The crash as Zenith and Greisen slammed their blades together echoed through the entire Liminal, turning Sam's bones to jelly. And she wasn't even anywhere near them; she was diving to the bottom of the void, dragging the unconscious Darian with her.
Up above, Avia peppered the two sword wielders with arrow after arrow. Jin clung to her back; she'd taken him earlier, telling Ryllis she could protect him better as a distance fighter. Ryllis hadn't been very happy about it, but hadn't had time to argue.
Meanwhile, Meg and Lodo took on the bone lady. Lodo darted back and forth, slicing apart the bones she hurled at them, while Meg took cover behind a taxidermy bear. Sam couldn't quite tell from this distance, but it seemed like Meg's arms were bleeding. Her stomach flipped.
But she was too far away to help Meg. And Darian was bleeding too, her entire right sleeve stained red. Sam had been the first to reach her after Zenith had distracted Greisen, and now it was up to her to get Darian somewhere safe. Easier said than done when they were stuck in a giant void and oh yeah, a whole bunch of Ghost and Phantom copies were hot on her tail.
Ryllis brought up the rear, trying her best to fend off the copies. But they wouldn't stop rushing in like ants from a hill.
Clinging tighter to Darian's good arm, Sam cast a blade-sharpening spell. Green light flashed and her heart jumped in relief when Ryllis destroyed the two copies closest to her.
The reprieve didn't last long. Metal whirred and the next thing Sam knew, a chakram came flying straight at her.
Dammit, Lyura too? Sam scrambled to cast a shield spell, but before she could a hand closed around the back of her shirt and yanked her to the left.
Sam screamed aloud – only for another hand to clamp over her mouth. A cool, slender hand that smelled of roses. Heart thumping, Sam turned her head as much as she could manage to stare into a pair of golden eyes.
'Oh, hell no.' From bad to worse.
She wriggled, but couldn't shake off Mirage's grip before he dragged her underneath something large and solid – the cage that held the Ensons.
"Hey, hey, leggo!" Finally Sam found her senses and drove her knee into Mirage's stomach. He let go of her with a soft "oof" but didn't drift very far. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Can't you see I'm helping you? Don't be an ingrate now," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Helping? Oh yeah, am I really supposed to – " But Sam's voice cut off in a squeak when Mirage pressed the tip of his finger to her lips.
Just when she thought she ought to bite him, he spoke. "I've cast an illusion over you and Prince Darian. Invisibility, quite basic. But it should suffice to keep them off your tail." He jerked his shoulder toward the Ghost and Phantom copies still swarming Ryllis.
Shit, Sam had to help her out – but she couldn't leave Darian with Mirage either. Positioning herself in front of Darian, she demanded, "Uh-huh, and why the change of heart?"
"Oh, I haven't changed. It's simply that I'd like Colonel Greisen's plan to fail. Well, I've done my part here. Now to find other places to, ah, interfere…."
With that, he spun gracefully on the spot and slipped out from under the cage. Sam blinked when he disappeared before her eyes. 'Guess that's the invisibility he was talking about.'
Now what? Sam glanced around, heart thumping. She didn't know much about Mirage or the Infernal Legion, but would he really betray them just because he didn't like Greisen? Amazing loyalty there.
But Sam couldn't waste her time trying to puzzle it out, not when Ryllis was still fighting off both Ghost and Phantom copies and Lyura. While the cage provided a decent shelter, some of the copies still ought to have a clear line of sight to Sam and Darian. Yet none of them so much as glanced in her direction.
So maybe Mirage hadn't lied about the whole invisibility thing. Well, Sam wouldn't question it. Right now, she needed to do her part. As a Phantom copy lunged at Ryllis from behind, Sam cast a shield spell. The copy bounced off the diagram and went sailing across the Liminal.
Ryllis jerked, looking startled. Yeah, that must have caught her off guard if she couldn't see Sam. But she could still feel Sam's Levia, and that seemed good enough for her. Aiming her spear, she dove back into the fight.
Sam breathed out in relief. As long as she was safe here, she might as well bring a quick end to this. Time to bust out the elemental spell.
~*~
"Zenith!" Theo yelled.
Zenith didn't turn his way; he was too busy grinding his shield against Greisen's axe. But his Levia flared in acknowledgment.
Theo and Victor landed on a display case above the two fighters. Theo gathered his Levia, prepared to cast a strengthening spell, while Victor straightened and leveled his sword.
When Victor turned toward him, Theo's heart skipped. "Theo, save your spells for your familiar. I'm fine on my own."
"Are you sure?" Theo burst out before he could stop himself.
Victor's expression softened – just a fraction, but it lodged a painful spike in Theo's heart. "I am. Thanks for all your help so far."
With that, he dove into the fray. Theo swallowed, fighting down the tide of strange, hot emotions swelling in his chest.
No time to process it. With a clang, Greisen sent Zenith flying backward. Theo's heart flipped when he saw the deep gouges slashed across his shield.
Clenching his hands into fists, Theo cast the strengthening spell. Zenith started when pink light glowed around him, but quickly took it in stride and charged back toward Greisen.
Meanwhile, Victor had already engaged the huge demon. He swung his sword, aglow with purple flames. Greisen whirled to block with surprising speed.
Though Theo couldn't see Greisen's face, there was no mistaking the tension that snapped through his entire body, tautening every bulging muscle.
"Human, do you really think you can defeat me?" The hatred in his voice scraped Theo's skin like razor blades.
Victor didn't answer. He yanked his sword away from Greisen's axe with a burst of purple flames, breaking their stalemate. Greisen lurched, momentarily unbalanced, and Victor used the opening to dive beneath the axe and stab at Greisen's chest.
Theo's heart soared into his throat. But before Victor's sword met its target, Greisen swung his axe down.
Screaming, Theo cast a shield spell – even though he knew it wouldn't stop the weapon. The moment it flared above Victor, Zenith came charging from Greisen's other side.
Snarling, Greisen flung out his free arm and summoned another axe. But the motion, however small, diverted the course of his strike. That gave Victor enough time to throw himself out of Greisen's range and attack from behind.
Greisen was ready. Once again, Victor's sword locked with his axe. On the other side, Zenith ground his sword into the second axe, the tendons straining in his throat.
For a moment, Theo watched as Greisen held off both his brother and familiar. But sense slammed back into his body and, slapping his cheeks, he gathered his Levia.
Not to use on Victor, but Zenith. It relieved him how easily his Levia flowed through the contract, smooth as a river running downstream. The sharpening spell glowed around Zenith's sword, and he pushed against Greisen with renewed force. As he did, a crack spread across the axe.
'Yes!' But Theo couldn't celebrate for long. Greisen suddenly snapped his wrist and hurled the axe away from him. Zenith's sword almost flew out of his hands. He managed to catch it just in time, only for Greisen's enormous hand to close around the blade.
Theo's heart rocketed into his throat. Incredibly, Greisen tightened his grip. There was no hint of blood, or any sign he might be in pain. He yanked on the sword, tugging Zenith toward him.
Then his leg shot out and slammed into Zenith's stomach. The impact echoed like a boulder striking metal. Zenith let go of his sword and went flying across the Liminal.
"ZENITH!" Theo screamed. He scrambled to his feet, but that was when Victor dove out from under Greisen's axe. He flung himself at the falling Zenith, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him back up.
Surprise thudded in Theo's chest, wiping his mind blank. Not just his own, but Zenith's. For a moment, his familiar and brother stared at each other, neither speaking, but a strange kind of understanding reverberating between them.
Green light flashed, almost blinding Theo. The next thing he knew, an arrow hurtled at Greisen from above. He whirled to block it with his axe, but that left his back exposed.
Zenith and Victor seized the opening. Together they dove at Greisen.
Purple flames engulfed Victor's sword; Theo quickly cast another strengthening spell on Zenith's. Meanwhile, Avia's arrow struck.
It scattered into sparks when it hit Greisen's axe, crackling around the Liminal like a ghastly light show. But the axe couldn't block the entire blow. Its force flung him backward, straight toward Zenith and Victor's swords.
Theo's mouth opened into a wordless scream. Now –
A violent thud. Zenith lurched away from Greisen, the spell fizzling out around his sword.
No way. No way in hell. Somehow, Greisen had managed to swing his axe around in time to block both attacks. And it was still moving, flying in a deadly arc toward Victor.
Victor couldn't defend in time. With a sickening crunch, the axe struck him in the chest. His body arched into a terrifyingly graceful curve. The sword spilled from his fingers, purple flames sputtering into nothing.
The smell of copper bloomed in the air. Then blood sprayed from Victor's chest, shockingly red.
A scream tore out of Theo's throat. "VICTOR!"