Raging Sea and Trembling Earth: Disciples of the Horned One Volume Two (Soul Force Saga Book 2) by James Wisher Page B
Authors: James Wisher
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known such a weak attack wouldn’t phase a paladin capable of crossing the haunted lands and raising such a powerful barrier. The fact that her sword and armor both had heavenly energy bound into them didn’t help his cause.
The paladin leveled her sword at him. It glowed white. Connor leapt, avoiding a burning arrow by inches. He rolled, spun, and dodged a storm of arrows. Lying on his back Connor sent a black scythe at her knees.
The dark blade stopped when the sword slashed down through his attack. He sent blast after blast at his opponent, watching closely as she slashed each blast out of the sky. After the fourth attack he realized she was using only the power of the sword for both offense and defense. After the sixth blast he noticed the sword’s glow diminishing.
He knew what he had to do now. Connor drew deeply from his core, increasing the power in each blast. If he could just force her to take a little power away from the barrier it might be enough to allow Focalor to break through. With the demon at his side it would be a whole new battle. From the tiny beads of sweat forming on her smooth brow the paladin knew it too.
Connor sent another blast, the biggest one so far. She slashed through it. Her power flared an instant before a wave of white light came roaring at him.
Connor raised his shield at the same moment the wave struck. Dark and light power clashed.
The explosion sent Connor flying. Only his enhanced strength kept his ribs from breaking when he struck the wall.
His opponent stood slumped over, leaning on her no-longer-glowing sword. Connor drew another chunk of power and hurled a black lightning bolt.
She formed a white shield that shattered when the corrupt energy struck it. The barrier wavered.
The ceiling exploded inward. When the dust settled Focalor stood in the center of the throne room.
The demon’s knobby, scaled form shimmered. Bat wings turned to raven wings. The tail shrank and disappeared. The wide, thick body became slimmer and more human.
So his erstwhile partner wasn’t a true demon at all, but a risen demon cast out of hell for the crime of not being evil enough. Should Focalor turn against him Connor wouldn’t last long against both the paladin and the former demon.
For the moment it seemed Focalor had eyes only for the paladin. His gaze locked on the still-silent woman.
“We meet again at last, my love,” Focalor said. “I have so missed you.”
Chapter 28
“ I should have killed you centuries ago, Focalor.” The paladin’s voice sounded dull and raspy from years of disuse.
“Kill me! I gave up everything I was for you, Aowin. Now I’m trapped on this wretched world. But once I’ve killed you I’ll reclaim my place in hell.”
Focalor’s power blazed around him, a muddy gray haze, not quite the corrupt darkness of a true demon and not the golden light of a mortal sorcerer. The ragged remains of the paladin’s barrier vanished as she drew the energy back into herself and her sword. Both weapon and wielder glowed with pure white light.
If either of them remained aware of Connor they gave no sign. That suited the exhausted warlock. He scrambled back to the doorway and hunkered down to watch the show. He needed time to let his badly depleted soul force regenerate.
Focalor raised his claws and a pillar of gray flames roared down on Aowin. The flames splashed down over her shield. When the torrent subsided she stood unharmed in a circle of charred stone.
“You always start with the same attack.” She shook her head. “Poor, predictable Focalor.”
She raised her sword and Connor expected the white arrows. Focalor blurred and reappeared beside Aowin. He backhanded her hard enough to snap her head aside. He hammered a fist into her stomach, doubling her over.
“Predictable am I?” Focalor raised his hand high for a clubbing blow to her head.
Aowin sped up. Her sword swung in a crossing slash.
Focalor’s hand went flying, spraying black blood all over
The paladin leveled her sword at him. It glowed white. Connor leapt, avoiding a burning arrow by inches. He rolled, spun, and dodged a storm of arrows. Lying on his back Connor sent a black scythe at her knees.
The dark blade stopped when the sword slashed down through his attack. He sent blast after blast at his opponent, watching closely as she slashed each blast out of the sky. After the fourth attack he realized she was using only the power of the sword for both offense and defense. After the sixth blast he noticed the sword’s glow diminishing.
He knew what he had to do now. Connor drew deeply from his core, increasing the power in each blast. If he could just force her to take a little power away from the barrier it might be enough to allow Focalor to break through. With the demon at his side it would be a whole new battle. From the tiny beads of sweat forming on her smooth brow the paladin knew it too.
Connor sent another blast, the biggest one so far. She slashed through it. Her power flared an instant before a wave of white light came roaring at him.
Connor raised his shield at the same moment the wave struck. Dark and light power clashed.
The explosion sent Connor flying. Only his enhanced strength kept his ribs from breaking when he struck the wall.
His opponent stood slumped over, leaning on her no-longer-glowing sword. Connor drew another chunk of power and hurled a black lightning bolt.
She formed a white shield that shattered when the corrupt energy struck it. The barrier wavered.
The ceiling exploded inward. When the dust settled Focalor stood in the center of the throne room.
The demon’s knobby, scaled form shimmered. Bat wings turned to raven wings. The tail shrank and disappeared. The wide, thick body became slimmer and more human.
So his erstwhile partner wasn’t a true demon at all, but a risen demon cast out of hell for the crime of not being evil enough. Should Focalor turn against him Connor wouldn’t last long against both the paladin and the former demon.
For the moment it seemed Focalor had eyes only for the paladin. His gaze locked on the still-silent woman.
“We meet again at last, my love,” Focalor said. “I have so missed you.”
Chapter 28
“ I should have killed you centuries ago, Focalor.” The paladin’s voice sounded dull and raspy from years of disuse.
“Kill me! I gave up everything I was for you, Aowin. Now I’m trapped on this wretched world. But once I’ve killed you I’ll reclaim my place in hell.”
Focalor’s power blazed around him, a muddy gray haze, not quite the corrupt darkness of a true demon and not the golden light of a mortal sorcerer. The ragged remains of the paladin’s barrier vanished as she drew the energy back into herself and her sword. Both weapon and wielder glowed with pure white light.
If either of them remained aware of Connor they gave no sign. That suited the exhausted warlock. He scrambled back to the doorway and hunkered down to watch the show. He needed time to let his badly depleted soul force regenerate.
Focalor raised his claws and a pillar of gray flames roared down on Aowin. The flames splashed down over her shield. When the torrent subsided she stood unharmed in a circle of charred stone.
“You always start with the same attack.” She shook her head. “Poor, predictable Focalor.”
She raised her sword and Connor expected the white arrows. Focalor blurred and reappeared beside Aowin. He backhanded her hard enough to snap her head aside. He hammered a fist into her stomach, doubling her over.
“Predictable am I?” Focalor raised his hand high for a clubbing blow to her head.
Aowin sped up. Her sword swung in a crossing slash.
Focalor’s hand went flying, spraying black blood all over
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