Chapter 10 #2
Stepping into the Circle, Rian felt the immeasurable power of their combined magic wash over him.
Kyra handed me her pearl handled anthame and bowed her head.
Doing as she’d instructed them all the night before, the Dragon Leader pulled the blade across the palm of his hand.
The first drop hit the simmering herbs. Steam rose from the mixture as more blood fell and Rian said the words he’d been taught.
“I give my blood freely for the protection of myself, my dragon, my mate, and my kin. May it only be used for this purpose. So mote it be.”
“Blessed be. Blessed be,” the women all around him answered.
“Come forward Drago MacLendon, Assassin and Commander of the MacLendon Force of the Golden Fire Clan and brethren to Kayne MacGréine, whom you seek to rescue.”
Drago did just as Rian had, as did every other Guardsman in attendance. Liam was last to compete the rite. When he finished, Kyra stood and quietly directed, “All who seek entrance into the Abyss and have paid their debt of blood, please step forward.
As one cohesive unit, the Guardsmen took three steps.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to battle whatever hell had to offer, they recited the spell Calysta had taught them.
“We enter the Abyss of our own free will to rescue those taken without their consent and held against their will. We will not be the aggressors but will defend when attacked. Our mission is one of peace. So mote it be.”
Calysta and Sarah Beth joined Kyra and together, the three formed a circle around the Goddess Candle. The remaining McKennon sisters, Melanie, and Sam joined hands as best they could. Together the women began to chant first in the language of the original dragons, then in English
“Oscailt na geataí ar ifreann. Cheadú iontráil. Aon dochar.”
“Open the gates of hell. Allow entry. Do no harm.”
Rian touched the amulet Calysta had placed around his neck, as did all the Guardsmen.
It was what she’d called their ‘get into hell unseen card’.
She’d further explained that if any or all of them were in mortal danger, all they had to do was touch their amulets simultaneously and utter “Dachaigh” in unison.
She cautioned, however, that all of them had to touch their own talisman at exactly the same time and say the one-word spell exactly in unison or it wouldn’t work.
They were going into the Abyss as a single unit and that is how the magic saw them.
Piece of cake…on a cracked plate with what the beasties nightmares are made of. Yippee!
The witches’ chant rose in volume and intensity. The copper pot full of their combined blood and Kyra’s herbs began to boil. Thick black smoke rose from the bubbling liquid. The ground beneath just the Guardsmen began to shake.
Rian saw each mated Guardsman look to the woman who was the light of his soul.
He knew they were speaking mind-to-mind, lending support to one another.
It was the first time he didn’t feel the pang of jealousy when watching the couples together.
The Dragon Leader knew, as did his heart, that soon he would be reunited with the one woman in all the world who he was fated to share eternity with.
Kyra, Calysta, and Sarah Beth raised their joined hands to the sky.
The witches chant immediately grew in volume.
It became so loud the air within the protective bubble vibrated around them.
Rian knew that were it not for the spell, the sound of their combined voices would echo throughout the valley.
“Buckle up, kids. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride,” Maddox’s voice rang through their minds, followed by his unmistakable chuckle.
Rian knew without a doubt Madman Maddox was crazier than a bedbug and never really lived in the real world, but the old dragon was also the most magically powerful non-witch being the Dragon Leader had ever known.
More than that, he would protect dragon kin with his dying breath, and no matter what, had Rian’s back.
And that was what was going to bring them all home safely.
Kyra opened her eyes and looked directly at Rian. Their otherworldly glow grew in intensity until the flame of the Goddess Candle shot straight into the sky, erupting like fireworks about their heads.
The earth under his feet fell away while the ground under the witches remained whole and untouched. Rian and the Guardsmen began to fall. The Dragon Leader’s last glimpse was of Kyra as she gave him a single nod.
Her voice echoed through his mind as he fell, “Save Audrey and bring him back to me.”
Rian knew exactly to whom the tiny witch referred and couldn’t help but smile as he fell through the air without the aid of wings for the first time in his life.
The sensation of falling was incredibly disconcerting for the man and the dragon with which he shared his soul.
He could feel the beast clawing against the confines of his mind.
The dragon roared and fought while Rian did everything in his power to calm the winged warrior, but to no avail.
Thankfully, their fall didn’t last nearly as long as it felt like it did and was over in less than a minute.
Rian’s feet hit the ash and soot along with his men.
The cloud of dust left them blind, which was an unacceptable risk in hell.
Using his preternatural senses, Rian reached out little by little through the soot, making sure no one had sensed their arrival.
“Follow me,” he commanded using mindspeak to avoid anyone unwanted from hearing their conversations and to keep the witches topside updated.
The well-trained unit followed his lead with swords drawn until they reached an abandoned building about a block from where they landed. Looking out the one window not boarded up, Rian was surprised to see the street deserted. There was no one or thing as far as the eye could see.
The Underworld was a burnt out, rundown, sad, ghost-town-version of the world topside.
Peeling paint, disintegrating mortar, and broken windows with curtains that were simply threads hanging from a sagging rod were just a few highlights of the ambiance of their surroundings.
Soot and ash constantly rained from above like dirty snowflakes coating every available surface, and the barely-there sidewalks all but disappeared under the barrage of rubbish.
The road, or what he guessed had been a road many years prior, was nothing but potholes and chunks of asphalt.
The icing on the proverbial cake was the hordes of creepy-crawlies of every size, shape, and form crawling about like they owned the joint.
Rian could only imagine what the other inhabitants would look like.
“Brann, are we where we’re supposed to be?”
“Yes, sir. We landed right on course.” Brannoc sounded both satisfied and amazed that their plan so far was working.
“Then where are all the people? Not that I mind, but something doesn’t seem right.”
“We left topside at high noon. The folks down here tend to sleep during the day and wreak havoc all night long,” Maddox answered then added, “Have you never heard about the things that go bump in the night?”
Rolling his eyes, Rian snorted, “Yeah, but it’s always night down here and this is…creepier than….well, it’s just really creepy.”
“Take the win. I figured we drop down in the middle of a pack of hellhounds,” Drago jumped into the conversation.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence there, gramps.” Brann acted offended but Rian could hear the smile in his voice.
“That’s Assassin Gramps to you, young’un.” Drago snickered.
“All right kiddies, cookies for all when we’re topside. Right now, let’s get our people and get out.” Rian was glad everyone was taking their new surroundings in stride, but he couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right.
Touching the amulet around his neck, he reached out to Kyra as planned, “Kyra, we’re here. Everything up there okay?”
“We’re good. How about y’all?”
“Good but weird.”
“Well, it is hell after all.” Kyra laughed and Rian took the first full breath since he’d touched down in the Underworld. Knowing they had ten of the strongest witches and the best doctor in the world waiting to help them any way they could made what they had to do all the easier.
“Hey, you talking to my mate, brother?” Royce laughed.
“I was but she’s all yours now. I will butt the hell out.” Rian chuckled then said to Kyra, “Thank you. Talk soon.”
Rian cut his connection, giving the couple their privacy, and joined the others at the back of the room where they were going over the plan one more time.
Brannoc had the maps spread out on a makeshift table made out of broken plywood laid across two stacks of crumbling cement blocks and was leading the briefing.
“Here is Adramelech’s castle. We go north for half a block then east. The big creepy haunted house looking monstrosity at the end of the street is the place.”
“Does anyone but me find it weird that all this info was on the internet? I mean, this is a map of hell, not Schenectady.”
Rian knew Rory was trying to be funny but as usual, his youngest brother had the worst timing. Not wanting to be a jerk but needing to get Rory to shut up, the Dragon Leader responded with, “Does anyone but me think Rory should keep his comments to himself?”
The group tried to contain their laughter but it was impossible when Maddox added, “And this round goes to Rian.”
“Whatever,” Rory grumbled under his breath.
“Aww,” Lance teased. “Don’t take it personally. Roy is always kicking my ass too.”
“Only when you need it, you big pain in the ass, only when you need it.” Royce, who had just joined the group, teased then turning serious he added, “Now, let’s get to getting. Sitting still is making me itchy.”
“Roy’s right. Let me see if Calysta has found Audrey yet.”