The Light of My Hearts

Gillam leaped with powerful wingbeats the second the demon turned his back. Had Lachlan not held him back he would’ve intervened the second the demon touched Helia. When the demon incinerated her clothes and tossed her on the bed, Gillam forgot all about hiding his magic. Unfortunately, it was the one thing that warned the demon.

He drew his sword, flew like an arrow from his hiding place, and slashed, only to miss his neck and slash his shoulder instead instead. The demon snarled and leaped back; black wings flared. His black, candle lit eyes widened upon seeing the fae.

“WHAT?!” he bellowed in outrage.

Gillam landed on the bed and faced the golden demon, standing over Helia.

He leveled a claw at Gillam and hissed with the most hateful look, “A fae?!”

Gillam’s violet eyes were practically alight, “How dare you invade this realm, dark crawler.”

“Your disgusting kind don’t belong here! You abandoned this realm long ago! It belongs to us!” Jaalith spat. “These humans’ souls are mine.”

Gillam shifted his stance slightly, “I will send you back to Hell where you belong serpent!”

An unholy shriek of a roar filled the cavern as the demon leaped at the fae, claws alight with red light. Gillam pumped his wings, flying up and backward and took to the air as he barred the attack with the flat of his blade. Magic and claw met the crystalline sword, sending a strong vibration through the cavern, ringing everyone’s ears. Rock and dirt rained around them. The cavern was huge, as big as a cathedral, so the winged combatants fought viciously up near the ceiling. Guttural curses mixed with the rhythm of blade impacts and wingbeats. Magic light flashed from both beings every time they collided. The cavern was alight with battle.

Helia was still slightly shell-shocked and watched the battle for a few moments. An uncharacteristic tremor prickled through her skin, leaving a cold sweat in its wake.

Finally, she shouted up at Gillam, “His chin! The mark is under his chin!”

A very brief head movement signaled he heard her.

“Helia! Get the other half!” Lachlan shouted as he hobbled across the cavern to retrieve one of the halves of the Infernal Orb.

Her father was toting the divine wooden spear. Despite her nearly nude state, Helia shoved it aside to run across the room to find the other half of the orb the demon had thrown. She didn’t see it immediately as she scanned the cavern floor.

Suddenly, the demon’s body seemed to explode with red light and he slammed bodily into Gillam. The power behind the blow sent the fae hurtling down through the bed below, shattering it in half from the force. Jaalith flew down, standing over Gillam and then seized him up by his long hair. The fae cried out in pain when the demon punched him in the ribs.

“Hey! Over here fucker!” Lachlan shouted.

Jaalith’s dark menacing eyes found the man immediately. His wings spread open slowly and his tail lashed like a peeved cat as recognition seemed to dawn on him.

"You...” he rasped.

With a brutal swing of his strong leg, Jaalith kicked Gillam across the cavern, sending him slamming into the rocky wall. In an instant he flew for Lachlan. The experienced slayer braced himself, keeping the wooden spear against the wall behind him should the demon bull into him. He had the one half of the Infernal Orb in his belt pouch.

However, the golden devil was not so easily fooled.

Seconds from hitting the big man, the demon twisted in flight. His tail cracked against Lachlan like a whip. The force was violent enough to send Lachlan flying and the spear clattering away. He rolled across the floor, managing to tuck and gain a crouched position. Already he could feel the hot wet drip of blood from a gash on his shoulder and back but had to ignore it as the demon bore down on him again. His black wings created a mini hurricane as he swooped in to attack.

Lachlan pulled a pair of dirks from his belt and slashed expertly, cutting the demon’s arm and side. Coated with holy water, they were able to open the golden demon’s skin with a pleasing hiss. A growl and a splash of black blood was the brief reward. He parried a strike from the demon, burning him again on his forearm. But it wasn’t enough when a powerful clawed hand as big as a frying pan shot down and clamped around his neck. Lachlan struck repeatedly but the monstrous grip at his neck slammed him against the ground and he dropped his weapons.

Jaalith sneered nastily as he lifted Lachlan over his head, “You disgusting worm. You’re the human who helped trap me.” He shook him, “I will take great pleasure in making you suffer for that.”

Despite his burly build, Lachlan was no match for the nine-foot demon as he held him up by the neck. He wanted to reach down for the Infernal Orb he secured in his pouch, but he was starting to see black as his airway constricted.

The demon scrutinized him a moment and then shook his head, “Oh I’m not going to kill you. Not yet. I’d much rather let you watch as I ravage each and every one of those girls over there.” A fiendish smile spread across his fangs as his dark eyes became like lit candles, “Would you like that human? Would that turn you on?”

“Go fuck yourself!” Lachlan spat at him.

Jaalith reached down with his other hand and gripped the man’s crippled leg and began to pull, eliciting a groan of pain from the man.

“This limb seems to be holding you back. Why don’t I tear it off so you don’t have that unsightly limp anymore?”

Suddenly both of them were practically blinded when the cavern lit with a bright white light. The demon shrieked, letting go of Lachlan’s leg to shield his eyes. Like a lighthouse across a dark sea, Gillam’s sword flashed. He flew at the demon as a bright comet, sword reared back. Unable to see, Jaalith tried to leap back but the fae was on target. The magic imbued sword struck, lopping off part of the demon’s right wing. He shrieked as the appendage flopped down like a fallen curtain on a broken rod.

But once Gillam flew past, the demon seemed to catch a glimpse of his silhouette and hurled Lachlan at him in a vengeful rage. The man collided midair with the fae and though Gillam tried to turn and catch him, the man was too heavy. They both crashed to the floor in a heap, Lachlan on top of Gillam.

“YAAAA!” Gillam cried out in pain when Lachlan’s chainmail pressed into his chest and burned his hands.

“Easy lad! I’ll get... OOOF!” Lachlan cried out painfully.

Lachlan was trying to get off of the fae when suddenly something hard pressed into his back, squishing him down on Gillam. The demon had his foot pushed into the man’s back and was forcibly keeping him on Gillam. Black blood from his severed wing spattered on the floor as he seethed. A demented smile was spread over his face as Gillam groaned in pain from the continuous contact with the iron shirt and Lachlan struggled vainly.

“I’ve often wondered how long it takes iron to burn all the way to a fae’s bones.” He hissed, applying more weight into Lachlan’s back, “Though...the human’s back might break first. Let’s see...”

Lachlan gasped, feeling his chest compressed. Gillam tried to wriggle out from under him. The red bearded slayer pushed back with all his might and reached for a small pouch on his belt. He tore it free and chucked a palm full of sage up at the demon’s face. It had the desired effect. With a hissing growl, the demon’s wings snapped reflexively and he covered his face. He cursed and moved his foot slightly, giving Gillam enough room to squirm out from under Lachlan and escape the iron burn. The fae gasped in pain as he tried to raise his sword.

And suddenly the demon roared in agony. Gillam heard a squelch before he saw what had happened. The divine wooden spear, which Lachlan had dropped earlier, was impaled right through the demon’s genitals and into his inner leg. Black blood poured down his legs in a gruesome spurting waterfall. Gillam marveled when he saw Helia had slid between the demon’s legs only in her chain mail shirt and jammed the weapon deep with a vengeful look flashing in her icy eyes.

“Gillam!” she shouted.

A flash of red and white flew from her hand toward the fae. He instinctually caught it: the other half of the Infernal Orb. She looked at him with determination.

But that split second action distracted her. The demon backhanded her bodily away with a powerful swipe of his arm, sending her bouncing across the rock floor like a pebble.

“HELIA!” both Gillam and Lachlan shouted when she stopped in a still heap meters away from them.

In spite of his pain, Gillam stood up.

“The orb, Lachlan!” he demanded with an open hand.

Lachlan snatched his orb half out of his pouch and flung it into Gillam’s hand. He caught it and with inhuman agility, charged forward with glowing hands.

Jaalith’s wings quaked and his eyes were wide as he fell to his knees. The effects of the sage and the wooden spear piercing his skin weakened him. He felt paralyzed...slow. Despite his efforts to rip out the offending weapon, it resisted his touch as if he were made of vapor and couldn’t not touch solid objects.

“You...BITCH!” the demon bellowed.

He flinched when the fae suddenly was leaping at him. His reflexes were stunted and before he could resist the fae slammed the two halves of the Infernal Orb on either side of his jaw. The terrible, inescapable pull ripped at him once again.

“NO! NO! NO!" he howled as the Infernal Orb’s magic sucked him in like dust in a tornado. “YOU BASTARDS! I’LL KILL YOU! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!”

The gold of Jaalith’s body seemed to fly off like gold leaf and he turned to black vapor, disappearing into the Orb’s core. His horrid curses rang out through the cavern until Gillam slammed the Infernal Orb back together. He incanted a spell and the orb refused together, trapping the demon once again.

Exhausted from the effort, Gillam staggered back, trying to keep standing.

The moment the demon disappeared, the women who had been enchanted, fell over back into their sleep.

Gillam saw Lachlan shakily rise to his feet. Blood was dripping down his back and arm from the wound the demon had inflicted and was covered in bruises. He himself was burned across his chest and hands and some of the structures of his right wing felt broken, pulsing with his heartbeat. The fae then looked over at Helia. She hadn’t moved since the demon struck her.

“Helia? Helia! Are you all right?” he called, staggering over to her.

She didn’t move. Gillam knelt down and shook her.

“Helia!” Lachlan hobbled over as Gillam inspected her.

The fae had a fearful expression when he noticed she wasn’t breathing, “No...nonono! Helia!”

Lachlan rolled her over onto her back but felt the sickening crackle in her chest. She sounded like a sack of gravel. Possibly every rib on her right side was shattered.

Tears were springing into the man’s eyes as he tried to figure out what to do, “Gods...she’s busted up. She’s not...she’s not...”

He tipped her chin back and began breathing into her mouth. The sound was awful, like a wet bag full of holes.

“SHIT...shit! Shit! Shit!" the man gasped repetitively.

All at once, a bright light began forming as a blue ball in Gillam’s burned hands, “Move.”

He held the ball of light and seemed to drink it up. The fae shifted past the distraught father and took Helia’s face in his hands. He leaned down and his lips sealed around hers. Then he exhaled as deeply as he could. A blue glow lit Helia’s throat and filled her chest. Strange noises like the sounds of crackling ice filled the cavern.

Suddenly she coughed into his mouth, then gasped as if it was her first breath. She rolled over and spat blood onto the floor. Gillam fell back on his rear, sounding just as exhausted.

“Helia! Oh!” Lachlan gasped, tears in his beard as he reached over and rubbed her back, “That’s it, baby. Breathe. Breathe.”

She spit again, sounding like a drowning victim for at least three minutes until finally she rolled over and sloppily wiped bloody spit from her mouth. Lachlan seemed stunned for a second upon seeing such a miracle. He snapped to his senses and lifted Helia up in his brawny arms and hugged her.

“Oh! You’re ok. My girl...my girl...” he rasped emotionally as he rocked.

Helia seemed confused since her father never acted so emotional. He looked like a bloody mess too.

She coughed, “Did we get him?”

Gillam wearily produced the Infernal Orb, whole and intact, “We sealed him again.”

“Good...good.” She nodded then squinted, “What the Hell happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Lachlan asked.

“I remember running up behind that son of a bitch and spearing him. I threw the orb to Gillam...but then...did I get knocked out?” she sounded bewildered.

As Lachlan explained what had happened, Gillam stood up and walked slowly back over to the tunnel where they had entered. He returned, carrying his cloak which he wrapped around Helia.

“Thanks.” Her voice was quiet.

“How do you feel?”

“Sore...really sore.” She admitted.

Lachlan grinned and helped her stand, “Come on. Get up.”

Though he was tired from the fight and exertion of his magic, Gillam still reached over and healed the nasty gash on Lachlan’s shoulder and back. The man exhaled upon feeling the cooled relief.

“Whew. Wow. That’s uh...quite a trick. Feels much better.” He grasped Gillam’s forearm, “You’re a hell of an asset. I can’t thank you enough for...for saving both of my girls. We couldn’t have stopped that demon without you.”

Gillam nodded, “We made a good team.”

“If there’s anything you need...just name it. I’m in your debt.” Lachlan assured him resolutely.

Seeing that his one daughter was all right, Lachlan went over to check on the other. Helia stood, wrapped in Gillam’s cloak. She had a vacant look in her eyes.

The fae tipped his head and touched her shoulder, “Are you ok?”

And that’s when he saw the sparkling tears fill her bottom lids. With an almost angry look she wiped them away with the cloak.

“Yeah. Yeah...” she glanced away.

Unconvinced, Gillam slowly put his arms around her and pulled her close. She shoved against him for a second but for some reason her emotions got the better of her. A sob escaped her as she buried her eye sockets into his chest. Hot wet tears soaked those spots on his shirt. She almost sounded angry, yet she was crying.

Gillam didn’t say anything. He found that sometimes when his sister or mother was upset, just saying nothing was best.

It only took a minute or so before Helia finally drew in a calming breath, wiped her red face, and composed herself.

“Guess you saved my ass again.” She mentioned in a ragged voice.

Gillam smiled gently, “Guess I did.”

She sniffed wetly, “Well...thanks for saving my life...again.”

It wasn’t that she felt ungrateful. Helia hated more than anything to feel inadequate, to feel like a weak failure. Nearly being raped and killed by a demon certainly helped those feelings gain strength.

“You’re most welcome.” He replied, the gentleman as always.

“Making it really hard to keep calling you my apprentice if you keep saving me.” She mentioned with a shake of her head.

“Well, it was your first demon.” He offered. “I’ve fought a couple before.”

She shuddered, “Hopefully my last. Shit.” She shook her head, “Anyway…you really came through for me.”

He smiled but winced as he moved; the burns stung and his wing throbbed. Helia noticed his hands.

“Geez, Gillam. More iron burns?” she inquired.

He nodded, “Wing hurts too.”

“Well, when we get back home Mom can take a look at it.”

They started over to where Lachlan was checking on the women. Helia felt a strange tingling warmth chase around her lips. She wasn’t sure why but it was the one nice thing she was feeling in that moment.

…

Despite their injuries, the trio managed to get the five women and Sessinae back home safely. It was nearly dawn when they finally returned home to a worried Una. She fussed and set each one of them down to tend to their injuries. Gillam had healed both Helia and Lachlan’s worst injuries. No one brought up how close to death Helia had come nor the horrific assault by the demon. But there were plenty of abrasions, bruises, and burns to attend. Gillam assured that once his magic replenished, he’d heal those as well, but it didn’t stop Una from breaking out the first aid kit.

The three bathed first and one by one went to get tended by Una in the kitchen. Helia’s mother had brought out of a packet of pain killer and mixed it with some milk for the trio to drink to alleviate their aches.

Una passed around the medicinal drink, “Here. Drink it all up. That should numb the pain and put you right to sleep. Gracious! You three are a disaster! Taking on demons and what not. I can’t believe…”

“We’ll be fine, Una. You don’t have to fuss so much.” Lachlan grumbled, chugging the cup of medicine.

She gave him a nagging look, “YOU least of all should’ve been tangling with something that dangerous! Just look at you! You’re too old to do these things, Lachlan!”

He grumbled but nodded in agreement. His body was definitely reminding him of his age and how he wasn’t the spry slayer he used to be.

Helia helped her mother by bringing out the special iron burn ointment Sig concocted for Gillam. In addition to his burned hands and chest, Gillam’s right wing had two stiff structures that were broken. Whilst Helia applied the ointment, Una glued stick splints to his wing structures and she wrapped them with strict warnings not to fly until she told him they were healed. Gillam assured her he wouldn’t.

Soon thereafter, the warm drowsiness of the medicine began to wrap both Helia and Lachlan up in its soothing, numb blanket. Gillam seemed immune to the drowsy effects. Thoroughly exhausted the trio went to bed to get some much-needed rest. Una assisted Lachlan and Gillam assisted Helia. The redhead collapsed in a heap into her bed.

“You did really good today.” She mumbled in an almost drunk way.

“Thank you, Dyashra.” He smiled, draping her blanket over her.

She waved a groggy hand at him, “Noooo…Helia.”

“Thank you, Helia.” He corrected.

The drug was obviously affecting her just like alcohol might. She shifted in the bed.

A rare giggle snorted from her and she whispered, “You know what? I stabbed that demon right in the dick!”

Gillam raised his eyebrows and laughed lightly, “I-I saw that. You could’ve stabbed him in the back, you know?”

“Yeah…” She nodded with closed eyes, “But that was better.”

The fae laughed, shaking his head.

Before he could wish her good sleep, she was already out. He stared at her a moment. There were times he took his ability to heal for granted, but today he was never gladder to possess the ability and keep this remarkable woman in his life.

Though he thought it presumptuous and perhaps a bit rude, he bent down and gave her cheek a gentle kiss before heading off to his own bed.

A/N: Thanks PrpleLily for the demon idea!