A Ride of Peril(61)

We nodded and followed him down the path toward another corridor which opened up onto a set of stairs leading back up to the surface. We entered another hallway, the fourth from the left.

"There's a passage way at the end of this tunnel," Sverik explained. "It will take us back up. The green flames have already spotted us back there. We need another way out."

"Do you know where we need to go next?" I asked, looking over my shoulder.

A wave of hisses and barked orders echoed through the corridor, as Draven blew out any green-lit torches along the wall.

"I can't believe we actually killed Destroyers." I couldn't help but grin. "I thought they were impossible to kill."

"They usually are. Don't let this little victory embolden you, young lady," Sverik replied. "Azazel keeps the weaker Destroyers in the dungeons to look after his prisoners. It's not the same as fighting one of his lieutenants."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because the weaker Destroyers would not be effective in battle. Azazel is quite specific about this, requesting only the strongest to fight for him. The ones in the dungeons aren't as skilled and have lower stamina, but they're big and heavy enough to keep the prisoners in their cages. Besides, there's not much for them to fight with. Most of these prisoners are too weak to put up a fight, and the ones with magic, such as the fae, are kept under control with warded cuffs."

It made sense, reminding me of the fae we'd met earlier. My assumption had been correct – Azazel had found a way to keep their powers under control.

We ran fast across another chamber filled with cages, not giving any of the prisoners time to notice us or call out for help. Nevertheless, their misery and hopelessness ate away at me, amplifying my growing hate for Azazel. I would make him pay for each and every single life he'd taken or ruined, including those of my brother and friends, stuck in an old and moldy plantation house in the middle of nowhere.





Jovi





We reached the River Pyros as night fell over the region, turning the sky a vibrant shade of indigo, riddled with billions of stars. The moon shone brightly and full, casting its milky light over the woods.

Anjani, Bijarki, and I were first, followed closely by the three Lamias, two of whom seemed to really enjoy dragging the prisoner incubi down the road. The Lamias' settlement sprawled across both sides of the river, which ran hot and steamy-something I'd never seen before. 

"The River Pyros runs hot," Anjani explained, noticing the surprised look on my face. "It stems from Mount Asid, a volcano in the west. You can see it rising over the horizon during the day."

I nodded as I got a better look at the Lamias' settlement. It wasn't exactly a city, as I'd heard it described. It was about the size of a small town with hundreds of homes carved into giant purple trees on a wide radius, perhaps a couple of miles. Torches and candles flickered yellow all over, and colorful paper lanterns hung from the branches.

"What will you do with the incubi?" I asked the Lamias over my shoulder.

I didn't like the idea of seeing them killed, but I had a hard time trusting them.

"We'll kill them later," Una replied in a casual tone. "After Bijarki debriefs them. Or we'll enslave them. Either way, they're not getting out of here."

The closer we got, the better I could see how the Lamias had turned the hot river banks into baths, with hammocks suspended above the water and stone tubs. We entered the settlement, stopping in the middle of a square, where a fire burned bright and red on a pile of green marbles.

Five Lamias emerged from the gathering crowd, as beautiful as the three who had guided us there, clad in fine white silks with large emerald bracelets and necklaces complementing the green scales on their bare arms and their yellow snake eyes. They wore their hair loose in soft shades of ginger and platinum, and bright smiles stretched across their luscious lips. I couldn't help but gawk at their timeless beauty. All five struck me as well into their forties, and they were absolutely stunning. In Lamia years, I had a feeling they'd racked up a couple of millennia.

"Welcome, travelers," the one in the middle said. "My name is Tamara, Mother of the Lamias, and these are my sisters."

Bijarki got off his horse and was the first to bow in front of them. Anjani and I followed suit. The Mother and sisters bowed in return.

The triplets who'd brought us in took the incubi away.

Three young Lamias appeared almost out of nowhere, offering to take our horses and give them food and water. Bijarki gave Anjani and me an approving nod, and we let our stallions go.

"What brings you here?" Tamara asked, measuring us carefully.

"I'm Bijarki, of the Strandh clan. These are my companions and allies, Anjani of the Red Tribe and Jovi," he waved in my direction.