Persephone (The Lily Harper Series Book 4) (19 page)

The beast has not supped in too long a while,
Alaire announced at the same moment that he shoved me forward, right into the abysmal swamp.

I awoke with a start.

Taking a second or two, I tried to ignore the remnants of the dream, although I was nearly suffocating from the lingering sensation of sheer dread.

It was just a dream, Lily,
I told myself.
None of it was real, so stop thinking about it!

Once I believed the truth in my own words, I felt better. Taking a deep breath, I glanced to my right, only then noticing that Bill was passed out beside me. He was lying on his back with his arms and legs spread out beside him.

“’Twas it ah bad dream, lass?” Tallis asked. I looked over and found him in the same position he was when I nodded off—sitting right beside me with both of his legs extended out in front of him.

I nodded and pulled myself up into a sitting position, feeling somewhat grateful I now had the strength to accomplish such a simple feat. The stagnant cloud that was invading my head shrunk to a mere ghost of its former self. My thoughts were much clearer now, and seemed to be my own. Well, as far as I could tell anyway. “Yeah, you could say that,” I answered with a deep sigh.

“The best thing aboot nightmares is wakin’ oop froom ’em,” Tallis quipped before offering me an understanding smile.

I didn’t reply, as my attention was wholly fastened on Bill. He was snoring so loud, I feared we would be discovered by whatever creatures happened to be out and about in this part of the Underground City.

“How are ye, lass?” Tallis asked, sounding genuinely concerned. He seemed almost oblivious to Bill’s conspicuous snoring, so I decided not to be concerned about it.

“I’m feeling better,” I answered with a quick nod as I further considered it. “There’s still a bit of residual fogginess in my head, but at least now I can pronounce and understand real words.”

“Whit ye survived was nae small feat,” he stated. “The Kremelions attack by way o’ gettin’ intae yer mind. An’ when they get ahold o’ that, they can drive ye tae madness.”

“I think they did drive me to madness,” I said as I remembered some of the particulars. If Tallis and Bill hadn’t found me, who knew what would have happened? Actually, I had a fairly good idea … I’d be pushing up daisies or lilies right about now …

“Nae, had they taken hold o’ ye completely, ye wouldnae hae bin able tae come back. Yer mind woulda been scrambled eternally,” Tallis argued.

“Well, good thing for me that you came along when you did!” I exclaimed. I inhaled deeply because I was suddenly very light-headed. Those dastardly Kremelions had done a number on me, and that was putting it lightly.

“Ye fought ’em, Besom,” Tallis argued as he shook his head. “Aye, our timin’ couldnae hae been mooch longer, boot ye were the one who managed ta keep ’em at bay.” He looked at me for a few seconds. “Ye are stronger than ye know or admit.”

“I don’t feel very strong now,” I said, not meaning to sound so disheartened, but there it was.

“Ye will regain yer strength in ah short time, lass,” Tallis said with a firm nod.

I didn’t respond, but rubbed the back of my neck when I heard movement from beside me. Bill was now awake and sitting up. He yawned a few times, idly scratching his head before his eyes found mine.

“Bleahhh! Tastes like someone took ah big ol’ shit right in my mouth,” he moaned while making a sour face.

“Well, luckily for Tallis and me, we won’t get close enough to decide if your breath smells the same way too,” I snipped, rather snidely.

Bill frowned and then yawned again, glancing at Tallis for a few seconds before his attention returned to me. “So, little nerdlet, you wanna start tellin’ us about where the hell you disappeared to when we was back up here on the tracks earlier? You were like, here one second, and gone the next,” he said as he studied me suspiciously. “It seemed like the freakin’ air just swallowed you up whole!”

I instantly remembered the yak-man. “I don’t know what actually
took
me,” I answered with a shrug, “but it looked like a half-man, half-very-hairy-beast.”

“’Twas ah Mantreon,” Tallis interjected with a quick nod. As he shot up onto his feet, he seemed surprisingly fluid and agile, considering how large he was. “Lass, are ye ready tae move?” he asked as he eyed me.

“Yes, I think so,” I answered. Getting onto my feet, I stood still for a few seconds to determine if I felt well enough. Tallis watched me pointedly so I nodded to let him know I was fine.

With a quick smile, he started forward. “Mantreons are ah primitive species o’ demons,” he said, continuing his discussion about the yak-man.

“Well, whatever it was, it was really horny,” I replied, remembering the particulars and shuddering in spite of myself. I fell in line right behind Tallis, considerably grateful to be feeling better. I had to commend Tallis and his Druid concoctions …

“Please tell me you weren’t off havin’ fugly animal sex with a hairy beast?” Bill asked before he immediately started to laugh in a high-pitched guffaw. The sound was so obnoxious, I wanted to cover my offended ears. But Bill was having a field day with it, and even slapped his stomach a few times to emphasize his obvious hilarity and amusement.

Hilarity which was lost on me.

“No, Bill, I wasn’t,” I replied, turning to face him with an annoyed frown. “I had to protect myself against the monster, which wasn’t very easy; thank you very much!”

“Aye,” Tallis nodded without sounding surprised. “Ye are in heat, lass. The creature could smell it oan ye.”

“What?” I demanded, my mouth dropping. I even dared to wonder how many more surprises my weary body could handle before my heart would just give out.

“In heat?” Bill laughed again as he came up behind me. “Like a dog?”

I wanted to slap him.

Tallis, thankfully, didn’t seem to think it was very funny. He didn’t laugh, or snicker, or do anything else. “Aye, ’tis ah scent yer body is givin’ off. The Mantreon picked oop oan it an’ wanted tae mate with ye.”

“And how do you know that?” I inquired, embarrassment and mortification reaching all the way down to my toes.

“Ah can smell it comin’ from ye too,” Tallis answered, not bothering to turn around to face me. Instead, continuing forward, he appeared to be following the train tracks again. I only hoped that the remaining distance to Dis wouldn’t be very long.

“You can smell it on me?” I repeated, shaking my head with exasperation as I caught up with him. “Smell it? You mean, like an animal?” I asked for further verification.

“Aye. Jist so.”

“Well, I can’t smell any o’ dat shit,” Bill announced from behind me.

“Thank God for that,” I grumbled. I could only shake my head when I wondered how much more indignity I’d have to suffer regarding this subject.

“So, Conan, are like all the creatures of the Underground gonna git the hots fer nips now, and wanna hump ’er? Or what?” Bill asked.

“Oonly the ones that can smell her pheromones,” Tallis answered without showing much concern or even interest.

“Which ones are those?” I asked, unable to mask the worry from my voice. Encountering phantom creatures that wanted to kill me was bad enough; and now, I had to add this to the mix? Why was it that bad luck only seemed to get you when you were already down?

“The more primitive creatures will smell ye,” Tallis explained. “Mantreons are more beast than man,” he explained, “they arenae as evolved as oother creatures. They still rely on their animal instincts. The more evolved ah creature, the less in tooch it becoomes to its baser needs.”

“So how were you able to detect it?” I asked as I threw my hands on my hips and tried to ignore my unparalleled embarrassment.

Tallis shrugged as he glanced at me with a boyish smile that illuminated his entire face. “Mayhap Ah, too, am more animal than man.”

I couldn’t argue with that. It seemed to me that, in general, Tallis had more in common with feral animals than he did with humans. He wasn’t exactly what one would call “civilized.”

“Dude, that
is
the reason I call you the Yeti,” Bill retorted with a shrug.

Tallis didn’t bother responding to Bill’s comment, which was probably just as well. For my part, I still couldn’t quite get past how Tallis could smell I was “in heat” as he called it. I wasn’t even sure what that meant … Was I ovulating? Who knew? Regardless, it didn’t fail to embarrass me, so I preferred not to question him any further about it.

“Ah didnae mean tae oopset ye, lass,” Tallis apologized in a soft tone. He stopped to allow me to catch up with him and we both glanced behind to make sure Bill was still following us.

“I’m not upset,” I argued with a sigh. I wasn’t sure how I felt about anything anymore.
Was I upset? Or just completely drained and exhausted?
It seemed I was on perpetual overload ever since we’d arrived in the Underground City. Well, truthfully speaking, I felt like I’d been on overload since I’d mistakenly died and Bill appeared on my doorstep to escort me into this new lifestyle.

“Are ye feelin’ well?” Tallis asked as he raised one eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m feeling much better, although I am still tired.” I sighed again and added, “I feel like I could probably sleep for a whole week.”

“Ye probably should, lass,” he answered. “This trip has definitely taken ah toll oan yer body.”

I nodded. “Well, at least it’s not raining anymore, right?” I asked cheerily. It definitely seemed as if the rain had stopped for good; but it wasn’t easy to walk in freezing, soaking-wet clothes, never mind the puddles in my shoes.

Tallis nodded, but I could tell there was more on his mind. “Did the Mantreon hurt ye, lass?” he asked me at last.

It took me a second to realize what he was getting at. Once I did, a pall of shame overcame me; he was basically asking if I’d been raped by the man-beast. “No, it didn’t,” I answered firmly. “I decked him over the head with a femur I picked up from a pile of what was once his dinner.”

Tallis smiled and released a long sigh that I hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Ah’m sorry Ah wasnae there fer ye, lass,” he said in a soft, deep voice. “’Twas not fer want o’ tryin’.”

“It’s not your fault, Tallis,” I replied right away with an encouraging smile.

He just nodded before facing forward again. “Ah need tae bleed mahself soon,” he announced.

“Bleed yourself?” I repeated before realizing exactly what he was talking about. “Has Donnchadh become too difficult to contain?”

“Och aye,” he answered with a brief nod. “The longer Ah wait, the stronger his power grows. An’ Ah am havin’ ah tough time restrainin’ him as ’tis.”

I swallowed hard. I was already familiar with what it meant to have Donnchadh control his body. It was a situation to be avoided at all costs. “How much farther is it to Dis?” I asked, my voice unable to conceal my worry.

Tallis glanced down the hillside and stopped walking. Upon studying the layout of the land for a few seconds, he returned his gaze to me, saying, “We hae arrived.”

“After his head he with a sigh had shaken...”
- Dante’s
Inferno

NINETEEN

“If the Kremelions are the official guardians of the City of Dis, do we have to encounter them again?” I asked, my voice belying my anxiety and dismay.

“Nae,” Tallis answered with a firm shake of his head as he glanced down at me quickly. “We hae bypassed ’em.”

“Bypassed them? How?” I inquired, shaking my head with consternation. I didn’t understand how that could be, not if they surrounded the City of Dis, or so I thought … “Didn’t you say they were supposed to keep outsiders … out?”

“Aye, an’ they do,” Tallis affirmed with a quick nod. My expression said I didn’t understand, which caused him to frown before he launched into another explanation. “The Kremelions exist oonly in the lands
in front
o’ the City o’ Dis.”

“Oh,” I answered, confused by what Tallis was saying…and annoyed by it. Tallis was always so short, so matter of fact and he never explained anything… He just simply said what he was going to say and expected me to accept it. But after going through what I had, I wanted…no
, needed
to know more.

“Tallis,” I started. “I want you to tell me more about the Kremelions.”

“Whit would ye like tae know aboot them?”

“Whatever you can tell me.”

Tallis, probably sensing my growing frustration, looked back at me for a brief second. I locked eyes with him, trying to get the point across that I was unwavering in my request to know more. He took a deep breath before he began to speak.

“The answer tae yer question is ah sad one an’ one that stretches tae an age long since past. The City o’ Dis wasnae always as ye shall see…travelers, traders an’ Soul Retrievers alike were once allowed intae the city tae condooct their business.”

“Travelers and traders?” I asked, sounding perplexed.

“Aye,” Tallis replied with a quick nod. “The City o’ Dis has always been located within the realms of the Oonderground boot, like any other city, it required merchants an’ commerce tae foonction an’ flourish.”

“But why would it need trade?” I asked.

Tallis shrugged. “Tae enjoy common conveniences,” he answered. “Not everyone in the Oonderground is damned,” he continued as he nodded at me and then Bill as if to say we were cases in point.

“Okay, go on.”

“The imprisonment o’ souls o’ the damned has always been what the City o’ Dis was known fer an’ yit, once oopon ah time, there were those who wanted tae make it….more.” Tallis paused. Even though he was now facing away from me and I couldn’t see his eyes, his demeanor seemed brooding and…heavy. “That was afore Alaire became Master o’ the Oonderground. His rise tae power was quick, fast an’ merciless. His vision o’ whit the city an’ all o’ its territories was couldnae have bin more different tae that o’ the previous master. Among all the things Alaire did, the Kremelions are one o’ the biggest displays o’ his sadistic nature.” He took a deep breath and then grew quiet.

“Go on,” I encouraged him, eager to hear the rest of his story.

“Once Alaire became the oonquestioned ruler o’ the Oonderground, he barred the way intae the city o’ Dis. He hid it from all those who sought tae enter it; save for the souls o’ the damned who remained trapped within the city fer all time. Alaire transformed the lands directly in front o’ the City intae whit ye saw, ah seemingly endless an’ barren desert.”

“Why?” I asked.

“He wanted tae kill anyone who dared tae attempt tae enter the city sae he bewitched the verra ground tae swallow ‘em whole…an’, fer ah while, that’s exactly whit happened. Boot Alaire wasnae satisfied even then.”

Tallis paused again. I could see the story was weighing on him somehow. “Are you alright?” I asked, my voice soft and concerned.

“Och aye!” he admitted too quickly and then nodded with too much gusto. “Alaire decided that these “lost souls” that were stoock in the earth could serve him ah mooch greater purpose. An’ sae he made it sae that those who sought tae enter the City o’ Dis would succumb tae madness an’ despair. Sooch deep despair that even after their souls left their bodies, their souls would forever become part o’ the landscape in which they perished. The madness would stay with them, even in death. Alaire made it sae that the mission o’ these lost souls was tae haunt an’ tempt fellow travelers tae the same twisted fate.”

“Then the Kremelions are really visitors to the City of Dis, or were, once upon a time?” I asked to make sure I was following him.

Tallis nodded. “Aye. The Kremelions are the tortured souls o’ all those who have tried an’ failed tae enter the City o’ Dis. Forever victim tae their own madness an’ despair, their only foonction is tae bar the way o’ others intae the city. They serve as ah deadly warnin’ tae all those who would try tae enter.” Tallis glanced back at me. “Among the ranks o’ the Kremelions are many o’ your fellow Soul Retrievers.”

“And I would have been among them too, if it hadn’t been for you,” I added.

Tallis didn’t say anything but it was just as well because my mind was racing with everything he’d just told me. I wasn’t sure why but Alaire had never really struck me as
that
dangerous. Yes, of course, as Master of the Underground, he was dangerous enough but after this information, I considered him in a new light.

“So, the Kremelions won’t be a problem for us again anytime soon?” I managed.

“As Ah said, their domain lies only in the land in front o’ the City. An’ we’re enterin’ froom the rear,” Tallis finished with a sigh.

“Of course we are! I mean, this is you we’re talking about, someone who only travels via the back roads,” I answered with a broad smile as I tried to add some levity to the weighty conversation. Tallis just frowned down at me, raising his left eyebrow, but I didn’t miss his smirk, which pulled the ends of his lips up.

I followed him and we took a sharp right and started descending the hill. It wasn’t exactly steep, but with the loose rocks and gravel, it became a struggle to keep my balance. Once we reached the flat plane of land below, I was further confused.

“Um, it doesn’t look like there’s anything here,” I said as I turned to my left and then to my right. Then I did a three-sixty, but I still didn’t see anything that even hinted at what one might call a city. It looked like we were in the middle of nowhere. Not a tree, nor a building, nor a sidewalk, nor a lurking monster existed anywhere.

“Um, brain check on aisle nine,” Bill started as he caught up with us and stomped over to Tallis. “In case ya didn’t notice, dude, we’re smack dab in the middle of BFE. It’s like the exact, total opposite of a city!”

Tallis spared each of us a lengthy look, but didn’t respond. Instead, he walked forward ten or more steps and fished out what looked like a compass from his sporran. He held the compass straight out in front of him, moving it slightly to the right and then bringing it back to center again. Then he turned around to face us.

“Whit Ah am aboot tae do will require mah complete attention,” he said.

“What might that be?” Bill barked as he shook his head and wrapped his arms across his chest. “Ya gonna make a city appear out o’ nothin’?” Then he started emphatically nodding. “Yeah, that’s gonna require not only your complete attention, but also like, the attention of a couple more fools like Houdini, David Blaine, an’ that weird dude who wears way too much eye makeup!”

“Criss Angel?” I supplied.

Bill just shrugged in response, but kept his attention fixed on Tallis.

“Och aye, Ah need mah concentration,” Tallis continued as if Bill never interrupted him. “Ye both will need tae busy yerselves fer ah wee bit.”

I nodded and offered him a quick smile of understanding. Bill and I watched him walk another ten paces or so ahead of us before he removed his sword from the scabbard across his chest and dropped down to his knees. He laid the sword out next to him so it was parallel with his body, and placed his palms flat against the ground. He looked like he was about to do a pushup … girl-style.

“Dude’s gonna puke,” Bill announced as he observed Tallis and feigned gagging.

“Yeah, he kind of does look that way,” I answered with a frown. Watching Tallis, I wondered exactly what he was doing that required so much undivided concentration. Of course, I didn’t bother asking since Tallis was the sort of person who didn’t explain things, he just did them.

“Conan’s lost his frickin’ mind if he thinks he’s gonna make the City o’ Dis miraculously appear like, outta nowhere,” Bill announced definitively, settling his gaze back on me.

“I think Tallis knows what he’s doing, Bill,” I answered with a shrug and a half-smile. “I don’t ever doubt him.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe ya should sometimes,” he replied with a frown. He took a few steps away from me and unzipped his pants, turning his back to me as he did so.
Thank God
. “I gotta take a piss, sis. Hold on a sec.”

“Gross,” I muttered as I glanced back at Tallis. He was still in the same bizarre, pre-vomiting position. I could faintly make out the sounds of him speaking, but failed to understand the words. Usually, that meant he was speaking in Gaelic.

“Okay,” Bill announced as he zipped up his pants. Shaking his left leg as he walked back toward me, he kept adjusting himself the entire time. “Back to the subject o’ you an’ Igor.”

“I don’t really want to discuss Tallis right now,” I said as I cocked a brow at him. “Or Igor, for that matter.”

“Well, that’s too bad for you, ’cause I do,” he replied, lifting his nose in the air. His expression beamed with determination. “You do realize you’re sufferin’ from a condition called
monopenis
, right?”

“I don’t suffer from any conditions, Bill,” I rebuffed, despite having no idea what he was talking about. Not that it really mattered, because I was more than convinced that Bill made up most of the stuff that came out of his mouth.

“How could you know?” he railed in response. “You don’t even know what having a case of monopenis is!”

“You’ve got a good point there.”

“I always gotta good point, nerdlet,” he announced with a quick nod. “Soze now, I’m gonna help you out by tellin’ ya what condition yer condition is in.” Then he seemed to swell with arrogance, like he was proud of himself.

“I don’t get it.”

“You never saw
The Big Lebowski
?” he asked and I shook my head. “Damn, girl! Sometimes, I don’t even know how we got to be friends.”

“And your diagnosis is …” I answered, piercing him with an expression that said to hurry up and get to the point.

He took a deep breath. “Monopenis is the unfortunate condition of only wantin’ one penis.” Then he glanced over at Tallis, who still hadn’t budged, and was balanced on his hands and knees. “The Yeti’s.”

“That’s so ridiculous, Bill,” I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest to let him know I wasn’t impressed or amused by his conclusion that I had
monopenis.

“Is it?” Bill asked as he inspected me closely. “Is that really so ridiculous, nips?” Then he started walking around me and acting like a lawyer interrogating a witness. “Do you realize that you haven’t stopped starin’ at him this entire time?”

“Yeah, because I’m trying to figure out what the hell he’s doing!” I snapped while tossing my hands up in the air in visible frustration. “And, more importantly, I’m anxious to know how the hell we’re going to get to the City of Dis so we can get on with our mission!”

“Yeah, yeah! Keep denyin’ an’ lyin’,” Bill continued as he annoyed me for the third time. “Not that it matters! The truth is out there, whether you choose to ignore it, or not!”

“Thanks for the riveting lesson, Bill,” I said with a quick smile, “but I think I already learned that little gem from Mr. Rogers when I was like, five.”

“
I already learned that little gem from Mr. Rogers when I was like, five
,” Bill mimicked me in a high-pitched, utterly bizarre voice. “You know, havin’ monopenis ain’t really such a big deal,” he continued as I sighed and shook my head, figuring I’d better get used to these absurd conversations because Bill wasn’t exactly good at backing down. “It’s a lot better than what I got.”

“Oh, and what condition would that be?” I answered, even though it took all my patience to do so.