The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf Read online

  With my other pregnancies, my children had been very active and had communicated with me through our bonds. Vero, however, had been silent. I could feel him there and sense our bond, but he was content to just concentrate on growing and let me handle the rest. He was a lot like his father in that regard. Except now, he was making his feelings known.

  Vero wanted me to fight.

  Of course, he did. From the brief time I'd been given with him in the future, I'd learned that he was the most like me out of all of my children. Vero would sooner have the both of us beaten to a pulp than have his mother lay down and peacefully spread her legs for an enemy. Even as a growing baby, he could sense the horror of that.

  “All right, baby Honey-Eyes,” I said. “We'll fight. We may not have a lot available to us in the way of weapons, but we'll do what we can. I just wish I had my fighting gear. It's easier to be strong in leather than gingham.”

  Just as I was smacking at the gingham dress despondently, it disappeared and my old fighting leathers were suddenly on my body. I gasped and looked down at the black vest—a little snug around the waist—and my worn pants; exact replicas of my old fighting gear. I even had my boots on with their steel hooks in the heels and my beloved Wolverine gloves.

  “What in tarnation?” I whispered.

  And then I remembered how Narcissus said he'd share his illusion magic with me. I'd wished for a drink, and his territory had supplied it. Could it be that he'd never taken back his gift after his little demonstration?

  “I wish I could find the Fates,” I gave it another go.

  A hallway appeared in the wall before me. No door; just an open passage.

  “Well, would you look at that?” I whispered as I rubbed a hand over my tummy. “We may have a chance, after all, Vero.”

  Vero shifted and then settled.

  “Yeah; I'll take it from here.” I grinned. It was nice to know he had faith in me.

  I headed down the corridor but immediately jerked back. I thought I saw someone inside it, but it turned out to be my reflection. I chuckled to myself and shook my head; I shook it into infinity. The corridor was coated entirely in mirrors, and I was the only thing in it so I seemed to go on forever in all directions. It was disorienting, but the passage wasn't long. It opened into another room and the entry was already crowded with three women who peered in at me calmly.

  “It's about time you got here,” Atropos huffed when I stepped out of the corridor. Her bottle-green eyes flashed and her auburn hair hung wild about her disapproving face.

  “Excuse me?”

  “We've been expecting you,” Clotho smiled brilliantly. She looked lovely; her chocolate-brown hair done up in fat curls and her sky-blue eyes filled with warmth.

  “You knew!” I hissed.

  “We had a brief glimpse into the threads,” Lachesis said calmly. “We knew that Narcissus would be coming for us but saw that it was necessary for a better future for all of us.”

  Lachesis was the Alotter—the one who cut the thread of a human life—and she had ironically gotten the short end of the stick when it came to the looks department. Although she seemed to be young, her face was gaunt, making her black eyes appear massive as it aged her. The way she wore her black hair pulled back severely from her face emphasized her skeletal appearance, and she belted her gray toga just as tightly as her hair. A pair of scissors hung ominously from it that belt. I was surprised to see the scissors; I would have thought that they'd have disappeared into the mirror-border along with her magic.

  “Change is coming for the Gods,” Clotho announced. “It will be rough, as all change is, but it will be good too.”

  “You put yourself in danger to make the future better?” I asked in disbelief. “I hope it's significantly better.”

  “We must all make sacrifices, Vervain,” Lachesis said sternly. “Nothing has been asked of us until now.”

  “It's our duty to tend the threads,” Atropos added. “And being separated from our magic briefly is hardly the worst sacrifice.”

  “Others have given their lives,” Clotho whispered respectfully.

  “You knew about them too?” I asked in horror. “You could have warned Nemesis.”

  “We didn't know about the murders until it was too late,” Lachesis protested. “But that was a blessing. We would have been tempted to stop them, and they needed to die.”

  “Poor Hephaestus.” Atropos shook her head. “He was never fated to be happy. Perhaps he'll have better luck in his next life.”

  “You didn't happen to see how I get us out of here, did you?” I asked.

  “We didn't actually see you getting us out.” Clotho looked nervously at her sisters.

  “What?!”

  “We saw that it was necessary for us to be here,” Lachesis took over again. “And so we are. We trust in Fate, Vervain. How could we not?”

  “Great,” I huffed. “Except Fate has stuck us in Mirrorland without any magic while our captor has loads of it at his disposal. It seems that Fate is laughing at us. Perhaps laughing and pointing.”

  “Fate never laughs,” Lachesis said with the utmost seriousness.

  “Okay, okay!” I held up a hand. “Let me think.”

  “This will take awhile,” Atropos muttered.

  “You know, it's a shame Horus is already married to Hekate,” I said snidely. “You two would have been great together.”

  “Cease your yammering and relieve us from this irksome confinement,” Atropos tossed back.

  I gaped at her. “Did you just quote Guardians of the Galaxy to me? Movie quotes are my thing! I'm getting really tired of people copying me.”

  “I thought perhaps if I spoke a language you understood, you'd get on with it.” Atropos smirked.

  “Fine.” I gave her a sassy look. “I wish I could free us from Narcissus' prison.”

  “Great; that'll work.” Atropos rolled her eyes.

  “Um...” Clotho pointed at a wall.

  We all turned to look at a new corridor that had opened up. The one that had brought me to them had disappeared but this one seemed identical to it; completely coated in mirrors.

  “What the fuck?” Atropos blinked at it.

  “Narcissus gave me access to his magic,” I explained as I hurried to the hallway. “Not enough to get my magic back, but enough to give me whatever I wanted within his territory.”

  “Within his territory,” Lachesis repeated. “Which means that it won't let us out.”

  “And yet, it's given us a path.” I waved a hand toward it.

  Atropos scowled at me and stepped into the corridor... and then promptly screamed. She lurched back into the room, shivering as her sisters rushed to help her.

  “What is it?” Clotho looked from her sister to the corridor with trepidation.

  “The... it... showed me things,” Atropos whispered. “I can't... no; I can't walk through there. I'm sorry.”

  “What are you talking about?” I went to the corridor and peered in.

  A few seconds were all I could handle before I jerked back into the room. My loved ones were in that hallway; each one being tortured in horrendous ways. The scenes lingered in my eyes; traumatic even with that brief flash. I didn't want to know what Atropos had seen.

  “The territory can't refuse your request, but it won't let us go easily either,” Clotho whispered.

  “We must get through that corridor,” Lachesis said. “We'll simply walk it with our eyes closed.”

  “And have the magic lead us off course?” Clotho asked. “I don't think we'll be able to leave if we don't look. The looking is the price of passage.”

  Atropos began to whimper.

  “I will look and the rest of you will hold onto me with your eyes closed,” Lachesis said sternly. “I'll lead us out.”

  “No,” I said, “I will decide okay?” When I realized I was quoting Bird Box, I felt more confident—more myself—and I added, “I will decide; just give me a second!”

  Lachesis
and Clotho stared at me until Atropos finally lifted her stricken face and hissed, “Well, fucking decide then!”

  “I'll do it,” I whispered. “I've seen enough horrors to be able to block overcome them.”

  “Your face says otherwise, Godhunter.” Clotho shook her head. “And you've already paid much more than we have to help Fate.”

  “Just get her up,” I said harshly. “Narcissus was supposed to return for me soon. We don't have much time.”

  Clotho and Lachesis nodded crisply and helped their sister to her feet. Atropos huddled between them as we went to stand at the entrance to the corridor. Lachesis grabbed my waist in a death grip, Atropos pressed herself against Lachesis' back, and Clotho caged in Atropos with her arms, holding onto Lachesis' waist. We were more a mass than a chain, but it would have to do.

  I led them into the hallway of horrors.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The corridor was only fifty steps long. I counted.

  I focused straight ahead of me at the redemption of light at the end of the hallway. The magic did everything it could to stop us. It pushed visions into my path that will haunt me forever. Terrible things that I won't speak of. My brain shied away from most of them, unable to process the atrocities. I cried as I walked but I didn't stop, and I didn't stumble. Lachesis' hands on my waist reminded me that I was walking for more than myself. My hands over my belly reminded me that escape was worth any price. Illusions, no matter how horrifying, would not keep me from freedom.

  But just as I took the final step, the horrors disappeared, replaced by someone far more terrifying.

  “Narcissus,” I whispered.

  The Fates opened their eyes and spread out to flank me.

  “Did you truly think my own magic would help you escape me?” Narcissus tsked me. “Silly Godhunter.”

  “Trix are for kids,” I said in a childish voice.

  I may have been just a touch insane after I'd gone through that hallway; a touch touched. No biggie; I've been there before. I had the T-shirt and the coffee mug. We're all mad here! Yes; it would be fine. The fresh, beating heart of my enemy would set me right as rain. Wow; that sounded really bad. Maybe I was a psychopath too. No; a psychopath would have walked through that corridor with delight... and a camera.

  Narcissus blinked at me.

  “You have a choice, Narcissus,” Clotho said kindly. “This is the moment where you can change your fate. These moments are rare; don't squander yours. Release us and choose life.”

  “Or keep us and choose death,” Lachesis finished. “Remain on your fraying thread.”

  I knew they were bluffing; they hadn't seen that far ahead. They'd said as much to me. But Narcissus focused on them intently, and I saw indecision flash through his eyes as his throat constricted. Then he waved a hand, and the Fates disappeared. I gaped at the open space around me.

  “Did you set them free?” I asked in shock.

  “Of course, I didn't set them free,” Narcissus snarled at me. “Do you think I'm that gullible?” He narrowed his gaze at me. “You do, don't you? You think I'm a fool. But you are the fool, Vervain. You'll never escape me. There is no way out of my territory except through me. Now, do you accept your fate or do I have to beat it into you?”

  Vero stirred. I settled into a fighting stance.

  “Through you is fine with me,” I growled.

  “See?” Narcissus shook his head. “So foolish.”

  I cast down my hands and felt the reassuring click of the blades settling into place over my fingers. It had been a long time since I'd fought with my gloves, but I was betting it was akin to riding a bike. Except this bike was about to tear Narcissus apart. Still beating heart, here I come.

  Narcissus smiled and held out a hand. A sword appeared in it, and he began to circle me. I held my ground. I'd played this game before; they always attack at your back. Prepare for that and it becomes an advantage.

  I waited for Narcissus to move behind me but once there, he didn't strike. He was just trying to make me nervous. Narcissus waited until he came abreast of me to swing. I dropped to my knees and punched out. He swished away from my deadly claws and laughed; spinning off to my other side. I scrambled to my feet and lunged for him. He cut me on the upper arm and giggled like a mad man.

  My eyes were getting twitchy; grainy and dry. After witnessing the horrors of the hallway, concentration was difficult. I pushed the pain aside and tried to focus. I was able to land a blow to his side with my boot. The hook in the heel caught him, and Narcissus howled; an improvement to his laughter. I grinned as I slipped around and slashed at his back.

  Narcissus kicked out my knee, and I went sprawling on my face. He tossed the sword aside and followed me down; covering me with his body. Blood dripped onto the polished floor, and I wasn't sure if it was his or mine. My knee throbbed—no goddess healing helping it—and my arm burned. My claws lay sandwiched between me and the floor along with poor Vero. Narcissus pressed his cheek against mine and then turned his head to stick his tongue in my ear.

  “Are you wet yet? I'm so fucking hard right now,” he whispered like a lover.

  “As soon as you move, I'm going to geld you,” I promised him calmly.

  Narcissus laughed. “I'd better do something about that then.”

  The floor dropped away and my clothes disappeared. I found myself strapped over one of the machines I'd seen in Narcissus' S&M room; standing on my feet but bent over a padded square with its center cut out. Two U-shaped bars supported the square; one which my legs were strapped to and one for my arms. My breasts and belly hung through the opening in the cushion and my chin draped over the edge.

  “You may not have been excited by the whips and chains, but I was.” Narcissus strode into my line of vision wearing little more than a bunch of leather straps. “And once I show you how fun it is, you'll enjoy it too.”

  “You're more fucked in the head than I thought if you believe I will ever enjoy any kind of sex with you!”

  “Is it because I'm only one man?” Narcissus asked. “It is, isn't it?”

  “Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes.

  “I can take care of that too,” he said confidently.

  Suddenly, there were three Narcissuses standing before me. I gaped at them as they smiled at me. The man was so egotistical that he couldn't even make an illusion of another man to help him rape me.

  “There! One for each hole,” Narcissus exclaimed proudly.

  “You twisted bastard!” I hissed. “It has nothing to do with the number of men and everything to do with the fact that I simply don't want to fuck you! Quality over quantity, dickhead.”

  “Really?” A long whip appeared in one of the Narcissuses' hands, and my heartbeat sped up.

  Damn it all; I'd just gotten over my sexual hangups and there I was, right back at the beginning. Except Narcissus' whip was a lot different than Aphrodite's. When it finally landed across my ass, it barely tickled. Still, that wasn't the point, was it?

  “You sick son of a bitch!” I snarled at him. “You're so fucking pathetic. You can't seduce me so you have to resort to rape. The beautiful Narcissus brought low by a woman.”

  “Shut up,” he ground out and brought the whip down harder.

  “You can't even fight me,” I went on. “You have to strap me to a freaky sex table because I was kicking your ass.”

  “Shut up!” One of them grabbed my face and squeezed my cheeks until I couldn't speak. “Maybe I should put something in that sassy mouth of yours.”

  I was just thinking that if he dared to stick his dick in my mouth, I would bite it off when he slid in a metal contraption instead; a cage that opened my mouth wide and covered my teeth. Leather straps went back around my head to hold it on tightly. I jerked violently as the Narcissus before me moved a flap of leather aside and extracted his cock. He grabbed my head and held it still while another Narcissus grabbed my ass.

  “Hmm,” the one behind me mused. “This won't do for the third me
.”

  The table I was on turned, twisting shape until I was positioned with my side facing the floor. More straps appeared around my body to hold me tightly to the cushion. I glanced down and saw that the whole contraption simply floated in the air.

  “There!” A Narcissus declared in triumph. “Now, I shall have your sex while the other me can take your ass. Just how you like it, dearest. Aren't you excited?”

  I screamed out of my open mouth, my whole body shaking as I fought the straps.