Soul Forge (Book One of the Soul Forge series)

“Lillian!” Elda screamed, not looking back to see if Vel was on his feet. “Run!” The Fae scrambled up and reached for her sword, but it was wrenched from her grip and tossed aside when the demon soul landed beside her.

Without thinking, Elda dropped her shoulder and slammed into him at full speed, ignoring the pain that ricocheted through her as they tumbled to the sand. Lillian staggered backwards and tripped, her sword tossed several feet away, leaving her with no option but to help the elf subdue him. Instead of acting, she froze.

Vel lifted Elda by the throat and tossed her aside, reaching to grab Lillian’s ankle. The Princess scrambled to her feet and leapt onto his back, remembering what she’d learned during training at Gira’s villa. Her legs locked around his waist, arms constricting around his neck. She tucked her chin to her chest, bracing herself for the inevitable roll.

The demon snarled when she stayed clinging to him, sandy and winded, but very much attached. She squeezed tighter, intent on cutting off his air supply. Instead of fighting, he stepped backwards into the shadows that rose up around him.

It felt like she was falling, her stomach lurching enough that when she reappeared in the desert, her limbs turned to jelly and she dropped from Vel’s back. He disappeared again and she realised he’d transported her twenty feet away. She swallowed the urge vomit and acted on instinct, closing her fist. Her fingers wrapped around the grip of her Soul Blade when it appeared in her palm, and she slapped the blue crystal, releasing the shining dagger.

“Irileth,” she whispered. “Keep my aim true.” She took a deep, steadying breath, feeling Irileth’s magic rush to fill her, and then she hurled the dagger with as much strength as she could muster. It flew through air like a dart, striking Vel right between his shoulder blades, burying itself up to the hilt in his back.

An angry sob burst from her at having to hurt him, but she raced towards the Fae and grabbed her arm, dragging her to her feet. Lillian stared at the demon soul on the ground, heart pierced by the blade.

“Lillian, you have to move.” She didn’t budge. Elda shoved her. “Lillian!” The Fae stayed staring at the demon soul.

“It’s no use. He’ll find me. He’ll destroy us all,” she muttered, frantic with fear. The elf pulled back her hand and slapped Lillian across the face as hard as she could.

"Move, damn it!" she screamed. The Fae woman sucked in a sharp breath and scooped up her katana, taking a step towards Vel instead of away.

“We should kill him. One cut would take his head.”

“Are you nuts?” Elda gasped, yanking her arm to try and drag her away.

“I’m not the one in love with a monster!” Lillian cried, tears welling in her eyes. “He’s the monster here. You can’t pick his side.”

“I’ll always choose his side,” Elda answered truthfully, raising her hands to show she meant no harm. “He hates you so viscerally because of what you did. He’s attacking you, not me. If he were a monster he’d snap my neck just as soon as he’d snap yours. He can come back from this, but not with you so near and certainly not if you kill him.” She swallowed her fear. “You need to go, Lillian.”

“You’re a fool,” she snarled, bringing the katana down to take Vel’s head.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The blade winked in the sunlight, right on course to cut through his spine. Lillian’s teeth were gritted, her eyes wild with anger and determination.

Something welled up inside Elda, something powerful and foreign. It didn’t belong to Irileth. Her worry for Vel’s life, her rage at Lillian’s stubbornness, the absolute fear that her choice would lead to the ruin of her home - all of it melded together in a white hot ball in her chest, building until it exploded outwards. She screamed Vel’s name, power pulsing from her lungs and slamming into the Fae with enough force to send her skidding through the sand.

The sound roused the demon and he yanked the blade from his back, tossing it aside and getting quickly to his feet. His fangs were still lengthened, veins still spreading all the way down his neck as his darker nature remained unbridled. He began to stalk towards Lillian, intent on ending her life.

Elda planted herself in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. As soon as her palms touched his chest plate he was shunted backwards by the same strange power. It seemed to release itself of its own accord, controlling her limbs. Vel swiped an arm into her ribs, knocking her to the sand, but up she rose. Magic built in her legs and her muscles bunched as she jumped and landed in front of him again, only to be thrown aside once more.

She was a puppet, a marionette under the control of whatever power was consuming her, but even the strange magic couldn’t stop him this way. She knew instinctively that the next strike would aim to wound him, the one after to kill if there were no other choice. Her legs were already moving, positioning her in front of him again. The look in Vel’s eyes told her he had no intentions of giving up.

Pushing back against the power, Elda lifted her chin and tried to think of an alternative. The magic continued to beckon to her, willing her to put her hands out, to fire a blast powerful enough to smash his rib cage in and crush his organs, but she refused the charms of whatever force had decided she was a weapon.

“I’m not a puppet,” she growled. She felt Irileth rise up against the all-consuming energy and force it back, clearing the way for Elda to act. Vel looked ready to smack her aside again, so she grabbed the sides of his hood. She didn’t know what the hell she was thinking, but she stretched up onto her toes and smashed her lips against his, knowing full well Lillian’s life depended on it.

The demon froze. Every inch of him stilled, even his breath ceasing. When she pulled back, his expression was blank. Painfully blank. She blinked away shocked tears, not expecting it to hurt so much when Vel didn’t react. When she tried to step back, his hands took hold of the sides of her head. She closed her eyes, expecting him to snap her neck. Her pulse thudded slowly, too loud in her ears.

“Varro,” he whispered, and her eyes flew open. Vel - her Vel - was looking back at her. His teeth were less sharp, the veins receding to surround his left eye. “You did it, you beautiful creature.” And then he kissed her hard enough to make her toes curl. It was different to kissing him when he was the Angel soul, more forceful, and the goosebumps she usually felt were replaced with fire, prickling her skin and flushing her chest. His hand knotted in her hair, tilting her head back. The kiss consumed her, body and soul, until the only thing left was him.

She was at his mercy, her body reacting despite her brain screaming at her for kissing a demon. His lips, originally cool against hers, warmed up as her breath fanned them. His free hand lowered to grip her hip, pulling her against him like he never wanted to let go of her again. A satisfied hum rippled through him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Lillian hissed, slicing through the haze and forcing him to break off their embrace. “He just tried to kill us!”

“I tried to kill you,” Vel corrected.

“You were a raging monster!” she yelled. His black eyes narrowed.

“Predators tend to have that effect on me.” He folded his arms across his chest. “While we’re at it, what the fuck were you thinking? You provoked a two thousand year old Behemoth out of spite, you crazy bitch!”

“If you hadn’t slammed us into the side of a mountain the Behemoth would still be asleep!” Lillian argued.

"You slammed us into the mountain with your fucking portal,” he growled, taking a step forwards. Elda took hold of his arm, silently urging him to stay calm. “Did you know it was there?”

“Not until I got close,” Lillian hedged.

“And you kept going?” Elda gasped. “Do you have any idea how stupid that was?”

“About as stupid as taking your pathetic little one-woman-band on a crusade against the Corrupted,” Vel supplied before Lillian could answer. “We dragged our asses after you to save you from exactly what just happened.”

“I didn’t ask you to save me!”

“Fuck this,” Vel muttered. “I have to get away from you before I try to kill you again.” He stalked away from them and sat heavily in the sand, dropping his head into his hands and massaging his temples with his thumbs.

“All of us followed you, you know. The others are almost here,” Elda told the Fae.

“Then why are you two here alone. More people would have been helpful.”

“If we hadn’t gotten here when we did your portal magic would still have roused Ose,” Elda insisted, folding her arms across her chest. “You’d have been left to face her alone. You’re lucky we arrived in time. You’re lucky Sypher went so far just to keep you alive.”

“He tried to kill me too!”

“Can you blame him?” Elda asked. Lillian opened her mouth to respond, but the elf silenced her with one raised finger. "Think about it. You know what you did to him. Imagine how that would damage you if it were the other way round.” She turned away and approached Vel before the Fae could respond.

“We should leave,” he muttered. “There’s no way the Corrupted didn’t hear that racket. I’ve expended too much energy to stay here.”

“We can double back and meet up with the others on their way here,” Elda reassured him. “Why haven’t you given Sypher the reins back yet?”

“Wanting rid of me so soon?” he asked wryly.

“No, you just look exhausted.”

“Both of us are, but I’m the stronger soul. His magic is expended. Mine is depleted, but not gone. Until we’re done travelling I’m more capable of protecting you. For once, he agrees with me.” He paused, lifting his head to look at her. “Were you hoping for him to come back when you kissed me?”

“No,” she answered honestly. “I just wanted you to recognise me again, Vel. That creature-”

“Is what I really am without the Angel soul,” he interrupted. “You’re alive right now because he loves you enough to fight me even when he’s exhausted.”

“And what about you?” she prodded.

He arched an eyebrow. “You’re growing on me,” he admitted. “But rationality isn’t my strong suit. It’s a miracle I didn’t gut you for touching me.” He frowned. “How did you push me back like that, by the way? You barely touched me.”

“I think it was magic, but it didn’t feel like mine.”

“Your Spirit, then?” She shook her head. “Hmm. We can mull it over later. Right now we need to get moving.” He got to his feet and offered her a hand, tugging her up beside him. She followed him back to Lillian. “Idiot, it’s time to leave.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”

“Then portal yourself away from here. I don’t care what direction we go in as long as it’s out of Rift. We have to leave before-”

The cry of an enormous Wraith sounded from behind the disintegrating body of Ose, cutting off his sentence. The three of them turned to see a massive bird rising over the corpse. On its back, a shock of flame bright hair fluttered in the wind.

“Before that happens,” Vel muttered, drawing his sword once more.