“Watch me!” I promised, mutinous. I would, I determined, but maybe it wouldn’t be with the staff. Even I recognized that might be beyond me.
“We can work on the knives though. You’re not helpless there. You could return the favor and help me with Sorcery and Enchantment?” He looked hopeful. “Yeah, sure I’m failing that right now.”
I nodded. For someone who hadn’t been born into a magic wielding family, I was picking up some serious skills in that class, much to my surprise.
We stood in the shade of several large lodgepole pines. The distant thwack of a Pileated woodpecker’s sharp beak in search of dinner sounded a tat-a-tat somewhere behind us on my left. My eyes wandered towards the path leading back to Rule 9.
Will Bennett had arrived and stood talking to Marcus Tannon. They were too far away for even me to hear them, but the arm gestures and jerky movements told me the conversation had turned heated. My focus narrowed. Thomas stood at my shoulder.
“Wonder what that’s about?” Thomas speculated.
I strained my ears, wishing my magical abilities extended to me having supernatural hearing. But too much distance separated us for me to manage any more than a few words spoken in anger.
“Action...we need information...” Will hissed. Marcus, hands fisted at his sides, leaned in, a snarl on his lips. A frisson of fear tickled my spine. I’d never seen the head of the Guard so angry.
“... many more... dead... I won’t risk... more.”
“You will... The Macu are... stronger...” A clash of wills appeared to ensue over the distance. At last, Marcus looked away, and even from across the length of Sutter’s field, I saw the tic working in his jaw.
“If you value... job as head... you’ll be ready tonight.”
The head of the Guards nodded once, and head down, turned away and walked our way. Over his head, Will Bennett glanced up and stared hard in our direction. Without a word he turned away, the light fall long-coat he wore billowing out behind him in the stiff afternoon breeze.
I turned to my friend. “I’m feeling like a midnight stroll of a sudden. You game?”
“We almost got caught last time.”
I nodded. We had.
He sighed and bent down to snatch and shoulder his pack. I followed suit, and we headed for the trail. I was glad to be going back to the dorms and a warm shower.
“Looks like I’m making brownies.” Thomas murmured. I grinned. “Can you make some plain ones for Sirris and I?” I asked, tongue in cheek.
“You can make your own.” He growled. I had to trot to keep up.
WE WAITED. SIRRIS, Thomas, and I stood concealed near the fire pit and the main trail leading out of Drae Hallow onto Shephard’s Mountain.
It was near 9:00 and curfew. The sound of twigs snapping grabbed our attention, and we pressed back against the trees, hiding us from the trail.
Marcus Tannon moved into view, the entire detail of guards following behind and bringing the squadron to nine.
We pressed closer to where we hid, trying hard not to move or breathe as they passed within a matter of feet of where they hid. But no one was looking for anyone on the inside of Drae Hallow. That wasn’t where the danger was.
I watched them as they passed by in full combat gear and loaded for bear. The heavy broadsword Marcus Tannon was never without strapped to his side. I wondered what he carried that wasn’t visible. The others were similarly armed and grim faced. Nobody looked eager.
What scared nine armed professionals should have terrified us.
We waited until the last guard disappeared down the trail ahead. We fell in behind and followed.
I’d expected them to end up at the main exit. It surprised us when they never slowed but kept walking for close to another mile, continuing along the wall towards the West end of Drae Hallow.
On the darkened trail, I didn’t even see Thomas when his broad form halted and he held up a hand. I plowed into him from behind right before Sirris plowed into me with a thud. Rocks and sticks skittered along the path, and we all froze. The Guard was less than fifteen feet ahead of us on the path.
Words drifted back, but we couldn’t make them out. Thomas inched closer, hoping to catch some part of the conversation.
Through the heavy underbrush and around the massive trunk of a lodgepole pine, we watched as Marcus reached up and traced broad fingers along a path in the intricate patterned maze above his head. His fingers moved with confidence, the path reflecting a burning light that grew brighter as he followed the pattern.
Another Portal. This one not for the public, but the Guard itself.
The rocky wall turned translucent before the doorway faded away and the opening stood empty and beckoning to the inside of the mountain.
Adjusting gear, the Guard crossed through the opening and moved out of sight along the corridor.
Thomas bolted forward even as the air around the door lock shimmered. Come on. We tumbled over the thresh-hold, static making my skin spark as the wall solidified behind us. I didn’t want to find out what happened if we didn’t make it across before it did.
The scuffle of pebbles further along the corridor reminded us of why we were there. We fell in step behind, watching our step. Narrow and thin, this corridor was minimally lit. We followed at a distance. We had just rounded the last bend as the door to the other side of the mountain began to glimmer and fade. On the other side we watched the backs of the Guard disappear into the forest. We were too slow and now we stood trapped on the inside of the mountain.
“What now?” hissed Sirris, eyes wide as she looked at me. I glanced at Thomas. He looked disgruntled. Dammit. This couldn’t be it.
Frantic, I started running my hands over the walls, no idea what I was even looking for. At first, when my fingers tingled, and the sparks danced along the blue veins on the back of my hands, I figured my shuffling feet had stirred up static. I moved my hands back, and the glow steadied, a shimmer of blue heat beneath my fingerprints as they traced the bumpy surface of the portals key. I pulled my hands away and looked at Thomas and Sirris. Thomas’ eyes glowed an eerie yellow in the darkness, glittering and unnatural.
I moved my hands back and found the pattern, the blue glow growing as I traced the path on the wall, faster and faster until my face was back lit in the portal's reflection.
With a whisper of air, the air lock sprung outward, the wall faded to nothing and the night rushed in.
We wasted no more time, moving to follow the path the guard had taken down the mountain moments before. “It’s anybody's guess as to how far ahead of us they are now; we need to hurry.” I hissed, following Thomas as we plunged into darkness.
Our eyes adjusted as well as they could, but it was a struggle to see five feet in front of our faces. At one point the path split and Thomas moved forward onto the wider path. I reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
“Look!” I pointed to the ground where the path split. It was dusty and dry, but the faintest boot print had us changing directions.
We wound our way around the west face of Shephard’s Mountain, ears straining for any sound.
When it came, I wished it hadn’t. It was the sound of someone dying, the call for help cut short. We were all remembering another time. We broke into a jog, no longer concerned with staying behind and hidden.
Panicked shouts and guttural snarls of excitement reached our ears as we pulled our weapons of choice free. We knew what we ran towards. But doing nothing wasn’t a choice any of us wanted to live with.
The sucking sound of steel cleaving flesh met our ears. The outrage and retaliation of something large and vicious seizing hold of its victim. We entered the clearing to a ringside view of hell. The Guard had fanned out around the clearing and were putting their extensive training to use. Swords cleaved, the blue-edged steel shivering with blue fire along their length as the guards sent magic coursing and burning to sizzle demon flesh. But it was a futile move. Most never made contact, the long arms of the wolves reac
hing out to toss the swords aside like toys. Those that made contact claimed victory for a short second, downing wolves that recovered and sprang back to life within moments. They were killing them repeatedly.
It was then that we realized that the wolves came with company. Their ‘pets’ fought beside them. I jumped into the fray, my bolts flying and hitting center mass more often than not. It wouldn’t do any good. I knew that better than most.
The smaller figures moved bloody fast. Even quicker than the much larger Demon wolves. They were the size of a medium-sized dog; but that’s where the resemblance ended. Grayish squat bodies with wide heads and no necks to speak of sat atop stocky bodies balanced on spindly legs. They were a parody of something that shouldn’t have worked, but somehow did. I imagined they looked a little like demonic gargoyles with vicious bright orange eyes. They moved in low on the panicked soldiers, trying to hamstring them, small grotesque bodies leaping out of the way with enraged howls as the guards held them off. Even as I sent another bolt flying, hitting one of the little gray demons low in the gut, one guard ran out of luck. With a savage grin and a wide maw of glittery teeth, the little beggar leapt in under the sweeping steel blade of one of the young guards from my first day. Mike was his name. Those teeth flashed and a long ribbon of red rose along his calf even as the sword ducked low and cleaved head from body and left Mr. Gray and extra ugly twitching.
But the vicious attack had done its job, and the Guard crumpled. Thomas leapt over the fallen guard and into the fray with a growl that echoed through the trees, his own sword swinging left and right. I continued to release bolt after bolt as fast as I could load them. I watched Sirris, blond hair flying in a silver arc as she maneuvered her staff with an expertise I could never dream of matching. Blue fire ripped from the tip and sung along the staff’s length as it contacted demon flesh and sent them skittering back with a howl of outrage and cooking skin.
With us in the fray, we helped even the odds, but the wolves and small demons continued to recover at an alarming rate. There are only so many times you can kill something before you run out of steam. They were just waiting us out.
I turned in time to see one of the smaller demons moving on Marcus Tannon and I loosed my next bolt, taking my time and hitting dead center between his eyes. It was a head shot. I knew it would buy us more time, but not much.
Marcus’ eyes swiveled and met mine in shock. But he didn’t have time to wonder how or why we were there. He was fighting for his life like everyone else in the clearing.
Sirris shouted behind me. “Thomas, look left!”
I turned as she leapt with utter grace into the air, the staff singing as it curved and coming down on top of the demon whose apelike arm was taking a full swing towards Thomas’ broad back. It made a sickening crunch, and I cringed.
It was down—for now.
A ribbon of fire slid along my arm and I turned my attention to the small demon that had slid under my defenses, close enough to rake a claw along the pale exposed flesh. I ignored the spreading fire that screamed over damaged nerves. The impact had made me drop my bow. I drew my blade with my uninjured hand and crouched low as the small demon circled, eyes hopping orange with delight, expecting the kill. I didn’t have to wait long. With a maniacal squeal of glee it leapt in, claws extended. I leapt back, knife hacking at the padded claws and making it leap out of the way with a screech of pain. It landed on all fours and bounded back several feet, just under the swing of my blade. I repositioned my sweat soaked grip on my knife. I could feel the wet slide of blood as it dripped from the fingertips of my wounded arm. Blood lust and rage gleamed from its eyes as the dull roar of the battle ensued around me. We were losing.
I expected the next leap, but I underestimated the reach of those long arms as a sharp-clawed hand wrapped around my wounded arm, the other descending towards my abdomen, hoping to gut me. A phlegm filled giggle in a maw of needle-like teeth filled my vision. My knife jerked in reaction, slicing through tendon and gray flesh and making it leap back before it made further contact once more. I stood panting and trembling. I wasn’t sure how many more such attacks I could hold off. Was this where I died?
It tensed on the balls of its feet, ready to leap, and I tried to steady my thundering heart. The tell was in the eyes, the fanatical excitement when it peaked. And then didn’t. In shock, I watched as it froze and the eyes faded to pepto-bismol pink. It shook; legs giving out and the body shuddering as it seized on the ground, a bubble of foam dribbling down what passed for a chin. A wet rattle issued from its throat and then it lay still, eyes sightless and staring.
I couldn’t move. What had just happened? Instinct told me this one wasn’t getting up. It was dead. The battle hadn’t abated around me. Something important had happened here to change the status quo.
Before I could stop and consider it, or further assist anyone else, a sudden far-off whistle sounded. It sung high and eerie through the pine boughs in the forest above our heads. All fighting froze and every wolf and demon stopped and cocked a head to listen to that call.
In the space of a second, they were moving again. Instead of resuming the attack, I watched the largest as he snaked a long arm out and snagged the fallen demon off the ground, pushing past me as he followed his fleeing comrades up the trail.
Just like before. It was as if something had called them off.
I staggered from exhaustion and watched them leave. A panicked shout had me whirling towards the downed Guard and the crowd gathering at his side. I got there in time with the others to see him convulse in agony, his eyes rolling white as he shuddered, much like the demon I’d killed moments before. Marcus Tannon was diving deep inside his medical kit, reaching for anything that might help. But they were already too late.
Mike shuddered one last time and lay still. He was gone.
“What the hell was that?” Sirris whimpered and moved closer to Thomas, clutching at his arm.
I knew I had missed something important as I stared at the dead guard, containing my grief for later. There was something here we needed to realize. But I couldn’t seem to concentrate beyond the bout of nausea that slammed into me. I weaved on my feet and looked down at my arm. A long thin scratch ran the length, a pink froth bubbling at the edges of the torn flesh. It was where the little demon had grazed me.
I’m going to die. Was my final though and then there I knew nothing.
THE DARK WAS ABSOLUTE, and the panic welled up out of nowhere. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. My eyes flew open. I shuddered with the need to get up and run.
I gasped, and my eyes focused. Bleary shapes moved and materialized into a familiar face, anxious with worry, staring down at me. It was Sirris who stood by my side. I licked my lips and moaned. Sirris nodded and grabbed a cup of water with a straw. I couldn’t scream because you needed spit for that and my mouth was bone dry. I opened my mouth and leaned up to suck on the straw, a moan of relief gurgling in my throat at I quenched my thirst. I drained the entire cup and wanted more. I was so thirsty. I don’t remember ever being that thirsty before in my life.
Sirris blew a long tuft of platinum blond hair away from her face and sat the cup down. She looked haggard and older than I remembered. Thomas stood by Sirris.
“Scared the crap out of us, Sadie. Don’t do that ever again, promise?” Did his voice catch? My heart hummed. He did care.
I scooted up in bed and Sirris helped me prop pillows so I could sit. If I expected to be suffering from memory loss, I was disappointed. I remembered it all, every sordid awful bit of it. I recall thinking I was going to die. One guard had. I blinked, wanting to forget that part.
I looked closer at Thomas; he wasn’t just anxious, a growth of hair along his jawline made me stare.
“Just how long have I been here, anyway?” My voice sounded raspy from disuse.
“Three days.” They both whispered together. “For three days you’ve been sleeping like the dead.”
I glanced down at
my arm, expecting to see thick gauze covering the nine inch gash left by the demon gargoyle. Only the bandages were gone. Smooth skin with the thinnest of white lines to show the previous injury met my eyes. I’d healed almost completely. It shouldn’t have surprised me. Healing fast was one gift I’d hidden all my life, as if it were normal to heal broken bones in days rather than weeks.
A movement at the door drew my gaze to several people who had gathered there. Marcus Tannon, Mayor Seul, and his son Nick came into the room. All three seemed surprised to see me alive.
The mayor moved in and took up my hand and squeezed. My eyes met his and then moved to Nick’s. He stood at the foot of my bed; hands clasped in front as he rocked back on his heels in agitation. But his eyes were fiery with anger and something else I couldn’t quite identify.
Mayor Seul’s words pulled my attention. “I’m relieved to see you’re up and around. Doc predicted it. He said he imagines you were in a healing sleep. It’s a common thing with Magicals when they fight off infection or poison. Similar to an induced coma in the human world, I imagine. You, young lady, are a very lucky girl!” he murmured. “Still, that was quick recovery, even for an Other.” He noted, almost to himself. I believe I’d surprised him. One hand continued to hold mine. He lifted my arm and ran a finger along the white scar, looking way too speculative for my peace of mind.
“We call them Macu. The smaller ones. Macu Demons. The larger we call Demon wolves, though they are nothing we’ve ever seen.” He shared the information with me like he was talking about the price of wheat. It was information and nothing more.
I saw it in his eyes, though. He wasn’t just surprised I’d healed so fast. He seemed shocked I’d survived at all.
Two guards were dead, and I was sitting up in bed. I looked at Sirris. She’d barely survived her encounter with the Demon wolf. I had to wonder how similar the two were; the wolves and the Macu.
As if on cue and reading my thoughts, Sirris piped up. “So why am I not dead too?” She looked at Thomas’ stricken face.
Fire Born Dragon (Rule 9 Academy Book 1) Page 17
