Nora met my grin with a firm, welcome-back nod. She dropped her staff and raked the air with clawed fingers, tearing jagged strips of animus from the invisible barrier surrounding her and the rest of the party. Vernie, Aleph, and Tetora joined in, striking at it with their blessed weapons, while Relias held a steady golden veil around the group.

  General Ragnerus bellowed in frustration as Bodhil, Belgaldi, and Morcelos flinched, then rallied to reinforce their unseen wall.

  “Don’t let them interfere!” the General roared.

  Realizing I had a brief intermission while both sides wrestled for magical dominance, I took the chance to make a few adjustments.

  New plan, Faith. Your weight is slowing me down, and it’s a little hard to see around you. I need something bigger than a targe but with better maneuverability than this massive thing. Otherwise, I’ll soon be taking a serrated greatsword to the face. Got any ideas?

  The shield pulsed in acknowledgment before shifting its form. Its lower half tapered into a point while keeping its top edge broad for continued coverage.

  Oh, a heater shield! Nice compromise!

  Faith trilled in response just as I caught Morcelos beginning to sway with fatigue. “That’s the one, General,” he howled. “The dark mage that can pull away our strength!”

  Bodhil released a frustrated shout, dark flames spreading from her form as she batted at the barrier from the other side with two balls of fire. “She’s just a puny human! Let me kill her now, General!”

  “I will not go back on the Rules I have set. Do not let them break through!” Ragnerus bellowed, infusing them with some of his power before retaking a fighting stance. “You may engage the enemy after our battle is over!”

  That clinched it. I knew what I needed to do.

  “Are you sure you want to continue?” I asked, putting all the insolence I could behind those words. “If you give up and leave now, I’ll give you all a head start. Even Sergeant Shrieky.”

  No, I wasn’t crazy.

  I knew there was no way he would throw it all away just because I suggested it. But I figured he was a rigid, rule-bound type—dead serious about his code of engagement. Since provoking Bodhil worked out for me in Chairo, I surmised it might be helpful here, too. The effect was even better than I had expected. She screeched again, most likely swearing in the language of demons.

  “Show us her entrails, General. Splatter them across the battlegrounds!”

  The demons watching above roared in approval, stomping feet, hooves, or whatever lower appendages they’d brought to the occasion.

  The General surged forward to strike again, and Faith practically threw itself to catch the blow. I twisted the shield down and away, driving his blade with it. As I jabbed the Will of Euphridia forward to send him back, I added, “I take it you’re declining my invitation. Can’t say I’m not disappointed.”

  “Enough talk, just fight!”

  As you can imagine, I did the exact opposite.

  “How did you convince your horde here to be the first sacrifice?” I queried, weaving around one of his swings and shamelessly launching a few quick strikes toward his potential blind side. “Can’t imagine they’d just volunteer.”

  His eye widened, a snarl twisting his face with rage. “You are no Captain Ironwrath—she would not be so insolent!”

  Oh, well, maybe not to you, no. But she had been way worse with me.

  “But it’s true. Whether you win or lose, every demon here will die.” I danced back on quick feet, refusing to return his mighty blows, favoring small, sneaky strikes instead. “Maybe not today, in the ensuing bloodbath. Maybe a few will escape. But the Church will hunt them all down.”

  On cue, the members of the White Order roared several challenges at the demons across the way, even as they howled at me.

  “You speak as if yours will live,” Ragnerus raged. “But they will all—”

  I struck at him mid-sentence, shattering heroic tradition. My blade hit, clipping his left flank. This time, he roared in pain, and the wound bled more than a mere trickle. Darkness oozed from the gash like ink, dripping down his side.

  Concerned murmurs came from the demons watching.

  It’s working!

  My sword clashed against his, sparks of light and darkness flying. Deciding to be an even bigger cheat, I swung my sword low and amplified my aura, blowing the dust particles at our feet into his face. “But my side will be judged by Euphridia, rewarded for fulfilling their Purpose.” I parried his next blow. “You and yours will go to Naught and suffer eternal punishment.”

  Ragnerus bared his teeth, wiping at his face. “Then we will go out in a blaze of glory. Instead of sitting back while this world spirals into ruin, we will cull as many humans as possible to restore balance!”

  A demon trying to save the world... in his own sort of way?

  “So, instead of looking for a way to fix the root cause, you’ll just continue sacrificing your precious resources to a broken system? How many of your children must you lose, General?”

  The revelation struck everyone in the arena, with a stunning silence hanging in the air for several seconds, but I didn’t dare to look away from Ragnerus. There were several shouts and boos from the Order, even as the demons turned this way and that to stare at each other while repeating ‘children?’ over and over. Even Relias spluttered off to the side as Nora blew a low whistle.

  Good. Again, question everything you recently learned about the General.

  Not destroying the demonic trio for disobeying him in Chairo.

  Knowing the names and the faces worn by even the weakest of his demons.

  Forbidding his subordinates to devour each other.

  Refusing to change a set of Rules meant for mortal combat for his own benefit.

  The ‘blaze of glory’ statement just now was the icing on the cake.

  He may have previously proclaimed he was following the indiscriminately brutal Edicts of Epiales, but he had quietly rewritten them to elevate and protect his progeny.

  The snarl the General had worn for the entirety of our fight was gone, replaced by deep-seated fear. “Don’t act like you understand us. We are nothing like you!” he raged.

  “So you don’t care about them, then?” I asked, side-stepping a sword slash. Determined to shut me up, he swung at me repeatedly, his wild strikes easily displaced by my shield.

  I continued to question him. “They’re honestly nothing to you?”

  “You’re okay with destroying those you’ve created?”

  His answer wouldn’t matter much either way, so that was probably why he chose not to speak as he continued his attack.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Maybe I really don’t understand you, then. If I were you, I’d think of a better plan.”

  Frenzied and desperate, he turned into a smoky shadow again, stretching and thinning out in all directions.

  Realizing I had probably gone too far this time, I scurried backward.

  I can’t let him get behind me again. Time to attack from a distance.

  With my friends close by, their faith and trust unwavering... I know I can do this!

  Swinging my blazing sword down a diagonal, I unleashed a golden puff of...

  Sparkle?!

  It was not a full-powered Amity Bolt by any means. A toddler with a good sneeze across a page full of glitter would have done more damage across a greater range.

  I should have just practiced it myself...

  But it was enough to disrupt the oncoming dark mist, driving it back into his solidified form. The tiny flecks of gold seemed to singe him, offering additional distraction.

  “You can’t hide from me, General Ragnerus. Fight or yield!” I yelled, hoping no one would realize the confidence was overbaked.

  Unfortunately, he continued to choose violence despite his noticeable weakening. Some of the demons looked on in confusion; others appeared fearful as if contemplating their mortality, while a few screamed in desperation to pick up the slack of their colleagues. General Ragnerus’s movements had slowed, and the Will of Euphridia began to elicit a golden glow from his body with each tiny strike.

  It’s strange… the sparkle inside them is also gold. Fighting with the same color as their inner core seems almost sadistic.

  One of his wild counterstrikes slid across my flank. Faith caught most of it, but not all. While my aura and armor took most of the damage, the sharp burning in my side signified that I, too, was beginning to fatigue. He cross-slashed, trying for a second hit on the return, but I darted back in time. Before he could reset himself, I lunged at his momentary opening, putting everything I had behind it.

  The Will of Euphridia plunged into his upper left torso. A shockwave of golden light erupted from the wound as I withdrew the blade, crackling like etched lightning across his exposed chest. Thick, sluggish tendrils of darkness seeped from the gash, spilling down his front. His eye snapped to mine, glowing with fury before the iris narrowed to a pinprick. The light beneath his skin continued to pulse outward as he stumbled to his knees. Screams of anguish came from the demons, their rage and fear filling the air. Even the tiger clan, which had been mostly silent, gasped collectively. Soon, his entire form began to shudder, glitching just as Belgaldi had when I had bit him during our first encounter.

  “Yield, General Ragnerus. You are no longer fit for battle!”

  “I would rather die and face eternal punishment than yield to the likes of you.”

  “Why? Isn’t the whole point to live well and help those around you do the same? Do you hear your children howling for you? Who will safeguard them if you die here?”

  He flinched as he clawed at his upper body, fervently pulling at the wound to seal it shut. The light, however, still seemed to crackle through his skin.

  Just maybe… If I preserve some of his pride, we could strike a deal.

  “I’m much too busy with more important things, like fixing the system, than to waste time with your selfish problems and wounded ego.” I raised my blade with intentional slowness. “But if you’re not willing to withdraw back into your part of the Wastelands with full honors, then I have no choice but to—”

  “W-wait. I—”

  Several bloodcurdling screams filled the air as bright tears ripped through the stones of the stands across from me. Hundreds of black tendrils lashed out of the voids, writhing hungrily as they ensnared the demons and tiger clan warriors indiscriminately. The Order of White, unaccosted, looked on in perverse awe. A few soldiers started running away, smart enough to realize they could be next.

  “S…sire!” Morcelos wailed as several tendrils coiled around him, the last member of the demonic trio still standing. “Sire, save—” His final scream cut short as he vanished. The tear sealed itself up, leaving no trace.

  Taika, swift on her feet, turned and bolted. She ducked low, pivoted past another flailing demon, and sprinted toward the nearest exit, evading the tendrils as she ran.

  “You! What trickery is this?” Ragnerus roared at me, his voice raw and agonized. He lurched forward, but his massive frame wavered as he crashed again. Before he could right himself, an iridescent magic circle blazed at his feet—identical to the one that had just formed around me.

  An unbearably heavy weight settled into my body, pulling me to my knees and snuffing out my aura. Despite my struggles, I could not lift my sword or shield, let alone stand. A painfully slow tilt of my head toward my companions confirmed that they all were similarly bound. Desperate to stop the electric jolts in my neck, I turned my head back to a forward-facing position.

  Another rip in reality formed between the General and me, and two figures stepped out of its opening.

  The first one, shrouded in a dark hood and cloak, appeared human, though I knew better than to assume. The second was instantly recognizable: the strange demon responsible for Sir Sorne’s lamentable fate, still sporting courtly attire and wire-rimmed glasses. His right arm, however, stood out, bearing a dark gauntlet embedded with a glowing jewel.

  No.

  It was a shard.

  A shard from the holy crystals of Chairo!

  “Abomination! Your presence is not welcome,” Ragnerus declared in a weakened voice, his arms crossed over his chest as he knelt against his will. “Return my army at once!”

  The cloaked figure pushed back his hood, revealing a face that had perhaps once bordered on beautiful. He had dark blue irises and sleek black hair, but his pallor was that of chalk. While no blemish touched his brow, he appeared gaunt, almost skeletal, particularly around the jaw and nose.

  “Dread General, forgive my interruption,” he said, no hint of remorse in his raspy voice. “Rest assured, I will make suitable arrangements for your subordinates, but their presence is needed elsewhere.”

  “A…Ambrose?!” Relias gasped in recognition. “H-how is this possible?”

  Ignoring Relias completely, Ambrose stared at me, his eyes burning with icy anger. “I wonder just how much you’ve changed. I know I certainly have.” He turned to his companion. “Marquis Galenus. Congratulations on today’s success. I look forward to witnessing your future endeavors.”

  The foppish demon eyed me, his fear evident. “With your assistance, I wish to conclude this experiment as quickly as possible.”

  “Indeed,” Ambrose replied before turning to General Ragnerus. “My Mistress has been quite concerned with your actions as of late, General. It seems you have deviated from the plan you had agreed upon.” He folded his arms as he looked down upon him. “Her boundless compassion has brought me before you today. In exchange for all those who serve you, she will overlook your transgressions and allow you to continue living.”

  General Ragnerus sneered as he fought to stand. “How kind of her. Do not, however, expect the same treatment from me.”

  “Certainly not,” Ambrose agreed, unruffled. “However, you appear rather unwell now, so I doubt you are in any position to pose a threat. Marquis Galenus, I believe we must issue another invitation.”

  The demon swallowed fearfully. “You want me to try to… him?”

  “Go on, Marquis. I shall observe. I’m almost certain he’ll survive.”

  The demon trembled, then summoned a dark mist into his left hand. He slammed it against the crystal shard on his right and aimed the gauntlet at General Ragnerus. An iridescent aura formed around the demon as he opened his gauntleted hand. Five ropes of darkness coiled around the shrieking General.

  “Fascinating…” Ambrose noted in a cold, clinical voice as Ragnerus struggled against them. “Continue.”

  Galenus then closed his fingers, and the portal swallowed him, his rage-filled screams echoing long after he was gone.

  “It’s a shame we couldn’t warn the receiving staff,” Ambrose remarked. “However, I am sure they will care for him accordingly.”

  “Duke Ambrose, I beseech you…” Galenus whimpered. “I don’t believe these sigils will hold much longer…”

  He was right. I’d begun to wiggle back and forth, shoving myself against whatever heaviness was trying to compress me.

  Ambrose frowned. “Oh, we mustn’t forget our special guest, either.”

  “I refuse to go with you!” I shouted hoarsely as I righted myself.

  “My, my, my. Still convinced it’s all about you, hmm?” Ambrose said with a click of his tongue. “You are invited, of course, but we cannot arrange suitable transportation. Something about Amity users and our current portal system does not mix well. Perhaps we’ll be able to fix that in future revisions.”

  He snapped his fingers, and a tendril-laden Taika reappeared in the arena, confused and covered in sweat.

  “I believe she will be the perfect guide,” Ambrose remarked. “She’s been to the Mistress’s estate before.”

  Taika looked wide-eyed at the rest of us, still trapped, then snarled. “I serve the General, not Aziza!”

  “But you’ll do anything to get your clan back, won’t you?” Ambrose replied smugly.

  Almost… have my foot… to the edge… Maybe if I can break the plane…

  Galenus, still holding his gauntleted fist, appealed to Ambrose again. “I tire, Duke Ambrose…”

  “Yes. You’ve had quite an eventful day. Let us be off, then.” He glanced at me again, disgust written all over his bony face. “The Mistress looks forward to your arrival.”

  They both disappeared as the magic circle shattered at my feet.

  “Is everyone alright—”

  Nora screamed from behind, and I turned just in time to see her eyes flash with alarm as dark tendrils closed around her.

  “Nora! No! Noooraaaa!”

  I dropped everything—sword, shield, sense—and lunged forward, my hands clawing out in desperation.

  Her cloak.

  Her boot.

  Anything!

  But my fingers closed around nothing. The portal behind her swallowed her whole, its darkness fading.

  She’s gone.

  I hit the ground hard; my breath choked and ragged as I skidded forward.

  She’s really gone.

  My hands, still outstretched, dug into the dirt, shaking.

  She can’t be gone!

  A delicate card of pristine white fluttered to the ground before me. I picked it up with trembling hands and read the fine gold calligraphy.

  “Mistress Aziza cordially invites you to tea.”

  Here ends Into Shadows, Book 3 of The Last Rae of Hope. Please join us in Book 4, entitled All For Naught, where Rae and her companions set off to rescue Nora from Mistress Aziza’s mandatory tea party.

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