Ender of Worlds: A Morgan Rook Supernatural Thriller (The Order of Shadows Book 4)

by Kit Hallows

“No. I want you to kill him and steal his dagger.”

  “Dagger?”

  “The mhudambe shed their claws once every seven years. Gin collects them and uses a unique form of dark magic to render them down and make weapons. Weapons he then sells for exorbitant sums of gold.”

  “Why can’t I just take the dagger? Why do you want me to kill him?”

  “Because he defiled a young fae from this village, and when her father went to reckon with him, Gin and his creatures slaughtered him. One appeared outside the village gates wearing the fae father’s skin and performed a sick sort of a victory lap, before returning to whatever stone it crawled out from.” Erland scowled. “And that’s why I want you to kill him.”

  “And here was I thinking Faerie was a place of-”

  “Whimsy?” Erland asked. “Magic? There are wonders here to be sure, but there’s also just as much evil and conniving as there is in the blinkered realm. More perhaps, this world is so much older, after all. But I digress.” He stood, reached into the pocket of his robe and handed me a long curved fang suspended from a heavy silver chain.

  “What’s that?”

  “A charm. A powerful one. It’s been helping me to heal, but I can get another. Take it and use the magic within it to do what you must.”

  A mission in Faerie. It wasn’t what I’d been expecting but if it meant finding a means to defeat Stroud then anything was worth considering.

  “Here.” Erland passed me a small black pill.

  “What’s this?”

  “A one way ticket to an untimely death. Swallow that and you’ll be dead within moments.”

  “And why would I want to do that?”

  “Your death will be drawn out and agonizing if you’re captured,” Erland said. “Gin’s known for making his enemies talk, and by the most brutal means. This action you’re about to take cannot be traced back to me or the village. Because if it is, Gin will raze the place to the ground.”

  “Right.” I slipped the pill into my pocket and suppressed a shiver.

  “Now, you said you’ve already encountered a mhudambe. Did you vanquish it?”

  “Kind of. A speeding SUV sort of stole the glory.”

  Erland gave me a wan smile. “They’re as vicious as their claws are deadly, but they’re vulnerable if hit hard enough.” He pointed to his solar plexus. “That’s their weak spot. Hit them with enough force and they’ll be reduced to smoke and dust. But it’s easier said than done. Fire will work just as well, if you have it at hand.”

  “Good to know, thanks.” I stood and as my finger brushed the fang on the chain, my entire hand bristled with energy.

  “I trust you Morgan,” Erland said. “You always get the job done, but stay alert. And don’t let your other cloud you. You won’t be the first assassin to creep into Gin’s dwelling this past week.”

  “What happened to the first one?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

  “She didn’t make it,” Erland said. “She died. Horribly.”

  25

  I sat with Erland for quite a while before I headed out. We spoke about the past and the future, and we waited for twilight, which seemed to be more in line with the right time for someone setting out to rob and murder.

  We had no windows or clock to mark the hours but Erland said the moment would be apparent enough and that he’d smell the rising moon. I had no reason to doubt him.

  I sipped a strange soothing herbal tea that dulled my aches and pains, and when that was gone he rang a little silver bell. The servant lurking in the shadows shuffled out of the chamber and soon returned with a tray of roasted meats and succulent cheeses that were as tempting as the faerie feasts of legend. Erland assured me it was safe for me to eat, and when the time came he leaned back in his chair, stared into the flames and wished me well as I left.

  Most of the villagers had settled along with the fading evening sun, but a few fae folk still meandered in the lamplight, their faces just as disapproving as the ones that had first set eyes on me. But now, I understood their concern. Their village was under threat. They had no idea if their neighbors were the same people they’d known all their lives, or a marauding mhudambe skulking in a stolen skin, so they were not about to befriend some odd stranger.

  I followed Erland’s instructions and took the chalky trail that wound past the village and cut through the golden fields of wheat.

  The further I went, the darker it grew. Soon the birds stopped singing but I could still see their watchful moonlit eyes peering down from the branches. Then they all vanished at once, as dozens of cawing magpies and ravens took to the air and a trio of riders cantered by on fine horses. They stared down at me with a disdain that verged on outright hostility but I just smiled and nodded to them, eager for them to pass without incident.

  The landscape began to change, the scrub-like trees grew smaller and thornier, and somber clouds gathered on the horizon, blotting out the moon and the scattered stars surrounding it.

  Soon I found myself nearing a low marsh with bent, withered oak trees sprouting from the shoreline of its sinister waters. In the distance, beyond the reeds and mudflats was a tall house. It almost looked like a church with its high, broad steeple-like chimney and sharp, gabled roofline, but red and orange light filled its windows, and it flickered like hellfire.

  I took the narrow twisting path across the marsh. It was still too early for what I had planned, so I hunkered down on a mossy rock and watched and waited. Thoughts of Astrid and Samuel crept into my mind. I wondered what they might be doing while I was stuck in this strange, haunting place. I’d heard so often that time in Faerie passed differently than time in the blinkered world, and now I wished I’d paid more attention to the discrepancies. I could be hours, minute or moments ahead, or behind them. Or maybe the gulf was already stretching out into weeks but hopefully it was nothing so drastic.

  “Methinks I smell a man indulging in hope,” a voice said.

  I glanced around but there was no one there.

  “Down here!”

  “Right, it's a toad,” I said as I saw the creature sitting in the dirt between my feet. “Makes sense. I already met a talking horse.”

  “Who do you think you are, calling me a toad?” it sputtered.

  “You've got all the features of a toad, as far as I’m aware.”

  “Which probably isn’t very far,” it mumbled and gave a long depressed sigh.

  I actually couldn’t blame it for wanting to be something else. As toads went, it was one ugly-

  “How's about a wish?” it asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  “A wish?”

  “That’s what I said. Give me something to eat, a wee fly or spider would do, and in return I’ll grant you a wish.”

  “I don’t have any flies on me. Although I know a man who does.” I replied as I peered out over the reeds.

  “How’s about a little toe then?” The toad asked as it knocked on my boot. “If you haven't got one to spare I’d take a scrap of gristle. Doesn’t have to be from anywhere valuable.”

  “I'm sorry, it’s a tempting offer, but right now I can't even think of what I'd wish for,” I said as I eyed the glowing red reflection of the windows in the marsh. “And it’s almost time for me to go.”

  26

  I dismissed the toad with a curt farewell and trudged through the shadows of the twisted trees that stretched across the foul sodden ground. As the path neared the rushes, it narrowed and I was forced to walk through a patch of marsh to rejoin it on the other side. The water was shockingly cold, then the sensation of fingers wrapping around my ankle sent a panicked charge through me. They tugged and pulled; trying to drag me down and I grabbed the sword of intention and plunged it into the water. The blade hissed as it struck something soft and malleable. Moments later a scream rose up from the swamp and bubbles broke upon its surface, bringing a god awful stench. I pulled my foot out, wrenched the sword free, and caught my breath. I knew exactly what I
'd have said if that toad was to ask me about wishes again, but it was long gone.

  The structure of the house became clearer to me the closer I got. It was more like a broad stone tower, and it had more arched windows than I’d first spotted. Firelight, from the bonfire burning in the yard, flickered in the leaded glass panes.

  I took cover, crouching behind trees as I drew nearer, and cursed, not for the first time, that I had lost my bag and gun.

  I was almost at the edge of the yard when I felt it. Contact. The proximity of someone, or something. The air fizzled and I slowly glanced up as a creature appeared on the small rise above me. I caught a glimpse of its dark green, mantis-like shape, and thick heavy thorax.

  The mhudambe.

  It was long and lean and its eyes blazed as it spat out a series of strange, clipped sounds. Then, quick as a flash, it lashed a hand toward me, a single silver, pearlescent claw slicing the air before my face. I leapt back and pulled my sword as the creature twitched forward with a dry rustle of limbs and snapping mandibles.

  I blocked the next swipe with my sword and threw a punch that landed squarely on its hard angular face. The creature’s enormous eyes blinked as it thrust its head forward and tried to take a bite out of me. I drew back, mindful of its deadly claw as it swept toward me, slashing the air perilously close to my throat.

  The mhudambe spat alien words as it prowled, its eyes unblinking and fixed on me.

  I took a step back, steadied myself against the tree behind me, and waited for it to strike.

  The mhudambe hacked up a rattling din from its throat and leaped. I watched its silver claw plunge toward me and dodged, turning to watch it sink into the hard woody trunk like a diver slipping through the surface of a pool.

  Before the creature could yank its claw free I swung the sword. The blade found more resistance than usual and I had to pour my intention into it in order to lop of the creature’s arm. Smoke gushed from the wound and its eyes narrowed to fiery points. As it pounced I thrust the sword into its thorax. “End!” I cried.

  I watched the creature totter and twist before vanishing into wisps and curls of smoke that carried a heavy reek of sulfur.

  It took a moment for me to catch my breath and slow my hammering pulse. I searched for the mhudambe’s gleaming claw but it had dissipated along with the rest of creature so I turned and headed across the yard.

  As I neared the house I spotted a figure standing beside a tree.

  A fae?

  Its silhouette was tall and I could see the side of its face as it stared up at the sky, its lips quietly moving. Then I saw the stitches along its jawline and down the side of its neck. Another mhudambe, this one wearing a fae’s flesh. The back of one of its hands had a tear and I could see its slick chitin and the gleam of a single shiny claw. I grabbed the fang charm Erland had given me and gasped as its magic flooded through me. I moved in a slow circle so I could get behind the mhudambe. I was nearing my position, and about to strike when it snapped its head my way and its eyes blazed through its fleshy mask.

  Before I could act it leaped and hit me full on, shoving me down to the dirt.

  It raised its fist to impale me with its claw. I rolled to the side. It struck the ground and sank in deep. The mhudambe wrenched it free and as it raised it again I grabbed its wrist and twisted, enjoying the savage snapping sound it produced.

  The mhudambe roared and seized my throat with its other hand and squeezed hard. I clutched at it with both hands and tried to pry it away but it bore down on me, its eyes blazing through the slits in its fae mask.

  You seem to need help, my other chided. Again

  I struggled, trying to wrench off the mhudambe’s hand but I was locked in its grip. The creature expelled a dry, harsh sound and held me tighter.

  Move aside.

  I had no idea how his powers might manifest in this otherworld. Or if I could wrestle back control when all was said and done.

  My heaving chest felt as if it were on fire as the creature continued to squeeze, and my lungs were riddled with tingling pain. I was on the verge of blacking out when I let my consciousness drift aside so my other could step in.

  Finally

  I watched as he forced my head further back against the ground, soaking up the magic fizzling through the marshy soil. It flooded through us like a wave.

  How could you not use this? It’s everywhere. The split second the energy reached my fingertips he seized the creature’s hand, squeezing hard, using the dark magic to sear clean through the fae’s skin to the mhudambe below. The reek of charred flesh was nauseating. The creature’s head twitched as it leaped off, clenching its smoldering hand under its arm.

  I haven’t finished, my other announced as my fist slammed into the creature's borrowed face, sending it stumbling back into the marsh. Then he raised my sword and plunged it through the mhudambe’s skull, driving it into the ground. A terrible death rattle issued from the creature’s mouth as it flailed in the mud, pinned down by the blade.

  He laughed as he brought my boot down on its throat, crushing its neck with a single blow, and slowly it came apart as smoke.

  There. His voice was loud, commanding. And this is not the first time I've ensured our survival. Maybe it’s time for you to concede.

  The fact he hadn’t simply taken control over our mind implied that he couldn’t. “Get back in your box,” I said as I shoved him aside.

  There’s gratitude. I wonder what'll happen next time you need me. He vanished, and only then did I take a deep breath.

  I continued on, hugging the tree line as I approached the house again. Bitter smoke filled the air and the crackle of the unfamiliar magic toyed with my senses.

  To my horror seven more mhudambe had emerged. They were prowling toward the fire where three lifeless bodies had been laid out in the flickering light like offerings. Two were fae and one human; a scrawny, bearded man. The mhudambe hunkered around him and began prodding his flesh. Then one sniffed him, its actions almost innocent until it began to knead the cadaver like it was tenderizing a cut of beef.

  I grabbed the fang charm from my pocket and clutched it. Its power thrummed through my fingers and into my veins, then to my very cells. Make me unseen, I commanded, hide me from the mhudambe. I glanced down, half expecting to see the results, but my mud caked jeans were still there as plain as day. I had no idea if my spell was flawed or if my own eyes had simply remained unaffected.

  “There's only one way to find out." I whispered then took a deep breath, clasped the pommel of my sword and broke from the trees, walking softly past the mhudambe as they began to feast.

  27

  The mhudambe were consumed with their gory meal as I slipped past. I did my best to ignore the snapping and tearing as I fixed my gaze on the house and the long wooden spikes jutting out along its wall. Several of them had been topped with a severed fae's head and I was certain that at least some of them in this gruesome display were the assassins Erland had mentioned that had failed to dispatch Gin. Which meant I had to stay sharp or I might just be joining them.

  I looked myself over. I still seemed perfectly visible in my filthy jeans, caked boots and muddy coat. Then I glanced at the mhudambe as they shifted from the first corpse, now little more than a pile of bloody bones, to the next. None of them looked my way as I backed toward the tower’s threshold. I counted it as evidence that Erland’s charm had worked.

  Holding out one hand, I waved my palm over the stout oak planks and banded metal that made up Gin's front door, searching for curses or traps. It wasn't rigged and seemed oddly safe but given his reputation as well as the monsters surrounding the place, I could see reason in why he hadn't gone to the trouble of hexing it.

  As I stepped inside the medieval scent of damask roses wafted through the air, a welcome mask to the sulfurous stench of the mhudambe. The clean, warm hall was not what I’d been expecting. It was painted wine red with one wall covered in garish paintings in gilded frames and the other lined wi
th glass curio cabinets. Many of the shelves were lined with skulls, featured prominently as if they were trophies. Most must have been fae, or possibly human, but there were others that were clearly neither.

  I searched the rooms one by one, but there was no sign of Gin or the dagger, just more spoils, artifacts, and an abundance of bound leather books.

  I stole back to the stairs and crept up them like a thief, testing each before putting my full weight down. My heart raced and adrenaline coursed through me, taking the edge off of the magical buzz I’d gotten from the fang charm.

  There was only one large chamber to search on the second floor. The tables lining the hallway that led to its entrance held large bowls of rose petals. They glowed soft and pink in the flickering candlelight but their scent wasn’t strong enough to disguise the sulfurous odor that lingered there.

  I reached out, opened the door and peered into the fetid room. The space beyond was festooned from floor to ceiling with large silken cocoons. Some were as much as half my height, some slightly smaller and their thick yellowed webbing glistened like candy floss in the flickering light of the stout tallow candles.

  As I made my way into the room to search for the dagger, my boots became entangled in thick fibrous strands. I yanked them free, almost losing my footing in the process. The webs were everywhere; they stretched across the floor and up the walls. The twisted filaments even hung down from the rafters enveloping the chandelier.

  I held the sleeve of my coat over my nose and mouth as the sulfur grew stronger and jolted as I saw a form swaddled within the gauzy fabric watching me. No, not watching. Staring sightlessly. She looked like a woman carved from wood, a woman petrified. In the center of her swollen stomach was a gaping hole, the place the larval mhudambe had spilled from before spinning their pods and awaiting their metamorphosis.

  The far side of the room yielded nothing of interest, no cabinets, no gleaming magical dagger, just more webs and a pungent reek that made my eyes water.