’t hurt you now.”

“No, thank you.” I push my feet against the limbs and move higher in my perch. The horrible beast’s tail slashes around it like a whip, and its long claws are out as it stamps its feet in impatience.

“Mercy, I said he won’t harm you. Come down.”

“I’m not coming down until it’s gone.”

Hayden stands for a moment looking up at me in his black armored suit, black robe and bone crown with the hound of hell at his side. I am utterly terrified. Finally, he relents.

“Cerberus, go.” He commands the thing in a casual voice, and it immediately responds, dropping two of the heads before turning with a slash of that whip-tail and bounding away.

I stay in the tree several moments longer watching and listening. Hayden’s eyes have never left me.

“Will you come down now?” He asks gently. “I forgot cats and dogs don’t mix.”

Relaxing my grip on the limbs, I slowly make my way down. The dress is ripped, and black smudges like soot are on my feet and thighs from my climb.

“I wouldn’t call that thing a dog.” I grumble once my feet touch the ground.

“I probably should have warned him you were coming.”

If that’s a joke, I’m not laughing. I feel like I’ll be sick from the residual panic and fear. “I want to go back to the castle.”

He sighs and holds a hand out in the direction we came. I walk quickly ahead of him the entire way. We don’t speak, and I know he’s watching me. My breath is fast, and the quick pace of my stride helps with my jumping nerves.

Only my mind can’t relax. All I can think of is Koa facing that thing, and what a fool I was to think Hayden wouldn’t have guards and creatures to protect him here.

Getting out of this place just got a million times harder.





Deep Magic





Koa


Time is passing. Every time I awake, my companion is with me speaking about things I don’t understand. He asks me each day if I remember why I’m here, and he’s always happy when I can’t recall who I am or why I’m in this hole. Rubbing my face, my beard is longer.

“How long have I been here?” I ask in the darkness.

“Time doesn’t exist here,” he rasps. “You’ve lost the grip of mortality.”

I’m losing my grip on sanity, but I struggle to hold on. “If we counted days, how long would you say?”

“I’ve been here forever, panther.”

A knot forms in my throat at his reply. “Are others here with us?”

“Others come, others go. I’m never alone for long.”

His non-answers make me insane. I’ve got to try a different approach. “What do you do for fun, Poppy?”

“Fun?” It’s a high rasp, almost a laugh. Then he mutters under his breath, his voice scratching in that way that makes me want to clear my throat. “No one’s ever asked me that before.”

“Before you came to this place, what were you? What did you do?”

“I told you. I’ve always been here.”

“In this cave?”

I feel movement around me, close by my head. It causes me to flinch. “A cave…” He seems to be pondering the words. “You think this is a cave?”

“What is it?”

“We’re in your mind.”

Fear twists my insides. Visions of being underground, of being buried alive tighten my throat. Have I gone crazy? I’m sure I’m still sitting, but I move my arms for the first time in what seems like a long time. Touching my body, I feel jeans on my legs. I’m wearing a thin shirt and a leather jacket.

Spanning my arms to the sides, I reach around in the darkness, but I don’t feel anything. I don’t encounter any boards or bodies. Putting my hands down beside me, I touch the cold, damp earth. I still hear the trickle of water as if running down the side of a cave.

“You’re in my mind?” I ask, needing clarification. “So you don’t exist?”

“Oh, I exist.” His voice has become a hiss. “Soon you’ll no longer exist. You don’t even remember who you are. Eventually, you’ll stop fighting the inevitable.”

Full-on panic hits me then. I reach for my jacket, feeling the chest, pockets. Something must be in it to tell me who I am. I’ll see it, and I’ll remember. I know I will.

Empty. My pockets are empty. Poppy’s soft chuckle is in my ears, and I know he’s watching me.

A low growl comes from deep in my belly. Feeling inside the coat, I find it has small pockets against my chest.

“Ha!” My breath gushes out as I make contact with something hard in one of them. Pulling it out, it’s a small vial. By the way it feels and its rubber cap… My hope falters. It’s useless.

“FUCK!” I shout, and Poppy laughs more. His sickening cackle almost pushes me over the edge.