“I’ve got to get back to the militia,” the mayor said. “We’re going to form a line just outside the town and hold as long as possible.”
Farius came down from the sky and returned to his humanoid form. “There are no soldiers. The barrage is coming from the western horizon.”
“Where is Aiden and Frasie?” Maeva asked.
“They’re at Marcus’s house,” she replied. “I’ll go get them.”
“I’ll come with you,” Maeva said. “Niv, you should come too.”
Niv stared at the inn. “I’m going to create a barrier around the tavern.”
“We’ve tried that before,” Olivia said. “It won’t work against their weapons.”
“I’ll handle it,” Niv said. “Assist Lilly in helping the civilians to safety.”
Olivia hesitated a moment. “Alright, Niv. I’ll be back.”
She didn’t want to leave Niv, especially in her current state. But there wasn’t time. She and Maeva boarded a wagon at the blacksmith and rode north. She could tell Maeva felt awkward on the brief ride to Marcus’s house. Silence, even among uncomfortable company, didn’t bother a Proctor, but she knew it was unpleasant for humans.
Eventually, Maeva broke her silence. “I am grateful for your assistance.”
“You are welcome.”
“Niv and I often disagree,” Maeva said. “But I love her and want to protect her.”
“I know,” she said.
“I don’t like the look in her eyes.”
She thought of the deranged expression her wife had after killing Cadrin. Clearly, Cadrin was a dangerous, horrible man, but revenge was not Niv’s way.
“I hope the Amulet of Darkness will not change her.”
She noticed a lamp in the window as they drew near Marcus’s property.
“The amulet was a struggle for me,” Maeva said. “But she is a stronger person.”
“I promised to love your daughter and share the rest of my life with her. I didn’t commit to agree with all her decisions. Nevertheless, I will always support my wife.”
“Even when she’s wrong?” Maeva asked.
“Especially when she’s wrong.”
They proceeded to the porch and knocked on the door. Aiden and Frasie emerged from the workshop and started loading weapons and explosives in the back of the wagon.
“Ashmar is under attack,” she said.
“We heard the blasts from here,” Aiden replied.
She helped them load the rest of the supplies, then climbed in back with them and helped hold the materials while Maeva drove them back to Ashmar.
“How many are there?” Aiden asked.
“None on foot—yet. They are launching explosives at us.”
“They could be using some kind of catapult,” Aiden said. He put his hand on a crate of projectiles. “I wanted to make more. I should have continued working.”
Frasie ran her fingers through his hair. “You made plenty. You can’t work all day and all night.”
Aiden handed them all a gun. “I’ve got one for each of us. The militia has some, too.”
She examined her rifle. “This is certainly more than we had. Thank you.”
Thick smoke filled the air as they neared Ashmar. A shimmering magical barrier now encircled the tavern. She stopped the wagon in front of it just as another explosion took out a nearby shop. Chunks of debris lined the streets.
Farius helped Maeva down from the wagon.
“Where’s Nivvy?” Frasie asked.
“She went inside to speak with Lilly,” Olivia answered.
A brilliant fireball impacted the barrier, sending ripples of energy throughout its perimeter. The blast nearly knocked her off her feet, but the shield held.
“We must stop their attack or there will be nothing left of Ashmar.”
“If they aren’t attacking on foot, we should use these explosives to sink their ships,” Olivia said.
“Agreed,” Farius said. “We have lost the initiative, but they will not suspect an attack on their fleet.”
The mayor approached. “We can hunker down if there are no soldiers. But the sooner you can silence those cannons, the better.”
Aiden tossed Farius and Olivia a gun. “Let’s get moving, then.”
“We should split into two wagons,” she said. “I’ll fetch Lilly and Niv.”
As Farius prepared to leave, she passed through the barrier and went inside the inn to fetch Niv and her mother. Lilly, Niv, and Mauria were conversing with Adrious and Aja.
“We have to go.”
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Lilly said.
Niv’s demeanor seemed less aggressive. She hoped the effect was temporary.
“I need a strong leader to stay and help defend Ashmar,” Niv said.
“Are you sure?” Lilly asked.
“We’ll need all the help we can get,” Niv replied. “But so does Ashmar. I feel better leaving the town in your care. The shield should hold.”
“I will do my best,” Lilly said.
“I’ll tend to the wounded here, or fight by your side, Niv,” Aja said. “It’s your choice.”
“Just tell us where you need us,” Adrious added.
“Ashmar may need your healing,” Niv said. “And Adrious, the choice is yours.”
Adrious looked at Aja. “I’ll help defend the city. And protect Aja.”
She took hold of Niv’s arm and forced her wife to look at her. “Niv.”
“What?”
“Are you alright?”
“No.” Niv’s intense gaze relaxed a bit. “But I will be.”
Mauria hugged her, then Niv. “Stay safe—both of you.”
She nodded to Lilly. “We will return soon.”
“I know you will,” Lilly replied.
She took a step closer to Lilly. “I understand it is not our way, but…”
Lilly took a deep breath and pulled her into an embrace. Every tense muscle in her body eased as her mother hugged her for the first time in her life. She wrapped her arms around Lilly and squeezed as a thoroughly gratifying sense of calm washed over her.
Her mother put her hand on her head. “It is not the Proctor way. But from now on, it will be our way.”
Chapter 56
Niv, Shareis, Frasie, Aiden, and Olivia, rode in two wagons filled with explosives along the battered road westward toward Brenloh. A team of four horses pulled the wagons at a fair clip, while Farius, with his sharp watchful eye, flew over their caravan.
The noise of the wagons and occasional barrage of fire toward Ashmar made it hard to hear, so Niv kept watch for enemy soldiers among the trees. Potholes in the road jolted the wagons so hard she feared they would detonate.
Shareis sat next to her but she avoided conversation. The rage from Cadrin’s deeds had dissipated, but her retaliation against him left her hollow. Rather than provide relief for a heinous wrong, a strange mix of guilt, horror, and vindication swirled within her. It was impossible to label how she felt.
Eventually, Shareis broke the silence. “You’ll have to tell Frasie.”
“I know.”
“I must admit, I was surprised,” Shareis said.
“It was as though I was watching a play—like I wasn’t in control.”
Shareis pointed to her necklace. “The amulet influenced you.”
“Maybe.” She hesitated in admitting her true feelings. “But Shareis… I wanted him to pay.”
“We all did.”
She carefully studied her wife’s expression. “Do you think less of me?”
“Yes.”
Her heart leapt into her throat.
“But not how you think, Niv. Since I’ve known you, I’ve considered you innocent. I’ll admit—I had put you on a pedestal. And now, in my eyes, you’ve stepped down and decided to live among us mere mortals. I still love you just as much. Maybe even more, actually.”
“I’m a killer.”
“I would kill to protect you,” Shareis sai
d.
“It’s not the same.” She sighed. “I don’t expect to figure this out in the middle of a war. And maybe I won’t know who’s to blame until I’m rid of this amulet. The only thing that could hurt me worse than my own conscience is your disapproval—your shame.”
“I have neither for you,” Shareis said.
She smiled for the first time since Cadrin’s death. “And you claim to be a mere mortal.”
Shareis put her hand on her arm. “Please, Niv. If you ever feel that the amulet has control… That you have lost your will… Tell me. I will do whatever I can to help.”
She nodded. “I love you.”
The forest started to thin after a half-hour of riding, so she veered right on an overgrown road that still provided some cover. Low-hanging tree branches forced her to duck, and the horses slowed as they moved through thick snow. Eventually, the attacks on Ashmar ceased.
After a tense morning of trudging through near wilderness, they arrived at the edge of a wide clearing caused by the raging forest fires. They stopped shy of the tree line to give the horses some rest. She briefly left the wagon and walked to the edge of devastation. She gazed in horror as the sunrise cast its beautiful rays upon the grotesque landscape.
Frasie stood beside her. They both were at a loss for words. Flurries and ash danced through the sky as she scanned the wastelands that once were the beautiful Jeweled Woods.
“Our home…” Frasie said. “Farius told me, but actually seeing it…”
Her heart sank. “I know.”
After a moment of fighting back tears, they resumed their journey. They took a careful path, using as much vegetative cover as possible and avoiding any disadvantageous terrain.
They gave the ruins of Brenloh a wide berth to avoid any remaining soldiers. Their evasive path took them close to Frasie’s home. She prayed, perhaps selfishly, that Frasie wouldn’t ask to see her property. She wanted to wait until they were camped to deliver the devastating news. To her relief, her friend remained silent as they passed her homestead.
They reached the shore late that afternoon. Staying out of sight of patrols proved difficult at times, but with patience and constant vigilance they managed to avoid detection. They stopped on a bluff overlooking the ships and hid their wagons as they assessed their situation.
“Can you see anything, Frasie?”
Frasie squinted. “Five ships and a few smaller boats. But we’re too far away for me to see more.”
Aiden handed Frasie a telescope. “Try this. My father made it.”
Frasie adjusted the scope. “There are a lot of them.”
“What do you see?” Shareis asked.
Frasie handed the scope to Shareis.
“Morgan has certainly increased security,” Shareis observed, then handed the scope back to Aiden. “Do you see how they’re launching the barrage on Ashmar?”
Aiden examined the ship. “They’ve got some big cannons. They can probably fire one, perhaps two leagues at best. They’re certainly not powerful enough to reach Ashmar. They must have a mobile platform.”
“How close would they have to get?” she asked.
“Between Brenloh and Ashmar,” Aiden replied.
“We kept off the main road, so we likely missed them,” Shareis said. “We knew that might happen.”
“They don’t expect much resistance,” Olivia said. “But once they run out of explosives, they may attack the city.”
“The Ashmar militia is better armed than we were when they attacked Brenloh,” Farius noted. “I believe they will prevail.”
“Capturing Cadrin forced them to play it safe,” Shareis said. “They protect their ships, not their personnel.”
“Tells you all you need to know about their priorities,” Olivia said.
“Do we have enough explosives?” she asked.
“If we’re lucky,” Aiden replied.
“We should rest a few hours, then attack just after sunset,” she said. “I’ll keep watch.”
Shareis put her hand on her shoulder. “You need rest, Niv. Especially after—”
“I’ll be fine.”
Shareis acquiesced. “Alright.”
She and the others gathered a few quilts and bedrolls from the wagons and laid them close together to make best use of the inadequate bedding. Before Frasie retired, she pulled her aside.
“I need to talk to you.”
Frasie sat on a log next to her. “What is it, Nivvy?”
She winced at her best friend’s bouncy exuberance. “Your parents…are dead.”
Frasie’s smile melted into a solemn expression, but she continued her gaze into the dark, charred fields.
“After some persuasion… Cadrin admitted to killing them.”
Frasie’s fist clenched. “Do you believe him?”
“He provided details that he wouldn’t have otherwise known.”
“I had feared they died in a fire. That’s probably an awful way to go.” Frasie looked at her with glassy eyes. “Someday, I’ll want to know the details—even the ones you want to omit.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Not now.” Frasie’s voice cracked. “This is our home, Nivvy, not theirs. I want them gone. All of them.”
“That’s my plan.”
Chapter 57
Niv, Frasie, and Aiden uncovered the explosives and arranged them into five groups on the ground. Aiden sized each group for each of the ships.
“This should be enough to breach the hull on each vessel,” Aiden said. “Secondary explosions will be key. If possible, place them next to ammunition or fuel. Their most vulnerable spot should be directly behind their smokestacks.”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the shoreline,” Frasie said. “There are a few soldiers in their camp.”
“How many?” Niv asked.
“I counted six, but there may be more.”
She looked down at the makeshift encampment. “They won’t be happy when we destroy their lifeline to Asaria.”
“Frasie and I will be ready for them,” Shareis said.
She nodded, confident they would defend their position despite the odds. She looked to Farius and Olivia. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” Farius replied.
Olivia seemed a bit less confident. “I’ve never done this before, Niv.”
“I will direct the spell,” she said. “Just lend me your magical energy. Our combined power, with the amulet, will be enough.”
She sat between Farius and Olivia and joined hands, then entered a meditative trance. Their dedicated focus and potent magical ability brought each of their minds into a singular awareness. Their thoughts mingled as they began their cast.
She concentrated on the smallest ship closest to them, paying careful attention to the weakness Aiden described. She could see the bed of molten coal within the engine, and a massive tank producing steam. She envisioned the explosives near the tank and poured all her energy into bringing them into existence at that precise point in space.
As the spell continued, her confidence grew in their success. After her persistent fixation on the remote location, the explosives materialized. She knew they were aboard—now they only had to light them. Farius drew the elemental fire energy from the engine while she and Olivia aimed it at their delivery.
* * *
A tremendous explosion echoed along the coast, sending a vibrant fireball into the night sky.
“It worked!” Aiden yelled.
Shareis frowned. “They require concentration.”
Aiden winced. “Sorry.”
Frasie looked through the scope. “They aren’t coming. I think they’re confused.”
Another explosion damaged the next ship. It didn’t immediately start to sink like the first, but she believed the hull was severely compromised.
“They’re just watching it burn,” Frasie said.
“They wouldn’t think to look up here,” she said.
The third
ship exploded, sending flaming debris onto the other two remaining ships. The fourth also sank, but the explosive in the capital ship didn’t do enough damage. She noticed their stockpile had been depleted.
“That’s not enough,” Aiden said. “They might be able to put that fire out if we give them the chance.”
Niv, Farius, and Olivia emerged from their spell.
“All but one,” Farius observed.
“I can finish it off, but it would give away our position,” Niv said.
“We’ll be ready,” she said.
Niv nodded, then summoned a fireball between her hands. She allowed the power of the Amulet of Darkness to leech into the spell, brightening the flames until she could barely contain the gathered power. She released it, sending it careening toward the ship. The vibrant flame reflected off the water and illuminated the shore as it passed. It impacted the capital vessel, causing a gigantic explosion that nearly broke the hull into two pieces.
Loud yells emanated from the encampment on the shoreline.
Frasie lowered the scope. “That kicked the anthill.”
“Remember, it takes time to reload, so be sure to make every shot count,” Aiden said.
She offered Niv a gun, but she declined it.
“They are susceptible to my magic.”
“Are you sure it’s safe to use the amulet again?” she asked.
Incoming fire made them all duck.
“They can’t see us any more than we can see them,” Frasie said. “They’re just trying to draw our fire.”
Niv conjured a brilliant blue-white sphere and cast it upon the advancing Steelcove soldiers. Their elevated position and excellent cover turned the uncertainty of darkness into a tremendous advantage. She and the rest of their team picked off at least four soldiers.
Niv emerged from cover again and sent fireballs toward their remaining attackers. Several were hit, but two dodged the fire and shot toward them, barely missing her. Two men rushed their camp, and she had to reload. Shareis discarded her gun, pulled her dagger, and ran toward one of the men, hoping to catch him off guard. Before he could pull his blade, she had stabbed him in the chest. Shareis finished him off as Olivia delivered a fatal shot to the other soldier.
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