“I never really thought about it. I’ve always been more concerned with…” I stopped, instantly feeling horrible. “My problems.”
I knew Tiki had fought for his freedom, but anytime I’d even approached that topic, he managed to deflect it. I’d never challenged him or pushed the subject because I’d been too focused on everything else. That realization made me feel worse.
“Well, this is ridiculous. I am a Taryk and pure blood demons or not, I will not be treated like this. The fact he lets them treat him with such insolence is preposterous,” Vincent said. “I will show them what a half-breed is capable of.”
The blue veins that pumped blood beneath Vincent’s skin ran black, and as his demon was about to be unleashed, Tiki came back around the corner.
A yellow peel from something had been smashed on top of his head. Red juices dripped off each strand of his hair and over his skin. He wiped the fluid from his eyes and blinked a few times to clear them.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I am fine.” He shook his head and let the remaining debris fall to the ground. He wiped his face again and smiled. “The bad news is Krulear is gone. She has been for a while.”
“This is unacceptable,” Vincent growled.
“It is fine, Vincent. I may have established another way to discover the answers you seek.”
“Not the answers, you idiot. This!” Vincent pulled at the long strip of yellow peel that had gotten stuck in Tiki’s hair.
I wasn’t sure what made Vincent angrier. The fact that he’d been spit on or that Tiki was okay with letting the pure bloods treat him this way.
“We are here to seek clarity and guidance, not to debate the treatment of slaves and half-breeds in the Underworld,” Tiki said. “I do return with good news. Look who I found!”
A small, ugly creature came around the corner. He only stood as high as Tiki’s waist and his crooked chin pointed out to the side. Large, round warts covered his face and his gray skin was marred by thin black scars. His beady eyes looked up at me beneath a hairy unibrow, and I realized he was a troll, but not just any troll.
“Gar..smith?” I said, trying to recall his name.
“Well, son of a Caruban Garbenstein! If it isn’t Chase Williams!” The unruly mustache above his lip curled as he laughed and stomped towards me. The small axe that sat in a satchel on his back rattled as he walked. “I never thought I’d see the likes of you in these here parts again!” He forced his calloused hand into mine, giving it a rough shake.
“I…no, me neither,” I said.
“What brings you back to our humble world?”
“Krulear…we’re looking for the seer,” Tiki interrupted.
“What do you want with that old bat? She’s as crazy as a starved goblin after a near-dozen pints!” Garsmith leaned back and chuckled, slapping his small hand against his gut. “And what’s this ugly thing?” Garsmith looked up at Vincent. “Looks like he’s got something in his hair.” He reached up to touch him but Vincent backed away.
“How dare—” Vincent started.
“We’re hoping Krulear can help us find something,” I said. “But she isn’t here.”
“Nope, hasn’t been for a while now. Old thing turned even crazier—if you can believe that—after the last half-breeds paid her a visit. Spouting off about gods and the Protector.” Garsmith laughed again. “There hasn’t been such fallacy spoke in these parts in ages.”
“Other half-breeds?” I asked.
“Yup, nasty trio they were. Reminded me of you, actually!” He grinned. “All fleshy and hairless with shadow arms drifting about. After meeting you, I learned not to question the mutts no more. No sir, I steered clear of those three. If you want to talk to Ithreal, I don’t want to be within an Imp’s arm of ya!”
“They spoke to Krulear about Ithreal?” I asked.
Garsmith shuddered. “That’s what I hear. Rumor has it they weren’t just half-breeds either. I be hearing the Old Ones have returned and Ithreal ain’t far behind. Let me tell you, I sure as hell hope not. I wasn’t around in the time of the gods, but my papa was, and I sure as hell ain’t bowing down to no one but my king. I’ll die before I let the gods take my freedom!”
“Let’s hope the rest of the Underworlders feel the same way,” I said.
“Oh they do. Well, not all of them of course, but there’s enough of us. Speaking of us, you must come back to camp! There are many who will be happy to see you again. Ishmar is at his momma’s, damn giant woman would have all three of my balls if I let her, but he should be here in a few day cycles! He still talks about you nonstop.” Garsmith chuckled. “Tells everyone of the half-breed who bested him. Like a badge of honor or something.”
“You have three…” I shook my head. “I appreciate that, Garsmith, but we can’t stay. We need to head back and figure out a new way to—”
“Nonsense! Of course you can. Gather your group and follow me. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one though…he don’t smell right.” Garsmith glared at Vincent and started down the path.
“No really, we should be going.”
Garsmith turned his beady eyes to meet mine and they stared with defiance. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Chase Williams,” Tiki whispered. “Perhaps it is best we go. His people have seers too. Not like Krulear, of course. They are a different breed, but they may be able to help.”
Garsmith’s glare hadn’t wavered, and I remembered the trolls. They had helped us when we needed them. They had taken us to the goblins, and without them, we never would’ve gotten Rai, which meant we wouldn’t have been able to save Rayna.
I nodded. “Just for a night.”
“Excellent!” Garsmith grinned ear to ear, his wide smile revealing stained yellow and brown teeth, some of which had holes through them. “Ishmar will be unhappy he missed you, but any time is better than no time, right? Follow me!”
Chapter 10
The suns had begun to set when we arrived at the camp. On one side of the world, the horizon was lit up in hues of red, orange, and pink as both yellow suns faded side by side. On the other, a single blue sun slowly vanished from sight, leaving rays of purple and shades of green to fill the skyline.
The wooden bridge I remembered stood strong, wrapped in thick brown rope and swinging above the river. Violet water splashed against the bank and small rapids slapped against each other, white caps at their peaks.
As the landscapes dimmed, Vincent brought his hand down from protecting his eyes. Garsmith had refused to climb on top of Rai, forcing us to endure his endless rambling about the potential for new war among the trolls and goblins. I heard him say their treaty was on the verge of breaking, but after that, I tuned him out. The only good news was that walking with Garsmith meant all the other Underworlders left us alone. The bad news was it left me to focus on everything else. I was worried we were on a wild goose chase, and even more so about everyone back home.
A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach made me think I shouldn’t have left. Marcus, Rayna, and Grams had all agreed to my going with Tiki. I knew I wasn’t running recklessly about, but something felt off. Maybe it was the fact I had their permission and wasn’t on some kamikaze mission by myself.
“Chase, I need to speak with you,” Vincent whispered.
“Great,” I said, but when he didn’t respond, I sighed. “Well, go ahead, speak.”
“Preferably in private.”
“What are you two rambling on about back there?” Garsmith shouted. “I’m telling a story here.”
“Nothing that concerns you,” Vincent said.
Garsmith stopped, and let out a nasally breath. “Ya know, I don’t like you much. You smell funny. Dirty. Like those from the dark worlds.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t care much for your scent either. Wet dog never did appeal to me.”
Garsmith’s cheek dimpled as he bit the sides of it. His mustache twitched and he cracked his knuckles. “I don’
t know what a dog is, but that sounds like an insult. You and me gonna have a problem?”
“There’s no problem,” I said, shooting Vincent a glare.
“That depends.” Vincent pushed past me. “Are you going to continue your ignorant assault, based on a mere assumption?”
With speed that a man his size shouldn’t be able to manage, Garsmith tore his axe from its holster and pushed it against Vincent’s throat. “Don’t look at me with your filthy eyes,” he growled. “I don’t know what you are, but you smell like death…I don’t care for no corpse eating son of a goblin, even if you do look like one of these half-breeds.”
Vincent’s skin cleared and his fangs dropped. As his demon emerged, my stomach clenched.
“Vincent, stop,” I ordered.
“I knew it!” Garsmith yelled. “My nose is never wrong.” He dropped his axe behind his head and swung forward.
Vincent dodged it in a blur and grabbed Garsmith by the throat, his fangs not far behind.
“No!” I shouted, and my magic reached out.
Vincent was torn away from Garsmith and he flailed through the air, spinning wildly into one of the bridge’s wooden posts. The thick stump snapped and the bridge lowered on one side as the rope sagged. Trolls began marching from the village, clubs and weapons in hand.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I moved between the villagers and Vincent, holding my hands up as if that could stop them. “Garsmith, a little help?”
“For him? Forget it!” Garsmith snapped.
“He is not like the creatures you know,” Tiki said. “Just as you once accepted me and Chase, please give him a chance.”
“He’s had his chance.”
“Is this what you call a chance?”
Garsmith chewed on his bottom lip and the crowd stopped, looking to him for direction. His beady black eyes flickered back to Vincent, who was dusting dirt from his blood-stained shirt.
“You’ll pay for that, Williams,” Vincent muttered.
“Will I?” I stepped towards him.
“Like you have no idea,” Vincent growled. “I will not tolerate being spoken down to by a dwarfed creature, and certainly not from you.”
“This isn’t our world. We’re guests and we operate under their rules. If you don’t like that, too damn bad. And last time I checked, you weren’t very welcome at your home either. Wasn’t it you who came to us, unable to stand and begging for help?”
“I’m Vincent Taryk. I do not beg. Certainly not to the likes of you.”
“No, you just grovel for us to save you and then insist on being a dick?”
Vincent’s lips parted, but no words came out.
“Exactly.” I looked back at Garsmith, who stood with a small, angry village behind him. Tiki was off to the side and when I looked to him for help, he only shrugged. I sighed. “We already did you a favor, and if you’re going to stick with us, then you act as I say. Got it?”
Vincent glared at me, his eyes glowing as the sky darkened.
“Are we good, or are you going to travel this world alone from here on out?” I asked.
Vincent’s fangs receded into his gums. “We are far from good, but for the moment, I will restrain myself.”
“What do you say, Garsmith? He’s with us, can you offer some leniency?”
Garsmith continued to chew on his lip, his black eyes unwavering. He sighed, latched his axe in its holster and nodded. “Very little leniency. If you say he’s good, fine, but it’s on you too! He better start to show some respect.”
“Then it’s on me too,” I said.
Garsmith grunted, and with a wave of his hand, all the trolls moved back to their village. “Come along then.”
Chapter 11
Vincent, Tiki, and I sat next to the bonfire. Trolls of all shapes moved around it, sloshing liquid over the rims of steel cups. I couldn’t bring myself to drink what they’d given me. It smelled worse than the food, which fell somewhere between old milk and wet socks.
“When is he going to let us talk to the seers?” I turned to Tiki, watching Garsmith on the stump across from us. The troll’s leader, Chief Sorrent, was away discussing a breach in their treaty with the goblins and whether they should go to war, which left Garsmith in charge, and he appeared to be enjoying the power.
His log sat a little higher than the rest, and the female trolls—who looked identical to the men, with the exception of breasts—continued to wait on him. His stained, toothy smile never left his face.
Tiki shrugged. “The troll’s seers cannot operate on a whim like Krulear. They do their work at night, and I imagine the moon has not risen high enough for its power to be at its fullest.”
“I’m aware you are from here, but do you know everything there is to know about the Underworlds?” Vincent interjected.
Tiki shook his head. “I am not from here. I am from Lavinos of the god Genevieve. To answer your question, no, I don’t know everything there is to know. But I spent hundreds of years wandering these worlds. In that time, I learned many things.”
“Hundreds? How old are you exactly?” I asked.
Tiki ignored the question and continued to shovel food into his mouth. “Are you going to eat that?” He pointed to the dish that sat untouched in my hand.
I shook my head and handed him the bowl, which he immediately began to devour.
“Well, let’s go ask him.” Vincent stood from his stump.
I gripped his wrist and pulled him back down, forcing him to sit. “We’re not going to do anything. And if we do, you sure as hell aren’t going to be the one who goes over there.”
“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t realize I was expected to tolerate treatment like he delivered. And since when are you the knight of patience and virtue?”
“Since I realized flying off the handle every time something pisses you off doesn’t work,” I said. “I care about finding the soul pieces and stopping Riley. After everything you’ve done, what you think and how you feel means nothing to me. I saved you, because in that moment, seeing you so beaten and defeated, I felt pity for you—gods know why. The sooner you get that through your head, the better.”
“Guilty? Well, you should care. Otherwise my people will die.”
“What are you talking about? What people?”
“My people.”
“Your people? The vampires who have attacked me and aided you in every crappy thing you’ve done? Oh my, let’s hurry and save them from a horrible and unjust death.”
“You’re a hunter. Didn’t you take some oath to protect the inno—”
“Don’t you dare finish that word. Your people are a lot of things, but innocent isn’t one of them.”
“Perhaps innocent is a stretch, but they’re my family, more so than those other vile things. I owe them my protection. They don’t deserve what will happen to them if I can’t keep them safe.”
“Family?”
Vincent sighed. “Yes, those…vampires you saw were my family. My parents and my sister to be exact. And they just so happen to be some of the oldest of our kind.”
“Why are your parents after you?” Tiki leaned forward on his stump, a clump of food stuck to his chin.
“It doesn’t matter,” Vincent said. “I can’t stop them on my own. And without help, the family I’ve built will die.
“And what happened to the rest of your family and the vamplings?” Tiki asked.
“The Sovereign would have made an example of a few, and the others would have bowed in fear. I imagine any who made it out alive took sanctum at our refuge. I was unable to follow at the risk of them being discovered.”
“Why are they after you in the first place?”
“It’s not important. What is important is the fact that—”
“No. That’s not how this works. You don’t get to demand help and not explain yourself. If you want our help, you’re going to give us answers.”
Vincent stared off into the flames as they crackled and sparked, casting an orange g
low over his face. “I left the Sovereign,” he whispered.
“And?”
“And nobody just leaves the Sovereign.”
“You’re telling me the oldest and most powerful vampires on earth want to kill you just because you left? What aren’t you telling us?”
“I may have killed a few of the Sovereigns heirs when I left.”
I shook my head. “So you want us to stand up and fight with you because you can’t handle the repercussions of your own stupidity?”
“Stupidity? They deserved tenfold the wrath I unleashed on them. They got off easy after…” Vincent trailed off and shook his head. “And you’re one to talk. You’ve done nothing but put the people you care for in harm’s way since we met. Don’t you dare look down on me from that pedestal you’ve put yourself on.”
Anger swelled inside me and I jumped up from my seat. “I’ve been trying to stop Riley from killing everyone while you run around playing games and hiding from mommy and daddy!”
Vincent’s eyes flashed with rage and his power crushed into me. Invisible hands wrapped around my brain, and I could feel thoughts and desires that weren’t my own scorching through my mind.
I tried to fight against the power, but I had no control. Dropping to my knees, I tried fighting against my muscles and my hand reached for my dagger. Images of plunging it into my chest flashed in my mind, but no matter how much I fought back, his power pushed my hand closer to the blade.
“Your arrogance will be the end of you, Mr. Williams. Just as it was your arrogance that killed your mother.”
I reached inside and called for my elements. Earth magic charged through my body, and although my hand was wrapped around the handle of my blade, I could feel the earth come alive beneath me like a sixth sense.
“How dare you bring her into this!”
Magic drilled from my body into the earth. It poured out of my soul and dripped down through my knees, swirling like grains of sand into the ground.
Cool, moist air pushed back his magic and the ground shook. Vincent stumbled and his magic wavered, leaving me a moment to get everything under control. I jumped to my feet and brought my fist up from the ground. Dirt and rocks floated through the air, wrapping around my hand and arm. Earth magic pulsed through my fingers, pulling the power tight around me. My fist smashed into Vincent’s chin and the earth that came with it plowed into him.
Release (The Protector Book 3) Page 8