“That is the viciousness that my masters want you to demonstrate,” the demon announces, coughing up hissing, acidic blood. The monster cringes and groans from the fresh pain, the taste sweet on its tongue. “They consider you weak and not worthy to be a part of their game. I agreed with them, but I seem to always be wrong about you, Luke Callindor. It was . . . fun fighting you again.”
Luke lops the demon’s head off and stabs it through the nose. “I never want to see you again.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
The castle shakes as the Hellfire Elf’s body disintegrates and the evil mirror crumbles into a pile of sand. A mighty roar erupts from the courtyard and a large, spectral form soars by the windows. The pieces of furniture in the room are mended and they move into their original positions while the paintings return to the original splendor. Luke races to the eastern wall and pushes one of the repaired panes open to see a wingless, serpentine creature flying over the Garden of Uli. The beast unleashes another roar and the surrounding forest seems to shimmer with an unearthly, emerald aura.
“So . . . anybody know how to get back to the kitchen? I’m famished,” Luke casually announces as he sheathes his sabers and hops off the window sill. He is tackled by Nyx, Sari, and Fizzle, all four crashing to the floor.
17
Ghostly figures move around the castle to repair the damage caused by the Dark Wind monsters. Pictures float back onto the walls while broken statues are meticulously put back together, the marble fusing together perfectly. Many of the airy beings stop to smile at Luke and his friends as the champions make their way to the front door. A spectral child arrives with a bowl of apples for Fizzle, giggling in a melodic voice when the drite attacks the fruit. Others approach with food and water for their saviors, bowing their heads before they go back to their work. Curious about them, Luke hurries after a phantom that resembles an elderly woman and tries to talk to her. He finds that her wind-like voice is difficult to decipher even with his language ability, but she can understand him without fail.
“Apparently, these are spectral servants who swore fealty to Uli,” he explains as he returns to the others. The half-elf bows to a passing ghost maiden, who smiles and shyly turns way. “All of them volunteered to watch her garden for eternity when it was deemed too delicate to be left on the ground. They know they’re dead, but feel that they are in the form that the gods intended because of their sacred oath. I think they can even have kids with each other from what Ida told me.”
“Where were they before now?” Sari asks, staring intently at Luke’s face.
“They’re connected to the guardian, which is a Brocken Dragon. Never heard of that kind before, but the servants were dormant when it was in the emerald,” he answers, leaning away from the gypsy. Without warning, he lurches forward and licks her on the nose. “Dang it! I’m having trouble keeping Stiletto under control. He has a surprisingly strong personality. Why are you looking at me like that, Sari?”
“Your eyes aren’t green anymore,” she replies, cleaning her nose with a handkerchief. “Take a look at him, Nyxie. They’re a chocolate brown with a ring of gold in the center.”
Luke growls when Nyx comes near and she swats him on the nose with her hand. “Don’t even think about it, boy. Looks like his eyes are permanently changed. Maybe because he is constantly accessing the abilities of Stiletto and the griffin. There’s a little black in there too, which probably came from being infected for so long. I doubt it’s anything harmful, but I’ll check him out after we get settled.”
Turning a corner, the tired adventurers are hit by a wall of floral scents and see sunlight pouring through the open entrance. Dust is billowing out the door as specters sweep the hallway with gnarled brooms. Everyone is stunned to see that the snow is gone and colorful flowers are sprouting from the moist dirt. With a hissing roar, the Brocken Dragon passes overhead and ruffles its light green feathers to release a cloud of seeds that are carried away by the wind. The elegant beast turns its antlered head to look at the adventurers, but merely narrows its white eyes and slithers out of view behind the castle.
Walking into the forest, the champions take their time and enjoy the lush woodland around them. The stream is healthy and small, emerald fish can be seen darting through the strong current. Songbirds are singing in the distance and their numbers grow with every pass of the Brocken Dragon. The surviving pixies dart among the leaves, hunting for berries to fill their stomachs and bring color back to their narrow cheeks. Luke slows down when he sees a flock of the winged spiders soar in the distance and disappear near a rocky hill that stands in a distant corner. The Garden of Uli is rapidly returning to life and the half-elf takes a deep breath of the invigorating scents that fill his temple.
“Hey, Nyxie,” Sari whispers, grabbing her friend’s hand to hold her back. They let the others walk ahead, the gypsy waving them away. “I’m not really sure how to say this, so I’m going to be blunt like you. I think I’m jealous of you because of how you coddle Luke. It’s a bizarre emotion because I know you’re not interested in him. Maybe I’m more annoyed that you never let me be the one to step up and protect him.”
“You know that’s a lie,” the caster says with a worried look on her face. “You’ve been there for Luke as much as I have. Maybe even more. For the love of Gola the Aura Source, you killed Vile to protect him. If anything, I got jealous of you being able to stand by his side while I was stuck being guarded in Fyric. Luke and I have known each other for less than a year, but we’ve-”
Sari covers the half-elf’s mouth and pulls her in close, placing her lips against the tip of her friend’s ear. “I know and I apologize for not realizing it. I was so caught up in my own feelings that I overreacted. You’re not the one I should be competing with. Kira is.”
“Please move away. My ears are really sensitive right now,” Nyx whispers, shivering from the gypsy’s breath on her ear. She pushes the girl away and clears her throat, her nerves calming down. “I’ve been wondering about your competition. With Kira unable to travel with us, you have the advantage and can easily win Luke over. Yet you got jealous about having to fight me for him. It seems that either you’re in need of a challenge or you’re simply not happy about having the advantage. Either way, I don’t understand why you’re so upset with someone being concerned about Luke.”
“That’s . . . Well . . . It does get a little confusing even for me.” Sari puts her hand out for the caster to shake. “Truce, Nyxie?”
A wicked grin crosses the half-elf’s face as she takes her friend’s hand. She pulls Sari off-balance and kisses her on the lips hard enough to stun the blue-haired gypsy. With a flick of her wrist, she releases her friend and dramatically wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. Sari attempts to speak, but her voice sounds like a bullfrog and she claps her hands over her mouth. A scowl appears on her face when she realizes that her friend delivered a spell and she does not have the power to undo it.
“I’ve been waiting so long to get revenge on you. By the way, Delvin tastes a lot sweeter . . . frog girl,” Nyx says, dodging Sari’s attempt at a tackle. She bumps into someone and recognizes the feel of chainmail against her hands. “Damn it! Why are you always standing nearby when I say something embarrassing, Cunningham?”
“We have company,” the warrior hisses, pointing his sword toward the Garden’s entrance.
Nyx looks ahead to see Stephen and Trinity standing atop the wall, the red-shirted nobleman staring at her. She can only imagine what he is thinking if he saw what she did with Sari and the fleeting thought makes her angry. Before anyone can stop her, the caster blasts into the air on a bird of flame and soars toward the wall. From her height, the half-elf can see how the pair reached the Garden of Uli. A disgusting ladder of titan corpses leads from the top of the wall to the mountain cliff below. Sharpened trees through the feet connect each body to the shoulders of another and she can smell the stench of time magic wafting off them. The firebird bloats and rockets to
ward Stephen with Nyx’s hands crackling with lightning. She is about to hurl all of the spells at once when a blast of ice destroys the bird and a fist-sized bolt of force slams into her stomach. The air is still being driven from her lungs when Trinity snags her leg with an agony-induce whip, leaps off the wall, and tackles her to the ground.
“Stand down,” she whispers into Nyx’s ear as she uncoils the weapon. When the half-elf attempts to get up, Trinity punches her in the face to knock her head against the solid earth. “I’ll break your bones and leave you a barely breathing heap if I have to, but you can’t attack Stephen now. He had too much fun killing the titans, so he’s looking for another target. He’ll kill your friends and do things to you that will haunt your dreams for eternity.”
“Why do you care?” Nyx growls. She pushes her enemy off and scrambles to her feet, fire dripping from her fingers. “I’ll kill you to get to him. We’re rivals, not friends.”
“Good point. Then I guess I should act accordingly.”
Trinity rushes forward and strikes Nyx in the face with her palm, snapping the half-elf’s head back. She catches a flailing arm by the wrist, twisting it down and driving her knee into the elbow to break the limb. The chaos elf is knocked away by a burst of scalding wind, but a quick shield protects her from the worst of the blast. She sighs when she sees her stubborn enemy awkwardly charging toward Stephen again. Plunging her hands into the earth, Trinity sends shadowy tendrils that burst from the earth and snag Nyx’s legs. The half-elf falls on the ground, which gives the other caster enough time to pounce. She hoists the squirming woman up by the hair and spins her around to deliver a kick to the chin. Nyx mutters several curses as her eyes roll back and she drops at Trinity’s feet.
“Maybe I should kill you and save us the trouble of cleaning up your messes,” the chaos elf says, her nails growing long and edged. She pauses when she feels Stephen watching her, his hungry stare making her nauseous. “Do you want me to bring her to you?”
Before the man can answer, Trinity is forced to retreat by Timoran’s great axe missing her by a hair. She sees the fury in the barbarian’s eyes and notices Delvin swiftly charging in from her right. Sari and Fizzle are already hurrying to check Nyx and the chaos elf knows she cannot defeat all of the champions at once. Unleashing a pillar of light, she blinds the approaching warriors and escapes to the wall where she crouches near Stephen.
“Do you realize that you saved them all?” he asks with a sneer. He reaches out to stroke her ebony hair and sniffs at her sweat-covered skin. “I’m running out of ways to punish you this week without repeating myself.”
“Your father would be angry if you ended the game so soon. Besides, they’re exhausted. How much fun would you really have with them?”
“I’m no longer in the mood for fun,” Stephen claims, his hands shaking with rage. His sapphire eyes lock on Delvin and a line of drool slips from the corner of his mouth. “These champions have attacked and insulted me several times. Now they escape my trap unscathed and refuse to cower before me. General Vile failed, so I will finish the job. Delvin Cunningham will die to prove I’m to be feared.”
Stephen notices a shimmer of movement out the corner of his eye and turns in time to see Luke a few feet away. He only has enough time to lean back, so the tip of the saber runs across his exposed neck. The thin cut burns and blood trickles down his throat, but the wound is not deep enough to be fatal.
“The weak one tries to hurt me,” the nobleman arrogantly says. He wills his magic to erase the injury, but blood continues dripping down his skin. Eyes widening in panic, he slaps at the wound and grimaces in pain. “This isn’t healing. Why is this not healing? I haven’t been truly injured in centuries. You don’t have magic blades or knowledge of spells. How did you hurt me, Callindor? What power did you get from Gabriel? I can’t even smell your power because you’re so weak. Why are you a threat to me!?”
Luke jumps back when Stephen takes a wild swing at him, the immortal crazed with fear and anger. Seeing an opening, the forest tracker spins his sabers and darts forward. Trinity is faster as she tackles her companion off the wall and they plummet toward the Widowhorn. Luke is about to dive after them, but stops when the pair vanish in a puff of violet smoke.
*****
Sari sits on the corner of the wall with her legs dangling over the edge and Fizzle napping in her lap. With a grimace, she forces herself to watch Nyx cremate the ladder of dead titans, their thick ashes drifting to mix with the snowy ground below. The caster has only been conscious for ten minutes, so Timoran and Delvin stand by to catch her if she collapses. Turning away from the burning corpses, Sari sees Luke is still arguing with the Brocken Dragon. It is not a conversation of actual words, but the two intricately manipulate the wind to communicate. The strong gusts and her friend’s wild arm movements make it obvious that they are not agreeing on something. A powerful snort knocks the half-elf over and the dragon flies away to tend to the Garden.
“It would be my luck to have a guardian that doesn’t like me,” Luke says as he takes a seat next to the gypsy. He puts an arm around her shoulders and hugs her as if he has not done so in years. “She thinks I’m an idiot for not accepting my true power. That’s why she refused to do anything about Stephen and Trinity. I had to prove I was worth her service by protecting the Garden.”
“You did drive them away, so why is she still angry?” Sari asks, placing her head on the warrior’s shoulder.
“Nyx did more fighting than me, which means I hide behind women. It doesn’t help that I can’t explain why Stephen panicked,” the half-elf groans, suppressing a chuckle. He kisses the girl on the head and enjoys the smell of her hair. “I feel like I should say something after all of this. Thank you isn’t really enough.”
“What about saying that you love me?”
“I love you, Sari.”
“And you love Kira.”
“I’m suddenly missing the Dark Wind.”
Sari removes his arm and smiles warmly at him, which is a look he knows means he is in trouble. She places Fizzle next to her and stands, placing a hand on Luke’s shoulder. He is already sprouting fur and feathers around his body in anticipation of getting playfully pushed off the wall. Instead, the gypsy hugs him from behind and places her forehead against his hair. The gentle act makes him worried about what she wants to talk about.
“I don’t know how much longer I can play this game,” she whispers, a few tears dropping onto the back of his neck. “It was fun when I didn’t want to win your heart, but now I fear the pain that we’ll put each other through. It’s worse because I don’t know where Kira stands on this. I once said she was the alpha, but her absence makes me feel like I should be the one who wins. If that’s the case then I don’t know if I’m winning because you love me more than her or because I’m simply here.”
“I wish I had an answer. If I had to choose now then it would-”
“Don’t say it,” Sari interrupts, pressing an icy finger to his lips. “Please don’t say anything that will make this worse. It’s already a mess and the two of us know it. Kira might even think so and there’s no way for us to know.”
“She slept with Caspar to get her father’s blessing and I’m in love with you. All of us are immoral bastards by my culture’s standards, but we’re fine by the traditions of Bor’daruk,” Luke carefully explains in a voice that betrays his anguish. He slips out of Sari’s arms by sliding off the wall, grabbing the edge, and flipping back up. “This isn’t even the real tradition because you and Kira have never met. I should have forced the issue in Gaia, but I was scared of what would happen. Now we’re at the point where someone is definitely going to get hurt.”
“That’s also my fault,” Sari says while she slowly spins and dances. Her skirts flow in the caressing wind as she lets the fluid movements calm her. “If I broke this off before I fell in love with you or never pushed you to admit your feelings then I’d be a fling. I took advantage of your situation and I let
it go too far. So both of us are to blame for this. Well, all three of us because Kira could have told you to stop once she found out about me. She wanted this to be a competition and now she gets her wish. By the gods, Gabriel is probably having a lot of fun at our expense.”
Luke shoots her a sour expression and rubs his eyes, a feeling of exhaustion rolling over him. “This isn’t Gabriel. The three of us are to blame and we’re idiots. Every chance one of us has had to prevent this from getting messy was cast aside.”
“Well we’re stuck until we meet up with Kira again,” the gypsy says with a yawn. She stops dancing and crouches next to the warrior, staring into his eyes. “I don’t want to give you up, but I think we need to behave for a while. Understand that it pains me to suggest this and I’m doing it solely to put my own fears at ease. We no longer share a bed or kiss until we meet with Kira and put everything on the table. Brief hugs and playful flirting is all we can do. Maybe a kiss on the cheek if the situation is appropriate.”
“Where did this come from, Sari?”
She leans over to give Luke a gentle kiss on the mouth, the act making him worry that this will be the last time their lips touch. Part of him is also disappointed that he would think such a thing when he is engaged to Kira. When the warrior reaches out to caress her cheek, Sari pulls away and moves out of reach. Her eyes dart to the others, which he notices before she can glance in a random direction.
“Somebody said something,” he drones in disbelief.
“Yes, but not knowing that it would make me think of doing this,” Sari explains, stopping herself from putting her hands on his chest. She wiggles her fingers as if trying to think what to do with them. “Nyx pointed out that Kira isn’t here, which gives me the advantage. If there was bad blood between me and her then I’d be fine with this, but I have no personal issue with your fiancée. I’ve never even met her. Ever since I woke up with my champion powers, part of me has wanted to fight for you. I mean pounce on an enemy and wail on them type of fighting. Maybe it’s a side-effect that I have to learn to control, but it caused me to see Nyx as a threat. She shouldn’t be involved in this.”
Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) Page 35