Empire of Demons (The Moonstone Chronicles Book 4)

by Sara C. Roethle

  Chapter Fifteen

  Elmerah

  Elmerah stood in the center of an expansive underground cavern, lit by torches mounted in iron brackets along the natural stone walls. Egrin had forced her to move near a massive cauldron made of shimmering metal. She could feel magic emanating from it, and knew it had to be of Dreilore design.

  The other hint was the Dreilore lord Egrin had summoned. He had called him Orius. He stood across from her, pouring more powdered metals into the cauldron with his long, graceful fingers. One of the powders looked like ground up moonstones. The dust shimmered in the torchlight as the Dreilore emptied the remains from a canvas sack.

  Egrin waited nearby, his eyes occasionally twitching upward as if listening to something only he could hear. Thera stood far off in one corner, looking like she would rather not exist.

  The small jewels in Orius’ long hair glittered in the firelight as he gave Egrin a nod. “It is ready.”

  “Good.” Egrin walked toward Elmerah. “Don’t you dare move,” he said when she had only thought of stepping away. “If you play nicely, you may just survive this.”

  Her heart pounded in her ears. He still hadn’t explained what they were doing, but he was a demon, it couldn’t be good.

  “Hold out your arm,” he ordered.

  She gripped both her hands behind her back. “Tell me what we’re doing first.”

  Every instinct she had screamed for her to move away as he stepped even closer. He leaned in toward her face, coating her cheek with his hot breath. “We are bringing someone back from the dead. She perished in your realm a very long time ago.”

  She could hardly draw a full breath. It had nothing to do with Egrin’s magic, and everything to do with the fear squeezing her heart. It was impossible to bring someone back from the dead, even a demon. “Who?”

  “My queen. Now hold out your arm, or I will drag you over the cauldron. No one can find you here. There is no escape.”

  That couldn’t be true. Her friends would be looking for her. Someone would find her. Someone would stop her from bringing back the demon queen. Ye gods, could she be as powerful as Egrin?

  His hand darted toward her. His fingers dug into her arm until she cried out and her knees buckled. He was going to break the bones in her wrist.

  He yanked her arm over the cauldron and pushed back her fraying sleeve, revealing bare flesh. “Cut her.”

  She hunched her shoulders, scrambling to her feet and pulling back against Egrin’s grip. Orius drew a long slender blade from his belt. The silver metal glowed red with magic.

  Impossibly strong, Egrin held her arm still over the lip of the cauldron. She reached for her magic, and the air was instantly stolen from her lungs, knocking her again to her knees. The blade bit into her skin and hot blood flowed.

  Her air returned a moment later.

  “You will cooperate,” Egrin said, still holding her arm over the cauldron, “or I will simply force you, then kill you. I recommend you do as I say, for your own good.”

  She shook her head frantically. He was bluffing, he had to be. She wouldn’t be alive and conscious if he could steal her magic against her will. He didn’t just want her cooperation, he needed it.

  Reading her expression, he gave her a sick smile. “You can still summon your magic with every bone broken in your body. Your choice.”

  Her empty stomach rebelled at his words. Bile burned the back of her throat. What if she helped him? Could they actually resurrect a demon queen? Someone as powerful as Egrin?

  If she was going to be forced to help one way or another, she may as well stay in one piece to fight them both. “What do you want me to do?” she croaked.

  Ignoring her, he gestured for Thera to approach.

  Hanging her head, she shuffled toward them. Elmerah tried to catch her eye, but her long blonde hair obscured her face. She reached the cauldron, pushed up one sleeve, then held out her arm.

  Orius sliced open her pale skin, just as he had done with Elmerah. A line of blood formed then dripped into the cauldron. The moment her blood hit the other contents, something clicked in Elmerah’s gut. The building magic within the cauldron shifted to something tangible. All she had to do was reach out a hand and she could touch it. She wanted to touch it.

  She tore her unblinking gaze away from the swirling magics just in time to see the glitter of tears in Thera’s eyes as she stepped back.

  Suddenly the feel of the magic tripled, stealing her breath. She turned her attention to Orius, realizing he had added his blood to the mix.

  “Thera is a moon priestess,” Egrin explained. “Her blood empowers the moonstones. Orius is an ancient Dreilore lord, his blood does the same for the metals of the Akenyth Province.” He knelt before her, using his fingertips to lift her chin. “But you, you keep all of your magic inside of you. Your blood binds you to the magics in the cauldron. Orius will activate the vessel, then you will combine your magic with it and give it to me. I will do the rest.”

  Her body trembled. There had to be some other way out. She had to buy time. “If you needed a moon priestess, why didn’t you keep Saida?”

  “I already had Thera. Although, had I known how troublesome the other priestess would have become, I would have killed her at the start.”

  “And Isara?” she pressed. “Why keep her alive?”

  He stepped back, releasing her chin. “I will bring her here when the time is right. Her blood will strengthen my queen.”

  She couldn’t take a full breath. He had kept them all alive like sheep awaiting slaughter. The only reason he hadn’t destroyed them from the start was that he wanted to use them. They had been foolish to ever think him frightened of the threat they posed. “So this was your intent all along? All of these years gathering magic, you just wanted to resurrect your queen? Are you more powerful with her at your side?”

  His face twitched at some hidden emotion, then smoothed back into its cold, apathetic lines. “Even demons can love, in our own way. She was taken from me, and I will have her back.”

  “You’re mad.”

  “Perhaps.” He glanced at Orius. “Activate the cauldron.”

  Orius knelt before the cauldron, running his hands along its sides. The shimmering metal pulsed with a dizzying glow, echoing the magics within.

  Her own blood within the cauldron called to her, drawing a gasp from her lips. Waves of magic crashed within her. The power was almost overwhelming. Egrin was right, her blood had connected her to it. Centuries of power lit up her veins.

  “Perfect,” Egrin said, “now summon your fire.”

  She didn’t even have a choice. The immense power in the cauldron tugged her magic free. Fire danced around her, then poured into the basin. The collision stole her breath. She gritted her teeth, fighting it.

  Egrin grabbed the hair at the nape of her neck, jerking her head backward. His face loomed over hers. “Release it. Just let go.”

  Lightning raised the hairs on her arms. It shouldn’t be possible. She couldn’t summon lightning without the sky. The entire cavern lit with strange lights. Egrin gave her another tug, and lightning poured out of her into the cauldron. She tried to scream, but she had no breath.

  Triumphant, Egrin let her go, then stepped toward the cauldron and reached inside. His magic touched hers, and the two melded together.

  It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside. She managed one painful inhale. With what might be her final breath, she screamed.

  Alluin

  Alluin stopped halfway down a long hall, turning to Saida. “Did you hear that?”

  She looked up from her compass, her eyes darting around. “A scream. It sounded like it came from somewhere below us.”

  Brosod had dropped to the ground, pushing her ear against the stones. “I hear a voice down there, chanting old words.”

  Alluin rushed the rest of the way down the hall, then glanced around a small room. Finally, he looked down. There was a closed hatch. This had to be it
.

  The others gathered around him.

  “What’s our plan for going down there?” Celen asked.

  “You’ll need me,” a voice said from behind them.

  They all turned. Brosod lifted her spear, but Saida gestured for her to be calm.

  Isara stood hunching forward with her hands braced on her knees, panting heavily. “I’m sorry I could not make it here sooner. I know he has Elmerah.”

  Daemon stood a few paces behind her, glancing over his shoulder like he was considering running. His once fine clothes were stained and torn, and his usually glossy pin-straight hair was a fluffy mess.

  Isara straightened as she glared back at him. “Don’t you dare. You’re going to right all of your wrongs.”

  Daemon crossed his arms and scowled.

  “While I am ecstatic you are alive,” Alluin began, “we need to go.”

  Isara strode across the room, her eyes hesitating for a moment on Merwyn. “Yes, it is time we put an end to this madness.”

  Celen hefted open the hatch, revealing dizzying lights swirling in the darkness below.

  Saida moved toward the opening. “I’ll go first.”

  Alluin placed a hand on her arm. “No, I will go. You and Isara must defeat Egrin. The rest of us are expendable.”

  He started down the ladder before she could argue. He had no magic, but he could feel Elmerah below, begging for him to save her. He could not let her down.

  He reached the floor of the cavern unnoticed, then stood frozen for a moment at what he saw.

  Egrin stood before a massive glowing cauldron. He had one hand dipped inside, and the other held out toward what was likely once a solid wall. Now its surface was glowing white light. Within that light, a darker shadow moved. Egrin’s chant drowned out the sound of Elmerah’s soft weeping. She was hunched over in front of the cauldron, wisps of her fire swirling around her harmlessly. On the other side of the cauldron stood one of the Dreilore, and just behind him a Faerune elf.

  Alluin moved away from the ladder as the others descended. Isara was the first to reach his side.

  She gasped, then lifted her hands. The glow of the cauldron abruptly cut off, but the cavern wall still swirled with glowing light. They were too late. Whatever Egrin had hoped to accomplish had already taken place.

  Alluin’s blood went cold as a female figure stepped out of the light. She was stunningly beautiful, with long crimson hair and skin like fresh milk. She wore a gown of gauzy white that nearly matched her skin. She was tall, taller than Elmerah with sharp yet delicate features.

  Her eyes were all for Egrin. “I knew you would find me, my love.” She glided toward him.

  They embraced. Elmerah had finally lifted her head. She stared right at Alluin, her eyes shining with fear in the torchlight. Using the cauldron to brace herself, she stood. Her fire increased around her.

  The female who’d come out of the light pulled away from Egrin, then held one hand out toward Elmerah. Her flames abruptly died.

  “Her power is the same as mine,” Isara gasped.

  Egrin laughed, finally noticing them. “I promised the witch I would not kill you all. My oath is binding. Leave, and you may live for now, but she stays with me.”

  Saida stepped forward, the circlet upon her brow glowing with moonlight. Egrin’s female held out her hand, then frowned. The circlet continued to glow.

  “I am weak, my love,” the female said to Egrin.

  My love? The words chilled Alluin’s bones. Egrin had summoned another demon.

  “We will fix that,” Egrin assured as he stepped in front of her, his eyes on Saida. “Attack me,” Egrin warned, “and my promise to Elmerah will be void. Without both of the circlets, you are no match for me. I will destroy you all.”

  Saida’s glow brightened, surrounding her body. She took a step toward the center of the room. “You will try.”

  Alluin shielded his eyes as the entire cavern lit up as bright as the moon. He heard a scream, but he didn’t know where it came from. All of his senses were filled with soft white light.

  Elmerah

  Elmerah hunched over the cauldron, leaning heavily on the cool metal. Everything was white light. Saida’s power had distracted the female demon, but in that moment of blindness, the cauldron had to come back to life. Magic pulsed within, making her skin crawl with the need to connect with that pulsing power.

  Her breath heaving, she tried to push upright, but her legs couldn’t hold her. Egrin had stolen too much of her magic, and it felt like he had stolen a sliver of her life force too. She blinked against the light, trying to see where he was.

  If Egrin used the cauldron now, he would destroy them all. She had to act first, but she innately knew all of the magics within would be too much for her. They would overwhelm her and she would burn herself alive.

  But everyone else would be safe. The cauldron had enough power to destroy Egrin . . . if she could do it before he crushed her. She lifted one trembling hand from the cauldron’s rim, then dunked her arm all the way up to her elbow inside. Magic shot through her, and her own power answered. It was still there. Egrin had not entirely burnt her out.

  “I don’t think so,” Egrin growled, stepping through the moonlight. He had one hand extended in Saida’s direction, fighting off her magic. He lifted the other toward her.

  She braced herself, but nothing happened.

  Egrin flicked his hand toward her again, but nothing happened. He bared his teeth. “Isara!”

  Moonlight swept over him and he screamed. Ice crackled off his skin.

  Isara was neutralizing his magic. She knew this opportunity would not last long. The demon queen stepped into view. She held a hand out toward Elmerah.

  No. She wouldn’t let the demon stop her. She cast away any thoughts of her own survival, pulled in all of the power from the cauldron, then she exploded.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Elmerah

  Elmerah woke to muffled weeping. Her entire body ached, but she was somehow alive. The magic had not consumed her. She sat up, realizing it wasn’t the sound that was muffled, it was her hearing. The explosion of magic had knocked her unconscious. The moonlight was gone, as was her fire. The torches had been extinguished, but the glowing white portal remained, granting her enough light to see by.

  She staggered to her feet, stifling a cry at the sight of her friends splayed all around. They had to be unconscious, not dead. Her magic wouldn’t have hurt them. She would not have hurt them. She had to trust it. She didn’t see Alluin, but the far expanses of the cavern were bathed in darkness. If he was still alive, she needed to ensure he remained that way.

  She searched for the source of the weeping, noticing someone crouched on the other side of the cauldron, which was now just a mess of twisted metal. Broad shoulders, clad in black, shook with heavy sobs.

  Hardly believing her eyes, she staggered toward Egrin’s back.

  He looked at her over his shoulder, tears in his eyes. In his arms he clutched his queen. A twisted scrap of the cauldron had pierced her heart, staining her white dress crimson.

  “Nothing kills like Dreilore metal,” he rasped.

  She reached for her magic, but there was nothing left. She had used everything inside of her, and all that was in the cauldron.

  Egrin set his queen gently upon the ground, then stood to face Elmerah. “I have worked for centuries to bring her back. I have conquered endless cities. I have gathered magic from every corner of this land, just to see her again.” He took one staggering step toward her. “And you have taken her from me.”

  She lifted her hands, reaching for her magic again, but nothing came. She stumbled backwards, tripping over the ruined cauldron. Pain shot through her as her back hit hard stone.

  Egrin stepped over the cauldron, stalking her. She dare not look away to see if any of her friends had awakened. She scrambled backwards, trying futilely to escape her fate.

  Her hands scraped across the stone and she fell flat on h
er back.

  A few painfully slow footsteps echoed, then Egrin loomed over her, half of his face edged in the portal’s white light. He sneered down at her, then lifted a hand. His magic hit her, crushing the air from her lungs. It pressed upon her body until she felt like all of her bones would snap. Blood poured from her nose, choking her. She couldn’t breathe. Her head was being crushed in a vice.

  She reached for her magic again, knowing it would not come. Egrin lifted his other hand and the pressure doubled. A crack echoed through her mind. She lost all sensation to the lower half of her body. The parts she could still feel were nothing but pain. Her face was wet with hot blood.

  Her vision blurred, but she thought she saw someone creeping up behind Egrin. Alluin. He was alive. She was going to die here, but at least he was still alive. He staggered toward Egrin’s back, hefting a spear of twisted metal from the cauldron.

  Egrin lifted one hand higher, then slammed it into a fist.

  Everything went black.

  Alluin

  Alluin shoved the spear of metal through Egrin’s back, lifting his feet off the ground with the impact. He ripped the weapon free, and Egrin’s body fell. The demon emperor rolled over. He stared up at his death—nothing but a harmless elf. The Valeroot elves had been the easiest to conquer. No magic, no army, no one to protect them. He had obliterated them with barely a thought.

  Alluin raised the twisted scrap of metal in his hands, then stabbed it downward, piercing Egrin’s heart. He had underestimated what a single elf could do when he cared about his friends and people more than anything else.

  Alluin wrenched the spear free, and the demon emperor died.

  He stared down at him in shock for a heartbeat, unable to believe he was actually dead. Then he tossed his weapon aside, staggering toward Elmerah. He had heard horrible cracks coming from her body. Egrin’s magic had crushed her like a falling boulder.