Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel) (24 page)

There was a split second of complete shock, and then the entire table jumped out of their chairs with a screech, and the guards that had been so conveniently keeping to the shadows attacked. Alex grabbed hold of me and yanked me behind him, raising his sword just in time to deflect the blow of a warhammer. He kicked the guard holding it in the gut and shoved him back with the pummel of his sword, and the guard went sliding over the table, knocking over plates and goblets, spilling red wine everywhere and bathing the beautiful table in blood. Alex didn't waste any time, and when the next two guards attacked, they were down before they'd fully raised their weapons.

Impressive
.

In my admiration, a guard grabbed a hold of my wrists and pulled me back. His grip was a vice, and no matter how much I squirmed, I could not break free. Alex tried to come after me but was intercepted by another enemy guard. I finally managed to kick my heel back in my attacker's groin, and when he leaned forward in pain, I rammed the back of my head into his nose. This sent the guard bending backwards and he loosened his grip on my wrists. I twisted myself free and slid my dagger from my leg, and when my assailant stumbled back at me with his sword, I parried, easily knocking his sword out of his hands. He ran away, in search of his sword.

Which was right when Alex returned to me.

"Huh," he panted, glancing sideways at me and then eyeing my dagger.

I shrugged.

And then we were each engaged in new battles, though still keeping close to each other, always moving with respect to one another so that no one could writhe their way between us. Most of Mercedes' guests had managed a quick escape, since they were obviously not targets. Hawk remained, as well as Vera and Catia, Ven Orelius, a few others, and Mercedes herself.

It was much easier moving in my skirt than my leathers. The fabric didn't provide much protection, but the high slits allowed a nice range of unimpeded movement. Someone grabbed one of the floating lanterns and set it on one of the guards. The guard's body caught flame, and in a desperate attempt to dispel the flames, he tripped and fell over the balustrade. His screams filled the night and faded away into nothing.

The enemy guards left standing started to run. Hawk yelled some string of words in Saqai, and a few of our party and Ven Orelius took off in pursuit of them. The rest of us had just begun to gather our breaths when a small light appeared. It shimmered there, directly in the center of the terrace, a pale, blue light that pulsed like a small star, and I could feel its presence like a hot desert wind.

"Alex…" I pulled his arm.

He had been hunched over inspecting a fallen guard, but at my touch he turned to look at me over his shoulder. His eyes slid past me and he stood.

Then all the lanterns when out. All that remained was the blue light.

"What is thet?" asked Catia.

The light suddenly pulsed and caught fire, hovering there in the center of the terrace like some ball of liquid white flame casting all of us standing around in an eerie glow. Dread bubbled deep inside of me, and then the sphere of fire further differentiated into parts. Two arms and two legs all aflame, then a head and a tail.

"Spirits of the realm," Vera whispered, jaw agape.

Catia moved her hand in some kind of symbol over her heart, whispering something in Saqai.

The light had turned into a demon from hell, white, smokeless fire curling around its nightmarish face. Its chest was broad with unnaturally striated muscle and its massive corded arms ended in curved claws. A barbed tail moved through the air behind it like a whip of flame, slowly slicing back and forth. It had a strange spectral quality to it, like some kind of bright hologram. But holograms didn't produce heat, and the air around this flaming demon singed and hummed with magic. It was a different kind of magic—different from any kind of magic I'd ever felt. There was something wrong about it, something perverse and foreboding. Something intoxicating and overpowering and
seductive
.

I knew without question that it was dark magic.

But then…who was using it? All the enemy guards had fled.

Hawk didn't waste a moment. He raised an ax and lobbed it at the creature. The ax flew threw the air in a wheel of silver, spinning itself right through the demon, over the balustrade, and out of sight. A deep and guttural snarl sounded from the demon's lips, and its blinding white eyes narrowed upon Hawk. Then it moved.

It was lightning fast, a blur of white flame in the night, right at Hawk. Mercedes conjured some kind of magical shield, barely deflecting its claws from Hawk's throat. The shield had held it off, but the demon was now latched to the shield, wrapped around it like some kind of parasite. It reached long, flaming arms around the shield, raking at Hawk while Mercedes strained to maintain the energy needed to hold the shield in place.

Vera's fury ignited and a bolt of light shot from her hands. It hit the demon's back, but the demon didn't fall. Instead, the flames swelled as though it was swallowing the light. The demon trembled, and then it shot the bolt of light straight back at Vera. She dodged just in time, and the bolt landed on a large vase. The vase exploded, sending bits of ceramic and dirt everywhere. Apparently, the demon was resistant to magic, too. At least
our
kind of magic.

Alex grabbed my wrist. "Daria, go. Now," he whispered, squeezing my wrist so tightly it hurt. "Get out of here."

"No. I'm not going anywhere."

Hawk brought a curved machete down for a killing blow. Again, his blade slipped right through the demon as though the demon was nothing more than a vapor. That demonic face snarled and flung its arm back at Hawk. Flames collided with Hawk's chest, sending Hawk flying through the air, much farther than any person should have flown. He collided with the balustrade and slumped to the ground.

Horrified, I pressed my senses to him. He was hurt, but he was alive. The force from such a hit might've killed a weaker man.

And then everyone attacked. Alex held me firmly back while the others pressed in. They tried with weapons and other spells, but all of their spells rebounded. And then the demon sent a wall of flame straight at Vera.

My world slowed again, but this time a voice whispered,
Use me. I'll show you.

There was a tingling sensation deep in my gut. It moved to my chest, condensing there, the pressure of it building and building as though I'd held my breath for too long and now my lungs were bursting to release.

Now, let go
, said the voice.

With a great exhale, I pushed the pressure down my arms and through my fingertips. Time continued just as it should, and a cyclone of air ripped through the space, disintegrating the wall of flames before they could touch Vera. Everyone gaped at me, shocked. Even Alex had let go of my wrist to stare at me. And then the demon charged.

It dropped on all fours and charged toward me like a bull, flames curling all around it. People threw weapons, but all slipped through the air, clattering upon the terrace. I searched for that tingling sensation, but it wasn't there. In its place was raw fear. This spectar was going to kill me.

No. I hadn't come this far to be killed by a fancy hologram.

My dagger suddenly felt heavy in my hand and the hilt seared my palm. There was a moment—a quick moment—where I was stunned, my eyes flicking back and forth between the approaching monster and the dagger in my hands. And then for some reason, I threw my dagger straight at the demon.

End over end it sailed, the point landing into the creature's chest. But it didn't pass through; it stuck with a wet thud.

The demon screamed a high, keening sound, clawing at the now glowing hilt of my dagger. Unfortunately, the blade had missed the mark and landed a few inches from the demon's heart, assuming it had one. I briefly thought how ironic that would be.

The demon pulled the hilt from its chest, its razor-sharp teeth bared in fury. Power pulsed through me from somewhere in the shadows, renewing the spectral demon with might. Whoever had created this monster was still nearby, fueling its power.

In order to destroy this demon, I'd have to destroy its maker. I whipped my head around and was looking for signs of movement when the flaming, whip-like tail descended upon me. I dodged; the tail landed in stone where I'd stood, breaking and scorching the tiles beneath it. Again and again the tail came down and I jumped. I heard Alex calling my name as I scrambled under the dinner table and a fist came down, breaking it in half. I crawled along the tile, careful to stay beneath the cover of the table. I needed my dagger…

"Daria, catch!" Alex yelled.

Something scraped over stone, toward me. The demon ripped the table away, its hulking frame towering over me. It came down for the kill, and in one swift motion, I swept my arm out, grabbed the hilt of my dagger, and stabbed the tip of the blade through the demon's opened mouth. It released a bone-chilling wail into the night and reeled back while I scrambled away, leaving my dagger behind.

That should hold it off, at least for a bit. I hoped.

"Use my dagger and keep it distracted!" I yelled, getting to my feet and searching the shadows. The dark mage had to be here somewhere. Another pulse of energy, and I saw the silhouette slinking back into the shadows. Alex had followed my gaze and saw the figure in the same moment I did.

We exchanged a glance, and then together we sprinted after him.

Up the stairs, around the corner, and down a narrow corridor. I hated leaving the others with that demon, but they had my dagger. And at least the dark mage wouldn't be there to heal the demon.

Our path split.

"I'll take right!" I panted. Alex hesitated, but then nodded sharply and headed in the opposite direction.

Across the terrace, through alleys and over bridges, pushing through clotheslines and past wooden carts. The shadow knocked over one of the carts, and baskets of what looked like apples spilled all over the road. I leapt over them, following him up a narrow stair and down a winding corridor.

A plume of liquid blue flames came at me, and with the same tingling energy I'd felt before, I pulsed the air at them, knocking them aside. It had been much easier to do this time.

My sandals slapped on the pavement as people dodged aside, pulling small children out of my way. There were more flames thrust my way, but each time I was ready, using a wall of air to push them aside. It was like a vital organ inside of me had suddenly been reconnected. I still had no idea what I'd do once I reached the apparently gifted dark mage, but I would worry about that later. I stopped at a crossroads, my eyes darting back and forth, and then I caught sight of a moving cloak off to my left.

I chased it, leaping over flowers and shrubs, ducking behind a cart, and then I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground.

He cried out and raised his hands in surrender. Dread lumped in my throat as I jerked back the hood. It was an elderly man in a cloak, and he looked terrified. I grunted to myself. "Sorry!" I helped him back to his feet. A small group of people had gathered around us. I squinted up at the starlit sky and then back around at all the glowing lanterns lighting the maze of pathways.

I'd lost him.

Hopefully, Alex had had better luck. After a few seconds, I spotted Alex on a bridge parallel to where I stood. He was alone too.

"You okay?" he asked once we reached each other. He was still a little out of breath.

"Yeah, you?"

He nodded, dragging his hand over his face. "I'd be better if he hadn't gotten away." He glanced over me, and I felt his consciousness do a quick sweep. Satisfied, he shut the connection off again and said, "We need to get back and check on the others."

We made our way back to the terrace. There was no sign of the flaming demon, but it had left a rather nasty trail of destruction in its wake. What had been a scene of enchantment only moments ago looked like a missile testing site. Scorch marks stained the floor and balustrades, broken glass was everywhere, and many of the chairs had been reduced to piles of beautifully handcrafted firewood. Hawk stood beside Vera, and when they saw us, they motioned for us to come over. At least they were all right.

I watched two men carry the dinner table away—or part of it, rather. I wasn't sure where the rest of it had gone. Alex and I navigated around broken chairs and stepped over shattered glass until we reached them.

"Where is Mercedes?" I asked.

"Back in her chambers," Vera said. "Here." She handed me back my dagger, hilt first.

"Thanks," I took it from her, slipped it beneath my skirt, and resheathed it. She watched me. "What happened to the demon?" I asked.

"It disintegrated not long after you and Alexander left," she said. "It couldn't recover after that stab wound through the mouth." She looked a little impressed.

"Eet looks like eet needed its mage to survive, no?" Hawk looked between Alex and me.

"Unfortunately, he got away." Alex raked a hand through his hair.

Vera frowned, then looked back at the shadows with sudden mistrust.

"This is all my fault," I said. "I've put you all in danger by being here."

"You must not take blame for thees, preen-ciss." Hawk waved at the terrace. "You are doing what you must, and the dark will try to stop you at every step. We hef a saying, my people: If you are not meeting oppo-zee-shun, then you are going thee wrong way."

"I hope you're right," I said. I needed him to be right. It was too much to sacrifice, otherwise.

"Did you manage to take any hostages?" Alex asked.

Vera nodded. "Two. No one else has made it through the city gates, so the other few are either in hiding or their dead bodies will be deposited on shore in the next few weeks."

I noticed a couple of bodies lying with the stillness only death permits. It hadn't gotten any easier for me, seeing death. I swallowed and approached the nearest fallen body, then crouched beside him. Or
her
, rather. The woman's face was hidden beneath a pile of matted brown hair, but I caught sight of a symbol on the back of her neck. Slowly, I stretched my hand toward her. I was afraid to touch her—afraid as though I might catch death merely by contact—but I managed to brush her hair away to see the rest of the symbol.