Chapter 41

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

I had the Reaper pinned beneath me, my knife to his throat as he whimpered in terror, still not using his magic on me. But he wasn't getting the message, his answers to my questions only driving more rage into me with every passing second.

"What is that thing?" I demanded, slicing my blade into his shoulder and making him scream.

"Stars bless me. Save me from this accursed soul," he pleaded.

"They're not coming to save you," I hissed. "Now tell me how to release those chains!"

I slashed another line into his shoulder and he wailed like a new-born babe, cowering from me and only fuelling my ire.

"Tell me," I hissed like a wraith, becoming a being of darkness who would not rest until Harlon was free.

"You c-cannot release the acolytes. The Grand Maester cast the chains into existence. Only he can undo them when the ritual is d-done," he stammered, raising a hand to try and cast at me, but his fingers only flexed strangely instead.

"There must be a way," I insisted.

"There is not," he snarled.

I drove my dagger into his arm, making him scream once more.

"I'll cut you to pieces if you don't give me an answer," I snapped, my blood rising as I glanced back at Harlon's unconscious form. What would I do if this Reaper's words were true? I was in some unknown place with a Reaper who had been bloodied by my hands. I had no way of freeing him and a thousand crimes now tarnished my name.

Fire bloomed in my periphery and I turned sharply to look, my pulse stalling at the sight of the man standing there.

Kaiser was formidable in his full Fury form, his chest bare to reveal reams of blood-red armour coating his skin from the waist up above a pair of black trousers, the thick scales moulding to his body. Two curved black horns curled up from his head, sharpening to points, and his eyes burned deepest red.

"How are you here?" I gasped in horror, raising my right hand to defend myself.

Blue coiled between Kaiser's fingers then scurried up his arm to perch on his shoulder with a purring chirrup as he nuzzled his cheek.

I stared at the little creature in confusion as he watched me from my enemy's shoulder.

"My sayer dragon, Calcifiend, led me here, I had to sneak past the Sky Witch and her little clan of Skyforgers who are fully engaged in fighting the Vampires out there. You have been keeping the company of at least one of them, now more? What a traitor you are turning out to be, silka la vin," Kaiser said in a dark tone. "And here you are with a Reaper pinned beneath you in a chamber designed for some unholy devices."

He regarded it all with vague intrigue, taking in the gore left behind by that terrible being, before his destructive eyes fell on me again.

"Calcifiend?" I breathed, staring from the traitorous little lizard to Kaiser. The creature had been visiting me for months, coming and going at will, but I'd never thought for even a second that he was heading off to keep the company of a monster.

The Reaper thrashed beneath me and I pressed my blade to his throat again in warning.

"Stay still," I hissed, my mind skipping from one thought to the next as I tried to figure out my next move.

My enemy had followed me to this place. He knew all of my crimes. Was he going to try and save this Reaper and force me to face execution by the prophets of the stars? And if so, why hadn't he fucking moved to do it yet?

"What has she done to you?" Kaiser asked the Reaper, seeming at ease. There was no hint of surprise in his eyes at finding this revered Fae on his back beneath me, wet with his own blood.

"My magic. I cannot cast it," he rasped and I stared down at him in shock, taking in the truth in his eyes and trying to understand it.

"What do you mean?" I whispered, my voice a soft whisper in comparison to the harsh rage I had aimed at him before.

"He means you are what I suspected you are," Kaiser said flatly, and my eyes whipped to him again.

"And what is that exactly?" I demanded.

"Only I will be the keeper of that knowledge," Kaiser growled then flung his hand out, a tiny blade scoring through the air and slamming into the Reaper's throat.

I lurched backwards as he spluttered, pulling out the blade only to release spurts of blood.

Kaiser strode towards me, ignoring the dying Reaper and I scrambled to my feet in alarm, lifting my blade and preparing to cast.

"I'll kill you," I vowed, side stepping as Kaiser strode forward to engage me, not bothering to unsheathe either of his swords.

"You don't have control over that power in you. You don't even know what it is, do you? But I am certain of it now I've seen you render a Reaper powerless."

He stepped forward and I stepped back, the two of us moving in a dance that could only end in blood. I didn't know how much time I had left. If the Reapers managed to secure a victory over the Vampires, they could return here at any moment. But I couldn't leave without Harlon. And it looked like I wasn't going to get out at all unless I killed Kaiser Brimtheon.

I raised my chin, accepting the fight that fate was offering me and readying my magic for attack.

"Yos sala ki mintil," I vowed. Your death is mine.

"Delusional as usual," he drawled then three dark red beasts came into existence at his back, the hounds snarling and snapping at me as they drew closer.

I blasted water at Kaiser's face, trying to blind those vicious eyes as his hounds came racing toward me, but he turned it to steam with a forceful heated flame rising from his hand.

I braced myself for the dogs' attack, slashing my knife at the face of the first and striking its muzzle. But it was no true thing, the knife passing through its head just before its jaws latched around my arm. I cried out in agony, the beast able to hurt me but I couldn't hurt it in return. As Kaiser's eyes flashed, its bite deepened, pulling me towards its master.

Blue chirruped angrily on Kaiser's shoulder, biting at him, but he ignored the lizard's chattering, the other two hounds nipping at my legs, driving me towards their master.

I blasted ice at Kaiser, my fingers flexing and sending shards of deadly ice at his face, but again he melted them away within a rippling barrier of heat that radiated from him.

As the hounds forced me in front of him, I thrust my dagger up, aiming for his heart and crashing against the metallic armour of his chest. Cursing, I drew my arm back as a wave of oppressive heat poured from him, surrounding me like a cage. I winced against the stifling burn, stabbing at him again and trying to cut through the metallic red plates of his chest. He watched me struggle to claim his death, raising no hand to me even now, his mouth a flat line and his expression unchanged.

"On your knees where you belong." His dogs caught my arms again, dragging me down and rage snared me as I thrashed against them.

Kaiser drew his sword at last. I glared at it, realising he had selected my mother's blade, disguised as the pair to his other. He intended to destroy me with her blade and I balked against the idea of it.

The pain in my arms burrowed deeper but that dark power of mine rippled through my chest and doused my soul in hope. It lay there in offering for me to use, and I sent it out from my body in an uncontrollable wave. The force of my mysterious magic slammed into Kaiser's hounds and they vanished in an instant. Triumph made me raise my chin, my gaze set on my enemy. I didn't know exactly how I'd taken hold of that power and I still didn't know what it was, but I was damn thankful for it.

Kaiser frowned in surprise as I leapt up, aiming for his throat which was bare of armour, slashing my dagger with all the wildness I contained, demanding his death from all the deities of the sky.

His sword came up, barring the blow at the last second and I staggered back, but a smile lifted my lips. He was engaging me now. A true fight. Blade on blade. And that was exactly how I wanted it.

"Come then," he conceded. "Show me what you can do with that dagger, silka la vin."