Beyond the Veil

Chapter 20

The corpses of the fallen undead puppets were scattered all through the entrance hall, their stench permeating my senses, making it hard to breathe.

I shook my head to clear it of the terrible smell.

“Here” Cole handed me a handkerchief from his breast pocket. I took it gratefully, covering my nose.

The house that had appeared so decrepit on the outside was even worse on the inside. Mold grew on the walls of all colors, black and green alike. Water damaged walls sagged in several areas, adding to the illusion the place was coming down around your ears.

As we walked down the hall a growing sense of foreboding grew in the bottom of my stomach. The smells of the undead wafting through the seemingly deserted building.

“Its quiet, wouldn’t you say?”

“It was,” Al muttered, skirting a puddle of dripping water.

I smiled grimly, I had to respect Al, he really was a trooper. He had only been introduced to my world less than a week ago and already he was working alongside a demon and ghost to bring down a necromancer who was polluting his city with his undead minions.

Definitely not your average week and here he was making jokes in the face of danger.

The floor creaked beneath their feet and my smile faded, the necromancer was bad enough, the building he lived in was a death trap.

How could he live here? I shuddered as something scuttled passed my foot, and decided it was far safer to stick close to the boys.

A small tingle that racked my body made my hair stand on end. It was only then that I saw the murky form at the end of the hall. It was another undead, but something was off…

It’s not attacking us. Why isn’t it attacking us?

The creature tilted its head to the side, studying us. Its empty eyes oozing black liquid. It opened it mouth, a thin dribble of black leaked down its chin.

A thin wispy voice issued from its mouth, “Well it appears I have visitors, strong visitors to have made it this far at least.” Its head tilted farther to the side, and gave me the firm impression that it was now looking at me. “A ghost, hmm? Not someone I would bring into the home of a Commander of the Dead.”

Cole snorted in a most unrefined way, “Commander of the Dead, really? You humans are so full of yourselves. With an ounce of power you think you’re a god.”

The creature narrowed its seeping eyes on Cole, “You must be a Demon, a full-fledged one at that. You know I haven’t tried bringing one of you back before. Perhaps I will, you can be the first.”

It turned its eyes back to me, “But first I would like to see what I can do with ghosts. I only know the rudiments of handling spirits but I can’t imagine it’s too hard.”

Cole stepped in front of me, Al only a step behind him, “You aren’t touching her freak job.”

“I concur.” Cole agreed smoothly.

Instead of being intimidated the creature smiled, more black liquid rolling down its chin, “Well this makes things fun. Find me if you can, I believe this will be an interesting evening.”