Zagreus followed Cinder through a labyrinth of corridors. The lights in this section would flicker and fade at random intervals. Strange buzzing sounds came from the power junctions they passed. “So is this some kind of date? Or are you just making it easier to hide the body?” He tried to sound like he was joking.

Cinder fell a few inches before she could stabilize her flight path. She huffed without looking back.

The corridor went dark and he stopped walking. Dark vision was not a replacement for normal sight. Everything took on dull grey tones. He stared into the void as his eyes adjusted to the total darkness. “I have to say, I love the mood lighting. Very serial killer. Ominous.”

She turned and hovered in front of him. “I did the best I could with the time I had. Karimere is fine tuning the node.”

“Why are you dragging me into the middle of nowhere if you are not planning to rape and murder me? I’m almost disappointed.”

“As entertaining as that sounds, I have orders to not harm you.”

“I have orders too.”

“That is what we do here. Follow orders.”

“Yea. We do.” He said. “Can I ask you something…personal?”

She stared at him for what felt like forever. She straightened her clothing, a seemingly subconscious act. “Yes. Go ahead.”

Come on coward. Follow your orders. Ask her out. No reason to wait. He thought but his mouth would not move. Use your words! Dammit! Doubt washed over him like a wave. What is Lilithana going to say? Or do? Both of them could kill me. This is a horrible idea. Damn you Karimere for forcing me to do this.

She still hovered in front of him.

Come on. You have to say something. “Um. What are you?”

“What?”

IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT! ‘What are you?’ You are supposed to save a planet and you can’t even talk to a woman who you know is interested in you. So pathetic. He tried to ignore his inner critic and salvage the situation. “Before. When you attacked me. You were different. You sounded different. Your, scent, was different. You have another form don’t you?”

Her shoulders sank. She nodded.

“What is your other form?”

“I find it revolting.”

“Would you let me see it?”

“Why?” Her head tilted. “You are acting strange. You have barely spoken to me unless required. Why the sudden curiosity about me?”

“I…Well…I mean…”

“Karimere put you up to this didn’t she?!”

He looked for the nearest corridor to dart down.

Cinder gasped. Then she hovered back and forth talking to herself. “Why would she want us to interact? There is no point. I don’t need your help. Lilithana can handle your training. The only reason we would need to…”

SHE KNOWS!!

She flew right up in his face. “Karimere can’t be serious!”

1. Am. Going. To. Die. I will be the shortest lived Mecromancer in history.

“She plans to send me to Geothae with you? Right?”

Technically correct. “Yes.” I get to live!

She rubbed her forehead. “If it was an order I will participate, but when this interaction is done I want some honest answers from you about another matter. Is that acceptable?”

More talking, less dying. “Deal.”

She morphed. One moment she was a hand tall, the next, DOOM stood before him. She had red leathery skin. Sharp black claws tipped her hands and feet. Two serrated horns curled from her forehead, around both sides of her head. Her bright orange hair was cut less than a knuckle long. Large leathery wings extended, touching both sides of the corridor. A long tail tipped with short boney spikes hung behind her. She didn’t look him at him as her fingers fidgeted at the hem of her shirt.

Why is she an infernal?! His mind strained to explain away the obvious fact in front of him. Legends about the red raging infernal that glowed orange are told to frighten children, and adults, of the Deep Dark. He had never seen an infernal in person or knew anyone who had. But the stories persisted. Just because she is really old and powerful and red doesn’t mean she has to be the infernal from the stories. She can’t possibly be the Goddess of War from the legends. Lilithana had said Cinder is a goddess of conflict and bones… No… Oh, no, no, no. I cannot possibly be trying to seduce the Goddess of Skulls… Cinder…ella… He swallowed hard. I am a fucking moron, and Karimere, I officially hate you.

She glanced at him. “I told you I despise this form.”

“It’s…it’s…”

“You think I am hideous.”

“No. No. Maybe a little intimidating. But, to be fair, the last time I saw this form you broke most of the bones in my body.”

She sighed and examined herself. “It has been a long time since anyone has seen me without my armor. I wish could have been a dragonite. They have horns and claws but they look refined, majestic. And their scales are just beautiful. She pinched the leathery flesh of her arm. I feel like a patch work of a dozen different creatures in this form.”

“I think you look strong.”

“I am strong. This form feels like a living extension of my rage. Maybe that is why I have the urge to punch people every time I use it.”

He took a step back.

“I don’t know why I am telling you all of this. I don’t want to tell you. But I feel stupid standing here saying nothing. If I am going to Geothae then we need to develop a better working relationship. I am trying. But I don’t know what to do exactly.”

“Maybe that is enough for now. I feel as lost as you sound.”

“Yes. You are right. We can continue this discussion some other time.” A tablet appeared in her hands. “Now for my questions. Karimere ordered me to escort you here so that you can train using one of the other test subjects. That would suggest that you have some ability than needs a living organic to train.”

Not good.

She scrolled though the tablet. “Your record shows no such ability. But you have had, enthusiastic contact with Lilithana’s living form. I suspect she has known about your ability for some time. You two always use a ball of silence as well. This suggests that you two have conspired keep this ability hidden from me.”

Shit! It looks like more talking equals more dying.

“So please, if you will, explain to me what this mysterious power is and why you have kept it hidden.”

Ok. I suck at lying, so tell the truth without getting killed. “I have mental powers. I can send and receive mind messages like you can. But I have to touch someone to set a link first. I have longer range but a more limited ability.”

Her eyes narrowed, “That is the what. Now tell me the why.”

“I feel about my power kind of like you do about this form of yours.” He gestured vaguely towards her.

She let out a low growl.

He continued, trying to focus the conversation on himself. “This power forced me to live with shadowcats because everyone was afraid of me. I asked Lilithana to keep it a secret. You are the only other person I have met with mental power and I was pretty terrified of you discovering my ability. Karimere found out a few days ago. And, now you know.”

“Poking around in people’s brains does tend to unsettle them.” She rubbed her chin.

His mecromail erupted into sparks and pain. When his teeth stopped chattering he looked up from the ground to see the Queen of Hearts looming over him.

“I am certain you told me the truth, but I am also certain that you lied to me. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

He shook his head.

“Now it makes sense. Karimere gave me oddly specific orders about not breaking any of your bones or doing any kind of harm that would limit your training. So you and Kari and Lili know something that you don’t want to tell me. That is fine. I am just going to assume it would piss me off. And I am going to assume it was entirely your fault, and treat you accordingly.”

The second round of shocks lasted until everything went black. He woke to Cinder dragging him to his feet with her hand around his neck. He saw numbers tattooed on the inside her arm.

She lifted him to the tips of his toes. “Come on Mecromancer show me your powers. I want to feel this mind link.”

He had spent years around shadowcats and other creatures of the Deep Dark. His mental defenses were built from the need to survive. He had lived where a stray sent though, even in his sleep, would alert a predator to his location.

Cinder had practiced on weak minds, no need for any real defense. She slept in safely far from anyone who could hear her. She was an apex predator. But she had never been challenged on this field.

He layered his defenses as solidly as possible then set the link. He did the least threatening thing he could think of and sent a ticklish sensation to her stomach.

“You think you are funny?” She squirmed and squeezed his neck.

That worked?! How did I know to do that? He sent more ticklish sensations spreading up her sides.

She giggled and her grip loosened.

The noises she made and the way her body moved really did something for him. I don’t know if I can do this at range. If she lets go I’m probably going to suffer. He could feel her trying to put up mental defenses but it did little good. It would take time for her to develop the skills.

“You bastard.” She couldn’t keep him on his toes. She forced him into the wall and held on as she doubled over laughing. “I…will…destroy…you.” She managed to get out.

‘Respond to her strength with strength.’ He remembered. “Do you yield?”

She growled at him but held on.

He sent the ticklish sensations racing across her entire body, everywhere. Oops.

Her anger overrode his attack for a moment. She leaned in, “You pale bastard.” He could feel her mentally probing his defenses. He could hold her off but she was stronger than he expected.

He had no chance of fighting her physical strength. But he had a crazy idea. His hand cupped her cheek, a soft touch.

It all happened in moments. She leaned into the touch, just a bit. Her emotions swirled and her offensive collapsed. Her anger was gone but he couldn’t make any sense of what she was feeling. For the first time she looked vulnerable, fragile. He froze and stopped his mental assault.

She jumped back, almost as if the touch burned, letting him go as she turned away. She stood up straight and smoothed out her clothes. “I have killed people for less.”

“You forced me. I didn’t want this fight. I don’t want to fight you at all.”

“We have to fight. We have to train. You dare touch me then make pathetic excuses?” Orange energy danced on her skin. “You are a powerful Mecromancer. You know how to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses. Own your strength. Own your actions.”

He put his hand on her shoulder.

With a flash of orange she backhanded him across the side of his face.

He spun, bounced and skipped far down the corridor and slammed into a metal door. The world was still spinning when the Queen of Hearts strolled up to him. His words were slurred. “Peace. Truce. I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I don’t know what to say or do. Dammit. I surrender.”

“Weak. Never touch me again without my permission or I will fight you for real. Orders be damned.”

He nodded groggily.

She glared down at him for what felt like forever. “Does Karimere know what you are hiding?”

He hesitated, grit his teeth, then said, “Yes.”

“Has she given you orders relating to it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you following all the orders Karimere has given you?”

“I am trying.”

“Are you hiding anything from her?”

“No. I think she knows more about me than I do. It’s a bit creepy.”

She offered him a hand up, he took it, slowly. She gripped his hand tightly and snatched him to his feet, “I can’t read your thoughts but, when I touch you, I can feel what you feel. Is that part of your power?”

“Yea.” He said. He had to focus to keep his legs under him. Nothing seemed broken. But it was clear that being a nigh immortal Mecromancer just meant Cinder was able to punch him harder without disobeying orders.

“You know what I am. I think, you finally know who I am. Don’t you?”

“You are Queen of Hearts who kills your enemies by ripping their hearts out, other groups call you the Goddess of Skulls. Her followers collect the skulls of their enemies.”

“Like you talked about doing to the Anateri Baltoris illusion.”

He nodded. “I’ve collected some skulls, yes.”

“You didn’t have any skulls when you came here weakling.”

“Sorry. I lost everything in an anterra swarm. Never had a chance to get anymore.” He hung his head. Seduce the Goddess of Skulls…? Karimere has ordered the impossible.

Cinder looked him over for a minute. “You got a rush out of humiliating me. Your powers touched me…” Her eyes bored into him. “I’ve never…” There was an incomprehensible flood of emotions coming from her.

He felt tiny, like a man trying to reason with an active volcano. “I’m sorry. I’ve never used my powers like that before.”

She let his hand go. “You are young and foolish. You hesitate when you should attack. In a real battle there is little time to think. Once you have decided to kill, you destroy your enemy, don’t hold back.”

He thought there was something important in what she was saying but his brain was still trying to figure out how to operate his limbs.