by Boone Brux
His fingers stopped. A low growl issued from Rhys, its vibrations rumbled against her back. “Did they beat you often?”
“As often as they thought necessary,” she said matter-of-factly, wishing he’d start his manipulations again. She leaned into his hand as a hint. “Eventually, I learned to blend in and become invisible. I spent most of my time exploring the abbey and its catacombs.”
After a few seconds, his fingers resumed their lovely ministrations. “You must have been very lonely.”
“It wasn’t so bad. I had the girls. They were like a family for me.”
He released her arm and moved around her. With infinite tenderness, he began the same routine on her left side. Gentle stretching turned into deep massage.
Unable to stop herself, Ravyn groaned.
“Am I hurting you?” His voice held a hint of humor, which immediately lightened her mood.
“Yes, but don’t stop.”
She tilted her head to the side to give him better access. His fingers dug deep into her skin, working muscles that felt a hundred years old. Warm pressure moved along her shoulders and dipped below the neck of her dress. Her breath caught as Rhys’s fingers explored the area above her shoulder blade. He’d seen more of her flesh than any man, but she’d been injured. Now the situation was different, and she was no longer helpless. Her awareness of him was palpable.
His fingers slowed their descent, almost as if he’d read her thoughts. Something in the mood between them shifted. Vibrations from his body hummed along her skin. He felt closer, more overt. His breath tickled the back of her neck, sending goose bumps dancing down her spine. She wanted to lean into him. She wanted to feel his lips on her neck. She wanted him to kiss her.
Needles bit into Ravyn’s skin and she gasped, rubbing her arms against the sudden onslaught. Dark clouds rolled across the sky and blocked the sun as chill winds circled the clearing. Rhys’s fingers stilled, and then slipped from her back.
“Rhys, Bane.”
He swore under his breath. “I feel it.”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the cemetery. “Run.”
The wind buffeted the trees, rattling their branches and raping the limbs of their leaves. Like the night Icarus had attacked at the abbey, the sky grew dark and dense.
He pulled her to a stop, his voice muffled against the increasing wind. “It’s too late. They’re here.”
Without thought she let her awareness flow into the trees across the clearing. Cluster after cluster of beings lurked beyond her sight. “Blessed Sainted Ones, there are so many of them.”
“That, my lady, is an understatement.”
Terror clawed at her throat but she struggled to maintain a rational mind. “What do we do?”
Rhys’s gaze darted around the small clearing to the graveyard, and back to her face. For the first time since she’d met him, he appeared unsure of what to do. “Fight.”
“Fight them? Are you insane?” Her calm evaporated as her stare dug into the shadows, trying to discern the shapes of the demons.
“Trust me, it’s not my first choice, but we can’t lead them back to the inn. There are children and innocents there.” His gaze bore into her. “I need you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Our predicament is serious if I’m the best plan you have.”
“Faith, Ravyn, faith.” He didn’t sound like he had faith in her. He sounded like she was the path of last resort. Rhys reached into his boot and produced a dagger. “Take this. Use your fire whenever possible, but the dagger might prove useful.”
The beauty of the knife dazzled, even in the darkened daylight. With a trembling hand, she took the weapon. A strange tightening pressed against her fingers, causing them to curl around the intricately carved hilt. The dagger weighed heavy in her palm, but the feel of the knife comforted her. Prying open her fingers, she fought against the sensation of being bound to the dagger.
“It was my father’s. Slip it in your boot. You’ll need both hands free when the demons attack.”
She did as he said and straightened. A slow burn started at the base of her spine and seared its way up her back and down her arms. Ravyn fisted her hands.
“Get ready,” Rhys said.
Dark forms flowed from the forest. Horrifying creatures with hunched backs and misshapen heads lumbered toward them, spreading like a black shadow from the trees. Each demon swayed with a different gait or tempo. Some bobbed awkwardly up and down, while others hinged from side to side. The evil mob fanned across the ground with their wicked weapons drawn.
Rhys’s voice crested over the wind. “They’ll try to circle and drive us into the trees to their waiting comrades.”
The current of air whipped her hair into her face and she captured the mass, tying it in a knot at the base of her neck. “There are more than these?”
“Yes. It’s a battle tactic. They try to intimidate with sheer numbers, but demons aren’t united. They’re greedy and impulsive. They’re predictable in the sense that they’re so unpredictable. Standing together is only effective until one of them sees a self-serving opportunity.”
She glanced at Rhys, now every inch a soldier. Gone were his smiling eyes and easy manner. Gone were his gentle caresses. In their place stood a mythical warrior, tensed for battle and ready to protect at any cost.
He barked the commands like an army captain. “Stay close. Don’t get separated from me. Hold your ground. Strike as many demons as possible.”
Her hands trembled as she raised them. All his instructions bled from her mind as a particularly nasty demon inched forward. Ravyn stepped into Rhys, pressing her body against his.
“We can do this,” he called. The wind lifted his words and carried them away.
“We can do this,” she repeated, fairly certain they couldn’t do anything of the sort.
The creature sneered, exposing rotten, razor-sharp teeth. A thick, black tongue danced inside its mouth like an agitated snake.
“Disgusting.” She pressed closer to Rhys’s side. His solid presence tightened her courage and was the only thing keeping her from running away.
The monster drew closer, bobbing back and forth on twisted feet. A strong smell of sulfur assaulted Ravyn’s nose, and she gagged but maintained her focus. The wave of demons stopped to watch their comrade’s brave advance.
She glanced at Rhys. Why wasn’t he attacking? He returned her stare and with an almost imperceptible movement, nodded his head toward the demon. A lump pushed against her throat, her mouth drying instantly. He wanted her to kill the demon? Some kind of test?
“I can’t,” she mouthed.
He simply stared, demanding she take the lead. Turning, she faced the creature full on.
“Fools rush in,” Ravyn said, unsure the comment was meant for the monster or her.
The demon scooted toward them, hissing like an angry lizard. Ravyn’s power pulsed and reverberated around them. A low hum emanated from Rhys, increasing the demon’s agitation. She searched the sky for potential danger.
“Good. A soldier looks for attacks from every direction,” Rhys barked.
She doubted being a good soldier had anything to do with her instincts. Icarus’s talons had driven the lesson of vigilance deep.
Fire burned under her skin. Ravyn bit her lip. “I need to release some of this power.”
“Do it.”
Her stare locked onto the approaching demon. She dropped the restraints on her energy and let the fire gather in her hands.
The creature’s eyes grew wide. Its steps faltered to a stop, as if it sensed its demise. Energy charged the air and Ravyn raised her hands out to her sides. The demon took a small step back, and then another. She let the fire build. An orange glow radiated from her hands. It felt good to release control.
Too late, the creature spun and launched itself away from Ravyn. Lightning erupted from her hands, raced across the distance, and struck the fleeing monster. In a brilliant flash, the demon disintegrated into
a million glowing pieces.
Blasted backward by the force, she slammed against the solid wall of Rhys’s chest. Her breath rushed out, but his strong hands caught and steadied her before she fell.
Ravyn righted herself and glanced around the clearing. “What happened?”
Silence, dense and thick, pressed around them. Weapons hung forgotten at the demons’ sides as the horde stood transfixed by the glowing red embers hanging motionlessly in the air. As if caught by a sudden updraft, the sparks flared. In unison, the demons flinched and retreated several steps.
She shook her head. “No more. I can’t do this, Rhys.”
“You can.” He grabbed her shoulders. “We have to.”
He looked fierce and for a second she was afraid that if the demons didn’t kill her, Rhys would. Energy moved up her spine. What a hard-hearted master her powers were, neglectful of her weakness or apprehension. They demanded she serve the fire whether she wanted to or not. She nodded.
A war cry erupted from the mob. Some of the creatures beat on their chest plates with large swords, while others jumped and waved cudgels and hammers in the air. This would have been a remarkable sight if their anger hadn’t been directed at her and Rhys.
He leaned close. “I’m here to protect you.”
She nodded. Yes, but who will protect you?
Ravyn crouched, holding her hands ready. The mass of demons surged forward. Her power pulsed and heaved, and with a cry of surrender, she dropped her restraints and freed the fire. Lightning bolts shot from her palms and toward the approaching Bane with unpracticed skill. The massive amount of power from each strike knocked Ravyn back several steps. The first bolt struck a misshapen behemoth, but the second flew over their heads and split a tree down the center.
“Focus,” Rhys shouted.
“I’m trying.”
What did he expect? It wasn’t as if pelting evil creatures with lightning was a part of her daily activities. Her heart slammed against her chest as she focused on the closest demons. They were coming too fast. She continued to spin and blast, leaving glittering bits of demon hanging in the air. Panic swamped her. With each successful strike, a new demon took its comrade’s place, gaining a few precious feet in the process.
She heard herself screaming, but couldn’t stop as the sights and sounds of the melee blended. Ravyn fought to maintain what little courage she had and to gain some degree of accuracy. Several trees lost their lives as her energy shot wide of its target. She frequently found her mark, but just as often she disintegrated an untargeted Bane. The results were the same—dispatched demons, but there seemed to be no end to the demon army.
Millions of sparkling embers hung in the air and obscured her view. An explosion erupted a few feet in front of her, knocking Ravyn onto her backside. She jumped to her feet and spun toward Rhys. For the first time, she realized he also fought with fire. Why hadn’t he told her they shared this ability?
A new wave of demons jerked her back to the present danger.
Ravyn took her fear out on the Bane. Her lightning lobbed and bounced around the clearing with no discernible strategy, but Rhys made a strike with every attack. Frustration rushed through her. Whereas she panted from the effort of fighting, he seemed to parry the attacks with the least amount of effort. As she struggled to remain on her feet, her ire grew.
She yelled, her war cry stopping the Bane from approaching further. The few demons that remained stood a short distance away. They didn’t flee, only stared. She raised her hand to release another bolt, and froze. A new wave of demons poured from the forest, taking the place of their disintegrated companions.
Ravyn lowered her hands. Surely this was the end of them. “Holy Sainted Ones.”
Rhys moved to stand beside her.
Her voice cracked, rising in volume and octaves. “We can’t defeat them.”
“We can, and we will.” He grabbed her arm and spun her toward him. “Look at me, Ravyn.”
Tears burned in her eyes. She tore her gaze away from the advancing Bane. She really didn’t want to die. Her breath tumbled and fought to get free, but try as she might, her throat wouldn’t open. “H-how?”
He gripped her upper arms and gave her a quick shake. “Stay focused and keep fighting.”
“There are so many.”
Rhys bent and leveled his gaze with hers. “Yes, and we can defeat them, but I need you in the fight. I need you with me.”
Yes, he needed her. She could do this—or die trying.
She spun and pushed her hands forward. Lightning crackled and raced toward the Bane. The two bolts split and then split again, striking eight demons simultaneously. Ravyn sank into the familiar trance, reveling in the power coursing through her.
The grotesque creatures melted and merged into black voids. A brilliant light glowed where the center of the creatures’ chests had been. Like a white dove caught in a thorny bush, black tendrils snaked around and through the light, holding it captive within the black prison of the Bane.
With each blast of lightning and each thrust of fire, reality slipped from Ravyn’s grasp.
Kill demons.
The chant echoed through her subconscious, fueling her hate and purging her of fear. How long she fought, and how many demons she had dispatched she didn’t know.
Kill demons.
Footsteps pounded from behind, and Ravyn spun to face her attacker. Before she could strike, it froze. She stared at the demon, her sense of the present slipping back into place. Shivers ran through the creature, its eyes widening and bulging in their sockets. With her hands still held ready, she stepped backward. The demon didn’t move. It didn’t seem to see her.
Kill demons.
She crouched, ready for its attack. The demon’s body jolted violently. She retreated further. It jerked again, flopping like a rag doll.
Ravyn’s mouth fell open, unsure what was happening.
The demon’s body stretched and lifted, its clawed feet gouging shallow furrows before levitating to dangle several inches above the ground. Yellow, watery eyes rolled to the back of its head as tiny coils of lightning spread across its body. Appalled fascination riveted her in place. The creature’s tongue lolled out of its mouth and spittle trailed a path to its chin. Its feet hovered just above the ground, kicking and convulsing. Ravyn covered her mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit.
Had Rhys done this? She looked around, unsure. He faced the opposite direction, blasting the approaching Bane with both hands. She scanned the clearing. Nothing. She and Rhys were the only Bringers around.
A low moan emanated from the demon, its quake ebbing to twitches. The monster’s keening grew. Its body stretched and swelled before curling in on itself. Ravyn stumbled backward from the grotesque scene and the small black hole expanding behind the demon.
Ravyn’s dress wound around her legs, the heavy, wool folds sabotaging her retreat. She pitched forward. Her hands shot out to brace for the impact, but instead of colliding in the soft grass her palm landed hard against the sharp point of a rock. She wanted to cry out, to cradle her hand against her stomach and rock back and forth to ease the ache radiating up her arm. But the sight before her numbed her reaction. Only panic remained.
Like a crab, she scrambled away from the man-sized hole and demon. Piece by piece the monster’s body disappeared in the dense hole. With a giant pop, the Bane imploded and vanished.
She fell onto her elbows and stared.
A dark presence drew her awareness to a grove of trees on the opposite side of the clearing. Something familiar flashed and suddenly vanished. Before she could react, powerful arms grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. The breath rushed from her body, and hot moisture lapped at the back of her neck. The rancid breath of a demon assaulted her.
“Gotcha, girlie. You’ll be coming with me,” the creature rasped in her ear.
Its grip tightened and she gasped. Where was Rhys? Was he hurt? Strength surged through her at the thought of him l
ying injured or worse. She fought against the painful hold, but the only result was the demon’s laughter at her attempt to escape.
Anger burned through her. Blasting this bastard wasn’t possible. She could neither muster nor maneuver the energy to strike. Think, Ravyn, think.
Fire wasn’t her only weapon. A foreign sense pulled at her hand—the dagger. She lifted her knee to slide the knife from her boot. The awareness and connection were immediate. The sensation of binding wrapped around her hand. The weapon calmed her panic and focused her fighting instincts. She and the dagger were one.
Ravyn willed her body to hang limp in the creature’s grip. The demon shrieked in triumph and hefted her wilted form over its shoulder. Both her uncomfortable position and the stench from the beast had her fighting for air, but the demon sprinted across the clearing, away from its companions.
They were a self-serving lot.
Rhys’s angry cry filled the air. Relief washed over Ravyn. He was all right. She turned her head and now saw that her captor raced toward the cemetery.
Blood rushed to her head, her body bouncing painfully against the spiny shoulder. Metal studs from the creature’s leather vest jabbed at her stomach with each bounding leap. She’d be bruised tomorrow for sure—if there was a tomorrow.
With aching slowness, Ravyn inhaled and raised the dagger awkwardly above her head. She gritted her teeth against the inevitable and plunged the knife into the demon’s back.
The monster’s shrill cry filled her head, tearing at her eardrums. Before she could cover her ears, the demon’s grip slackened and it listed forward. Its knees buckled and her body spilled sideways off the creature’s shoulder. With an ungraceful roll, she pulled the dagger from its thick skin and grabbed the blade with her other hand. Though clumsy, she managed to escape with merely a slice across her palm.
Ravyn rolled, gaining the shelter of the trees near the cemetery just as her kidnapper exploded. The eruption rocked the glen. Thousands of sizzling demon bits blasted outward, catapulting the fighting Bane backward from their spots. A fiery wind swept over her body and out into the forest. She buried her face under her arm, sheltering her eyes from the flying debris. The air thinned. Ravyn choked and lifted her head, scanning the area for Rhys. He lay several yards away in a similar position. She stumbled to her feet and wove toward him, her lungs burning.