Demonbane (Book 4)

by Ben Cassidy

  Joseph nodded. “Good. You’re staying with me.”

  Maklavir blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Me too.” Kendril forced himself slowly up to his feet again.

  “And me.” Kara pushed back her red hair. “Even though I’m practically swimming in these clothes—”

  “No,” said Joseph firmly. “You’re going with Lieutenant Gradine.”

  “What?” the pretty thief exclaimed. “I don’t think so. Why would—?”

  Joseph stepped forward and kissed the surprised girl on her lips.

  Maklavir quickly looked away.

  Kara pulled back her head, blinking in surprise.

  “Because I love you,” Joseph said. “And if anything happened to you I’d never forgive myself.”

  Kara stared at him in shocked silence.

  Another hideous scream echoed down the tunnel. It came from somewhere to the left.

  “Time’s up.” Joseph nodded to Gradine. “Lieutenant, get her out of here. I’m trusting you to get her back safe.”

  “Yes, sir,” Gradine said. He took Kara by the arm and led the stunned girl down the tunnel.

  “Maklavir,” Joseph ordered, “help me get Kendril—”

  Kendril hobbled forward, leaning against the tunnel wall with each step. “I can walk,” he said. “Where are we going?”

  Joseph nodded down the tunnel to where it opened up into an intersection. “There. But we need to hurry.”

  Another long wail sounded behind them in the darkness.

  Indigoru was coming.

  Golden light appeared just down the tunnel.

  Joseph stepped back from the wall. “Maklavir, we just ran out of time.”

  The diplomat cursed under his breath. He pushed a grenade into a large crack in the stones of the pillar across the room.

  They were in a large vaulted intersection of the sewers. Water came tumbling in from four different channels. A huge vaulted pillar in the center of the room supported the rounded ceiling.

  Maklavir pushed back from the pillar, knee deep in the frozen water. “We need matchcord,” he shouted. “A lot of it, too!”

  Joseph looked down at the murky, ice-covered water. “We couldn’t get matchcord through that. We’ll have to—”

  “The goddess comes for your souls.” The strange, whispering voice sounded in their ears.

  In the passageway leading to the room, the light brightened.

  Maklavir rushed over to the side of the room and threw himself behind an archway.

  Kendril stood, then limped down into the water with a groan.

  Joseph stood, his rapier drawn. “Kendril! What—?”

  “You’ll need bait.” Kendril moved slowly through the sewer water. He stopped and pulled out a pistol, then reached up a hand to the hood over his head. Wincing, he tenderly pulled down the cowl off of his face.

  The light grew brighter, like a rising sun.

  “Come on!” Kendril shouted. He snapped back the lock on the pistol and leveled it at the passageway. “I’m waiting for you, Indigoru!”

  “Right,” Maklavir said as he tucked himself further behind the archway. “That’s good. Let’s antagonize the demon—”

  “Kendril—” Joseph began.

  A brilliant light shone into the room. The water rippled, bubbling away from the passageway entrance.

  Indigoru appeared.

  All three men felt the breath sucked from their bodies. For a long moment they could only stare.

  She was beautiful beyond description, so magnificent that it hurt their eyes to look at her. She was beguiling, perfect in every way.

  Indigoru floated above the water, her flawless body effortlessly gliding over the water. “You.” She turned her head towards Kendril, her strange voice sounding almost musical in their ears. “You are the one. You closed the gate.”

  Despite his horrible burns, Kendril managed a pained smile. “That’s right. It’s just you, now, demon. None of your friends are coming.”

  Indigoru tilted her head. Her blazing hair tossed and blew in a nonexistent wind. “You dare to defy me, mortal?” She spread out her long, slender arms. “Why do you not fear me? I bring despair to your world.”

  Kendril lowered the pistol at the goddess. “I don’t scare easily.”

  Indigoru laughed, a haunting, weirdly melodic sound. “You will die, mortal. Slowly, painfully. Do you really think your pitiful weapons can harm me?” She lifted a hand palm outwards toward Kendril. Below her hovering feet the water rippled.

  “Not really.” Kendril pointed the pistol towards the pillar. “But I’m betting this will.”

  He fired.

  The grenade wedged into the pillar’s cracked stone exploded outwards with a roar, followed moments later by the cracks of several other grenades going off in succession. In less than two seconds the whole pillar vanished in cloud of dust and flying stone.

  Kendril ducked away, staggering back towards the walkway that ringed the room.

  Indigoru raised up in the air, light emanating from her body in waves. She gave a furious scream, then lashed her arms outwards.

  Above her head, the ceiling cracked, then began to collapse downwards.

  The demon looked up, a look of genuine surprise on her face.

  Kendril threw himself up onto the walkway. He grabbed for the hilt of one of his swords.

  With a crash, the arched ceiling of the room came tumbling down.

  Indigoru threw her arms up with a snarl.

  Stones and heavy blocks slowed, then stopped in mid-air above her head. All around her heavy stones impacted into the green water, sending up fountains of ice and slime.

  Maklavir and Joseph both came out of hiding. They stared.

  Indigoru was untouched, holding several tons of rock in place above her. There was a huge rent in the roof above their heads, opening out onto the street above. The red glow of the fires that raged throughout Vorten flickered down into the room, intermingling with Indigoru’s golden glow. Heat washed down from into the chilly sewer.

  “Insolence!” Indigoru turned her flashing, enraged eyes on the three men. “Your world will fall, fools. First you will bow to me, and then you will suffer. There will be no—”

  “Oh, shut up already.” Kara stepped out of the passageway next to Kendril. She bent back her bow and aimed a notched arrow right at Indigoru.

  Behind her Lieutenant Gradine and the remaining gendarmes spilled out of the opening, their carbines raised at the blazing goddess.

  The goddess looked at the redheaded thief and hissed loudly. Above her head the huge weight of stones wobbled, but didn’t fall.

  Joseph stepped forward. “Kara?”

  Kendril climbed to his feet, dripping wet. He winced in pain from the effort. “Do it.”

  Kara smiled. “Block this.”

  She released the string. The arrow leapt forwards.

  Indigoru screamed and flung out a hand.

  The ton of rocks over the demon’s head crashed down on top of her in an eruption of icy water and dust.

  The golden light flicked out.

  For several long seconds there was silence, except for the crackling of the fires in the streets above and the violent lapping of the sewer water against the walkway.

  Joseph coughed, smearing dirt from his face. “Everyone okay?”

  Kara nodded. She reached down and grabbed Kendril by his cloak, helping him to his feet.

  The Ghostwalker groaned as he stood. He leaned heavily against the wall.

  Maklavir ducked out from behind his cover. He looked down at his clothes. “I’m just fine. My clothes, on the other hand—”

  “Save it, Maklavir,” Kendril barked. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes against the pain. “Is she dead?”

  Kara notched another arrow. “I’ll check.”

  Joseph started around the walkway towards them. “I told you to get out of here.”

  Kara stepped down into the water. She grimaced from the
cold. “Come on, Joseph. When have I ever done anything you’ve told me?”

  Gradine shrugged. “Don’t look at me. She was very insistent.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Joseph mumbled. He stepped down into the water too.

  Maklavir walked around the edge of the room, trying in vain to smear dirt and grime off his sleeve. “It’s over, isn’t it? I mean, the gate is closed, and Indigoru—” He let the sentence hang, looking over at the pile of rocks and stones.

  Kara edged closer through the water, her bow raised. A faint red glow came from the pile of in front of her.

  Joseph slipped in behind her. “Careful, Kara.”

  She gave a half-smile. “You’re cute, Joseph. When are you going to stop worrying about me?” She edged around the stone heap, her over-sized boots sloshing through the water. She gave a long breath, then lowered the bow. “It’s safe,” she called back. “She’s dead.”

  Gradine lowered his carbine. “About bloody time.”

  Kendril gritted his teeth, his fingers clenching on the stone wall. “You’re sure?”

  Joseph came around beside Kara.

  Indigoru was gone. In her place was the broken, naked body of Mina. An arrow was lodged up to its shaft in her chest. Sightless eyes stared up at the gaping hole in the ceiling above them. Around her neck the Soulbinder still glowed angrily.

  Joseph sheathed his rapier. “Yeah, we’re sure.”

  Kendril visibly relaxed. He slid down the wall with a groan, his eyes still closed.

  Kara put up her bow. She leaned forward and reached for the Soulbinder. “Funny, isn’t it,” she mused, “how this little trinket could cause so much trouble?”

  “Well I for one think it’s time we got moving,” Maklavir said to no one in particular. “Might I remind you all, the city is still burning right above our heads?”

  A stone dislodged from the ceiling and fell with a great plop in the water below.

  Joseph glanced up, narrowing his eyes. “I agree. Let’s get going.”

  Kara picked up the Soulbinder, holding it by the chain. The red glow of the dark gem spilled onto her face.

  Kendril opened his eyes. “Put it down, Kara.”

  The redhead laughed. “You too, Kendril? I thought I got enough babysitting from Joseph.” She looped the chain over her neck.

  Joseph stared at her, confused. “What are you doing?”

  Kara looked at him askance. “We should take it back, shouldn’t we? We can’t just leave it here, after all.”

  Maklavir looked up at the fire above. “She has a point.”

  “We’ll come back for it.” Kendril had a strange look in his eyes. He started to get to his feet. “Leave it, Kara.”

  Joseph glanced over at the young woman. “He’s right. Come on, let’s get out of here, Kara.”

  The redhead sighed. “That’s a great idea. There’s only one problem.” She smiled. “I’m not Kara.”

  Joseph stared at her for a moment, perplexed.

  Kara lashed out a hand, palm forward.

  The scout flew backwards, propelled by a wall of invisible force. He hit the water about ten feet away.

  Maklavir and Gradine both gaped, their eyes wide. The gendarmes beside them stood motionless as well, stunned into inaction.

  Kendril dove behind a stone. “Move!”

  Kara turned in the water with a mocking, haunting laugh. She lifted a hand.

  One of the heavier blocks in the water began to lift, shaking uncertainly. It fell back into the water with a giant splash.

  Kara scowled. She turned back towards the men with a scowl. “You think you can kill me? I am immortal. I am a goddess.”

  Joseph sputtered, trying to stand back to his feet in the water. “Kara!”

  “Sorry,” the woman said with a cruel smile. “Kara’s gone.” She flung out both hands.

  A shower of small rocks flew out from the pile. They hammered into the opposite wall like gunshots.

  Several of the gendarmes fell back, bruised and bloodied from the projectiles.

  Maklavir dodged behind an archway. He tried desperately to draw his sword.

  “It’s Indigoru!” Kendril shouted. He pulled out a pistol with a gasp of pain, then reached for a waterproof cartridge.

  Joseph got back to his feet. His rapier dripped water. He stared at Kara for another long second, unable to move.

  Kara cackled madly. Her body began to lift out of the water. A slight glow began to form around her.

  “No,” Joseph whispered.

  “She’s getting more powerful by the second!” Kendril yelled from behind his cover. He forced his injured hand to steady the pistol as he tore open the bullet cartridge with his teeth.

  A gendarme lifted himself up and aimed his carbine.

  With a snarl Indigoru flashed out a hand.

  The man flew back against the wall with a sickening crunch of bones.

  “Your cities will burn,” the demon sneered. “Despair has come. It howls for your women, your children. You will all know the meaning of fear.”

  Kendril struggled to reload the pistol, gasping as he moved his burned arm. “Joseph!”

  The scout took a hesitant step forward, his rapier half-raised.

  The woman before him wilted back suddenly. “Joseph, no!”

  The voice was Kara’s.

  Joseph stopped cold, a look of sudden fear and uncertainty on his face.

  Kara’s face changed. She laughed, then threw out a hand.

  Joseph lifted off the ground. His rapier splashed down into the water. He grabbed his throat.

  “I will break you in two,” Indigoru snarled. “You loved this woman? She’s dead now, just like you. Just like Vorten.”

  Joseph’s legs kicked helplessly. He was suspended clear above the pool of sewer water.

  Kendril snapped back the flint on his pistol. He heaved himself up on top of the stone and aimed the pistol with his unburned hand.

  Joseph saw him out of the corner of his eye. “No!” he choked. “Don’t…don’t…”

  Kendril hesitated.

  Indigoru began to close her outstretched hand. “I will break you, mortal…”

  Joseph cried out in pain. Blood gushed from his nose and trickled from his mouth. He stared wildly at Kendril. “Don’t—”

  Indigoru laughed wildly. “Die, mortal. You are just the first. I will watch all of Zanthora burn—”

  Kendril pulled the trigger. The pistol roared and leapt in his hand.

  The Soulbinder shattered into a hundred blazing red shards.

  Joseph dropped into into the water.

  Kara fell backwards against the pile of stones and didn’t move.

  The fatigue and pain finally caught up with Kendril. He felt his vision swim, then go dark.

  Chapter 21

  Kendril opened his eyes.

  He was in bed. The light from the window was dim, but seemed gray enough to be daylight. He didn’t know where he was, or how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered clearly was the battle in the sewers, when Kara—

  Kara.

  Kendril sat up in the bed. He groaned with the effort. Pain flared in repetitive, throbbing bursts from the left side of his face and his arms. Loose bandages were wrapped over his burns.

  It was bad. The pain was almost crippling. He set his teeth, and slid out of the bed.

  His clothes were folded on a chair by the bed, along with the burnt and torn remains of his cloak. It smelled of smoke and rotting garbage. A lovely combination.

  He was half-way dressed when the door opened and Callen walked in.

  The freckled Ghostwalker smiled. “Out of bed? Seems you really are as tough as everyone led me to believe you were.”

  Kendril winced as he pulled on his shirt over his bandage. “Where are we?”

  “Vorten.” Callen came over to a chair and sat down across from Kendril. “Outside the city walls, of course. This is an estate of one of the nobles who died in the fire, a few miles w
est of the city. The fires are still burning inside the walls, especially east of the river.”

  Kendril reached with a sharp intake of breath for his cloak. “How’s Kara?”

  Callen looked at him for a moment. “You don’t remember much, I take it?”

  Kendril shook his head gingerly. “Not much. You didn’t answer my question.”

  The Ghostwalker put his hands together and sighed. “She’s not dead, at least not last time I saw her. She’s in some sort of coma. Honestly, I don’t know if she’ll make it or not. Your friend Joseph has been looking after her.”

  Kendril folded the cloak with agonizing slowness over his shoulders. “I’m thirsty.”

  Callen nodded. “Water’s there, on the side table. Go easy with it.”

  Kendril reached out his good hand and lifted the canteen to his cracked lips.

  “You’ve been barely conscious for the last few days.” Callen rubbed the side of his face wearily. “A bad fever. I thought for sure we were going to lose you. You’re bloody lucky your burns didn’t get infected, especially running around in a sewer like that. How’s the pain?”

  Kendril stifled a gasp as he put down the canteen. “Fine.”

  “I have some tamaren bark to chew, if you need some—”

  “I’m fine.” Kendril stood, weaving a little on his feet. He grabbed a nearby chair for support.

  “Easy,” Callen warned. “You have to give your body time to adjust.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Pardon?”

  Kendril looked the other Ghostwalker squarely in the eyes. “My injuries. How bad are they?”

  Callen squirmed uncomfortably. “Not bad. Like I said, there are no infections.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Kendril reached up and carefully pulled off the bandage over his face.

  “I wouldn’t do that just yet,” Callen said hurriedly. “There’s still a risk of—”

  “Get me a hand mirror,” Kendril ordered. He pulled the rest of the bandage off. “Now.”

  Callen hesitated a moment, then grabbed a hand mirror off the table. He handed it to the other Ghostwalker.

  Kendril pulled it up to his face, and looked at his reflection.

  “I’m sorry, Kendril,” Callen said quietly. “You’re lucky to be alive. But those scars…they won’t heal. You were burned too badly.”