“I did, but only because she wanted to come with me,” Tobiah said, giving Sienna a look filled with longing and affection. “The night I first saw her, I followed her up to the mansion. I watched her for a while, and… Well, I couldn’t take it anymore. There was a small spring gushing down the mountain, so I washed up and revealed myself to her.”
I gave Caspian a sideways glance and noticed how calm and unfazed he appeared, while the rest of us were struggling to keep our eyes from popping out of our heads as Tobiah-the-freaking-daemon and Sienna told us their love story.
“You don’t look surprised at all, Lord Kifo,” I murmured. “Did you know all this?”
He gave me a bored look, slowly shaking his head.
“You really shouldn’t rely on my facial expressions as indicators of any emotions or knowledge that I might possess, Miss Hellswan. I was trained in a military fashion. You can’t read me like you do others. And to answer your question, no. I had no idea.” He scoffed.
“I’ll figure you out eventually,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him before refocusing on Sienna and Tobiah. “So, what, you swooned and negotiated a happily ever after?”
“No! Not at all!” Sienna giggled. “I was terrified of him at first. At least, for the first few days. He kept coming around afterward, every night, without exception. He brought me blood to drink. He kept me warm. We got to know each other better, and… I fell in love.”
“So you ran away with him, I presume,” I interrupted.
“Well, yes.” Tobiah shrugged. “I couldn’t be with her in Azure Heights, and she couldn’t exactly pack her bags and leave her family behind. They would’ve used her as bait to draw me out, then kill me. She’s everything to me. She’s the only creature in this world whose soul I don’t want to consume. I want to cherish it because it’s beautiful, and her family, her city… They’re not worthy of it. I feel it in her smile, in the way she looks at me. It’s precious…”
“I let Tobiah snatch me from the gazebo a week ago,” Sienna added, smiling at the daemon. “And he gave me freedom.”
“Then why didn’t you send word to Azure Heights to at least tell your family that you’re still alive?” Hansa asked.
“You don’t know my family the way I do,” Sienna replied. “They would’ve found a way to keep me away from Tobiah. Even worse, they would’ve tried to hurt him or kill him. I was tired of all the rules and etiquette, anyway. I like it here. It’s simple, and wild, and it’s our home. We’re away from everything and everyone, and we only have each other… I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“The other daemons think she’s my prey, and they keep their distance,” Tobiah explained. “I’ve fought plenty of them off to keep this part of the gorge safe.”
“And yes, my family thinks I’m missing,” Sienna added. “I’d be more comfortable if they thought I was dead. It’s better for everyone, because I could never go back to Azure Heights. Not now, after I’ve experienced bliss in Tobiah’s arms…”
“This is getting a little too sweet for my taste,” Heron muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
“Sweet? How about crazy? Unfathomable? Weird?” Avril chimed in, still having difficulties with this unconventional couple.
“Well, we are happy here.” Sienna held her chin up. “Sure, it gets dangerous, and Tobiah has to fight some of his own people to keep me safe, but we’re together. And no one in Azure Heights will ever understand.”
“Okay, so, I got the lovey-dovey part down,” Hansa replied bluntly, then moved closer to Tobiah. “Get up.”
Tobiah obeyed and stood, and suddenly we were all quite short by comparison. He’d been on his knees for long enough to make us forget exactly how big he really was. He made Sienna look like a fragile little creature, the top of her head barely reaching his chest.
“Tell us about your daemons,” Hansa continued. “What do they want? What are they doing here? Why are they taking people? What’s their play?”
“The gorges are part of our hunting grounds,” Tobiah explained. “We have caves, where we feed and store our bigger game, all over the Valley of Screams. Daemons don’t actually live here. Our world is deep underground… We like it hot, you could say, in the dark corners and volcanic flames beneath the surface of Neraka. This is just one of our favorite hunting areas. Daemons don’t want anything in particular, other than to live our lives and hunt at leisure. We feed on souls, but, if we can’t get any, raw meat will do, although we need to eat more often if we don’t consume souls.”
“Is that why you’re taking people? Exiled Maras and Imen alike?” Jax asked.
“Yes.” Tobiah nodded slowly. “A single soul can keep us sated for days. We don’t like coming to the surface too often. I’m one of the few exceptions who like it here. Anyone passing through these gorges is potential prey. We don’t make any exceptions.”
“Then, if you have the gorges, why did you start hunting in the plains and in the city?” Jax replied.
“The Maras have been hunting in the Valley of Screams for too long,” Tobiah said. “This is our turf. The daemons aren’t kind or forgiving creatures. We are extremely territorial, especially where our hunting grounds are concerned. The Maras had it coming, sooner or later. Their feeding habits caused the population of large wild animals in these gorges to dwindle. There are thousands of them in that city, draining the blood from moon-bison, black deer, brown boars, and even the wolves and bears. They screwed up our raw meat sources. So we started screwing with them.”
The daemon grinned, exhibiting contempt toward the Exiled Maras. This sounded like a territorial dispute between the Maras and the daemons.
“Do they know it’s your people taking theirs?” I asked.
“I don’t think so.” Tobiah shook his head. “We usually kill those to whom we reveal ourselves. With Sienna being my obvious exception, of course… Like I said, we aren’t exactly the nicest of creatures. We just had enough of the Exiled Maras killing our wild game. It was time to change the status quo, because the daemons had gotten the short end of the stick.”
“And talking to them was not even on the table?” I replied, pressing my lips into a thin line.
Tobiah looked at me, then cocked his head to one side.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Daemons are not into the whole “peaceful talking and shaking hands” thing. You come to our land, you mess with our food, we hit back. So, yes, we’ve been hunting the citizens of Azure Heights for quite some time now. Personally, I only snatched a few, mostly from the plains. The one time I went into the city was when I saw Sienna. I haven’t returned to Azure Heights since.”
“So you two will just stay here, while your people kill one another?” Hansa shot back, her voice trembling with anger and her nostrils flaring. “Because once we confirm what your species does, the Exiled Maras will retaliate. It’ll be a bloodbath, and it’ll be thanks to your inability to talk things out.”
Sienna moved closer to Tobiah. He put his arm around her shoulder, then dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“I cannot intervene,” the daemon replied. “I’m a free agent now, and Sienna’s wellbeing is my only concern. If I get involved, my people will brand me a traitor. They won’t accept any explanations or excuses. They’ll just tear me to shreds, and after they’re done with me, they’ll eat Sienna’s soul and feast on her flesh.”
“We won’t stand a chance,” Sienna explained. “We’ve managed to settle here, by this pond. We may have to move later, but, for now, we’re safe. But you’re right about one thing. I should say something to my family, to at least give them some closure.”
“That’s a wise choice.” Caspian nodded curtly, his jade gaze darting between her and the daemon.
“What are the chances any of you have a piece of paper and a quill, or something to write with?” Sienna looked at each of us, her eyebrows raised.
“I might be able to help,” Scarlett replied, and pulled her journal a
nd pen from her backpack, handing them over to the Exiled Mara.
Sienna then sat down on a nearby rock, scribbling a message for her brother and mother. She frequently sighed as she filled a couple of pages.
“It’s difficult to find the right words,” she mumbled. “I’m not sure they’ll understand my relationship with Tobiah, but at least they’ll know that I don’t want to come back, ever again.”
“You know, Vincent’s somewhere nearby,” I said. “He’d have come with us, but we got separated after the gorge collapsed farther back.”
Sienna’s head shot up, and I could see the pain in her eyes, the longing to see her brother again, before she blinked several times and returned to her initial resolve.
“I hope he’s staying safe,” she replied. “I don’t understand why he put himself at such a risk by coming here. He barely makes it down to the first level in the city.”
“He’s helping us. Speaking of which, you didn’t happen to see a young woman being carried around by a daemon tonight, did you?” I figured it was worth a shot, but both Sienna and Tobiah shook their heads. I sighed, disappointment weighing on me. “Okay… Back to your brother: if we give him this message for you, how will he know it’s yours?”
“He should be able to recognize my handwriting, and I’ll leave a special line for my brother, so he can authenticate the message as mine. We made up our own limericks when we were children.” She gave me a weak smile.
I glanced ahead while she finished the message, my eyes fixing on the tracking spell under two hundred yards away. At least it was still constant on its path. Sienna and Tobiah hadn’t seen Fiona around here, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t come this way. Maybe the daemon who took her kept her hidden.
The tracking spell was supposed to be precise, following the exact path that Fiona had taken. Sooner or later, we were going to find her. I was aiming for sooner.
Fiona
(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)
My muscles were fully active now, but I kept myself lying on my right side, feigning weakness. Good acting was my key to getting out of this place.
Zane was lounging again by the turquoise pond, contemplating the cave’s walls and many dark corners. His red eyes occasionally settled on me, his expression firm and unreadable. I really wasn’t sure why he was taking so long to decide what to do with me. But, whatever the reason, I wasn’t about to complain.
The sound of feet shuffling outside made my gaze dart toward the entrance. Could it be an animal, or another daemon? I sharpened my ears, hoping to pick up more. I didn’t move or say anything, but Zane had heard it too. He jolted to a sitting position, staring to his right, toward the source of the sound, then glanced at me. His nostrils flared. He didn’t look happy.
“Keep your mouth shut,” he said under his breath, then grabbed his blades, stood, and rushed outside.
Several minutes passed. I listened carefully. It sounded as though his footsteps joined the ones already present by the cave opening. They were soon followed by a scuffle of sorts, then absolute silence. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that this was my chance to make a run for it.
I rolled onto my back, putting my booted feet against the iron bars facing the exit, the corner through which the daemon had dashed. I pulled two of the bars back, and felt the rough metal give under my grip. A couple of clangs followed as the rods came loose, leaving me enough room to crawl out of the cage.
I made it out of the small enclosure, grabbed my belt and knives off the floor, and quickly geared up before I moved toward the cave entrance. There was a narrow tunnel leading up to the exit. I stopped on the left side of the tunnel opening, my heart thumping and my blood rushing as I leaned forward to see what lay ahead. I could see faint morning light outside.
I pulled my hood over my head, then fastened the mask from my suit’s collar and covered my mouth and nose. I found my goggles in their designated belt pocket, and was relieved to still have them, in case I needed them on my way out of the gorges.
Taking a couple of deep breaths and listening carefully to the noises drifting in from the outside, I waited for another minute. There was more shuffling and grunting; then it sounded as though whoever was there ran, and Zane followed, their steps becoming more distant with every second that passed.
I took my chance. Hurrying to the end of the tunnel, I stepped out into the gorge. The sun was far off to the east, hidden beyond the giant stone walls, and there was plenty of shade for me to take advantage of. I looked around, but there was no sign of Zane—just jagged rocks, tall trees with full, dark green crowns, and large shrubs scattered all over the gorge.
The city was somewhere to the east, and it was where I needed to go.
I glanced to my right, content with the absence of movement, then ran in the opposite direction. My feet were light as I jumped over broken stones and foot-wide cracks in the ground.
I’ll be out in a jiff, guys. I’m coming!
I prayed I’d find my team soon, though I couldn’t tell yet how many miles there were between my position and Azure Heights. Nevertheless, I ran fast, flashing through the Valley of Screams and hoping that none of the hostile creatures dwelling here would notice me.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t that lucky. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps pounding behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the air rippling in three different spots, barely six feet from me. Three daemons.
“Crap,” I muttered, and switched to a zigzag sprint, hoping it would be enough to put more distance between me and the invisible daemons. For all I knew, one of them could be Zane, and there was no way I was going to risk fighting them, in case I got more of that damn powder blown in my face.
A spine-freezing growl erupted from the cave I’d left behind, echoing through the gorge. My blood gushed through my veins, and sweat bloomed on my forehead. The daemons were already a potentially deadly problem, but whatever was coming from behind sounded even more terrifying than what I’d faced so far.
I flew over a small stream that gushed from the limestone wall to my right and carved its way toward the east in a sinuous line. One of the daemons slashed my right ankle—the sharp and searing pain quickly spread through my calf. I yelped and fell forward, landing flat on my face.
Unwilling to have my soul eaten, I sprang to my feet and nearly fell again, as I could no longer stand on my right leg. Blood was now spurting from my ripped boot. I pulled my long knives out and focused my stance on the left leg. I could still fight.
All I had to do was kill these three bastards, then keep going. My leg would naturally heal on its own in a matter of minutes. The daemons inched closer, surrounding me.
“I know what you look like,” I hissed, baring my fangs, ready to rip their throats out. Even in their invisible state, as long as I caught glimpses of their red eyes, I could make decent approximations of where their jugulars were. “There’s no point in hiding anymore.”
One of them chuckled, his voice low and hoarse.
“There’s no point in you trying to drag this out,” he said. “You smell too wonderful for your own good!”
The one that spoke then lunged at me, but I dodged his attack while bringing my right hand out to the side, and stabbed him in the eye. A second daemon rammed into me from the left, and knocked the air out of my lungs as he kicked me down.
I landed on my back, coughing and wheezing. I slashed at the air in front of me, but they were too fast and slippery for this angle. My wrists erupted in pain as the invisible daemons hit the knives out of my hands. My arms were then pulled back over my head, while another daemon pinned my feet to the ground. Two of them were struggling to hold me down, while the third saddled my stomach and pressed his hand against my forehead.
His skin felt hot against mine, while my blood froze in response. My mouth opened, and it felt like my insides were being pulled out, inch by inch.
The pain as the daemon proceeded to chomp on my soul was unfathomable. I could see tiny wisps o
f white light being sucked out of my mouth, and I could feel my entire body rippling with pain.
Is this it?
I’d never experienced such levels of agony before.
I tried to scream, but my voice was tangled in my throat. The daemon pressed into my chest, cutting my breath off.
My brain burned and felt like it was about to liquefy, while my heart stammered and struggled to keep up.
Don’t let this be the end…
The will to live began to dissipate like mist on an autumn morning, muted by what seemed like irreparable damage to the very fabric of my being.
I wanted to hit back. I wanted to break free and crush these beasts’ heads together. I wanted to run and breathe. Even my bones hurt—a peculiar, throbbing sensation that projected outward.
My life was slowly being drained out of me. It was torture.
Suddenly, the daemon feeding off me got slammed aside, and the consumption of my soul screeched to a halt. The little flickers of white left hovering over my lips went back inside, and I coughed, breathing for the first time in what felt like forever.
Zane appeared above me for a split second, his red eyes blazing with anger. I saw flickers of his blades swishing overhead and behind him. Crimson blood sprayed out of the invisible daemons’ throats. They collapsed with heavy thuds, while I finally regained control over my arms and legs.
I heard a grunt, the swoosh of Zane’s blade, and a squeal, before the third daemon hit the ground.
My throat and my chest burned. My head felt heavy, and my limbs were made of lead. Sure, I could move them again, but my muscles didn’t respond. Lava seemed to pour through my veins, and I groaned from the excruciating pain.
“Fiona,” Zane gasped, kneeling next to me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my teeth clattered. I suddenly felt cold and empty beyond repair. “Fiona, look at me.”