by Kiki Howell
“Caine. Not now.” She struggled against him, but he held her tightly, a smile curving his lips.
“I’ve tired you out, I see.” The smile widened. “I’ll give you an hour, and then I intend on taking you again.”
Natalya shook her head, pushing more forcefully against him. He released her, and she sat up, looking down at him. “Caine, no. I mean, yes...” She sighed. “I mean; the Fortis are here. Waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” Caine pushed himself up against the head of the bed, brows drawn together. His eyes were open now, and the sleepy look had left him. His eyes traveled over her, finally registering that she was fully dressed.
“Waiting for you.”
She watched confusion cross his face. “What the hell do the Fortis want? Why are they still here?”
“Caine, they are waiting for you to lead them. They are ready for battle.”
Caine scowled, folding his arms across his chest. “I do not want to lead Nequam...Fortis, or anyone into battle. I want to go away, far away, and live with you. We don’t need the Seethe, or the Fortis. We only need each other.”
She reached up to touch his face, fingers trailing down to his folded arms. She rested her hand there, the muscles taut beneath her fingers.
“You know we can’t have that, Caine. The Mistress will never allow that, no matter how far we go. She’ll know what happened, probably already does. Willem’s pack—there are more of them. They know what happened. We will be hunted, and will never have a moment’s peace. You know that’s how it will be.”
Caine drew a breath, then blew it out. “I know. I just don’t want to believe it. This was not the life I want for us.”
“It’s not the life I’d have chosen either, Caine. Living with you, anywhere, in peace would be my choice, too.”
“Fine.” Caine threw back the sheet, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and reached for his breeches. “Let’s get this underway then.”
CAINE OPENED THE DOOR to the hut, looked out, and stopped in his tracks. Eyes wide, heart dropping to his stomach, gaze moving from the path, over the clearing, then up to the ridge. The Fortis gathered outside had been sitting on the ground, crouched along the path. When they saw him, they rose, walking forward, silent, expectant. From the group the red-haired woman broke away, stepping toward him.
“Caine. We are ready to follow you into battle with the Seethe.” Her voice was almost reverent, and for an absurd moment he expected her to bow.
He looked down at her, then up at the group behind her. It was far larger than he’d imagined, many more Fortis than he’d seen fighting the werewolves. Where had they come from? He shook his head in amazement. Mirella must have been casting out Fortis for decades, centuries. With an effort, he pulled his mind back to the present.
“I don’t want this...battle. I don’t want any of this.” He waved his hand over the crowd.
There was a low murmur, the members of the Fortis exchanging uneasy looks. The woman took another step forward, her face turned up toward Caine.
“But we need you. You are the only one who can defeat the Seethe Mistress. You are our only hope, the only one who has the powers we need to do this.”
Her eyes held everything in them: sorrow, hope, disappointment. He was transfixed by her gaze. “What is your name?”
“Elsbeth.” She spoke her name, as it were a gift to him.
“Elsbeth, I’m not some warrior dropped from the Gods to save you. I am as you once were, a mortal, a fisherman, plain and simple. Nothing more.”
“But you are more than just a fisherman, at least now. You are more to us.” Elsbeth thrust her bow over her head, her voice rising, full of passion. “You are the leader we’ve been waiting for. The one with powers strong enough to defeat the Seethe Mistress.” Behind her, there were scattered cries and shouts, more weapons raised in the air. Caine was baffled, almost desperate to make them see he was not what they thought he was.
“She’s right, you know.”
Caine searched for the voice. Gabriel materialized from the shadows. He stood next to Elsbeth, eyeing Caine with something akin to amusement. Only Gabriel would find his predicament amusing.
“My apologies for repeating the obvious, but you are the only one who has powers strong enough to defeat Mirella.”
Caine clenched his hands into fists. “Why are you suddenly the one speaking up for the Fortis? Where have you been all this time? Oh, wait. You’ve been in the Seethe, as part of the Seethe. Why should I bother listening to you?”
Gabriel tipped his head, regarding Caine calmly. “I’ve been in the Seethe, among other reasons, waiting for someone like you to come along.” Caine watched with annoyance, as Gabriel’s eyes darted to Natalya, then back to Caine’s. The hair on the back of his neck rose, the blood boiling inside him. It was clear what Gabriel’s other reasons were, and anger boiled in Caine, at the thought of Gabriel’s feelings for Natalya.
Caine spit out a bitter laugh. “Interesting that you tried to kill me then, Gabriel. On more than one occasion. How is that looking out for the Fortis? It seems you have only been looking out for yourself.”
For once, Caine was gratified to see Gabriel looking ashamed. He had the good graces to lower his eyes. Every one of the Fortis was staring at Gabriel now, some with open suspicion. It was a long, tense moment before he spoke.
“I will admit, here, before my brothers and sisters, that I did try to kill you. On more than one occasion.”
An angry sound rose around Gabriel, like bees on the swarm. But he lifted his eyes to Caine’s, and kept them there.
“The simple and plain reason is jealousy. I love—loved—Natalya. To see her with you, to see her infatuation, then her love, was too much. I wanted you gone. I wanted her for myself.”
Caine took a step forward. His fist connected with Gabriel’s chin, and Gabriel dropped to the ground. Caine stood over Gabriel, fist poised to land another blow. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Natalya cried out, running forward to grab Caine’s arm.
“Enough, Caine.”
Caine dropped his fist, stepping back from Gabriel. Gabriel struggled to sit, rubbing his hand across his chin. Then he grinned at Caine, and held out a hand. Caine backed up in surprise, looking at the extended hand, as if the fingers were snakes, ready to bite.
“I more than deserved that.” He waved his hand toward Caine. “Help me up. We’re not even, but you’re closer.”
Caine reached out, and took Gabriel’s hand with caution, pulling him to his feet. They stood for a moment, hands clasped, eyes locked, and Caine sensed something shifting between the two of them. A small part of his heart unlocked, and some of the hatred he felt for Gabriel, dissolved. Not all, but some. As if sensing the same, Gabriel smiled, nodded, and released his hand. Beside him, Natalya released a sigh.
“Alright, Gabriel, then explain to me what it is you think I should be doing, that all of the Fortis cannot do on their own.”
Gabriel looked up from brushing the leaves from his clothes. “It’s really quite simple, Caine. You are the only one among us who possess the mental powers to deal with Mistress Mirella. None of us have that ability.”
Caine looked across the group spread before the hut. They all carried crude weapons, and wore tattered clothes. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t use mind control, that they didn’t possess it. Only that they hadn’t been trained.
“But they heard your call, Gabriel. That’s mind control.”
“Yes, we can communicate. But none of us have the abilities that you do. None of us could even begin to try to break Mirella’s mind control, if she used it on us. In a heartbeat, she could turn all of us against each other. What you did, it was all over the Seethe court, and she was beyond angry...she was terrified. You did that, Caine. You did.”
Natalya came to stand by Caine’s side. “You are the only one who has ever done that. And if you can do that, you can defeat her.” She reached out, resting a hand on his a
rm.
“We need this, not just the Fortis. You and I need this. We will be hunted, by the werewolves, and by the Seethe, ruthlessly, until they kill us.”
Caine looked down into her eyes, saw the silent plea that echoed her words. “Caine, we cannot live a life together like that. We’d never have peace.”
He held her gaze a moment longer, then nodded his head, and sighed. His heart was heavy, but there wasn’t anything else he could do or say. “It is not what I want, but it is apparently what I need to do. As reluctant as I am, as much as I want to turn and run, I won’t.” He turned to the Fortis, lifted his head, and raised his voice.
“I will lead you in this fight. We will fight the Seethe.”
There was a mighty roar from the Fortis, bows and knives raised in the air. Gabriel stepped forward, extending his hand.
Caine looked at him warily, then took the offered hand, and shook it. Gabriel smiled.
“I pledge to fight by your side, Caine, to defeat the Seethe Mistress, to fight to bring the Fortis back under the protection of the Seethe. And to not attempt to kill you in the process.”
Natalya wrapped her arms around Caine’s waist, resting her head on his chest. “I stand beside you as well. And this time, let me help, let me fight.”
Caine pulled her closer, lips close to her ear. “We’ll talk in private about your part in this.” He kissed her quickly, before she could protest. He straightened, catching Elsbeth’s eye, and saw the smile of relief on her face. It tore his heart in two ways. It brought sadness, but something else welled up suddenly. A sense of belonging, something he’d never really had, even as a mortal. And had even less of, since becoming what he now was.
“Gather all the weapons you own, and bring them here. And then eat well, and rest if you can. We will come to you with plans before dawn.”
Elsbeth nodded, her smile growing even broader. “Yes, Caine.” She turned to the Fortis. “You heard him. Gather, hunt, and return.”
Caine watched, as the Fortis moved away, suddenly silent, disappearing into the shadows. It was only he and Natalya left on the doorstep, Gabriel a few paces away.
“Gabriel, come inside. We need to prepare.”
Natalya stepped inside, Caine holding the door for Gabriel, as he entered with a swish of robes. Caine looked back at the clearing, then into the forest. The world was silent, a few night birds calling. The Fortis were gone, back to wherever they came from. Caine wondered how they lived, where they slept. He pulled the door shut, and as the latch clicked in place, he pushed those thoughts aside.
Malachi stood at the hearth. Caine had almost forgotten about him. He’d been quiet since the fight with the werewolves, in the background. He stepped forward now, standing in front of Caine. “I am with you, with you all, in spirit. But I cannot leave my home.” He bowed to Caine. “I will help you in planning, but that is as far as I go in this venture.”
Caine moved to the old man, resting a hand on his shoulder. Malachi looked up. “It’s not your battle, Malachi. No one expects you to travel to the Seethe.”
The rest occupied the few chairs Malachi owned, Caine pacing restlessly. Gabriel watched him for a few minutes, before he cleared his throat.
“Caine. You’ll walk the distance to the Seethe before we even organize the Fortis. Sit, or at least stop pacing.”
Caine stopped, running his hands through his hair. “I have no idea what to do. I’m a fisherman, not a warrior.”
“You’re not doing this alone, Caine.” Natalya reached for his hand, and he took hers. “We have Gabriel...” She threw a glance at him. “And we have all of the Fortis. And...” she squeezed his hand. “You have me.”
There was another throat clearing from Gabriel. Caine looked down at him. A grin tugged at Gabriel’s lips, that grin Caine found so very irritating. “Before we go forward, do you feel the need to hit me again? I’m willing, within reason, if it vents your anger, and will allow us to proceed.” Gabriel tipped his chin, displaying the faint bruise that colored his chin.
The man was incorrigible, but Caine felt a reluctant smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll hold that thought, and maybe take you up on your offer later. But you’re right, we need to figure out what the hell it is that we’re going to do.”
Malachi leaned forward from the depths of his chair. “You cannot walk into the court. You need to be cloaked. Gabriel can do that, cloak you, Natalya, and himself, at least physically.” He turned to face Caine. “You, boy, need to cloak your mind, to keep that part of you black to her. That is the part of you that she will sense first.”
A log fell in the fire, spark spitting onto the floor. Caine leaned against the hearth, looking into the flames. “Yes. That will work.” He turned to Gabriel.
“You can do that, can’t you?”
Gabriel nodded. “I can. There is a private entrance to the throne room. I know it from a time when I was allowed through such entrances. It’s hidden from the rest of the Seethe. We may encounter a guard or two, but they will be easily overpowered.”
“The Fortis? What do we do with them? We cannot cloak an entire group of them.” Natalya looked from Caine to Gabriel, then to Malachi.
“We do nothing with the Fortis. We let them storm the gates.”
Instantly, Caine saw the plan in Malachi’s mind, how it would work. “Yes. We let them storm the gates, appear to be the disorganized, powerless rabble Mirella believes they are. But we carefully plan out each move, and give each Fortis a specific task, a guard to kill.”
“Exactly.” Malachi turned to Gabriel. “How many guards? How many others are there?”
Gabriel frowned, and closed his eyes. “I can see the throne room. There are several, never more than ten. There is Aranda, a Seethe physician, and sometimes the Seethe priest. Always guards, two, at each door. And there are only two doors.”
He opened his eyes. “We attack at the same time from different directions. Chaos ensues, we overpower the guards, and then Caine is left to deal with the Mistress. We give him the space and freedom to do what needs to be done.”
Caine straightened, looking at each in turn. His eyes finally rested on Natalya. He knew what she was going to say, and he spoke before she could get the words out.
“I cannot, I suppose, keep you from coming with us.” He closed the distance between them, and knelt by her chair. “But you cannot, under any circumstances, do anything foolish. You cannot try to save me by risking your own life, no matter how badly things look. Do you swear you will abide by my wishes?”
He watched the confusion in her eyes, the desire to be with him, conflicting with his request. After a long pause, she spoke.
“I will not stay behind this time. This is my fight, as well as yours, Caine. I have been cast out of the Seethe, and I need to fight for my own honor. But I will do only that; fight for my own needs. I will swear, as hard as it is, not to try to save you by sacrificing my life.”
For what felt like the first time in days, Caine felt genuine relief flooding through him. Impulsively, he kissed Natalya’s hand. She smiled at him, and he released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. She’d finally listened to him, finally understood how much he loved her.
“But, if your life is in danger, and I can save you without risking my own, I will. Do not think I will stand idly by while you let yourself get killed.”
There was a moment of silence, then Caine heard Malachi’s muffled laugh behind him, followed by a less muffled laugh from Gabriel. He glared at both of them then rose, still holding Natalya’s hand.
“She has the heart of a warrior, Caine. You cannot change that. And it’s very apparent, she loves you.” Malachi sat back in his chair, regarding them both, a gentle smile on his face.
There was a soft knock at the door. Gabriel rose, speaking over his shoulder. “She’ll come in handy, Caine. Don’t dismiss her too lightly.”
Any response Caine had was cut off, as Gabriel opened the door to Elsbeth, and a
tall, dark-haired woman.
“We hunted and brought you food.” Elsbeth stepped aside, and two Fortis men entered, carrying a stag between them. The scent of blood filled the room, and for the first time, Caine realized how hungry he was. He saw Malachi’s eyes glow briefly, along with Natalya’s. Gabriel was still at the door, eyes focused on the tall woman.
“We will leave you now. We have done, as you asked. We have gathered our weapons, eaten, and we await to hear your plans.” Elsbeth turned, nearly bumping into Gabriel’s back. He moved aside, and Elsbeth slipped past him. The tall woman lingered, eyes on Gabriel, then backed away from the door. Gabriel watched her a moment, then closed the door softly after them.
“We feast, and then we talk to the Fortis.” Malachi rubbed his hands, the smile on his face widening, as he looked at the stag. Caine and Natalya had already begun bleeding the animal, collecting the blood in wooden goblets. Gabriel turned back to them, crossing the room, and kneeling beside Caine.
Caine paused in his work, looking up at Gabriel. “We have one problem though.”
Gabriel frowned, distracted. “What is that?” He was watching the blood collecting in the cup, his eyes glowing a faint red.
“How do we know Mirella will be in the throne room when we attack? She could be anywhere in the Seethe, or out of it for that matter. How do we make sure she is where we want her to be?”
Gabriel stared down at the stag at his feet. For a moment he was silent, brows drawn together. Then he smiled, knelt, and ran his finger through the blood running from the beast.
“We send her a gift. Or the promise of a gift. She’ll receive the bearer in the throne room.”
Caine looked down at Gabriel, watching as he licked the blood from his finger. “And who exactly do we send with a gift? I can’t go, neither can you, and Natalya has been banished. Certainly one of the Fortis is out of the question.”
Gabriel raised his eyes to Caine. “I know someone in the Seethe. Aranda. I believe you’ve met her.”
“Aranda? The lady-in-waiting? You have to be joking.” Natalya rose, and handed a cup of blood to Malachi. She stood, hands on her hips, glaring down at Gabriel.
