The Darkness That Hunts
Chapter 27

A crescent of emerald lightarcs around Kamiron’s body, swallowing him in a cocoon of moss, bark and rock.The giant horse screams a harsh, brutal noise that makes me wince. Its hoovesrebound off Kamiron’s earthy shell and he stirs.

Vayu! We have to help!

I must teleport a physical body and not pure energy. It takestime, he grumbles.

I watch Kamiron roll out ofthe way of another attack. The ground recoils at the missed blow and Kamiron ison his feet. He moves with poise and purpose despite the crimson darkening hisaketon and the bruises blossoming across his gold skin. The head of sledgehammershimmers a green so pale it is nearly white. The giant horse shrinks back,baring its rotted teeth. Kamiron lifts his head and stares.

I gasp when I see his face.His eyes blaze a deep emerald. Kamiron’s muscles bunch and he brings the headof his weapon smashing down to the ground. Beneath him the transparent blackfloor shatters and a trail of shards and glass arrow for the horse. Kamironlaunches into the air, jumping higher than humanly possible. He lands on thehorse’s withers.

“You cannot defeat Apaosha,child,” a thunderous, deep voice booms. “My very nature is eternal!”

Kamiron says nothing. Heskims up the massive animal’s neck . . .

The image fades intotransparent fog.

“Vayu--!”

Step backwards, he orders. Before I can make a comment, myfeet shuffle back and I feel the oddest sensation. Not quite like wadingthrough a tub of whipped cream, but something similar. My heel sinks a quarterof an inch and I recognize the spongy feel of the transparent floor in whatnaked belt lady called “that horrible creature’s Den.”

The smell that hits me sendsme to my knees, gagging on the rot of animal feces baking in the Georgia sun.Vayu takes over my body and reaches for my longbow. I vaguely recall droppingit before I fainted. My fingers spasm and a gentle current blows away the foulstench. My throat unlocks and I finally breathe without choking.

Why is it so potent?

Vayu draws an arrow from theair, one much bigger than any of mine. It lights up the darkness like ayellow-red flare. Apaosha is an oldnemesis. From the time Before. He has always proven a . . . problem for me.

You mean he can exploit your weaknesses.

He is nearly my antithesis, Vayu corrects, stung. Isense that I’ve hurt his pride by implying he has weaknesses.

You have an antithesis?

Vayu ignores me. Instead my(our?) attention centers on Apaosha. The horse rears onto its hind legs andthrashes its head, trying to buck Kamiron off but he is as surefooted as apanther. He has reached the top of Apaosha’s head--which is nearly the size ofmy bedroom back home--and slams his sledgehammer into Apaosha’s skull. Thecreature shrieks and gallops left as if he means to run away but Kamiron isruthless. Again and again, Kam slams his sledgehammer as if pounding a nailinto Apaosha’s forehead, right between its eyes.

Vayu/I train the blazingarrow on Apaosha’s chest.

Gaian, Vayu intones and Kamiron’s head jerksslightly. We will purge him of this form.

Kamiron manages one laststrike before Apaosha bucks him from his body. Vayu waits until that exactmoment to strike. His massive arrow corkscrews through the air. I wait for thetelltale thwunk of impact but ahalf-second before collision, the arrow breaks apart, transforming into athousand golden feathers that glow like fireflies.

I gasp at the dizzyingbeauty of the whirling plums that circle the massive horse.

“Vayu-Vaata!” Apaoshathunders. For the first time I notice that the feathers are eating him. As each feather caresses thehorse’s rotten flesh, it sucks up and neutralizes the decay and leaves nothing,not even the smallest speck of flesh behind.

“Purge him of this form”Vayu had said. Are you destroying hisessence?

No. Vayu sounds tired and old. I feel the weightof eons behind his answer. Apaosha cannotbe destroyed so easily, no matter how I might wish it. I can only purge hisphysical manifestation, rendering him powerless unless--

My spine contorts painfullyas Vayu jerks back, horror dawning on him at some realization I don’tunderstand.

Apaosha’s laughter makes myears ring. There is no sign of the horse, only feathers coated in reeking tar,but I still feel Aposha’s presence like a hulking wraith. A chill rubs againstthe left side of my body and I shiver. Vayu lashes out with a cutting airstream.A gale force of wind encircles my body like a suit of armor.

“She is mine!” Vayu snarlsand I am shocked at how deep my voice comes out and the weird sensation ofspeaking without moving my own jaw.

The cold recedes andApaosha’s laughter doubles. I clench my teeth to keep from vomiting.

“It is no matter, oldfriend. There is another child, one no longer protected. What a delightfulvessel he shall become once I have contaminated him.”

Vayu/I whip around to replaceKamiron wheezing, kneeling with the sledgehammer resting near his knees. Hiseyes are no longer green and he looks dangerously pale. There are morebloodstains now.

My heart constricts at thesight, but Vayu has gone into a raw panic. Pain shoots through my body and mythighs as he forces me to sprint towards my friend.

But we are much too late.

Kamiron’s eyes latch ontomine before his entire body stiffens. The blue veins of his neck strain againsthis skin and turn black; his mouth opens as if he means to scream, but no soundemerges. By the time Vayu and I reach him his convulsions wrack his body andhis eyes roll into his skull. Flakes of hoarfrost coat his skin and the air surroundinghim feels like ice.

Kneeling, I move to touch Kambut Vayu stops me. I struggle, trying to take back control of my body, but painlike a jellyfish sting cuts me.

We can’t touch him. Apaosha’s hold is tenuous and he could try topossess you instead. That would be infinitely worse.

I don’t see how that can beworse. I’d gladly take Kamiron’s place.

The struggle is brief andanticlimactic. One moment Kamiron thrashes against an unseen assailant, thenext he’s slumped on his side and unmoving. If not for the slow rise and fallof his shoulders, I’d fear he was dead.

What’s happening?

Again, I sense Vayu’s deepweariness. This battle is now up to yourfriend. There is nothing we can do but see who emerges as victor.

I cringe. “There has--”

The weakness hits melike a punch to the chin. One second I’m crouched near Kam, the next I’m on myback too exhausted to even lift a finger. I hurt all over and Vayu’s borrowedstrength has leaked away. I don’t need him to tell me that our time is up. Itry to fight the fatigue, but it is overwhelming. Despite my protest, despiteKam fighting for his life and Zakk and Dace running for theirs, and despite mevulnerable and defenseless, surrounded by darkness and enemies, unconsciousnessdrags me under.