by WB McKay
Passing between my wounded men, I patted them on the shoulder and their spirits were immediately buoyed. I had to make sure we didn't waste Patricia's opportunity. Who knew if we'd get a second one. "Phoebe," I said as quietly as I could, "I need you to edge us toward the forest without being obvious about it."
She nodded. "On it, Boss."
Phoebe altered the path of her vines to a slightly more vertical angle, striking into the sky. It still had the effect of shielding our crew, but it was more offensive. She occasionally dropped the shield for a second in order to lure more fighters in, and then resumed the lashing. She even managed to land a few blows, blinking the whole group into focus. Whenever that happened, she moved her attack a few steps toward the forest. It looked completely natural, and the magic workers didn't budge. Now we were well within striking distance.
I returned to Ava. "Is she around? Now is the time, Patricia," I said to the empty space around her. "Hit them with whatever you have before they move."
"She's already on it," replied Ava, her nose twitching. "The way you were talking to her before, I was beginning to believe you could see her."
"Nope, my sight is still thankfully ghost free." I still shuddered to think what it would be like to see ghosts all the time. I'd done it a few times and the memory of it gave me goosebumps. "Everybody ready," I called to the men.
There was no warning of the ghosts' attack. That was the beauty of having Ava on my team. One second, my team was huddled underneath a shield of Phoebe's vines, hiding from an invisible enemy. The next second, I was pointing my sword toward the magic wielders, shouting "Charge!" as the group of five Orani looked like they were having a seizure. Heads jerked in every direction, seeking out the source of their discomfort. Their hands flailed and swatted the invisible touch of ghosts away from their body. I couldn't blame them. That feeling sucked. They didn't get any compassion from me, though. These were the people holding Owen.
Ava and the men set upon them with abandon. Phoebe and Zoe tore through the flying enemies. Battle cries filled the air. Three of the Orani were cut down within seconds. Two of them ran. Just as I thought, they didn't have wings.
With the sudden change in battle dynamics, there was sheer bedlam. The majority of the flying Orani fighters reoriented into a different shape and resumed their attack. A group of ten split off and went to the defense of the two remaining magic users.
Now, it was a real battle.
Finally being able to see the enemy in their full glory was both heartening, and daunting. The flying Orani were lanky, but tall. Each of them was at least seven feet and corded with lean muscle. They carried a combination of swords and axes just like my men. Neither group carried shields. They weren't built for defense, they were meant to kill.
As much as I wanted to go after the fleeing magic users, only Zoe and I could fly, so we had to take the battle to the air. Zoe was already tearing through the enemy.
I pushed off and let loose all my fury, of which there was plenty to go around. Now that I could see the enemy, I could use my magic. It was just in time, too. We were easily outnumbered five to one.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Before my trip to Faerie with Owen, I didn't use my death light. I didn't talk about it. I figured the best thing I could ever do with it was make sure I kept it leashed. Battling against the clansmen had forced me to get over that. Since then, I'd come a long way.
I sheathed Epic and a shimmering white light appeared above my right palm. With a thought I flicked it into the air, chasing an Orani that flew with more speed than most of the others. It hit him in his foot, but location didn't matter. He'd been hit with the full power of my death magic. His wings stopped moving and he dropped to the ground, dead long before he landed with a sickening thud.
I refocused my attentions on the battlefield to see where I was most needed.
The new clansmen were fierce, but still developing their sword and axe skills. The Orani were well trained, but not used to fighting while visible. Also, they healed cuts almost as fast as they were given. If a blow wasn't a killing one, it didn't count. Thankfully, their bodies were rather fragile. Later, I'd wonder if that fragility was the reason they put so much work into their intimidating reputation. They needed to avoid fights like this one. They should have kept that in mind before abducting my boyfriend.
Zoe was too large a target in her dragon form, and not agile enough to take the Orani out en masse without burning us up in the attempt. She shifted back to her human form, leaving me alone in the air.
This left the battle fairly even. I planned on changing that. Three more balls of death zipped from my hands, hunting their targets, guided by my thoughts. I nearly took out one of my men when the Orani dived low to the ground. I quenched that death light. I could handle two at a time in the crowd, not three.
Unfortunately, the Orani had seen their first comrade fall to my magic. They learned quickly to flee the beautiful balls of light with all of their considerable speed. This wouldn't be a wholesale slaughter like it had been the first time I'd unleashed my death magic in Faerie.
My two Orani targets pushed my concentration to its limit, zigging and zagging through their comrades and our forces at a breakneck pace. Target number one broke for the woods, but turned too slow and clipped a tree. My magic slammed into his back. He dropped like a stone. I immediately tossed out another ball of magic and locked onto a new target.
It took a while to get into a groove and figure out the way the Orani dodged, but when I did, I was able to start dropping them with regularity. I stayed close to Ava and got her back when she was in trouble. It didn't happen often. Patricia was back at her side, and they made a lethal team.
Zoe and Phoebe battered their way through more than their fair share. Phoebe ripped Orani out of the sky; debris exploded into the air each time she slammed an Orani into the ground. None of them rose again. Zoe was a study in efficient killing with a sword, and when she had a clear shot, threw fire square into chests.
The Orani's numbers advantage was dwindling fast. We were gaining the upper hand.
Then, the battlefield melted away. My friends and the crew of The Morrigan's men were gone, along with the whole mountain. I was locked in a cell staring desolately into an empty stone hallway. I knew it wasn't real, but that didn't make any difference. There was no way to shake free from the imposed vision. I knew I should have hunted down those magic wielding bastards.
Since I couldn't break out mentally, I fought physically, battering my hands into the stone walls and metal bars until they were bloody. The pain felt very real, but I kept going until I was close to passing out.
That's when the window appeared in the wall, leading to the next cell. I approached it slowly, knowing what I would find there. I wasn't disappointed. Owen was naked and caked in filth. His eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling. His mouth hung open, leaking drool. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought he was dead. My heart lurched and I filled the cells with my enraged scream. Owen didn't so much as twitch. I had to get through to him. If we could work together, I knew we could get out of these cells. I poured my magic into the furious shout erupting from my throat.
The cells disappeared. I was back in the battlefield on the floating island. Everyone around me was clutching their head, their own cries competing with mine. Most of the Orani lost control and fell to the ground. Many of them managed to do it in a controlled manner, avoiding instant death.
I shook my head and forced my body back under my control, drawing my magic back into my core. I was on the ground in the middle of the battlefield. My knees hurt like hell from my own fall from the sky. I had to get to the magic wielders before they recovered and targeted me again.
My focus on the mission was so complete that I barely heard the shrill noise growing in the woods until it resolved into the cawing of hundreds of crows echoing through the trees.
I skidded to a halt. My heart felt like it was going to
beat out of my chest. "Damn it. Now? Really?"
The cawing of the crows grew in intensity until it hurt my ears, then my vision grew dark, blocked by a swirling cloud of feathers that coalesced into a human sized blob directly in front of me. The Morrigan stepped through the feathers. They clung to her body in exactly the same fashion that feathers now covered me. The remaining ones formed into a set of wings on her back. The cawing of the crows ceased.
"I have been drawn to a great battle," The Morrigan said, piously. She could have been my twin if it weren't for a slight difference in jaw shape and the coldness of her demeanor. "Show me to the battlefield so I may enjoy the carnage."
"You can find your own way," I groused. "I have mindfucking Orani to kill." I couldn't remember why I'd thought drawing her attention would have been a good thing, and I didn't have time for figuring it out now.
The Morrigan scanned her surroundings. "They have taken to the trees. You will never locate them on your own." Though she was my height, something about the tilt of her head gave the impression she was looking down on me. "This is a battle you cannot win. You may die here."
"Screw you," I said, and ran into the forest. My mother brings out the poet in me.
I went from one clearing to the next, searching high and low. I caught sight of a scaly set of legs disappearing behind the base of a tree. I tossed out a death light and followed it toward its target, eager to see the life drain out of my prey's eyes when it hit.
The Orani darted through the trees with speed I could almost admire, but there was no way it was outrunning my magic on foot. It turned, feeling the hum of the ball of light as it closed the distance. The fae's mouth opened and a human shout issued forth. "I'm sorry--" it said, before my magic took it and it crumpled to a heap on the ground.
I approached to look over the body and found one of my men staring up at me, a confused look on his face.
"What the hell?" I asked the air around me.
"Their magic tricks can be very subtle," responded The Morrigan. I spotted her perched on a branch about twenty feet in front of me. "You may end up destroying your whole squadron. Ask for my help and you may yet spare them."
I'd killed one of them. I'd killed one of the clansmen. I couldn't even be properly horrified anymore; I'd seen too many awful things, had too many regrets. The weight of living with it fell heavily over me, and I adjusted to it. That was going to stay with me.
"Ask for my help," The Morrigan repeated.
"No." I didn't have to think about it. I knew if The Morrigan was waiting to be asked before joining a battle, there was no way that help would come for free. "I won't owe you a favor."
When she looked down on me this time, it was from both a considerable height, and with a threat looming in her eyes. "Not even for the health and well-being of your female friends? I can see their deaths at your hands if I don't intervene."
"Fuck!" I shouted. Frustration rolled through my body in waves. I was fairly certain The Morrigan couldn't lie, but there was still the possibility that she was obfuscating the truth. "Tell me the nature of the favor I'll owe."
"No," she said, simply. A faint smile tugged up at the corner of her mouth.
There was the crack of a breaking branch to my right. I drew up my magic and flicked a death ball from the palm of my hand. I could clearly see the Orani running through the trees. It would be so easy. My magic trailed after them, but I didn't urge it to connect. All I could see before my eyes was a vision of Ava dead on the ground, her life snuffed by my horrible magic. "One favor owed, but to be returned at the time of my choosing."
"No," repeated The Morrigan, dropping from above and gliding to land silently next to me. "One favor of my choosing, returned at the time I decree." Her head cocked to the side in a distinctly bird-like gesture. "Your form echoes my own. Do I know you? And what is that lovely crown on your head? It suits you well. I see much chaos emanating from your decision to wear it."
"Pixies on an ogre's butt," I cursed. "You know I'm your daughter. Enough with the games. I can't be responsible for killing my friends. I will accept your help in winning this battle." I thought about what I needed to make sure I was specific enough. "We will also need to capture one of the enemy to help with locating Owen."
The Morrigan held out her hand to take mine and it was all I could do to keep from shrinking back. As far as I could recall, I'd never touched my mother. I obviously had when I was a baby. It was still hard to imagine wanting her touch. When her hand clasped mine, I'd expected it to be as cold as her demeanor, as cold as death. I jumped when it was warm and soft. She maneuvered my hand up with an annoyed look on her face and gave it a firm shake.
"We have an accord," she said. "I will call upon you soon. For now, let's rid you of these pests."
I didn't bother to suppress the shudder I felt. "Then we go and rescue Owen."
"As you wish," said The Morrigan. She let out a cackle. "I will enjoy this immensely!"
My body dissolved into darkness. Rather than being terrified, I felt warm and comfortable. It was like taking a walk in warm summer moonlight, except I felt death hovering at the edges. No, that wasn't right. Death wasn't at the edges. The whole cloud was death. It brushed my skin, passed through me. I was death, and death was me, and it was glorious. I knew that anyone nearby would hear a wail and the calls of hundreds of crows.
We began to move, flowing through the trees. It felt strange to refer to an amorphous cloud of smoke and feathers as a we. That was right though. We hadn't become one. Somehow I knew that The Morrigan was holding herself back from mixing entirely with me. It was probably more an effort to protect her secrets than an attempt to shield me from her darkness. Once I'd adjusted to her strange method of travel, I could distinguish the boundaries between us. On her side lurked what I could only describe as chaos, though it was much larger than I could grasp. It was mixed with more power than I could imagine. Maybe they were one and the same.
The first of the magic wielders was hiding in a tree not far away. He cowered before our might. I knew we could snuff his life without leaving this form, but there was no fun in that. Instead, we knocked him from the tree and took our winged human forms a few feet away. He ran. Of course he ran. We were death incarnate.
I could feel the Orani's magic trying to worm its way into my mind, but The Morrigan's burning touch on my hand kept it at bay. As long as I held her hand, I would be safe from the mind warping magic. My left hand was free, so I drew Haiku.
The Orani realized there was no escape, so he drew his own sword and turned to face us. "There you go," I encouraged. "Push away your cowardice and fight." Somehow, there was magic in those words. I could see his spine stiffen and rage fill his eyes. It was like the opposite of my fear power. "Let's dance."
It should have been awkward fighting while holding someone's hand. Instead, it was a new and more deadly dance. The Morrigan pulled me toward her and spun in a circle. I let my feet leave the ground and then connect with the Orani's jaw. He spun to the ground and landed in a heap. I landed again and looked down at him. "Aw, c'mon. You can do better than that."
The rest was a blur. I saw it through a hazy black cloud. I could feel my limbs move and my blade slice through the Orani's chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. That was only the beginning.
The second magic user fell in less than a minute, then I turned my sights on the flyers. The Morrigan was an encouraging hiss in the back of my mind, urging me to do my worst. Arms and legs were shattered and severed. Heads rolled. In what felt like only a couple of minutes, all but one of the flyers was dead, and she was in rough shape. I held her down with my foot.
The remaining followers of The Morrigan fell to their knees. Ava, Phoebe, and Zoe stood in a semicircle, their mouths hanging open. When I surveyed the carnage, I understood how they felt. It was disturbing. My teeth clacked when I snapped my own mouth shut. "Did I do all of this?" I asked.
"Yes, you did," said The Morrigan, stepping around to fill my
view. She was smiling cruelly. "It was delightful. I barely had to help. Now I must go."
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. "You can't go yet. You agreed to help us find and rescue Owen."
The Morrigan shook her head. "I offered nothing of the sort. I agreed to help defeat these enemies and capture one. After we made that agreement, you made an inane comment about seeking out this Owen." She turned and walked into the woods, stopping at the edge to look over her shoulder. "I look forward to seeing you become more interesting. I'll see you soon, Sophie Morrigan."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Orani I held under my boot began to cackle. Being that I'd just killed all of her friends, it was a strange thing to do. Maybe she'd lost her mind.
"What are you laughing at?" I asked. It was easier to focus on her than the looks on all the other faces around me.
"We called reinforcements the second we heard The Morrigan arrive, and now she's gone." She spit. "You don't stand a chance."
"I only came here to retrieve my boyfriend, Owen. He's a dragon. If you lead me to him, I will let you live."
"That isn't much of a bargain," said the woman, her lizard face tightening into what I assumed was a scowl.
"It's the only one I'm offering. Take it or leave it."
She was quiet for several seconds, considering. She had to know that if her reinforcements arrived, I would kill her immediately. If she outright refused to help, I would do the same. This was her only chance to live.
"Fine," she replied.
"I'm going to need more than that," I said. I had no idea if she was able to lie or not, but if she couldn't I needed a definite statement that she would help.
"I will lead you to your dragon."
I pulled her to her feet. "What's your name?"
"What does it matter?" she asked.
"Well, I assume you're going to be a complete pain in my ass, so I want to know who I will be mentally berating on our little excursion."
