Read Online Crimson Christmas by Rain Oxford - Free Book Online Page B

in the proper ritual, which will give me
the life-force of everyone in those cells. If you open it, it will take every
ounce of your energy and magic. Whoever opens the box will die.”
    The creature Devon had summoned suddenly crashed
through the door, bound down the stairs, and attacked him. He released his
control over Sylvester and reached for the creature’s mind. It turned midway in
its leap and hit the floor in a clumsy heap, but its mind was not entirely
ensnared. It twisted around and struck Devon across the gut with its wing. This
didn’t distract him. Devon used his power again, focusing on fire. He knew
better than to actually create flame with gasoline all over the floor, but he
had learned a lot about mental projection over the three semesters he spent at
Quintessence.
    He projected fire into the beast’s mind, causing the
beast to go into a fit of convulsions. After a moment, Devon stopped the attack
and easily took complete control. It was not a mind like that of a person or
animal, but something like a cross between the two. Although the creature was
sentient and capable of understanding things, it was a dependent servant by
nature, as if it were domesticated.
    The creature stood on two gangly legs, flapped its
wings a couple of times, and bowed to Devon, its body still twitching from his
attack. “Bring me the box, be gentle with it, and don’t harm anyone.” The beast
took off and Devon pushed his control of the creature to the back of his mind.
He turned back to Sylvester.
    “You can’t make me open the box,” the toymaker said,
his voice strong with anger.
    “I could, but no, that’s not my plan.”
    A loud meow made Devon grin. Only one cat could make
a sound so awful. He turned to the chair he had been tied to and saw the faint
shape of his uncle’s familiar. “Ghost, just who I wanted to see. I need you to
get something for me.”
     
    *          *          *
     
    Realizing there was no way out, Dylan tried to flash
back. Flashing was basically tearing a hole through the universe to travel from
one place to another. It wasn’t exactly instantaneous; there was a degree of
time lost, but it was usually unnoticeable. If Dylan was near one of the gods
or something equally powerful, more time occurred as he flashed from one place
to another.
    This time, nothing happened.
    “Are you kidding?” Dylan tried again and achieved the
same lack of success. “ Mordon ?” No answer. They had tested the distance
they could speak to each other telepathically, and so far hadn’t found anything
short of a planet between them that could block it.
    A very odd, half meow half growl made him turn. He
expected to see some rabid, hideous beast. He was right. The ugliest cat he had
ever seen in his life was sitting in the corner, glaring at him. The cat had
one blue eye, one gold eye, a long scar down its blue eye, and graying, matted,
patchy fur.
    “Are you… here to help?” he asked hesitantly. He
didn’t want to hurt the creature if it was trying to help him, but the only
thing that came to mind was that this was some kind of zombie cat. There was no
way something like that could be---
    The cat jumped up and ran to him suddenly. He wanted
to get on top of a table and shriek like a little girl who just saw a rat. When
the cat circled him and rubbed against his pant leg, he shuddered. Now all he
wanted was a bath. He couldn’t have been more surprised when the shadows of the
room grew darker and advanced on them.
    The shadows consumed everything until he was in
absolute darkness. He felt the cat push against his calf and he almost tripped.
The ground was uneven and the gravity was heavy. Of course, it was nothing
Dylan couldn’t handle, as he was used to the heavier gravity of Duran.
    Instead of letting the cat guide him, he reached out
his hand and formed light. It was the light of the void; a light that was both
divine and ungodly. Really, Dylan didn’t know what it was, or what he