A hard slap in the face woke Balthazar. His head swam with the heavy blackness of being unconscious for a long time. He looked up into the burning eyes of a hideously disfigured creature. Then his eyes fell to Alex. Bloody and gagged, she struggled against the tight grip of a demon with pale skin, long black hair, and unmistakable red eyes. It was Aelek, the Lord of the Maracovians. Balthazar’s father had put down an attack from them at the beginning of his reign. Their kingdom had been nearly wiped out.
“I wouldn’t want you to miss this, demon,” the disfigured creature hissed at him. He wore a heavy cloak that hid most of his body, but the parts that peaked out showed skin that was torn and pock marked. There were around ten others that looked just like him gathered in a circle and the heavy smell of magic rolled off them in thick waves. These must be the Magi Ashdad had spoken about. Balthazar pulled against his bonds, his lips curling in a snarl.
“I will tear you all to pieces,” he growled barring his fangs. He felt his beast start to scratch at its cage. He began to let it out slowly. Seeing Alexandra with a bruise forming over her left eye and blood trailing down her face was about to send him over the edge.
“Settle down, boy,” Ashdad’s voice came from beside him. It was a choked and small. “Don’t waste your strength.”
Balthazar snapped his head over to see him. He was covered in blood. His hands were bound behind his back and he was barely able to hold his head up. So much for him being helpful in any of this. At least now Balthazar knew what had happened to him.
“You will give me what I want,” the Chief Magi said, walking over and pulling the cloth gag from Alexandra’s mouth.
Alex pulled her lips together in a tight line, her chin rising in spite of the fear and pain that wracked her body. She gathered the spit in her mouth and shot it at the ugly creature with as much force and disdain as she could muster. “I won’t give you a damn thing.”
“Yes, you will,” the Chief Magi said, a smile curling on his lips as he wiped the spit off his face. “Even if we have to torture and kill everyone you love right in front of you, we will get what we want. Hell, I think we would actually enjoy doing it that way.”
“Alex,” a very familiar voice called her name, small and strained. Alexandra’s eyes grew wide as she saw the Magi dragging the emaciated body of her lifelong friend Sam forward. His face was hollow and pale and there was blood coming from every orifice of his body.
“Sam,” Alex gasped, her heart jumping into her throat. She struggled harder against the demon holding her.
“Now,” the Chief Magi said, grabbing a handful of Sam’s hair and yanking his head back, “Give me what I want or I start removing body parts. And I won’t be quick about it either. Slow and painful.”
“Alex, just give these things what they want,” Sam said, his voice cracking. His eyes darted around, unable to focus on anything. Seeing him broke her heart.
“Sam,” Alex said again, her eyes welling up at the bloody and broken sight of him, “I can’t…”
“Please, Alex,” Sam cried, his body shaking uncontrollably. He shrieked in pain as the Chief Magi drug a clawed finger across his cheek, leaving a thick trail of blood in its wake.
“Stop it!” Alex screamed, “Stop hurting him.”
“All you have to do is give me your blood,” the Magi said. There was such a sick smile of pure pleasure on his face as he tortured Sam that it churned Alexandra’s stomach. “Then I’ll stop. It’s not so much to ask, really. Just a little bit of blood. You’ve got plenty of it, I assure you, and we only need such a small amount.”
“Let him go,” she said as she hung her head in defeat. She couldn’t let Sam get hurt anymore because of her. She didn’t know what the hell they wanted her blood for, but if it meant they wouldn’t torture the people she loved most then she would do it. “I’ll do what you want, just stop hurting him. Take my blood, just let him go.”
“No,” Ashdad cried out as he struggled against the ropes that held him in place. “You can’t do this.”
“Good decision,” the Chief Magi said as he dropped Sam to the ground and stepped over to her. There was satisfaction gleaming in his eyes that made Alex’s stomach drop.
She held her arm out, turning her head so she didn’t have to look at her own surrender. Aelek pulled out a golden dagger from his waistband. The blood colored stone in the hilt glinted in the moonlight. Alex knew that dagger anywhere. It was the same dagger Aunt Tammy had left her. Memories flooded back to her, and she suddenly remembered how she had gotten to this world.
She screamed at the pain as Aelek raked the blade across her wrist. Blood began to spurt out of the cut and the Chief Magi pulled a golden chalice from the folds of his robe to collect it.
“Alexandra,” Balthazar called to her as he watched helplessly. His eyes began to burn. He felt the itch of his beast, but this time it was different. This time, he knew he could control it. Alexandra had shown him how when he was fighting Baal. Now was the time for him to unleash it.
“Calm yourself, boy,” Ashdad said, his voice rising forcefully next to him. “There’s nothing you can do to save her. Nothing can be done to save any of us now.”
“Yes there is,” Balthazar growled, his eyes washing over red as he released the powerful darkness inside him. With the added strength of his beast’s release, he was able to easily break through the ropes that held him.
The Magi were oblivious to him as they began to chant. The sky darkened overhead, and the clouds swirled together. The wind picked up, sending Alexandra’s long hair whipping around her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull as blood continued to pour from the gash on her wrist.
Balthazar went immediately for Aelek’s throat. His claws dug into the soft flesh as he ripped a chunk out. Aelek dropped Alexandra to the ground and followed only a moment after, his lifeless body oozing blood from the wound in his neck. The golden dagger clattered against the rocky ground as it fell from Aelek’s hand. Balthazar pulled Alexandra up into his arms, a possessive growl in his throat as his blood red eyes dared the Magi to challenge him.
Ashdad responded with a growl of his own as he grabbed his chained hand, and with one vicious pull, ripped the appendage from his body. He used his demonic speed to move and with his remaining hand he seized the dagger, turning toward Balthazar and flinging it through the air. It hit Balthazar squarely in the chest.
The earth began to quake beneath him. A soft but absolute light grew from the dagger and engulfed his entire body. The Magi hissed as the light touched their naked skin, the purity of it threatening to dissolve them on the spot.
Alexandra felt her body going weak and her breathing became more labored. She leaned her head against Balthazar’s chest as her eyes slowly closed over with blackness.
52