They appeared behind Rell a moment later, causing him to dodge again.
“Why?” I asked, materializing Ebonsoul. “Why did you attack her? Why did you kill the Archive Guard?”
“Why?” Rell jeered. “Because I could. Who’s going to stop me? You? You’re both pathetic, rushing down here to your deaths. This is why humans are mindless cattle. Everything is emotions with you. She divulged the location of our enclave, and for that alone, she deserves to die.”
“That’s the reason? Because she revealed the location of your secret dragon club?” I asked as the rage increased. “You are a real piece of—”
“No, wait. There was another reason,” Rell said, holding up a finger. “I remember now—because it was fun.”
“No more talking,” Monty said calmly. “You die now, dragon.”
“Come kill me, mage,” Rell taunted, drawing a blade. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I closed the distance with a growl.
THIRTY-TWO
Rell’s blade was a runed weapon, covered in flames.
Every time he parried or swung it my way, I could feel the heat coming off of it. He was fast, managing to keep us both back, while unleashing black orbs at us, which Monty destroyed.
It looked even until I heard Monty whisper something under his breath. The Sorrows were instantly covered in black and violet energy. If they were creepy before with the crying, now they increased the cringe factor by ten. The space was suddenly filled by sobbing and wailing as Monty pressed the attack.
For the first time I saw real concern on Rell’s face as he parried Monty’s thrusts and slashes. Rell unleashed an orb designed to slam into Monty’s chest. Monty made no move to dodge and brought the Sorrows down in a cross block.
The blades absorbed the orb, then and I saw real worry on Rell’s face. He backed up as the Sorrows turned black, and the next second a black orb leapt forward from them and raced at Rell.
“You think I can’t deal with my own orb?” Rell asked with a smirk. “You may be stronger than most mages, but you’re nothing compared to me. Nothing.”
Rell held his hand out as the orb closed on him. It slammed into his palm and hovered in place.
“I will never compare myself to you,” Monty said, gesturing. “I am beyond dragon filth.”
“This won’t stop me,” Rell said, but his voice was strained as the orb started pushing him back. “What did you do?”
“Distracted you,” Monty said, pulling me back away from Rell. “Move, Simon, now!”
“What the hell, he’s still over there!”
“Not for long,” Monty said, hurriedly, creating a barrier of golden energy. “The dawnward. Can you create it?”
“I told you, I don’t really—”
“Bloody hell, in five seconds this place is going to be blasted by a beam of absolute death!” Monty yelled. “Use it!”
I closed my eyes and focused my energy through Ebonsoul. A few seconds later we were under a violet dome of energy as a beam of pure white light punched through a surprised Rell. The beam widened as the lower level was bathed in the light, forcing me to look away. The light washed over the dawnward, obliterating Monty’s shield and everything around us.
Ten seconds later the beam dissipated, fading to nothing. Even with my eyes closed I felt the aftereffects. Spots danced in my vision as we headed to the other end of the floor. I saw the Auer take two steps and collapse to the ground.
“No,” Monty said and rushed over to her. He began to gesture, but the Auer stopped him. My heart sank; it was Roma all over again. “Not like this.”
“Tristan,” the Auer said, “we all have a purpose. I have fulfilled mine. It’s time for me to go.”
The right side of her body was covered in liquid darkness. It was slowly traveling across her body.
“You can’t,” Monty said. “Not like this.”
He gestured and formed an immense orb of golden light, one nearly as bright as the beam the Auer had unleashed on Rell. With a word, he released it, and it cascaded gently onto her body, obliterating the darkness from sight. Several seconds passed until I could see clearly again.
When I could, the liquid darkness was still there, shifting and creeping across her body. Monty began to gesture again, but the Auer stopped him this time.
“Enough,” she said, her voice firm. “This cast is beyond you, Tristan Montague.”
“I’m certain I can…I’m sure if I…There must be something,” Monty struggled to find the words. “I can help. There must be something I can do.”
“Yes, there is,” the Auer said. “You can let me go with some dignity. You can’t undo this; it’s too late. Help me over to that chair.” She motioned for Monty to move her. “There. That’s better.”
Monty had lifted her to a large chair that had been blown back in the earlier conflict. She suddenly appeared so small.
“I’m so sorry,” Monty said. “If only we had—”
“I will not have you shedding tears for me,” the Auer groused as she rested her head back in the chair. “You’re a war mage, start acting like it. And you”—she pointed at me—“are the Marked of Kali, an aspis and Kali’s undying chosen. Death cannot touch you, not yet at least, but you will become intimate with it before your end. It will not do if you dissolve into tears every time someone dies. Compose yourself.”
I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. It wasn’t that I was crying. The lower archive was extra dusty from the Auer’s mega beam of death, and it caused my eyes to water.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
“Can we do anything to—”
“You have little time,” she said. “Douglas is going to destroy Haven. He knows about the detention levels and the fact that the facility treats non-humans.”
“He wants to make a statement,” I said. “He’s not that powerful. Haven is immense.”
“He
