Endure (33 page)

The earth shook again, but it was a small quake compared to earlier. Confusion warped Rayna’s features and a pang of anxiety twisted inside me. I hoped the volcano wasn’t responding to the magic, but when I reached the surface, I realized I should’ve hoped for more.

The original arch was high in the air on the top of a column of earth, but now it had been broken. The top curve had shattered, leaving only two stone pillars. Arcs of energy coiled up and down the posts, and the clouds above struck out at the world around us with flashes of heat.

The earth continued to shake, almost a constant vibration that moved through the water. A rain of dirt burst into the air, moving like a mole beneath the earth. Rocks and grass ricocheted off one another, and any fear I’d had about the end had been amplified and changed—the Visceratti were here.

Chapter 25

A dozen Visceratti slithered along the edge of the lake. Their hisses and screams were angry and sharp. Their red eyes shined with madness, and their power pressed against my skull. Images of my friends slaughtered and torn to pieces flooded my mind, forcing me to put more effort into my shields. Rai screeched through the air and a blast of lightning flashed from her talons. Earth exploded in massive chunks, and the Visceratti hissed in response.

Rayna and I didn’t waste another second. We plunged beneath the water and swam with all the energy we had. I propelled myself deep into the lake and demons were already in pursuit. I expected them to move slowly through the water, but with their arms pinned at their sides, they cut through the liquid like eels.

Adrenaline surged and I paddled deeper. When I reached the new arch, Rayna was a few lengths away. I reached toward her, the Visceratti closing the distance. We linked hands and I pushed her through the doorway, following after her. The tingling sensation swallowed me whole and on the other side was solid ground.

Pure darkness hung in front of us but we didn’t hesitate. I searched the air, finding a wall and using it as a guide, we ran. The slimy bodies of the Visceratti echoed behind us, as if the sound itself could chase and tackle us to the ground. My heart lurched as the slurp of their bodies became more prominent and a shiver moved down my spine.

I called my fire element and a ball of red energy manifested in my hand. I hurled it back, a fireball ignited and flew toward the demons. For a brief moment, the corridor was bright and alive with flame. All the Visceratti had come through the archway, slithering after us with demonic speed. I cursed under my breath and stopped, tearing my hand from Rayna’s grip.

“What are you doing?” she screamed.

The earth element rose and I drilled it into the earthy tunnel. The corridor was wide enough for two of us but only one of them. Those odds worked in our favor, but that left us little room to fight, forcing me to create a plan B and try to slow them down.

My magic reached deep into the earth as I tore it down in front of me. Rocks and dirt showered us, bars of stone firing from each side of the corridor and crisscrossing to create a barrier. I walked backward, pulling more stone blocks from the ground and closing the path behind us. The Visceratti cursed, smashing their fists into the obstacle and littering the ground with rocks and dirt. It wouldn’t hold forever, but it gave us a head start.

Fire coiled around my arms, lighting the way as we ran down the corridor. It winded left and right, darkness filling the voids around us. Tunnels veered off randomly and I had the urge to create more barricades to buy us time, but after hitting several dead ends and being forced to backtrack, I thought better of it.

One tunnel linked to another, then another, and I felt the hum of power grow in my soul. I followed it like a game of hot or cold, letting the vibrations fill me as we neared its source. I’d completely lost track of time when the walls stopped, opening into a vast pool of blackness.

“Chase?” Rayna whispered.

“Yeah?” I asked, bringing my arm around so the fire shone over her.

Rayna’s hair was wet and clung to her face. Streaks of makeup had run from the corners of her eyes and she squinted from the light. Her shirt hugged her body in a waterlogged embrace and her jeans squeaked with each step.

“What are we going to do? We can’t fight them all off, and that rock won’t hold them for much longer.”

“I know,” I said. I didn’t have any other answers. The sound of the Visceratti ricocheted through the tunnel and made my stomach tense.

I walked forward, swinging my arm from left to right, but I couldn’t see anything. The darkness pressed against my fire and rather than lighting up the entire room, it swallowed more of the light. I found another wall and walked along it until I located a steel bar sticking out of the earth. When I used the flame to examine it, it caught my fire and flickered to life.

Flames reached into the air as the torch burned and lit up a section of empty space. I ducked beneath it and continued forward. As I came to the second torch, something pressed against my shoulder. I jumped and cursed, but it was only Rayna.

“Sorry.” She cringed.

I swallowed my heart back into my chest and lit the next torch. The fire ignited in each of the steel bowls until a dozen torches threw light across the entire room, revealing a massive dead end. Concrete blocks stood upright along the walls like vertical coffins buried in the earth. I pushed on the one closest to me, but it wouldn’t budge. “A crypt of higher power.”

Rayna swept away a spot in the center of the room, showing a slab of white marble that reminded me of the Otherworld where I’d met Serephina. Deep holes were drilled into each corner, but there was nothing else around it.

“What’s this for?” Rayna asked.

“Just wait…” I said, moving toward the last torch. As it wrapped itself in flames, the ground roared. Dirt fell around one of the stone slabs and it began to move. It creaked against some unseen pressure before being drawn into the ceiling. Stones ground together until the doorway had been lifted entirely, revealing a small opening. Inside stood a white stone pedestal with a thick book lying on top. Rayna and I each grabbed one side and dragged it into the middle of the room. Each of the four legs was perfectly round and we lowered them into the holes over the marble plate.

A loud crash echoed behind us, followed by laughter and screams. I could practically hear the sound of the demons slithering across the floor and
goosebumps
danced along my arms.

“I can’t read it,” I said, looking at the pages. “It’s written in some strange language. We need more time!”

“Time’s up,” Rayna said. Her whip made a
tink
as it hit the ground and her eyes were narrowed on the darkened tunnel.

The hissing came first, then the slop of wet scales. I reached for my daggers and hesitated as the first demon burst from the shadows. Her breasts swung from side to side, slapping against her chest. Scars littered her body and both her arms were stretched out, claws tearing at the earthy walls on either side of her.

I opted for magic over silver and called my elements. Earth came first, stretching from my left hand. The ground shook and shards of rock came out of the tunnel walls. One jagged stone tore through the chest of a single Visceratti and she screamed, but the other demons dodged the stony attack. Fire flourished in my right hand, coiling and burning at my fingertips. I didn’t let it build up in my palms. I pushed it toward them and let the element crackle through the tunnel.

The demons roared and three of them dove into the room, their skin smoldering from the flames. Low rumbles reverberated in their chests and they rolled across the floor. Tails whipped through the air as they tried to smother the flames; the rest of the demons weren’t so lucky.

The stream of heat set the tunnel ablaze. The demons tried going the other way, but the earthy spears that they’d once avoided now blocked their path. Slate grey claws tore into the blockade and piece by piece it began to crumble; it was too late—they couldn’t escape the fire’s wrath. They collapsed to the ground in a firework of red and orange sparks, and I pulled the element back.

Black blood stained the floor, quickly becoming decorated with flakes of grey and white ash. The remaining three demons had gathered their wits, their flesh steaming as they rose up on their snake-like bodies.

Rayna’s magic flourished. Her black whip glowed an eerie dark green as she channeled the power into it. Blades of rock broke away from the walls, clinging to the whip like armor. She flicked her wrist and the whip cracked through the air, the demon dodged the strike, but an assault of stone blades followed like homing missiles. Each stone stabbed her in an assault of earthy power. Splatters of blood erupted from her arms and torso, painting the walls. The snake-demon responded, lunging forward, claws ready to strike. Rayna spun away and snapped the whip upward. The claws caught the demon under her chin, and like a fishing line, Rayna pulled. The Visceratti’s head jerked and she screamed as her body was lifted into the air. Rayna wrenched the whip back and the bottom of the demon’s chin tore away, her face smashing into the ceiling. The Visceratti fell to the ground, and although she didn’t burst into flame and ash, she wasn’t moving.

The second demon didn’t wait; it slithered up behind Rayna and shoved both her hands into her back. Rayna stumbled forward, hitting the wall and falling to the ground. As the third demon moved in to strike, my air element took over the room. The two standing demons were torn from the floor and pinned against the wall. Dirt and rubble rained over them and my element stole the air from their lungs, muffling their sounds. Red eyes darted back and forth, drops of blackness tearing down their cheeks. Their mouths hung open, gasping for air, but there was none to be had. Tiny chunks of black and grey flesh were stuck between their jagged stained teeth, and they chomped at the air.

I stared up at the demons, feeling powerful and confident. I flexed the power in my hands and their bodies lurched awkwardly to the side. The magic forced their necks to crack and I turned their heads to face me. “I’m going to come and find your Queen when I’m damn good and ready, but until then, I will kill every one of you she sends after me.”

An unsettling smile crossed their lips, and the control and confidence I’d felt faded. They were in the deadly grasp of my elements, what did they have to smile about? Frustration won over and my elements released them. The demons fell and Rayna and I moved in for the kill. We each used a blade and cut through the demons’ heads. In seconds, their bodies flared and were decimated to sparks and ash.

I slipped the blade back into its sheath when a sharp pain cut across my back. The force drove me to the ground and the Visceratti that had been out cold hissed above me. Black blood ran down her neck from the hole in her chin and her eyes were animated with rage. The demon’s fist smashed into my mouth and my lips split, blood pouring into my mouth and down my chin.

“Who
sssaid
that we were here for you?”

The Visceratti’s claws came down but Rayna’s whip wrapped around the demon’s arm. She yanked the demon to the side and plunged a blade deep into her chest. The demon gurgled and blood spilled from her lips before she drifted on the air in flecks of grey and white.

“What could they possibly want with me?” Rayna asked.

I kicked the ashes in a streak across the floor. “Riley always said he needed both of us. I had been so focused on getting the soul pieces I didn’t stop to think about it.”

“Me either.” Rayna shook the thought away and forced me turn around. “How’s your back.”

“It’s fine. It’ll be good in no time.”

“You’re not going to heal it?”

“Not until we figure out what do to with this book. Even with the added strength the gods’ souls have given me, I’m tired—a combination of using my magic and not having slept in days.”

Rayna moved to the book and began turning the pages. “Do you think Tiki could read it?”

“Maybe, but why would I need a demon to translate it?”

Blood dribbled off my chin and I wiped it with my sleeve as more pulsed from the wound. I channeled my water element enough to stop the bleeding, but even that made the sleep tug at my eyes. Shaking it away, I reached for the book, pulling it from the altar and flipping through the pages. Each page was filled with strange characters and symbols, but I couldn’t make sense of any of it. Frustration swelled inside me and I cursed under my breath. The movement caused a drop of blood that clung to my chin to fall onto the parchment, splattering over the middle of the page.

“Dammit,” I said, carefully dabbing it with my finger, trying to smear it as little as possible.

All the ink on the page started to glow. Magic vibrated through the creased leather spine, and the elements in my soul rose up through my body. Barbs of pain prickled through my fingers and I fumbled the book. When it hit the floor, dust sputtered into the air and I stumbled back. A searing ache ran up my spine and images of the trident burning my back replayed through my mind. My knees buckled as the elements drove through my body, tearing through each of my limbs. The searing that started in my spine spread across my body and steam rose from my skin.

“Chase,” Rayna stepped forward.

“No,” I gasped, struggling for breath through the rushing heat in my chest. “Run.”