Damien flew over the dark city, a sliver of moon gleaming in the sky overhead. Outside the castle the damage from the earthquake looked more extensive. Many glow stone lamps had fallen and shattered, leaving the capital darker than normal. Scores of small fires, no doubt caused by smashed oil lanterns and collapsed chimneys, offset some of the lost light. Thick black smoke choked the air, forcing Damien to conjure fans to blow it away or suffocate.

Hundreds of windows had busted, littering the streets with glass. He flew over a partially collapsed inn, where a group of people were digging frantically to reach survivors under the rubble. It was the third badly damaged building he’d seen in less than a minute. Survivors filled the streets, running around, shouting for loved ones.

A piercing wail rent the air when someone found an injured victim or worse, a body. How in the world would they ever hunt down one thief in all this? It would take months to repair all the damage. At least they’d lucked out and winter had passed before the quake struck. Three months earlier and the people would be in even worse straits. Every time Damien had to fly on without helping pained him, but he had his mission and he’d see it through.

Uncle Andy had ordered the gates sealed as soon as the archmage alerted him to the theft. Everyone hoped the order had gone out soon enough to prevent the spy from escaping with the urn. Their chances of catching, or at least preventing the escape of whoever took it were pretty good, unless the spy was a warlord or sorcerer, then forget it. The hunters needed to hurry. The gates could only remain sealed for so long before the city grew restless.

The archmage had ordered Damien to patrol the perimeter of the city and detain anyone in the vicinity on the off chance the thief had gotten through the gates. He flew over the wall and sent dozens of lights drifting toward the ground. All the trees and brush had been cleared from around the wall for a mile in every direction. No one could hide in that open ground. It only took Damien ten minutes to circle the city. He saw nothing and sensed no soul force. The thief was either long gone or still inside.

Damien turned to fly back to the castle when he sensed a hint of corrupt soul force. Something demonic lurked out there and it was growing closer by the second. Perhaps Connor had sent his spy reinforcements. Even if Damien couldn’t find the urn he could at least deal with whatever was slinking around out there before it caused any harm.

Speeding northeast Damien flew towards the energy.

He reached the tree line just as a cloaked and hooded figure burst from between a pair of evergreens. Whoever it was, they looked like a normal human. A few seconds later four huge wolves crashed through the undergrowth. Their eyes glowed red, and flames leaked from their mouths like saliva. The monsters charged.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out whoever was down there had run out of time. Those demon-possessed wolves would catch their prey in moments. Damien couldn’t allow that.

Golden lances rained down, piercing the wolves and pinning them to the ground like bugs in a collection. Despite being stabbed multiple times the beasts still thrashed and howled, spitting flames toward the sky. The stranger had stopped and stood bent over, panting.

Damien drew deep from his core and burned the wolves to ash, leaving nothing behind that might cause trouble later. The immediate threat hopefully dealt with, Damien surrounded the stranger with a ring of lights. He landed a safe distance away and tried to look nonthreatening.

“Heaven’s blessing on you, sir.” The woman threw back her hood revealing a plain, kind face surrounded by thick brown hair. Brown eyes twinkled in his lights. “I’ve been fleeing from those beasts for a day and a half. I feared they had finally caught me.”

“I guess it wasn’t your day. Damien St. Cloud.” He held out his hand. If she replied with, “oh, the demon slayer,” he was going to scream.

She smiled and shook his hand. “Leah Walks-in-Sunshine. I owe you my life and yet I fear I must ask you for yet another favor.”

“Ask, but I can make no promises.”

“I need to speak with the king. I and my people need help. If you wish the quakes to end you must help me.”

Damien frowned. “Is that a threat? If it is, you have a funny idea about how to ask for help.”

“Apologies. That didn’t come out the way I intended and I certainly don’t mean you or anyone else any harm.” She looked all around, anywhere but his eyes. “I’m not used to dealing with people.”

They were getting nowhere slow and he needed to return to the castle. “Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”

“Yes. One day when I was out on a nature walk I happened across a member of our order sneaking through the woods. I would ordinarily never intrude on another’s journey, but he was acting so furtive that it aroused my curiosity. The wise one, the leader of our order, says I have far too much of it for my own good. His path led to a cave and inside, at the end of many twisting tunnels, was a ritual circle. I only caught a glimpse of it, but I saw enough of the runes to recognize their purpose. Someone is attempting to shift the local ley lines to create a convergence. The pressure on the flow is what caused the quakes. If they aren’t stopped I fear what will become of the land.”

Damien just stared for a second. He’d only understood about a quarter of what she just said—if you included her name. The only thing he understood for sure was that one or more people had caused the tremor that damaged the capital.

“You definitely need to talk to the king and my master. This matter is entirely beyond my understanding. Have you ever flown?”