Page 56 of The Demon Mark

With a flash of a blue blade, he thrust the magical metal into the stone of his home again and slowed his descent. Eventually he caught himself, glaring up at the creature who turned and continued up the stone stairs. There was no exit up there, and surely it knew that he wasn’t dead.

It had been sent to kill him, of course. Except...

The beast was still sniffing. It took deep breaths and then turned toward his office.

“Orphe!” he shouted, his words echoing down into the emptiness below and above him.

She let out the shriek of an eagle and attacked. Her claws aimed not for the lion itself, but for the goat head on its back. She plucked at its eyes, and the goat bleated but somehow managed to avoid her claws. The serpent tail coiled, readying itself to bite at Orphe. Envy didn’t feel any nerves, though. She would destroy this creature, or at least part of it enough so that he could attack it from behind. Cutting off a tail would be very easy.

Hand over hand, he thrust his swords into the stones as he started to sing. The low intonation of the dwarves took over his throat and vibrated in his chest. The stones moved, the stairs shifted, and soon enough he was standing on the stairs again as they had been remade, so it was easier for him to climb them.

Glaring up at the beast, he wondered what it was here for. His office held all manner of creatures now, but also so much power. There were objects within that he could not let this creature steal.

Envy tried to think of the spell for the portal, but it would take too long. Every moment was precious as he sprinted and used the magic of the stones instead of a portal to toss him toward them.

Racing up the steps, he took them two at a time while still singing that low song. The stones flung him forward, giving him more momentum. If he could keep this up, then he would reach them before Orphe managed to...

A scream filled his ears like music.

Orphe reared back with a goat eye clasped in her metal beak. She let out a shriek of her own, one of victory and pleasure, and then it appeared time itself slowed as the serpent caught her.

He could see it all from where he was. The flash of fangs that sank into feathers, and the way his dearest friend seemed to freeze. She let out one more croak of surprise before the serpent tail flung her against the wall.

The crack of bone filled his heart with rage.

He raced to her side and let the chimera climb the wall, screaming as it went. The pain it must feel was not equal to his creation. Orphe had always been a delicate creature. For all that she was lethal and dangerous, she had always been so frightened of pain.

He scooped her up in his arms, drawing her against his chest with careful hands. “Easy, easy, Orphe. I will save you.”

“The venom,” she wheezed. “It is impossible to save me from it.”

“Not impossible if I take it from you.”

With a whisper of words, he hovered his hand over the wound and he ripped it all from her flesh. Drop by drop, he pulled it out of her body and let it drip and sizzle on the stones. She would still be injured. Whatever the venom had damaged was likely damaged for good. He couldn’t fix everything, especially not with a wound like this. But he would do his best.

Because she was important. This creature was his only friend, and he refused to lose her. No matter the cost.

“Envy,” she said, her voice weaker than he had ever heard it before. “You have to go after the chimera.”

“I will save you first.” And he was. He was saving her. There were only a few drops of venom left and as he pulled them out, the rage in him flared and turned them into tiny chips of green that fell onto the floor and shattered into dust. “There you are, no more venom. I have healing potions in my study. I can get them.”

“Envy,” she hissed. “The creature is not here for you.”

Well, that was foolish. Of course it was. The circus master wanted to kill him and then steal his oracle back. That was all that mattered in their realm right now.

Except...

He glanced up and saw the chimera had already made its way to his office. There was nothing but the brief glimpse of its tail before the sound of his creatures fighting back against it.

The beast wasn’t in his office for the artifacts there. It had come for her.

“He’s going to kill her?” he murmured. “That makes no sense.”

“What would you do if someone took her from you?” Orphe asked.

And he knew the answer in his head. He’d rather have her dead than allow someone else to claim her.

Rage poured down his back like ice. He settled Orphe more comfortably against the wall, his gaze narrowing on the creature who dared to touch what was his.

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