Erik made himself as small as possible in the back corner, holding his axe out in front of him, as if that would protect him.
“Portal!” I demanded, looking at Freya.
Freya swore, sweat dripping down her forehead. “I can’t yet.”
The Ember King stomped toward us, the fire at his back flaring up impressively. He moved to backhand Freya with one trunk of an arm, but Narcissa intervened, spitting fire into his face in a concentrated blast.
The Ember King was, of course, unaffected by the attack, but it distracted him from his target and perhaps saved Freya’s life, as he went to swat the cat from the air.
“This is exactly what you get for creating demon-hounds and not demon-cats,” Narcissa told the witch. “Your reflexes are as sloppy as those slobbering beasts.”
Auggie pushed something into my hands, and I gazed down at the remains of my cloak. It actually wasn’t in terrible shape. Perhaps a quarter of it had been lost to the fire. “I kept this safe for you,” he told me.
I looked up and kissed him on the cheek. “You beautiful boy,” I said, grinning. I reached into the pockets and found pine needles, then leech husks, then mummy dust.
The Ember King roared, frustrated in his futile attempts at striking Narcissa. He returned his gaze to us and let loose another barrage of lava. He was much closer this time, so it wasn’t possible to dodge, but I had been prepared for this, at least. I tossed the ingredients I’d gathered into the air, between us and the lava. “Custodire!” I shouted. The deadly liquid seemed to hit an invisible wall before sliding to the floor, where the globs burned the floor on contact as they cooled. My green magic wouldn’t be able to harm the Ember King directly. Like plants, it was susceptible to fire and extreme cold. But I could create force fields by solidifying the air momentarily. I would have to figure out a way to indirectly battle him.
The Ember King let out a cry of rage, tearing with his rocky hands at the fire that had drifted to his head and obscured his vision. “I will make this painful for each and every one of you miserable little, insignificant—”
His voice was cut off as the clang of metal colliding with rock echoed through the room. Freya shoved a sword through one of the king’s arms, pinning it to his side, before using another sword to pin the other. The Ember King hardly had time to turn his head before an axe cleaved the air, splitting through his neck. His head tumbled to the floor, landing with a thud, his mouth open in a look of surprise.
I watched the rest of his body fall after it, crumpling into ash like a piece of timber that had been sitting in a fire for too long. The remains still blazed with flame, but with each passing moment, the blaze diminished ever more.
Freya stood over the heap of smoldering ash, chest heaving, axe still positioned where she’d used it to separate the witch’s head from his neck. She smiled at the sight, then grinned up at me, eyes twinkling. “Thank you for the distraction.”
Erik rushed over and lifted his own axe into the air. “Victory is ours!” he roared, as if he hadn’t been huddled in a corner for the entire duration of the battle.
Narcissa landed near the Ember King and blinked up at Freya. “I had him, you know.”
Freya chuckled, crossing her arms. “Apologies. I was caught up in the moment.”
“It happens to the best of us, I suppose.”
Auggie leaned into me, sighing heavily. “I’m so glad that’s over with.” He tilted his head. “What do we do now?”
I considered. “I suppose we’ll have to spend the night here so Freya can recuperate.”
Freya agreed with a nod. “Although with the Ember King’s death, his demon-hounds may have simply fallen apart. We could probably travel without having to worry about being attacked.”
“Let’s take a moment to regroup. If more witches come for Auggie, I want to be prepared. At least let me inventory what ingredients I still have at my disposal.”
Erik tilted his head, gazing at Auggie. “Witches are coming for him, are they?” He met my eyes. “It’s a good thing you’re protecting him then.”
“It is,” I agreed, putting an arm around Auggie. Erik’s assessing look unnerved me.
Freya turned to the blood witch. “You’re free to go any time, Erik. Unless you’d like an escort.”
Erik stood a little taller. “I think I’ll stick with you until we reach the nearest town, if it’s all the same to you. My nerves are a little shot.”
“You don’t say.”
The sooner we unloaded Erik, the better. He was more a liability than anything. It was true that a coven could do more together than a single witch if they pooled their energy, but I preferred to be in the company of people I trusted, and Erik clearly couldn’t be counted on. Plus, we hadn’t needed a coven for anything specific, so his presence was a moot point.
“We’ll get you on your way safely,” Freya promised Erik, then glanced at Narcissa, who’d bristled.
My familiar turned toward the doorway, suddenly on high alert.
A chill permeated the room, like a draft creeping in. But this was the Ember King’s domain. The sweat on my forehead, the dry heat in the air…. It was cooling. And rapidly. Was it because of the Ember King’s death?
