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“Why the sneaking around?” asks Pyre.

“Saw fire. Had to make sure it wasn’t an orc camp.” Baron hisses as I set him down on one of the bedrolls. His eyes close for a moment as he lifts his tunic to show off a collection of wicked bruises and a gash that’s healing itself as we watch. “More and more orcs kept coming. Thought I was done for.”

Cocking my head to the side, I smirk. “You look like shit. Are you sure you aren’t part orc or something? Because I can see the family resemblance.”

“Well, you ain’t all that handsome either, sunshine.” The vampire grits his teeth and prods the hot kindling with his knife until the metal glows a bright orange in the night. He presses the tip to one of his many wounds. The skin sizzles and closes itself as the smell of burned flesh permeates the camp.

“Variant and I had a little discussion,” he says. “And by ‘discussion,’ I mean he tried to kill me again.”

Part of me is actually glad Baron made it out of the fight intact. Variant could have easily made Baron’s life hell, but the vampire is clearly more powerful than I thought. It strikes me then that I’m the least powerful among the four of us, in terms of magic. At least until I locate the grimoire.

“Did Variant give anything away?” Pyre asks.

Baron shrugs. “We were fighting. I was getting weaker after fighting against the horde. Then he saved my life.”

“Variant saved your life?” I ask.

“Maybe he’s lost too much blood,” Theren adds.

“Good Variant saved me,” Baron responds, glaring at us both.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I ask.

“It means Variant’s soul is imprisoned by Morrigan same as mine,” Theren responds.

Baron shrugs indifferently and grabs the water canteen out of Pyre’s hand. He dumps the water all over his chin and chest.

“I absorbed Variant’s soul into my body after I felt a strange channel open up, and then the real Variant bought me enough time to get out of there before the orcs tore me to pieces.”

“And now?” Pyre asks.

Baron shrugs. “We should be able to make it to the volcano without any more trouble, if we leave now.”

“Woah! What do you mean, you absorbed his soul?” I insist.

“Any form of leech species that feeds off the life force of others has the potential to be a vessel,” Pyre informs us. “Baron is able to host souls or even large amounts of magic.” Pyre continues to explain. “Unless the individual is particularly strong like Eilish, it takes years to fully master this ability. Baron, however, already shows promise.”

I run my hand along my jaw with a scowl etched onto my face.

Theren seems less confused than I am as he nods along with Pyre’s words. “One training to be the next Guardian of The Veil, another a hybrid destined for great things, an elf with great arcane abilities, a necromancer... this rebellion has power.” Golden eyes fall on me. Theren jerks his chin towards me and asks, “What about you? What’s your mission in all of this?”

“Gargoyles were killed by Variant during a raid in the shadow realm. I wish to make more of my own kind, but I can’t do that without the help of a witch’s grimoire.” I kick a stone and it rolls into the fire. Sparks fly with a crackle.

“How do you know that?” Theren asks.

I shrug. “One of my kind, Myerdoth, was the first gargoyle. At one time, he was a statue sitting atop a palace wall when a witch cried out for help as a battle raged beneath him. It was her pleading for a guardian and the spell on her lips that brought the statue to life. And the statue became Myerdoth. He saved her and—”

“And in return she blessed the earth, making sure any gargoyle created of the stone would come to life and rule the night? Yeah, I’ve heard the legends,” Theren finishes.

“Why does that not surprise me?”

“I can show you where the grimoire is,” he offers.

Hope dares to stir within me. “And I’m sure you want something significant in return.”

“Of course,” Theren admits without hesitation. “The stone grimoire creates life out of practically nothing. With enough time, you could have another army of gargoyles at your command. What I want, the grimoire can’t give me. But you can.”

“I’m not as skilled with magic as some of our other companions. I’m sure Cambion or even Pyre would be of more help.” My boots tap rhythmically against the ground, matching the constant thrum of my erratic heartbeat as excitement flows through me.