Chapter Forty-three
Melinda was just about to have a cow. She’d planned to empty the vial on the dust-covered ground, which would easily soak up the liquid. But this new floor the demon conjured looked the exact opposite of what she wanted.
Then she remembered she was in dream mode and made the decision. She brought the vial to her lips and tossed it back like a toddy on a cold night. Cuzork stopped in his tracks.
Melinda threw the small container to the side. “There you go, demon. No more serum. Kiss your plan good-bye.”
The king turned slightly toward his army. “Lamo, heel.”
From the men, Wilson floated to the king’s foot, eyes lowered. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Lamo, my pet, kill the cat now. My men will bring the woman to the palace. She will now bear us children to possess until the day she dies. My plan will continue with only a slight delay.”
Wilson floated in place, shaking in fright and staring at his cat. “Why me, Your Highness?”
The demon king slowly turned to the lesser entity. “Because I’m hoping the cat will kill you before you kill him. Then one of my pains in the ass will be gone without me lifting a finger.”
The king turned and his army split in half to allow him a path through. Several made a beeline toward Melinda. She stiffened and spoke under her breath, “You will not touch him, Cuzork. I wish a sword in each hand and to be the best sword fighter this place has ever seen.”
The next second, she ran toward their enemy, two long, narrow blades in her hands, a battle cry screaming from her lips. With a blur of hands, feet, and body, she mowed over the guards coming for her. Each direct strike popped a creature into oblivion. Just like taking a sewing needle into a field of balloons and jabbing at superhuman speed.
The rest of the military stared as if not knowing what to do. They wouldn’t until their creator, Cuzork, told them. They were nothing but useless puppets until their leader put his hand up their asses.
The horde now charging, she noted her jag had extended his claws and taken up fighting. Shit, she hadn’t anticipated that, but she should have. She yelled, “Jag, I wish your fur to be impenetrable like armor so no hit will hurt you.” Her sword sliced through three men. Pop, pop, pop. She felt so badass right at that moment.
Melinda glanced at the cat to make sure he’d be all right. She couldn’t be sure, but when the group of six men slashed at him at the same time, his body only jarred like being pushed, but nothing else. His paws swept the men’s midsections, creating pop after pop.
Melinda heard footsteps behind her and spun. She kicked, punched, slashed, and body-slammed her way through the enemy. Behind the demons, over half of the sun was below the horizon. She had to end this and find Hamel.
She sliced a warrior in half while she was midair and landed in an attack stance. Her eyes met Cuzork’s, swords lifted. In her peripheral view, she saw claws dig into dirt as Jag sprinted toward the king. Her eyes didn’t move, giving away no hints of the coming attack. The jag leapt at the demon, taking the creature to the ground in a hard slam.
She watched as the cat morphed into Hamel, his arm wrapped around the demon’s neck, securing him in a sleeper hold. His eyes sought hers. She stood, arms slack at her sides, swords dropped on the ground, mouth gaping at him.
With the king’s capture, the remaining guards disappeared. Cuzork croaked, “Transform—” Hamel flexed his huge bicep, cutting off further words. Was the demon calling Hamel a transformer? When she realized what that word meant, she felt the blood drain from her face. Hamel transformed into her savior jaguar? But— How— He—
Worry coated his face. “Melinda, sweetheart, we’ll talk when we get back. We don’t have much time.” Hamel looked around. “Wilson? Where are you? Get over here.”
In a blink, a dark blob that resembled a huge raisin with eyes, nose, and a mouth appeared at Hamel’s side. She snatched up her swords.
“No, Melinda. He’s with me. He’s okay.” Hamel winked at her. “Watch what I figured out on my own.” Her love turned to the floating raisin. “Wilson, close your eyes and picture something in your . . . well, I was going to say head, but I’m not sure that works for you.” He cleared his throat. “Picture something you really want and make a wish that it was here.”
The hovering blob stared at Hamel. “I do not understand, Clint.” Melinda couldn’t help the snort that escaped her, hearing his “name” again. Hamel scowled at her but continued with the blob.
“Wilson, haven’t you ever wanted something you didn’t have?”
“No, Clint. I have all I want thanks to the king. He has granted us the needs to survive.”
Melinda realized how simple this demon’s life must be. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, but humble.
Hamel rolled his eyes, the king still trapped in his arms. “Let’s go about this a different way, Wilson. If you could have anything you don’t have, what would that be? Close your eyes and say ‘I wish’ whatever.”
Wilson’s eyes slowly looked at the king’s then looked down. “I—I do not—”
Hamel sighed. “Wilson—”
“Okay. I wish to have a human body.” Suddenly standing in front of her was an image of Zac Efron. That was interesting. The floating creature seemed to be surprised. “I have been told I could not have a humanlike image because I was too worthless, too nothing.” The new person examined his body, smile wide, eyes shining. “Is this body pleasing, Clint? I saw a picture of this person when the children where learning pig Latin.”
Pig Latin? She looked at Clint— Hamel. He nodded. “Yes, Wilson. From what I understand, that is a very appealing image. What else would you like to have?”
From nowhere, a black upright piano materialized. Hamel and Melinda looked at Wilson. The demon said, “I heard it one time. It has beautiful sounds.” Then a few chickens popped into existence. “These creatures made me feel happy when watching them. They are fun and intriguing. The way the white ball that comes out of their—”
“Got it, Wilson,” Hamel said. “Do you understand how the king’s magic works now? It didn’t belong to only the king, but to everyone. He simply refused to tell others how to use it because he wanted the power all to himself.
“Now only the four of us know, Wilson. And soon it will be only you and Cuzork here. Do you want me to kill this son of a bitch?”
Wilson stared at the king, fear no longer shivering his body. “No, I wish that he floats among the universes, never finding a home, never returning here, and never again able to wield the magic of this realm again.”
Cuzork’s eyes widened and panic crossed his face before he popped out of sight. Hamel climbed to his feet and put a hand on Wilson’s shoulder. “Wilson, with your ex-king banished, you are now the only one who knows how to use the magic. It’s up to you how you create your world.
“It seems Cuzork spent a lot of time on Earth becoming familiar with our way of life and came back here to re-create it. He saw the same pictures and movies I saw as a child. You can keep it or change it.”
Wilson looked deep in thought. “I will gather many who are knowledgeable and we will make a decision.”
Melinda smiled. “Wilson, I think you’re going to make a great leader. The lowly will inherit the land.” She stepped forward and the sun shined in her eyes. Just a sliver remained. “Hamel, we have to go now.”
He grabbed her hand and they hurried to the circle. Wilson waved. They waved back and Hamel said, “I wish for us to return to our realm.” Nothing happened. The two looked at each other. Hamel repeated, “I wish us to go back to Sefu’s shed.” Again nothing. Wilson still stood waving at them, with a goofy smile on his face.
“Hamel, why isn’t it working?” Her eyes glanced at the vanishing sun.
“I don’t know.”
“What do we do?”
The sun would be gone in seconds. The underside of her wrist burned. She hissed and lifted her arm to see what stung her. From under the skin, an image came to the surface. It was the same as the tattoo she’d received in one of her recent dreams. Sefu’s chant in the dream filled her ears.
Huenda sisi kujiunga ukweli wetu kweli.
Kuziba ulimwengu huu milele kwa yake mwenyewe.
Her eyes closed and the foreign words took over her mind. She repeated them over and over. She held up her hand to let the sigil shine upon the land. Just as the last ray of sun gave out, complete exhaustion once again overtook her mind.