Curse of Shadows and Light (32 page)

I’m screaming a piercing, deafening scream. Blood trickles from my eyes and ears, as everything grows dark. I cannot do this anymore. I cannot stop this. We are going to die.

I’m helpless, lost in the screaming darkness as the violent assault pounds me again. The screams grow louder and louder, coming at me from every direction.

The screams…

…
the screams…

…
.
They aren’t mine
!

My whole body is numb – shaking. But I’m not the one screaming.

I open my eyes. Everything appears blurred, but I can see that the Belith have turned their attention elsewhere. Slowly, the excruciating pain lessens, and I can breathe again.

“
The Legionare is here!” I hear Kieron shouting from somewhere.

“
What the hell is that?” Corrine screeches. For the first time I notice her kneeling next to me.

I force myself up and again try to wipe my eyes. My vision is still blurry, but I can see enough. And what I see shocks me to my core.

Flying low over the storming crowd is a long, white, serpent-like creature. This is the source of the terrible, ear-splitting screaming. Bullets of fire shoot from its mouth with pin-point accuracy, incinerating its targets one by one.

Suddenly, dozens of Hellhounds, each of them larger than an automobile, appear from every direction and begin to attack the Belith. They tear through the crowd, ravaging everything in sight. All descends into chaos and confusion, as I sit, stunned, and watch the terrible scene unfold. I am only vaguely aware of Corrine and Kieron beside me. The Hellhounds have now been joined by several large black men built like gladiators, and wielding enormous axes. They slash at everything the Hellhounds haven’t destroyed.

One of the Hellhounds makes its way towards me, dragging something in its mouth. A body. It lets out a loud, ferocious growl.

“
What? It can’t be! I thought—” Kieron starts, then stops.

Corrine screams, and Kieron puts his arms over her. “No… no, it’s okay. He’s on our side!”

“
Who is that?” I yell. “And where’d the Amazèa go?”

Kieron pauses for a moment, then shouts, “He has the demon wizard from the Hlbafa! And he looks half dead. Don’t see the Amazèa anywhere!”

The Hound looks at each of us in turn, then rips the head off the wizard and flings it to the side. And before I can even react, the Hound has transformed, and Vincent is standing before me.

Chapter 31. Liora

“
Vincent!”

“
Sorry we took so long.” He sounds out of breath. “Big battle in Hlbafa territory, and needed to gather reinforcements. Brought the wizard to release your chokers, but I guess you don’t need him now.” He glances over at the headless corpse. “Good. Well, that’s his payback for destroying Dryndara.”

He studies me for a moment, then looks at Kieron. “What the hell is going on with her?”

Kieron shakes his head. “She woke up that way. Her eyes were all glowing red, and she’s got these crazy powers I’ve never seen from her before. She’s been keeping us alive this whole time by projecting some shield, but I think she was just about to lose it when you showed up.”

“
My eyes are glowing red?”

Vincent quickly herds us off to the side of the stage. But no one is really paying attention to us anymore. They’re all trying to save their own skins from the sudden and unexpected onslaught.

“
What is all this? What’s happening?” I look around in amazement at the new arrivals. Now that the merciless pounding on me has stopped, some of my strength is starting to come back. I’m still working to keep the shield up, and this time I make sure it includes Vincent, too.

“
Had to round up some allies,” Vincent replies, his mouth drawn tight. “Belith have pissed off
a lot
of tribes lately.” He glances at the Legionare. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend…”

I look at him again and finally notice that even in his human form, he’s completely covered with blood. And very naked.

Sweet mercy… God, I wish I could see better right now!

I shake my head. “But you brought the Legionare? Are you crazy?!”

“
Just a small fraction of them.” He points to the group of soldiers on enormous red-winged horses, charging through the crowd. “From Kieron’s former unit, actually. Ran into them while fighting the Hlbafa and told them what was happening here, and why I needed to take the demon wizard alive and not let them kill him. They insisted on coming to help. For Kieron, but also to put down the Belith once and for all.”

“
My unit is here?” Vincent nods.

We turn back to the fray, but is seems apparent that the Belith are being conquered quite handily. Hounds rip through flesh like butter, while sword wielding gladiators are eliminating most of the fighters in the Belith camp. Those remaining are being picked off by the horsemen hurling balls of electric fire, and the flying white serpent spits its fire bullets at any Belith trying to flee.

There’s only one problem.

“
Where are the Amazèa?” I ask.

Suddenly the flying white serpent turns and heads straight for us. Corrine screams, but several feet away from us the beast suddenly stops, and hovers in the air. It twists and turns, and morphs into a beautiful, ethereal woman, with long blond hair. She gracefully floats our way, also apparently naked.

“
Holy shizz, who ordered the flying Playboy model?” Corrine mutters.

The woman comes over and throws her arms around me. “Sweetie, are you okay?”

I step back, stunned. “Do I know you?” She looks a little familiar, but I’m not sure.

She laughs. “Well enough. We met the other night, but that’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Us girls need to stick together, you know.” She gives me a wink.

For some reason, I have no idea why, I feel like I can trust this woman… this, whatever the hell she is…

“
Wait!” I say as she starts to leave. I turn back to Vincent and Kieron. “Take care of Corrine. I have to do something.”

“
Where’re you going?” Vincent grabs my arm.

I look at him, then at Kieron. “I have to do this. You know I have to. I must find them!”

“
No!” they both shout together.

I silence them with a look. “Yes! Protect Corrine!”

Vincent slowly lets go, and I turn to the girl. “Can I ride on your back? Can you help me find some demons?” She nods.

“
Wrap your hands around me and hold on tight. And you can communicate with me with your mind. I’m a telepath.”

Well, that’s convenient.

I feel a hand on my arm, and turn to see Vincent, his eyes pleading with me. “Don’t… please… It’s suicide.”

I shake my head. “No… it’s not. I’m not fighting to die. I’m fighting to
live
.”

“
Then let me go with you.”

“
You can’t.”

“
I’ll take care of her, I promise,” the beauty tells them. Neither of them looks happy, but there’s nothing they can do.

This is my destiny.

She morphs back into the serpent and hovers in the air beside me. I take a deep breath and swing my leg over her like a bike, then lean forward and wrap my arms around her neck.

I give my three friends a smile as the creature rises gracefully into the air and takes off, so smoothly we hardly seem to be moving at all.

“
Where are we going
?” her words sound in my head.

I take a deep breath, and search the area below. The fighting has all but died out, and the Amazèa are nowhere in sight. Naturally. They would have fled at the first sign of trouble.

I close my eyes and force myself to block out everything from my mind – the chaos, the drama, the fighting – it all becomes nothing but a distant hum. My mind is clear, focused. Searching.

Where are you… where are you…

If they’ve left, then it’s all over for me. But for some reason, my instinct tells me they’re still close by. They went through a lot of trouble to get Kieron and me, and I don’t think they’ll give up that easily.

Again I clear my mind… focusing… searching…

Slowly, an image begins to form… of a small hillside, with strange, grey rocks stacked like ruins from a forgotten time.

“
I see it perfectly
,” the creature thinks to me. I feel her bank to one side, and a moment later she’s hovering only a few feet above the ground. The rock formation is just ahead of us.

I take a deep breath and dismount, while she continues to hover. “What do you want me to do?” she asks.

I shake my head. I know this next part is up to me and me alone.

“
Just stay here… stay close.” I start to walk toward the pile of rocks. Dark, black and blue clouds cover the sky, strangely illuminated by the moons of Illyria. There is no sunlight here in Thiberoux, but that’s okay. I can see what I need to see just fine.

Slowly I creep up the hill. Then I hear the giggling.

“
Look who’s come to play again!” a delighted voice calls. A moment later the Amazèa are standing just a few feet in front of me.

I shake my head. “No, I’m tired of playing. I want to end this. Now.”

They laugh again and look at each other. “Yes, we agree. Time for you to give us what we want!”

I raise my hands and let the stream of electric fire flow from my fingers. But it seems to barely touch them. They just laugh, as if it even feels good to them. Quickly, I build a fireball and throw it with all the power I can muster. Then another. And another. But they still aren’t fazed. They absorb these impacts just as easily as they had my lightning bolts.

I stop, as the reality of my situation sinks in. What was I even thinking? Whatever made me think I could beat them? I have no weapons. I have no plan. I was driven only by blind hate, and a desire for vengeance. I’m throwing everything I have at them and nothing is making the slightest difference.

The Amazèa start walking toward me. And then I feel it – the overwhelming sensation of something pulling at me. They raise their hands, and suddenly a powerful vacuum jerks me forward. It seems to be suctioning out my insides, robbing me even of my breath. I gasp and fall to my knees. I try to form another protective shield, but this time nothing works.

I feel different. Like my powers are leaving me… I’m being drained of everything… my essence… who, what I am.

I fall forward, moaning… weakened.
No, no… not like this…
They come up to me, and I can see their shining, cherubic eyes and dimpled smiles.

“
And now, mean lady, it’s time for you to die,” they sing, and reach out toward me.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
My babies… Tattie…

Then, suddenly, I feel an infusion of strength erupting from the recesses of my soul. Deep reserves of power I never knew I had.

I open my eyes and look at my tormenters.

“
Think again.”

I shoot out my hands and snatch their tiny wrists. Instantly I project a tight bubble around them, sealing them in, and preventing any chance of escape. Now I begin to reverse the flow, as I pull their essence into me with every ounce of strength I possess.

Electricity burns its way up my arms, and I feel the rush of evil power flood through me like waves of toxic poison. I throw my head back and scream… but instead of sound, black smoke shoots up into the sky, releasing their fumes to dissipate into nothing.

Their arms begin to shake, and I grip harder. Now their bodies writhe and contort, until they are no longer little girls, but black, scaly creatures over twice my size.