Once Adomos was certain we were all aware of the plan, Romulus went to hide the horses and we retreated to our positions to await her. Adomos had warned us it could be hours or days, but he was certain she would come, drawn by the magic in the sword.
I crouched below the hill at the entrance to the caves, waiting, watching, unable to see the dome where I’d hidden the sword. I did not like the setup of the plan, even though I believed it would work. The red sword now lay hidden, buried under the pile of rocks. With it out of sight, I wasn’t compelled by the red glow, yet I wanted it. Knowing it was out of my hands bothered me even though I had magic. Takari had cautioned me against the dangers of using too much of it and exhausting myself, but a buzz of anticipation coursed through me. Exhaustion would not plague me, especially when I was about to face my nemesis.
The waiting was the hardest. Time shifted ever so slowly, the golden light showing through the crystal leaves that blocked my view of the hill. I stepped back, farther into the shadows, just as a stick broke. Crystal shattered and I threw myself against the wall, almost hugging it as fears swarmed me.
My companions were all in different places and suddenly I was back there, alone, tied up on the sacrificial altar, ready to be bled. It hit me so hard my skin turned cold and a wave of doubt crept over me. I fought against anxiety as her voice floated somewhere above me.
“Hello again, Adomos. Did you bring me a gift? Or are you going to cower again and hide while I steal your wings?”
That voice, her hypnotic voice, washed over me. I recalled the crack of the whip and almost felt the sting of it against my back. My fingers trembled as I reached for my knives. Bravery faded, replaced with a desire to run into the woods and hide.
Chapter Fifty
Adomos’slow tones broke through my haze of fear. Even though I could not make out the words, Jezebel’s high-pitched laugh told me she found him amusing. Suddenly I understood why Adomos had placed me down by the yawning cavern of tunnels that led up to the stone mountain. He was giving me a chance to run if I wanted to, or a chance to stay in hiding, where my skills would not be used. He intended to take the brunt of Jezebel’s wrath, to make up for what he hadn’t done in Elsdore. The knowledge slammed into me full force, shattering my anxiety. I lifted my chin. I was a warrior; I’d trained for the day when I’d be called to fight. I was no coward who would slink away to safety while others fought my battles for me. Squeezing my knives in both hands, I stepped out of the shadows, into the light.
She stood on the swell of the hillock above me, a few paces away from the pile of stones where the sword was hidden. My sword. Bright green hair tumbled to her waist and the shades of her blue gown made me think of a sunny summer day. She appeared young, innocent, helpless, just a beautiful woman alone in the wood. Suddenly I recalled a conversation with Epona concerning the gods.
Devils and demons did not exist when Labraid was created. Long ago, a celestial war broke out between the gods and goddesses. The great angels who served them decided they wanted more than a life of what they thought was servitude, when it is the highest honor to serve the gods—provided they are just and fair. When the angels rebelled, they chose to forsake their sacred oath, and in their ignorant soullessness, they became the devils and demons that haunt the underworld. Devils and demons are nothing more than fallen angels.
And Jezebel, a fallen goddess…did that make her a devil?
Hot anger boiled within me as I crept up the hill, hoping to take her by surprise. Her words floated back to me as I walked.
“Odd though, that you are here,” she all but purred. “I assumed you’d stay sulking in your cave. Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly grown a conscience?”
Did she know him? A burning sensation hurt my heart, but there was no time to consider my emotions. I determined to have a lengthy, deep conversation with Adomos once Jezebel was dead, and before I met with the defenders.
“I came because I was wrong to stand down. I came because of what you did to her.” Adomos spoke evenly, keeping Jezebel’s attention on himself.
“Her?” Jezebel fished for answers before drawing a hissing breath. “You don’t mean the bastard child of a god. Aside from her blood, she is beneath your notice in every way. Still, that does not explain the surge of magic I sense. What did you do?”
I did not want to hear any more. Pausing halfway to Jezebel, I aimed and, with a quick flick of my wrist, flung one of my knives.
She flinched and spun, but not before the knife buried itself in her shoulder. A scream of fury left her bloodred mouth and her nostrils flared as her cat-like eyes landed on me. Recognition flooded her face before twisting into fury. Without preamble, she yanked the knife out of her shoulder and tossed it aside, blue flames lapping at her hands.
“I told you not to come after me, did I not!” Her voice swelled like thunder as her fury grew. “I warned you it would be worse, much worse if I caught you chasing after me, seeking revenge. Well, here you are, and I keep my word.”
The ball of blue fire in her palm morphed into a fiery inferno that she hurled at me. On instinct, my hand came up, and I spoke a shielding spell to ward off the blue. The fire exploded into the air, leaving nothing but hot embers that drifted to the ground, some burning my skin.
“Come to me,” Jezebel shouted. “Come, tree and root, your goddess calls, come to my aid!”
I’d hoped that the trees of the Crystal Forest wouldn’t heed her command, but a shattering sound sundered the air and the ground shook. I wanted to look behind me but knew I shouldn’t as Jezebel’s lips curled. Her eyes had that odd aura I’d seen back in Elsdore, a shiny lust glimmering in them. She welcomed violence, welcomed knowing that I’d defied her. It was time for payback. All we had to do was finish her, but as the sunset faded, I feared she might be the one who regained the upper hand.
“I see.” Her voice lowered as another flame grew out of her palm, a blue flower. “You learned about magic. No wonder I did not sense you. You’ve been busy, haven’t you? I’m a little surprised I did not crush your spirit, young as you are. But I should have known, my mistake pet. You have the blood of the gods; of course you wouldn’t give up. Not without a struggle. That battle you want, it’s yours. Attack!”
The cry was much louder than her lulling words and my ball of fire festered and grew; I hurled it at her, enjoying the whoosh of energy that swept out of me. She thrust it away as if it were nothing, sending it on the pile of stones. Just as I expected, it ignited a glaring bonfire to light our way.
The runes on Adomos’s skin glowed in the flames. He’d found the wood, built it high, and adorned it with a kind of liquid that would hold the fire. I knew nothing about it, but he’d warned me a well-aimed fireball would start it. If I got close enough, I’d call the sword, and I intended to, even though I hadn’t practiced with it, and Adomos had warned me. . .
The shadows shifted and fanged creatures scurried out of the Crystal Forest with wagging tails and swinging axes and slingshots. I ducked and weaved from stones as Adomos moved into the fray with a roar, swinging a wide, double-bladed axe.
I glimpsed Romulus from his perch in the trees, sending arrow after arrow down to the beasts. They came up to my waist with long ears and bowed legs. From my studies in Anon Loam, I guessed they were kobolds, fast little creatures who usually lived in hilly, wooded territory when they could easily pop underground. I guess they’d swarmed out of the stone mountain to assist Jezebel, who circled me, leering and testing me with sudden flashes of magic.
I held her off, a pleasant buzzing sensation going through me as I combated her magic with my own. When Jezebel lifted her arm, my magic swirled through me, rushing out to stop her, twirling around, breaking every spell she cast at me. It became easier, more fluid the longer I fought against her, and at times flashes of Takari’s blue magic lit up the sky.
But it was Adomos who drove them back, his bold and striking movements sending the kobolds flying with high-pitched screams until they scattered, running back into the shadows of the Crystal Forest.
Jezebel, seeing her force had forsaken her, danced toward the fire. She snatched up a blazing chunk of wood and threw it at me. I ducked, shielding my face as the heat of the fire surged past me. When I turned back around, Jezebel was gone.
