In Their Domain

Chapter 11

Chris's eyes widened, as did Arlo's. Even though Arlo had only tripped over and discovered the bell they'd picked up yesterday, it felt like a week ago. Chris again tried to pull his arm free of Dean's grasp, and to his surprise, his friend let go of him. He shoved Annie away from Arlo, and the girl receded, a vacant expression on her face.

"Do you still have it?" Chris whispered, inches away from Arlo with his back turned to the king of whatever this place was.

Arlo barely nodded. "It should be in my bag," he said, before leaning to look at the creature who'd spoken to them. "What do you mean only a winner can leave?"

Chris turned his head to look over his shoulder. Waiting for an answer as well. If that bell was so important, and if this antlered, demon, king, creature... thing could just snap his fingers and mind control people, then why hadn't he just made them give it to him? Why all of this? Why was Sara with him? Was Annie in on it the whole time then, too? What the fuck was happening?

"Oh? You do not know? It is very dangerous to play a game without knowing the rules..." the creature replied, but he sounded more amused than worried as he propped up his head with a clawed hand against his cheek. "Without the bell, there is no winner, and without a winner, the game can not end, and without an end... No one leaves."

The bell... Arlo was desperately trying to remember anything he could about it. It didn't look particularly special from what he recalled. Why had they even kept it? The recent memory was hazy in his mind, like a thick cloud of fog had very purposefully rolled in to settle over it. It was there, just hard to see in his mind's eye.

"How do we win, then?" Chris asked, again taking Arlo's hand into his own as he fully turned around to face the king, but Arlo had barely processed the question. He was deep in his own head. Chris had said something about the bell when they'd found it... What was it that he'd said? Not ...to ring it? But why?

Arlo gasped, causing Chris's head to snap towards him, his brows knitted in concern. No, it hadn't just been Chris! The woman had warned them! The woman! He could remember her now—could remember their interview before driving to and entering the woods.

Arlo's gaze found the king's, and the creature seemed to recognize the change in Arlo's expression and posture. Straightening, a cruel sneer spread across the king's pale lips, but the amusement had fled his unearthly eyes.

She'd said, 'if you find a bell in the woods, don't pick it up, and never ring it, or you'd be cursed.' When they'd asked her where that particular anecdotal advice had originated from, she'd elaborated...

There was an old tale that claimed a brave villager once found and struck a deal with the king of the Ielele, creatures she described to be similar to fairies or sirens. The Ielele wouldn't continue luring away anyone who crossed through their forest near the burgeoning town if, in return, the town would send them a sacrifice, a man from the village, carrying with him a bell, once every season.

Once this man was deep in the woods, he would ring the bell, to let the Ielele know he'd arrived, and the creatures would begin their game... their hunt.

"You don't win. I do, and I already have... But I don't need all of you. Just one needs to stay and ring the bell, and I'll let the others leave." The king's contemptuous grin widened. "So, choose who will stay and who will go... or, you can all stay and play with my pets for eternity."

He snapped his fingers again and several creatures, like those that had chased them earlier, came to heel, materializing from the dark places within the grand hall that the light from the candles and lanterns didn't reach; from shadows cast by his many guests—his court.