The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters(2)

Dirk threw back his hood angrily. “It doesn’t help that you’re carrying that blasted torch with you everywhere we go.”

Sir Giles straightened. “I need it to see by, Dirk. You know I have poor night vision.”

Lily pointed a hesitant finger at the black-clad rogue. “Shouldn’t…Dirk be helping Torval out? I mean, he’s not really useful to us here, is he?”

Dirk snorted and crossed his arms. “Are you kidding? Did you see the size of that demon-beast? It was bigger than the last tavern we went to.”

“Dirk’s a scaredy-cat,” Ella sang. “Scaredy-scaredy-scaredy cat.”

“I’m not scared.” Dirk glared at the elf cleric, then looked at the wall. “I just…pick my battles carefully, that’s all. The element of surprise is wasted on a demon-beast. They have no appreciation for the proper application of stealth and ambush techniques.”

Another booming roar came from down below.

Lily looked up at Sir Giles. “Torval could be dying down there.”

“Would that we could be so lucky,” Ella sighed.

Sir Giles gave a slow nod. “Perhaps Lady Lily has a point. Dirk, go and give Torval some support.”

Dirk quickly uncrossed his arms. “Excuse me?”

Giles made a shooing motion with his sword. “Strike from the shadows, and whatever else it is you do. Go on now.”

Dirk gave an uncertain glance down the stairwell. He tugged at the fastening to his cloak. “Right…now?”

“Scaredy-cat, scaredy-cat,” Ella whispered. “Dirk is a scaredy-cat.”

“I am not!” Dirk shouted.

“Please, please,” Sir Giles said with a heavy sigh. “Both of you stop it this moment. Dirk, help Torval out. That’s an order.”

The rogue scowled, then glared over at Ella. “Your time is coming, Elf.”

Ella shrugged. “Whatever.”

Dirk moved down the stairs and vanished.

There was a long moment of silence.

“We can still see you, Dirk,” Ella called.

“Dragon’s fire!” the thief cursed. He jumped out from the wall again. “You want a piece of me, Elf? Is that what you want? Let’s do it, right here, right—”

“That’s enough!” Sir Giles bellowed. “Now Dirk, go.”

Dirk gave Ella a hateful look, then turned sulkily back down the stairs.

“All right, Lily,” said Sir Giles. “Do you have the counterspell prepared?”

“The…what?” Lily said. She looked down at the book. “Oh, right. The counterspell.”

“Come on, mage,” said Ella sweetly. “We’re all waiting for a powerful display of your magic.”

Lily cleared her throat. “I…think this is it.” She held the book up in one hand, straining to read the strange runes in the flickering light of the torch. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure, anyways.”

Sir Giles gave her a confused glance. “I do not understand. Surely you can identify a basic counterspell, Lily?”

Lily paled. “Sure,” she said with a faltering smile. “Of…course I can.” She reached for her staff with a slightly trembling hand. “I mean, it’s just a stupid little counterspell, right?” She glanced down again at the spellbook. “How hard can it be?”

Ella popped open a small hand mirror and examined her face. “For a powerful, experienced mage like you? Not hard at all.”

Lily gave a slow nod. She took a deep breath and looked up at the shimmering wall of energy. She looked down at the book and gritted her teeth. “Nallis Oli Garrellis…Octanus!” She thrust the tip of her staff forward.

The wood blazed with a bright greenish light.

The field of energy flashed green.

Sir Giles took a step back, a smile on his face. “There, Lily, I knew you could—”

There was another flashing green glow, and an animated tree-man appeared in the narrow stairwell. Its roots snaked and whispered over the stone steps. Branches shaped like hands grasped and lashed out in all directions. Two eyes blazed in the knotted bark of its trunk-like torso.

“Oh, Pixie Flickers,” Lily whispered.

The tree-man roared. It lunged forward at Sir Giles.

Giles swiped with his sword, deflecting the attack.

The tree man bellowed in anger. Its leaves swished as it lurched on the stones of the stairway.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiot,” Ella said. She adjusted her hand mirror to examine the other side of her face. “You summoned it. Get control of it.”

“Get control of it,” Lily repeated numbly. She frantically turned a page in her spellbook. “Right. Get control of it—”

Sir Giles buried the edge of his blade deep into the trunk of the creature.

The tree-man lashed out a branched hand with a roar.

Giles crashed back onto the stairs, his armor rattling. His sword was still lodged firmly in the trunk of the creature.

Lily flipped wildly through her book. “Get control of it, get control of it, get—”

“Oh, Pearls,” Ella exclaimed. “Do I have to do everything myself?” She closed her hand mirror and reached for her mace.

Sir Giles climbed back to his feet. He waved his torch at the tree-man. “I will keep it at bay,” he called back behind him. “Lily, cast a fireball!”