Page 105 of Knight's End
Ryan sighed in relief as he let the water collapse. “Why the sarding hell didn’t we do that ages ago?”
Lizza stared up at him. “I was busy creating spells for soldiers who actually know how to fight in water,” she said dryly. “Besides, every man could use a bit of work on his stamina.”
With that, Lizza turned and disappeared back into the crowd of undead soldiers.
I turned to Posey. “If she decides eternal rest isn’t for her … I’d love to have her as a castle mage.”
My knights narrowed their eyes at me. I shrugged. “First off, this magic is amazing. Secondly, and very importantly, she can’t die. I mean, not unless the amulets work and she wants to.”
Connor sighed, bubbles escaping from his lips. “Good point, Bloss Boss. But we need to make it back to the castle first.”
I nodded. “Well, we’re invisible now. So, let’s go steal a princess!”
* * *
The cave entrance we found was high on the mountain, much closer to the surface than I expected. I should have thought of that, considering that when Donaloo had scried my sister, light had filtered down into her cave. It didn’t matter now, but it had taken us hours to find the entrance while the battle raged on by the castle. Mayi raised shipwrecks and brought them hurtling through the water to smash into the undead. But the army just rose up, limbless, headless, legless, and continued to attack.
Her howl of frustration echoed off the mountain. It was music to my ears.
As we slipped into the cave entrance, I took one last look backward. The undead army was scaling the walls of the castle with any soldiers who still had arms. Mayi shot arrows and spears of ice through them, her wings fluttering as she flew through the waves. But ice didn’t stop them. They kept pressing forward with ice shards protruding from their chests.
I left the battle, disappearing into a long, dark cavern. I blinked, but the darkness was so complete that my eyes couldn’t adjust. I lit the path with my peace magic. Connor and Declan walked in front of me. Posey walked just behind me; her ‘supervisory’ duties apparently didn’t end until the enemy was defeated. Behind her, Blue and Quinn set their ears to the rough rock walls, searching for thoughts. Ryan guarded the rear, a thick timber from a shipwreck in his hands.
Left,Blue told us.I hear thoughts to the left.
We took the first turn in the cavern that led left and the water grew colder around us.
“Do you feel that?” I asked Posey, as shivers started to wrack my body.
She shrugged. “Mildly. Most of my nerve endings have been injured over the years.”
I turned my head and my hair swirled around my face. I had to bat it away as it floated in front of my eyes. “Ryan. Can you reduce cold and multiply heat?”
Next to me, Posey added, “How about reduce darkness and multiply sunlight? The sea ghosts are sensitive to sunlight.”
Ryan nodded but his face was haggard. He looked exhausted as he dragged his injured leg without a cane. But, ever the warrior, he wouldn’t stop. Wouldn’t quit. He moved the timber to one huge hand and lifted the other to blast the cave with sunlight.
As the passage lit up around us, I heard the shrieks of ashrays. Their glowing eyes popped open as they abandoned the nooks and crevices in the cave wall around us and fled down the passage.
“Shite! They might as well be trumpeting our arrival!” Blue cursed.
“Declan, can you try to suck out some of their panic?” I said as I shot peace at the jelly-like creatures.
But it was too late. Ten merguards swam through an archway on the far side of the cave. Their blue tails straightened in alarm when they saw us.
Shite! Lizza’s invisibility spell must have worn off!Blue stated the obvious.
The mermen’s tridents lit up with orange magic. And then they attacked.
I redirected my peace magic from the ashrays to the mermen, but only managed to make two of them look relaxed and dopey. Declan soon had one cowering in the corner, shaking and holding his head as happiness drained out of him. Blue and Quinn ran among the rest, using their speed to take quick swipes at the half-fish. Posey unsheathed her sword and calmly walked forward, ignoring a merman whose trident dug into her side. She simply kept walking into the weapon until she was close enough to take off the merman’s head.
The battle space was confined. The fighting was quick. It felt like I had hardly blinked before Connor cried out. A trident was lodged in his chest, just above his heart.
I tried to rush forward, but Ryan held me back. He launched his boat timber at the merman who’d stabbed Connor. And then he changed his magic. With a burst of yellow light, Ryan swapped all the water in the cave for air.
The merman fell to the cave floor, gasping. My knights and Posey made quick work of them as I rushed over to my best friend.
I was so scared I could hardly see. Blackness danced on the edge of my vision. He had to be okay. He had to. I had never lived in a world without Connor. Even my early memories were full of him. He was a constant in my life. Even when I’d run, I’d talked to him in my head, in my letters. I needed Connor.
