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“You don’t have to.” Daemon then squeezed Caemorn’s shoulder just as the Kaly Vampire’s strength was fading fast. “Let go.”

“What?” Caemorn clearly thought he was insane.

“It’s okay, Caemorn,” Christian said as he seemed to realize that Daemon truly had a plan. “You can do it. Let go.”

With a heaving cry, Caemorn did and collapsed to the ground. But the spirits did not overwhelm them. Daemon held them at bay. If he were to fight Kaly toe to toe on this, he would eventually win, but at what cost? But there was no need to fight with spirits.

“You’re holding them back effortlessly,” Caemorn breathed.

He had been helped to his feet by Balthazar. Caemorn had said “thank you” under his breath. This had caused Balthazar to stare at him and then quickly turn away, muttering “you’re welcome.”

Blood Brothers. This will be interesting.

“Not effortlessly,” Daemon admitted. “I am still not at full power. Not by a long shot. But this is all a conceit. Artemis has grabbed Moira and--”

“He’s headed into the damned forest! He thinks he can get away! I can stop them, Daemon!” Balthazar’s eyes were glowing hotly. “Why won’t you let me?”

“Because there’s no need,” Daemon answered calmly.

Balthazar’s eyebrows were both up. “You’re hiding what you’re planning, Daemon. Not fair. Because things look pretty damn dire. My hands are frosting over again.”

Balthazar showed the fine ice crystals that were forming over his skin as the ghosts sucked all the warmth from them.

“This only seems insurmountable because we think we can control all the ghosts. No one can fully beat Kaly at their own game without great cost,” Daemon explained to his friends. “We must think differently.”

“But if Kaly is getting away…” Christian said with a shrug.

“They are not. Trust me on this,” Daemon said. “We must remember that to defeat an enemy, do not use their methods of fighting. Use your own.”

“Yes, like me crushing his little brain,” Balthazar suggested.

“Exactly, but not quite yet,” Daemon said. “I will have you use your power shortly.”

Daemon closed his eyes and sought communion with the Ever Dark. The earth that seemed so barren in some eyes, bearing only the evil trees and poisonous foliage, was rich with life for him. Creatures near and far lifted their heads, their eyes going red as were his eyes. They listened. The trees and plants turned their leaves towards him. They listened. The insects squirming in the ground paused in their ceaseless digging. They listened. The air and the earth seemed to hold a tension as if listening to.

“Ah, Daemon, dear fellow, the circle is failing! Are you going to do something?” Balthazar’s voice was light with an almost funereal amusement.

“Yes. Now,” he said.

And the earth and air in the well answered his request. There was a grinding, crashing sound as the stone making up the brick moved inwards until there was but a dime-shaped opening left. The ghosts, fearing they would be cut off for all time from the renewal, broke free of Kaly’s control and fled into the well. He waited until every last one of them had left, leaving the area around the well free of souls for the first time in a long time. There was a terrible grinding sound. The light from the last ghost winked out. That last space was closed. And now there was only a heap of stones where the Well of All Souls had once been.

The Ever Dark was silent for long moments but then the churr of night insects returned. The soft peet-peet of unseen birds in the trees came back. The rumbly growls of predators snuffling through the underbrush filled the air. These were still soft sounds, but they were sounds that had not been heard near the Well of All Souls in an age. Daemon smiled and opened his eyes.

Caemorn was open-mouthed but there was dismay written large on his face. He had, after all, lost a place where he could come and easily fill his soul gems. Daemon used the power of Ashyr to lift up the soul gems and send them flowing into Caemorn’s pockets.

“Do not be so sad. You have these,” Daemon said. “Besides, it should be hard to collect souls. It should not be like shooting fish in a barrell, Caemorn.”

Still, Caemorn’s lower lip nearly trembled. “Yes, but… I was investigating how it worked. Now I will never know.”

“You won’t?” Daemon lifted an eyebrow.

“And don’t the souls need this place?” Christian asked, scanning the woods for souls, but the spirits were no longer being funneled here.

“They do?” Daemon lifted that eyebrow higher.

Both Caemorn and Christian looked at him in bewilderment. “Don’t they?”

That was asked in unison. Daemon smiled.