Erin Evans - Brimstone Angels

“Here’s a prophecy for you,” Farideh heard the succubus say. “This city will be your grave.” She turned to the man. “I hope you don’t mind sharing it with all the rest.”

Rohini’s hand shot out and wrapped around the servitor’s throat. Her fingernails lengthened, piercing the man’s slick skin as he struggled against her surprising grip. A pulse of Hellish magic surged through Rohini and into the man, rocking him with a convulsion violent enough that Farideh heard bones crack.

“A fitting offering,” Rohini crooned, “the City of Jewels. A sacrifice to fallen Arunika. To lost Rohini. And your masters … well, they won’t care a bit. You shouldn’t have pressed me.”

Another pulse of Hellish power-mingled now with the strange, dancing magic-shook the man. Rohini released him and he collapsed to the stone stairs.

Farideh gripped the broken wood of the stall’s edge. Rohini gestured again at the wider city, flinging streamers of her strange magic out into the night. The creatures from the Chasm lifted heads, eyes, and tentacles, following the path of her casting into the city beyond. One fleshy beast, all barbs and wet eyes, sprang forward, crashing into the ancient brickwork of a merchant’s shop.

The erinyes were nothing but a pebble in Rohini’s path, Farideh thought. She pulled the rod from her sleeve.

“Lorcan, go up and strike at her from above,” Farideh said. When he started to argue, she added, “We can’t get away as long as she can make those monsters do her bidding. Brin, get your sword ready and for the love of Torm, hope your spells work.”

One of the large monster’s tentacles slammed down on the stall, shattering it into splinters. The three of them scrambled backward out of the way as it rose up again, waving over the battling devils.

Farideh ran into the street, trusting that they would follow her, not caring if they did because she knew she had to stop Rohini before she destroyed everything. As she ran, she pulled her rod free and called up the powers of the Hells. Not fire, she remembered. Missiles of brimstone rained down on Rohini and Brother Vartan, on the appendages of the larger monster that waved too near.

Rohini grinned. “Ah, Glasya’s latest prize.” Vartan’s lip curled and his hands wove the paths of some spell.

“I have him,” Brin shouted as he passed.

A bolt of energy streamed down from where Lorcan hovered and struck Rohini. She screamed in rage and cast her own magic up at him. He ducked it and swooped farther back.

Farideh started to cast another rain of missiles, when Rohini launched at her. Her talons closed on Farideh’s arms and pulled her in close.

“You’ve been so difficult,” she said. “Twisted out of my grasp so many times.” A shock of pain burst over Farideh, driving her breath from her lungs. Her knees buckled, but Rohini held her up, her mad eyes dancing. “I don’t play by your rules anymore. Let’s see how Lorcan likes fighting his little toy to the death.”

Something heavy wrapped itself around Farideh’s heart, and something sharp sank itself into her mind. She could hardly remember how to breathe-where was she? What nightmare was this? Something terrible was circling her overhead, she had to knock it from the sky. The woman standing in front of her was giving her an eager, ferocious look … Did she know her? Yes, Rohini. And the creature above wanted to hurt Rohini and Farideh both. Only she could save … Rohini.

Rohini.

Farideh blinked and her heart seized.

Rohini, who had nearly killed her sister.

She pointed the rod at Rohini’s throat. “ Adaestuo. ”

The blast seared away the succubus’s skin and sprayed blood over both her and Farideh. Farideh pulled the rod back like a club and cracked it hard across the succubus’s face. Rohini reeled back, but as Farideh stepped toward her, vertigo overtook her-the succubus’s domination wasn’t completely gone. She glanced up in time to see Lorcan hit the Wall hard as a tentacle lashed out of the sky and into him. He scrabbled at a window ledge and clung on long enough to get his bearings and draw his sword before leaping back into the sky.

Behind Rohini, Brin dodged Brother Vartan’s blast of magic and sank his sword into the twisted priest. The man collapsed, not only blood pouring from his wounds, but a colorless slime that Brin stepped neatly out of-the horrors of Vartan’s search for secret knowledge.

Rohini straightened, her eyes mad, the powers of the Hells and the Sovereignty warring over her skin. She spotted Brin, and her eyes took on a wicked gleam.

“Come here, boy,” she said sweetly. “I have need of your sword.” Brin straightened, his eyes glazing. He looked down at the servitor and the sword in his hand, then up at Rohini, puzzled. He took a step forward.

Rohini screamed, her wings going stiff and thrust back. Both Brin and Farideh stumbled as the traces of her magic fled.

Rohini gasped and spat blackish blood, then slid to her knees, her wings drooping.

The blade of Havilar’s glaive was buried in her back. Havilar yanked it free and Rohini fell face first into the ground. Havilar spat.

“And I still don’t think you’re pretty,” Havilar said. She looked down at Farideh. “Are you all right?”

“Move!” Lorcan swept down and caught Farideh, shoving her out of the way. Havilar scrambled after them, dragging Brin behind her.

Farideh glanced back to see Invadiah swinging her blazing sword at the larger monster’s last tentacle. The thing gave a horrible scream and recoiled, waving in the air. It slammed down beside Rohini’s broken body, then slithered heavily around her, pulling the fouled succubus up and over the Wall. Back to the Chasm it had come from.

Farideh risked a glance around. The smaller monsters were all slowing, bleeding out as the remaining erinyes shook off the effects of their poisons and mental attacks. The guards up on the Wall were rallying.

Here, Farideh thought, is where things go sour. They could draw off the erinyes, but where to? Not here, she thought. If they could get the devils out of the city, Neverwinter might mount a reasonable defense.

“Come on,” she said to Havilar, “we need to catch their attention.”

Lorcan grabbed ahold of her arm. “I didn’t promise my help in getting you killed.”

“No one’s asking for your help,” she said. “If we don’t, Neverwinter could fall.”

“Then let it,” he said. “It is not yours to care for.”

“It is mine as much as it is anybody’s,” she said, twisting from his grip.

In front of the House of Knowledge, a bright line of red light sliced through the air, then split wide like an opening eye. A low buzz filled Farideh’s ears, and suddenly the gap exploded with creatures the size of wolves that swarmed over the erinyes, their sharp stingers glistening with venom.

“Hellwasps,” Lorcan said, and he pulled both twins behind the body of the largest monster. The devils swooped over the battling erinyes, breaking off in pairs to circle them, trapping them each neatly apart from their sisters. He pulled Farideh nearer into the curl of his wing. He was shaking.

A piercing cry ripped through the night air as one erinyes sliced neatly through one of the smaller devils. It vanished in a burst of flame. Before she could so much as laugh, two of the larger hellwasps descended on her and speared her through with their stingers. She collapsed with a yelp, and the other erinyes were wise enough to take the hint and sheathe their swords.

“You are to come with us,” Farideh heard one of the large ones say to Invadiah. “You are to stand for the failure of your mission.”

“My mission has not failed,” Invadiah countered. “It is still in progress.”