“Ain’t that the truth.” David winked at Sara, and a scowl quickly followed her blush.
“I’ll be waiting outside,” Sara snapped as she pushed past him.
“So, what’s up with the chick?” Mills asked in a hushed voice, watching Sara leave.
“It’s complicated,” David replied. “We let Darian handle that.”
Darian laughed and followed Sara towards the exit. “Like I handle it so well.”
Sara waited for him just outside the door. The afternoon sun highlighted the red tones in her dark hair. He’d always been drawn to her and blamed it on destiny. The last few days revealed a side of her he’d never seen from a distance, and it made him smile.
“What?” she asked, noticing his stare. “Is it coming out of the braid already?”
“No, it's fine,” he replied. “Let’s go.”
She smoothed both hands over her head and glared at him. “How are we getting to the foothills? It’s at least ten miles from here, so I assume we aren’t walking.”
“No, we’ll be running,” he replied, unable to stop the teasing banter from escaping his lips. “You can run, can’t you?”
“Not ten miles!” she exclaimed. “And in boots, not even one mile! I’ll have quarter-sized blisters in fifteen minutes.” She shook one of her booted feet at him.
“I see your point.” He furrowed his brow, trying to refrain from smiling.
He could feel her poking his mind, and within seconds, she took up the ‘rant stance.’ He laughed.
“Yes, I know. I’m an ass,” he said, stalling her rant. “Come on. Captain Mills is letting us borrow one of their dirt bikes. It uses less gas, and we can hide it easier than a truck.”
She huffed, and he suspected it took a lot of effort for her to hold her tongue. He made his way to the maintenance building, Sara trailing several yards behind him and mumbling the entire time. He knew he shouldn’t enjoy pushing her buttons, but he also suspected she didn’t really mind, regardless of her outward reactions. It was a stress relief for her, and it worked surprisingly well for him, too.
One of the many soldiers opened the doors for him and led him to a narrow dirt bike. The soldier looked at Darian’s six-foot, five-inch frame and sighed.
“This one won’t carry both of you,” he said. “The four-wheeler might be better.”
Sara strolled up behind them as Darian tied the backpack to the metal rack on the four-wheeler. He threw his leg over the seat and looked at his Sentinel expectantly.
“I guess it’s better than a dirt bike,” she side, sliding in behind him.
He turned the choke and flipped the electronic ignition. Nothing happened.
“You’ll have to start it the hard way, sir,” the young soldier stated, pointing at the small handle connected to the pull start.
“You’d think that’d be obvious,” Darian said. The young man smiled for a moment, then wiped it away. Darian chuckled and dismounted the ATV. It started after a couple pulls. When Sara was comfortable behind him, he hit the throttle. She cursed as she tilted backwards. Where she’d barely held his sides before, she now wrapped both hands around his waist.
You did that on purpose, she said in his mind.
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Of course you don’t.
The open field turned to sparse trees that whipped past them. It would probably take an hour to reach the area he was shooting for. Sara had underestimated the distance by quite a bit. After thirty minutes, her head rested against his back, and she shifted to the side to avoid his daggers. Her fingers interlocked, and she slipped her thumbs around his belt. He knew she was trying to keep from falling off, but it didn’t stop his own mind from wandering to places it shouldn’t go.
Half an hour later, he slowed the ATV to a stop just outside a thick line of trees. Sara startled, and he grabbed her arms to keep her from tumbling.
“We’re here,” he said.
She slid off the seat behind him and stretched, then rubbed her backside.
“That is not comfortable,” she grumbled. “I think your dagger bruised my ribs.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have fallen asleep,” he quipped. “You didn’t leave drool down the back of my shirt, did you?”
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and he laughed.
“Yes, I know, I know,” he said. “I’m an ass. Let’s cover the four-wheeler. I’d like to take it back rather than walk.”
“Or we could just teleport,” she mumbled as they pushed the ATV into the trees.
“I’m not sure our new friends are ready for that yet,” Darian replied, throwing several dead branches over the vehicle.
“I suppose you’re right,” she replied. “They haven’t seen any of the warriors fight yet, have they? Or the scouts? That would be a little startling for them.”
“Indeed.” Darian slipped the backpack on and turned to her. “I’m not sure what Claud told them about our current residence, either. They must know we aren’t from here.”
“I guess they’re just happy to have allies, so they’re ignoring the parts that don’t make sense,” she suggested.
“Possibly. Are you ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Chapter 44
Seraphina
Sara’s legs ached from the constant climb up the mountainside. They followed a narrow trail littered with large boulders and fallen trees. She was grateful when Darian stopped just in front of her. She sat on a nearby boulder and took the canteen from her belt. She looked up to find him standing motionless with his eyes closed. She tried not to marvel at his tall frame and wide shoulders, but he was really easy to look at. A low burn started in her chest. Why? She hadn’t felt that since their bonding. She focused on her well of power, thinking it must be the culprit, but it swelled just above that burning ache. So, what was it? She had no idea, and now wasn’t the best time to get curious about it.
She took a few swallows of water and screwed the cap down on her canteen.
“They’re about a mile ahead,” Darian finally said.
She handed him the canteen, and he took a long drag before handing it back.
“You can see that far away with your mind?” she asked.
He nodded. “There’s a group of demons between us and the Csökkent.”
“How many?”
“Six.”
“Are we doing this, or should we get help?”
She didn’t think he was going to answer, but he finally turned towards her with a concerned expression.
“That’s up to you,” he replied.
“Why me?” she asked. They’d taken on that many demons in Australia. What was different this time?
“If I were alone, I would attempt it,” he said. “But only because I could keep my concealment the entire time and attack them unseen.”
“But I’m a liability,” she added. She still had so much to learn and knew it hindered all of them.
“No, not at all,” Darian interjected. “I’m afraid if you start slinging daggers, I would be a victim of friendly fire. I won’t be able to fight them the way I normally do. I need to readjust my fighting technique so that it works well with you, not without you.”
She started to chew her lip, then stopped. She knew Darian watched her doing it, and it gave away her thought process.
“Your normal technique applies the element of surprise,” she said. “I think we can still use it. If I sling my daggers first, before you jump in and do your thing, then you should be safe.”
“But they would see you as soon as the first one fell,” he countered.
“Exactly. I’ll become the distraction so you can sneak up behind them.” She rolled her eyes. You’d think he would’ve known that. “I should be able to take several of them on the first round, and I’m pretty good at defending myself. So, you should have time to get behind them and prevent them from killing me.”
His eyes narrowed, and he growle
d. She tried not to smile.
“I’m not fond of your plan, but it might work,” he mumbled.
“You don’t like it because you didn’t think of it,” she challenged, pushing herself off the rock, stepping towards him.
He rolled his eyes. “And Mikel says I’m reckless.”
“Come on, Lord Darian, let’s go.”
She took his hand, knowing he would conceal them both.
They snaked up the trail a few hundred yards, concealed by Darian’s ability. As they rounded a sharp bend, six demons came into view. They marched down the trail in two rows of three, towards Sara and Darian.
Darian pulled her to a stop, and she still hated that she couldn’t see him. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to this trick.
I’m strafing to the boulder on the left, he said in her mind. I’ll stay behind it until you’re done.
Ok, I’ll raise my large shield after I throw the last dagger.
Got it.
He let go of her hand, and though she tried to track his movement to the left, she couldn’t.
I’m almost out of range, Sara. Do it now before they see you.
She flicked her fingers, watching the small daggers of light soar through the air. She tracked them to the first two demons, who fell with holes in their skulls. The next two in line received a grazing slash across their necks. They roared as one.
Well, shit.
Sara’s shield flared on her left arm, covering her from her shoulders to her knees. A short sword with a curved blade appeared in her right hand. She knew Darian’s concealment was gone when four sets of red eyes bore down on her. The first two pulled enormous axes from their backs, and she noticed black blood oozing from their necks. They were pissed.
“Come and get me, you evil bastards!” she shouted, adding her own low growl at the end for good measure.
They bared their pointed teeth at her and charged. She grabbed their minds and stumbled under the weight of their hatred.
“You are not stronger than I,” she hissed.
Her sword vanished as she stretched her hand towards the oncoming demons. She felt the tendrils of light grab their minds and snuff them out. Both monsters were only a couple of feet from her when they fell forward. She jumped to the left, narrowly missing the falling axe of the demon on the right, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid the demon on the left as it collapsed on her shield. She back-peddled as fast as she could, but its dead weight forced her to the ground, pinning her hips and legs beneath it.
She looked towards the remaining creatures to find blood spurting into the air from the neck of one and Darian plunging both daggers into the heart of the other. His eyes met hers and his fear pressed in on her. He shoved the demon and used its backwards momentum to pull his daggers free. Black goo dripped from his blades as he rushed to her side.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Nope, just stuck,” she replied.
He pushed the shoulder of the demon, and she wriggled from beneath it.
“Thanks. That thing stinks.” She started to push herself to her feet, but Darian grabbed her arms and lifted her like she weighed nothing. She hadn’t realized he was so strong. “I’m fine, Mr. Overprotective.”
He let her go and stepped back. “I’m not sure I can do that again,” he said.
“Do what? Trust me to fight against them?”
He rolled his eyes at her and grabbed the ankle of the nearest demon, dragging it towards the others. Exactly. He couldn’t stand the thought of her fighting on her own, despite the fact that she was supposed to be his protector.
“We need to burn them,” he said, ignoring her questions.
“Why do you always burn them?” she asked, allowing him to change the subject. It wouldn’t do any good to press the issue, and she didn’t want to get into a fight in the middle of a mission.
“Our lore says it reduces the chance of the demon’s soul returning to hell,” he replied, dragging another dead body to the pile. “If it doesn’t make it to hell, it can’t be resummoned later.”
“Well, that makes sense,” she replied. “Do you know if it really works?”
He turned to look at her as he dropped the next body. Sweat matted the hair to his head and his shirt to his chest. The pain in her chest flared again. What the hell?
“This would go quicker with your assistance,” he replied, once again ignoring her questions.
She turned back to the demon that nearly cut her head off and grabbed its ankle just above its hooved foot. “That is disgusting,” she mumbled. “No wonder it smells so bad.”
She pulled as hard as she could, and it started to slide across the rocky ground. She was nearly to the pile when Darian stepped up beside her.
“Shall I let you do it, or do you want help?” he asked.
“I’ve got it now,” she snapped. “No need to be chivalrous.”
He stepped back and watched her, smirking. He was such an ass. Five minutes ago, he was worried about her. She finally got her dead demon to the pile with a sense of accomplishment until she looked at her filthy clothes.
“This is disgusting.” She looked down at her hands and couldn’t decide what to wipe them on. She didn’t want the black ooze on her clothes, but she didn’t want to touch the demon any longer either. So, she stood there with her hands out, contemplating her dilemma.
Darian laughed and raised his hands, making a circular motion with the fire that blazed to life. It consumed the demons within minutes, which amazed her every time.
“Do you trust me?” he asked as he walked towards her outstretched hands.
“That’s a dumb question,” she replied. Did he really have to ask that?
“I suppose you’re right.” He chuckled and gestured towards her hands. “May I?”
Sara nodded. His hands hovered above her open palms and blue flames appeared between them. It snaked its way between her skin and the demons’ blood. She watched with awe as the blood boiled and disappeared, but the flame never burned her.
“How can you use it with such finesse?” she asked.
“A great deal of practice,” he replied, removing his hands.
The tiny flames lingered in her palms for several seconds before going out.
“So, cultist guys are next?” she said, stuffing her hands in her pockets. That shouldn’t have felt intimate, so why did it?
He nodded. “Let’s get a little closer, so we can see what we’re facing.”
Darian offered his hand. Even though he could conceal her without physical contact, Sara couldn’t follow him without it. She sighed and pulled her hand from her pocket, placing it in his. He vanished. She knew she disappeared with him, but it didn’t change the weirdness of being pulled along by an invisible force. Nor did it stop the fire burning in her chest. Did she need to use her magic? Was it building pressure in there? She didn’t have a clue but knew she needed to find out.
They reached the opening to a small cave a few minutes later. She didn’t feel Darian stop and ran into his back. They stood there unmoving for several moments, and Sara assumed he was looking with his mind.
Be very still, his voice whispered in her head. He inched closer to her until his entire right side rested against her.
She nearly made a sarcastic remark, but voices echoed from the cave entrance. She tried to calm her beating heart as four men emerged. They all wore jeans and plain cotton shirts that buttoned down the front.
“When will the truck be here to take the prisoners?” the last man asked, his nasal voice in total contrast to his large frame.
“Within the next hour,” the man beside him replied.
“I’m tired of waiting around in this smelly cave,” the big guy complained. “I liked it better when we had a house with air conditioning and a fridge full of food.”
“I’m sure the Overlord would be happy to accommodate that request,” his friend replied.
They stopped a few yards away, and Sara noticed a ring of down
ed trees around a small campfire. The men sat on the logs and continued their conversation.
There are twenty men inside the cave. Darian’s voice covered the cultists’. I originally thought they were Csökkent, but maybe not.
No, it sounds like they are prisoners. Were they not tied up?
Not that I could tell.
Should we take care of these guys first before we go into the cave?
Darian was silent for several moments, and she was tempted to pick his brain to see what he was thinking. He replied first.
Yes, let’s take care of the Csökkent first.
Same as last time?
Are you okay with that?
She felt him shift, but she couldn’t see him to know what he was looking at.
You could scare them to death, she suggested.
A soft snort blew the hair on the top of her head. She looked towards the Csökkent, but they didn’t seem to notice.
Nice one, Darian.
It was your fault.
Seriously?
Of course, aren’t I always? he asked
Whatever.
Alright, I can only get about three feet from you before the concealment falls away. So, we’ll be closer than we were with the demons.
Got it.
I’ll take the two closest to us if you get the pair on the opposite side.
Okay, got it.
Another exhaled breath ruffled her hair, then he pulled her forward. There was nothing to cover the sound of their footsteps over the rocky ground. She stepped as lightly as she could, but several twigs snapped beneath her feet. One of the cultists turned their way as a gust of wind picked up the dead leaves and grass around them. The man turned back around.
“Stupid wind in these mountains,” he mumbled. “We’re probably getting another storm tonight.”
They were within a foot of the first two men when Darian dropped her hand. She took a deep breath and flicked two daggers of light at the farthest cultists. They fell backwards with holes in their foreheads. Bile rose in her throat, and she struggled to force it back down. She would never get used to that. The man in front of her slumped forward, and his partner jumped to his feet. Darian appeared with his long fingers around the man’s neck.
Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Page 28
