The Ghost Princess (Graylands Book 1)

by M. Walsh

  Hobbs laughed. “You’d like that wouldn’t you..? Go off, find a new crew, and come after me for revenge. I ain’t falling for that, Leeroy. Besides, we still have a use for you. Our scouts say more Sentries are coming in. We’re going to need a scapegoat to keep them off our backs while we finish the job.”

  There was a commotion coming from the other side of the camp. More scouts returned and announced the Rien woman was seen coming up from the south.

  “Move out!” Hobbs shouted. “We ain’t letting her get past us this time!”

  He was about to walk away, when he stopped and glared at Krutch. He revealed from behind his back a small metallic object. It had a long, thin barrel of shining silver that connected to a rotating cylinder. The cylinder housed six compartments that held small metal bolts. The handle was polished black wood. Upon seeing it, Krutch gulped, recognizing the special weapon he always kept hidden in his jacket pocket.

  “By the way,” said Hobbs, throwing it at his feet. “This ‘gun’ of yours is a piece of shit. Don’t even work.”

  * * *

  The sky was brighter when Lily woke up, though still cloudy and cool enough to see one’s breath. The white sky highlighted how bright the orange and yellow fall leaves were, and though neither said anything, they both thought the beauty of the woods almost could make one forget the dangers still hunting them.

  With no food for breakfast, they got moving early on. Katrina’s empty stomach grumbled and moaned, but she was confident she could press on. Lily seemed fine, and she said she could easily make the walk to Bevy.

  Although she couldn’t be completely sure, traveling off road without a map, Katrina was confident they could reach Bevy by the end of the day—assuming there weren’t any detours caused by the Enforcer, pirates, or whatever else might be out there. Despite getting back into the habit of using her sword, she wasn’t sure how many men she could hold off at once while keeping Lily safe—and she definitely didn’t think she could hold off the Enforcer for long.

  “Do you have any fighting experience, Lily?”

  “Yeah. I keep some daggers hidden in my boots.”

  “How well can you fight?”

  Lily shrugged. “I can hold my own well enough.”

  She sounded confident in herself, but Katrina wasn’t sure if she was exaggerating or not. She decided not to press the matter and hoped it wouldn’t come up.

  “Listen, Lily,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about last night. I really don’t know if you’re the one Kader’s looking for or not, but if you are ... I’m not going to let him or anyone do anything with you unless you’re okay with it.”

  “I’ve been thinking, too, Katrina. Look, I appreciate you want to help me, but there’s a lot about me you don’t know. I don’t want you getting into any trouble on account of me.”

  Katrina stopped and looked her in the eye. “That doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care what Kader wants or what this cloaked guy looking for you wants. I’m not going to let anything happen to you unless you want it to. You have my word on that.”

  Lily’s eyes widened, surprised by the certainty in her voice. “You really mean that..?”

  “Yes.” She paused and grumbled, “To hell with destiny. I’ve seen enough people get hurt in the name of ‘destiny.’”

  They continued trekking north. Sometime around noon, flakes of snow started to drift from the sky. The forest was so quiet it took on an almost ethereal, surreal quality. But Katrina didn’t feel at ease. Her instincts were strong, and she couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. Every so often she’d hear a snap or crunch—or see a shadow dart by in the distance.

  It went on for half a mile. She felt the tension building in her gut. They were being tailed by someone who was waiting for the right moment. It wasn’t the Enforcer, she was confident of that. This was someone else.

  “Lily,” she whispered, slowing her pace. She didn’t say anything, gesturing with her eyes toward the surrounding forest.

  “I know,” said Lily. “For a while now. What do you think they’re waiting for?”

  “Afternoon ladies!” a jovial voice with a thick accent neither could place called out from just ahead.

  Lemmy Hobbs had a cheerful expression on his face that seemed incongruous with his hardened appearance. To his right was Arkady, and if he was supposed to appear nonthreatening, he was doing a poor job. His narrow eyes gleamed with malicious intent, and his gangly frame was reminiscent of a mantis ready to strike.

  “Could either of you be so kind,” said Hobbs, trying much too hard to sound friendly and courteous, “as to direct fellow travelers such as ourselves to the nearest town?”

  Katrina cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Lily, whose face was blank. She looked back at Hobbs and sneered, “Really..?”

  His eyes widened, and his voice became almost foppish. “Whatever do you mean?!” He looked at Arkady, and even he didn’t buy it. “We are but humble wanderers of ...” He trailed off, groaned, and finally barked, “Oh, piss on this. Rush the bitches!”

  All at once, the forest erupted with the bellowing of over a dozen pirates swarming from every angle. They charged with clubs and swords, howling and cheering—confident they could handle two lone women.

  Next to her, Lily drew a pair of daggers from her boots and prepared to fight. Katrina had time to take a deep breath as she braced herself for the coming battle. Flashes of old wars threatened to overwhelm her mind, triggering the cold panic that could either freeze her in her tracks or blind her with pure rage. She gripped her sword and pushed the flashes aside.

  The past was behind her, and her running was over.

  * * *

  This ‘gun’ of yours is a piece of shit. Don’t even work.

  When Hobbs and the others were out of sight, Krutch let out a sigh of relief. He stared at the metal weapon at his feet, thinking of when it was given to him by Vicar Frost.

  According to the shady Vicar, the gun was a new kind of weapon being developed in certain parts of the Two Empires. He claimed it was still very new and not without resistance—mostly from Mages who weren’t keen on the idea of ordinary people being able to spew fire at the click of a trigger while they had to spend years learning those spells. As such, it was rare to find a gun—much less one that functioned properly. Most would jam, fall apart, or explode in the wielder’s hand.

  To this day, Krutch didn’t know how or where Frost got the pistol, or even why it was given to him. But the gun fired good and true, and the truth of the matter was, without it, he would’ve been killed several times over, long ago. The gun—which he considered naming, but hadn’t thought of anything—was the only genuinely notable thing about Krutch Leeroy.

  He remembered Frost teaching him how to use it, and surprising himself with how easily he took to it—being a decent shot turned out to be one of his few real talents. And one final thing the Vicar showed him: the small, unmarked switch on the side that prevented the weapon from being fired he called the safety.

  “Because I left the safety on, jackass.”

  It took some time, but he was able to snag the pistol with his feet and lift it up. Once the gun was in his hand, he clicked the safety off, aimed, and fired at the rope.

  The blast cut the silent air like thunder, and he felt the heat and splinters of the tree spray against his face. His ears rang, and the kick-back of the weapon hurt his wrist, causing him to drop the gun. Luckily, the shot was enough to loosen the ropes.

  Freed, he checked to see how many shells were left and found he still had four shots remaining and another four shells in his jacket. He returned the pistol to his inside pocket, stole some supplies left behind, and was on his merry way.

  Once away from the camp, his good mood returned. Blow to the head and tied to a tree aside, even the mutiny didn’t bother him. All that meant was he no longer had to worry about Lemmy Hobbs or any of those other morons knocking on his door, trying to rope him into more sch
emes.

  And who knows, he wondered. Maybe Hobbs will prove to be a worth-while pirate and make people stop caring about Krutch Leeroy? A bunch of stupid stories and rumors wouldn’t compare to an actual guy bopping around, doing real pirate stuff, would it? If anything, he already has a story to his name: the man that mutinied against Krutch Leeroy.

  Flurries of snow drifted from the gray sky, and a cool, but not uncomfortable breeze blew out of the south. Krutch headed north, making the mistake of not avoiding the main road. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten he was still a wanted man. He knew he’d have to tread carefully once in Bevy and beyond.

  But that seemed like a distant thing. A vague chore hanging over his head with little real urgency. Lemmy Hobbs and the rest of his band of jerks were to the south and no longer had any interest in carrying the banner of Krutch Leeroy. There was a part of him concerned for the welfare of Rien—after all, he took no pleasure in harassing an innocent woman—but he put it aside and allowed himself a little optimism for once.

  So much optimism, it didn’t occur to him he should be worried about the eight riders passing on horseback a few yards to his right.

  “Morning!” he called out, waving his hand.

  The riders came to a halt and stared at him, as if he’d grown a second head. Slowly, with dawning realization, his cheerful grin faded, waving hand sank to his side, and good mood soured. Although he was never much for remembering faces or names, he recognized the Sentry leading the pack—a young, muscular man with short blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a large broadsword at his side. That he should be a Sentry was bad enough, but he knew this one in particular, and he knew Krutch: Major Drake Garrison.

  Oh, crumbs.

  12

  It was as if the years of wandering and drinking never happened. For Katrina, there was no planning. The battle played out before her like the coming of the tide, and she simply moved accordingly. Distantly, she was aware Lily was near and holding her own with her daggers, but she was lost in her own battle. There was only the briefest moment where she felt panic brush her heart, but the fighting came back so quickly and so totally, she realized with some dread she almost missed it.

  Perhaps it was fortunate they were only dealing with a band of pirates—none of whom seemed to have any skill beyond the most rudimentary. They charged with weapons ranging from swords, knives, clubs, and chains, wielding them clumsily like drunken oafs. She swatted each one aside with ease, sending them crumbling into the dirt.

  Her only concern was the numbers. The pirates might have been mediocre fighters, but they outnumbered her and Lily about twenty to two. She stayed close to Lily, hoping they’d break through the crowd and make a run for it. She recalled Marcus saying more Sentries were stationed in Bevy—if they could make it ...

  Hobbs bellowed and sprung at her with a huge cutlass. Of the pirates, he appeared the most skilled, but he was hindered by his poor choice of weapon. Katrina considered he’d be more formidable with a smaller sword, but suspected he selected it for its size, rather than its usability.

  With a snarl, Hobbs brought his cutlass down, but she easily dodged it and kicked out his knee from under him. With a swift movement, without even thinking, she swung her broadsword at his neck, aiming to sever his head from his body.

  It was only then she hesitated.

  The trance of combat had come back, and she slipped back into it—but indiscriminate killing had not. A flash of that terrible day long ago—watching her own soldiers choking on their own blood—propelled itself front and center in her mind’s eye. It was followed by the sickening crunch of the pirate she killed days ago. Hearing his neck snap and watching his twitching body go limp.

  She wasn’t ready to kill again. She wasn’t ready for more bodies at her feet.

  Her hesitation was enough for Arkady to blindside her. She stumbled forward into the club of a waiting pirate. It slammed into her gut, and she hobbled over, collapsing to the ground with the smell of wet leaves filling her nose.

  She instinctively rolled forward, evading another blow that would’ve struck her kidneys, and tried to spring to her feet, but hobbled over again. The fighting came back to her, but her ability to absorb damage wasn’t fully restored—not to mention, she hadn’t eaten in days with minimal sleep.

  The pirate with the club was about to strike, when Lily tackled him from behind. Watching the girl’s movements, Katrina was struck by how fast and methodically she moved—slashing with her daggers, combined with swinging kicks—and reflected that she underestimated her.

  “You okay..?” asked Lily, passing Katrina her sword.

  “Yeah,” she said, rising to her feet. “I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up. There’s too many of them. We have to make a run for Bevy.”

  Lily nodded.

  “Look!” Hobbs shouted, catching his breath. “Let’s not make this any harder than it has to be. You broads put up a good fight, I’ll give you that, but we still ...”

  He trailed off, staring into the distance with his eyes widening. The surrounding pirates did the same, and before either Katrina or Lily could see what they were looking at, a familiar shrieking howl exploded over the land. But unlike the day before, it was not hollow and distant—it was very near.

  The demons had arrived.

  * * *

  Krutch never figured himself much for speed or endurance—but with eight armed soldiers on horseback bearing on him, he managed to surprise himself. He bobbed and weaved through the woods, having no idea where he was going—only concerned with eluding the angry Sentry Elite at his heels.

  The hilly terrain, packed with trees, made it difficult for the Sentries to overwhelm him. There was one point when he was almost cut off and surrounded. In desperation, he drew the gun from his coat. He had no intention of killing anyone—even if these people were trying to arrest him, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt soldiers doing their job—but he didn’t know what else to do.

  “Krutch Leeroy!” Drake Garrison shouted. “You are under—”

  He was cut off by the thunderous boom of Krutch firing the gun into the air. The horses surrounding him squealed and bucked, most running in circles. Some of the Sentries fell to the ground, while the others tried to get their horses under control. Seeing an opening, Krutch resumed running.

  Ignoring his veins felt like acid was being pumped through them and heart felt like it might combust, Krutch continued running—eventually hearing the commotion of battle not far off. Although the last thing he wanted was to be caught up in a fight, he figured his best chance of losing the Sentries would be through the chaos.

  I have no problem dumping these guys on Hobbs’s back, he thought.

  He thought his legs might give out, when he suddenly heard the shrieking of demons followed by shouts of horror and panic. And almost immediately, Krutch thought he might have been better off with the Sentries.

  He saw the creatures swoop in from the sky—winged monstrosities with black and gray skin, red eyes, and razor sharp teeth glistening with venomous pus. They had arms like humans, but their legs were similar to a horse or goat. At their hands and feet were protruding claws, and some seemed to have blades coming from their forearms. Not orcs—these were gargoyles.

  There were about ten, and they swept in like a plague, overcoming the fleeing pirates. Some tried to fight back, but what followed was a massacre. The gargoyles attacked indiscriminately, ripping into anybody within reach.

  They snatched men and women, carrying them away, and blood and body parts rained from the sky. Gore splattered through the air, staining the ground and trees, and terrified screams echoed for miles.

  Krutch clutched the pistol in his pocket and ducked behind a tree, his face pale, feeling like he would vomit. The stench of those things wafted in the air—smelling like rotten meat and death. Behind him, he heard the sounds of snarling monsters, men and women screaming, and—worst of all—flesh and bone being ripped and torn.

  Fin
ally, the Sentries arrived, and without missing a beat, charged into battle with both the pirates and demons. Krutch took a glance around the tree, saw Garrison leading his soldiers into battle with the gargoyles, and knew this was his chance to get out of there.

  He crept around the outside of the battle, trying not to be seen by any of the pirates, Sentries, or demons. When he felt confident enough, he picked up his pace and resumed running. He didn’t get far before a stabbing pain returned to his side. Throbbing aches pulsed up and down his legs, from knees to ankles. His lungs felt ragged, and his head was damp with sweat—but he took a small measure of relief upon looking back and seeing no one was chasing him.

  Maybe some lu—

  There was a scream, and something thin and soft slammed into him. He heard a woman’s voice before his feet went out from under him, and for a second, he felt like he was flying.

  Solid ground slammed into his face, the smell of old leaves and dirt filled his nose, and colors of orange and yellow were spinning all around him. The world continued tumbling about until the ride came to an abrupt stop with his head hitting something hard.

  * * *

  Katrina had managed to keep her panic in check fighting the pirates. She considered that a significant accomplishment. But seeing demons again, in the flesh, was not something she was prepared for. If orcs were the foot-soldiers of the demon world, then gargoyles would be the attack dogs. Seeing them dive in from the sky made her heart skip a beat and stomach cartwheel.

  She considered it a small miracle she didn’t throw up and collapse on the ground that very moment. Luckily, she kept her head clear enough to scream, “LILY RUN!”

  The gargoyles charged from the air, attacking anyone they could find. From the slaughter that followed, Katrina could see whoever hired the pirates no longer had any use for them and were taking a more extreme approach.

  She didn’t move at top speed, but only to ensure Lily was ahead of her at all times. Her heart pounded, and sweat poured from her brow. Behind her, she heard the same horrific noises Krutch did. She remembered the worst of her wars, years ago, when her enemies would send gargoyles to raid. She wasn’t ready to face demons and prayed they’d be able to find a clear path without running into one.