Page 12 of Stone Sentinels

“You make a good point,” I say and make the decision not to go easy on her again. As soon as I speak the last word, Pyre hurls a spell at her. Eilish has the sense to duck out of the way, but I can see the uncertainty in her eyes—she knows the stakes just got higher.

No more pulling punches.

***

DRAGAN

Pyre has begun referring to Eilish’s angel abilities as a “miracle,” and even then I don’t think the word suffices. She is amazing. I watch hermiracleherself to mimic her surroundings, allowing her to sneak up on Revenant as he sharpens his daggers. I’ve seen other angels use a similar ability on the battlefield, but none were quite as skilled as Eilish. She presses her blade to the vampire’s throat and he gives a deep chuckle before tossing her to the ground. Eilish stands calmly andmiraclesthe dagger into her hand the way Noni taught her. The smile on her lovely face causes my heart to clench. We continue to grow closer each day, but I fear what’s becoming of her as another strand of hair turns to inky black in the midst of her pale locks.

“When you’re stronger, you may be able to pull the life force from someone without bedding them,” Pyre says to Eilish. “A simple touch could drain your enemy and leave them dead at your feet. So far, we know you can summon a red smoke to bewitch and beguile, but it also helped leach the pain from Kolvar. This leads me to believe there are endless possibilities.”

“I’m getting better at themiraclething as well, but it drains me if I use it too much.”

“Very good, Eilish.”

She beams under his praise and I see a faint glow surrounding her. In the darkness of The Veil, she appears like a star in the night sky. This... this is more beguiling than any succubae powers in the Realms. I return to the cottage and sit in the chair beside the fire. Morrigan shuffles weakly from her bedchamber, still not quite able to do much more than take her meals and socialize for a few hours.

“Good evening, Dragan,” she says with a quirk of her lips.

I reply with a grunt, but she doesn’t take offense. Part of me wishes to believe that Morrigan isn’t the sort to abandon her charges, but then again, how well do any of us really know her anymore? “Is it worth so many secrets? So much pain and anguish in the Realms?” I find myself asking.

“What do you mean?”

“This... great plan that you’re privy to that none of the rest of us are,” I clarify. “Is it worth the destruction and loss that precedes the glory? Because, unlike you, I’ve been out there, and I’ve seen the toll that losing the war has taken on everyone in the Realms.”

“Whatever this plan is, I hope it is worth it. And, as for my knowledge of such plan, I know very little. My hesitance to tell you and the others stems from caution only, Dragan, not malice.” Morrigan folds her hands in her lap and sighs. Like Revenant and Eilish, I have questions for the Midnight Queen. I was seduced and enslaved by Lamia and her daughters—something that Morrigan should have been there to prevent. She was supposed to ensure that the balance remained as it was, but here we are... fighting for answers that seem impossible to find.

“Have you ever heard of Lamia?”

“The queen of the succubae?” she asks. “Yes, I knew her and her daughters.”

“Did you know that I was the one who killed them? That I nearly wiped out an entire race to seek my vengeance?” My words don’t seem to surprise Morrigan. I feel myself growing more suspicious of her. Did she know that Lamia would try to seduce me? And did she know that Lamia would succeed?

“How did this come to be?” Morrigan asks, her expression giving nothing away.

“Variant sent her. Told her to sell me pretty words to get me to turn on my allies. I’m ashamed to say she succeeded.”

Before either of us can say any more, Kolvar opens the door to the cottage. Though I don’t fully trust anyone around me, it’s good to see him well.

He crosses his arms over his barrel chest and grins from ear to ear. “Wanna spar, gargoyle? I heard your sort are skilled fighters. Bet I could give you a beatin’ that’ll have you cryin’ like a baby,” the satyr snorts.

I nod with a smile. This is exactly the thing I need to calm my racing mind. “You’ll regret challenging me, asshole.”

CHAPTER FIVE

FLUMPH

The Veil

The cottage smell real sweet-like, all sugary and chocolatey and stuffs. My round little belly growl an’ Noni come runnin’ into the Mother Heifer’s room with a plate o’ cookies. I up here’s ‘cause Pyre told Noni an’ me ta keep an eye on the Queen bitch so that what I’m doin’.

Them cookies lookin’ real tasty, but I don’t asks her for none. I can’t start treatin’ her different ‘cause we sayin’ we friends an’ all. Then she gonna go an’ get a bigger head than whats she already got.

Noni climb up to the window by me an’ then summon the plate o’ cookies up to us. She wave one big one in my fuckin’ face, tryin’ to tempt me an’ whatsnot. It look real good, with chunks o’ chocolatey bits.

Queen bitch ain’t doin’ much. She sound asleep across the room, snorin’ even.

“Want a cookie, Mr. Flumph? Noni make them real special for her friend.”

---