“Um.” There was something he was supposed to say. He didn’t have a lot of time. But it was so hard to focus, his thoughts skittering away from him like shadows in candlelight.
“My jewel, please, you have to focus.” Valac stroked his cheeks.
“Talon.”
“What?”
Wait, no, that wasn’t what he was supposed to say.
“Talon wanted me to tell you the paladins are coming. It’s happening now. They were following us, so we led them to the old club. Do you know where it is?”
“I’ll be able to find it. We’re almost there. Hold them off for as long as you can. We’re coming!”
Lips crashed against his, and the dream dissolved around him.
Julian woke on the floor.His throat felt surprisingly fine, and a weary groan worked its way out of his throat, only to be cut off by a hand over his nose and mouth. That chased away the last of the grogginess, and he shot upright.
“Shh, stay quiet,” Ira whispered. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Valac’s coming.”
“Sword.” The hilt was pressed into his palm, and then Ira helped him to his feet in the blinding darkness.
He was behind the bar. Faint light from the street streamed through the open door across the room, and he braced one hand on the polished wood as he tried to find his bearings. A figure was silhouetted on the other side of the bar directly in front of him—Talon? The others had to be scattered around the room, waiting for the paladins.
The paladins, who, he realized, were hovering in the doorway.
“Flashlights,” one of them said.
Wallace.
Julian heard aclick, but no light came on. Another click, and another.
“That can’t be a coincidence,” another one whispered.
“They were hunting something,” Wallace said. “And they had one of those demons with them. It’s probably demonic interference.”
Yes, Julian thought, it was probably Talon or Shadrach.
“We should come back with more light.”
No, they couldn’t leave. Julian rounded the bar, skirting past Talon, and stepped into the light coming in from the street.
“Looking for me?”
Wallace chuckled. “Well, well, well. I thought we killed you, Heroux.”
“Looks like you’re a lot worse with that blade than you thought.”
“Where’d your friends run off to?”
“Chasing the demon. I doubled back to make sure it didn’t come this way, and what do I find? Some lemmings too afraid to make the leap.”
“Lemmings?” Wallace repeated, moving down the steps and into the room. For every one he took, Julian took one backwards. Leading them deeper into the darkness. “Look who’s afraid now.”
“Eight against one?” Julian said. “I’m just being practical. You’re the one who was too scared to face me alone.”
“So you thought damning your soul with the traitors was the best course of action?”
