Determined expressions spread across the crew’s faces.

  An ice sword crackled into existence from Alira’s palm. Rusk stored the finished corset in his bag and retrieved two squares of fabric. The squares dissolved into invisible threads looping around his fingers. Lilith’s two wolf-headed skeletons stepped forward from the pedestal and saluted.

  Kai rolled his neck in circles.

  Fighting Dakas would be difficult without the rest of his crew and Rusk’s reliable threads. No other choice. Night had fallen. Time to counterattack.

  The longer they waited, the worse things would get. They’d get hungrier, grow tired, and the creatures of the night would surge.

  Bringing the others would give them a numbers advantage but place them in harm’s way. Dakas’s Gift and the threat of corruption were too dangerous.

  Not worth the risk.

  Alira stepped forward, ice sword in hand, battle-ready. “What’s the plan?”

  “The plan’s for you to stay with the others. You’ll be our backup when we need it,” Kai said.

  She frowned, lips parting. “You want me to stay behind?” Her head tilted. “You need my skills, my Curse. If those monsters’ Gift works like I think it does, my Gift can counter it.”

  Alira was right. She could probably freeze through Dakas’s reflection barrier like Silas’s fire stream. But she’d have to get close, risking corruption. Better to keep her in reserve. She was the last wall of defence between the monsters and the others.

  Kai raised his hand. “I need you to protect the others. Stay in the corridor until I call for you. Me and Levi can heal through the reflected damage, and we’re immune to Dakas’s corruption. It’s too dangerous for the rest of you.”

  “Too dangerous?” Alira said.

  His eyes narrowed. “Are you defying my orders?”

  Alira huffed, her gaze fell to the ground. “No, I’ll do as you ask,” she grumbled.

  Kai moved to grab her shoulder. She let him. They locked eyes. “I know you’re capable. I know you’re strong. That’s why I need you protecting the rest of the crew.”

  She nodded. He stepped back, releasing her.

  The others needed little convincing. Rusk, ever the loyal soldier, spoke up. “I’ll be ready when you need me.”

  Lilith stepped beside Rusk, eyes on Kai. “Need a few helpers?” Her wolf-headed skeletons stepped forward, maintaining their salute.

  “Sure. Command them to break through Dakas’s Gift to give us an opening.” Unarmed skeletons wouldn’t deal much damage to Dakas, but even minor attacks could trigger his Gift.

  The skeletons shambled toward Kai and Levi. Each step brought clacking sounds.

  Shadow padded forward in silence. Kai interrupted him mid-step. “You’re staying behind too, boy.” Shadow grumbled but complied. He sat beside Lilith. The wolf was getting used to being left behind and wasn’t happy about it.

  “I’ll have a job for you soon, Shadow,” he said. Shadow turned his head in annoyance. He’d come around eventually.

  Merek walked over. “Mr. Kai. Did you find my…”

  Kai crouched, meeting the boy’s eyes. He shook his head. “The bastards killed everyone.”

  Merek squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his head. After half a minute of silence, he looked up, gaze intense. No tears. “Please kill them all, Mr. Kai.”

  His hand settled on the kid’s head. “We wiped out most of em. Now we’re gonna finish the job. Stay strong and watch the horses - we’ll need them soon. Can you handle that?”

  Merek nodded and returned to his spot near the Dark Horses.

  Kai turned to Levi. “Ready?”

  Levi’s grin widened. “You’re about to witness my true power, Deathling.”

  Kai’s brows rose. “Big words. Let’s see if you can back them up.”

  He turned to the others. “Give us a minute. Then move into the corridor. Keep the horses nearby and wait for my signal.”

  They nodded.

  Levi frowned. “How annoying. You won’t let the beautiful ladies witness my greatness. Are you so insecure?”

  Kai glared at him. “I’m protecting them from corruption and death, you greedy pile of ash. Focus on killing Dakas, not on how you look.”

  Levi scoffed. “Only an amateur like you can’t do both.”

  Kai inhaled a long breath, resisting the urge to test the vampire’s immunity to decapitation, then looked toward the corridor. His thumb stroked the silver ring through his glove. His resolve strengthened.

  Time to act.

  Levi entered first. Then Kai, followed by two of Lilith’s skeletons. They reached Silas, who had reverted to his flameless form, and pushed on. They reached the cave entrance in a minute or two.

  Countless tentacles cut through the darkness, whipping toward them. Kai grabbed Levi and Silas by the shoulders. He tore through space, leaving the skeletons behind.

  Bones cracked.

  They materialised behind Dakas, who stood at the cave mouth. A second Dakas stood nearby, its hollow gaze finding the three newcomers. The first Dakas turned away from the cave, locking onto them. Its writhing tentacles contracted.

  No burns marked either monster.

  Two crimson moons occupied the black sky. No stars populated the dark shroud. Stone covered the ground in front of the cave.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The stone clearing formed an immense plaza. Cave mouth north, dirt path south. Open ground extended east and west. Over sixty-five feet in each direction - exceeding the range of his senses. Cliff faces rose beyond the clearing, boxing them in.

  The dirt path behind them was wide enough for four Dark Horses abreast. An army of building-sized trees flanked both sides.

  The path was a better battleground. Limiting the monsters’ movement was essential.

  Renzo was nowhere near. Kai scanned the area with his spatial senses. Nothing. His jaw clenched.

  Had Renzo figured out their counterattack plan?

  Either way, the bastard was likely preparing something nefarious.

  He couldn’t leave the monsters behind to hunt Renzo. One of them could get past Levi and Silas, then attack the others. They had to lure the monsters onto the dirt path and destroy them before whatever Renzo had planned bore fruit.

  And before they attracted unwanted attention.

  Kai ripped through space, teleporting the trio farther down the tree-lined path. He left an echo behind to attract the monsters and keep their focus.

  “Get behind us.” He commanded Silas. “Use the trees as cover. Burn the monsters. Change targets when their Gift activates.”

  Silas moved. Levi and Kai stood side by side, blades drawn.

  The first Dakas raised its head. Countless tentacles rose where its mouth should’ve been, growing longer. A barrage of vile purple flesh shot forward.

  Multiple tentacles swiped at the echo before it could react, destroying it in moments and surging on.

  The second Dakas rushed ahead, following the first’s thrashing tentacles. They closed in.

  Kai slipped through space. Levi blurred. They emerged on the right side of the path, avoiding the purple appendages.

  But they weren’t the target.

  A river of tentacles flashed past them, swerving to their left. Toward Silas. Among the trees.

  The wraith exploded into a man-shaped flame. A burning blade sprouted in his hand.

  Crack.

  Purple flesh blackened as it neared the flame. Tentacle ends split open, baring black teeth, aiming for Silas’s chest. The wraith ducked. His flaming blade cut a wide arc overhead.

  A multitude of slithery appendages sizzled, flaking into ash as they fell. The others thrashed wildly. Silas rolled to his right, evading retaliation.

  The thrashing tentacles hammered the ground before retreating.

  Dakas howled.

  Its tentacles contracted, severed ends lying on its bared chest. Fresh purple flesh writhed and twisted over the blackened stumps. The severed appendages regrew.

  Annoying.

  The burnt Dakas launched itself forward. Silas shot a stream of fire at it. It dodged, slowing its pursuit. The second Dakas had already closed in on Kai, swiping at him with large black claws, its tentacles coiling.

  Too slow. Kai teleported behind the monster’s left side. Levi blurred behind its right side. The monster spun on its heels. Kai’s dark blade sliced the monster’s torso as it regained its bearings.

  Crack.

  A shallow cut opened on Kai’s abdomen. Blood pooled on his shirt before vanishing.

  Levi didn’t miss the opportunity. His red blade carved through the second Dakas’s arm.

  Kai’s blade mirrored his, cleaving through the monster’s other arm. Two muscular purple arms hit the ground with a muted thud. One of them was almost grey.

  Blood poured from the cut Kai’s dark blade opened. It surged into his suit. The armless monster roared. The burnt Dakas leapt toward them, swiping with its claws.

  Space bent to Kai’s will. Levi blurred. They both appeared a short distance from the monsters.

  The armless monster roared again. Its stumps squirmed and twisted. Numerous tentacles burst from both stumps, whipping toward Levi and Kai.

  Did it bait us into severing its arms?

  Fire streamed from the trees, blocking the tentacles’ path. Silas.

  Crack.

  The bad news was Silas could only assist when the monsters kept their distance. The good news was Silas restricted the monsters’ long-range tentacle attacks. Kai had commanded the wraith to stay behind them to prevent him getting destroyed. But that limited his combat flexibility.

  The tentacles’ flesh blistered, then shimmered. The first Dakas took their place. It barrelled through the fire stream, arms protecting its face as its skin cracked under the heat.

  It moved through the flame, approaching striking distance. Its arm drew back. Its face tentacles coiled.

  Kai still couldn’t sense Renzo. But the bastard had to be nearby to switch the monsters. No Gift had unlimited range.

  The puppetry Gift was an anomaly; there had to be a high price for its extended range. But if Renzo could switch the positions of duplicates across worlds - Kai needed a word with Balance God.

  Silas held his fire as the monster closed in. Its claw crashed down. Its tentacles swiped. Kai and Levi disappeared, reappearing a fair distance away from the monster.

  “Remember,” Kai said, “minor cuts to get through the Gift, then the killing blow.”

  Levi made a derisive sound. “Are you blind? You might get a few minor strikes in, but they’ll switch when the Gift’s down. It only let us cut off its arms so it could sprout more despicable tentacles.” His face twisted in disgust.

  Kai stepped through space. He appeared behind the Dakas with arms, dark blade nicking its back. Crack. Minor pain bloomed on his back before it faded.

  The monster shimmered. Tentacle-arms took its place, purple appendages thrashing. Levi was right. The monsters switched places at any sign of real danger. And non-lethal strikes would only give them more tentacles to play with.

  No choice - time for Plan B.

  Kai teleported. Levi blurred. They both appeared farther from the whipping tentacles. Silas’s flame crashed into the slimy attachments. Crack.

  Tentacle-arms shimmered. Strong-arms took its place, rushing forward.

  “Silas!” Kai called. “Stay out of range of the monsters. Keep their tentacles burnt and busy. Move wherever you need to. Do whatever’s best!”

  His new commands were vague and open to interpretation. Who knew whether the wraith could understand. Could it determine what the ‘best’ course of action was? But he had—

  The wraith smiled. Then nodded. He moved through the trees.

  Strange.

  Kai snapped back to reality. Focusing on dodging claw swipes from Strong-arms. Silas’s fire blocked any long-range attacks from tentacle-arms.

  Strong-arms relied on its claws, tentacles lying limp against its purple chest. It had learned - or Renzo had. Tentacles meant retreat and fire. Kai couldn’t dodge a tentacle barrage, so why bother?

  When tentacles came out to play, he’d teleport away.

  “We have to strike at the same time,” Kai said. Levi danced away from claw swipes beside him.

  They both had to risk a lethal strike being reflected at them. Kai gritted his teeth. “Make sense?”

  Levi grinned. “You break through the Gift with your weak cuts, I’ll go for the lethal strike.” He slipped under another claw swipe. “My healing’s better than yours.”

  Kai weaved away from an incoming claw. “Let’s do it.” He had no complaints. The vampire said he was immortal at night.

  Time for him to prove it.

  He gripped his dark blade, launching himself toward Strong-arms. He extended space between himself and the black claws nearing his face. His blade blurred, carving across the monster’s purple chest. Levi’s red blade hit its neck.

  The red blade bounced off Dakas’s purple throat. Crack.

  A deep gash spread across Levi’s neck. His head separated and dropped.

  Blood erupted from his neck, connecting with his head before it hit the ground. His severed head followed the swirling blood to his neck, reattaching itself.

  Kai’s chest burned for a moment before it faded. He blinked, then retreated through space. The monster shimmered. Tentacle-arms replaced it.

  Levi joined Kai’s, both of them keeping clear of Tentacle-arms. The vampire grinned. “Let’s try that again.”

  Tentacle-arms’ tentacles coiled, preparing to strike. A horizontal pillar of flame blasted into the monster. Crack. It shimmered. Strong-arms took its place.

  Silas occupied Tentacle-arms while the duo fought Strong-arms.

  Kai and Levi moved in sync, blades searching for minor and lethal strikes.

  Levi’s torso separated from his legs before his blood pulled him back together. Shimmer. Blast. Shimmer.

  Another coordinated attack. A hole punched through the vampire’s chest. Shimmer. Blast. Shimmer.

  His head separated again. Shimmer. Blast. Shimmer.

  They moved in step, preparing to launch another attack.

  “Are you showing off? You keep hitting him faster than me,” Kai said.

  “It’s not my fault you’re so slow.”

  Kai shook his head. “You aren’t skilled enough to attack a split-second after I do? Tut, tut. Fast but no finesse.”

  The vampire frowned. “I can do that. I just expected you to be faster.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  They raised their swords, but before they launched another attack on Strong-arms, the clacking of bones reached their ears. The skeletons had recovered. Each of them leaped atop a monster, clawing at its eyes.

  Crack.

  Kai smiled. Things were looking up. Levi’s nighttime strength was formidable.

  But he wasn’t the only night creature they had to worry about.

  Before they could move to strike, the ground rumbled. A shrill hiss came from the forest.

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