The Crow King's Wife

by Melissa Myers

  As far as Finn could tell it was a hopeless endeavor on her part, but he wished Jala luck with her attempts. She was trying to order High Lords about as if they were soldiers, and the simple fact of the matter was that High Lords did not take orders at all. Each and every one of them would fight this battle separately and if Fortune was smiling they might manage to survive. Shifting slightly Finn glanced under the cowl of the man beside him and frowned as he realized Fortune was not smiling at all.

  “Smile damn you.” Finn hissed in a voice too low for Jala to hear. He wasn’t ready to announce himself yet and he knew his presence would distract her from everything she needed to be focusing on.

  “There are several hundred Spell Hawks and Dragons bearing down on us and we have a grand total of twenty defenders. I don’t want to smile.” Fortune snapped back in the grumpiest voice Finn had ever heard the Aspect use.

  “Fortune smiles upon us and luck abounds or so the commons believe.” Finn prompted hopefully and nudged the Aspect lightly with his elbow.

  “Fortune is frowning and considering what kind of flowers would suit his gravestone best since there isn’t enough luck in the entire world to keep us from being buggered bloody today.” Fortune grumbled and folded his arms across his chest.

  “That’s not very Delvay of you.” Exodus pointed out in a teasing voice as she edged closer to Finn and peaked around him to peer impishly up at Fortune.

  “Neither is walking about without weapons, but the only thing strapped to my side is a coin purse and a set of dice. I haven’t been Delvay for some time as you recall.” Fortune returned dryly.

  Finn started to open his mouth for a smart ass reply but snapped his jaw shut as a dark form appeared on the steps a few feet ahead of him. His jaw clenched shut and he struggled to remain silent as Seth carefully unwrapped his feathered cloak from Zoelyn and straightened his shoulders.

  “Isn’t he supposed to be guarding your domain in your absence?” Exodus enquired softly as Zoelyn rushed down the steps to Jala’s side.

  “Yep.” Finn replied dryly and folded his hands behind his back before nodded slowly. “He sure is.” He added rocking back on his heels. “Do you think it would be considered unseemly for a Priest of Death to kick Seth very hard in the ass?” he asked quietly.

  “It would likely be a bit out of character for a Priest to kick the highest servant of his god in any part of his anatomy, but we are going to unveil ourselves soon enough anyway so go ahead if it will make you feel better.” Exodus replied with a bright smile of encouragement lighting her delicate face.

  “Seth is here for love. He shouldn’t be punished for acting on the heart.” Fidelity murmured in a wistful voice. The Aspect of Love stood just behind Fortune and was gazing at Seth as if the hero of a ballad had just made his grand entrance.

  “I still have doubts that Seth actually has a heart. I think I should cut him open and see if you are right.” Finn muttered irritably as he glowered at his servant’s back. This had not been part of his plan, and the idea of his domain sitting unguarded was not resting well in his mind.

  “What is that noise?” Exodus asked turning to stare back over her shoulder toward the inner city.

  Finn’s brow creased as he cocked his head and listened. “It’s a Spell Hawk from the sounds of it, but none of the enemies have reached the city yet. We still have at least ten minutes of peace.” He replied hesitantly all thoughts of Seth forgotten.

  The faint hum grew steadily louder and Finn felt his shoulders sag as he recognized the dull grey hull of the Spell Hawk when it passed over the palace at blazing speeds. Cries rose from the crowd as the wind from the passing ship howled around them, but it was Jala’s voice that drew Finn’s attention.

  “Shade! No!” The words burst from the High lady as an agonized scream and Jala ran several steps forward as if she could somehow stop Shade with her pursuit. “No!” Jala screamed again as she stumbled to a stop shoulders slumping in despair.

  A small hand gripped his arm and Finn realized he had been moving toward Jala without even considering his actions. His heart hammered in his chest and he watched in silence as Valor moved swiftly to Jala’s side.

  “It’s not your place to comfort her anymore.” Exodus reminded him gently and Finn nodded absently in response as he returned to his spot beside Fortune.

  “I wasn’t thinking.” Finn replied quietly. Shaking his head he forced his eyes off of Jala and focused on the dull grey of Shade’s Spell Hawk instead. “I think we are out of time for procrastination. I think Shade has just signaled us to act.”

  “I agree.” Exodus said. Silently she stepped back from Finn and began unbuckling the Priest robes she wore revealing the bright blue of her silk garments beneath.

  With a heavy sigh Finn stepped forward to the center of the stairs and untied the belt of his own robes. Shrugging it from his shoulders he tilted his head upward and for the barest moment savored the feeling of sunlight on his skin. A few confused murmurs rose from the people around him and Finn summoned his most arrogant smirk. The polished rings of his black chainmail caught the sunlight as he stepped forward to the very edge of the stairs to stare down at the stunned faces of the gathered High Lords.

  “By the looks of things you all have a rather nasty fight ahead of you.” Finn observed loudly. “It’s one that you won’t win alone I’m afraid, but fortunately you aren’t alone.” He added. Shifting ever so slightly he motioned Fortune forward and the Aspect of Luck shrugged out of his Priest robes and stepped instantly to Finn’s side. “Today we remind you why Gods are revered. When you survive this fight remember that it was not by your own merits that you lived. The Divine will no longer blindly turn aside from the destruction of this world. From this day forward we will have a voice, and today we will show you why you will listen.” Finn’s voice rang off the stones and for the first time since the council of the High Lords had learned of the attack silence filled the air around them. Every complaint and suggestion the High Lords had been voicing had died on their lips as they stared up at Finn with mixed emotions written on their faces.

  “You honor us Divine one. My praises to you Lord of Death.” Jala’s words broke the silence as she bowed low to Finn with a bittersweet expression on her pale face. Finn could see the edge of tears in her violet eyes and for the first time since he had begun building power for the gods he felt a flash of guilt for his dramatics.

  Nodding to her he smiled faintly and pushed the guilt aside. He had already started down this path now was not the time to regret it. “Fortune grant them your luck for the day.” Finn said loudly and the Aspect standing beside him obediently stepped forward.

  Spreading his hands wide Fortune poured his strength into the gathering and Finn could see the look of wonder blossoming on the faces below him. Most of the Elder Blood scoffed at the idea of Aspects, but they had never truly felt the hand of one upon them before with the exception of Jala herself. In the face of the raw power Fortune was bestowing they couldn’t help but acknowledge the blessing and therefore the god that bestowed it.

  “Fidelity remind them what it is they fight for.” Finn commanded and as rehearsed the Aspect of Love flowed forward her gossamer dress swirling about her as she waved a hand over the High Lords. Determination flared in the eyes below as Fidelity’s power filled their hearts with love for Sanctuary itself. It was a tawdry bit of magic and Fidelity herself had objected to it at first, but Finn had insisted and he could tell by the reactions he was seeing his instincts had been correct.

  There hadn’t been much warning about the pending attack, but it had been an opportunity that Finn couldn’t pass up. If he had simply warned the High Lords what was coming none of them would have shown their faces in the city today. So Finn had held his silence and gathered the few Aspects he had managed to bind to him through blood. The war needed to end. The world was growing too weak to survive from the endless fighting and this was the first step in bringing peace back to Sanctuary. With the Asp
ects involved in the fight even Rivasa would surely see the sense in a truce, or so he was hoping.

  “Rose watch over them as they face their enemy and keep them strong.” Finn spoke the words loudly and it was nearly impossible to keep the amusement from his voice as recognition lit Jala’s face. He could sympathize with her completely. His own shock when he learned Rose was truly the Aspect of Healing had been so great he’d polished off half a bottle of Firewater before he had managed to being his negotiations with her.

  Smiling widely Rose moved to his side and bowed her head to the familiar faces below her. “I will not let you fall.” She promised sweetly as her power crested to the surface for a breath and brushed softly over the crowd to remove any doubts they might have had regarding her.

  “Lutheron ease their concerns so that they can face their enemy with clear minds.” Finn commanded and kept his face carefully neutral as he stared past the High Lords to where Lutheron had been watching the display with an angry glare. This was the only part of his plan that was a gamble. He had no ties over Lutheron and Finn had no idea how the man would react to his demand. If Lutheron refused the High Lords would remember it, but if he obeyed he was publically admitting that Finn had the power to command him. Their eyes locked and Finn could see the seething anger boiling in the Divine of Fear, but after what seemed like an eternity Lutheron bowed his head ever so slightly and waved a hand over the assembled High Lords.

  Finn’s shoulders relaxed and he let out a silent sigh of relief as Exodus moved up beside him. Glancing down he smiled at her. “I wasn’t sure it would work.” He admitted softly.

  “It worked spendidly, but you seem to have forgotten me in the theatrics.” Exodus replied and frowned at him.

  “I haven’t forgotten you. Shade simply changed your role in things with his blatant stupdidity. So no loud proclamations for you my dear, I’m sorry for that, but this crowd can’t properly appreciate you anyway. So rather than waving your hands over a bunch of arrogant High Lords please do everything you can to ensure that idiot doesn’t end up in my domain.” He added dryly as he waved a hand toward the distant Spell Hawk.

  Exodus looked up and nodded once. “He is about to engage them.” She observed softly. “So it’s too late to keep him out of the fight completely.” Nodding once more she stepped back and faded into the shadows of the palace. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure he does not die Finn. You have my word on that.”

  “And you have my eternal gratitude for sparing me an eternity with Shade Morcaillo annoying me.” Finn replied as he shifted his attention back to the High Lords. And so it begins. He mused silently as he narrowed his eyes and watched as the first blow of the battle was struck by Shade. Shaking his head slowly he felt a smile form on his lips. “You have balls of solid stone Shade, I’ll give you that.” He whispered to the empty air around him and wondered if anyone below him would have had the courage to face two armies alone.

  Chapter 22

  Sanctuary

  Metal screamed in protest as the Spell hawk that had broken rank to pursue him slammed into one of its sister ships in the process of turning about to fire on him. With a flick of his wrist Shade poured more magic into The Shade and sent her racing above the roar of flames that burst from the entangled ships. The flash of debris caught the edge of his vision and he reacted without thought even as he dodged under the sweeping strike of a dragon.

  He could hear the steady fire of his ship’s guns but didn’t spare a moment of his attention to concern himself with Grim’s accuracy. It would be a fortunate coincidence if Grim managed to bring some of the enemy forces down with his shots, but it wasn’t required. All they had to do was distract the enemies and his chaotic flight through the middle of their ranks was succeeding splendidly at that.

  Dark scaled forms rose below his ship and Shade reacted instantly bringing his ship hard to the right. His reaction speed was flawless when linked with his ship, but he doubted the Spell Hawk that had been heading toward him could say the same. If the other pilot didn’t manage to correct his course within the next breath he would be cuddled tightly with a rather unhappy dragon.

  Shade’s gaze moved over the crowded stretch of sky and he calculated his flight with the precision of a dancer as he wove through their ranks darting from side to side like a hummingbird. He had no choice but to stay in the thick of them. If he broke away or rose too far above or below them he would be an open target for them to fire upon. They couldn’t use their ranged weapons against him as long as he was in their ranks without the risk of hitting one of their own.

  The only concern he had for the moment was the Dragons, and they were more than enough of a challenge for him. Not only did he have to evade claws and teeth he had to worry about their tails which with the larger ones meant dodging a thirty foot whip that didn’t always seem to consider the proximity of its allies as a concern.

  Bright flame filled the sky behind him and Shade had no choice but to climb as swiftly as he could to avoid the Dragon’s breath. True Dragon’s breath would melt his hull as easily as butter on a warm stove. The sound of gun shots filled the air around him and Shade spun his ship from left to right before diving again as he neatly evaded the dragonfire as well as the attacking Spell Hawks.

  His breath caught in his throat as bright scales appeared suddenly directly in front of him and it was all he could do to evade the dragon that had appeared literally out of nowhere to attack. “Bastard.” Shade hissed as the telltale screech of metal screamed from the back of his ship as the dragon’s claws skimmed along his hull. “Invisibility is cheating.” He grumbled and felt his pulse quicken as he considered the implications of what had just happened.

  It had to have been the Barllen on the front of his ship that had canceled the Dragon’s spell. He didn’t think the creature would have dropped its magic with such a brilliant ambush tactic. He only had Barllen on the sides and front of his ship though, which meant if one of the creatures was smart enough to attack from behind or below he wouldn’t even see the hit coming.

  “Oh please don’t let them be that smart.” Shade mumbled as he turned his ship sideways to slide between two Spell Hawks that had been trying to maneuver to block his path. How long have I held them back? Shade wondered silently then pushed the thought aside as he dropped low to avoid the lashing tail of a large blue scaled dragon. It felt like an eternity, but he doubted it had been more than a few minutes since he had first engaged.

  “Eight down so far not counting the two dragons.” Grim observed somberly and Shade grinned in response.

  “Only about three hundred more to go if you count the Morcath forces. We got this.” Shade replied with a laugh and poured more speed into his ship to shake the Spell Hawk that seemed to believe it had a chance of catching him.

  “Without a doubt.” Grim agreed dryly then fell silent as he returned to his role as gunner.

  Shade smiled to himself before turning his full attention back to his own task. His mind went carefully blank as he allowed his instincts to guide the ship through the maze of enemies. He didn’t hesitate in any of his choices and simply trusted in the fact that his ship was superior and no one had his speed.

  If it weren’t for the Barllen protecting his ship he would have never dared push her to her full potential. Every pilot learned of the dangers of mages when they were being trained, which explained the caution the other pilots were showing in pursuit of him. They were expecting him to use a force spell on them, and Shade was silently hoping one of the High Lords in the city below would do just that.

  So far there had been no sign of help from below however and he suspected they were still too far out of range for Jala’s spells. If he was right than she had that much longer to prepare.

  Bright metal flashed to the side of him and Shade flicked his wrist to avoid the enemy ship and felt panic grip him as the massive form of a dragon appeared just in front of his ship as it turned. The creature must have been trailing him invisibly and had
almost been upon him when he turned the Barllen in its direction. Swallowing heavily Shade sent his ship into a dive and felt his heart stop as The Shade lurched hard to one side.

  Cursing rang in his ears and he dimly realized it was Grim yelling but all he could focus on was the sound of tearing metal. That is my right wing. Shade observed mentally with far more calmness than he knew he should be feeling. The ship lurched again and the sound of gunfire rang through his ship as Grim unloaded everything he had on the dragon.

  Shade fought against the creature trying to throw enough power into his ship to break away from its attack, but even as he was trying to save them from the dragon he was scanning the ground below them for where they would crash. He could hear the wind roaring through the back of the ship and he knew his right wing was gone. They were going down. The only decision he had left to make was wear they would hit, and none of his options looked good.

  The strangled cry of tearing metal echoed through Shade as he finally managed to break free of the dragon at the expense of his hull. He didn’t have to glance back to see the raking claw marks that tore through the roof of his ship. He was so linked with The Shade he could feel them as if they were marks gouged into his own flesh. Gazing downward Shade scanned the rapidly approaching coast line then pulled hard on the controls forcing his ship to the side without any warning. To his amazement the ship responded perfectly despite the heavy damage and Shade had a moment’s satisfaction as he imagined his ship as hungry for revenge as he was and then the force of the impact forced the thought away as they collided with the blue dragon that had ended their fight.

  “If I’m going, you are going.” Shade hissed as he poured most of his remaining power into his ship and rammed the dragon once more. There was a satisfying snap as the bracket on the left side of his ship gave with the impact followed by the agonized roar of the dragon as the Barllen Shade had just rammed into its side began to do its bitter work. He had often wondered how much of a Dragon’s flight was dependent on magic, and judging by how the creature was faltering now, it was a good portion.