Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 059

"But surely you couldn't have planned for everything?" Beth put the palms of her hands against her chest, as if surprised.

"But I did!" He took another step forward. "Granted, Death and the dullahan were a nuisance, but easy enough to dodge. I whispered tales of Halloween in the goblin's ears as she worked, had Marco post pictures of the Jabberwock on the internet to draw a crowd, all of this was me!"

Kisa threw another nervous look at Marco. "Let's go," she growled.

Beth couldn't believe it, but the shadow was actually monologuing. Mike had mentioned how chatty the shadow was, but seeing it in person, she knew she could use it to her advantage.

"What about Kisa? There's no way she would betray the house. What have you done to her?" Beth laid it on thick, knowing that whatever possessed the cat-girl saw right through it. However, the way that the hand kept reaching for the necklace made her think that Kisa was still in there, and she was fighting.

"Ratu always thought she was so smart, but it never occurred to her that the spirit inside the necklace may be one of your most dangerous enemies. She found it in the lake in the Labyrinth, and—"

"Stop talking," Kisa said. "Let's go."

Beth moved her hands away from her chest, and while moving, used sign language.

Get the book, she signed, hoping Daisy was looking at her. On signal.

"How do we know you won't just kill her when you leave?" she asked, then signed again. She tried to make it natural, hoping that the shadow or Kisa wouldn't realize what she was up to.

"We need to go," Kisa repeated, and her hand touched the necklace again. She swatted it away and hissed.

"Yes, right." He held the wand at Kisa. "Get out of our way."

"No." Beth crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of the fairies. They were hovering in a circle about twenty feet above Marco, and she locked her eyes on Kisa. "Not moving."

"I will kill her," Marco threatened. "Mike Radley will be devastated to know that you could have saved her and didn't."

Beth held her breath, hoping she was right. The shadow had manipulated everything up until this moment, causing nothing but violence and chaos. Why not just blow Kisa to smithereens and escape in the carnage? Or even better, use the wand to clear the way and leave?

Everything he had done, he had done for a reason. He needed to leave, but there was something she had overlooked, a reason he couldn't just blast his way out. She would understand if he was facing an army, but it was just her right now. Whatever decision she made, she would have to make it soon. Part of her wanted to move aside, to just hide and live to fight another day, but a huge part of her was indignant that her decisions had all been predicted, that this bastard was about to win so easily.

Was this how Mike had felt when he faced down the queen by himself? Was this how he always felt? The responsibility for the house was a heavy weight indeed, and right now, it was hers alone.

"No," she told him. "If you want to get out, you're gonna have to get out through me."

Marco aimed the wand at Beth. "Do you think I won't kill you?"

"If so, you would have done it when you broke in." She narrowed her eyes, deciding to push her luck. "Is it because of the deal you made with Marco? What you used to trick him? You can't hurt me, and I'm guessing you can't hurt her either, not without killing your new bestie."

"Fuck this." Kisa snagged the wand from Marco's hand and pointed it at Beth. "I'm not dying in this damn place again."

The wand lit up, and for a moment, all Beth saw was the burning ring of light that expanded rapidly before coming toward her. The air roared with energy, then somebody tackled Beth from behind, slamming her face first into the ground. The spell passed over her, making her ears pop, and she let out a scream, then curled her hands up and frantically signed the word for now.

Marco yelled, and Beth looked up to see that the fairies had descended on him, swirling around his face and blasting him with glitter. Kisa tried to snatch the book out of his hands, but Cerulea grabbed onto her face and shoved both her arms up the cat girl's nostrils to brace herself. When Kisa tried to rip her away, the fairy's body stretched like latex, then snapped back into place, rocking Kisa's head backward.

Beth groaned as she tried to stand, but there was a heavy weight on her hips. She looked back to see Tink, her face covered in chocolate and bits of candy, wearing a big grin.

"Tink see bad magic, make good run," she said, then turned her attention toward the house. For a moment, Beth wondered if the goblin might cry, but then frowned when she realized that Tink's cheeks were turning red. Tink adjusted the goggles that had been twisted about on her head, and the lenses all clicked into place.

"Tink gonna kill someone," she muttered, then ran back down the walk to where her club lay on the ground.

"Gah!" Kisa was being pulled around by her face now, and the wand went off, catching Abella in mid-air. The blast sent the gargoyle tumbling through the air and into one of the second-story windows, where she disappeared. Kisa grabbed Cerulea and yanked her away from her face, then threw the fairy on the ground and stomped on her.

Marco succeeded in slapping Daisy out of the air and then swatted Olivia with the Grimoire. Carmina fled back into the sky as a few nearby spirits made a grab for her, leaving Marco alone. He opened the Grimoire, his mouth twisting up as he read words of power that surrounded him in a crimson aura that turned Beth's stomach. The hood of his sweater had fallen back, and she watched as Marco's black hair turned grey from front to back as the spell drained more of his life away.

With a grin, he finished the spell he was casting, and then took a crossbow bolt to the forehead.

"Tink!" Beth looked to her left to see that the goblin had transformed her club into a crossbow and was lying on her back, using her feet to aim it.

"Bastard break house, earn goblin wrath," cried the goblin, then jumped up from the ground.

Marco toppled over backward, but a dark silhouette remained standing in his place. The shadow held out his arms while letting out a screech, and his soldiers obeyed. They moved toward him and became motes of light, which he absorbed, his silhouette darkening until he seemed solid.

"No mercy indeed," said the shadow, and he picked up the Grimoire. The crimson aura swirled around him and then coalesced into a pulsing sphere of energy that hovered just over his shoulder. The light from the sphere was bright enough to illuminate the features of his distorted face, sending chills down Beth's spine.

She looked at Marco's corpse, and a sick feeling filled the pit of her stomach. This was somebody she had known, someone that had sat across from her for years, and he had just been snuffed out in front of her.

A drop of rain hit her on the nose, disrupting her musings, and she looked up to see that ominous clouds had formed overhead. Puzzled by the sudden shift in weather, she was further surprised by the large creature that landed on what remained of the roof with a heavy thud.

The ball of energy buzzed excitedly, and then a beam of light arced out across the lawn, incinerating the yard and spirits alike. Beth ran from the beam as it chased her, and then collided with Kisa, who was also trying to flee.

The beam stopped just short of incinerating the both of them, and Beth looked up in time to see Kisa staring back, her eyes wild.

"Get out of my way," she shrieked, then jumped to her feet. She didn't make it far, because Tink launched herself at Kisa, and both of them became a tumbling mess of teeth and claws.

"Tink see nasty bitch ghost, get out of stupid cat!" She was on Kisa's back now, and grabbed the cat girl's ears and yanked. Kisa howled in agony, then grabbed Tink by the hair and smashed her into the ground.

"Get the fuck off of—ow, you fucking bit me!"

Kisa's forearm was in Tink's mouth, and Beth could see blood running out of the wound. She moved to help, but Kisa tried to use the wand on Tink, but only succeeded in pointing it straight down.

The blast sent the two of them flying apart, and Beth was tossed onto her back. She smacked her head on the ground and fought to keep her wits about her as the world tilted sideways.

From where she lay, she saw the shadow move toward her, his hands raised in excitement.

"Your world is about to—" the shadow's proclamation was cut off when lightning lit up the sky to reveal the biggest bird Beth had ever seen in her life. It was clutching the remaining turret in its claws, and massive streamers of electricity flowed all along its feathers.

A second blast of lightning revealed Quetzalli, who stood nude on the edge of the roof. Her horn glowed an ominous blue color, and her arms were stretched wide. Nearby, Dana was hiding in what looked like a metal cage that had been attached to one of the iron beams.

Yeah, sure. Whatever. Beth only had so much brain power left, and asking questions would have used what was left up.

Several blasts of lightning struck the dragon girl, and the air became charged with electrical energy. Her face was a mask of concentration as she manipulated the powerful electrical arcs along her body, and everything in the yard lit up with filaments of electricity. Her outstretched arms blazed with flickering light as a loud hum filled the air.

The spirits in the yard came into focus, surprise on their suddenly human faces. The air around the shadow shimmered as he seemed to absorb the energy, but there was an outcry from inside the house as the second round of invaders was booted. Souls now flowed out of the building in rapid fashion, and the shadow turned his attention on the bird.

"No, stop him!" Beth cried, but her own voice sounded far away. Had she even spoken out loud? The thunder was making her ears ring.

A whip made of bones struck the shadow from behind, leaving a white mark that sparkled. The shadow stumbled forward, then turned his attention toward Sulyvahn. The dullahan's head was back on his body, and his features were twisted up in anger.

"Yer fucked." The dullahan brought the whip around and caught a magical barrier summoned by the shadow. With every strike of the whip, the bones glowed brighter as if they were heating up. After enough strikes, the magical shield shattered and the shadow tried to move toward the house, the pulsating sphere moving between him and Sulyvahn. "Ye shouldn'a called yer minions home to roost, 'cause there ain't enough of them to hold me back now!"

As electrical energy pulsed through the yard, a white figure teleported between broken windows and then appeared outside, revealing itself as Jenny. A pair of nearby spirits were startled, then ran away from her.

Jenny said nothing, but her body folded backward, as if she was going to crab walk. Once crouched down, she launched herself into the air and crashed into the shadow. Her head spun around so she could get a good look at him, then opened her mouth wide, as if to bite him.

"Gah!" The shadow sidestepped Sulyvahn's attack and then used Jenny as a shield for the next one. When Sulyvahn's whip hit, Jenny cried out in agony. Her body turned to static and vanished.

"Time for you to go," said the shadow, then sent a beam of light at Sulyvahn. The dullahan bent over backward, and his head tumbled off, releasing black mist all along the ground. When the beam swept around to catch him, he tumbled out of the way like an acrobat.

The mist spilling from his neck formed into a magnificent black stallion with burning white stars for eyes. Sulyvahn jumped onto its back and rode hard across the yard, his whip trailing behind him. The beam vaporized many of the spirits it struck, and Beth stood just in time for Sulyvahn to reach down and scoop her up.

"You keep a horse inside you?" she asked incredulously.

"Can ye think of a better place? Plug yer ears." He yanked off his head and swung it in a large circle overhead, then let out a keening wail. Nearby spirits stumbled about as if drunk and even the shadow clutched at his ears, causing his beam to go off course.

Even with her fingers in her ears, it felt like someone was dragging a razor down her spine. Sulyvahn circled the yard a few times, doing his best to clear a path by the door. Once there, he stopped swinging his head.

"Go inside, lass!Ye'll be safe!"

He kicked the flank of his midnight horse and raced across the yard. The shadow's beam prevented Suly from getting any closer, but the shadow's army was dwindling fast. This close to the house, Beth's hair was standing up on end, and she saw that the shadow's back was to her.

She sprinted toward the shadow, her eyes on the book in his hand. He may be incorporeal, but the book sure as hell wasn't. She grabbed it with both hands and yanked it free of the shadow as she passed through his body.

He was colder than any weather she had ever experienced, and her limbs all went numb. She stumbled forward a few yards and then regained her balance. The book felt warm in her hands, and she turned around, expecting to see that the shadow's energy sphere was gone.

It wasn't. The shadow turned his attention on her, and he pointed an angry finger in her direction. The sphere over his head glowed brightly and a beam of light came straight at her.

Out of reflex, she held up the Grimoire to protect herself and was surprised when it absorbed the energy of the beam. Her fingertips burned, so she shifted her grip to protect them. She was being pushed back by the immense surge of energy but was able to remain standing.

Sulyvahn made his move. Riding in toward the shadow, he swung his whip in a wide arc and brought it down. The shadow caught the whip with one arm, allowing it to wrap around, then yanked Suly off his horse. The dullahan fell to the ground, and his horse tried to circle back but was cut off by angry spirits. The beam had Beth pinned in place, and she watched helplessly as the dullahan and the shadow got into it.

"Yer a fine shot with that spell, but can ye take a punch?" Suly was up on his feet, his fists held up in a traditional boxer's stance. Spirits rushed in at him from every direction, and when his blows connected, they exploded into ash. The shadow closed the distance, and the two of them exchanged a few punches before Sulyvahn wound up and delivered a haymaker straight to the shadow's face. When it struck, the shadow's face was smeared out temporarily, and he flickered for a second.

"Ye got a big mouth, but nothing to back—" Sulyvahn was grabbed from behind by a pair of spirits, and the shadow ripped into him. By the time Sulyvahn was able to free himself, the shadow had grabbed the dullahan's whip and was using it to strangle him from behind. Suly pulled off his own head and used it as a club to clock the shadow in the temple, which seemed to knock both of them for a loop.

The shadow recovered first. He snatched Suly's head away and used it to beat his own body with it. Suly eventually went down, and the shadow tossed his head, and then his limp body into the bushes. When he turned around, his shoulders were slumped as if exhausted, and he paused just long enough to absorb a few more spirits.

"I am so TIRED of this godforsaken house!" He was moving toward Beth now, and the orb followed him, its beam still hitting the Grimoire. "I cannot wait to see the end of it, and the end of you!"

Beth swallowed the lump in her throat and took a cautious step back. Every step she took moved her closer to the stone lions, but then what? Should she take the book and run? It was the only thing protecting her from the magic beam, which sizzled hotly against the book in her hands.

From above, lightning danced about and then dropped, striking the shadow. His whole body was outlined in energy, and the features of a man emerged, a man who looked like he had been stitched together from hundreds of different body parts.

The lightning may have purged the home, but the shadow was charging up. She looked around the yard and realized that several spirits remained, and they were all moving in on her. Whatever time she had bought was officially up, and she was out of options.

As the shadow strengthened, so did the power of the beam. The book was now vibrating in her hands, and her muscles were getting sore from holding it. Determined, she shifted her grip once more, but her fingers slipped on the Grimoire, and she lost her footing on the path. The beam forced her to topple over backward, the Grimoire flying out of her hands. She rolled over and army-crawled toward the Grimoire in an attempt to reclaim it when a dark shape appeared between the stone lions.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the brilliant white skull tucked beneath a dark hood, with fiery blue flames set deep in his eye sockets. The beam of light that had knocked her over passed harmlessly through the silent figure, but the same could not be said for the large plastic bucket he carried in his hands like an excited child.

It had been decorated to look like a Jack-o-Lantern and was overflowing with candy. When the beam struck it, bits of plastic and candy exploded across the yard, spilling out onto the street behind the grim reaper. The geas caught the edge of the beam, preventing it from traveling across the street, but Beth couldn't take her eyes off Death as he slipped across the yard and then stepped into the path of the beam.

The beam faded and Death knelt down to pick up what may have once been a Butterfinger bar. He was illuminated only by the brief flashes of light from the sky above, like a specter in a strobe light.

"Hmm." He dropped the candy on the ground, then rose to his full height. He surveyed the house, then looked at Beth, and then his eyes settled on the shadow. "I spent many hours collecting that candy. I am sorely disappointed that I will have to collect it again, as I believe the Everett family is out of full-sized bars. Simply dreadful."

"Fuck you and fuck your candy." The shadow waved his hands about, and the orb over his shoulder changed colors. It was now an intense green that was painful to look at, and he jabbed his fingers in Death's direction. The beam that came out made no sound until it struck Death, who held up a single hand to block it. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard but was far preferable to Sulyvahn's scream.

The bones of Death's hand started to smoke, but the reaper didn't seem to mind. He looked over at Beth. "Did you happen to see what happened to all my maps? My home is in a state of disrepair, and I am now worried that harm may have befallen them."

"He destroyed all your maps!" Beth yelled. She wasn't certain if this was true, but the grim reaper was officially her best chance at defeating the shadow. "He came here to hurt Mike, and destroyed all of the maps in your office!"

"Mike Radley has been a good friend to me, why would you wish to hurt him?" Death looked at the shadow with childish curiosity.

The shadow hissed, and the orb shifted colors again. Death watched in fascination as the now-yellow beam caused his sleeve to catch on fire and his hand to glow.

"You have ruined my candy and damaged my maps. I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice."

Death stuck his free hand in his robes and dramatically pulled out a toy spider. He held it up to scrutinize it, then allowed it to dangle from the bit of elastic that had been tied around its middle, even giving it a few bounces for effect.

"Why. Won't. You. Die?!?" The shadow seemed frustrated that Death was ignoring him. "You are nothing more than a poor copy of something I have already defeated! And why are you back so soon? That map I left you was supposed to lead you to the other side of town!"