Maybe she was. And 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 this decision. “I’m going to free you and get us out of here. Everything else can wait until we’re safe.”
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 also 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 cave 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 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 floated 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 jabbed into his body.
“Pity gargoyles are resistant to magic. That otherwise would have made a quite 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. 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 with her fight and rush toward the vampire. The vampire saw it as well, for he waved his hand in Fallon’s direction and a wall of rock shot up between them and the rest of the fighting. “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 claws extended.
Flesh parted, but no blood came out. Instead in a blink the skin knitted itself together again, and Garof punched Terak in the chest so hard Terak couldn’t breathe. The vampire kicked the side of his knee, and Terak fell before him. At that, Garof kicked Terak in the face and Terak 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 quite fitting sacrifice.”
There was a thread of worry buried in the vampire’s tone, and hope pulsed through Terak’s muscles, granting strength and pushing him to his feet. If the vampire was worried, it meant his little human was well and was causing problems for the damned necromancers. Of course she was. His mate was more than a match for a legion of undead.
Garof was not quick enough this time to throw Terak when the gargoyle landed on his back. They wrestled as Terak landed blow after blow.
The blows had little effect and the vampire freed himself. He grabbed Terak by the throat and punched him in the chest several times. Terak’s bones fractured under the prolonged force, and his entire torso became a mass of pain.
Garof dropped him and grabbed a sword from the ground, an evil looking blade with serrated edges. “I’ve heard of the gargoyles formidable healing abilities, so I best end this now.” He raised the sword high…