Читать книгу Soul Seduction, Book 2 of The Third Wish Duology - Dawn Addonizio - Страница 5

Panting, and cursing the stupidity that had possessed me to call the Hell Ride, I pushed myself into an upright position. I put my weight on my left forearm instead of using my shredded hands, the searing pain along my right side making me wonder if I’d broken a rib. I’d never had a broken bone in my life so I didn’t know what it felt like. But as I moved the pain receded into more of a sharp ache, and I was able to draw air into my chest, so I figured I was only badly bruised.

I seemed to have landed on the deck of a massive, badly weathered wooden ship. A broad, heavy mast rose from an elevated base several yards away, towering high into the black, starless sky above. Its spindly arms stretched out to either side with what was left of their tattered sails hanging off of them like withered flesh. The shapes of ragged clouds sped by overhead, adding to the eerily shifting shadows teeming across the surface of the deck.

An abandoned captain’s wheel stood forlorn and motionless between the spot where I crouched and the stairs leading up to the mast platform. Dark, bulky shapes lined the sides of the ship and another platform rose behind me as the bow of the ship narrowed, making me feel trapped within the shallow pit between.

I winced as I pulled out some of the larger splinters that were biting into my palms, identifying them as bits of the deck’s dark timber planks. My hands were bleeding and, although it was dim, I could see that I would have some work to do with tweezers later to get the rest of the splinters out.

A scratchy whispering rose up around me, making my skin crawl. Already tense, I jumped when an eerie, high-pitched cackle rang out. A low rumbling growl sounded in response, like taunting laughter rolling up from the bowels of the ship.

I heard a scuttling sound, like tiny claws scampering along the surface of the deck. I cringed, overcome by the creeping feeling that I was surrounded by unseen creatures scurrying through the shadows around me. The scuttling grew closer, a rapid pitter-pat that set my teeth on edge, and I felt a sharp pinch on the tender spot above my right elbow.

“Ow!” The sound left my throat on an indignant scream of fear. I struck out in panic, whipping around to fend off my attacker, but nothing was there – only the quickly receding sound of claws clicking against wood. The whispering grew louder and a chorus of laughter broke out, a mad tittering interspersed with dim chuckles and cruel giggles.

I rubbed at the stinging ache above my elbow and my fingers came away wet in the darkness. Apparently I had been right about the claws … or possibly teeth. I stood shakily, struggling to get my feet beneath me as fast as I could.

It might have been my fevered imagination, but for a moment it seemed that a figure loomed up out of the dimness behind me, mocking my attempt to gain protection from my height. I spun in a circle, my eyes darting wildly between the thick puddles of shadow spilling across the planks. I thought I caught other glimpses of movement as well, but every time I whirled for a closer look, there was nothing there.

Something flew by my head, rushing past my ear in a gust of wind. I gasped and jerked away as my eyes made a futile attempt to follow it. Whatever it was disappeared into shadow and hit the deck with a soggy splat. A rancid odor wafted through the air as tittering laughter erupted around me once more, followed by a chittering growl of displeasure.

Something else flew at me, low and fast, this time hitting its mark as it smacked into my jean-clad leg with a squelchy thump. The scent of decay rose, stronger now, as I reached down in horror to slap away the wetly clinging mass. It soaked through the denim to my skin as it dripped in moist, clotted clumps down my leg. Confusion coursed through me as I identified the mess as a rotten orange.

I was pelted again and a second smelly, disintegrating object exploded against my left shoulder – this time a tomato.

My mom and I had lived near a tomato field when I was in high school, and I still remembered the overpowering stench it gave off every year after harvest time.

I was speechless. I had landed myself in the clutches of what was supposedly the most powerful force for evil in the faerie realm and they were throwing rotten fruit at me. Was this really the best they could do?

I could only hope.

Raucous, snickering laughter spewed forth from my unseen audience as I was belted with a putrefied apple. For the first time since I had been so unceremoniously dumped on the ship’s deck, a spark of anger burned brighter than my fear. I marched forward, in the direction from which I thought the fruit bombs had been flung.

“Show yourself!” My tone rang forcefully through the night, giving me an extra shot of bravery.

With a determined step, I approached one of the large, shapeless lumps resting against the side of the ship. My heckler had to be hiding behind it. The dry, crackling whisper of voices grew louder and a shrill squeal broke out as the lump dissolved into a mass of smaller, mismatched forms that scattered before me like cockroaches beneath a kitchen light.

I leapt back in surprise, then recovered and sprinted after a single trailing figure. The creature appeared to have fallen on its misshapen head. It righted itself and waddled after its companions, ducking behind another crouching lump further along the deck with a terrified squeak.

I skidded to a halt beside it. Not knowing whether this lump would also dissolve into a jumble of shadow creatures, I reached out to prod it with the tip of my sneaker. It gave slightly against the pressure, but remained stationary and whole. I squinted into the gloom, leaning down in an attempt to see where the little devil had disappeared to.

I realized that it had grown eerily quiet, as if the whisperers held their collective breath in anticipation. I stared harder into the darkness, willing my eyes to discern the shapes hidden within it. A minute shift of movement jerked my gaze to the lump beside me.

A malevolent eye looked back at me, mere inches from my own, wide and unblinking like a mouth frozen in a silent scream. It studied me from between long, bony fingers ending in cruelly sharp nails. I ceased all movement, including breath.

A second skeletal hand was folded over the first, the clutching fingers clamped together to obscure its other eye, like the legs of some monstrously long-limbed spider wrapped around its prey. Now why did I have to go and think that? Goddess, I hated spiders.

But even worse was the thought of it spreading those claw-tipped appendages and both of those soulless eyes staring back at me. The idea made my heart race so fast that my chest hurt. I was literally paralyzed by fear, afraid to blink or breathe beneath the gaze of the nightmare beside me.

I remained motionless for long moments, praying it would do the same. Rigid muscles quivered and cramped from being held tight and immobile. My lungs burned and my eyes watered, but the terror was so unspeakable that I couldn’t move. Dark spots swam across my vision and a warning echoed through my oxygen-starved brain, demanding I either breathe or lose consciousness.

Malicious knowledge glared back at me, and I was filled with a horrible comprehension. The nightmare knew its own power. It knew that as long as it fixed me with its stare, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe - not even to save my own life.

Some fading part of me cried out in denial, shrieking a demand that I fight back. But its struggles receded into the distance, eclipsed by an overwhelming relief that within mere moments, I would feel neither fear nor pain.

As blackness claimed me, hissing whispers fractured the silence once more. They sounded excited, almost frenzied, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

“That’s enough.” A soft voice pierced the din, like sharpened steel sheathed in black velvet.

The whispers ceased and I collapsed to the floor, squeezing my eyes shut and gasping for air as the leaden weight on my lungs dissipated.

“It would not do to exhaust our guest’s potential for amusement so quickly. You must curb your eagerness, my pet.” It was a woman’s voice, cold as winter snow, yet filled with an unmistakable fondness.

As soon as I was able to move, I scrambled away from the nightmare creature, crawling to a stop mid-deck when I glanced back and saw that it wasn’t following me. It had returned to a lifeless, non-descript lump resting against the side of the ship.

I noticed that the night had grown lighter and looked down to find myself bathed in a frosty glow, as if from an errant sliver of moon. Twisting around, I discovered that I had halted at the bare feet of a woman draped in a clinging, sleeveless gown of translucent lavender.

Her lithe naked body was visible beneath, her skin like blue-veined marble, grey and bloodless, yet beautiful to behold. Raven hair spilled long and thick down her graceful form, twining around to caress her limbs on its journey toward her ankles.

A sickle moon gleamed upon her brow, the blades of its arms turned upward in sharp peaks. She was both lovely and terrible, with eyes like death, of lightest lavender tinged with poisonous red.

Hard lips curved in a merciless smile. “And who might you be, my dear? It has been longer than your paltry lifetime since a human has willingly joined us on the Hell Ride. I see that you have already acquainted yourself with Gochi, our resident bug. I would advise that you not threaten the imps again, or the next time I may not be able to contain his enthusiasm. And his games are so much deadlier than theirs.”

She laughed, an icy chime that sliced through the air to be accompanied by a host of answering hoots, chortles and snickers.

“Yeah, I much preferred being pelted with rotten fruit,” I muttered, peering warily around the now illumined deck.

The whispering horde had revealed itself - and they were a bizarre and motley collection. As if in answer to my comment, a decomposing grapefruit splattered onto the wood beside me, liquefied pulp splashing onto my arm.

My gaze darted toward the perpetrator as harsh catcalls and giggles rang out again. A small ugly creature, not much bigger than the fruit it had just pitched at me, sat perched on the edge of a large basket of fresh produce. Its beak hooked sharply and mean little eyes burned like chips of coal beneath its scowling brow.

As I watched, it leapt nimbly into the basket to land beside a ripe orange. Grasping the fruit in both tiny hands, it leaned forward to take a bite. As soon as its beak pierced the rind, the orange began to rot before my eyes. A brown spot appeared at the point of entry and spread outward until its firm ripeness was lost to soft decay.

The creature spun the fruit between its paws, studying it, then gave a sour grunt and lobbed it over the side of the ship before turning its attention to a new piece.

My eyes roamed the deck to take in the creature’s companions. They surrounded me, piled along the rails of the ship, staggered upon the stairs leading up to the mast and bow, and even swinging from the mast itself.

Hundreds of mismatched eyes stared at me from myriad grotesque faces. They ranged in size from the tiny fruit flinging fiend to the largest, whose head doubled for its body, making it resemble a jack-o-lantern with a crooked mouth.

They tumbled over each other, jostling for position, no two alike. Their fleshy, leering faces varied from broad to narrow; some had long pointy ears while others had no ears at all; some had button noses and others long protruding beaks.

Squabbles broke out between them constantly, and they pushed and poked each other with spiteful glee. I watched as one vicious little devil punted its smaller opponent across the deck. It landed with a thump, rolling several times, its three goggling eyes making it impossible to tell which side was up.

My wonder almost outweighed my fear. So these were imps – the things Angelica had wanted to set loose on Jeremy before we’d ended up in our bizarre little love triangle. I was glad I hadn’t consented to her releasing them in our house.

I decided, however, that I wouldn’t mind sic-ing the whole lot of them on that succubus tramp, Edie.

“The imps truly are entertaining creatures,” the dark woman said affectionately. “But I am being discourteous. I am Lady Nightwing, mistress of the Hell Barge. Please rise and introduce yourself, little human. You have the scent of magic upon you. Are you a witch?”

I pushed to my feet, doing my best to ignore the complaints of my aching body as I debated the best way to answer her. It might not be a bad idea for her to believe I had some magical power. I executed a stilted bow, hoping the courtesy was appropriate.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Nightwing. My name is Sydney. And I have been known to cast the occasional spell.”

‘Tell the truth’ had always been my motto. And if you happened to mislead someone – well, that didn’t make it a lie.

Her crimson-tinged eyes flashed with interest. “Few are the secret ways to join the Hell Ride uninvited.” She smiled, a slight baring of teeth. “Fewer still are those brave enough … or foolish enough … to make use of them.”

I held onto my calm facade with a death-grip, hoping she couldn’t hear the accelerated beat of my heart - or smell my fear the way she had smelled the magic. “I apologize for my presumption, Lady, but I am searching for a goblin. And I have been told that he is a frequent guest on your ship.”

A hissing murmur went up and a gravelly voice spoke from behind Lady Nightwing. “I told you Nugratz must have sent her.”

“Silence!” she demanded imperiously, irritation darkening her tone.

Nugratz … why did that name sound familiar?

I peered into an unnatural patch of shadow behind Lady Nightwing. A pair of glowing blue eyes looked out at me, feral in their intensity. I had to force myself not to step back when the shadows dropped away like a discarded cloak and revealed the creature behind them.

The thing was a perversion of a forest spirit, like the demonic incarnation of a rotten-hearted tree. Jagged, branch-like antlers sprouted from a mane of hoary moss atop its head. Its arms extended the length of its body, studded with foot-long thorns that angled upward in wicked spikes. Fingers grew out of its wrists like crooked sticks sharpened into spears, and its thick trunk sat atop bowed legs ending in gnarled, root-like toes.

It fixed me with its hateful blue gaze, but paid obeisance to Lady Nightwing’s demand for silence.

“Now then, Sydney, was it?” Lady Nightwing continued in a cloying tone. “What is the name of this goblin you seek?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know his name,” I answered, keeping a nervous eye on the wicked-looking creature by her side. “But he has a mark on his hand, like a tattoo, of an infinity symbol.”

She fixed me with an odd look. The imps began chattering again and the tree creature stepped forward menacingly. I couldn’t stop myself from taking a step back this time.

“You dare to try the Lady Nightwing’s patience,” it growled. “Goblins do not allow themselves distinguishing marks. What is your real purpose here, human? Do not take me for a fool. I know that you have been in contact with Nugratz. What does that pitiful excuse for a goblin think to gain from us?”

I stared at the creature, the name Nugratz like an ember burning a hole through my mind. Then my eyes widened in recognition.

“Nugratz was the goblin that killed the Unseelie leader and started a rebellion against the Seelie Court,” I murmured, my confusion warring with excitement over remembering the name from Sparrow’s story about his parents.

The creature narrowed its feral blue eyes at me, crossing its thorn-spiked arms in a threatening stance.

Lady Nightwing gave the thing a dismissive wave, genuine amusement curving her chiseled lips. “Can it be that you don’t know?” She clasped her fingers together and regarded me with a delighted expression that I found unsettling.

“I truly don’t believe that you do. It will be my pleasure to educate you further on this matter, Sydney. But first, answer me one question – and I shall know if you lie,” she warned. Her voice was light, but the underlying threat made my stomach drop.

“Did the human, Leslie Horowitz, have anything to do with your visit here this night?”

Surprise shot through me. “He owns the store I work for. But no,” I answered with a frown. “He knows nothing of this. What does he have to do with …”

“I thought not,” Lady Nightwing interrupted. “Next time, Hob, you will hold your tongue, or you shall find yourself without one.”

“Yes, my lady,” the tree creature grated with a bow of its mossy, antlered head. I shifted my feet uneasily at the look of unbridled fury it directed at me.

“Now, let me see,” Lady Nightwing mused, tapping the end of one lavender-lacquered fingernail against the curve of her lower lip. “It is true that Nugratz murdered our weakening leader and made an unsuccessful bid for power by stirring up a rebellion against the Seelies.

“In actuality, many of us shared his sense of outrage that our Court had allowed itself to become so cowed by them. If he had bothered to recruit the older members of the Court, it is likely that many of us would have followed him. Just as it is possible that, had he taken the time to plan his attack better, he might have been victorious.

“But, alas, goblins have never been known for their foresight. They tend to get wrapped up in the moment and play their hand far too quickly, which is perhaps why most of them are such enthusiastic, yet poor gamblers.”

Lady Nightwing offered a tongue-in-cheek smile and the imps erupted in raucous laughter. Even Hob barked out a gruff snort of amusement.

“Sadly, Nugratz was no exception,” she continued with an exaggerated sigh of regret. “I’m afraid that after the dismal failure of his plot, not to mention the loss of many of our strongest young warriors at his command, he became rather unpopular. No longer welcome in Unseelie society, he disappeared into the goblin territories and set about drowning his regrets in drink and gambling. However, it was not long before his luck ran out completely.

“You see, one drunken night, Nugratz made the mistake of engaging in a high-stakes game with a death djinn. He bet a large sum, which he was unable to cover, and lost. Not only did he lose, but being ever prideful and incapable of keeping his foolish mouth shut, he gravely insulted the death djinn.

“Were it not for that, the djinn would have likely let it go. But in the fire of his anger, he demanded satisfaction from the only thing that Nugratz had left to offer – his immortality. Nugratz had so offended the djinn, in fact, that he took it a step further and cursed him into human form, forcing him to leave the faerie realm and live amongst the humans he so despised.”

I stared at her, still at a loss as to what any of this had to do with me.

Lady Nightwing’s smile deepened. “Nugratz has been living amongst the humans for nearly the past twenty years. I believe that in your realm he goes by the unfortunate name of Leslie Horowitz – a name with which we have already established your acquaintance.”

I was so shocked the fruit flinger could have knocked me over with a rotten strawberry. I’d always considered D.J.D.’s owner to be inhumanly nasty, but I’d never suspected just how accurate an assessment that was.

“Close your mouth, dear, before the imps attempt to use it for target practice.”

My teeth came together with a click.

“Judging by your reaction, I presume that you were unaware of your employer’s dual identity. Well, he has fooled those less naive than you. I have seen the wretch, and although he still carries faint goblin characteristics, the djinn’s curse did a remarkable job of making him appear human.” Her laughter was like the tinkle of shattering icicles.

“In truth, it was ingeniously cruel. Nugratz was driven from the goblin territories, for to his people, his human appearance was an abomination. And due to his unfortunate history, he had long been unwelcome by both Unseelie and Seelie societies. His weakness for gambling prevented him from living his days out in isolation, and I suppose he was unwilling to end his miserable life – so the only choice left to him was to join the reviled humans.” Lady Nightwing’s eyes sparkled with spiteful amusement.

“But … he’s still a goblin underneath, right?” I asked, unable to hide my grimace.

“Oh, yes. Although the djinn’s curse altered his appearance, it could not change him into something he is not.”

“But he married a human - and had a child with her.” The disgust in my voice was unmistakable.

Lady Nightwing shrugged. “Nugratz is nothing if not a survivor. He was wily enough to realize that the appearance of having a normal human family would aid him in your world. I believe he befriended the man who sired his human wife, a drunken gambler like himself, then wormed his way into their lives and made their riches his own. As for the child, it must have been begotten some other way. A goblin and a human cannot breed.”

Thank Goddess for small favors. At least I didn’t have to walk around carrying the knowledge that Mickey was unaware of his goblin parentage. But poor Cindy. How did you tell someone that their husband of almost twenty years wasn’t just an abusive asshole, but quite literally an evil goblin? And would it really do any good to try?

“But I grow tired of discussing Nugratz,” she said in a bored tone. “Let us return to the far more interesting subject of why a human would invite herself to one of our nightly soirees. I must admit, it is something of a curiosity. I find that humans generally do not enjoy their time spent with us.”

The imps cackled and Hob’s blue eyes glowed with an eagerness that sent prickles down my spine.

“I can barely remember the last time a human willingly sought us out. In my experience, such an act is always rooted in desperation. You claim to be searching for a goblin bearing the tattoo of an infinity symbol on his palm. What desperation, Sydney, drives you into my domain to look for such a creature?” Lady Nightwing’s eyes glittered with anticipation.

She was right, of course. I was desperate. But I trembled with the knowledge that giving her the truth would be like handing her a weapon crafted specifically for my destruction. My mind whirled with half-truths, as I searched for an explanation that wouldn’t reveal too much.

“He cheated someone close to me while the two of them were gambling,” I said finally.

“Fie!” she exclaimed with an impatient snort. “You will have to do better than that, Sydney. Such things are an everyday occurrence in this realm. What did this goblin take that holds a high enough value for a human to risk searching the Hell Ride for it?” Her lips twisted in an eager smile as she awaited my reply. Even the imps had gone eerily quiet.

I was suddenly glad that I wasn’t looking for something the goblin had stolen. For in that moment, I had no doubt that it would be Lady Nightwing’s greatest pleasure to make sure I never recovered it.

“It was not what the goblin took,” I answered with feigned composure, “but the quality of what he gave as payment that is the problem.”

Lady Nightwing glided closer and I had to force myself not to retreat. Her expression conveyed annoyance, but the emotion seemed at war with avid interest. I prayed her interest would win out.

“You deliberately lead me on with your vagaries, Sydney. And while I can appreciate the rare human that does not dissolve into a gibbering heap at my mere presence, my tolerance only extends so far. What did the goblin give, then, that was of such importance that you would come here looking for him?”

The imps chittered softly and Hob’s stance made it clear that nothing but sheer will held him back from striking at me.

I bowed my head, trying not to give into the sudden weakness in my knees. “Your pardon, Lady Nightwing. I have no desire to offend.”

I could do this. If there was anything I’d learned from my daily conversations with Cindy, it was how to direct attention away from the things I didn’t want to discuss. I took a deep breath, hoping against hope that my next words wouldn’t be a mistake.

“The goblin lost a bet to a death djinn and gave a soul in payment. The soul turned out to have far less worth than it had first appeared, and this has caused a great deal of trouble for the death djinn. The djinn wants revenge.”

I forced all expression from my face as I awaited Lady Nightwing’s response.

The upturned sickle moon upon her forehead grew bright with a corrosive light. I gasped as a fiery pain shot into my chest, like acid burning a hole straight through me. The sensation abruptly ceased, and I was once more pinned solely by her piercing gaze.

“Revenge I can well understand. But the question remains - why would a human with an intact soul be seeking revenge for a death djinn?”

“We have an … arrangement,” I said haltingly, still trying to catch my breath after her painful probing. “He was unable to come himself, and I have sworn not to reveal certain details that he entrusted to me.”

Nightwing’s poisonous lavender eyes narrowed upon me as if she was trying to detect a lie. My heartbeat crashed through my ears in the waiting silence.

Finally she spoke.

“You fear this death djinn more than you fear the Hell Ride.” It was said with a grudging respect – not for me, but for the one who wielded such power over me.

She tilted her head and gave me a considering look. Then she seemed to come to a decision.

“Many goblins pass through the Hell Ride. I do not recall having seen one with the mark you describe, but I rarely concern myself with such creatures. I do, however, know of another being who has such a mark, and perhaps this one will be able to lead you to your goblin. I will give you a choice, Sydney.

“I will grant you passage home now, safe, but having failed in your quest. Or you may choose to stay, and we will have a little wager, you and I. If you win, I will send you to the one who bears the mark of infinity without further delay. However, if I win,” she paused to moisten the curve of her upper lip with her tongue, as if savoring the thought. “Well, I am not an ungenerous host. I will still send you to the one who bears the mark. But you must first remain my guest for the night.”

The voices of the imps rose in an excited crescendo, evil howls of laughter ringing out around me. But the smile that spread across Hob’s bark-roughened countenance was what really made me shiver.

“Enough.” Lady Nightwing’s voice was moderate, but it commanded instant obedience.

“Think well on your choice, Sydney. You have drawn the attention of not only Hob, Gochi and the imps this night. I can feel the curiosity of the other hob-goblins, as well as the gleaners, as they go about their work below. I daresay - everyone wants a turn with you.

“Playing with a human that will remember their games, instead of passing them off as a fading nightmare, will be a singular amusement for them. Needless to say, I do not think you will find the experience so enjoyable.”

Her lips drew up in sadistic pleasure and her eyes gleamed at me mockingly. “Make your choice, little human. Disappoint your death djinn, or take a chance with us.”