Page 72 of Brimstone

“I know many languages I should not know,” it rasped. “I hearrrrr them through the walls.”

“Great. It speaks Common Fae, too. Perfect,” I muttered to myself as I drove my fist into the wall again, staining the stone even redder with my blood.

“Two souls, I sense. Two strong bodies, too. A feast for a weak prince such as myself.”

“You’re no prince,” I growled. “You’re an abomination. One I’ll gladly be sending back to hell momentarily.”

“Don’t antagonize it,” Carrion hissed. “Its teeth are really fucking sharp. I donotwant to get eaten!”

“Be quiet, Swift. It can’t eat you if it can’tfindyou.”

It was true that most demons didn’t have eyes. There were tales of how this had come to pass, but many agreed demons resided in darkness and didn’t need to see to torment their victims. That had certainly been the case with Morthil. But according to lore, Joshin was different. It didn’t share the same abilities its siblings had been gifted with. It was dangerous, yes, but it possessed no heightened spatial awareness.

Boom! Boom!

The bones in my hand splintered, but still I pounded against the magic that held the wall together. I watched my shadowsroil across the stone, shivering as a second wave came again and again, rolling after my magic and merging with it. It made no sense. My shadows should be having some effect. The old magic that formed the demon trap should have weakened a little, but it wasn’t even reacting. At least not how itshouldhave been. It was almost as though—

Click, click, click, click, CLACK.

“Fisher! Holy gods, fuck me, Fisher.Dosomething!”

I fell forward against the wall, exhausted. Turning, I found that the demon was steady on its eight legs now and venturing forward in search of its prey.

“Here, Master. This way,” Vorath coaxed. “Follow the sound of my voice.”

Gods curse it all. I’d had enough of this human. I shoved away from the wall and staggered forward.

And suddenly, there she was. My mother, standing next to me.

She wore her favorite dress. Blue, with birds embroidered onto the skirt. I realized with a start that they were kingfishers. Their wings flashed metallic blue; their proud chests were painted umber. She looked as she had always looked: beautiful and sad. Her long black hair fell in waves to her waist, blowing on an invisible wind.

“Where are you going, sweet boy? Have you lost your way?”

The soft lilt of her voice. Gods, how I had missed the sound of it. I shook my head. “I’m not lost. I’m going to kill that fucking human.”

A deep sorrow filled her eyes. “Who is he to troubleyou? Great and mighty Kingfisher. Leave him be, my love.”

“This is his fault.” I was sweating again, even worse than before. My skin was prickling all over. “If he hadn’t brought us here—”

“Excuses,” my mother said sharply. “You alwayswereone for excuses.”

I felt it then—the sick twist in the pit of my stomach. The nausea had taken a back seat to the pain, but my limbs were turning numb now. My hand barely even ached, even though it was badly broken. Fuck, I was going to throw up.

I doubled over, the room seesawing as I emptied my stomach onto the ground.

“And so it begins,” Joshin said.

Click. Click. Click.

He wasn’t heading for Carrion anymore. He was coming for me.

“Even as a child, you were a nuisance. Always following me like a pathetic little puppy. I never had a moment’s peace. You were the reason your father went away, you know.Youwere the reason he died.”

I straightened and found my mother’s face twisted with disgust.

“Look at the mess you’ve made. Always making such a mess. And now you want to hurt that man? Why? Becauseyouwere stupid enough to follow him into this tower? Becauseyouweren’t paying attention, hmm? Because you were lazy and too distracted by thoughts of the half-breed you left back in Yvelia to pay attention to the task at hand?” The words spewed out of her in a torrent, dripping with disdain. “What sort of male have you become? I don’t even recognize you. I’ve never been more ashamed.”

And at that, the room and the situation snapped into focus.