Thursday morning—day five

Eddy sipped her second cup of coffee and stared at her laptop. She’d been working on a story for the paper since she’d gotten up this morning, writing about the vandalism of the cemetery statues. So far, nothing she’d written sounded all that convincing.

Organizing her thoughts with all that was going on wasn’t easy. Writing lies made it even more difficult. Grumbling, she highlighted the paragraph she’d just written and hit DELETE.

Ed, Alton, and Dax studied a street map of town and threw out different plans to destroy the gargoyle. Eddy’d only been paying partial attention as they went back and forth with various ideas, coming up with plans and discarding them just as quickly as she’d been deleting story ideas. So far, it appeared that the only thing they agreed on was that the gargoyle would be at his weakest around noon, when the sun was high in the sky, but she tuned out the rest of their discussion while she worked on another angle for her story.

At least Harlan had quit giving her grief, and there’d been a paycheck in yesterday’s mail, so she knew she still had a job.

She wasn’t certain she still wanted it.

Convincing the citizens of Evergreen that all the damage and weird situations affecting their town were the acts of nonexistent gangs or satanic cults wasn’t easy. Even with her deputy buddies, Milton and Bud, agreeing with her—thanks to Alton—she could offer no proof beyond guesswork by local law enforcement.

At least they were still in line with the hypnotic suggestions Alton continued to plant. Of course, there wouldn’t be any proof, since gangs weren’t responsible. She almost felt sorry for the nonexistent gangbangers and satanic cultists who were taking the heat for the current mess.

As far as she knew, people weren’t talking about the battle on Lassen Boulevard. She wondered if they were having nightmares instead. She hated to think they might be reliving the horrible things they’d seen. Things they’d been compelled not to discuss.

“How long do you think people will continue to buy this crap?” She waved her hand over her laptop. “I haven’t got a lick of proof, no facts and nothing but made-up guesswork to explain what we all know is a demon invasion.”

Alton laughed. “And you think they’d believe that before they’ll believe that gangs or cultists are behind everything?”

Eddy frowned. “Good point. I just feel like such a fraud. I’m writing lies. It bothers me. It goes against everything that journalism stands for. Haven’t you heard of the Journalist’s Creed?”

Alton gave her a blank stare.

“Sheesh.” She shut her laptop. “Well, essentially it’s a promise to write only what I believe, in my heart, to be true.”

Dax smiled. “Doesn’t it also have something about suppressing the news for the good of the welfare of society?”

Eddy blinked. “How’d you know that?”

“I found it framed on the wall in your dad’s workshop and read it. I know the stories you’ve been writing are bothering you, and when I saw a document titled The Journalist’s Creed, I looked to it for answers.”

Alton laughed. “Sounds as if you found them.”

“That I did. The truth could cause a panic.” Dax glanced once more at the map, and then at Eddy. “If people knew that a demon invasion was behind all this, they’d call in the military, and we’d have a full-scale war on our hands.”

Alton agreed. “The minute we get a military presence, the fear and potential bloodshed would cause nothing but chaos, not to mention the kind of negative energy demonkind thrive on.”

“I’m still lying.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Anger and frustration had been her constant companions all morning. “So much of this is all lies.” It wasn’t just what she was writing. What about Dax? A demon, disguised as a human. And Alton? He wasn’t even human.

“It’s for the common good, Eddy.”

Dax’s soft voice broke through whirling thoughts. She was beginning to feel outnumbered, especially when her father added to Dax and Alton’s argument. He glanced up and caught Eddy’s stubborn gaze. “No one has been seriously injured or killed. We’re dealing with nothing more than vandalism at this point, no matter what the cause, but I’m afraid the guys are right. If that gargoyle gains more power, if he reaches a point where he can proactively destroy life and steal the energy of human beings…”

Eddy swallowed back a gasp. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Do you think that’s all that’s holding him back? That he’s not strong enough to take a human life?”

Dax nodded. “Quite possibly. Not that he can’t kill. Slicing my back open is proof he can do damage. He just hasn’t evolved enough to harness the energy a human death could provide. I’m hoping Alton’s right. If all the demons that crossed over have been destroyed, that would mean the gargoyle’s energy supply’s gone, at least for now. I was wondering where he got his strength. It’s not like he’s got his own Willow, pulling energy out of the air for him.” He grinned at the little sprite. She twirled in a shower of blue sparkles at mention of her name.

Alton glared at his sword. Encased in its leather scabbard, it hung from the back of a kitchen chair, a mute reminder of its lack of voice. The jeweled hilt sparkled beneath the overhead lights. “I was worried the ones I thought I was killing with my worthless sword were merely going back to Abyss, or worse, directly to the demon. At least, last night, it seemed to be killing them, but even so, I’m ready to leave the damned thing here when we go out and fight, for all the good it’s done me.”

Eddy interrupted. “Alton, it’s a good weapon even if it’s not speaking to you. It cut through those stone statues like they were made of butter, and when you hit the demon mist, it flashed and sizzled and the gargoyle was totally pissed. That alone is proof to me that you’re destroying them.”

“We’ll never know for sure, though, unless the thing decides to acknowledge me.” He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “The problem is, as long as I’m wielding it, I can’t fight beside Dax. It’s dividing our strength because I can’t trust it.” He stared at it, mumbling, “A man should be able to trust his own sword, shouldn’t he?”

“I agree.” Dax gave the crystal sword a wide berth, even when it hung innocently in its sheath. He stared at it a moment and then looked away. “As far as the gargoyle, I think we’ve been feeding him all along, with every avatar we’ve destroyed and every demon we’ve missed, but there’s a good possibility the last of the demons are gone after yesterday’s battle. If that’s the case, there’s nothing more for him to absorb, or inhale, or whatever it is he does to the demons who revert to mist. It should keep him from getting any more powerful than he already is.” He glanced toward Alton. “I hope. He’s already stronger than I am.”

Alton laughed. “My money’s still on you. I think you can take him.”

Dax shook his head, but Eddy noticed he was smiling too. Alton and Dax had forged an amazing friendship in such a short time. In a way, it made her feel better, knowing she wasn’t the only one who loved the man with the powers of a demon and the heart of a warrior.

“I’m hoping that piece of wing you sliced off has cost him,” Dax said. “It takes a lot of energy to regenerate parts, and he grew that wing tip back last night. If I hadn’t been in such sorry shape myself, I would have gone after him, but I didn’t have anything left. I’m stronger today. Here’s hoping he’s still feeling weak and puny.”

Chuckling, Ed stood up. “It’s almost nine, and the last thing I need is to be worried about you guys feeling weak and puny. How about a big breakfast so you won’t need lunch? Have you figured out yet how we’re going to do whatever it is we have to do?”

Alton ran his hand over the map and jabbed his finger on the spot he’d circled in red, where the old library building stood. “I can use a compulsion to keep people away from the park at the library. Once it’s cleared, Dax and Willow are going in.”

“Agreed.” Dax studied the map and glanced at the clock. “If we’re there a little before noon, you should be able to keep folks away. If they’re already there eating lunch, it might be harder to get them to leave. Eddy?”

He flashed her a smile that seemed terribly relaxed, considering what they were discussing. “I want you to hang on to Bumper and stay fairly close to me, just in case Willow needs a place to hide.”

“I can do that.” She glanced at her father. “What’s Dad going to do?”

“You mean besides cook?” Ed laughed and waved his spatula.

“Ed, I want you watching the perimeter. Make sure there aren’t any demons hanging around. Don’t destroy any avatars, because we don’t want the gargoyle to get them, but watch for anything that might be demonkind.”

Eddy placed her hand over his. “And what do you intend to do?”

He flashed her a cocky grin. “I intend to kill the gargoyle. The demon has bonded so entirely with the stone gargoyle that it’s gained a corporeal presence in this dimension, but it’s got to take a lot of energy to maintain the body. It’s no longer animating stone. It’s breathing now, and it bleeds.”

“Green blood. I saw it when Alton sliced off the tip of its wing. Yuck.”

“Green, red, brown, or black. It doesn’t matter,” Dax said. “If it bleeds, it can die. We couldn’t kill the gargoyle because it wasn’t alive, and we weren’t able to destroy it and get to the demon inside. It appears somehow to have attained life, which means mortality. The flesh should burn; bones can be broken. It may have better mobility and possibly cognitive reasoning, but I’m guessing it’s lost its indestructible edge.”

Alton laughed. “Well, it sounds good in theory.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Dax stood up and pushed his chair back from the table. “Ed? How long before breakfast?”

“About fifteen minutes.” Ed added more bacon to the pan. The sizzle and pop filled the air with enough good smells to make Eddy’s mouth water. She stared at her closed laptop and pondered not sending anything to Harlan at all.

Dax rested a hand on her shoulder. “I want to take a quick walk around the block and see if anything’s stirring out there that shouldn’t be.”

Eddy grabbed his hand. “Do you want company?”

“Always,” he said, smiling at her. “C’mon. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He held her hand as they stepped off the porch and started down the sidewalk. The morning was cool. Pine needles and dry leaves crackled underfoot. Birds chattered and chirped, a dog nearby barked. Eddy heard a lawn mower roar to life. She noticed the distinct lack of stone deer and ceramic garden gnomes. The neighborhood had been full of them just a week ago.

“Could the demons have run out of things to use as avatars? A lot of statues have been broken over the past few days.”

Dax shook his head. “No. You’d be surprised. There’s still a lot of stuff around. Look.” He pointed to a front porch where a pair of metal birds hung in a wind chime. Then he showed her a weather vane designed like a rooster on top of a nearby garage. “There are all kinds of lifelike replicas made of stone or metal. If there were demons around who needed avatars, they’d still be able to find them.”

They continued on around the block. Dax seemed so totally relaxed, it was hard to believe he’d had that horrible dream last night. He’d still been awake when she’d finally gone back to sleep, her body sated from his lovemaking.

She wasn’t sated anymore. In fact, the familiar sizzle of arousal was once more awakened, merely by the touch of his hand, the sight of him walking beside her. She’d never seen such a beautiful man, never been as attracted to anyone before, the way she was to Dax, but when she’d rolled over this morning and reached for him, he was already gone. She’d found him out in the kitchen having coffee when she’d finally crawled out of bed.

“Did you get any sleep at all last night?” She stopped walking, wrapped her hands around his arm and held him close.

“Some,” he said. “I had a lot to think about.”

“Dax?” She tugged him to a stop and looked into his clear, dark brown eyes. Every time she looked at him, she wondered how many more chances she’d have. “Are you afraid?”

He frowned. “Of the demon?”

She shook her head. “No. Of it all ending. Of what will happen when your time is over. I can’t imagine what that must be like, knowing exactly when you’re going to die.”

“Ah, Eddy. Sweetheart, I’m not going to die. I’ll just be moving from this life to another. I’m hoping I’ll end up in Eden if I’m successful with my mission, but even if I don’t, I’ll merely go back into the void. It’s not a frightening place. It’s just…” He sighed. “It’s boring. Eternity with only memories of the life you’ve lived isn’t an exciting proposition. I’ve lived for a very long time, but the only thing I want to remember is the time I’ve spent with you. I’m hoping these memories will be enough. The past few days have been amazing. I need to stretch these memories out and make them last.”

She thought about that, about facing eternity with only memories. She’d always have such amazing memories of Dax. They started walking again. Within a few minutes, they’d circled the block, and her father’s house was right in front of them.

“Eddy?”

She turned to him. “What?”

“I love you. I don’t want to spend eternity feeling guilty about leaving you. Promise me you’ll find love again. Please? I have to know you’re able to accept what’s coming if I’m going to be able to concentrate on my mission. Can you do that?”

She stood on her toes and kissed him. “I promise. I will be fine. Let’s go eat before Dad sends out a search party for us.”

He followed her into the kitchen, and she was glad he was behind her and couldn’t see her face. It hadn’t been all that hard to make an impossible promise, but there was no way she could keep the truth out of her eyes.

It was actually sort of odd, to think she worried so much about lying in her newspaper articles, yet she had no qualms at all about lying to the man she loved.

By the time they got inside, she had her emotions under control once again. The last thing she wanted was for Dax to spend his last days on Earth worrying about her worrying about him.

She sat down at the table, opened her laptop, and quickly finished her article. Then she attached it to an e-mail to Harlan and hit SEND. Lies. All of it lies.

She merely had to remind herself they were all for the common good.

 

The noon sun hung high overhead. Eddy clung to Dax’s hand while all of them stood motionless as a bunch of statues in the sunlit park and stared at the empty parapet atop the library. Finally, Ed broke the silence.

“Where the hell’d the bastard go?”

Dax shook his head and rubbed his chest. “I have no idea. I was certain he’d be here. Alton? Any ideas where he might be?”

“No. I figured he’d still be healing.”

“I think I know.” Eddy turned away from the library and stared at Dax. “You said he gets his strength from the demons whose souls he takes, but we’re fresh out of demons. Could he be trying to open a new portal?”

Alton jerked his head around and stared at Eddy. “Gods, I hope not. If he’s in the mountain, there’s no way to stop him.”

“Why not?” Eddy frowned. “You closed the other portal without any trouble.”

“That was before any of us had a Lemurian death sentence hanging over our heads. I can’t be positive if it’s actually been posted or not, but what I did when I broke you guys out of your cell is punishable by death. I went against my father’s orders, and he’s the head of the Council of nine. As far as you and Dax, before we left Lemuria, the council had already determined you two should die for your transgression of actually trying to help my people. If we go back inside the mountain, we might not make it out alive.”

Dax crossed his arms over his chest. “If the demon opens a new portal, no one will make it out alive. Another gateway to Abyss could tip the balance beyond redemption.” He shrugged. “If more demons gain entrance to this dimension, if the gargoyle achieves ultimate power, a death decree is a moot point.”

Alton stared at Dax for a moment. Then he slowly nodded his head. “There is that,” he said.

Ed shoved Bumper’s leash into Eddy’s outstretched hand. Then he swung around and headed down the sidewalk. “I’ll get the Jeep,” he said, shouting back over his shoulder. “Then I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes. Keep looking.”

 

They drove as far as they could and stopped at the same gate where Ed had picked them up just five short days ago. Dax was surprised when Ed chose to join them on the hike up the mountain. He and Eddy both tried to argue her dad out of it, but there was no way Ed was going to be left behind at this point.

Now, as they drew close to the portal that had let them into the dimension that led to Lemuria, Dax had to respect Ed’s dedication to their cause. He was obviously in pain from his bad hip, but he’d managed to keep up as they made their way along the faint trail winding higher and higher up the steep slopes of Mount Shasta.

The hillside was beginning to look familiar, when Willow suddenly popped out from behind Alton’s long hair and buzzed into the air in front of them. She left a comet’s tail of blue sparkles behind her as she zipped toward a tumble of rocks just ahead. Bumper barked and jerked the leash out of Eddy’s hand.

Dax grabbed for it and missed. The dog took off, scrambling over the loose scree littering the side of the mountain. Her leash trailed behind her.

“Bumper! Come back. Here girl!” Eddy started after the dog.

Dax grabbed her arm and held her back. “Wait. See what she’s after.”

“But what if the gargoyle’s there?” Eddy tried to jerk her arm free, but Dax held on. She glared at him. “Let me go.”

He shook his head. “Look.”

The gargoyle lurched from behind the largest rock, walking awkwardly over the rough surface. Bumper yipped and made a perfect U-turn. She raced back toward Eddy as the gargoyle spread its wings and rose to its full height, twice as tall as it had been the night before.

Eddy grabbed Bumper’s collar when the dog ran into her legs in her mad scramble to get away from the monster. Alton moved to one side and drew his sword. Ed grabbed Eddy’s free arm and tugged her and Bumper out of the way.

Surrounded at a safe distance by his friends, Dax stood alone on the hillside, not a dozen feet from the massive creature.

He glanced to his right. Alton was slowly working his way around the gargoyle’s side. It ignored the Lemurian. Its focus was entirely on Dax.

Ed and Eddy waited off to the side as they’d planned, well out of the way should the gargoyle use any sort of weapon. Dax was unsure of its powers in this form. It was obviously alive. There was no sign of the stone creature it had once been.

Now its wings waved slowly back and forth with supple grace. The muscles in its long arms bunched and stretched, and the leathery skin over its massive chest rose and fell with each breath it took.

When it opened its mouth, razor-sharp teeth gleamed white, and its disgusting tongue was long and sinewy, colored a deep grayish green. Saliva dripped from its jaws. Eyes that had once gleamed like red fire now glowed with an inner light that was both alive and cunning.

The gargoyle raised its head and let out a roar. No longer the eerie wail of a banshee, this time it had the full-blown depth of a living, breathing creature, a sound somewhere between an enraged lion and an angry bull elephant.

Bumper dropped to the ground and shivered when it roared a second time. Willow had moved to a point behind Dax where she was protected from the creature, yet close enough to Dax that she could draw energy from their surroundings and feed it to him. He felt the warmth of Willow’s energy pouring into him, strengthening his arms and legs, even as it awakened the cursed tattoo now rising over his chest.

There was no way to avoid the pain. Whenever he called on his demon powers now, he called the curse to life. They were one and the same. His only hope was that he’d be able to work it once again, to make the pain his own and withstand the agony long enough to battle his greatest foe.

He stared into the gargoyle’s eyes and sensed the creature’s keen intelligence. No longer a mindless demon working through the body of a stone avatar, it had become—somehow, some way—a sentient, living, breathing demon. Dax wondered what its form had been on Abyss. Had it somehow found its likeness in the stone gargoyle on the library building?

Dax had been a demon since time began, but it had only been in his later years that he’d had enough self-awareness to care about his existence, to wonder if there might be something better to life than the unending hell of Abyss. Had that happened to this demon as well? Had it finally begun to question its existence?

Had it, too, been kicked out of Abyss? If so, it certainly hadn’t been for questioning evil. There was nothing good about this creature. No, it was evil incarnate, with a cunning unlike anything Dax expected.

He took a step closer to the gargoyle, drawing the creature’s attention. Alton was able to move a few feet closer without being noticed. Now he stood behind, not beside, the gargoyle.

It didn’t appear to see him, so intent was it on Dax. When Dax took a step, the creature moved as well. When Dax moved to one side, the creature mirrored his shift. As Dax played out his little dance, testing the gargoyle’s responses, Alton slipped closer to the creature’s back. He’d drawn his crystal sword and held it high overhead, but he wasn’t yet close enough to strike.

Dax raised his hands and let loose with a burst of fire. The gargoyle leapt in the air, barely avoiding the flame. Alton jumped to one side and swung his blade. The crystal glimmered with power as he slashed just beneath a clawed foot.

The gargoyle flapped his wings down with a powerful stroke as Alton prepared to swing. One heavy wing caught his head and shoulders and flung the tall Lemurian to the ground. He swung the crystal sword as he fell, cutting a broad slash across the gargoyle’s torso.

Thick, green, acidic blood poured from the wound, burning whatever it touched. Grass shriveled and turned black as the gargoyle tried to gain altitude. Dripping blood splashed Alton’s shoulder and along his sword arm, dissolving his flannel shirt and burning through to his flesh.

Alton cried out in pain and collapsed to the hard ground, clutching his injured arm. His sword lay beside him on the burned grass.

Dax threw more flame. The air filled with the stench of burnt flesh, and the gargoyle tumbled to the ground. Blood still flowed from its wound, but it managed to turn and rise to its feet just as Dax encased it with a frozen mist. The creature broke through the ice, rising up on its stumpy legs, spreading its wings wide.

It roared, trumpeting anger, pain, and frustration in a mind-numbing bellow. Dax waited for Willow to recharge him with more energy. Maybe now he’d finally have enough to kill this thing.

Alton grabbed his sword and struggled to his feet. He held the jeweled hilt in both hands as he prepared to strike a powerful blow. Dax raised his hands to throw more flame at the wounded gargoyle.

For a moment in time, it felt as if everything stood still, yet Dax’s body pulsed with the power flowing into him from the tiny sprite. Willow hovered barely within his peripheral vision, a volatile whirlwind of blue light feeding energy directly to Dax. Power coursed through his veins, charged his muscles, and fired his demon abilities.

He was invincible, a demon inhabiting the body of a strong soldier with right on his side. He could not be defeated. Not now, with his mission so close to success. Nothing could stop him.

Nothing would stop him.

And then he felt it. The first stirrings of the cursed tattoo as it fed off Willow’s shared energy. Waves of pain slithered over his body, across his thigh and groin, above his heart.

Eddy screamed as the tattoo came to life and raised its head away from his chest. Dax felt the cold stroke of a forked tongue beneath his chin and the burning twist and turn of the serpent’s body as it moved across his torso. Quiet until now, almost as if it had been lying in wait, it came to life with more strength than ever before.

Alton stumbled, apparently from the pain of his acid burns. He lowered his sword as weakness gained the upper hand. His body visibly trembled. The gargoyle raised its wings and then lowered them in a powerful downstroke. Slowly it lifted off the ground.

Green blood still oozed from the wound across its belly, but the flow was slowing as the creature flapped its wings again and gained a few more feet of elevation. Dax tried to send fire against his enemy, but the pain from the curse sapped his strength. Somehow, the serpent had tapped into Willow’s flow of energy and must have commanded it all for itself.

Dax wrapped his hand around the snake’s head to keep the fangs away from his throat. He flung a short burst of flame with his free hand, but it was barely enough to singe the tip of the gargoyle’s left wing.

Barking and growling, Bumper fought her leash with an unending cacophony of frustrated complaints. The gargoyle turned its eyes on Dax, and Ed set the dog free. Bumper leaped for the gargoyle and managed to catch one wing in her jaws.

She pulled the creature to the ground where it knelt, snarling. Instead of racing for safety, Eddy and her father ran directly at the gargoyle. Eddy swung her baseball bat and connected with the gargoyle’s shoulder. It flinched, obviously surprised by the blow. Ed held his iron pry bar with the chiseled tip like a jousting sword. He raced directly at the beast.

Horrified, Dax tried to send another burst of flame, but there was nothing left. The tattoo had absorbed all his reserves, and it was all he could do to hold the snapping jaws and extended fangs away from his throat. Willow no longer sparkled beside him. She lay on the trampled grass, a tiny little sprite without a hint of light.

Eddy took another swing at the gargoyle, but it rose to its feet and brushed her aside with one vicious swipe of its taloned paw. She tumbled inelegantly to the rocky ground and lay still. Ed swung his bar and connected with the gargoyle’s head.

It grabbed the end of the iron bar and ripped it out of Ed’s hands. Then it simply bent the sturdy bar into a twisted circle and threw it. Ed stumbled back. The heavy length of iron barely missed him. He dropped to his knees and grabbed Eddy under the arms as Dax reached the two of them.

The gargoyle hesitated a moment, as if considering the easy target lying on the ground just a few feet away, or freedom. Screaming an unintelligible battle cry, Alton ran at it from behind with his sword held high, but the gargoyle flapped its huge wings once again and lifted into the air with another earsplitting roar. Bumper took one last leap into the air, snapping at the huge, leathery wings, but she missed. She came down hard and rolled along the steep slope. Then she scrambled to her feet and stood up, barking, as the gargoyle flew down the mountain, heading directly for town.

Dax fell to his knees beside Eddy as she struggled to sit up. She didn’t say a word. She just slammed her hands over his and held the writhing snake against his chest. He felt the strength go out of him as Eddy gently pushed him back to the ground. Everything faded to black.

It must have only been a few moments later that he came to in the small patch of grass, gasping for air while Eddy calmed the cursed tattoo. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist. Her head snapped up, and she stared into his eyes. He tried to tell her, without saying the words, how much he loved her. That she was much too good for him. That once again he’d failed.

If he’d spoken those last words aloud, Eddy would deny them, but he couldn’t ignore the truth. The gargoyle would heal from its wounds and be ready to fight another day.

But what of them? How had his small band fared?

Dax struggled to sit up. “Eddy? Are you okay? What about your dad? Alton? Willow?”

Eddy sat back and grabbed his hands, tugging him into a sitting position. “I’m fine,” she said, staring at his chest as if she dared the snake to move. “Dad’s okay. He’s resting over there. Alton’s got Willow.”

Dax looked over his shoulder and saw Alton lifting Willow from the ground. “Is she okay?”

“I think so,” Alton said. “She’s alive.”

“What about you? Did the blood burn you?”

Alton carried Willow over and sat down beside Dax. “Damned right it burned. It’s some sort of acid. Ate right through my shirt and into my arm.” He held out his right arm. The burns were deep and ugly, but the demon blood had cauterized the wounds so there was no bleeding. He had a particularly nasty wound on his shoulder where the white of bone showed through.

“Is the stuff still burning you?” Dax leaned close to study Alton’s injuries. “Did you wash it off? The pain must be horrible.”

Alton nodded. “I’m using some self-hypnosis to control the pain. Ed washed the wounds out with some bottled water. I’m concerned about my sword arm. I think the one on my shoulder went into the muscle.”

Dax shook his head. “A little more than just muscle, I’m afraid.”

Willow sat up in Alton’s palm, stood up, and buzzed into the air. She hovered over his injured shoulder for a moment, gathering energy in the form of blue sparkles. Then she clapped her tiny hands together and pointed at him.

The sparkles came together in a perfect arrow that went directly to the deepest part of the wound. Alton blinked. “Amazing, Willow. The pain is gone.”

“So’s the hole in your shoulder.” Ed stood behind Alton. “Look at that.”

“Willow, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Eddy held out her hand, and the sprite landed in her palm. “Can you heal the rest of Alton’s burns? They look horrible.”

Willow repeated the process over Alton’s damaged arm. Within minutes, healthy, pink flesh covered what had been blackened, disfiguring injuries.

Dax stared at Willow and shook his head. “Amazing,” he said. Then he glanced at the pile of rocks. “I need to go inside, see if he managed to open a new portal.”

Alton slowly stood up. “Thank you, Willow.” He flexed his arm, now healed and strong. “Dax, I’ll go with you.” He leaned over, slowly picked up his sword, and shoved it in his scabbard.

Dax frowned at him. “Your sword didn’t try and behead me. What’s up?”

Alton gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking about the risk at all when I sheathed it. I’m sorry. Gods. That was stupid.”

Dax shook his head. “Not really. It ignored me, yet we’re close enough for you to have struck a fatal blow. I don’t understand.”

Alton reached back and touched the hilt. He shrugged. “Me neither.” He held his hand out to Dax. “C’mon. We need to get down the mountain before dark.”

Dax took Alton’s hand, and the Lemurian pulled him to his feet. He leaned over and kissed Eddy. “We’ll be right back. Wait here.”

She nodded and then went to sit beside her father on a fallen tree. Dax gave her one last smile. Then he stepped through the portal into the vortex with Alton.

 

The portal Alton had closed showed signs of tampering, but it was still closed to Abyss. Whatever the demon had intended, it hadn’t had time to finish. Dax and Alton stared at the melted stone for a moment. Then both men turned away.

Alton gazed toward the portal that opened into Lemuria. “I keep hoping we’ll hear from Taron, receive some news from my people. It saddens me to think they would ignore such a threat as the one the demons pose.”

“It saddens me that you’ve cut ties to your family, your home. I hope that, when this is over, you’ll return to your world as a hero.”

Alton chuckled. “If this sword ever decides to talk to me, I just might do that. C’mon. We need to go back. Eddy and her father will be worried.”

Dax nodded and followed him through the portal. Another day gone and only two left, yet so far the gargoyle had emerged the victor from every confrontation.

He thought of the hero who had lived and died in this body. He needed some of that man’s confidence, his personal strength. Hell, he needed something, anything, to give him an edge.

Without it, Dax feared he didn’t have a chance of winning.