Crimson Bone (Kouzlo Saga Book 2)

by L. L. McNeil

  Seila shook her head. ‘Not really, but we don’t have a choice. It’ll be a sprint back to the car. Then at least we’ll know we can outrun them. Ready?’

  Tej levelled his crossbow and Damon ignited his fingers to signal they were.

  Seila took another breath, ignored how her chest tightened when she breathed in, and bent her knees. She had no idea why she was risking her life for Lady Tress—she seemed set on dying to Gorath—but it was too late to back out now.

  She watched her allies and waited for them to begin.

  As soon as Tej fired the first crossbow bolt, Seila leapt into the air, flew into the warehouse above the gathered demons, and swept towards Lady Tress.

  14

  Seila squinted as her surroundings shifted from dark night into bright warehouse. Demonic smoke filled the building, their stink filling her nostrils. She wanted to gag. Behind her, she felt the wash of heat from Damon’s fire as several demons were caught in his blaze.

  Her chest tightened with every breath, and every flap of her wings hurt, but she had to reach Tress and get her out of the ridiculous situation that she’d thrown herself into. ‘Tress! I’m coming!’

  As Seila had expected, the dragon princess did not look pleased at her arrival. Not only were the demons snapping or jumping up at her, trying to attack with their claws, but Tress didn’t appear to want to be rescued.

  Just as Seila reached her, her arms open, Tress dodged and rolled off to the side. ‘What are you doing here? This is my fight! You aren’t stealing it!’

  Seila fanned out her wings, braking hard to avoid smashing into the warehouse’s wall. A Marauder closed in on her, but Seila summoned her Sieken Blade and lashed out at it. The demon snarled, swaying its tusks this way and that, but didn’t attack again.

  Seila landed, the effort of flight too much while she’d been drained. She kept her back to Tress, her eyes on the Marauder. She slowly backed up towards the princess. ‘Lady Tress. We’ve all risked our lives to come here and get you. Let’s go. I can fly you out of here.’ Near the door, demons screamed and turned to attack Damon, Tej, and Ashante. If all the demons attacked, they’d be overwhelmed in seconds.

  ‘I didn’t ask you to come here! How did you even find me?’

  ‘The ring,’ Seila said quickly. ‘Ashante is with us, or did you forget she’s the bloodhound of trackers?’ Without seeing Tress, Seila couldn’t be sure of the princess’s facial expressions or body language, but her voice was tight and clipped.

  ‘You can wait if you want, but I’m killing Gorath right here. Tonight.’

  ‘Do you want to die that badly? He’ll kill you!’ Seila snapped. The Marauder had taken a step closer, pushing its luck. Around them, the other demons continued to hiss and growl, but something held them back from attacking completely. ‘You’re lucky you aren’t already demon fodder for these!’

  Tress laughed then, the sound so absolutely absurd that Seila almost turned to look at her.

  ‘This isn’t a joke, Tress!’ Seila was speaking through gritted teeth now, afraid if the demons heard the fear and desperation in her voice, they’d attack. ‘Damon and Tej can’t hold off that wave for long!’

  ‘They’re not attacking me because they know this is a fight for Gorath and I.’ Pride filled Tress’s voice as she spoke. ‘If Lesser Demons can understand that, why can’t you?’

  Seila bit her lip. She didn’t have an answer for that. If it were up to her, she’d be happy enough to let Tress die, if that’s what she wanted to do. But Ashante and the others had made it clear that that wasn’t going to happen. Seila supposed Fallow might be a little annoyed to hear her assassin had died on a fool’s quest, but that was on Tress.

  She heard Damon yell as he threw another fireball into the crowd of demons, thinning their ranks. It was meant to be a brief diversion, not a full-scale attack. ‘Tress! There isn’t time. Gorath could be here any minute, and—’

  ‘And that’s exactly what I’m waiting for. Watch from the sidelines if you won’t leave. Fight these demon scum. But you aren’t fighting him. And I’m not leaving until I get what I came for—Gorath’s head on the end of my axe.’

  Seila shook her head, risked looking away from the Marauder and turned to Tress. ‘He’s going to kill you. It’ll be your head on the ground, not his.’

  ‘Be quiet. You don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘You had your opportunity to kill Gorath. At Caramond House. You did nothing but hide!’

  ‘That was different!’ Tress’s voice had gone an octave higher.

  Seila shook her head. Why did Tress have to be so stubborn? The demons closest to them, however, remained where they were, as though there was some invisible line surrounding them that they were not permitted to cross. But those near the warehouse shutters were engaging Tej and Damon.

  She needed to help them. Leave Tress, if that’s what she wanted so badly.

  Her head still throbbed, and the demonic voices were more a wash of noise rather than actual words she could make out. Curse that Dragora! If she could hear them, she might have an idea of what they’d been ordered to do. Maybe she might even be able to hear Gorath himself, if he was near.

  She clutched onto her sword with both hands, using the blade’s length as a counter balance to keep herself standing upright without falling down. She didn’t have the energy for a long fight.

  Damon’s flames flashed in the corner of her eye. Should she use up her strength to help them? Did she stay and try to convince Tress? Or did she simply grab her and fly back to the others?

  Before she could make up her mind, a low rumble filled the air. It was so low it sounded as though a giant boulder rolled down a mountain towards them.

  ‘He’s here.’

  Seila didn’t need Tress’s announcement to know that. Even though she was half dazed and lacked strength, she’d seen Gorath before. Elite Demons apparently made quite the entrance.

  At this point, fleeing felt like the most sensible option.

  Seila tried again, one last time before Gorath reached them. ‘Tress. Let’s go. Live to fight another day, when he’s weaker, and we’re stronger!’ She knew it was futile, but she had to try.

  ‘So you do want to take him on!’ Tress said with a sneer. ‘I knew it. You Phantoms are all the same, only interested in growing your own power. Well tough luck. Gorath is mine, and there’s nothing you can do about it!’

  Seila shook her head. Stubborn to the end. And it would be Tress’s end.

  The floor trembled as Gorath approached, his heavy footsteps closing in on the warehouse terrifyingly quickly. This was it. Time to go. ‘Tress, I’m getting away. Come with us!’ She leaned forward and reached out her hand.

  Tress batted it away with her axe and faced the warehouse door, where Gorath’s silhouette emerged from the darkness beyond. ‘Go away, Phantom. This is my fight!’

  She’d tried. She really, really had. Seila sighed, lifted her wings, and took to the air. She flew over the demons, almost dropping twice, but staying airborne and just out of reach of their snapping fangs. She exited through the open shutter and almost fell onto Ashante, who still hid by the skip.

  ‘Where’s Tress?’ Ashante was frantic.

  ‘She wouldn’t come. I tried.’ Seila slumped forward and used the skip to keep herself upright. ‘Get Damon and Tej back. Gorath is here.’

  ‘What!’

  Seila shook her head again. Failure stung. ‘The warehouse has another entrance on the far end. He’s right outside. We need to leave, now.’

  ‘Damon! Tej!’ The Enchantress called. ‘Fall back!’

  They didn’t need telling twice. As soon as Ashante said their name they were sprinting towards the skip for all they were worth. Damon’s fires continued to rage behind them, a wall of flame that crackled and spat.

  Seila glanced up, braced herself for more demons, but none followed. The few that had been fighting them disengaged and returned to the warehouse, their attention
fully on Gorath and Lady Tress.

  ‘What’s going on? Where’s Tress?’ Damon asked, skidding to a halt. Smoke curled from his hands, which had blackened with soot. He shoved his sleeves up, leaving smears of ash along his forearms.

  Seila couldn’t help but think it was such a messy way to fight.

  ‘Gorath is here,’ Ashante said.

  The two gasped, looked over their shoulders. Sure enough, the Elite Demon had entered the warehouse and squared off against Tress. The audience of Lesser Demons were clearly excited, leaping up and down and throwing themselves against the walls of the warehouse to make more noise.

  ‘I thought you were getting her?’ Tej asked Seila.

  She scowled, still trying to catch her breath. ‘I tried! Tress is more stubborn than an ox!’

  ‘But Gorath will kill her!’

  ‘She doesn’t think so. Or she doesn’t care. But she isn’t leaving.’ Her breaths were ragged now, and the world seemed to be spinning. Seila swayed for several moments, then sank to the ground.

  ‘Seila!’ Ashante crouched beside her.

  ‘Don’t suppose you can do that energy trick Fallow does every so often?’

  Ashante shook her head. ‘I can’t. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Gorath’s attacking!’ Damon cried.

  Seila shuffled over to the edge of the skip and looked around it. From her lower position, she could see all the way through to the warehouse’s far wall. Tress launched herself towards Gorath, both axes clutched tight.

  The shockwave from their clash rippled through the air. Seila hadn’t expected it, hadn’t braced for it, and went flying back into Ashante, the pair of them landing in a heap on the ground. Damon and Tej had also been knocked back.

  ‘Maybe...maybe she can kill him?’ Damon said, hopeful. He covered his mouth with one arm, soot smeared along his skin.

  Ashante and Seila shakily got to their feet. Seila knew Tress was capable of slaying most demons—she’d already proved that with the two Prowlers and more at Caramond House—but she had no measure of Gorath yet. She couldn’t say either way, but didn’t think she had a chance.

  ‘What happens when he sets his demons on her,’ Seila spat. ‘She can’t fight them all.’

  ‘Then we give her cover!’ Tej said.

  ‘This was supposed to be a rescue!’ Seila said. The dizziness had faded now she sat on the ground, but the headache had intensified, and it was not helping her mood.

  Ashante stepped forward. ‘We can’t change it if she doesn’t want to be saved. But we can keep her alive. Seila. Can you fight?’

  Seila fought to stop rolling her eyes. The Enchantress couldn’t be serious. ‘If we get involved, we’re as good as dead, too.’

  ‘Can you fight, or can’t you?’ Ashante repeated.

  The Phantom shook her head, angry. ‘I’ll fight. But I’m telling you now—we’re all going to die if we do.’ If that didn’t get the message through, she wasn’t sure what would. Perhaps seeing one of them actually killed?

  ‘Good. Tress will need all the help she can get,’ Ashante said.

  Seila balled her fists. She hated taking orders—especially from someone who couldn’t fight, themselves.

  ‘Gonna be hard to distract them if they’re all watching Gorath,’ Damon said.

  ‘That’ll be in our favour. They won’t see your attacks coming.’

  Seila tried another approach. ‘These demons aren’t even Fallow’s concern. They’re nowhere near Fernhampton!’

  ‘Lady Tress is Fallow’s concern,’ Ashante said. ‘I only wish we had Delgo here to help our chances.’

  That hurt.

  She knew the Djinni was powerful, but she’d been hunting demons for as long as she could remember. Wasn’t she good enough, anymore?

  She stubbornly refused to acknowledge the fact she’d not killed a Prowler or bigger alone.

  ‘We’ll be okay,’ Tej said, completely on board with Ashante’s instructions.

  ‘We fight. Pick off the demons we can. Keep them away from Lady Tress. Seila, if things look dire, get her out of there,’ Ashante said. ‘I don’t care what she says.’

  Seila bit back a retort and nodded. So, she’d have to dive in between the demon’s fangs to rescue the woman who was too stubborn or too stupid to see when she was putting her own life in danger. She flexed her wings and winced. Even at full strength, it would have been a tricky situation.

  But now?

  She hated being at a disadvantage. Hated being weak. It just made her more appealing prey for the demons.

  With nothing more said, Tej and Damon darted off to take their positions.

  Seila looked to Ashante. ‘And you, Enchantress? Are you going to help?’

  If Ashante heard the passive aggressiveness in Seila’s voice, she didn’t show it. ‘There’s little I can do in combat. But I can create spells that might help. Shadow versions of you, so the demons attack the wrong target. Ways of masking sight and sound to give you all an edge. Magic that will baffle, or lure them away.’

  ‘Confuse them?’

  ‘That’s the idea. Now, get in there. You want to slay demons—go and slay them.’

  Although nothing Ashante had said was wrong, Seila didn’t like being ordered about like a guard dog. She took a breath and got back into the air to enter the warehouse again.

  Gorath and Tress were locked in combat. One of her axes had grazed his side, and a thin line of dark blood oozed from the wound. Tress looked ruffled—her hair was a mess and she was breathing heavily—but Seila couldn’t see any blood on her.

  That wouldn’t last long.

  Seila lowered her sword, sliced through the demons gathered on the warehouse floor. Just as Ashante had said, their attention being on Gorath left them wide open to attack, and her Sieken Blade carved them up with no resistance. Their power flooded Seila, giving her strength to fly faster, straighter. Another Leech. Another Stinger. With every kill, her energy boosted, her power replenished, and countered the blood lost to the Dragora.

  She knew it was only temporary. The moment the demons were gone, exhaustion and fatigue would overwhelm her. But for now, they were enough to keep her going.

  Seila kept Gorath and Tress in her peripheral vision. The moment it looked like Tress was going to lose, she’d dart in and save her. Seila knew she wouldn’t get any gratitude, like she hadn’t out of Fallow, but she was part of the Kouzlo. No longer free to act as she wished, she had to follow the rules to enjoy the benefits of Caramond House and having other demon hunters around her.

  She flew high and hovered near the ceiling, catching her breath and bearings both. The raging fires continued to burn underneath, as Tress and Gorath wrestled and fought, slamming together with axe and claw, shaking the building with every strike. Tej and Damon were on opposite sides of the warehouse, worrying the demons with their ranged attacks and devastating their numbers.

  The few demons who were engaging were lunging at invisible targets or their attacks stopped well short of her allies.

  That had to be Ashante’s doing.

  But despite the fact it appeared as though they had the upper hand, Seila wasn’t so naive as to believe they had the battle in the bag. They might have been able to pick off many of the Lesser Demons, but it only took one of them to break their defences, then her allies would be down. She just had to remember the Dragora to know that.

  She willed Tress to finish the battle quickly—either by slaying Gorath or getting herself cornered—and dived down to the warehouse floor again. Her sword sliced through demons like they were made of butter, and her wings kept her out of harm's way. Though her Sieken Blade was powerful and drew demon blood like a spring fountain, not all of them died. Many were simply wounded, and their injuries spurred them on to new levels of aggression.

  She flew up and down, diving and spearing as many demons as her sword could reach. Five times. Six times. Seven. Eight.

  On the ninth dive, the demons had shifted. No longer defending
themselves or avoiding her strike, they darted forward. Seila looked up, eyes round. ‘They’re going for Tress!’

  She didn’t know if Tej or Damon heard her over the noise of battle and the snarls of demons. Gorath bled heavily, now. One wing had almost been severed in two, and hung limply by his side. Slashes and grazes covered his upper body and torso, and he staggered forward on heavy, unsteady legs.

  Tress hadn’t made it this far without injury, either. She held a hand to her side where blood trickled through her clothes and fingers. Several scores lined her cheek, and she also limped.

  It was time.

  Seila shot towards her. She didn’t bother to call—she didn’t want to give Gorath any idea of what she was about to do—relying only on the speed and surprise of her manoeuvre to get Tress out of danger.

  But as she closed the gap between them, Gorath lumbered forward, headbutting Tress square in the chest. One of his horns punctured deep, and flung Tress backwards. She landed heavily in the corner of the warehouse, blood pooling around her, her head lolling forward.

  The demons on the ground rushed forward, and even in the chaos, Seila heard one distinct word over all others. ‘Feed.’

  There was no time left. She landed by Tress, almost skidded on the blood. ‘Run!’ She yelled again, hoping Damon or Tej heard and fled. With nothing to distract them now, Seila was certain the demons would follow. She was only grateful that Tress had managed to clip Gorath’s wing. She bent to pick up Tress, staggered under her weight, and hefted the woman over her shoulder.

  Tress’s blood pulsed from her side and torso, coating Seila’s lower body. This was going to be tough. She flexed her wings, tried to get into the air, but unbalanced and weak as she was, Seila couldn’t manage it.

  She stumbled forward and fell over with Tress. A stabbing pain shot up Seila’s elbow and numbed her upper arm. Seila grunted in pain as dots flashed in her vision. All around her, demons growled, their talons scratching against the heavy concrete floor.

  Somewhere to her left, Gorath loomed, his presence growing like a shadow at dusk.

  Then, a demon screamed.