by Bryan Davis
Nodding with the horse’s gait, Bonnie hummed the tune. Then, ignoring the bullets of pain shooting through her heart, she began to sing.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
“Stop the singing!” Devin slapped the side of her head. “Or I’ll start carving you now.”
Bonnie’s ear rang, but she barely felt the slap. “I’m going to sing. You’ll have to kill me to stop me.”
He grabbed her hair and twisted her head halfway around. For a moment, he stared at her with hate-filled eyes, but soon, his expression slackened, and he shoved her cheek. “Go ahead and sing! What do I care?”
Taking a spasm-filled breath, Bonnie began again, picking up where she left off.
If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
When she finished, she let out a sigh. The pains eased. Her heart slowed to a steady rhythm. Energy roared back into her muscles. Though the candlestone still lay on her back, it no longer had any effect.
So what now? Devin had a sword, and she didn’t. Her only hope was to take him by surprise.
As the horse cantered, Bonnie looked up. About a hundred yards away, the sky was clear, though rain continued pouring from overhead. Above, two red dragons battled at the boundary between storm and calm, while the remaining army, perhaps four hundred, gathered nearby, all soaking wet and standing in mud.
Bonnie watched the up and down movements of the horse’s head. Her timing had to be perfect.
She reached out, set her palms high on the horse’s neck, and pushed with all her might, thrusting herself upward. She slapped Devin’s cheeks with her wings, kicked him in the chest with both feet, and propelled her body up and away.
As Devin hurled obscenities, Bonnie flew with all her might toward the garden. The downpour beat against her wings, but at least the weather would keep the invaders from looking up and spotting her. She didn’t want to have to dodge their arrows now. That would be nearly impossible.
Chapter 17
The Sacrifice
Billy stared at the strange contrast in the sky, clear over the garden field but stormy just beyond the eastern wall. The battling dragons drew ever closer. With the invaders following Goliath’s lead, they couldn’t be more than two minutes away. Soon they would be scaling the walls or pouring in through the narrow path from the village.
The sound of hooves made him turn toward the path. Dikaios and Ember galloped into the field, Sapphira and Listener riding. Walter ran behind them. Holding his scabbard to keep it from bouncing, he favored a leg, but it didn’t seem to slow his pace.
When they stopped, Sapphira leaped off and ran to Acacia, shouting, “Oh, my dear sister!” But when they drew close, Sapphira halted and stared at her. She took Acacia’s fingertips and lifted her arms. Acacia’s tunic rode up, exposing her emaciated frame. “Oh, Acacia!” Sapphira wrapped her up in a tight em-brace. “I’m so glad you’re here! I’ll nurse you back to health. I promise.”
“I’m sure you’ll try,” Acacia said, “but there seems to be no explanation for my decay. Perhaps the fruit I ate from the Tree of Life has finally lost its power.”
“How could that be? I am still hale and hearty.” Sapphira looked at Billy. “She can’t die unless someone kills her with violence, and that can’t happen unless she’s betrayed by someone who loves her. Even if someone spills a drop of her blood, her attacker will die.”
“Elam told me those stories,” Billy said. “Let’s hope they’re true here in Second Eden.”
Breathing heavily, Walter clasped Billy’s arm. “My dragon fell near the back of the invading line. I killed seven of their goons while trying to defend her, but then the other dragons faltered, and Valiant and Elam were grounded. After we cleared out the enemy stragglers, Elam ordered me to come back here.”
Another man ran onto the field, shorter and slower than Walter. Sapphira recognized him immediately. “It’s Mardon! I thought he was supposed to be in the hospital.”
As Mardon drew close, Billy stepped out in front of the others. “What are you doing here?”
Wringing his hands, Mardon bowed his head to Billy and then to the two Oracles. “I have come to confess everything. I sneaked out of the hospital before it departed, because I never had any intention of working with your doctor. There is no cure for Acacia’s disease. I altered her genetics in order to study her indestructibility. Even in this state, she will not die, but she will waste away and live on as a walking cadaver.” He withdrew a white hair from a pocket. “You see, it’s important to study the genes before and after the alteration in order to decode the secret to her power. I plucked a hair from her long ago when I exposed her to the decaying light, so I have the older set of genes and—”
“We don’t want a science lesson,” Billy growled. “Just get to the bottom line.”
“Very well.” Mardon put the hair away and again wrung his hands. “My mother, Semiramis, conspired with Arramos to bring this army to Heaven’s Gate. I was supposed to use the genetic encoding to make ourselves and our troops indestructible, but I have already learned that without a blood sample, that will be impossible. Her blood likely contains the final clue that will solve the puzzle, but when I considered the possibility of coercing some fool into taking blood from her, I finally woke up to my folly. I was actually willing to kill an innocent lamb to further my own desires!”
He clenched his fingers into a tight knot. “I have been such a fool! I have been following the commands of a dragon who ruined my face and a mother who cares only for her own advance. Now I wish to appeal for mercy and join forces with you. Perhaps with time, I can learn how to reverse Acacia’s degeneration.”
Billy looked at the two Oracles. Sapphira gave Mardon a skeptical stare, while Acacia gazed at him with forgiving eyes.
Gabriel crossed his arms and shook his head, while Shiloh just glared at Mardon, her stub of a finger obvious as she let her hand dangle at her side.
“What should I do?” Billy whispered to Walter.
“No time to decide.” Walter pointed toward the sky. From over the tree line, Thigocia flew in with Ashley, followed immediately by Legossi, Firedda, Hartanna, and Sorentine, each of those four without a rider. All but Thigocia flew haphazardly and flopped to the ground when they landed.
Billy scanned the weakened dragons. Yellinia was missing. Since Valiant was no longer riding her, she must have fallen out in the battlefield and was unable to return.
“They have been weakened by a candlestone,” Thigocia said as she settled gracefully. “There is no fight remaining in them, and the storm left them disoriented. The rain carries an unusual odor that has made them dizzy.”
Legossi lifted her head. “As long as I have strength to breathe, I will fight.”
“And that won’t be long,” Ashley shouted from atop Thigocia, “unless you rest at least a few minutes.”
Billy and Walter ran to Thigocia and helped Ashley down. “We’ve been routed,” Ashley said. “Elam, Valiant, and Barlow are on their way, and Roxil is creating walls of fire between them and the invaders.”
“Roxil?” Walter pumped his fist. “Yes! She’s fighting for our side now!”
“Not exactly. She’s creating an escape for our people, but she won’t destroy any invaders. I guess she thinks that’s part of her vow.” Ashley pointed at Mardon. “What’s he doing here?”
Billy took in a breath. “It�
��s like this. Mardon was—”
A ball of fire erupted in the village. A beige dragon flew almost straight up from the blaze as if launched by the explosion. She bent into a sharp turn and flew toward Clefspeare and Goliath.
“Roxil’s heading for the big fight,” Walter said. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
Elam and Valiant hustled into the field with Flint in between them. Flint’s feet barely touched the ground as his two supporters ran. Sir Barlow followed, backing toward the garden and fighting sword to sword with an armor-clad invader.
New flames shot from the treetops. With much of the forest dead and tinderbox dry, the fire roared from one tree to the next.
Elam and Valiant joined Billy and the others at the edge of the garden. They set Flint in a sitting position in a grassy area. Looking sicker than ever, Flint let his head droop close to his crossed legs.
“We couldn’t hold them off,” Elam said to Billy, panting. “I think the invaders will be here any minute.” He glared at Mardon for a brief moment but said nothing.
“I’ll help Barlow.” Walter drew his sword, but Elam grabbed his arm.
“He’s fine. Stay here. We have only a minute to execute our final plan.”
“Final plan?” Acacia asked. “What might that be?”
“We have to resurrect Makaidos before it’s too late. We learned that a female has to sacrifice herself and offer her blood to energize his rebirth from the plant.”
“And I’m the one,” Listener said as she slid down from Ember. “He died in my place, so now it’s my turn to die for him.”
Ashley pointed toward the sky. “Look! Roxil’s trying to break up the fight!”
Above, Roxil flew between the two combatants like a battering ram. Both sets of claws from the male dragons scraped against her sides. As she faltered in the air, Clefspeare made a quick turn as if to check on her, but when he exposed his underbelly, Goliath attacked, his teeth and every claw extended. When they collided, blood sprayed from Clefspeare’s belly, red and sparkling.
Thigocia launched into the air. “I will help Clefspeare.”
As she zoomed upward, Billy wanted to scream at Goliath, but his throat clamped shut. Enraged, he clenched a fist and shifted his stare to another part of the sky. Something appeared from the storm cloud, a human with wings.
Swallowing hard, he managed to whisper, “Bonnie?”
“We don’t have time to watch the battle,” Elam said. “We have to decide now. Who will be the sacrifice?”
Acacia raised her hand. “I am already weak, and my body is deteriorating.”
“No!” Mardon stalked into their huddle and grabbed Acacia’s forearm. “You cannot be the sacrifice or someone else will die. Why destroy two lives?”
“Why do you care?” Acacia asked. “I was just a science experiment to you.”
Mardon glanced between her and Sapphira. Beads of sweat popped up on his balding head. “You two were the only ones I really cared about. You were wonderfully created by a miracle that went beyond mere genetic logic. It was clear that I had to protect you. By defending you in the face of Morgan’s threats, I saved your lives countless times.”
Acacia gazed into his eyes and breathed a low, “I see.”
A man at the burning tree line screamed. Barlow yanked his sword from the invader’s stomach and hurried to the garden. “The fire is keeping them from entering through the forest,” Barlow said, “so they are building a ramp to scale the walls. We have a little more time, but not much.”
In a spray of wind and water, Bonnie flew down and settled next to Billy. Breathless and dripping wet, she rattled off her story. “I fought Devin … He has a candlestone … and he’s invincible. One of my blows should have cut his head off, but the blade just bounced away.”
“Bonnie!” Hartanna called as she shuffled on her wobbly legs. “Stand still while I dry you off. At least I have the energy to do that.”
While she blew a jet of hot air across Bonnie’s body, a black horse and a black-garbed rider burst through the wall of flames at the forest entry. A sparkling aura surrounded his body, making him appear ghostly.
“Speak of the devil,” Walter whispered. “Just replace the l with an n.”
Devin eased the horse into a high-stepping trot and approached the gathering. “I see my trophy has flown to a safer haven. It’s not wise to send little girls out to battle alone.”
Billy jerked out Excalibur and summoned the beam. “Stay back, or I’ll fry you and your horse together.”
“Oh, don’t take out your anger on my horse. He never did you any harm.” Devin dismounted and drew his sword. “I, on the other hand, have done you much harm, and I intend to do a great deal more.”
“He’s so cocky,” Bonnie said, “he was spewing dramatic lines nonstop while we fought. I think he knows that Excalibur won’t hurt him.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Billy swiped the beam across Devin’s body. Sparks erupted, but the slayer stayed upright. A grin spread across his face as he set his feet and raised his sword. “I have come for you, Billy Bannister. You have been a thorn in my side for far too long.”
“He will taste my steel,” Sir Barlow growled. The muscular knight charged and hacked at Devin’s midsection with his sword, but it rebounded. Barlow lost his balance and dropped to his knees. With a swift turn and thrust, Devin drove his sword into Barlow’s midsection and jerked it back out.
“Sir Barlow!” Bonnie cried. “Oh, dear God! Help him!”
His eyes wide, Barlow clutched his belly and toppled over. Blood spilled between his fingers. Walter and Ashley ran to him and, gripping him under his arms, dragged him back toward the garden.
Ashley peeled away Barlow’s fingers, pulled his shirt up, and laid her hand on the wound.
Barlow opened his eyes and winced. “How bad is it, my lady?”
Pressing her lips together, Ashley shook her head. “It’s bleeding quite a bit. I can’t tell.”
His smile revealed a set of crooked teeth. “I am sure your touch will seal it fast. I have confidence in you.”
“Sapphira!” Ashley called. “We need to try a healing.”
Elam stepped forward. “Billy. Walter. Valiant. Gabriel. Yereq. Let’s see if the six of us—”
“No!” Billy waved everyone back. “He’s mine!”
“Billy,” Bonnie said, staying at his side. “You can’t beat him. He’s invincible.”
He pushed her gently away. “I’ll keep him occupied long enough to stop him from killing anyone else, at least for a while. The others can stay alive for the more important battle.”
Billy charged and swung his sword. Devin’s blade met his with a loud clank. Grunting, Billy pushed away and set his feet to run again, but a deep female voice erupted from the direction of the burning forest.
“Desist!”
A woman emerged from the flames. Dressed in a long red cloak, she marched toward them, lowering her hood as she drew near.
“Semiramis,” Ashley said. “No wonder I didn’t sense her approach.” She covered Barlow’s abdomen with her body and looked up at Sapphira. “It shouldn’t take too much. Let’s try to make it quick.”
Semiramis grabbed Devin’s arm, scowling. “Didn’t I tell you not to seek revenge until the battle was over?”
Billy glanced at Elam. Their gazes met. Again, the son of Shem had every reason to say, “I told you so,” but he just averted his eyes. After all her pretense, Semiramis was finally coming out in the open, proving that every good deed she had done had been an illusion.
Devin jerked away. “I have plenty of protection. I can dispatch this mongrel and everyone else in this pitiful company.”
Semiramis pointed a finger at his nose. “You will do as I tell you and nothing more.”
“You sound just like Morgan.” Devin spat on the ground. “And you know where she is now.”
“And you refused to listen to her precise instructions. Sha
ll I recount your losses?” Semiramis raised two fingers. “You were imprisoned in a candlestone, not once, but twice.”
Growling, Devin aimed his sword at the garden boundary. “Then where are my allies? Let us proceed with the battle and collect our trophies.”
“The ramps are in place, and the troops are awaiting my command to storm this refuge.” She looked up. “As you can see, the remaining dragons are returning.”
Above, Clefspeare and Thigocia descended, Clefspeare dripping blood. When they landed, Clefspeare’s head flopped to the ground, and Thigocia immediately covered him with her wings. “Hartanna,” she called. “Between you and Legossi, you should have enough firepower to coat me with healing flames.”
“I’ll put a stop to this,” Devin said as he reached for a thin chain around his neck. “I want that devil’s head.”
Ashley leaped up from Barlow, rushed toward Devin, and grabbed the chain. Devin spun on his heels and swung his sword, but Ashley threw herself backwards, avoiding the blade and breaking the chain. Now holding the candlestone, she slid away on her backside, her cheeks as red as embers.
“Why, you little …”
Devin took a step toward her, but Semiramis pulled him back. “Stand down until I am finished with my business here!”
Flashing a fake smile, Devin bowed. “Then be my guest, your royal highness.”
Ashley covered the candlestone with both hands and hurried back to Sir Barlow and Sapphira. “This will help us heal him.” She let a drop of her own blood fall from her scraped hands to the gem.
As the flames from the forest crawled out to the field and began devouring the scant brown grass, Semiramis turned toward Billy and company. “With whom shall I speak? I need someone who will make wise and just decisions.”
Elam stepped forward. “Say what you’ve come to say, and then leave.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Ah! My old friend, Elam. You made it safely across the chasm, proving your arrogance; you came to Second Eden, proving your desire for fame; and you forced a grieving widow to lie and face humiliation, proving your misogyny, which you also willingly heaped upon me when I came as a mother in search of help for her son.” She let out a contemptuous laugh. “And now what are you? You are the warrior chief of a ragtag gang of weak dragons and sick humans. Will you rally this pitiful menagerie to battle a trained army? While it’s true that you have thinned our ranks, we still number over four hundred strong. How long do you think you will last? Five minutes? Three?”
