Noble Lies

by Lyneal Jenkins

  I gave him a tight, grateful smile.

  ‘How did you escape Dallinger?’ Beverly asked.

  ‘I killed him.’ My words were nothing more than a whispered squeak, unheard by all except the Prime Minister.

  ‘She did what was necessary to survive,’ he said. ‘I am sure you understand that Ms. Martin has no desire to relive such an awful experience, and I hope you will respect this. We have a lot to thank Ms. Martin for.’ He paused, likely choking on his words. Good! ‘She saved many lives the day she was forced to defend innocent people from David Creed.’ He lied so well even I almost believed him. It didn’t appear that anyone had noticed his slight pause. Shame.

  I frowned a little. Maybe my thoughts weren’t so far from Maria’s aspirations. Maybe it was time for the world to know.

  The reporters shouted questions again, and I shrank back from the flare of their cameras, once more dragged into a feeling of chaos, the attention they gave with their rapid questions and trolling cameras making me feel once again like the shy, awkward kid in school.

  The Prime Minister answered many of the questions for me. It suited us both as the lies felt unnatural to my lips and my squeaked responses were difficult for the press to hear.

  After a couple of minutes, he shook my hand and paused for them to take photos, not concerned about my clammy skin next to his dry, soft hand. The man hadn’t even broken a sweat while lying.

  Something tickled the edge of my mind, a light feeling that caused my stomach to clench with fear. I gripped the Prime Minister’s hand, unable to let go. The feeling got stronger, and I looked at the sky.

  Please let it be someone I know. Please God, please.

  I couldn’t let go of the Prime Minister’s hand. How did I warn him of the potential trouble heading our way?

  After a few seconds of gripping him as I stared at the sky, he bent his head in close with question in his eyes.

  ‘Siis are coming,’ I whispered.

  CHAPTER NINE

  My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Siis were coming and I wore a pink suit with a skirt. Reporters looked at us, their gazes keen as they fired questions off. If the Siis attacked now, there was no way the Prime Minister could keep the secret from the press.

  He looked up, his eyes tight with strain. ‘It’s too soon,’ he muttered.

  Before I could question his comment, he turned to the reporters with an easy smile. ‘I’m afraid that is all for now. Ms. Martin and I have appointments we need to keep.’

  The press voiced their displeasure as a woman stepped forwards from behind the Prime Minister. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, a frown marring her smooth forehead. The ground rumbled and shook. Everyone fell silent as they looked around, gaping in surprise and shock as there were no fault lines in England. Earthquakes just shouldn’t occur.

  I looked back up at the sky. The Siis approached. Four of them. The sense of them caused my stomach to roll, and I reached for my dagger. Something cracked from above, and grains of brick showered down on us. I looked up; my head seemed to drift like I turned in water. The wall!

  I hurled myself at the Prime Minister, knocking us both to the ground. A huge section of brick wall landed in the space we’d just vacated. The woman’s scream cut off, and red mist sprayed my face and clothes as her head exploded under the brick. The Prime Minister pulled me to my feet. To my amazement, the press continued to take photos. Were they insane? Did they not just see a woman splattered like an overripe tomato? Did they not realise that, if the surrounding buildings collapsed, they would likely die?

  The ground shook again. A cameraman staggered, tried to maintain his footing, and fell to his knees. The ground cracked, the edges moving like waves as the road rolled, like something from beneath fought to rise.

  God, please don’t it be that.

  The Siis and Fae were enough problems to deal with; I didn’t need some ancient creature rising from the centre of the earth. I was freaking myself out.

  Mere moments passed, yet the world had slowed down, or maybe my brain sped up. With a morbid fascination I couldn’t shake, I watched the crack spread, reaching across the road towards us. The sound of the road tearing and shifting deafened me, but still, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

  I stumbled and the Prime Minister gripped my shoulder, his hand tight as he steadied me. The ground continued to move, causing us to stagger. Screams bellowed out, some deep, some so high-pitched, my ears hurt.

  I tried to drag my eyes from the staggering reporters, to focus on the approaching Siis, but I couldn’t look away. Beverly screamed as the ground opened beneath her. One second she was there, her eyes wide with panic, the next she was gone, a gaping fissure in her place.

  Several of the reporters stumbled back as dust plumed in the air. It continued to billow up as the quake spread along the road, widening like a hungry mouth. The reporters became warped shadows that moved in and out of focus through the dust.

  I blinked grains of filth from my eyes and looked up. I couldn’t see the approaching Siis, but they were close. Their presence caused my throat to swell, and I dragged my dagger from its sheath.

  ‘Get inside,’ I shouted as I kicked my shoes off. Two men surrounded the Prime Minister as they pushed him towards the door. I stumbled back, following, never once taking my eyes off the sky.

  As I fell through the doorway, shi shone through the dust, four Siis, all changing form. Fingers crossed they would be human. I couldn’t stand the thought of fighting another prehistoric wolf. Humans I could handle. Extinct creatures came with more challenges. One was a priest. My throat seized up, my mouth dry. How the hell could I beat a priest without Eris?

  Who were they after? Me? The Prime Minister? Or were their orders to let the world know about them? It was the perfect location to start the war, to create panic among the masses. If that were the case, wouldn't there be more than four? Would they not attack en-masse? And why give the charade of the earthquake?

  I tripped and stumbled, able to keep my balance. The first Siis appeared through the misty debris. My heart thundered away as the tall, white figure came into view. A Siis in natural form; their broad shoulders and trim waist rippled with muscles that could crush or move with speed no human could achieve. Their claws lengthened, ready to tear through flesh and bone. I was in deep crap.

  The figure grinned, revealing glistening sharp teeth. I turned and ran into Downing Street.

  I slammed the door behind me and turned to follow the Prime Minister down the corridor. The door flew from the frame, metal squealing as it twisted apart, and crashed into me, throwing me against the wall, all air forced from my chest.

  My ears rang as I tried to draw breath. It hurt. Maybe I’d cracked a couple of ribs. I had no time to check as all four Siis approached, the priest the last one to enter. Not because he used the others for protection, he moved too leisurely for that, his demeanour calm, like a person who knew they had already won.

  I tried to move but the heavy door pinned my legs. I leant forward, trying to lift it, but fresh pain cut into my lungs and I choked. One of the normal Siis stood before me, smiling. They held no daggers. They didn’t need them, not with their claws flexed, ready to strike.

  The nearest Siis screamed a high-pitched sound that vibrated through the foyer. Its chest ruptured and blood sprayed my face. Another shot rang out, hitting the Siis in the head. It fell forwards, it's cry cut short.

  The remaining three Siis turned to the six men stood in the doorway who had their guns trained on them. Several shots rang out in quick succession.

  One of the Siis fell back, blood flowing from its stomach, another Siis stumbled, hit in the shoulder. It maintained its balance and healed without pause, the bullet had travelled straight through. The government really needed to revise their weaponry. Bullets that shattered on impact would be much more useful as the fragments would remain in the Siis, preventing them from healing.

  The men flew backwards, the sound of their
necks snapping in union almost as loud as the gunfire, their weapons now dust on the ground.

  The priest bent down beside its injured colleague and ripped its claws through its stomach. The Siis screamed and lurched as the other Siis turned to me.

  I pressed myself against the wall. There was no way to survive. My dagger was no use against a priest. The third Siis stood, its stomach already healing, the bullet removed. They approached as one.

  Light illuminated the foyer, catching each speck of dust, creating a radiant blue hue surrounding me. Maria stood, her eyes wild, her lips in a tight grimace, and her hands filled with fiery orbs. She flung them towards the Siis. One ducked, and the orb hit the wall, dissipating. The next Siis wasn’t so lucky. Blue electric spread over its chest, and it screamed as it buckled to the floor, where it continued to twitch, its eyes rolled back in its head.

  ‘Come on,’ Maria called, her hands once again filled with orbs.

  I wiggled from under the door and struggled to my feet, taking shallow breaths as pain rippled through my chest. I kept my eyes on the priest. He glowed, briefly, more of a flash of light, before he changed into a man.

  I staggered to Maria. Something snagged my jacket, long claws that ripped through the material, grazing the skin. I tore free and fell towards my friend. Hitting her would hurt like hell, the electric contracting muscles into knots. I twisted and hit the wall, narrowly missing her painful orbs.

  More gunfire shattered through the hallway. Maria and I ducked with our hands over our head, as if our arms could protect us from the bullets.

  A man screamed, and the gunfire stopped. Menacing silence surrounded us, as if the air itself was gleeful, relishing the death to come.

  Maria grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. We sprinted down the corridor, Maria dragging me as I gasped for breath, unable to keep up with her. My eyes stung and watered, trying to rid the dust that made everything disjointed. I didn’t need to see the three Siis following us. I felt them with every fibre of my being, their determination and malice crushing down on me, the priest's humour and conviction that we couldn’t escape.

  Maria dragged me through a door into a smaller room. She continued straight across the room and through another doorway, into another corridor. Where was the Prime Minister? Where was anyone? The place had been full of people before, yet now there wasn’t a soul to be seen.

  I dragged in a deep, painful breath and tried to focus past the Siis. I needed to detect someone other than us. I needed to know we weren’t alone. I caught a weak scent, a slight prick on the mind indicating life, in the direction we headed. It helped me find the energy to move a bit faster. It wasn’t enough. The Siis still gained on us.

  We crashed through another door into the office where I'd recently sat with Tabert. The so-called receptionists knelt behind their desks with weapons aimed at me. I skidded to a stop at the nearest desk, only able to focus on the dark tunnel of the gun pointing at my head. The woman behind it shouted for me to move.

  I shifted from her line of sight as one of them, a burly man with ruddy cheeks, scowled. His eyes darted to each of the available doorways before returning to me with fear and suspicion. The second figure, a beanpole of a man, waved his gun, indicating that I move behind them. They had no idea what headed their way.

  I opened my mouth to shout, but the door splintered and sailed through the air. I ducked as Maria threw herself to the side. The woman wasn’t so lucky. The door cracked her skull like a hammer would a coconut, and she skidded across the floor into a desk. Her lifeless eyes sought me out as if asking how this could have happened to her, as if were to blame. Was I? Had I brought the Siis to me?

  Run or fight? What did I do? My breath steadied and the pain in my chest lessened, though sharp agony continued to sear through my back.

  A Siis entered, his feline-like jaw wide in a triumphant smile. His companion followed, blood still staining the fine hair on his stomach, though the bullet and slashed wound had healed. The priest followed behind. They stopped, their shoulders almost touching as bright eyes bore into me.

  I kept my gaze on the priest. Power radiated off him, bringing the promise of death or worse. It was the worse that worried me.

  The priest watched me, his thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. ‘So, we finally meet, hybrid.'

  I glared at him. ‘Don’t call me hybrid.’

  His smile broadened as he leant against the torn doorframe. If only his nonchalant attitude were forced. I sensed no hint of fear from him. I stood my ground as the tension rippled through his companions’ muscles, so violently, they appeared to shiver. Excitement dominated their thoughts. They had me, the hybrid, their prize.

  My teeth clenched, aching as several thoughts ran through my mind at once, most focused on any possible survival. I was sick of this crap, of them all thinking I was fair game. Who had sent these ones? Vakros? Cleas? Malachi? Did it matter?

  The priest remained in place as his companions moved around the edge of the room, keeping their back to the wall. I couldn’t keep them all in my sights so kept my eyes on the figure in the doorway. Maria would cover the other two. Had the Siis called reinforcements when their comrade fell? Were there more heading this way as we stood staring each other down?

  Shots echoed from a distance. Someone fired nearer the back of the building. I strained to sense what was happening and detected more Siis. More than I could count. It was a full attack, trapping us all in a pincher movement. There was no way out.

  A trickle of sweat ran between my eyes and down my nose. It hung for a moment before dropping to the floor. More sweat trailed down my face. I ignored it. Even a small movement could provoke them into action. I needed every available second to come up with a plan. I could go on the attack which might surprise them. Even after all that had happened, they still tended to underestimate me. Then again, I'd never fought a priest before, and if I was honest, I had only survived so far through pure luck.

  The two in natural Siis form continued to through the room, their movements fluid like a well-rehearsed dance. Maria’s blue orbs expanded, her power a blanket of static nipping at my back.

  ‘Not another move,’ she said to the Siis. She would know that we had a priest in our midst. Would her power work against him? So far, he hadn’t done anything except follow us with a confident grin on his face. I fantasised about wiping it off.

  The priest laughed. ‘Fascinating. A hybrid and a witch. I almost didn’t believe it was true.’

  I glared at him. He was toying with us. ‘Who the hell are you? And who do you work for?’

  ‘I work for no one.’ His eyes gleamed with humour. ‘I am my own master.’

  My eyes narrowed on him, not in the mood to play games. ‘Every Siis works for someone.’

  He chuckled. ‘You still know little of our world.’ He bent, giving me a mocking bow. ‘I am Cleas, leader of the True Siis.’

  My heart sank—We are so screwed!—and I fought every instinct to step away from him. ‘What do you want?’

  He stepped into the room, and I stepped back. Sod a show of strength; we both knew I couldn’t compete with him. Maria released an orb at one of the Siis. It screamed as it hit the wall with a crash. I kept my eyes on Cleas, able to imagine the Siis thrashing on the ground, its arms and legs striking the wall as electricity rippled through it.

  Maria formed two fresh spheres of power. ‘I warned you to stay still. What about you, freak?’ she said to the taller Siis. ‘You want to risk another move?’

  The remaining Siis obviously decided that it wasn’t worth the risk as no more orbs were released. Cleas looked over my shoulder and nodded. I waited for Maria to shout out, but nothing happened. Cleas must have given the Siis permission to wait. Wait for what, though? The longer we stalled, the better our chances, not his. The Prime Minister would have an army heading our way. Did Cleas have the same? I shuddered and banished the thoughts from my mind. There was no point fretting over what-ifs, not right now.


  My jaw clenched, I hissed through my teeth. ‘You are not having my child.’

  He laughed at me as if I’d just told him the world was flat. ‘I have no interest in raising your child.’

  ‘What do you want, then?’

  He splayed his hands out, his face a picture of pure innocence, yet darkness resided in him, it coiled along my spine like an icy snake. ‘The child’s death. You see, I have no interest in the potential weapon it might be. Yes, it could help me defeat Vakros, especially if it develops the same powers he has, after all, they are the same. But the risk that it could turn on me is just too high. I’m sure you understand.’ He broke eye contact to smile at his surviving companion; it was a loaded smile that caused me to shift on the balls of my feet, trying to keep them all in my line of sight.

  I needed to focus, to come up with a plan. But his words swirled around my mind without control. Vakros is the same as my child? That needed some serious consideration but now wasn’t the time. First, I needed to survive.

  ‘You appear confused.’ Cleas studied me, his lips quirked in delight as he absorbed my shock.

  I gripped the dagger, my knuckles hurting. He was toying with me like a cat would a mouse.

  He chuckled, though it felt like he’d handed me a plate of human eyeballs, creepy and scary as hell. His crazy-ass smile broadened with glee. ‘No one has told you. Then again, one could not expect Kileam to reveal the truth.’ He tilted his head to the side, his eyes too knowing as they scrutinised me. ‘I find you more entertaining than I’d thought you would be. Such a shame I will have to kill you.’

  I glared at him, refusing to be drawn into his game. I would have to digest everything once we were out of danger. I inched back until my hip touched a desk. I stepped to the left, around it, and continued to shuffle away from Cleas, making sure to keep him in my sights, looking for a weakness to present itself. Who was I kidding? The chances of surviving a priest like Cleas were nil to none.