Page 67 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Barrow replied, “You believe something comes out other than demons?”

“Do you recall the wounds on Caradoc’s body?” Varden tugged at the sleeve of his thick robes. “The ulcers?”

Barrow shuddered along with Opal. “Yes. They weren’t on Fyre’s body.”

“No,” Varden said. “Fyre didn’t spend much time guarding the demon gate. I did, however.” The esteemed drew up one sleeve.

For a time after meeting him, I’d marveled that Varden could stand to wear such thick robes in summer. Then I’d seen the ulcers covering his body.

Winona gasped, and Ruby covered her mouth at the sight.

“Sir,” she exclaimed. “Your skin.”

“They appeared after eighteen months guarding the demon gate,” he said. “They have worsened from there. I am certain that a type of decaying magic from the demon realm is able to pass through the gates, in answer to your question, Barrow.”

I’d known it, too, but I hadn’t worried overly much because Varden had been very close to the gate for a long time.

Except now the gates were open.

“The damage,” Winona said to him, “is it fading now you’re farther from the gate?”

Varden paused, then shook his head. “It’s not unreasonable to guess that the wounds will take as long to heal as they took to inflict. I’m not worried about my wounds.”

“I would like Serene to access them,” Winona pressed. “The coven may need such information.”

She’d artfully backed him into a corner.

“I would be grateful for her expertise,” he stated, his eyes twinkling at her skilled maneuver.

“The question then is what’s the new rate that they’re feasting on us,” Huxley said, “and how quickly will we now be hurt by this ulcerating, decaying magic of theirs?”

Delta added, “And will they send an army through without warning?”

Eventually an army would come through. That seemed to be a given. I had a feeling the demon king wanted to weaken us first.

Ruby spoke, “Perhaps this provides an opportunity to learn about their power. Our magus can practice forming four-affinity barriers over the gates, and perhaps there are ways we can collect and analyze the demon magic coming through.”

There was logic in what she said. If this benefited the demon king, it had to benefit us in some way. “The apothecaries are best to handle that,” I said vaguely, then blinked. “Rooke.”

Huxley caught on straightaway, blurting, “She has an affinity for harmful substances. She may detect something around the gates that we haven’t.”

“Worth a shot.” I sent a pulse through my bond with her. We didn’t call each other often, but she’d know what it meant and could feel where I was.

We hadn’t gotten much further in ways to investigate the demon’s magic at the gates when she arrived, out of breath.

“High Esteemed,” she panted. “What’s up?”

“We’ve had a thought,” I told her, knowing she’d probably hate this. “I need you to visit each of the gates with Delta. We suspect the gates have been opened so the demons can better feast on us, and so the effects of their magic will work faster on us too. You’re aware of the damage to Varden.”

Rooke glanced at him. “You think it’s poison?”

“Poison, or poisonous to magus—and maybe other supernaturals outside the demon realm.”

She didn’t appear very confident. “I’ll see what I can pick up, of course. May I?” she asked Varden, lifting a hand.

He dipped his head and lifted his sleeve once more.

Rooke approached him and hovered her fingers over the largest ulcer there. I felt the hum of her magic, and then she was hissing, jerking her fingers back. “Oh yeah, that’s a nasty one.” She glanced at me. “I won’t miss that if it’s coming out of the gates.”

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