“Sava’s not here anymore.” The Monitors laughed and held tighter when I struggled in their grip. But he wouldn’t be deterred. He flew with us in tow, shooting back toward the bridge through which we’d traveled.
“I can’t leave,” Remir yelled as the air whipped by us at breath-stealing speed.
Sava’s skin writhed as if he underwent an internal battle. “You can if the bargain’s not met.” He sounded like Sava again, but I couldn’t be sure. Then I didn’t much care as we entered that odd void between this demon realm and Orfel.
We landed in Orfel, the same as it had been before we’d gone. The demons continued to work in the gloomy green cavern, ingesting and molesting anything that lived.
“Go to Arim. Remir and I will take care of the bridge and its horrific ladder.” Sava’s booming voice drew the attention of the demons. “Ho, filth, come meet your glorious end.”
Remir swore.
I hadn’t saved the Djinn just to let Sava’s Monitor friends kill him. “But Remir —”
“Will be fine,” Remir said and tugged free from Sava. His spirit was strong, but his form wouldn’t last outside the demon plane. He needed to leave for the Next, if he could find it.
I had no idea how to guide him there. Unless Ravyn and Faustus could help. But how could I contact them?
“Go, Lexa. I’ll help Remir.” Sava crushed several demons in one mighty fist. His voice deepened, echoed, as he said, “Unless, Dark One, you’d rather stay and play with me?” The Monitors had returned.
I didn’t need to be told twice. “Sava, you join me in Tanselm soon or I’m coming back for you. And if you Monitors do a thing to harm Sava or Remir, you’ll deal with me.”
Unfortunately, they didn’t take my threat seriously, for Sava erupted into laughter while the demons on the ladder tumbled, shrieking in fear and anger as Sava — and Remir, now burning in truth — destroyed them.
Though I wanted to stay to help, worry for Arim consumed me. I hadn’t allowed myself to think of him while down in Mount Malinta, but now I couldn’t stop thinking about him. The Dark willing, he was alive and kicking.
Something tickled my belly, and I rubbed it, frowning. Then my connection to Arim, that had always hummed beneath the surface, seemed to fade away. And I knew nothing but terror.
Chapter 36
Arim
I did my best to breathe, hoping against hope that Lexa had at least retrieved what she needed to make herself whole. I could no longer see out of my right eye, and my stomach boasted more holes than a wooden flute. Groaning, I didn’t have to feign weakness as I struggled to stand.
Sin Garu and I had taken our fight from the commons out of the castle onto Tanselm’s dying grasses. The land shuddered as every blow from the demon-infested Dark Lord struck me, and thus Tanselm, deep into her core.
It was as if the land had invested the last of her energy in her chosen guardian, the Killer of Shadow. Were I to die, I’d take her with me. So not only to save Lexa but the land as well, I continued to force myself to stay conscience when every cell I possessed wanted to lie down and die.
The demon poison burned my flesh, bruised my soul, and made me want things I shouldn’t. It ate at the Light fueling me and force-fed me Darkness, making me both weaker and stronger because of it. A contradiction that kept me alive, if barely.
All around me, Light Bringers battled the Netharat. Here, in the western territory, it seemed the Light might prevail.
If I could fucking kill one unkillable Dark Lord.
Sin Garu screeched a warning at the wraith that shadowed my every move and angled to cover my weaker side, leaving the wraith free to attack my less damaged flank. I wheezed as I tried to catch my breath, realizing I probably wouldn’t live through this. I wanted badly to see Lexa again, to at least know I’d helped to save her now, as I hadn’t been able to back then.
Tired of watching Sin Garu control this fight, I called on my inner Darkness and tangled a stray beam of Light in my power. I focused on Sin Garu’s lackey, the bloodless Sirral, and sliced the wraith in two.
Sin Garu hissed his displeasure and reached out with one clawed hand toward my face as he raced toward me.
“Arim! Mother of Light,” I heard Darius exclaim. Dimly aware of Samantha and several Light Bringer sorcerers gathering close, I held up a hand to shield them from my personal battle as I braced for impact.
Caging myself and Sin Garu together, I would allow no one but myself to fall at the Dark Lord’s hands. My nephew would have to protect the others from the small number of Netharat still living. But if Darius was near enough to this outlying portion of Tanselm’s western forest, the battle had to be close to over. This skirmish, not nearly so.
Sin Garu had suffered some damage to his body, but the demons holding him together seemed to absorb most of his injuries. Even with several severed fingers and a broken knee, Sin Garu moved as if he felt no pain.
The two of us slammed together, and I felt as if I’d been hit by a brick wall. I averted my eyes from the talons stretching close, needing my precious sight to survive a while longer. Sin Garu raked my neck instead.
I cursed at the blaze of pain racking my aching body. “Get. Off.”
