Black Magic (29 page)

Koray approached the nearest of the cages and tried his key, not really surprised when it did not work. A search of the tables did not turn up an additional key, but he supposed he couldn't be that lucky twice.

Damn it, where was a paladin when a brutal, goddess-backed
hit
would fix the problem rather neatly? He drew his sword and hefted it thoughtfully, wondering if it was even worth bothering to try, but though he was no weakling, he had never laid claim to brute strength.

A snarl, the sudden wide eyes of the pale priest on the opposite end of the cage, alerted him just in time to snap around and raise his sword to counter the long claws of a white demon. Koray looked into its glowing, sickly green eyes and realized he was going to die.

But that didn't mean he had to go quietly. As the demon drew back for another strike, tail lashing, wings fluttering, Koray summoned all the power he could spare and channeled it through his sword. The demon rushed him and Koray dropped down, fell back against the cage, and drove the sword up into the bastard's gut, releasing all of his stored power.

It wasn't enough to shatter the spirit as Brekk had done, he just did not have that kind of raw, warrior energy, but it was enough to cause unbearable agony. More than he had expected, in fact. Koray rolled away, gained his feet, and ran. Demons poured in through the main door and he wheeled around again. Still more demons came in the back doors, and Koray feared briefly for Brekk before concern for his own welfare reasserted itself.

No way to go out the doors at the far end of the hall. No way out, but up. Koray bolted toward and up the stairs.

Of course, stairs weren't much of an escape when demons could fly. Koray stumbled back as one of them landed in front of him. He didn't bother to turn around when he heard another behind him.

Stupid Sorin. Stupid him. If they'd acted like adults instead of children, he might have at least been able to die with happier memories. Koray called up all of his remaining power, ignoring the sting as he reached deeper than he should. He reached out to the ghosts, connecting to each one.

Throwing the energy out, he brought the ghosts into visibility and granted them his rage and strength. He felt cold, so much colder than he had ever felt before. The spell only lasted seconds before his strength gave out and the ghosts once more vanished from visibility.

But it was enough. Koray swayed on his feet, vision graying out as he heard men surge into the keep and work quickly to cut down the demons briefly paralyzed from an attack by ghosts. Koray turned, tried to see—but only went over the edge of the stairs.

He did not even have the energy to scream as he once more fell through the air—

And was caught by someone who radiated so much heat that Koray sobbed from the pleasure-pain of being washed in it. He forced his eyes open and decided he must be dead. But if he was going to die, there were worse ways to go than imagining he was in Sorin's arm. Smiling ever so faintly, Koray succumbed to the dark.

Sorin pressed a kiss to Koray's temple, held him tightly until his own trembling eased, then reluctantly handed him off to another paladin. "Take him to safety, get the other wounded out."

"Yes, High Paladin," the paladin said and took Koray off without another word.

Retrieving the sword he'd dropped when he'd seen Koray fall, Sorin turned back to the slaughter of the white demons. He roared as two of them came at him, throwing the force of the Goddess into every slash and thrust, losing himself to the violet haze of battle.

How long the fighting lasted Sorin did not know, but it was dark by the time everything finally stopped. He wiped sweat and blood from his face, but realized his clothes were so filthy he'd only made it worse.

"What in the name of the Goddess happened here?" he demanded. He swept a thorough gaze over the nightmare that filled the hall: the tables, the blood and bodies that had been there before the battle—and the cages. "Get those people out of the cages!"

He whipped around, sword raised, as movement came from the doors behind him—and stopped when a man in purple came out dragging two unconscious bodies behind him. Something about him made Sorin frown.

His chest began to pulse and burn so strongly it hurt, and at his back, the Lost Paladin's sword grew so hot he feared it was searing his skin. Sheathing his own sword, Sorin drew the Lost Paladin's from his back and held it up, not surprised that the purple stone was glowing so brightly it was hard to look at it directly.

He was surprised when it glowed ever brighter with every step the stranger took toward him. Sorin's frown deepened when the man stopped a few paces in front of him. "I killed most of the alchemists, but these two here seemed to be the ones in charge so I kept them alive. He threw them at Sorin's feet. "It's about time you got here, High Paladin."

"Who are you to speak to me so?" Sorin asked, confused. "How did you know I was coming?"

The man flashed a brief smile. "Intuition. If I had yelled at my lover the way you yelled at yours, I would have gone after him as well."

Sorin stared as the words sank into his head and then suddenly it came together. "You're the demon!"

"Until this morning, yes," the man said. "My name is Brekk. What do you want to do with these two?"

Sorin stared at him a moment, then decided there were more immediate concerns. Motioning to a cluster of nearby soldiers, he told them, "Secure these men in chains and make certain they're heavily guarded at all times. The rest of you, get all the wounded out and then burn this place to the ground. Everyone not involved in the razing can set up camp on the far side of the hills. Get to it." Gesturing sharply to Brekk, Sorin said, "Supervise them."

Immediate concerns addressed, he turned on his heel and strode out of the blood-drenched keep. He did not stop until he was over the hills to the field where they'd left their supplies and the castle was no longer in sight. Striding through the camp that was still in the process of being set up, he finally stopped when he reached his own tent and the campfire near it. "Where is Koray?" he asked the knight tending the fire.

"In your tent, High Paladin."

Ignoring everyone gathered nearby, even Emel and Cerant, Sorin strode into his tent. The knots in his chest eased slightly when he immediately saw Koray in his bed, buried under blankets and so pale he might have been a corpse. Sorin's hand trembled as he reached out—

And he immediately snatched it back, realizing he was still wearing his gauntlets and that they were covered in filth. Turning away from Koray, Sorin called for someone to help with the laborious process of removing his armor. The knight who had helped him carried the armor away and returned after a few minutes with hot water and soap. Sorin began to clean up, while the knight bustled about his tent and set out fresh clothes. Sorin thanked him and sent the knight on his way, grateful for the help but eager to be alone.

When he was no longer covered head to toe in the blood of demons, Sorin returned to the bed. Someone had gone to the trouble to clean Koray up as well and had settled him into bed in a clean priest robe.

Sorin reached out and twined the new, wide strip of white in Koray's hair around his fingers, heart twisting in remorse that he had not found Koray sooner. He traced Koray's cheekbone with his thumb, then reluctantly withdrew to let Koray rest. Koray was alive and safe, that was enough for the time being.

Everything else would have to wait, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Buckling his sword into place, retrieving the Lost Paladin's sword, Sorin left his tent and returned to the campfire where the others waited. He looked around at them: Cerant, Neikirk, Emel, and … Brekk. "So you're truly the demon from the cabin."

"Yes," Brekk said. "I am sorry we met under such poor circumstances, High Paladin."

Sorin regarded him pensively, something about Brekk nagging at him. He stepped closer and the sword began to glow. Brekk stared at it and his eyes glowed violet. Realization struck Sorin. "You're like us—like me, Koray, Neikirk, and Cerant. You're the fifth."

Brekk nodded. "So it would seem. The Goddess called me a warlock. I'm Koray's counterpart. That's why he was able to help me. He knew what I was the moment he realized I could see ghosts."

"Demons can see ghosts?" Sorin asked. "How did we never know that? How are you human again? I did not know such a thing was possible."

"I think she just sped the process along," Neikirk said, sipping at a cup of mulled wine. "My theories are as yet untested, but I do believe that any demon freed from the 'haze', as they call it, begins to lose the exterior demonic elements as well. Over time they revert wholly back to human. I believe many will prove to be warlocks."

Sorin blinked at him, then looked at Cerant. "How does he do that? Isn't he as exhausted as the rest of us? I can barely muster the energy to think on necessities and he is spinning theories I am not certain I follow."

"He finds it relaxing," Cerant said with a fond smile. "How is Koray? I cannot believe we all let him go in there alone."

"Brekk went with him," Emel said and scowled at him. "What happened?

Brekk made a face and bowed his head. "I chased after what seemed to be the only threat. I thought he would be safe enough freeing those still imprisoned. I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have known all those demons were locked in the armory," Cerant said. "We should be grateful we did not lose more men than we did, though certainly too many have been lost."

Sorin nodded in agreement. "Speaking of the castle, I noticed there that this reacts to you, as it did just now." He tossed it to Brekk. "I think it is meant to belong to you."

Brekk took it, frowning. "It did not seem attached to me before when I had it." He jolted in surprised as he took hold of it, dropping it. With a grimace he retrieved the sword and drew it from its sheath. "It feels different now. Before, it only showed me memories of Ambrose and Rakken. Now I can feel the power in it. I do not understand."

"The Goddess says it is yours," Cerant said. "Though I admit myself I would have thought a paladin's sword would go to a paladin."

"Ambrose loved a demon," Emel said. "I think it makes more sense he would want it to go to another demon in the hopes that he would not die as Rakken did."

Sorin's eyes widened when he saw the look Emel and Brekk shared. He felt like an even greater idiot for everything he had said to Koray in that damned cabin. He twitched with a need to return to his tent, and only with great effort managed to make himself remain where he was. "So just how long have you two known each other, Emel?"

Looking abashed, Emel admitted, "A few months. I found Brekk injured in the woods and couldn't bring myself to kill him. I treated his wounds and left him, but wound up going back …"

"So this whole time you've been sneaking out to meet a demon in the woods? Are you a damned fool? You put all of us—" He cut the words off and shook his head. "Forget it. All is well now. I need to go see how all is proceeding with the razing of the castle. I also need to speak with those alchemists we captured. Has the Navath crown been contacted at all?"

"Captain Rosta of the Navath army said he sent men to convey word to the queen. I'm sure we'll have word from them tomorrow."

Nodding, Sorin said, "Keep me informed," and strode off without waiting for a reply. He stifled a sigh when Cerant joined him, not really surprised. "High Priest, you should not be putting yourself in more danger than strictly necessary."

"How is Koray?" Cerant asked.

"Not good, but he'll be all right," Sorin said. "There is a new strip of white in his hair. I am not sure if I only imagined what I saw, or if it really happened, but I think I understand better how necromancers came to be so feared."

Cerant frowned. "You can't mean he deserves to be feared."

"No," Sorin said sharply. "I said I can see what first stirred the superstitions. Not long after he arrived at the castle, he made it so we could all see the ghosts. That was terrifying enough. When I stormed the keep earlier … the ghosts were
attacking
the demons. Then they were gone, and I barely caught Koray before he hit the ground after falling from the stairs."

"I see."

They walked in silence the rest of the way out of camp and up the hill, stopping at the top to take in the sight below. His men had wasted no time in setting fire to the castle. After a moment, Sorin realized that even the stones were burning. He started to ask how that was possible when he saw a cluster of alchemists mixed in among the soldiers slowly making their way toward him.

"High Paladin, High Priest," one of the paladins called out as they drew close, lifting a hand. "The castle should be completely gone in a few more hours. The alchemists who have been helping us would like to beg sanctuary in Vindeia."

"Done," Cerant replied, and Sorin nodded in agreement. "Sorin, if you want to go interrogate the captured alchemists, I will supervise the castle. The real danger seems past, and I have men enough to handle it if something more occurs. We need answers and to know if there are more of them somewhere."

Sorin nodded and turned back around to head back to camp. He was met at the edge of camp by Brekk and lifted his brows in silent query.

"I wanted to say again that I am sorry for what happened in the cabin," Brekk said. "Koray has been quite miserable since it happened."

Sorin rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing briefly. "You did nothing wrong. My behavior was my own fault. I'm still amazed you were that demon." He shook his head. "Thank you for your concern. Now return to Emel and enjoy the quiet while it lasts." He brushed past Brekk, wondering where the alchemists had been taken and who would be best to ask.

"Would you like some help with the alchemists?" Brekk called after him. "They're being kept in one of their own cages at the far north end of camp."

Sorin stopped and turned back, nodding. "Assistance cannot hurt. Lead the way."

Brekk obeyed without a word, guiding him through the growing camp until they reached a comparatively quiet section of it. Three guards—one paladin and two knights—stood in front of a cage caked with dried blood.