Then Evylin turned back to the others. They all watched with uncertainty, a strange blend of curiosity and fear in their gazes. “We can still do this,” she told them. “We’ve made it through this far faster than ever before. Not one of us has grown tired yet. Even if Jonn goes down, wecanmake it out. Once we defeat the Guardian, we’ll have the Space Relic. Auden, you can take it. I fear it will be too much of a temptation for Jonn to channel my power if I have it.”
Auden nodded.
“We can do this,” Evylin repeated. “Wewill. Together.”
A smattering of nods and bolstering smiles were passed around the troop. They all trusted her. They believed in her. And in that moment with their fates in her hands, Evylin thought she understood the weight of responsibility Deckard so feared.
At her side, Auden’s fierce green eyes met hers. “We’ll get out of here,” he promised, voice low. “We’ll gethimout of here.”
With an appreciative smile, Evylin turned to the others. “Are we ready?”
Their renewed courage emboldened her. Theywoulddo this. Together.
At the head of the troop, Evylin and Deckard descended. Even with his strange attitude, her heart began to fill with hope. No matter what happened, no matter how quickly Deckard’s strength waned, the rest of them could make it. And they wouldallsurvive this Keep.
They stepped into the vast expanse of the Chamber, a replica of all the others. Across its grand length, the dais awaited them. Black marble with luminous, ever-changing veins covered the floors, walls, columns, and ceiling. The rainbow of gemlike colors still shifted within, fading away into black as though the nebulae above were captured in these stones.
Deckard paused at the entrance. “I’ll get the Relic,” he said quietly.
The team edged into the room behind him, weapons at the ready. “How fast are you?” Rafferty asked him.
“Reasonably.”
Rafferty looked at Thom.
“I mean, he’s not you. But yeah,” Thom shrugged, “he’s pretty fast.”
The weasel’s silver eyes flickered to the dais. “Should I go with him?”
“Couldn’t hurt,” Evylin said, wanting someone’s eyes on Deckard while she focused on the Guardian. “Eight will be enough to distract whatever creature awaits us here.”
Rafferty danced on the balls of his feet. He looked up at Deckard slyly. “Ready, old man?”
A strangely emotionless grin came to Deckard’s lips. “We’ll wait for the Guardian to show itself,” he said.
“Why?”
“Do you want to run straight into its path?”
Rafferty pursed his lips. “Fair point.”
They didn’t have to wait long as the ground beneath their feet began to shiver. From the right side of the room, a giant beast came into view. The Guardian’s feathered head nearly grazed the ceiling. Long black talons clicked along the floor as it strode with graceful but deadly steps. Scaly wings unfolded from its back, a long and muscular tail whipping behind its powerful form. The point of the tail reminded Evylin of the crystalline shards of Deckard’s magic, jagged and fierce. Its black beak snapped as glittering eyes surveyed them. Somehow, Evylin could pick out bits of the dragon, bloodwolf,vængebjörn, and wyrm in the shape of the wings, furred hide, beak, and tail. While she’d never seen thelehavranordieumer, she wondered if there were pieces of their construction in this creature as well.
Deckard and Rafferty took off to the left. The remaining eight charged forward.
From a distance, Auden, Ilain, and Isla attacked along with Ethenn and Vayden. Brea, who had given Vayden her bow and arrow, ran beside Evylin and Thom, her short sword lifted.
The creature made no sound. It didn’t appraise them with rage or anger. Instead, it moved with swiftly refined flicks of its tail, claws, and wings. Each strike was purposeful and sure. It wasn’t afraid of them. It had no reason to be.
Sticking close to Evylin’s side, Thom was able to slip past the creature’s defense with her. However, in ensuring his safety, she was distracted enough to let a swipe from the Guardian catch her on the arm. A gush of blood warmed her sleeve, leaking down her bicep. She ignored the sharp pain and slashed with the Night sword.
Fire and Day erupted across the creature’s hide. Silver arrows peppered its flesh. And Evylin’s blade drew a line down its foreleg. But instead of blood, it wept onyx shards, razor sharp and glittering.
Evylin and Thom leaped back, but not before obtaining several scrapes along their coats and hands. “That’s not ideal,” he muttered, then called a warning to Brea.
“Doesn’t matter,” she replied from beneath the beast’s stomach. “I can’t penetrate the hide.”
“It’s because you don’t have a Relic,” Evylin said. “It takes twice the effort, but as a Warrior, youcando it.”
