by Jocelyn Fox
“Use the runetrap that Merrick and Luca have built,” said Calliea. “It’ll give us some time to think, if we have the bone sorcerer trapped.”
“I’d be leading him straight to them,” said Tess impatiently. “I don’t like that.”
“They’re already expecting him. They may not know that we’re here,” pointed out Calliea.
“But how would I cover the distance…” Tess stopped as the Caedbranr plucked a memory from the back of her head and displayed it for her in her mind’s eye – a dark forest flashing by, her body pressed against the muscled body of a black wolf, Beryk’s musky scent filling her nose as he raced toward the battle in the clearing at the Royal Wood, her first battle as the Bearer of the Iron Sword. Tess almost laughed. Kianryk’s ears swiveled as he met her gaze with intelligent blue eyes. The scarlet collar flashed against his golden pelt as he moved. Tess wondered suddenly if the collar would prevent him from doing whatever it was that the Northern wolves did. Beryk had seemed as large as a small horse when she’d ridden him through the forest.
“We’ll come as fast as we can,” said Calliea. “Hopefully Jess can keep up.”
“He’ll keep up,” Tess said confidently. Her taebramh surged in her chest, stretching the bonds that she unconsciously placed on her power, but she didn’t feel nauseous. She felt stronger than she’d felt since she was first bound to the Sword. “As soon as I know that the bone sorcerer is locked onto me as a target, you can start for the house. If we do it right, we’ll arrive at about the same time.”
“There’s a lot of moving parts to this, and it might not work out exactly as we plan,” cautioned Calliea, her hand resting on her golden whip. “But it’s a better plan than simply trying to draw him here.”
Tess nodded. “I’ll burn the flare for a bit here and try to buy you some time. Then I’ll haul ass toward the trap.”
“What if he catches you before you get there?” Calliea asked.
“Then I’ll kill him,” Tess replied. The Caedbranr rattled in its sheath. She turned to Kianryk. “What do you say, think you could stand being the Bearer’s noble steed for a few hours?”
Kianryk shook himself thoroughly and grinned. Tess blinked and suddenly he was larger than usual. It wasn’t quite as shocking of a change, since the golden wolf was bigger than Beryk normally, but she smiled and said, “I’ll take that for a yes.” She turned back to Calliea. “Go let the others know the plan. I’ll need Niall to confirm that the bone sorcerer locks onto my taebramh, so you can start toward the house with the others.”
Calliea nodded briskly and disappeared inside the trailer. Tess shouldered her traveling pack, adjusting it to rest alongside the Sword’s sheath. “You know where Luca is, right?” she asked Kianryk. He straightened and bounded off confidently through the grass, straight as an arrow, pausing and looking back at Tess. “All right,” she said, striding over to him. “Just wanted to make sure. We’re not heading that way right away, but after we make sure he’s got our scent, we’ll swing in that direction.” She didn’t know how much Kianryk really understood, but she let herself feel optimistic as she watched his nearly human eyes. She stood and breathed in the cool early morning air, watching dawn lighten the clouds to the east. After a few moments, Calliea, Molly, Ramel and Jess filed out of the trailer. Jess propped open the door with an old chunk of cement so that Tess could see Niall at the table. Ramel looked dazed, an impressive bruise blooming across his jaw from Jess’s punch.
“You’ve got the coordinates to the house?” Tess asked, feeling strangely nervous. Her palms tingled as she wiped them on the front of her breeches.
“Yep,” replied Jess.
Calliea nodded. “Both of us looked at the map and traced out the route.”
“Good.” They all stood and looked at each other for a long moment. Jess still had a firm grip on Ramel’s arm, whether to keep him upright or keep control or both, Tess wasn’t certain. “Well,” Tess said awkwardly, “see you on the other side.”
Calliea smiled slightly. “I’ll tell Luca you’re on the way.”
That brought out an answering smile from Tess. “Thanks.”
Calliea strode away in the direction that Kianryk had pointed out just moments before. The tawny wolf watched the Valkyrie commander go, but stood still in the long grass. Jess gripped Tess’s shoulder with his free hand, his gray eyes grave. “Do what you have to do to make sure you’re the one left standing.”
She nodded. “I always do.”
Ramel didn’t meet her eyes. Jess prodded him forward, following Calliea’s path. Tess wished briefly that they’d had the time to figure out the solution to Mab’s takeover of Ramel, but she pushed away the regret. If they didn’t act now, an innocent girl would die at the hands of the bone sorcerer. There would be time enough to sort out that mess afterward. And perhaps it would placate Mab to see them procure the Lethe Stone.
Molly and Tess were left alone in front of the trailer. Tess suddenly felt an echo of that same joy that had surfaced within her when she’d learned that Molly had regained her memories. She felt like she should say something momentous and serious, but instead she said, “I like your hair longer. It looks good.”
Molly smiled. “Thanks.”
“Why didn’t you come find me when your memories were restored?” she asked, wincing internally. Great, sound accusatory to her best friend who just recently regained the memory of them ever being friends at all.
“Mab was watching me,” said Molly, the smile fading from her face. “I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger.”
“I’m sorry.” Tess waved a hand. “That was dumb. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“It’s fine. Really.” Molly smiled. Her gaze wandered to Ramel. “There’ll be plenty of time to talk after we figure out this mess.”
“Good point.” Tess nodded. “We should…celebrate.”
“Fine by me,” Molly said. She suddenly lunged forward and hugged Tess hard. Tess froze and then returned the hug a bit stiffly. “Kick ass!” Molly said into her ear. She released Tess and slid away. “Oh, and you know what’s the best part?” she called over her shoulder as she began walking after Ramel and Jess.
“What?” Tess said, smiling despite herself.
“Our celebration can include ice cream and beer!” Molly flashed a thumb’s up, and loped away after the group.
Tess grinned and then sighed. Time to get a move on with this plan. “Still got him, Niall?” she said loudly. “I’m about to spin up this flare.”
“I’ll let you know when his attention is diverted,” said Niall.
“You might want to look away,” said Tess to Kianryk. She didn’t wait to see if the wolf complied. There wasn’t any more time to lose. She closed her eyes and slowly released the bonds of her power. She felt the Sword surge eagerly, and then the world went white.
The strength of the raging inferno that roared from her war markings nearly knocked her from her feet. A column of striated white-and-emerald fire shot up into the sky, brighter than any beacon she could have imagined, and she stood at its base, watching the world through a wavering curtain of flame. The taebramh didn’t burn the grass or throw off heat like any normal fire, and to Tess’s surprise she felt a slight tug but nothing like the depletion she’d anticipated. She grinned a little. The power felt good as it swirled through her bones and danced along her skin.
She barely heard Niall’s shout through the swirling tendrils of fire. Finally, his distorted voice reached her. She gritted her teeth. Now for the more difficult part. Releasing her power was rarely the problem. With great effort, she began to pull the column of fire back into herself. It felt as physically taxing as hauling a heavy rope. Sweat slid down her back as she glanced up and saw that the beacon was about half its original height. She bore down and compressed the rest of her taebramh. For its part, the Sword helped. Finally, with a burst of wind, the last of the fire disappeared and the white fire faded from the edges of her vision. She rested her
hands on her knees for just a moment, breathing hard.
Niall emerged from the trailer, clipping the case of his scrying glass back to his belt. He nodded to Tess, his pale eyes grave yet lit with a strange excitement. “He is coming.”
“Good.” Tess straightened and rearranged the Sword’s strap over her chest so that she didn’t have the time to find out if her hands were shaking.
“I will stay with you, if you wish it,” said Niall. A faint smile touched his mouth. “I may not be able to keep up with a Northern wolf, but it would be a close race.”
“Thanks, but I’d like you to stay with Calliea and Jess. If Mab takes control of Ramel again, I want to know you’re there with them.” Tess was touched by the offer, and for just a moment she let herself consider taking it, but she reminded herself that the bone sorcerer was her responsibility. She’d been the one to bargain with Mab to open the Gate.
Niall nodded. “He left the girl in the clearing. He was moving at a good pace.”
Tess swallowed. “What does that mean, a good pace?”
“About as fast as a Northman can run. Fifteen miles…that would probably take him perhaps an hour and a half,” replied Niall. He bowed to her slightly. “With your leave, Tess.”
She nodded. “Thanks, Niall. Keep them safe, if you can.”
Niall nodded and then turned, breaking into a measured, graceful run. The others were already out of sight. She took a deep breath and looked at Kianryk. “Well, now we wait.”
Kianryk huffed in agreement. Tess brushed her knuckles against the red collar, and the sorcery ingrained in its leather fizzed up onto her skin. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but there were strong wards on the collar, which weren’t unexpected, given its origins. Tess tugged her sleeve up and checked her concealment rune again. Then she paced as she waited, walking a line parallel to the trailer. Kianryk watched her for a few minutes and then gazed off in the direction that the others had taken. Tess wondered if the Glasidhe had freed the girl yet. She sent up another smaller beacon and ate a few more pieces of kajuk despite her roiling stomach.
“I’m assuming you approve of this plan, since you didn’t object,” she said out loud to the Sword.
I have no objections, as long as you do not get yourself killed, it replied.
“Thanks for the overwhelming vote of confidence,” she said.
Why do you think I am not confident in you? You are the Bearer.
“I know, I know.” Tess kicked at a rock. “Sorry. I just don’t like waiting. It’s too much time to think.”
Apparently, replied the Sword drily.
When she had kicked at all the rocks within a ten pace radius of the trailer, Tess got out her little reference book and read the section on the Lethe Stone again, studying the diagram. It looked a bit like an egg, smooth and dark blue like the waters of the mythical River Lethe, or at least that’s what the description said. She replaced the book in her pack, squinted up at the sun and took a deep breath. The bone sorcerer would be close enough now, and she had given the others over an hour’s head start. She loosened the bonds on her taebramh enough to send sparks flickering from her war markings. Kianryk raised his head and sniffed the wind that lifted the hair from Tess’s neck. A low growl rumbled from his throat.
“I’m guessing that’s my cue,” Tess said, although she wasn’t sure why she was even talking out loud. She looked at Kianryk. “Ready?”
During her time in Faeortalam, Tess had become a very proficient rider. She wouldn’t go so far as to call herself skilled, but she’d ridden Nehalim charging into battle up the side of a mountain. Yet she was still reminded of how different a wolf was from a faehal as she clambered onto Kianryk’s muscled back. “I hope Luca will eventually forgive me,” she muttered, lying low with her belly against Kianryk’s back as she’d done when riding Beryk.
When she felt fairly confident in her stance, she said, “All right, let’s…”
Her last word was lost in a squeak as the tawny wolf leapt forward, not needing to be told twice to close the distance between him and Luca.
The sparks from Tess’s war markings flared and snapped in the wind, streaming back like fireworks behind them, but she didn’t have time to contemplate the effectiveness of her trail for the bone sorcerer. She clutched at Kianryk’s ruff with white-knuckled hands, her knees tight around his sides. She grabbed the scarlet collar when he sprang over a stream with a gravity defying leap, and nearly slid off his side. The sorcery in the collar prickled on the skin of her hands, but she kept her grip anyway, reasoning that a bit of discomfort from the runes on the collar was better than falling. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, but she also thrilled at the rare feeling of accompanying something so swift and wild. She felt Kianryk’s muscles flexing beneath her, rippling as he stretched his great body to mind numbing speeds. She wondered, in the small part of her mind that wasn’t preoccupied with not falling, whether the others had reached Luca and Merrick yet. She wondered if they should be leading the bone sorcerer on a more circuitous route.
Kianryk slowed slightly as though sensing Tess’s hesitation. She still didn’t dare look behind them. Would the bone sorcerer appear as a cloaked figure, like the sorcerer at the bridge? Or would he be a shadow sliding across the ground, speeding to its destination and then taking corporeal form? What if the runetrap didn’t hold, and she wasn’t strong enough to protect all the others from the dark power of the bone sorcerer?
If you give voice to your doubts, you give them strength, cautioned the Sword. Think of the task ahead, not of all the ways it could go wrong.
You make it sound so simple, replied Tess, but she swallowed hard and cleared her mind. The Sword was right. She couldn’t charge into the fight worrying about everyone else. It was just like before the battle at the Dark Keep. She had to focus on the task at hand, not on all the ways it could go wrong.
Kianryk slowed enough that Tess caught glimpses of the scenery around them, oaks draped with Spanish moss and the wild lush greenery of the land near a river. The scent of growth and decay hung heavy in the air. The sun burned brightly on its way to its noon zenith. Perhaps it was a good sign, Tess thought, that they would be battling the dark mage in broad daylight. They emerged from a copse of trees and Kianryk was suddenly trotting unconcernedly along a paved road. Tess glanced around in alarm. She didn’t see any cars. It looked like a quiet country road, but that didn’t loosen the knot of sudden panic in her chest. Kianryk either didn’t understand or didn’t want to listen when she attempted to guide him back toward the trees with her knees like she would have guided Nehalim or any other faehal. He loped by the edge of the road where the ground was flat and the grass sparse.
Tess noticed that an eerie silence had fallen around them. She twisted and looked over her shoulder, trying to keep her body low on Kianryk’s back. The sound of a car engine grated against her ears, sounding new and unfamiliar. But it wasn’t the car in the distance that turned her stomach. Only a stone’s throw behind them a faceless figure swept along the road…about as fast as a Northman could run.
“We better not be far away, because we’ve got company” she said to Kianryk. The wolf lurched forward and she nearly fell again. Only her desperate grip on the scarlet collar saved her. Kianryk picked up speed, bounding across the dirt and then turning sharply onto a smaller street. Tess’s heart caught in her throat as she leaned hard to the opposite side of the turn. Kianryk hurtled along the lane. A mailbox suddenly loomed before them and he dodged, but his feint failed to take into account the extra space required for Tess. The post hit her right knee as they hurtled by it. She held on grimly through the starburst of pain, gritting her teeth. Kianryk seemed to belatedly realize his miscalculation, giving the other mailboxes a wide berth as he flashed past small houses set at country lane intervals. He surged up a winding driveway, gravel flying beneath his paws. Tess’s thoughts had disintegrated into a single repeating stream: Don’t fall off. She couldn’t breathe and her knee pulsed wit
h Kianryk’s every stride and she could feel the bone sorcerer behind them, a black shadow that greedily sucked in the trailing sparks from her war markings.
Smoke tinged the air as they rounded a bend in the long driveway. Tess glanced up and saw through her streaming eyes the burned remnants of the truck that had exploded in the scene Niall had shown through the scrying glass. Relief washed through her chest. They were here. They’d found the house and they’d found Merrick and Luca and Duke, and the runetrap would be behind the house.
But her relief vanished as the ground rolled beneath Kianryk’s paws. The wolf stumbled, regained his footing, but another wave caught him unawares from the side and he fell. The gravel rushed up to meet Tess, a bone jarring impact rattled her teeth, and her vision went black.
Chapter 27
Ross crossed her arms over her chest and nudged Corsica with her foot. “Hey. Merrick held up his end of the bargain, now it’s your turn. We don’t know how much time we have.”
Corsica grinned drunkenly up at Ross. “Such impatience. Let me bask a moment.” She stretched like a cat against Tyr. The man stirred for the first time since Luca had knocked him unconscious. Corsica turned and whispered in Tyr’s ear. Ross’s skin prickled and she took a step back.
Tyr opened his eyes, which were a clear, dark gray that was nearly black, a startling contrast to Corsica’s blue gaze. His hair, though, was just as silver as that of his companion, and his skin bore the same mottled layers of white, pink and reddish scars. He looked sharply up at Merrick and Duke, and then his gaze settled accusingly on Luca. He didn’t wear gloves, and Ross saw that his hand was scarred more heavily than his face as he touched his throat delicately with two fingers, exploring the mottled bruises left by Luca’s grip. Ropes of scar tissue circled his wrists. Ross wondered whether the bracelets of scars were from manacles.
“If you hadn’t fought, I wouldn’t have had to do that,” Luca said unapologetically. He held one of his axes almost casually.
