good. You’ve done well with them in a short time.”
The Demon Troop had already all been excellent fighters, but now they could communicate with hand signals and move silently at high speed. “I know it’s taken longer than you’d have liked, but it was necessary to give us the best chance of success.” Ambrose had agonized over this. A week of training was another week of smoke production, but Ambrose and Davyon both knew that the mission would be their only chance to cut off the supply. They needed to balance preparation with speed.
“Though really . . .” Ambrose shook his head, unable to stop himself from saying, “the whole mission is absurd—the Brigantine army is formidable, the demons are wild, and I’ve got fifty men.”
Davyon looked at Ambrose. “Are you saying you want to cancel the mission? That you shouldn’t lead it?”
“I’m saying . . .” Ambrose wasn’t sure what he was saying. “I’m sorry—it’s been a strange few days. We’ll do the task we’ve been given.” But he had a feeling of doom. “If . . . if I don’t return, I’d like to think that there will still be justice for my brother and sister, Tarquin and Anne. I’d like history to record how they fought for truth and died for it, and how lies have been told about them. Justice for them, and my hope that no one else suffers the same fate.” It hurt more than anything knowing that people might believe his brother and sister were criminals, when the real criminal was Aloysius, but Ambrose wasn’t sure he could deal with it anymore. It all seemed too much, and he seemed too small. “Can Tzsayn do that?”
Davyon nodded. “He knows of your sister and brother. He knows of their bravery and yours, Ambrose. And, when this is over, everyone will know it. They’ll learn the truth of each person’s bravery and sacrifice. I’ll tell Tzsayn and Catherine your thoughts, but I hope that you will speak with them yourself on your return.”
TASH
DEMON TUNNELS
THECAVERNTHECAVERNTHECAVERN . . .
Tash repeated the mantra in her head as she tunneled. She was moving at a slow walking pace. She’d no idea how long she’d been going, though it wasn’t her body that was tired but her mind. She had to keep thinking of the central cavern of the demon world and not let her mind drift, but it was beginning to get a little boring.
Boring—get it? Boring through stone.
That’s a joke.
Not very funny but it’s a joke.
Boringly boring through stone.
She came to a halt. The tunnel had stopped growing.
Shits. Concentrate! Think of the cavern.
Thecavernthecavernthecavern . . .
The tunnel started to move forward again.
Tash forced her brain to focus on an image of the mid-level terraces of the central cavern, the ones between the Brigantines and away from the demons. It wouldn’t do to come out among either of them.
That wouldn’t be boring. That would be a disaster. Mid-level, please. Direct route preferably. No twists, no turns. Just straight in.
Thecavernthecavernthecavern . . .
The light around her was red and the tunnel warm. Just like any other demon tunnel. In her chest she could feel the heat of the smoke from the dying demon—its desire to return to the core. It was like a living thing, and it wanted to get back. Tash might not be a demon herself, but while she had the red smoke in her, she had some of their powers.
Thecavernthecavernthecavern . . .
And suddenly the stone that was retreating in front of her dissipated altogether to reveal a huge, open space.
Shits. It worked. It shitting worked!
The hole was just large enough for her to stick her head through.
I’m on the shitting mid-level terrace too!
Tash jumped up and down with excitement, clamping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from shouting in glee.
Once she’d calmed down, she thought of moving the tunnel three paces forward and the remaining stone in front of her slowly dissolved. Tash dropped to her knees and crawled forward. Looking up to the stone bridges crossing the cavern above and to the terraces all around, she could see no one—either human or demon. Peering over the edge of the terrace, down to the core of purple smoke rising from the center of the cavern, she could see that the scene was the same as when she’d first seen it however many days or weeks ago that was—the Brigantine soldiers were still farming the demon smoke.