"Yeah, well." Billy-Ray slowed their pace a little so the roaring sound wasn't quite so bad, and the decreased strain on his muscles definitely didn't go unnoticed, or go without his gratitude. "This ain't my best. Your friend's partner stabbed me a while back, and the guy who stitched me up did a piss-poor job of it."
He tilted his head towards Gabe as the roaring picked up again, but decided not to ask if that phrasing meant the man was injured himself - partly because they were now moving too fast to be audible, and Billy-Ray was worried that the next time he slowed to a stop would be his last for several days to come. But he didn't let the comment go without a wide grin, even though Gabe probably wouldn't be able to see it.
The castle wasn't too far off now - if he didn't stop, they could make it. If he stopped thinking about the journey and the pain and the slow, steady sap of his magic, then the trek might even pass in the blink of an eye. Murder. Think about murder. Murder always helped calm Billy-Ray right down; something about taking another man's life had simply been soothing and invigorating since Billy-Ray first understood the concept. Like when he killed that man who stitched him up wrong. Ambushed him a few days later and slit his throat with the razor. That had felt good, though he'd remembered later that killing the only man possibly able to fix the mistake wasn't exactly the wisest move to make.
And then Cain, of course. Billy-Ray couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Her death had been a favourite fantasy of his ever since the girl first stole his razor. The instant anyone hired him to kill her....
Without much warning, the dirt gave way to solid stone. Billy-Ray grunted as the magic he was using to travel tried cracking through the stone floor while it was still metres ahead of them, yelled out in pain as he and Gabe came up against the unshaken stone themselves; and then with one last agonising burst of effort, they were through and in one of the castle's basement dungeon rooms, nothing left in the stone behind them but a few dull cracks to indicate their passing. Praying that the door to this particular room was locked, Billy-Ray collapsed onto the cold, hard ground, shaking violently as the adrenaline wore off. He was in no shape to stop Gabe from doing anything, although he could probably call for back-up if he was given a few minutes. Would Dusk even be back with the Professor yet? Probably. With the rate Billy-Ray had been going, he wouldn't be surprised.
Without even the strength to talk, Billy-Ray just lay there and tried to remember how to stay alive.
~~
Father O'Reilly glanced up as Solomon stood, and a part of him immediately rebelled against the idea of the former Necromancer leaving his church so soon. Upon closer inspection, however, he realised that this initial gut reaction was much more because he suddenly did not want to be left alone, rather than any further ability to help Solomon. And that wouldn't do. "Of course," he answered, rising himself. "You'll always be welcome here, if you need to come back."
But what if Saint Gabriel came and Solomon wasn't there?
Then, Father O'Reilly told himself sternly, he would face the angel himself and explain what had happened. If, of course, Saint Gabriel didn't already know, which was doubtful. Honestly, he was being anxious and worried over nothing.
But just in case. "I don't suppose sorcerers use cell phones?" he asked.
no subject
He tilted his head towards Gabe as the roaring picked up again, but decided not to ask if that phrasing meant the man was injured himself - partly because they were now moving too fast to be audible, and Billy-Ray was worried that the next time he slowed to a stop would be his last for several days to come. But he didn't let the comment go without a wide grin, even though Gabe probably wouldn't be able to see it.
The castle wasn't too far off now - if he didn't stop, they could make it. If he stopped thinking about the journey and the pain and the slow, steady sap of his magic, then the trek might even pass in the blink of an eye. Murder. Think about murder. Murder always helped calm Billy-Ray right down; something about taking another man's life had simply been soothing and invigorating since Billy-Ray first understood the concept. Like when he killed that man who stitched him up wrong. Ambushed him a few days later and slit his throat with the razor. That had felt good, though he'd remembered later that killing the only man possibly able to fix the mistake wasn't exactly the wisest move to make.
And then Cain, of course. Billy-Ray couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Her death had been a favourite fantasy of his ever since the girl first stole his razor. The instant anyone hired him to kill her....
Without much warning, the dirt gave way to solid stone. Billy-Ray grunted as the magic he was using to travel tried cracking through the stone floor while it was still metres ahead of them, yelled out in pain as he and Gabe came up against the unshaken stone themselves; and then with one last agonising burst of effort, they were through and in one of the castle's basement dungeon rooms, nothing left in the stone behind them but a few dull cracks to indicate their passing. Praying that the door to this particular room was locked, Billy-Ray collapsed onto the cold, hard ground, shaking violently as the adrenaline wore off. He was in no shape to stop Gabe from doing anything, although he could probably call for back-up if he was given a few minutes. Would Dusk even be back with the Professor yet? Probably. With the rate Billy-Ray had been going, he wouldn't be surprised.
Without even the strength to talk, Billy-Ray just lay there and tried to remember how to stay alive.
~~
Father O'Reilly glanced up as Solomon stood, and a part of him immediately rebelled against the idea of the former Necromancer leaving his church so soon. Upon closer inspection, however, he realised that this initial gut reaction was much more because he suddenly did not want to be left alone, rather than any further ability to help Solomon. And that wouldn't do. "Of course," he answered, rising himself. "You'll always be welcome here, if you need to come back."
But what if Saint Gabriel came and Solomon wasn't there?
Then, Father O'Reilly told himself sternly, he would face the angel himself and explain what had happened. If, of course, Saint Gabriel didn't already know, which was doubtful. Honestly, he was being anxious and worried over nothing.
But just in case. "I don't suppose sorcerers use cell phones?" he asked.