Demonbane (Book 4) (35 page)

Kendril laid his head back on the cobblestones. Flecks of dirty snow melted on his scarred. “
Hurts
…” he breathed.

Kara put a hand on his shoulder. “Hang in there, Kendril. We’ll get you out of here.”

“The…gate?” Kendril wheezed.

“Gone,” said Joseph. “You did it, Kendril. Eru only knows how, but you did it.”

The wailing cry came again.

Kendril opened his right eye. “Indigoru. She’s…coming.” His face flinched in pain.

Gradine came running back over, gray snow spotting his uniform. “There!” He pointed back behind him. “As sewer cover.”

“Get it open,” Joseph commanded.

“Leave me.” Kendril took deep, heavy breaths. His body shook. “Get…out of…here.”

“Sorry old boy,” said Maklavir with a grim smile, “but your penance or whatever it is is going to have to be paid back another day.” He nodded to Kara. “Here, help me with him.”

The redhead nodded. She stopped suddenly, staring off to the east.

Maklavir and Joseph followed her gaze.

There, above the tall flames that leapt high above the rooftops came a faint gray glow along the horizon.

“Dawn,” said Maklavir softly. “Morning is coming. I’d almost forgotten there
was
such a thing.”

“We’ll talk later,” Joseph said abruptly. “Get Kendril over to that storm drain. I’ll—”

A golden glow intermingled with the orange and red fires just to the north. A piercing scream echoed down through the plaza.

Joseph drew his sword. “Go!
Now
!”

Maklavir and Kara needed no second urging. They supported the wounded Kendril the short distance to the open sewer cover.

The Ghostwalker gasped and panted with each step. The orange light of the fires showed his wounds to be even worse than they had appeared before.

Gradine and another gendarme helped Kendril down into the sewer, then Kara.

Joseph backed cautiously towards the entrance, his sword out.

The golden glow became brighter and brighter, moving through a tempest of flame that no mortal could withstand.

“Come on, Joseph!” Maklavir shouted. He jumped down into the sewer below.

Joseph turned towards the sewer opening.

Indigoru entered the plaza.

She glided over the cobblestones like a swooping bird, surrounded by a shimmering light. The Soulbinder still hung around her neck, blazing like an angry red eye. She was beautiful, magnificent, and terrifying.

Her eyes turned across the smoke-shrouded plaza and fell on Joseph.

Joseph turned and ran for the sewer entrance.

He could hear the demon scream behind him, her voice piercing through the roar of the flames. He didn’t look back. He didn’t need to.

Indigoru was coming after them.

Joseph half-slid and half-fell into the opening. He slammed the grate shut behind him, for whatever good it might do.

Smoke hung in curls on the ceiling of the arched sewer tunnel. Still, there was a chill in the air down here. Frost clung to the walls and walkways. The turgid water itself ran slowly, covered with white patches of ice. Red light flickering in from sewer grates gave the sewers an eerie glow.

Joseph ran down the right-hand walkway, slipping and skidding over patches of ice.

Ahead the others were ducking under an archway that led into another section of the sewers. Maklavir and Kara were supporting the barely-conscious Kendril.

Lieutenant Gradine looked back at him quizzically. “Where—?”

“
Go
!” shouted Joseph.

The wail of Indigoru came from behind them, echoing down into the slime-covered vaults.

Kara turned her head around, her eyes wide. “Eru protect us.”

Joseph grabbed Kendril and helped propel the injured Ghostwalker through the archway.

From down the tunnel they could hear the sewer grate clang loudly.

Joseph turned back around and put his shoulder against a rusted iron door that hung on its hinges against the wall. He pushed on it, looking back at Maklavir. “Help me!”

The diplomat gave the mold and rust-covered door a disgusted look. “Great Eru, my clothes are already ruined
enough
without—”

Indigoru’s golden glow shone down the tunnel. A wailing scream pounded down the walls, piercing their ears with its shrill cry.

Maklavir adjusted his cap. “Right then.” He threw himself against the door.

The pair grunted and heaved, pushing with all their might.

The iron door squealed like a dying pig, slowly swinging shut on its ancient hinges.

Indigoru shrieked again. Her light flooded the tunnel, as bright as daylight.

Kara leaned a gasping Kendril against the wall, then threw herself against the door as well.

The three of them pushed.

The light came closer, becoming almost blindingly bright.

The door slammed shut with a thunderous boom.

Indigoru’s light ceased as abruptly as a candle guttering out.

“Run!” Joseph panted. He grabbed the handle and twisted it with all his strength.

Maklavir grabbed the handle and helped.

Kara took a step back and readied her bow with trembling hands.

The door buckled as if a massive hand had struck it.

Maklavir flew back and landed hard on the walkway.

Joseph grunted, then jerked the handle.

It clicked shut.

Joseph stepped back again just as the door rang again.

The metal dented slightly.

Kara breathed a cloud of white into the cold air. “Eru in Pelos—”

Kendril climbed painfully to his feet. He balanced against the wall.

There was another, final scream of exasperation from the other side of the door. The light under the crack of the door began to fade.

Lieutenant Gradine stepped forward, his carbine pointed at the door. “We can’t fight her.
Nothing
can fight that.”

“We have to.” Kendril leaned against the wall and pulled out a pistol with a hiss of pain. He gritted his teeth, then began to reload the weapon in slow, halting movements.

Joseph stepped back. He was sweating, despite the freezing temperature. “Kendril, don’t move. The pain—”

“Don’t tell me about…
pain
,” Kendril panted. “She’s coming back. She’ll…” He took a deep breath, his eyes watering. “She’ll find a way.”

Joseph back down the tunnel they were in.

“We have to kill her, Joseph,” Kendril said between his teeth. “It’s the…only way. We have to—” He gave a sudden flinch of pain and sank down against the wall.

“Kill her?” Gradine’s glanced fearfully at the closed door. “How in Zanthora are we supposed to do that?”

Kendril looked up at the gendarme officer. “We
trap
it.”

“We can’t stand around and debate,” Maklavir said quickly. “We have to move.”

Joseph nodded slowly. “You’re right.” He glanced at Gradine. “Take your men and head for safety.”

The gendarme nodded in relief. “What about you?”

“I’m staying behind,” Joseph said. “Kendril’s right. We have to kill this demon, or it’s going to kill us.”

One of the gendarmes stepped forward. “We’re no cowards, sir. If you’re going to make a stand—”

Joseph shook his head. “I’ve seen this demon in action. Numbers won’t help. We have to fight smart.” He looked down at Kendril. “We have to trap it.”

The Ghostwalker forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily, trying to manage his discomfort. “You have a plan?”

Joseph shrugged. “An idea. Eru only knows if it will work or not.” He looked over at Maklavir. “You still have any of those explosives?”

The diplomat pulled back his cloak and opened a satchel. “A few grenades. The rest of me is scorched, but at least the fire didn’t get
those
—”

Joseph nodded. “Good. You’re staying with me.”

Maklavir blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“Me too.” Kendril forced himself slowly up to his feet again.

“And me.” Kara pushed back her red hair. “Even though I’m practically swimming in these clothes—”

“No,” said Joseph firmly. “You’re going with Lieutenant Gradine.”

“What?” the pretty thief exclaimed. “I don’t think so. Why would—?”

Joseph stepped forward and kissed the surprised girl on her lips.

Maklavir quickly looked away.

Kara pulled back her head, blinking in surprise.

“Because I love you,” Joseph said. “And if anything happened to you I’d never forgive myself.”

Kara stared at him in shocked silence.

Another hideous scream echoed down the tunnel. It came from somewhere to the left.

“Time’s up.” Joseph nodded to Gradine. “Lieutenant, get her out of here. I’m trusting you to get her back safe.”

“Yes, sir,” Gradine said. He took Kara by the arm and led the stunned girl down the tunnel.

“Maklavir,” Joseph ordered, “help me get Kendril—”

Kendril hobbled forward, leaning against the tunnel wall with each step. “I can
walk
,” he said. “Where are we going?”

Joseph nodded down the tunnel to where it opened up into an intersection. “There. But we need to hurry.”

Another long wail sounded behind them in the darkness.

Indigoru was coming.

Golden light appeared just down the tunnel.

Joseph stepped back from the wall. “Maklavir, we just ran out of time.”

The diplomat cursed under his breath. He pushed a grenade into a large crack in the stones of the pillar across the room.

They were in a large vaulted intersection of the sewers. Water came tumbling in from four different channels. A huge vaulted pillar in the center of the room supported the rounded ceiling.

Maklavir pushed back from the pillar, knee deep in the frozen water. “We need matchcord,” he shouted. “A lot of it, too!”

Joseph looked down at the murky, ice-covered water. “We couldn’t get matchcord through that. We’ll have to—”

“
The goddess comes for your souls
.” The strange, whispering voice sounded in their ears.

In the passageway leading to the room, the light brightened.

Maklavir rushed over to the side of the room and threw himself behind an archway.

Kendril stood, then limped down into the water with a groan.

Joseph stood, his rapier drawn. “Kendril! What—?”

“You’ll need bait.” Kendril moved slowly through the sewer water. He stopped and pulled out a pistol, then reached up a hand to the hood over his head. Wincing, he tenderly pulled down the cowl off of his face.

The light grew brighter, like a rising sun.

“Come on!” Kendril shouted. He snapped back the lock on the pistol and leveled it at the passageway. “I’m waiting for you, Indigoru!”

“Right,” Maklavir said as he tucked himself further behind the archway. “That’s good. Let’s antagonize the demon—”

“Kendril—” Joseph began.

A brilliant light shone into the room. The water rippled, bubbling away from the passageway entrance.

Indigoru appeared.

All three men felt the breath sucked from their bodies. For a long moment they could only stare.

She was beautiful beyond description, so magnificent that it hurt their eyes to look at her. She was beguiling, perfect in every way.

Indigoru floated above the water, her flawless body effortlessly gliding over the water. “
You
.” She turned her head towards Kendril, her strange voice sounding almost musical in their ears. “You are the one. You closed the gate.”

Despite his horrible burns, Kendril managed a pained smile. “That’s right. It’s just you, now, demon. None of your friends are coming.”

Indigoru tilted her head. Her blazing hair tossed and blew in a nonexistent wind. “You dare to defy me, mortal?” She spread out her long, slender arms. “Why do you not fear me? I bring
despair
to your world.”

Kendril lowered the pistol at the goddess. “I don’t scare easily.”

Indigoru laughed, a haunting, weirdly melodic sound. “You will die, mortal. Slowly, painfully. Do you really think your pitiful weapons can harm me?” She lifted a hand palm outwards toward Kendril. Below her hovering feet the water rippled.

“Not really.” Kendril pointed the pistol towards the pillar. “But I’m betting this will.”

He fired.

The grenade wedged into the pillar’s cracked stone exploded outwards with a roar, followed moments later by the cracks of several other grenades going off in succession. In less than two seconds the whole pillar vanished in cloud of dust and flying stone.

Kendril ducked away, staggering back towards the walkway that ringed the room.

Indigoru raised up in the air, light emanating from her body in waves. She gave a furious scream, then lashed her arms outwards.

Above her head, the ceiling cracked, then began to collapse downwards.

The demon looked up, a look of genuine surprise on her face.

Kendril threw himself up onto the walkway. He grabbed for the hilt of one of his swords.

With a crash, the arched ceiling of the room came tumbling down.

Indigoru threw her arms up with a snarl.

Stones and heavy blocks slowed, then stopped in mid-air above her head. All around her heavy stones impacted into the green water, sending up fountains of ice and slime.

Maklavir and Joseph both came out of hiding. They stared.

Indigoru was untouched, holding several tons of rock in place above her. There was a huge rent in the roof above their heads, opening out onto the street above. The red glow of the fires that raged throughout Vorten flickered down into the room, intermingling with Indigoru’s golden glow. Heat washed down from into the chilly sewer.

“Insolence!” Indigoru turned her flashing, enraged eyes on the three men. “Your world will fall, fools. First you will bow to me, and then you will
suffer
. There will be no—”

“Oh, shut up already.” Kara stepped out of the passageway next to Kendril. She bent back her bow and aimed a notched arrow right at Indigoru.

Behind her Lieutenant Gradine and the remaining gendarmes spilled out of the opening, their carbines raised at the blazing goddess.

The goddess looked at the redheaded thief and hissed loudly. Above her head the huge weight of stones wobbled, but didn’t fall.