Scorched Treachery (Imdalind #3)

by Rebecca Ethington

  I tensed my bare toes into the loose dirt that I stood on, letting the power inside me build. It bubbled and boiled until my body felt like it was vibrating; the anger and power bleeding together in a torrent that flooded out of me, through the dirt, and into one of the large wooden benches that someone had placed on the side of the path.

  The second the power had filled it, I sent a pulse, one strong surge of magic that boomed through the air in a violent explosion. Fire filled the sky as screams of the tourists sounded, the noise barely able to be heard above the echo of the blast that was still bounced around the small canyon.

  Tourists screamed and ran in their mad attempt to escape the blast. People ran into each other, children and women screamed as frantic men trampled over them. I could just make out Edmund as he turned toward the explosion, his eyes scanning the crowd for me.

  I wasn’t stupid enough to expect him to run toward the blast. He was smart, and hundreds of years of working with him had taught me his weakness.

  I dropped the shield around us, the lack of security making us visible to him, but making it easier for me to merge with the crowd. I didn’t wait to see if he had noticed us, because I knew he would. I took off running toward the now destroyed bench, my hand tight around Sain’s as I weaved us through the terrified hoard that was fleeing the scene.

  Please don’t let anyone get hurt.

  I shielded us again, hoping that our brief stint of visibility was enough time for Edmund to have noticed us, and sent my magic into a bench on the other side of the canyon.

  This time, I didn’t wait for the pressure to build. I just sent the pulse into the wood and sent the shards of wood into the air into a fiery explosion.

  The effect was instantaneous. The remaining tourists screamed and turned to run toward the narrow opening in the canyon that had led them here, the only way to truly escape. They panicked and screamed as they ran, and I was swept up with them as they fled toward safety, their exodus taking Sain and I along for the ride. Edmund and his guards were forcibly turned about and separated as the crowd intercepted them, forcing them toward the bottleneck that was now forming in the crowd.

  At any other time, I might have expected Edmund to attack. He saw mortal life as useless, but they were his cover as much as they were mine. He was being smart.

  So was I, and I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I stomped my foot into the ground, sending out a pulse of energy that shook the mountain. It rippled away from me and sucked the energy out of the legs of all those within range. Mortals fell as the power surged through them, their primitive minds signaling an earthquake as they screamed in fear.

  I kept the shield strong around us as I took off into the sky, Sain’s body unsupported as he dangled below me. I couldn’t risk bringing wind to support his weight as that would be much easier for Edmund to detect. Sain would have to wait until I was sure we were not being followed.

  Edmund and his men had fallen to the ground with everyone else, my unexpected magic pulse too much for them to fight against, but he recovered quickly, and instead of searching the people on the ground, he was scanning the skies.

  He lifted his hand as his eyes moved, a surge flowing through his palm as he searched for us. His magic waved through the empty skies, and it would only be a matter of seconds before it would intercept with me, signaling to Edmund exactly where we were.

  I felt his magic wash over me. It was the sign of the end, but I wasn’t going to give up without a fight. I turned abruptly in the air, changing course, hoping that he would assume I had continued in the same direction. Sain dragged through the air below me, my magic making him weightless but still not able to support him without drawing attention.

  I sped us through the canyon and over the farmland that surrounded the beautiful city I had been born in.

  “Are they behind us?” I asked, careful to keep my voice low and controlled. “Are we being followed?”

  “I don’t know…”

  My jaw clenched. Of course, we were being followed. It was a stupid question really. My only hope was that they were following the wrong glare of the sun, the wrong gust of wind, that their guess as to where we were going was wrong.

  We sped through the air as farmland slowly turned to city. The red-roofed buildings of Prague looked up at us as I moved over the narrow cobbled streets and right to the center of the city, the small bend in the river serving as my compass.

  I set my jaw and increased my speed. I could see the cathedral now and the clock was just on the other side of the river.

  We were almost there.

  “Wyn! Look out!” Sain screamed, his voice ripping me from my focus on our goal and straight to the car that had exploded away from the ground below us, the large heap of metal making a beeline right for us. I screamed at the sight and reacted, my fear controlling my actions more than my logic.

  I blinked once in reflex, and the car exploded in the sky. The weapon that had been hurtled at me turned into a ball of fire in the sky.

  I swore loudly and spun out of the way of the explosion, drawing wind to support Sain as I flailed and fear caused my shield to evaporate. Not like it mattered, they obviously knew right where we were anyway.

  I twisted my body through the air, searching for them, only to see Edmund streaming toward us, about three hundred feet behind us. For one stupid second, I rejoiced that it was only him, but then reality caught up.

  Edmund was right behind us.

  I sent my hand out, my magic surging through the air in a line of fire that worked itself into a wall, a barrier that I hoped would slow him down. The wall moved toward him, the attack lingering in the air as I grabbed Sain and dropped us toward the crowded streets below.

  “Is he following?” I spat as I dragged the old man behind me by the hand.

  “What kind of question is that?” he yelled as we landed in a large courtyard in front of an ornate fountain, cherubs and snakes shooting water behind us. We landed roughly near a large group of people, causing several of them to scream in surprise. “Of course he is following us.”

  I ignored the group of people. I ignored the screams. I tuned it all out and turned toward the man who was now falling through the sky toward us.

  “Your magic… Can you help me?” I asked Sain, my eyes trained on the wicked man who was set on killing us both.

  “Not unless you want to know what you are going to have for breakfast.”

  I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, the wicked gleam floating up to Edmund who only smiled more.

  “Get to the clock. Meet me at the Golden Gate.”

  I didn’t wait for his response. I didn’t make sure he could do it; after all, it wouldn’t matter if he could get to the clock if I didn’t stop Edmund. Or at least slow him down.

  That was realistically the only thing I could hope for.

  I swung my arms wide, sending what was left of the tourists and residents away from me. They slammed into buildings and landed in the fountain, but I didn’t care. If I didn’t get them away, something far worse was going to happen to them. Broken bones they could recover from, melting skin they could not.

  I let my magic surge through my feet. It connected with the magic of the cobbled street I stood on and grew as it surged through the stones, shaking me as the road vibrated. The cobbles that had been laid thousands of years ago rattled and pulled themselves out of the ancient plaster they had been set in. They hovered above the ground as my magic seeped into them, heating them, melting them.

  I watched Edmund’s hands rise toward me, his palms growing white as he prepared to rain down acid through the air around me.

  He had his trick, and I had mine.

  The molten rock flew toward him as the white light grew in his hands. I shielded myself from his attack, my magic pushing me out of the way as the lava intercepted with him, the molten clumps of rock colliding with his powerful shield. His shield flashed and flickered as the boiling hot earth wove its wa
y through it. It splattered against his hands and his face as his momentum flew him into it, his body falling to the ground as the white magic disappeared.

  I could hear the yell of his pain, the agony behind it. He was definitely injured, possibly weakened from the attack, and for one moment, I thought that I might be able to turn him to ash, not just a single finger as I had done once before. I knew better, he would recover quickly thanks to the Vilỳ poison he infected himself with every night. One bite to strengthen him, and then he would throw the creature’s lifeless body away until there were none left. I moved without looking at him, my bare feet turning to take me in a run toward the river.

  I ran through the narrow streets of Prague, the beige rock fronts of the buildings a mellowing calm over the frantic beat of my heart pounding in my chest.

  My feet padded against the stones, and with each step, I let my magic surge through the rock, tracking where he was. I had only barely turned the corner before his signature disappeared from the ground. He had already recovered and was chasing after me.

  I shouldn’t be surprised.

  I brought my magic to me and increased my pace as I raced and weaved between people. I pushed them out of my way, throwing them into walls and small cafes as I jumped and raced away from him. Each step increased my fear, my expectation, but still Edmund had not reached me. As much as I wished I would be the one to kill him, I knew it wasn’t my destiny. My only chance for survival was to get away from him.

  I could see the break in the buildings, the grey of the river, and the Úřad vlády České just on the other side. I had just turned the last corner toward the river when his warm body collided with mine, the force of the impact sending me headlong into the white bricked wall I had been running next to. A loud crack echoed in my ears as the impact split the stone.

  I felt my skull crack, my magic congregating at the wound as it repaired the damage. My head swam for a moment as the painful headache grew and then ebbed, my magic doing its best to keep me in one piece.

  Edmund turned to face me. I couldn’t help but smile at the red welts of melted skin that lined his face and arms. The angry red marks boiled and blistered where the scalding rocks had hit him, the largest gashes healing visibly as his magic surged.

  “Wynifred!” he howled as he slammed his hand into the wall by my head, another crack growing to join the first as he pinned my arms above me.

  “Yes, Edmund,” I said causally, as if we were just enjoying a romantic stroll.

  “I am glad to see you’re back to yourself, now stop attacking me and get back to work.” He moved his other hand to rest against my cheek, and I smiled. I smiled at him the way I had for centuries, before letting my magic flare through my cheek and into his hand.

  He yelled out as pain, his grip on my wrists increasing as his own anger flared.

  “You can’t have me, Edmund,” I growled.

  I felt the heat behind his hand grow, the temperature scalding me. It hurt, but I refused to scream. I simply smiled at him, narrowing my eyes in a challenge. His anger grew and he howled, my body flying into the air as he threw me away from him only to land in the middle of the murky waters of the Vltava River.

  My body hit the water with a loud slap that seized through me in an agonizing ripple and cut all sensation from my muscles. I sunk into the cold water, kicking and squirming as I fought the sinking of my body into the river. Suddenly, a warm hand wrapped around my neck. The strong hand pressed roughly against my water-filled windpipe as it pulled me up through the waves and held me just below the surface of the lapping waves.

  I looked into Edmund’s face from where he held me under the grey water, my last breath held in my chest, his crazed face mad with victory. I attempted to fight him, but the lack of air made it more and more difficult.

  “Think you can escape me and go back to that little half-breed? I will never let you win. Never!” he yelled, as his manic power convinced him of his imminent success, but no, I was not ready to let him win just yet.

  I wouldn’t give in that easily.

  The bubbling energy of my magic moved through my veins, boiling within me. I could feel the fire magic taking over.

  I smiled at him from beneath the murky water.

  His face paled, his crazed energy flickering before growing again, convinced there was nothing more I could do. The light from my body grew, reflecting off his face as I gazed at him from underneath the murky waters.

  The water began to boil around me. The river turned into a boiling pot around my super-heated body. Edmund yelled out and attempted to release his hands, but I held them in place, my hands moving to wrap around his wrists and hold them down.

  “No!” he spat, his voice muffled through the water in my ears. I felt his hands pulse, and my body spasmed underneath the water, the electrical attack frying the tips of my nerve endings.

  Pain shot through me in a million volts. It buzzed painfully around me.

  My mouth opened as I yelled in agony. The sound waves of my scream reverberated through the water as they burst from me, the water splashing away and splattering Edmund’s face with scalding water. Edmund yelled as the attack hit him, but he flattened his hands against my skin and sent pulse after pulse of paralyzing energy through my body.

  I screamed with a jolt that rippled down my spine, wave after wave they incapacitated me. I didn’t know how much I could take. I let go of his wrists, my mind struggling to send the command to the weak grip I now had. Slowly, my hands loosened as Edmund laughed maniacally, believing his attempt to kill me was succeeding.

  My lungs burned for air as my hands flew toward Edmund’s face, the urge to kill him pulsing through me, my magic strong as it plunged into him.

  Anyone else would have turned to ash, but I knew that with Edmund, this attack would never end in his death. The best I could hope for was a few lost fingers, maybe a singed ear lobe, and the time to get away.

  He yelled out as the pain hit him, my energy a pulse that sent him flying through the air away from me.

  I pushed myself out of the water, my magic taking over as I threw myself into the air. I hacked and gasped as I flung myself through the sky like a ragdoll, only to eventually right myself and quicken my pace as Edmund’s yells behind me increased.

  I turned my body toward the green copper roof of St. Vitus cathedral, the golden arches of the south entrance glittering at me in the distance. The tall stone arches sparkled in the sun, the sandstone appearing as bright as gold in the setting rays of light.

  I could hear Edmund yell from somewhere behind me. The sound increasing, he was getting closer.

  Please let Sain have made it to the gates already. I didn’t have time to wait, and I was going to have to seal the gate once I passed through it. I just wished I had enough time to complete the process.

  I dropped my body closer to the earth, my heart beating quicker when I saw Sain standing near the large golden stone work of the gate, a large earthen mug clutched against his chest.

  “Run!” I screamed, when I was within distance.

  Sain looked up at me, confused for only a moment before he turned and bolted down the hall, toward the large chapel.

  I didn’t slow my speed for landing. I flew right into the courtyard, my hard landing exploding bricks into the air at the rough impact. I straightened myself and turned to face the courtyard just beyond the gates.

  The few tourists in the courtyard looked through the rubble, for the most part, confusion covering their faces.

  Edmund was right behind me. I set my jaw and raised my hand, a shimmering shield flowing from my fingers to cover the large opening of the golden gate.

  My magic surged out of me as it spread in a curtain between the giant arches. I looked through the magical barrier to see Edmund change his course in order to intercept me.

  Edmund was almost here, and the shield had not set yet. I pushed harder, my teeth clenching as I grunted through the pressure, yelling as the exertion hit its maximum
and my magic pushed and pulled to escape from me.

  My mouth opened as I screamed, the shield setting itself into the stone the moment Edmund’s body hit hard against the barrier. The impact of his collision rumbled through me, shooting me away from the shield and slamming me into the high wall behind me.

  I straightened myself the same moment Edmund did, his jaw as set as mine as he turned to face me. Edmund’s eyes stared into mine, the whites blood shot with anger and power. I had never seen him this worked up. I could tell at once that this shield would only hold for a matter of minutes once he decided to come at me.

  Edmund uncoiled his body as he faced me, his hand lifting to his face. A large chunk of his arm was missing, the edges blackened with ash. Even with all of my power, that was all I had been able to accomplish against him.

  He smiled at me as he bit down on his finger, the one I had burned off all those centuries ago, the replacement forcibly taken from one of his many servants. He bit down on it and pulled, the flesh separating slowly, his hand dripping with blood as he ripped the finger from his hand.

  “I have a present for you, Wynifred,” he sneered, his breathing shallow as some power-based insanity threatened to take over him.

  “Keep it,” I spat, turning from him. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever he had to give me ever again.

  I had barely turned my back on him before I heard the heavy clang of an attack against the gate.

  I didn’t turn to see what he had done. I let the angry yells that Edmund filled the air with wash over me as I ran. The clangs and yells of Edmund’s attacks lessened the further I moved from the barrier, but I focused on them, knowing they would grow the second the shield collapsed.

  I overtook Sain quickly, his pace quick in the panic that seeped off him, but his body not up to the strain.

  “You will have to seal the door to the tombs. Otherwise we will not have enough time.” Sain’s voice was low as he spoke, his pace not nearly fast enough for us to get away.

  “You think I don’t know that already?” I grabbed his arm, knowing he was too weak to move fast enough and pushed him forward through the ancient chapel we had entered.