And then came the call. “Meyja!”
Terak! He was here, yes, he was and no way was she going to be some sort of sacrifice for these idiot vampires. She had a gargoyle waiting who she was going to kiss until her lips fell off and then mate with him and live wherever they could be together – her world, his world, or a world they would create on their own.
Dumb and Dumber down there on the floor were oblivious to everything outside their chants. And in front of her, right beside the fire pit, was a decent-sized and solid-looking cauldron.
Never had she been quieter than she was at that moment, not even when she had been taking pictures of her brother Christopher getting to second base on their sofa with his high-school girlfriend.
A couple of well-aimed conks later, both men were unconscious. If they got brain damage, oh well.
Taneasha rattled her chains, her eyes pleading when Larissa looked at her. “Please, Miss Miller, don’t leave me here. I’m so sorry. I never thought anything like this would happen. They said they wanted to talk to you about helping with a spell. I’m so sorry.”
Maybe she was. And maybe Larissa understood how this could happen with a girl as shy and sensitive as Taneasha was. That didn’t change the fact this was Taneasha’s fault and there would be consequences for her actions. “I’m going to free you and get us out of here. Everything else can wait until we’re safe.”
Knocked-out acolyte number one had the key, and Larissa freed the girl from the altar. Now, where to go? Terak’s voice had come from the main door, but that was where the necromancer had gone. To run out there would be to run straight into them.
Looking around the cave, there was one small side door behind the altars. It could lead anywhere, or it could lead nowhere at all, but it was the only other door. “We’re going through there. The front door would be too dangerous with that battle going on.”
Taneasha nodded, staying close to her.
“I need you to stay a bit away from me.”
Taneasha looked at her with hurt eyes, but understanding dawned moments later when Larissa grabbed the stone and dagger. “I don’t know what these things would do to anyone not magically immune, and I don’t want to find out by watching what happens to you.”
Taneasha nodded, staying a small distance away as they ran through the doors.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
‡
Terak clawed through another orc, dismembering the beast before throwing the carcass to the side.
There were fewer enemies than expected. The earlier attack on the Guild must have taken most of their resources. The first wave made good progress as they tore through the underlings, but it was too soon to gloat over easy triumph – the necromancers still awaited them.
“Doing okay over there, Gargoyle?” Fallon’s voice could be heard above the cacophony. Her sword clanged as metal struck metal in her own battles.
He didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he threw his head back and yelled, “Meyja!”
A blast of power hit Terak in the chest and threw him back into the wall, the stone jabbing into his body.
“Pity gargoyles are resistant to magic. That would have made a satisfying spectacle of carnage.” Garof’s voice penetrated the daze Terak was shaking off. He rose to see the damned vampire standing before him. “Originally created by necromancers, at least that is what the myths say about your kind. My brethren did perhaps too good of a job.”
“Where’s my mate?”
“You should have taken me up on my offer. It would have worked out much better for you.”
The vampire raised his hand and cast another blasting spell, but Terak rolled out of the path and only dealt with the flying debris behind him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Terak saw Fallon finish her fight and rush toward the vampire. The vampire saw it as well, for he waved in Fallon’s direction and a wall of rock shot up between them and the rest of the battle. “I’ll deal with Fallon later. I want to finish killing you first.”
Terak growled and lunged for the vampire, dropping them both to the ground. But the vampire twisted his body, using momentum and a strength Terak was not expecting to throw Terak into the opposite cave wall.
Terak regained his feet to see Garof already on his. “Don’t underestimate me, Gargoyle. You are indeed a warrior beyond compare, but I am Vampire. You are nothing to me.” The vampire stilled then, his head cocked to the side and his eyes wide in alarm.
Terak used the chance to run into the vampire again, slicing into his neck with his claws.
Flesh parted, but no blood came out. Instead in a blink the skin knitted itself together, and Garof punched Terak in the chest so hard he couldn’t breathe for a second. The vampire kicked the side of his knee, and Terak fell before him. Garof kicked Terak in the face and he crumpled into the ground. “As entertaining as this has been, Gargoyle, I believe I will finish this after the Magic Realm has been returned to us. You will be a fitting sacrifice.”