Midnight's Captive(125)

Or the costs it would have on the ones who fought the silent, unknown war.

Charon’s knee buckled as he turned away from a selmyr. Phelan caught him before he hit the ground. He tried to smile at his friend, but it was Phelan’s waxy complexion that made him anxious.

“I’m all right,” Phelan said.

But Charon knew it for the lie it was, because he knew he looked just as bad as or worse than his friend.

Over the rumble of the torrential rain, Charon heard the roars of the dragons. He took a deep breath and got back on his feet. He managed to kill two more selmyr before he caught sight of Jason.

He wasn’t the only one. The creatures around the Warriors had turned toward Wallace, their long strides eating up the ground as they hurried to him.

“Help!” Wallace cried to Charon.

Lucan walked up beside Charon and said, “This is going to be nice to watch.”

“We should leave,” Quinn cautioned.

Galen rotated his shoulders as his wounds healed. “I agree. Once the selmyr kill Wallace, they’ll turn on us again.”

“I’m no’ leaving,” Charon announced.

His words were accented by a fork of lightning that landed close to them. He turned to Malcolm, thinking the Warrior had used his power.

“That wasna me,” Malcolm said when everyone looked at him.

Phelan glanced up. “The storm. It’s the storm.”

“That recently strengthened,” Aiden said.

Camdyn stepped forward. “Saffron had a vision on how Jason would escape. It’s why I’m here. The Druids were going to use their magic to try and hold Wallace here, but somehow in Saffron’s vision he turned it around and used their magic to his advantage.”

“So they’ve strengthened the storm,” Hayden said.

Charon could no longer see Jason, there were so many selmyr. After all the bastard had done to him and Laura, Charon was eager for Wallace’s death. The only thing that could make it better was if Charon took his life himself.

Wallace’s magic was fading quickly. No longer did the sticky feel of drough magic fill the area.

“He didna last as long as I thought he would,” Phelan said.

Charon was about to agree with him when the sky opened and lightning hit Jason’s magic bubble the same time a selmyr did. The boom was deafening as it spread, knocking everyone off their feet and onto their backs.

When Charon opened his eyes he blinked past the onslaught of rain, his ears ringing. He jerked as a face filled his vision. It was Phelan, and he was saying something, but Charon couldn’t hear him.

The quick healing of his god made Charon’s ears pop as Phelan pulled him on his feet. He looked to where Wallace had been, but found the spot empty.

All around it, in a huge circle, were the selmyr laid out unconscious. But they were beginning to stir.

“Shit,” Charon said, and turned to the other Warriors.

“Larena!” Fallon shouted over and over for his wife.

Charon’s gut clenched for Fallon. Larena’s ability to turn invisible was a boon, but it came at a steep price when Fallon couldn’t find her.

“Here!” came a shout farther up the mountain.

Charon turned back to the place Jason had almost been defeated. “He couldna have gotten away. No’ when he was so close to dying.”

“I guess there isna a chance the lightning got him, is there?” Arran asked.

Phelan snorted. “If only. We willna know for sure until we go looking for him.”

“Until then, let’s get out of here,” Ramsey said.

Charon hung back with Phelan, Arran, and Ian as Fallon teleported the others to the mansion.

“We can no’ leave these selmyr to live,” he said.

Ian’s lips flattened. “I want them dead as much as you do, but we’re no’ in fit shape to take them on again.”

“We need to give ourselves at least a day to recover,” Arran said.

Phelan caught Charon’s gaze. “Then have a plan to take these buggers out in one fell swoop.”

Charon nodded as the selmyr stood up one by one. He grinned at them, but before they could take another step, dragons dived from the sky, scattering the selmyr to the four winds.

“Until next time,” Charon murmured.

He looked up to see a gold dragon. Somehow Charon knew it was Con. Charon lifted his hand to the King of Kings just as Fallon laid a hand on Charon’s shoulder.

In a blink, Charon found himself in the foyer of Con’s mansion. All around him, the Druids were fussing over their Warriors.

Charon, Phelan, and Malcolm stood alone, watching it all. The sea of bodies parted enough so that Charon spotted Laura at the base of the stairs staring at him.

“What are you waiting for?” Phelan leaned over and whispered. “She’s meant to be yours, my friend.”