by L. L. McNeil
Seila glanced back at Tress, who hadn’t so much as twitched an eyelid. She must have been deep into her meditation.
Damon and Tej appeared to notice Tress at the same time. Damon even went so far as to wave a hand in front of her face, both with and without fire, but Tress didn’t even flinch. As the two of them came closer to the hedge maze—and the pillar—Seila caught their conversation.
‘No idea. Could be days. Could be weeks.’ Damon shrugged and scratched his head.
Tej yawned wide, arms stretching high above him. Seila heard his bones pop. ‘I probably need to get over to the garage at some point. Been putting off customers way too long. Kinda time-consuming, all the work here.’
‘Yeah, I know. I can’t book any long jobs in. Just a day here or half a day there. This Kouzlo lark is taking up all my time.’
Tej leaned against the pillar, oblivious to Seila above it. ‘Might as well pack it in? Didn’t you say your mum did this full time? Kinda feels like you should, too?’
Damon stopped, eyes darting to the side as he thought about it. Then he dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. ‘And what about bills? My job? Everything else from before?’
‘What about ‘em?’ Tej casually inspected his crossbow and ran a finger along the side.
‘Bills need paying. What if I don’t want a life of this? Scared I’m gonna die every day?’
‘Know what you mean.’ Tej inspected the end of his finger and flicked away the dust. ‘Still, that’s what the Kouzlo are here for. If they don’t stand against the demons, who will? We’re lost. And considering we can do something, along with free food, free accommodation, and all you gotta do is light up some demons every now and then...I think it’s win-win. I’m thinking of closing the garage, y’know.’
‘Maybe.’ Damon sighed.
‘This ain’t a one and done show. That’s what I thought, to begin with,’ Tej said. ‘Fallow’s the real deal. So’s Claes and Delgo. This is what they do. What they’ve been doing. For years. How can you go back to welding when you know what’s out there? Especially now demons are a problem in Fernhampton. Not like the old days where you went years without even hearing of a demon attack.’
‘I ignored this for years.’ Damon lit up his finger, the flame crackling away.
‘Yeah, and you were a miserable bastard all the time.’ Tej laughed, pushed off the pillar and tackled Damon. ‘I’m doing my uncle proud here. You can do the same.’
Both looped their arms around each other, pushing and shoving and trying to be the one who forced the other to the ground first.
Seila sighed. She and Tress weren’t the children.
They were.
They grappled one another, half grunting with the effort, half laughing in amusement.
‘Oh, wait. Ain’t that…’ Tej said, holding Damon at arm’s length and staring at the entrance to the hedge maze.
Seila, Damon, and Tej looked over at Tress, who hadn’t moved a muscle despite all the noise the two were making.
Seila shook her head. She whispered to herself, ‘Don’t be an idiot…’
Damon apparently had the same thought, because he immediately stepped back. ‘Tej, don’t even think about it.’
‘Why not? Ain’t like she’s paying attention.’ He gestured vaguely towards Tress as he approached the bundle of her things. ‘I just want a closer look at her axes.’
Damon stayed put. ‘Tej don’t touch them. You don’t know what’ll happen!’
Tej whirled round, a grin on his face. ‘I used Seila’s sword for a while. It was bloody cold, but I’m all right.’
Damon wasn’t convinced. ‘Come on, you do some stupid shit every now and then, let’s not do it again, okay?’
‘I’m just looking. Ain’t like I’m gonna start thwacking you with it!’ Tej laughed, stooped low to take a closer look at the axes.
Even from this distance, Seila could see the jewels in the dragon’s eyes. Her stomach turned to ice. ‘Tej don’t touch it!’
Tej stood up and looked around. ‘Seila! Jeez, you need to say something if you’re there!’
‘It wasn’t necessary until just now.’ She looked at Tress, who had opened one eye and was watching the proceedings with a tiny smile of amusement. Good. At least she wasn’t completely dead to the world.
‘Tress, tell him!’ Damon said, realising she was awake.
Tress’s smile broadened, she closed her eye, and resumed her meditation.
That spurred on Tej’s juvenile confidence, and he straightened up. ‘See? She’d have bitten my head off if there was a problem here.’
Somehow, Seila didn’t believe that.
‘I love my crossbow, right? Craftsmanship is superb. And Fallow’s done me all sorts of bolts. I just wanna see what these axes are like.’ He crouched down, grabbed both hilts, then stood and held them close to his eye. ‘I ain’t seen anything like it. It’s like they’re made of obsidian!’
Even Damon, who up until that point had thought Tej’s idea stupid, was lulled by his curiosity. He stepped over to Tej and leaned forward to see for himself. ‘That’s something special.’
‘And the handles!’ Tej exclaimed, shifting his grip for a better look. ‘I thought the dragon heads were the same, but they’re different. Look here, see this one has four horns curving out from above the ruby eye. It’s got a little frill, too.’ He swapped the axes in his hands. ‘This one only has two horns, and they’re much straighter. But no frill. Look, loads of little horns here, jutting out under its jaw. Man, the gems are stunning in the sunlight.’
Tej twisted both axes in his hands, felt the weights, and allowed the embedded gemstones to catch the light.
‘Uh, Tej, I don’t think that’s sunlight.’ Damon backed away. ‘That’s glowing.’
Seila narrowed her eyes. She had to agree with Damon. ‘Tej, get away!’
‘Huh?’ Tej glanced up, stupidly.
Smoke and flame engulfed both axes, and Tej dropped them with a shriek of surprise. They landed with a dull thud on the grass, and both gems flickered with bright light.
‘Tej!’ Seila cried.
Theramax and Malsiador materialised on the grass, wreathed in mist. Thick clumps of dark smoke poured from the grey dragon’s mouth, and flames burned from the fire dragon’s jaw. Both of their eyes were locked on Tej, who had backed a significant distance away.
‘Uh, hello…’ Even his confidence and bravado struggled before the gaze of the two dragons.
Theramax stepped after him and swiped half-heartedly with one forelimb.
Tej leaped over it and to the side, where he sprinted across the grass to where Tress sat in the middle of the garden. ‘Tress! They’re out! Uh...is that a bad thing?’
Tress opened both eyes and looked up at him. She shifted her seat and flicked her hair. ‘Not for me.’
Seila watched with narrowed eyes. Tej was an ally. Even Tress knew that. Surely her dragons wouldn’t attack him? He was clearly no demon.
But the dragons didn’t seem to follow the same logic. Malsiador opened his mouth and unleashed a plume of fire. The flames scorched the grass where Tej had stood only a second before. The flames darted around Tress, leaving her untouched by their burning, but followed Tej as he raced across the garden. ‘Hey! Stop it!’
Theramax leaped after him, her wings beating to speed her along. Smoke wreathed her, and when she opened her jaws, she blasted a column of it directly at Tej.
Tej coughed, waving his hand to try and clear his face of smoke. But Malsiador was on him a second later, slashing with claws that carved great gouges in the garden and redoing all the damage from the battle earlier.
Seila glared at Tress. Her dragons weren’t going in for the kill, they were playing with Tej like a cat might play with a mouse. When the cat grew bored, the mouse became lunch. Seila had no idea how long dragon attention spans were, and had no interest in seeing Tej eaten by one of them. ‘Lady Tress! Control your dragons!’
‘They are
controlled,’ Tress replied, her eyes still closed.
‘Then tell them to stop chasing Tej.’
‘Why?’
Seila scowled. She hated this woman. ‘Because they’re going to kill him!’
‘Serves him right. Teaches him a lesson to leave other people’s things alone, doesn’t it?’
‘How is he going to learn anything if he’s dead!?’
Tress shrugged. ‘Is the little pup watching? He’ll learn it, too.’
‘How can you say that? After everything Damon and Tej did for you! Stood up for you!’
Tress sighed and opened her eyes. ‘Just because they defended me doesn’t make their other actions right. It isn’t my fault they haven’t been taught to leave alone what isn’t theirs.’
Seila looked back to the garden, where both dragons had Tej pinned against the wall. ‘Tej isn’t even defending himself!’
Tress glanced over. ‘He doesn’t have any bolts for his crossbow.’
‘Even if he did, he wouldn’t fight. They’re your dragons. He wouldn’t want to kill them!’
Tress laughed, high and chilling. ‘He couldn’t anyway. They’re immortal dragon souls.’
That surprised Seila. ‘Immortal?’
Tress nodded. ‘I wouldn’t fight with anything less.’ She watched Tej struggle with the two dragons with an expression caught somewhere between amusement and disgust. ‘You can’t have someone that reckless on a team. It’ll split things up. Weaken it. This is pruning away that weakness.’
Seila rounded on Tress, Sieken Blade in hand and levelled at her throat. ‘Tej is not weak. He is my friend.’ She said the words without thinking, and they were out of her mouth before she’d realised it. Since when did she have friends? ‘Call your dragons off.’
As if on cue, both dragons roared—an ear-splitting noise that Seila felt right through to her toes. Seila whirled around to look, and found Malsiador head-first in the hedge, with Theramax looking on. There was no sign of Tej.
Her stomach tightened in fear. Had Tej fallen to the dragon’s fangs?
She stared at the hedge, and Malsiador ripped his head free, sending debris falling to the ground. Tej cowered underneath, curled up into a ball so tight he looked like a child.
‘Tej!’ Damon raced across the grass to the hedge, waving his arms wildly and trying either to grab the dragons’ attention or drive them off. He was unsuccessful in either respect, but neither dragon attacked again. Damon skidded to a halt, grabbed Tej, and hauled him up to his feet. ‘I got ya, buddy. Don’t worry!’
Seila wasn’t so sure about that. Once Tej was in full view, Malsiador snarled again. The massive dragon shook his head, sending more leaves flying that had been caught between his horns.
Damon glared at the dragon, either unafraid or utterly foolish. Seila was more likely to believe the latter than the former. Damon lifted his free hand high above him, igniting his fist and letting the fire crawl higher and higher.
Malsiador appeared confused by the gesture. He lowered his head and took a step back to make room for Damon and Tej, while Theramax continued to snarl. Her tail lashed like a cat, and she bared her enormous fangs at the two of them.
‘Now, Tress. While they’re more docile!’ Seila said, returning her attention to the dragons’ master.
‘Docile? They’re just waiting for my command.’ Tress placed her hands on her hips and watched Tej limp off with Damon. ‘One word and they’ll rip him apart.’
‘Why would you do that! Fallow vouched for you. Even I’ll admit I’m impressed by the power of those dragons and your axes. Call them off.’
Tress didn’t appear to be listening. She watched her dragons hunt with pride, and made no attempt to either call them back or goad them on. And Tress didn’t appear to be bothered by the sword held at her throat.
Fine. She’d take matters into her own hands then.
Both dragons lumbered after Tej and Damon, and Seila turned her attention to them. If they were immortal, as Tress claimed, then there wouldn’t be an issue if she attacked them properly. With a grunt of effort, Seila launched into the air, her sword slashing furiously. Theramax was slightly smaller and leaner, and was closer to her than Malsiador. So, Seila aimed for the smoke dragon, first—plunging her sword into the dragon’s wing and shearing it half off.
The dragon bellowed, smoke poured from her mouth and the gaping wound Seila had opened in one strike of her sword.
‘What are you doing?’ Tress shrieked.
Seila ignored her. She’d given her enough chances. Theramax injured, she switched her focus to Malsiador, who eyed her warily. At least his attention was now off Damon and Tej.
Seila darted forward, bracing herself for the plume of fire.
The moment Malsiador opened his mouth, she spun off to the side and wheeled around, drawing her sword along the dragon’s left flank. Molten blood spewed from the wound, her sword carving through the dragon’s scales like butter.
‘Stop this!’ Tress yelled again, her arms raised.
Seila landed beside Tej and Damon. She disregarded their looks and kept her eyes on the dragons, who were now far more hesitant to approach. ‘You said they’re immortal. This won’t harm them, then. They won’t die?’
‘It would be far too late if they weren’t,’ Tress spat. She stormed over to them, eyes blazing. ‘How dare you attack them!’
Seila held her blade up and Tress shut her mouth. ‘I told you. I warned you. But you wanted to teach them a lesson.’ Seila glanced to Tej and Damon. ‘Consider it taught. Now get rid of them before I have to teach you one.’
Tress almost snarled. Her face contorted, rage and disbelief vying for power over her features. Her whole body shook with anger, but Seila channelled her inner-Amber and remained as calm as she could. She waited.
‘You’re going to pay for that, Phantom.’
Seila raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, really? Because it’s fine for you to dish out cruel punishments—even kill someone—but the moment the tables are turned, it isn’t fair?’
Tress stormed over to where Tej had dropped her axes and snatched them up. ‘Malsiador. Theramax.’ The jewels in the handles of her axes glowed as smoke enveloped both dragons. Seila watched as Theramax’s wing repaired itself before her eyes, and Malsiador’s wound sealed shut.
Then, after just a moment, both had disappeared, sucked back into the jewels of the axes, ready to fight another time.
‘This is why I can’t stand Phantoms,’ Tress said, reattaching her axes to her hips and putting the rest of her clothes back on.
‘Why? Because we’re better than you?’
Tress gave her a look as dark as thunder. ‘Because you’re more dangerous than demons.’
10
Acknowledging that Tej and Damon were more than allies—they were friends—was rather monumental for Seila. Not too long ago, she’d believed there was nothing at Caramond House for her and it was pointless to stay. Now, she wasn’t entirely sure she still felt the same way.
And putting Tress in her place had helped somewhat, too. Even if the assassin had insulted her for it. Seila was sure Fallow would have been quite angry at Tress if she had let her dragons kill Tej, no matter whether or not he deserved it.
She thought Tress’s statement that she was more dangerous than a demon was a compliment, if nothing else. She could ignore the assassin’s scorned tone, and take it as a win.
Perhaps she needed to try a different approach. Tress was powerful—no amount of pride could deny that. And to have her as an ally—even as a friend—would be a boon.
Tress muttered to herself as she put her clothes back on, stomping around like a child having a tantrum. ‘Can’t believe the lack of respect...Might as well let Gorath destroy you all.’
‘Tress,’ Seila yelled.
The woman whirled around and glared.
Seila sighed. ‘Lady Tress…’
‘What is it?’
‘Perhaps you’d get a little more respect if
you were a little less insulting. And you’re right about me. I prefer to work alone. But Fallow invited me to stay. I didn’t want to, I could do my own thing if I left, but I stayed here to help. And as soon as you turn up, you start throwing your weight around!’
Tress held her gaze as though looking at Seila for the first time.
Seila pressed on, ‘You’ve already given us a bit of information about your axes. That explains why they can hurt Gorath, but none of our weapons can. Think how much better a position we’d be in if you shoved down your ego and told us what you know.’
Tress continued to mutter under her breath as she buckled up her belts.
Seila shared a look with Damon and Tej. She took a breath, bit down on her anger and frustration.
Tress sighed, a loud, dramatic noise that did little to endear her to Seila. But Seila stayed quiet, and gave Tress the space and time to reply on her own terms. ‘My name is Lady Tress Vitali. I’m the sixteenth daughter of the Dragon Queen, and—’
‘That explains the bloody dragons,’ Tej said, sullen.
Tress smiled. ‘Just think what the eldest daughter gets.’
Tej let out a noise that seemed half yelp, half whine.
‘Carry on,’ Damon said, patting his friend on the shoulder.
‘When did you first meet Fallow?’ Tej asked.
Tress shrugged. ‘Fifty, sixty years ago, maybe? I was hunting demons and passed through here. It was only natural Fallow would find me. I’ve been back a few times, usually when Gorath resurfaces.’
Seila nodded, but didn’t interrupt. Fallow had a habit of picking up those with supernatural powers and getting them to join her cause.
After a moment, Tress continued, a little less huffy than before. ‘Gorath is after me because he’s trying to wipe out my whole family’s bloodline.’
‘Why?’ Seila gasped.
Tress shrugged. ‘Why do demons do anything? He was born in my dimension, not the demon world. It’s made him tougher, harder to kill. Demons that are born in other worlds take on some element of it.’
‘I didn’t realise demons could do that,’ Damon said. ‘Thought they all came from one place?’
