Micah caught my coat from me, his eyes fixed on mine. “I knew you would look hot when ready for battle, but damn, darling, I wasn’t ready for this.”
Heat surged up my cheeks, and I averted my eyes. Why did he have to do this? First, he acted like a jerk and pushed me away, and now he was sweet-talking me. It didn’t work that way.
We stashed our coats, gloves, and beanies in the appointed place, then Ceris held our hands and let her magic envelope us. The air shimmered around us making my skin tingle. In one quick blink we were somewhere else.
Four or five stops later, we stood at the border of Zelen’s forest.
I pointed the flashlight I was holding around us, and my mouth fell open. Green. Green everywhere. Tall, rich trees. Thick grass and bushes. And flowers. Mainly yellow and orange, but I had never seen anything so bright, so alive.
I knelt beside a flower bush and smelled them. Such a sweet scent.
“Come on,” Ceris said. “The pylon is a little over two miles from here.”
In the end, the forest that Zelen protected was also where a sacred pylon was hidden—the Antar Pylon, a place of power. I wondered if Ceris had purposely chosen this place for our team’s first outing together since here we wouldn’t need to divide into groups.
Micah frowned. “Why didn’t you take us there?”
“Because I can’t,” Ceris answered. “The pylon is protected by a shield. We’ll need to walk from here.”
Imha’s place had a shield, our shelter had a shield … everything in their world had a protection cast around it. I thought it was a little odd because I always thought I would see the shield, feel it, but it was invisible to me.
We marched. Ceris took the lead with Victor by her side. Keisha walked right behind them, then Micah and me, and Morgan was way in the back.
Rok flew past us and disappeared between heavy trees.
“What is he doing?” I asked.
“He’s keeping an eye on things,” Micah said. “If anything looks strange, he’ll let me know.”
He was close, too close. If he took half a step to his left, his arm would brush against mine, and that thought alone brought a wave of heat to my core.
As usual, I tried focusing on something else, something of importance to our mission, to our war, because there was no point in thinking of him like that. He was a god, and I was a human doomed to die. There was no future with us. Why bother enjoying these feelings?
“So. About the Death Lords,” I said, needing another topic to occupy my mind.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “What about them?”
“I have no idea who they are or what they do.”
“Well, they are sort of like me. Think of them as less powerful versions of me. And less handsome too.” He winked and I shook my head. “They are like my employees. Deities that help me bring souls to the underworld.”
“Like reapers?”
“Sorta. Each culture has their own idea of reapers. The Death Lords can only take lives; they can’t give life back like me. I can’t … couldn’t do it all alone. It’s a big world and too many people die at the same time.” A knot appeared between his brows. “I wonder how they do it now, with so many deaths.”
“How many are there?”
“Not as many as I would like. Only eight.”
“Still, that’s a lot.”
“Yes. And they could be good allies in this war.”
“I noticed you discussed this with Ceris at the meeting. Why is she opposed to contacting them?”
“She thinks I can’t be trusted, so, in turn, she thinks even less of them.”
“That’s not fair.”
He frowned but didn’t say anything. I would have given my left pinky nail to find out what was on his mind. I wanted to help him, to help release whatever pressure he felt. And there my mind went, back to issues I shouldn’t think about, to the feelings I shouldn’t feel. I berated myself and clamped my mouth shut.
A couple of minutes passed in silence as we marched through the forest. I was impressed by the green around us. I had never seen anything like it.
An orange flower appeared in my line of sight. I almost tripped from the surprise, and my heart hammered when I took it from Micah. Hadn’t I just decided that I wouldn’t fall for this? For him?
“I wish you could have seen how it was before,” he said, causing my heart to skip a couple of beats. “The blue sky, the clean oceans, the colorful birds. You would have loved it.”
Oh God, it was impossible. There was no way I could fight this, not now.
Closing my eyes, I smelled the flower and tried to picture the blue sky and the birds.
Morgan cursed under his breath, and I opened my eyes. He tugged on his shirt. “Damn it. This thing is suffocating me, you know?” He took a deep breath and slowed his steps. “I guess I don’t have a choice but to wear this. Or take this shirt off?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I laughed and, from over Morgan’s shoulder, Micah smiled.
My heart tugged. Why did he have this effect on me? Why did I let him have this effect on me?
I shook my head and focused on Morgan’s joke. “No, thanks.”
We kept our march weaving through thick trees and bushes, and Morgan kept complaining, though he had stopped tugging on his shirt. His hand rested over a side pocket on his belt. Every few seconds his fingers would tighten around whatever was there, as if he was making sure it hadn’t gone anywhere.
It was odd, but before I could mull over it the trees opened to a stone path, which lead to a clearing. Everyone stopped and gawked.
Ceris smiled. “Behold, the Antar Pylon.”
The pylon, a stone column over two hundred feet tall with a square base that thinned to a pointy tip, sat in the middle of the large clearing, illuminating everything around us with its eerie white glow. The stone path continued, adorned by bushes of orange and yellow flowers, until it met other paths that came from all directions, forming a square area around the pylon.
“Do you feel anything?” Victor asked. When Ceris shook her head, he turned to the others. “Mitrus? Morgan?”
Ceris laughed, sounding annoyed. “If I don’t feel it, you think they will?”
Victor shrugged. “Just making sure.”
I pushed past them, pointing to the pylon. “Can anyone see that?”
Keisha rolled her eyes. “Duh. I think everyone sees the pylon.”
“No,” I said. “Not the pylon. The silver symbol flashing over the biggest stone in its base.”
Ceris turned big eyes at me. “You can see it?”
“Yes.”
Morgan walked to us and squinted at the base of the pylon. “I can’t see it.”
“I don’t think any of us can see it,” Victor said.
“Only Nadine,” Micah said, sounding rather proud. Proud of what?
“And me,” Ceris said, her tone indicating she was the queen of this parade.
Ignoring her condescending remark, I asked, “What does it mean?”
The silver symbol was almost imperceptible in the pylon’s white glow. Wavy lines formed small drop-like shapes, contained in a circle.
She walked toward it. “It’s Izaera’s symbol.”
“Izaera?”
“The goddess of nature and seasons,” Victor said, staring at the pylon.
Morgan stopped at the edge of the path and turned to us. “How can she see it and we can’t?”
Ceris eyed me, her look appraising. “I don’t know. However, Izaera should be near.”
“Near as in here?” I asked, and Ceris nodded. “But no sign of the scepters?” This time she shook her head.
We approached the center of the clearing. A step from the center square, a strong wind blew us back, and a flash of light blinded us. I reached for my sword but froze when the light faded.
An ancient-looking man wearing brown pants and a tunic while holding a branch-like staff stood before the pylon. His brittle, long white hair and beard l
ooked like they were going to fall out at any moment because he had to be over a hundred years old.
Looking at Ceris, the man bowed. “My Lady,” he said, surprising me with his strong voice. “I wasn’t expecting you.” His canny eyes scanned us, taking us in one by one. “Or your friends.”
Ceris put her hand out, pointing at our swords. Victor and Micah were the first to put them away. I hesitated but followed their lead.
“Zelen.” Ceris took a few steps in his direction. “I’m glad to see you are well.”
“As well as one can be in such times,” Zelen said. “My Lady, a long time ago I would have called my nymphs and prepared a banquet for your visit. But times have changed. As much as I respect and admire you, I need to ask you to leave.”
“I know my presence brings danger to your forest, but I need to talk to you. It’ll take just a minute.”
He didn’t look satisfied, but nodded. “You have one minute.”
“You don’t remember them as they are now, but here are Levi and Mitrus.” She gestured to Victor and Micah.
Zelen’s brown eyes bugged. “It can’t be.”
“It can,” Victor spoke up. “Mitrus and I are trapped in human bodies due to the evil machinations of Imha and Omi. We plan on fighting against them, and we need all the help we can get.”
Zelen looked Victor and Micah up and down. “You can’t fight them in human bodies.”
“We’re working on that,” Micah said.
The forest protector shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“That doesn’t matter right now,” Ceris said. “I have seen you fight against Imha’s powers and her demons. I know you want her chaos gone, as we do.”
“All the help you can get, huh?” His gaze shifted from Morgan, to Keisha, to me. “A priest and hm, a hero, right? But I don’t know who the third one is.”
Ceris waved me off, as usual. “She isn’t important.”
Really? Ha. I so wanted to walk out on them now. I would love to see her come to me and beg for my help when Victor was in pain.
“But she is,” Zelen said, his eyes still on me. “Her aura is different and powerful.”
It wasn’t the first time I had heard that, and I got the impression it wouldn’t be the last. I just wanted to know what it meant. I made a mental note to ask about it later.
“She was blessed with the Destiny Gift a while back,” Micah explained. “It’s gone now, but she is important.” He glared at Ceris, and she only shrugged.
“Interesting,” Zelen muttered. Behind him, the symbol shone brighter for a few seconds. Zelen followed my gaze before returning his eyes to mine. “You can see it.” I nodded. “Very interesting.”
Ceris stepped in front of me, cutting the forest protector from my line of sight. “Zelen, can we count on you?”
The old man sighed. “My Lady, an open war isn’t my style. I would rather fight my own battles alone with my nymphs.”
“But Imha will destroy your forest.”
Defiance flashed in Zelen’s eyes. “Let her come, and we shall see about that.”
A tingle ran down my arms, and I turned to my right. Something reddish flashed between the trees. I opened my mouth to say something, but Rok sprung from between the branches on my left, cawing as if his lungs would explode.
Beside me, Micah tensed. “Demons.”
20
Swords drawn, we formed a small circle beside the pylon facing the trees.
Between Ceris and Keisha, Zelen’s tiny figure grew a few inches, his brown eyes becoming golden with pure rage.
“It’s your fault!” he shouted.
“We weren’t followed,” Ceris assured him. “You have my word.”
He narrowed his eyes at her but didn’t say anything. He tapped the end of his staff on the grass three times. A second later, a dozen nymphs sprouted from the ground around us. Like the ones I had seen before in a vision, they were beautiful, delicate, with skimpy dresses covering little of their pale skin, and long colorful hair adorned by flowers.
They positioned themselves between the trees and us.
“The demons are close,” Morgan whispered on my left.
Micah was on my right, one sword in each hand. He looked badass, except for the quick glances he stole at me. His black eyes shone with worry.
“I’ll be fine,” I said in a low tone.
His jaw flexed. “I’ll believe it once we’re out of here.”
Morgan’s movement caught my attention. He switched his sword to his right hand, and he delved his left hand in the side pocket of his belt. When he pulled the Crimson Dagger from there, I gasped.
“You still have that thing?” I asked, not hiding the incredulity from my voice.
Instead of answering me, he said, “They are here.”
Turning to face us, half of the nymphs wiggled their bodies in odd ways. Their skin shifted from whitish to grayish, their hair lost its volume and color, becoming dull and black. Their nails and teeth elongated, looking like razors.
“By the Everlast,” Zelen whispered.
They lunged at us.
The other six nymphs stood frozen in their places, apparently shocked to see their sisters becoming demons right in front of their eyes.
One of the nymphs-turned-demon had its claws aimed at me. Swallowing the memory that it had been a nymph a few seconds ago, I raised my sword, ready to strike. However, Micah stepped in front of me and slashed its chest. It jerked a little, trying to hit him, but he ducked and swung his sword across its ankles. It fell back and thrashed for a few seconds, then stopped, its once bright eyes becoming a sickening glossed white.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, spitting my words with frustration.
“A demon,” Micah said, knowing too well that wasn’t what I meant.
I gripped the hilt of my sword tight. “I can take care of myself.”
He loomed over me, the heat of his body brushing against me. “I know that.”
“Do you?”
“Hey, you two.” Keisha bumped into me before piercing her sword through a nymph-demon’s chest. She pulled her sword out, and the body dropped to the ground. She turned to us, one hand on her hips. “This isn’t the time to bicker like an old married couple.”
“Excuse me?” I asked at the same time Micah said, “What?”
With Victor and Zelen, Ceris approached us. “We need to go.”
I looked around. Everyone seemed okay. Victor cleaned his sword on his pants, Morgan put the Crimson Dagger back into his pocket—I made a mental note to talk to him later—Keisha seemed to be still ready for battle, Micah stood beside me, his tension making me tense. Zelen watched his dead nymph-demons with such desolation in his eyes. The other nymphs had gotten together in a circle, hand in hand, chanting in a language I didn’t understand.
Without a word Zelen approached them, breaking their circle, and headed toward the body of a non-demon nymph lying on the grass.
“One of them jumped onto her first,” Keisha said. “I killed the demon, but I was too late.”
I put a hand on her arm. “You did what you could.”
Morgan stiffened, Micah sprung in front of me, and Ceris cursed.
“What?” Victor asked.
“More are coming,” Zelen said, his tone dejected.
Near the trees the grass became a dark green, then brown, and finally black. Next, the bordering trees were affected, their trunks shrinking, the leaves turning brown and falling. Slowly, the poison spread toward the center. It had advanced three feet when demons appeared among the trees. Many demons—Ornek and Arak—stared at us as if we were the banquet they were promised after a week of starvation.
We huddled in a circle, weapons in hand. Zelen looked pained, as if the death of his forest physically hurt him. Maybe it did.
As slowly as the poison that was killing the grass and the beautiful bushes along the paths, the demons stepped into the clearing.
“We need to get out of he
re,” Ceris said in a low voice. “We need to get to the edge of the shield. Unless you can drop it right now.”
“I can’t,” Zelen answered. I didn’t dare glance back at them with all these demons advancing on us. “I would need spell ingredients I don’t carry with me.”
“All right,” Ceris said. “Once they attack, we advance through the forest. Please, stick together.”
The poison reached halfway, and the demons were two feet behind it. My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword.
Suddenly green vines surged from the ground, tall and thick, twisting around the demons, trapping their arms and legs, immobilizing them.
“It won’t hold them for long,” a serene voice said from behind me.
We all turned and in the center of our circle a woman, wearing a white dress similar to Ceris, stood tall. Her skin was almost as dark as Keisha’s was, her hair was reddish brown like the ground, and her eyes were a deep green like leaves. In her right hand, she held a scepter topped by a green orb.
“Izaera,” Ceris whispered.
She stepped forward, and both women embraced in a brief but tight hug.
Izaera rested her hand on Ceris’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, my sister. But you and your friends need to go. My magic won’t hold them for long.”
Ceris grabbed her hand, enclosing it between hers. “Come with us.” Izaera looked divided. “Please, sister. It hurts me to say it, but this place is no more. Come with us.”
She nodded, and then turned her back to us. She approached the pylon and the silver symbol on the stone with the orb of her scepter. Green light shone from it and seeped into the orb causing it to shine even brighter. Something silver swirled inside it, and I leaned forward, trying to get a better look.
“We gotta go,” Victor said, watching the demons as they fought against the vines. Some had broken half-free already.
Izaera pulled the scepter away from the pylon, and its glow faded, leaving only dull white stones behind. We turned on our flashlights.
“Done.” She turned to the trees pointing her scepter to the demons in front of her. Instantly the vines pulled them to the side, and more vines appeared, creating a wall that flanked the path she had just opened. “Hurry,” she said, gesturing to the path.
Soul Oath Page 16
