Dragon's Gift - The Druid Complete series Box Set

by Linsey Hall

  The bar stretched along the wall to the left, and it was crowded with people. There were more humans in here than there had been out on the street, but they were still massively outnumbered by the Fomori. Tables full of demons played some kind of game with shells or watched the dancers while drinking green liquid that looked like sludge.

  “Let’s get a drink,” Lachlan said. “Or at least stand near the bar so we don’t stick out.”

  “Good plan.”

  We didn’t have any Fomorian money, and I doubted they took cards down here, so we hovered at the bar behind a group of people waiting to order. They bought us some time to scout out our surroundings.

  Lachlan faced the bar, trying to look like he was considering his options, while I turned to face him. I leaned against him casually, like we were just a couple, out for a nice date at a weird fish bar full of demons. But instead of looking at him, I peered around at the room behind him, trying to find Jonnie.

  Most of the humans in here were women, which narrowed my options down. When I spotted a young guy sitting in the corner, scribbling into a notebook, my heart leapt.

  “I think I see him.”

  “He got red hair?” Lachlan asked.

  “Yep. And a tattoo of a bird on his neck.”

  “Bingo.”

  I stepped away from Lachlan, and he turned. Together, we walked toward Jonnie, who was obsessed with whatever he was writing in his notebook. He didn’t even notice when we stopped at his table.

  Or at least, I thought he didn’t notice.

  “Have a seat,” he said without looking up.

  He hadn’t seen us, and we’d walked with silent footsteps, but somehow he’d noticed us. As I sat, he looked up, his eyes a piercing blue.

  He squinted at me. “Who are you?”

  Lachlan’s magic swelled on the air, so faint I almost didn’t recognize it. He was blocking the sound of our conversation, I thought. I glanced at him, and he nodded.

  I turned to Jonnie. “I’m Ana Blackwood. You’re Jonnie.”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Jude sent me.”

  His eyes flicked briefly. “Don’t know any Jude.”

  “I’m from the Protectorate.”

  His face scrunched up in confusion. “No idea what you’re talking about, mate.”

  He was deep undercover, and Jude had had no way to get him a message about our visit. And he’d left the Undercover Protectorate to come on this assignment before I’d ever showed up at the castle. My mind raced. I’d have to tell him something that made him believe me.

  “My friend Lachlan here is blocking this conversation with his magic. No one can hear us. But Florian sends his regards. And the Pugs of Destruction.” No one could know about Florian or the pugs unless they’d lived at the castle. “And Hans said he wishes you’d drink more juice. It’s good for you.”

  Disbelief flashed on his face, then a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You a new member?”

  I nodded. “Trainee. They let me out early for a special assignment.”

  “Something here, I gather?”

  “Yes.” I nodded my head toward Lachlan. “This is Lachlan Munro. He’s helping me.”

  “I’ve heard of you. Potion genius, Mega Mage.”

  “Arch Magus,” Lachlan said. “But I like Mega Mage better. Let’s go with that.”

  Jonnie laughed and leaned back, closing his book. “What do you need here?”

  “Help. I’m looking for three powerful figures who came here to hire an army. They’re women, and they look like they’re made of shadow. But they wear Roman armor.”

  “Like, ancient Roman?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Weirdos.” Jonnie shook his head. “Well, I can’t tell you anything about the women, but there’s only one place you want to go if you need an army. The Mercenary Guild.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Edge of town, in its own annex near the theatre.”

  “How would we recognize it?” Lachlan asked.

  “Oh, you’ll recognize it. But you can’t go alone. Won’t stand a chance without me. It’s hard for a human to pass here. I’ll help you.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled at him.

  “No problem. I’m at a lull in my job anyway. Waiting for my own sources to come through. And if Jude let you out of training early for this, it must be important.”

  “Oh, it is.” I shivered at the memory of what was happening to Otherworld. The Three might be gone, but their magic was probably still eating the land there, destroying it. And whatever they wanted their army for…I couldn’t let them have it. No question.

  “Can we go now?” Lachlan asked.

  “Sure. This stuff is always a hurry, isn’t it?” Jonnie said.

  “Always.”

  We left the bar, following him out onto the street. It was still just as packed as ever, but Jonnie was adept at slipping through the crowd without drawing attention. He was like a ghost, the perfect undercover man.

  We passed more strange shops and bars, along with houses that looked like something out of a creepy dream.

  When we reached the theatre at the edge of town, I caught the sound of singing from inside, which was the most godawful racket I’d ever heard. Screeching and caterwauling like mad.

  Jonnie glanced back at us. “Something, isn’t it?”

  “Sure is.”

  He stopped at the edge of town, where the dome pressed up against the sea. There was a tunnel leading outward, into the ocean.

  “It’s down there,” Jonnie said.

  “How do we break in?” Lachlan asked.

  “We don’t. Impossible. We’ll have to be invited in. You got something to trade?”

  “Yeah.” I patted my bag. “Energy stones. How’d you know?”

  “Shen’s favorite disguise. I didn’t think those silly hats were your choice. It works, too. Most of the time.”

  Hopefully this time.

  “Give me a moment to change. I can’t be recognized.” He slipped into an alley that I hadn’t noticed. There was a slight rustling sound, and he appeared a moment later, looking entirely different.

  “You look like a demon.” I eyed his bald head and horns, the yellow eyes and black fangs. “Why don’t you stay like this the whole time you’re in town here? They’d probably hassle you less.”

  “Can’t hold it for that long. Transforming ain’t easy, and the process isn’t pretty. But if we’re going to do something shady at the Mercenary Guild, I can’t blow my cover.”

  “Fair enough. Thanks.” I smiled at him.

  “Let’s go.” He led the way down the tunnel, which narrowed as we reached the other end. “Let me do the talking, all right? Once we’re in, we’ll ambush the guard and go hunt down your answers. The code word is kelp.”

  “We attack on kelp?” I asked.

  “Yep.”

  “No problem,” Lachlan said.

  The tunnel ended at an annex that was far bigger than the guard house we’d entered through. A freaking fortress fit within here, as big as the Protectorate castle and about eight hundred times creepier. It was built of bluntly carved black stone that was studded with barnacles. Seaweed dripped from the walls, gleaming with water and smelling like rotten vegetation. There were no windows that I could see.

  A massive iron gate barred the front, dripping red with rust. The humidity in the air had to be killer on the iron.

  “Why iron?” I asked. “Stainless steel would be so much better down here.”

  “Their main enemy are the fae,” Jonnie said.

  “Ah, right.” Fae didn’t like iron, from what I’d heard. Or it didn’t like them. Either way, the two didn’t mix.

  “Wait here.” Jonnie started toward the gate, and Lachlan and I obeyed.

  “Oy! Guild!” Jonnie shouted. “Got some goodies for ya!”

  About twenty feet up, one of the stones in the castle wall shifted. A figure peered out, green eyes blazing down at us. Th
e guard was another Fish Man, but he was bulky with muscle. A massive sword glinted in his hand.

  “What goodies?” he demanded.

  “Energy stones. From some traders. Desperate traders.”

  I wanted to scowl, but it was actually a nice addition. They’d think they’d get a good price from us.

  “Real energy stones?” Fish Man demanded.

  Jonnie turned to us. “Hold up the goods.”

  Lachlan raised a hand, and the energy stone glowed bright within his fingertips.

  Fish Man grunted and slammed the stone window shut. Then the iron gate began to creak, shrieking like a door that hadn’t seen WD-40 in a decade. I almost had to cover my ears.

  “Let’s go,” Jonnie said.

  We followed him through the gate. Flecks of rust rained down on me, coating me in a weird red rain.

  Four guards waited for us in the dark tunnel, their weapons raised high. Two had swords, while the other two held spears. Dark magic glowed around them, an inky black signature that I’d never seen before.

  “Show us,” the original Fish Man said.

  I dug into my pocket and held out my one good energy stone, mimicking Lachlan. Tension thrummed in my muscles, waiting for the attack. What would I use? Weapons or magic?

  My water power had worked. Did that mean I had flame and wind as well? Earth?

  “That doesn’t look like a lot,” Fish Man said, shaking me from my thoughts.

  “It’s not.” Jonnie grinned. “Now it’s time for you to eat kelp.”

  Kelp.

  I sprang into action as Jonnie sent a blast of blue magic hurtling toward them. It slammed into the Fish Man on the right, and he went rigid, his eyes rolling back into his head as he slammed to the ground.

  I drew a dagger from the ether and hurled it, striking one of the Fish Men in the throat. Lachlan moved so fast I could hardly see him. He drew a sword and beheaded a Fish Man. Jonnie took out the fourth attacker, while I practiced my fire magic.

  I envisioned shooting a bolt of flame. It felt natural as it shot from my hands, strong and bright.

  Whoa.

  I’d always bemoaned my defensive magic. Now I had offensive magic to spare.

  “Nice.” Lachlan grinned at me. “New power?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We need to hide these bodies,” Jonnie said. “It’ll buy us a bit of time.”

  “Some demons wake up in their Underworld if you kill them, but do these guys?” The rules were a bit different since we were in their afterworld, but it wasn’t technically the Underworld. Was it?

  “Depends on the species. Most don’t since we’re on their home turf.” He turned to look around. “Where the hell will we hide them?”

  “I’ve got this.” Lachlan’s magic swelled on the air, and the ground in front of the demon bodies parted as he controlled the earth.

  “Nice.” Jonnie kicked a couple of the demons into the crack in the ground, and Lachlan finished off the rest. Then he closed up the earth.

  I kicked some dirt over the crack, and it looked like nothing had ever happened.

  I was going to have to try that sometime.

  “Okay, let’s see if we can find your targets,” Jonnie said. “With any luck, they might still be here.”

  “Maybe.” I sniffed, trying to get a whiff of their distinctive magical signature, but came up blank. It was too hard to tell in a place that stank as badly as this one did. “Can’t tell.”

  “You said you wanted to know if The Three got an army, right?” Jonnie asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Let’s go check the armory, then. And the merc quarters.”

  “You know where those are?” Lachlan asked.

  “Yeah. I’ve been in here a time or two looking for info. They haven’t let me get off the ground floor, but there’s a lot to be seen and learned down here. Fortunately for you, this is where the mercs hang out.”

  “We’ll start with that, then.” We needed as much info as we could get before we were caught. This felt like playing it smart and safe.

  “This way.” Jonnie led us through the tunnel, stopping at the point where it spilled out into an open courtyard.

  Fortunately, the space wasn’t wide, so we wouldn’t have to cross much open terrain. On the other side, the enormous fortress soared high above us. The whole thing was made of huge black stones, and every angle was sharp. It was a villain’s castle if I’d ever seen one, meant to threaten and intimidate. Even the light was darker here. And above, the black ocean loomed.

  Jonnie peered up, squinting toward what I assumed were guard posts set into the exterior curtain wall.

  “I don’t see anyone,” he said.

  “Hang on, I’ll slow time,” Lachlan said.

  Jonnie looked at him with a hint of respect in his eyes. “All right, mate. You do that. I like traveling with you.”

  Lachlan’s magic swelled briefly on the air, so faint I almost didn’t sense it. Had I not been searching for it, I never would have. Then the air got that distinctive heavy feeling.

  “Let’s go,” Lachlan said. “I can’t hold it long.”

  We hurried across the courtyard, darting into another tunnel that cut beneath the huge fortress. Once we were out of sight of the guards, Lachlan dropped the time-slowing spell.

  We followed Jonnie on silent feet, creeping through the tunnels toward the back of the compound. He made a right, then a left, and finally, we were at a massive set of iron doors.

  Jonnie sighed and turned to us. “Bad news, friends. Armory is empty.”

  “How do you know?”

  “No guards at the doors.” He turned to them and pushed one open.

  I peeked my head inside, and damned if he wasn’t right. There were thousands of empty spots along the walls where swords and other weapons would have once hung. Not a single one remained.

  Disappointment tightened around my heart like a steel vise. I turned to Jonnie and Lachlan. “That means they’ve already left. The Three got their army.”

  “But where are they headed?” Lachlan asked.

  That was the million dollar question.

  13

  “They can’t be far ahead of us,” Lachlan said.

  “Whatever they offered the Mercenary Guild had to be compelling. Getting their whole army like that…” Jonnie shook his head, clearly impressed.

  “Is it big?” I asked.

  “Over a hundred. Maybe a lot over a hundred. And all highly trained mercs. Mostly Fomori, but other demons as well.”

  “We need to find out where they’ve gone,” Lachlan said.

  “Let’s head to the mercenary quarters,” Jonnie said. “It’s not far from here, and maybe there are some stragglers who haven’t headed out yet.”

  We left the armory behind and continued our silent progress through the fortress. It was quiet, which wasn’t a surprise if most of the army was already off getting ready for battle.

  As we walked, I pressed my fingertips to the comms charm at my neck. “Bree? Rowan?”

  “Hey, how’s it going?” Bree answered.

  “The Three have their army. They’ve left. I think you should tell Jude so she can gather forces. We’ll need to stop them.”

  “Know where they went?”

  “Trying to figure that out now.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “And be safe.”

  “You too.” I cut the connection.

  By the time we reached the mercenary quarters, my heart was thundering. I needed answers like I needed air. We’d always been one step behind The Three, and eventually, that was going to turn deadly.

  Jonnie led us into an empty hallway built of rough black stone. The floor beneath was made of more rock, and it felt like walking inside a huge mountain.

  “I’ve never been this far,” Jonnie whispered. “But this is where they live.”

  We passed room after room, all of the doors closed. Dormitories?

/>   My skin prickled as we walked, tension racing up and down my arms as I waited for something to happen. My druid sense didn’t pull me toward any doors, so I didn’t open them, but I felt that there was knowledge here. Somewhere.

  Frustration welled within me as we kept walking. I couldn’t stay one step behind them the whole time. We’d never catch up.

  When a demon stepped into the hall in front of us, I leapt into action. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.

  I called upon my magic, using the torc as a conduit. The power surged within me, lighting up my chest with energy. I envisioned sending a blast of air at the demon, throwing out my arms so that my palms faced him. It worked.

  Wind howled from my palms, shooting down the corridor and bowling the demon over. He flipped head over heels as he tumbled down the hall.

  “Whoa,” Jonnie muttered.

  I raced after the demon, sprinting until I reached him. He lay on his back, stunned and staring up at the ceiling.

  I straddled him and drew a dagger from the ether, then pushed it to his throat. He had pale yellow skin with a green tinge underneath, and his large horns were black. The magic that rolled off him stank of rot and decay.

  I shuddered.

  “I’ll kill you. Happily.” I gave him a grin that I knew looked insane. It probably helped my cause, actually. “Tell me where the rest of the mercenaries went.”

  “I can’t, I’ll—”

  I pressed the blade against his throat until a bead of blood welled. “Tell me.”

  “I don’t know!”

  I pressed the blade deeper.

  “I don’t know! They didn’t tell me.”

  I scowled, believing him.

  “Where would I find information?”

  His acid green eyes widened and darted, clearly searching for help. But he could see only Lachlan and Jonnie, and I’d bet they didn’t look very helpful right now.

  I pressed the dagger a little deeper, wondering how much farther I could go before it was lights out. “Tell me.”