Free Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez Page A

and her glow became light and gentle. "I trust you, Nessy, and earning a demon's trust is a singular accomplishment. As to the methods of stopping this hound, there are several. But I shall only give you the ones that you have some chance of using. If it is exposed to purest sunlight, it will die."
    "There's little sunlight in this castle."
    "I wouldn't know, as this accursed room is all I get to see of it. If you can get the hound to ingest something still alive, this would be most virulent poison."
    "How would I do that?"
    The firefly bobbed. "That's something you'll have to figure out on your own. And finally, a sacred weapon dedicated to the art of slaying demons can destroy the beast. And I believe there is just such a weapon in Margle's armory, is there not?"
    Nessy knew exactly what the demon spoke of. It wasthe prize of her master's impressive enchanted-sword collection. "But I can't use that. Even Margle couldn't use that."
    "Oh, but I think you can. I think you are more clever than you give yourself credit for. I think you can devise a way if you put your mind to it."
    "Are you certain?"
    "Certain? No, not certain. But I do know things, Nessy. And I ask only that you trust in me as I trust in you."
    Nessy walked backward, unwilling to turn from the demon. "Thank you. I'll bring the coal right away."
    The door opened, casting a sliver of light. Nessy slipped out, shutting it behind her. The firefly hovered silently for a minute or two, or perhaps an hour or three. It was so hard to tell sometimes.
    The door opened again but Nessy didn't set foot inside. She tossed a lump of coal across the threshold.
    "Thank you, Nessy."
    "You're welcome, demon."
    "And do remember to be careful with that hound. I'd hate to see anything happen to you."
    The door closed with a soft click.
    The firefly hovered over the coal. "What a lovely creature. I could see growing quite fond of her."
    A second light flared beside her. "Don't get too attached. When the time comes, she will very likely try to stand in my way."
    A third insect lighted. "Truly, a pity. If I had a heart, it would be heavy."

    "How fortunate for me," said a fourth, "that I do not."
    One by one by one, a thousand fireflies banished the darkness. The swarm's beating wings thundered.
    As one, the fireflies extinguished. Their rumble faded. The Purple Room was dark once again. And in that dark, a demon chuckled softly.

SEVEN

    Many centuries ago, in a kingdom that has long since faded from memory, there was a fracture between the land of the living and the empire of the damned. Monsters of the underworld swarmed the good people and threatened to crush this realm. And from there, the rest of the world perhaps. But this abysmal tale of destruction didn't come to pass because of one enchantress and one smithy.
    The smithy created a sword of such exquisite beauty and flawless craftsmanship that he would never design another as marvelous. Knowing this, he never stepped into another forge. The enchantress blessed the sword with all her magic, surrendering all her power into one everlasting spell. Then the smithy and the enchantress retired to raise sheep and beget fat, happy children. But not before giving the sword to a worthy warrior and sending him forth to save the world.

    Thus armed, the warrior did beat back the demons, driving them into their Hell and sealing the portal. The kingdom was preserved, but there were still wrongs to right and evil creatures to destroy. The warrior kept at this noble task until, eventually, he was mortally wounded. Dying, he drove his weapon into a nearby rock while pronouncing his prophecy: "I plunge this blade into this stone and here it shall remain until a hero of courage and honor, strong of limb, skilled in combat, abhorrent of evil in all its forms shall draw it again."
    Then he died.
    The sword waited. Men came to test their worth: knights and barbarians, assassins and paladins, kings and peasants. Thousands were deemed inadequate, but