I could screw everything up beyond repair if I went in and the Library sensed me. While most anyone would never sense a Larentii's passage, the Library wasn't just anybody.
It held records of the Larentii, just as it held records of everything else. If I suddenly appeared in any part of the pathway leading to the Library, it could sense me and throw all the events that happened before into chaos.
How could I get in to wait for Morgett's arrival?
When it hit me, I wanted to shudder. I'd destroyed those devices. Now I needed one.
Badly.
Without another thought, I bent time again.
* * *
Northern Reaches, Kifirin
Lissa
I arrived just in time to watch Jayd shove Glinda aside and then swing at her, his huge fist connecting with her jaw. She went sailing, and crashed in a heap fifteen feet away.
He'd done damage—she was out cold and blood poured from her nose.
He wasn't done, though. He had a score to settle with the Queen who'd sought to replace him on the throne. His Thifilathi stalked toward her, kicking her in the ribs before I could consider what to do.
Denevik's Thifilathi landed in front of Jayd with a thump and a roar. Get Glinda out of here, he sent while throwing a punch at Jayd that connected with the asshole's nose.
I rushed to pull Glinda inside my mist. I doubted she'd appreciate the fact that I'd pulled her away when she regained consciousness, but she could argue with her brother about that—provided he survived a one-on-one with Jaydevik Rath.
Jayd wanted to kill Glinda. Denevik was now on his list, too. Jayd answered Denevik's punch with one of his own, connecting with a shoulder when Denny jerked his head out of the way.
That's when a horde of Jayd's guards got into the fight. Three swarmed Denevik immediately.
This was no longer anything close to a fair fight.
A rogue's head exploded. Lexsi was still on the job.
Get 'em, baby girl, I said, then sent Glinda back to Le-Ath Veronis with power and called for Karzac to tend her, before joining my granddaughter in the fray.
* * *
Paricos II, Pre-destruction
Zaria
"You need this, don't you?" I blinked at myself as I/she spoke. Yes, I was facing myself, and wondered what that self would tell this self.
She held one of the concealment devices in her palm.
"You may hold it for a moment, to record its construction," she floated it to me. "Remember, that information must stay with you always."
"Yeah, I remember, all right," I agreed and closed my eyes to study the object I pulled from the air. "I have it," I opened my eyes and floated it back to her/me. "Thank you."
"It is necessary, or we wouldn't be here," she shrugged. "Although your presence gives me hope for our future."
"You know I can't tell you anything," I said.
"No worries."
I bent time and folded space.
* * *
Northern Reaches, Kifirin
Morwin
Somehow, Yoff found me. I sat amid tall grasses, two dead owls in my hands. Not far away, a terrible battle between High Demons went on.
I'd shut it and the noise of it out of my mind and mourned for the fluff of feathers in my palms.
"I have to get you out of here," Yoff knelt beside me. I didn't have to tell him who I held—he already had the others safely tucked away in the mountains above Foth Castle.
Mother Rose and Leisa lay there, lifeless. Victims of High Demons who'd flown after them when the grenades were dropped.
Life was so fragile.
"How can I tell Chloe?" I choked on my words.
"Come." Someone else had arrived. He looked High Demon, although stars fell through his black eyes.
Without another word, he transported all of us to Chloe and the others.
Chapter 17
Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador
Zaria
With a working device in my pocket and a sigh of relief when nothing happened as I landed, I surveyed the passageway halfway between Lexsi's crowd and Morgett's, who'd just encountered the last test.
So far, the Library hadn't taken action against my invasion, leading me to believe the device was doing its job.
Anybody else who folded inside the caves leading to the Library would have already been fried.
I'd read Morgett's Ra'Ak before, but then, I'd been focused on other things—the location of his allies' hideout, and the placement of who knew how many N'il Mo'erti.
This time, I needed to go into his past and learn his deepest secrets, and I needed more than the few seconds I'd had before to learn them.
The device would allow me to travel alongside him without detection, while I read every single thing I wanted to know.
That's when he and his bunch, V'ili included, rounded a bend in the tunnel, racing toward the light of the Library, which had beckoned Lexsi and the others in. I began reading everything in him, V'ili and the twins as swiftly as possible as they rushed toward me. Any bit of it could prove invaluable.
* * *
Near Mutitjulu, Northwest Territory, Australia
Anita
None of us knew what lifted us and propelled us forward.
Until later.
We'd been gathered as a group and whooshed through rock, dirt and everything in-between as we hurtled toward Uluru.
I saw what we flew through and passed, just as the others did.
When we landed (and we landed hard against a sandstone wall), we almost collided with Morgett, V'ili and the twins, who promptly ran before we could right ourselves.
Mason pulled me up after setting Watson and Sandra on their feet; he'd recovered first, although Adam and Merrill were up shortly after. Pheligar, though—he'd never fallen in the first place. He stood in a smooth, sandstone hallway, watching as Morgett and company rounded a corner and disappeared.
Like the cowards they were.
"What is this place?" Sandra gazed about her. Every surface was red sandstone, and as smooth as if it had been planed by the gods. Where the light came from to illuminate the space I had no idea.
In the distance lay the corner where Morgett and V'ili disappeared; opposite that was a set of steps leading downward.
Not a speck of dirt or dust motes had been disturbed by our sudden arrival.
"I cannot send mindspeech," Pheligar turned toward us. "We are cut off from everything."
"I believe this is the Library," I breathed.
"Are we trapped?" Watson asked.
"I can still sense the Ra'Ak above ground," Kiarra said. "They're furious for some reason."
"I shall attempt to discover why," Pheligar said. "Ah," he added after several moments.
"Well?" Kiarra asked.
"They were preparing to leave the area to feed, when a shield prevented it and something else happened, roughly the same time we were deposited here, if my calculation is correct."
"What happened?" I blurted.
"Uluru is now floating, in its entirety, a thousand yards above the surface. We are trapped and the Ra'Ak are trapped. I merely hope the Ra'ak do not find a path into the Library, or we may all be, in your terms, screwed."
"Morgett is here," Mason pointed out.
"But that is only one Ra'Ak. We do not wish for thousands more," Pheligar said.
"Yeah. We sure as hell don't wish for that," Kiarra confirmed.
"Might we ask the werewolves to lead us in the direction Morgett traveled?" Merrill suggested.
"I'm all for it," Watson agreed. I lifted his pile of discarded clothing after he changed, while Mason did the same for Sandra. Together, the werewolves put their noses close to the floor and trotted forward.
* * *
Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador
Zaria
Before, I thought it was Morgett and his bunch that set the Library off. I was wrong.
You have returned, the Library spoke in my mind. I barely
heard the impossible words it spoke afterward as indescribable pain engulfed me and knocked me against the cave wall.
I fell. As I convulsed on the floor, I could hear shouting from inside the Library, and a flash of light.
Just before I lost consciousness, the volcano exploded as the Library disappeared from its hiding place.
* * *
Northern Reaches, Kifirin
Lissa
Jayd must have called his army back to save his scaled hide; they turned away from the castle and came toward us in a run, because Denevik was gaining the upper hand.
Lexsi and I were stretched to the limit already, eliminating the High Demons who thought to attack Denevik while he fought with Jayd. Now, at least a thousand more were running in our direction.
Saying that time was no longer on our side could be considered the understatement of the millennia.
Gran, get as far away from here as you can, Lexsi's voice entered my mind.
Huh? Yeah, I wasn't particularly eloquent while blasting another High Demon head to bits.
Go. I've got this.
I wanted to say huh again, but decided to trust my granddaughter.
I folded space to the castle.
* * *
Lexsi
It promised fire if I needed it. I prayed it wasn't an empty promise as I made my request.
It is here, the Library replied. Use it.
Visions of flames engulfed me. Not the flames of normal fire, though. This fire burned with the heat of a sun. This fire would kill High Demons; I knew it without asking. If the fire didn't kill the rogues about me, the percussion from the blast surely would.
And the Library's voice?
It didn't sound quite the same. All the others times—I considered that briefly. Was it only a few times, or had it been more than that? I distinctly recalled that this wasn't the voice I'd heard before, no matter how many times it had been.
Trust me, it whispered.
I didn't have time to reply; Jayd's army was bearing down on us.
I was filled with so much fire from the Library that it pained me. I became corporeal and my Thifilatha dropped to the ground.
I turned myself toward the advancing High Demons, closed my eyes and lifted my arms.
Fire!
* * *
Lissa
If I hadn't shielded Foth Castle and those few of ours remaining outside it, it would have been destroyed, too.
You'd have thought that Lexsi released a ranos bomb with her fire. The explosion that accompanied it created a crater nearly half a mile across, and could be seen easily from the ramparts of Foth Castle.
"Where is she?" Kordevik skipped to my side and asked.
He was covered in cuts, some of which leaked blood. His blades were still in his hands, too; he hadn't realized he could set them down.
He was beyond weary, and he was asking about Lexsi.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Jayd and Denevik—I don't know about them, either."
"Fuck." Kory skipped away. He was heading for the crater. I followed.
* * *
Lexsi
"I didn't mean to kill him, Grampa Denny."
He and I sat at the bottom of the crater I'd created. I felt like a small child as my Great-grandfather cuddled me in his arms. Tears dripped down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to kill Uncle Jayd," I croaked.
"Hush baby. If you hadn't, I would have."
"Grampa? Lexsi?" Mom had arrived and now stood over us.
"Jaydevik is gone," Grampa Denny told her.
"Just as well," she sighed and turned in a circle to examine the crater I'd made. "Baby, he went mad. I don't think there was anything left worth saving."
"Queen Reah?" Wardevik arrived and dipped his head to Mom. Concern filled his face and his voice.
"Baby?" Kory came next, with Gran. I blinked up at him before bursting into tears.
"She's upset because she feels responsible for Jaydevik's death," Grampa Denny said as he stood and handed me to Kory. "Let's go back to the castle and take stock. Too many have died this day, unless I am greatly mistaken."
* * *
Beneath Uluru
Anita
It was almost too easy to follow Morgett's trail. Ahead of us, through what appeared to be endless, brightly-lit corridors, Morgett, V'ili and the twins had begun running. Morgett still hoped to command the Library after reaching it first.
"This place is a maze," Mason said as he trotted beside me. He and I were at the back of our group; Adam, Kiarra and the others ran behind Watson and Sandra.
"I hate mazes," my words sounded choppy as I spoke while running.
"I can't say I'm fond of them myself, but we're following Morgett, remember? We're not chasing anything else."
He was right. Morgett, V'ili and the twins were our goal. I didn't care if I ever saw the Library again. And, if it could destroy everything, I sure as hell didn't want to come near it again.
I also felt as if we'd been running forever. I was no vampire or werewolf, but I considered myself in good shape. I worried I'd begin to tire soon and be left behind. That was the last thing I wanted.
I wanted to see V'ili die. I wanted to watch the light fade from his eyes—as he'd done the same for my sister and me. He and his grand idea of taking the Larentii homeworld had effectively destroyed our world.
Those of us who'd objected or argued with him ended up dead.
The rest of our race died when the Larentii retaliated—except for V'ili and a handful of others, chosen by rogue gods to continue a quest to destroy their enemies.
"Hmmph," I snorted as I ran.
"What?" Mason asked.
"Nothing."
"Right."
Watson yipped. We were almost upon our prey. I allowed my claws to form first, and then my scales as clothing ripped and dropped away from me.
This time, V'ili would die.
* * *
Foth Castle, Northern Reaches, Kifirin
Lissa
"I don't want my sons' bodies mingled with those of Jayd's rogues," Nedevik Weth sighed.
He'd lost almost half of his children to this fight. Foth and Greth suffered heavy losses, too. All of us were weary. Many chose an alcove or hidden place to release their tears.
Brothers and comrades had fallen. Grief had come as it always does after a terrible battle, settling like a smothering weight over those left behind.
"I will send Kifirin's heroes to Baetrah."
I jerked my head up as Kifirin appeared.
"Honey?" I said.
"Avilepha, I worried it would come to this." He held his arms open and I went to him.
"Baetrah will receive them," Lord Weth nodded to Kifirin. "Thank you."
"Will you come with me?" Kifirin breathed against my hair.
"Yeah."
* * *
Reah
"Dearest, I will do this for you, if you wish it," Nefrigar arrived. Kory, Warde and several others had gathered around me to discuss disposing of the bodies of our enemies—those that survived Lexsi's fire, anyway.
"Will it not disturb you to do it?" I blinked at my Larentii mate.
"No, dearest. The disease has been cut away. It should be disposed of properly, without leaving any shrine or place to visit behind it."
"I hadn't thought of that," I said, allowing my shoulders to sag.
"Kifirin was created with inherent flaws, my love. Those flaws are now excised. The High Demon race will choose its own path from now on."
"We have so much work to do," I said.
"I know this. I also know that you will have the support you need, and a worthy heir when you tire of the throne."
"You're right."
"Shall we?" Nefrigar held out a hand.
"Yes. We will separate the particles of our enemies together," I agreed and placed my hand in his.
* * *
Kinvalles, Amterea
Morwin
"This is my father's home—and mine,
" I explained to the Hiboux family. Li'Neruh Rath had transported us here and left, taking Mother Rose's and Leisa's bodies with him.
I had no idea what his intentions were, but I wasn't important enough to argue with a god.
He'd assured me they'd be kept in stasis before he left, but that was all he'd said.
He wore a worried expression, too, and that, in turn, had worried me. I didn't want to transfer that worry to the owl family, who were grieving for their loved ones and needed comfort.
"There is a small pub nearby," I said. "Food and drink will be available there, and we will talk."
"I think we need it," Jim agreed. "Come, owl brood. Follow Morwin."
* * *
Uluru
Anita
Watson rounded a corner, then yipped again, and it sounded as if he were afraid. Mason and I almost tumbled over him and the others as we rounded the corner, too.
The floor had ended.
Just like that, with no warning, it stopped, creating a high precipice. Over that sudden cliff, I couldn't see a bottom.
Opposite us, on another precipice that had also ended just as abruptly, stood Morgett, V'ili and the twins.
Morgett had turned; his Ra'Ak now hissed at us from his perch.
Curved walls surrounded us, now.
Massive, curved walls, lined with shelves too numerous to count.
This was the Library's other home.
Except—the shelves were empty. The Library was missing.
"What the bloody hell?" Adam mumbled softly.
"You have it," V'ili tossed an accusation toward us.
"We fucking don't," Kiarra snapped back.
Morgett's Ra'Ak wanted us dead—he hissed venom at us this time, although it didn't reach us, falling into the chasm between us instead.
I listened for the fluid to hit the bottom with an acidic hiss.
That sound never came.
"It's bigger than six football fields," Mason breathed beside me. Sandra, whose wolf had leaned against Mason's leg, whined her confusion.
The Library in the volcano hadn't been this large. The shelves, however, were the same general size as those in Tungurahua.
What the hell was going on?
* * *
Kinvalles, Amterea
Morwin
"Try this, dearest." I'd ordered a berry ale for her—an old favorite of mine. Our server, a cheeky, older dwarf, smiled encouragingly at Chloe.
A Demon's Due: Latter Day Demons, Book 3 Page 23