his fists buried in his eyes. The barbarian slithered to a stop, darted back down the passage and grabbed him, throwing him over one shoulder, heedless of the knocks he'd take.
'Safer with me, boy,' he said.
Panicked, the child began to beat on Hirad's back, his frenzied screaming reaching new volume. Hirad didn't have time to pause. He glanced right at the end of the opening and saw the demons regrouping and charging through the air.
'Time to go.' He sprinted for safety. 'Come on, Raven!'
Erienne and Denser had picked up a mother and baby between them and were chairing her to the line. The Unknown, typically, had one infant over either shoulder. In the midst of the crowd of demons milling in their path, Auum and the elves got to work.
They were a blur, kicks, punches and pulls driving the demons back and away. The mages killed with FlamePalm and close-focused IceWind. Ahead, the humans had retreated to the safety of the ColdRooms, edges marked by stones in the earth, and were beckoning them on. Darrick was furthest ahead, carrying something in his arms. The Unknown was behind him. Hirad dropped his pace to see Erienne and Denser to safety.
With the enraged screeches of the demons closing in on them at frightening speed, The Raven reached the relative sanctuary of Blackthorne's domain. Hirad carried on running for thirty paces until a familiar voice yelled at him to stop.
Lungs labouring, chest heaving and sweat running down his face and mixing uncomfortably in his cuts, he pulled up and turned round. Blackthome was striding towards him, a broad smile on a face that couldn't quite believe what it was seeing. Hirad released the hysterical child into the arms of others and greeted the Baron with a long hug.
'Couldn't you have sent a note?' asked the Baron, stepping back. 'I'd have cleaned up a bit.'
'Well, we sent Thraun,' said Hirad. 'Clearly he got here.'
Hirad looked around for the wolf, a little worried he wasn't immediately apparent.
'He did but he was hurt,' said Blackthorne. 'Don't worry, we're looking after him, but it was a demon bite. He should be dead.'
Hirad chuckled. 'Like me, eh?' He pointed at his cheek. 'The Raven aren't that easy to kill.'
'So I've noticed.'
'Is he still a wolf?' asked Hirad.
Blackthorne nodded. 'But he's calm enough. I'll take you to him.'
'And at the same time you can tell me how you worked out from one wolf that we were coming. He's not exactly talkative like that.'
Blackthorne put an arm around his shoulder and began to lead him back to the rest of The Raven who were standing or sitting in a group, drinks in hands, looking back at the demons clustered outside the ColdRooms.
'Later, Hirad. First of all, you should rest. We'll talk later over food and wine and you can tell me what by all the Gods falling you are doing here. But let me tell you this one thing. However much a
wolf Thraun is, his eyes are still human. I recognised him straight away and where he goes, The Raven go.'
'My Lord!' A young man ran towards them from the periphery.
'Luke,' said Blackthorne. 'Meet The Raven.'
Luke stood confused for a moment before nodding at them all. 'I'm glad you're here. Please excuse me, though.' He paused and Hirad could see the conflict in his face. He was trying not to be overawed and mixed with it was the reason he stood in front of the Baron in the first place.
'Tell you what, Luke, join us at dinner. Now, what is it, you look flushed.'
'It's him, my Lord. He wants to speak with you.'
Baron Blackthorne nodded. 'As expected but perhaps rather sooner than ideal.' He took in The Raven. 'You should come with me.'
'To see who?'
'Head demon of hereabouts. We call him Fidget.' He smiled enigmatically.
Erienne spoke for them all. 'Why, and what is his real name?'
'Come and see.'
Blackthorne strolled across the open space towards the periphery for all the world as if it was a lazy afternoon and he had not a care in the world. The Raven followed him, the elves in close attendance.
'I had this area cleared of buildings to give us a sight zone all around the casde. The demons own everything beyond it and they know where our ColdRooms start. We understand each other. We're still thinking of building a stockade, a physical barrier would be good for morale, but raw materials are hard to come by.'
'It would make the place almost comfortable,' said Hirad.
Blackthorne shot him a dark glance. 'Never that, Hirad.'
Mages and soldiers were grouped near an area of the perimeter, facing several dozen demons. They moved aside as Blackthorne and his retinue approached. Standing with wings furled in front of them was a demon of better than eight feet in height and jet black in colour but with veins pulsing blue across his skin. His face was human-shaped but his features were anything but. He had a flat lipless slit that was his mouth, above which a single dark oval was presumably his nose. He appeared to have no ears at all and his eyes
were huge, yellow orbs covering much of his forehead. His hands ended in long-boned fingers which clicked incessantly.
'Ugly bastard, isn't he?' said Hirad.
'I'm sure he feels the same way about you,' said Denser.
'Does he really do that all the time?' asked Erienne.
'Hence the name,' said Blackthorne. He strode up to the perimeter, standing only two paces from his enemy. 'What do you want, Fidget?'
'I am Ferouc,' stated the demon looking square at The Raven, fingers increasing their speed temporarily.
'Of course, how forgetful of me,' said Blackthorne. 'What do you want, Fidget?'
'You harbour that which we want and that which we own,' said Ferouc, his voice whining, sibilant through lips unused to framing human words.
'You own nothing in this world. Theft does not denote ownership.'
'Those behind you took six who are ours,' said Ferouc. 'They will be returned or others will suffer.'
'Come in and get them,' said Hirad.
'Quiet,' snapped The Unknown.
'Brave out there, aren't you?' said Hirad, feeling his anger rising. He took a pace forward and began to unsheathe his sword. 'Come on in, let's see how big you are.'
Blackthorne waved him back. 'As you will gather, we will do no such thing.'
Ferouc looked past Blackthorne. 'Raven,' he hissed. 'In my trap now.'
'Is that how you see it?' Blackthorne raised his eyebrows and idly scratched at an ear. 'We rather think that this is a place you are unable to breach. A place that strengthens every day.'
Ferouc's laugh, if such it was, resembled the rumbling of phlegm. 'We wait. We grow. You weaken. Your soul will be mine, Blackthorne.'
'Is there anything more you wish to say?' asked Blackthorne. 'I'm a busy man.'
'Return the six to me. Give me The Raven. You will lose six of your fellows for each of those who stays in your shell.'
Blackthorne shook his head. 'The Raven do what they will and are not under my control. Something you would do well to remember. And of those in your thrall, to me they are already dead. Nothing you can do to them affects my heart.'
Blackthorne turned smartly away and it wasn't until Ferouc couldn't see his eyes that they filled with tears.
Chapter 19
Tessaya had had a great deal of time to think since his retreat from Xetesk two years before. In rotation, he
