“It does. Thanks for sneaking away.”
“I can’t stay long. The Earl of Acca’s threatening war.”
“That family is hell on toast.” She turns back to face me once more. “Is he still pushing for you and Adair to get married?”
I nod. “But I’m recruiting more of the lesser Houses to the Alliance. I’ll stop him, Myla.” I exhale. “Actually, I’m supposed to be with the House of Gurith right now, convincing them to join up. I’m afraid I must leave in a few minutes.”
A heavy pause hangs in the air. “I’ll miss you, friend.”
“This doesn’t have to be goodbye. Walker told me your summit begins in a few weeks.” This is the event where the new government of Purgatory will form. “If you’re feeling up to it, perhaps you can visit Antrum before everything starts.” I stroke her upper arm. “Maybe we visit the House of Striga, find a way to remove the igni.” It’s something Myla talked about back in the bunker.
Myla nibbles her lower lip. “Do you ever think about leaving Antrum?”
“Sure. I have my days.” I give her a shy grin. “I have a fantasy that you and I go to Earth and find a tropical island.”
Her eyes widen. “What do we do there?”
A blush colors my cheeks. “Fool around, fight demons.” I run two fingers up her arm like they’re a pair of legs. “Have little thrax.”
Once the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back. I didn’t mean to mention children. Myla may need time to adjust to the whole idea of a family.
Myla giggles, her eyes alight with joy. If the concept of a family worries her, she doesn’t show it. I smile so hard, my face hurts.
“And how do we do stuff like make money or find food?” she asks.
“It’s not that kind of thing. I put a lot more thought into what you’re wearing and the demons we kill together.” Many hours, actually.
“So, you have thought about leaving.” Myla’s smile fades. “Why don’t you?”
“The same reason you’re not interested getting rid of the igni anymore.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “You aren’t interested now, are you?”
Now, it’s Myla’s turn to blush. “No. Definitely not.”
I lift my brows. The words are there yet unspoken. Go on.
“I’ve complained about life in Purgatory for ages. But the problem’s bigger than being told how to dress or serve. The way the ghouls ran things, a lot of good souls were destroyed. Now that I’m the Scala, I think I can change things. I need to stay here and prepare for the summit.”
My beautiful girl, lovely inside and out. “I understand. You can make a difference, so you have to try. Not everyone gets that chance.” A weight of sorrow settles into my bones. “I know the feeling well.” I press the sadness aside. There may be a time that we have to spend apart, but it won’t last forever. I refocus on my girl. “As Scala, you’ll have diplomatic duties to attend to, eventually.”
She mock-frowns. “None that I know of.”
“Perhaps you’ll be surprised by an invitation to Arx Hall.”
“I don’t know, unexpected invitations haven’t worked out for me.”
Myla trembles. This is overwhelming for her. Going from normal-ish quasi girl to demigoddess. I set my knuckle beneath her chin, gently guiding her mouth toward mine. Our lips brush. With this kiss, I want to show her the truth of her life going forward.
It may be strange, but she’ll never be alone.
Myla breaks the kiss. “But if the thrax High Prince asks me, I suppose I can’t say no.”
That’s the spirit. “Come to me at Arx Hall.”
“I really don’t know when I’ll–”
“Whenever you can. I’ll be waiting.” I lower my voice. “Say yes.”
She sighs. “Yes.”
“Good.” Myla yawns. I forget how she’s still recovering. I slide out of bed. “I’d better get going.” I pause, waiting for Walker to open a ghoul portal. I don’t know how Walker knows when to show up. He just always does.
Nothing happens.
Huh. Maybe Walker got caught up.
I step back to Myla’s bedside. She’s already fallen back asleep, so I kiss her forehead and then slip out of her room. Since everyone’s asleep, I can steal out the front door.
Outside ,Nightshade is waiting for me. I step up and pat her neck. “For being Myla’s horse, you’re spending an awful lot of time with me.”
She scrapes at the ground with her hoof, giving me a look that says. Yeah, right. I know what she means. Helping me now helps Myla. My horse is nothing if not loyal.
I hoist myself onto her back. “Let’s return to camp, girl.”
We take off at a gallop.
43
As Night and I close in on camp, I slow my horse to a walk. At this point, there shouldn’t be anyone running around the compound, but you never know. My horse’s hooves make sloshing sounds in the mud as I navigate through the labyrinth of cabins. Some places are neatly closed up. Others have doors open, the cabin’s interior showing as a mess of quickly piled belongings. Once Armageddon invaded, everyone had to evacuate through the temporary Pulpitum station. Clearly, some people handled the rush better than others.
I make a mental note to send servants back here to go through the cabins, inventory leftover items, and ensure they get to their rightful owners. My court wasn’t pleased to be stuck in Purgatory. Leaving in a rush for Armageddon would only make things worse. The least we can do is ensure they get their things.
I turn down the so-called street which holds my old cabin.
Beyond the spindly trees, the horizon line starts to lighten. Between nightfall and morning, there’s a certain kind of magic in the air. That power attracts some demon breeds to cause trouble. Shape shifters, mostly. And although there haven’t been many demons by our compound, that was mostly because the place was overrun with thrax. Now that my people have left, I’d expect more demons to poke about.
All of which is why I’m not surprised when I see a wispy shape before my cabin. Could be a shape shifter. Muto demon. False vision from a hedge witch. As Night walks me closer, my blood freezes. The shape is none of those things.
It’s Myla.
And she’s a ghost.
Terror rattles through my nervous system. I slide off Night and race over to the spectral version of Myla. My girl hunches over in pain.
“Lincoln,” she moans.
I kneel before her, tilting my head to catch her line of vision. “I’m here.”
“Some thrax asshole in a toga showed up. He wants me to serve him for eternity.” She hisses in a breath. “I told him to fuck off.”
I recall what happened with Devak, Silvinio and Jali. “This happened to some of my ministers. They were approached by the Tithe, too.”
She hisses in a pained breath. “What does he want with me?”
“You have angelic blood; he’s obsessed with angels. Beyond that, I don’t know”
She hunches over into a crouch. “It hurts.”
“That happened to Jali. It’s because you’re not accepting the change. Keep fighting. If you stop and give in, he’ll turn you into an effigy.”
She looks up at me through her mass of hair. “A what?”
“A stone solider that will serve him forever. That won’t happen, though. I’m coming for you.”
“Then we’ll kill that dickhead.”
“Yes, we will. I promise.”
“Good.” Myla falls over and moans. A moment later, her ghostly self vanishes. I race over to Night, ready to hoist myself back on her saddle and return to Myla’s house. Her body is still alive, even if her ghost has been separated. At least, that’s what happened with Jali, Devak and Silvinio. I must get her physical self to safety. I set my foot in the stirrup, ready to mount Night and take off. That’s when I hear it.
A low moan.
And it’s coming from my cabin.
All the hair on my neck stands on end. I’d know that particular voice any
where.
It can’t be.
Once again, I set both feet on solid ground. My hurt thuds against my rib cage. I rush over to my cabin and throw open the door.
Walker lies on the floor. The back of his head is a mass of blood.
I race inside. “Walker!”
He opens his eyes a slit. “Working on map … statues attacked from behind … thought I was you.”
I help my friend onto the bed. The blood has already dried up and his wound have started healing. Still, there could be internal damage. “Can you recover alone? They got Myla.”
Walker gives me the barest of nods. “If it doesn’t get better … Group Think.”
No question what Walker means here. If he doesn’t self-heal fast enough, Walker can contact other ghouls through his Group Think and get help. But what can Myla do? She has only me to fight for her.
“I hate to leave you,” I whisper.
“No, I loathe to see you go alone. I’ll find you when I can. Trust me.”
A chill of realization prickles over my skin. The Map. Heaven. “Walker, did you figure out where the Tower of Wonders is in relation to Heaven?”
Walker tries to speak but hisses in a pained breath instead. At last, he nods.
The time has come to multitask. While I chat with Walker, I change into fresh body armor and pack in every charm I have laying around. The ones I have are the equivalent of strange thing you find under a couch cushion.
Extra speed. That one’s not too bad.
Minor glamour. It’s pretty weak, but
Weather. Powerful, but I have no idea how to use it. Which is why it’s sat in my drawer for months.
Oh, well. No time to go back to Antrum for supplies. While I set the charms into my pockets, I address Walker once more. “Don’t speak if you don’t need to. Just tell me one thing. Is the Tower of Wonders directly under Heaven’s Citadel?”
Walker fixes me with his all-black gaze. “How did you guess?”
“The Tithe said something about revenge, hates the Citadel, and is obsessed with warriors. Xavier and Aquila founded the Citadel. Revenge must mean going after Myla.”
Walker thunks his head against his pillow. “Oh, no. I’ll come as soon as I can.”
“Just be safe.”
After racing out the door, I mount Nightshade and take off for Myla’s house at a gallop. All this time, I thought the Tithe was somehow focused on Aquila. It’s Xavier he wants. Something happened between Myla’s father and the Tithe. I simply must understand what that is.
It’s time for a serious talk with Xavier.
44
The thrax camp fades into the distance as Nightshade gallops away at a supernatural pace. Even so, it feels as if we inch along the path to Myla’s house. At last, we arrive. I slip off Night’s barrel and race to the front door.
Camilla opens it before I have a chance to knock. “What’s wrong?”
“How is she?” No question who I’m referring to here. Myla.
“Asleep. She’s fine.” Camilla scrunches up her nose. “Are you all right?”
“May I see her?”
“Sure.” Camilla steps back, allowing me room to enter. I speed into the house and tear open Myla’s door. My girl lays motionless on the bed, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Camilla steps up behind me.
“See? She’s perfectly well.” A moan sounds from the master bedroom. “Oh, that’s Xavier. I’ll be right back.” Camilla steps away. My head turns foggy with worry. Moving forward, I take Myla’s hand. It’s chilly to the touch once more. So cold. I kneel beside her.
“Myla,” I whisper. “Wake up.”
Please, let her be all right. People under stress get visions all the time. Perhaps that’s what happened to me.
Myla doesn’t flinch. I lean in and kiss her eyelids. “My love. Wake up.”
Nothing.
My skin prickles. Every hunter’s instinct in my body tells me that someone’s in the room, watching. I remember what happened with the Minister of Horus. When I grasped Jali’s hand in my cabin, I could see the Tithe. Will the same thing happen now? I keep my hold on Myla’s hand.
Little by little, I turn my head.
He’s there.
The Tithe.
He appears as he did before. A grizzled old man in a threadbare toga. Dust covers him from head to toe. The loose leather satchel hangs over his left shoulder. His right arm is now made of stone. Which makes sense. He lost his left in our battle at the Pulpitum. Little by little, the Tithe’s wide mouth cinches into a frown. “How are you still alive? My effigies killed you.”
Keeping Myla’s cold palm gripped in my own, I rise to face him. “I’m not easy to destroy.”
“Doubtful.” The Tithe sniffs. “I know your kind. Study at the Citadel but know nothing of power.”
“Listen to me carefully.” My voice deepens with rage. “Release Myla from your spell or it won’t be your arm you lose this time. It will be your life.”
“You? A little thrax princeling?” asks the Tithe. “That was luck, when you took off my arm.”
“It wasn’t a matter of chance. I’ve skills you can’t imagine. Myla does as well. You’ve no idea what we’re capable of. Set her free this moment or we will hunt you down.”
“You two can try.” The Tithe reaches into his satchel and pulls out a mallet. With the chisel still set in the satchel, the Tithe lifts the mallet. With a slight motions, the Tithe then taps the chisel’s blunt end with his enchanted mallet. A swirl of white dust erupts from the spot. He’s casting a spell. A vortex of white powder and brightness whips across the bedroom, enveloping Myla.
“No!” I cry. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m aware that Camilla has rushed into the chamber. She now stands beside me.
“What in the after-realms is happening?” she cries.
The swirl of magical dust glows more brightly, then it vanishes, taking the Tithe along with it.
I exhale. Good riddance.
All of a sudden, another burst of magic and power surrounds Myla. Then her body vanishes as well. I want to howl with pain, but I’m well aware that Myla’s mother is still here. Now is not the time to mourn. I must fight.
I round on Camilla. “Remember our conversation the morning before Armageddon’s invasion?”
Camilla sets her fingertips against her lips. “The Tithe.”
“That’s the one. He’s taken Myla.”
“Can you save my baby?” Camilla’s voice cracks with worry.
“I can, but I must speak with Xavier first.”
“Don’t tell him Myla is gone. That will kill him.”
I nod. “I can get the information I need without worrying him.”
“Thank you.” Camilla speeds from Myla’s room to pause outside Xavier’s door. She knocks gently. “Xav? Someone here to see you.” Low mumbles sound from within. Camilla looks to me. “He doesn’t say much yet.”
“I understand.”
Camilla pushes open the door. I step inside. Myla’s father lays on the bed. He’s a skeletal figure under the thin coverlet. His cocoa-colored skin hangs loose from his bones. Bruises cover his face and neck. Camilla rushes to his side. “Xav, this is Prince Lincoln. He has some questions for you.”
Xavier opens his eyes a slit. “Linc …. Lincoln.” His voice sounds rusty, as if he hasn’t used it in many years. I think back to what I discovered the day Myla fought Armageddon. Xavier has spent decades being tortured. The poor man probably only spoke to scream.
Pulling up a chair, I sit beside him. “Do you remember the Tithe?”
Xavier closes his eyes and for a moment, I think he may be falling back asleep. Eventually, he opens them again. “Yes.”
“This is very important,” I say. “Does the Tithe have a reason to hate you?”
Xavier laughs, but the sound comes out as more of a cough than anything else. Camilla rushes him a sip of water and settles him back onto his pillow.
“The Tithe … yes, he
loathes me,” answers Xavier at last.
I lean forward, gripping the wooden arms of my chair. “Why?”
“Aquila gave him power.” Xavier’s voice is a low croak. “Started off fine. Made effigies of dancers, law makers, that kind of thing.” Xavier smacks his thin lips. His eyes flutter shut.
Camilla squeezes his hand. “Then what happened, Xav?” I must admit, she does a good job of hiding her fear. You wouldn’t know the woman saw her own daughter just get abducted.
“The Tithe wanted to create an army,” continues Xavier. “Warrior effigies. No more angel fighters. He sought to replace the Citadel. So I limited his powers. Only five effigies each year.” Xavier chuckles, but the sound comes out as another cough. “That slowed him down.”
“Effigies don’t die,” I state. “What happens to them, do you know?”
“As long as the Tithe’s alive, then they live as well.” Xavier yawns. “But if the Tithe dies, they can move on. Souls … Purgatory …” He looks to Camilla and grins. “The Great Scala.”
Xavier and Camilla share a sweet smile. I know they’re thinking about how their daughter is now the Great Scala and can send the effigy souls to their after-life. Still, I need more information in order to keep said daughter alive.
“Word is,” I continue. “The Tithe can’t be killed by anyone living. Is that true?”
Xavier nods. “Another gift from Aquila,” he says in a low rumble. “She gets carried away. But now the Tithe helps thrax, isn’t that right?”
“Yes,” I reply. Somehow, I’m able to answer without screaming. “He chooses thrax and makes their dreams come true.”
“That’s good.” Xavier leans back into his pillow. “One day … must make a list of all my haters.” His voice fades to a whisper. “When you’re alive from the dawn of time…” His words trail off. Even so, I know what he means. I’ve only been a leader for less than two decades, and I already have a long list of people who want revenge. I can’t imagine being alive since the dawn of time.
Camilla lifts her voice. “Xav?” The archangel’s chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm. Camilla turns to me. “He’s out.” She releases his hand and sets it on his chest. After that, she steps out the bedroom door. I follow, my mind whirring through everything I just learned.
Lincoln Page 36
