Page 62 of Hell Sent

“What do you want to bet that’s where they’re coming from?” Raiya said dryly, leading them toward it.

There were no other mortals until they came upon a group of Paladins who had come to fight the beasts from the hells. Azreth was somehow not surprised to see that Paladin Adamus was among them, because Adamus seemed to have a knack for ending up wherever they were. Nor was he particularly surprised when Raiya accepted his offer to accompany them to the castle, because she was far more trusting than she had any right to be.

That was all right, though. He trusted her, even if he didn’t trust Adamus.

As they passed the castle’s outer wall, he took Raiya’s hand. It was something he never would have done when he was in the hells. The open display of affection would signal a weak point to anyone who saw. But it was worth it for the little burst of warmth and sweetness he caught in her scent when he touched her.

“Are you afraid?” he asked her.

“Of course,” she said, giving him a rueful smile. “Are you?”

He thought about it, and he was surprised to realize that he no longer felt a sense of growing panic when he looked at the castle.

Enthrallment was supposed to be a disease of emotions, wasn’t it? So why did his emotions feel more in balance now than they had during all his time in the hells?

“No,” he replied finally.

“I wouldn’t judge you if you were.”

“I know.”

She smiled up at him, but the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“We will succeed,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

“Are you so certain?”

“I am certain that I will do whatever it takes to keep you from harm.”

She squeezed his hand, her small fingers lacing through his. “I’ll do the same for you.”

They stopped in front of the castle’s front doors. They were shut tight, a circle of glowing runes emblazoned on the dark wood. Adamus and the elves tried the doors and found them locked. Fortunately, Azreth had prior experience dealing with locked doors.

Without further ado, he kicked the doors down.

Twenty-Four

The castle was quiet.

The others seemed surprised by the silence as they crept into the entry hall, but Azreth wasn’t. Many creatures of the hells would lie silently in wait before striking. If he were one of Nirlan’s minions, he would wait in the shadows until his target turned their back to him.

On the floor in the center of the entry hall, they found a human corpse. As Azreth summoned a sphere of mage light to illuminate the room, Raiya approached the body, leaning in to examine it without getting too close.

“It’s Priestess Gereg,” she said.

Azreth raised an eyebrow. “She’s dead?”

“Quite dead.” Raiya’s mouth stiffened into a line. Blood was smeared all around the body. It was still fresh, not yet dry. The scent of it made Azreth salivate.

He was pleased. “Well. She’s with her goddess now.”

Raiya looked up at him, smirking. “Was that a joke, Azreth?”

“Maybe.”

Madira poked at the body with his sword, turning it to view the large gashes in its stomach. His nose wrinkled. “Do you think a sword did that, or another demon?”

“I cannot say,” Azreth said. “We should find the lord and ask him.”

---