Fate's Hand
Page 21
“That is also true. I still believe it will send me back to the seventh.”
Arihem smiled, thinking he had the upper hand.
“You always were a good bodyguard, Arihem,” Drask said, casually shuffling through the burned pages across his desk. “I knew you were capable of betrayal, but to ally yourself with my brother?”
Drask finally found what he was looking for and reached into the paper, removing Proclamation of the Dark Truth. He looked the book over and made sure it was unscathed.
“I thought you were smarter than that.”
Drask looked over to the large pit fiend. He arched his arm out, sending the book spinning through the air at Yusar’s chest. The wizard struggled and reached out to catch the book. Arihem panicked and tossed the human to the floor, catching the book himself. As the book touched Arihem’s outstretched hands, the demon began to scream out in pain. His entire body exploded in a bright yellow light. Before he could even fall to his knees, the light died off and Arihem disappeared with it. The large tome slammed into the floor next to a scorched spot on the stone. Drask smiled and walked over to the book, picking it up and looking at the cover.
“I guess I was wrong.”
Sirash rolled her long tail out as she tried to pick herself off the chamber floor. Drask walked over the debris to offer her a hand.
“Are you okay?” The prince asked.
Sirash shook her head and looked around at the chaos of the room. “Are they…”
“They are both gone,” Drask said primly.
“If I would have known—”
“I know.”
Drask looked over to the beaten wizard laying on the stone. Several of the tower's sentries had arrived and were surveying the damage.
“Throw the human in chains. He is stripped of his rank.”
Yusar looked at Drask’s arrogant smiling face as the devil prince continued. “Now he is just a pet.”
The demons dragged the stunned and defeated man out of the room with no resistance.
“I have something I need to do,” Sirash said. She began to exit the room as Drask used a simple wind spell to clear the summoning circle of debris. Sirash felt her baby move around in her womb and let out a sigh of relief that the child was unharmed. She watched the demon prince study his writing intensely. Sirash slid back into the room to admire the focus and determination of the demon prince. Sirash walked over and put her hand on Drask’s foot, casting a spell to heal his minor injuries. Drask stopped reading and looked down at Sirash.
“I’ll stay if it pleases you, my King.” Drask smiled and nodded. He looked up, and after one deep breath, he began casting the spell. The circles on the floor and on his hand glowed and pulsed with a faint blue light. Drask felt his feet come off the table. His focus did not waver as he continued to cast. Sirash floated into the air beside him and watched on with wide eyes. Drask finished the summoning spell as the burned pages and splintered wood floated weightlessly around the room. All sound in the room died out and created a void.
Drask could only watch as he and Sirash floated over the pulsing circle. The items in the air began to come in closer around the two and formed wall of debris at the edge of the circle. Sirash and Drask gently landed on the circle. The light in the circle illuminated around them and then faded. The wood and books came crashing to the ground, the loose pages fluttering down. Sirash looked onto Drask’s smiling face as the spell come to a calm completion.
“I thought something bigger would happen,” he said to his general.
Sirash gave Drask’s neck a curious look. He pulled his robes and armor loose to reveal his chest, marked with a large scarred circle to match the floor and his hand. Drask looked to his hand and realized the scar was removed. Sirash studied her own body. The same marking was across her chest and bust line. The intricate burn scars glowed light red, then faded into the skin. The prince’s smile faded too as he watched Sirash’s stomach light up with a glow, then taper off as her scar did. The two shared a look for a moment. She smiled.
“It’s yours.”