by Linsey Hall
Instinct drove me as my magic kicked into action. I dredged up my shield power, the original magic that I’d had all my life. I didn’t know what was coming, but I trusted Muffin.
The magic struggled slightly, but finally, it burst to life, creating a shield over me, Lachlan, and Jonnie. Muffin hovered beside me, little wrinkled face turned upward.
When the acid splashed onto the shield, my magic faltered. I sucked in a deep breath and pushed myself hard, imagining a strong and impenetrable shield. This magic was now the hardest for me to use, since it wasn’t a gift of the gods. Bree had lost her root power when she’d transitioned to Dragon God.
Would I?
I really didn’t want to. For all that I’d complained about having defensive magic in an offensive world, it was really danged handy.
My fingertips ached as I clung to the wall and looked up. Green acid—either magic or the real thing—was pouring from above. Some kind of repellent charm meant to stop invaders. They should have sanded down the sides of the walls, but apparently this had been easier.
They hadn’t expected someone like me to break in.
“Can you hold your shield?” Lachlan asked.
“I think so.” My voice was shaky and weak as I gave every ounce of strength that I had to the magic. “Keep going.”
The acid battered at my shield as we climbed, pouring over the edge and raining down in the middle of the empty tower. If we fell, we’d be smashed on the stones below, then covered in acid.
Hell no.
You’re doing great!
Muffin sounded like a kindergarten teacher, full of cheer and encouragement. It felt a bit strange considering the circumstances, but I didn’t have the energy to call him out on it.
Keep going! Almost there!
I expected him to be waving little pom-poms in his front paws, but I didn’t spare him a look.
Every muscle ached as we climbed, and my magic was really starting to falter by the time we neared the top. I was running out. Then I felt a prickle of magic that signaled this was where the acid spell had begun. As soon as we passed it, the stuff stopped coming.
Panting, I clung to the wall and tried to catch my breath.
“I see a trapdoor to the right,” Lachlan said.
His fingertips scraped against stone as he climbed that way. Jonnie followed. I watched as Lachlan tugged at the door. It didn’t budge.
Crap.
Then his magic swelled on the air, bringing with it the fresh scent of pine and the taste of caramel on my tongue. Lachlan pressed his fingertips to the iron ring that was sunk into the door. It glowed bright red, then began to melt, droplets falling to the ground below. When enough of the iron latch had melted, the wooden door swung open.
Quick as a flash, Lachlan climbed up into the tower above.
“All good.” His voice echoed down.
Jonnie followed, and I trailed after. Lachlan helped pull me up into the room above, and honestly, I wasn’t going to complain. Fear had turned my muscles to jelly.
Somehow, I’d managed to spend all my life on flat ground. But lately, I’d had to climb so many insanely tall things that it was ridiculous.
“Nicely done,” Jonnie said. “We’d have been toast without your shield.”
I nodded, grateful it had kept working. It was harder to use and weaker than it had once been—a result of my body filling up with other magic and pushing out my original power—but at least it had worked. I vowed to practice it constantly so I didn’t lose it. We needed it too much.
On trembling legs, I turned and inspected the room. It was empty, thank fates, the leaders no doubt having gone along with the army. The walls were lined with bookshelves that were stuffed full of books and scrolls. In the middle, there was a large table.
I approached it, squinting at the three-dimensional model set up there. It was a battle plan, clearly, showing a village and a horde of demons approaching from the side, ready to attack.
I blinked, shocked.
The village was on a hill, and it had three walls surrounding it. My skin turned to ice.
My mother’s village.
14
“It’s my mother’s village,” I whispered.
“Where?” Jonnie asked.
“Celtic Otherworld.”
Lachlan pulled a cell phone from his pocket and snapped a picture right before Muffin sat down and swiped at the battle plan with his tail, destroying the setup.
In the upper left corner of the campaign board, there was writing. In Latin?
I pointed to it. “Can anyone read that?”
Jonnie leaned over and squinted. “Campaign of The Fates. In Latin.”
I blinked. The Fates?
I looked at Lachlan. “Do you think they’re really the three fates? Like, the famous ones?”
“They could be,” Lachlan said.
“But they control the thread of human life. One snip, and you’re done. They could have killed us already.”
“Maybe they can’t,” Jonnie said. “Maybe they’ve lost their power.”
Could be. Either way, we had to get a move on. Whatever their motive, there was no time to waste. “We’ve got to get out of here. The village will need backup.”
I pressed my fingertips to my comms charm and ignited the magic. When Rowan picked up, I told her what I’d learned.
“Just get back here. We’ll be ready,” she said.
“On it.”
I made a second call to Shen, letting him know we’d need a pick-up real soon.
“Be there in thirty.”
“Hurry.” I swallowed hard, hoping he’d make it in time.
“This way,” Jonnie said from beside a door to the left. Apparently, the top of the tower was joined to other parts of the castle.
Would the ground floor even be accessible from this level, or would we have to climb back down the tower?
It was worth exploring other options, that was for sure.
As soon as we stepped through the door, an alarm rang out. It tore through my head.
“Intruder alert.” Lachlan’s voice was grim.
“Let’s go!” I sprinted down the hall. We couldn’t get stuck here. The Protectorate needed the details of the attack.
The passage was dark and narrow, built of the same rough black stone as the tower. When demons appeared in front of us, having run from another adjoining hall, I didn’t hesitate.
They loomed in front of us, at least twelve of them, all armed to the gills. They looked like a cross between sea monsters and demons. More Fish Men, but even more evil-looking. Their dark green skin was covered in barnacles, and their horns looked like they were made of black shell. Blazing green eyes gleamed with murder. They roared and raised their weapons.
I called upon my new fire magic, wondering which god had given this to me. The power ripped through me. I threw out my arms, and flames burst forth, roaring through the hall and plowing into the demons.
Shrieks filled the air as five of them fell, engulfed in flame. There were still about ten behind them.
Jonnie lunged in front of me, hurling a blast of his blue light magic. It slammed into half of them, and they stiffened. Their eyes rolled back into their heads, and they slammed to the ground.
There were four left.
Two of them threw long daggers. I was too slow with my shield, so we dived out of the way. A dagger sliced across my shoulder. Pain flared, but years of experience told me that the cut was shallow.
I drew my own dagger from the ether and stumbled to my feet.
To my left, a flash of magic revealed Lachlan in his black lion form. He roared and charged, his midnight fur gleaming in the light. He was so big that he took up nearly the entire hall.
I clutched my dagger and lowered it to my side. “No point in throwing now that he’s out there.”
“Truth,” Jonnie said.
Lachlan tore through the rest of the demons, a green liquid flying as he went to town with fangs and claws
.
Muffin fluttered next to me. I don’t think those Fish Men would taste very good.
“Nope.” I grimaced as a green arm flew toward us. “The neon blood is really off-putting.”
And they stink of rotten seaweed. I don’t like salad. Especially not rotten salad.
Lachlan finished in record time, then shifted back. We joined him, leaping over the dismembered demons and continuing on. The alarm continued to sound, pounding through my head and making my brain hurt.
Twenty yards later, the hallway abruptly stopped. A metal door blocked our way.
I stepped back and looked at Lachlan. “Work your magic.”
He grinned and pressed his hand to the metal. Tension thrummed across my skin as I waited for the door to heat. I stepped back, giving him room, and Jonnie followed. It glowed red and began to sag, then in a whoosh, the metal dropped, molten and puddling on the floor.
Lachlan leapt over it.
“Nice.” I took a running start and jumped over the metal.
We continued on, sprinting down the hall and looking for any kind of exit.
When the stone building began to tremble, my breath caught.
Oh crap.
Something bad was coming.
Right in front of us, the hallway broke apart. Light shined in as the hall began to swing.
“How the hell is that happening?” Jonnie asked.
“Crazy magic.” The ground beneath me shifted as the hallway swung left, revealing nothing but open sky. Finally, the hall stopped rotating. About twenty feet away, I could see the top of the exterior castle wall. At least, that’s what I thought it was.
I crept forward on trembling legs, hoping the ground wouldn’t give out beneath me. What I saw at the end made me gasp.
The hallway had swung out so that it now hovered over the open courtyard, which was about a hundred feet below. My stomach pitched as I stared down at the demons.
They roared, apparently having caught sight of my face. One threw a fireball at me. The orange flame hurtled upward, and I lunged back, desperate to avoid it.
Lachlan caught me.
Jonnie crept to the edge and peered over, then lunged backward. An orange fireball flew through the air a moment later.
He turned to us. “I have a plan.”
“Good, because I got nothing.” I was still shaking from the horrible view downward.
“Can you make your shield again?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“You need to know so.”
A memory of it faltering against the Kobolds flashed through my mind, but I ignored it. “I’m pretty sure.”
Jonnie frowned. “Good enough.”
“It’s the best we’re getting.”
He grinned. “Excellent, then.”
He explained his plan, and I wanted to vomit. Lachlan looked leery as well, but it was our only option. We both agreed.
Jonnie edged up to where the hallway broke off and looked back at us. “Okay, get ready.”
Lachlan and I both nodded.
Jonnie’s magic flared on the air, that strange new car smell, and a heavy wooden board appeared in front of him. It was twenty feet long and two wide.
Lachlan joined him, and they pushed it out across open space until it caught on the top of the exterior curtain wall twenty feet away.
Jonnie pointed to Lachlan. “You’re up, man.”
Lachlan stepped toward the edge and raised his hands. His magic filled the air, and briefly, time stopped. Silence descended and the demons below froze.
“Nice.” Jonnie grinned.
Then the spell broke. Fireballs flashed upward. We lunged back.
“Crap! What happened?” I asked.
Lachlan crept toward the edge and peered over, then cursed. “They’ve got a time manipulator too. He blocked my spell.”
“Aw, hell,” Jonnie muttered.
“I can shield us as we cross,” I said. “But it’s going to be iffy.”
“It’ll have to do,” Lachlan said. “I’ll keep their time manipulator from freezing us.”
I sucked in a deep breath and called on my shield magic, getting ready to protect the bridge and us.
“Let’s go!” Jonnie darted out onto the bridge, and I followed, Lachlan bringing up the rear.
I put all my attention toward the shield that protected us from below. It had the added benefit of making sure I didn’t focus on the demons who were trying to blow us away. Red light flashed at the bottom edge of my vision, no doubt fireballs slamming into my shield. I could feel every single one like a physical blow.
“You’re doing great,” Lachlan said.
I kept my gaze on the board and the wall ahead as I walked, forcing my magic to keep the shield alive.
It began to falter as I neared the other wall. One of the fireballs blasted up past my shoulder, the heat searing me.
“Hurry!” I shouted.
Jonnie picked up the pace, and I followed, desperately trying to keep my footing and the shield in their proper positions.
Another fireball broke through, this one nearly plowing into Jonnie. It missed our bridge by inches, thank fates.
A moment later, Jonnie leapt onto the top of the stone wall, scrambling to safety. My shield was really faltering by the time I reached the wall, the repeated blows having damaged it.
Jonnie reached for me and dragged me over. The wall was about fifteen feet wide, a massive structure that had to be almost impenetrable. It was crenellated, with those big square protrusions that were common on medieval castles and provided great cover for guards and archers.
I turned just in time to see a fireball slam directly into the back end of our bridge, the part that was so far away it wasn’t protected by my shield. The wood splintered and Lachlan wobbled.
A millisecond later, the bridge flipped, disappearing out from under him.
Fear stabbed me in the chest as he lunged, reaching for the stone wall. His fingertips grabbed it, and he clung on. Panicked, I knelt to help him up, but he’d already heaved himself onto the wall.
“Holy fates, that was close,” Jonnie said.
“I’m so sorry.” I pulled Lachlan up, though he didn’t really need my help.
“Not a problem.” He grinned at me, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “We’re all here.”
“Phase two.” Jonnie stepped back and raised his arms, magic flaring on the air.
Huge coiled ropes appeared at his feet, and Lachlan got to work tying them off to the crenellations.
“So, you don’t like heights?” Jonnie asked.
“Nope. About as much as I like taxes.” Which I’d never paid since I’d always lived off the grid.
“Could have fooled me.” Jonnie bent and grabbed a rope. “Good luck, and try to be quick.”
I grabbed my own rope, and Lachlan did the same. We stood at the edge, our backs to the wind, and I looked at him.
“You’ve got this,” he said.
“I do.” After the Eiffel Tower, the freaking beanstalk, and finally, the damned devil climb we’d just done, I was a freaking pro.
I dropped off the edge, rappelling down as fast as I could.
Muffin kept pace with me. You’re doing great! I’ll catch you if you fall!
Ha. As if. My weight would take us both down.
I ignored the thought and focused on the climb, determined to make this happen. By the time I felt solid ground beneath my feet, sweat was dripping in sticky lines down my back.
Jonnie turned to us. “We’ve got to split up from here. I can’t be caught. You good?”
“We’re good,” I said. “Thanks for the help.”
“And good luck on your mission,” Lachlan said.
Jonnie saluted and ran off, headed who knew where. I turned to Lachlan. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
We sprinted along the edge of castle wall, headed back toward the tunnel that led to the main part of the city. We had to get out of this annex before the guards
spotted us.
Unfortunately, things never worked that easily.
By the time we reached the tunnel, more guards had spilled out of the castle entrance.
“Where the hell were they hiding?” I panted. It’d been easy to sneak in, but getting out was hell.
In a flash of light, Lachlan shifted into his black lion form. I leapt onto his back, and he thundered down the tunnel, huge paws eating up the ground. If we could just make it into the main part of the city, maybe we could get lost until Shen came to pick us up.
We were halfway there when another army appeared, right in front of us. More mercenaries. At least twenty of them.
Shit.
We were blocked on both sides, trapped in this tunnel with millions of pounds of water all around.
The Cats of Catastrophe appeared, which only affirmed that we were screwed. They only came when crap really hit the fan.
Princess Snowflake III galloped toward one of the oncoming mercs, her white fur blowing in the wind. She’d look a bit ridiculous as a defender if I didn’t know what she was capable of. But even I didn’t expect what came next.
She stopped and opened her mouth, shooting a blast of flame that was so big it filled the cavern, immolating the oncoming demons.
“Holy fates,” Lachlan said. “She learned a new trick.”
Boy, had she. The fire was too great for us to even pass through, so that way was cut off.
The demons coming from the other end began to shriek, chaos erupting amongst themselves. Red slashes appeared across their faces and chest, so fast that it looked like an invisible lawnmower had gotten to them.
Bojangles.
Damn, that cat was mean when he wasn’t chasing butterflies.
Muffin hovered near my head, wrinkled face close to mine. There’s more coming. The city got the intruder alert. You can’t go that way.
Crap. I relayed the message to Lachlan.
He frowned. “We’ve got to go out into the sea.”
“How long could our air bubbles hold?” We could make our own passages, but we couldn’t make oxygen. We’d eventually breathe it all up.
“I don’t think it matters. We have to risk it.”
Princess Snowflake III’s flame was starting to falter, and Bojangles’s demons were beginning to calm down a bit. We were losing our advantage.
