Voidhawk - Lost Soul (21 page)

“The ‘Hawk can handle itself. It’s faster than the Scimitar and most anything big enough to threaten it here,” Tasha reassured him. “What happened next? When did these demons come?”

Dexter pursed his lips in frustration, thinking about how easily the ‘Hawk could be overrun with its skeleton crew. Even with Keshira on board – she’d been overpowered before. They’d all been overpowered before. He pushed it away and focused on her question, knowing better than to worry about what he couldn’t fix. “Rolxoth dragged us down into that cave. He said Jia was down there, then opened up that portal and let those creatures through. Most of them ran up past us but a few remained. He left, heading for his new throne he said. You can see what they done and I’m sure they’ve done a lot more of it already.”

“We made port just before the Ora’s Bounty showed up,” Tasha said.

“Ha!” Dexter cried out. “It worked! Bet that gave them something to think about.”

Tasha smiled at the sudden life in him. “They launched their landing boats full of soldiers and the elves were making ready to defend against them. Others were scrambling to escape. We saw no sign of these demons until we made it to this place.”

Dexter’s face fell. If the Feds and the elves were fighting each other, nothing was stopping Rolxoth from seizing power and slaughtering anybody in his way. “Damn,” he muttered. “We’ve got to stop them from killing each other. There’s somebody else that needs killing a lot worse!”

Tasha nodded, then rushed over when Dexter pushed himself off the edge of the table and tried to stand. He succeeded, for a moment, then fell forward and only her arms kept him from slamming into the ground.

“Captain, you can’t even walk without help! You have to wait. Trust Rosh, he said he’d help!”

“Trust Rosh?” Dexter tasted the words. Rosh had tried to betray him once, then abandoned him another time. In between the man had sacrificed his life and seemingly come back from the dead, and now he was back again. Could he trust a man
that unpredictable? It wasn’t a friendship they had, nor even a camaraderie. They had no similar sense of duty, as far as Dexter knew. What then was there that would make him trust Rosh?

“Aye, Trust Rosh,” a deep voice said before the door was pushed open. The chair held it for a moment after it began to slide, then a grunt preceded the chair shattering. The door slammed into the wall and fell forward onto the floor. “Seems everybody got invited to this party,” Rosh said as he stepped into the room.

Behind him walked a man and three women, and Volera brought up the rear. There was blood smeared across her forearm, Dexter noted, but she seemed none the worse for wear. The new people brought a gasp from Dexter and Tasha both.

“Bekka! Logan! Bailynn!” Dexter blurted out. He tried to step towards them but Tasha had to hold him back to keep him from falling again.

Tasha pushed him back to the table and forced him to sit. “Captain, with all due respect, sir, stay there until Logan and Bekka’s had a chance to help you.”

Logan rushed forward, passing by Dexter to look at Jenna. He picked up the cloak and looked beneath, then frowned. Bailynn was at his side, sticking so close to him that she seemed like she’d be run over if he turned too fast. “Captain, good to see you again,” Logan said off-handedly. “Rosh mentioned Xander was hurt pretty bad too?”

“He’s over here,” Tasha said, turning to point at where the unconscious wizard lay.

Logan rounded the table and grimaced.
Xander’s face was burned so badly skin and muscle were missing in some places. His eyebrows and most of his hair were gone. Elsewhere his robe had offered scant protection, but the fabric was fused with his skin. Logan knelt next to the wizard and tenderly touched his chest, throat, and face. He took a deep breath and let it out, then bowed his head and closed his eyes.

“Why ain’t he praying?” Rosh asked.

“He doesn’t need to,” Bekka said softly.

Bailynn hurried over, then laid her hand on Logan’s shoulder. He jerked and looked up at her. “He’s hurt badly, this will take a lot.”

“I don’t care,” Bailynn whispered. A tear ran down her girlish face. “These people are my family. I’ll die for any of them.”

Logan nodded and resumed his work.

Dexter watched for a moment then turned to look at Bekka. She was wearing a black dress with some pink fabric worked into it for contrast. It was stylish and very attractive on her, even displaying what curves her lean figure had. The dress matched the black paint on her lips, which was a curious fashion but one that suited her.

“Bekka, what do you mean he doesn’t need to?”
Dexter asked.

Bekka jerked, a red tint coming to her pale cheeks
. She’d been staring intently at Volera, ignoring everyong else. Volera raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but Bekka’s attention had already been diverted by Dexter’s question. “Logan’s not a priest,” she explained. “At least not in the sense we’d always known. He’s a sorcerer, like me. His power comes from within.”

Dexter stared at her, the words slowly sinking in even if they made no sense. “Does that mean…no. What does that mean?”

Bekka smiled. “Captain, it means we learned a lot while we were on our own. Or maybe we didn’t learn anything new as much as we learned who we were.”

Dexter grunted. He didn’t have time for riddles. “Fine, can you help too? Jenna’s burned up pretty bad.”

Bekka shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I was never any good at healing, not fast magical healing. I could nurse her back to health with teas and compresses. Perhaps even stop her burns from scarring, but her injuries require Logan.”

Dexter swore. He turned back to watch Logan and saw the man still hard at work doing whatever it was he was doing. Dexter muttered another oath then turned back to the remaining woman he’d yet to meet. “Who’s this?”

Haley looked at Bekka and, after she received a smile and a nod, she stepped forward and offered her hand. “I’m Haley.”

“Dexter Silvercloud,” he said, shaking her hand. He was surprised by the strength in her grip and the firmness of her shake. “Don’t have much time here, what’s your story?”

“Your friends helped me find my way free of the life I was living. I’ve journeyed with them to see the void they spoke so fondly of.”

“Quite the story.”

“You have no idea,” Haley said with a twist of her lip. “I’m a huntress, or I was. I haven’t found much to hunt in the void.”

“Then you ain’t been looking in the right places,” Dexter said. Rosh chuckled his agreement. “Soon as Logan can patch us up, we’ll be hunting demons. You’re welcome to join us but there’s nothing safe about them.”

Haley turned to Bekka, but the gothic looking sorceress had already turned back to study Volera. “Hi,” Bekka said to her, extending her arm. Bekka’s fingernails were painted black to match her lips, except each nail had a pink star in the middle of them. “Love your armor.”

Volera smiled at her and took her hand. Bekka gasped when their skin touched, then she shivered. She bit her lip and looked away, a sly smile slipping onto her still blushing cheeks. “Volera,” the former demoness said. “I am Master Rosh’s servant.”

“Stop saying that!” Rosh yelled.

“My apologies, Master.”

Rosh threw his hands up in the air. Dexter shook his head. It was easy to get lost in the disputes and camaraderie. He was among friends. Among family. The same family he’d grown to love and depend on, even though it had grown. He looked away, ignoring the burning in his belly not caused by any of the wounds he’d sustained. His family had grown but one member was still missing.

“I’d like to speak with you,” Bekka whispered to Volera. “Later.”

Volera offered her another smile and a nod.

“Logan,” Dexter snapped, turning around slowly on the table to face the priest again. “If he’s well enough to live then let him be for now. I need to make sure Jenna’s going to be okay, then I need you to make me fit enough to walk and fight.”

“I think I’ll live,” Xander said. He sat up, grimacing as he peeled the melted and scorched robe away from his chest. His eyebrows and hair remained burnt off, giving him a smooth and almost childlike expression. His skin was pink and raw, but the fact that skin covered his face gave proof to his improved well-being.

“Oh!” Dexter managed, staring at the wizard who’d been all but a corpse a few minutes ago. “That’s good. Damn glad to have you back.”

Logan climbed to his feet slowly, Bailynn at his side and helping to steady him. “Captain, that took a lot out of him,” Bailynn began.

“I’m all right,” Logan insisted. He moved over to the table and sat next to Jenna, then he pulled the blanket off of her so he could rest a hand above her heart and another on her forehead.
He bowed his head to concentrate. Bailynn slipped to his far side, away from Dexter, and rested her hand on the back of his bowed neck.

Dexter watched, aware now that a miracle was happening in front of him. The dried blood and blackened edges of split skin fell away before his eyes. Fresh, pink skin filled the voids and blisters popped and drained. Her shivering stopped, leaving her breathing easier and deeper. Jenna’s eyelids fluttered open, allowing her gaze to find Dexter immediately. She smiled at him first, then turned and saw Logan and Bailynn and then the others.

“It’s a reunion,” Jenna whispered, her voice not as strong as she’d thought.

“Still got one person missing,” Dexter said.

Jenna's smile faltered. She nodded, then pushed Logan’s hands off of her so she could sit up. “Could somebody get me a shirt, I’m afraid Rosh’s going to drool on my chest.”

Rosh laughed. “You’ve got the chest of a boy! Why would I want that when I’ve got her?”
He pointed at Volera, who’s black leather armor seemed to enhance her impressive bust rather than conceal or protect it.

Jenna swung her legs off the table and tested her muscles. Finding everything working properly, she stood up and stretched, then looked at the gruesome scene. She
saw the open cabinet with the cloaks hanging in it and started towards it. “Same reason I can ask any man how many pairs of breasts he wants to see in his life and he’ll say: all of them!”

Rosh’s laughter faded. He shrugged and nodded. Dexter shook his head in mock dismay. Logan touched him on the shoulder, drawing his attention. “Captain, this will be easier if you lay down.”

“All right,” Dexter said, using his arms to pull himself onto the table a little more before he tried to lay his back on it. He hissed in pain. Not only did the movement hurt but the jagged cuts across his back were pressing into the wood.

Logan laid his hands on Dexter, making the Captain feel awkward at first. It passed as soon as a soothing warm spread from Logan’s hands and through his body. The warmth sought out his injuries, centering
on them and even becoming hot enough to cause sweat to break out. A moment later the warmth retreated, leaving him feeling cool and refreshed.

“Wow,” Dexter said, sitting up. He tested the movement in his arms and, after hopping off the table boldly, his legs. “Not sure what you done while you was gone, but I’m mighty glad for it!”

Logan smiled. “Spending time with you gives me a constant opportunity to practice and perfect my talents.”

“I think I hear what you’re saying,” Dexter said. “And I’d like to offer you another chance to get some more practice. Jianna’s soul has been captured by Rolxoth. He’s in the castle and we think she’s with him.”

“Why?” Bailynn asked.

“Having her soul won’t do him much good if it’s not with him,” Jenna said. She finished tying the cloak she’d cut around her belly. She
looked around, spotting a few weapons to replace her broken ones.

“No, I mean why’d he take her in the first place?” Bailynn asked.

“Claims he needed a favor from me,” Dexter said. “But I’m not so sure he couldn’t have done this without our help.”

“Without the chaos the elves would have put up a fight,” Jenna said. “And they’d have come back with reinforcements if they did lose.”

“Won’t they still?” Tasha asked, confused.

“We told them to leave Port Freedom alone. Some of the Navy and the Empire seems to have respect for me and Jenna. Might be that’s enough to slow ‘em down until Rolxoth can reach an agreement.”

“Of course!” Jenna hissed. “Commander Banaris and Rolxoth have been working together! I don’t doubt Banaris is plotting a rise in position himself, something to ensure that Rolxoth gets to keep Port Freedom and the Empire has a special arrangement with them.”

“You think they’d fall back that quick? A lot of younger elves liked what you done.
They won’t take to the thought of getting friendly with demons. I don’t see the elders standing for it neither.”

“The elders won’t do much of anything unless the elves strike out against them,” Xander offered
while he examined his damaged robes. “I’ve worked with them for years now. They focus on their own problems and seldom dabble in the affairs of other races. They’ll be blind until it’s too late, should the elves rise up against them.”

“No,” Volera interrupted. “Rolxoth must pay a price for the service of so many. He may be wealthy, among his kind, but the power necessary to sponsor so many on this realm for so long would be more than any member of the duathrym could sustain. Only the greatest powers would attempt such a thing, and they would have little reason to do so.”