Rampage [BK#1 in Dark Creatures]

Part 3: Bex (The Final Chapter)

     I sensed him before I saw him. 

    I sank my teeth into the nearest demon, cutting through the smoke as if it were actual flesh. The demon hung limply in my jaws as I whirled towards the source of the sudden odd tingle in my gut. The demon fell to the ground, instantly forgotten.

    "I've been waiting for you, my love," Xander said. But it wasn't Xander--it was the Dark King. There was something slightly different about his features, something unfamiliar. I blinked, trying to make sense out of what I was seeing. His eyes were obsidian orbs.

    "Does this form not appeal to you?" The Dark King asked, gesturing at himself. He wore a black velvet suit, with a metal, ivory-colored crown atop his chestnut head. I swallowed, not understanding.

     A wide grin spread across his face. "Why do you stand there gawking so? Come, join me. The fun is just about to start." He raised a mischevious eyebrow. "Or perhaps you'd like to participate in the fun yourself?" He pointed to my glistening canines.

      I froze. He was asking me to fight for him. He expected me to.

      Remembering all that I had been told over the last year, I crouched, letting out a low growl. "Why?" I snarled. "Killing you will be twice as entertaining."

      I lunged, my claws reaching for his face, right before he suddenly disappeared in a billow of smoke. I landed on nothingness, roaring in frustration. He had reappeared a few feet away. His face was slightly confused. "How?" was all he managed before I sprinted at him. He was gone in a flash, and then he was behind me.

     "What have you done to my beloved?" He said brokenly. He outstretched a single hand, flicking his wrist. I was instantly flung twenty feet backward, landing in a mess of battling witches.

     The Dark King advanced towards me and wailed. "How could you?" he roared. "You've destroyed her!"

    "Stop!"

    I turned at the sound of his voice, the violence and anger draining from my fingertips. Xander stood a few paces away, his black leather uniform enunciating the strong muscles in his shoulders. I glanced between them, confused. They looked like brothers.

   "I thought you were dead," was all Xander could say. His voice broke on the last word.

   The Dark King blinked. "Don't ask questions you won't understand the answer to."

   Xander was pale, the bow tapping gently against his thigh as he tried to process. I climbed slowly to my feet and took a step closer to him. "What is going on?" I demanded. "I thought we were supposed to kill him."

    Xander shook his head. "I had no idea..."

   The demons, as if sensing their master, had created a sort of bubble around us. We stood on empty ground, except for the eight-dozen bodies littering the dust. I didn't know what was happening. Why did this guy look so much like Xander? Why did he have such an effect on him? And why was he here?

   The Dark King's head swiveled to me, ignoring his look-a-like. "You are coming with me. If you don't, I'll release every demon on this battlefield and slaughter them all. Including your friends."

    I blanched. He had more demons?

    "Bex," Xander said slowly, "These aren't demons we're fighting."

    My eyes whipped. "What? What does that mean?"

    "They're Wisps," he said. "He's controlling Wisps, not demons." I had no idea what those were, but it obviously wasn't what was important. I wasn't murdering demons, so they had to be somewhere else. He must have a whole other army waiting.

    I glowered at the Dark King. "Go ahead," I seethed. "Send your demons. I was born to rip them apart, wasn't I?"

   The Dark King's expression lit with psychotic glee. "As you wish." He outstretched his arms, swirling his wrists in a circular motion. Suddenly, all around us, bloodcurdling screams erupted. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The Dark King was pulling the demons from their Hosts. He was ripping them out.

    "Wait!" I shrieked. It was as if the entire battlefield had frozen to watch as the demons were extracted. The witches and Hunters had stopped, staring with wide-eyes at the writhing Hosts. I could see Adam and Amelia on the ground. I could hear their screams. 

    "Wait! Wait, wait, wait..." I sobbed, throwing myself down. "I'll go. I'll go, okay? I'll go." I heaved a trembling breath. "Just don't hurt them."

    "No, Bex!" But an unseen force tossed Xander through the air as if he weighed nothing. I winced at the sound of him landing roughly somewhere behind me.

    "Good choice, my love." The boy bent low, brushing his lips against my ear. I tried not to flinch at the icy touch. "Don't worry. You'll be much happier on my side of things."

    And with that, he swept me up into his arms, flicked his wrist, and we were devoured in smoke.