“Let's move.”

Tyrian and Kearnyn kept with him as they clung to the shadows and vegetation, swiftly but silently making their way to the castle. The rest of the teams circled wide so the team surrounded the guards. Telal squeezed his sword tight then lifted it out of the holster. They didn't announce their presence, didn't give the guards time to react. They launched and attacked.

Groans, the loud clanking of metal to metal, and the hiss of steel sliding into flesh sounded in the quiet night. Eight guards down, countless more to go. From here, they'd split. Tyrian and Kearnyn would go with him to find Alrik, the rest would try to secure the castle.

Telal ducked into the castle and made his way through the same tunnel he had before. No servants passed. In fact, the castle was still as the night outside, everyone in bed, or at least he hoped. Torches and burning candelabras lit their way. Telal entered the great hall first to find it empty. The dais with the throne up above devoid of his darker half.

A sound caught his ears. A whirring of air like a person twirling or a cowboy swinging a lasso in a fast circle above his head. They all heard it, their eyes searched the area. Then the sound stopped. Tyrian suddenly dropped to a knee and they all turned to see an arrow embedded in the wall behind him.

“They’re here!” Telal said.

At once, they broke apart. They made easier targets staying close together. Telal sprinted across the hall to the whizzing of arrows flying past him. He didn't have time to stop, didn’t' have time to see where the arrows came from. Telal careened into the hall and made a sharp right. A spiral staircase built behind a door led to the balustrade up top. Palming his sword and a dagger, he took the steps three at a time. At the top, a guard waited for him, weapon draw. Telal blocked the demon's swipe and sunk his knife into the demon's forearm.

The demon screamed and the blade dropped to the ground, clattering loudly, hilt to tip, down the stairs. He impaled his sword through the demon's gut then moved on to the next. He moved like a machine, blocking, dodging, banging his opponents’ arrows and swords away with a swift slice of his, with a hard kick to the chest. His body was in tune, muscles and joints working in perfect unison to bring the maximum power to his blows, the fastest speeds to his thrusts.

Telal stood over the balustrade, the blood of four demons covering his sword and his hands and saw demon guards pour into the room from either side. They looked like a stream of ants hurrying along. Telal let out a battle roar and his powers flared around him like a puff of smoke.

He jumped onto the balustrade then jumped down to the floor, letting his knees bend to take the brunt of the force. Demons charged, throwing poisoned daggers but his eyes were sharp this time, passion, anger, and even love, backing his movements. Tyrian and Kearnyn engaged in a sword fight with the demons and Telal joined them, slicing and hacking his way through, making his way to them.

The room filled with demons, easily outnumbering them, but they stayed faster, sharper and soon the floor was littered with dead demons.

With half a dozen demons left, Telal engaged with two at once, deflected a demon's sword with his own then burying the hilt of his dagger into the other demon's neck. The demon fell to the ground but at the last second reached forward and latched onto his wrist pulling him with him. Telal fell forward and the other demon took the opportunity and slashed at him. The blade made contact, piercing his thigh and nearly sliding through. The hot burst of pain was instant. Telal gripped his sword in a two-handed fist and thrust up, spearing the demon's stomach.

Telal stood and pulled his sword out of the demon’s belly, pressing his foot on the demon's chest for leverage.

A cold energy settled over the air, freezing it until Telal’s breaths came in white clouds. He knew what had caused it even before he turned and met his brother's glare.

Kearnyn tightened his grip on his axe and let a throwing dagger fly. Alrik raised a hand and the dagger veered off to the side, impaling the wall.

Alrik let out a harsh whisper of magic and Kearnyn and Tyrian were slammed up into the ceiling then the floor again and again. Telal sprinted toward Alrik, panic and anger clouding his mind. Only when Alrik caught sight of him did he release the men from his grasp.

He stopped before his brother seeing the changes in him already. His eyes swirled like black twining snakes, his skin was black as night, and from his fingertips radiated wisps of black smoke like the kind he'd conjured at his headquarters. Black magic ate at a demon that used it especially if used often. His brother reeked of it.

“You've come to claim your throne, I see.”

“I have.” Telal gripped his sword and dagger tighter, his hands kneading the leather handles.

“First mother betrays me and now you.”

Telal paused. It couldn't be because he didn't want to fight his brother, but he knew it was. “What are you talking about?”

“I suppose you wouldn't have heard. I found mother with an idol of my hair. She's been casting me into the pit I've fallen in for some time now.”

The tight fist of Telal's heart eased. “Then you can grow out of it. You can go back to...normal.”

His brother moved and Telal tensed, but he only walked slowly to the side. “I think not, brother Telal. Since I've had her banished my black heart has grown darker. Even the sight of Arianna no longer makes me happy.”

Telal understood at once. “You need to kill her.”

His brother roared and the black flames around him grew in a big cloud with the burst. “I love her! I will never kill her.”

Telal pulled his weapons up in a sign of defense. “Not her, Alrik. Listen to me. The magic is changing you.”

“You think I do not know that? Do you think I can't see what I've become?” Alrik held out his hands and gazed them with a look of terror and disgust. “This...this is what I am. And I embrace it now. It's a part of me, Telal.” Black snaking wisps came out from his arms, wrapping around his arms and spinning around his chest.

“It doesn't have to be. Where's mother? She is a part of the spell. She must have set a trap on it. If we kill her then the spell will be broken.”

His brother's demonic eyes focused on him and his body instantly felt twenty degrees colder, the sweat on his body dried up. “She's gone, banished from these lands. Who knows where she is now.”

Telal felt a little hope. “Then we will find her and we will destroy her and you will be the same again.”

“I can never be like that again!” Alrik roared and Telal saw that even his tongue and teeth and fully turned black. This man no longer looked a hint like the brother he knew.

“It's not too late, Alrik. We can fix this.”

Alrik walked side-to-side a deep rumbling chuckle leaving him. “You lost the choice to help me when you left all those years ago. You have no say over me or this kingdom when you chose them over us.”

Telal bit his tongue. He'd never convince him. The argument was useless. Still, something made him say it, maybe the heart breaking in his chest. “Please, Alrik.”

Alrik’s hand shot out and Telal was blasted away. His spine cracked against the corner of the royals’ dining room table and he winced as pain lanced through his back. The cut in his leg made it harder to stand again, and as he did, he heard Alrik chanting, saw the swirling smoke gathering around him like a tornado moving faster and faster.

And then undead beasts came out of the walls.

CHAPTER 43

Lily and Rosa arrived inside the rift within seconds. She knew she wasn't the only one who hated the vile taste because Rosa wiped her tongue with her sleeve making gagging sounds.