Small graces. “Demons didn’t seem wary of each other in the edges.”
“No.” Darius slowed and put a hand on my arm. “I’ve noticed it more the farther we’ve traveled into the Dark Kingdom. I can’t tell if that is normal, or if we are walking into something unusual.” He raised a hand and pointed. “Do you see that?”
I squinted into the sky, not seeing anything but a few puffy clouds heading toward the distant horizon, which did not curve like anyone born in the Brink would expect. It tripped me out.
“My vision improved with the bond, but it’s still not to your level. What is it?”
“A flying object of some kind.”
I was so tired, I could only think of one possible response to that: one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater…
He did another scan of the sky before going back to that one spot. “Yes. It is something flying. Either it is small and near, or large and far away.”
I nodded, because yes, that was how perspective worked.
Darius pulled the flap away from his satchel and looked around. His gaze stopped on a dead, leafless, twisted sort of tree standing fifty feet away, leaning so hard I wondered how it hadn’t already fallen.
“Are you going to try and work a privacy spell?” I asked, trailing after him.
“Yes. I want to see what’s coming before it sees us.”
Doing things his way really had its advantages.
We stopped by the tree. Spells worked best when they were rooted to something, and natural things worked best. But out here, since there was a distinct lack of somethings, I agreed that the tree would have to do.
We put one on each side and one above, though the one overhead balanced unsteadily as it tried to cling to the paltry branches. Usually for short term only, the spells would (hopefully) make the eye slip right by us, rendering us mostly invisible until the brain of the being observing us figured out something was tricking it and wised up.
I stared out through the purple film. Our side of the spell was colored, but the other side would appear clear. It didn’t take long for me to see what Darius was talking about.
“A vulture,” I whispered.
“Three times as big as a Brink vulture, but yes, that’s what it looks like.”
And like a Brink vulture, it drifted lazily past us without flapping its wings. Unlike a Brink vulture, it was not riding a breeze.
“We’re headed back into mind-fuckery territory,” I said, tapping my gun and thinking about taking out my sword. “Do you see any more?”
“No. Not just yet.” Darius whipped around and squinted. His hand fell on my shoulder.
I followed suit, and there it was, a giant bird soaring through the sky, looking at the ground with beady eyes (we were too far to see the eyes, but I’d back my imagination on this one).
“We were looking at a distorted reflection, used to trick travelers as to the whereabouts and proximity of the coming entity.” A small smile graced his lips. “Genius.”
I didn’t have time to ask him how he’d figured that out. The bird was nearing us now. It did one pump of its great wings, pushing itself through the air. I bit my lip as it flew overhead, inky black wings fluttering. My magic swelled, urging me to shoot a jet of fire at it.
I dug my nails into my palms, desperately trying to hold back with everything I had. Because who knew if there were more beasts coming right up behind this one? If there were, the others would see the whole thing and they wouldn’t have to travel far to tattle.
The vulture traveled beyond us for another hundred feet or so before tilting, turning like it was approaching a dead end. It headed back toward the trees at an angle.
“Maybe it’s leaving,” I whispered.
Once it reached the tree line, it curved again, doubling back. It was scouting the area, looking for enemies. There could be no other explanation.
Feeling like the hunted, my power pulsed. Rage welled up. Then, strangely enough, love surged inside me, too, and the emotions swirled around each other. My magic mimicked it, more blended now than it had ever been. More balanced.
That did not mean I was in control of it. Not by a long shot.
“It has to go away,” I whispered, half begging. “It has to go away, or I will kill it.”
Easy, mon coeur. Patience. It did not see us. The spells are working. It will move on. Even with bad vision, it only needs a couple sweeps to see all. We simply must wait.
Sweat beaded on my brow. I chewed on my lip.
The vulture passed to our left, looking down on the great expanse of empty space. It circled a tree that was a bit larger than the others, as though trying to see every nook and cranny before moving on. Trying to find stowaways.
It acted like it was the most deadly thing in this part of the kingdom.
It wasn’t. I wanted to prove it.
I squeezed my eyes shut as my power pumped higher. Round and round it rotated, begging me to do something. To assert my will. Prove my dominance.
My skin felt too tight. My blood throbbed in my veins.
At the same time, the rush of rage, paired with the deep ache of love, felt so good. So raw. I felt Darius deep down. Felt my sword pushing against my back. The weight of my gun. I cherished the memories of my mother. My gratitude and loyalty to Callie and Dizzy. Fire. Ice.
The purple film in front of us melted away, disintegrating before my eyes. My power pushed out around us, tearing down the other spells. Burning through our cover.
The vulture, passing to our right toward the distant trees, issued a loud screech. It pumped its wings, gaining speed. For one brief moment I thought it would head away. Thought it hadn’t noticed. But instead, it folded up its wings and dove straight for us with an avian-type battle cry.
This bird wasn’t here to seek and report. It was here to attack.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Fight.
That one thought from Darius was enough to break my dam of control.
I stepped away from the tree like a commander joining the field of battle. I thrust a hand into the air. Air encircled the bird, the distance not a problem. Power roared through me, so sweet it cut. So pure it lifted me up.
Literally.
I rose into the sky and clenched my fist. The vulture screamed, stopping mid-air.
Another flew out over the trees, pumping its wings frantically, spreading its clawed feet to strike. Its speed was amazing.
I ripped the first bird out of the sky and catapulted it down for Darius to deal with. The moment I released it, it turned for me, not able to see Darius. It hopped forward, ready to beat its wings and elevate enough to use its mighty claws.
Without delay, Darius was on it, attacking it from behind with his own claws out.
When I spun around to face its friend, the giant bird was twenty feet away and closing fast.
“Hells bells, they do move fast.” I ripped up my hands. The bird lifted its feet to score me. I batted it away with air before enclosing it in a firestorm. My energy, low to begin with, felt the drain.