Numb shock gripped Theo's entire body, preventing him from forming a single thought, let alone speaking.
So Zenith answered Victor first. "What do you mean?"
"You can't protect both of them at once, can you? So I'll take care of things here," Victor said, raising his sword. He still didn't look Zenith's way.
"No," Zenith said instantly.
"So you'll let your prince die? Or are you perhaps entrusting her to me?" A mocking note slid into Victor's voice.
"That – " Zenith sputtered, his face flooding red. His hands had begun to tremble, making the sword sway dangerously in his grip.
"I care about Theo, unlike her. I will never let any harm come to him."
A knife twisted in Theo's chest. How many times had Zenith said the exact same thing?
But right here and now, he was still protesting. "As if I can believe that! After everything you've done – "
"Have I ever harmed Theo?"
The question was soft, almost lost beneath the noise of battle. Zenith's mouth opened, then closed.
For a moment, he and Victor stared at each other. It probably lasted less than a heartbeat, but felt like an eternity.
An eternity they didn't have. While Theo couldn't tear his eyes from his familiar and brother, in his mind he kept picturing Darian tumbling through the Liminal with Greisen hot on her heels.
"Zenith, it's okay." The words burst out. "Go help Darian."
Zenith whirled toward him, looking incredulous. "Are you sure?"
Theo nodded. "I – I am. I'll make it an order, if you want."
Zenith breathed out, then dipped his head in the suggestion of a bow. "By your will."
He took off, cape flaring behind him. Theo watched him soar through the Liminal, a thousand emotions warring inside him. Had he made the right decision? He didn't know, and he didn't have the time to think about it.
Only one thing was clear – the guilt trembling through Zenith's Levia. Theo had never sensed anything like this from him, and though it made him worry, some immensely stupid part of him almost...almost felt touched.
Now, of all times! Hating himself, Theo shook his head to clear it. When he looked back up, his heart jolted; Victor had lifted the visor of his helm, revealing his serious dark eyes.
"Thank you, Theo," he said quietly.
Theo didn't know what to say in response. It didn't matter, because more knives went flying toward them. A large armored hand shoved him down behind the case, driving the breath from his lungs. He heard a whoosh of air, a series of metallic clangs.
"Disgusting human traitor," a rough voice snarled – no doubt the masked demon. "We should have killed you the moment we stepped through the portal."
"Too late for regrets, Misericorde," Victor said dryly.
More clangs resounded. Though he knew he shouldn't leave his shelter, Theo couldn't help peeking over the edge of the case. Just in time to see a half dozen Ghost and Phantom copies descend upon Victor.
The spell burst out without thinking. A pink dome shimmered around Victor, knocking back the copies. Victor threw an incredulous glance over his shoulder, and Theo's breath caught when their eyes met.
Theo wondered if he should say something, but before he could, Victor jerked his head in a solemn nod. Then he leaped off the case and dove for Misericorde.
The demon flung up his hand and every one of his knives went flying at Victor. Theo quickly cast the strongest shield he knew. At the same time, Victor's Levia spiked and a purple diagram appeared beneath him.
When their two Levias touched, a shock jumped through Theo's bones. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to continue pumping power into the shield. It didn't feel at all like when he cast spells on Zenith; rather than flowing smoothly across a contract, his Levia struggled to make any kind of headway through Victor's icy, smothering power. Every instinct screamed at him to cringe away from it, but he refused to stop.
No matter what, Victor was still his brother. And right now, he wasn't the enemy.
Yet even this shield couldn't stop the knives. They struck with a clang that reverberated through Theo's Levia, only to tear it apart and scatter it into sparks of pink light.
But Victor was ready. He swung his sword in front, ablaze with purple flames. The knives ricocheted off the blade. Theo ducked to avoid one that streaked inches above his head.
When he looked back up, he saw the impact had hurtled Victor backward. He kicked his legs as he drifted through the void, struggling to get upright. Meanwhile, most of the knives had flown back to Misericorde. A few had shattered into uselessly floating bits of metal, but not enough.
Misericorde raised his hand and the knives went flying again. A shield spell popped into Theo's head, but shock wiped his mind blank when Victor kicked off against a display case, righting himself, and lunged straight for the onslaught of knives.
What was he thinking? Even with his sword augmented, he couldn't hope to destroy them all.
But they couldn't stay stuck on the defensive, either. Sucking in a deep breath, Theo prepared a strengthening spell.
This time, he cast the spell directly on Victor's sword. When his warm dawn light met the icy purple fire, his Levia wrenched violently in his chest. He could feel it crawling back through his veins, trying to return to the core of his soul, to the place where it belonged.
No. Theo clenched his teeth so hard his entire jaw ached. Sweat poured rivers down the back of his neck as he kept pushing his Levia out. Just this once….
When a halo of pink light erupted around Victor's sword, his heart slammed. Victor flinched, just as shocked, but only for a moment. As Misericorde's knives whirred toward him, he swung his sword in a wide arc.
Power exploded in its wake. Raging purple flames, crackling pink light. Ice and heat. Midnight and dawn. A deluge of opposing sensations. The shockwaves slammed into Theo and sent him hurtling across the Liminal.
He yelped, kicking and thrashing in a mad attempt to get back to his brother. As the explosion cleared, he saw hundreds of metal shards drift away like confetti along with the wisps of pink and purple Levia.
No way. Could those be...Misericorde's knives?
Then a dark figure burst out of the cloud of dust, a stark silhouette against the Liminal's colors. Pointing his sword directly at Misericorde.
Misericorde, all defenses gone, attempted to flee. Too late. With a sickening thud, Victor's sword impaled the masked demon through the chest. It ripped out of his back with a burst of black blood.
With contemptuous ease, Victor yanked his sword free. As Misericorde's corpse drifted away, Theo stared in horror at the blood dripping from the end of the sword like running ink.
Then Victor turned toward Theo. A powerful kick sent him flying in Theo's direction. Theo couldn't escape in time – not that he wanted to. Right?
Soon Victor was right in front of him. His dark eyes pierced Theo's, brimming with an emotion Theo didn't have a name for. When he reached out, Theo numbly lifted his own hand.
Victor's armored grip closed around his fingers, firm and cold. He pulled Theo forward. "Theo. Are you all right?"
"I - " His voice came out thin, hoarse. He coughed, cleared his throat. "You – you killed him."
"He was going to hurt you," Victor said, matter-of-fact as ever.
"But – but you're both Infernal Legion members."
Victor gave a slight shake of his head. "I told you a long time ago. The only side I'm on is yours."
Theo's Levia stormed, desperately trying to warn him of something. Yet at the same time, he couldn't deny what he'd seen with his own eyes. Victor killing a fellow Infernal Legion soldier.
For the first time ever, the two of them had fought together. Maybe….
Then Levia wrenched in Theo's chest. Not his own – it was white and stark like lightning. Theo whirled toward the center of the Liminal just in time to see Zenith locking his sword with Greisen's stone axe. His teeth were clenched, his arms shaking.
Right, Theo couldn't get distracted. He kicked off toward Zenith, a strengthening spell already in his mind. When he heard armor creaking, he turned to see Victor alongside him.
Victor nodded, slow and significant.
All Theo could do was nod back. He didn't have time to question his brother. Not when his familiar needed help right now.