Crimson Eyes

by L. L. McNeil

  Delgo’s warning came a fraction of a second before it was too late. She pulled up abruptly, fanning her wings out to stop herself as quickly as she could. The swirling vortex of colour was unmistakable. It was almost ten feet tall, a writhing mass, like a rainbow churning in on itself, constantly in motion. The closest thing she could liken it to visually were the Northern Lights.

  She stared at it. A portal to the demon world. A gateway to another dimension.

  Sekki had walked through this door and decided to stake his claim on this world.

  If she squinted, she could just about see blurred images on the other side. Rocks. Dry earth. A grey sky, heavy with clouds. She wondered what that world was like. Was it still alive? Dying? Already dead?

  Seila landed in front of the Mirage, digging her heels into the ground in case it sucked her in. But other than a low hum, the Mirage gave off no energy or movement at all. She desperately wanted to reach out and touch it, just to see what it was like, but knew it would be a mistake and something that Damon or Tej was more likely to do. That thought alone was enough to dissuade her from doing something stupid. She needed to keep her wits about her.

  She turned around, making sure no demons had crept up on her while she admired the Mirage, but everything seemed clear and quiet for now. Birdsong drifted through the trees, and in the distance, she saw the silhouette of red deer milling about and grazing, oblivious.

  The Mirage was positioned among leaf litter and foliage. Two large trees rose up on its right, and a large boulder on its left. ‘How did it get here?’ Seila asked, still staring in wonder.

  Delgo shrugged. ‘Dimensions touch all the time. Sometimes the fabric is weak and tears open. No telling where or when one will pop up. If they’re small enough, they close up on their own after a while.’

  Seila scratched her nose. She’d never seen anything like it and she’d been hunting demons all her life. If these things were the reason why demons were even here in the first place, she wondered why she’d never encountered a Mirage before. But then again, it was just a rip in the dimension. There wasn’t necessarily anything demonic about it, not if they could potentially link to hundreds of different worlds. She’d only ever focussed on the demons themselves, and had never given any thought to where they came from. Her quest for her soul was all-consuming, and she’d ignored anything that didn’t directly help in her task.

  ‘I never thanked you for saving us,’ Seila said. ‘In the tunnel.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  She sucked in a breath, teetered on the fence, whether or not to admit fault. ‘I...took on too much, alone.’

  Delgo nodded, but didn’t reply.

  Seila supposed he shared Fallow’s mindset of teamwork saving the day. And considering he’d been with Fallow for several decades, she shouldn’t be surprised. Seila said, ‘I’d like to kill Sekki.’

  Delgo turned to her with a raised eyebrow. ‘We all want him dead. Don’t go hogging the glory all to yourself!’

  ‘It’s not for glory. You know my reason for hunting demons.’

  ‘Ah, your soul, again?’

  She scowled. ‘Again? It’s always been my soul. I’ve never killed an Elite before. He’s not the one that took my soul. I know that. I’d remember. But killing him will boost my power. If you want me on your Kouzlo, surely you can see the benefit in that.’

  Delgo thought for a minute, eyes scanning the horizon. ‘As long as it ends with Sekki dead, I don’t care who kills him.’

  That was good enough for her. She just needed to make sure she was in the right position at the right time. Delgo could do most of the legwork if he wanted to.

  Considering what she’d seen of Sekki, he’d need to.

  ‘Why do you fight, Delgo?’ Seila asked. She didn’t mind pushing the Djinni, or maybe even coming across as rude. He wanted the Elite Demon dead, and they had the best chance of doing that if she was alive and fighting.

  Delgo’s eyes flashed briefly, then he laughed. ‘For life, of course.’

  Seila glanced around. Dawn’s early mist covered the ground, and a fine dew shimmered on the grass, flowers, and trees. ‘For this? This isn’t your world. Why fight for it? You could do anything you wished to do. Anything.’

  The Djinni regarded her for a long moment. ‘My world is gone. My dimension taken over by demons. I escaped through a Mirage. I was lucky to have found it. I’d been fighting so hard for so long…’

  Seila listened, her attention locked on this creature’s story. She could hardly fathom how he’d lost.

  ‘By the time I reached here, I was almost dead. My world had been consumed, and all my energy along with it. If I took the energy from this world, the energy that I needed to live, I’d have destroyed it, too. I wasn’t going to do that. Wasn’t going to be like those foul creatures.’

  Seila struggled to maintain her composure. She’d known Djinn were powerful creatures. She hadn’t realised that one could consume all of this world’s energy just to stay alive.

  ‘I’d wandered into Fallow’s territory. She found me, saw my situation, offered to help me…’

  ‘Let me guess. In exchange for you helping her?’

  Delgo laughed. ‘Of course. I did not want to be bound to her. I never wanted a master, like many Djinni find themselves with when they leave our dimension. But she said she would keep me free. I could leave if I wished, travel if I wished. And she would give me the power I needed.’

  ‘So why did you stay?’

  Delgo’s sighed. ‘Because I needed so much. A whole dimension’s worth. She gave me it. She gave me enough that I could survive, that I could live. And it almost killed her. So, I stayed with her while she recovered. Defended her against the demons that tried their luck. Watched over her.’

  Considering how weak Fallow was now, and that had been down to protecting her Kouzlo, Seila could believe his story. He was probably the most honourable, loyal person she’d ever met. ‘And after?’

  ‘By that time, I’d been with her so long, it...it felt strange to not be with her.’

  ‘So long? How long did it take for her to recover?’

  ‘Seventy years.’

  Seila could say nothing to that. Firstly, because it meant coming to terms with the well of power that Delgo was. And secondly, because it meant Fallow’s raw power was like nothing she’d ever seen before.

  No wonder she managed to keep the demons away, even with her Kouzlo gone. And it was no wonder she was so weak now—if part of her was still linked to Delgo.

  Delgo said, ‘Besides. I lost my world to demons. I was going to make sure I didn’t lose this one to them, as well.’

  After they’d been waiting beside the Mirage for several minutes, Seila said, ‘I don’t see Sekki. There’s no trace of demons anywhere near. Can’t hear them, can’t smell them.’

  ‘Me neither. Not to say he isn’t lurking about somewhere, though. He has an arsenal of tricks, don’t forget. This is his link to the demon world. We close it, he loses a chunk of his power. Even if he isn’t here now, he will be soon enough. You can bet on that.’

  With Sierra circling above as a guide, it wasn’t long before Fallow and the others tracked them down. All four of them had furrowed brows and dark gazes, as though they knew they were about to walk into an extremely long, extremely difficult battle.

  Fallow tried to hide her limp, but Seila could see the Enchantress’s weakness. She’d spent too long hunting demons to miss obvious vulnerabilities.

  When he saw them, Delgo disappeared in smoke and reappeared by Fallow’s side. Seila couldn’t quite catch their conversation, but she assumed the Djinni was letting her know they’d not spotted Sekki or any Lesser Demons.

  Seila hoped that window lasted long enough for Fallow to complete her work. She didn’t know how long it would take to seal a Mirage—only that it was done with runework—and Fallow herself hadn’t been particularly confident in her own ability to do it, especially with her powers so weak.

/>   They might need to cover her for a long while.

  Tej hadn’t bothered to sling his crossbow across his back. He carried it at the ready, first bolt pre-loaded, dozens more secured to a long pouch at his hip. Amber and Damon stood on either side of him, arms up and fists balled. Amber, credit to her, seemed every bit as ready as she’d said she would be. Damon, on the other hand, looked less sure of himself.

  She supposed attempting to bargain with Sekki had knocked his confidence somewhat. Seila wondered if he’d come along so he wouldn’t be left behind. He was so keen to help, to jump in the moment anyone seemed to struggle. Even when he didn’t know how.

  He had an awful lot of catching up to do with Amber and her powers. Living in denial of something never helped in the long run. Better a short, sharp, pain once. At least he’d know the truth. Far better that than drawing out a long lie and causing lasting damage.

  The two Elementals nodded at Seila, Amber even managed a smile, and Seila exhaled slowly.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Fallow asked once they reached Seila and the Mirage.

  ‘We’ll have to be.’ Seila summoned her sword and held it up. The attack, when it came, could be from any direction. They’d done all they could to prepare themselves. Now they just needed to defend Fallow while she sealed the Mirage.

  Fallow nodded, her eyes grave. ‘Then let’s get to work.’ She pulled a thin, graphite pen covered with runes from her notebook, and made her way over to the boulder beside the Mirage. Seila knew she ought to be keeping an eye out for approaching demons, but she couldn’t help but watch Fallow.

  This was new to her. Exciting. She didn’t want to miss anything.

  Delgo stood immediately behind Fallow, hands clasped behind his back, looking every bit the bodyguard he was. Damon and Amber took up positions either side of Delgo, several feet apart. Sierra continued to circle above, and Seila decided that she’d have more chance of spotting something advancing if she took to the air, too.

  Clutching her sword tightly, she leapt up, wings flapping to give her height. She hovered, spinning slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on the horizon as it continued to lighten, her sword at the ready. She’d hear them before she saw them. That was usually how it worked. Demons couldn’t help but voice their needs and desires. Even the ambush predator Prowlers had spoken a few times.

  Sekki, on the other hand, she didn’t know at all. He could be standing right under her and she’d never know he was there until she saw him. Even Tej, who’d faced demons before, hadn’t realised Sekki was one when he’d bought the bracelet.

  Sierra let out the warning call first.

  Seila immediately twisted to face her. The owl flapped her wings madly, spinning in the air and screaming her warning.

  ‘Enchantress!’ Sekki bellowed, announcing his own arrival and drawing all eyes to him.

  ‘It’s him!’ Tej said, his voice pitched high.

  Seila narrowed her eyes. Of course, Tej hadn’t been with them in the cave. He hadn’t realised they’d seen Sekki. And now, the final piece of the puzzle was in place. Tej had bought the demonic bracelet from Sekki, hidden in a human guise, and with it, a Soul Eater demon.

  Why it hadn’t immediately attacked Tej, Seila wasn’t sure. But it had obviously latched onto the next person it had encountered: Amber. It was all part of Sekki’s takeover. Summon many Lesser Demons, let them feast on the people of Fernhampton, London, and the surrounding areas. Let their numbers and power boost his own strength.

  And then he’d become the next Demon King, rip open a Mirage to the demon world, and everything would be annihilated.

  She refused to stand by and let that filthy creature win.

  The Elite Demon strode along the grass, dark smoke misting at his feet. His voice was loud and confident, but his body seemed unable to properly function. He almost stumbled several times, shambling towards them as quickly as he could.

  His eyes flashed, angry, and then the air was thick with his demonic voice. ‘Fight with me now. Kill them all. Feed.’

  Seila’s lip curled. Her immediate instinct was to charge forward, not let him take another step closer. But she didn’t want to be immobilised again. She couldn’t risk it.

  Similarly, Delgo and the others held their ground. No-one was in a hurry to rush towards him.

  ‘Sekki. You’re going to die here!’ Seila shouted.

  Her words didn’t faze him. In fact, Sekki didn’t even seem to hear her. His focus was on Fallow, who had her back to him and was busy carving out the required runes on the boulder beside the Mirage.

  ‘You and your damned Kouzlo have killed too many of my demons! Taken my power!’ Sekki roared. ‘I’m going to get rid of you. Where’s Claes, now? Where’s the rest of your precious Kouzlo now? All you have left is the Djinni and a handful of fodder.’

  Rage ignited within Seila at the insult. How dare he call her fodder. How dare he!

  She plummeted to the ground, slashing at the few Toxic Fangs that had charged ahead. Most were thrown back by the force of her attack, but she caught one or two in critical areas, and the smell of their blood filled the air.

  ‘We are the Kouzlo!’ Delgo yelled. He stayed as close to Fallow as he could.

  Amber and Damon’s fingers burst into flame.

  ‘This is for what you tried to do to me! Tried to do to Amber!’ Tej levelled his crossbow at Sekki, aimed for half a second, and fired. Seila’s breath caught as Tej’s aim was true. His crossbow bolt tore across the distance between them, straight at the Elite Demon’s head.

  Sekki brought his arm up and smashed the bolt out of the way, the smoke at his feet rising to cover all of his body, veiling his face.

  Tej gulped, re-aimed, and fired another bolt, only for Sekki to block the attack again. He moved faster than the bolt, and his smoke wreathed around his body, masking his approach.

  Clearly Sekki was made of different stuff.

  ‘Shoot the demons!’ Seila roared, slashing into them with her sword.

  Tej shot again, this time going for the Lesser Demons racing up towards them. His bolt hit its mark. The demon roared in pain and halted, rolling away.

  Seila dived into the thick of the demons, her sword cutting left and right, splitting them up. Tej’s bolts fired at the thinned ranks, picking off stragglers and sending others fleeing. When a bolt connected with a demon, it exploded in a burst of colour and light. Seila felt Fallow’s power echo from the blast, and smiled.

  But it wasn’t over by a long shot.

  She continued to dart in, sword whistling through the air, and Tej fired again and again.

  Sekki steadily approached all the while, heading directly for Fallow and his Mirage.

  18

  Seila swept forward, her sword decimating the lines of demons. Amber threw up her wall of flames wide, creating a barrier between themselves and Sekki’s approach. Seila had to hand it to Amber. She was a true Elemental and fighter. Perhaps she’d just been caught off guard with the Soul Eater. Seila was certain if Amber had known about it, she’d have taken care of it herself without any outside help.

  She wondered just how much of her power and abilities Amber had hidden from her brother over the years. How much greater she could be if she hadn’t felt such shame.

  Seila kept close to the flames and used them to deter stubborn—or particularly bold—demons. With every kill, her Sieken Blade absorbed more blood, and the demon’s power boosted her own. She glowed with it, her eyes burning crimson and hungry for her next kill. The boosts were nothing like from the Prowler, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to take care of Sekki alone, but it enabled her to keep his horde at bay.

  Delgo let off explosions every so often, blasting away dozens of demons at a time, but he didn’t stray from Fallow.

  ‘Er, guys?’ Damon called suddenly.

  Seila forced back an aggressive Soul Eater and glanced over her shoulder.

  Damon had a finger pointed to the Mirage, where more demons flooded through its still o
pen gates.

  Delgo threw out another blast of pure, glittering energy, demons exploding back from it, but there were too many. They poured through the Mirage, and surrounded them. They snarled and roared, their claws churning up the grass into mud.

  ‘Kill. Feed.’

  Seila took to the air again. Amber’s fire immediately spread to where she had just been, trying to keep Sekki’s demons as far back as possible while they dealt with the reinforcements to the rear. Seila dived and swooped, slashing her sword along the demons and trying to split them into smaller, more manageable groups. Tej continued to pick off those she scattered, but there were so many demons, and all of them coming at them so quickly. Wave upon wave of them, they scuttled over one another in their haste to attack, and still they kept coming.

  Leeches, Stingers, Dragora.

  She wondered if this was what it had been like for Delgo when demons had taken over his world and destroyed it. Tej’s crossbow bolts fired into the smaller groups, picking demons off two or three at a time. Powered by Fallow’s magic, the bolts were lethal to any Lesser Demons it caught, and thinned their ranks faster than Seila could with her sword.

  She roared in fury, a battle cry that gave her confidence and turned the demons’ attention towards her instead of Fallow. Seila could hardly spare a look at the Enchantress. The demons scrambled over one another and leapt up at her, their claws outstretched.

  Seila had to defend herself. She had to push back against them before they overwhelmed her. Angry she was on the defensive instead of attacking, she wheeled away in the sky, dropping back with speed and power to cut them down. She refused to give them any quarter.

  Even when their claws and fangs left bloody streaks along her skin she continued to fight, constantly moving, drawing them away from Fallow and into the Elementals’ fire, or into Tej’s path of bolts. All they had to do was last until Fallow completed the sealing runes, and the Mirage would disappear. Sekki would be too weak to fight.

  And then she could kill him and take his power.

  It wasn’t long before she panted with the effort of the fight. Battles normally didn’t last this long, and if she’d ever seen so many demons in one place, she’d never have engaged. Her bloodied palms slipped on the hilt of her sword, and she wiped them on her tank top before attacking again.