Page 119 of An Empress of Earth & Darkness

“You are blind, Warrior of Thorin,” the demon sneered. “The Light Gods have given you such a false purpose.”

Torin twirled the sword in his right hand. “Oh, and what would that be?”

“To think that you could find happiness with the daughter of Balan.” Torin’s heart stilled in his chest. “She does not belong to the Light, but to the Darkness.” The demon’s words were a blow to Torin’s heart. “She will not be with you long, son of Clan Blacksteel.” The knight’s crimson eyes were unfaltering on Torin’s face. “She will return with us to where she belongs.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Torin raised his swords again. “And I am just about to show you how blind you are if you think that I am going to let anyone or anything come between us.” He shot the creature a dangerous smirk of his own. “I will tell your fucking Dark God that myself.”

Torin moved quickly, but he knew a demon of that calibre would be able to anticipate his move, so he didn’t strike him yet.

He had a secret weapon.

Kellen Blacksteel thrust out from behind the demon, severing an arm.

So much satisfaction thrilled through Torin’s bones when shock lit up the creature’s blood-red eyes. It was then that Torin moved, severing the arm that held the weapon intended to end his life. As Torin swung for the head, Kellen stabbed through the heart. The surprise was still lingering on the knight’s face as its head rolled from its body and hit the ground.

“Well done, Baby Blacksteel.” Torin nodded.

“Now that I have helped kill a knight of the underworld twice in one battle, does that mean I have earned the right to never be called that again?”

Torin felt his lip turn up at the corner. “Never. You will always be the baby.” But Torin could see the satisfaction of the kill in Kellen’s eyes, and it was beautiful to see him happy even if it was just for a moment.

A rumble vibrated through the grounds. Shrubbery was uprooted, and a scream came from Sybil as her vines were tugged out and broken. Lightning flashed and thunder broke from the portal. Even the demons stood still as a vicious wind pulled through the trees, making them tremble. It was not the air of the empress that was tearing through the kingdom, but the wrath of the underworld. Dark tendrils of smoke poured from the underworld’s portal, reaching for Emara. Torin pushed her back from the grip of the underworld’s claws. He heard Gideon roar, but he couldn’t make it out as the winds whipped his ears numb and a piercing sound breached the night sky.

Emara tried to pull at Torin’s back, but he rooted his feet into the ground and watched as the darkness filtered out into his world like poisonous snakes that were ready to strike.

He would not let them take her.

One of the dark tendrils struck for Emara and Torin jumped in front of her, cutting through the mist with his sword. A terrible, insufferable shriek split the air, pushing Torin to his knees. His vision was cut off and then the world went black.

Batting her eyelids open, the pain that pushed through Emara’s head was unnatural. It was a dangerous song that sang only to her.

It was the portal and she knew it. The dark magic of the underworld was calling to her, yet she couldn’t concentrate long enough to pull herself together and deny it. The brutal wind tugged at her lungs and shredded at her hair. The pain of its song called to her, and the power of the portal suffocated her.

Yet it was intoxicating.

“Emara!” Sybil screamed over the deafening noise that clashed with the wind. “Emara, you need to drown it out. You need to use your magic and drown it out. Listen for the Light of your magic.”

A whisper as cold as frost and as cruel as Veles broke through the shrieks and called to her, “Emaraaaaaa.”

It whistled her name again and again until a scream ripped through her throat and she clutched her head, pushing herself away from the portal.

“You need to tune it out, Emara.” Sybil made it to her side, drowning in an agony of her own. Her healing magic hit Emara, trying to subdue the pain. “Shield yourself from the portal’s darkness. Cast the Light elements around yourself, use your earth magic, heal the pain.”

But she couldn’t. It was too strong. The darkness of the portal was a magnet to her soul, a song to her ears, and it was calling her forward, pulling her in. The more she fought it, the more painful it became.

Sybil hit her with a wave of healing power again, and for a moment, Emara could breathe, a sweet reprieve from the dark power and pain in her head. The earth witch’s small hand wound around hers, and her mass of red curls almost strangled her as the wind whipped at them.

“Keep calling to the element of earth, Emara,” Sybil called. “I can feel it trying to help you.”

She wobbled to her feet and watched the warriors who had set their lives on the line for this mission struggle to do the same, most of them holding their heads and screaming.

She turned back to the Empress of Earth. “You need to help them, Sybil. Use your earth magic to help them block out the darkness taking their minds. You don’t need to help me anymore, now save them.”

Sybil’s vast green eyes blinked away a few tears of her own and then threw out her hands to send a blast of healing powers over the men.

Emara’s eyes flew to Torin, who was writhing in agony on the ground a good bit away from her, a silent scream on his lips.

He was in so much pain, but she could stop it. All she had to do was listen to the earth call to her.

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