by Amanda Fleet
“Don’t bother,” I snapped. “No one wants to hurt you, but if you fight, you’ll lose.”
I shoved him back into line and glared at the others. A wall of angry faces stared back, but the fighting stopped.
“These cannot all be demons,” objected Ketill, wringing his hands.
“No one has said they are,” replied Lord Sondan.
Lord Sondan, Doron and I made a barrier, holding the villagers at bay. Behind us, the other three Guardians set about securing those who’d made the warning stones glow. We had a limited number of cuffs with us, so Eskil and Mallan cuffed them together, making a single unit of all five people. Once they were restrained, Lord Sondan, Doron and I started to check the remainder of the people in the barn. I still didn’t like our odds if it all erupted again.
At the end of the barn, two young men shuffled their feet, their attention on the barn door. As we worked our way towards them, the stone on my wrist warning of the presence of demons brightened. Doron and Lord Sondan noticed the same.
“Eskil,” said Lord Sondan. “Come over here? Mallan, Leif, guard the others.”
As Lord Sondan, Eskil and I approached, one of the men tried to take off. I stuck my leg out and tripped him as he passed me, sending him sprawling into the dust and straw on the floor. Doron was on him in a trice, wrenching his arms back and snapping cuffs on.
While Lord Sondan and Eskil checked the other youth, an elderly woman stepped towards me, her hand outstretched. I caught my breath as she reached into my chest, and froze. All I could think of was seeing Aegyir do this to Finn. The woman snatched her hand away as if I’d burned her, jolting me back to the present. I kicked her legs from under her and knelt on her back, my weight pressing her to the ground. As I did so, two of the enslaved people hooked their cuffs around my neck and pulled me backwards, half strangling me. The rest of the people in the barn flung themselves as far away from the old woman as they could.
“Kill them!” shrieked the demon that Doron had cuffed. “They have the death stones on. Kill them!”
The two behind me yanked hard, choking me. My feet scrabbled for purchase on the floor. Even with both feet planted, I couldn’t flip either of them off me. Lord Sondan glanced across, still trying to pin the other demon down with Eskil, and called across to Leif. “Go help Lady Aeron!”
Leif made eye contact with me, clearly in no rush to help me. I’d run out of air, and the bar of the cuffs blocked my throat, making it impossible to breathe. Mallan launched himself across the barn towards me. The old woman scrambled to her feet and tried to reach into Mallan’s chest as he came to help me. Again, she snatched her hand away, shrieking. Mallan’s mouth fell open, and he stared at her, one hand patting his chest. I gurgled, trying to get his attention. Spots danced in my vision.
Lord Sondan reached the two behind me. He knocked one to the ground with a blow that probably cracked the man’s skull; the other he stabbed in the chest, letting him bleed out on the floor. He hauled the cuffs away from my throat, and I gulped air into my lungs.
“Lady Aeron? Are you okay?” Lord Sondan asked.
I flapped a hand at him. “Yeah. Just give me a moment,” I croaked.
“We don’t have a moment.”
None of the villagers made any moves to help us. They stayed clinging to the walls, yelling and screaming. Doron was in a vicious battle with two more slaves, Leif’s tardiness in coming to my assistance was being rewarded by another two slaves trying to kill him, and Eskil was only just holding his own binding the two youth-demons. The old woman turned on the people in the village, snatching balls of light out of their chests, while Mallan tried to stop her. Lord Sondan lashed at her with a sword, slicing off part of her arm. Smoke poured from the wound, and she screeched.
“Lady Aeron, Leif. We need to make a triad!” bellowed Lord Sondan.
“No!” I yelled. “We mustn’t. The stones won’t work on the demons once they’re mist.”
“Tell me how we’re going to stop her from killing everyone if we don’t?” he snapped back.
I had no answer, and he scowled at me. “Lady Aeron, help Leif, then get over here! That’s an order!”
I ran to Leif’s aid, helping him to tie the two slaves to a ring in the wall. They snarled and hissed, trying to bite us. I punched one in the face, and both of them settled, their eyes burning. Lord Sondan and Mallan stood guard over the old woman while the rest of us tried to quell the remaining slaves. By the time we had, blood covered the floor of the barn and several villagers lay dead. The old woman screamed and spat at Lord Sondan and Mallan. She’d broken free twice, killing more villagers before being recaptured. Several times she’d tried to reach into Lord Sondan’s chest, only to recoil as if burned. Claw marks criss-crossed his neck and face from where she’d tried to drag the talisman off him, and Mallan had a gouge running across his brow.
“Lady Aeron, Leif. Bring the bag,” said Lord Sondan.
I hung back. “Lord Sondan, if we turn her to mist, we cannot destroy her with the stones. Not without—”
“Lady Aeron. Do not disobey me again. The bag.”
I scanned the room. Most of the villagers who’d been enslaved were injured, some probably mortally, and tied either to one another or to parts of the barn. The one Lord Sondan had stabbed, lay dead in a pool of blood. The remaining villagers huddled together, fear and loathing in their eyes. The two demons who’d disguised themselves as youths were lashed together and tied to the wall, with a large clearing around them.
I swallowed. Bread and circuses.
Leif picked up the bag with the daggers and vessel in it and walked over to Lord Sondan who turned and glared at me. I really didn’t want to move, but slowly, I joined them.
“The villagers need to see us do more than take their people away,” said Lord Sondan, his voice low.
“I know, but which of the people will see what the consequence of that will be?” I hissed back, a well of nausea forming in my stomach. “Who will be sacrificed to give the demon form again?”
“Someone who does not value The Realm. Daggers, sword or vessel, Lady Aeron?”
“Vessel.” I was not going to stick daggers into the demon or lop its head off.
Lord Sondan handed me the vessel. Leif took the daggers and drove them into the demon. She screamed blue bloody murder until her head bounced on the floor and she turned into a ball of smoke. I held the vessel out, waiting until all of the smoky mist had entered the pot, then clamped the lid down. I watched the lid of the vessel seal to the neck, the carvings on the sides writhing as it did so.
I handed Lord Sondan the vessel. “I would like you to include in your report that I did not support this decision.”
“Duly noted,” he growled.
Ketill approached. “Why did the demons kill the villagers and not you? They reacted as if you’d burned them. Why?”
“Because we’re Guardians.” Lord Sondan pushed his hair back from his face, leaving a smear of dirt behind.
Ketill gritted his teeth. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve killed or wounded many in my village. I know a strong demon can kill a Guardian. The demon that looked like an old woman – she tried to kill you but couldn’t. Why? Why did the demons say that you had the death stones? What did that mean?”
Lord Sondan self-consciously touched the talisman at his neck. “These. These protect us.”
Ketill’s eyes widened. “There’s a stone that will protect against attack? I thought those were just stories. Why do only the Guardians have them? Why don’t you give them to everyone?”
The villagers behind us began to stir. This could go horribly wrong, very quickly. Guardians or not, we were heavily outnumbered. I touched the sword on my belt and nodded to Mallan to do the same. Lord Sondan caught my eye and straightened.
“They only work with Guardians,” he said, turning to face Ketill more fully. “And they are not from The Realm. There’s a very limited supply. Not all Guardians are permitted to wear them – onl
y those who have been sent to control the demons.”
Ketill stood a pace away from Lord Sondan. He thrust his chin towards Lord Sondan’s wrist. “And those stones? Do they also protect you?”
“They warn us that demons or those enslaved by demons are nearby.” Lord Sondan spoke carefully, his eyes darting around the barn.
I flicked my head, beckoning Mallan to come and stand closer to Lord Sondan. Leif and Doron hung back, but Eskil stepped in to protect our backs.
Ketill’s colour rose, and his lip curled. “Why can’t the people have those bracelets? We’re the ones being slaughtered by demons masquerading as our friends, our families.”
Lord Sondan drew in a long breath. “Again, they only work for Guardians and again, they do not come from The Realm and their numbers are limited.”
“Where do they come from?”
“Outside.”
Ketill snorted. “There’s no such thing as Outside. It’s a fantasy.”
Lord Sondan turned to me, brows raised. “I can assure you that Outside does exist. Lady Aeron lived there for many years. It’s Lady Aeron that went Outside to find the stones. Perhaps you can discuss with her whether she’s been living a fantasy.”
Ketill scoffed, and I shrugged. “It’s true. I went Outside to get these stones.”
He stared at me, mouth hanging open. “Outside exists? We thought it was another Guardian invention. Yet another thing that set the Guardians apart – their healing, the stones, being able to go Outside.” He frowned. “It’s real?”
“Yes,” I said, still alert for attacks from the rest of the villagers and not wanting to get drawn into a discussion of why I’d lived Outside at all.
“What’s it like?” asked Ketill, his anger with Lord Sondan seemingly forgotten.
I shuffled. Everyone stared at me. “Similar to here. Different language. Different rules. The people there look like you or me.”
Ketill gazed at me as if he was seeing a unicorn. “And there’s a portal? And Guardians can cross it?”
“Yes, and yes.”
Ketill’s curiosity reminded me of Cenan, with a pang. Mallan seemed equally interested in hearing about Outside, but the other Guardians’ eyes had narrowed. No one needed reminding of my reasons for being banished.
I glanced across at Lord Sondan. “Perhaps this isn’t the time or place to discuss this.”
“Indeed.” Lord Sondan nodded towards the line of slaves. “We need to get the demons and these people back to the city.”
“We didn’t finish checking all the villagers either,” Doron reminded him. “Things erupted before we had a chance.”
“Wait! You’re taking all these people away?” Ketill strode forward to stand in front of Lord Sondan, his anger back. The other villagers also protested, reminding me that these were husbands, wives, sons, daughters. Parents.
Lord Sondan held his hands up. “I understand your concerns, but these people can’t be trusted. They’re working for the demons. You aren’t safe if we leave them here. They’ll be taken to the city.”
“And what will happen to them there?” cried a woman from the back of the barn.
I didn’t dare look at Lord Sondan.
“They’ll be kept in a secure place until they’re free from the control of the demons and then they’ll be returned to you here,” said Lord Sondan. “Their absence will only be temporary. Please. We need to check the rest of the village.”
Several villagers shifted position as if spoiling for a fight, and I squared my shoulders, drawing myself to my full height, my hand still resting on the hilt of my sword. Eskil, Mallan and Doron followed suit. Leif scowled at me, but also stood tall. The noise levels rose, but no one advanced.
“Ketill. Gather the village together.” Lord Sondan glared at him. “And if any villager attacks any of the Guardians, or fails to assist a Guardian when asked to, we will mark this village as hostile and won’t come to your aid again until all other non-hostile villages have been assisted.”
Half a dozen villagers stepped forwards, knives in hands and Lord Sondan turned to face them down. “You can rail against us and try to kill us if you wish, but who will destroy the demons for you? Can any of you turn the demons to mist and trap them? No. You can refuse to send food to the city and try to starve us, but these stones only work with Guardians and without the Guardians, you will all die at the hands of the demons.”
He flicked his hand at Ketill, beckoning him closer, then removed the bracelet that warned of the presence of demons. He wrapped it around Ketill’s wrist and shoved him to stand closer to the youth-demons. The stone remained resolutely opalescent. Lord Sondan took the bracelet back. As soon as the stone was in contact with his skin, it glowed.
He faced Ketill. “We’re not withholding stones from you for any reason other than the fact they will not work for you. We’re here to protect you. That is our role. Your role is to support us so that we can do our job. If you renege on your part, we can’t do ours. That’s how The Realm works.”
For a moment, it looked as if the stand-off would continue, but slowly, the villagers backed down, and we finished checking if any others were enslaved. More villagers made the red stones glow, bringing the total of enslaved villagers to thirteen, some of whom were seriously wounded, with a fourteenth one dead. Lord Sondan drew Ketill to one side.
“We need transport. Get someone to prepare a cart big enough to take all the prisoners and us. One of your people should come with us too so that they can bring the cart back.”
The two demons would need to be encircled by Guardians if we returned to the city by cart, despite them being bound.
“Some of these men are labourers,” complained Ketill. “Who will do their work?”
He had a point. I would have estimated the population before the last few days as perhaps just under three hundred. Forty-two had been killed before we arrived, with nine ill. About a dozen had died in the skirmish and we were taking another thirteen away with us now. Most of the dead had been young and involved in manual labour on farms. The village had lost a significant proportion of their working population and would struggle to manage, even accounting for the reduced number of mouths to feed.
Lord Sondan nodded. “I will see if I can send you assistance.”
Lord Sondan dispatched Leif and Mallan with Ketill to find a cart, while Doron, Eskil and I chained the enslaved villagers together, ensuring they wouldn’t be able to attack us en route. Lord Sondan stood with drawn sword next to the demons, the vessel safe in a pack. When Leif and Mallan returned with a cart and a young lad who could bring it back to the village, we loaded the people on. Eskil, Leif and Doron formed a barrier to protect the people, and Lord Sondan, Mallan and I hefted up the demons and sat behind them, covering the rear of the cart. I don’t imagine the villagers we left behind shed many tears at our departure.
The cart wasn’t covered, and the steady drizzle had turned to rain, improving no one’s mood. The journey back was largely silent, and I let my mind drift to who might end up Elected Successor once this crisis was resolved. Did Leif want to be in the mix when elections were finally called? I didn’t think he had enough rank and he wouldn’t be my choice, but maybe he was trying to drum up support. I assumed Lord Sondan would stand and might make a reasonable candidate. He had a good, organised mind, but he hadn’t managed to get Leif to follow orders. Or me. He had a fair amount of support in the Council though. I watched Eskil, trying to figure out where his allegiances lay. Certainly not with Leif, given their strained interactions during this mission, but he didn’t seem hugely supportive of Lord Sondan either, skating close to insolence at times in some of their exchanges. Doron had been a firm supporter of first Lord Balwen and then his son, Lord Cerewen. With Lord Cerewen dead, would she shift allegiance to Lord Sondan? Or someone else? She seemed tight with Leif.
What about Faran? Lord Sondan had described him as the best The Realm had had in years, but that was no guarantee he’d get voted back in.
He was an indomitable warrior, with a smart, strategic brain – most of the time – but he could also be arrogant and inflexible and that didn’t always win people over. What would happen if he didn’t get re-elected? He might be seething over being relegated to a mere foot-soldier at the moment, but he’d accept it eventually.
And what about me? I wanted Aegyir and the other demons destroyed, but once they were, could I settle down to a whole life of training and Council meetings and following the rules?
I didn’t know.
23
We took the three demons and the enslaved villagers to the technicians in the city. This brought the total number of demons captured to ten, with four remaining outstanding, including Aegyir. Three of the ten were trapped in vessels, which meant three people had to be ‘fed’ to them before they could be destroyed. Who else would be sacrificed? Three who had argued for more rights? Three who had complained that the provinces were dying and the city wasn’t? I hoped that destroying the two we’d brought back with form would free some of the thirteen slaves. Mind you, once they’d been freed from one demon’s influence, they could end up as a meal for another.
Lord Sondan drew me to one side as I was about to leave the technician’s area and return to my rooms. “Do you still want me to include in my report that you didn’t agree with containing the demon?”
I jutted my chin up. “Yes. It was my opinion then, and it’s still my opinion now. We could have maintained the safety of the people and the Guardians without resorting to turning the demon to mist.”
He folded his arms, his head bowed. “You realise Lord Eredan may well see that as insubordination and order Faran to flog you.”
I shrugged. It hadn’t exactly been a major penalty last time. “I stand by my words.”