Noble Solutions

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “Do what you need to, husband,” Hallie said as she sat up.

  There were audible gasps of astonishment when Hallie did so.

  Helen stared at her daughter with wet eyes. “He did it…”

  “I’m fine, Mother,” Hallie said, pushing herself to her feet. “Give him a few minutes and he’ll have the others up, too.”

  A commotion started in the hall outside the ballroom and Sean looked at the doors. “Really? Now? Helga, go see what it is, please.”

  Helga was on her feet with a smooth motion and strode across the room. When she reached the door, she yanked them open and glared at the handful of guards rushing toward her, fleeing from a pack of angry cuons. Helga smiled grimly, then shut the door and used Shaping to seal them before coming back to him. “More trash to be reaped. Do you need more energy?”

  “Give me a soul, then refill,” Sean nodded.

  A rush of energy suffused him and Sean nodded. “Julian next. He’s the best fighter.” He bent to do the task, ignoring the pounding on the door, the screams of the dying, and the angry sounds of hounds hunting prey.

  Sean went one by one down the line, bringing back all the dead. The five who weren’t part of his group took more out of him and more souls from Helga. He was surprised that she’d been able to catch their souls, but Sean chalked that up to them being allies in the moment. He breathed easier when he learned that bringing back the dead with Helga’s help didn’t Life Bond them to him.

  Once he’d finished, Sean stood up slowly. The room was quiet, with only a few hushed conversations between the recently dead and their loved ones breaking the silence.

  “Ven?” Sean called out.

  “Here, sir,” Ven said, floating down to hover in front of him.

  “Did you find her?”

  “She is in her quarters, but she doesn’t look good,” Ven replied. “There’s a lot of blood… sir, Nola is dead.”

  Sean exhaled slowly. “Long dead?”

  “The blood is dry,” Ven replied somberly.

  “Before we got to the manor, then,” Sean said tightly. He turned to the group that had been unhelpful or against them, and the majority flinched back from him. “Stay here. I’ll be back with Lady Sharpeyes. Helga, with me. Hallie, help your family secure the room, please.”

  “Of course, husband,” Hallie smiled brightly.

  Sean went to the door, Shaping it as he walked. He felt Helga follow him and grimaced when the door opened, revealing the mangled bodies of the guards and a single dead cuon. He paused by the hound, but the spirit of the beast was gone, so he shut the doors with a long look at the captives.

  “Lord, are you okay?” Helga asked. “You were gone far longer than I had thought you would be.”

  “I went to check the manor,” Sean told her as he followed Ven. “They were attacked. Lots of dead men. We’ll get the story later. The only thing of note is that Rosa is dead and Ursa died avenging her.”

  Helga exhaled in anger. “I am sorry that I was not there for her.”

  “You were needed here,” Sean said tightly. “If we had another of your sisters, then maybe… but we don’t.”

  “I can try bringing Aria or Hallie into the role,” Helga suggested. “Aria might be the easiest, as she is used to her wings.”

  “Talk with her. If she agrees or if they both do, do it. I don’t want to lose more family… not again.”

  Helga’s heart ached at the pain in Sean’s voice. “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, tonight is probably not the best moment,” Sean exhaled.

  No one bothered them as they strode down the halls. Blood and gore were splashed here or there, along with the occasional savaged corpse. That toned well down as they got closer to the Lady’s apartments.

  “Third door on the right,” Ven said as they got closer.

  Sean strode to the door in question and pushed on them. They resisted, and he snorted before Shaping them open. When the double doors swung open, Sean’s jaw set. Blood was splashed across most of the front room. A maid lay dead in the middle of the floor. One of her rabbit ears was a foot from him while her body was several feet away.

  “She’s in there, sir,” Ven said, pointing.

  Sean moved across the room, slowly taking in the scene. He found another Rabbit Moonbound cut apart behind a divan. Swallowing hard, he made it to the next door and again had to Shape it open.

  Nola was slumped near the door, with many deep slashes attesting to her death. There were twin curved swords near her, covered in blood. Sean’s knuckles popped as he stared at her. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and knelt to touch her.

  Gone… gods damn them! Sean raged in his mind. She was a good person... I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you, Nola.

  He closed her eyes, then got to his feet again. The room was dark, so he summoned his wings. More dead lay sprawled on the floor— the guards were carved with deep, powerful cuts that nearly severed their limbs in places.

  “She gave them a good fight,” Helga said with respect. “I shall miss her sparring.”

  “Yeah,” Sean agreed, sadness lacing his voice.

  “The door across the room is her bedroom, sir,” Ven said.

  Sean crossed the room, making sure the door would open when he reached it. A richly appointed bedroom was ruined by the bodies. Two women— one of them a healer he recognized from his fight with Aria— were beside the bed. Each had been hacked apart, making Lady Sharpeyes breathing roughly and slowly an oddity.

  Sean was to the bed in seconds. His hand touched her cold, clammy forehead and he focused his Flesh Shaping on her. The moment he did, he found the problem: iron poisoning. It was in her blood and slowly killing her. He was able to trace it back to her stomach and intestines.

  “Is she going to live?” Helga asked.

  “Someone fed her iron which, to them, is the worst poison,” Sean said as he pushed his energy into her. “Give me another soul, please.”

  “As you command, My Lord,” Helga said.

  Sean basically dumped the rush of energy from Helga straight into Lady Sharpeyes. He felt the iron purify into something non-toxic to her. A minute ticked by as Sean made sure to scour her of all the toxins.

  Lady Sharpeyes let out a mumbled sound as her eyes fluttered open. Blinking slowly, she stared at Sean in puzzlement. “MacDougal?”

  “You’ll live,” Sean said, taking his hand away from her now warm forehead.

  Memory hit her and she jerked upright. “I was poisoned!”

  “Yeah, someone fed you iron dust,” Sean told her. “Soaked right into your body. Who did you eat with last?”

  “My husband,” she said tightly as she pushed the blankets off her.

  Sean stepped back and turned away from her. “Well, he’s dead now, so no worries there.”

  Naked as the day she was born, Lady Sharpeyes stood up. “Dead? By you?”

  “Cuander and the pack, but at my command,” Sean said. “Can you get some clothes on, please?”

  “Let me call…” She trailed off when she saw her healer and chambermaid dead a few feet from her. “He… all of them? Nola?”

  “Everyone in these apartments is dead besides us. The majority of the party is dead, and I think every guard beholden to your husband is dead, as well. I have no idea where your guards are. A small group of unhelpful nobles are being held by my group— they didn’t attack, but they didn’t help us, and they knew that your husband was planning on killing us.”

  Taking a deep breath, Lady Sharpeyes walked over to the massive armoire and flung the doors open. “Give me a moment, please. I was poisoned on Nineday during dinner, but today is Tenday?”

  “Yes. That would explain what happened. You fell ill, and your people brought you here to see to you. He had his men attack and left you to slowly die. Guess he wanted no wounds on you.”

  “My mother would have investigated my death if I had died from trauma,” she replied. “If I died in my sleep, though… he might have be
en able to get away with it.”

  “Moot point,” Sean shrugged. “I’ll be waiting for you outside these rooms.”

  “I shall make all haste,” Lady Sharpeyes replied, then asked, “Amedee?”

  “Alive. All of my friends who came here are alive.”

  “Something else happened?”

  “My manor was attacked... We lost some. I don’t know the full story, but when I find out, I’m going to make sure people pay.”

  “You will have my backing,” Lady Sharpeyes said. “I shall have to go without my usual pomp, but that will fit the tone of tonight. Give me just a few minutes to at least find an outfit that I can get into alone.”

  “My Lord, I can assist her to speed this up,” Helga offered.

  “Go ahead,” Sean told her.

  ~*~*~

  Everyone in the room looked up when Sean came back. The nobles were kneeling on the floor, and a majority looked hopeful when Lady Sharpeyes entered after him. A few blanched in fear and lowered their heads.

  “I was nearly killed by my husband,” Lady Sharpeyes said flatly. “If not for Sean MacDougal, I would have died. He has my full support in figuring out who is responsible for tonight’s slaughter.”

  “Him! It was him!” the older Dame screeched as she stood up, hauling Carver with her.

  Carver slapped the older woman and went to bolt, but he only made it outside of the nobles before Sean slammed him into the floor.

  Burning rage surged in Sean as he pulled Carver up off his feet, letting him dangle by the neck. “Carver… you are responsible for Jackson Gertihs’ death.”

  “No!” Carver croaked, his feet flailing in the air. “Denmur…!”

  Sean’s eyes blazed with the black-white fire. “He told me, Carver. His soul is mine, as yours will be.” Sean’s words were cold as he smiled darkly. “Before I take your soul... well, you have a life to repay.”

  Carver clawed at Sean’s wrist, trying to get free, but Sean just turned to face Fredrick. Fredrick was holding a sword as he stared at the struggling Shaper.

  “My little brother, Carver... My mother wept for days,” Fredrick said with hatred as he advanced toward them. “I’ll find solace that she will be at peace when I tell her of your death. My happiness will only grow when I think of you stuck in a bog with Denmur.”

  With no warning, Fredrick stabbed Carver. The blade slipped into the man’s chest with little resistance. Fredrick stared at him as he died. When the last light left Carver’s eyes, Fredrick pulled his sword free.

  “Better?” Sean asked.

  “No, but yes,” Fredrick shuddered.

  Sean dropped Carver’s corpse and patted Fredrick’s shoulder. “I understand.”

  “Hmm...” Lady Sharpeyes said. “Well, with my husband dead, I shall be taking control of this city alone. The Bloodheart family will be commended for their actions tonight, as will the others who stood beside them. Those who took up arms... their families will be censured sternly, but what to do about you?”

  “Lady, I helped,” the older Dame said. “I can say that I didn’t know what was planned and, if I had, I wouldn’t have cooperated.”

  “Lady,” Helen said, “you’ll need them. Let their actions going forward speak for them. The city is much diminished because of your husband. The majority of houses have lost their leaders, and half of the best crafters are dead.”

  “Good points,” Lady Sharpeyes nodded. “Very well. Please rise,” she addressed the captured nobles. “You will be allowed to leave, but you will first give me your Agreement that you will never raise your hand against me or try to remove me from my position. If you cannot do so... well, we shall have to look into your family and see what deals you might have made with my husband.”

  One by one, the nobles went and agreed before they hurried away.

  Sean watched them go and sighed. “Lady, I’m going to speak with any captured men and see if I can find your guards.”

  “They are in an outbuilding,” Ven said. “I just received reports. There are only a dozen guards who surrendered to the cuons. My clan told the guards that if they surrendered, they would be spared.”

  “Thank you, Ven. I’m sure she’ll want to question them, too.” Sean looked at the others who had come with him. “I’ll be back, and then we can go home.”

  “Sean, your home was attacked?” Italice asked, no longer clawed nor gray-skinned.

  “Rosa, my gardener, died, as did Ursa, one of my cuons,” Sean said softly. “Everyone else is fine. I have a lot of corpses to be collected, though.”

  “I will have my men see to it,” Flamehair said. “My family will be working hard tonight and tomorrow.”

  Chapter Forty-four

  Everyone on the bus was grim-faced when they pulled into the yard. Sean’s wives, staff, and guests were there to meet them. Eva and Clara rushed to the doors, worried for their husbands. Fredrick and Giralt were there to meet them— they embraced their wives and kissed them, then stepped aside for the others.

  Sean was the last one off the bus. “Lady Sharpeyes survived. She had iron poisoning and was left to die. All of her maids, including Nola, were killed to stop word getting out. Her guards were tricked, then forced into a building that had been reinforced to hold them, which is how Sharpeyes got away with his planned attack.”

  “You brought them back safely,” Clara sniffled. “Thank you...”

  Sean looked away. “Don’t thank me. They died… most of those who went with me died.”

  Clara blinked slowly. “But…?”

  “I brought them back to life,” Sean said. “If not for Helga, it would have been a disaster.”

  “Thank you,” Eva said, hugging Sean. “I don’t care if he died. All that matters is that he’s alive now.”

  “Carver is dead,” Fredrick said somberly. “I killed him.”

  Eva turned back to Fredrick and hugged him hard, pushing his face into her breasts. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I need to tell my parents, though,” Fredrick said, muffled as he was.

  “It’s all over,” Julian said. “Lord Sharpeyes is dead, Lady Sharpeyes is alive, and the nobles who survived all had to agree to not rise against her. The city is greatly diminished currently... Many eyes will turn this way in the coming tendays.”

  “And we’ll be leaving,” Sean said. “I’m sure we’ll be called back to the Lady’s manor before we do.”

  “Yes. She will wish to thank us,” Mageeyes said. “Toivo and I will be going back there to help her.”

  “I need to get home and dispatch the crews to collect the dead,” Flamehair said, looking around the yard, “including a few crews for here. What happened?”

  “The guards,” Fiona said. “The recruits… weren’t guards. First, there were the ones who used Camo to slip over the fence and kill Rosa while opening the gates for the others. Ursa howled and killed those two.” She pointed at the two dead men by the house. “When we came to see what was happening, they were charging through the gates. We dealt with the men back there while Aria burned the ones here.”

  “The guards?” Sean asked, his voice glacial.

  “The one leading through the back gate was Sergeant Wolen,” Myna hissed. “I gutted him.”

  “Good,” Sean grunted.

  “We apologize,” Onim said, fluttering down to the group. “The guards patrolling the streets over the last few tendays made us ignore them tonight.”

  “That was their plan,” Aria said unhappily. “We fell for it.”

  “How did you manage to burn them all?” Flamehair asked.

  Sean pointed a hand upward. “Fireball.”

  Everyone blinked in shock as the small ball of fire flew up, then exploded into a large sphere of flame that they could feel the warmth of even far below it.

  “Same way I killed a few of Lord Sharpeyes’ guards when they tried to stop me,” Sean said. “Fire is something I can do, to a degree.”

  Giralt just shook his head. “It’s Sean
, after all.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  “Charie, we’d like Rosa picked up and cared for. We’ll come by later tomorrow to see her,” Sean said, feeling a little detached. “I think I’m going to go to sleep.”

  “I’ll make sure she is cared for,” Flamehair said softly.

  Everyone said goodbye, and the carriages started to roll out of the yard a few minutes later. “Sir,” Quinna said, “we can stay here and deal with the bodies, and help Charie’s people when they arrive.”