Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Skarde pushed his horse until it grunted with each ground-slamming impact of its hooves. How he wished for his own horse and tack. This saddle was a smidge too small.
Fragments of the words he’d thrown at Gemma filtered through his brain.
Whatever he’d said, even if spoken while he was half out of his mind, had been bad enough to send her running toward the Vorche.
To not know where she was, to not know what was happening to her, to have lost her…
He’d never experienced fear in this way.
Deep inside, he’d accepted she was his to protect. Hell, she was his. So long as he got her back, even if she chose to leave and forge her own path in this world, at least he’d know she was safe and alive.
The horse spooked at a lightning strike, nearly unseating him. He nearly roared out his frustration, but keeping the horse’s panic under control demanded all his attention.
“Slow up,” Cade yelled. “The horse dying won’t get you there faster.”
He slowed the horse to a trot but despised the slower pace. Spindles of steam rose from its nostrils in the chilled air.
“Thanks for…” Skarde blew out a loud exhale. “Showing up.”
“I haven’t been useful yet.”
“I would’ve stayed to finish the job at the church, maybe even died and let the world go to hell if you hadn’t convinced me otherwise.”
“I’d gloat about all this, but I think Gemma’s worth fighting for, even if she is quirky and prone to getting in trouble.
” Softly, Cade added, “That’s why I’m here.
You have a chance, a real chance at something good.
I have a feeling we’re going to have to rescue her again.
This time will probably be worse than before.
There’s a high chance she’s already dead. ”
Already dead?
His lungs refused to expand as if someone had swung an axe directly into his chest, twisting and breaking ribs in a relentless effort to split him in two.
“I don’t know what I feel for her or what we have. It’s been such a short time. I messed up. I said shit I shouldn’t have. I should’ve explained more to her, maybe brought her with me rather than leaving her in the inn. The mood in the town was sour.”
“It wasn’t your best choice, but ease up on yourself. You’re not used to working with entanglements who need explanations, even if the fate of the world depends on you protecting her.” Cade smothered a chuckle.
“Asshole.”
His brother shook his head as real laughter rolled out of him. “You fucked up, which is…” He laughed more. “I can’t remember a time you made a mistake. It was always you lecturing me. You’re the brother that does it right the first time. I’m the screwup.”
“I make mistakes like everyone else.”
“Not often.”
“I won’t do it again.”
Getting to Gemma might involve rescuing her from Petra or VanFliet if she hadn’t made it to the Vorche first. Saving her in such a case was his priority.
Then he could find her somewhere safe to live.
He wasn’t the type of person she deserved long-term.
Maybe once, long ago before he became this half-dead killer of evil magic.
She didn’t need a guy who lashed out when she needed help.
He couldn’t go into this all messed up. Demons preferred to inhabit humans, using them as vessels to maneuver in the world. The few times he’d won over a demon, including a demon king, had been the result of a combination of luck, timing, and skill.
They reached a clearing and Cade halted his horse, dismounting. He scanned the ground, picking up the bracelet Skarde had given Gemma.
“Not good,” Cade announced. He examined the muddy shoe impressions. “VanFliet may have been here.” He pointed at a large impression. “It’s so muddied from rain I can’t be certain of anything other than these tracks were left by a heavy male. There were horses.”
“Petra has her,” said a low voice.
Cade jumped back as Fontaine emerged from the foliage. “What the… Were you here waiting or do you have some sort of magic telling you we’d be here?”
The dwarf said, “Time isn’t on our side, Skarde. Petra has all the crystals and has started the summoning.”
Skarde dismounted. He pounded a fist against the tree next to him.
Demon summoning ceremonies were foul affairs. They required death to trigger a possession. In this case, possibly Gemma’s.
“The witch has taken over VanFliet’s place, a mile that way.” The dwarf pointed north.
“I don’t have the tools with me to deal with a demon or demon possession.”
Fontaine touched his calf. “Everything necessary you already have. This will require all you have learned, and what you suspect you’ve found. Send the demons back. Destroy the crystals. You’re one of few who can. As the prophecy states, our world will burn if you fail to save her.”
“She and I—” Skarde blew out a long breath. “I don’t know what we are to each other. Hell, we barely know each other.”
“Destiny, my friend, is a daunting bitch who cannot be evaded. Shed your fear or we are all lost.” The dwarf king paused for dramatic effect, which annoyed Skarde. “You have to believe in her love as much as you must earn it.”
“You’re kind of a freaky little devil.” Cade backed his horse away from the dwarf.
“Skarde, I don’t see why you have to deal with the demon army part of this.
We can get Gemma out of there, but there’s enough magical beings in these woods that they should be able to band together and annihilate Petra or a bunch of demons themselves. ”
Skarde ignored his brother, asking Fontaine, “What is Gemma’s story? The ring suggests someone from here gave it to her. Is she from here?”
Fontaine’s lips compressed into a thin line.
“Tell me.” The mages, including Serish, probably knew the answer as well. Perhaps, they all conspired to bring him to this place at this time.
Fontaine backed away, avoiding eye contact.
Fuck this.
Skarde paced toward the smaller being but stopped within a few feet.
His boots made squishy sounds on the leaf bed.
“Everyone expects me…me…” He pointed at himself.
“To go deal with Petra and her demon summoning session. They expect me to save Gemma and keep the world from burning. To deal with any creature with supernatural abilities who goes the slightest bit crazy. There’s nothing special about me.
I’m no hero. I didn’t make a secret pledge to some higher power to do this.
I took a few jobs that paid well and figured out how to succeed.
Word spread and here we are. That’s how this works.
Someone pays me and I go deal with the problem.
Cade is right. You and a few of your friends could waltz over to Petra’s place, throw a bit of your magic in there, and nix the whole thing. Why should it be me?”
Fontaine winced.
The dwarf backed up when Skarde took a few steps closer and leaned down to his level. “Why is everyone screwing around with our lives?”
Fontaine held up his hand.
Skarde scowled but didn’t move.
The dwarf ducked his head. “I wish the mages would’ve simply told you rather than create all this clandestine business.
Several mages took Gemma, arguably saved her, after Tania killed her parents.
At four-years-old, she became the last living medicinal.
She’s the only medicinal in our realm. The mages hid her away in an alternate realm.
Serina stayed there to protect her. From what I heard, Gemma’s life wasn’t easy as an orphan, and I’m not sure Serina did the best job as her guardian.
She’s easily distracted. When Serina heard of your prophecy, she suspected Gemma’s fate was linked to yours and conspired with her kind to let Gemma see you through the glass. ”
“How did she come to fall through a mirror to here?”
“The mages worked a spell to open the doorway. As expected, our realm pulled her back.”
“I felt a link to her the first time I saw her as a reflection. Was that the product of magic?” Everything he’d experienced with Gemma bittered in his mind.
Fontaine shrugged. “Magic, destiny, purpose…maybe a bit of all of them. I can’t answer that question. You alone must decide whether you will resist it and risking one or both of you ending up dead. Or you can accept it and see where it takes you.”
The weight of what must be done descended on Skarde’s shoulders.
He had to save Gemma. He had to save the world from the darkness of Petra’s demons.
With a sigh, he stopped bullshitting himself.
Perhaps, this was his chance to get something more out of life.
But even that didn’t matter in the long run.
He was uniquely trained for this fight. Of course, he would risk his life for her.
Fontaine slipped back into the cover of the woods.
Skarde mounted. “I can’t ask you to do this with me, Cade. Demons are on another level, dangerous beyond anything you can imagine.”
“Blood brothers to the bitter end.” Cade repeated their old mantra.
The one they used to say to each other before every battle, back when they were human mercenaries.
“I may not know how to deal with demons, but I’m more than decent in a fight.
No one knows more about countering demons than you.
Damn if I’m not desperate for a good fight. ”
He’d missed this, the knowledge there’d be at least one person who had his back and would never screw him over. “Blood to the bitter end.”