Barely believing herself, Darian lifted her head and stared over her shoulder.
Sure enough, it was Captain Mirage in the flesh. Making his elegant way across the arena floor, hips swaying, cape fluttering. Ruby horns twisted from the sides of his head, while his ears ended in sharp points. Behind him came Victor Hua, clad in dark armor.
Mirage's eyes glowed like twin suns. A savage smirk twisted his lovely face. He was still applauding, the sound filling every space in the silent arena.
Until Greisen bellowed, "Captain Mirage! Explain yourself!"
The two sword wielders leaped down from the projector, weapons at ready. Victor reached for his own sword, but Mirage held up his hand.
"It's your fault for starting the show without me, Colonel. How very rude of you." His smirk tightened.
"You – " Greisen breathed in sharply, his massive chest heaving. For the first time, he was losing control. "You were not assigned to this mission."
"Yes, and?" Mirage flicked a lazy hand. "Do forgive me, but I simply couldn't allow this to proceed. So...inelegant and brutish."
Greisen's face twisted. Then he snarled, deep and bestial, and swept out his arm. A stone axe appeared out of thin air, its massive handle settling in his palm.
"TRAITOR!"
The arena's Levia spiked. Orange light flashed around the Enson parents again, so bright it momentarily blinded Darian.
When her vision cleared, she saw them collapse like limp marionettes to the bottom of the cage. Oliver screamed hysterically.
A fount of black Levia erupted from the Enson parents' bodies and punched through the top of the cage, shooting straight through the projector. Greisen leaped back just as the beam exploded inches from where he'd been standing.
It kept flying, racing for the portal. When it struck, something resounded in Darian's chest like the toll of a gong.
The ceiling crumpled around the portal like tissue paper before dissolving into billowing clouds of smoke. Not soon after, the floor gave a violent heave.
Darian yelped, trying to get up, but it was too late. The floor was vanishing too, swallowed by black smoke. It flooded her lungs, harsh and bitter and making her choke.
Even worse was the horrible crackle building inside her head. Beneath it, everything faded away – thought, feeling, even her sense of self.
Just when she thought she couldn't take another second of it, the noise abruptly stopped. She gasped for breath, and to her surprise the air tasted cool and clear.
Heart slamming against her ribcage, she lifted her head.
The arena was gone. No Tielan stars, no projector. Instead, she floated in a weightless void formed from rippling curtains of color. There was no floor or ceiling, no up or down. No end or beginning.
But she wasn't alone here. Loose bones and rocks, display cases, even the odd taxidermied animal bobbed about like flotsam from the museum. And there were people too.
Sir Zenith, wrapping a protective arm around Theo. Ryllis hugging Jin to her chest while Sam clung to her leg. Ryan in Avia's arms. Meg on Lodo's back.
And demons. Not just Greisen and Mirage, but Lyura and Ghost and Phantom and several she didn't recognize. All looked as astounded as the wizards and familiars.
Finally, in the center of it all floated the cage. Inside it, a catatonic Oliver trembled in front of his parents' corpses.
"Where the hell is this?"
Ryan broke the silence, but his scream died quickly inside this strange space, as if snuffed out by the air itself.
Darian already had some idea. "I think...this is the Liminal. The space between the worlds."
"Because the portal spell failed," Greisen snarled. "Because you – you interfered. You filthy, treacherous little whore!"
With that, he hurled his stone axe.
Instinctively, Darian grabbed the rapier floating beside her and flung herself out of the way. But she needn't have bothered – the axe flew past her, heading straight toward Captain Mirage.
Before it could strike, Victor grabbed Mirage by the waist and shoved them both down. The axe sailed over their heads, spinning off into the colorful void.
Greisen roared like a feral animal. "KILL HIM!"
All the demons sprang into action. When a chakram zipped toward Mirage, Darian regained her senses.
She kicked with her legs like she was swimming, and the movement rocketed her upward. Just in time to intercept the chakram with her rapier. The slender blade clanged against it, knocking it to the side.
"My liege!" Zenith shouted. "What are you doing?"
"I don't know what's going on, but I figure we can even out the odds a little," Darian shouted back. "The enemy of my enemy and all that."
And right now, one thing was clear. Greisen and his troops posed the biggest threat of all.
~*~
'What the hell is happening?'
Theo didn't have the slightest clue. And he didn't have time to wonder, not before the masked demon flung a hail of knives at him.
Zenith dove in front of him, cape swirling. Theo scrambled to cast a countering spell. Combined with Zenith's shield, it sent the knives ricocheting back toward the demon.
They returned to the ring spinning around him and slid seamlessly back in place. Undeterred, the demon launched more.
Zenith grabbed Theo by the back of the shirt and pulled him down. Theo yelped, his stomach swooping.
He couldn't get used to moving around in this weird weightless void – the Liminal. Well, he'd have to.
They landed atop a display case. Just in time, because three Ghost copies dove at them next. Zenith lunged, destroying all three with one stroke of his sword. But the moment he did, more knives flew at him.
Theo sent a warning through his Levia – just a spark, since he didn't have time for words. But Zenith caught his meaning. He spun toward the knives, and as he did Theo cast a sharpening spell on his sword. With a streak of pink light, the knives shattered into pieces.
If they took out the masked demon's weapons, they'd get the advantage. Theo prepared another sharpening spell.
Before he could cast it, a sudden flash of light blinded him. Theo reeled, tasting ozone on his breath.
Squinting, he made out Darian driving her rapier into Colonel Greisen's chest. Lightning surged down the blade and flooded his entire body. As it crackled around his joints, its harsh glow illuminated the grimace twisting his face.
Theo's heart leaped.
But at that moment, Greisen's fist shot out. It struck Darian square in the stomach and she let go of the rapier and went sailing across the Liminal. The lightning vanished, but even without it Theo saw the blood droplets trailing after Darian.
"My liege!" Zenith tensed like he wanted to jump – only to whirl around and hurl himself in front of Theo. Theo tumbled off the case, yelling in surprise, but his voice caught in his throat when he saw the knife quivering in Zenith's pauldron.
The masked demon floated above them, all of his knives aimed at Theo.
Zenith glanced wildly between Theo and Darian, his eyes huge. Theo had never seen him so panicked before, and it made him feel sick. 'I have to do something, I have to – '
Green light flashed from above. Avia shot arrow after arrow at Greisen, but he doggedly pursued the plummeting Darian, stone axe slung over his shoulder.
When he lifted the axe, Zenith whipped toward Theo. The expression on his face cut Theo's heart in two. A horrible, desperate plea.
Theo opened his mouth, though he had no idea what he was going to say. And before anything could come out, Levia seared behind him. A familiar icy power.
With a clank of armor, Victor landed atop the case. He loomed above the two of them, his masked face revealing nothing.
"You – " Zenith tensed, hefting his sword.
The masked demon launched his knives.
Theo instinctively tried to hurl himself back, but he knew he'd never escape in time. Then black armor filled his vision. His heart stopped.
With a hiss of metal, Victor swung his sword and knocked all the knives out of the air. They hurtled back toward their master, but Victor lunged and sliced two of them in half.
Not turning around, he said, "You go after your prince. I'll protect Theo."