Page 57 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

Ryder breathed to center himself. Eyros was right. When it came to Grayson being hurt or in danger he was an emotional mess. Quick to anger. Ready to fight. But he had to be strategic. He couldn’t give into the easy rage that was always his to tap. The Berserkers among the Vampires were normally from his Bloodline, gaining that from him. He had to keep it in check now.

He glided in on silent wings to a thickly forested area about 100 yards from the edge of the city. He lowered his head as they neared the tops of the trees. He skimmed them with his wings and then he shifted. There was still the ghost of his form as they continued to soar at an angle downwards rather than crashing to the earth.

Khos landed first with all four paws bent. Ryder was next with Fiona followed soon after by Charlie. All four of them landed lightly with no injuries. Ryder checked Khos over as he knew the other Immortals were okay.

“Your clothes,” Fiona offered her pile and Charlie did as well.

“Thank you. I don’t know if Eyros shared my conversation with him about what they might be doing to Grayson,” he said as he pulled on his pants. His hands were trembling. He forced them to still and moved with measured grace.

“He did,” Fiona said with a press of lips. “It’s so wrong.”

“And it really won’t work that way with Ashyr,” Charlie said with a quiet sigh. “The slices really don’t fully understand themselves, let alone others. The core of Ashyr’s soul is to serve Daemon faithfully with no conflicts. If the Kaly slices seek to use him against Daemon or to weaken Daemon in any way, he’ll–”

“Destroy himself,” Ryder realized and his chest felt tight. “Yes, he would. He truly would.”

“But the Kaly slices won’t believe that,” Charlie said.

“I think we need to move. Now,” Fiona said and started to walk forward in the forest towards the city.

The four of them managed to move silently through the trees. There was nothing alive in the forest with them. The army of the dead truly kept everything out so they did not disturb anything on their way. But Ryder’s heart was racing nonetheless as if he were in the middle of a battle. So it wasn’t him that was feeling this.

I’m coming, Grayson. Hold on!

They made it to the treeline. Lasting was not surrounded by a high wall as Nightvallen was. Ryder realized that the sea of undead was likely the reason that this was possible. The whole city reminded him of grave markers. Pyramids. Ziggurats. Obelisks. They were everywhere. And so were the undead and their Kaly masters.

“We need to get a few of them closer to us,” Charlie whispered.

But even that whisper had the head of one of the pale Kaly turning towards the forest and frowning.

Eyros, we need you to be the go-between here or we’ll be scouted for sure, Ryder said.

Indeed! How lucky you are that I am a part of this mission, Eyros clucked.

We are, Fiona said simply.

Eyros was silent at that.

We need to lure one Kaly to us so I can touch them to gain their powers, Charlie said. The other two I’ll glamorize you into can just be seen from afar.

Right. Well, I think… Khos, I need you to attract one of the Kalys to us, Ryder said to the massive Dire Wolf.

Will they follow a wolf? Fiona lifted an eyebrow.

There shouldn’t be anything alive here, Ryder pointed out. They’ll be curious.

They might kill Khos, Charlie pointed out. Before he makes it back to us.

Khos is willing to take the risk, Ryder said as he confirmed with the animal.

Tell Khos to go between those two buildings, Eyros said. There is a Kaly on their own. Not a slice so you won’t alert the hive mind by taking them out. And I can encourage them to follow the pretty Dire Wolf into the dread forest.

I am glad you’re with us, Eyros, Ryder admitted.

Another silence, whether from shock or uncertainty what to say, but then Eyros said, Send Khos now. It’s the perfect time. No one is nearby.

Ryder urged Khos forward. The Dire Wolf padded between two pale stone structures. They were long, rectangular and appeared to be the tops of buildings that went deep into the earth itself. Ryder imagined that there was a maze of catacombs below them. They probably riddled the whole area like Swiss cheese.

Ah, Khos has got her attention! Bringing her now! Eyros said with evident satisfaction.