Shadow world 3 book co.., p.41
Shadow World - 3 Book Collection, page 41
part #0 of The Dragon Born Trilogy Series
“Very well,” he said. “But lose the attitude.”
Alex’s smirk only grew wider. “If we all three put our magic together, we might have enough power to overload the Crusaders’ defenses, including their nasty little boobytrap.”
“Let’s do it,” he said.
They moved in closer, slow and steady, sensing for smaller traps. The big, explosive one covered the outside of the building.
“I will not miss this wretched world,” Sera muttered, stepping around a gigantic monster skull that looked like it had once belonged to a tyrannosaurus rex.
She could see Naomi now. Her friend was chained to a stone pillar. She was bleeding from a dozen different cuts on her body, including a really big gash on her forehead. Her head drooped limply to the side, her eyes closed in sleep. Four Crusaders in torn uniforms stood around her.
“Wake up, pretty fairy,” one of them said.
Lightning shot out of his hands, slamming against Naomi. Her body convulsed. Blood dripped from her mouth.
Flames burst to life all across Makani’s body. He was on fire. Sera gaped. She’d never seen anyone do that.
“Stop,” she whispered to him. “We can’t waste any magic. We’ll need every drop to overload that barrier.”
Makani’s flames puffed out. Not a single hair on his body was burnt. Amazing.
“We need you to do something for us,” the lightning mage said to Naomi.
She blinked rapidly, trying to focus her eyes. One of those eyes was bruised black. Someone had punched her hard enough to leave a mark.
“We hear you can raise the dead,” another Crusader said. He was a summoner of some sort. His aura was rather wolfish, so Sera was going to go with wolf.
“Sorry, you need to get your facts straight, boys.” Naomi’s cheerful smile didn’t match the sorry state of her body. “I’m the wrong kind of fairy for raising zombies. I’m not a necromancer.”
“You’re a Spirit Warrior,” said the third Crusader, a female telekinetic. “You can cross between earth and the spirit realm.”
“Yes, I can.” A wicked look flashed across her face. “Would you like me to send you to hell?”
The fourth, a fire mage, backed up. “This was a really bad idea.”
“Stop worrying,” the lightning mage told him. “She’s just a little girl. Fairies are all soft.”
“Oh, yes, so soft,” Naomi said. She disappeared.
“Where is she?” the wolf summoner said, his eyes darting around wildly.
“I’m right here.”
Naomi reappeared in front of them. Her hands were still chained, but she didn’t let that hinder her. She twisted them around with fluid grace, blasting the soldiers with a stream of sparkling pink Fairy Dust. They scrambled to the far corners of the hollow building, taking cover behind a crumbling debris pile.
“Now,” Makani told Sera and Alex.
Sera’s magic tore out of her, slamming into the barrier. It merged with Alex’s stream, then with Makani’s. Piece by piece, they were eating away at the Crusaders’ defenses. But then a wayward bolt of electricity from the lightning mage hit the barrier. The safeguard triggered. The whole thing was going to blow.
“Step back,” Makani said, pushing them back.
The barrier overloaded. A wall of flames shot up. Makani wove his magic into a lasso, catching the fire. Spinning and twisting, he rolled the flames up into a ball of fire. Smiling grimly, he unleashed it on the Crusaders. It ignited the Fairy Dust in the air, knocking the four mages out through the missing back wall of the building.
An exploding light show of pink Fairy Dust shot out of the topless building like fireworks. Naomi stepped through the twinkling mist, the pink particles bouncing off of her. Fairies were immune to the nap-inducing qualities of Fairy Dust.
“Thanks for the rescue,” she said with a crooked smile.
Blood dripped from her fingertips, splattering the rocky ground. Naomi’s eyes rolled back. Makani ran forward, catching her as she fell.
10
Demon-touched
The commandos were waiting for them when they got back to the Dragon Born base. Makani wouldn’t let go of Naomi, so Dal had to heal her from between the Prince’s arms.
“Getting protective, are you?” Alex said to Makani with a saucy smirk.
“Dragons are like that.”
Alex glanced at Sera, who shrugged. “Men are like that.”
“Their gruff, overbearing protectiveness is kind of romantic,” Alex said.
“There’s nothing sexier than a guy who can kick ass alongside me.” Naomi’s eyelashes fluttered open.
“You’re looking better. The bruise has almost faded from around your eye,” Alex told her as Makani set her down.
Naomi brushed her finger across her face. “Dal, you do great work.”
“Stop it. You’ll make him blush,” Callum told her.
“And he’s too pretty already,” added Tony.
“Commandos don’t blush.”
“Sure we do. We’re deep.” Dal patted Naomi’s shoulder. “All right. You’re all set. I’ve healed your exterior injuries, but the soreness will take longer to fade. Try to refrain from rushing into danger for the next day or two.”
“I guess you’ll have to cancel your date with Makani tonight,” Alex told her.
Naomi snorted.
“Dates with me rarely end in bloodshed,” Makani said serenely. He looked much happier now that Naomi was conscious.
“I think I once saw that printed on a t-shirt,” Sera quipped.
“Of course our dates don’t always end in bloodshed, honey,” Naomi said over Alex’s cackles. “So, my dears.” She turned her smile on the sisters. “Tell me how I can help you.”
“She always knows,” Alex said to Sera.
“That’s because she’s awesome.”
“Aww, now I’m the one blushing.”
“Don’t fret. Pink is definitely your color,” Sera told her.
Naomi brushed her hand through her hair, changing it from blonde to pink. “That’s better. Now, let me have it.”
“The clock is ticking,” replied Sera. “The fog has all but faded away from San Francisco.”
That was the only sign they had that the spell was settling. Once all the fog was gone, the Shadow World would be permanent.
“Merlin’s fortress is sealed up tightly, every entrance heavily guarded,” Alex said. “Save one.”
“The way in from the spirit realm,” Naomi said in a hushed whisper. “Say no more. I will help you.”
“So much for not rushing into danger,” Dal sighed.
“Sorry, doc, but my friends need me.”
“Thanks,” Sera said.
“No need for thanks. This world is mine too. When you gave us our memories back, it was a real eye-opener about how much better things could be.” Her eyes flickered to Makani.
“Whatever you need, we’re here,” he said.
A rift opened, and Riley stepped out of the smoke, Kai and Logan on either side of him.
“Ready to go?” Sera asked them.
“Yes,” Riley declared, his face set, his eyes burning with determination.
“We do have one small problem that came to light while you were tracking Naomi,” Kai said.
“Apparently, word has gotten out about Blackbrooke stopping the invasion,” Logan told them. “The Magic Council thinks he’s been compromised and is sending in troops from the outside.”
“How many?” Makani asked.
“Five thousand.”
Makani’s gaze panned across the smoking buildings and broken barriers.
“Go,” Naomi told him.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Rally the troops. Our people need you to command them, to unite them. I’ll be fine.”
His eyes darted to Sera and Alex.
“We’ll look out for her,” Alex promised him.
“Hey, I’m a tough warrior. I can look out for myself,” Naomi protested with smiling eyes.
“Of course you are.” Makani kissed the top of her head. “But I’m a gruff, overbearing, overprotective dragon.”
“You bet you are.” She rose up to her tiptoes, giving him a long, leisurely kiss.
“Go with Makani,” Kai told Tony. “You are in charge of my forces. And if Blackbrooke has something to say about that, stuff a sock in his mouth.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
“And keep an eye on my sister,” Kai called out as the commandos walked away with Makani. “Don’t let her get herself killed.”
“Lara will be fine, you know. She is a very powerful mage,” Sera said to Kai as they trudged through the bowels of hell.
He hadn’t unclenched his jaw since they’d departed the Dragon Born base, and her comment did nothing to relieve his tension. “She’s powerful all right—not to mention overconfident, stubborn, and reckless.”
“So, everything that defines a Drachenburg basically.”
“Careful, sweetheart.” His voice plunged to darker depths. “I might think you’re trying to taunt me.”
“Teasing, not taunting,” she assured him.
“What’s the difference?”
She smirked at him. “The difference is how much you enjoy it.”
“I fear I can’t enjoy anything here.” He waved his hand to indicate everything around them.
Sera had been to hell and back—literally—but it wasn’t exactly her idea of a relaxing vacation getaway. The trees were burning. The grass was burning. Even the sky was burning. It was thick with falling ash snowflakes. Every so often, some of those flakes burst into flames and puffed out. A volcano loomed high above them, expelling a steady stream of liquid fire and burning rocks. It was no wonder the trees were all black.
“How deep in hell are we?” Alex asked, coughing.
“The seventh level,” Naomi told her. Unlike most of them, she wasn’t walking like she had boulders in her boots. As a Spirit Warrior, she was immune to the magic-sapping effects of hell.
“The seventh level? So we might meet demons,” Riley said.
Demons lived only in the three core circles of hell. They couldn’t survive in the others.
“I’ve been trying to keep them away, but they are persistent,” Naomi said. “They’re drawn to the taste of earth magic.”
Sera shuddered. “Let’s just get through this place quickly.”
She tried to tell herself that it was only natural to fear hell. And besides, the last time she’d visited a core level of this realm, she’d died.
“This is the fastest path,” Naomi assured her. “It will take us to the edge of the spirit realm in Merlin’s domain. That’s where my magic hits a brick wall. I’ll need Riley to help me push us through.”
The ground exploded in front of her, spraying gravel everywhere. A creature resembling a centaur mixed with an eagle shot out of the growing hole in the path. It landed with a thump on all four hooves. A demon.
“Sorry, there are so many of them. I can’t keep them all out,” Naomi said, priming her magic.
Golden threads of spirit magic shot out of her hands, weaving back and forth to seal the hole in the ground. She wiped her shaking hand across her face, drying the sweat trickling down from her forehead.
“Stand aside, mortal,” the demon sneered at her. “You’re blocking my snack.” His eyes panned across Logan, moved past Riley to Kai, then settled on Sera and Alex. “Those two. They have enough magic to fill my belly for a long time.” He smacked his lips loudly.
A stream of shadows burst out of Riley, taking the demon hard in the stomach. The shadows twisted around his ankles and wrists, then plunged so hard into the ground that the force of the impact shook the earth. The restraints hardened and settled, their hold so absolute that the demon couldn’t move a muscle, wing, or hoof.
“Wow,” Sera gasped. She’d seen her brother training his magic with Rane, but this was incredible progress—even for a quick study like Riley.
“I know that magic,” the demon spoke in a low rumble. His black eyes found Riley. “Shadow mages are Rane’s mages. You are Rane’s. Are you sure you know what deal you made?”
“I didn’t make any deal with her.”
“Are you sure? Are you absolutely, positively sure?” A devilish smile spread across his mouth. “Demons always make deals, but at least most of us are straightforward about it. Rane isn’t. You never know you’re making a deal with her.” His orange brows swept his hairline. “Which is worse: the enemy you can see or the one you believe to be your friend?”
Riley opened his mouth, but no words escaped.
The demon slid his tongue across his lips. “I can taste Rane all over you. You’re not just any shadow mage. She’s done something to you.”
“What?”
The demon inhaled deeply. “You don’t just have her magic. You have her essence.”
Naomi sighed. “Riley, don’t tell me you slept with a demon.”
“No, of course not. She’s just teaching me to use my magic. Nothing more.”
Naomi reached out to touch his shoulder—then quickly withdrew her hand, as though she’d been burned. “You and Rane synched magic.”
“Yes, so she could guide my magic.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Naomi shook her head slowly. “It means you’re demon-touched. Who knows what she did to your mind. Or to your magic.”
The shadow chains binding the demon turned to dust.
“My work here is done,” he said, brushing the ashes from his hands. Then he disappeared, his wide white grin fading last.
“I was so stupid.” Riley looked like he had to throw up. “I should never have trusted a demon. Her essence?” He turned to Naomi. “That means Rane can control me?”
Naomi gave him a pitying look. “Yes. It means part of her flows through you. She could use that to take control of you.”
Riley slouched. “Like Merlin did.”
“No. Merlin was controlling your mind. Rane is in deeper. She’s gone all the way to your core. She is in your soul.”
“So there’s no resisting her.” The look of wretched despair on his face broke Sera’s heart.
“I’m afraid not,” said Naomi.
Riley shot a blast of pitch black magic at a nearby tree. It crumbled to ashes.
“There is a way we can fix this,” Naomi told him cautiously.
“Yes?” Desperation poured off of him like a waterfall in springtime.
“Sera and Alex can break the demon magic within you.”
“You bet we will,” Sera said, wrapping her arm around Riley.
Alex hammered her fist against the palm of her other hand. “We’ll kick that demon out of you.”
The spark of hope in his eyes fizzled out, melting into resignation. “No.”
“No?” Sera asked.
“At least not yet. If you break my magic, I can’t bring you into Merlin’s fortress. And you will need all my power in the fight against Merlin.”
Sera opened her mouth to protest, but he cut in, “You know I’m right. We have to break Merlin’s spell before it’s too late. And for that, you need me. You need my magic, demon and all.”
“He’s right, you know,” Alex told Sera.
“I know.” She frowned. “But as soon as we’ve taken care of Merlin and cleaned up his mess, we’re going to fix this, Riley. I promise you.”
Riley nodded, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it. His magic was a miasma of fear, anger, and self-loathing. He rushed forward, falling into step beside Naomi.
“I don’t know how to comfort him,” Sera whispered to Alex.
“You can’t. None of us can.” At the moment, Alex’s magic was more monotone than their brother’s, and it was anger that crashed across it like a raging hurricane. “He knows he’s a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, Rane will grab control of him, and then he’ll go off.”
“I knew something was off about her.”
“Well, she is a demon. Usurping free will and using mortals as puppets is kind of their thing.”
“Don’t defend her. Not ever,” Sera hissed.
“Oh, I’m not. In fact, the next time I see her, I’m going to introduce her to the consequences of messing with my little brother.”
The path had dead-ended in a brick wall—literally. Riley pressed his hand to the wall, and the bricks tumbled to the ground, revealing a forest lit up by a blood moon. A low, eerie howl sang on the wind, rustling through the trees’ naked branches. A flock of black butterflies fluttered across the sky, their wings moving in sharp, mechanical flaps.
“Where are we?” Sera asked as they entered the forest. It smelled like sulfur and sunscreen.
“Merlin’s version of hell,” Naomi said. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
Alex’s nose scrunched up. “Positively charming.”
“Don’t worry. We’re not going far. The entrance to his castle is just over there.”
Naomi pointed at an old tree—no, make that beanstalk.
It was as black as all the other plants in the forest. Smoke puffed out of its purple flowers, spreading the stench of rotting leaves and overripe fruit.
“I never thought I’d actually miss normal hell,” Alex muttered.
Sera craned her neck back, her eyes panning up the beanstalk. “Don’t tell me we have to climb to the top of that thing.” It seemed to go on forever. She couldn’t even see the top.
“No, nothing so dramatic,” Naomi said, yanking one of the fruits from the beanstalk.
She threw it against the black stalk, and the shell split open, oozing blood-red goo down the canals etched into the bark. The beanstalk shook violently. The largest of its violet flowers dropped from the branches, opening its fanged mouth to scream out the loudest, shrillest shriek that had ever pierced Sera’s eardrums.
“Uh, Naomi,” she said, watching uneasily as the violet continued to dive. It was growing larger and louder with every passing second. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Positive.”
The house-sized flower chomped down its mighty maw, swallowing them whole. Magic flared up, burning Sera’s eyes. And then they were standing at the entrance to a long corridor. A sleek, glossy layer of marble covered the floor, and there wasn’t a shrieking violet or black beanstalk in sight.
