"My brother is dead." A cloud of smoke hid his face for several moments, until a northerly breeze blew it away. "Nobody saved his life."
"He was attacking innocents. His own son killed him, of his own volition, then killed himself. Be honest; Torevik was a victim of those filthy controllers you still possess. You've infected your own daughter with one, haven't you?"
"It's the only way they'll do what they're told," Jayd hissed around his fangs.
"Your daughters, or females in general?"
"Females. They're all the same." More smoke flew from his nostrils.
"Perhaps they're wiser and stronger, and you dislike that," I offered.
Flames were now licking about Jayd's feet and legs, setting the grass he'd trampled on fire. With only a thought, I extinguished it and laid a shield beneath his feet so he couldn't keep burning it.
"Wiser? Stronger? For a god, you have a lot to learn," Jayd laughed humorlessly. "You probably believe that quarter-blood trollop, Reah, will be a decent queen for Kifirin."
"She saved Kifirin," I pointed out.
"All she did was plant trees," he snorted. "Anybody can do that."
"But neither you nor anybody else thought of it, or put the work into it. You just took the money to pay off Kifirin's debts and support yourself in a lavish lifestyle."
"She is worthless," Jayd growled. "I'll die before I'll allow her to take the Queen's throne here."
"Call back your troops, Jaydevik. This is madness," I told him. "There is still a glimmer of rationality in that warped brain—I can feel it. Go back to Veshtul, and I guarantee that your ills will be healed."
"What ills?"
"Those affecting your mind. You know that you've been affected. Admit it."
"I have been affected," he said. "I prefer it. It has opened my eyes."
"It's playing on your weaknesses," I snapped.
"Those weaknesses, as you call them, will keep Kifirin intact and strong. Independent. We don't need the Alliance or any woman telling us what to do."
"How do you propose to feed your people?" I demanded. "Much of your food and supplies has come from Alliance sources."
"We can skip, and we'll take what we want."
"Except that at the moment, there's a shield around the planet, and you can't skip anywhere—for that very reason."
"You did this to us." Jayd stopped pacing and turned toward me with clenched fists.
"What if I did? You know it's wrong to steal. You know it's wrong to overpower weaker beings. You know it's wrong to kill innocents. Yet you are planning all those things, are you not?"
"To keep my race alive."
"Your race will live if you give up these terrible plans. I promise it."
"Fuck you and your promises. I never accepted you as the deity Kifirin needs."
"Jaydevik Rath, you have led your people astray. I ask you one last time to set aside this madness and return to Veshtul." I unleashed a bit of my power and allowed it to vibrate about me.
"Fuck you. We take Foth Castle first. We'll see who survives and who doesn't."
"Very well. Never say I didn't warn you," I said and folded space.
* * *
Foth Castle
Zaria
He didn't take well to reason, Hank's voice entered my mind.
You tried reason? Do you have any left yourself?
You know, not many would call me out on that, he admitted. Jayd has some reason left. He knows what he's doing is wrong, but he'll never admit it. Not after it's gotten this far.
Pride, fall, and all that?
Perhaps.
I don't understand this, I breathed a mental sigh.
Sweetheart, I know you're tired. We'll deal with that when this is over.
Right. Get in line. Val and several others say the same thing.
I'll be in that line. I'll also come if things don't go your way in this battle. At the last, of course, to face down the remaining army. That's my job.
My job is to keep as many of these alive as I can. Go get yourself a pizza and watch from the sidelines, bub.
I can supply a news crew so everybody can watch from the sidelines.
You do that. I have to go. War beckons and all that.
His voice disappeared from my mind as I stalked toward the tent covering the three-dimensional map of the castle and surrounding grounds. There, Nedevik, Aldavik, Fredevik, Kory, Warde and several others outlined their strategy.
I was ready to tell them that Jayd's army was on the way. I should have known that Jamie, Farin, Tibby and an entire news crew from Le-Ath Veronis would appear outside that tent, micro-cams ready to record.
Henry Hank Bell, your ass is in trouble, I grumped in his direction.
I refer you to Breanne. You and she can chew on said ass any time you want.
Sounds like a blast, I retorted while watching one of the news crew approach.
"Zaria, Bryan Riley," he held out a hand. "I hope you don't mind, and we'll be discreet and stay out of the way," he promised.
"Not a problem," I waved an arm at the Director of Media and Media Relations from Le-Ath Veronis. "I've got myself shielded. It's a cinch Jayd won't be watching vids while his army attacks."
He nodded, realizing that my words were more than half sarcasm.
"Do you have more of those ranos grenades?" Opal appeared beside me.
"I can get some," I said. "Why?"
"I run fast," Opal's smile was grim. "I can get far enough ahead of the Amterean troops that they won't be affected, and flee fast enough that the grenade will detonate behind me at a safe distance. Kell can do the same."
"A velociraptor and a vampire dropping grenades like Easter eggs?" I blinked at Opal.
"That's the idea. We're outnumbered at least twenty to one—in case you haven't noticed."
"I can help with that," Klancy joined Opal.
"I can grow enormous roots around the castle, hiding them in the tall grass to trip the front runners," Tamp arrived behind Klancy.
"You want to do this?" I asked all of them.
"Yes," they said together.
"Fine. Get to it. Don't die. It'll just piss me off more."
Klancy nodded, then winked at me before turning to follow Opal and the others. Bryan went with them; he'd already attempted to capture my likeness on his camera and discovered it didn't work.
Mr. Riley and I might have a word after this, if we were still able.
* * *
Jamie Rome
"I can carry a button camera, like before," Tibby offered. Farin, standing beside him, nodded.
"I can provide commentary on the images from behind the walls, if I have a monitor," Farin said.
"What sort of shifter are you?" Bryan Riley asked. I suspected he was vampire, like Kell and Klancy. He could smell that Tibby was a shifter.
"I'm a rat," Tibby grinned. "I can move easily outside the walls. All I have to do is avoid getting stepped on."
"Oh, my gosh, Tibby," Farin said. That hadn't occurred to her until now—that Tiburon could be crushed by stampeding High Demons.
"I'll be safe enough," Tibby promised. "Do not worry." He patted Farin's cheek.
"A button camera from that low will show the attacking High Demons as the frightening mob they are," Bryan said. "Mr. Rome, will you supervise the camera feeds and switchers?"
"Of course," I said. I'd done production work in the past. I'd get my feel for it again.
"Good. I'm taking a camera up top, into one of the corner towers. We'll have as many angles as we can get on this. Earpieces in, everybody; I can hear a rumble in the distance. It's show time."
* * *
Mutitjulu, Northern Territory, Australia
V'ili
Morgett was so angry, even the twins kept their mouths shut and maintained a safe distance from him. They and I were prepared to fold space if he leveled his anger at any of us.
A few kilometers away, Prince Vantes and an army of Ra'Ak struggled to break throu
gh an invisible barrier surrounding the great, sandstone monolith named Uluru.
The fact that there was now a shield around it told Morgett that the Library was hidden there instead of Adelaide. The dwarf had laid a successful trap for us, and we'd fallen for it.
At least we hadn't seen what lay at the end of that trap; we'd folded space the moment Vantes and his army landed outside Uluru.
It was fortuitous; we had no idea what lay in wait inside the false Library. I imagined the High Demons waited to kill us there. It was no longer a secret that they'd allied with the dwarf to get their hands on the actual Library.
As it was, nobody could get close to it, now. Vantes had seen to that when he and his army had shown up in serpent form, seeking to break Uluru apart to reach the Library.
"Vantes is a fool." Someone new arrived.
He was tall and had wings—shining white wings that rustled at his back, as if he were displeased. I'd seen gods before. I hadn't seen this one.
"Liron, tell me what to do," Morgett turned toward the newcomer, as if he'd known him for a very long time.
"Use your skills, of course," the winged one replied with an indifferent shrug. "If you can't get to Uluru above the surface, then you must tunnel beneath it."
"Where should we start?" Morgett asked. He sounded as if he were desperate and begging.
"Here is good enough. With your power, you should be able to assess where and how deeply to build your tunnel, don't you think? If you hit the barrier at any time, either go around or under it. This way, you remain out of Vantes' sight. The Sirenali will take care of the rest for you."
"Of course," Morgett breathed, as if he should have thought of it himself. I wanted to snort. I didn't. If Morgett were bowing and scraping to this one, I should keep my mouth shut and my movements at a minimum.
Like before, when I'd seen other gods.
"Start now," Liron commanded and disappeared.
"What are you waiting for?" Morgett turned to snap at Deris. "Begin making a tunnel. If you need help, I will guide your power."
* * *
Kent, England
Adam Chessman
"The Ra'Ak have drawn back for now, after repeatedly throwing their power and their bodies against the shield," Pheligar reported. "I imagine they fed before their arrival here, but it won't be long before they are hungry again."
"That means they'll attack the nearest food source, and that will be the surrounding towns," Kiarra frowned. "Are the authorities pulling everyone out of the area?"
"They are attempting evacuation, but there are some who refuse to leave," Pheligar replied.
"They'll be eaten," I said. "Is there a way to let the Australian Government know that this will be a massive attack, similar to the one in Adelaide?"
"I believe they've already come to that conclusion, although the Ra'Ak have successfully hidden behind their own shields," Pheligar said. "All they have is the information they constantly replay on their television screens—that of the giant hole in the ground outside the monolith."
"Have more attempts been made to send drones in?" Merrill asked.
"That was stopped after the last five were destroyed. By the Ra'Ak, no doubt," Pheligar said.
"Thanks for gathering information," Kiarra leaned against Pheligar's hip and put her arms about his waist.
"You are welcome, dearest," he smiled down at her.
What are we going to do? I sent to Merrill.
No idea. We'd need an army of Saa Thalarr to fight off that many Ra'Ak. There are thousands of them, he returned.
An army we don't have, I reminded myself. Merrill picked up my thoughts and silently agreed.
* * *
Northern Reaches, Kifirin
Opal
The last time I'd run toward an invading army, they'd been on horseback. This time, their feet carried them toward me, as fast as any horse could gallop.
I'd folded Kell, Klancy and myself to the grasses ahead of Morwin's small company. I was already changed when we landed.
Kell handed my velociraptor a batch of grenades. I nodded at him and we began to run toward advancing High Demons, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath our feet.
Time to spread mayhem, I sent to my companion vampires, who'd fanned out on either side of me.
It will be a distinct pleasure, Klancy replied.
Grasses swished past me as I ran, keeping pace with both vampires. Kell tossed the first grenade in the air; we were far ahead of it when it hit the ground with a resulting loud explosion, knocking a running High Demon off his feet and causing several others running behind him to trip over his bleeding body.
* * *
Zaria
"Once they reach the wall, can you bring it down?" Reah asked me.
I turned toward her and chewed my lip for a moment until I saw her meaning. Reah and Kory wanted to set up their High Demon troops behind the wall, and if the wall suddenly disappeared, it could confuse the attackers long enough that it would give our High Demons the element of surprise.
"I can disintegrate it," I said.
"That would be wonderful," Reah said.
"Time to change," Kory shouted nearby.
Outside the walls, Morwin's dwarves were shooting High Demons as they ran toward the castle.
Other High Demons had tripped over Tamp's huge roots, until they learned to jump over the bulge surrounding the castle.
Opal, Kell and Klancy had some success in disrupting the attack, but there were so many High Demons in Jayd's army that the rest flowed around those who'd fallen and continued on their way.
Morwin and his troops were shooting as quickly as their pistols would fire, but had to clear out fast due to the speed of the invaders.
Still, they'd taken down a good share of the racing High Demons, and at least half of Morwin's troops had survived.
I refused to concentrate on our losses now. "Owls," I shouted. "Fly now!"
Sixteen small owls, each armed with two ranos grenades, took flight, with Yoff and Esme right behind them.
It was only seconds, but it felt like forever before the first grenades were dropped, sending shockwaves against the castle walls. It was nearly time to bring down the wall, as Reah asked.
"For Queen Reah," Wardevik's Thifilathi shouted and raised his arm in the air. Reah, whose golden Thifilathi stood next to Lexsi's silver, bowed her head before lifting her eyes to the wall.
I made it disappear and the two armies clashed with a great roar.
Chapter 16
Mutijulu, Northern Territory, Australia
V'ili
Deris and Daris were sweating with the effort of expending power. Deris relocated rock and earth; Daris transported it to a pile at the surface.
I imagined we'd cleared at least twelve kilometers of tunnel, with forty-five or so to go—if we kept moving in the same direction. Should we be forced to move around a barrier shield, it would take longer.
I didn't point out to Morgett how lazy his niece and nephew had become—they were used to causing deaths and such, and stopped when they tired. Everything else they gained through someone else's actions.
Here, they were past tired, but Morgett compelled them to keep working. Surely he realized the tunnel would take more than one day to create?
"Stop," Morgett commanded. The twins were happy to oblige.
"I will take over while you rest," Morgett added.
I'd forgotten Morgett's Ra'Ak power. Another twelve kilometers were cleared and a firm tunnel created in less than two hours.
"We go slowly, so as not to alert Vantes," Morgett grunted as he cleared out more dirt and rock. "While he can't sense what I'm doing because of your abilities, those abilities only go so far," he informed me. "If he realizes he should be Looking for a tunnel, he'll find it outside your area of influence."
I hadn't thought about that. Morgett was right—I could only cover a small area with my power of concealment. I certainly didn't want the Ra'Ak Prince b
reathing down my neck in the next few minutes.
"How long?" I ventured to ask.
"We'll reach the edge of the underground rock tomorrow," Morgett grunted again, as if he were doing physical labor instead of employing power. "I hope there's a way to be found in or out of the Library past that point."
I sincerely hoped there was a way in, as I'd already grown tired of the closed-in stuffiness of the tunnel.
* * *
Anita
Sandra, Watson, Mason and I stood outside the tiny shack. One of the few remaining buildings of Mutitjulu that looked mostly in one piece, it was an improbable oxymoron of a structure. It should have fallen on its own long ago.
Somehow, it had survived the blast that mowed down the rest of the small town. Watson drew in a breath, sniffing the air.
"Somebody was here," he declared.
"No," I breathed my sarcasm. Power held the shack up; of that I was certain.
"Shall we?" Sandra jerked her head toward the small building.
"Careful, it could be booby-trapped," Mason warned.
"Yeah. If you guys smell explosives, get the hell out," I said.
"Not a problem," Sandra whispered.
"I'll go first," Mason volunteered.
"You do that," Watson said. "We'll be right behind you. At a safe distance."
Mason walked slowly toward the wooden door of the shack. "We should have told Kiarra we were leaving," Sandra nudged my arm.
"They would have stopped us," I said. "There has to be something we're missing here. If we need to go back, we will."
Sandra held her breath as Mason pushed on the door. It should have swung open. It didn't. That meant it was locked.
"Who would lock up a rundown shack?" Sandra asked.
"Stand back," Mason warned before kicking the door down. The rest of us cringed, waiting for an explosion or something. Nothing came.
"Look at this," Mason stepped inside the shack and disappeared.
"Come on," Sandra grabbed my arm. Watson followed us inside.
This was no shack. Inside was a luxurious home, albeit a small one. Someone had employed power to not only keep the structure standing, but to make it look as if it were rundown and abandoned on the outside.
Inside, it held a small living area with a sofa and television. Connected to the living area was a tiny kitchen and behind that, sleeping quarters.
A Demon's Due: Latter Day Demons, Book 3 Page 21
