Insatiable Hunger, page 12
You crave power. The voice trinkled in my ears, enticing me. That, dear Cain, I shall give you.
“Cain!” Lazarus yelled from the hallway.
My head snapped, tilting as the strange green light subdued, melting from my eyes and fingertips. “Coming.” I grinned.
I inhaled deeply as my spine straightened, my hands brushing the long hair away from my face and adjusting the collar of my jacket. I opened the door and almost collided into Lazarus. He wasn’t much taller than me, but he was built more than I was. Always had been, as long as I had known him. I didn’t like his smug, cocky attitude, or really him, for that matter.
“We’re leaving,” he mumbled, his voice and face both annoyed as he tossed his bag over his back.
What insolence. I snickered at the internal foreign insult, my neck twisting as I fought a stabbing pain that lingered on the stranger’s words.
Indeed, I agreed.
The group had gathered onto the porch, impatient and ready to leave. I stood in the front doorway of the cabin, observing them closely with a new outlook. Ruby and Jinx were hand in hand, per usual, Ruby bickering to her silent girlfriend as she glared at me, her maroon eyes shining bright with distaste.
Hexer. The pain returned, my head flinching in reaction.
“Are you okay?” I turned to find Alaska standing next to me, her pale blue eyes tentative and filled with worry. She placed her hand on my cheek, gasping at the touch. “Cain, you're burning up.” I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead, a constant, dull ache buzzing behind it.
I carefully removed her hand, lifting it closely to my mouth. “Nothing I can’t handle.” I kissed the top of her hand, my lips lingering for a moment as I inhaled her scent.
Her. My jaw clenched as the pain increased, shooting through every nerve webbed throughout my skull. Alaska gently pulled her hand back, frightened by my reaction. I forced a smile, attempting to coax her.
“Let’s go.” Lazarus chucked my bag into my arms, a hint of anger tainting his words as I noticed the large knife sheathed at his hip. Alastair stood close to his side, eyeing me intently as Alaska slowly joined them, the three so familiar with one another. “We want to be back at the cabin before it gets dark.” He turned, leading the way as the rest followed him like sheep.
The blind leading the blind. My head burned, the excruciating discomfort beneath the surface of my skull increasing with each ghostly, whispered sentence.
Suck it up, Cain, I growled into myself, inhaling deeply through my nose as I looped the strap of my bag over my torso and paced my way to the group, keeping a small and subtle distance between us. Alaska peered back at me, her troubled eyes watching me as Lazarus continued to lead them into the woods. My head tilted as I flashed her a smile. Just keep walking, Bambi.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
ALASKA
Lazarus led us deeper into the woods, the entirety of the group silently observing the trees, searching for any signs of the glowing red eyes that haunted us. Cain remained distant from the rest of the group, a weird look soaking his face as he moved, his entire being odd and off. Strange.
We hiked through the same foliage as the night before, cautiously retracing our steps, trekking deeper, when Cain suddenly groaned in pain. Lazarus and the rest of us stopped, turning as we watched him stumble, grabbing at his head. He looked sick, his skin pale and soaked in sweat, as if fighting back some strange illness gnawing at his brain.
“Cain?” His face turned, his eyes burning red as he looked at me, breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” The rest of the group remained silent, watching his odd behavior.
Cain slumped over, his hands on his knees as he panted, wiping his forehead. I cautiously stepped closer, my arm reaching out to him when his body snapped high. He inhaled deeply, rising as if nothing had transpired, turning to face me. I recoiled at the chaotic shift. His hand brushed his hair out of his face, a very strange and unfamiliar motion, as he smiled at me. “Excellent.”
“You look like shit,” Ruby hissed.
“Yeah, what was in that protein powder?” Lazarus asked. “Cause whatever it was, your body doesn’t seem to be agreeing with it.” He pointed to Cain. The longer I stared at him, the more disturbing and obvious differences in his being I began to notice. The way he had adjusted his jacket was not his usual way of doing so, his hair brushed back away from his face, and even the way in which he stood. It was all foreign and unlike Cain. “Look, we’re not too far away from the cemetery. Let’s hurry up so we can grab our things and head back.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement with Lazarus. Everyone began to walk in the direction we were headed as I remained planted, studying Cain.
Cain looked at me, his head tilting ever so lightly as he lifted his hand to his mouth, silently shushing me with a sinister grin. My gut twisted at the oddness as I stepped away from him and quickly joined the others, glancing over my shoulder.
Cain lingered, frozen in that position for a minute before casually shadowing us the rest of the way. My chest tightened, feeling as though the real danger wasn’t hidden within these eerie woods, but instead stalking us from behind.
My uneasiness grew as we stepped through the edge of the treeline, the sun bearing down on us, soaking us in its afternoon glow; it was warm and comforting, contrasting the cold breeze and rain-soaked earth.
Ruby stepped forward, her platform boot landing in a giant puddle, mud splashing across her bare legs and hem of her dress. “Fucking serious?” she groaned, shaking her boots, wiping the mud from herself onto a cluster of overgrown weeds. “I can’t wait to leave this place behind.”
“Hey,” Jinx grabbed her attention, snapping her fingers, “we’re almost there.” Jinx moved her hands. She then kissed Ruby’s cheek, melting her temper. “Focus.”
“Yeah.” Ruby groaned.
The gate of the cemetery was cracked open, burn marks soaking the iron in blackness, a gift from Ruby’s magic. “Alright, let’s hurry. The sun is beginning to set, and we need to head back soon.” Lazarus approached the gate, pulling the metal door back, the hinges squealing, holding it as the rest of us flowed through. Cain flashed him an odd look as he passed by, Lazarus’ face twisting in confusion. What was that all about?
Alastair barked, leading the way through the cemetery as we followed, taking in the sight of all around us, gawking at the changed plot of land. The entire structure and landscape of the cemetery appeared different in the light. Crumbled piles of stone were now scattered along the path in various places, offering a new challenge as we carefully stepped over the rubble. It was a visual reminder of the close encounters we had experienced in the dangerous storm. We remained huddled close, Cain trickling behind as we picked up the pace and continued to follow Alastair.
The growing afternoon was already passing by sooner than we expected, time rushing past us with little patience. We needed to hurry if we wanted to return to the cabin before nightfall, before whatever that thing was returned.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
LAZARUS
My foot dipped over the edge of the deep hole we had dug the night before, the muddy depth filled with dirty rainwater, leaves and debris swirling around the edge of the coffin. The lid to the coffin was torn to pieces, a full skeleton laying fully exposed, staring up at me with empty eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was the fading sunlight or presence of rainwater, but something about the corpse seemed off. It was missing a rib. As I squinted, peering closer, a soft push against my back startled me, breaking my focus. The sole of my boot slid along the mud, the force almost causing me to fall into the ditch had I not thankfully balanced myself in time.
“Careful,” Cain purred from behind, approaching to the side of the grave. I stepped back, calming myself. He bent down, reaching for a large hunting knife that was sitting, pierced into the edge of the muddy pit. He yanked the knife, raising it to his chest as he wiped the thick mud across his leather jacket, speaking to me. “You never know who might stab you in the back.” He smiled, examining the reflective weapon a moment before sheathing the knife into the back of his jeans. The whole interaction made me uneasy. With the blink of an eye, Cain changed, an odd shift in his demeanor. His eyes were red, deep, heavy bags hanging, as if he hadn’t slept in days. Beads of sweat rolled down his drained face despite the cool breeze that circled around us. His irises met mine, a green flicker moving across one of them as his smile branched further into his cheeks in an unnatural way. I couldn’t look away, paralyzed by a foreign fixation.
“Okay,” Ruby huffed as she approached from behind, breaking my eyes from the strange trance. “We found our bags. Most of what’s in them is ruined from the rain, but we got the dowsing rods. Now let’s head back.” Her words faded off as she noticed the change in Cain’s persona and appearance. “What’s going on with you, Cain?” she questioned. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”
Cain ignored her snarky words. He removed his leather jacket, his sleeveless shirt clinging to his sweat-soaked chest as he tossed it aside, fixated on the hole in the ground. Even his stance seemed off, as if he was purposely carrying himself in a new form. Ruby and I glanced at one another, puzzled by whatever it was he was doing.
“Cain?” He ignored me completely, almost as if he was completely unaware of our presence. He lurched into the muddy hole, his boots thudding against the disturbed coffin as he landed, crouched and on his feet. His hair disappeared from sight as he bent down, finicking with the coffin. “Why are you ignoring me? What’re you doing?” I stepped closer, confused by what he was doing.
“Hey, where’s Cain?” Alaska asked as she and Jinx joined Ruby and me, Alastair close to Alaska’s side. I glanced behind, looking at the three women, pointing back to the grave.
“He’s in the fucking ground.” My words reflected my confusion and annoyance.
“Come on, Cain.” Ruby crossed her arms, frustrated. “Cain, get out of the fucking hole!”
The sound of Cain grunting, followed by the echo of something cracking, vibrated through my bones. We could hear him moving in the dug-up grave, curious to see what the hell he was doing. All of us stood in silence, waiting impatiently.
The wind began to pick up, the surrounding trees rustling as the air suddenly dropped in temperature. It felt as though a storm had immediately rolled in, darkening the sky as the clouds gathered. Shadows drenched the woods and world around as thick clouds quickly formed in the sky above and thunder threatened us in the distance. “I swear, Cain, we will fucking leave you behind!” Ruby’s hands were burning at her side as her words growled at him.
“Cain!” My patience had gone. It was getting dark and now a storm had appeared, and all I wanted was to leave this damn place.
Cain’s body rose, his back positioned towards us as he fumbled with something in his hands. He slowly turned, facing us, a human skull firmly in his palms. Not just any skull, but John Crowe’s. His eyes peaked up from beneath his rustled dark hair, shielding half his face.
“What the fuck—” Ruby gasped, stepping back as her words were hushed by Alastair’s growls. His body crouched, ready to attack, his ears folded back and the hair along his spine raised high. He stepped in front of Alaska, ready to strike, focused solely on Cain.
Cain continued to fidget with the skull, positioning his fingers through the empty eye sockets and nasal cavity, his arm muscles flexing as he groaned loudly and yanked the front of the remains. The veins in his arms and neck bulged, turning green as his fingertips glowed fairly similar to Alaska’s and Ruby’s. That’s not possible. Cain ripped the front of the skull apart from the rest with one motion, chunking the remnants aside, exhaling as he smiled at what he had done. He held the fractured piece up in his hand, examining the weathered bone carefully, a faint green glimmer dancing across his eyes. What the hell was happening?
“Finally,” a distorted voice played from Cain’s lips. He bent down, ripping his laces from his boots and began to tie them around the rim of the human remains.
“The fuck are you doing, Cain?” Ruby demanded, slowly backing away, her own hands lightly ignited. I stared at him, shocked, realizing what he was creating.
Cain ignored her question, placing the makeshift mask across his face, exhaling a loud sigh of relief as the bone gently settled against his flesh. He shifted his neck, cracking it while rotating his limbs and spine. It was as if he was settling into his own skin and getting a feel for his own body. The whole display was sickening and obscene. The broken skull of John Crowe was now resting atop Cain’s. He was insane. Fuck this.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said to the others, all of us glued to the twisted sight before us.
Cain’s head snapped up, his eyes instantly meeting mine. One iris was its usual dead, gray-colored self, the other now tainted in a neon green glow. That’s not possible. Before I could speak, thunder boomed nearby as an eerie laugh escaped through Cain, rupturing through his mouth, his body jolting in reaction. Alastair snapped a warning, chomping his teeth as his claws dug into the earth.
“What ever is the matter, Lazarus?” Cain straightened as the sound of my name rolled from his tongue, emphasizing the ‘s’. “You’re not frightened now, are you?” He lifted his arms, examining his faintly green fingertips. “My, such strength this Cain possesses,” he snapped, a green flame emanating from his skin. “Strength fueled by such rage. How absolutely marvelous.” A chill ran along my spine at his altered tone.
“Cain?” Alaska’s wavering voice startled me as she stepped closer, her hand touching my arm for support. “What’s happened to you?” Cain’s gaze moved to her, his single green eye sparkling as he studied us closely.
“I am afraid your dear Cain is preoccupied at this very moment, little hexer.” Hexer? “But do not fret.” Cain’s hands glowed vibrantly as his body raised from the hole and hovered over the grave. “It has been long since I have stumbled upon another of our kind. Too long. And you, my lady, have consumed my curiosity.”
The group collectively remained still, confused and frightened by his words as he hovered in the air, something Cain had never been able to accomplish prior to this day as he was not gifted with magic. How is this even possible?
“You see…” Cain’s muddy boot tapped the earth as he stepped onto the damp ground, the power he showed fading as he walked towards us. “You,” he pointed at Alaska, “have taken something from me. And I want it back.” He bit the last word, snarling at Alaska as he neared her. I raised my arm, blocking him from reaching her as he halted, his chest pushed against my arm, looking me up and down. “Others are such ignorant fools, always thinking they can stop those of us with power. Tell me, Lazarus.” He placed his hands behind his back, leaning towards my face. “Do humans still bleed red?” His smile was more sickening than his odd question and foreign words.
Alastair growled, drawing Cain’s dual-colored eyes away from me. “Ah, your sweet Cain seems to harbor a very strong dislike for this creature.” He bent down, his fingers twirling as green magic emanated from them, taunting the wolf. Alaska squeezed the wolf’s scruff, forcibly holding him back as Cain stared into the wolf’s golden eyes, an odd expression washing over him. “There’s something different about you.” He pointed to the wolf. Cain rubbed his chin, his knuckles scraping against the fractured skull mask. “I’ve met your kind before—”
“Cain!” His head snapped toward Ruby, her hands now burning with power. “Whatever sick game this is, it needs to end. Now.” He chuckled, rising as he approached her, her temper lightening his mood.
“Ah yes. You,” he pointed to her, “are definitely not well liked by this.” He motioned to his body. “But I, on the other hand, am quite intrigued by you. Tell me, do they not still burn our kind in these lands?” Their kind? Was he referring to witches? To Ruby and Alaska? Did he consider himself one of them?
A freezing breeze carried through, briskly weaving past each of us. The questions he asked, the way he spoke and pronounced his words, it was as if he truly was a completely different person standing before us. But it was still Cain…how was any of this possible?
Cain leaned in close, waiting for Ruby to answer his sick question. She tightened her jaw. “By our kind, do you mean someone who can wield magic? Someone with power?” Her chin tipped up. “Because you, Cain, are neither. You have no gifts and the last I checked,” she looked him up and down, releasing a faint laugh, “you’re weak.” Thunder echoed in the distance.
Cain’s head tilted as he studied her closely, the tension between the two shifting in the thick silence. Ruby raised her hand, her motions swift in an attempt to use her magic against him, but he was quicker, catching her before she could do so. His hand mirrored hers, green fire engulfing his palm as Ruby strained, her maroon fire dying, fading back into the skin of her hand as it trembled against his new power. She groaned, her free hand now clasping her wrist, her legs buckling as she fell to her knees while we helplessly watched her crumble beneath his new found strength.
“Witches,” Cain spat onto the ground. “What a weak and pathetic name for our kind. You see, dear Ruby,” he hissed his words, “as I said before, I am not Cain.”
