It was staying down.
I was on it in a second flat, and using my claymore this time, I stabbed it right next to Davina’s arrows. The patches of void grew and started intersecting with each other. Encouraged by this visible progress, I withdrew my sword and stabbed it again, in the head this time. I expected something—not blood, but ichor, or…anything, really—but Seiji was right. There was no hint of flesh or bone in this creature.
“Lachlan, back!” Seiji ordered sharply.
I had no notion why, but he sounded alarmed, so I’d best do as bid. I jumped back a foot, then carefully backed away until I reached where my cousin and boyfriend stood once more.
Only, Seiji moved up even as I fell back. I didn’t like that one bit, but he made a staying motion with one hand, so I stayed. Maybe he was seeing something I wasn’t. In fact, that was very possible.
Now, I knew Seiji as this very darling man who had more brains than me, and courage to match. But in that moment, I saw him as the chaos magician he was. He seemed cloaked in power, and it rose visibly, whipping around him like a mini dervish. He extended his arms to either side of him, I swear like he was calling power to him, and then he sliced both hands together in a chopping motion, energy following and striking the beastie head-on.
The beastie shuddered under this attack and dispersed completely, like dust motes scattering. Now I realized why Seiji had warned me back. The scattering of all that energy sent quite the backlash, enough to rock me off my feet. I had to scramble to keep my balance.
Seiji stood like a rock against it and hit it again. Then again. He said something in Japanese—I was going to have to learn this language, wasn’t I?—and this time, when he hit it, the dust motes vanished as well.
Stillness settled about us, and I didn’t dare breathe for fear of breaking it.
Davina clearly didn’t have the same issue. “Is it dead, then?”
“Not as such.” Seiji breathed hard, and I noted dew shining at his temples. “But it’s dispersed. Now is where I really shine.”
Beg pardon? What the hell more was he going to do?
There was a distinct twinkle in his eyes as he once again spread his arms to either side. I saw the energy building again, swirling around him, only this time it was far more controlled somehow? Even I couldn’t put my finger on why, as there was still energy whipping about him, like he stood in a dust devil, but it felt calmer.
The energy had been all sorts of colors, every shade under the sun, but the longer Seiji held his position, the more muted those colors became. Slowly, they turned almost neutral, almost invisible, like wind should be.
“Cleansing the energy,” I muttered in realization. “That’s what you meant earlier. You’re cleansing the energy so it can’t form again.”
“Affirmative. I’ll keep a little of it—I can store some—but it’s too much and too unruly to hold for long. I’ll let it disperse above ground. It’ll break the locker, too. The energy’s potent enough.”
“Should we head back up, then?”
“Quick as we can manage.” The sweat on his forehead was more pronounced. “Like I said, I can’t hold it for long.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I dove to retrieve my dirks, then ushered him toward the tunnel, Davina scrambling to keep up with us as we jogged back out. I kept an eye on Seiji, but jogging didn’t seem to affect his hold; rather, he seemed relieved by the pace I set. Energy holding was harder to do than he was letting on. Which worried me.
What felt like a decade to get down here only felt like ten minutes getting back up. When I could smell fresh air, I knew we were close. But when I saw blessed sunlight—ah, relief. We hit the surface, friends making happy sounds when they saw us alive and well. I cast them a quick smile, but my focus was on Seiji.
Davina was the one to call out, “Wait, not done! Seiji’s going to use the beastie’s energy to break the locker!”
Hearing that, everyone backed up to give him space, which was likely for the best. I stopped as well, watching him take a few more steps closer to the town. Then he paused, oriented, eyes closed as if he was sensing something. He took ten more steps forward before stopping again. I swear to you, he was finding the center of the locker. Those arms came out to either side beforelifting straight overhead, as if he were channeling something from on high.
The energy whipped around him, crawling upward along his forearms. Now, was it my imagination, or was he forming a giant hammer—good god, it really was a giant hammer. Like Mjölnir come to life.
Without hesitation or even a warning, Seiji slammed it straight into the ground. I felt the shockwave even from here, bracing myself to stay standing. It was all automatic because my attention was solely on this incredible man in front of me. I didn’t know a blessed soul who could wield that much energy, could harvest and form it like he had. Awe shivered along my spine and I found my mouth dry. Some part of me said I should be terrified of this man. He could scatter me right down to motes.
I’d never been more turned on in my life.
I hoped he wasn’t going to be too tired after this because my need for him had just reached the moon. I ached with the need to get my hands on him.
He staggered a little as he turned, a tired smile on his face. “NowI’m done.”
I lengthened my stride, hurrying to him, because I could see his knees buckling. He’d warned me he wouldn’t have any energy left after all this, and I could tell he’d undersold even that warning.
I caught up with him just as he started sinking. One arm around his waist, pulling him tight to my chest, the other catching under his thighs to keep him upright. He shook like a newborn foal. Worry washed over me.
“Luv, I think you need to lie down.”
