Killey

Alarms screamed overhead as she pushed through the flood of people in the narrow corridor. Killey was traveling against the flow of traffic-again. This was the summation of her short 50 years… to go against the flow. In her opinion if you go with everyone else, you will only achieve the status quo. The crowds began to thin, and she brought her mind back to the present moment. She often ran to her thoughts when in the throngs of people. The alarm was still screaming but as she got closer to the control room it quieted. Her hands shook as she swiped her key card. Her breathing was rapid-half from the run-half from the panic.

Henry was hunched over a monitor talking with James, the security commander. “Sir, it seems it is a coordinated attack from two separate entities.”

“What two” Killey blurted.

All eyes in the room flashed to her, then to Henry before trying to look anywhere else.

“No, Killey you are supposed to shelter, follow the alarms. You are a teacher now, not part of security anymore.” Henry fumed. She knew he was only scared to lose her, but her jaw still clenched with rage.

“What two,” she controlled her tone, icy but not angry.

When Henry hesitated, James took the invitation to bring in his former commander. “Revenant and the necromancers. Looks like they have basic lurkers with them-nothing we can’t handle with an electrical screen. But we have no female fighters to take the revenant first.”

Henry cleared his throat, but she took no notice. “James, get my gear ready- I’ll meet you in the armory in 7 minutes. General Alinac, I volunteer.” She locked eyes with Henry.

She knew that he couldn’t deny her. She was the only chance. With the other 4 security teams on away missions, she was the last standing female that was trained to take on the revenant. He broke, slamming his fists down on the monitor. She grabbed his hand, pulling him gently back toward her. “I’ll be ok, I love you.”

“I love you too,” he half growled, “Permission granted Commander Alinac. Please come home to me.” He gave himself the gift of a small kiss on her cheek and turned back to the room. Barking orders, Killey turned before she could give way to fright and ran to the armory.

15 minutes later she was strapped in her old armor and mounting the all-terrain bike. As the bay doors cracked open, she revved the motor and sped off into the night. The last known information placed the revenant south of the compound half a mile out. She could hear its eerie song, like a singing saw, ebbing and flowing. Radio silence would remain until the revenant was confirmed dead so she had no updates on what other creatures might be crawling around it. She knew the necromancers would give it a wide berth, but the lurkers could be problematic.

Cresting the southern ridges she saw the pale figure meandering through the rocks. It appeared as a small human female, pale blue tinged skin that looked almost like porcelain, well formed hips and breast that were shrouded in a tattered black cloth. It looked at her, tilting its head back and forth, singing its melancholy summons. Killey dismounted the bike and mimicked the head tilt, back and forth. It smiled, she smiled, it continued its slow walk towards her, and she matched its steps-a mirror. Killey’s heart pounded in her ears as the distance closed, until they were mere feet from each other. She flicked her hands out, triggering her blades to slide down her arms and leaped forward. The revenant snarled, breaking its song, as its arms shot up to shield itself. It deflected one blade, twisting Killey slightly off target but the second one found purchase in the creature’s shoulder. It screamed, the sonic wave like nails in Killey’s brain. She felt her ears popping under the pressure, but she pushed the blade deeper. Its fingers had revealed the long claws hidden by its song. They raked at her shoulders, sparking off her armer, trying to find the weakness between the joint plates. She felt blood running from her left ear, damn this one was strong. She brought up her second blade and simultaneously squeezing the trigger of the blade still in the creature’s shoulder. Its barbed ends of iron shot out as the creatures scream of anger changed to a haunting moan. It was summoning something and the ground trembled. Killey thrust with the second blade, she had to end this fast. The edge lodged between collar bone and rib as she squeezed the trigger for the iron barbs. For better are worse now, they were locked together. The undead fae locked its eyes on Killey, like a wild animal, she saw the fear. Feeling a small bit of pity, Killey shifted her body weight and swung the creature sideways, flinging both to the ground. They rolled across the rocky terrain, the moaning cries breaking up at the impacts. The revenant’s body went limp, and Killey scrambled on top of the creature. Pulling a second trigger on the blades she felt her arms release as they slammed the tip spike into the ground.

She had successfully pinned the creature. Its moaning continued but it didn’t move other than that. This was all too easy. The ground trembled again; the summoned presence ever closer but still the revenant no longer fought. Killey hesitantly unsheathed her gold dagger scanning the horizon. The iron would hold the creature but only if you added gold would they die. She knelt over the creature, lining her blade under the chin she slammed the knife through the soft palette burying it to the hilt. The undead fairy’s visage flickered and for a moment she saw its original form. “No, no, no…” Killey’s adrenaline surged at the realization of who she had just seen. Flicking back on communication she practically screamed into the coms. “Fire the screen, revenant is down, get the electrical screen up NOW.” She was running for her bike.

“What’s wrong Commander?” James voice crackled.

“It was Una, do you understand, Una the Shee Queen. She’s dea-uh.” All wind was knocked from her lungs as a massive weight slammed into her. She felt the claws shred her armor. Una’s summon had come. Killey rolled to see the massive lion, its once golden coat was now black and streaked in oily blood.

“Killey,” It was Henry. The lion was sizing her up and there was no escape, no fighting, no way to change it.

“Henry, her lion is here… you must fire the screens, get her body and get it back to the fae. I’m so sorry… I love you.” She muted her mic; they didn’t need to hear this.

“You have to run… *static* Killey… *static* please, you have to come back… *static* Killey… *static* Please respond… *static* Killey, I love you.” His word crackled intermittently over the mic. She didn’t scream, just focused on his voice, as the lion struck again. A concussive force shook the ground, the screen was active.