Damien led what had to be the least entertaining parade ever. One hundred and twenty-seven cultists, their masks removed and soul force collars connecting them together, trudged through the tunnel back to the warehouse Damien and the others had staked out. Whenever they slowed down a tug on the neck encouraged them to start moving again. Luckily for him, Jen, and Marie-Bell, the sight of Damien taking out all of their leaders had knocked the fight out of them. The fact that he could pop their heads off with a thought probably helped too.

The little troop had almost reached the warehouse entrance when Jen trotted up beside him. “I’m going to run ahead and fetch Tosh. You and Marie-Bell can handle this, right?”

The paladin currently marched at the rear of the column, but Damien answered for her. “Sure, no problem. You know it’s like three in the morning. The guard captain isn’t apt to be there.”

“No, Tosh certainly won’t be there this early, but when I explain the situation the duty officer will send someone to fetch him. I promise you even Tosh will rouse himself for this many prisoners.”

“He’s liable to be pissed that we raided this place without even telling him.”

“Sure, but what’s he going to do, tell us to let them go?” Jen shook her head. “He’ll take it quietly. If he gives me any crap I’ll remind him he had a hundreds-strong demon cult active in his city and he did nothing about it. That’ll shut him up.”

Damien grinned. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

Jen held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Little bit. I’ll be back soon.”

She vanished up the tunnel at warlord speed. Damien was glad he and his sister got along. He’d hate to have Jen for an enemy.

They reached the stairs up to the warehouse and he went up first. One by one the cultists climbed the stairs. Several of them looked around, clearly surprised to see where they’d emerged. Damien directed them to form neat rows until Marie-Bell emerged, her glowing hammer held high.

“What now?” she asked.

“Now we—” A powerful source of corruption approaching in a hurry stopped him dead. He knew that power. The monster had survived after all.

“Damien?” Marie-Bell stared at the roof as though trying to see Mikhail through it.

“I know. Can you manage the prisoners? I can’t spare a bit of power against this opponent.”

“I can help.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“I know, but if we both go out there the cultists will escape. I can handle Mikhail if you watch them.”

The prisoners’ collars turned from gray and gold to pure white as Marie-Bell assumed maintenance of the constructs. “I have them. Please be careful.”

Damien gave her a thumbs up and flew out the warehouse door. He’d barely cleared the entrance when a stream of hellfire streaked past, missing him by inches, and blasting a hole in the yard.

He spun and there was Mikhail, sword leveled, sitting on a black horse, hellfire dancing around his armor and weapon.

Damien put on a burst of speed and soon had the high air. When no attack came he raised an eyebrow. “Planning to surrender, greengrocer?”

“Just enjoying your last moments on earth. You won’t escape me this time, boy.”

Damien laughed. “Escape you? The first time we fought I cut off your arm and the second I dropped a mountain on your head. I’m surprised you had the guts to come after me a third time.”

A bass growl came from deep inside Mikhail’s armor. “You were lucky, worm. You won’t be this time.”

“We’ll see. Catch me if you can.” Damien flew toward the ocean at top speed. Hopefully he’d made Mikhail angry enough that he’d follow without thinking too much. He needed to draw the black knight far enough out over the ocean that he could use his full power without worrying about hurting anyone else.

A rage-filled roar preceded a stream of hellfire. Damien dodged the first blast and when it snaked back toward him he slashed with Lizzy and blew it away.

He couldn’t help smiling. With her help that had been almost too easy. Mikhail wouldn’t escape him this time.

The docks whizzed by below him. Another mile and he’d feel comfortable turning and fighting.

Twin blasts of hellfire struck his shield and engulfed him. Damien didn’t slow. Lizzy shifted her power to reinforce the barrier.

It wasn’t fair. The two of them made a perfect team. Lizzy read his mind and reacted in an instant. No one else could work with him so perfectly.

A burst of soul force blasted Mikhail’s hellfire away. Damien spun and twisted away from the next attack. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the city, nothing but a twinkling of lights in the distance.

Just to be safe he flew around so the city was at his right hand. Lizzy blazed with gray fire in his grip. Mikhail’s sword dripped hellfire. If Damien had had a mount they would have been perfect mirrors.

“Finally accepted your fate, boy?”

Damien grinned and drew deep from his core. His power mixed with Lizzy’s and he charged.

Their blades clashed then Damien was past. Two feet of Mikhail’s blade splashed into the sea.

“Impossible.” Mikhail seemed to be speaking as much to himself as to Damien.

Damien ignored his opponent and concentrated their combined soul force into the edge of Lizzy’s blade.

He slashed and a blade-shaped wave of power leapt at Mikhail. The concentrated energy cut his mount’s head off and continued on, hitting the black knight in the midriff.

The rest of his mount along with his legs tumbled out of the sky. Mikhail’s head, arms, and chest remained flying, the ruined sword still clutched in his hand.

“Impossible,” Mikhail muttered again. His voice no longer held the depth and power it had. He sounded like a mortal man. A frightened one.

Damien slashed Lizzy twice more. The concentrated soul force overlapped and cut Mikhail into four more chunks.

His power faded to nothing as the pieces fell to the water. Damien let out a sigh of relief. If Mikhail lived through that he was truly invincible.

Are you okay?

Damien smiled at the concern in her voice. “Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long night, and we’re not done yet.”

Once you find somewhere to sleep I’ll give you a special treat.

His smile grew. Now that was something to look forward to.