Chapter 787: Descent
Charlotte stalked past me as Alison's form wavered from corporeal to ghostly and back again. I really should have learned the combination of stones to press to open the secret staircase to the underground, and this time actually watched as my werefriend followed the combination with unerring accuracy.
The floor beside her groaned and collapsed, falling down into a set of stone steps leading into the dark. A giant ball of witchlight burst into existence at the top of the staircase as Quaid shouldered past me, face lit with blue light.
"There will probably be others downstairs," he said. "Let me handle them."
Another one who couldn't follow orders. Though Demetrius had the Chosen well in hand the last time I saw him. And from the echoing booms and faint screams I heard coming from outside, the battle was still going strong.
I nodded, let Quaid lead the way. As much as I would have loved to barrel my way into the underground, he was right. Focus on Gabriel, let the others do what they came to do-keep me moving forward until I could reach the maji chamber.
And my son.
And Ameline.
He and Charlotte, Piers following close behind, clattered down the steps, not even trying to be quiet. Because she knew we were here already, didn't she? The sound of the stairs opening would be alarm enough. A visible wall of power preceded them, Charlotte's golden rainbow mingling with Quaid's glowing blue, edged with Pier's deepest black.
If I were a nicer person, I would have pitied the idiots waiting for them at the bottom.
Didn't.
Alison drifted ahead of me, fading into ghostly as I went after her. Before I'd taken two steps, I caught the sound of a magic fight breaking out and knew my friends were doing what they could to clear the way for me. I continued to try to tear at the veil, but from Ahbi's bits and pieces of growling and snarling as I managed tiny holes, she was as frustrated by Ameline's blocking us as I was.
I should have rushed forward and helped with the fight. But feeling just how much Ameline was able to resist me told me I had to have access to as much of my power as possible. She would want me to wear myself out on her little army. It was probably the point of all this. She knew I could handle the crap she threw at me. But would I be able to stand against her weakened by the effort?
So sad she didn't have anyone in her life to have her back like I did. People who cared about me and fought, not for power or out of fear, but for loyalty, honor and love.
That she would never have. Or understand.
The moment I touched down in the main hall at the bottom of the steps, I was engulfed in energy. Well, my shields were. Smoke filled the corridor with a thick haze, though my wards held off the worst of it. Flashes of fire and bursts of power flared back and forth as my friends fought off the dark maji and, from the surges of blackness trying to take them out, a handful of sorcerers Ameline had obviously held in reserve.
"Light One," Max said softly in my ear, bending over my shoulder. "Allow me to shield you as we go."
He knew what I was thinking, obviously believed as I did that Ameline wanted me to waste power on useless fighting. Walking through that mess would suck up a lot of my energy, just keeping us safe. I looked up at him, nodded.
"Thank you."
The feeling of his magic engulfing me made me shiver as he released it. A giant bubble of humming light pushed back the haze, even as blackness slammed against it when the sorcerers attacked. It was surreal, seeing my friends in flares of light as they fought, wanting to help them, almost silent inside the circle of protection Max made for me. Like watching a 3D movie with the volume turned way down.
I couldn't think about them. Had to believe they would win. Focused on the entry to the circular room above the maji chamber and the wide-open archway.
I felt Max's power test it for a barrier, but it was clear. He stepped through first, nodded to me and gestured for me to enter. I followed his lead, trusting him now, hoping my trust wasn't unfounded. The moment we were inside, Max's magic snapped a tight seal over the stone archway, sealing off the smoke and the rest of the noise from the fight, though the flares of light continued at a regular pace.
"I will allow this to fall when we are below," Max said, diamond eyes lit with rainbow light. "So our friends may join us when they are victorious."
"Someone will have to watch the door." I turned to Galleytrot. Saw his instant rejection of my need. I bent over him, hugging his big head. Please, I sent in a whisper. You are the only one with enough power to keep us safe.
Max could stay. The hound of the Wild Hunt let me feel his unhappiness, the rumble of thunder and the scent of an approaching storm powerful in my senses.
I nodded against Galleytrot's head. He could, I sent. But I need you to do it. Because if Ameline won, I had a job for the big drach. A Gabriel rescue mission.
He just didn't know it yet.
Galleytrot pulled away, licked my cheek. "I'll stay," he said. Whined softly. "Save him."
I kissed his furry head. "Is there any doubt?"
He shook, fur cascading more sparks. "No," he rumbled, the floor beneath us vibrating with his voice. "There isn't. Don't forget to save me some of her guts."
I grinned. "You got it." Turned to the pedestal. Pressed my hand onto it, hearing the song of the maji as the floor in this chamber sank as well. Galleytrot stepped back out of the way of the collapse, standing close to the exit, eyes locked on the spiral stairs descending into faint light. The walls, etched with the history of all races glowed with maji power for a moment, as though welcoming me home before falling dark again.
As I stepped toward the top stair, I felt the whole house shake above me, the echoing boom of a massive explosion giving me pause. Even the fight outside the chamber fell still for a heartbeat as we all waited for the place to cave in on us.
When it didn't, the fight resumed, though there were far more flashes of light now than surges of black, so I had hope my friends held the upper hand.
Regardless, I had to let them go.
Gabriel waited for me below, and I was done holding back.
My foot touched the top step. And went no further as a shimmering skim of shielding blocked my descent.
The bitch. She'd managed to wrangle some demon power, had she? Not as much as mine. My demon snarled, my other egos joining her as we pounded ourselves against the shield.
Nothing. It stood firm, ignoring me as though I didn't exist.
"How?" I turned to Max, frustration so powerful suddenly, I would have beaten Ameline to death with my bare hands if she'd showed her face.
He touched the power with his own. Nodded once.
"Were we on the other side," he said, "we could break through easily." I'd heard of this phenomena before, hadn't I? The cavern that held the Firbolg magician, Cesard, was weak on the outside. "But because all of the power is focused on this side, it creates an unbreakable seal."
"Can you break it?" He was drach, of the first race.
He shook his head. "I could break the ground around it," he said, "but I have a feeling she's set it for the entire floor. And it would take us far too long."
DAMN HER.
Alison frowned, head tilted. Walked past me as her body faded into ghostly thinness.
And descended through the barrier, down the stairs.
Turned to smile up at me with a bright happiness I hadn't seen for years.
She held out her hand to me. "I think I can get you through," she said.
Anger flashing over into joy, I reached to her, touched her hand, solid and real where it poked up through the shield. Felt her magic slip around me, change me. The world became thin and hazy, grayed around the edges. Galleytrot growled as I looked down at my free hand and realized I could see through it.
Alison tugged gently on me, her hand now as transparent as mine. "Coming?"
I turned and took Max's hand, watching in wonder as the transparency spread up his arm and over his body, his head and sparkling eyes the last to fade.
Together we walked through the barrier, the soft zing of it an odd sensation as my body passed through it, until we were two steps below. Alison released me while we all looked up, just as the shimmering barrier vanished in a flash of light.
And Ameline's voice stabbed into my head.
Come then, she snarled. Let's end this.
***
