35. Lexa

Chapter 35

Lexa

R emir grunted with pain as he closed his hands around a large bar of green light. His expression one of agony, he pulled with all his strength, allowing me just enough room to slip through the doorway. I hurried inside and waited, not wanting to touch the balled mass of energy seething several feet away.

The cage contained all this energy, and the radiation of power made it difficult to breathe. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. My lost energy called to me, and I opened myself to it, beyond relieved when it shot into me. The resultant feedback of unity, wholeness, and joy made everything right and showed me how much I'd been lacking since losing a part of myself.

Shocks of blue energy flared all around me, and I finally felt like the powerful Dark Lord I'd been bred to be. Short on time, I focused on the other reason for my presence in the cage. I mentally sought the essence that was Remir. Commanding it to come, I opened my eyes to see Remir's energy enmeshed in Dark bands refusing to let it go.

It was then I noticed the slight layer of corruption around it, something that hadn't been on my piece of soul. I thought I might have had enough power to overwhelm that Darkness, something a Djinn of Remir's caliber wouldn't have had.

Muttering Dark magic, I pulled the bands with me toward the exit, but not without some difficulty.

"Dark Mistress, hurry. I can't hold much longer," Remir rasped, still holding the bar of the cage open for me.

I hurried to slide outside the cage but couldn't pull his energy with me.

"Shit." The soul couldn't leave the confines of the demon prison. Or could it?

I left the cage, but before Remir could close it, I yanked one of his arms inside the cage, so that the door rested on his limb. It had to hurt like blazes, though he didn't make a sound except for a muffled grunt.

Then the missing piece of his soul settled over his spirit. The Djinn lit up from the inside out and shouted with joy. He pulled his arm back just as the door to the cage slammed with a powerful bang. Energy scattered up the slopes around the crater like fingers of green lightning.

Remir's eyes returned to their natural brown, and the off-gold tint over his form vanished. Now his Dark aura pulsed with a white, clean light, much like the aura he possessed when he burned in truth .

"Thank you," he said softly, his love shining like a beacon. "Now go before they return."

I could hear inhuman shrieks mingling with Sava's cruel laughter.

"I'm not leaving without Sava." I'd decided. "Or you. Come on." Not giving Remir a chance to argue, I shot up off my feet and raced through the air, at long last exhilarated by my rightful Dark power.

I was completely whole, though I knew I couldn't possibly be as strong as I felt.

Once we rounded a large boulder, we found Sava. The sight froze us in our tracks. Sava had expanded to five times his normal size, much like Arim had done when he encountered the Church brethren in Tanselm. Unfortunately, Sava also looked five times as demonic, his face a cruel mask of delight as he smothered Vrak and Feor under his massive feet.

Sava chuckled, his smile wide when he met my stare. "Finally. Took you long enough." He glanced at Remir and frowned. "You can't leave. Your bargain was met."

I scowled. "It wasn't his bargain to make." I realized I wasn't talking to Sava anymore but to one of those Monitors, or whatever the hell they were, possessing my friend.

"Then whose was it?"

"The Dark Lord. Sin Garu. It was his bargain. You want him? Come with me."

Sava considered me for a moment. He straightened and stared down at the red demons before stomping hard on their heads, crushing their horned skulls and smashing them into oblivion. Blood and brain matter spattered the stone floor.

I'd had enough gore to last a lifetime. I barely kept myself from throwing up. Remir, too, turned away in disgust.

Sava moved like lightning and had a hold of my arm and Remir's before I could blink.

"Ah, Sava?"

"Sava's not here anymore." The Monitors laughed and held tighter when I struggled in their grip. But he wouldn't be deterred. He flew with us in tow, shooting back toward the bridge through which we'd traveled.

"I can't leave," Remir yelled as the air whipped by us at breath-stealing speed.

Sava's skin writhed as if he underwent an internal battle. "You can if the bargain's not met." He sounded like Sava again, but I couldn't be sure. Then I didn't much care as we entered that odd void between this demon realm and Orfel.

We landed in Orfel, the same as it had been before we'd gone. The demons continued to work in the gloomy green cavern, ingesting and molesting anything that lived.

"Go to Arim. Remir and I will take care of the bridge and its horrific ladder." Sava's booming voice drew the attention of the demons. "Ho, filth, come meet your glorious end."

Remir swore.

I hadn't saved the Djinn just to let Sava's Monitor friends kill him. "But Remir —"

"Will be fine," Remir said and tugged free from Sava. His spirit was strong, but his form wouldn't last outside the demon plane. He needed to leave for the Next, if he could find it.

I had no idea how to guide him there. Unless Ravyn and Faustus could help. But how could I contact them?

"Go, Lexa. I'll help Remir." Sava crushed several demons in one mighty fist. His voice deepened, echoed, as he said, "Unless, Dark One, you'd rather stay and play with me?" The Monitors had returned.

I didn't need to be told twice. "Sava, you join me in Tanselm soon or I'm coming back for you. And if you Monitors do a thing to harm Sava or Remir, you'll deal with me."

Unfortunately, they didn't take my threat seriously, for Sava erupted into laughter while the demons on the ladder tumbled, shrieking in fear and anger as Sava — and Remir, now burning in truth — destroyed them.

Though I wanted to stay to help, worry for Arim consumed me. I hadn't allowed myself to think of him while down in Mount Malinta, but now I couldn't stop thinking about him. The Dark willing, he was alive and kicking.

Something tickled my belly, and I rubbed it, frowning. Then my connection to Arim, that had always hummed beneath the surface, seemed to fade away. And I knew nothing but terror.