Page 90 of To Free a Soul (Duskwalker Beginnings #2)

Locating Sayrn in an unfamiliar environment swarming with nightmarish monsters, some bigger and more intelligent than any other Demon she’d faced, had been difficult.

In her search, she’d been attacked from the air by flying Demons, her white feathers unusual to them and easy to spot even from a distance.

The sun had been hot, baking her skin and feathers so quickly she had to remain in the shade or suffer burns.

It was nothing like summer on Earth – even the air was scorching and difficult to breathe through.

In the days it’d taken to find Sayrn and confront him, she’d learned it had all been... pointless.

She’d left Ingram’s side, essentially abandoning him when he needed her, for a child who utterly refused to listen.

In the few days he’d been in Nyl’theria, Sayrn had battled many Demons and had been victorious.

Vicious as always, and a hunter at heart, he wanted to stay – even at the cost of his own life.

“This is what I want,” Sayrn said, leaning against the side of a stark, bleached trunk.

The tree itself was gigantic and measured a hundred metres tall, if not more, with a mixture of pink-and-purple leaves. With his arms crossed and his lion tail flicking to the side, he looked self-important.

“It’s dangerous here.” She gestured to the strange forest that glowed in the constant shade provided by the ancient and startlingly daunting forest. “There are no other Daesrin” – his word for Duskwalker – “here. I can’t assist you easily like I do on Earth.

You’ll be entirely alone, and that means you could. .. die. ”

Her translation amulet allowed her to understand him, even though he spoke Nyl’kira, like many Demons did, when he said smoothly, “I want to prey on the Daekura until they are gone, or I am. This is my purpose.”

Lindiwe wanted to tell him it wasn’t, but he was right, despite not knowing it. Other than Merikh, she’d never told another Duskwalker why they’d been born, worried they would react just as badly. The less they knew, the better – a blessing, in its own way.

Merikh had told Faunus, likely to upset him, although it didn’t have the desired effect.

“I’ve lived a long time. It’s all been the same, so I want to try somewhere new.

” He turned his lion skull to the side and stroked his fluffy mane absentmindedly with sharp claws.

“I’ve been curious about where the Daekura come from.

I’ve seen them enter my territory from the portal and have been wanting to see the other side for many years. If I want to return, I will.”

“It’s his choice, Lindiwe.” She wanted to tell Weldir to shut up and deal with the stone she’d found in Merikh’s cave, instead of eavesdropping. “I’m not pleased either, as he’ll no longer ferry souls to me, but if this is what he wants, then so be it.”

But this... scares me , she wanted to say, but knew expressing it was futile. If I try to take him by force, he’ll return to Nyl’theria now that he knows what’s on the other side of the portal.

Only Lindiwe cared and feared for them so fervently, more than even their concern for themselves.

It left her wondering why she should, when it was obvious her wants and concerns mattered little.

They died? They went to Weldir to live another life.

They were harmed? They’d heal in due time and live to battle another day.

She hated the idea of them living such horrible, painful lives, yet this was their nature. To be bloodthirsty and violent when they saw fit, or protectors only for their chosen bride – and a destroyer to all others.

“Fine,” Lindiwe bit out, averting her gaze, clenching her jaw, and curling her hands into tight fists. “I can’t change your mind either way, but you must know this is stupid and suicide.”

“Is it?” Sayrn mused with humour. “I’m a strong Daesrin. Nothing has bested me yet, not even when they try to break my skull.”

Your luck can only run so far, she thought spitefully. And it wouldn’t be him or Weldir who truly faced the consequences of that, but her.

Movement shifted underneath her cloak, and a baby Duskwalker licked across her rapidly fluttering jugular. They wanted to soothe her, to the point that they even nuzzled their strange skull against her.

“Hmm?” Sayrn leaned forward, his arms still half folded with the fingers of one hand pausing in his mane. “A youngling Daesrin? Its skull is strange.”

She reared her head back so she could look down at them before pulling out one of the babies. “They have a Daekura skull. I didn’t know that was possible until recently.”

“They should become very strong then.” He let go of his mane to hold his hand out, wiggling his clawed fingers at her. “Can I see?”

Lindiwe stared at his big paw hesitantly, then placed them inside it.

They looked so tiny in comparison to him, even though she needed two hands to hold them comfortably.

Despite having a Demon skull, they still weren’t very aggressive.

They sniffed his palm, gave the side of his thumb a nibble, then stomped around in a circle.

“Give them my horns. They will be even stronger if you do.”

Lindiwe couldn’t help but laugh at that. He was so proud of himself.

In its own way, this felt like a... goodbye.

Her relationship with Sayrn had improved over the years since she first sat with him around that fire eighty-seven years ago.

It was a quiet and distant relationship, as he was a solitary being, but he didn’t outwardly reject her anymore either.

However, she could only be a temporary intrusion in his life before her lingering annoyed him.

He was one of the few children who tolerated her. Although those who were older were growing to be similar, so long as they consumed many humans.

I wonder if he’ll let me hug him, Lindiwe thought, when he went to hand back her baby. Just as her fingertips made contact with the baby Duskwalker being held out to her, there was a flash of colour, and they... disappeared.

Something fuzzy – a mixture of orange and green with fluffy wings – had darted between her and Sayrn. With what looked like many feet, it had snatched her baby from both their hands during the exchange.

Lindiwe and Sayrn shared a confused and surprised look, right before his orbs turned white and she gasped. At the same time, they darted after the Elven creature.

Sayrn shifted to his monstrous form to be on all fours and faster, while Lindiwe transformed into her owl form to go after the flying creature. Panic flooded her veins, and it made her wing flaps more frantic.

Sayrn was swifter than her, even as she flew through the air, but he was stuck on the ground.

She was able to see the creature as she gained on it, and it looked to be a mixture of a moth, with fuzzy green antennae and eight legs, and a cat body and head with little antlers. Spots along its body glowed orange.

Just as she was almost upon it, her child held securely by its eight legs, she rotated her body to catch the creature in her talons. She didn’t get the chance to grab it.

Something else intercepted from the side; something large, and far, far worse. Much bigger than Lindiwe and nearing Sayrn’s size, a winged Demon flew off with the fuzzy cat-moth thing and, incidentally, her baby.

And due to their size, they were much, much faster than Lindiwe, who used every ounce of her strength to go after them. Within seconds she was left behind, as they were able to navigate the unfamiliar forest much better than her.

Lindiwe shrieked repeatedly.

As if he knew she was calling out for help, Weldir said, “ I cannot grab them. They are not within my mist.”

Shit! What was she supposed to do then?!

“They are indestructible. If they are eaten, we know they will eat the Demon from the inside out. I can help you go in the right direction.” Then, softening his tone, he added, “We will find them again.”

I wanted to leave them with you in the first place! If he hadn’t wanted to inspect the stone Merikh had, this wouldn’t have happened.

It may have been due to an accident, and because she was finally sharing a fond moment with Sayrn, but she hadn’t wanted to bring either of her babies to Nyl’theria for this very reason!

But he was right; she’d find them. The question was when and what was happening with Ingram in the meantime.

She didn’t even have time to check, and Weldir’s silence regarding it didn’t make her feel any better.

All she knew was that he’d been captured.

Curses. Curses. CURSES. Fuck!