“Maybe the canu scared them away.” Lux rubbed the back of his neck, and for a moment, as Lily mulled it over, he thought she’d bought it.

“They smelled strongly of brimstone,” she said thoughtfully. “Wick told me that the forest and the creatures hate the smell of brimstone.”

“There you go.” Lux rushed to agree with her, but she hadn’t gotten it exactly right. The smell itself didn’t bother the forest or the creatures, but rather the things that smelled like brimstone, they knew of the powers they had and who they worked for.

“You smell of brimstone.” Lily looked at him evenly, and he faltered.

“You … you can smell that?”

“No.” She shook her head and set the auratus back in the log, reuniting it with its mother, and then she stood up. “It’s too faint for me. But Wick noticed the scent on your jacket, and she told me not trust you.”

“But you do.” He met her eyes and knew that she did, but his heart raced nervously.

“I do.” She took a step to him. “But should I?”

“Yes,” he nodded emphatically.

“Then tell me why all the terrible things in the Necrosilvam are afraid of you.” She stood in front of him, staring into his eyes, and it felt hard for him to breathe.

“Not all the terrible things are afraid of him,” a voice taunted from a tree behind them, and Lux whirled around, moving in front of Lily.

It’d been awhile since Lux had seen him, and Ira looked bigger than he remembered. He sat perched on a branch of one of the dead wood, one leg dangling off carelessly and the long tails of his purple velvet jacket hanging behind him. His black hair hung just past his shoulders, and he had a hard face, like it’d been made of stone. But then again, maybe it had. Ira had always been more powerful than Lux, more powerful than everyone, except Valefor.

“How did you find us?” Lux asked, unable to think of a better question.

“You didn’t exactly cover your tracks,” Ira smirked. “The canu led me right to you.”

“Ira, this isn’t what you think.” Lux tried smiling cockily, hoping to buy himself some time, and Ira just threw back his head and laughed.

“Oh, I highly doubt that.” Ira swung down, landing on the ground effortlessly, and on a level playing field, he looked even more imposing. He stood a foot taller than Lux, and his broad shoulders were all but busting out the inseams of his tailored suit. “Don’t tell me you sent off the canu so you could bring her to him yourself.”

“What is he talking about?” Lily asked nervously, and Lux couldn’t bring himself to look back at her. “Bring me to who?” He wanted to calm her, but right now, he had to ignore her and deal with Ira.

“Ira, I can make you a deal.” Lux had always been a good salesman, and Ira had never been that bright. He grinned and stepped forward, hoping that he could outwit him somehow.

“What could you possibly have to offer me?” Ira smiled, revealing long, sharp incisors, and his black glinted.

“I’ve always had things you wanted,” Lux said.

While that was true, the things he had that Ira wanted were almost exclusively women, which didn’t make this situation any different. Except that this time, Ira planned on taking the girl by force, and Lux had no other woman to offer him in exchange.

“Not this time,” Ira replied coolly. “Valefor wants her now, and he’s willing to give almost anything.”

“Why?” Lux asked, genuinely exasperated. “Why does he want her?”

“You could ask yourself the same question.” Ira nodded to Lily standing behind Lux. “It’s cute what you’re doing here, giving her your jacket like that. I don’t know what you’re playing, but I’ve always known that you were soft. You’ve never had the passion for this like I have.”

“If by ‘this’ you mean torture and destruction, then no, I’ve never had a passion for that,” Lux admitted. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not capable of it.”

“Are you threatening me, little man?” Ira took another step toward him, his eyes blazing and his fists clenched at his sides. It took very little to set him off, and he’d never liked Lux.

“You can’t take her,” Lux told him evenly. “I can make a deal with you, but I won’t let you leave with her.”

“Like you can stop me.” Ira raised an eyebrow. Lux had gotten into fights with Ira before, and he never came out on top. But this time, he had to.

“Lux, no!” Lily moved in toward him. “I’ll go with him!”

“Lily!” Lux snapped without looking back at her.

“Lux, no.” Lily grabbed his arm, and he finally looked down at her. “I won’t let you get killed over me.” Her eyes were scared and wide, but she meant what she said. She’d sooner die than see harm come to him.

“Why don’t you listen to the girl?” Ira said. “Sounds like she wants to go with me. She knows a real man when she sees one.”

Lux didn’t think. He just turned and blitzed at Ira, hoping that the element of surprise would give him a leg up. Unfortunately, his attack wasn’t that surprising. His fist never even connected with Ira’s stony frame. Ira swung at him, sending Lux flying backwards into a tree. Lily screamed, but he tried to block out as pain shot through him.

He was on his feet instantly, charging back at Ira. Ira caught his arm and bent it backwards. Lux heard it snap, but he wouldn’t drop to his knees, not the way Ira wanted. He kicked and punched at Ira, but it felt as if his opponent was made of granite. All of his blows that landed did nothing to Ira, but when Ira hit him, it sent exploding pain all over.

“I’d love to stay and finish this, hand to hand,” Ira grinned at him. “You know I always loved a good round on a punching bag. But Valefor is waiting, and I need to finish this.”

Lux wiped the blood from his nose on the back of his arm and tried to think of something to stop Ira. Before Lux could do anything, Ira held his hand palm out to him, and Lux remembered too late that Ira always had the better powers.

Purple light streamed out of Ira’s palm, hitting Lux right in the chest, but the pain didn’t even radiate from there. It was everywhere, all at once, scorching through him. Lux doubled over and collapsed on his knees. His blood literally boiled inside of him, and he smelled his own searing flesh. He couldn’t burn, not with flames, but with magic, he was just as susceptible as anyone else.