“Then let’s get back down there.”
I frowned. “There’s not a lot of room for fighting at the base of the Gill. Wouldn’t it be better if I remained up here—at least I’ve got more chance of spotting an approach—”
“Except if they send another warrior demon. You won’t spot them until they’re almost on you.”
“True, but how likely is—” I cut the sentence off. In truth, getting hit by one of the red-winged bastards was far more likely than being attacked by either foot soldiers or dark elves, as they could get here far faster than the other two. “I’ll follow you down.”
She shifted shape and disappeared into the Gill’s darkness once again. I studied the surrounding area one more time, then flew down after her.
Despite the fact that the last few days had been mild by English standards, it was still winter, and the water at the base of the Gill was not only running high, but also damnably cold. It meant the few perching options that existed in summer were currently underwater, leaving me with little choice but to get wet feet. I strapped on my daggers, then waded to the opposite side of the canyon. From there, I could see both upstream and down, while keeping an eye on what Mo was doing. I could also see past her to the far end of the cutaway, where the gateway was situated. I might not be able to actually see it, but I’d feel any disruption to its protective magic and see the shift of shadows if something or someone attacked from that area. When it came to Mo’s safety, I wasn’t about to take a chance. She, my brother, and my cousin Ada were all the family I had left now.
I tugged off my backpack and hooked it over an outcrop of rock. It held a random selection of potions and charms, most of which wouldn’t do a whole lot against demons. But it also had a first aid kit, and I had a bad feeling we were going to need it.
Mo’s magic stirred, and the night thrummed with the force of it. If there were indeed demons or even dark elves out there in the shadows beyond the Gill, they’d feel its rise.
And they would react.
I flexed my fingers and tried to remain calm. Positioned as we were under the bridge, we were at least protected from a sky assault. To get at us, they’d have to come in from either side and, even then, the canyon’s narrow confines prevented any sort of swamping maneuver.
Of course, dark elves didn’t need to swamp. They could just unleash their magic. And while some weird twist of genetics had made me immune to magic—this despite the fact shape-shifting was a form of it—Mo wasn’t. Hitting her while she was engaged in raising the wall could have deadly consequences.
A chill raced across my skin, and I hoped like hell it was born of fear rather than intuition.
Mo’s wall continued to rise out of the wet stone, an invisible but powerful force that gradually crept upward. Though she’d trained me to see and understand both the construction and purpose of spells, I couldn’t read this. It was something I’d never seen before; something that came from the elemental portion of her mage powers, rather than magical.
From the depths of the canyon to my left came a whisper of noise. It was nothing more than a splash of water and, had it been day, I might have put it down to fish jumping. But it was night, and the feeling we were no longer alone continued to grow. I gripped the hilts of the daggers, ready to draw them, my gaze searching the shadows, looking for the threat that was still too far away to pin down.
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. It didn’t do a whole lot to ease the gathering tension, but then, it rarely did.
I glanced back at Mo. Her shimmering wall was almost at the halfway point. But sweat now trickled down the side of her face, and her cheeks were starting to gain that gaunt look that said she was pushing her limits.
Another splash, this time accompanied by a soft scraping sound. Someone—or something—had slipped and hit the edge of a rock.
I drew Vita and Nex. White lightning crawled down the sides of both daggers, a clear indication that what approached was demonic in nature.
My grip tightened, and from deep within the hilt of each dagger came an answering pulse of power. The two blades—whose names literally meant life and death—were ready for action. De Montforts these days might be little more than healers and potion makers, but we’d once been warriors who could both give and take life; daggers such as these had been the means through which the deadly side of that power had been channeled. I’d once thought it inaccessible to me for anything more than a brief defense, but when I’d destroyed the red demon that had been carrying the Darkside witchling aloft, I’d forged a deep connection with both blades.
It was a connection that came at a cost, of course, but then, all truly powerful magic did.
Another scrape. Tension wound through me as the lightning pulsing down Nex’s sides strengthened. She was eager to taste the blood of those who approached …
I took another of those useless deep breaths and glanced across the Gill. Mo’s wall had gained another few centimeters. I doubted she’d finish the thing before our attackers got here.
Another sound bit through the night—not the scrape of claws against stone this time, but rather the throaty roar of a vehicle approaching at speed. It was some distance away, but I couldn’t help wondering if it was our rogue heir. Perhaps he’d sent his new allies here to secure the area before his arrival. It’d make as much sense as anything else that had happened recently.
The light pulsing down Nex’s side increased frequency. The demons were getting closer, even though I still had no sense of them.
I risked another glance at Mo. Her wall was higher, but sweat now darkened her silver hair, and her breath was a harsh rattle that sang across the night. If not for the roar of that engine, it would have alerted the demons to our presence.
Though there was every chance they already knew, especially given the stealthy manner in which they were approaching.
Part of me wished they’d just attack and get it over with. I hated waiting.
The ever-growing closeness of that engine drowned out all other sounds, leaving me with only the energy pulse in Nex’s steel as an indicator of the demons’ growing closeness. I flexed my fingers on her hilt, more to allow the cool air to caress my palm than to ease the tension.
Mo’s magic reached toward a peak. She was close, so close, to finishing.
Maybe lady luck was on our side tonight. Maybe we could fly out of here before the demons arrived—
The roar of the engine faded as the car moved further away, and silence crept back. Silence, and anticipation.
They knew we were here.
I flexed my fingers again, trying to remain calm. While I couldn’t see them, I could now feel them. Smell them. Their ashy, acidic scent flooded the air, and they were no longer making any effort to conceal their presence. And there were at least a dozen of them approaching.
Fuck.
I pushed away from the wall and walked into the center of the canyon. Defensively it wasn’t a smart move, but I needed those demons to concentrate on me rather than Mo. No matter what else happened, I had to give her time to finish her wall. The fate of life on earth might well depend upon it.
White lightning flicked from the sharp points of both daggers now, sizzling lightly as it hit the water. Steam rose, curling around my legs, a gentle fog that in no way hid my form. I waited, my heart pounding so fiercely it felt like it was about to tear out of my chest. They were close now. So damn close.