by Linsey Hall
I drew a dagger from the ether and hurled it, striking one of the Fish Men in the throat. Lachlan moved so fast I could hardly see him. He drew a sword and beheaded a Fish Man. Jonnie took out the fourth attacker, while I practiced my fire magic.
I envisioned shooting a bolt of flame. It felt natural as it shot from my hands, strong and bright.
Whoa.
I’d always bemoaned my defensive magic. Now I had offensive magic to spare.
“Nice.” Lachlan grinned at me. “New power?”
“Yeah.”
“We need to hide these bodies,” Jonnie said. “It’ll buy us a bit of time.”
“Some demons wake up in their Underworld if you kill them, but do these guys?” The rules were a bit different since we were in their afterworld, but it wasn’t technically the Underworld. Was it?
“Depends on the species. Most don’t since we’re on their home turf.” He turned to look around. “Where the hell will we hide them?”
“I’ve got this.” Lachlan’s magic swelled on the air, and the ground in front of the demon bodies parted as he controlled the earth.
“Nice.” Jonnie kicked a couple of the demons into the crack in the ground, and Lachlan finished off the rest. Then he closed up the earth.
I kicked some dirt over the crack, and it looked like nothing had ever happened.
I was going to have to try that sometime.
“Okay, let’s see if we can find your targets,” Jonnie said. “With any luck, they might still be here.”
“Maybe.” I sniffed, trying to get a whiff of their distinctive magical signature, but came up blank. It was too hard to tell in a place that stank as badly as this one did. “Can’t tell.”
“You said you wanted to know if The Three got an army, right?” Jonnie asked.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go check the armory, then. And the merc quarters.”
“You know where those are?” Lachlan asked.
“Yeah. I’ve been in here a time or two looking for info. They haven’t let me get off the ground floor, but there’s a lot to be seen and learned down here. Fortunately for you, this is where the mercs hang out.”
“We’ll start with that, then.” We needed as much info as we could get before we were caught. This felt like playing it smart and safe.
“This way.” Jonnie led us through the tunnel, stopping at the point where it spilled out into an open courtyard.
Fortunately, the space wasn’t wide, so we wouldn’t have to cross much open terrain. On the other side, the enormous fortress soared high above us. The whole thing was made of huge black stones, and every angle was sharp. It was a villain’s castle if I’d ever seen one, meant to threaten and intimidate. Even the light was darker here. And above, the black ocean loomed.
Jonnie peered up, squinting toward what I assumed were guard posts set into the exterior curtain wall.
“I don’t see anyone,” he said.
“Hang on, I’ll slow time,” Lachlan said.
Jonnie looked at him with a hint of respect in his eyes. “All right, mate. You do that. I like traveling with you.”
Lachlan’s magic swelled briefly on the air, so faint I almost didn’t sense it. Had I not been searching for it, I never would have. Then the air got that distinctive heavy feeling.
“Let’s go,” Lachlan said. “I can’t hold it long.”
We hurried across the courtyard, darting into another tunnel that cut beneath the huge fortress. Once we were out of sight of the guards, Lachlan dropped the time-slowing spell.
We followed Jonnie on silent feet, creeping through the tunnels toward the back of the compound. He made a right, then a left, and finally, we were at a massive set of iron doors.
Jonnie sighed and turned to us. “Bad news, friends. Armory is empty.”
“How do you know?”
“No guards at the doors.” He turned to them and pushed one open.
I peeked my head inside, and damned if he wasn’t right. There were thousands of empty spots along the walls where swords and other weapons would have once hung. Not a single one remained.
Disappointment tightened around my heart like a steel vise. I turned to Jonnie and Lachlan. “That means they’ve already left. The Three got their army.”
“But where are they headed?” Lachlan asked.
That was the million dollar question.
13
“They can’t be far ahead of us,” Lachlan said.
“Whatever they offered the Mercenary Guild had to be compelling. Getting their whole army like that…” Jonnie shook his head, clearly impressed.
“Is it big?” I asked.
“Over a hundred. Maybe a lot over a hundred. And all highly trained mercs. Mostly Fomori, but other demons as well.”
“We need to find out where they’ve gone,” Lachlan said.
“Let’s head to the mercenary quarters,” Jonnie said. “It’s not far from here, and maybe there are some stragglers who haven’t headed out yet.”
We left the armory behind and continued our silent progress through the fortress. It was quiet, which wasn’t a surprise if most of the army was already off getting ready for battle.
As we walked, I pressed my fingertips to the comms charm at my neck. “Bree? Rowan?”
“Hey, how’s it going?” Bree answered.
“The Three have their army. They’ve left. I think you should tell Jude so she can gather forces. We’ll need to stop them.”
“Know where they went?”
“Trying to figure that out now.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“And be safe.”
“You too.” I cut the connection.
By the time we reached the mercenary quarters, my heart was thundering. I needed answers like I needed air. We’d always been one step behind The Three, and eventually, that was going to turn deadly.
Jonnie led us into an empty hallway built of rough black stone. The floor beneath was made of more rock, and it felt like walking inside a huge mountain.
“I’ve never been this far,” Jonnie whispered. “But this is where they live.”
We passed room after room, all of the doors closed. Dormitories?
My skin prickled as we walked, tension racing up and down my arms as I waited for something to happen. My druid sense didn’t pull me toward any doors, so I didn’t open them, but I felt that there was knowledge here. Somewhere.
Frustration welled within me as we kept walking. I couldn’t stay one step behind them the whole time. We’d never catch up.
When a demon stepped into the hall in front of us, I leapt into action. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.
I called upon my magic, using the torc as a conduit. The power surged within me, lighting up my chest with energy. I envisioned sending a blast of air at the demon, throwing out my arms so that my palms faced him. It worked.
Wind howled from my palms, shooting down the corridor and bowling the demon over. He flipped head over heels as he tumbled down the hall.
“Whoa,” Jonnie muttered.
I raced after the demon, sprinting until I reached him. He lay on his back, stunned and staring up at the ceiling.
I straddled him and drew a dagger from the ether, then pushed it to his throat. He had pale yellow skin with a green tinge underneath, and his large horns were black. The magic that rolled off him stank of rot and decay.
I shuddered.
“I’ll kill you. Happily.” I gave him a grin that I knew looked insane. It probably helped my cause, actually. “Tell me where the rest of the mercenaries went.”
“I can’t, I’ll—”
I pressed the blade against his throat until a bead of blood welled. “Tell me.”
“I don’t know!”
I pressed the blade deeper.
“I don’t know! They didn’t tell me.”
I scowled, believing him.
“Where would I find information?”<
br />
His acid green eyes widened and darted, clearly searching for help. But he could see only Lachlan and Jonnie, and I’d bet they didn’t look very helpful right now.
I pressed the dagger a little deeper, wondering how much farther I could go before it was lights out. “Tell me.”
“The war room! They plan all attacks in the war room. You’ll probably find something there.”
“Where is it?”
“Back of the castle, up the tower. But it’s impossible to get to without an invitation.”
“How do we know which tower?”
“You’ll know. It’s the worst place you’ve ever been in your life.”
He looked so sure that I believed him. “How many soldiers left here?”
“About a hundred. Maybe more.”
So, confirming what Jonnie had said. That was a lot, considering they were all highly trained mercs. No matter where they were going, we were definitely going to need backup to deal with them.
I stared down at the demon, debating. I could kill him. I should kill him. Magical signatures didn’t lie. He was evil. But I was in the position of power here. It would make me an executioner, and I didn’t want that. I preferred an even fight where my life was at stake.
That wasn’t the case here. And this…this wasn’t me.
Normally, you knew that if you killed a demon on earth, he’d end up back in the underworld, where he belonged. It wasn’t killing so much as it was banishing him back to the place where he could do no harm.
But this…
I didn’t know if he’d wake up in the underworld, or if this was his original realm. If I killed him, it could be permanent. For good.
No thanks.
I hit him on the head with the butt of my dagger, and he passed out. Quickly, I bound his mouth and limbs, then looked up at Lachlan. “Shove him in a room, will you?”
He picked up the unconscious demon like he weighed nothing and put him in the nearest room. I stood, brushing off my hands, and looked at them. “Ready?”
“Aye,” Lachlan said.
Jonnie nodded.
We headed off through the castle again. It was silent still. The sound of footsteps in one hall made us dart into an alcove and wait it out, but we continued without issue. Toward the back of the castle, the air began to grow colder. Icy. Misery seeped into my veins.
Dread opened a hole in my chest. “We’re almost there.”
“How can you tell?” Jonnie rubbed his chest, a sickly green color tinging his skin.
“Phantoms.” I shuddered. “Demon said that the tower was the worst place in the world. Well, that means Phantoms.”
“They must guard it,” Lachlan said.
“That’s my thought.” I nodded. “So we just have to get through them.”
“How?” Jonnie asked.
The options were shit. “Think happy thoughts. Try not to touch them. And run.”
Jonnie grimaced. “That’s it?”
“Unfortunately, yeah. But I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. You’ll be fine. Just keep a stiff upper lip, and we’ll make it through.”
He nodded, determination setting his brow. He looked so much like a demon that it was weird to be working with him, but I could still see the real him beneath it all.
We continued on, toward the icy cold and misery.
By the time we reached the Phantoms, my hands were shaking. I hated this part.
They lined a hallway that terminated at an empty space where a door should be. It was pitch black within the doorway, and somehow, that was worse. There were at least twenty Phantoms standing along the wall. A constant guard.
No one in their right mind would walk through that gauntlet. It probably wasn’t even possible. Sometimes Phantoms would reach out to touch you, sometimes not. Either way, it was beyond miserable.
I sucked in a breath and looked at my companions. “Ready?”
They nodded.
“Remember, happy thoughts.” I started forward, dredging up memories of playing with my sisters when we were young. In the rare moments that we forgot we were hunted. As teenagers, finishing a job in Death Valley and counting our money. Before we handed it over to the mobster, of course.
As I neared the Phantoms, the air grew even colder. I could have been standing on Everest, it was so chilly. My skin prickled and my veins flooded with ice.
Agony speared me as I reached the first Phantom, stabbing through my brain. I sprinted forward, trying to get it over with, but they were so powerful that my limbs slowed.
Visions of my sisters, dead, flashed through my mind.
The memory of my mother’s death.
Realizing that Rowan was missing, afraid for the worst.
Lachlan being killed.
All of my greatest fears and worst memories flashed through my mind. The Phantoms reached out with transparent blue claws, swiping at my arms. Pain sliced through me wherever they touched me, drawing a ragged gasp from my throat.
I stumbled, nearly going to my knees, but Lachlan dragged me up by the arm. I clung to him, and we kept going, staggering past the Phantoms.
Turn back, a voice hissed inside my head. Turn back or it will all come true.
Panic flared in my chest, a grasping thing that squeezed at my heart.
Was it true?
Could all of these horrible visions come true if I kept going?
No.
That was the craziness of fear talking. I wouldn’t believe it. I couldn’t.
I had to keep going. Had to.
Three times, I almost turned back. The Phantoms were so compelling. I believed them—almost. If I kept going, my sisters and everything I loved would be gone. All of my worst fears would come true.
By the time I passed them, I was sweaty and my eyes were wet with tears. Panting, I stumbled to a stop inside the dark room that was at the end of the hall. With shaking muscles, I leaned against the cold stone wall and gasped.
“Are you all right?” Lachlan’s voice was rough.
“Yeah.” I ran a trembling hand over my face. “You?”
“Fine.” He looked at Jonnie, who was white as a sheet. “Jonnie?”
“Peachy.”
I chuckled, but it was a weak sound. It took a few minutes for the worst of the fear to subside. I’d never had it that bad with Phantoms before. These ones had been extra powerful, with the added jolt of being able to make me believe it would all come true.
But my fears had changed, hadn’t they?
I’d always been afraid for my family and friends, but now, that was all I’d been afraid of. In the past, there’d always been a smattering of fear that I’d never get my magic. That I’d never be good enough.
But I had my magic.
I was worthy.
And, it turned out, I kind of believed it.
I grinned. That was pretty dang awesome.
“We’re in the tower.” Lachlan’s voice shook me from my thoughts.
I blinked and looked upward, following his gaze.
He was right. The room was circular and tall, extending up at least fifty feet, probably more. But there were no stairs. Just an empty column that led to a room at the top. At least, I assumed there was a room at the top.
My druid sense seemed to like the idea of me trying to get up there, at least. It pulled toward the top of the tower.
“There’s got to be a way up,” I said.
Jonnie and Lachlan started searching the walls, and I joined them. I raised my hand, igniting the lightstone ring, and squinted through the gloom.
Near the entrance, there was a fancy inscribed symbol. Like something you would press a spy ring to and it would match the symbol and make stairs appear, or something.
Unfortunately, we had nothing that looked like that.
Jonnie appeared at my shoulder, squinting at the little carved inscription. “I can try to make a match.”
“Conjurer?” Lachlan asked.
“Yep.” Magic glowed around
his hands, smelling something like a new car. Strange signature, but not bad. A moment later, a little iron ring appeared in his hands. He pressed it to the inscribed symbol in the wall and said, “No guarantees.”
I waited, breath held, but nothing happened.
Jonnie’s shoulders drooped. “Dang. Needs some magic.”
“Like something to trigger the spell?” I asked.
“Exactly. Prevents something like this from happening.”
“Thanks for trying.” I leaned back and inspected the walls again. No way I was giving up.
After a few moments of inspection, I realized that the stones that made up the interior of the tower wall were so rough they created handholds every few feet. Some were really tiny, but they would do the job.
“It might be possible to climb this thing.” I shivered as I said the words.
Lachlan gave me a look, and I shrugged. “Got no choice.”
I might be scared, but if this was the only way, I was headed up, no matter how I had to get there.
I picked a particularly large set of grooves in the wall and started climbing. My fingers ached as I ascended, and my heart thundered like a freaking drum line. There was a marching band in my chest, and they were playing some scary freaking music.
Lachlan and Jonnie joined me, picking their own routes up the tower. Smart. Lachlan eventually lined up below me, with Jonnie to the right.
“Might not want to be under me,” I muttered. “In case I take a dive.”
“I’ve got you,” Lachlan said.
What, he planned to catch me with one arm while climbing up a wall like a hulking Spiderman? Actually, I wouldn’t put it past him.
That slowed my heart a bit, and I kept climbing, hand over hand.
My fingertips slipped on a particularly narrow crevice, and my stomach almost lodged itself in my throat. I scrambled for a handhold and made it, pressing myself against the wall and panting.
Holy fates, this was too much.
Muffin appeared beside me, fluttering in the air on his little wings. You look like you’ve swallowed rotten tuna.
I stifled a laugh and pressed my cheek to the stone, panting. “That’s not helping.”
Just saying. I calls it like I sees it.
I ignored him and kept climbing. We were halfway up when Muffin screeched. Shield! Incoming from above!
