Chapter 45

G ideon raced through the temple with his team at his heels. Every few strides he would look back to see if Sybil was keeping pace with the hunters. And she was. Gideon had to get to the other team. He was the quickest, so he would reach them first. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

He sprinted ahead, trying to conjure up the temple map in his mind. He took a sharp left down a hallway, his hunting boots pounding the stunning blue marble floor. Taking another quick turn, he landed in a huge congregational room. A chill hit him, bringing him to a stop. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it, ready for something to jump out at him.

Pews sat low to the ground and multi-coloured cushions littered the space. This was where the greats of the kingdom would have kneeled to worship centuries ago. There was a strangeness about how they were scattered across the room. Although he couldn't see any bodies, there was certainly a sign of a struggle.

Walking through the middle section of the messy prayer pillows, Gideon released a breath. It swirled into the air, reminding him of training in the winter months. It shouldn't have been so cold. Something dark was close. Every hunting instinct he ever had sprung to attention, and the deep-rooted itch to fight stirred in his blood.

Footsteps and panting breaths told Gideon without looking around that the others had caught up. He turned for a moment, knowing Marcus would cover him, and his eyes found her. Her cheeks were flushed from running and her hair had managed to form its own pattern on her head, loose curls dangling everywhere. Her beautiful big eyes looked at him with fear. Sybil's magic would be ringing through her bones. She still clutched the paper they had found, her knuckles strained white. A moment passed between the two of them, so many things unsaid. They might have run out of time to say everything that lingered between them.

"Whatever happens, if I tell you to run, you run," Gideon whispered to Sybil, and his voice was raspier than he could control. She nodded back at him. Reluctantly, he looked to Marcus. "Marcus, when we get out of the temple, I need you to take her out of here. Find a place and stay low for a few days."

"Gideon—" Marcus tried to reason.

"Being second-in-command, it's all I ask of you," Gideon intercepted. "She comes first."

Gideon realised he would do anything to keep her safe, and it went above and beyond just the guardianship. His heart felt things for Sybil that a guard's heart shouldn't feel.

Movement behind a pillar caught his eye, and Gideon aimed his arrow toward it. Before he could see a face, he saw two familiar swords. With a sharp exhale, he lowered his bow.

"Torin," he breathed, relief filling his lungs.

His brother strolled out from behind the column and stood in front of an altar. He looked untouched by battle, and that was a good sign. His icy blue gaze found Gideon. "I need you to take your men and leave."

Gideon's brow pulled down as his brother stood in front of him, unmoving. "Why would you have me leave? Did you get what we came for? We sounded the horn because—"

"You must take my command and leave."

"Torin, you know I am not going anywhere. I am your second-in-command; I am with you until the end."

"You must leave," Torin roared, and his body was so rigid that he almost looked in pain.

Was he hurt?

Gideon stilled.

Torin's gaze pierced him like a dagger. "You do as your commander asks, Warrior."

Gideon shifted on his feet. "Where is Emara?" he asked. Why was Torin alone?

Torin stepped closer, his large body travelling with sleek ableness. "She is outside in the temple gardens."

"And did you obtain the Stone?" he asked again.

"I have left the relic with her."

A crawling feeling spread over Gideon's spine, and his fingers twitched around his bow. "Torin, what colour is the stone in Emara's engagement ring?"

His brother's head tilted and a cruel smile spread across his lips. "Red."

"Wrong."

Sybil screamed as the arrow penetrated the arm of the knight pretending to be his brother. Gideon released another arrow, but the demon veered to the side.

It was the highest kind of demon if he could take the form of his commander. It had been so convincing in its image of Torin, but everything else had been…off.

A knife flew past Gideon, but it didn't make it into its flesh. Instead, the knight caught it.

Marcus hissed a curse.

"Warriors of Thorin are my favourite kind of flesh to devour," the demon hissed, sending pain into Gideon's head. He tried to fight it. "It's always a pleasure to rip your bones apart."

"Get Sybil out of here, Marcus," Gideon demanded. The demon began to shed Torin's skin, changing into something more horrific. Gideon took a step into the challenge. "Now. Go!"

He aimed for the demon's head, but it dove to the side and the arrow hit its shoulder instead. The beast roared as it ripped out the arrow from its flesh, and the dark smoke of its power morphed into something bigger and more terrifying. Its face ripped open, spilling dark gore down the tunic it wore. As Gideon released another arrow, a dagger flew past his face. Kellen threw a small axe, but the demon was too quick. The axe hit off the altar and fell to the ground, the sound ringing through the place of worship.

The only way to kill this repugnant beast would be if he got closer. Kellen was behind him, and another throwing knife flew past Gideon's head to reach the demon before they did. The blade landed, wounding the nightmare creature in the leg. The creature reached down as it transformed human hands into claws and pulled the blade from its thick thigh. The demon threw it back, a cruel grin slashing across its face.

Gideon slammed into it, taking it to the ground. The disciple of Veles rolled, its strength unbelievable, and slammed a fist into Gideon's jaw. His skull cracked off the marble floor, and the creature shrieked above him as Gideon's mouth filled with blood. His mind rang, and the magic in his blood screamed to beat the thing that had just bested him. The knight pulled out a dagger from "Torin's" belt and slashed out, aiming for Gideon's throat. Before the steel touched his skin, a huge boot struck the knight in the side, kicking it off of Gideon. The knight tried to get back to his feet, but Kellen ducked and rolled before slamming a short spear through its foot, nailing it to the ground. A roar erupted from the beast, and its claws and fangs elongated in agony. One massive wing batted Kellen backwards and out of Gideon's sight.

Fear ran through him as the roar from the demon called in a few others. As he scrambled back, he realised they were surrounded. His men fought them viciously down the aisles, spilling blood on books meant for prayer.

I will not feel fear. I will not feel fear. I have war in my veins and battle in my blood. I will protect the Light.

The underworld knight looked to where he lay before plucking the small spear from his knee-high boot. Gideon reached for a small sword on his weapon belt, but the demon moved too rapidly. It knocked the weapon from his hand and curled its claws around Gideon's throat.

"A Blacksteel crest on your tunic," the demon hissed. The pungent scent of sulphur caused bile to rise in Gideon's stomach. "I came across a Blacksteel once." Its otherworldly voice sent waves of pain through his mind, but he tried to block it out. His years of training were for these moments. "A Warrior of Thorin called Viktir Blacksteel. They said he was the best of his kind, yet he couldn't best me when I killed his father before him." Its crimson eyes lit full of dreadful delight. "I bet if you told him my name, the fire of fear would ignite in his weak eyes."

"Fuck you," Gideon spat as the creature smiled down at him with blades and blades of teeth.

Its serpent-like tongue slithered from its mouth, and its huge wings cocooned around him. "Once I am done feasting on the blood of a Blacksteel, I am going to drink from the heart of the pretty little redhead you were so keen on protecting—if my brothers of the dark haven't finished her off already."

"If you touch her, I will fucking kill you." Gideon thrashed under him, "I will rip the wings from your back and feed you them as you beg for mercy."

"That will be hard, little warrior"—the creature lowered itself onto Gideon so that its mouth was in his eyeline—"if you're dead." The creature lunged, mouth wide, rows and rows of needle-sharp teeth ready to devour—

A sword sliced through the higher demon's mouth and almost touched Gideon's nose.

Gore sprayed onto his face, and a strangled sound cut the demon's vocal cords.

Torin stood above him and somehow managed to throw the demon's body across the room like it was a sheet of paper instead of a massive beast. "Don't ever try to impersonate me again, you vile fuck."

Torin dragged his focus back to his brother and held out a hand for Gideon to take. Gideon stood on trembling legs. "Do you have any idea how close you were to my face with that fucking sword? You almost cut my nose clean off."

Torin rolled his eyes, blood covering his face and sword. "Why does everyone question my impeccable accuracy? You should know better, brother. I am very disappointed that you would even doubt me."

Even though Gideon couldn't believe that Torin always had time to jest in a full-scale battle, he needed to see his brother's real smile. Gideon lunged at him and wrapped his arms around Torin. "You are right. He was never handsome enough to be a Blacksteel. I should have known."

Torin slapped his brother's back. "Too right. You can't mimic our genes no matter how powerful you are."

They pulled back as Emara blasted two smaller winged creatures with air and Breighly jumped at them, ripping them apart with her teeth. Fire blasted across the room in scorching white heat as Emara whirled around to cremate the final few demons in the room.

"I can see your wife has arrived." Gideon smiled at his commander.

"Brilliant, isn't she?" Torin's gaze softened for a fraction of a second as he watched Emara's magic devour the last of the demons.

"This place is crawling with demons. We need to go," Artem said, a lower demon still hanging from his axe. He shook it off. "We don't need to win this battle when we have won the Stone."

Emara smiled at him with black gore spattered across her face and darkness in her eyes, looking like a true warrior. "That's the smartest thing I have ever heard you say."

"I have my moments." Artem grinned, and even Breighly snuffed a laugh in her wolf form. She shook blood off her coat and sauntered up beside them.

The Empress of Air looked towards Torin. "Let's quit whilst we are ahead, Commander. We got what we came here for. Let's not risk anything else if we don't need to. Take me home."

Torin took her hand and dragged her off to find their way out.

But Gideon was left feeling like this couldn't be the end, especially not after Kellen's vision.

"Wait," Gideon yelled. "Kellen has something he needs to tell you."