They left the hallway and went down two flights of stairs, ending up in another hallway. This one had darker stone walls, and they looked damp. The air was heavier, thicker, and it made it even harder for Drew to take a full breath. Most of the troop of Shadow Blades stood back, and only Orias and the other large demon continued with Drew and Andras.
Not far down the hall was a heavy wooden door with a barred window in the top half. Two demons stood guard on either side. They saluted sharply when they saw Orias. “At ease,” he told them before one of them jumped to unlock the door.
They were led into a large chamber, which was ringed with barred cells. As soon as they were inside, the door was locked behind them. None of the cells were occupied, and they were in varying states of comfort. Some had a blanket-covered pallet and what looked to be a crude toilet, whereas others had a mound of mouldy hay on the floor and a rusty bucket. Drew was relieved when Orias unlocked a door to one of the nicer cells.
“In you go,” he said, gesturing at Drew.
Drew froze, not yet prepared to let go of Andras. He clutched the demon’s hand tighter, and a small whimper left him.
To his surprise, Orias didn’t get angry and shove Drew inside, but just rolled his eyes and said, “Go on, both of you.”
Drew nodded his thanks, and the two of them filed into the cell together. The cell opposite them was unlocked, and Leila’s small cage was placed inside.
“Please, can’t she be let out?” Drew asked. “At least to stretch her legs? And has anyone cleaned her cage? Or fed her? Has she had any water?”
“Your familiar is fine,” Orias stated. “You’d be best worrying about yourselves.”
Drew forced himself to swallow, his mouth dry as parchment. “What’s going to happen to us?”
“That’s for my master to decide.” Orias turned and held up his hand to gesture for the guards to unlock the door, and Drew gasped.
On his pinky finger was a black zirconium ring with a small ruby inlaid in the centre.
Chapter 21
Rubbernecking
As the barren red plains of Hell coalesced around them, Zach dropped his arm from where it had been shielding his eyes from the intense wind of the vortex. He saw the others do the same before they began to look around at their surroundings. He knew they’d be curious about the realm they found themselves in, since as far as he knew, none of them had visited before, but he honestly didn’t think there was anything much to look at. Sure, it could be beautiful—the sunsets often bathed the plains with pink and orange light, and the distant glow of a lava lake was unparalleled—but it was pretty much the same everywhere you went in Hell. They didn’t have a lot of variety when it came to landscapes.
He immediately gathered his magic and sent it out, searching for Drew’s aura. If any of the others were the one searching for it, he wouldn’t have been able to describe what they had to look for. Drew’s aura was as familiar to Zach as his own. How could he describe that it felt like home? That it smelled of potential, and tasted like happiness? What words could possiblybe used to convey the feeling of sunshine on his face when it entwined with his own, or the emptiness he felt in its absence?
An aura wasn’t just a projection of the energy each person emitted. It was so much more than that. It was also different from a magical signature. From a reflection of their hopes and desires, to the core of their morals and values, it was almost like taking a peek into their very soul. Auras were different for everyone, although close relations’ were similar. They were also fluid and ever-changing. Years down the track, Zach would find his own aura aligning more with Drew’s, until it would be clear to anyone who could sense them that they were intrinsically connected.
His magic flowed outwards from him as he whispered “amorem meum inveni1.” It caught on the wind and travelled with the breeze, flying in each direction, seeking, searching. There was no answer to his call from the direction of the Borderlands, or the place they had faced off with the Shadow Blades. Zach’s breath caught, though, when he felt the faint brush of Drew’s aura against his magic, coming from the direction of the settlement.
“Drew,” he whispered, his hand reaching out subconsciously, as though he could touch him if only he reached far enough.
“Do you have a direction?” Kensington asked.
Zach nodded. “Yes. He’s gone to the village where we were going to stay the night.” He slumped a little in relief. The idea of Drew being alone on the plains at night had sent icy terror coiling around his heart. He’d been lucky enough to tame one urco, but there was no guarantee he’d have been able to replicate that success. There were also things much,muchworse than urcos hunting in this realm. Of course, there werealsodangerous situations in the settlement, but sometimes even demons were thelesser of two evils.
Kensington looked across the plain in the direction Zach had indicated. “How far is it to the village?”
“We were keeping a pretty fast pace, since we had an urco on our tail,” Zach explained. “I think it took us roughly seven or eight hours to get from the village to the outcrop where the Shadow Blades caught up with us. This spot here isroughlyhalfway, but I’m just guessing.” He scratched his chin as he thought. “My best estimate is maybe ten to fifteen miles?”
“Okay. Without having seen a place first, I can only safely teleport us to places within eyesight. Given how flat this area is, we’ll probably manage two or three miles at a time. It’ll still be faster than walking, though, so we’ll hop in that direction, and at each stop, you can check we’re still going the right way.”
“Howexactly do you know that’s the right way?” Tremblay demanded.
Zach fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t want to waste time getting into an argument with Tremblay, and showing any signs of annoyance would be a surefire way to start one. “I’ve locked onto his aura, or at least the imprint of it on the surrounding area. He has spent at least several hours in one spot inthatdirection.” He pointed helpfully towards the settlement.
Tremblay scoffed. “Aural beacons are pseudo-magic. There’s been very little research into them to prove it’s an effective means of finding someone.”
“There’s actually been several studies into it and corresponding articles in esteemed publications,” Kensington corrected him. “Enough that the prevailing theories are generally accepted.”
“There’s also numerous articles disputing the findings of those studies and offering alternative theories.” Tremblay’s voice dripped with condescension, and Zach had to take a steadying breath to remain calm.
“There will always be debates about any research, but the existence of those papers doesn’t negate the leading theories, which have been peer reviewed by the top scholars in the Collective,” Kensington told him. Zachwould bet his last dollar that the Grand Master hadbeenone of those scholars.
