Page 2 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
“It’s time,” he said and glanced at the box. “Home.”
“Fine, fine. Everyone have a point of contact?” I asked, making sure with my own eyes that we were good to go. “I’ll start the chant, and we have to repeat it five times. Ready?”
Our voices filled the room, each of us speaking ancient demonic words that were older than time itself. A faint blue light surrounded the box as energy pulsated around us, and the light grew brighter with each chant. At the end of it, the lock clicked and we withdrew our fingers, allowing the lid to pop open with a soft snick.
“It worked,” Rhodes breathed, his eyes wide as the stones within were revealed.
The stones themselves were blacker than night with bright red striations running through them, almost as though theyhad their own network of veins. I reached for one and said, “Everyone, take one. It’s time for phase two. Let’s get this portal opened, boys.”
“They’re heavier than I thought,” Felix commented upon choosing his. “Must be all the magic they’re holding.”
“Do you really think this is going to work?” Misha questioned, examining his own stone.
Rhodes nodded. “Balor is positive. Did he say anything else, Ash?”
“Just that he’d find us once we’re through, and he had a lot to tell us about what’s been going on in Besmet. Let’s move over here, and then we can open the portal against that wall there.” I nodded toward the long wall in the living room, and we all but ran there, eager to get this done.
I had so many feelings about returning. We’d planned for this for so long, and now the moment was finally here. My heart felt as though it would beat out of my chest with excitement, and yet, my stomach felt like it was full of lead. For as many good memories that I had of home, there was a fairly equal amount of awful ones. There would be people there I didn’t want to see, but that was part of the cost.
“Are we ready? I’m itching to fuck some shit up!” Talon bounced on the balls of his feet, tossing his stone up and down.
“Same as the box then, boys. Five times, and then the portal will open and we’re home free,” I said, grinning. “Let’s remind them who we are.”
Once again, our voices combined, and a purplish blue circle appeared on the wall. The stone in my palm grew hotter with every word spoken until the portal glowed so bright it was hard to look straight at it. The final word came out of our mouths, and the stones in our palms quite literally combusted, leaving nothing but rubble and ash.
“See you on the other side!” Talon shouted as he dove through the portal like a swan.
Felix jumped through next, then Misha. Rhodes turned to me and nodded once, clapping me on the back before walking through. This was it. I took a deep breath and jumped.
Stepping through the portal always sent my stomach for a spin. No matter how many times some of us had done it, some had never gotten used to the sensation. I was one of those lucky bastards.
"Fucking hell," I cursed, clutching my stomach and retching.
A hand slapped me hard on the back as I wiped my mouth and shakily steadied myself. "Ashy boy, I can't say I'm surprised, though I was holding out hope that this might be the first time you didn't puke all over your shoes after a portal jump."
"Talon, slap my back like that one more time and I’ll make sure the next time I throw up is all overyourshoes.”
Talon held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. I was just trying to help."
I turned to find the others staring out over the landscape from atop the mountain we'd landed on. We hadn't been ”home” in a very, very long time.
"Even the air smells different," Felix said softly, his dark eyes scanning the landscape curiously.
From our vantage point, there wasn't much that appeared to have changed aside from parts of the landscape below that were decaying. Trees were barren, and whole fields were reduced to nothing more than dry vegetation that would incinerate if so much as a spark landed anywhere near.
"This used to be so green! Where are the animals?" Tal looked to each of us as though we held the answers he was seeking.
Rhodes shook his head and continued surveying. "We know as much as you know. Thanks to that piece of shit Asrael, Besmet has been dying. No new babies, the dragons are lockedup or dead, no new growth in the wilderness, just poison. He is poison."
Rage was boiling in my veins, potent as a white-hot poker and just as deadly. "I'm going to kill him.”
"You'll have to get in line," a familiar voice spoke, causing all five of us to whirl around.
"Balor!" Rhodes boasted and held out his arms, welcoming the royal physician and friend into an embrace. The rest of us joined in, well, everyone except for Misha. We’d all grown up together, and he’d kept in touch with us since we’d been banished, keeping us in the loop about everything going on in Besmet.
"It's great to see you boys!” He boomed, as though he hadn’t seen us regularly over the years, especially the last couple. We couldn’t have created the gas we needed to take on Asrael without his help. “I never doubted I'd see the day when you returned home... and you're needed more than ever," he explained.
"Tell us everything," I said, clapping my old friend on his shoulder.
