Chapter Twenty-Three
The wind was picking up, and fat snowflakes whirled all about by the time they gathered in the backyard beneath the old gazebo. Dax eyed the ancient structure and shot a questioning glance at Eddy. She bit back a grin.
It’s perfectly safe. I really don’t think it’s going to collapse.
There’s a lot of snow on the roof.
It will be fine. Relax.
At least she hoped it would. She hoped a lot would be fine, including this first-time magical spell of Mari’s. Dax had a tight grip on Bumper with both arms, while Eddy held on to the belt loop at the middle of his back with her right hand and linked arms with Artigos on her left. Darius was on Dax’s right, hanging on to Eddy’s hand and Dax’s belt loop with his left hand, and clasping his right arm tightly around Mari’s waist. Artigos hugged Mari from the other side.
They’d decided that hanging on to each other in a tight huddle was more important than holding their swords against Mari while she cast the spell, though first they’d had her hold each of the blades to draw what power she could.
Spirit, Freedom, Gaia, and Ed waited inside the house, watching nervously through the back window. Mari’d been concerned about their being caught up in her spell, something none of them wanted. Well, none except Freedom who was terribly disappointed that his beloved daughter had told him he couldn’t go with them to Lemuria.
He’d insisted that it was, after all, something he’d dreamed of for years, but Mari held firm. Now she glanced at her mother and grinned, but when she faced forward, her smile was gone. “Okay,” she said, and it was easy for Eddy to picture the professional investment banker behind that solemn voice. “I’ve never done this, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t work.”
Eddy snickered. “If that’s supposed to inspire confidence, Mari, you need to work on your spiel.”
“Yeah. Right.” She smiled brightly. “Okay. Improved version. Darius has given me a great visual of the chamber inside the energy portal, and we will all arrive together, safely, without any problems.” She let out a quick breath. “But just in case we land outside, we’re all dressed warmly, right? Eddy? Is that coat of mine going to be enough?”
Eddy nodded. “I’m fine. But let’s hurry. I’ve got a terrible feeling they really need us.”
Mari nodded. “Me, too. Not about the spell, about Lemuria, and I’ve never even been there.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Darius kissed her cheek. “You can do this. We all can.”
Mari took a deep breath, let it out, and looked at each of them. “I know.” Then she began to chant.
“The battle calls. Our comrades wait.
Transport all six to Lemuria’s gate.
Artigos. Dax. Eddy. Darius. BumperWillow and me.
Send us now. So mote it be.”
Nothing happened. She glanced around, blinking as if surprised they’d not moved. “Okay. Let’s give this one more …”
Before she could repeat her spell, light flashed, and Eddy felt that weird sensation of weightlessness that happens just before a rollercoaster makes its downward run.
Light swirled, darkness and then color and darkness again. And, as if she’d jumped off a bottom step, Eddy’s feet hit the ground. “Oh. My. God! Mari, you did it!” She glanced around at the familiar portals. “You really spelled us here. Fantastic!”
Dax set BumperWillow on the ground, and the dog raced across the small chamber, barking and growling. Artigos stumbled and then righted himself. Darius held Mari in a tight embrace, holding her up. She trembled from head to foot and looked as if her legs were ready to fold.
But she was smiling. “I did, didn’t I? So this is what an energy vortex looks like, eh?” She glanced around. Then she jumped when Dax and Artigos both drew their swords. “What’s wrong?”
“The portal’s open again.” Dax slashed through a dark wraith, and it burst into blue sparks and stinking smoke. “Who the hell … Darius, can you close this thing?”
“I can, but it’s a big portal, and it could take a while. Dax, you, Eddy, and Artigos. Go and see what you can do to help Alton. I’ll close the portal. I bet the demon king had something to do with this.” He glanced at Mari and smiled broadly as she mumbled her spell, pointed at a demon, and watched it disappear in a cloud of sulfuric smoke. “Mari can take care of the demons while I work on the portal. We’ll meet up with you inside.”
“BumperWillow! C’mon.” Eddy snapped her fingers, and the dog immediately trotted along behind her as she drew her sword and followed Dax and Artigos through the portal to Lemuria. Down the passageway and through the flowing wall of gold, and then along the broad, brightly lit tunnel toward the great plaza.
The eerie yet now familiar sound of banshee cries echoed off the walls. Shouts and curses, and an overwhelming sense of dread radiated from the direction they traveled.
Dax broke into a run.
Eddy glanced at Bumper to make sure she was following and caught up to Artigos and Dax. Three abreast, with BumperWillow now leading the way, they turned the final corner and burst into the great plaza.
Demons were everywhere! Swirling in masses of black mist, charging the soldiers, and dying against their crystal blades, their numbers seemed unending.
Dax was immediately drawn into battle, with Alton’s father standing at his back. Their swords flashed, and demons died, but more came to take their place. “I’m going to find Ginny,” Eddy shouted. “I want them to know we’re here.”
Dax nodded and swung his sword. Eddy slipped past groups of combatants and raced toward the dais. A flash of dark light pinpointed Ginny’s location.
Ginny stood beside a man wielding a ruby sword who could only be Artigos the Just. He reminded Eddy of Alton, but he fought as if he were merely another soldier in this terrible fight, not the returned ruler of an entire civilization. The stench of sulfur was almost suffocating as demons died, as more rushed in to take their place.
“Ginny! We’re here. Darius and Mari are working on the portal. It was open again.”
“Hey, Eddy!” Ginny ducked as a demon flew overhead. “Taron was afraid his fix wouldn’t hold. He said Drago had made a huge gateway, bigger than any he’d seen. Who’d you bring?”
“Me, Dax, Artigos, Darius, and Mari. Oh,” she laughed as BumperWillow barked, “and Bumper. She’s good at finding demonkind.”
“No need to search.” Ginny thrust her blade into a mass of dark, oily mist that took on form and shape in DarkFire’s lavender light, and died in a mass of sharp fangs and deadly talons. “They’re everywhere. The demon king is here somewhere, but he’s staying clear of DarkFire. Mine seems to be the only blade that will harm him.”
“Good to know.” Eddy thrust DemonSlayer into another mass of demonkind. She might not see them as clearly as Ginny could in the dark glow of her amethyst blade, but they died in just as satisfactory a manner. “How are Selyn and Dawson?”
Ginny laughed. “Wait until you see! Dawson’s got a sword. It’s already saved his life. He pulled a Dax and died on us, but he’s back and better than ever—maybe even immortal. I think he and Selyn are a definite pair.”
“I hoped as much. That’s great. Not that he died, but …” Eddy ducked as another group of demons whistled by overhead. A soldier she didn’t recognize, one bearing crystal, stopped their attack with a single thrust.
There’d definitely been a few changes while she’d been trapped in Evergreen. She spun around, dodged another black wraith, and called out, “Ginny! I almost forgot. Tell Alton his father is fine. The demon inside him is gone, and his father is here fighting. He plans to support Artigos the Just and make a public apology to all Lemuria.”
“Eddy! You’re here!” Selyn called out from the dais. She stood atop the platform with her sword in her hand and Dawson by her side. “And Bumper, too!”
Ducking down as a demon whizzed by, she jumped from the dais and raced to Eddy, dodging small groups of soldiers and armed women fighting. “I’m so glad you’re here!” She hugged Eddy and then waved at Dawson. “It’s so weird this morning. The demons are all over the place, but they’re not able to show themselves like they did yesterday. They’re not able to injure anyone, either. We were all scratched and bloody after fighting them before, but now it’s like batting down harmless insects.”
Dawson joined them. Eddy noticed the easy way he looped an arm over Selyn’s shoulders, the natural slide of her body against his. “Selyn’s right,” he said, glancing all around. “I know there are literally thousands of them here, as if they’ve been pouring through the portal for most of the night, but they don’t appear to be as solid as they were yesterday. They’re practically throwing themselves at our swords.”
“What about the demon king?” Dax draped his arm around Eddy and glanced over the crowd. Though the air reeked of sulfur, the masses of flying, attacking demons appeared to be falling off dramatically.
“Haven’t seen him today.” Dawson glanced over his shoulder. “Ginny drove him off last night. Maybe she’s scared him away.”
“Don’t count on it.” Ginny and Alton joined them. “I’ve got a bad feeling about things. This morning has been much too easy.”
Roland strode across the open plaza. “No sign of the bastard, Alton. I’ve heard back from my men. They’ve checked as far as the third level beneath the prison, and there’s no sign or scent of demonkind.”
“There’s no sign he’s gone, either.” A huge guard joined their group. He bowed his head toward Eddy. “Birk, m’lady. I was one of the wardens guarding the Forgotten Ones.”
Before Eddy could respond, Selyn punched him almost playfully on the arm. “Paladins, Birk. We’re not forgotten any longer.”
He nodded. “I stand corrected. As we are no longer possessed. But I’m uncomfortable with the disappearance of the demon king. He did not strike me as an entity willing to give up so easily.”
Eddy glanced up and felt a shiver race along her spine. Mari and Darius were entering the plaza, walking hand in hand toward their small group, and she thought of Mari with that damned crystal in her heart, the one that attracted demons. She hoped it wasn’t a mistake for her to come here.
Dax squeezed her hand, and she knew he’d picked up on her worries. “She’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll all stick close.”
Selyn turned and waved at someone on the far side of the plaza. “I see Isra and Nica. I want you to meet them, Eddy. They’re friends of mine.” She kissed Dawson’s cheek. “Be right back.” Then she turned away and trotted toward the two women.
Reluctantly, Dawson watched her go with an uncomfortable and unaccountable sense of dread, but he held back the words of caution he wanted to shout, fully aware Selyn would hate his overprotective nature. He had to get over this constant need to guard her. Selyn was a warrior in her own right—powerful and strong and so beautiful she made him ache.
His hovering over her would be the last thing she wanted. She was reveling in her newfound freedom, enjoying the first time in her very long life when she could make her own decisions, choose her own future.
He still couldn’t believe she’d chosen him. Wouldn’t believe it—not yet. It was still too new, too wonderful.
Just as Selyn was too wonderful. She looked like a dark-haired angel in her beautiful white robe. A lot better than he did, dressed like Lemuria’s finest, that was certain.
They’d both ended up wearing traditional white Lemurian robes this morning. He really felt like a dork, but there was no way Selyn could don her torn and bloodstained scrubs, and his jeans had been covered with the blood from his mortal wound.
Just thinking of that made his blood run cold.
He guessed running around Lemuria like a white-robed monk was better than dead, and that’s exactly where he should be right now. Instead, he was alive and in love, and carrying a crystal sword that had already said it wanted him around.
A far cry from his life as a small-town vet in Sedona, Arizona, that was for sure. No, this was definitely a change, and one he still had trouble believing.
Selyn had reached Nica and Isra. The three women hugged, and Dawson was reminded of their deep commitment to one another. He’d discovered he actually liked Isra, something he’d not expected, but she’d made an amazing transformation over the past couple of days.
He had to believe it was finally holding crystal that had given the woman the sense of worth she’d obviously lacked. He understood that. He was a guy who’d always thought of himself as a nerd. Yet standing here with a crystal sword in his hand had a way of changing a man’s self-image.
A soft breeze blew past. The tiny hairs at the nape of his neck stood on end. He glanced all about, looking for the source of his discomfort. There was nothing to see, nothing that accounted for the growing, almost overwhelming sense of dread.
No demons flew through the air. The sulfuric stench was almost gone, and small groups of people—soldiers and citizens alike—stood about talking.