Chapter Seventeen

“A hedge? What’s this supposed to achieve? Does the Emperor really think a few overgrown plants will stop us?”

Fon was at the front of the group, I was in the middle. We had been forced to spread out as the path grew narrow and dark. But his disbelieving voice carried across all the heads between us.

“Does he know who he’s dealing with?” The king of fire’s tone vibrated with disgust.

A pair of crows cawed overhead, flying directly towards the hedge darkening the forest before us. Fon’s voice had clearly reached right to the back where Vashri was ensuring we weren’t being followed. I pushed through the people ahead, Axxon and Rey either side of me.

“Ah.” It only took a few steps and I understood why the forest had grown so dark in the middle of summer. A wide, overgrown tangle of thorn bushes filled every space between the trees. They reached so high they even covered the treetops.

“It’s enchanted,” I murmured. “Its growth accelerated to keep us away.” I glanced at the sun overhead. Midsummer’s day was two days away. The Emperor was trying to delay us until the deed was done and he couldn’t be stopped.

“We’ll have to hack a way through,” Lord Hullar stated.

“No need for that.” Axxon stepped forward. He raised a hand. The earth shifted and the thorn bushes moved aside. As a gap opened up, he stepped closer, casting his magic further.

And the first thorn trees snapped back into their original places.

“What?” Axxon frowned and tried again. But the bushes would only stay where he put them while his attention was on them. As soon as the spell shifted, they returned to their original places.

I stepped back to let Lord Hullar’s men through to try brute force. Perhaps a non-magical solution would work. Axxon scowled and shifted aside.

“Kyann? Can you hear me?”

I glanced around at the sudden call, but the sound was in my head. And I recognised the voice. “Grimog?”

“I need you to summon me to your world.”

“Now?”

“Yes.” His tone was thick with anticipation. “I smell battle ahead.”

“I’m sure you do. This really isn’t a good time.” Axes were handed forward to the warriors closest to the hedge. “Ask me in three days’ time.” When all this would be over. I swallowed. One way or another.

“No, now. You must discharge your debt to me.”

“I will, I will. Just – not immediately.”

Grimog’s tone changed, fury vibrating from him. “You do not break your word to a demon. You are in my debt and you will call me forth from the underworld.”

I opened my mouth to pacify him, but my lips and tongue moved without my volition. Enchantments didn’t work on me – but I’d taken on a debt, and it demanded to be paid. “Grimog, Grimog…” I clapped a hand over my mouth. The last thing we needed now was another underworld creature to add to the chaotic mix.

Fon swung to me. “Kyann? What’s the matter?”

But it was too late. The final “Grimog,” blurted from my unwilling mouth. A moment later the demon was there for real. And when you call forth creatures from the underworld, sometimes their friends come along, too.

A blur of oily darkness surged through the gap Grimog had created, underworld creatures pouring from his world into ours.

“No,” Fon muttered, unsheathing his sword.

Cries of alarm rolled over our gathered forces as a horde of boggarts covered the ground, followed by several larger, winged and scaled creatures.

We were already walking towards a war with the most powerful magician Charnrosa had ever seen.

And now we had another battle to fight.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Can Kyann and the four kings defeat the Emperor before midsummer day’s dawn? Find out in Ignited by Magic.

 

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