Chapter 7

“Ah, you’re the asshole that Abina and Keida don’t like,” Logan growled, taking an aggressive step forward.

“What kinda name is Voidmoth, anyway?” Rafe slurred. “Is he gonna make me a sandwich?”

“It’s an old Dark Elves house name, word for a warrior, if you must know,” the man, Voidmoth said. Eyes gleaming.

“It’s super gayyy,” Rafe droned. “Gaaaaayyyyyyyy.”

“But my name is irrelevant now,” Voidmoth hissed as he ran his hands through his perfect blonde hair and turned to Logan. “The thing is, Mr. Ralston, you have two of my dark Elves. Two of my best ones, I might add. They were supposed to fulfill their duties to you and your friend and then return to us. Thousands of people out there ask for their services by the hour, you know. What kind of businessman would I be if I denied them their wishes?”

“Abina and Keida want to stay here with me,” Logan said flatly, making his face expressionless. He was trying to act cool, but in reality his heart was slamming into his chest.

He was mouthing off to a an elve lord. A dark elve lord.

“I mean, he was talking to me in the bathroom,” Rafe continued. “Who does that? Also, look at his shoes, so pretty. Does he have gel or something in his hair? Gaaaaaayyyyyy.”

“They let you call them Abina and Keida?” Voidmoth asked Logan as he ignored Rafe. “That means they really like you. Normally my elves only use their pet names when they really like a client.”

“Logan is more than a client! He is our new lord,” Abina protested, much to the horror of Keida.

“Your posture is really upright, too,” Rafe kept talking. “Like someone rammed a broomstick up your ass or something.”

“Is he now?” Voidmoth asked Keida after he glared at the imp. “A mere mortal, a lord? I’m sure you’re flattered by their loyalty, but this isn’t the first time my elves have tried to pull a stunt like this. It’s quite common, actually. These two are always finding some human who they claim is their new lord, who will protect them from me and Lilith and even Morning Star himself. And you know what happens to them all? They burn … or worse.”

“He’s lying!” Keida spat from behind Abina.

“Was that Keida I heard?” Voidmoth questioned, surprise evident in his voice. “You’ve never been one to step out of line, especially after what happened to Luell. You must really like this human! Maybe all three of you deserve a session with the torture master?”

“I dunno,” Rafe said after he took another long pull of his beer. “I think ‘gaylord’ is more fitting that ‘torture master.’”

“Will you stop?” Voidmoth growled at Rafe. “This conversation doesn’t concern you, and my sexual preference is my own—”

“So he is a gaylord then?” Rafe giggled.

“Hey, it’s not a big deal if Voidmoth is gay,” Logan said with a shrug. “Different strokes for different folks.

“You both seem to not understand the gravity of the situation,” Voidmoth sighed, “ And the teasing is about done,” the dark Elve lord growled. “I am here for what is mine, and those two aren’t going to stop me.”

Voidmoth’s gaze flicked between them as he took a step toward the two elves.

“They’re staying here, Voidmoth,” Logan affirmed his position by stepping in front of his friends and facing down the dark elve. “These two haven’t told me much about you, but from what they have told me, you seem like a real douche.”

By this point, the bar was silent as everyone now focused on the uneasy tension between himself and the man in the suit. Voidmoth didn’t seem to care about the attention. He just slicked back his hair and took another step toward them.

Logan had enough of his bullshit.

He pulled his arm back and thought about the possibility of having sex with Keida and Abina tonight. Almost instantly, a baseball-sized fireball appeared in his hand. He couldn’t feel the heat of his magic on his palm, but everyone else in the bar closed their eyes and let out a shot of surprise. Then they all screamed when he threw the fireball at the dark Elve as hard as he could. The ball of flame hit the dark Elve dead center in the face, and for half a moment it looked like he was going to fall down, but his magic did little more than knock his head backward and disorient him for a moment.

“Ow… You almost hurt me.” Lord Voidmoth mocked as he calmly pulled out a comb to restyle his mussed hair back into place. The screams of the other bar patrons filled the room as they tried to rush for the nearest exit. “Almost.”

“Keida,” Logan said as he turned toward the elves. “I thought you said dark Elves burned!”

“Your powers are still budding, Logan!” she cried out. “In dark Elveic terms, that attack was little more than a punch from a Rafeler.”

Logan’s eyes bulged in disbelief at the elves. “You couldn’t have told me that before I attacked him?”

“That’s okay! I’m is here to save the day!” Rafe cried as he made a comical karate pose with a bent leg lifted in the air. “Come any closer and I’ll give you the old one-two.”

“Fool,” Voidmoth sneered as he snapped his fingers. There was a whoosh of heat, and the next thing Logan knew Rafe had been blown backward in a cloud of burning cinders and ash.

“Rafe!” Logan cried as Rafe smashed into the far wall and slumped to the floor, flesh charred. He tried to move, but it was all he could do to meet Logan’s eyes.

“Logan…” he coughed. “My best weed is in the closet…” He slumped to the ground and twitched.

“You killed Rafe!” Logan screamed as rage exploded from him.

“I merely disciplined him,” Voidmoth shrugged. “He will recover, should I allow it.” His eyes met his, and somehow, his comment made Logan even angrier. This smug bastard thought he could do whatever he wanted. How dear him? To come here and walk all over the place! The guts of him!

A scream of rage ripped from Logan’s body, and the temperature in the room suddenly rose twenty degrees as electricity crackled in the surrounding air. A dark wind howled through the bar, carrying with it the smell of sulfur and ozone. Fire whipped around him as he summoned flames once more.

“I admire the enthusiasm, Mr. Ralston, but mine’s bigger,” he said as he began to summon enormous flames from his fingertips and raised an eyebrow slyly.

“Oh, I highly doubt that,” Abina called out from behind us as she stepped forward and readied her own blast of fire.

“The way you say that, Abina, makes me think you’ve forgotten your place,” Voidmoth growled as he raised his hands to his side. “Don’t worry. You’ll be getting an object lesson on just how large I really am in a moment.”

Voidmoth clapped his hands together, and the crimson flames rose to nVoidmothy three feet high. As the flames rose, Abina pulled back her fists to attack, but Voidmoth unleashed his full power at them, and Logan flung a purple flame up in front of their group to try to halt his fireball.

As the immense blast crashed into his barrier, the red and purple fire danced together as they tried to overwhelm each other. Logan was able to hold out for the first blast, but the elve second effort created a massive impact. The three of them were sent flying back across the bar, accompanied by the crash of breaking wood and the shattering of glass bottles as they bounced along the sticky floor.

“You’re stronger than I thought,” Voidmoth’s voice boomed as he sauntered across the room like a serial killer from a slasher movie. “But soon you will burn just like everyone else who dares to challenge me.”

“That’s me, Mr. Full of Surprises,” Logan groaned as he picked himself up off the floor. “Just imagine how surprised you’ll be when I kick your ass, take Abina and Keida home with me, and give them a good time.” Logan smirked.

Voidmoth’s facial expression remained unchanged, but he could tell his words had gotten to him. Voidmoth’s eyes simmered as they dug into Logan’s like daggers, and his fists were now tightened into a ball. He was pissed that Logan had taken his women. He had more than enough power to turn him into little more than a pile of ashes on the floor, but if Logan could keep him distracted for long enough, maybe he could figure out how to beat him.

“You know, Voidmoth, I would have thought a dark Elve in charge of a whole army of gorgeous naked women and men would be a little… more handsome?” Logan normally never insult how ugly a guy was, and Voidmoth actually wasn’t ugly, but he was guessing that he was incredibly vain and he wanted to use that to his advantage. Anything for his advantage.

“Bro,” Rafe coughed as he raised his hand to point at Voidmoth. “He’s so obviously gay. My gaydar is going like beep, beep, beeeeeeep!”

“Voidmoth is actually known for enjoying hid male elves,” Keida said as she twisted her mouth in thought.

“I never really thought about it,” Abina said with a nod, “but doesn’t Voidmoth have more male elves in his service than female? Maybe there is a—”

“Stop,” Voidmoth interrupted as he pointed across the bar at Logan. “I know exactly what you are trying to do, Mr. Logan, and it’s not going to work. I’ve killed dozens of elves, dark and light, across the centuries. Do you really think you’re going to do what they could not?”

“I’m going to try,” Logan said building his determination as he braced himself for the next attack. “I’ll do anything to defend my women.”

“Just surrender,” Voidmoth said, “and I’ll ensure that your death is—”

Rafe’s heel slammed into the side of the dark Elve’s head as Logan’s goblin’s friend delivered a Karate Kid style crane kick that sent Voidmoth staggering. As Rafe dropped to the ground, his foot lashed out, cleanly swept the leg, and knocked Voidmoth to the floor.

“I’m not afraid to sweep the leg, bitch!” he cried before he turned to Logan. “Blast this asshole, Logan!”

“Flamos!” Logan cried as he summoned up all all his fury once more.