the demon’s translation wasn’t genuine or accurate, they were in a whole lot of trouble. The second issue was Ordwel’s back door portal. While it made sense for Nightshade to have built a bolt hole into his castle, they had only Ordwel’s word that it was still there and likely to be unguarded. Not to mention only him to rely on in an utterly unfamiliar world.
“I hear them coming,” Fish said. Des nodded and they all took up their positions. Theirs was the second cell the guards would come to. The Gravaki trio in the first would try to take them, but Des and company had to be ready in case their neighbors failed. He and the glass guy in the next cell had both picked their locks, so they could burst into the hallway as soon as the Gravakis made their move. Des had his shirt back on and laid his hand on Lana’s furry head where she leaned against his thigh. One thing was certain—he wasn’t about go home without her. And not just because her cousins would take him apart.
Sounds of a struggle were muffled by the stone, but Fish nodded. The Gravakis had made their attack. Fish yanked their door open, allowing Des, Lana and Ordwel to erupt into the corridor. The first thing Des did was slam a spell down the hall, hopefully jamming the Gravaki’s guns. Based on the cursing, he’d succeeded.
On the other side, the angel-vampire thing emerged, and she flew alongside Ordwel, while Des and Lana sprinted toward the other. Des felt a force spell slam into his chest, but he’d warded himself and his cellmates so it slowed him only a little. One or two more, though, would be all his defenses could cope with.
He used his makeshift shiv to stab one of the guards, a red Gravaki, while Lana attacked the green with teeth and claws. Fish was close behind her. Des had no idea what the purple, drooling demon was able to do, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. He blasted a bolt of light into the Gravaki’s eyes, hopefully blinding him.
The creature raked Des with his talons, opening a series of gouges deep into Des’s shoulder. Afraid he would bleed out, Des made one last effort, jabbing his wire-turned-blade deep into the Gravaki’s throat.
It gurgled and fell.
Pressing his hand down on the deepest cut, Des looked over to see that Fish had some interesting abilities. His webbed hand had expanded to cover the Gravaki guard’s face, apparently suffocating him while Lana picked up the creature’s own gun and shot it.
When had she shifted? Des didn’t want to ask. He pulled a bloody tunic from the guard he’d killed and threw it to her after he spent the minimum possible magic to stop the bleeding from his shoulder.
The fight at the end of the hall was over. Ordwel limped down the stone floor with another guard’s gun, bleeding from a dozen or more wounds. “Let’s go.”
“Can you make it?” Des had expended a lot of magic, but he wasn’t going to let an ally die if he could help it.
Ordwel responded with a curt nod. “Let’s get the hell out of Dodge, partners.” The western twang rang through the corridor. He wrapped his arm around a female Gravaki, who also limped pretty badly.
The others emerged from their rooms—all except for one of the Gravakis, the addict, who had been killed trying to subdue the guards. Knowing there was no help for him, Des left the body behind and followed Ordwel down the passage to the midpoint, where double doors opened onto a set of stairs that led up and down. The stairway itself wasn’t guarded at this level, though both sets of guards they’d taken out had had eyes on it. That meant it probably was guarded wherever it opened out.
“We go down,” Ordwel said. “There is a secret door on the lowest level that leads to a tunnel as well as a portal. If Malen has discovered it, then it will be heavily guarded, so be ready for another fight. Also, any of his people with access to this level will be the best he has.”
Lana, who had shrugged on the loose,
“I hear them coming,” Fish said. Des nodded and they all took up their positions. Theirs was the second cell the guards would come to. The Gravaki trio in the first would try to take them, but Des and company had to be ready in case their neighbors failed. He and the glass guy in the next cell had both picked their locks, so they could burst into the hallway as soon as the Gravakis made their move. Des had his shirt back on and laid his hand on Lana’s furry head where she leaned against his thigh. One thing was certain—he wasn’t about go home without her. And not just because her cousins would take him apart.
Sounds of a struggle were muffled by the stone, but Fish nodded. The Gravakis had made their attack. Fish yanked their door open, allowing Des, Lana and Ordwel to erupt into the corridor. The first thing Des did was slam a spell down the hall, hopefully jamming the Gravaki’s guns. Based on the cursing, he’d succeeded.
On the other side, the angel-vampire thing emerged, and she flew alongside Ordwel, while Des and Lana sprinted toward the other. Des felt a force spell slam into his chest, but he’d warded himself and his cellmates so it slowed him only a little. One or two more, though, would be all his defenses could cope with.
He used his makeshift shiv to stab one of the guards, a red Gravaki, while Lana attacked the green with teeth and claws. Fish was close behind her. Des had no idea what the purple, drooling demon was able to do, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. He blasted a bolt of light into the Gravaki’s eyes, hopefully blinding him.
The creature raked Des with his talons, opening a series of gouges deep into Des’s shoulder. Afraid he would bleed out, Des made one last effort, jabbing his wire-turned-blade deep into the Gravaki’s throat.
It gurgled and fell.
Pressing his hand down on the deepest cut, Des looked over to see that Fish had some interesting abilities. His webbed hand had expanded to cover the Gravaki guard’s face, apparently suffocating him while Lana picked up the creature’s own gun and shot it.
When had she shifted? Des didn’t want to ask. He pulled a bloody tunic from the guard he’d killed and threw it to her after he spent the minimum possible magic to stop the bleeding from his shoulder.
The fight at the end of the hall was over. Ordwel limped down the stone floor with another guard’s gun, bleeding from a dozen or more wounds. “Let’s go.”
“Can you make it?” Des had expended a lot of magic, but he wasn’t going to let an ally die if he could help it.
Ordwel responded with a curt nod. “Let’s get the hell out of Dodge, partners.” The western twang rang through the corridor. He wrapped his arm around a female Gravaki, who also limped pretty badly.
The others emerged from their rooms—all except for one of the Gravakis, the addict, who had been killed trying to subdue the guards. Knowing there was no help for him, Des left the body behind and followed Ordwel down the passage to the midpoint, where double doors opened onto a set of stairs that led up and down. The stairway itself wasn’t guarded at this level, though both sets of guards they’d taken out had had eyes on it. That meant it probably was guarded wherever it opened out.
“We go down,” Ordwel said. “There is a secret door on the lowest level that leads to a tunnel as well as a portal. If Malen has discovered it, then it will be heavily guarded, so be ready for another fight. Also, any of his people with access to this level will be the best he has.”
Lana, who had shrugged on the loose,
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