Page 83 of To Free a Soul (Duskwalker Beginnings #2)

Lindiwe smiled as both her babies played in a flowery meadow. Purple pincushion flowers danced and swayed in the light wind, barring a few broken stems in the wake of the vigorous wrestling match. They gave squealing roars, so cute and unmenacing no matter how ferocious they tried to sound.

Sitting on a short boulder with her feet flat on the ground, she rested her chin on her hand. She inspected their featureless, blobby black forms.

“I can’t decide what their skulls and horns should be.”

Did she want them to look similar, like with Aleron and Ingram, or different so they had different strengths to help each other?

At the sound of her voice, they came running over to her with joyful trills and climbed her legs.

“Heya babies,” she cooed, scratching both under the chin and completely incapacitating them.

“You could give them the same horns again,” Weldir suggested. “Although they aren’t truly twins.”

“Mmm. But they’re still siblings.”

A warm chuckle vibrated in her mind. “Their skulls will make them look like Mavka regardless.”

She answered back with her own laugh. “I guess that’s true.” As she lifted one into the air, their hands opened and closed in her direction as they emitted a happy squawk. “Leopards are still common, and I’ve always wondered if their fur patterns would be present on them.”

“Leopards are the spotty felines, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. I guess I’m running out of ideas after twenty-three children.” These two made twenty-five, and it was a lot of skull and horn variations to go through.

She remembered each one vividly. She knew their names, their faces, their special animal features, and where each one was located. She knew how old they were to the day, what colour their orbs were.

So many lives. So many deaths. So much work and effort.

Only one had ever willingly hugged her as an adult, and that was Leonidas after he was tortured. Lindiwe still held out hope that it was possible.

The twins are rather accepting. They liked playing with her and even let her rest against the outside of their cuddle when they were feeling generous. I guess a part of me is hoping that if these two form a bond, they’ll let me do the same thing.

She’d love to know how warm and soft it was under Aleron’s wing, or even Ookpik’s – although he was a rather stern, quiet, and solitary Duskwalker. He didn’t even like Demons and considered everything beneath him.

I think if I tried now, a few might be accepting.

It’d been years since she’d visited many of them, and most of them had changed. A few were like Orpheus and Magnar: seeking a companion, a bride. They’d even gone to lengths to befriend a few stray humans, although it never worked out.

But it’s possible, she thought with a smile. They can be happy, achieve love. That was more than she’d ever asked for. They’re even having kids of their own. It’d been around two weeks since Magnar and Delora’s child, Fyodor, was born, and all things looked to be going well.

Delora seems so much happier too. Weldir even said her soul, although still plagued with the coal markings from her depression, looked brighter and healthier. I’m so glad things are going well for–

Lindiwe gasped when one minute she was sitting in bright light, and in the next, she was shrouded in shadows. Her hair and cloak lifted around her like she was thrown into water.

“Weldir?” she asked, surprised he’d brought her to his realm without warning.

She searched for him, and from what she could tell of his visible parts, he had his back turned to her. It was easy to find him from the bright viewing discs surrounding him like a ball.

She swam to his side, and he pulled his physical self to his shoulder so she could place her hand on it.

“You must go,” he said sharply, as two discs moved from opposite directions to stop in front of him.

“Both Orpheus and Leonidas are in danger.” Then his face coalesced so they could meet each other’s gazes, revealing his cheek, eye, brow, pointed ear, and tapered horn.

“Pick one. Leonidas, or Orpheus and his bride. Both are within the Veil’s forest.”

Cold dread slipped down her spine, and she hugged their babies closer. “Who’s in more danger?”

Lindiwe’s heart raced with her indecisiveness. Why was this happening so suddenly and at the same time?

“Both are being chased by a group of Demons. Orpheus is encumbered by items from the village, and he hasn’t been able to remove them. Leonidas doesn’t carry anything – he is also quicker and closer to Magnar’s ward and safety.”

“Jabez?”

“I cannot see him just yet. I’ll keep an eye out.”

She nodded. “Take me to Orpheus and Reia then.”

She was sure Reia was being smart and remaining incorporeal, but she was also likely to try to defend him with her sword. She was brave, maybe foolishly so. Orpheus might react to protect her and leave himself open to attack.

But most importantly... If Jabez has instigated this to happen at the same time, then he’ll go after them. He’d go after the two who killed Katerina.

In a rush, Lindiwe was shoved into the early afternoon in Austrális. The Veil’s forest offered little light, giving the impression night was almost upon them when it was truly hours away.

It made it difficult to know which way to go, especially since Orpheus’ fur was black.

A blur of white passed just up ahead, tailed by a whisk of colourless spirit.

Even if she hadn’t seen it, the sharp and heavy pants of a large creature running on all fours would have alerted her to their whereabouts, as well as the fast thumping of his hands and back paws.

And the many that followed.

Turning incorporeal, Lindiwe chased after them.

It was difficult. Orpheus was a Duskwalker sprinting at full speed and panicked. Her only advantage was that he had to navigate the terrain, whereas she ghosted through tree trunks without needing to evade or sidestep them.

In front of her, Orpheus ducked beneath a Demon as it leapt from the side. Another came from the other direction and managed to grab one of the straps of a satchel to cling to him.

“Orpheus!” Reia shouted, and he slowed down to look behind him with white orbs.

It gave the blonde-haired woman a chance to catch up, jump onto his back, turn physical, and pull her sword from its sheath.

She stabbed the Demon in the back, deep enough that it sliced through the bag beneath it.

Salt dribbled from it as she managed to stay on top of him while he continued to sprint.

Her pale-blue dress, cinched by a brown girdle, flapped behind her as she yanked her sword out and kicked the vile creature away.

Her silver diadem glinted whenever a tiny streak of dappled light hit it.

Reia turned incorporeal again just as a Demon dived at her. It went through her ghostly body, smashed into another on the other side, and they both hurtled to the ground. She hopped off so Orpheus could move with ease, resuming to run behind him in her incorporeal form.

This gave Lindiwe a chance to catch up, and she managed to fall in step with Reia.

“You’re here?” she asked, her blonde brows furrowing in Lindiwe’s direction. Her green eyes, narrowed with determination, had a worried edge to them. That anxiety seemed to double when she brought her stare back to Orpheus, who darted to the right to avoid a Demon trying to cut him off.

Lindiwe nodded. “Stay in your Phantom form. Orpheus will try to defend you otherwise.”

Reia shook her head with her frown deepening. “But he knows I can’t die.”

“Do you think that matters to him?”

She opened her mouth to argue, only to promptly shut it.

No, it wouldn’t matter to Orpheus. If his bride was in danger, he’d lay his life down to defend her, even if that was pointless and a little silly.

He was protective, he loved her, and he didn’t care if he came to harm, so long as not a scratch landed on her pretty head.

“He just needs to keep running.” Lindiwe nodded to him. “He can outrun the Demons if you don’t distract him like before.”

“But if he’s hurt–”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The look she gave Lindiwe was deadly, likely thinking she was being callous.

“Jabez knows their weakness,” she reminded Reia. “These Demons likely know it now too. What’s a wound, so long as he lives?”

Reia threw her arms up with a grunted scream. “Can’t you do something to help?!”

“No. I can hold off a few, but that will put me behind you both. I need to remain at your side.”

“I thought you had all this power and shit!”

Orpheus gave a bellowing roar when a Demon, who had managed to get a hold of his bag straps again, bit into the side of his neck.

Lindiwe didn’t interfere; she didn’t need to.

He smashed his side into a tree trunk, squishing the Demon until it let go before sprinting at full speed again.

“I’m more worried about the danger that is likely to show himself at any moment. We must wait for that, rather than expending our energy and resources now.”

Reia’s lips thinned in understanding, and she nodded. That’s when Lindiwe manoeuvred herself beside Orpheus, so she could be close enough and ready.

Jabez will show himself soon enough.

No matter how fast they ran, or the distance they covered, a horrible feeling came over Lindiwe the longer the chase went on and Jabez didn’t appear. Even just an hour further into the afternoon made the Veil more shaded, setting her on edge.

It’ll be harder for me to see in the dark.

That was likely what he was waiting for. That, and for Orpheus to tire out.

A time unknown, but one of danger

Weldir’s head changed direction constantly.

One moment he was staring at the combined viewing discs of Orpheus and Lindiwe, the next at Leonidas. He also made sure none of their other offspring – no matter if they were in Austrális or not – needed assistance as well.

Despite the chaos, as he watched two of his offspring being hunted by a pack of Demons each, everything seemed relatively calm.