Foster walked over. There was a picture of a loom underneath the writing. “It looks like a seamstress shop.”
Sophie jolted as the landscape spun in circles. Her stomach rolled, and she closed her eyes. When that didn't help, she opened them.
To daylight.
***
Somebody brushed past her. She blinked against the brightness of the sun and shaded her eyes with her hand.
In front of her was the seamstress shop. She saw the sign in whitewashed wood, displayed prominently off the awning. People milled about with baskets and small bags. A horse neighed behind her, and she backed up the few steps to the boardwalk. The women wore short-sleeved dresses in a variety of colors. The men were dressed in white shirts and rough pants. None of them seemed to notice her.
"I am on my way to the blacksmith."
Sophie turned at the sound of the voice. She recognized it and located him instantly. He was thirteen with an unruly mop of blond hair.
"Are you on an errand for the Oracle, Collin?" The other young men around him stared in awe.
"Yes. It’s very important, and I cannot be late." Collin bowed to each of them.
When he walked out of sight, Sophie took off after him. He could lead her to the blacksmith. A little further down, Collin stopped to talk to an old man seated outside a doorway.
Laughter exploded in a young group of women standing a little to Sophie's left. By the look of the well-made dresses they wore, they were higher up in the caste. One of the women looked up and met Sophie's eyes. Chills rose on her arms.
It was Sofrina, Sophie's past-life self.
She stared at Sophie, knowingly. You are strong enough to defeat her.
There was no time to think it over as Collin took off again. Sophie took one last look at Sofrina, then stayed close to him. He turned down an alley, moving swiftly, dodging a goat munching on a small patch of grass.
He brought her out on the other side of the market. People crowded around her. She resisted the urge to try and grab Collin's hand when they melted into the crowd. Noise amplified in the air. Customers haggled the vendors for better prices, little kids sang and danced in the square. Color was everywhere. Clothes and awnings were dyed in bright reds and purples. They waved in a warm breeze that smelled like the ocean.
She pushed through the crowd and saw Collin duck into a building with a sign that held two swords crossed in an x.
***
"Sophie." Jackson grabbed both her shoulders and shook her.
Sophie blinked and saw it was night again. When her eyes focused, she stared at the blacksmith's shop. The sign was rotted, the building disheveled, and the door was missing. "This is it."
"What happened? You were in some type of trance and led us here." Jackson moved his hands, using his power to clear away some of the rubble from the doorway.
"I blinked and I was here in our past lives. There were a lot of people, and it was beautiful.”
We've found it. Jackson glanced at Sophie. "Can you sense anything in there?"
She concentrated and sensing nothing, said, "No. It's clear."
Jackson and Casey went inside. Morgan teleported in with Tristan and Demetri.
"Where are the others?" Demetri stepped inside the darkness of the shop. "Foster! I need your torch."
Foster tripped over his feet to get to Demetri. Morgan steadied him and helped him in.
On your way? Sophie sent to Aidan as she and Tristan stepped inside the shop. It was covered in dirt and dust, and the furniture sat in shambles. Sophie could sense the darkness that had taken over where once there was peace.
Jackson sent us the directions from the seamstress shop. Be there in a minute, Aidan answered.
Tristan watched her closely when she turned back to him. She wondered if he knew that she held something back. "What?"
"You seem distracted."
"I'm fine." Using her senses, she searched for stirrings of demon activity. "It's so quiet. What do you think they're waiting for?"
"Don't know. Maybe for us to become sloppy?" He ran his hands along the walls for any signs of a secret door.
His statement didn't make her feel any better. They were bound to be sloppy.
"She knew we were coming. Cassius was sure to brag to her." Morgan glanced out the windows, looking for any movement.
"I'm sure. He was a pompous ass." Tristan gave up on the wall and searched through the shelves.
This whole situation made her nervous. Aidan, how far away are you?
Close. I can sense Morgan.
Sense something else, fire boy.
Tristan shook his head with slight amusement when he heard Morgan's comeback. Sophie knew it was their way to deal with the danger they always seemed to be in, and she was glad Morgan was becoming more like her old self.
Jackson levitated a heavy steel melting pot and moved it a few feet over. The floor shook when he let it go.
Demetri ripped a threadbare rug off of the floor and slung it over his shoulder. Dust and debris covered the room. Sophie coughed and waved her hand in front of her.
"I've found a trap door." Demetri pulled at the hinges, but they didn't budge. "Casey."
Casey bent down and pulled back. There was a snap and wood flew. Morgan dodged a piece that flew by her head.
Demetri disappeared into the hole. "Found some weapons. Catch."
Casey turned just in time to catch a crossbow that flew up from the darkness. He tossed it to Foster.
"Do you think it still works?" Foster brought it up. It clicked and the trigger released. The arrow whizzed by Sophie's ear and embedded itself in the wall behind her.
"Damn it, Foster! Put it down!" Casey snapped as he caught another crossbow. Next came three swords, a pike, a scythe, and two daggers.
"Give me a hand," Demetri called up. Casey reached a hand down and pulled him out of the pit.
"S-sorry." Foster paled when he saw how close the arrow came to hitting Sophie.
"You missed me." Sophie sent him a reassuring smile.
The smile slipped when she sensed something stirring in the shadows outside. She signaled to the others, letting them know something was coming. Tristan growled and his eyes changed color as they rushed out onto the porch.
They saw Ruth, Rory, and Kendra run around a corner. A flash of orange light exploded and the ground shook.
The blast pushed at Aidan. He soared over them toward the blacksmith's shop.
Before he smashed into the cobblestones, Jackson held his palms up and guided Aidan gently to a stop. Soot covered Aidan’s clothes and small tears ran through them. He gave a thankful salute to Jackson when his feet touched the ground.
"We're under attack!" Ruth screamed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RORY RAN UP THE STEPS. His right eye was swollen and starting to bruise. "Tell me we have weapons."
"We do. Inside." Tristan pointed over his shoulder.
Around the corner came seven robed demons. The cowls of their hoods were down, showing the hate on their disfigured faces.
The temperature dropped several degrees, and Sophie’s breath clouded in the air.
Demetri came to the door, tossing crossbows to Kendra and Sophie. She glanced down at it, trying to remember her training.
"Just point and shoot, Sophie." Demetri caught the pike Casey tossed him. "Rory, here."
Morgan shimmered next to Sophie, but she shot Sophie a reassuring look. We’ve got this.
The demons stopped a hundred yards from them, standing in a line, staring. Waiting.
"They are elemental demons." Foster pointed out the alchemical symbols on their robes. "They control fire, water, earth, and air."
"Hell." Aidan took a step forward. "Two of them control fire."
The demons spurred into action. Sophie aimed and fired the crossbow. The demon she shot at evaporated, and the arrow passed through him, disappearing into the shadows.
He reappeared. His pointed ears twitched, and its mouth curve
d slowly, pulling the scarred skin on his face.
The gust of wind hit Sophie and knocked her into Kendra. They hit the wall behind them with so much force they broke through it. Sophie landed on Kendra, their breath knocked out of them.
Aidan's flames sizzled as he went after the air demon.
It sucked the air away from him. As the oxygen dissipated, so did Aidan's flames, but the demon didn't stop. He sucked and sucked until Aidan grasped at his throat and turned blue.
Demetri and Ruth took on the two water demons. Their lips and eyelids were a darker shade of blue than their bodies. The torchlight reflected off their bald heads.
"They don't have any ears," Ruth whispered to Demetri. She held the sword in front of her.
The demons grimaced, and black gunk dripped from their teeth.
Ruth raised her arms and cut the head off of the demon closest to her. It hit the ground and shattered. Her eyes widened when a new head iced over and hardened on the demon's shoulders.
Morgan kicked at a vine wrapping around her ankle, coughing when the putrid smell of graveyard dirt overwhelmed her. The earth demon's flesh hung in decaying strands, and their sunken eyes stared hollowly out at her.
Sophie sat up and her head spun. Planks of wood covered her and she brushed them aside, nudging Kendra. "Get up."
Kendra sat up and groaned. A gash bled above her eyebrow.
Sophie tore a piece of her sleeve off and pressed it to Kendra's face. She stood and looked out in the street. No matter what they did, the demons always managed to heal themselves.
"Aidan!" Morgan noticed him stagger. She looked around on the ground and saw the arrow Sophie had shot earlier. She disappeared, then reappeared behind the air demon and thrust the arrow through his neck.
The demon slowly turned toward her and screeched, teeth yellowed and sharp.
Aidan dropped to his knees and gasped for air when the demon's hold on him diminished.
The air demon advanced on Morgan.
Aidan stood shakily and sent a wave of fire at it. It growled at him. Look out, Morgan!
Vines curled around Morgan's neck. The rough texture bruised her throat, and the vines yanked her back. She landed in the dirt and the air whooshed out of her lungs.
Sophie aimed the crossbow and shot the earth demon three times. It stumbled backward with a grimace, but tightened its hold on Morgan.
Morgan clawed at the vines. I can't teleport. Something's holding me back.
"Foster. They're not dying." Kendra stalked over to him. "Why?!"
Foster stuttered
Kendra groaned and walked back into the fray.
With furry hands, Tristan tore at the vines choking Morgan. He shifted fully and started to attack the vines crawling up his legs.
Rory swung his pike at the fire demons, and they discharged a swell of fire at him. He crouched down when the heat reached toward him, but an invisible wall kept the worst from hitting him. "Thanks." Jackson held his palms out in front of him and waited for the fire to disperse.
"Hurry, Rory! I read that the fire demons take at least ten seconds to recharge!" Foster yelled from the porch.
Rory let out a battle cry and dove through the air, swinging the pike wildly.
Jackson blasted the other earth demon. It hit a building across the street, the walls crumbling down around it.
One of the water demons faced Demetri, black slime sliding down its neck. With a single glance, it chilled the air around them. Small chips of ice started to form on Demetri's skin.
Casey came up behind it, slicing the head off with the scythe. The air became humid again. Casey grinned, his silver tooth gleaming.
Demetri pointed the tip of the sword at the water demon. Casey's smile evaporated. The head had already grown back.
Casey narrowed his eyes and grunted. He attacked the demon, his movements jerky. An arm fell to the ground. Seconds later, the head. He repeated this with a determined gleam in his eyes.
The second water demon advanced. Ruth held her sword up even though it wasn't doing her any good. Razor-sharp icicles formed on its fingertips, and it swiped at her.
Ruth jumped back before it caught her face. It swiped again, quickly, and sliced into her collarbone. The searing pain diverted her attention long enough for it to get closer. She swung the sword sideways and cut off three of its icicle fingers. They dropped to the cobblestones, but remained frozen.
The demon grinned, grabbing the metal of the sword. Ice formed and crawled up the blade. The ice cracked, splintering the blade. Ruth dropped it before the ice reached her hands.
The demon leapt. Out of instinct, she grabbed one of the icicles she'd cut off. The demon landed on her and pushed them both to the ground. The icicle jammed into the middle of its chest and came out the other side. The ice of its body cracked and fell apart, ice littering the ground.
"That's it!" Foster shouted from the porch. "They have to die by their own element!"
"Ruth!" Demetri held his hands out, and she tossed him the icicle. Casey resumed attacking the remaining water demon to divert its attention. Demetri shoved the icicle through the still forming head. The demon shattered into chunks of ice.
Rory and Jackson grabbed torches. They ran to where Casey, Ruth, and Kendra fought the fire demons.
Casey lunged with his sword, but the metal turned red and burned his hands. He dropped it to the ground and stared down at the blackened flesh of his palms.
The fire demon's eyes were dark like obsidian rocks when it lowered its head. When it lifted it back up, a river of hot magma flew out of its open mouth.
Casey dove at Ruth and Kendra, and covered them with his body. The magma landed a few inches in front of them. Orange heat pushed at them until it seeped into the dirt.
"Hurry,” Demetri ordered as he ran to help Morgan and Tristan.
Rory and Jackson moved when the demons turned and threw the torches.
The flames hit just below the demons' necks and coated their robes. The obsidian in their eyes spread like webs over the skin of their faces until it covered the demons' entire bodies. Ruth and Casey watched in fascination as it hardened, tightening until the obsidian exploded. They covered their faces as dark chunks of fire demon rained down and turned to ash.
Sophie struggled with the vines covering Morgan. She used the tip of an arrow to saw through them, but every time she cut through one, two more replaced it. The vines twisted up her legs. It made a horrible sucking noise as it rose up her pants. She ripped at them. "I can't get them off!"
Kendra fired two arrows straight into the earth demons' heads. While they were distracted, Tristan wrapped the vines around each of the demons' throats. His muscles bulged as he lifted them off the ground and snapped their necks.
"Jackson!" Aidan threw up a wall of flame to keep the air demon at bay. I need you to put a shield around the demon right when I fire at him.
Got it. Jackson jogged over to Aidan.
Aidan sent the hottest fire he could create at the air demon. Jackson held up his hands, and wrapped the fire and the demon into an airtight shield.
"What is that going to do?" Kendra asked. She brushed at the cut above her eyebrow where the blood had dried.
"He's using fire to suck up all the oxygen. It will disorient the demon." Foster nodded toward Aidan. "Quick thinking."
"Just returning the favor." Aidan put an arm around Morgan's shoulders and pulled her close. She didn’t stiffen this time, instead relaxing into him for a moment.
The demon blasted at the shield, but Jackson held strong. It turned in circles, baring its teeth at them. Every few moments, it hissed. The lower the oxygen level became, the higher its desperation rose.
It shot gusts of wind out, faster and faster, until it formed a giant tornado. The tornado spun around the demon. Sweat broke out on Jackson's forehead. He focused on keeping the demon and the tornado contained.
The thundering roar of the windstorm echoed out from the shield. The tornado swallowed th
e demon, spinning so fast that it ripped him apart.
The tornado vanished and pieces of the demon hit the dirt, bursting into flames and floating away.
"I hate elemental demons." Sophie turned away from the sight.
"Let's go." Demetri picked up his weapons and the others followed his lead.
Sophie grabbed her crossbow and gathered up more arrows. She stuffed them into the quiver attached alongside the bottom of the bow.
"Sophie, lead the way." Demetri sheathed his sword and pushed her toward the street. "We're losing time."
She closed her eyes and followed her mind to the quickest route to the palace. She led the way through the web of streets and alleys. Ignoring the quiet whispers of demonic activity surrounding them, she pushed toward the center of the city.
Torches flickered as the group walked past decaying buildings and broken streets. Whatever demons that hid in the shadows didn't come forward, waiting patiently.
For what? Why would they want to wait?
Beyond the wall, the palace rose against the night sky. It was immense, with six levels and a tower at each of the four corners, and shuttered windows.
It took all of them to push the rusted gate open into the palace courtyard. In the middle of the area, a massive fountain had collapsed in on itself. The grass was gone and the ground was covered in dry, red dirt, as if the lawn had been starved.
That's what the whole place looked like. Desiccated.
"What did they do to this place?" Morgan looked at Sophie. "From what you said, this place used to be beautiful."
"Go." Demetri's tone reminded them that Lilli could still be inside.
The ground shook violently, throwing Foster off his feet. "What was that?" He brandished his torch higher, looking around the courtyard.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE GROUND SHOOK AGAIN. Sophie braced her feet apart to keep from face planting in the dirt. Tristan shifted back into the werewolf, his muzzle raising to sniff the air.
A low moan carried on the wind, and something stirred behind the wall. Two figures, one red and one blue, stepped out. Both figures hunched over, dragging their too long arms across the dirt. Each had two elongated horns sticking out in front of their bulky faces. One had seven eyes and no mouth, and the other had a mouth and only one giant eye. They stood taller than the trees swaying their dead branches in the courtyard.
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