Elyssa didn’t bother to question where the voices were coming from. Instead, she simply decided to conjure a weapon. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she held a sword in her hand.
“Show yourselves,” Elyssa ordered.
She heard a strange sound that she then recognized as laughing. She was enraged, but she wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. Instead, she stood stock still and waited.
“She shows patien…”
The words were barely out before Elyssa pounced. Though she could see nothing, she acted with animal reflexes. She dashed over to where the voice came from and sliced the air. She didn’t know if a sword could hurt whatever was taunting her, but it was worth a try. The sword connected with something, however.
A strange creature suddenly appeared in front of her. It was skeletal, with long, stringy hair and a skull-like visage with hollowed out eyes that glowed yellow. She had pierced its shoulder and it screamed in surprise and anger.
“Got you, you little sneak,” Elyssa said gleefully.
Two more creatures appeared next to it. They had long claws extended and looked prepared to pounce. Elyssa laughed out loud. Even if she was just a human now, she knew she could take these things. Then she looked behind the creatures and noticed ripples in the air. Hundreds of similar creatures appeared behind the first three and she suddenly realized she was in way over her head. They all looked angry.
Elyssa stepped back into a defensive posture. She couldn’t hope to win, but she decided she could at least do a lot more damage than these creatures assumed.
The first one leapt into the air, forcing Elyssa to spring back. She dodged the second one as well, only to have the wounded third come straight at her. She could see its claws shining, about to tear into her.
“That’s enough!” a voice shouted, and the creatures immediately broke off their attack.
They turned away from Elyssa to face the voice who had spoken. Elyssa followed their gaze. Kate stood watching them with an angry look on her face.
“I was very clear,” Kate said. “No attacking our allies.”
“This one’s loyalty is suspect,” the first one said.
“This one tried to kill your love,” the second one added.
“This one…”
“Enough,” Kate said. She sighed. “I get the picture. But until I say otherwise, or Elyssa makes a hostile move against Quinn or myself, she’s off limits. Okay?”
The wraiths behind the first three all bowed and then disappeared as quickly as they had come. However, the initial three stayed, looking unhappily from Elyssa to Kate.
“We want action,” the first said.
“We want to fight,” the other said.
“We want death,” the third one finished.
“And you shall have it, I promise,” Kate responded. “A battle is coming, the most important one. You’ll get your chance then. I swear.”
One by one, the three vanished, but not before first giving Elyssa a cold stare. When they were gone, Kate casually sat down in the grass and gestured to Elyssa to sit with her.
“I think it’s time for a chat,” Kate said.
Elyssa sat down, but kept her distance from Kate. Now that Quinn had what he wanted, what was to become of her? Elyssa regarded Kate warily.
“I would not turn your back to those creatures,” Elyssa said. “I’ve come across their like once or twice in the past. They aren’t truly human anymore. You can’t trust them.”
Kate nodded and gave Elyssa a look.
“Ah,” Elyssa said. “You think the same of me.”
“Relax,” Kate responded. “I’m not here to fight you.”
“Then what are you here for?”
“Well, for starters, I wanted to thank you,” she said.
Elyssa looked surprised.
“Thank me?” she asked.
“In the amusement park, you saved Quinn,” she said.
“We saved each other,” Elyssa said.
“That is precisely why I’m thanking you,” Kate said. “Somewhere in there, you took a leap of faith. Given our past, that couldn’t have been easy.”
Elyssa shrugged.
“I admit I thought it might be an elaborate ruse,” she said. “But at a certain point it became clear we were on the same side, at least for the time being.”
“We still are.”
Elyssa studied Kate’s face.
“Are we?” she asked. “Quinn is restored to life, you two are once again the Prince of Sanheim. Your victory over Sawyer and me is complete. Quinn and I worked and traveled together for a time, but given your army, I can’t see why you need me anymore. You’ve already made it clear you don’t trust me.”
“Well, you did disappear while Quinn was fighting the Wyrm at Dun Cumhacht,” Kate said. “In our place, wouldn’t you find that suspicious?”
Elyssa stared out at the tents and watched as the soldiers geared up. As they got ready, the tents around them disappeared, vanishing into thin air. Everything that was here was literally thought into existence. When they ceased to need it, it was gone. It was fitting, she supposed. She felt the same way. She had been conjured up when useful and now would be left to fade away at the back of the line where she was unable to do any good, but also unable to betray anyone. Once again, she would be discarded by those who claimed to be her allies.
“It’s not like that,” Kate said gently. Her tone was more sympathetic than Elyssa expected. She turned back to her.
“You can read my mind?” Elyssa asked.
Kate shook her head.
“Not at all,” she said. “But I think I know how you feel. You aren’t exactly one for hiding your emotions.”
“Just tell me what you want from me,” Elyssa said.
“We just want to know the truth,” Kate responded. “Are you working for Sanheim?”
Once again, Elyssa was taken by surprise.
“No,” she said immediately, confused. “What gives you that idea?”
“Well, for starters,” Kate said. “You disappeared at a critical moment.”
“And reappeared when Kieran was ready to strike at Quinn,” Elyssa added.
“True,” Kate said. “But the question remains — where were you before that?”
Elyssa pushed off the ground and stood up.
“It’s been fun,” she said. “Give Quinn my regards, but I think I’ll go my own way from here on out. I hope you guys beat Sanheim, I really do.”
Elyssa brushed herself off and started to walk away. What Kate said next she said quietly, almost too softly for Elyssa to hear.
“Coward,” Kate said.
Elyssa came back, fresh anger on her face as she stood over Kate.
“What did you call me?”
Kate looked up calmly.
“I called you a coward,” Kate said, standing up. “Too afraid to just tell me the truth and maybe, just maybe, join a cause that will believe in you as much as you believe in it.”
The rage showed in Elyssa’s eyes.
“You dare to judge me,” she said. “You don’t know me. Your little questions here are a joke. There’s nothing I can say that you would believe. If I tell you where I was, why would you even believe that? If you think I’d work for that bastard Sanheim, then you don’t understand me at all.”
“And I don’t pretend to,” Kate said. “I won’t stop you if you want to go, but I won’t lie to you either. I’d rather you didn’t. I’d rather you be on our side.”
“Why?” Elyssa asked. “I have no powers anymore. I’m nothing to you. Did you know I tried to sleep with Quinn? Maybe that will change your mind.”
Kate rolled her eyes.
“Oh, please,” she said. “I’ve seen his memories, remember? I know everything you two talked about. I even know that he found you rather enticing.”
“He had a funny way of showing it,” Elyssa said.
“He’s devoted to me, as I am to him,” Kate said. “I’m not
threatened by you, Elyssa.”
“So why do you want me around?” Elyssa asked. “So I can watch you two be all lovey-dovey around each other? No thank you.”
Kate sighed.
“Just tell me where you were,” Kate said. “I’m not going to judge you.”
Elyssa sneered at her.
“You want to know?” she asked. “Fine. I found Sawyer in that prison. While Quinn was desperately looking for Crowley, I found Sawyer. I stayed behind so we could have a talk.”
Kate nodded.
“I wondered as much,” she said.
“You knew?”
“Janus let out most of the other prisoners after Quinn was restored to life,” Kate said. “They’re in rough shape, but some are at least ready to fight. I questioned them and a few mentioned a creature that looked suspiciously like Aillen.”
“I should have guessed you would find out,” Elyssa said.
“You let him go,” Kate said. “That’s what took you so long.”
“I thought the entire place was going to collapse,” Elyssa said. “I couldn’t leave him there.”
“Why?”
“Because I love him,” Elyssa said. “He led me to my death and treated me like a dog, but I love him. He never loved me back and I knew that. Unfortunately, I could see into his mind. I knew exactly what he felt for me. I thought it might change one day, but it only got worse. Far from growing to love me, he grew to hate me.”
“Do you know where he is now?” Kate asked.
“I have no clue,” Elyssa said. “I love him, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to keep letting him run my life. He was weak, though, so you don’t need to worry about him. He’s not going to trouble you anytime soon.”
“Did he ask you to come with him?”
Elyssa smiled sadly.
“Of course,” she said. “He said everything I could have wanted to hear. He knows me well, Kate. And he’s used it to his advantage every time.”
“Except now.”
“Yes,” Elyssa said, and for a moment, she looked triumphant. “I let him out, but I also told him to get lost. He wouldn’t be any help to you, even if you were going after Sanheim. But I wasn’t just going to be his lapdog again.”
Kate looked out at the sea of soldiers below them and waited.
“But that doesn’t mean I want to be yours either,” Elyssa said. “I’m tired of taking orders, tired of living my life according to someone else’s whim. Maybe it really is time for me to go.”
Kate looked at her for a long time. Elyssa could practically see what she was thinking — it would be easier to let her go. But for some reason Elyssa couldn’t fathom, Kate appeared reluctant to part ways.
“I understand,” Kate said. “I hope you don’t leave, but the choice is yours.”
“Why?” Elyssa asked again. “Why care about me at all? What do I even bring to the table?”
“Because your talk with Quinn when you tried to seduce him made an impression on me,” Kate said. “I don’t think you ever got a fair shake. And believe me, I’m a big advocate of second chances now. I’m even glad you let Sawyer go.”
“You eventually may regret it,” Elyssa said. “If we live, I don’t know what he’ll do.”
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Kate said. “You ask what value I see in you? I saw how you fought alongside Quinn. Even without powers, you’re formidable. You’re crafty and intelligent. I also know you cared for your moidin.”
“The ones you killed,” Elyssa said. “You butchered them after Quinn died, didn’t you?”
“How did you know about that?” Kate asked.
“Some of my moidin ended up as corpses in Halloweenland,” Elyssa said. “It wasn’t hard to guess what happened.”
“If it matters, I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I… wasn’t in my right mind. I lost Quinn and I let myself go. It’s no excuse, but I regret it with all my heart.”
Elyssa just nodded.
“I wish I could hold it against you,” Elyssa replied. “But I would have done the same. I’ve done plenty I regret.”
“Join us,” Kate said.
Elyssa thought for a moment.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I said I was done taking orders.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that,” Kate said. “The odds against us are huge. We don’t need followers, we need allies.”
Elyssa nodded.
“I’ll think about it,” she said.
Kate smiled.
“That’s all I can ask,” she said. “Just think quickly. We move out in a few minutes.”
*****
Kate turned to go, walking back toward the encampment to find Quinn. An interesting idea popped into her head.
You can’t be serious, Quinn thought. She might actually work for Sanheim, you know.
But Kate didn’t think so. And the beauty of her idea was that it took care of two problems at once.
Before Kate had gone more than thirty feet, she heard Elyssa catching up with her. She turned.
“That was quick,” Kate said.
“I’ve never run from a fight in my life,” Elyssa said. “We may have our differences, but I agree Sanheim is a threat and he’s got to go. If you’ll have me, I’m in.”
Kate stuck out her hand. Elyssa looked at it for a long moment and then shook it.
“Welcome to the team,” Kate said.
Suddenly, Kate’s idea looked even better. It was dangerous, risky and could blow up in their faces. But it could also turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
Chapter 38
When Janus crested the hill and looked behind him, he almost couldn’t believe what he saw. Their army stretched back as far as his eye could see in a line that was five men wide. They moved in tight, military formation, stepping together in a rhythm that was almost hypnotic to watch.
“I feel like I’ve gone back in time to the Civil War,” he said. “This must be what it looked like.”
Buzz stood next to him taking in the same view.
“Actually, this is considerably more impressive,” he replied. “Those armies had to worry about pesky things like food and supplies. Have you seen how quickly our guys move? It’s because they don’t need to sleep every twelve hours or stop to eat. Hell, they don’t even have to carry their own tents.”
“I guess an army of the dead has its benefits,” Janus said.
“It does indeed.”
Janus looked over at him, still surprised to find the youthful face looking back at him. He sounded like the old, grizzled Buzz, but he didn’t look that way. He looked even younger than Janus.
“We have a shot, mate?” Janus asked him.
Buzz shrugged.
“I don’t know, my boy,” he said. “From what Quinn and Kate saw, it’s clear we’re outnumbered. I estimate our strength at about 22,000, give or take. They might have ten times that for all I know.”
“Is that a long way of saying we’re going to lose?” Janus asked.
“No,” Buzz said. “Battles are hard to predict. You make a plan and it all goes to hell within the first minute. Numbers matter, but so do a lot of other things, including the strategy of the leaders, morale of the troops, equipment, tactics, the list goes on. I’ll tell you this, I've never seen an army so devoted to its leader, so anxious to please her.”
“Sanheim probably inspires a lot from his troops too,” Janus said.
“Love trumps fear any day,” Buzz said. “Trust me on that. In ‘Nam...”
“Here we go...” Janus said, but Buzz ignored him.
“… most of us didn’t even want to be there,” he continued. “We did what we were told only because we didn’t want to go to jail. The enemy, on the other hand, believed in its cause. In the end, it’s why we lost. Our heart just wasn’t in it. A battle is as much a test of wills as anything else. This fight... You asked me if we have a shot. Yes. It might not be great odds, but there’s definitely a slim chance we’
ll win.”
“Thanks,” Janus said. “How very inspiring. Do me a favor and don’t use that speech on the troops, okay?”
“Come on,” Buzz said. “Quinn wants to discuss tactics. He wants the senior staff up at the front.”
“Senior staff? I could get used to that,” Janus said. “Can you believe how we ended up here, Buzz? I mean, not that long ago your biggest concern was how to avoid Rebecca’s wrath and have enough stories to fill your section. Now we’re leading an army of dead soldiers against the devil himself.”
“You didn’t mention the most important part,” Buzz said.
Janus looked at him with a confused look on his face.
“Now I have an amazing girlfriend,” he said.
“Yeah, Buzz, that was definitely the most important part,” Janus said.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll meet the right girl one day,” Buzz responded.
Janus scowled at him.
“Hey, who’s to say I haven’t already?” he said. “Come on, let’s go.”
*****
Kate and Quinn walked side by side at the head of the column, almost touching. Kate found it hard not to hold his hand, but thought it would look strange for a general to be publicly canoodling with her right-hand man.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Quinn asked again.
“I think we can trust her,” Kate said.
“I’m glad one of us thinks so,” Quinn responded. “If she didn’t betray us to Sanheim, then someone did, since he seems awfully well informed of our plans. He’s been one step ahead of me the entire way.”
“He could just find you predictable,” Kate said.
“Gee, thanks honey,” he said. “Now I feel much better.”
“My point is that there may not be a traitor,” Kate said. “That should make you feel better.”
“Maybe,” Quinn said. “I’m still not sure handing Elyssa more power and authority is the way to go, even if she isn't working for Sanheim.”
“We need to make a show of good faith,” Kate said. “She’s proved helpful. She has no love for our enemy. This could work.”
“And it could go disastrously wrong.”
“I need some way to control them, Quinn,” Kate said. “They’re unpredictable, violent and aggressive.”
Give the Devil His Due Page 35
