by L. L. McNeil
Seila flew back to Caramond House with far less enthusiasm than when she had flown out earlier that evening. Two Prowlers were dead, great for the Kouzlo, not so great for her. Especially with Lady Tress on the scene, Seila felt she had something to prove. She’d held her own, done her part, against Sekki and his demons. But now, she’d discovered she wasn’t the biggest fish in the pond, as Tress had suggested. The fact the obnoxious, rude woman was correct grated at Seila’s pride.
At least flying alone gave her time to think without the chatter of Damon or Tej. Ashante was neutral, caring only about the ends and giving little thought to the means. Much the same as Fallow, Claes, and Delgo, it appeared.
But there was more than Seila’s pride at stake. There was also her soul.
Slaying either of those Prowlers could have given it to her, and now she’d never know.
Tress had stolen the option from right under her nose. With her damned axes and her damned dragons. She’d just turned up, hurled an axe at Damon and expected everyone to treat her like she was some sort of queen.
No-one even knelt or so much as bowed to Fallow, and she ran the Kouzlo!
Seila rubbed her eyebrow in frustration, but it did little to ease her emotions. If she left the Kouzlo, hunted what demons she could find, she was sure she’d be able to work her way up to taking on a Prowler alone.
Eventually.
And when she was at that level, any Elite would fall to her Sieken Blade, wouldn’t it?
Seila was still pondering her next action when Caramond House came into view. The night was in full swing, a crescent moon hanging low, and only the brightest stars shining through the heavy clouds. She’d left the car far behind several miles back but was sure she’d hear the damned Mustang from a hundred miles away, it was so loud.
Damon had joked once that the residents of Fernhampton would start sending noise complaints to Caramond House, but Tej had lapped it up rather than done anything to change it. The car had been his uncle’s pride and joy, and he wasn’t about to change anything about it. It would be a disservice to his memory, he’d said.
After all, Tej had lost his uncle to demons and gained the car. He’d been pushed into a situation where most people would cower and hide. Move to the city with other relatives and give up. But Tej found his uncle’s crossbow, defended himself and his shop, and considered himself some sort of vigilante.
Considering he was dating Amber, a half-Fire Elemental, it was pertinent that he could match her strengths. Amber’s Elemental abilities being in the open had grown their relationship, especially after they had both faced demons together since Sekki’s arrival. Together, they were formidable.
Damon, on the other hand, was forever playing catch up.
Seila didn’t care too much, but it meant she lost the element of surprise against most demons when they travelled with her on an assignment. Another reason to leave. Not just the Kouzlo, but Fernhampton. There would be other towns and villages she could go to. Other hamlets that demons would be attracted to. She’d been hunting up and down the country for years, after all.
But if she stayed, she might grow more skilled under Fallow’s tutelage.
Seila flew over the gates of Caramond House, felt the tell-tale shiver of Fallow’s magic on her skin. She missed Sierra’s always watchful eyes. Soto greeted her by the front door with his usual high-pitched yowling, and Seila dragged her fingertips over his head and back as she entered.
‘Sorted?’ Claes asked as Seila entered the reception room. The Elemental had the fire going now, and he wrote furiously in his pocket notebook. He wore a pair of glasses, which surprised Seila. In any other scene, he could be a sort of fatherly figure. He didn’t look like a ferocious Elemental and Master Runesmith, someone who had dedicated his life to hunting demons and sealing their Mirages.
He wore a sleeveless top, the blue tattoos along his bare arms in full view and glowing as he wrote.
Seila gave the page a cursory glance, saw he was developing new runes, and shrugged. ‘Two Prowlers. Tress killed them.’
Claes gave a snort of approval, turned the page, and continued writing. His moustaches quivered as he wrote, but he didn’t ask for any more details.
Seila considered telling him about the barn at the bottom of the windmill, but as they hadn’t found any other demons, decided it would be a waste of both of their times, so she walked over to the window to peer out.
She supposed Claes was waiting for the others to get back before divulging any further orders.
‘You need to go get cleaned up?’ Claes asked.
Seila frowned, then stared more closely at her reflection in the window. Her face was dark with soot and smoke, and bruises littered her arms. She hadn’t realised before, outside in the dark. But now it was obvious. She looked like she’d rolled around in a coal plant.
Considering Claes wasn’t going to say anything else without the others, Seila decided to go upstairs and take a quick shower to get rid of the grime.
In the few weeks she’d been at Caramond House, Seila was beginning to get a grasp on how things were run. Someone always had to be there, apparently. That was a big part of Fallow’s enchantments and how they worked. They were linked to those living in her home—the more people, the stronger her enchantments.
It went a long way to explain why Sekki had been able to take advantage when it had only been Fallow and Delgo. With her Kouzlo away, her magic had weakened. And while they’d been recovering from the emergence of so many demons, it was simply too many things all at once.
Having someone at Caramond House did more than keep the enchantments alive—it also meant there was someone there to liaise with the humans, and keep them aware of the demons they currently hunted. Fallow, by default, stayed at the house. But Delgo or Claes stayed, too. It meant all the other Kouzlo had to work in the field, which suited Seila just fine.
After all, she had an agreement with Fallow that she took the killing blow—especially for more powerful demons that would give her more power. More life.
An Elite had taken her soul, perhaps another would know where it was.
She’d be damned if she gave her killing blow over to Tress, regardless of how loudly she demanded Gorath was hers. Seila wasn’t about to give up her best chance of ending her hunt to the rude assassin.
Seila heard Tej’s car approach long before it entered the grounds, and she made her way back downstairs before they arrived. She’d put on a change of clothes, ready to go out again and fight if she needed to.
Damon and Tej looked as moody as when she’d left them, and Seila assumed it was down to the wonderful company of Lady Tress. Seila couldn’t stop a sly grin from growing. Tress and Ashante, however, were deep in conversation when they entered the room.
‘...it isn’t like that. For a specific demon, I’ll need something physical. And even then, with something like an Elite, it takes an awful lot of magic. That isn’t quick.’
‘The faster you start, the less damage he’ll do here.’
‘But I can’t! Searching for one demon among thousands with no link...it could take a lifetime!’
‘That’s enough, Lady Tress,’ Claes said, finally looking up from his notebook. His pen glowed red where he touched it, and sent out a faint sulphuric scent.
‘I dunno what she’s on about,’ Damon said, hands clasped behind his head. ‘We got rid of Sekki. There ain’t no Elite around here.’
Claes gave Damon a long look over the rim of his glasses. ‘There are always more Elites. Believing they’re gone is foolish. We must keep our wits about us if Gorath is indeed back.’
Tress opened her mouth to speak, but Claes cut her off. ‘And if Lady Tress has chosen to grace us with her presence, then I believe he is here.’
‘Is he like Sekki?’ Tej asked. He’d crossed his arms over his chest, and in the shadows thrown from the fireplace, he looked as dark and brooding as Damon’s mood.
Claes exhaled sharply through his nose. ‘Gorath is an Elite Demon. I
n that sense, they’re the same. But he never stays in the same place for long. He’s terrorised dimensions for...’ he frowned as he thought for a moment, ‘probably the best part of a century.’
Seila’s eyes widened at that revelation.
‘Gorath has come here four times, and we’ve driven him off each time,’ Claes continued. ‘Although it has never been without difficulty. He tends to raze cities to the ground, which most people believe to be earthquakes. Lady Tress has helped us on three of those occasions, and if it weren’t for her, Gorath would have done far more damage before we drove him off. This is the first time he has travelled so close to us. Previously, we’ve had to cross half the world to help other Kouzlo take him on.’
Seila hadn’t heard Claes speak for so long, uninterrupted. Her mind turned as she thought of all the terrible ways Gorath might have affected this dimension.
Tress nodded, looked at Ashante, then back to Claes. ‘As soon as Ashante has a lead on his location, I’m going after him.’
Claes frowned and gave her the same look as he’d given Damon. ‘Most foolish. I want Gorath dead as much as you do, believe me. But you need to stick together to have a greater chance of defeating him. You know more than any of us what he’s capable of.’
‘We don’t know where Gorath is, though. Do we?’ Seila said, interrupting the conversation before things grew heated.
Tress and Ashante shook their heads.
Seila lifted her shoulders in a half-shrug. ‘Well, I don’t see the point of sitting around and waiting for him to turn up. The Lesser Demons that Sekki gathered are all seeping back into Fernhampton and the surrounding countryside. I’m going after them. Thin their ranks.’ She glanced at Claes. ‘Keep the people safe.’
Tress snorted. ‘Keep the people safe? Bullshit. You just want to boost your power by killing these weakling demons.’
‘So? You only care about Gorath. What does it matter to you what I do with the Lesser Demons. I thought the Kouzlo were demon hunters. That doesn’t mean we pick and choose what we fight. If there’s a demon in our territory, we go after it. Whatever it is.’
‘Seila has a point,’ Claes said. He’d folded his notebook and placed it on the side table. His tattoos lost their glow, and the sulphuric scent faded. ‘We can’t do anything about Gorath until we know where he is. Ashante, you can keep us notified of demons nearby, can’t you?’
Ashante nodded.
‘Good. Seila, if you want to patrol from the air, be our eyes, that’ll help, too.’
Tress gasped. ‘Are you mad? Put her on patrol alone and she’ll fly off faster than you can blink. You can’t trust Phantoms.’
That was a personal insult. ‘I find it difficult to trust people who throw axes at my allies.’
Tress furrowed her eyebrows. ‘I’ve never met him before. He could be anyone. I was defending myself.’ She kept her eyes locked on Seila, daring her to the challenge.
‘Because he didn’t kneel for you?’ Tej said, stepping forward to stand beside Seila. ‘We just did what Delgo said. Damon didn’t hear in time.’
‘Not my problem. When you’ve crossed as many dimensions as I have, you’ll quickly learn you need to act first. Hesitate for a moment and you’ll be swallowed by some monster.’
‘But you knew you were coming here! To Caramond House! We’re your allies!’ Tej threw up his hands in exasperation.
‘I told you. Gorath is back. I followed his trail to your dimension. I fully expected a war zone when I stepped through my portal. Gorath has the power to destroy you, all of you, no problem. I didn’t know how far behind him I was. He could have ruined your world by the time I arrived. If I don’t see what I expect to see, something’s wrong.’
Seila shook her head. It made a twisted sort of sense, but even she didn’t attack without gathering the lay of the land first. She killed demons, and only demons. Accidentally hurting someone else would be a real problem.
She thought Tress would be the kind of person to lodge an axe in Amber when she had the Soul Eater on her. Seila pulled the demon out and attacked that. She doubted Tress would have the foresight—or capability—to do the same. Tress was a bull in a china shop, with the arrogance and power to back up her annoying bluntness.
‘Enough. It’s done. No-one’s hurt,’ Claes said.
‘Thanks to my fire wall!’ Damon huffed, a little louder than a whisper.
‘Then you have my training to thank for that,’ Claes replied, voice curt. ‘I’ve been working on the next sequence of runes. If you’re going to become a proper runesmith, you need to study. It’s more than just columns of fire and burning things.’ He got up off the sofa and thrust the book into Damon’s arms. Claes ran a hand through his hair. ‘Ashante. See if you can start tracing Gorath. A power like his’ll hopefully stand out from the other demons. Seila, I want you to lead the patrols around Fernhampton. See anything you can deal with yourself, you have my permission to go for it. But any large groups and you wait for backup, understand?’
Seila nodded.
‘Make sure you let people know where you’re flying so we know where to go if need be. We sorted out the demon infestation once, let’s not give them the chance to take root here again.’
‘We’ll mop up Sekki’s leftovers, don’t worry,’ Tej said.
Tress snorted, but Claes ignored her. ‘Fine. Get some rest. Damon, I want to see what you’ve learned bright and early tomorrow.’ The Elemental left the room.
Seila sighed, fingers massaging her temples. Claes was a leader, but he didn’t have the charming grace of Fallow. And with Delgo out of the picture, there was no-one to balance Claes’s stern approach.
‘Off to bed, then. You have puppy training in the morning.’ Tress clapped at Damon, an overenthusiastic smile plastered on her face.
Damon rose, but Tej put a hand on his shoulder. ‘She ain’t worth it.’
Damon glared at Tress, but credit to him, he listened to his best friend. Both of them left the room, leaving Seila, Tress, and Ashante.
The fire burned low, little more than embers and red hot logs, but it still crackled. ‘Do you know where he might have gone?’ Ashante asked Tress.
Tress shook her head. ‘I know it was within several miles of Caramond House. But it could have been any time in the past week or two. He could be anywhere, now.’
‘Can you search for new Mirages that might have popped up?’ Seila asked.
‘I’m afraid not. My abilities lie in...in…’ Ashante struggled for the right words, ‘finding demons. I can sense them, their movements and rough location. Their life. Mirages are something else entirely.’
Seila nodded. It made sense. If Ashante could find Mirages, then the Kouzlo’s job would have been done years ago. She thought back to the one she’d seen in Richmond Park. She hadn’t even been aware it was there until she’d been right on top of it. Other than a very low hum, like the buzz of a bee’s wings, it gave off no noise or notion of its presence. You had to be looking directly at it to know it was there. ‘And are there many demons close, now?’
Ashante closed her eyes, and her body shimmered with the same light Fallow had emitted when she’d awakened Damon’s dormant Elemental powers. Warmth filled the room, and the light surrounding Ashante flickered. ‘A few. Small ones. Weak demons, lurking underground.’
‘Nothing new. Ugh, this world is utterly infested with parasites. Disgusting.’ Tress shivered.
Seila ignored her. ‘How close?’
‘Within two or three miles, I’d say. They’re on the outskirts of Fernhampton.’
Seila nodded. ‘Why are there so many demons here? I’ve hunted them for a long time, and I’ve never seen so many in one place. Especially considering the number of people living here. Usually they avoid built-up areas?’
‘You’ve been hunting how long, exactly?’ Tress asked.
‘Years.’
Tress cocked an eyebrow. ‘For someone who is so experienced, you don’t know an awful lot about them
, do you?
‘What is your issue with me?’ Seila asked, temper flaring.
Tress smiled. ‘I don’t much care for you. But I take an issue with Phantoms in general.’
‘What’s the issue?’ Seila had never met another Phantom, she had no idea what they were supposed to be like, other than what Fallow had told her: they were loners. Hardly a personality trait. And if they were loners, Seila couldn’t see how one would ever get in Tress’s way.
Tress snorted, as though the answer was too obvious and didn’t warrant being spoken, which only served to annoy Seila even more.
Seila looked to Ashante for some kind of support, but the Enchantress was over by the fireplace, evidently not even listening to their conversation. ‘Ashante?’
The Enchantress turned her head slightly, but remained where she was. ‘If a new Demon King arises, then we are all doomed. You need to put your petty differences aside.’
‘If Gorath becomes a Demon King, then we’ve failed,’ Tress said, her voice bitter.
‘Is that what happened to your world?’ Seila asked. ‘You aren’t from here, that’s obvious.’
Tress scowled. ‘It’s none of your business.’
‘Sore spot?’ Seila guessed.
‘I’m here to save your world and all you do is stand there and ask your inane questions. I need to find Gorath before he increases his power, before it’s too late. If we’re quick, we can drive him off. If we’re quicker still, we can pin him down and kill him.’
‘What about his Mirage?’
‘What about it?’
Seila sighed. This woman was such hard work. ‘When we defeated Sekki, we sealed his Mirage. Halved his power. He fled, but we’d have beaten him if he’d stayed and fought. Wouldn’t it be the same with Gorath? If you can track where he came from outside this dimension, perhaps we can track his Mirage, too?’
Tress folded her arms, considered Seila’s words. ‘I suppose it’s a possibility. But all I can tell is that he came here. Unless you want to comb the countryside, look under every leaf of every hedge, in every pond and river and lake, we’ll have more chance of waiting to fight him head on.’
