by Amanda Fleet
Neither option filled me with joy. “Daggers.”
We took up our positions with Lord Sondan watching on. I drove the daggers in; Lord Eredan stepped forward and scattered the stone dust over the demon.
Its flesh hissed and smoked. I expected it to smell like a barbecue, but it didn’t. It was sulphurous and acrid and stung my nose, making my eyes water. The demon’s flesh, if that was the right word for it, shrank and darkened, until it resembled the skin of a bog body or a mummy.
But the noise the thing made… It screamed like a banshee, shredding my nerves. I’d assumed the process of destroying the demon would be quick, but it took almost ten minutes for it to become still and stop shrieking. Soft whimpering replaced the howling, and I glanced up to Nessa, a lump in my chest.
“Is this normal?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Hesta’s notes said it took time, and that the demon appeared to be in agony after the dust hit its skin.”
The other demons watched the destruction, shrieking, their eyes wide, scrabbling to get away from us. A pang of regret bubbled in me, but the likelihood that Lord Eredan would spare them having to watch their kind be killed was zero.
Eventually, the whimpers ceased. Lord Eredan prodded the body with his toe. It rocked and fell back to its original position.
“Any news about what we do with the corpses?” I said. “The librarian was looking into it.”
“Burn them. Let the smoke escape and scatter the ashes in free-flowing water so that there’s no chance of the demon being able to reform.” Lord Eredan met my eye. “But I’m getting her to check several sources, to be sure.”
The other demon yelped and howled when we turned to it. Faran left the daggers in the demon we’d just destroyed and held out three more to me.
“Can I hold the vessel?” I said, not taking the daggers from him.
He nodded and passed it over. Nessa gave Lord Eredan a new shaker. We formed a triangle around the petrified demon, and Faran leaned over to stab it. Its screams brought tears to my eyes even while the stone dust remained in the shaker. His face impassive, Lord Eredan shook the dust over the demon, covering each part of it. The screams grew more terrible and my eyes stung, not only from the acrid smell emanating from the demon’s flesh.
“They were Guides,” murmured Faran, catching my eye. “They were supposed to take the spirit of a dying person and protect it until it could be given to a new life. They were not supposed to keep it for themselves. They chose this path.”
The screams died away to a low moaning and, eventually, the carcass grew silent. The three demons behind us screeched.
Lord Eredan toed the darkened body of the demon. “Let’s get these corpses into the vault until we can burn them. Nessa, keep an eye on the others. I need to know if they’re in danger of fading back to being a wraith.”
I think I hated The Realm more then than at any other time.
***
Once the two demons had been secured in the vault, Faran and I walked to our rooms. We both needed to change out of blood and vomit stained clothes and get a shower. Parcels of food would be available shortly in the Great Hall – something very late for lunch but early for dinner. Any Guardians with warning stones would be protecting those collecting the picnics. I wasn’t sure how much anyone would even want to collect food from there until all the blood had been scrubbed away and the chains of prisoners had been dealt with. I certainly had no appetite.
I threw all of my stained leathers in the basket, followed by everything else I wore.
“The laundry pixies have got a hell of a day ahead.”
Faran cocked his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He too had stripped and was halfway to the bathroom.
“The poor sods who’ll have to deal with everyone’s clothes.”
He stared at me, his eyes haunted. “If I’m being brutally honest, I’d rather be cleaning blood off clothes than watching my colleagues die.”
“True.” I followed him to the bathroom and ducked into the shower with him.
Blood matted my hair, I stank of sweat and vomit and I was dead on my feet, but somewhere inside me, there was still a warrior. I knew what the next fight would be. I tilted my head up to Faran, scrubbing soap into my hair. “Aegyir’s going to attack when the Guardians go to collect dinner.”
“How do you know?”
“We’re all shattered. Our numbers are down. Everyone will be in the Great Hall. Wouldn’t you choose to attack then?” I finished my shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around me, my body sagging. “He’s going to win.”
“No. He won’t.”
I trembled. I could see Aegyir winning – taking one, then another Guardian as they collected food. Even if they stayed in their rooms and the meals were delivered, Aegyir would just kill the serving staff. And anyway, there would be riots if the Guardians stayed in their rooms all the time.
“He can shape-shift,” I said. “How many will he kill before we work out who he is? Yeah, four of us are protected, but that leaves a lot of strong Guardians vulnerable.”
Faran switched the shower off and planted a kiss on my lips. “He won’t win.”
***
In the Great Hall, Lord Eredan strolled over to me and Faran. We stood next to the kitchens, keeping an eye on everyone and monitoring our warning stones.
“You should eat,” he said. “No one had any lunch.”
I wasn’t hungry. If I ate anything, it would come up again. Faran shook his head too, his eyes locked on something across the room. I followed his gaze. Lady Alix. She looked straight at Faran before turning away, unsmiling.
“I’ll talk to your mother again. She’ll understand,” said Lord Eredan, softly. “You must eat. Both of you.”
“Later.” I caught Faran’s hand, trying to ease his pain. “Let everyone else get something. We’ll keep watch.”
Lord Eredan nodded and joined Lord Sondan on the far side of the hall. They too were waiting until everyone else had eaten.
“Mother will never forgive me,” said Faran, his voice catching.
“She will. Give her time.”
We kept watch until dinner had almost finished. One of the serving boys brought us each a plate and cutlery and we stood, picking at the food, still checking the room.
Faran’s warning stone began to glow and I glanced around. Several other Guardians’ stones also lit up and Faran and I dumped our plates on a nearby table, scanning the room. In the opposite corner, Lord Eredan strolled as if he hadn’t a care in the world, his hands out, touching the shoulders of those he passed, almost stroking them. He caught my eye and smiled rapturously. That wasn’t Lord Eredan. It was Aegyir, taking the Guardians’ energy in a gradual steal; a slower version of my worst fears. If we didn’t destroy him, he would take their lives over the next few days.
Faran tapped his communications button. “Father. Aegyir’s here. He looks like you.”
“I see him.”
We made our way towards Aegyir who turned to smile at us, arms stretched out to his sides as if to grip us in a bear-hug.
“Clear the hall,” bellowed Faran. “Now!”
The hall filled with the sounds of people fleeing, screaming. Aegyir laughed, plucking a ball of light out of a serving boy as he passed. Screams rang out from the kitchen staff and, in the same instant, Aegyir shape-shifted to look like me. Faran cursed.
“Aeron, keep your eyes on him. I need to clear the hall.”
Lord Eredan and Lord Sondan closed in on Aegyir from the other side of the hall, but he thrust his way into a crowd of Guardians who scattered like bowling pins. I zigzagged after him, pushing Guardians out of the way and yelling at them to leave the hall. Trying to keep eyes on Aegyir wasn’t helped by him shifting to a new form every few seconds and I had to rely on my charm-bracelet to keep me right, as he passed between people.
I could see exactly where he was heading – the main exit from the Great Hall – and tri
ed to cut him off. Faran joined me, leaving his father and Lord Sondan clearing the hall.
“Lady Morgan,” I gasped. “Is Aegyir.”
“Okay.”
With the hall emptied, Lord Eredan circled to the left, Lord Sondan to the right. Faran and I faced Aegyir, who stood still and smiled.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered to Faran. “What’s he got planned?”
What the hell could Aegyir possibly be smiling about? He obviously thought he had the upper hand, or that he was leading us into a trap but, for the life of me, I couldn’t see what.
Just as Lord Eredan and Lord Sondan were almost in place to trap Aegyir, the sound of the klaxon split the air.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake! What now?”
Whereas a moment ago, the Great Hall had held no more than the four of us and Aegyir, it now boiled with people brandishing sticks, pouring in through the doors behind Aegyir. I checked my wrist. Red had joined the blue-white. Slaves, mostly, though I suspected a few were angry villagers, caught up in the moment. Regardless, the four of us weren’t going to be able to hold them all off. We fell back rapidly.
“Shit. He wants us to call the Guardians back so he can kill them,” I said to Faran, bracing myself for the onslaught.
“Keep your eyes on him, Aeron.”
Lord Eredan had indeed summoned the Guardians back, and they flooded the hall from behind us, meeting the slaves head-on in the middle of the hall, swords drawn. The slaves juddered to a halt. A line of Guardians is an impressive sight and none of them looked as if they would hesitate over defending the line with force.
Lord Eredan’s voice filled the room. “Anyone who continues to attack will be assumed to be an enemy of The Realm and will be tried as such. Guardians! Immobilise. Don’t kill.”
A few people stumbled backwards and fled the hall. Those that attacked the line were knocked unconscious or disabled. Aegyir stood in splendid isolation behind the battle, his hands clasped behind his back. The fight inched towards him.
“Do not get too close to Aegyir,” shouted Lord Eredan. “He’ll kill you.”
Aegyir roared with laughter. “Oh, Eredan, Eredan. I will kill all of your precious Realm, and then I’ll kill you, your son and his darling wife.”
Faran, Lord Sondan and I shifted to encircle Aegyir. From the sounds behind me, the Guardians were gaining the upper hand, but the clash was getting too close to Aegyir. Much nearer, and he’d be able to reach out and steal the life out of the Guardians.
“We can hold you here all night,” said Lord Eredan as he worked his way to the end of the hall where Aegyir was, blocking the exit. “Eventually, all of your vassals will be restrained.”
“And you will tire, but I will not. You can see how strong I am already. That’s why you are standing there, too weak to approach. The four top warriors of your precious Realm, too afraid to be able to do anything other than stare at me with hatred.”
“Is that so?” I stepped closer to Aegyir. “And how exactly do you see a way out of this for you? We have you surrounded. We have four talisman stones to choose from to destroy you, so your hope that mine might not prove to be up to it is in vain. All four of us are protected and armed. And seriously pissed off. So, I ask again, what exactly is your plan?”
“Aeron?” Faran’s voice was low with concern.
“Oh, I’m not afraid of Aegyir.”
And then Aegyir shifted to look like the five-year-old boy with his throat slit and I almost stumbled and fell, the feeling of helplessness I’d had at his murder rushing back and almost overwhelming me.
“No.” Aegyir morphed again, resembling Finn. “But a small child makes you falter. And even knowing I’m not Finn, can you really attack me? Or how about Finn’s mother?” Aegyir shifted again, looking exactly like Finn’s mum, down to the faded jeans and thick socks she loved. I caught a sob in my throat, then sucked in a deep breath, straightening, my anger rising.
“Keep them coming,” I said, wishing my voice hadn’t snagged as I spoke. “I know it’s you. And reminding me of all the people who’ve died because of you only hardens my resolve.”
Aegyir shifted to look like Orian and Faran stepped back.
“There’s no way out,” I said, getting Aegyir’s attention back to me. I needed Faran to focus. Without him in the fight, we wouldn’t win.
Aegyir smiled at me. “I think I like Finn’s form the best,” he said, looking just like him again – blue eyes, scruffy blond hair, lopsided grin.
The red mist came down, and I launched myself at him.
I’d underestimated how strong he was.
We’d all underestimated how strong he was.
28
I flew at Aegyir, hurling punches at his face and torso. I might as well have hit a boulder. Pain streaked up my arms, checking me, and Aegyir punched me in the guts. I collapsed like a house of cards, unable to breathe. Faran charged in, his fury driving Aegyir back a pace. Someone grabbed my collar and hauled me to safety, and then I was alone on the floor, gasping for air. Lord Sondan and Lord Eredan joined the fray, blades whirling. I hacked and spat, desperate to get some air moving freely, euphoric when my lungs finally filled again. As I looked up, Faran staggered to the side, blood pouring from his nose. I crawled to my feet and went to him.
“You okay?” I croaked.
“Yes.” Faran was already up and heading back to the fight.
I followed him, still wheezing. Aegyir grabbed Lord Sondan by the throat and slammed him against a wall. Faran brought his sword down across Aegyir’s back, opening up a thin line that poured with smoke before sealing again. Lord Sondan broke free, still reeling from the impact with the wall. Aegyir turned, his face twisted, and smashed down on Faran’s wrist. Faran’s sword rattled to the ground and Aegyir kicked it away, leaving Faran resorting to fists. For possibly the first time in years, he wasn’t the one winning. Aegyir rained punches down on Faran, splitting his lip and making him stagger. My heart lurched at how many blows connected with Faran, and my confidence waned. If even Faran was barely standing under Aegyir’s onslaught, what chance did the rest of us have?
But standing he was, and not giving an inch. His father joined him, dodging several blows, but not managing to land many either. Those that did had no effect.
Lord Sondan circled until he was behind Aegyir and slammed his elbow into his back like a pile-driver. It checked Aegyir for barely a second. Aegyir’s fists pounded Faran, driving him backwards. I ducked and dived, my agility my one advantage in this game. But fast as I was, Aegyir still hit me. Hard. I shook my head to clear it, then surged towards Aegyir, trying to drive him towards Faran and Lord Sondan. I threw punches, aiming at whatever bit of Aegyir was closest, but it was like punching a brick wall. Fire shot up my arms, and I yowled. Aegyir stepped back, laughing like it was a game. Much as I wanted to stab him, swords weren’t an option – the fighting was close-quarter and one slash too deep, and there was the risk we’d drain Aegyir of energy and turn him into a wraith. You can’t cuff a wraith.
We tried to herd Aegyir back to a corner so that he had no escape, but with little discernible progress. Would he tire before us? We had no backup. If we fell, Aegyir would win. Lord Eredan battered forward, but his blow bounced off Aegyir. Two finally landed with heft, stunning Aegyir, and Faran surged towards him.
As Faran raised his fists, Aegyir shifted to look like Finn again, eyeballing Faran. “You stole her from me.”
Faran hesitated just long enough for Aegyir to smash him in the face. His legs went from under him and he crashed to the floor, not moving.
“Faran!” I screamed.
Not a flicker from him.
“You fucking bastard!” I screamed at Aegyir.
I snatched two daggers from my belt and was on Aegyir in an instant. He turned to me, smiling, still looking like Finn. Perhaps he thought I wouldn’t attack him in that guise. He was wrong. I stabbed him in the eye with all my might, before he’d even raised a protective arm.
Smoke poured from the socket, and I made three more holes in the monster’s face before Lord Sondan pulled me away.
“Enough! Don’t turn him into a wraith!”
Aegyir slumped to the floor and Lord Eredan snapped a cuff on one wrist. I yanked myself free from Lord Sondan. “Help Lord Eredan.”
I ran to Faran, half an eye on Aegyir, but Lord Eredan’s weight had him pinned down. Behind us, the battle between the rest of the Guardians and the slaves still raged. If it got much closer, we’d be in the thick of it.
“Faran? Faran!”
I scrabbled at his neck, desperate to find a pulse. Nothing. I held my cheek next to his mouth but no breath dusted my skin. I rolled him on to his back, grunting with the effort.
“Don’t you dare leave me!”
I tipped his head back, pinched his nose and breathed into him, watching his chest rise. Kneeling next to him, I hauled up memories of the first aid course I’d done years ago and locked my hands together on his chest.
“One, two, three, four…” I counted the pumps, watching as Lord Eredan and Lord Sondan cuffed Aegyir tightly. “… twenty-nine, thirty.”
I moved back to his head. Still no pulse. No breath. I gave him two breaths of mine and went back to his chest, barely able to see him through my tears.
Lord Sondan came over. “Lady Aeron… I’m sorry.”
He tried to draw me away but I shrugged him off. “Twenty, twenty-one…”
“Lady Aeron. He’s dead.”
“He’s not dead! I just need to breathe for him. He did this for me for ages.”
Lord Sondan pulled at my shoulders, and I turned around and punched him in the face so hard that he crashed backwards, taking Lord Eredan down with him. I checked Faran. Still nothing. I slammed my fist on his chest. “You bastard! You promised you wouldn’t leave me!”
His body rocked from the blow, but there was still no sign of life. I gave him two more breaths and started on his chest again, my tears pouring. “Don’t leave me! You promised me!”
Lord Eredan crouched next to me, his face grave. “Lady Aeron…”