The Awakened World Boxed Set

by William Stacey

  "You're doing wonderful," the orderly said, smiling with her eyes at Jay. "You're very brave."

  "I'm really not," he said modestly.

  "He's really not," Casey agreed. "Usually, he's a whiny little nancy boy. He's just showing off ’cause you're hot. "

  Erin punched Casey in the arm, hard. He rubbed his arm and glowered at her but kept his mouth shut. The orderly blushed, letting her fingers trail over Jay's biceps. Angie looked away. Even here among the Nortenos, they all loved Jay. She supposed she should have been jealous, but for some reason she wasn’t. Her thoughts were far too occupied. She had clearly been the target of the vampire attack, but Jay had been the one hurt. That was her fault.

  And why had Ephix sent her vampires to kill her?

  Two Norteno soldiers armed with assault rifles waited outside the infirmary. After the attack in the library, a young Norteno officer had insisted on guards for Angie and the Seagraves—for their own protection, of course. He might have been telling the truth, but Angie smelled bullshit. The entire compound was on alert. Erin had overheard guards talking about another vampire attack. Something was going on. And where was Tavi? She had yet to return from the council chambers.

  "There we go," the orderly said as she tied off the last knot. "And it only took twenty-seven stitches."

  Angie watched her tape gauze bandages over Jay's wounds, four long gashes across his chest. If the vampire had aimed a bit higher and slashed his throat... She didn't know how she felt about Jay, but the thought of his dying twisted her guts into a knot. Shame heated her face, and she moved to the partially open window, letting the night air cool her as she looked out over the Brujas compound. It was late in the evening, but the soldiers and remaining Brujas mages were surprisingly active, with armed guards patrolling the walls and additional soldiers at the gates. Soldiers on horseback regularly departed the compound, and each patrol was accompanied by a Brujas mage wearing a distinctive short brown cape.

  Something was very wrong.

  Tavi stood beside General Gálvez as the medic tied his right arm against his chest. The general's humerus was broken, snapped clean when the vampire had hurled him at Tavi. As the medic worked, the older man winced but remained silent. Tavi herself had needed three stitches to close the cut in her scalp, but that had been a surprisingly small price to pay after having fought and killed two vampires. It still seemed impossible...

  Gálvez's eyes darted to Tavi. "How is she?"

  He meant Presidente Carter, of course. "Unconscious. She’s in the hospital, but she’s … she’s lost a lot of blood." No, Tavi thought bitterly, not lost, taken, consumed by a vampire.

  "Mother of God, help us," Gálvez whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. "What a disaster." When he opened his eyes again, he was watching Tavi intently. An odd flicker of indecision passed through those normally arrogant eyes. "Mago Diputado Navarro. Octavia ... Tavi, I … I just wanted to say…"

  "You don’t have to say anything, General." His uncertainty bothered her more than his injury. For as long as she had known this man, he had been a rock—a rock that was also a pain in her rear, but inflexible and confident. She didn’t like seeing him this way. It was unnerving. "I was only doing my duty."

  "No," he said with greater conviction, taking her hand between his. "You saved my life, and I owe you my gratitude. My family owes you. Thank you." He squeezed her hand, maintaining eye contact.

  Long, uncomfortable moments passed, but Tavi mumbled, "You’re welcome."

  He finally let her hand go. "What do we know?"

  "They attacked the Brujas compound as well."

  His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

  "The… guests, specifically Angela Ritter. She was the target. Two of them. They killed two soldiers and took their uniforms, just as the four did here with the cleaning staff. Six innocent people, murdered." She shook her head. "No one knows how or when they got into the city."

  "The Ritter woman, is she…"

  "She’s alive. She killed both vampires—with magic, apparently very strong magic." She sighed, still not quite certain she believed the reports herself. "It appears the library has been ... destroyed."

  "Destroyed? How is that possible?"

  "She's far more powerful than anyone realized. The stories about her ..."

  "Mother of God, they're true, aren't they? The incident at the villa, the tales of fire-snakes?"

  "I don't know about fire-snakes, but she’s clearly very powerful."

  "You killed two as well."

  "Not with magic. I had a sword. She was unarmed."

  They were silent for a few minutes as the medic finished tying off the general's arm. The medic probed Gálvez's fingertips and asked him a few questions, which the older man answered curtly before asking the medic to leave him and Tavi alone.

  When the medic left, Gálvez spoke softly. "Two assassination attempts, the presidente and myself? And a Commonwealth mage, the adopted daughter of a Fey grandmaster mage?"

  "That's what confuses me more than anything else. Why would Ephix Lamia try to kill her own sister's adopted daughter? Why kill you and the presidente for that matter? It makes no sense."

  "The Commonwealth attack on the Fresno Enclave must have… Ephix Lamia must consider it an act of war."

  "But why attack us? We didn’t attack Fresno. Why try to kill our presidente?"

  He sighed wearily, his face ashen. "The Aztalan army is mobilizing for war, strange beasts like werewolves attack our border outposts, Constance Morgan and the Jaguar Knight dead, we lose an entire farming settlement, and now the Fey have turned on us as well?" He shook his head. "We are without allies and in very grave danger. People are going to panic." In a near-whisper, he added, "I think our very survival is in the balance."

  They remained silent for long moments. Gálvez opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and then nodded to himself. When he spoke again, his voice had regained a fraction of his confidence. "I’m taking over, Mago Diputado, and declaring martial law."

  She stiffened, even though she had been expecting exactly this. "Yes, General. What are your orders?"

  "You will continue on your mission. Leave this very night."

  "Is that wise given—"

  "If we must fight both the Aztalans and the Fey, we need to find a new ally. Find this Q. The Jaguar Knight has always been on our side, so it stands to reason his master will also wish to help us."

  Not necessarily, Tavi mused, but she said, "Yes, sir. What of our guests? If Ephix tries to kill her again—"

  "That won’t be an issue. I’m giving them back to the Commonwealth."

  "Sir, the Mago Commandante—"

  "Had no right to offer them sanctuary. And it doesn’t matter anyhow. My first responsibility is to our people—as is yours! We can’t fight the Aztalans, the Fey, and the Commonwealth. Besides, I’m keeping the helicopter. We’ll need the firepower when the Aztalans come. This way I might be able to placate Marshal. He won’t like it, but if we give him his traitors…"

  "Sir—"

  "I’ve made my decision," he said in an iron tone.

  Tavi, her mouth dry, knew there was no further point to this argument. "Yes, sir."

  "Get going, Tavi. Find us some help. Say nothing to anyone."

  She picked up Angie Ritter’s side-sword, snapped to attention, saluted, and then spun about, her hand on her own sword hilt, her emotions surging. Morgan had made a promise, and she always kept her word. Now Tavi was going to stand back and do nothing as Gálvez handed Angie and the Seagraves back to people who would put them up against a wall and shoot them.

  It just didn’t sit right.

  Tavi stormed into her bedroom holding her saddlebags and Angie Ritter's side-sword in her arms. She tossed the side-sword onto her bed and began to hurriedly pack the saddlebags with clothing and other gear. Her bags were only half filled when a light knock at her door interrupted her. What now, she wondered? She opened the door to see Shane, a bandage still around hi
s head and a touch gray-faced but looking much better than he had in the fort.

  She opened the door wide. "What are you doing out of the hospital?"

  "I checked myself out. I’m needed here, not there."

  "No! I want you back in bed." Her voice broke with emotion.

  He slipped inside the room, shut the door, and then embraced her, holding her tightly against him. A shudder coursed through her. "I'm okay, baby," he whispered into her ear. "Don't cry for me, silly goose."

  She wiped her eyes, only now realizing she was crying. She gripped the front of his shirt in her fists and squeezed it. "You shouldn't be up."

  He snorted in amusement. "The entire garrison is talking about you dueling vampires, and you think I'm gonna stay in a hospital bed?" He drew back, holding her at arm's length as he stared into her face. "How are you, really?"

  "Fine. I'm fine. Just a small cut. Presidente Carter though... I don't know. She's in the hospital—where you should be."

  He snorted again, letting go of her and sitting down on her bed, running his fingers over her saddlebags. "What's this? Going somewhere?"

  "I am. I need to—" She paused, remembering Gálvez's instructions on secrecy. "I have to go take care of something. I'll be gone a few days at least."

  "This is a terrible time to leave us. Where are you going? Tavi, baby, come on, it's me."

  He smiled that irresistible smile of his, his dark eyes filled with emotion, and took her hand, holding it between his own. Just for a moment, she considered telling him everything, including her anguish over giving the prisoners back to the Commonwealth. Instead, she changed the subject. "Gálvez is declaring martial law and taking over, at least until Carter's condition improves. If it improves."

  He let go of her hand and sighed. "God help us all, that pompous blowhard."

  "He's trying to do what he believes is right."

  "So did Hitler."

  "Who?"

  "Doesn't matter. What do you need from me?"

  "I need you to get your ass back to the hospital."

  "Tavi, I'm fine. Trust me. The doctors just wanted to keep an eye on me in case I have a concussion."

  She stared at him for a long moment, watching his face for any clue he was only telling her what she wanted to hear. "What do you remember now?"

  "Not much. Little more than I already told you. I was sleeping, and then I heard screams and gunshots. I came out of my tent in time to see the monsters bring down Tec."

  "What were they?" She started packing her saddlebags again, stuffing more gear into them.

  He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I can't tell you. I just don't know. They were big, like giant wolves but with long barbed spikes running down their backs. Eyes like black coals. I tried to help, but ... I don't know. One of them must have struck me, because the next thing I remember is seeing your face. Thank you. I'd have died out there if not for you."

  Her gaze rested on Angie's elven side-sword. "It's not me you should be thanking," she said in a whisper.

  "What do you mean?"

  She made her decision then, surprising herself with her conviction. Angie Ritter and the Seagraves had saved Shane's life, not her. Without the Seagraves and their helicopter, they'd never have gotten to the fort in time to save Shane. Without Angie Ritter and this strange divination magic she possessed, they'd never have found Shane beneath the corpses. There was no way she could be a part of handing them over to the Commonwealth. If Morgan were here, she was certain they'd not even be considering it.

  She gave her head a shake and then reached over and trailed her fingers over Shane's bearded cheek. "Are you really okay?"

  He placed his fingers atop hers, holding them against his beard. He met her eyes and nodded. "Wherever you're going, I want to come."

  She shook her head. "I need you to stay here and be in charge. Keep an eye on Gálvez. Make sure he doesn't do anything too foolish before I get back." If I get back, and if I don't get myself arrested—or shot for treason.

  "Tavi," he said, a weary sigh slipping past his lips. "Please tell me where you—"

  "Can you do this, for me? Please, Shane. I need someone I can trust here."

  He watched her in silence for long moments and then nodded. "Fine, but I think you're making a mistake."

  Her gaze flickered to the elven side-sword. "It won't be the only one I make this night."

  Shortly after midnight, Angie gave up trying to sleep and dressed. She'd do what she always did when sleep evaded her: train.

  The Brujas fencing arena was much the same as Char's had been. She took up a training blunt—a wooden instrument with roughly the weight and balance of a real sword—and moved slowly through several forms, taking care of the stitches in her back. Normally, she'd have spent an hour or more attacking the wooden training dummy, but she was pretty sure any serious thrust would rip the stitches out. But even slow drills worked the muscles, and soon enough, a layer of sweat coated her skin as she slowly thrust, pivoted, lunged, cut, and then drew back, executing ripostes before counter cutting.

  "You're very good," a female voice said from behind her.

  She paused, half-extended in a thrust, her right knee bent at ninety degrees. Tavi, she knew without having to turn and look. "I had a great teacher," she answered, snapping her blunt in a downward cut.

  "So did I," Tavi said almost too softly to hear.

  Angie recovered and turned to face the young woman who stood on the other side of the wooden railing surrounding the arena. She was dressed in combat clothing, with her short Brujas cape, her saber on one hip, a pistol on the other hip, and a long cloth-wrapped bundle in her arms. She wore a dark-green patrol hat, one side pinned up, which she removed now as she bent down and slid under the railing.

  "I'm not really up for a match tonight," Angie said.

  "Neither am I."

  A young Norteno soldier appeared from the garden, a rifle hanging from his back. The soldier wore the same patrol hat as Tavi. Tavi paused when she saw him, waiting as he came closer. "Mago Diputado," he said. "We're ready near the eastern gate."

  "Thank you, Sergeant. I'll be along shortly."

  The young man snapped to attention, saluted, and then spun about and hurried away. Tavi waited until he was gone from sight before turning back to Angie.

  "Going somewhere?"

  "Mount Laguna."

  Angie nodded, her eyes locked on the other woman's. "Decided to go find Tec's secret base, did you?"

  "I expect to be in our Pine Valley settlement tomorrow." Tavi hesitated, licking her lips. "I saw the library. I always thought the stories about you were bullshit. I was wrong. What are you?"

  "It's complicated."

  This time, it was Tavi who nodded. An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Angie finally broke it. "Well ... good luck, I guess."

  "You can't stay here," Tavi blurted. "You need to go. You all need to go. Tonight."

  Angie's mouth turned dry. "What's happened?"

  Tavi thrust the cloth-wrapped object into Angie's hands. The moment she held its familiar weight, Angie knew what it contained, but she carefully peeled back the cloth, exposing Nightfall's scabbard and hilt.

  "Keep it to yourself."

  "Why?" Angie considered the other woman, who had been mostly hostile to her since her arrival.

  "There are patrols in and out all night. Five long-range saddle-pack patrol bags have been ‘accidentally’ left lying in stall number 14 in the stables. The saddlebags are covered by a tarpaulin. There's enough food and water for a week. That's the best I can do."

  "I don't understand."

  "There's a rear gate behind the stables. It's only used for bringing in horse feed, and normally it’s padlocked. With all the excitement, someone forgot to lock it tonight. You can take your pick of the horses, but the ones in stalls 7 through 11 are fresh and fed and could use the exercise. I can't help you get past the city's walls, but you’re all clever people. All I ask is that you promise not to hurt
anyone."

  "Why tonight?"

  "Because by this time tomorrow night, you'll have been handed over to the Commonwealth. I need that promise."

  A chill coursed through Angie, and her posture stiffened. "Your precious Mago Commandante gave her word."

  "And I'm keeping it … as well as I can. I'm serious about not hurting anyone."

  Angie sighed heavily, her gaze locked on Tavi's all-too-serious face. Then she offered her hand. They shook. "I promise we won't try to hurt anyone."

  "That's not what I said."

  "Best I can do."

  Indecision flashed through Tavi's eyes, but she swallowed and nodded, letting go of Angie's hand.

  As Tavi turned away, Angie placed her hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "There'll be an investigation when they find us gone, Tavi."

  "Not your problem. Besides, if the Aztalan army comes over the border in force, you and your friends will be forgotten in all the excitement. No one will care if I helped you or not."

  That was bullshit, Angie knew, but she kept her mouth shut.

  Tavi pulled away, storming across the arena, her short cape swirling. Nightfall under her arm, Angie watched her go. Then she hurried away to wake Erin and the others. They had an escape to pull off and little time to do it.

  Chapter 15

  Fifteen minutes later, Angie sat on the edge of Erin's bed, holding her still-wrapped sword on her lap and listening to the whispered conversation the Seagraves were having. Jay, shirtless, his chest covered by bandages, smoothed his hair back. "Could be a setup. Shoot us while we're trying to escape."

  "You're a werewolf," Angie said. "Can't you smell a trap?"

  Jay mumbled something noncommittal.

  "And she gave you back your hexed sword?" Rowan asked in a tone that suggested he didn't believe it.