by Amanda Fleet
“You’ve just argued that my son is stronger than you and that his loss would put The Realm at risk. You’ll give up your talisman before him.”
“I’m Acting Successor. If something happened to you, I would be expected to step in. I should rank higher than Faran.”
Lord Eredan straightened, his eyes piercing. “You are Acting Successor and you don’t rank higher than Faran. The only reason Faran is not on the Council is because Orian and I are alive, but the house of Hadwen outranks yours. Even if it didn’t, if I had to choose between you and Faran to ensure the safety of this Realm, I would choose Faran. Not because he’s my son, but because the security of The Realm is more likely to be maintained. As you yourself have just argued.”
I caught Lord Sondan’s wrist, gripping as hard as I could to get his attention. He turned to me, and I shook my head.
“Sh,” I whispered. “There’s no point wasting your energy arguing.”
He pulled his wrist free, scowling. “Nepotism.”
“Can you beat Faran?” I said. “You can’t beat me and Faran kicks my ass. Like it or not, Faran outranks you and outperforms you.”
Probably not the most diplomatic thing to say, but at least Lord Sondan stayed quiet, apart from the grinding of his teeth.
“And when does Lady Aeron give up her talisman?” Lady Morgan’s voice cut through the atmosphere between Lord Sondan and Lord Eredan. “Surely it would be ahead of Faran since he is stronger than her.”
Lord Eredan met my eye. “When Aegyir is captured. It will be used to destroy him. Lady Aeron is the second most senior member of The Realm and may be needed to form the triad if any of the demons gain significant power. She is an asset that must be protected.”
Lady Morgan opened her mouth to ask more, but Lord Eredan gave her such a stern look, she closed it again.
“What’s the plan of action?” asked Lord Gaedan, peering down his long, thin nose. “Are we continuing to send out patrols? Do we know where the demons are?”
“We’ll continue to send patrols out to any villages reporting deaths,” said Lord Eredan. “Aegyir is likely to be within the city though, so keep your wits about you. There may be other demons staying to attack the Guardians, too. Two of those freed today were strong. Lord Sondan and I are working on finding a way to locate Aegyir.”
Me. If Faran would take the talisman off me again.
“When was Mathas corrupted?” asked Lord Elwen, his tone measured. A fairly senior member of the Council, Lord Elwen had tried to kill me in the assassination attempt of only a few days ago.
Lord Eredan blew out his cheeks. “We don’t know. Assume that nothing he’s said since Aegyir was freed was true. I’m working with the Seers to find a replacement to sit on the Council. You should also be aware that Orian has escaped custody. Treat him as hostile. While I would prefer him to be captured alive, do not hesitate to kill him if necessary.”
A collective intake of breath hissed around the room.
“How did he escape?” asked Lord Gaedan.
“The guards at the cells were killed and Orian’s cell opened.”
“Who killed the guards? It would have to be someone skilled,” said Lord Elwen.
Lord Eredan said nothing. From what I’d overheard him saying to Faran, there’d been no signs of violence on the bodies.
“We don’t know,” said Lord Eredan eventually. “Our current assumption is that it was a demon.”
Another low rumble of voices ran round the room.
“What’s happening with the carcasses of the demons that were destroyed? If Aegyir gets hold of them, can he resurrect them?” It was Lady Talia again, with not even a warning stone to help her.
“The carcasses and those demons still in vessels have been made secure. We’re waiting for information from the librarians over what to do with the carcasses to ensure that they can’t be resurrected.” Lord Eredan’s face darkened, and I suspected he wasn’t going to allow many more questions.
No one asked any. With a final glare, Lord Eredan closed the meeting.
***
Faran, Lord Eredan and I were in the cell next to Orian’s now empty one. Faran cuffed my arms tightly behind me, removed the talisman, then barred the route out, his eyes dark with emotion. Lord Eredan crouched next to me, just out of reach. I closed my eyes. Aegyir’s voice crashed through me, obliterating my thoughts. I strained to see into his head and find out where he was and what he was planning but to no avail. He was even stronger than the last time we’d tried this and I had no way of forcing my way into his brain. All I could focus on was whether I could get to Lord Eredan’s knife and stab him in the neck or not.
“Aeron, Aeron.” Aegyir’s words emerged from my mouth and I looked at Faran, helpless. “You are far too weak to read my mind. And anyway, I told you everything earlier this morning. I am going to kill all the Guardians, whether by taking their energy or merely by ripping them apart. Once they are all dead, there will be nothing either in this Realm or Outside that can defeat me. Oh, I see that your dear husband is wearing a talisman. It matters not. I will still kill him.”
“What have you offered Orian?” asked Lord Eredan.
My head filled with pride and arrogance.
“Nothing. He needs no bribe. I am in his head and telling him what to do. Which is to further my plan. Your son will be trying to kill as many Guardians as he can.”
“What did you offer him originally?” said Faran.
“To rule by my side. To overthrow the brother who has usurped him and the father who disdains him. It was very easy.”
“When? When did you corrupt him?”
I laughed at their pitiful questions. “Oh, long ago, Faran. Long ago… Aeron, do stop trying to infiltrate my head. It is most annoying.” I had no control over my words – his voice tumbled out, not mine. “Her talisman is the only one that hasn’t been tested. All of the others are known to destroy my people, but not hers. Now, you might want to test it out on someone weaker than me, but that would leave her very exposed. Imagine if you had fewer stones than demons. I’ve already managed to destroy most of them. Perhaps I could destroy the rest. Then what would you do? Would you put me in one of your pots again? How on earth would you make the triad in order to do that? Ah, yes. Someone would have to kill Aeron. Mind you, there’s probably no shortage of willing volunteers…” Glee filled my head at Faran’s and Lord Eredan’s expressions of horror. “I see you now all understand my plans.”
Lord Eredan signalled to Faran, and he marched over, reached around me and put the talisman back around my neck. Instantly, Aegyir’s voice vanished. Everyone looked expectantly at me. I shook my head, utterly frustrated.
“I’ve no idea. He blocked me. He could be anywhere.”
A clamour of bells split the air.
“Oh, jeez. If that’s people storming the gates again, they’ve got fucking awful timing!” I put my hands over my ears.
“The gates are still barred,” said Lord Eredan. “That’s the battle alarm. The threat must be within the city.” He tapped his communications button. “Guards. Report.”
“The vault has been attacked, Lord Eredan. Three dead.”
25
The vault lay next to the Great Hall and was accessed via a short passageway and steep steps. When Lord Eredan, Faran and I arrived at the entrance to the passageway, three guards protected it. The bodies of three dead guards lay on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. They seemed to lie where they’d fallen, rather than been thrown there. Faran caught my eye, worried.
“Report.” Lord Eredan’s eyes shifted to the stones at his wrist. None glowed. At least these guards weren’t compromised.
“We arrived for the start of our shift and found them dead.”
I tiptoed down the steps and crouched next to the bodies, my stomach clenching. I’d expected a pool of blood, but they were unmarked. Killed by having their energy forcibly removed through their chests. The vault looked intact.
�
�Secure the entrance,” said Lord Eredan.
The three guards barred the end of the short passageway, and Faran and his father joined me in the cramped space at the bottom of the stairs. Lord Sondan arrived, still sulky.
Lord Eredan beckoned him over. “Agreement to open the vault to check the contents?”
Lord Sondan nodded curtly. He scowled at Faran, who shot me a perplexed look. I mouthed, “Not now,” to him. I could tell him later how Lord Sondan had reacted to being told he was inferior to Faran.
Lord Eredan opened the vault. Inside, were five carcasses and three vessels, exactly as they should be. He studied the vessels, but they remained sealed.
“Have they been switched?” asked Faran in a low voice.
His father shook his head.
“Could the demons open the vault?” I asked.
“No.” Lord Eredan locked it again. “The Chief Locksmith changed the locks. Only Sondan and I have keys.”
“Maybe they didn’t know that.”
Lord Eredan pressed his lips together, shaking his head. “Or maybe this is a distraction. Guards! Get these bodies cleared and resume your post here.”
The three guards summoned someone to collect the bodies, then clattered back down to stand outside the vault. The four of us moved to the edge of the Great Hall, making a tight circle. Other than the kitchen staff at their work, there was no one here. Nonetheless, all of us were alert for eavesdroppers.
“What’s their real target?” asked Lord Sondan.
“Guardians,” I said. “Aegyir’s end-game is to destroy all the Guardians before they destroy him. Then he can live forever. If live is the right word.”
“The training rooms,” said Faran. “That’s where many of the Guardians will be.”
As one, we left the Great Hall and made our way to the hall leading to the training rooms. As we rounded the corner, our way was blocked by a mob of non-Guardians brandishing weapons improvised from broken crates. The stones on everyone’s wrists glowed brightly, indicating the presence of enslaved people, though there were no indications of demons being present. We all drew our swords, making our wannabe attackers stumble to a halt. I strained to hear any sounds coming from the training rooms behind them, but couldn’t hear anything above the snarls of the crowd.
“Is there another route through?” I asked.
“Are you afraid to fight the people?” said Lord Sondan, surprise in his eyes.
“No. But it’ll take time and isn’t without risk, and our priority is to ensure the Guardians are okay.”
Faran nodded towards a side hall. “We can get to the training rooms this way.”
“You and Lady Aeron take that route,” said Lord Eredan. “Sondan and I will deal with these people and protect the Great Hall.”
“Remember, once the demon that enslaved them is destroyed, these people will be free. If they die while enslaved, the demon gets their energy,” I said, hoping to avoid the entire group in front of us getting slaughtered.
“Your pacifism is noted, Lady Aeron,” snapped Lord Eredan.
Faran and I hurried into a small hall that led to the training rooms via a circuitous route. Faran glanced across at me. “I know you’re trying to protect the innocent, but Father’s right. Don’t hesitate to kill if you have to.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I pointed to the end of the hallway with my sword. Blocking the route to the training rooms stood a rabble who didn’t look at all innocent. Our “warning” stones glowed brightly.
“At least one of them is a demon,” I murmured.
Faran flexed his back. “Come. We’d better find out which one.”
***
It wasn’t hard to spot the demon, even if he looked like one of the umber-clad clerks. His first move was to sprint towards us and try to plunge his hand into Faran’s chest, only to snatch it away, howling. He fled back to the rabble before I could get a hand on him and shape-shifted rapidly, making it hard to isolate him in the crowd. The odds weren’t in our favour for managing to contain the demon without it killing everyone.
“Keep your eye on it,” I said.
“I’m doing my best!”
We stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the hallway. About ten people faced us, some armed with makeshift weapons. All of them had been enslaved. The training rooms just beyond them were eerily quiet. Empty? Full of dead Guardians? There was another set of rooms beyond. The Guardians training there would probably have no inkling of the fight here.
“Who’s training? Can we get them to attack from the other side?” I said, still keeping eyes on the demon.
“Sondan did the rota. I don’t know who’s on the schedule for this morning.”
None of the rabble advanced. Instead, they seemed happy just to block our way. Faran picked half a dozen Guardians to call. Three didn’t answer, but three did and appeared behind the people, at the other end of the corridor.
“Don’t advance yet,” I yelled to them. “One of these is a demon! Do any of you have warning stones that detect demons?”
“No.”
About half of the group between us turned to rush towards the three Guardians. I struggled to keep track of the demon.
“Damn! I’ve lost him! Faran, do you still have eyes on him?”
“Yes. Man in green wool jacket, grey trousers. To my right.”
“Got him!”
The group facing us charged. I don’t know what suddenly triggered them, and I was too busy with the fight to worry about it. Faran’s blade shone silver in a shaft of light as he wielded it with deadly accuracy, immobilising the first man with a slash to his thigh. The second crumpled, his hamstrings cut. The third made the mistake of trying to charge Faran, only to end up clubbed in the head with the hilt of Faran’s sword.
As Faran reached the demon, one of the other Guardians ran to help him.
“Fall back!” Faran bellowed. “Lady Aeron and I are protected. Help her so that she can help me.”
The demon swung round, reaching a bony hand towards the Guardian, who scrambled back just in time. Faran smashed his fist into the side of the demon’s head, sending him sprawling. Before he could restrain the demon, another man ran towards him, fists flailing.
“Aeron! Get here!”
“I’m trying!”
“Try harder!”
I punched a man who was attempting to cave my head in. He staggered back, dropping the pipe he held. I snatched it up and smashed it down on his skull. He didn’t get up again. To my side, the Guardian who’d narrowly escaped the demon took out another of the mob. I did a quick head-count. Faran was holding his own against two of the mob, a semi-conscious demon at his feet, five more were out of the fight, and the three Guardians looked as if they had the upper hand with the remaining three slaves.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the demon get back up, snarling and hissing. Faran hit him again, but one of the two he’d been fighting slammed a bat into the back of his legs, bringing him down on to one knee. My breath jammed in my chest for a moment, then I surged forwards, resorting to fists to deal with Faran’s other adversary. Faran hobbled on his battered leg, his face contorting. I walloped the man who’d hit Faran. As he went down, the back of his head crashed against the wall. The demon glowed as the man died, gaining his energy.
“I’m here,” I gasped.
He scowled. “Yeah, I see that.”
The demon lay on the floor, Faran’s boot now across his back, pinning it. Six of the mob were down and not going to get up again quickly. The rest had ended up no match for the Guardians and were in the process of being cuffed. Faran rubbed the back of his leg.
“You okay?” I said.
“Mm. Hold him down for me.” His voice was gruff.
I knelt on the demon’s back, pulling his arms behind him. Faran cuffed him at both wrist and ankle and then hit him again for good measure.
He tapped his communications button. “Sondan. Report?”
“Not now.”
; Faran grimaced. Our hall was contained, but we needed a place to lock the survivors up and the patrol back so that we could grind up one of their talismans and destroy this demon.
“What’s happening in the training rooms?” I asked one of the three Guardians.
He was a youngish man, and the smears of blood on his face didn’t disguise the fact he looked distinctly green around the gills. I didn’t know his name, though Faran would. He stared at me, looking as if he was about to be sick.
“Annan! What’s happening in the training rooms?” demanded Faran.
“All dead,” he whispered.
“What do you mean, all dead?” Faran snapped. “How many?”
Annan collected himself. “Ten. In the first five rooms. Ten dead.”
“And the other rooms?”
Annan shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Faran took a deep breath, then turned to the Guardians. “You three watch over the prisoners and the demon. Do not get too close to the demon! Lady Aeron and I will check the training rooms. Your priority is to keep that demon in your custody. If you have to kill anyone else to do that, do it. Call us if you need us.”
The training quarter comprised a main hall, with smaller hallways branching off. Each of these spurs had between five and eight training rooms. Faran and I made our way to the first spur. Part of a foot poked out of an open doorway, and I peered in. Two bodies sprawled on the floor. Both junior Guardians I didn’t really know. No signs of anyone or anything else. We moved on, checking the other rooms. In every one lay two bodies. None had any obvious signs of injury.
We returned to the main hallway. From the side halls came sounds of fighting, but the noise of training not battle. From the far end of the main corridor came screams that were definitely not from a training session. Faran caught my arm, holding me back.
“We’re not going in there on our own. Let’s get all the Guardians out of training.”
We pulled all of the Guardians together – about fifty all told – and I checked everyone’s wrists. Only a handful had both kinds of warning stones. And of course, no one else was protected by a talisman.
