As the attack began, each Sky Knight in the first wave cast a spell … a blue orb shot forth from each in turn, each orb hitting the shield and weakening it. A single witch wouldn’t be able to collapse such a powerful shield, but two dozen, each casting the spell in succession, brought the shield down on the first pass.
The next wing threw firepots into the recently constructed berth, igniting it with dozens of orange splashes of liquid fire. Nearly a thousand men scattered into the forest, fleeing the rapidly growing conflagration. A lone figure on the shore of the cove launched a string of ice shards at the Sky Knights, while drakini started rising into the air. One of the wyverns in the middle of the attack run took three hits to one of its wings and broke formation, beginning to spiral toward the ground.
Another of the Sky Knights matched the wounded wyvern’s speed and course from above, while the Knight below guided the rescuing wyvern’s claws into the harness of her saddle. Together, they turned south, one wyvern supporting the other.
Abigail wanted to dive toward the enemy, to bring the fight to Zuhl’s priest on the ground and to the drakini rising toward her, but it would serve no real purpose. The ship berth and the bare skeleton of the warship growing within had been destroyed-that was the objective. She would leave it to the Ithilian Navy to mop up the enemy.
***
Anatoly was waiting for her when she landed. Snow still blanketed the ground in northern Fellenden, so the army was moving slowly. The bulk of the forces were encamped on the plains just south of the Iron Oak while the Rangers had moved north to scout the city and establish a forward operating base.
Abigail and her Sky Knights had succeeded in burning all five of the shipyards along the northern coast, but the Ithilian Navy had reported that the soldiers and workmen had disbursed into the forest. That left nearly five thousand enemy personnel, led by priests and supported by drakini, running loose in the Iron Oak.
Anatoly rode up leading her horse as she fed Kallistos.
“What’s happened?” she asked, after one glance at his grim expression.
“Prince Torin has gone missing. We have conflicting reports, but the one thing they all have in common is a woman.”
Abigail left Kallistos to a handler and mounted her slightly skittish horse, patting her on the neck. Magda joined them and they made their way to the command tent.
“I trust you’ve heard the news,” Conner said when they entered.
“What do we know?” Abigail asked, taking her seat at the head of the table.
“In simplest terms, a woman arrived, talked her way into a meeting with Torin and then left with him and six of his personal guards,” Conner said. “The odd part, aside from Torin leaving his command, is the differences in the reports. The men all said that the woman was more beautiful than any woman they’d ever seen, but the women all said she was hideous and demonic-looking.”
“Sin’Rath,” Magda said. All eyes turned to her, most of them blank with confusion.
“I thought the Sin’Rath were on Karth,” Abigail said.
“They are, or they were, at any rate,” Magda said. “For centuries, the Sin’Rath and the Reishi Coven had an agreement-we would not set foot on Karth if they did not leave Karth. Isabel broke that agreement.”
“But she didn’t know,” Abigail said.
“No, but that’s of no consequence to the Sin’Rath,” Magda said.
“Why do they want Torin?” Conner asked.
“For his blood,” Magda said. “I suspect that they’ve become aware of the Nether Gate, and more importantly, the magical box containing the last of the keystones.”
“There’s no way Phane is going to let them get hold of the other two keystones,” Abigail said. “They have to know that.”
“Not necessarily,” Magda said. “The Sin’Rath are insane. Their reasoning is often not entirely reasonable. Unfortunately, Phane is well aware of this.”
“You think he put them onto Torin,” Anatoly said.
“I do,” Magda said. “If he can get the Sin’Rath to steal the box from Lacy and then have Torin open it … collecting the keystone would be a simple matter.”
“That seems like a lot of trouble,” Conner said.
“If Phane gains control of the Nether Gate, he wins,” Magda said. “In truth, this is probably one of several paths that he might travel to reach his goal. He is, no doubt, pursuing them all.”
“Well, we’re going to make sure he doesn’t succeed on this particular path,” Abigail said. “I’ll have Captain Sava ride south and send a pair of Sky Knights to scout for him.”
“That won’t work,” Magda said. “Men are useless against the Sin’Rath.”
Anatoly cleared his throat, frowning at her pointedly.
“Men are charmed by their very presence,” Magda said with a shrug. “Every man we send will simply join the witch’s ranks. We must send women.”
Anatoly grunted, shaking his head, muttering, “Magic,” under his breath.
“Pick two experienced witches from the ranks of the Sky Knights,” Abigail said to Magda. “The four of us will fly at dawn. Anatoly, I’d like you to ride to Fellenden City and assume command as Regent until either Torin or Lacy returns.”
“You know I don’t know anything about running a city, right?”
“Just keep the people safe,” Abigail said. “It’s only temporary.”
***
Handlers approached Kallistos moments after he landed in the makeshift aerie within the walls of Fellenden City. Abigail had scarcely dismounted when a commander in the Fellenden Army rode in with a dozen men riding two abreast behind him.
He dismounted, handing the reins to his nearest man and bowed formally with a smile that was entirely too bright for Abigail’s mood.
“Lady Abigail, I am Commander Ash. Until Prince Torin is found, I have assumed command of forces within the city and assumed the duties of Regent. How can I be of service today?”
Abigail’s eyes narrowed slightly. She was trying to learn temperance, trying to be less rash and more measured, so she found this situation particularly trying.
“Tell me, Commander, how did your prince disappear from under your nose? And why aren’t you out looking for him?”
Ash lost a little of his good cheer. “We woke to find Prince Torin missing, and I assure you we are doing everything within our power to find him.”
“Tell me about the woman.”
His smile brightened and he actually blushed. “She was beautiful … more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever met. Truthfully, I don’t blame Prince Torin for leaving with her.” He smiled wistfully and shrugged. “Between us, I bet he’ll return from his dalliance in a few days.”
Abigail took a deep breath and reminded herself that these men were under the influence of magic. “I see,” she said with a forced smile. “In that case, we’ll just go get cleaned up while we wait.”
“Of course, Lady Abigail,” Ash said. “I’ve taken the liberty of providing an honor guard for you.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Oh, but I insist. If we’re wrong about Prince Torin, and the enemy really is in our midst, then I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t provide you with adequate protection.”
Commander Ash and his men accompanied Abigail and Magda to the keep. While one soldier remained with the horses, the rest escorted the two women inside.
Abigail’s quarters were just as she had left them, but cold and neglected. She’d chosen a small room off the main meeting hall, more for convenience than for any other reason. She closed the door before one of the guards could follow her inside. She and Magda shared a worried look.
Only a moment after she closed the door and dropped the bar, there was a loud pounding from outside.
“Lady Abigail,” Commander Ash shouted through the door. “I really must insist that you allow my men into your room … for your safety. The enemy could strike anywhere at any time.”
“No,
” Abigail said.
There was a long pause and then he knocked again. “We need to keep you in sight,” he shouted, a slight edge of panic in his voice.
Abigail ignored him, turning to Magda. “How many do you think she turned?”
“At least those dozen men, maybe a few more.”
“How do we get them back?”
“Time,” Magda said with a helpless shrug. “As we understand it, a Sin’Rath naturally charms any man close enough to see her, but that charm doesn’t last for long once he leaves her presence. Their venom is how they create lasting power over their victims. Hopefully, it will wear off in time.”
“We don’t have time,” Abigail said. “We need to find enough soldiers who haven’t been bitten to contain this lot, so we can figure out where Torin was taken.”
“Agreed,” Magda said. “First, we’ll need to elude them.”
Ash pounded on the door again. “Lady Abigail, Lady Abigail, I’ve just received word that Prince Torin has been spotted in an abandoned part of the city.”
“I’ll bet,” Abigail said to Magda. “How do we get out of here?”
“What’s on the other side of this wall?” Magda asked, placing her hand on the bare stone.
“I think it’s a storeroom.”
“Is there a way out of that room that will get us past the soldiers?”
“I think so,” Abigail said, drawing the Thinblade.
“That won’t be necessary,” Magda said, beginning to cast a spell. Nearly a minute later, the wall became transparent in an area about the size of a door. Magda walked through, motioning for Abigail to follow. It was an odd sensation, like walking through thick air. When they were both in the room on the other side, the wall became opaque again with a single word from Magda.
The room was dark and filled with crates stacked along the walls. A service stair led to the level above. Abigail and Magda moved quietly up the stairs to a balcony running the width of the council chamber that Abigail had used to coordinate the efforts of the army over the winter.
The far wall was lined with windows every ten feet, the first being accessible from the balcony. Magda opened it carefully, peering out before pushing the shutters wide. Abigail looked down into a service alley several floors below.
“Take my hand and jump when I do,” Magda whispered. “And don’t let go.”
Abigail nodded, holding Magda’s hand and climbing up onto the window ledge. Magda muttered a few words before stepping off the ledge. They fell fast, air roaring past their ears for just a moment before the featherlite spell slowed their descent and set them both gently on the ground.
They moved cautiously, sticking to the alleys and avoiding notice as much as possible, until they came to one of the main barracks housing several hundred soldiers.
Abigail stopped at the side door for a moment. “I hope the Sin’Rath’s influence is as limited as we think or this might go badly.”
“Just stay near the door,” Magda said. “Your soldiers will fare better if we run from them rather than fight them.”
Abigail nodded, then slipped into the barracks. Over a hundred men were sleeping, the sounds of snoring reverberating throughout the large room. She went to the nearest bunk and shook the man awake. He blinked several times, rubbing his eyes in confusion.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Abigail. Where’s your commanding officer?”
“He’s in the room at the end of the barracks, probably sleeping since we just ended our guard shift at dawn.”
“Tell me about the woman Prince Torin left with.”
“She was pretty. I only saw her from a distance, but I understand why the prince left with her.” He sat up, looking at Abigail more closely, realization seeping into his consciousness the more fully he awoke. “You’re Lady Abigail.”
“Yes.”
He stood up quickly, sleepiness replaced with sudden nervousness.
“Forgive me, My Lady, I didn’t recognize you.”
“Nothing to forgive, soldier,” Abigail said. “Wake the rest of your men while I go speak with your commander.”
She didn’t wait for him to obey, instead heading to the end of the barracks. The soldier started yelling at the men nearby while pulling on his boots. The commander came out of his room, disheveled and half asleep.
“What’s going on out here?” he bellowed. Then he stopped and stared, trying to blink away his confusion.
“Lieutenant, do you know who I am?”
“Lady Abigail, what are you doing here?”
“I need your help, right now. Wake your men and get them ready.”
He hesitated, seemingly stunned by the abrupt awakening and the presence of Abigail.
“Now, Lieutenant.”
He nodded quickly and started shouting. Within a few minutes he had over a hundred men up, dressed and gathered around Abigail and Magda to hear their orders. Abigail explained the situation quickly and impressed upon the soldiers that the men they were going to detain were not the enemy.
She went back to her quarters, followed by a company of soldiers, citizens moving hastily out of their way. Just before they reached the council chamber, the roar of a wyvern shattered the late morning air.
Abigail looked at Magda, concerned for the two witches who had remained with the wyverns.
“Amelia and Jillian are in trouble,” Magda said.
“We have to contain these men, then we’ll go to the aerie.”
Ash smiled brightly when he saw Abigail, then abruptly snarled when he saw soldiers flow into the room behind her.
“You can’t do this! Mistress commanded us to stop you.” He drew his sword, his men following his lead.
“Take them without hurting them if you can,” Abigail commanded. “Disarm them and detain them under close guard.”
The company of soldiers swarmed into the room, surrounding and cutting off escape for all of the soldiers under the Sin’Rath’s spell. Ash and his men lashed out but their blows fell on shields, few doing any damage. One by one, they were disarmed, tied up, and lined against the wall.
“You can’t do this,” Ash pleaded. “Mistress commanded us to stop you from following her. We can’t fail her.” He started crying uncontrollably.
“Lieutenant, keep these men here. We’ll be back soon,” Abigail said.
She and Magda ran through the streets toward the aerie. They arrived to the sounds of a pitched battle … Amelia, Jillian, two message riders and the handlers on one side and six soldiers on the other, with several more already down, dead or unconscious.
Abigail and Magda came in behind the Sin’Rath-charmed soldiers just as Amelia knocked one sprawling with a force-push. Magda started casting a spell, her voice building from a whisper to loud forceful words that culminated in a shout. A wave of force, similar to a force-push but much wider, emanated from her hands and hit all five of the remaining soldiers, blasting them forward and tossing them onto the ground at the feet of the Sky Knights, who quickly bound their hands and feet.
“We caught them trying to kill the wyverns,” Amelia said. “Fortunately, Kallistos was still awake.”
“Is he all right?” Abigail asked urgently.
“Yes, his warning brought us quickly enough to stop them,” Amelia said.
“We’ll lock these men up with the rest,” Abigail said.
***
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” the young woman said. “It wasn’t human. It looked at me and smiled, like it knew what I was seeing, but also like it knew that none of the men would believe me. And they didn’t. I tried to warn them and got this for my trouble,” she said, gently touching the swollen red bruise on her cheek.
Her account only reinforced what Abigail had learned when she interrogated the men under the Sin’Rath’s spell. They were distraught that they had failed to stop Abigail, some of them breaking down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Abigail found it to be a chilling display of power.
“Do you
know where they took Prince Torin?” Abigail asked, leaning closer and taking the woman’s hand.
“I don’t know where they were going, My Lady,” she said, shaking her head, “but they left out of the south gate. I followed them to the wall and watched them ride south. I wanted to stop them, all of the women did, but there wasn’t anyone able to stand up to them, and they were all so bewitched by that thing that none of them would listen to us.”
“It’s all right, dear, you’ve done well,” Abigail said.
“It makes sense,” Magda said. “The witch would probably want to take Torin back to Karth. The ports along the south coast are her best bet for getting a ship.”
“So we fly south,” Abigail said.
Chapter 15
They’d been searching the roads south of Fellenden City for three days without any luck when they spotted a group of riders on the road to Sochi. The sun had just slipped past the horizon, casting the world into growing shadow.
Abigail signaled Amelia and Jillian to make a pass. When their wyverns both roared, confirming their target, Abigail and Magda tipped into a dive, while Amelia and Jillian circled, gaining altitude for an attack run.
Moments after the wyverns roared, the horses broke into a gallop, all of them angling for a sparse grove of trees alongside the road. Abigail loosed an arrow, missing narrowly, but drawing the witch’s attention. Magda fired a light-lance, burning a hole through the rump of the Sin’Rath’s horse. The dying animal’s squeal seemed to linger on the wind as the wyverns banked to circle for another pass.
Looking over her shoulder, Abigail watched as the witch tumbled from her horse and started barking orders at the men. Two headed for the grove of trees while the other five reined in their horses and spread out to meet the next attack, each nocking an arrow while the witch started chanting guttural, almost animalistic words that carried into the darkening sky.
Amelia and Jillian lined up for a run, gaining speed, diving toward the witch. Amelia sent a blue sphere streaking toward the Sin’Rath. It hit her shield and seemed to flow over the surface of it, weakening her magical bubble of protection. Jillian followed with a string of five wedges of blue magical force, one after the other. The first three hit the shield, dissipating with the impact … but the fourth broke the magical barrier and the fifth grazed the witch across her shoulder.
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