Trickster (Angelbound Lincoln Book 3)

by Christina Bauer

  If Peli has another plan, now would be a great time for it to start.

  I look to Lincoln. The dagger stays gripped tightly in his fist. He and I spoke about Peli a lot last night. We’re agreed. Peli gets a chance until he doesn’t. Time is running out.

  The branches get within five yards.

  Three yards.

  One.

  “Stop!” cries Aldred.

  In a major shock, the Contagion actually freezes in place. Looking at Aldred, it’s obvious what’s happening here.

  The earl holds a round wooden carving of a monkey’s head. I suck in a shocked breath.

  I know what that is.

  The peak to a wizard’s staff.

  Quilliam’s staff.

  Lincoln and I discussed this as well. We figured the original peak to Quilliam’s staff just got lost somewhere along the line. Looks like Aldred found it. And right now, that carving glows with orange light.

  It’s giving Aldred the power to control Quilliam, and therefore the Contagion.

  Peli slowly crawls toward Aldred. “Where did you get that?”

  Aldred smirks. “I have my secrets, even from you, little monkey.”

  Peli halts in place, his eyes wide with shock. “I’d no idea.”

  This is super crap news. Peli’s big plan was for me to my life force so we could blow up the Contagion. Now Aldred basically has a magical remote control for evil Treebeard. Things are going to Hell.

  “Now.” Aldred really drags out that single syllable. “Do you finally see my full plan?”

  Lincoln and I share a look that encapsulates a sad mixture of insight and resignation. Because yes, the full plan is clear at last.

  “You don’t want to kill the Contagion,” says Lincoln.

  “You want to become him,” I add.

  Aldred nods.

  Sometimes, it sucks being right.

  68

  Lincoln

  I tighten my grip on my dagger. Now that Aldred has the Contagion in his power, a battle is almost certainly coming.

  Chances are, it won’t be one I expect.

  Aldred turns to Myla and grins. “While I’m at it, I should gather up as much magic as possible, don’t you think? It’s simply a matter of efficiency.” Aldred snaps his fingers. “Peli, cast the spell we discussed.”

  Peli hops backward. “That casting was for the Contagion, not you.”

  “Change of plans. Cast the spell… unless you want me to ask the Contagion to cast it. He has all the magic he needs to do so, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Peli says that word with all the excitement of accepting an invitation to a funeral. “I will cast it for you.”

  Peli lifts his palms. A fresh haze of orange magic appears above his hands. When the power vanishes, Peli holds a new carving. The creation is identical to the others that I’ve seen for the peak of a wizard’s staff, but with one key difference.

  This carving shows Myla’s face.

  I round on Aldred. “It’s not enough to have the Contagion’s power, you want Myla’s too?”

  “Don’t blame me,” says Aldred. “Peli was the one who explained everything. Why should I stop short of all the magic I can get? Especially when it will be so satisfying to watch you suffer as Myla does my bidding at last?”

  All rational thought flees my head. I race after Aldred, my dagger raised. Aldred doesn’t so much as move into fighting stance.

  “Contagion,” cries Aldred. “Pin him down.”

  Fast as lightning, the branches that reached for Myla move again. I’m not six steps toward Aldred when they slam into me, knocking me onto my back. Branches sharp as daggers pierce my shoulders and thighs, tearing through my body armor.

  Pain radiates from the puncture wounds. Warm blood trickles down my shoulders and legs. I struggle to move. Even the barest flinches cause agony to burn through me.

  “I didn’t mean to be so literal,” says Aldred. “But that was rather effective.”

  Myla rushes to kneel at my side. She pulls at the branches, trying to jar them loose. They don’t budge.

  Rufus rushes forward, claws and teeth bared. “Set my friend free!”

  A fresh branch bursts from the Contagion’s side. The tar-covered limb slams against the lion’s skull, knocking him out cold.

  Poor Rufus.

  Myla takes my dagger and hacks at the tar-like surface. The blade has no affect.

  Aldred steps closer. “Don’t fret yourself, Myla darling. Give Peli your consent, and he’ll cast a quick spell. Your life energy will enter that peak for a new wizard’s staff. I’ll eventually add it to my new self, just as Quilliam added to his original glory. Your body will still be alive, and I’ll free Lincoln. Isn’t that a sensible course of action?”

  I wait for Myla threaten bodily harm to Peli, Aldred, or both. She doesn’t. Instead, Myla’s blue eyes line with tears as she hacks away at the Contagion. Her tail gets into the mix as well. Nothing causes so much as a scratch.

  “Aww,” says Aldred in a low voice. “I’ve seen you struggle, my sweet. Everyone will be better off if you agree. You know that, don’t you? I’ve already pledged to protect Lincoln. My promise extends to your family as well. And just think—you’ll bring back so many lives.”

  Myla stops hacking away. Despite the pain, a chill runs over my skin.

  Myla is actually considering this.

  “No,” I whisper. “Don’t.”

  Myla doesn’t reply. In fact, she doesn’t even meet my gaze.

  “Come now,” says Aldred. “It’s the Rixa Way. Don’t be selfish with your powers. Give them over. Protect those you love.”

  Myla drops the dagger.

  Oh, no.

  69

  Myla

  I stare at my palms. My hands drip with goop from the Contagion. I haven’t so much as made the thing flinch, let alone let Lincoln free. There’s no way to end this. I’m in a strange world with odd powers.

  Aldred waves his hand at the Contagion. “Clarify the threat for her.”

  A fresh branch oozes out from the Contagion’s side. The slimy appendage speeds across the clearing, stopping when the knife-like end hovers just above Lincoln’s eye. My mind washes clean with panic.

  “Agree to Peli’s spell,” says Aldred in a sweet voice. “I will protect Lincoln and your loved ones. You’ll still be alive. It’s the best offer you’ll get.”

  I try to meet Lincoln’s gaze. Total fail.

  “Myla, look at me,” says my guy.

  I can’t. If I do, I’ll lose my nerve. And I have to be strong here.

  “Peli told me about this spell,” I say in a low voice. “I’ll live through it and free others.”

  “It’s not an option, Myla.” Lincoln takes in a long breath. Every line in his body seems to firm with resolution. “You see, I now understand what the Guide wants me to do.”

  “I can fix this, Lincoln.”

  “No, we can end this. Trust me.”

  The pull of his gaze is too strong. Lifting my chin, I look right into Lincoln’s mismatched irises. In this moment, there really is only one choice. It’s the same one that’s always existed.

  When I next speak, I place all my heart into three simple words. “I trust you.”

  70

  Lincoln

  Pain bites into my shoulders and legs. Gritting my teeth, I focus past the hurt. There’s no ignoring the lines of misery etched on Myla’s face, though.

  Her suffering must end. Now.

  I slightly arch my head toward Aldred. It’s the most I can manage, given that there’s a knife-sharp stick hovering just above my eyeball.

  “If I gave you my strength, would you leave Myla alone?” I ask.

  For Aldred’s part, he pretends not to hear the question at all. Even so, there’s no missing the interested gleam in his button eyes. “What power could you possibly have here?”

  “Ask Peli,” I reply. “Your ally has been hiding things from you.”

  Here’s w
here my plan hits a crossroads. If Peli really is in league with Aldred, then the monkey wizard will admit I’ve got nothing in terms of power in the Primeval.

  Aldred rounds on Peli. “Is this true?”

  What follows next is a lot of hopping around and screeching. It’s a virtuoso performance of raw animal fear.

  “Answer me!” cries Aldred.

  Peli stops. Shivers. Nods. “Yes, it’s true.”

  One thing about greed. It quickly becomes a fog that clouds your judgement. Aldred doesn’t actually need any more power than he has today. What he craves is the thrill of taking something. Of winning.

  Honestly, the man needs a hobby.

  Aldred stalks closer to me. “In that case, I want your energy as well.”

  “If I give it willingly, do I have your assurance that Myla will be safe?”

  Aldred slaps on a simpering smile. “Of course, I’ll leave your demon girl alone.”

  Which is an absolute lie. Not that I’ll say anything. When Aldred thinks he’s outsmarting me, he’s much easier to manipulate.

  Myla flashes Aldred an angry look. “Still have a name here, dickhead. Myyyyyylaaaaaaa.”

  I can’t help but grin. Nice to see my girl’s sass returning. She’d been far too quiet through this entire exchange.

  Peli bobs on all fours. “Give me a moment. This is a tricksy spell.”

  That’s what Peli says, but I know what’s truly taking extra time here. Peli has no idea what to cast. Fortunately, all my visions from the Guide are now crystal clear.

  “It shouldn’t take too long,” I tell Peli. “After all, you’re just casting the same the spell you did on Mlinzi and Walinzi.”

  “Who are those two?” asks Aldred.

  “Some locals Peli and I met on your travels.” I can be a rather smooth liar, if I do say so myself.

  Peli’s blue eyes widen so much, they dominate his small round face. “Yes. You’re right. That won’t take long.”

  Lifting his hands, Peli summons a fresh haze of magic to hover above his palms. The small orange cloud stretches, turning into a long cord that reaches out to both me and Aldred.

  As the bright line of magic closer, I start to question my scheme here. Linking with Aldred’s soul? That won’t be pleasant. Or safe.

  All the while, Aldred stares at the cord of power with a look that’s the very definition of the word gloating. The earl has worked very hard for this moment. Clearly, he’s savoring it.

  Magic brushes against my neck. The touch is soft as raindrops. For a moment, all my pain fades.

  The spell enters my body.

  Instantly, I sense the blackened soul that is Aldred. Ambition, malice, and so much greed. The man is all craving and no contentment.

  I pull on my inner sense of control and press Aldred’s self into a far corner of my consciousness. Even so, his presence remains, like an old and open wound. For the purposes of Primeval magic, we are the same person now.

  Disgusting but—in this situation, anyway—the only possible way to save Myla.

  When I next speak, I place an extra ring of authority to my voice. “Contagion, release me.”

  Aldred huffs out a sarcastic breath. “That won’t work, Lincoln.”

  Yet the branches in my body shiver. Then they snap back. I’m now free again.

  Aldred stares at me, his face slack with shock. “How did you do that?”

  “I’ll tell you.” Pressing the pain aside, I hop to stand and lurch over to Aldred. Once we’re inches apart, I do what I’ve wanted to for ages.

  I punch Aldred in the head. Hard.

  The earl falls over with all the grace of a sack of potatoes. Rifling in the earl’s tunic, I search for the monkey head carving. The action takes my attention away from the Contagion.

  The evil wizard uses this moment to strike.

  Black sludge oozes around me. Like the other Marked Ones, I’m now being consumed. Dark branches yank the wizard’s peak from Aldred’s tunic, pulling it inside the Contagion’s body. More tar encases Aldred as well.

  The slime quickly rises up around me. Ankles. Knees. Chest. My thoughts whirl. Adrenaline courses through my veins. This move by the Contagion was unexpected, but not necessarily unwanted.

  A chance remains.

  Myla senses it, too. “How do I kill this thing?”

  “Once I’m inside, send me fire.”

  The dark ooze covers my head.

  71

  Myla

  My inner wrath demon rages inside me, claws bared and fangs ready. There’s a simple reason why.

  That tree monster just freaking digested my future husband.

  Not okay.

  Sadly, I’ve already seen what happens when I try to battle the Contagion directly. Not a whole Hell of a lot.

  Stupid Primeval.

  Stupid powers.

  Peli shuffles closer. “What will you do?’

  Lincoln’s final ask reverberates through my head.

  “Once I’m inside, send me fire.”

  No question what that particular request means. My igni have been dancing over Lincoln’s skin ever since we arrived in the Primeval.

  “This,” I reply. Closing my eyes, I summon my igni.

  Come to me, little ones.

  It’s always a crap shoot if my igni will show up. And if they do, what happens next can be unpredictable. But today, my little ones appear right away. A dozen tiny flames materialize on my palms. It’s like playing catch with lit matches.

  “Ouch, ouch, ouch!” On reflex, I shake my hands. “Go help Lincoln.”

  The igni zoom from my hands and slam against the Contagion’s trunk. The sight isn’t as odd as it could be. The Contagion is no longer sporting his creepy bark face, so it just seems like I’m trying to burn down a really gross tree.

  Hiss.

  Hiss.

  Hiss.

  As each flame hits the gooey bark, the slimy surface extinguishes the little blaze. The good news is, it doesn’t hurt my igni. They just bounce back and hover in the air. But the bad part here is obvious.

  Lincoln is inside that thing.

  My igni need to reach him.

  I round on Peli. “Open up the Contagion.”

  Peli shivers. “I can’t.”

  “There must be a spell you can try.”

  “There are many, and I did try them for years. That’s why I had to find you.”

  Peli’s words echo through my mind.

  That’s why I had to find you.

  An idea appears. It’s totally whacky and a major long shot, but since when have I had good odds?

  “Do you still have that carving of me?”

  Peli lifts his palm. A miniature cloud of orange magic materializes above his palm. The haze vanishes to reveal the carving of yours truly that Peli offered up before.

  “It’s too late,” says Peli. “The Contagion has consumed both Lincoln and Aldred.”

  “I’m not talking about draining me here,” I retort. “Just put a little of my mojo on that thing. All I need is to break up that goo bark.”

  Peli turns the round craving over in his hands. “That could work.”

  “Damn right, it could. So start siphoning off some Myla sass and let’s get this party started.”

  Peli lifts his free hand. A fresh tendril of orange power whips off his palm and zooms across the wasteland. A second later, the cord connects with my rib cage, right above my heart.

  Damn. That hurts like a mother.

  A pulse of red energy moves out from my chest, across the magical cord, and right into the Myla craving. The round object changes from regular wood to a glowing baseball of crimson death.

  Yes. This is getting good.

  I raise my hands. “Toss it here.”

  Peli chucks the carving into the air. I don’t even bother trying to catch it. My tail swings out and whacks the sphere, baseball style.

  The carving whizzes across the wasteland to slam onto the slimy bark. The trunk opens sl
ightly. My igni speed to enter, but the bark seals up too quickly.

  “Again,” I command Peli. “And this time, put more of my life force into it.”

  Peli shifts his weight from foot to foot. “I can drain you easily, but taking just a little of your life force? I’ve never cast a spell like this before. I don’t know what will happen.”

  “Do I look like I care?” I point to the carving. “Do it, Peli. Now.”

  72

  Lincoln

  Darkness surrounds me. My lungs ache with the need for oxygen. Wood presses against my skin, tight as a vise.

  Orange light burns into my eyes. I wince against the assault. One moment, I’m being crushed inside a tree. The next, I sit at a table in a familiar space. It’s the meeting room where the one-time Quilliam held court with other regents so long ago. There’s no mistaking how the walls are lined with the carved peaks of so many wizard staffs.

  My chest aches as I try to pull in air. On reflex, I set my hand on my throat.

  There’s only one other being in the chamber with me. Quilliam. He appears just as he did in the first vision: a lanky humanoid with a monkey’s face and tufts of hair on his cheeks.

  “This is an illusion,” says Quilliam. “You’re still dying.”

  It takes some effort, but I’m able to squeeze out a single word. “Yes.”

  Turns out, it’s hard to speak without air. I resolve to keep the chatter to a minimum.

  Thunk.

  Quilliam sets an object onto the tabletop. It’s the peak from his wizard’s staff—the same item Aldred was using to control the Contagion. Quilliam grins. “I have this back.”

  “So I see.” If my lungs ached before, now they positively burn with the need to breathe.