“Yes,” Caleb hissed. “Praelium Cavern.”
“The legends where true! That has to be where he has taken her. We have not much time.”
“What legends?” Gerhard questioned in frustration.
“Get the men together and move out,” Kael commanded to Caleb, then pointed a finger toward Gerhard. “Explain to him along the way.”
“You must wait for us!” Caleb protested.
“There is no time to waste!” Kael ran for a horse, leaving the two men scrambling in his wake.
“We must alert the men and join him. He cannot face Asmodeus alone!”
After informing the others, Caleb and Gerhard darted into a weapons tent and began stocking up.
“What is this legend? What does it mean?”
Caleb shoved a satchel into Gerhard’s hands and gestured him toward the swords across the way. “Apparently, it is the legend of Asmodeus himself. He must have lived here several lives ago. It speaks of a demon needing a conduit for power. Through the conduit’s blood, he is fed and strengthens.”
“Anya is the conduit?”
“No. The conduit is a child. He must impregnate a woman who chooses to promise herself to him, and he must take her for the first time during the turn of the spring equinox, when all life is reborn.” Caleb slammed his fist on the table. “It all makes perfect sense now! How could we have not seen it before?”
“How far back does this legend go?”
“Around a thousand years.”
“And you feel you should have remembered it specifically for this situation?”
A roll of thunder rumbled through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The two men grabbed their bags and shot outside to look into the sky. Swirls of red clouds, illuminated by flashes of lightning, blotted out the full moon, casting an eerie red glow on their upturned faces.
“It has begun.”
*****
Kael raced through the forest, hearing the violent screech of giant winged creatures in the sky, only visible when flying against the crimson clouds. Little burst of red light dotted the forest floor around him, leaving small, grotesque demons in their wake. Thick saliva seeped out of their mouths and dripped off their fangs as they looked around with slanted eyes, witnessing Kael’s passage as he galloped past.
The creatures fled toward the mountainside behind him, and that was when Kael knew for sure he was heading in the right direction. They sought out their master for guidance in this new world, as he sought to end their master’s existence.
The wind kicked up, snapping Kael’s cloak behind him with ferocious gusts, and the closer he got to the mountain, the wilder the wind became. Spurring his horse forward, he spied the opening of the cave in the dim red casting of the light.
But that was not all he saw.
A barrier of sorts was seeping down the side of the mountain. Nearly invisible, it could only be seen as a distortion to the rock around it, as if looking through thick glass.
Kael dug his heels in further, harder, as he rushed to enter the cave before the barrier prevented entry. But his horse suddenly tensed and resisted, skidding to a halt a short measure from the entryway and throwing Kael off in the process. Quick to respond, Kael tucked his body and hit the ground in a roll. Launching to his feet, he darted toward the cavern and dove through the narrow opening just as the barrier slammed down behind him.
“Damn,” he murmured, turning to venture further into the cave.
Squeals and screeches pulled him short as he drew his swords and spun to see dozens of demons, scratching at the invisible shield behind him.
Chuckling humorlessly, Kael turned back and slipped into the shadows.
*****
Wearing his ceremonial robe, Merivic entered the great cavern after Malik had secured Anya to the altar. He gazed at the drowsy woman, covered in a sheet up to her neck, as she murmured wordlessly under her breath.
“She is just beginning to come to. We can start the blessing soon. I will begin preparations.” He moved to the far end of the cave to begin the ritual, providing him the space needed to concentrate, and the privacy Merivic needed to complete the final stage.
“Anya. Anya. My beautiful Anya.” Merivic stroked her hair as her eyes snapped open. “Ah. There you are. We will begin soon, my love. Do not fret.”
She jerked her head to the side as he stroked her cheek. “Do not touch me!”
“My love, you chose this. You chose me. Your willingness to partake in the promising ceremony was all I needed to make this work.”
“I would not have chosen you had I known the truth! What kind of spells did you use on me? What kind of potions? It is not my free will if you distort it with magic.”
“That simply removed the physical barriers in our relationship, my love.” He brushed her hair back again. “But that only assisted in your confusion, led to your decision. It was not the cause of it. It is a slippery slope, I will grant you, but one I have mastered through millennia of practice.”
“Millennia?” she whispered.
“Yes. Quite a long time I have waited for this, Anya. For you. You actually have Malik to thank for our union. The true Malik, that is.”
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to discern his meaning.
He laughed heartily at her expression. “Malik’s knowledge was the key. One of my minions made the journey with me from Hell.” He paused as he assessed Anya’s reaction to his statement, and decided she was well aware he was a demon by her lack of surprise. “And that minion carried with him cognition of all my past failures.
“I happened upon Malik shortly after my latest arrival to the mortal world, and he willingly gave himself over to my minion. He was possessed and granted all the knowledge the creature had. Malik was a gifted sorcerer long before I came upon him, and with his newly combined power, he became invaluable to me.
“You see, my love, he was the one who figured out the most important detail. I needed a woman who descended from powerful magic, though did not possess it herself. Only one who did would be strong enough to bear my vessel of power, but not be able to combat or sense me with magic of her own.”
“What did you do to me?”
“I told you, my love. I shared my power with you. It was necessary, you see.” He smoothed out the edge of the sheet across her collarbone. “So you could bear my child.”
Anya’s mouth dropped open, though not a sound came forth. She felt like she would choke on the scream trapped within her, but that would only have been a blessing.
“You are speechless, my precious Anya? Yes, I am afraid I must procreate to survive, for only the blood of my offspring with a mortal can sustain my immunity.” His light conversational tone grew a dangerous edge as he grabbed her chin and brought his face close. “This could have been painless for you, my love. And I would have done anything to make life easy for you, to make you happy. But now… You were the first I have ever loved. You made me feel, and you made me suffer.”
He abruptly yanked the sheet off her, displaying her naked, prone body strapped down, her arms and legs pulled wide. The fear seized her in its icy grip, squeezing off her breath as her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Merivic held out a ceremonial dagger for her to view, then brought it to her neck, dragging the blade across her tender skin to draw out a thin ribbon of blood.
Leaning down, he licked it and moaned. “Now it shall be you that suffers. I will show you no mercy, my love. You will beg me to end your life, but I never will. You see, you and I, we are going to have quite a large family. So you will be fortunate enough to spend the rest of your days by my side. And once my seed is inside of you, a part of me will always be within—controlling you, and your will. You will never leave me again. I will make you worship me. You will grovel before me and whimper for the pleasure I can bring you. You will be mine.
“I had to wait until this night to take you, Anya. And now that I will have you, I will never give you back.”
An
ya’s screams of protest sounded and echoed throughout the cavern. She writhed against the restraints holding her down as Merivic watched with amusement, and renewed arousal.
“It is time, My Lord.” Malik announced. “The eve of the equinox is upon us. Take her before you are vulnerable to her resistance.” The cleric began speaking about Merivic’s ascension and evolution before his voice fell into a whispering chant.
Merivic’s mouth curled into a ferial snarl as he placed his hands on her body, groping and fondling her bare form. She had no more scream left in her as the tears streamed down her face and she continued to squirm and thrash. “I will kill you for this,” she croaked out hoarsely.
“By the time you could, it will be too late.” He walked to the end of the table and stroked his palms up her spread legs, roughly grabbing her thighs before releasing her to unbutton his robe.
Malik’s low, droning chant filled the cavern monotonously, but then abruptly cut off in a sickening gurgle.
“No!” Merivic roared as he watched his cleric drop to his knees at Kael’s feet.
Relief flooded Anya as Kael began a slow and steady approach, his swords at the ready as he angled toward the altar. She mustered the strength to tell him what he needed to know. “He did not have me! You can kill him!”
“I misjudged your commitment, Kaelestis.” Merivic sneered as he backhanded Anya across the face. He stepped to the side of the table and raised his dagger high. “But if I cannot have her, no one will!”
“Anya!” Kael called out as he lunged forward, the enchanted amulet falling from his pocket as he did.
Anya, momentarily fighting for consciousness from the brutal hit, jarred awake and screamed again, piercing the air with her cry of helplessness as she watched the blade drop. She squeezed her eyes against the reality of it all, but a vicious roar pulled her back into the present.
Tajvek appeared mid-air and slammed into Merivic, digging his claws into his back and chest as he sunk his canines into the demon’s neck. The two rolled and battled across the ground as Kael raced forward to unchain her.
Shaking and delirious, Anya curled into a ball the moment she was released.
“Anya! Speak to me!”
A roar of protest ripped from Tajvek, drawing Kael’s attention, and he looked on in horror as he saw the cat fading from view. Patting his pockets for the amulet, he twisted around to see Malik dropping his hand in death as a cloud of powder settled over the necklace.
Merivic jumped to his feet and charged Kael, throwing him across the expanse of the cavern. Stunned and bruised, Kael wasted not a measure of time to scramble back up and race forward, weapons drawn.
The first arch of his blade connected solidly with Merivic’s upheld arm, nearly slicing it down to the bone. But the demon only laughed as he allowed Kael to watch with wide eyes as it healed to perfection. It took only a moment for Kael to realize Merivic had barely tried to block his attack on purpose—wanting him to fully witness what he was up against. And that moment of pause was all the demon needed.
From the corner of his eye, Kael saw the fist coming and jerked his head back. He still suffered a glancing blow, and though not as nearly damaging as it could be, it was enough to leave him bloodied and sprawled on the ground. Lifting his head, he saw speckles of light dancing in his vision, but he also saw Anya’s huddled form still curled on the altar, and fury pumped adrenaline through his body as he flew to his feet.
He shot forward again, swinging and thrusting his blades with the precision of a master, scoring strike after brutal strike, but they were all for naught. The demon did not so much as flinch as Kael opened wounds on his arms, legs, and chest, healing as soon as they appeared.
Repeatedly, Kael dodged Merivic’s attacks to implement his own, knowing a single, solid hit could be the end of him. And whereas his opponent seemed not to falter, Kael began to grow weary.
As he ducked under another lethal swing, a shimmer passed through Merivic, momentarily blurring his physical outline as it traveled the length of his body. Merivic looked distracted for a moment as he backed away a step and Kael, with renewed hope, surged forward and struck his side. An expression of pain and shock twisted Merivic’s features as he flinched for the first time during the fight, and blood seeped freely through his robe.
His immunity was gone.
Kael pressed forward, continuing his assault and seeking the opening needed to deliver the fatal blow as he backed the demon toward the altar. Merivic screeched and howled like an animal, feeling pain for the very first time. Every issuance of his agony only proved to spur Kael on, but he somehow continued to successfully defend against his own death, parrying the steady blows using his arms as a shield.
A flash of metal suddenly caught Kael’s eye, and he tensed as one of the ceremonial daggers plunged into Merivic’s neck from behind. The demon’s surprise was apparent while he tried to grab at the hilt, but he was losing his strength too quickly to be able to dislodge it. As he slumped against the table, and slowly slithered down, Kael saw Anya kneeling on the tabletop behind him.
While Merivic died on the cavern floor, Anya swooned and collapsed against Kael. The feel of his strong limbs swinging her into his arms, and cradling her against his chest, was all she remembered before everything went dark.
Chapter 44
Anya lay in the bed, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight pooling across her face. “I still cannot believe the sun came out.”
“That very morning after he died,” Kael confirmed, caressing her cheek. “Are you sure you are well enough?”
“Kael,” she began, a hint of exasperation in her voice, “you have put it off long enough.”
“You were unconscious for nearly two days. I do not want to push you for more than you are ready to handle.”
“If I was not ready, I would not have asked.”
“Very well. What did you want to know?”
“Everything. Anything. What all happened?”
“I already told you about the demons by the cave.” He looked at her as she nodded her agreement. “Well, when they could not get inside, they turned on the city.”
Her breath caught, and she unconsciously began fidgeting with her amulet.
“Thankfully, no one was killed, but several townspeople were severely wounded. Gerhard, Caleb and Roarke came across the demons on their way to the cave, and ended up following them in to protect the city. They did well, killing several before they disappeared.”
“They just vanished?”
“Caleb said that was when he knew Merivic was dead—that he had been defeated. When he died, the demons’ tie to the mortal world was severed and they were banished back to the lower planes of Hell.”
Anya closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “All right, what else happened?”
“That is all there is to tell. You know the rest. I carried you out, brought you here and have been with you ever since.”
She ran her fingertips across his cheek. “Are you going to let me out of bed today?”
“Are you strong enough?”
“I believe so.”
“Lenna brought you some fresh clothes and I put them over there.” He gestured to the bedside table.
“How is Lenna?” Anya asked as she reached for the clothing.
“She wishes us well, and bid us a safe journey.” Kael placed his hand on Anya’s arm as she flinched from her reach. “Let me get those for you.”
“I am all right, just a little sore, I suppose. I can do this.”
“Call if you need assistance. I will be right outside.”
“I will,” she assured before he left the room.
It was with a great deal of grit and determination that Anya was able to dress herself without moaning aloud from the soreness radiating throughout her body. But she did so as much for herself as for Kael’s peace of mind.
Opening the door, she watched as Kael studied her expression.
“There,” she stated. “I d
id it.”
Kael smiled and took Anya’s hand, not bothering to comment on the beads of sweat dotting her forehead, the flush of her face, or the grimace of pain she was unable to hide. To do so would only make her act all the more stubborn.
Instead, he led her slowly down the stairs and through the manor, exiting into the courtyard to join Gerhard, Roarke, and Caleb.
“Are you well, Milady?” Caleb asked with genuine concern.
“I am fine. Thank you, again,” —she glanced to the other men—“all of you, for saving me.”
“Oh, but it is I who should be thanking you,” Caleb admitted. “I owe you all a debt of gratitude.”
“Nonsense, Caleb. We could not have stopped him without your guidance,” Kael stated, then looked at Gerhard as he cleared his throat loudly. “Nice and subtle, Gerhard.”
Caleb looked at him, curiously.
“So, Caleb,” Kael began, “speaking of your guidance… We have discussed it at length and have decided that the monarchy should be turned over to you, since there is no one left to claim the throne. No one deserves it more than you do.”
Caleb bowed his head humbly before locking his eyes on Kael’s. “I am afraid I cannot. It is not my place to do so.”
“Of course, you can. You have just saved the city. Stands to reason they would accept any one of us as their leader. However, we have decided unanimously that it be you.”
“I am honored. Truly, I am. But as I said, I cannot. I must return home now that my mission is complete.”
“Your home is Decessus.”
Caleb shook his head haltingly as he smiled, a ribbon of brilliant light streaming around his form, blinding those standing with him as his body faded into a silhouette. “They sent me to help the mortals defeat Asmodeus. He was once one of us and, therefore, our responsibility. But we did not have the power to stop him. We were bound by the rules of our own doing, and could not outright give you the knowledge you required. You had to ask the right questions, take the appropriate actions, and choose your own fate. Where I merely led you down the path, you struggled, you fought, and you prevailed. You have won this war for us, and we will be forever grateful.” The incandescent form began shrinking in upon itself until it was a pinpoint of light suspended in the air, then sparked into thin air.
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