by Cait Ashwood
“Deuce, Quad, you’ll have the rear guard.”
A woman tugged on Deuce’s collar and repeated something into his ear, then he nodded. She looked vaguely familiar. Amelina?
The woman glanced up and their eyes met for briefly before she turned away and hid herself behind Deuce, obviously ignoring her.
Quad, who Gwyn had never seen much of before, seemed to be in command of a good part of their remaining forces. Awfully young for a commander. Still, his men moved with efficiency, some spreading out along the sides to give the women more of a buffer from attacks from side tunnels, and some forming up a rear guard. It was a lot of movement and shuffling about, but in less time than she’d have expected, they were ready to move out.
Ravens whispered in the darkness around them, some exploring side tunnels for short distances before returning, others ranging out ahead of and behind them, hoping to find any ambush parties before the main column stumbled into them. The women moved slowly, not accustomed to being able to stretch their limbs.
Almost there. They had maybe another hundred feet to go before they’d reach the big, round room where all the tunnels converged. From there, they were one short trip up to the surface. The blood curdling scream behind them made Gwyn jump, hand going to her throat. No! We’re so close.
“Double time, move it. If they can’t walk, carry them. Move!” Ace seemed calm, never losing control of his men. Gwyn tried to stop the nearest Seekers from grabbing her mother, but another pair grabbed her arms and pulled her aside, out of the way. Gwyn had little choice but to follow as they carried Ellen, her heart in her throat as the rear guard turned, forming up ranks.
They finally made it to the circular room, and the Seekers burst into action, assisting Ravens already engaged with some of the tainted Seekers. Panicked, Gwyn sprinted after her mother, barely remembering to stay within the column of their guards. It wasn’t until Ellen made it into the tunnel leading to the surface that Gwyn dared look behind them.
The Ravens had fallen, and the rear guard was dealing with heavy resistance. They still covered the column’s retreat, but stopped when they, too, made it to the entrance to the tunnel.
“Come on! You can make it!” Gwyn pulled against her guards, who were attempting to haul her to the surface. Amelina was still at Deuce’s side, a tiny dagger in her hand.
Her captain leaned down so his mouth was at her ear. “They’ll fight until the column is clear. Those women aren’t moving fast enough to allow them to retreat. Now come on. The longer you stay here, the more of them will die.”
Tears blurring her vision, Gwyn nodded. Amelina wouldn’t look at her, but it didn’t matter now. She’d chosen where to stand. Gwyn turned and ran back towards the slowly retreating column, her guards flanking out around her.
Quad heaved a sigh of relief when they finally got Gwyn moving again. His men were in defensive formations, blocking the surface tunnel. They’d cut down the group harassing their backs, but he could hear more coming at them. He just had to wait for it.
He glanced over his shoulder. His men were as ready as they could be. Those with shields stood on the outer edges, presenting an impenetrable wall of steel to any would-be attackers.
The enraged cries of their enemies began as a whisper, something scarcely on the edge of hearing, slowly growing. When they came, they came from all openings at once, wild, crazy, enraged creatures flinging themselves at them without thought for life and limb. Their ferocity was astounding and the right flank almost faltered. Quad fought his way there, his blades weaving a blur of death for anyone that got in his way. With their commander there, the men rallied, pushing back the first wave of attackers. I knew this was too easy.
More wailing preceded another wave. The men were clearly insane. Many weren’t wearing even basic armor, and a few rushed at them, unarmed. They threw themselves senselessly against the shield wall and died. There were losses among his own men, too. Already, half of his rear guard lay dead. Quad wiped his forehead on his sleeve and raised a hand, motioning backwards. They couldn’t keep up a defense of their flank like this. They’d retreat into the tunnel, where at least they could only be hit from one side.
Quad was aware of Deuce and Amelina huddled into the center of their unit. Good. He’s a strong enough phaser to be able to get her out of here. Quad briefly considered ordering the pair away now, while they had a moment to breathe. No. The men will fight stronger with a Leaf in their presence. A commander always had to consider the morale of his men, after all, and having their number halved was never encouraging.
They repelled two more waves, leaving their own dead along the hall as they slowly gave up ground. The men beside Quad were injured but still up. He’d lost one of his own weapons, wedged between a tainted Seeker’s ribs. Someone tapped his shoulder and handed him a shield. Bulky things. He’d never liked them. He slipped it over his arm nonetheless as the banshee-wails echoed around them once more.
Is this what happens to them when their leader vanishes? Driven mad by the taint? Their behavior was similar to that of wasters with an aggressive case of the taint poisoning. Most of the wasters were put out of their misery before they became a danger to themselves or their caretakers, but Quad had seen the mad look in their eyes before.
They’d been fighting for hours, and it took Quad longer than it should have to realize that the wailing was coming from another direction. He’d just picked up the change and turned his head, an order to check for side passages on his lips, when the wall behind his men burst open, spilling tainted Seekers into their midst. The men were between them and the retreating column.
“Cut them off! Don’t let them catch the column.”
Utter. Pandemonium. Seekers phased everywhere, close enough to the surface to nearly taste it. In a sick, blood-filled game of leap-frog, his men fought. Quad ended up back-to-back with Deuce at one point, which showed how desperate the fighting had become. As best he could tell, though, not a single man had broken through to harass the main column.
“Go. Get her out of here.” Quad took a heavy blow on the shield, grunting as he pushed back against it.
After a pause, Deuce growled. “I’m not leaving you.”
A tainted Seeker made it to Amelina, raising a sword. Deuce parried and launched a counter-attack, managing to impale the man in the stomach after a few rounds of traded blows.
“That’s not a request. It’s an—” Quad paused as he blocked another strike with the shield, “order.”
Amelina’s dagger flew end-over-end through the air and landed with a sickening squelch in a tainted Seeker’s eye.
“Since when?”
No other men came to fill in the gaps around them. Quad couldn’t see past the chaos to know if he even had any men left.
“Since we found out about Clover.” Block, strike, slice. Pain, erupting in his upper arm. “Get her out of here. Let them know we’ve lost the rear.” His sword arm was slowing. He threw the shield aside and switched the blade to his other hand. “I’ll cover you.”
Quad hoped to hell those two got moving. Three more men spilled out of the side tunnel and he rolled his shoulder. The blood was flowing freely down his right arm; the bastard had nicked an artery. He wouldn’t have much time left to give them. If they didn’t run now—
Time slowed around Quad, as it always had when he was at his most focused. Desperation made you sloppy; focus kept you alive. The first three strikes seemed as clumsy as a child and he caught them all easily, turning them aside with his blade. He ducked under a blow aimed at his neck and spun, sword out and slicing as it caught the leading man at the back of the knee. He toppled, going down like a log, screaming. Still had a blade, though. Quad realized his mistake too late; with his arm bleeding out and non-responsive, he couldn’t keep the spin going. He threw himself into a roll, trying to get control of his momentum again.
He rolled right between the legs of the second attacker, and managed to make it back up to his feet in time to hamstr
ing him. Two down, one still up. The other two were still armed, and far from dead.
The one still on his feet came slowly, blade held at the ready. Quad shifted his feet, preparing for the attack. This soldier seemed intently focused, but all Quad needed to do was distract him for a little longer. He saw the opposing man grin, and it took his body a full two seconds to understand why. He looked down slowly, eyes seeing the blade protruding from his chest, but unable to piece together how it had gotten there. He tried to speak, but blood was already rushing into his lungs. All he could offer was a weak gurgling sound. He fell to his knees, still trying to see who had done him in. As blackness rushed towards him, he exhaled. I hope I gave them enough—
He was dead before he could finish the thought.
19
After reaching the surface, everything was a bit of a blur for Audrey. By the time she really started paying attention to what was going on, they were phasing to the Institute. Audrey sucked in a breath of air, blinking in the glare of the afternoon sun. White tents spread across the grounds outside the walls had her screwing up her forehead in confusion. Men in medic white poured out of them, and the mystery was solved. Out of habit, she expected Deuce to be among them. He probably needs attention himself, this time. That bandage around his head looked wicked.
More and more refugees were phased in, many landing between Audrey and the medics. She raised her arm over her head, poking delicately at the gash in her side. The blade had skipped off her ribs, and while it was tender and probably needed stitches, it wasn’t bleeding badly. A trio of medics were pushing through the crowd to her, kits in hand. Her perception didn’t seem horribly immediate, as if there was a film between her and the rest of the world, insulating her. Audrey did scan the crowd, though, and saw many more seriously injured than herself.
“My Lady, are you hurt?”
Audrey glanced at the man in time to catch his eyes flashing green. She stood still as he scanned her, not speaking until his eyes returned to normal, a frown on his face. “Not horribly. I certainly don’t need all three of you. Please.” She waved her hand at many of the injured fighters around them.
The youngest gave her a curt nod. “Then allow me to treat you, my Lady.”
The leader opened his mouth, but Audrey didn’t give him a chance to object. “Thank you.” She put a hand on his shoulder and let him lead her away.
Over the course of the next hour, she found out that his name was Stitches and he was apparently very good at those, needle flashing with precise movements. She’d been stuck on a cot for most of the time and couldn’t spring up fast enough when he finally pronounced her as ‘done’. Her brain had taken the down time to catch up on everything, and she wanted news. Who had made it out? How many had they lost? How many had they saved? The questions ate at her, chasing each other around in her mind, competing for which one could scream the loudest. Answers. I need to know.
Audrey stepped out of the tent, the sun turning the sky pink and orange as it made its journey toward the horizon. At first, all she saw was chaos. She watched, waiting until patterns emerged and things began to make sense. She’d been taken to one of the further medic tents, likely for those more capable of making the trip there. The worst trauma cases seemed to be close to the drop-off point. She also saw a silhouette that looked suspiciously like Ace, standing next to a beast of a man that could only be Tops. With her destination in sight, she set off, stepping gingerly at first as the movement tugged at her stitches. She passed a few tents, getting the hang of walking without causing herself too much pain, stopping to catch her breath as needed. They eventually came back into view, standing with their backs to her, watching as groups still phased in and out.
“You need to tell Audrey they won’t be allowed to leave the tower.” Ace sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “Someone needs to break it to her.”
Tops snorted, shaking his head. “Why do you think I told Stitches to take his time? I’ve let her call a lot of shots, but this one is mine. I can’t jeopardize the safety of the civilians just to avoid offending her sensibilities.”
Audrey pulled up short, hand going to her throat. He made the medic take longer? The man had applied a paste that deadened some of the sensation, but it certainly hadn’t been one hundred percent effective. Getting the stitches had hurt.
“I’m just saying. She’s not going to see it that way.” Ace sounded defeated, defensive. Audrey really couldn’t tell if he was standing up for her, or warning his commander. The lack of distinction bothered her more than she cared to admit.
“I don’t care how she sees it. That’s how it’s going to be.”
Audrey seethed, feeling the blood pounding in her ears. “I presume you plan to let them into the Groves on a leash, or will they not even be let out for that?”
Both men whipped around to gape at her. Ace looked off to the side quickly, his shoulders pulling downward. He’s ashamed. Good. He ought to be.
“I didn’t fight so hard to get them out of there just to imprison them again.” Audrey understood the risk, she really did. It just didn’t seem all that vital to her. As long as at least half the group didn’t lose their minds, they’d be able to reverse or repair any damage done. It wasn’t as if the women could kill a person with the taint. It seemed the risk to the civilian population was minimal, if there was a risk at all.
“This isn’t up for debate, Audrey. Executive decision.” Tops crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps flexing as if to intimidate her.
Audrey glanced between the two men, pinning Ace with a glare. “We’ll see about that.”
If there was one thing she knew Ace wouldn’t be able to stand, it was any separation between the two of them. If Tops wanted to rule that the Order be confined to their tower? That was just fine. She’d collect the twins and move into a room there. The one thing she’d been guaranteed about the Order’s new home was that no Seeker would be permitted to enter without permission. In all honesty? She didn’t feel like granting said permission any time soon. All that was left was to find someone to take her where she needed to go. She turned on her heel, leaving the men to figure out what exactly she’d meant by it all.
Another group of Seekers phased in toward the outer edge of the tent camp. Audrey had been roaming the outskirts restlessly, waiting to find some hapless Seeker to take her back to the Manse and collect the children. She saw a familiar face in this group, waiting for their next batch of women to approach for transport.
“Trio?” She was still some distance away and hadn’t seen him up close for quite a while. When he turned, his expression stopped her in her tracks. He’d always been lighthearted, a lady’s man, and never one to take anything seriously. Now? Even beneath the dirt and grime, she could see how puffy the skin around his eyes was. His entire face seemed to be permanently frozen in a frown, as if the weight of it all had added age lines instantly.
“What happened?” Audrey hadn’t been able to get much information on fatalities, and she knew Lindsey had been here the night before preparing the tunnels. Had Jess snuck into the fight as well?
Trio glanced over his shoulder at a man apparently leading the squad. He got a curt nod and a wave, and separated from the group. Trio stuck his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped and head down. He stopped a few feet away, not looking up. “I take it no one told you?”
No one tells me anything. Trio was such a shadow of his usual self that she didn’t feel comfortable saying that out loud. “Not much, no. Just got patched up not too long ago.” Technically true.
“Quad, uh…well, he was leading the rear guard.”
Was. A sinking feeling hit her stomach like a load of bricks. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. You don’t know anything for sure, yet. She nodded, hoping to encourage him to continue.
“I guess there was a side passage we missed. Group of those tainted fuckers managed to get between them and the main column.” Trio paused, turning his face skyward and swallowi
ng with visible difficulty. He was blinking rapidly, battling back tears. “Only survivors were Deuce and Amelina. If he hadn’t had to get her out of there, I doubt he’d be alive, either.”
Her knees went weak and she staggered backwards a step. Quad? The first one to call her Squeaker? She recalled his face instantly. Dusty blond hair, always kept spiky, somehow. Playful blue eyes, dimples, an easy smile. He’d been the youngest on the squad, and the youngest weapons master in Seekers history. Why? Why him, of all people? The tears came quickly, overflowing her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.
She had a moment of odd clarity, despite the crushing weight on her chest that made it feel like she couldn’t breathe. If she was feeling his loss, what must Trio be going through? He’d trained, worked, and lived with the guy for the past few years. It was instinct that made her pull the man into her arms. He resisted her at first, then folded in on himself, tucking his head in the corner of her neck and wrapping his arms around her, clutching her close. She held him as his entire body shook with silent sobs. Somehow, consoling him managed to chase away some of her own grief. She had no doubt it would be waiting for her later, but for now, she could think.
I always liked it when my mother ran her hands through my hair. It was one of those odd things that made no sense, but always seemed calming. Trio was quite vain about his hair, keeping it long despite the impracticality. It was snarled from the fighting, but Audrey didn’t mind. She picked her way through it, gently untangling the various knots until Trio had a perfectly finger-groomed head of hair. She loosened her hold on him and he pulled away, sniffing.
“I never expected him to die, Audrey. If there was anyone I was sure was gonna make it—” He didn’t seem capable of finishing the sentence, instead shaking his head.
She nodded, acknowledging him. There were no words for grief. There was nothing she could say that would dull the pain, nothing she could do to make things better again. The first pang of guilt stabbed at her. Quad was dead because she’d been insistent they try and save the Order, an Order that Tops now feared was going to run feral across the world, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let them sully his sacrifice. There was only one way to test the waters, though, and that was to meet them.
