20

David led the way back through the woods, his horse snorting with effort as he raced with Mark and Glen behind him, hell bent to reach the camp before Abby and Michael were hurt.

He'd caught up to them easily enough. Just one rider could progress faster than the fifty that the kings had taken with them. Glen had sat grimly in the saddle as David explained what was going on. Mark had been more expressive, cursing under his breath and kicking his horse to turn even before David was done speaking.

Ollie was waiting on the trail. She fell in beside Glen without a word, her face showing every bit of her nerves as they cut through the woods. David halted suddenly, jerking the reins hard.

"This is where we left them." He said, his voice just loud enough to be heard.

"They are heading for the mines." Glen stated, looking at the tracked on the trail.

"Dimitri is bold, sire. Making camp near Raventhorne." David stated. His horse stamped the ground, tired but sensing the need to go even farther on the trail.

"Has he collected his power?" Glen asked, frowning.

"No sire. The witches he has collected still reside in the Far kingdom. The time is not right. He was awaiting the final power."

"Michael was sure of that?" Mark asked, wanting to go on.

"Very, sire." David nodded. "Dimitri wanted no mistakes. He wanted the traveler found before beginning the drawing ritual."

Glen nodded. "Ollie…go back to the castle."

"What?" Ollie looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Hell no. That's my sister. I got her into this mess. I'm going."

Glen heaved a sigh. "There is no time to argue. Stay behind us. Stay close to one of us. We will protect you as best we can." Mark and David nodded. David took that as his cue to guide his horse back along the trail.

They heard Dimitri's men before they saw them. Dimitri was bold all right; he'd sent most of his guards to Shadowflight, confident that he would not be found. Michael had guessed fifty, at most one hundred men still served Dimitri at his lair. The odds were staggering but there was nothing they could do.

The thunder of horses' hooves was loud in the still morning air. His men were riding out, possibly going to Shadowflight to join in the fight. Dimitri's confidence had grown with the finding of Abby. Mark climbed from his horse, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as he waited for the ruckus to die down a bit.

"Do you think they are moving them?" Glen asked from behind him as he peered through the trees as the last of the horses passed.

Mark shook his head. "No. I think Dimitri means to gather the other powers here, in this dead place. He will feel stronger because of it."

Silence descended after a while. Dust hung in the air. David moved forward carefully, trying to get a look at the enemy's hideout.

"They are in the caves." He said in a low voice. "Two men guard the door. Two very green men." He smiled coldly as he said it. Only a fool would post his newest guard at the main entrance.

David went back to the horses and gathered up the kings' swords that were attached to the saddles. He grabbed his own, and hesitated before taking a spare from Glen's steed. He reverently handed each man his weapon, then stopped in front of Ollie.

"You may need this. You should not fight, but use it to protect yourself when you can." He offered her the blade. Ollie took it carefully, hefting its weight in her hand.

"I'll try." She said with a grimace at the thought of having to hurt someone with it. She was not a violent person. Of course, this was something altogether different from any situation she'd ever been in.

"We should rush them. It will throw them off balance, create confusion." Glen said.

David nodded. "There are back ways into the caves. We used to play here as children."

"There may not be time to remember the way, David." Mark clapped his shoulder. He was worried but tried to hide it. "Through the front door. This is after all Remi. Glen is king. He should not have to sneak into any back door."

David smiled broadly. "Yes, sire." He led them through the trees, getting as close to the cave entrance as he could before breaking cover and crossing the open land between the trees and the cave entrance.

The guards saw him and for a moment were too shocked to do anything but watch as the man dressed all in black raced toward them. The younger of the two, looking pale with fear, opened his mouth. The word 'All' was the only thing he could get past his lips before David was ramming the sword into his throat, cutting off the next bit of vocalization.

Mark was right behind him, sword flashing in the bright morning light. The second guard had never moved-Mark cut him across the throat and kicked his body away from the entrance to the cave. "Come…we must not waste time!" He said, plunging headfirst into the cave. David grinned, the emotions leaving him, his training as a guard taking over.

~~~

"What's that sound?"

Abby had been hearing it for a few minutes. It would be quiet, then soft metallic sounds would echo through the cavern. Michael cocked his head and frowned. "If I did not know better, I would say it was a sword fight." He rose to his feet and let his hand rest on the hilt of his own sword, looking at the doorway.

There was an echoing scream that seemed to go on a ridiculous amount of time. Abby shifted uncomfortably and gave Michael a pleading look. "What the hell?"

"I do not know, Abby." Michael unsheathed his sword and waited, still, listening to the sounds of the battle beyond the material.

The cloth parted. Dimitri entered the room, looking calm, but moving with nervousness that was not usual for him. "Fool guards of the king have decided to try to break through the caves, Michael. Please, see what you can do about them."

"Yes, master." He gave Abby one more look and disappeared through the material. Dimitri stood there for a time, watching the covering, a thoughtful frown on his face. Then he abruptly turned to Abby, sneering.

"Are you that important to the king, witch?" He asked but expected no answer.

Abby did not supply him with one. Dimitri was drawing closer. He had a long staff in his hand. The tip was covered with what looked like blood. He was waving it a bit in the air as if testing it.

"I'll not have time to break you as I have the others." He said, almost sorrowfully. "I will collect your power now. I am sorry to say that it will hurt. You will not survive the collection." He shook his head ruefully. "Do you have any last words."

"Just a few…" Abby muttered. Dimitri looked at her expectantly. "Go ahead with it, asshole. I'm not afraid of you or your little stick."

Dimitri's neutral skin tone turned a shade of red that Abby had never seen before. He was beyond angry. With a hiss, he raised the staff above his head.

"Foolish girl. Your pitiful attempt to belittle me has only made it worse for you." Dimitri swung the staff, pointing it at her, and began chanting in a low voice. Abby had no clue what he was saying, the language was more foreign to her than any she'd ever heard before.

Dimitri frowned in concentration. A dark red light began pulsating at the tip of the staff. He grinned, his teeth flashing in the dull light as a ray of sick redness began slowly creeping toward Abby's chest.

She held her breath and watched as Dimitri finished the spell with a flourish, pushing the staff forward, the beam turning into a ball of light. It flew at her, so fast she barely registered it. And the process she'd tried on David earlier repeated itself. The ball disappeared. A flash of purple light made her momentarily blind. But her vision cleared in time to see another ball of light, this one purple, slam into Dimitri's chest with the force of a shotgun blast.

Dimitri fell backward, gasping for air. The strange redness at the end of the staff disappeared in a whiff of foul looking smoke. He struggled to get up. Abby grinned harshly and threw her hair back over her shoulders. "Now that you've had your turn, I've got a little spell for you." Dimitri's eyes widened in shock as he gained his footing. He held out a hand and bright blue light began to form at his fingertips. Abby ignored it, raising her voice, chanting words from the book. Dimitri's eyes strayed from her to the material. Someone had entered. His expression changed to one of recognition and his hand moved to point at the newcomer.

Bolts of lightning streaked from his fingers, arching across the room, slamming into Mark's chest. He struggled for a moment against the pressure as the electricity shot through is body. Abby cried out as he fell to his knees then onto his side on the floor.

"Fuck a spell." She said, jerking her hands from the loose bonds that held them. She groped inside the arm of her dress for the gun, the one she'd brought with her from another world, and yanked it from the cloth that held it against her forearm.

Dimitri turned his eyed to her, a harsh laugh caught in his throat. "What means of magic is this?" He asked, staring at the glimmering steel of the gun.

"It's a helluva lot more powerful than your stick." Abby said, her voice cold. She pulled the trigger. Dimitri fell back, a round hole appearing in his forehead. He twitched, gurgled…and then lay still.

Abby yanked at the ropes that bound her legs and ran across the room to Mark's side. She did not have to look close to see he was in trouble. His shirt had been burned from his chest. There were dark marks on his skin, contact burns over his heart. Abby struggled to turn him over and held him there on the floor.

"Mark…what are you doing here?" She said, fighting back tears at the sound of his harsh breathing. His eyes were unfocused. Blood trickled from one corner of his mouth. He blinked and met her gaze, a smile slowly spreading across his features.

"I thought you needed saving." His voice was weak. He struggled with words as air refused to be pulled into his electrocuted body.

"Mark…" Abby sobbed his name. "You were supposed to leave. You were supposed to be safe!"

Mark shook his head. She could tell it took great effort. He gasped and coughed, more blood coming from his mouth. "I love you, Abby…"

"Mark…" Abby started crying. "Don't you do that."

"Love...you. I will find you...again."

"Don't leave me Mark." Abby leaned over him, pressing her cheek against his. "Don't leave me. I love you."

She felt him move. His hand came up to touch her cheek, stroking it gently one last time. "I will…find you…Abby…" He wheezed another breath and then he was gone.

Abby began sobbing uncontrollably. "No!" She sat up and stroked Mark's face with her hands, his neck, down his chest. He could not be dead, she would not let him be dead. Not after he'd already given up everything for him, not this too.

She collapsed against him, unable to see through the tears in her eyes. She refused to let him go, even as David gently pulled her away from Mark's prone body. David held her against his chest, letting her sob into him, his eyes turned away from his fallen king, trying to comfort her as best he could.