Chapter 104

Niebos

Nestor had discovered it was difficult to get around as he was. It was difficult to kill effectively. It was difficult to devour his victims. Difficult… but not impossible. Years spent listening to the sounds around him had helped him to identify water lapping on the shore… footsteps of children… men… women… small animals. He'd learned that even without teeth… he could manage to rip flesh and swallow.

The one thing he couldn't be certain of, however, was if there was a blood trail leading to his hiding place. He'd flung himself in the water to wash after each set of pleasures. Yet still he did not know for certain if someone had seen… or if someone was even now out to find him.

If they killed him… he would rise again as he had before. He was the terror of the nightmare! He was the darkness at the foot of the bed! He was death incarnate!

His bride was still beyond his influence… and the girl child who'd looked after this host body was still unfelt. She would know. She would come. He had to be certain he forced her hand. He knew she'd know what killing him meant for her… he had to arrange it somehow that she'd have no other choice.

He rocked back and forth in the hole he'd found and thought of all the things he might do to force her hand. He could still recall the looks she'd given him long ago… when he'd been in that other body… Barak's body. He cackled. She'd known even as she approached him. He'd seen her understanding of what he was and let her run away. That day she'd chosen to survive. This time… he had to be certain she did not run… that she'd stop him.

Nestor hummed. He was so ready to walk on two feet again. He wanted to gnaw on a bone and rip flesh from it. He wanted to see the darkness… and revel in its power.

From some distance he could hear shouts and screams of horror. His victims had been found. All but one. He reached back and fondled the unconscious toddler. She was his way out of this prison! The infernal child would never stand by and let him kill the child. All he had to do was wait until he felt her come for him. The problem would be if the mortals found him first, especially if they knew how to truly kill him. Surely not! And even then… he'd find another way. His darkness and his evil were too intense and too powerful to be lost. He'd return… more powerful than before. The toddler whimpered. Nestor slapped her until she shivered under his palm and was quiet.

The voices were closer. Holding the knife in his mouth… he rammed it again through his healed palm… grimacing only slightly at the momentary pain. He was ready… for whatever awaited him.

-----

Constable Nikos Paransetti sat at the side of the girl's bed and waited for her to awaken. Doctor Andros had said it should be soon. He'd had a message from the patron… a message that had filled him with horror.

Then the bodies of the coroner, the old man, Stephanos, and three of the four children of Maria Akinos had been found… as well as the bodies of several small animals. All had been brutally butchered. Most residents were walled up in their homes. The children, especially, had been sequestered. Parties of men were patrolling… seeking the culprit.

And then the email had arrived. Phillip's message asked after the girl Valeraine and her patient. Then it asked if there had been any odd occurrences or murders on the island. Nikos had swallowed in fear. He'd just left the scene of the children's' murder. He feared he would never eat again.

The widow Kapikos was screaming that they had angered the old gods who had protected them for all these years! Someone had broken faith with them and spoken the unspoken. Nikos had shaken his head at first… now… he waited for the child to awaken.

-----

Valeraine slowly opened her eyes. Nikos, the island magistrate looked at her somberly.

"He's begun killing, hasn't he?" Her voice rasped through her partially healed vocal chords. Her throat still hurt.

"Yes," Nikos whispered with a nod. "Children. He kills small children."

Valeraine nodded and sat up… she still felt a little woozy from the drugs. Nikos helped her to her feet.

"The patron has messaged me. He says for me to assist you in whatever you must do. He is on his way… but it will be some time."

Valeraine nodded and glanced about… finally seeing a small stack of folded clothes that had been provided. She stumbled toward them and picked them up.

"I will have the nurse assist you," Nikos said. He rose and left. A few moments later, a teary-eyed young woman entered to help her dress.

They'd found boy's clothes for her… pants, a light shirt… socks, and sneakers. When she was dressed she quickly pulled her long blonde hair into a ponytail and secured it. She glanced around the hospital room. She swallowed, noting how much that hurt as well, "I need my sword," she managed to whisper. The nurse nodded.

"Nikos?" the nurse called out as she left.

Nikos returned with Valeraine's small sword in his hand. He held it out to her.

Valeraine took it gratefully. "Listen to me carefully. If I have to kill him… if I have to cut off his head… you have to lock me up. Don't listen to anything I try to tell you… Shoot me… several times if you have to… but then lock me up. You must promise me that you will lock my body up somewhere and watch over me until Phillip comes.

"I promise," Nikos said. "You are one of the children of the old gods… yes?"

Valeraine nodded. It was as good an explanation as she'd ever heard. "Now show me the killing ground."

They'd had the dogs searching… but after yelps and the deaths of several of them… the owner had been told to take the rest of them home.

Valeraine bit her lip as she lifted the bloodied sheets to stare at the corpses of the children. Tears sprang to her eyes. She dropped the sheets and stood… trying to sense him. How far could he go? How could he manage? She stepped to the water's edge… following the blood trail. He wouldn't have stayed in the water. He couldn't have stayed afloat.

She waded slowly out to get the feel of the tide. Closing her eyes she listened… concentrating as he must have concentrated… trying to hear what he could not see… a place to hide.

She strode back to the shore. "Are there any caves on this side of the island?"

Nikos nodded. "Yes. Small hollows that begin about a half mile up the beach."

"Then that's where he's likely gone. Let's go." Her voice was still raspy and speaking still hurt. She couldn't remember having had to deal with pain for a long time.

Together she and Nikos strode along the beach. The rest of the search party hung back a distance at the magistrate's direction.

When Valeraine sensed him, she paused. "Remember what I told you. If I have to kill him… you must lock me away. No matter what."

"I understand."

"If you don't… more will die."

Nikos nodded.

Valeraine hefted her sword in one hand and a gun in the other. Nikos had a high-powered rifle and an axe. He slung the rifle along one arm and hefted the axe in the other. He was as ready as he would ever be.

Valeraine crept closer to the caves. She could feel him now… dark and cold… negative energy… as strong as he'd been so many years ago when she'd first felt him… when he'd held a knife at Marie-France's throat and taunted Valeraine to kill him.

"Oh Nick…" she thought… "Does anything of you remain? Can I still reach you?"

The cold at the entrance of the fourth cave made her pause. He was there. Deep in the shadows of the hollow he waited.

Valeraine closed her eyes and tried to visualize him… hear him. Finally she did… the low cackle of Nestor came clearly from the cave… as did the sudden wail of a child.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at Nikos.

"One child was not found. We assumed he'd simply disposed of the body elsewhere."

Valeraine nodded and closed in. She entered the shadows of the cave. She could hear the child wailing loudly now. Nikos followed her. Valeraine paused to let her eyes adjust. Nestor's blindness could be an asset to him in here.

Walking on the balls of her feet… she tried not to splash in the tidal pools that were scattered about the cavern floor.

The cackle was ahead of her… and the wail.

Valeraine turned carefully… peering into the shadows.

Then she saw him.

He was straddling the child. Leaning over it and stroking it with his bladed palm. Small streaks of blood oozed from the shallow cuts he'd made.

"Stop it Nick! Listen to me!" Valeraine felt like crying.

He raised his head and cackled. Slowly he ran the knife over the wailing child again.

"Stop it Nick! I mean it!"

He cackled again and shook his head as if enjoying this.

Valeraine realized there was likely nothing of Nick left by this time. There was only the old evil. Dark and deadly cold it flowed about the ruin of the man she loved.

She fired the automatic.

He flinched and howled and kept slicing at the child… ever more deeply.

Val fired again.

Again he flinched… but kept up his attention on the child.

Then he lowered his face and began to run his mouth over the infant.

Nikos fired. Again the immortal evil cackled and bit the child lifting it in his mouth as he attempted to tear flesh off.

Valeraine caught Nikos' attention as she raised her sword tearfully. "Remember your promise!"

Nikos lowered his rifle. He nodded.

Valeraine rushed Nestor and rammed her sword into his back. He flinched upward and roared… slowly turning and pulling her sword with him. She pulled it back. As soon as she did so… he raised his bladed palm to slice the child's throat.

She had no other choice. Tearfully she raised her sword. "Goodbye Nick! I love you still!" In one firm stroke she brought her blade down… and then awaited the cold darkness that she knew was coming.

-----

Phillip raced from the helicopter. It had been a long series of flights. First the chartered one from Marseilles to Rome. Then the charter from Rome to Athens… and then the chopper hop to Niebos. The others followed in his wake. He strode amongst his people all welcoming him home… all wanting to tell him about what had happened. Phillip had eyes only for the magistrate's office and pushed through the crowd.

Inside he found Nikos, staring at the single cell the island boasted. It wasn't much… but then they had little crime here… and what they had was generally not serious.

Nikos turned to face Phillip. His face pale. He bowed to his landlord. Phillip pushed past him.

In the cell was Valeraine huddled on the floor and talking to herself.

"She killed the monster, patron. But now she is possessed. She says things… she does things … she asks me to do things … these things are monstrous and evil. I shudder at what she offers." Nikos shook his head. "What was this evil? Was it the devil?"

Phillip nodded. "As near to the devil as you'd ever hope to meet Nikos. I need to be alone with her now."

Nikos nodded and left eagerly.

Phillip stood beside the bars. "I'm so sorry lass."

Valeraine looked up at him and leered. "I'm not!" Her voice was still raspy… but there was a deadly tone to it now.

She shook her head and roared. "Swordmaster? Are the small ones safe?"

"Aye, lass, they are."

"Then it was worth it, my sacrifice?"

Tears filled Phillip's eyes. "Aye, lass. You did well."

Valeraine lowered her head and then leaped at the bars, clasping them as she wriggled suggestively. "Oooh lover… come to me now. Am I not once more beautiful to behold? And the things I can do with this body! Why… you'd be amazed." She stuck her tongue out and lapped at the steel even as she ripped her clothes and made obscene gestures with her hands. Then she cackled.

"Leave her be Nestor. I won't let her be hurt."

"You cannot stop me… none of you can. One by one… until the end of time… you will all be mine. You will be lost in me. I am the darkness!" She flung herself to the cell floor and began to writhe suggestively as she fondled herself. "Join me lover! With your power… we will rule the world! With you… my bride will at last be wholly mine!"

Phillip turned away heartsick for the loss of this child… and for the loss of all the children Nestor had devoured over the centuries… Barak, Marie-France, Nick Wolfe… and now Valeraine. How much longer could he let this go on? He stepped out into the fading sunlight. "Watch her Nikos… I will return shortly to take care of her." He walked slowly up the hill toward his ravaged villa. Around him gathered the small ones and the others. They were silent… and feared what he might have to do next.