The Binding (28 page)

The blackness flashes in and out of the darkness from the end of the field to the far right opposite the bleachers. I stand rooted to the ground as it speeds up toward me . Half way to me its eyes appear within the blackness .
I feel as if the terror is too much to bear and I’m about to die of fright. From behind me where the others are I hear someone scream in terror . T
hen , with the fluid swiftness of its movements, the blackness with its burning red eyes towers before me.

*

“Lily!” I shake her again, trying to snap her back. What was I thinking send ing her out alone into a hostile environment? I should ha ve waited until we were in Velesi. Damn it!

She stands facing me with unseeing eyes, wide and terrified. Her mouth is open and slack, but what worries me most is that she stopped screaming. I have to pull her back now .
I hug her tightly to me . I have to connect with her own psyche in order to reach her and bring her back.

“Tharin, it’s a Demlok!” I hear Tolan yell as I pass into the drifting state . Damn! What was I thinking ?

I’m
on the field and I finally sense the Demlok. I will myself to where I see Lily standing, frozen and alone, but the demon is here .
I can feel him.
I’m at her side in an instant just as I’m aware that the Demlok is right in front of her. How can it sense us ? I’ve never heard of a demon from the UnderRealm able to see or sense one of us while in the drifting state, not even a Demlok. Just before I yank Lily back, I realize then that the demon is not aware of me, but only of Lily. Somehow it has locked onto to her mind.
I quickly send Tolan a mental location of the Demlok. With all his strength and will he sends a wind blast at the demon sending it reeling.
I’m not able to see it, but the strength of Tolan’s will behind the blast sends the demon along a path until it slam s into the top of score board. E
lectrical spark s and flares flash as the Demlok screams in rage.

As soon as
I’m back I realize Tolan has already p laced a shield around u s and we’
re moving fast to the far side of the field, near the trees. Phoris has me tucked under his arm , but as soon as he realizes that I’m back he lets go and my feet hit the ground running without missing a beat. I look over and see Alorn with Lily cradled in his arms. I give her a quick once over to make sure she’s okay but she has her head tucked into his shoulder, her eyes closed. The terror that a Demlok sends out i nto their victims is enough to kill anyone on the spot, but I know that Lily is stronger than she realizes , but even if that’s true it doesn’t erase the guilt and anger that has been building inside of me.
Fool! What were you thinkin g?

Trusting
Lily to Alorn ’s care , I look to Tolan who is up front with Julia. S
he’s holding onto him for dear life, with her eyes close d and her head tuck ed under into his shoulder. Should she raise her head, she may end up with a broken neck at the speed we ’
re traveling.

“Tolan, is it just the one Demlok?”
I ask.

“I only sensed one, but the Ange is here, as well,”
he replies.

“The Ange?”
I ask , not surprised.

“Yes. Harlu is here and when I sent the demon flying he appeared at the top of the bleachers. He had just whipped out the Lorelei’s Cord a few seconds before I was able to get the shield up.”

“Damn, first the Bells of Sheni, now the Lorelei’s Cord. Whoever is behind this has very strong connections to the UnderRealm ,”
I state w ondering who this new player is. Is it Falsad? Is he this powerful?

First he takes over Lucas completely before we had any idea that Lucas was possessed. Then he brings on the Ange and gives them powerful relics to command a demon and to bind someone rendering them helpless. The cord, according to faeries, was spun by one of the youngest of the fairy queen s , Lorelei, using her o wn golden hair. She created it, as the legend goes, to capture and keep her lover. Until tonight, I thought it was just a legend. If Harlu is able to bind anyone with that cord, no one or any spell, no matter how good the conjurer is, can break its hold. Only the user of the cord can release them. If it had snared Lily, we would still be on the field fighting the Ange and the Demlok until Lily was free. I grit my teeth think ing how much worse it could have been.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, b rother. It happened, let it go. You’re no good to any of us, especially to Lily if you’re distracted like this,”
warns Tolan.

He’s
right. I take a deep breath and start thinking about our situation. The middle of the football field is where the clearing is, a portal to the outer borders of the Velesi realm. If we don’t use the portal at the clearing, then we will have to travel by road again , and it will take us several days to get to Crowfoot Mountain . It might even take us more than a week depending on the number of bounty hunters we encounter. T
he Ange and the demons are all determine d to get what they ’ve come for, Lily. That’s not going to happen. First, we need to get back to the clearing and use the portal to get us to Crowfoot Mountain .

Once we reach the trees, Phoris pulls up and begins to chant. The trees in this area are more at peace in this world and their powers are stronger than that of the young oak back in Las Vegas .

I reach over to Lily who is still in Alorn’s arms. When I touch her, she flinches and grabs Alorn tighter, pushing her head deeper into his shoulder .

“Lily, it’s me. Calm down. You’re safe now.”
I say gently in her mind.

Her eyes pop open and without hesitation she throws herself into my arms …
and the world sudden ly feels right again. I take her from Alorn, who nods at me before turning to Tolan. I hold her gently, stroking her hair and wait until she stops trembling.

“Tharin, I can’t get it out my head,”
she says shakily.

“It ’s okay, the feeling will pass.
”

“No, I mean I can’t get the picture of it out my head .
”

“Tolan , ”
I call. F
eeling him join us I ask Lily, “What do you mean picture it?”

“Its face, Tharin…its whole being! I see it and I can’t get it out of my head, not this time. Not just that, but I can still feel its evil all over me!”

Tolan
taking a sharp breath asks , “How is this possible?”

“This time? Have you seen it before, Lily?”
I question.

She nods,
“Twice. The first time was when I first saw Tolan come out of the trees at the park. It was standing right behind him. The other time was in the desert, when the Ange was there,”
she stops and looks back and forth between Tolan and me.
“You didn’t see it, did you?”

“No. We sensed it, but only when it came close. It was cloaked, just like it is now.”
I answer.

Privately I say to Tolan, “Did you sense it back at the park?”

“No, and if it was standing just behind me as she says, then the Demlok is able to conceal its presence when it wants to. What I want to know is how Lily is able, not only see it , but sense it before we do ?”
Tolan asks as he studies Lily closely.

“Lily, I want you to show me where he is .”
I hold her still as she nearly jumps out of my arms at the thought.

“Please, Tharin, I can’t. The first two times were bad enough, but this time…this time it’s like it sees right through me. I can’t do it,”
she gasps as if her thoughts are actually preventing her from breathing.

I push gently, “Lily, if we can’t see it, we can’t fight it. It’s dangerous as it is when we do see it, but it’s even more deadly when it’s cloaked like this.”

“Tharin, wait,”
says Tolan, “Lily, do you remember how to protect yourself the way Asi showed you. You told me that she helped you learn how to shield yourself from an emotional assault. Can you do that now?”

I
don’t think I tell my brother often enough how much I appreciate him.
He has always been at my side , which I’ve been grateful for in the past, but at this moment I’m beyond words on how much I’m glad he’s here with me.

I wait patiently as Tolan helps Lily build a strong defense against any physical, mental or emotional assault . When she’s ready, she nods once at Tolan and moves away from me. By this time, Phoris has placed a shield around us using the cold air, and moisture from it, mixed with leaves and dirt to give us cover.
He now starts the summoning for the portal.

“Mellis,”
I call out, he turns to me with a big grin on his face. I sigh and wonder if just maybe he really is adopted.

“You call ed, f earless l eader?”

“The vehicle s, a nything of use in them ? A nything that we need?”
I ask quickly.

“No. Nothing except Lily’s and Julia’s backp acks with all their belongings,”
he replies after a moment ’s thought .

“They’ll have to do without them,”
answers Tolan. Mellis looks over at me and I nod at him. He takes out a small detonator. The explosion from all three vehicles is instantaneous, lighting up the area. With the a dditional fire power that we had in all three vehicles, the explosion rattles the bleachers nearby and the ground shakes from the violent vibration s . Even the shield Phoris conjured around us can’t block out all of the sound. I notice in the distance several lights coming on in nearby homes.
It’s a small town, within half an hour everyone will be here.

Lily spins around and grabs hold of my arm. Thinking the Demlok has found us, I feel for Tazo’s hilt, ready to bring her to life.

“Tharin,”
calls Lily urgently, “the statue! The one the old woman gave me!”

She stares at me with an almost panic ked look in her eyes and I put her at ease answering, “It ’
s safe , Lily. I have it with me.”

She relaxes and sighs, then turns back toward the field. I stare after her for a moment and w onder why she suddenly remembered the statue of the Manui soldier. I had forgotten about it myself and she has n’t mentioned it again since the old woman gave it to her. So why now would she remember it?

“Tharin,”
she calls to me, “It’s at the end of the field.”
I sense that she’s calmer se eing the Demlok again , but there i s an underlying of fear still there. I send a second thank you for Tolan, I’m sure he also strengthened her defenses with a little help of his own will .

“Alorn, you’re here with Phoris , Julia and Lily, Mellis you’re with Tolan and me ,”
I send out the commands.

“No,”
Julia’s quiet response is so unexpected every one of us turns to her in silent surprise. Tolan must have brought her in to the conversation so that she’s included in the plans.

She takes Tolan’s hand, staring up at him she says, “If the Ange is anything like you’ve told me th e n you will need Alorn.”
Tolan slowly shakes his head , a scowl on his brow, but she quiets him down with a touch of her hand to his chest.
“It ’
s ok ay.
I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”
She then turns to me, “
A nd neither is Lily. We can take care of ourselves and keep Phoris protected as long as he needs us to. It’s time that we help out.”

Tolan’s face is unreadable as he says, “You’ll have to watch his back while we’re on the field. Phoris is not only holding this shield up, but he’s also summoning the elements of the clearing to open the portal. You’ll know when that happens.
The shield will drop immediately and you’ll be exposed to the Ange, all of you. A sliver of light will appear on the field that will be the portal. Once that happens, you and Lily will have to help Phoris to it because he’ll be too weak to protect himself , and you. You have to get him in to the portal. Don’t wait, don’t hesitate, just get in. Do you understand what I ’ve just told you ?
”
Julia nods and then his face softens as he says, “I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

Without a word, Tolan takes Julia in his arms and kisses her long and hard. When they part he blocks his thoughts from all of us except Julia. After a moment she smiles gently at him and nods.

As Tolan moves to the side, Alorn steps to Julia and bows his head to her, his fist to his chest. A warrior’s parting. Mellis is next and he gives her the same honor. I follow, but instead of saluting her as my cousins have, I hug her tightly and for her mind only I say, “I know she’s strong, but take care of her for me until I get back.”
She smiles and nods before stepping back.

I walk over to Lily and reach for her hand , holding it in both of mine .
She winces after her skin is pierced, trying to pull her hand back. She looks at the Malainisi stone now embedded just above the back of her wrist, already traces of ink slowly appear around it . She looks up at me expectantly, not sure why I’ve done this .

“This is the Stone of Malainisi. It’s from another realm, a realm where Cessa is from . I’ve already let her know that you’
ll be wearing the stone from this day forward. She’ll come to you when you call her, but you have to know that she can only be in this realm for a limit ed amount of time before growing weak.”