The Mercenary Prince (Legends of Windemere Book 9)

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Would you like something to eat?” Delvin asks, when she gets within a few feet of him. A wry smile parts her lips, revealing a pair of glistening fangs. “I’m suddenly regretting that question. I’ve fought vampires before, but you’re obviously a different flavor of them. I mean that with the utmost respect.”

  “I don’t want your respect. I want you out of my way,” the woman states, her keen eyes examining each of the warriors. She pauses and cocks her head to the side, her attention drawn by something that only she can hear. “A champion in my path is the last thing I need, since this is a delicate situation. So I need all of you to clear out. You took care of the wights, which I’d appreciate if they were worth my time, but that is where your involvement ends. Get out of the Yagervan Plains. This is Dawn Fang business. We stay out of your messes and you stay out of ours.”

  Refusing to back down from the intimidating stranger, Delvin takes a brave step forward and looks her in the eyes. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m here to find my family. If vampires are causing trouble then I think it’s even more important that I keep going. Even if it kills me, I will find my parents.”

  “You’re misunderstanding me, child,” the vampire says as four inch long claws grow out of her fingers. She puts one against the warrior’s forehead, the slightest twitch cutting his skin. “I truly, utterly, from the bottom of my heart don’t care if you die here. All I want is for you to leave me and my prey alone.”

  “What if we help you?”

  “I don’t work with helpless infants and failures.”

  “There’s no need to insult us.”

  “True, but I’m in a really bad mood. This prey is more elusive than normal.”

  “And you don’t think we can help? Sounds like your pride is blinding you.”

  “Keep it up and I’ll tear out your eyes.”

  Delvin smacks the woman’s hand away, which causes a flicker of anger on her face. The expression changes to one of amusement as she steps back and gives the champion a more careful examination. The vampire nods her head and taps one of her fangs with the claw that scratched the warrior. A spasm rocks her from scalp to soles when she tastes Delvin’s blood, the single drop sending a blissful charge through her body. Curious about the others, the woman darts through the camp like a shadow and checks each one’s blood in turn. Retracting her claws and tucking her hands in her pockets, the vampire moves back to the edge of the light. For a moment, it appears as if the shadows will swallow her whole, but they recede after a brief embrace of her shoulders.

  “I can see you won’t listen to me and your safety is not my responsibility,” she announces while tapping her soft-booted foot on the rock. Licking her lips, she considers taking another taste of Delvin’s blood, but does not want the champion to think she likes him. “All I can do is continue on my way and handle all of you if our paths cross again. There are treaties and reputations at stake here, so I can’t waste my time with you. Besides, it isn’t my job to be nice to mortals.”

  “Excuse me, but do you have a name?” Tavris asks after mustering up enough courage to speak. “That way we can keep an ear out for your activities and avoid you. The plains should be big enough for both of us.”

  “Ask the Dawn Fang who’s been with you this whole time.”

  Everyone looks at Scorpion, who puts up his hands and says, “Really? A chaos elf Dawn Fang? Do you really think I could have kept all of that a secret for so long? It was hard enough bathing without you guys discovering the truth.”

  “Then who is it?” Pelo asks as he scratches his head. He glances at Tavris, who opens his mouth to show that he does not have any fangs. “That doesn’t mean anything. Wouldn’t the one with us be able to hide his fangs since we’ve all seen each other’s teeth? I’m confused here.”

  “Her name is Mab and she is the Dark Mistress,” Gerdo explains while pulling his upper lip and growing out his incisors. He ignores the expression of the more powerful vampire, knowing that it is one of disdain. “She used to run with our progenitor when they were overthrowing the old world vampires. If there’s a Dawn Fang causing problems for our kind and threatening to break the ancient treaties then Mab is sent to handle them. Whether she brings her prey in alive or dead depends on her mood and how much trouble they cause her. I’m guessing the current target is going to get killed when she gets to them. I apologize for our involvement and understand your annoyance, milady, but I will continue on with my friends. It seems even more essential that I stay with them now that I know our kind is involved.”

  “Very well. I’m actually impressed with your decision, whelp,” Mab says with a genuine smile. She steps into the shadows and vanishes, only to step out of the darkness behind Gerdo and put a strong hand on his shoulder. “Don’t think your politeness and act of loyalty impresses me. You’re doing what the progenitor always wanted, which is living among them and remaining unnoticed. Dawn Fangs don’t get praise for abiding by the rules. Still, I guess I should thank you for keeping an eye on your friends. Try your best to keep them alive and out of my hair, especially the tasty hero.”

  Mab slips back into the shadows and everyone relaxes as their tension fades away. All of them sit around the fire, eating their soup in silence. The roar of a hooded lion makes all of them jump and grip their weapons, Tavris cursing when his bowl falls from his lap and some of his hot meal splashes into his boot. Gerdo tosses him a rag to clean the mess, flashing a smile without baring his fangs. Curious about the vampire, the blonde warrior waits for his friend to look away before throwing the damp cloth back. The black-haired man snatches it out of the air in the blink of an eye, earning mild applause from his companions.

  “I’m human!” Pelo abruptly declares, getting his friends to laugh. “So we have a chaos elf, a Dawn Fang, and a champion. I feel outclassed here. What about you, Tavris?”

  “I’m really the son of Ram and I’ve been holding back my powers because I don’t want to make the rest of you feel inferior,” the towering warrior replies while claiming the last of the soup. The smirk on his face causes the others to chuckle and Delvin slaps him on the back as he sits down. “I’m a plain, old human too, but it doesn’t matter what any of us are. We’re the Frozen Blades and we came here to do a job. We won’t be scared off by a terrifying, attractive, intimidating woman who might be listening to what I’m saying. I don’t think she was that bad anyway.”

  “You mean since she wasn’t actively trying to kill you,” Gerdo points out as he gathers the dirty dishes.

  “Of course, but that’s always been my favorite feature of a woman.”

  8

  Roeth is bustling with activity thanks to their surprise guests who were dropped off by Queen Ionia. Many of the guards remain on duty and keep their eyes on the silhouette of Darkmill, the distant spires fringed with red flames. Rumors have been running rampant since news spread of the magic city being under attack. Normally this would plunge the small border town into a maddening panic, but there is singing and dancing instead. The celebration emanates from a single tavern where Sari has started a party. Her friends enjoy the relaxing ale and hot food, a pleasant change from the tasteless rations they have endured since leaving Hamilton Military Academy. Driven by their curiosity, several children repeatedly sneak into the building to get a look at the famous travelers. They go unnoticed until the same little calico girl makes another attempt to climb Timoran and the bartender chases the kids into the street, the man yelling for them to get home. As the clouds disperse and the stars come out, the party continues to raise the spirits of the people.

  “I promise to tell her that you tried to stop me,” Nyx says as she stands in front of the gate to the Yagervan Plains. Ten guards stand in front of her, each one wearing an armband that is decorated with Queen Ionia’s face. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but my friend is just over that wall. I’d greatly appreciate you turning the other way while I slip over there. Would any of you be interested in a dance with a gypsy? I can make
that happen if you help me.” A sharp pain rockets through the channelers’ head as someone grabs her pointy ear from behind and pulls her away from the soldiers. “Ow! Stop it! That hurts! I swear, I’ll burn you to ashes if you don’t let go!”

  “Are you trying to bribe the guards with Sari?” Luke asks as he leads her into a nearby alley. Fizzle drops onto his shoulder and puffs out his cheeks, threatening to bathe the female half-elf in rainbow mist. “We’re going to have another talk, big sister. You’re going to listen or I will use the drite on you.”

  “I wasn’t going to walk very far,” Nyx argues, a hand of wind gently pinching Fizzle’s mouth shut. Not wanting to hurt the dragon, she pulls an apple out of her bag and grins when her friend hops onto her shoulder. “Now you hear me out or I’ll use the drite on you. I know you aren’t carrying any apples, little brother.”

  “Fizzle not weapon. Fuzzy head both friends if fight. Luke and Nyx only talk.”

  “That’s why I left my sabers with Timoran,” the forest tracker claims, gesturing toward his empty belt. The half-elves sit on a nearby crate while Fizzle hops onto a window sill across from them. “I don’t think there’s anything left for me to say. We discussed this while we traveled and you promised to behave. When Ionia left us here, you agreed to stay and not cause any trouble. Were you lying?”

  “Only partially and I said I would try,” Nyx defiantly argues. A flame appears in front of her eyes and becomes a butterfly that soars into the sky. “My magic is back and I’m getting better at casting without moving. I still feel more comfortable aiming with my fingers, but that’s only with attack spells. If I can get beyond the gate then I can tap into the aura of the plains. As a channeler, I think I can ride them in search of Delvin and find out if he’s okay. It wouldn’t be any form of contact, but I do need to step onto the land for it to work.”

  “I assume this will have no effect on you,” Luke says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  The channeler sighs and leans against the building, her booted feet swinging up to hover in the air. “Well it could give me a headache . . . or a coma. It really depends on the distance and how many other potent auras are out there. So it wasn’t a great plan, but I’m sure Ionia would revive me upon her return.”

  “Strange that she got called away so suddenly.”

  “Not really. There’s a city kingdom rising on her western border,” Nyx explains with a jerk of her thumb in the general direction. She stares at the distant spires, the dying flames no longer visible from so far away. “I heard about it while we were in Nevra Coil. A bunch of bandits cleared out a plot of land that has always been considered neutral by Darkmill and the Yagervan tribes. They haven’t picked a name yet, but Duke Solomon and Queen Ionia are worried. The rumor is that several vertical seams of precious ores were on the land, including a deep one of Caster Bane. Anyway, the threats have been flying and it sounds like they decided to take a shot at Darkmill.”

  Fizzle yawns and sniffs at the crisp breeze, which carries the faint scent of smoke. “Not magic fire. Use oil fire. Not smart. Caster Queen be mad. We help?”

  “It’s best that the champions stay out of political fights,” Luke replies, patting Nyx on the leg. He knows she is itching for a fight and the thought of unleashing her stress on a city of bandits must sound very cathartic. “Any group we support will have an advantage. This could prompt our allies’ enemies to side with the Baron’s agents, which would turn our final battle into a full-scale war. I’m not suggesting we abandon friends who happen to be involved in these events. We simply have to be careful. For example, Queen Ionia doesn’t need our help with these bandits. Us stepping into the fight would be seen as an overreaction.”

  “Makes you wonder what we do after the Baron,” Nyx says while putting her head on Luke’s shoulder. Reaching up, she runs her fingers through the bottom of her ebony hair that is almost past her ears. “All of the survivors will be influential people, but we could be seen as living weapons too. Without a destiny or an enemy, how can we defend having the powers that we’re gaining through our journey? Maybe when this started, the champions were supposed to stay within their temples and away from the rest of the world. Imagine what that would be like, little brother. The only people we’d have left to interact with is each other and anyone who dares to visit us.”

  “We’d be prisoners.”

  “Stepping back into the world could cause the balance of power to shift in the wrong direction.”

  Sensing her darkening mood, Luke flicks the pensive woman on the nose and smiles. “Stop making me depressed and cheer your gloomy butt up. All of us will find a place after we defeat the Baron. We have too many loved ones to be locked up for the rest of our lives. By the way, I need your help finding a guy for Sari. Happen to know anybody who can handle her?”

  “I don’t think such a person exists,” the channeler admits while reaching out to Fizzle. She tickles his chin from far away and runs the invisible finger along his belly. “You know, I think you’re right, little brother. I’m wallowing in my own fear and sadness while I have friends who need help. Timoran feels guilty, Sari is lonely, and Dariana still gets confused. All of you are my family and have helped me so much since I left Gaia. I owe it to you to be there when you need me instead of thinking only about myself.”

  “A little overdramatic.”

  “Yeah, I went too far on that speech.”

  Screams erupt from the direction of the celebration and the half-elves see people rush by the mouth of the alley. They hurry to the street in time to see Timoran sail through the tavern’s wall, the house across the street, and a distant barn. An excited whooping brings their attention to a heavyset man in robes who is cowering behind a well. Next to him is Trinity, but the cobalt-skinned woman is drooling and barely conscious. As the champions hurry to join their friends, Nyx’s eyes turn gold and she sees a throbbing cord of aura running from her rival to a blinding figure inside the building. With every crash and shout, a pulse of energy ripples along the thread and causes the chaos elf to spasm. The champion cancels her spell as she follows Luke through the broken doorway and witnesses a scene that is out of her nightmares.

  “There you are, my channeler,” Stephen coos before casually snapping Dariana’s arm. He hurls his sister through the ceiling and patiently waits for the sound of her slamming into the solid roof. “I meant to attack Dariana first, but the wild oaf smelled me coming. Guess I’ve been on the road for too long. He took a very powerful blow, so he might be dead. My sister . . . I still hear the heart fluttering. Excuse me for a second.”

  With a roll of his wrist, Stephen summons the silver-haired woman to his hand. He is about to touch her forehead when Fizzle rams into his face. The impact sends the madman back a few steps and into an iron maiden made of frozen ale. Blood pooling on the floor beneath her mouth and bone sticking out of her arm, Sari makes a fist to close the spike-covered doors. They shut with enough force to sever Stephen’s outstretched arm, allowing Dariana to fall into the remains of a table. Feeling the immortal fight against her creation, the gypsy tries to get onto all fours and pump more of her magic into the iron maiden. Cracks form along the device’s surface and it explodes with a backlash that sends Sari sailing through the shuttered window. Her leg is snagged on the broken wood and she dangles an inch off the ground until Nyx hurries to haul her back into the building. The channeler tears a sleeve from her shirt to bind the seeping wound, her hands shaking from being so close to the man of her nightmares.

  “I’ve never been attacked by beer before,” Stephen says with a laugh. The man takes the blow from Fizzle to his face and lunges forward to catch the drite’s neck in his teeth. He turns to his side and puts his head, along with the squirming dragon, through the bar to knock the creature out. “Tastes sweet and tangy. I might have to take him along and cook him when I find the time. Who do I have left?”

  “Just me,” Luke replies as he steps in front of his fallen friends.

  Stephen
yawns and points to where the half-elf’s sabers normally hang. “The deadly champion has lost his teeth. Now I only have to decide on the type of pain I’ll inflict on you. So many choices.”

  The forest tracker dives to tackle Nyx and Sari out of the way as half of the bar is hurled at the two women. With the channeler carrying their injured friend, the champions run as the front of the building slumps and collapses. Glancing over his shoulder, Luke sees that they have been cut off from Stephen who can still be heard laughing. All of the guards have gathered at the far end of town, ready to defend the townsfolk who are pounding on an invisible barrier that prevents them from leaving the area. Unleashing a sudden scream, Trinity clutches her chest and a crackling bolt of energy races from her body to the wreckage. An instant later, the brick and wood are incinerated by a burst of intense heat. Stephen examines his glowing hand as he walks into the street and flings a lightning bolt at Luke. The spell strikes the ground as the half-elf leaps to the side and flips to his feet. The warrior grabs a piece of debris and charges forward, but is taken down when a javelin of earth pierces his stomach. Before the attack can pass through his body, Luke desperately twists to the side and lets the sharp point tear across his gut.

  “It seems your friends are racing each other to their demise, my dearest Nyx” Stephen whispers as he approaches the channeler. He kicks Luke away when the injured champion tries to grab his ankle. “That one is trying his best to survive, but he won’t last very long. I might be willing to give him a chance if you come with me.”

  “You will heal all of my friends if I go with you,” Nyx demands while stepping away from Sari. She grits her teeth and straightens her back when her enemy laughs hysterically, a drop of his spit hitting her arm. “That’s my offer. All of my friends are saved or I do whatever it takes to kill you.”