Chapter 23
Plummeting in a freefall and picking up speed with each passing second, Ava descended at an alarming rate. As the ground rushed up to meet her, she stifled a scream. Seconds away from impact, her body jerked up as though attached to a bungee cord, then she floated to the ground.
Taking a few seconds to catch her breath, Ava closed her eyes and waited for her head to stop spinning. “I’m seriously hoping the ride back up is a little slower than the one down.”
“Tell me about it.” Duncan rubbed his neck and moved his head from side to side.
Screams and the sounds of splashing water sent a chill down her spine. “What the hell is that?”
“The River of Lost Souls,” Duncan said. “Don’t look at them, and stay away from the bank or they might pull you in.”
Her heart pounded as she followed the two guardians down a well-worn path in the direction of the gut-wrenching screams.
Try as she might, she couldn’t help but glance at the river and the souls flailing in the water. She shuddered with disgust at the cruel treatment, and kept her gaze on Duncan.
A few minutes later, they reached a curve in the path.
“We are almost to the throne room,” Duncan whispered. “There’s a panel behind the throne that we hope leads us to Mider’s personal quarters.”
“Hope?” Her voice hitched in her throat.
What if it led somewhere else, like a dungeon or a fire pit?
“Stay here, Ava.” He disappeared around the curve and came back a few seconds later.
“The throne room is empty.”
“That’s a stroke of good luck,” Llion said.
“Let’s do this. Ava, stay at my back,” Duncan said.
Ava nodded in response. Duncan and Llion rushed through the throne room, stopping behind a hideous throne made out of bones. Her skin crawled at the shocking sight.
“I’m pretty sure this is the panel Mider pushed,” Llion said.
“Let’s get this over with while we still have the strength.” Duncan looked at Llion and gave him a nod.
Llion pushed the panel and the three of them immediately shot up through an opening in the ceiling and were gently deposited on the floor of a large room. Ava gasped as the hole in the floor closed with no trace of its existence.
Decadent gold- and jewel-trimmed furniture filled the space. Persian rugs and others made of animal skin were scattered across the floor, where a massive bed made of bones stood. The presence of evil permeated the air.
Mider leapt, from the bed, an impressive twelve feet to the rock wall. Before the two guardians had a chance to move, he managed to push a panic button that emitted a shrill, ear-splitting alarm.
Duncan charged the surprised demon. The blade of his sword sliced through Mider’s shoulder, but the demon moved just enough to avoid decapitation. A scream of rage tore from Mider’s lips as scores of demons invaded the cavernous quarters. A blood wraith tossed a sword to the Dark Lord, its blade coated with a fiery green liquid.
“Isn’t it just like a guardian to attack an unarmed man?” Mider sneered. “Let’s see how successful you are now that I can defend myself.”
Duncan and Mider circled one another, each holding a sword, while Llion dispatched the flood of demons almost as quickly as they emerged from cracks in the walls. Ava did as ordered and stayed out of the way, feeling small and useless.
Mider charged toward Duncan, blade extended, but Duncan side-stepped at the last minute. He raised his blade, slicing downward and slashing the Dark Lord’s back. The demon roared in pain and charged him a second time. Duncan easily evaded the move, his calm, steely determination a factor in his favor.
“I’m going to eviscerate you, and when I am done I’ll have your little sex goddess for dessert.”
A spark of fury flashed in Duncan’s ice-blue eyes. “You won’t live long enough to do either.”
The two men dueled in earnest—thrusting, parrying, and circling—neither man taking his eyes off the other. Suddenly aware of the presence of incubi, Ava turned and found two of the demons, daggers drawn, approaching Llion from behind. Invisible to the burly guardian, the demons had the advantage of surprise, but she had that same advantage against them.
Using every ounce of energy she could summon, Ava blasted one incubus with an energy bolt. The other turned in surprise, but Ava quickly dispatched that one, too.
The number of demons in the room began to increase exponentially. Outnumbered in a sea of evil, she fought for her life, as her view of the dueling men was eclipsed by the mass of bodies.
She continued to slash, stab, and incinerate her way through the room, hoping to get a glimpse of Duncan. In unison, the demons shrieked, the sound like an ice pick to her ear drums. Energy fading and still outnumbered, she didn’t know how much longer she could last. Determined not to go down without a fight, she persevered, covered in cuts and bruises.
The wailing escalated as the demons suddenly turned on each other, scratching, clawing, and biting. They poured out of the room in a frenzied rush, still shrieking and attacking their own kind. In an instant, the room emptied.
“What the hell just happened?” Llion voice roared over the fading screams.
“Mider’s dead. His subjects have no leader.” Duncan stood over the disintegrating body of the Dark Lord.
A sword covered in blood rested next to the demon’s severed head. Ava turned her gaze from the gruesome sight.
“Well done, man.” Llion clapped his hand on Duncan’s shoulder.
Ava rushed into Duncan’s arms and held him close. He returned the embrace, crushing her to his chest. A wave of relief swept over her. After a few precious moments in each other’s arms, she felt a sticky substance seep through her clothes.
She pushed Duncan away.
“You’re bleeding.” She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. Blood seeped from Duncan’s side and trickled down the leg of his faded jeans.
“Just a flesh wound. Hurts like hell, though.” Duncan examined the wound then shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s get out of here while we still have the energy.”
Llion retrieved the sword Mider had wielded just moments earlier. He lifted the blade, sniffed it, and released it as though it burned his hand. The sword landed on the stone floor next to the Dark Lord’s remains.
“Is this Mider’s weapon?” Llion questioned.
“Yes. What of it?”
“You’re poisoned, Duncan—dread serpent venom. This is bad. Really, really bad.” The big man hung his head, hiding his expression.
Ava’s heart skipped a beat, and the blood drained from her face. “What does that mean, Llion?”
“It’s a slow-acting poison that gradually drains the energy from one’s body until nothing is left.” Llion shook his head. “That bastard wanted to make sure he got rid of Duncan one way or another.”
“What are you saying? You can heal him. Right, Llion?” Frantic for an affirmative answer, she searched Llion’s expression but found no encouragement there.
“I’m sorry. Healing such as this is beyond my capabilities, but I will do everything in my power to help him.”
“An antidote. There has to be an antidote.”
Please say yes, Ava prayed.
Llion’s pain-filled gaze met hers, and he shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Duncan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed tight. “We’ll deal with this together, Ava, but not here. Let’s go home before any stray demons return.”
Ava mentally kicked herself for being so whiny. Duncan had been poisoned, yet he was the one to comfort her. She had to find a way to help him. Surely the fates wouldn’t be so cruel as to take him away from her now. Being strong for him and finding a way to save his life were her top priorities now. She drew a trembling breath. Without Duncan, her life would be meaningless.
~ ~ ~
Upon returning to the penthouse, Ava insisted that Duncan rest in the bed while she and Llion searched for a cure. Signs of weariness etched Duncan’s handsome face, and the fact he didn’t put up a fight told her that the poison was starting to take effect.
She found Llion sitting at Duncan’s massive desk facing the laptop. His fingers flew over the keyboard, the staccato beats as he struck the keys echoing through the otherwise silent room.
“You hope to find an antidote on the Internet?” She moved to stand over his shoulder.
“The Fey are very advanced technology-wise,” Llion replied.
“You never know what you will find on the Fey network. They catalog information on every being in the realms—suspicious bastards—always preparing for war.” Llion shook his head. “I hacked into their system a few years ago. Gathering information on the fairies keeps me one step ahead of them.”
“I want to help you. What can I do?” She was determined to not stand by while Duncan suffered, but a sense of helplessness overwhelmed her.
Llion turned to face her. “I need you to retrieve my ancient healing tome, as well as my spell book. I will open a portal to my office. I have two large, ancient tomes on my desk—one on healing and another on healing magic. The portal should hold for at least ten minutes.” Llion waved his hand in the air, and a portal opened. “Now, get out of here.” He growled. “You’re distracting me.”
Minutes later, Ava returned through the portal, carrying the two massive books. “What am I searching for?”
Llion glanced at her over the laptop, his eyes red with strain. “Two things—an antidote for dread serpent venom and a spell to bring a shifter back from the dead.”
Ava’s breath caught in her throat at the word ‘death,’ but for the first time, she felt a spark of hope. They had to come up with a cure. The alternative was beyond consideration. She settled into a large, overstuffed chair by the fire, curled her feet beneath her, and began her search.
After hours of searching through the book on healing, she reached the end. Finding no reference to an antidote for dread serpent venom, she rose from the chair, deflated, stiff, and exhausted. She stretched her legs, while Llion still pounded away on the keyboard. In search of caffeine, she made her way to the kitchen. Returning moments later with a large mug of coffee, she settled back in the chair and began round two.
“Bingo!” Llion stood up from the desk and stretched his massive arms over his head. “I’ve found an antidote that was used to cure a Fey warrior from dread serpent poisoning.”
“And I just found a spell on resurrecting the dead,” Ava exclaimed.
“Even better.” Llion smiled for the first time since the battle with Mider. “Unfortunately, the cure is for a male Fey and not a shifter. There is no guarantee it will work on Duncan.”
“I’ll take it.” Duncan stood at the doorway, looking rested, if not a little pale. “I have nothing to lose.”
“Slow down, man. I’ll have to track down the components of the potion and put it together. After that, I’ll need to make adjustments for your physiology. Until then, patience is in order.”
“I’m just ready to deal with this,” Duncan said.
Ava placed her hand on his chest. “Let’s let Llion get to work. I’m sure this won’t take too long.” Ava looked to Llion expectantly, but his expression held no promise of a speedy antidote.
“Give me the spell book. I’ll need that as well.”
Ava handed him the tome, marking the page where the resurrection spell was located.
“I’ll go back to my lab. You get some rest,” Llion said, pointing at Duncan. “You need to conserve your strength.”
“Rest sounds good.” Ava put her arms around Duncan. “I’m exhausted.”
Without another word, Llion formed a portal and disappeared.