Destroyer Rising by Eric Asher Page B

you know if he says he’ll be here …”
    “He’ll be here,” I said. Robert was always punctual.
I was a little worried about the guy, considering how jumpy he’d
been since the military had shown up.
    Foster glided over Frank’s head, and dove onto the
short table. “This may be the best time to go,” he said. “Glenn has
been seen in Falias, so we know he’s distracted.”
    “Cara says the military is seeking a parlay of
sorts,” Zola said. “It could be a ruse, Ah suppose, but this is a
lull, Damian. You bring hell into the Burning Lands and leave your
mark.”
    “I will,” I said with a nod.
    “And Ah don’t care what you need do, boy. You come
back alive.” She smacked my shoulder hard enough to make me
cringe.
    “Cara doesn’t have a reason to lie about this, does
she?” I whispered.
    Foster shook his head. “Either way, it’s not like
there’s a choice. You either break the devil’s hold on Vicky, or we
have to battle the Destroyer. I’d rather fight Ezekiel again.”
    “That’s the long and short of it,” Sam said, slipping
between Frank and me, taking a seat on his armrest.
    “Are you taking the book?” Zola asked.
    I turned around to face her and nodded. “I don’t know
how long I’ll be gone. I haven’t had enough time to study it.”
    “Shouldn’t we go with you?” Sam asked. “It’s Vicky,
Demon. I’d do anything to help her.
    I smiled at Sam’s somewhat awkward timing for my
nickname. “I know. That’s why I’m going. One way or another, her
suffering is going to come an end.”
    “You’re taking me with you,” Sam said.
    “No. Sam, I can’t. I need you and Zola and Frank
here. I need to know someone will protect Mom and Dad if this goes
south.”
    She started to protest, and Zola laid a gnarled old
hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Stay with me, Samantha. Help me keep watch
while your brother does this thing.”
    Sam hesitated, her eyes flashing from Zola to me.
    “If anything happens …” I said. “If we don’t make it
back, I want to know you all have a fighting chance.”
    Something crashed below us and one of the cu siths
barked loud enough to rattle my brain. Foster shot down the
stairs.
    “Nixie’s going to go looking for Ward.” I unzipped
the backpack and pulled out the Wasser-Münzen. It was my only
connection to Nixie when she was in Faerie, outside of Gaia, at
least. I held the disc out to Zola. “Help her, if you can.”
    “Why is she looking for Ward?” Zola asked, gently
taking the blue obsidian disc from me and sliding it into her
cloak.
    Footsteps sounded below us, followed by the chaotic
scrambling of the cu siths’ claws on wood.
    “The only way that we’ve found, so far, for Vicky to
survive is a Devil’s Knot.”
    “Ah don’t know what that is.”
    “Timewalker magic.”
    “ Timewalkers? Boy, Ah hope you know what
you’re sticking your foot in.”
    “Does he ever?” Sam muttered.
    “Just, please, be safe,” I said. “I’ll be in touch as
soon as I’m able.”
    Sam reached out and hugged me, threatening to crack
bones before she finally released me. “Go, save Vicky. Be the hero
she deserves.”
    “Did you just quote—”
    “Just go, Demon,” Sam said with a small smile.
    “Be careful,” Frank said. I gave him a nod.
    Zola patted my arm. “We’ll meet again boy, be it in
this life or the next.”
    I paused at Zola’s words before squeezing her
shoulder. I turned to leave, hurrying down the steps, half curious
what all the racket downstairs had been. Vicky and Happy waited
there with an overly excited Bubbles.
    “We’ll meet you there,” Vicky said, ruffling Happy’s
fur.
    “So be it,” I said.
    She hopped onto the panda’s back, and they were gone,
sucked into a sickly red and yellow vortex.
    Bubbles stopped hopping around and stared at the
space where her best panda friend had vanished. She chuffed and
flopped onto the floor.
    I smiled and turned around. I’d almost reached the
back door when a voice