Chapter 38

I walk through the doors alone. The room is full to bursting with all kinds of creatures. Some look like Trolls with pale green skin and orange eyes. Many looks like something you would see in a horror movie. One of the horrifying demons invades my personal space.
"Excuse me! “Is all I manage to say as fear grips my stomach causing a knot to form. The hideous creature looks like his skin is rotting, and smells like it too.
"I want meat, raw meat! Not cooked!" he yells at me, holding a steak in his free hand and waving it in the air.
"Then you had better take it up with the servants." Cole’s deep voice comes to my rescue. I glance at him out of the corner of my eyes, keeping some focus on the creature. Cole looks smart dressed in a black suit with his dark hair neatly combed. I can’t deny that he looks handsome.
"Then what is this?" He points at me with the meat.
"My fiancée. Now take it up with the servants!" The demon falls to his knees, clutching his head. Wow, he can do the head pain thing too. I guess you learn something new every day.
Cole drags me away. Blood trickles down my arm. He drags me into the kitchen area where the servants bustle around preparing foods and drinks. I never realized the demon had touched me. I am surprised I don’t feel any pain from the large graze on my forearm.
“Sit down. “He points to a table with four chairs around it, where two men in their late sixties are playing cards. They look at us with fear filled eyes as Cole glares at them. They both jump up and disappear down a narrow corridor.
“I need to stop the bleeding before the vampires smell your blood and we have a riot on our hands,” he says gathering supplies out of a drawer by the sink.
“You can do the head pain thing?” I ask, gritting my teeth against the stinging sensation when he places some antiseptic wipes over the wound, the sudden pain shocks me.
“No, that would have been my father.” Once again, dread settles in my stomach.
“I didn’t feel the cut before,” I mumble as the stinging intensifies.
“The demon is called a Para. It paralyzes its victims, with venom from its nails. You’re lucky he didn’t scratch you at the base of your neck, or you would be paralyzed from the neck down,” he explains, this time I get no sense of fear. The more I hear of the horrific things the demons can do the less I worry about them.
Once the cut is clean, he takes my hand and guides me back into the room of evil.
I grab a glass of wine from a tray held by one of the waiters circling the room. The liquid feels wonderful as I drink it all in one big gulp. Cole gives me a sideways look. I shrug and grab another glass. This time I take little sips.
“Ah, so this must be the lovely lady I’ve heard so much about. “A small plump green man with yellow eyes and orange hair stands beside us. The sight of him sends me into fits of giggles.
“Who dares cross my bridge?” I hear myself saying in a grave voice. The ugly man’s eyes narrow as the yellow takes on an inhuman glow. I can’t help it, I explode into another fit of giggles and clutch my side, hiccups bursts forth, and I laugh even more.
“Leave us,” Cole demands of the creature and drags me over to the nearby window. I am still laughing and clutch my side.
“Did you see that thing? He looks like a troll.”
“That’s because he is a troll, and insulting a troll is never wise. Now please try not to get us into any more trouble.”
Cole’s attention is distracted by a man who looked badly burnt. I slip another glass of wine and gulp the deep red liquid down in one again; it burns my throat and chest. Dizziness consumes me as a fog settles over my mind.
I walk further into the crowd. Rather unsteadily after three large glasses of wine. My body sways as I make my way to the buffet table decorated with black roses. It fills the entire length of one wall and is stacked with food no ordinary human would dream of eating. I walk down the table looking at it all in disgust. Something moves in a large bowl. Curiosity gets the better of me, so I take a better look. What looks like maggots, but green, are wriggling about. “Urge!” I jump back into something hard.
“Sorry,” I mutter as I look up into soulless black eyes.
The man gives a slight nod. “Not many marry these days, especially the young. “His voice makes the hairs on my arms stand up.
“Why pay all that money for one small sausage?” I reply, not knowing where the words have come from. I quickly scuttle away. The man’s deep laugh follows me.
Sighing in relief, I lean against the gray stone wall, watching the guests mingle. It seems strange to think it was only a few short months ago that I didn’t believe in demons or magic. Huh, even if I had believed in them, I would have thought demons being the evil, calculating creatures they are, they would not be able to stand in a room together without ripping each other to shreds. Never mind partying. I notice the women seem to stand with their partners, or what I presume to be their partners, not really engaging unless spoken to. They stand obediently, with blank eyes and emotionless expressions. They don’t look to be treated any better than slaves. If I can’t get out of here soon, then I will become one of those women.
I watch the crowd drinking the several different wines and spirits that cross my path as the waiters continue circulating. The room spins as a man with blue skin, cream trousers, and a t-shirt approaches me.
“Let me guess, you’re a Genie, right?” I say while he inspects me.
“Yes, that is correct. “The genie smiles, which causes a twinkle to shine in his green eyes. He is the only creature I have seen that doesn’t have a deadly look in his eyes. They seem gentle and calm. Out of place amongst the evil, and deadly creatures swarming the room. “Now, what would a pretty girl like you, who has everything, wish for?”
“Well...sometimes I wish I were a bird and could fly over the people I don’t like and poop on them.”
The Genie cracks up in fits of giggles. Light dances in his eyes and I become curious about him.
“I like you. You have humor. “He pats my arm and extends his arm for me to take. “Come, let me get you a drink. “I oblige. I don’t get a chill or a sense of caution with him. I feel like he doesn’t belong here, like me. As we walk into the crowd, a plan starts to form in my mind. I tune out everything else going on around me until the only sound I can hear is my heartbeat and heavy breathing. I concentrate on my power, letting the electric current rise, but not allowing it to flow out. Each demon I pass, I let a bit of electricity escape, scorching various body parts. Everything suddenly erupts into chaos, and they start blaming each other for the pain being inflicted on them. Arms, legs, and bodies begin flying across the room, along with chairs, tables and anything else they can get their hands on.
I lose the genie during the chaos, and I quietly slip through the door and down the narrow dark corridors. The noise from the party dims as I walk out into the cold, forever night, air. Pushing my legs with determination, I run through the dying and dead wilderness until I reach the wall of fire.
I study the fire and its movements carefully. Smoldering flames rise high into the sky, crackling playfully and gently at first, giving a false sense of calm. The fire leaps higher, flickering and spitting, sending a shower of sparks like a fountain of rain pouring down.
Taking deep breaths to clear my foggy alcohol filled mind, I concentrate on separating the fire with my power of air. I will my senses to bring the power forward. My palms tingle, then the feeling spreads through my veins. I can’t believe my luck when the fire separates. A smile spreads across my face as I walk towards the new opening. However, just as I put one foot in the gap, the flames burst into life as fire shaped gargoyles consume my body. Agonizing pain ripples through me. The pain is too much to bear. Blackness takes me in, offering sanctuary.