Page 36 of The Vampire King's War

“Why have you released me then?” Artemis repeated to Daemon.

“To demonstrate that I can learn. That I have learned.” Daemon slipped Kara’s soul gem into his pocket.

“We’ll see,” Artemis said before he struck.

The ghosts that had been flowing around them like water suddenly surged towards them. A tidal wave of spirits, all with one thought: drain them. He heard Caemorn muttering behind him.

“Let me get a lock on his mind,” Balthazar hissed.

“No, not yet,” Daemon said quietly.

“What? Why?” Balthazar’s lips writhed back from his teeth, wanting to fight. “We have to do something about those ghosts! They are not kind.”

“I’m doing something about them!” Caemorn responded.

Caemorn suddenly was tossing great amounts of soul stones into the air all around them, forming a protective circle. When the line of ghosts touched them, they were pulled into the stones. Everyone crowded into the very center of the circle as a circle of ghosts thirty feet high surrounded them on all sides.

“How many more do you have of those?” Balthazar asked as he noted some of them glowing as they filled to the brim with spirits, unable to contain any more.

“A few,” Caemorn said as he broke open another of his secret pockets and reinforced areas of the circle where there were too many glowing stones. He spun like a whirling dervish as he did so.

“I do not think you have enough for all of them,” Christian said from his spot beside Caemorn.

“No, but I’ll think of something else,” Caemorn answered through gritted teeth.

Caemorn then scattered his last stones and he rose up. His silver eyes were blazing. He thrust his hands up and out. There was a wave of power that came from him and the ghosts were pushed back several feet in all directions. Some flew back to the Well. Others headed off into the endless Ever Dark woods. And yet others attacked their counterparts. He was picking off dozens from Kaly’s control. But there were thousands. Tens of thousands.

“Very good, Caemorn,” Artemis laughed. “But not good enough!”

The souls suddenly slammed back around them once more. Caemorn had his hands outstretched to his sides. Sweat clotted his brow and trailed down his cheeks only to drip from his jaw. His lips writhed back from his teeth as he used the energy of the trapped spirits to hold the rest back. He was draining the gems, which were only filling up again with more spirits. But he couldn’t keep this up forever. The Vampire King put a hand on his heaving shoulder.

“That was excellent, Caemorn,” Daemon said gently. “It shows your skill and power. A Vampire of twice your years should not be able to do this, even having Kaly’s blood. I know. I’ve met many.”

“Why aren’t you helping him, Daemon?” Artemis asked from beyond the wall of spirits. “Why aren’t you fighting back?”

“Uhm, yeah,” Balthazar asked with a lifted eyebrow. “Why are you holding back?”

“I can help! All I need to do is speak to the spirits,” Christian began.

“No, Christian. Let it be,” Daemon instructured.

The ring of stones Caemorn had sown about them was still working as was Caemorn’s forcefield of ghosts. But it would fail soon if something wasn’t done.

“Let me get everyone out of here, Daemon,” Fiona begged, her hands balled into fists.

“That is a good idea, but it would only change this battle to a different time, Wyvern,” Daemon explained.

“Yes, I know, but… Caemorn can’t defeat Kaly. Not now. Not yet,” she pointed out. “And you’re still… still weak. For you! I mean--”

“You are right, but it does not matter,” Daemon told her, which had more frowns appearing on people’s lips.

“He wants to show us what he’s learned,” Christian said suddenly. He had been studying Daemon long and hard. “He’s not afraid. We shouldn’t be.”

“You didn’t see all the dead at the museum,” Artemis cooed. “Shall I take their souls, too, Daemon?”

Daemon’s anger bridled before he shoved it down. “You can try.”

“I can’t protect…” Caemorn looked gray. “I can’t protect them and hold off the spirits.”

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