Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

Adrian parked the rental car at the edge of Lancefield with a growing sense of dread. Smoke was rising in the distance and police cars were speeding past him, sirens blaring.

What the hell was happening here?

Adrian knew, of course. Trolls and orcs were happening here, but that was still hard to believe.

"Do you think the rental car’s insurance covers monster attacks?" he asked Knox, his joke falling flat to his own ears.

"How often do the people of Lancefield have to deal with monster attacks?"

"Probably never."

"How fortunate." Knox sounded genuinely surprised.

"It also means they are completely unprepared for this." Adrian gestured toward the town. He knew how to deal with internet trolls, but he knew nothing about real-life ones. There weren’t supposed to be any real life ones.

"I’ll take care of it," Knox promised. "Let’s just find your friend."

"Yes, thank you." Adrian glanced at his phone. Still no response from Leon. How were they supposed to get him to safety like this?

"Let’s go and see what we’re dealing with."

Before Adrian could even respond, Knox headed down the street as if he didn’t even know what fear was. Of course not. He was an incubus, a demon, and unlike Adrian, he was the hero of his story, whether he resided in Veridia or this world.

Adrian gazed after him for a moment, once again reminded of how different they were.

"Are you coming?" Knox called.

"Yeah." Adrian made himself move. This was not the time to be falling behind.

He’d never been to Lancefield before, but he’d always pictured it as a sort of quiet town when Leon talked about it. Not so now.

He and Knox passed overturned cars and shattered shop windows and there were always sirens going off somewhere. Adrian’s eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Leon or, worse, one of the monstrous creatures wreaking havoc.

"Stay close," Knox instructed. "You’re an easy target for an orc."

Adrian shuddered at the thought. The image of a green, hulking beast dragging him away played vividly in his mind. "What do they do to the people they catch?"

"They use them for entertainment or labor," Knox replied, his gaze scanning their surroundings. "But don’t worry, they won’t get the chance with you."

"That’s… reassuring," Adrian muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"They look intimidating," Knox continued, "but they’re quite susceptible to magic."

Adrian took a deep breath, feeling a little better. "So, you have a plan?"

"Of course," Knox assured him. "Just stick close, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you."

Adrian nodded. He still wasn’t one hundred percent reassured, but he was going to put on a brave face—which lasted until they turned a corner and spotted a couple of orcs on the street in front of them.

Adrian’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at the orcs. They were massive, each easily over seven feet tall, with greenish skin, long tusks and bulging muscles. They wore crude armor and carried weapons that looked as if they could cleave a car in two. The creatures grunted and snarled, their yellow eyes scanning the area for their next target.

He instinctively stepped back. "Knox…"

"Stay calm," Knox instructed. He moved forward, placing himself between Adrian and the orcs, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

Adrian watched, his fear momentarily overridden by curiosity, as Knox raised his hand and muttered something under his breath. A shimmering distortion appeared in the air, and suddenly, one of the orcs roared in anger, swinging its club at its companion.

The other orc bellowed in response, clearly seeing an enemy where there was none. They charged at each other, their weapons clashing with a force that made the ground tremble. Knox’s illusion had made each orc see the other as a threat, and now they were locked in a brutal combat.

Knox stood there, unflinching, watching the chaos he had created. "They’ll tire themselves out soon," he said calmly. "Or one will kill the other. Either way, we can pass safely."

Adrian felt a mix of awe and unease. Knox might not know how to use a phone or a television, but orcs were no problem for him.

Because he doesn’t belong here, a voice whispered in the back of his head. Just like those orcs don’t belong here.

Adrian shook his head, forcing the voice to shut up. Now wasn’t the time for doubts.

"Let’s move," Knox said, his eyes still on the fighting orcs. "Before they realize what’s happening."

Adrian nodded, following Knox as they skirted around the brawling monsters. As they did, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Finally a message from Leon.

"Troll!!!!" was all it said.

A second message popped up a second later. "Bellhammer Square."

"You said orcs were easy," Adrian said. "Are trolls easy too?"

Knox licked his lips. "Trolls are not very susceptible to illusionary magic. Frankly speaking, you can’t manipulate thoughts where there aren’t any."

"Oh. Leon says there’s a troll in Bellhammer Square. Where is…?" He trailed off as he heard a deafening noise like a building caving in. His head snapped in that direction. He had the worst feeling that was where the square was.

The closer they got to Bellhammer Square, the more the sounds of destruction filled the air—shattering glass, the groaning of metal, and the unmistakable roars of a troll.

When they finally reached their destination, Adrian felt like throwing up. A massive troll, easily twice the size of the orcs, was wreaking havoc. It had ugly mottled skin and beady eyes, and currently, it was swinging a lamppost like a club, smashing it into anything that moved.

Frantically, Adrian scanned the area for signs of his friend.

"Panicking won’t help," Knox said. "Stay calm."

"Right," Adrian muttered, trying to take deep breaths instead of giving in to the urge to hyperventilate. "What do we do about that?" He nodded toward the troll, which was currently tearing the roof off a car as if it were made of cardboard.

Knox’s eyes narrowed. "I’ll distract it. You find your friend and get him to safety."

Adrian opened his mouth to protest, but Knox had already stepped forward, shadows gathering around him. With a flick of his wrist, tendrils of darkness shot out, wrapping around the troll’s limbs and pulling it off balance. The creature roared in fury, swinging its makeshift club wildly as it tried to free itself from Knox’s magical grip.

"Go, Adrian!" Knox commanded.

Adrian hesitated for a split second, then turned and ran, searching the chaos around the square for his friend.

"Leon! Where are you?"

A faint voice answered from behind a collapsed market stall. "Adrian! Over here!"

Adrian rushed to the stall, finding Leon trapped under a wooden beam. "Thank God," he breathed, kneeling down to assess the situation. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my leg," Leon grimaced. "Can you get this off me?"

Adrian braced himself and heaved the beam off Leon with all his strength. "Come on, we need to move. Knox is keeping the troll busy, but I don’t know how long he can hold it."

Leon nodded, gritting his teeth as Adrian helped him to his feet. "Watch out," he said, pointing to something near them.

Adrian’s gaze followed Leon’s pointing finger to a swirling, colorful hole in the ground. It glowed with a strange light, pulsating with energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"What the hell is that?" Adrian asked.

Leon winced as he shifted his weight, leaning on Adrian for support. "Portals. They popped up all over town. The monsters came out of them."

Adrian stared at the portal, his mind racing. It looked like something straight out of the fantasy novels he loved, but seeing it in real life was something else entirely. The colors pulsed in a hypnotic pattern, and he could feel a faint, almost electric buzz in the air around it.

"So that’s how they got here," he muttered, half to himself. "Do you think we can close it?"

"I have no idea," Leon admitted, his voice strained. "But we need to get out of here before more come through."

Adrian nodded, helping Leon hobble away from the portal. As they moved, he kept glancing over his shoulder at the swirling hole, half-expecting another creature to emerge at any moment.

Knox’s voice cut through the noise of the troll’s rampage. "Adrian, hurry!"

Adrian swallowed hard. They couldn’t move faster with Leon’s leg the way it was.

"It’s okay," Leon said, doing his best to pick up the pace.

As quickly as they could, they made their way toward Knox, who was still engaged in his magical battle with the troll. The tendrils of shadow seemed to be holding, but Adrian could see the strain on Knox’s face.

And then he had an idea.

"Knox!" he called out. "Can you make it go there?" He pointed to the portal on the ground. If that was how the troll had come here, maybe they could force it back through?

Knox’s eyes flickered to the vortex. Understanding dawned on his face, followed by a determined nod. He shifted his stance, and the tendrils of shadow began to pull the troll toward the portal.

The troll bellowed in rage, its limbs thrashing against the magical restraints. The ground shook with each step as it was forced closer to the portal. Adrian watched, heart in his throat, praying that their plan would work.

Leon leaned heavily on Adrian, his face pale with pain. "We need to get out of here," he urged, his voice tight. "If that thing breaks free…"

Adrian shook his head, tightening his grip on Leon. "Knox can do it."

Knox’s concentration never wavered, even as the troll’s struggles grew more violent. With a final, desperate roar, the troll’s massive foot crossed the threshold of the portal. The swirling colors flared brightly, and the creature was sucked into the hole, disappearing from sight.

The square fell eerily silent, the only sound the distant wail of sirens. Adrian let out a shaky breath, his legs threatening to give out beneath him.

Knox stepped toward the swirling portal, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. The vibrant colors reflected in his gray eyes, giving them an otherworldly glow. Adrian’s breath hitched, a wave of anxiety washing over him.

"Be careful," Adrian called out. "You don’t want to get sucked in."

Knox turned to face him, a contemplative look on his face. "What if I did?" he mused, almost to himself. "I’m assuming this portal leads back to Veridia."

Adrian’s heart sank at Knox’s words. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Knox could leave right now. He could go back to where he belonged, back to the world Adrian had only ever dreamed of. They’d only been together a short time, and yet, the thought of losing Knox, of never seeing him again, was almost unbearable.

Adrian couldn’t say that.

It was pathetic.

Leon, seemingly sensing Adrian’s turmoil, squeezed his hand. The small gesture grounded him, but it didn’t make the sinking feeling in his chest go away.

Adrian swallowed hard, forcing his fears aside. "We still need you here," he managed to say. "The Shadow King is still out there." He couldn’t bring himself to confess his real feelings, to tell Knox why he didn’t want him to leave.

Knox studied Adrian for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Adrian wondered if Knox had heard the words he didn’t manage to say, but if so, he gave no indication of it.

Finally, Knox nodded, stepping away from the portal. "I know," he said. "I won’t go anywhere before my business here is done."

Adrian let out a breath, though relief didn’t envelop him wholly. Knox wouldn’t leave yet.

But in the end, he would.

It figured.

No matter how ‘special’ Adrian was, he was never enough to make them stay.