I didn't have time to waste on sentimentality. I ran down the line of professors casting spells. Kairn was there at the end. It took my breath away, to see the power swirling around me. The professor next to him stopped casting, and whispered something to him, then pointed to me. He swung around and started sprinting towards me. My heart swelled to see him. I ran at him and he pulled me close before picking me and swinging me around. He held me in his arms for one long infinite moment.
"I thought I was never going to see you again." He whispered.
"I was afraid you would be gone," I said, feeling the honesty break through me. He stroked my hair and tucked a loose strand behind my ear. I had missed his dark eyes and the swirling tattoos that danced across his body. He leaned in closer and I feel the infinity between each heartbeat. He pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around him as his mouth searched mine hungrily. I was aware that everyone was around us, but I didn't care. There was not enough time left in the world to be with him. I pulled my arms around me and he scooped me up. I wanted the moment to last forever, but it couldn't
He set me back down gently and I had to clear my mind to focus on the task at hand. "Kairn, there is something that I need to tell you." He nodded, and I could finally see the dark circles under his eyes. He looked restless like he hadn' t slept in days. "The Lord of the Morningstar is here somewhere. He's bringing his army of demons with him, I'm sure."
"Is he the one who was after you in the Liminal World?" Kairn asked.
"Yes, and all the times before that," I explained.
"You mean last year?" He asked.
"Yes and my first year here," I said. I felt the awful weight of what I had to do. "I can't let him hurt anyone. I know he's here somewhere because I bound him to the physical world. I have to find him and destroy him."
"I will come with you." He said. "I have to protect you. It's getting harder and harder to remain in this world. The Wild Hunt is calling me every single second." His voice was stretched thin.
"Will you be able to fight him from that side?" I asked.
"Maybe, but... Esther," His tone was rough, "I don't think I'll be able to get back."
I felt the tears begin to start again. I wrapped my arms around him. "Then you'll just have to do your best." I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay with him. It felt like I was having to let go before he was even gone, but there was no choice. We had to stop Phosphoros.
Kairn shifted into his god-form and we rode horseback across the school. I could sense that he was near but we just couldn't seem to find him. We rode back toward the quad. It was quiet and the air was heavy, like the beginnings of a terrible storm. The pressure was almost unbearable.
"I think they're coming," I shouted to the assembled force of students and professors in the quad. Then at once, I heard the deafening sound of a thousand horses.
18
The Lord of the Morningstar
The sound of pounding hooves became louder and louder, but we couldn't see anything. It was as if the sound was coming from all around us. I knew that it was coming from the Liminal World. I had tied Lord Morningstar to this world. His demons weren't far behind. Many of the students, especially the very few first years that had joined the fight, were quaking where they stood. I heard one solitary student scream before it came upon us.
It was as if the veil between the worlds had been ripped wide open. There were black-cloaked horsemen everywhere. The sounds of screams became more pervasive as the battle began in earnest. The cloaked riders were everywhere, and I saw spells being flung in all directions. A wide black horse with heavy armor came barreling towards me. I let the fire work through my blood until it was ready to explode. I sent a blast of flame toward the rider, unseating him from his horse. I climbed on the horse before he could regain his balance. Kairn and I rode away from the chaos, surveying everything. I could see a thousand mercenaries, like a black army of death moving across the school. There was no sense in it. Where was I supposed to find Lord Morningstar? He was hiding behind his legions.
I then heard a terrible sound, like a wild howling. I steered the demon horse towards the dorm buildings. Hopefully, there were no students left inside. Then I saw the cause of the howling. The lycans were out in full force, creating a V formation in front of the dorms. They were mounting an attack against a long line of demon horse. I recognized the snowy wolf in the front as Luke. For the time being, they had it under control. I rode back towards the quad when I realized that Kairn was gone.
"No,” I hissed under my breath. I searched desperately around me, trying to pick his face out from the crowd. As I let my glances linger over each face, I felt a presence behind me. The horse reared up and I had to grip it tightly with my legs to hold on. A demon with blood-red eyes was pacing circles around me. I muttered a spell of protection around myself. Then I threw a bolt of fire, so bright it was almost blue, into the heart of the demon. He evaded it at the last moment.
