Damien focused on the entrance. When the demon came he’d have no trouble detecting it. Beside him Jen held her long sword in a two-handed grip, soul force surging through her body, strengthening her muscles and bones to many times the power of a normal person.
He grabbed Jen’s arm and yanked her behind him.
A golden shield appeared before them an instant ahead of a blast of dark fire. Raging black flames swept by on either side of them. They didn’t feel hot so much as wrong, an abomination that didn’t belong in this world.
When the flames subsided he absorbed the minimal energy remaining in his shield. From within the lair three small energy sources raced ahead of two bigger ones.
Sounds of battle from deeper in the forest indicated the others had engaged their opponents.
“Here they come.”
Three goblins, their eyes filled with corruption, the tips of their crude spears burning with the same black flames that had shot out of the tunnel, came screaming out of the exit.
Quick as thought, golden swords fell from the sky and pierced them through the head and chest. Damien reclaimed his power the instant the goblins died.
“Aren’t you going to leave any for me?”
“You’ll get your chance. You have to keep the demon busy while I deal with the sorcerer.”
As if summoned by his call the goblin sorcerer flew out of the mouth of the tunnel.
A beam of darkness streaked toward Damien.
He raised a shield to deflect it and leapt into the air after the goblin.
Streaks of golden energy shot from his fingers, detonating around the monster, but never making a solid hit.
They chased each other through the late afternoon sky, golden energy hammering dark barriers.
The little bitch was fast, Damien had to give her credit.
Damien conjured a wall in her path.
If he could slow her down and get in a clean hit he’d be able to end this fight.
The goblin surrounded herself with an aura of dark power and smashed right through his wall.
So much for that.
At the edge of his awareness the seething power of the demon raged. He hoped Jen could keep it busy. A dark beam streaked past his head, missing by inches.
He didn’t dare worry about his sister now. If he did his opponent might get lucky and hurt him and then they would all be in serious trouble.
The goblin dodged another of his blasts. The thing was too fast to hit that way.
He conjured a pair of golden angels and sent them after the goblin.
He didn’t worry about them getting hit, instead focusing on getting them close to the enemy sorcerer.
Lances of dark energy punched holes through his constructs, but they didn’t falter.
Damien poured more power into them, closing the holes and increasing their speed.
One of them got a hand on the goblin’s ankle.
She turned to blast it.
The moment the goblin stopped, the second angel grabbed her arms.
Damien released the power in both constructs. The double explosions tore the little goblin to bits.
Chapter 20
Jen stood, trembling, watching her brother exchange blasts with the wrinkled goblin. When the blast of dark fire shot out of the tunnel and she took cover behind Damien’s shield, she had feared they’d be incinerated. That his power blocked it amazed her.
Jen knew her brother was powerful, his demonstration in the hall that morning made it clear enough, but the ease with which he blocked those flames then killed the goblins without batting an eye amazed her. It had always been her job to protect Damien, but now it seemed she was the one who needed protection.
A roar sounded from the tunnel, drawing her back to the matter at hand. The demon lumbered into view. Its head brushed the top of the tunnel as it stepped out into the clearing, yellowish-green saliva dripping from its tusks. The sight of an enemy she could fight jolted Jen out of her stupor.
She was a warlord and she had a job to do.
She pushed soul force into her legs and sprinted toward the monster.
Her sword sliced across its chest then she was past, its claws missing her by inches.
The demon spun to face her, the wound on its chest closing as she watched.
Jen shook her head. Her father didn’t even heal that fast.
She lunged toward it and sliced its knee.
A taloned hand swooped down to tear her apart.
Too slow.
She leapt back and before it recovered darted in again, cutting its arm.
It went like that for half a minute, her darting in to cut it and the demon healing the shallow wounds an instant later.
She put some distance between them and took a deep breath. She could keep this up for hours, but it didn’t seem like she was accomplishing anything.
Jen blinked and the demon was before her, its clawed hand rushing toward her stomach.
So fast!
She got her sword between her and the monster’s talons an instant before it sent her flying halfway across the clearing.
The rough ground tore her clothes, ripping the left sleeve of her tunic off as she skidded through the dirt.
She sprang to her feet in time to meet the brute’s next charge.
Claws met steel.
Jen poured more soul force into her muscles to hold the demon back.
How could it be so strong? She’d hoped to save some power in case she needed it later, but if she held back the demon would kill her.
Power flooded her body as she let all her soul force go.
She shoved the demon back and hacked a chunk out of its side.
Her sword blurred and thick black ichor flew as she hacked at her opponent.
The demon took a step back and roared.
Got you now, you ugly monster.
Dark power rushed from the demon, its wounds closed in an instant, flames burst from around its hands and the ground under its feet blackened.
Her body trembled as corruption poured from the beast.
It had just been playing with her.
Standing face to face with the demon, its full power revealed, Jen saw her
