Page 259 of Eldritch
“Come on,” Zevander said. “Everyone else is already through.”
As Ravezio stepped forward, his spine snapped ramrod straight, eyes wide with panic. A figure stepped through the wall of flames that fizzled away at his back. Gnarled antlers at his head. Long bony limbs that looked like tree branches. Cloven feet.
Cadavros.
In his beastly form, he stood with his hand outstretched toward Ravezio, his other palm, which appeared to be missing fingers, was directed at Zevander.
“Let him go,” Zevander growled.
“Yes. I will let him go freely on the condition that you join me in burning down the Umbravale.”
It was then Zevander realized there was no pull at his mind, none of the strange tugging at his thoughts that he usually felt around the mage.
Their connection must’ve been severed when he’d consumed Maevyth’s blood.
“I do not wish to fight you. Agree to help me and your friend will live.”
“No!” Ravezio rasped, his voice tight with tension. “Don’t…do it!”
Zevander summoned a flame to his palm. “I’ll not tell you again. Release him!”
A deep, ominous chuckle rumbled out of the mage as he turned his palm upright and a flame appeared there.
Cold shock crawled over Zevander’s chest as he watched the telling black fire flicker over the flat of the mage’s hand.
“It seems I’ve acquired the power of both Pestilios and Deimos.”
“Then what do you need me for?”
“Unfortunately, the body can only accommodate so much power. What little I’ve acquired from Deimos isn’t enough to destroy it myself.”
Zevander threw out his palm, sending a torrent of flames toward the mage.
Cadavros released Ravezio and, with both hands, parried a blast of his own flame that collided with Zevander’s.
Zevander’s arms shook as he held them steady, pushing past the force opposing him. In his periphery, he watched Ravezio jump to his feet and charge toward the mage.
“Ravezio! No!” The distraction sent Zevander flying backward beneath the force of Cadavros’s flame slamming into his chest and knocking the air from his lungs.
He gasped and wheezed, twisting around to see Ravezio floating in the air, his arms outstretched either side of him.
His leather tunic stripped away from his body by an unseen force and the sight of him took Zevander back to the days in the mines when the guards would hold him outstretched that way.
“No!” Zevander gasped again and clawed at the dirt toward them.
Ravezio managed one small glance over his shoulder and the look of fear in his eyes sent a slithering dread beneath Zevander’s skin. The wet sound of tearing flesh echoed over Ravezio’s agonizing bellow of pain. All of his scales ripped away from his body at once, exposing the raw, glistening flesh beneath.
A frigid jolt ground Zevander’s muscles to a halt like the slow-moving granite that’d crawled over the spider moments before.
Ravezio collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap, wheezing and writhing.
“No!” Zevander roared and with as much strength as he could muster, he sent a blast of flame back at the mage.
Cadavros blocked it with his own counter flame and the two once again stood locked in a battle of power.
Muscles shaking with rage and wrath, Zevander held steady. He yanked his sword from its scabbard and against the unbearable force pushing against him, he stepped closer. Closer.
Cadavros side-stepped and circled around Zevander, breaking the clash of flames. He swiped up Ravezio’s fallenblade and held it outstretched as he inched closer toward the Umbravale. “I told you. I don’t want to fight you.”
