Demon Lord 5: Silver Crown King (36 page)

“Have fun slaughtering the villagers, dear.  Call me when you want a ride home.  I’ll be listening.”  She vanished in a starburst of bloody red and I was alone—but not for long.

I reached out with my thoughts and pulled my sword to me.  It leaped to my hand, radiating bottomless hunger that I was going to fill today.

“Ready to do some killing?” I asked.

Always, but … aren’t you mad at me?  It’s been a while since you called.

I smiled.  Oh, I’m not as petty as too hold a grudge.  C’mon, there’s a village down there where breakfast is served.  I want you to pig out.”

You are too kind.

“Oh, not at all.”

COMING IN 2016

INDIGO TEMPEST RIDER

by

MORGAN BLAYDE

EXCERPT:

Still several feet from the TV lounge, I dropped to my knees, tangled by an unseen force that rattled my body, making my thoughts swim.  The smell of elemental energy engulfed me as lines of light appeared on the carpet, a double circle around a conch shell pattern.  It was like ghosts were writing with cold, unnatural fire.  Runes formed, the details of a spell, some of them looking Atlantean.

The Old Man jumped over the back of the couch.   “Caine!”  He reached out and his hand flattened against an invisible wall. 

Leona tried as well, but was held back as well.

Fighting for focus, I called out, “Old Man, what the shit is this?”

“A summoning.  Move a little so I can see the central rune.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll get right on that.”  He didn’t appreciate that sheering forces between two realities were making me their chew toy.  I was sinking into the floor, knees and wrists straining.  It felt like my knees were crumbling, and my wrists were about to snap.  The carpet inside the magic circle glowed deep, ink blue, as I leaned to the side.  “Can you … see it?”

The Old Man stared, driven mute by shock.

I growled.  “Lauphram!”  My flesh tingled, paling, growing translucent.  I could see veins and arteries, muscles sheets, and bone underneath. 
Motherfucking hell!

“This is ancient magic, part Atlantean, but I can’t stop it.  When you get to the other side, memorize the pattern so you can reproduce it.  The key rune needs to be replaced with the true symbol of your soul.”

I glared at him.  “And that would be?”

“Caine,” Leona’s yellow gaze caught at mine, “find
Woden’s Well
, drown yourself, and you will see what you need to.”  Leona’s lips kept moving, but words dropped out.  “You will need … not alone … drink…”

I closed my eyes as the floor crept up my body, passing my waist, reaching my heart.  The spell circle burned my eyes even though it didn’t seem bright. 
Maybe a lot of infrared or UV
.  I had the oddest sensation that my legs were elongating and flapping in some demon wind.  My hands lost their grip.  I opened my eyes and wished I didn’t.  A radiation storm vortexed around me, an indigo haze of light striped with black.  I tumbled sideways through battering current, was sucked down the core of the funnel, and was popped out into a scream of wind.  If not for my dragon strength, breathing would have been difficult.  The wind brought the scent of rot and death. 

And I was still caught in an indigo haze beaming up from six thousand feet below.  I looked down on what would be New York, if the city had been through massive riots, fires, meteor strikes, and a zombie apocalypse.  The undead tottered down its streets.  Tall as skyscrapers, elven trees had taken over Central Park, the source of the beam pulling me came from a platform in a tree village. 

“Hey wake up,” I told my dragon-self.  Nothing.  “Hey, wake the fuck up, or we’re dead.”

In the back shadows of my mind, he cracked open an eye, then snapped awake. 
Holy fuck!  How did you get us into this?