Page 50 of Immortal Alliance

“Noni sense you need her,” the little brownie say.

Somethin’ real sappy-like cross the gargoyle’s face an’ he lift the side o’ hims armor an’ I see a big ‘ol gash in him’s side. It be bleedin’ somethin’ fierce. Noni gasp an’ try to help, but she can’t. Not here, not with all this shit happenin’ ‘round us. An’ I knows the faerie realms drain her magics faster than the Veil.

I search for Pretty, but she ain’t nowhere I can see. That ain’t good.

***

EILISH

The Threst

I can hear Dragan calling to the forces as he crouches low to the ground. Kolvar covers my advances and we move closer to theThrest. Orcs and demons rush toward the mercenaries, leaving a clear path to the stairs, and we run quickly and quietly towards the entrance.

The door is heavily warded, just as I feared. Kolvar lifts me onto his shoulders and I grip the bottom of one of the silver hexagon borders between large slabs of pure crystal. I hoist myself higher as Kolvar leaps up beside me. We climb, using the silver frames to balance ourselves until we reach the peak of the curve.

A burst of black smoke bellows out from the opening at the top. When the smoke ceases, I peer inside and see what looks like an enormous cauldron beneath us. The vat of boiling goo isn’t ideal to land in, but there’s a crate of fabric beside it. The bloodied cloth causes my stomach to turn as I think about the poor fae creatures at Morrigan’s mercy. But I see no other way inside. Kolvar nods and I lower myself down, hanging by my arms as I summon my courage.

I let go.

The fall feels endless but my body hits the pile eventually and I roll out of the way for Kolvar to do the same. With my hand hovering above the blade strapped to my thigh, I move through a narrow passage lined with cages. Fae creatures of all sorts sit within their metal enclosures—some in better shape than others. Heavy boots thunder from the other side of the sphere, and Kolvar and I hide in the shadows behind a cluster of cages.

“You shut up or else I’ll come down there wif the electrifyer,” shouts a demon guard.

A small, plump female swathed in robes approaches the cauldron. She must be the artificer. My suspicions are confirmed as she pulls enchanted weapons from the roiling goop. Kolvar moves along the left as I move to the right, where a large demon stands guard before me. When Kolvar gives the signal, I attack without hesitation.

My dagger glides across thick skin until I plunge the blade deep into the demon’s belly and twist, gasping as his soul is absorbed by the serpent at the hilt. The artificer trembles, raising her hands in surrender as Kolvar kills another demon on her other side.

I lunge, gripping her and turning her so she faces away from me. Then I press my dagger to her throat in case she means to sound the alarm.

“I’m not loyal to Morrigan,” the woman says. “I have no fight with you.”

“The talisman,” I start. “Is it complete?”

“No,” the artificer replies. “Morrigan tried to pull its power prematurely but it wasn’t ready. It required more lives, more power.”

“But she possesses it now?”

“Yes, but her power is still hindered,” the woman responds.

Kolvar restrains her by binding her hands behind her back and shoves a rag in her mouth, securing it behind her head. Then he drags her along with him as he unlocks the cages. We move swiftly, without stopping, from one floor to the next. I cut through our enemies as Kolvar follows behind with the newly freed fae. On the final floor, I see the entrance straight ahead, but something doesn't feel right. I lift my hand to stay Kolvar’s movements. He pauses as I assess the eerie silence in theThrest.

Morrigan.

She and a strange creature appear out of a puddle of murky water. Kolvar shoots me a worried look. The satyr has no defenses against Morrigan’s magic, and neither do the fae.

I push back and pull him aside. “You have to go. Get Dragan and the others and try to make it back to camp. I’ll distract Morrigan, but if she triggers my magic, I could kill everyone here and I don’t want that.”

Kolvar pulls me into a hug and I hold on tight. “You be safe. If you don’t come back before the legion heads out, I’m comin’ for you. No matter what.”

I give him a smile. “Go. Be safe.”

The satyr releases me, and I sheath my blade at my thigh once more. Soft padding at the bottom of my boots allows me to walk silently across the floor. Two demons kneel before Morrigan as she barks orders at them.

“Your job is to find more fae to feed the talisman, so I expect you to get it done.”

She catches sight of me as I approach. “Eilish... you...”

“Morrigan,” I say and the sound of my voice belies the way I feel about her.

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