was
charged with has a lot to do with Alton’s unhappy relationship with his father.
Artigos hates to admit an error, and he has to know he acted precipitously by
sentencing the two humans to death without a trial. That’s not the way we as a
people behave. I don’t want you to think that.”
Ginny nodded. “Alton said as
much. That’s why he helped them escape. He said it was wrong—that Dax, once a
demon, had acted with more honor than the Council of Nine.”
“He’s right, and most of the
council agrees. It’s been a rough week for Alton’s father. He is not a man to
admit an error, and having the son show more honor in his actions than the
father has been difficult for Chancellor Artigos to accept.”
“You’re not kidding it’s been
a rough week.” Ginny sipped at her cup of tea. It had a totally unfamiliar but
wonderful taste. And it was cold and refreshing. A good thing when she needed
to keep her head clear and her thoughts in order.
“How are Dax and Eddy? And that little sprite, Willow?”
Ginny shook her head. “Good,
as far as I know. I’ll let Alton fill you in on the details since he was there
and I wasn’t, but I did hear that Willow is now living inside Bumper the dog
since a demon ate her body.”
Taron leaned back. “Nine hells. Really? Is she okay?”
Ginny shrugged. “As far as I
know, she’s fine. According to Alton she slipped her consciousness out of her
body before the demon swallowed.” She waved her hand in the air and laughed.
“Sorry. It’s all still beyond me, but Alton said Willow is happy inside Bumper
and they’re both just fine.”
Taron suddenly focused on the
sword clasped in Ginny’s hands. “Isn’t that HellFire you’re holding? Alton’s sword?”
Ginny nodded. “It is.”
Taron shook his head. “But how
can you handle it without risk? We’re taught from birth that only a man may
wield a sword, and only the one he’s gifted when he comes of age. I don’t
understand how you can hold it without harm.”
Ginny stared at the sword in
her lap. HellFire glowed a soft blue through the
leather scabbard, proof he was listening to them. She carefully slipped the
sword free of the leather and set it on the couch beside her. “HellFire? Did you hear Taron’s question?”
Taron’s soft gasp caught Ginny
by surprise. “The sword speaks?”
“I do.”
“Nine hells. He’s sentient.” Taron moved closer and knelt beside the couch, but he kept his
hands folded tightly across his chest. Obviously he wasn’t willing to risk
touching the blade.
Ginny shrugged. “Alton told me
he started talking after a big battle they were in with a demon. It was up on
the side of Mount Shasta and Dax was actually killed before the Edenites
brought him back to life, but then Eddy grabbed HellFire and destroyed the
demon’s avatar, which Alton said was enough to send the demon back to Abyss.
The problem is, he’s not going to stay there, or at least we don’t think he is,
because now we’ve got demons in Sedona and—”
“Whoa.” Laughing, Taron held
his hand up to stop her rapid-fire flow of words. “You’re going to need to go
slower. So Alton’s actually been in battle? He’s fought demons in Earth’s
dimension?”
Ginny nodded. “He said that’s
when HellFire finally started talking, though Eddy’s sword and Dax’s started
speaking as soon as they appeared.”
“Wait a minute…Eddy and Dax have crystal swords, too?”
Again, Ginny nodded. “That’s
what Alton said. He told me that HellFire replicated himself, except Eddy’s
sword is female, which I think is just cool.” She laughed with the tale she was
telling. Bizarre didn’t even come close.
“Anyway,” she said, stroking
her fingers along HellFire’s glowing blade, “now you’ve got me curious, too. HellFire, how is it I can hold you and speak with you when
you belong to Alton?”
The blade shimmered brightly, then dimmed just a bit.
“You are a daughter of
Lemuria. Your
charged with has a lot to do with Alton’s unhappy relationship with his father.
Artigos hates to admit an error, and he has to know he acted precipitously by
sentencing the two humans to death without a trial. That’s not the way we as a
people behave. I don’t want you to think that.”
Ginny nodded. “Alton said as
much. That’s why he helped them escape. He said it was wrong—that Dax, once a
demon, had acted with more honor than the Council of Nine.”
“He’s right, and most of the
council agrees. It’s been a rough week for Alton’s father. He is not a man to
admit an error, and having the son show more honor in his actions than the
father has been difficult for Chancellor Artigos to accept.”
“You’re not kidding it’s been
a rough week.” Ginny sipped at her cup of tea. It had a totally unfamiliar but
wonderful taste. And it was cold and refreshing. A good thing when she needed
to keep her head clear and her thoughts in order.
“How are Dax and Eddy? And that little sprite, Willow?”
Ginny shook her head. “Good,
as far as I know. I’ll let Alton fill you in on the details since he was there
and I wasn’t, but I did hear that Willow is now living inside Bumper the dog
since a demon ate her body.”
Taron leaned back. “Nine hells. Really? Is she okay?”
Ginny shrugged. “As far as I
know, she’s fine. According to Alton she slipped her consciousness out of her
body before the demon swallowed.” She waved her hand in the air and laughed.
“Sorry. It’s all still beyond me, but Alton said Willow is happy inside Bumper
and they’re both just fine.”
Taron suddenly focused on the
sword clasped in Ginny’s hands. “Isn’t that HellFire you’re holding? Alton’s sword?”
Ginny nodded. “It is.”
Taron shook his head. “But how
can you handle it without risk? We’re taught from birth that only a man may
wield a sword, and only the one he’s gifted when he comes of age. I don’t
understand how you can hold it without harm.”
Ginny stared at the sword in
her lap. HellFire glowed a soft blue through the
leather scabbard, proof he was listening to them. She carefully slipped the
sword free of the leather and set it on the couch beside her. “HellFire? Did you hear Taron’s question?”
Taron’s soft gasp caught Ginny
by surprise. “The sword speaks?”
“I do.”
“Nine hells. He’s sentient.” Taron moved closer and knelt beside the couch, but he kept his
hands folded tightly across his chest. Obviously he wasn’t willing to risk
touching the blade.
Ginny shrugged. “Alton told me
he started talking after a big battle they were in with a demon. It was up on
the side of Mount Shasta and Dax was actually killed before the Edenites
brought him back to life, but then Eddy grabbed HellFire and destroyed the
demon’s avatar, which Alton said was enough to send the demon back to Abyss.
The problem is, he’s not going to stay there, or at least we don’t think he is,
because now we’ve got demons in Sedona and—”
“Whoa.” Laughing, Taron held
his hand up to stop her rapid-fire flow of words. “You’re going to need to go
slower. So Alton’s actually been in battle? He’s fought demons in Earth’s
dimension?”
Ginny nodded. “He said that’s
when HellFire finally started talking, though Eddy’s sword and Dax’s started
speaking as soon as they appeared.”
“Wait a minute…Eddy and Dax have crystal swords, too?”
Again, Ginny nodded. “That’s
what Alton said. He told me that HellFire replicated himself, except Eddy’s
sword is female, which I think is just cool.” She laughed with the tale she was
telling. Bizarre didn’t even come close.
“Anyway,” she said, stroking
her fingers along HellFire’s glowing blade, “now you’ve got me curious, too. HellFire, how is it I can hold you and speak with you when
you belong to Alton?”
The blade shimmered brightly, then dimmed just a bit.
“You are a daughter of
Lemuria. Your
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