| |
It took Raul almost half an hour to climb out of what remained of the Skolar basement.
The mouth of the tunnel had been sealed, but the ceiling on that side of the basement had fallen along with it. It had given him the distraction he needed to fight off the remaining compelled, but also made it impossible to climb back out. At one point, a couple of Vampires had waited near what appeared to be the only entrance and stalled his ascent. He dealt with them quickly but it forced him two steps back each time, and more debris and rubble fell on him. He finally crawled to the surface of what had once been the Skolars’ house. He grimaced and rolled in pain. A dislocated shoulder had to be popped back in. He growled and listened, tensing as he waited for more compelled to come his way.
Thankfully they didn’t.
The night air blew fresh against his face as he lay on the grass. He could still hear the wind blowing around him, and every now and then specks of dust would slap against his face like tiny pellets. But he was alone. For now, at least. He would have to keep moving if he didn’t want to end up fighting for the remainder of the night.
Raul struggled to get on his knees, pushed himself up with his good arm, and immediately began to sway. He reached out to steady himself; finding nothing, he crashed to the ground again. He cried out, the pain in his dislocated shoulder almost making him pass out. He fought the waves of nausea. He was spent; the magic he’d used during the battle had taken everything out of him.
Any longer and I would’ve collapsed against the onslaught. And the others would be dead.
He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. He might have an advantage over the compelled, his magic stronger than their brute strength, but they had the numbers, and that meant a lot. His team needed to be more strategic. The Wolf had had the right idea, dashing out and drawing the bulk of the attackers away with him. He’d been thinking on his feet.
But where is he now?
Raul struggled to stand back up, using what remained of his energy to keep himself steady. He needed to find a place to hide until he could regain his strength. He gasped for breath, needing the air in his tired lungs. Where would be safe?
He needed to find Ryan first. There was no telling what had happened to the young Wolf.
Raul reached for his shoulder and winced at the pain that erupted under his hand. He tried to rotate the joint but the pain seared through him, and he immediately gave up on any attempt to use the limb.
If he could find somewhere safe, a wall or something to get the limb back into its socket, he might have a fighting chance. He looked around and sighed. Unless he crawled back into the hole he’d just left, there was nothing.
I need a plan. He only hoped the others had used the chance to carry on with their missions.
The wind picked up, and with it came the intense aroma of rotting flesh. The breeze carried the distant sound of menacing hisses, and Raul could faintly hear the deep growls of a hunting animal. Not safe here, he thought, already making his way for tree line. His eyes darted left and right, and he quickened his pace, cursing that a limp in his left leg had to slow him down.
What’s my plan? Think, Druid. Think. If he could just find somewhere safe for the night, he could tackle Calen properly in the morning. Find his way to the Dome. Rested, he’d have a chance. Trying to get there now, in his current condition, was a suicide mission.
He snorted. Hadn’t he already started a suicide mission when he began crushing the walls of the Skolar bat-cave?
The growling grew louder, and then stopped completely. Raul stood completely still, letting the wind blow through his hair, perking up his ears to catch even the slightest tremor. He couldn’t see anything through the sand, the intensity of the dust winds now creating a fog that blocked sight of anything further than a few yards away. If something was out there, he couldn’t see it.
And now I can’t hear it.
Raul waited for a few more seconds, and when the sounds didn’t return he began to slowly move forward. A long howl erupted to his right, and the hissing became an angry screech that made him wince. The air around him began to suddenly pulse, as if alive.
They’ve caught my scent!
As if on cue, a figure dashed out from the sandy mist and lunged for him. Raul threw both hands up, then screamed in agony at the pain that shot through him from his shoulder. It threw him off, the green flames escaping his fingers little more than flickers.
The Vampire crashed into him.
Raul was sent sprawling, smacking into the ground, gasping for air. Instinct kicked in and he turned to face his attacker, trying his best to get up, and catching sight of two more figures appearing from within the mist.
The compelled gazed at him hungrily, knowing he was easy bait. Raul could see it in their eyes. They were like predators who had finally caught something tasty. One of the Wolves even licked his lips.
I’m going to die here.
The Wolf jumped for him, and just as Raul could see the beast’s fangs open to bite down on him it stopped in midair and was flung to a side. A giant figure stood between him and his attackers, blocking their assault, towering over all.
Raul recognized the robed man immediately, the stranger from the woods outside Everlore.
The man opened his arms wide and crossed them in front of each other in wide circles, mumbling something incoherent. Raul stared at him for a few moments before looking at the compelled in astonishment. They were all frozen in place, heads cocked to one side, staring at the robed figure in confusion. It was as if he had some control over them, speaking to them in hushed whispers.
He’s compelling them, Raul thought. How can he even do that?
There were maybe a half-dozen of them, Vampires, Wolves, and Humans side by side, mesmerized by the man. The stranger clapped his hands, then balled them into a large fist. Raul watched as the compelled shuddered, then turned around and walked away, one by one disappearing into the sandy mist.
The man turned around, his face still hidden inside the hood of his robe.
“You,” Raul gasped.
The man nodded. “I’m sorry,” the raspy voice replied. “I thought I’d be here sooner. Your friend required my assistance.”
“Ryan?” Raul frowned. “The Wolf?”
“If that’s his name,” the man replied, then bent down and grabbed Raul by the arm to help him up. Raul cried out and winced in the man’s grasp. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s fine.” Raul shook his head. “Nothing I can’t deal with.”
“Then deal with it now. We need to hurry. The last time we met, I used quite a lot of energy to bring you here. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep the compelled at bay for long.”
Raul was about to say something, but the man had already begun to move through the foliage and away from the remains of the Skolar house. He followed the man, trying to keep up with his limp and the pain shooting in his shoulder. The tree branches slapped at them as they moved, and Raul soon found himself panting at the pace the stranger was keeping. At one point, the man briefly turned his head to make sure he was still following, then kept moving forward.
In less than fifteen minutes they came to a small brook, and followed it out to an open field. A few yards away was a small cottage, windows and door hanging loosely, shingles littering the front porch. A gravel road led up to it, forgotten by time, overgrown and unkempt. Raul wondered who had last lived here, and how the stranger had found it to begin with.
“It’s my home,” the stranger said, leading the way.
Raul stopped for a second, surprised, then hurried after the man. “You can read my thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
The man didn’t answer, quietly leading them up the front steps and into the darkness of the cottage. The moonlight found its way in through the broken windows, and Raul could immediately see the disarray that the house was in. If this really was the man’s home, he hadn’t lived in it for a very long time.
They walked down a narrow hallway that opened into a small living space. Ryan lay on the couch against one wall, covered in a dirty-looking blanket, eyes closed. If not for the steady rise and fall of his chest, Raul would have thought the boy was dead.
He looks like crap.
“He looks better than when I found him,” the stranger said, walking to the fireplace and crouching down. Raul watched green fire snake from the man’s fingers and ignite the kindling. The flames grew quickly, and soon the entire room was lit in a mellow green color that would have been charming if not for the creepiness of the setting.
The man stood, took off his robe and tossed it onto a small table with the window, sitting heavily in the chair beside it. The shadows danced across his face, hiding most of his features. But there was no mistaking the fangs that gleamed in the moonlight, or the bloodshot eyes that gazed at Raul.
“You’re a hybrid,” Raul stammered, taking a few steps back.
“In some ways, yes,” the man said. “Only, I don’t answer to any mistress. I’m not one of the beasts hunting you.”
Raul took another step back and brought his good hand up in front of him, green fire bursting around his balled-up hand.
The stranger sighed and shook his head. “We’re both tired, Druid, and we need rest,” he said. “Fighting is an unnecessary waste of time and energy, when I’m clearly on your side.”
“You’re a hybrid,” Raul repeated.
The man sighed again. “This is going to be a long night,” he whispered, almost to himself. He looked at Raul seriously. “If I weren’t on your side, would I have saved you all from the woods of Everlore? Why would I bring you here just to kill you again?”
“Divide and conquer,” Raul replied.
“I believe you’re the reason your group is on opposite sides of the rubble.”
“You were there?”
“I was.”
“Then, as a friend,” Raul sneered, “why didn’t you help?”
“I did,” the man replied. “Your friend would’ve died if not for me. They overpowered him. I was forced to bring him here. I believe I deserve to be thanked, not accused.” The man stopped to let his words sink in before saying, “And I believe I deserve gratitude from you, as well.”
Raul lowered his hand, but didn’t let the fire go out. He doubted he would be able to maintain it for very long, anyway. He was already feeling the onset of severe fatigue. He had to admit that, if not for the large stranger, he probably would’ve died back there, torn to shreds by the compelled. He was lucky.
“Put out your flames, Druid,” the man said. “Your magic reeks, and you’ll draw them to us.”
Raul reluctantly let the fires dwindle until the flames disappeared completely. He felt his body sway once more, and he quickly reached out for the edge of the table, settling himself down into a chair opposite the man who had saved his life.
“Much better, don’t you agree?” the man asked.
Raul took in deep breaths, trying to steady his spinning head, and looked up at his host. “Who are you? I mean, I know you’re a hybrid, but who are you?”
“Luther.”
“How?”
Luther frowned. “How what?”
Raul took another deep breath and swallowed. His eyelids felt heavy, and it was all he could do to stay awake. “How are you not compelled like the others? How did you find us? How did you bring us here? How do you have magic?”
“A lot of questions for a man who was contemplating a ridiculous attempt at killing me,” Luther smiled, his fangs growing longer between his lips.
“I wasn’t attempting,” Raul corrected. “I fully intended to kill you.”
Luther’s smile only widened. “Like I said,” he whispered, “ridiculous.”
Raul lowered his head, feeling it heavy on top of his shoulders. At the moment, even if he wanted to, calling on the magic would deplete him completely. Then he’d be utterly useless.
“I’ll keep watch,” Luther said. “I suggest you use the other couch.”
“You haven’t answered my questions,” Raul replied.
“In time,” Luther countered. “For now, you need all the rest you can get. I believe we have quite a bit to do once the sun comes up.”
Raul shook his head. “We can’t wait that long. We need to meet the others at the Dome as soon as possible. The night’ll protect us.”
“Like it has so far?” Luther asked. When Raul didn’t answer, Luther shook his head and gestured towards the couch. “Dawn’s a couple hours away. If I’m going to be trekking through Calen, I’d rather do it in daylight. That way, at least I won’t have to deal with compelled Vampires.”
Raul contemplated the man’s plan, and had to agree that it was the better of the two options. He looked to where Ryan lay, eyes closed, and immediately envied him. A little sleep would do him wonders. Especially after a night like this.
“Rest, Druid,” Luther said. “The compelled know you’re here. Which means Adelaide knows you’re here. It’s only a matter of time before she returns with her army to take out the final threat to her plans. When that happens, you’ll be begging for the rest I’m offering you now.”
Raul looked at the man for a beat, then nodded and pushed to his feet. Before he could take a step, the hybrid grabbed him by throat and held him. “Wha—”
CRACK!
The words were cut off as the hybrid popped the dislocated shoulder back into place. The pain erupted like fire and then simmered a second later.
“Sorry,” the hybrid muttered, “but that wasn’t going to fix itself.”
Raul could only nod. He limped over to the second, smaller, couch resting at a right angle to where Ryan was sleeping, and collapsed onto its dusty cushions.
The smell of dust and mold barely made a difference as he closed his eyes.
