Redemption: Alchemy Series Book #4

by Augustine, Donna

  I was sitting on the couch, exhausted. This was the first five minutes I'd had of down time today and I felt guilty taking it. I needed to get back up but I couldn't seem to raise my head from hands where it rested. Doomed. We were all doomed. This was how Cormac found me when he came in minutes later.

  He walked over and stood before me, and I could see his shoes through the cracks in my fingers.

  "I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'll take this to mean you've given up on false optimism for the foreseeable future?"

  "We need more." I grabbed handfuls of my hair and pulled at my scalp, wishing I could literally force the ideas from my brain.

  "We've had everyone training until they drop. If we push any harder, they'll be burned out and useless. What more can they do?"

  "That's the problem. I don't know and if we don't figure something out, we're dead." I burst to my feet with pent up energy. "That's not actually true. All of you are dead."

  When he didn't argue, another needle of fear shot into me, adding to the collection. "No lies of how this will work out in the end?"

  He walked over to the window and leaned against the sill, so calm compared to my own agitated state. "I can't tell you something I don't know."

  "If it comes down to it, if it looks like we have no chance..." I didn't want to say the next words to him. How could I tell him I'd willingly walk away again?

  "No."

  "If it means-"

  "No. Anything but that. Death would be better than an eternity with him."

  "Death isn't an option."

  I didn't bother continuing. I would do what I must, just as he would.

  I watched his profile where he stood so I knew the very second something caught his attention. "What?"

  "Do you hear that?"

  I approached him by the window, angling my head. "No. I don't hear anything. What is it?"

  "It's troops marching. A lot of them."

  "He's here."

  Cormac nodded and we both reached for our funny phones to set off the alarm and get everyone in position.

  After alerting the entire castle that we would be under attack shortly, we raced to the rooftop. We'd just gotten to the edge with binoculars in hand when Dark, Colleen, and Burrom raced up behind us.

  I held the binoculars and looked north. An entire army was marching our way. I went to hand them to Cormac but he passed them to Colleen.

  "Don't you want to see?"

  "I am." His trained his eyes on the far distance.

  "No way. You can't possibly see that far," Colleen said.

  "The senator is wearing a gold shirt under a gray fox fur."

  I looked back to Dark, who was holding the binoculars now.

  "Yep. He's right."

  Dark handed the glasses over to Burrom.

  "That's a lot of heat coming our way." Burrom dropped the glasses from his eyes and Colleen took them for another turn.

  "How much time do you think?" I asked. "How quick does it look like they're moving?

  Cormac squinted. "I'd say we've got until nightfall."

  "Burrom, get every last Fae in the building and meet me out front in a half hour."

  "You want to try and do more shields? There's only so much we can do."

  "And I don't think it's enough yet." I turned to Colleen, "The changed?"

  "Ready."

  "Dark, check in on Crash and make sure he and the other snipers are prepared. This is the plan. Remember, we stay inside as long as the wards work and pick them off from a position of safety. If we can dwindle their numbers, we'll have a chance."

  "Dark," Cormac yelled, "Tell him there should be at least ten on the roof."

  "Got it."

  "How many do you think there are?"

  "I'd say we're outnumbered nine or ten to one."

  "Are you ready?" I asked.

  "Yes. What about you?"

  "Nope."

  "That's my girl." He wrapped an arm around me and leaned down to kiss me. "Now, let's go kick some ass."

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  An Unlikely Alliance

  I was standing at the bridge when I saw them come into view. A couple flew overhead, but the bulk of the senator's army approached on foot.

  Cormac rested a hand on the small of my back. "Come inside."

  "Why? I'm the only one they don't want to kill."

  "But you are the one he wants. I don't want you anywhere in view of him." His hand circled and tugged at me slightly.

  "No. I need to greet him when he gets here. If only to show him I'm not afraid."

  "Fine. Then we'll do it together."

  "I think you should go in. He wants you dead more than anyone."

  "I'm not easy to kill, remember?"

  He turned back to the rest of the people in the courtyard who were anxiously eyeing the approach.

  "Inside." Most didn't hesitate longer than a few minutes before they scrambled in. I guess no one was too eager to die today.

  There we stood, shoulder to shoulder, as we watched the senator approach, his army behind him.

  "Cormac?"

  "Yes?"

  "I'm going to try something."

  "Figured you might."

  "Do you trust me?" I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

  "With my life."

  "Once I let go of you, don't touch me for the next few minutes. I'm not sure what will happen if you do." I didn't know what would happen period.

  "Don't overdo it."

  "You said you trusted me."

  "Yes, with my life, just not yours."

  I laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on dying today."

  "Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

  I stood on one side of the drawbridge, as the senator approached and stopped on the other, a wall of magical wards erected between us.

  The senator's gaze took in my full measure before his eyes moved to Cormac, pausing where our hands held.

  "You've made your choice?" he asked.

  "There was never a choice."

  I scanned the army standing about fifty feet behind him. Rulagh was in the front line, fury and hatred seething from him. Humans and so many changed, ready to do battle for him. But surprisingly, or perhaps not, there were no rippers.

  Even though they had come seeking blood, my conscience couldn't help but feel they deserved a warning before I took further action.

  "Leave here in peace," I yelled out to the crowd, "and I will bear you no responsibility in this. Otherwise, you will die here."

  Nothing. No one stirred. At least I'd tried. The senator walked back to his people.

  And I prepared to do what I'd been avoiding. The very thing that frightened me most, I was going to truly see what I was capable of. I just hoped I'd be able to live with myself after it was over.

  "Cormac, step back away from me."

  "I'm not leaving here."

  "Fine, but make sure you're ready, because I'm not quite certain how this is going to work."

  I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and concentrated. I could feel it tingle in my fingertips first as the power started to surge toward me. More, I needed a lot more, and I needed it quick before the senator knew what was happening and tried to stop it.

  Our only hope right now was if I could level the playing field. This had to work.

  It was rushing into me and I hated to admit how much I liked the feeling of the immense power I could feel at my disposal. I opened my eyes and I knew I was getting closer when I could see the magic swirling like colorful rainbow mists in the air.

  I raised my hands and pulled it to me. The heady feeling was seriously addictive. I felt the rustling of wind around me and realized I was building an eddy of power that must have appeared like a cyclone. So that's how the senator does it.

  Unlike me, he didn't have this human form and all its vulnerabilities to contend with. As glorious as the magic felt, I could also sense it pushing my human weaknesses to the brink. And the senator was on to me.
I needed to act.

  I dared to pull a little more magic to me, and then in one large burst, I expelled it outward. The force of it leaving my system so quickly dropped me to my knees.

  Then I waited and I didn't have to wait long. Rippers, more than I had ever imagined could exist, flooded the area. And somehow, without a word from me, they knew exactly what I wanted. They ripped into the crowd and the fighting ensued.

  Blood spewed and shot into the air as they relentlessly attacked.

  "Holy shit." I felt Cormac come to stand next to me.

  We watched as blood spewed and I heard swords and daggers slicing through the air before they came down on the hard scaled skin of the rippers.

  This was going to work. My eyes searched out the senator, who didn't seem to be able to get them under control. He'd known this was a possibility and it explained why he hadn't brought any rippers with his army. Even though I hadn't been sure, he knew I could trump any control he had on them.

  Then the shooting started. The senator had been prepared for this possibility; a group of armed men and women that I hadn't noticed started spraying bullets down from their rooftop perches among the ruins. As they were still clustered around the crowd, it was easy to pick them off and still not harm too many of the senator's forces. And just like that, the rippers started falling to the ground.

  "We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Cormac said as he heard my exhale. "Let's get inside. Our snipers won't open fire until you're further back."

  "Why aren't the senator's snipers shooting at us?" I said. I didn't know if they could penetrate the wards but they didn't seem to be even trying. Then I answered my own question. "They don't want to kill me and they must figure it's not worth wasting the ammo on you. I wonder how they know it won't hurt you, now."

  "I don't know, but I don't want to chance them giving you a try."

  We retreated inside but not to hide. We'd set the castle up like an old town used to pirate attacks. If they broke through our wards, whoever was still alive would be forced to come in staggered. Cormac and the best fighters would pick them off one by one. But first they'd have to survive the snipers on the roof.

  The wards were some pretty nasty stuff, though. I wasn't sure exactly everything they could do, but it would be painful, from what I could tell. They were layered so thick I wasn't sure anyone would be able to leave the castle if we lived.

  I left Cormac to handle the first floor as my legs pumped me through the hallways then up the stairs. I pushed the door open and I saw all the snipers spewing bullets down upon the senator's men. Crash, gun in hand, was raining bullets down in between yelling orders.

  "Get down!" he screamed right before a rain of enemy fire came at us. I was shoved to the ground.

  I looked up to see Crash as he rolled off me. "Stay down!" he ordered before he was gone again. I crawled followed over on my hands and knees closer to the edge and where he was positioned again.

  "Where's the enemy fire coming from?"

  "That one." He pointed to the highest building near us. It had maintained its structure even if it was just a shell of what it had been.

  "Can you get them?"

  "We will. But until we do, they're making it real hard to do damage to the senator's troops."

  When Crash and his people let loose another round of ammo at the senator’s sharp shooters, I took the opportunity to appraise the situation below. The senator himself had already taken out part of the ward and steady streams of his forces were heading toward the castle entrances. I'd thought we'd have hours, maybe days.

  I didn't fault Burrom and his spells. No one had ever come up against anything like the senator.

  "Do the best you can." I patted Crash on the shoulder and crawled back over to the stairwell. I needed to get back downstairs. The situation was deteriorating so much quicker than I'd ever imagined and it didn't bode well.

  When I hit the ground floor, the Fae were positioned along the windows, trying to reinforce the wards the best they could and block additional attacks. You couldn't gain access to the castle through the narrow windows, but you could shoot.

  Cormac was handling the brunt of the intruders at the main entrance with ease. He didn't even look winded, but there was only one of him and there were a total of eight entrances.

  I made my way to the side of the castle where Dark was covering another entrance. They'd already broken through the barricades there as well. There was nothing for me to do as he had it under control with Colleen taking care of anyone that slipped past him. There was a line of changed prepared to rotate in and out of the fighting. If I could help shore up the weaknesses, just maybe this could work.

  I turned to leave and take stock of the other entrance points when I heard Colleen's cry. By time I turned around, the other changed were already pulling her out of the action.

  I crouched down by her side as I saw the blood soaking through her shirt near her shoulder. A bullet hole from a lucky shot marked the spot.

  "I'm okay," she yelled and tried to get up, in spite of me pushing her back down. Katie was on her other side doing the same.

  "You're done fighting," I told her.

  "It didn't hit anything vital." She sounded exactly like the pissed off teenager I often forgot she was.

  "If you keep fighting, you'll bleed out."

  "Katie, knock her out if you have to, but she's done."

  As soon as she nodded, I got up and headed toward the other entrances. That's when it really hit me. Even if we managed to survive, as long as the senator was free, we would never have peace.

  The senator was right. Colleen was alive but many others would die. How many was it going to take before I did what I knew I had to? Should I wait for a handful of deaths, or were thousands the amount I'd need before I stepped up to the plate?

  I grabbed Sharon as she was running toward some of the windows with ammo. She and Katie were shooting the senator's people through the windows as soon as they got past the wards. "Where's Burrom?"

  "He went to the second floor to try and get a better vantage point."

  I nodded and ran off. When I found him, he was in front of a window on the second floor, his arms to his sides and his head tilted up.

  "What?" he asked as I approached. I didn't even think he'd be aware of me there, his concentration seemed so deep.

  "I need you to get me past all the people in the courtyard and near the senator."

  His arms dropped and his gaze swung to me. "The floors here are stone." He shook his head and went to go back to what he'd been doing.

  I pulled his arm down when he would've ignored me.

  "I know you and, as such, you have an escape route. Don't bullshit me and tell me that you can't get out of this castle unseen."

  "What if I can? Why would you do that?"

  I felt a calmness come over me for the first time since I could remember. I knew what I had to do and I was at peace with it.

  "This has to end."

  "Why can't you wait and see what happens?"

  "Because I'm the only one who can do it." I looked out the window to the senator, buffered by his troops about a hundred feet back.

  "Get me there." I pointed to a small clearing near the senator.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "This has been my fate since the day I was conceived and I'm done running from it." I wasn't faking confidence this time. I didn't know if I'd live or die either, but I was ready to face what came. My whole life I'd been hiding and avoiding who I was and I was tired of it. Sometimes it's in your darkest moments that you learn to shine.

  "Yes." Even as he was agreeing, he shook his head.

  "You'll get me to him?" He so clearly didn't agree I felt like I needed another confirmation.

  "I'll do it. Does Cormac know?"

  "He'd use everything he had to stop me. If that didn't work, he'd insist on coming. I won't let him die for me."

  Burrom nodded and silently led the way. With everyone's att
ention so fixed on outside, no one paid any attention to us as we made our way to the cellars.

  "Do you have a specific spot in mind?" I asked as I followed him down the dark corridors, wondering exactly how he was going to funnel through stone.

  He didn't reply, just kept walking until we reached the furthermost room in the hallway. It was used to store household items, like extra blankets and the like. I watched as he slid some boxes forward. He used his fingers to dig in the crevices around a particularly large stone. It was a fine sand, not the cement that should've been there. Digging out just enough until he could get his fingers on either side, he lifted the deep stone out of place, leaving a three feet by three feet area in its wake of dirt.

  He stood up straight and wiped his hands off on his jeans. "It's going to be tight."

  "How do you even fit in there?"

  "Like I said, it's tight. Once I get past the opening, I'll open it up more."

  He turned to me from where he knelt down next to the spot. "You sure you want to do this?"

  "Yes." I clutched the flashlight I had grabbed on my way and tucked it into the side of my pants.

  "I'll go first and then stop. You drop into the hole after me."

  He funneled down into the ground and stopped, just as he’d said. I dropped into the hole after him, grabbed on to him for dear life and closed my eyes.

  It was less than five minutes later when he stopped but I knew we were still underground, even before I opened my eyes.

  "You're sure about this?"

  "Yes. But, Burrom, if I don't make it, tell Cormac I loved him and I'm sorry."

  "He'll understand." I felt Burrom's arms tighten around me. "It's been real, kid."

  "Same here. Now drop me off and get the hell out of here, okay?"

  "Don’t have to tell me twice."

  I closed my eyes and, less than a minute later, I could feel the fresh air hitting my face, the smell of freshly churned dirt lessening.

  I opened my eyes and saw the senator staring at me from ten feet away, the fighting still ensuing full force behind him. His people around him just stood still, as he did.