Fury Rising (Fury Unbound Book 1)

by Yasmine Galenorn

  “Maybe, but I’m not sure which is worse—quicksand or rogue magic. Best to arm ourselves now, before we need it.” I pulled out my dagger. My sword was far heavier and while it did more damage, it was more problematic to carry unsheathed. I fought left handed with my dagger, leaving my right hand free to grab my whip. Luckily, I’d been ambidextrous from birth.

  Jason readied his blade, and Tam adjusted his quiver to easily reach the bolts. He fit one into the crossbow and set the safety. As we crossed the last stretch of sand dividing us from the Bogs, I went on high alert. This was going to be as dangerous as fighting Abominations, and I had to remember that. Magicians might not be able to devour my life force like an Abom, but they could kill just as easily. Lyon was a freak who had no hesitation about using whatever weapons were at his disposal. We had seen that in the tornado in Bend and the earthquake.

  “There,” Tam said, pointing to a large barren oak tree guarding the edge of the Bogs. “That’s where we jog to the left. We’ll have to go directly into the undergrowth, so be cautious. There are patches of quicksand, and most likely they’ll be covered with enough snow to be almost undetectable. Shift to single file when we enter the Bogs, and the lead person tests the ground before moving ahead.”

  Jason turned to me. “Do you want to take the lead, since you have the talisman to help you Trace the Thunderstrike? Or will that matter?”

  I shrugged. “A few steps won’t matter. The moment it’s within five hundred feet, I’ll pick up on it. Honestly, with as amped as I am, I’d rather one of you goes first.”

  Tam motioned to Jason. “I suggest using a long stick to test the ground with. That won’t be a problem given all the downed branches and trees.”

  Jason moved to the front and, as we approached the edge of the Bogs, he cast about for a moment until he found a tall, narrow branch that he could easily twist off a tree. It had broken most of the way through and all it took was a turn or two in order to rip the last bit of bark away. He was about to use his blade to cut off the straggling limbs from it, but I stopped him.

  “My sword and dagger are perpetually sharp. Let me save the edge on your blade.” I knelt and quickly hacked off the stray branches, then trimmed the top few inches to make it easier for him to wield. “All right. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.”

  And so, we headed out of the Sandspit and into the depths of the Bogs.

  Chapter 22

  The Bogs seemed even more creepy under a layer of snow. It was bad enough trying to watch our footing when the weather was good, but the snow hid all manner of deathtraps, from the quicksand to the Wandering Ivy, to the langchamp cannibal plants. Snow also muffled sound and made it harder to hear if any bog-creatures were following us. The rooftop canopy of tree branches didn’t stop the snowfall. Given that we were into autumn, the leaves had been shedding off the trees for a couple of weeks.

  Since there was no path to follow, we worked our way through the undergrowth. Jason walked a few steps ahead, tapping the ground with the branch. Every now and then he would stop when the branch slid into a pocket of quicksand. In some cases, it was a fist-sized hole. In others, we found ourselves skirting larger patches.

  Tam walked behind him, giving directions. Even though we were into autumn and snow was falling, the undergrowth was still thick and green, making it hard to see the ground. The night was dark but the silvery sheen to the clouds gave us a faint light to guide our way. Queet swirled around me, keeping an eye out for bog-creatures as we traversed through the undergrowth.

  We had walked for about fifteen minutes when Tam tapped Jason on the arm.

  “Up ahead you’ll see a huckleberry bush. My men tied a ribbon to it. Make a slight jog to the right of the bush, but not a hard right. We want the large row of cedars on our left until we hit another bend in the road.”

  Jason paused by the huckleberry bush. A brilliant red ribbon was tied to it, standing out against the background of green and white. He turned a quarter turn and then headed deeper into the tangle, pushing through the bushes, still tapping with his stick. Every now and then he would pause and hold up his hand as he tested the ground to find stronger footing. Another twenty minutes and we came to another ribbon.

  “Where to from here?” He glanced over his shoulder at Tam.

  “Make another quarter turn to the right. We’ll come to a clearing in about fifteen minutes. When we reach it, we’ll look for the sewer grate. They didn’t mark it in case anyone from the Tunnels decides to use that entrance. We don’t want to arouse suspicions.”

  “Give me a moment to gather my focus. The constant prodding for quicksand takes a lot more energy than I thought it would.” Jason sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes. I could feel the currents of air swish past. Hawk-shifters worked with the element on an intimate level. The swirl of wind and snow rose around him as he abruptly opened his eyes and headed out again. One step at a time, he moved forward, prodding the ground, focusing intently as the snowstorm intensified.

  I focused on my inner Trace. As we continued, I found myself listening to every sound around me. The sound of the falling snow, the rustling in the undergrowth, faint sounds that could have been distant traffic…all blended together into a collage of white noise.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Jason broke through the foliage and stepped to the side. We had found the clearing.

  About twenty feet in diameter, the clearing was circular. I wondered what kept the vegetation at bay. Nothing seemed to grow within the odd space. At the center, a grate covered what appeared to be a tunnel. Three feet in diameter, the grate looked set firmly into place. I cautiously knelt beside it, examining the edges. The rusted spots had been loosened, but it looked like it hadn’t been opened in a while. Moss had grown over the spots where metal met soil.

  I glanced around the clearing. “Snow, but no plants? What’s wrong with this picture? The flora of the Bogs usually eats up everything in its way.”

  Tam cocked his head as though he were listening to the wind. After a moment, he said, “There’s something odd about this particular space. It feels like a force field, but not to keep people out. It’s…I think it’s to keep the plants out. How strange.”

  “Maybe they didn’t want to have to fight the plants every time they come in through the back door, so to speak,” I said.

  “No, because this isn’t magicians’ magic. This is something else, but I don’t know what.” Tam straightened up, shaking his head. “Something else has been back here, but I can’t tell what. For all I know, it could be the work of the Greenlings, although I don’t know why they would want to keep this area clear.”

  “Do you think there are any traps?” While I couldn’t read anything about traps on my Trace, that didn’t mean the grate wasn’t set to trigger.

  Jason pursed his lips, thinking. “Let me look. I have a cantrip that may work.”

  Tam and I backed off. Jason crouched by the grate, pulled off his gloves, and held his hands out, whispering a chant in Cast-speak. A faint blue light appeared at the tips of his fingers and he spread them wide. The light filtered out, rolling over the grate. It blanketed the ground, turning the snow that had accumulated a pale indigo, then settled like a thin layer of gel over the metal. Another moment, and it melted away, the snow still as pristine white as it had been.

  “No traps. That cantrip would have shown anything, be it magical or physical. That doesn’t mean that once we get into the tunnel, that everything will be safe. But we can at least remove the cover and see what we’re facing.” He slipped on his gloves again and grabbed hold of the grating. As he began to pull on it, the metal let out a grinding sound. “Damn, it’s in there good. I doubt this has been opened for a while. Not long enough to rust up again, but it’s stuck.”

  “Let me help.” I slid my dagger back in its sheath. I was strong, thanks to my constant workouts. “Scoot over.”

  Jason made room, and I clasped
my hands around the grate.

  “Your gloves good to go?”

  “Yeah, they fit snuggly, but have some give in them so I can use my sword when I need to. They’ll be fine. Count of three?”

  He nodded.

  “One…two…three!”

  Together we heaved the grate out of the ground, prying it away from the compacted soil. The moment it budged, Tam slid his fingers beneath it and pushed from the other side while we pulled. The grating—which was heavy as fuck—groaned as it yielded to our efforts.

  Jason and I rolled it to the side and it hit the ground with a thud. We paused, and I immediately checked my Trace. No Aboms, but that didn’t mean we had gone unnoticed. We waited for a moment, but there were no sounds emanating out of the hole, and nobody broke through into the clearing.

  “I guess we’re good to go.” I leaned over the hole, peering into the inky darkness. “I can’t even see if there’s a ladder. If not, then we’ll need rope.”

  “We’ll have to make due with vines, then. Here, let me set a faint light spell to travel down and check.”

  “Better than that, I can send Queet. He should be able to see and it will save us the chance of a light spell being noticed.” I started to summon Queet, but he beat me to the punch.

  “I’m here. I heard what you said. Going now. Sit tight till I return.”

  I glanced at Tam and Jason. “Queet’s on it.”

  The snow was picking up, and I folded my arms, turning my back to the wind so it wouldn’t blow into my face. But we only had to wait a few minutes before Queet was back.

  “Fury? There’s a ladder. See the pile of stones on the left side of the hole?”

  I squinted as he gusted to hover over the stones.

  “See? Here? The ladder is directly inside the hole against this wall. It goes down about fifty feet, then stops. A four-foot drop and you’re on the floor of the tunnel. It’s slimy and cold, but no standing water that I could see. But there are presences there. I could feel them. Be cautious. Tell Jason he might want to fly down and wait for you on the bottom.”

  That made sense. It would give us a guard below, and would save Jason’s strength. I relayed to the men what Queet had told me. “Jason, are you willing to go ahead and keep watch?”

  He was already stepping over to the hole. “I’m on it. But…you’ll be in the dark until I get down there and strike a light. There’s no way out of it. To see, we’re going to have to have some form of illumination. And magical light is softer than a flashlight.”

  “Go, then. Queet, please let me know when Jason’s set up. Jason, when you get down there and are ready for us, just say ‘Ready’ and Queet will hear you.”

  “He can hear me if he wants—I also know whisper-speak. He can communicate with me directly and that would probably be best.” Jason snorted. “Hear that, Queet? Talk to me, man. I’m going in.” He stood back, a blur of light swirling around him as he shifted form. I squinted against the brilliance and when I opened my eyes again, he was gliding down the hole. His wingspan barely fit. In fact he had to pull his wings back a little to manage, but I figured if he had problems, he would just abort the attempt.

  A few moments later, Queet swirled around me. “Jason’s ready. You won’t be able to see the light from up here, so he’s sending it floating up to lead you down. Don’t be surprised when you see a glowing orb of pale blue light dancing near your shoulders. Both of you.” His whisper-speak was loud enough that Tam was nodding along with me.

  “Fury, you go first. I’ll keep watch from above. That way you’ll be protected on both sides.”

  I snorted. “Tam, given the secrets you’ve revealed over the past few days, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that you’re an incredible fighter, but don’t forget—I’m trained to fight. Remember? Abomination hunter here?”

  Tam rubbed his forehead, groaning. “I know, I know. I just…you’re right. Do you want to take the back, then?”

  “I didn’t say that, but thanks for not trying to take away the option. The truth is,” I said, not wanting to admit it but feeling vulnerable, “this mission scares the hell out of me. I know how to deal with Aboms. The demons aren’t easy, but I know what to expect from them. And when I kill one, even if it’s wearing a human-suit, I know what I’m fighting. I’ve never had to face down…people…before. Except for the Carver, and he… Oh, he wasn’t human. Not in my book.”

  Right there, I knew what my hesitation was. We were probably going to come up against Lyon or his henchmen, and that would lead to a fight. While I had killed countless Abominations over the years, the fact was that I had very seldom ever hurt an actual person. I knew I could—the Carver was proof—but…the thought of plunging my sword into a human or one of the Otherkin? It rankled. But I also knew that I’d do whatever I needed to do. Hecate was riding me hard—I could feel her energy running through my blood. And mine was in hers from the Blood Bond that had been performed when I was a baby. We were linked far stronger than my oath to her.

  As I swung over the edge, a pale blue light hovered right below me, lighting the first rung. It floated up to my side, giving me about a sphere of illumination five feet in diameter. I held my breath for a moment, then slowly exhaling, began my descent.

  Fifty feet of ladder meant for a lot of rungs. I lost track of where I was in proximity to the ground. Rung after rung passed under my feet, slick with a buildup of slime and moss. I tried not to breathe too deeply—who knew what spores lurked in the mess of mildew? I tried not to listen too hard—I didn’t want to jump at every sound. One foot after the other, one rung after another, I made my way down the ladder through the three-foot-wide shaft.

  I had lost count of how many rungs I descended when I tried to find the next rung and there was finally none. I glanced over my shoulder. There, a few feet away, stood Jason, waiting.

  “Safe to drop down?”

  “The floor seems fairly solid, though slick.”

  I did a half-twist as I launched off the ladder and landed in a crouch near Jason’s feet. As I rose up, a twinge hit my side, but I shifted and it vanished. Turning around, I saw that Tam had been just a few feet above me, and not once had I heard him on the rungs. The man could be silent as the grave when he wanted to. He joined us, lightly dropping to the floor. Jason held up his hand and the two balls of light returned to bounce lightly by our shoulders.

  “So, where are we?” I used a loud version of whisper-speak that I knew they could hear.

  “I had a look around while I was waiting for you. We’re in what was an old sewer line. It runs in two directions but the one over there,” he pointed to our left, “is filled in. Totally blocked up from what I can tell. If we duck through that archway to the right, we’ll be in the main sewer. That should lead us to the entrance of the Tunnels, and from there…well, we find our way to Tunnel Pike.”

  “All right. Let me bring up my Trace.” I hoped that the Thunderstrike would suddenly appear, but no go. We were going to have to do this the hard way. “Well, let’s get a move on then. Let me go first, but be ready for action.” I turned, startled to see Tam standing directly in back of me.

  His eyes twinkling, he placed a finger on his lips, then pressed it to mine. I slowly wrapped my tongue around the tip, sucking gently for a moment. Then, just as slowly, I slid my mouth away, leaving him hungry. Desire spread across his face.

  Jason cleared his throat, looking away. “When you’re ready…”

  Bringing myself back to business, I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” And, swinging in front of the men, I ducked, grateful for the globe of light at my shoulder. Without another word, I stepped into the passage that stretched out in front of us. Ready or not, we were on the move, and I could only wonder if Lyon knew we were headed his way.

  Chapter 23

  Our footsteps echoed as we headed into the claustrophobic passage. It was barely seven feet tall, and only wide enough for one at a time. I dreaded thin
king what we’d do if we ran into some creature here. I’d be stuck at the front, because there was absolutely no way anybody could get around to help me. Hoping that we didn’t have far to go before we found the opening to the actual Tunnels, I plunged ahead with only Jason’s light to guide my way.

  The sounds of dripping water were everywhere. While this sewer wasn’t used anymore, the condensation was thick, as were the layers of mold and slime that had built up on the sides of the passage. I held my dagger—it was much more space efficient should I have to use it—and quietly edged forward, my gaze darting from side to side as I searched for the entry.

  A noise suddenly ricocheted past us.

  “Rat,” Tam said.

  A light scurrying sound drew my attention to the ground and I saw another massive rat racing toward me. It stopped, suddenly aware of us, stood on its hind feet, and then turned and raced the other way again. I was about to relax when Jason cleared his throat.

  “You know, that might have been a rat, but it also might have been a spy. Magicians use rats as familiars quite often because they’re small and can easily sneak into places a cat or dog or owl might be recognized.”

  “Hell. I didn’t think of that. Should I go after it?” Secretly, I was hoping he would say no. I didn’t want to go chasing after the rat.

  “No, because if it is a familiar, that would give whoever holds its leash a better look at you. If not, then why waste your energy on a rat?” He nodded, looking over my head. “Let’s keep going.”

  As I moved forward again, I began to feel a shift in the energy. It was hard to pinpoint, but there was something different. The passage was still cold and damp, but the energy deepened, feeling less murky and more sinister. There was a faint threat to it that I recognized, but nothing showed on my Trace. No Aboms. No Thunderstrike.