Slowly lowering my arms, I blinked at theten-foot-tall corpse lying on the ground before us. I lifted myhands to wipe away the blood coating my lids, sticking to mylashes, and covering my skin. Two hours, I’d scrub myself fortwohours when this was finally done.
The illusionary rock walls surrounding usfaded away, and I once again found myself standing in the largecavern with the carousel a hundred feet away. Bale, Corson, andMagnus stood only twenty feet away from us. They were all palerthan normal as they gazed at the remains of the creature before us.Then, their eyes lifted to me.
“Amazing,” Magnus muttered.
I frowned at him, but before I couldrespond, the sound of Kobal’s steps ringing across the cavern floordrew my gaze toward him. He strode away from the closing doorleading to the roadway beyond. I realized he’d kept his promise andstayed away throughout most of what Magnus had done to us. Everystep he took was measured as his gaze raked over my bloody,bit-covered body.
“I’m fine,” I said before he could stroll byme and fulfill his promise of removing Magnus’s hands.
“You saw that?” Magnus inquired of him.
“I did,” Kobal said as he stopped before me.His eyes were unreadable as they surveyed me.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked.
“No,” Kobal replied. “You did somethingnoone has ever done before.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The barta demons were locked behind a sealmany millennia ago. The removal of their heads is the only way tokill them. Most die before they can accomplish that.”
“The barta demon? Is that the twisted Winniethe Pooh monster whose heart just exploded all over us?” Iasked.
“Not sure what Winnie the Pooh is, but yes,”Kobal replied with a straight face.
I resisted the impulse to hug him. I didn’twant to touch myself, so I doubted he would want remains all overhim too.
“Fire, which some demons can wield, has noeffect on a barta, as you saw in the carnival,” Magnus said.“Lucifer has set them free, and now they are a part of hisguard.”
A muscle ticked in Kobal’s cheek as helifted his gaze from me to Magnus. “They guard him now?”
“They do,” Magnus replied. “I was able tocatch some of them and brought them here to try and figure outanother way of killing them. My answer stumbled in hereherself.”
I glanced back at the crumpled remains onthe floor. “It was only one.”
“You killed a barta without having to touchit,” Corson said. “They are arrogant in their belief there is onlyone way for them to die. These creatures will most likely tuck tailand run if you start exploding their hearts in their chests.”
“Plus, you were using Hawk to fuel you.Imagine if you used Kobal,” Magnus said.
I glared at him. “First, I don’t think thesethings are going to run from anything. Second, I don’tuseanyone.”
“You do when it is necessary, and there isnothing wrong with that,” Magnus said. “We all must do what isnecessary to ensure our survival, especially you.”
The look in all the demons’ eyes made myheart sink. They’d always hoped for me to be able to do something,I knew, but now I sawbeliefthere too.
The memory of the nightmares the lanavourshad mirrored back at me swirled around me. I absently reached up tosee if tears of blood streaked from my eyes before recalling I wascovered in blood, bits, and goo. My shoulders sagged as exhaustionrolled over me, and I gazed down at my bloodstained, tornclothing.
“We have no other clothes,” I murmured.
It was such a ridiculous thing to beconcerned with while they were looking at me like I was themessiah, but I couldn’t focus on being the liberator of Hell rightnow. It was an absurd notion. Hell was supposed to be the badplace, not the place I was working to help save.
“I will get some for you,” Magnus said.“When we return to my residence.”
I didn’t ask from where or whose clotheshe’d be giving to me. I rarely liked Magnus’s answers.
“What of the others?” I asked Kobal. “Havethey arrived?”
“They’re gathered outside,” he replied.“There are over a hundred demons and skelleins. They left abouthalf behind to protect the humans.”
