Demon Chord - A MaxTul Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 36 - Shadow Lord

Chapter Thirty-Six

Shadow Lord

Owen watched as the darkness swiftly approached. This darkness felt different than the earlier approaching storm. The former felt evil, while this one felt almost benign, but that still didn't stop the dread from creeping into his gut as it enveloped him and the sand cats in shadow. It lasted only a few seconds before the sun's bright rays once again smothered him with scorching desert heat. Breathing a sigh of relief, he surveyed his surroundings, everything appeared normal until his eyes found the Scot's cat and he saw that it was empty. Running to the cat for a closer look, he began to tremble and then fell to his knees....his men were gone.

₹ ₺ ₻ ₼ ₽ ₾

Tendrils of small shadows began to snake across the wooden floor of the cabin, as the group looked on in fascination they began to gather together in the center of the room and gradually took on the appearance of a tall man.

The man who materialized looked nothing like his son. Other than the runes on his skin, Saint could have passed as human, while his father's appearance was more otherworldly. There was no mistaking the Shadow Lord for anything from the mortal realm.

While Saint's skin was pale and marked with black runes, his father had ebony skin with gold runes. His long dark hair was neatly braided into one thick braid that reached past his waist; his eyes were cat shaped with golden pupils. His appearance was ageless – he could have been twenty or twenty thousand years old. He was dressed in black robes made of shadow that seemed to have a life of their own, as they were constantly swirling and undulating. When he smiled, it revealed tiny sharp teeth.

As he looked around the room everyone bowed their heads slightly and averted their eyes to the floor in deference, except for Saint who was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement.

"Hello Father" he greeted.

The Shadow Lord answered in a jovial voice that belied his regal appearance, "Saint" as he stepped forward and put his arm around his son's shoulder and pulled him close while smiling at the others, "introduce me to your friends."

After the introductions were made and the small talk extinguished, the Shadow Lord turned to Lark and pulled a small folded and tattered piece of paper from his robes. Handing it to her, he said, "since Laird is not here, it falls to you to call the debt as paid."

"I don't understand" muttered Lark as she unfolded the paper to reveal a Crayola drawing of a child with hands linked with a tall black figure with yellow x's on it's skin and yellow slits for eyes, "I think I've seen something like this before in Laird's personal papers".

As the realization dawned, she gasped and looked up at the Shadow Lord, "are you Laird's childhood friend that lived in his closet? Toby?"

"Tobias. Yes" smiled the Shadow Lord, "Laird and I go way back. Though he didn't know my true identity until about ten years ago. He thought I was a figment of his childhood imagination. But I kept an eye on him and have always remembered that I lost a bet to him."

"And you helping us today is payment for that childhood bet?"

"Yes"

Lark bowed her head in gratitude and said, "I will let him know when I am by his side again."

Looking around the group, he said, "I also promised to deliver everyone back home. Just let me know where you want to go, and I will send you there. Oh...I almost forgot...what do you want me to do the dreamers?"

"Dreamers?" questioned Lark.

"The ones that my Night-Mara have been toying with. What do want to do with them?" as he pointed out the window to the two Scottish slayers laying on the ground.

"They aren't dead?" questioned Max, as he looked at the prone bodies of his old friends.

The Shadow Lord turned in his direction and with a sly smile asked, "would you like them to be?"

"No" he answered quickly, "I don't" as he looked at Lark with silent pleading.

Lark seemed to think about it for a few seconds before responding, "Turn them over to the Cadre. Let the council deal with them."

"Shall I wake them then?" he asked.

Lark nodded her agreement.

"And their nightmares? Shall I veil them or do want them to relive those terrors whenever they lay down to sleep?"

Looking at the Max and Ronan in turn, she replied in a steely voice as if she expected them to disagree, "Keep the night-mares to remind them of the consequences of their disloyalty."

She was surprised to see that both the young slayers nodded their agreement and smiled as she thought to herself, Laird is leaving the future of the Cadre in good hands.

The Shadow Lord smiled his approval at her decision and said, "so be it" as shadows enveloped the sleeping slayers, and then they were gone.

Looking at the others, he asked, "are you ready to go home?" as he opened a portal into the void.

Lark grasped Kazu's hand and answered, " We want to go where Laird is."

"Wait" Kazu replied as she looked at Lark, "what about the animals? We can't just abandon them here."

The Shadow King mock sighed, "where do you want them go?"

"Can you send them to our home in Ireland?" she asked.

"Ireland"? laughed Tul, "you still have that hovel?"

"It's hardly a hovel, and yes, I still have it" she answered with a laugh, "It has sentimental value."

"Fine. Ireland for the animals" smirked the Shadow King as he looked at his son and said cryptically, "you're right about them..."

Before anyone could ask for clarification, he looked at Tul and Kate, and said, "You're next. Where to?"

Tul looked at Max, but the young slayer avoided his eyes, so he replied in a strong voice, "Tuscany" as he clasped Kate's hand and they stepped into the darkness.

"I'm going with them" replied Ronan as he smiled at his partner and mouthed, come with me and stepped into the void after the Wamphyri and his thrall.

Max cursed under his breath as he watched Ronan disappear into the shadow and said, "I guess I'm going to Tuscany" as he followed them.

After everyone had left, Saint looked at his father and asked, "what about the other two – Rafe and Owen?"

"I totally forgot about them" answered his father with a chuckle, "let's let fate decide."

With a chuckle of his own, Saint replied, "Fate? Really?" as an explosion rocked the desert.

Author's note:  I think our group needs a little R & R after their time in the desert.  The next chapter will be some fun and fluff before we get back into the angst of Max & Tul trying to figure out their feelings and all that entails --- plus the aftermath of the conflict between the Cadre and the Wamphyri and the future of the two rivals.