Page 52 of Birthright

I bent and swung my right hand toward him, striking his chest with my mother’s blade. “Trust”, I chanted. Burning pain pushed up through my abdomen.

The power of the spell and the blade exploded into the King of the Slaugh. Bits of sand and dust shot outward. Manus flew across the room and into the wall, hitting hard and falling to the floor. Nessum stumbled back into the crucifix holding my father, knocking it down and breaking it. Coyle’s hands were ripped from the spikes. I felt the thrust push back against me as it bounced off the walls. I didn’t go down, but I had to struggle to steady myself.

Nessum came up fast and flew toward me with his hands raised to start a silent spell. I knew better than to let him finish. I lifted my mother’s blade and steadied it to plunge into his chest.

He stopped cold, his gaze locked on to my eyes, searching to discover if I knew what power I held over him. When he found his answer, he started to back away. I gave him a tiny smile and lunged forward.

Nessum disappeared, vanishing completely out of the room. I stood there a second, sword gleaming in the torchlight.

Manus made a small noise, shifting back to his human form. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Get dressed, get Abbey, and find Howard.” I knelt at my father’s side.

He fought to open his eyes again. He was alive, but just barely.

“About damn time!” Abbey said as she approached my side, looking none the worse for wear. I picked her up and kissed her on the head.

“I thought you were hurt.” I was so happy to see her.

“I told them all kinds of bull to get them to leave me alone. Then I pretended to pass out so they’d wait ’til I was awake to torture me.” Those big blue eyes looked past me to my father. “He’s not good. Nessum has been feeding off him regularly.” She bent over him and touched his head. “Coyle, we’ll get you outta here, Baby, just hold on.” His eyes darted back and forth between us while Abbey tenderly rubbed his forehead.

I looked up at Manus—who cradled Howard’s broken, lifeless body in his hands.

“No!” I hit my knees.

CHAPTER 22

“Try not to yank on the hair, little woman.”

Abbey obligingly adjusted her perch on my backpack as we moved along the sand. I had sent another thrust spell through the sand in the hopes that it would keep the Tutzlwarms away. So far, so good. Manus held Coyle with his right arm. I had him under my left. The going was slow, but we were going. The mountain pass we had seen on the way in was just ahead of us but the sun was creeping down the horizon and the shadows of the evening were stretching their long fingers toward us.

“We’re never going to make it, Keena,” Abbey said as she held on to my shoulder sheath. Her weight wasn’t much on my back. We’d walked through the forest on WildLand like this many times. I was one of the few people she, or any Imp, for that matter, would let carry them. It felt wonderful just to have her there.

I had grown very aware of when the sun was coming and going during all the time spent with Tynan. I had gotten used to his cycles, and I could feel the darkness creeping up around us. Manus moved faster, and I did my best to keep up. My father didn’t weigh much, but it was dead weight nonetheless. He moaned a bit here and there, but mostly he was out.

We were at the end of the rocky pass through the mountain when the darkness overcame us. I heard the calling and flapping of the awakening Slaugh all around. They would locate us soon if we didn’t find somewhere to hide.

“Manus,” I said, stopping before we headed out of the pass. “We should find a cave or something in these rocks. The boat is too far away. Then we’d be stuck on the open ocean.” He agreed and went ahead of us to find some cover. I tucked Coyle and Abbey into a small gap in the rocks and stood guard.

It wasn’t long until the closest Slaughs sniffed us out. Fresh blood, so close to home, stirred them and brought them to our location quickly.

I stood in front of Abbey and Coyle and slashed at the creatures. The rotten smell of them churned my empty stomach. I had to stop and hunch over and try not to vomit. My weak stomach was going to be the death of me.

Straightening to swing between dry heaves, I managed to spear one and it disintegrated, showering us with dust and sand.

Abbey levitated a small rock and smashed it into a Slaugh as it attempted to take advantage of my bent position. It jerked back and hit the side of a hill.

“Your magic works?” I shouted. “Keep going!” I was slashing and jabbing and she was pounding them with rocks. The pass was narrow, and they got tangled in each other, sending one to the ground and the others off into the air in frustration.

Several went higher, over the rocks and cliffs of the passageway, and came at us from the opposite direction. Abbey was still helping me fend them off when Manus fought his way back to us. “Found one. I’ll get Coyle, you go in front. Abbey, stay in the back and keep at it.”

We made it out of the pass and the short distance to the cave Manus had found. He placed Coyle on the ground and backed into a small opening, pulling my father behind him. Abbey ran in without even ducking. One last Slaugh tried to follow us in and I stuck it in the face with the golden blade of my mother’s sword. I backed in, warding the opening behind me.

Bran was dead, Nessum was AWOL, and our magic was working. The night might be survivable.

We made our way about twenty feet into the mountain and braced against the back wall of the cave. I cast a second ward over the opening. Just in case it was needed. The Slaugh were too big and bulky to get in, and they seemed uncoordinated, unable to work as a group or to continue attacking if they couldn’t see us. But it made me feel better.

It was freezing in the cave. “Manus, do you still have those amulets?”