Chain of Illusions (Bringer and the Bane)

by Brux, Boone

  She reentered the building and snatched the heavy cell key from the hook near the door. Thankfully, Gregory had said the ward would be powerful enough to hold the strongest demon. Still not meeting Icarus’s eyes, she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

  “I think I did it.” Not fully trusting him, she stepped to the side, making sure she stood within the warded area. Though she helped Icarus escape, she wouldn’t chance him abducting her. “But know that I can’t be sure.”

  He took two long steps forward and stopped at the entrance of the cell. “Why are you doing this?”

  Her eyes met his. “War makes enemies of those who were once friends. It changes people and makes them do what they normally would not. I choose not to look at my enemies as a group, but as individuals. Each Bringer, human, Splinter, and even Bane have their own story. If I can help you, I will.”

  “And what of the others?”

  She took his question to mean the Bringers. “I don’t plan on telling them that I helped you escape, but they may figure it out.” She inhaled and released her breath. “I’m willing to take that chance.”

  Though the emotion flashed across his face, Rell recognized his confusion. Without further questions Icarus lifted his foot. It hovered above the ground. Rell’s breath hitched in her chest, praying he wouldn’t burst into flames. His foot stepped solidly on the dirt floor just outside the cell. Nothing happened.

  Again the breath rushed from her.

  Icarus smiled and took another step.

  “Walk directly to the door. Keep your wings folded until outside. I cleared a small area outside, but I don’t know how far up the wards soar.”

  He nodded and edged toward freedom. Paralleling his path, Rell followed him until she reached the door. Before stepping out, he turned to her. It seemed that he struggled to find the right words. Finally he straightened, tipped his head toward her. “Perhaps I will be able to return the favor one day.”

  With that, he stepped into the night and launched himself into the sky. Rell remained rooted in place. Doubt beat at her like a swarm of angry bees. But the decision had been made. Icarus was gone and there was no sense in second-guessing her reason or the outcome. She only prayed that she hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of all their lives.

  Chapter Ten

  Their respite from the chill fall air was over. Rell’s breath billowed around her face as she secured her pack to a small, spotted mare. She’d ridden when she was a young, but that was thirteen years ago and she hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

  Last night she’d slipped back into bed with Siban none the wiser to her nocturnal activity. When she’d awoken this morning he’d been gone. She’d quickly dressed and made her way downstairs, but Siban and Luc were missing from the great hall.

  Her gaze searched the grounds and froze. Both men were striding across the frost-covered grass, their expressions dark. Rell returned her attention to securing her pack and tried to act natural.

  “He’s gone.” Luc stopped in front of Gregory.

  “Who?” the king said.

  “Icarus. The bloody demon escaped.”

  Murmurs circled the group. Rell yanked on the strap of her bag and then turned to face the crowd. Siban had stopped behind Luc and was now staring at her, his look of accusation apparent. She waited for him to call her out to the rest of the group. It was his right and she’d prepared herself for whatever consequences may befall her. But he said nothing.

  “How?” Juna stomped toward the men. “The entire building and cell was warded.”

  “Perhaps wards aren’t as effective with Icarus.” Meran’s gaze slid to Rell for a second and back to the crowd. “Or maybe he knows how to break them.”

  “That must be it,” Ravyn said. “I can’t imagine he would have voluntarily touched the wards and been burned just to get back to the Shadow World.” She shuddered. “It’s a horrible sight.”

  “I agree.” A heavy sigh eased from Gregory. “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it now. Mount up and stay vigilant. It looks like we have one more demon to worry about.”

  The other Bringers turned back to their tasks but Siban started on a direct path toward her. It took all her willpower not to cower on the other side of her horse. She stiffened her spine and held his glare.

  Inches from her, he stopped, his face so close to hers his breath brushed her cheeks. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

  “What was me?” She lifted her brows and widened her eyes. Ignorance seemed like the best course of action.

  “You helped him escape.” He glanced around, lowering his voice even further. “Just as you helped me.”

  “I heard you and Luc plotting to vanquish Icarus.” She pushed her face toward him. “I couldn’t let you do that.”

  “Why, because you care for him?”

  “Because he doesn’t deserve to die.”

  His lip curled into a sneer. “So you seduced me and then betrayed me?”

  She gave him a humorless smile. “I could ask the same of you. What was your plan, to kill him this morning before we left on our mission? No one would be the wiser until we returned?”

  Her accusation seemed to snap him back to reason. His jaw clenched and unclenched, until he huffed out his frustration. “I only want for your safety.”

  “You want my safety under your conditions. Soon you’ll figure out that I make my own decisions. If you can’t accept that…” She left the threat hanging between them.

  He looked around, making sure none of the others were listening to their exchange. “Icarus is a demon and not to be trusted.”

  “Just like I was.”

  Siban shook his head. “No, you were never like him.”

  She adjusted the stirrup and mounted her horse. Peering down at him, she said, “Yes, I was.”

  She spurred her horse forward, leaving him to stand alone. At some point he would have to start listening to her, but she was done fighting. For too long she’d been a prisoner to the darkness that grew inside the Bane. Now free, she wouldn’t bow down to one man’s idea of how she should feel or what she should believe. She knew what she knew and Siban either needed to start valuing her opinions or not be a part of her life.

  A lump formed in her throat. He’d been her rock since her transformation and the thought of being without him sent a tiny wave of anxiety through her. But she couldn’t be with a man who sought to be her keeper instead of her partner.

  The dangerous reality of their mission pushed through to replace her depressing thoughts. Fears about reentering the Shadow World crowded in. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t detangle the riot of feelings she was plagued with. As a Bane, that hadn’t been a problem. Now her emotions were like leaves swirling in a windstorm, fluttering around her head.

  The hollow thump of hoofbeats sounded behind her. Siban pulled his mount next to hers and stopped. Neither spoke, the strained silence stretching between them. Finally, he relented. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have accused you of seducing me for the purpose of betrayal.”

  She shifted in the saddle to look at him. Of all the things to apologize for, that must have felt the most honest to him. She would accept his peace offering. Though at odds over Icarus, she still loved Siban. “I never want you to think that I am in our bed for any other reason than because I want to be there.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything further.

  “Is everybody ready?” Gregory’s asked. He strolled among the Bringers, pulling on a pair of leather gloves. “The sun will be up in an hour and we need to be on our way.”

  Jade stomped past Rell and Siban. “I didn’t think I’d ever have to get on another damn horse again.”

  “It won’t be so bad,” Luc said, following her. He glanced at Rell and winked, his outrage over Icarus’s escape obviously usurped by his love’s discomfort. “She still hasn’t recovered from our last journey.”

  Rell smiled. “Just make sure she doesn’t fall off.”

/>   “It wouldn’t be the first time,” Luc said.

  “I heard that,” Jade tossed over her shoulder.

  The urge to snicker welled inside Rell, but she repressed the impulse in order to save her sister’s pride. It comforted her to know others were nervous about this mission too—for whatever reason.

  She glanced at Siban. “Thank you for not saying anything to the others about…last night.”

  “My intent isn’t to get you in trouble.”

  “I know.” She nodded. “It’s to keep me out of trouble.”

  He lifted his brows at her acceptance of his concern, though she refrained from clarifying that acknowledging was not the same as submitting.

  Once the Bringers had mounted, Gregory held up his hand. “We’ll ride in single file to hide our numbers. Keep talking to a minimum and stay alert. We don’t want to get separated. Besides the Bane, there are bands of highwaymen on these roads and in the woods. Though probably not a threat to us, we’d still like to keep our progress as incident-free as possible.”

  Gregory gestured the group forward, with him taking the lead. Juna walked her black mare along the line, double-checking everybody and then took her spot at the very end. Anticipation rolled through the group. Rell strengthened the barriers of her mind. With emotions high it was difficult not to feed into everybody’s anxiety and excitement, but she needed to remain as focused and as calm as possible.

  Willa stood on the step with Jacob, Delphina, and Delphina’s children. The group waved at the departing Bringers, their expressions sullen.

  Hayden’s small voice called across the grounds. “Good-bye, Rell.”

  A knot formed in her throat. The boy had been standoffish since her conversion back to human. Only within the last day had he ventured near her, skulking around corners and hiding to watch her as she trained. Not wanting to frighten him, she’d let him take his time.

  She held up her hand and waved. “Take care of everybody while we’re gone, Hayden, and when I return we’ll go hunting.”

  His wiggled free from his sister’s hold and ran to the edge of the top step. “I will, Rell. I promise.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at his serious tone. No doubt the boy would be ever vigilant while she was gone. She sent up a prayer to the Sainted Ones that she’d be able to keep her pledge to him.

  The line moved forward, the horses’ hooves crunching against the frosty grass and the leather from saddles and reins creaking in the cold morning air. She pulled her cloak more tightly around her shoulders and glanced back at the manor. The three adults were walking back inside, but Serena and Hayden continued to watch them.

  How quiet the manor would be now that the Bringer horde was gone. Rell stared until Willa disappeared inside. They had said their good-byes this morning. If and when she returned to the manor, her mother wouldn’t be there.

  She shifted in her seat and focused forward, suddenly very happy that she was not staying behind. Having to wait for the return of the Bringers and helping her mother prepare for her departure home and back to her other life were tasks that would have probably driven her mad with worry and boredom.

  Golden rays of the sun topped the rise of the hills, bathing the treetops in light and setting them aglow. The air seemed to grow chillier with the ascension of the sun. Nobody spoke. Besides the morning songs of the birds, only the snorting of the horses and their heavy footsteps could be heard. The quiet lulled Rell into a relaxed state. She continually scanned the surrounding woods, searching for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing seemed amiss. Not even Icarus’s presence registered against her senses. She wondered if he watched from afar, purposely keeping far enough away and avoiding detection but worrying about where he was and what he was doing was a waste of time. She refocused her Tell on the area around her and pushed Icarus from her mind.

  They’d been traveling for about an hour when a woman’s cry shattered the quiet. Gregory held up his hand, stopping the line of horses. Jerked from her relaxed vigilance, Rell’s body tensed when her Tell came upon the caustic gnawing of the Banes’ presence. Gasps rippled through the group, but were quickly hushed. Gregory made a motion to dismount.

  Rell untied her cloak and let it pool on the saddle before dismounting. If she had to fight, she wanted as much freedom as possible. She placed a hand against her horse’s neck, sending calming thoughts to the animal in order to keep it quiet. The horse remained still even when the woman’s cry filled the air once again.

  Gregory turned and pointed to Juna, Rell, and Siban, and then made a motion to move forward with him. Instantly Brita was beside Rell, taking the reins from her hand and leading her horse toward the back of the group.

  Rell followed Gregory and Juna in the direction the scream had come. The blood quickened in her veins and she gave a slight start when Siban’s hand touched her shoulder. His stare was intense and worried, but she was ready for this. She gave a weak smile, trying to assure him she could handle the encounter. It’s what they had trained for.

  The four moved in a single line, creeping through the dimly lit forest. Thick undergrowth threatened to trip Rell. She opened her mind and let her senses skate forward. Information rippled back to her, warning of the possible branches or deadfall that might cause her problems or snap and thus alert the Bane to their presence.

  The urge to rub her arms was almost unbearable but she resisted by focusing on her Tell and assessing the information it was feeding her. A familiar sensation brushed against her awareness—Siban. He was with her, gliding forward and searching just as they had practiced at the manor. Together they scanned the area several yards in front of their group, foreboding growing, the closer they traveled to the scream.

  Then she felt it. The black void of a demon. No, not one demon—four. She held up her arm, extending four fingers. Her companions nodded. Gregory indicated that they should spread out. She and Siban moved to the left. Juna stayed in position and Gregory moved farther to the right.

  The woman screamed again, her cry originating approximately twenty yards in front of them. The grunts and laughter of the demons filtered through the trees. The Bringer group increased their pace until they reached a line of oaks ten feet from their target.

  Four Demon Bane had trapped the woman. An unconscious man lay on the ground next to an overturned basket. The demons slashed at the young woman each time she lurched toward her companion. Tears streamed down her cheeks and sobbing pleas heaved from her.

  Rell scanned the Bane, her focus landing on the largest of the group. Her heartbeat quickened and fire rushed through her body, pooling in the palms of her hands. She ground her teeth together in an effort to control her Bringer reaction. She knew this Bane—Nab. When she’d first been brought to the Shadow World and changed, he’d been one of the demons that had held her down. His foul breath had spilled over her like rancid soup and he’d taunted her with threats of torture and rape. Nab had sliced her gown with his talon, peeling it away from her body and had brutally groped her breasts, cutting her skin. His rough tongue had slithered along her cheek, his sharp fangs had scraped against her delicate skin.

  Rage filled her and her vision shifted to a haze of red, blocking out all rationalization. Thoughts of revenge swelled inside her. Without waiting for Gregory’s command, she straightened from her crouch and strode forward. Vague awareness of Siban’s horror beat against her but she ignored it, letting her fury carry her forward.

  It took several seconds for the Bane to notice her. She stopped just beyond the line of trees and cleared her throat, causing the demons to halt their torment of their victim. “I see you’re still torturing women, Nab.”

  His yellow eyes narrowed and he stepped away from the group, moving toward her. The demon wore a thick leather vest, studded with metal points. A black brand that looked like two arrows jutting from a spiral had been burned into the gray skin of the demon’s forearm. He was just as repulsive as he had been thirteen years ago.

  The need for
vengeance spurred Rell to open her mind, letting all her Bringer powers rush through her in a giant wave. Euphoria gripped her. It was as it had been when she was a demon, powerful and unstoppable. Before Nab went three steps, she hurled a fireball at his head, purposefully missing him.

  All four of the demons dove to the ground. A rush of pure joy coursed through her. “I suggest you let the lady and her companion go before I incinerate all of you.”

  The other three demons scrambled to their feet and started to back away.

  “Stand your ground, idiots.” Nab rose to his full six feet, his yellow gaze driving into her. “I’ve seen you before.” He took a step toward her. “Where do I know you from?”

  She leaned her shoulder against the tree and crossed her arms and legs. Siban’s anger pounded against her. Instead of ignoring it, she let it wash over her, giving her strength. “I’m hurt that you don’t remember our time together. Let me refresh your memory. Thirteen years ago.”

  He stared at her and she could see him trying to place her face. After a few seconds his eyes widened. He ran his black tongue along his misshapen lower lip, smacking as if about to eat something tasty. “You’re that Bringer girl Gust brung in.”

  She smiled sweetly. “So nice of you to remember.”

  “But you were turned by one of Vile’s private guards.” His head wove from side to side like a snake. “Ain’t no way that you’re the same girl. Maybe she had a twin.”

  “No.” Rell pushed away from the tree and lowered her arm to rest her hand on the hilt of her sword. “I’ve no twin and I’ve waited thirteen years to repay you for what you did to me that day in the Shadow World.”