Page 35 of Dancing With Demons
Maybe Tolmond was right. I can’t use my magic like this, just hoping it knows what to do. I have to learn how to guide it somehow.
Unfortunately, the present moment doesn’t seem the best time to learn intense concentration.
“Could you give me justonemoment, please?”
The creature makes a hideous vibrating hum, and the others join it. All I have left is one small, finger-length shard of glass.
Tolmond is going to be so pissed about his lab.
If I somehow manage to survive this, I might wish I hadn’t.
But survival doesn’t seem to be a problem. The creatures have surrounded me with their victorious hums, and I realize with slowly dawning horror that the sound is coming fromabove, as well.
The only warning I have before it drops is the shadow above my head. My glass shard pierces its tough exoskeleton with a crunch, and I launch the creature to the ground, hands covered in disgusting goo.
At first, the creatures all shrink back, but then one of them tilts its head and studies me.
My hands are empty. My last glass shard is buried in their brother.
With a furious hum, they attack as one.
17
Tolmond
It is fortunate for Piper that my work for the Hooded One is divination.
It is, perhaps, not so fortunate forme.
“I hope that this foreboding sense of doom,” the Hooded One drawls, “and nightmare creatures are what is to befall the dark elves as we retake Protheka with our renewed forces.”
“Yes,” I lie swiftly. As a soz’garoth, I can pierce through the veil of the future more easily than even He, and I can see that it is not Protheka meeting its doom.
It is my laboratory.
And a certain human is in grave danger.
Now I must take my leave from the one demon I am not allowed to disobey. It takes all of my willpower to remain standing before him, face impassive, instead of rushing back to save her.
There’s still time.
Disaster hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve no idea how much time I have left. It could be heartbeats or moons, such is the nature of prophecy. If it were anyone else, I would hope for the best and follow the Hooded One into his chambers to provide further counsel.
But it isn’t anyone else, and I am rather fond of my lab.
“Victory,” I say, pawing at the smoky vision as though I can pull more detail from it, “is near, but I am seeing more experiments I must undertake. These creatures will prove vital to our plan, but I must act now.”
The Hooded One inclines his head, but says nothing.
My spine is ice.
If he takes this as an insult, well. He’s killed demons for less. There are scores of soz’garoth clamoring to take my place at his side, and here I am, desperate to leave it.
“If you were another,” his dry voice rasps, “I might think you were hiding something from me. Your heart races, my old friend, like an ur’gin on the hunt.”
I say nothing.
“You are fortunate I can see your laboratory in the vision,” he continues. “I know that you will bring forth great things.”