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33.
Drew
followed Seth along the pavement. The crouched low
constantly aware of their surroundings so that they weren’t spotted
before they had a chance to see one of Sandamar’s
people.
Seth led
the way checking over his shoulder every now and then to make sure
Drew wasn’t far. They passed the entrance of an alley at
a run, but Drew stopped as she reached the safety of the next
buildings façade. She’d seen something down the
alley. A shadow that didn’t seem to belong
there.
Kyle
stopped behind her, watching as she spun and dropped to a lower
crouch so she could peek back round the corner. He’d
been down in the dungeon when the Omega had gone in and the grids had
been explained. Kyle had decided he wasn’t going to be
left behind. Even if he couldn’t do much to help
out. If he was with he wouldn’t have to listen to what
happened when they got back. Besides he was an Omega, he
might be dead, but it didn’t change the fact that he was part of
the team.
Drew saw
a large rusting dumpster that would offer her some cover so she could
get in closer and have a look. She darted behind the
dumpster and leaned quietly around the edge. Kyle dropped
down next to her, more out of habit than any real fear that he would
be seen.
Drew saw
a person, hardly bigger than a child, standing in the shadows of the
doorway. The person was covered from head to foot in a
black cloak. So Drew couldn’t make out much detail. The
person was hissing and mumbling. Drew strained her hearing
to hear what he or she was saying.
Drew
felt her hearing sharpen suddenly, her cat had improved
it.
Duh, why
didn’t I remember about that? This is not the time to be
having blonde moments, she scolded herself. She could
clearly hear the mumbling of the creature now, there was no way a
human would make that kind of hissing noise.
“Nasssty
dragon will die jussst now.” It tittered with a hissing
sound.
Dragon! This
had to be where Sandamar was keeping Namara, and it looked like Drew
had found the place just in time. If this creature was
right, then Namara’s time was just about up.
Drew
watched the creature turn and enter the building, the door creaking
before it slammed. Someone touched her on the
shoulder.
“God
damn it!” She cursed softly, just about leaving her skin on the
ground while her body took off like a rocket. Her head
snapped round.
“Seth! You
just frayed my already taunt nerves.”
“Yeah,
well I could have sworn you were tap-dancing on my last one when I
turned around and you were gone. I thought I told you to
stay close?”
“You’re way
over protective bro.” Kyle laughed at his brothers black
scowl.
“I think
I’ve found where they are keeping Namara.” Drew
offered in way of apology. She had told him she’d stay
close. “Have a look.”
She
moved out the way so he could crouch down and peer around the edge of
the dumpster.
“That door
there, the one that just slammed. I heard a creature in a
robe saying that the nasty dragon is going to die just
now.”
“This
has to be the place then. Lets move to the mouth of the
alley so I can call for reinforcements.”
“I
think we should just go in and see what’s happening.” Kyle
commented, but of course no one heard him.
“You
know its seriously starting to bite my ass that no one can hear me.”
He muttered and followed them out the narrow space.
Once
they reached the mouth of the alley Seth took out his cell phone and
speed dialed the compound.
“Hey
Crimson.” He spoke as soon as the Incubus picked up on
the other side. “I think we’ve found her.” Seth
looked around for a street sign then rattled off what street they
were on.
“Sure
we’ll sit tight and wait, just hurry up, I think we’re running
out of time.”
“That
has to fall in the ‘no shit’ category.” Kyle rolled his
eyes.
Seth ended
the call then dialed Ross’s number.
“We’ve
found her,” He told Ross where they were. “Okay see you in a
few.”
Seth ended
the call and set his phone to vibrate, then tucked it back into his
pocket.
It didn’t
take Ross long to find them. Drew told him what she had
seen and heard.
“Hissing
you say?”
“Yeah.”
Ross
looked at Seth. “Snake demon.”
Seth
nodded. “Looks like we are going to have more to deal
with than just vampires.”
“Ah
huh, I think Sandamar is just a guppy in a very big pond. He’s
working for someone else.”
“How
do you figure that?” Drew asked.
“The
snake demon, they are seriously picky about who they’ll work for,
but very loyal, and there is no way a snake demon would work for a
vampire unless it’s master had ordered it to.”
“So
what will we be walking into here?”
Seth
shook his head, “Could be any number of creatures, just keep close
to me. This is going to be one hell of a fight.”
A
car pulled up to the curb.
Darius
was out the car first only milliseconds before Dragon. Marcus
and Dante followed close behind.
Dragon
looked straight at the building.
“They
have started the ritual, I can feel the dark magic in the air.” He
twisted his mouth. “It is thick enough to taste. Black,
black magic. We need to get Namara out there with
haste.”
“Yes,
but we have a bit of a problem.” Seth explained their
theory that they’d be dealing with more than vampires.
“So
we have to be extra careful.”
The
others nodded understanding the risks.
“Drew-”
Seth started.
“Don’t even
say it Seth, I’m not waiting here while you all go into that
fight. I’m either going with you or trailing behind you,
but I’m going into that building.”
He
cursed then nodded.
“Just
stay near me, please, and actually do it this time.” He
passed a quick look over everyone. “Let’s move
out. Remember, be careful, we can’t help Namara if we
are dead.”
They
moved down the alley and entered the building.
One
of the robed demons moved in next to Namara’s chained wrist. The
demon lifted an athame above her head, the sleeves of her robe
falling to reveal the mottled purple skin of her hands and
forearms. As she lifted the curved blade the others
increased the volume of their chanting. Another of the
demon women brought a carved wooden bowl laying it under Namara’s
wrist.
The first
demon brought the blade down. Shifting the steal bracelet
out of the way she cut along Namara’s writs.
Namara
hissed in pain. The blade was magical, it would take a lot
to heal the wound. She struggled to hide her excitement
when she felt the athame nick the bracelet, the blade had
strong enough magic that the bracelet would be seriously weekend
now. Namara might be able to break free of that one at
least.
The demon
with the blade moved to the other side of the table, repeating the
ritual she brought the blade down and sliced into Namara’s other
wrist. She didn’t touch the bracelet this time. Namara
was disappointed but one off was better than nothing, at least she’d
be able to pull of a partial shift.
For
dragons partial shifts were incredibly painful. Not like
the Du’call lycos who did it as easily as breathing. Dragons
are supposed to be in one form or the other, partials of both were
agony. The pain would be worth it if she could do a little
damage with her dragon claws. So she bided her time,
working the weakened bracelet to loosen it and prayed she wouldn’t
be too week, her lifeblood was pouring into the bowl at a rate that
was scary.
Sandamar
walked into the room.
“Good,
I see all is as it should be. I will tell the master it is
time for him to come. It will not be long now and the
dragonling will give up the power she carries.” He
turned and left the room.
There
were scattered boxes and debris everywhere, so going was
slow. Especially since they were trying to move as quietly
as possible. Seth stopped when they came to a staircase,
holding up a hand to stop the rest as well. They listened
carefully, the faint echoes of chanting could be heard coming from
the top of the stairs.
“It’s
somewhere up there, we need to be extra careful now. Dragon, I don’t
know if you will have room to shift in there, do you have another
weapon.
Dragon
patted the long sword he wore in a sheath at his side, and twisted
his lips into a parody of a smile, “I have
Soul-seeker. It is the fear of death and will kill
many. Destroying them utterly.”
“Good.” Seth
nodded, “Everyone else, claw up, and get ready.”
Seth
took the first step up onto the staircase and slowly worked his way
up testing every step to make sure that it would not creak under his
weight. He motioned for the others to step where he was
putting his feet.
The
top of the staircase spilled out onto a landing. To the
left was a passageway leading a long way into the building, and to
the right was another flight of stairs leading further up. Seth
stopped to listen and heard the feint chanting from the
corridor.
“Yeah
its this way, hurry, Namara is getting weaker.” Kyle had already
been up to have a look.
Seth
just ignored him.
“Damn it,
I need to find a good medium, seriously, this is getting
annoying.”
Seth
held up a hand again telling them to stay where they were then moved
into the corridor. Stopping to check at each opening, the
doors of the rooms had long since rotted away.
There
were eight rooms along the right hand side of the corridor. Seth
flattened himself against the wall as he saw a vampire enter the last
room.
He moved
back to the others and held his hand showing five fingers then closed
his fist and straightened three fingers, Seth held his hands together
then moved them away from each other horizontally then down forming a
ninety degree angle.
Eighth
door, they got the point, Sandamar and his cronies held Namara in the
eighth room. Seth lifted his hand to shoulder height and
extended two fingers dipping his hand forward twice. The
order was explicit – Move Out.
Sandamar
came into the room, the snake demon just behind him.
“Call
the master Consschriss.” He ordered as he deployed his vampires
around the room to make sure the ritual was not
interrupted.
The
snake demon nodded and moved toward the far corner of the room. It
kneeled down and started changing in a singsong hiss.
Dark
clouds formed and distorted the wall behind them. The
master was starting to materialize.
Sandamar
nodded pleased that all was going so well and moved to stand at
Namara’s shoulder.
“Well
dragon, tonight you die, how do you feel about that.” He
sneered trying to unnerve her.
Namara
felt very week, she was sure she must have lost a lot of blood by
now, things were almost to the point where she would bleed out, but
she’d be damned if she’d let Sandamar see that so she gathered up
her strength.
“I
don’t know.” She said in an offhand tone. “I always
thought I’d have more family around if I ever died. At
least more flowers, but hey, when death gives you lemons...”
“You make lemonade!” Both
Darius and Namara shouted in unison.
All
hell broke loose. The mythos came into the room like a F-5
tornado. Scattering through the room to kill vampires and
demons.
Darius
dove at Sandamar as Namara broke the bracelet she’s been quietly
working loose.
She
flung her arm up, shifting her hand into dragon claws as she swung,
but she hit Darius instead, when Sandamar dived out the way. Her
claws raked over his forehead down past his eye, over his
cheek.
“Aim
better Namara.” He yelled as he got up.
“Crap,
sorry Dar I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t
worry about it.” He wiped blood out his eye and reached
for her chains breaking them as if they were pieces of uncooked
spaghetti.
Dragon
stood just behind him killing any vampire or demon that came to close
the them.
“We
need to get you out of here.” He turned his head looking for his
leader. Seth!” he bellowed.
Seth
turned from the vampire he was fighting and yelled the
order.
“Take
Dragon and Ross in case they follow, let Ross
drive. Go!”
Darius
scooped Namara up, as dragon cleared a path through the demons. Ross
darted ahead of them making more space as they ran out the
room.
Dante looked
up from the vampire he’d just dusted and asked. “Clean
up crew?”
“Hell
yes!” Marcus shouted as he raked his claws over a demons
stomach.
Kyle
moved through the melee getting steadily more aggravated. He
could watch as his comrades took and dished out damage but he
couldn’t do anything.
When
Kyle saw the vampire swoop down with a blade, aiming for the center
of Marcus’s unprotected back he screamed and clawed up his hands
swiping at the vampire. Kyle was amazed when gashes opened
up across the vampires chest where Kyle’s claws had
passed.
He looked
down at his hand in surprise and up at the astonished vampire. A
evil grin spread across Kyle’s face, he could focus mental energy
and feed it through his hand causing real damage. Soon he
was wading through vampires and creating little clouds of dust as far
as he went.
“Bring
it on Blood-suckers – Kyle’s got himself a sharp set of
claws.” He yelled as he shredded the face of another
vampire.
The
dark shadow that had been Consschriss’s master evaporated. The
snake demon found a corner and hid, he knew his master would send
reinforcements then these cheeky lycos would be dead, his master
would not tolerate them winning. They had taken the
dragon but they would not leave with their lives.
Consschriss
watched Sandamar yell orders from the corner he was hiding in and
wondered for the millionth time why his master bothered with the
sniveling vampire.
The
snake demon started hissing with laughter as a portal opened and
demons started poring out of it. Big warrior demons. The
lycos would not survive this night.
Seth
cursed vehemently when he saw the demons pore out of the
portal.
“Marcus,
do something about that! Dante cover him.” Seth
had his hands full keeping Drew from being swarmed
under.
Marcus
stood straight and started chanting in the language of magic. Dante
stood at his back defending Marcus from attack, using his twin blades
like scathes he ripped through the demons that were coming at
them.
Sandamar was
jumping up and down in his corner, demanding that the demons kill the
lycos and do it now.
“Someone
needs to take that vamp out.” Dante mumbled as he killed another
demon.
Marcus’s
words formed a pattern an ebb and flow of strength, soon he took a
deep breath and barked one final word. The portal
shattered, slicing the demon that had been stepping though it in
half.
“Oww,
that’s gotta sting!” he chuckled as a howl could be heard through
the room, proof that Marcus interrupting the spell had caused a
painful flash-back.
Drew
looked up from the demon she had just eviscerated, only to see Seth
fighting four demons at once, she jumped into the middle of the fray
and killed one as he finished the other three off. A quick
look around her told her she had time before the next enemy came.
“What the hell are you
doing!” She yelled at him. “Don’t get all kamikaze
on me Seth, you could have been killed.”
Marcus
saw Drew needed to yell at Seth, so he pulled Dante over to cover
Drew and Seth while she said her piece. Kyle moved over to
Marcus as well, he had a feeling Drew had something important to tell
his stubborn brother. So he’d help keep the demons at
bay so she could say her peace.
“It
doesn’t matter if I get killed.” Seth meant it, if he
had to die to keep Drew safe then that’s what he’d
do.
“What kind
of inane bullshit is that, of course if matters, you are not allowed
to get yourself killed, I forbid it!”
Seth
snorted, “Why the hell would you forbid me from getting myself
killed?” He felt like wringing her neck. Now
was not the time for her to start forbidding him to protect
her.
“Because I
love you, you moron!” She yelled at him.
Everyone
just stopped. Even the demons took a step back, ignoring
Sandamar’s demands that they kill the lycos.
Marcus
Dante, and Kyle turned to look at Drew and Seth.
“You
what?” Seth couldn’t believe his ears, there was no
way she’d just said those words. His heart was pounding
and it wasn’t just from the battle. Please, what ever
deity was listening, let her have said those words.
“I
said,” Drew took a deep breath realizing that she’d just gone and
put her foot in it. She was going to have to say it again
and pray he didn’t laugh too loudly.
She
plucked up all her courage and said “I love you.”
Seth
let out a whoop of pure joy and suddenly Drew was being picked up and
swung around. All she could do was stare down at him in
open mouthed amazement.
Seth
stopped and let Drew to slide down his chest. When her
feet touched the ground he slipped a finger under her chin to lift
it. His woman, his proud and incredibly stubborn
woman.
“I love
you Drew.” He repeated the words he’d said to her the
night before, when she’d fallen asleep in his arms.
Drew
felt like her heart would burst out of her chest, he hadn’t
laughed, he loved her. Seth loved her. She’d
never felt happier in her whole life.
A
white glow started between their chests. Drew recognized
it immediately, it was the nexus glow, the flowing energy she’d
seen when they had done the test.
The
nexus energy spread quickly, Soon they were in a bubble of the
glow.
Drew could
hear the demons start moaning in fear.
The
glow burst outward, whiting out the whole room. Marcus and
Dante shielded their eyes. Only Drew and Seth could see
exactly what was happening. As the glow reached the demons
they all disintegrated turning to dust the way vampires would. Just
as suddenly as it had begun the light sucked back disappearing
between Drew and Seth.
“Wow,
that was some light show.” Kyle murmured in awe as he watched the
glow fade from Seth and Drew.
The
shocked mythos looked around, there wasn’t a single demon left
alive in the room. As for Sandamar, he was a pile of dust
in the corner.
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