The Flames: Book 2 of the Feud Trilogy

by Kyle Prue

  Lilly stiffened, but didn’t interject. Bianca continued. “The Wolf, enraged, rounded up a group of villagers and destroyed a few convoys that belonged to the Empire. They sent a spy after him, but the Wolf caught him and sent him back to the emperor with a message. He told him that—“

  “I told him,” said a voice at the door, “that the best way to survive being eaten by wolves is to become one.”

  The man at the door was exceedingly tall, even taller than Darius. His hair was perfectly styled and combed despite how weathered the rest of him looked. Neil’s eye was drawn to the sword at his back and then to his knee length blue coat. “Thank you for setting up that exciting entrance, Bianca,” he said.

  Bianca saluted him. His eyes settled on Lilly and he opened his arms wide. “Lilly!” he said. “I never thought I’d see you again. I never thought I’d see you grown.”

  She looked momentarily paralyzed by his sudden arrival and rag-tag appearance, but she stood up and was across the room to him in a flash. He hugged her tightly for what was probably an entire minute. When they parted, she had tears in her eyes. Neil remembered that she had lost most of her family members in the last year. As he left the hug, the Wolf examined the group before him. “I also never thought I’d see so many young Lightborns working together. It’s nice to meet you boys.”

  He extended his hand to Darius first and Darius took it with excitement. Rhys was next and Neil was last. The Wolf smiled at each of them. Neil was almost caught off guard by how white his teeth were. Even while living on the run, somehow he’d managed to keep his dental hygiene pristine. He really is Lilly’s uncle, Neil thought. From across the room Josephine cleared her throat and the Wolf stood up straight, showing off that famous military posture. “Josephine Belmont,” he said. “I didn’t realize this was your business.”

  “Well, now you do,” she said. “So you’d do well to be on your way as soon as possible.”

  “I apologize for being so sudden with my entrance,” the Wolf said. “But, I couldn’t exactly knock.” He pointed to where the missing door had once been.

  With its polished wooden interior and scattered glowing candles, The Golden Mug typically felt warm and inviting to all who entered, but Neil could tell that the Wolf wasn’t welcome. “Just remember that these young ones aren’t soldiers. They’re not your pawns. They’re children.” Josephine gave them all one last fierce look and went into the kitchen. Rebecca nervously stayed behind the bar for a moment and then followed Josephine.

  “Do you know everyone outside the walls?” Bianca asked to break the silence.

  “It seems so,” he said. “Regrettably. Her son was in my squadron during the early days of the revolution.”

  “Josephine had a son?” Darius asked. “Where is he now?”

  The Wolf gave him a look that was enough of an answer. No wonder Josephine was always so protective of them. The Wolf walked past Anastasia. “Anastasia Blackmore,” he said. “Our woman on the inside.”

  “I’m not exactly on the inside anymore,” Anastasia said. “The Doctor knows I’ve crossed him. His son is upstairs. My cover is dead.”

  The Wolf stiffened. “What did you say? Victor is here?”

  “Yeah,” Darius said. “He shot our friend, Neil. We caught him and tied him up in the attic.”

  The Wolf looked to Bianca. “That’s worrisome. Did anyone fill his ears?”

  “Fill his ears with what?” Bianca asked.

  The Wolf went to the bar and grabbed a candle. “How do I get up there?” he asked.

  “Through the kitchen,” Neil said. “I’ll show you.”

  “You shouldn’t strain yourself,” Rhys said.

  “I’ll be fine,” Neil said. “I want to see the man who shot me.”

  Neil led the way and the mysterious addition to their gang followed. Josephine and Rebecca were working in the back, but Neil was sure it was just to seem busy. The bar was closed for now and no customers would be coming anytime soon. Neil materialized up into the attic and the Wolf climbed up, showing great athleticism for a man his age. They went to the room with the Marksman in it and the Wolf entered briskly. “Steven, I’ve missed you,” Victor managed before the Wolf was pouring hot candle wax into his ears.

  Neil hadn’t seen the Marksman face to face yet, and now that they were together the assassin terrified him. The scariest thing were his eyes, wide and unblinking like a feral cat. Something else bothered Neil. He’d touched candle wax before and knew that having it poured into your ear holes would be an excruciating experience, but the Marksman took it silently and without flinching. Steam drifted from either side of his head, but the Marksman remained stoic. Soon his ear canals were filled to the brim with wax and the remnants were dripping onto his shoulders. The Wolf slapped him across the face for good measure. He seemed satisfied and turned to face Neil. “This man is the most ruthless and shameless killer in all of Volteria. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone approach him unless entirely necessary.”

  “You just slapped him in the face,” Neil pointed out.

  “That one felt necessary to me.”

  Even though his ears were blocked, the Marksman still spoke. “I’m glad to see that you’re all right Neil Vapros. I was given instructions not to kill you. Perhaps the Emperor plans to do it with his own hands.”

  Neil paled and resisted the urge to look at the Marksman. “Trust me. I’m aware of how dangerous he is.” He indicated the bandages wrapped around his body.

  “I’m glad you’re aware,” the Wolf said. He shifted past Neil respectfully and exited the attic at a speed that amazed Neil, even after living with Lilly who exhibited the Celerius speed daily.

  Neil followed the Wolf through the kitchen and back to the main room. The General pulled off his blue coat and laid it over the bar. “I’ve stopped him from eavesdropping on you.”

  “He was listening to our conversations?” Rhys asked.

  “I assume so,” the Wolf said. “Don’t be concerned, I don’t plan to let that man live to use the information. I’m taking him to face justice at the hands of the head of the Venator family. But you should know that anything you’ve said in this house over the last two days is no longer a secret.”

  Neil looked to Rhys and then they both turned to Lilly. They had discussed the matter of Edward’s death and the Marksman had been listening. Hopefully that wouldn’t be an issue later on. “Anyone have anything to share?” the Wolf asked, noticing more than a few shifty gazes around the room. No one answered. “Well good,” he said. “It’s not easy to fight beside people you don’t trust.”

  “Not all of us are interested in joining the fight,” Neil said. “I’m perfectly content outside of this war.”

  “Really?” the Wolf said, surprised. He adjusted, “Well, that’s understandable given all you’ve lost.” He sat down at the table and rolled up the sleeves on his yellowing shirt. “Just out of curiosity, after learning of the challenges you face, who is still interested in staying out of the fight.”

  Neil raised his hand, confident that his friends would follow. To his surprise, he found that he was the only holdout. “That’s awkward,” Anastasia said.

  “Really?” Neil asked the table.

  “You should be the angriest of all,” Darius said. “You’re the one who got shot.”

  “And I was lucky to live,” Neil said. “I’m just not convinced that this fight is best for me. It doesn’t feel like my purpose.”

  The Wolf leaned back and rubbed his stubbly chin. “Neil’s always been sort of… sentimental,” Bianca said.

  Neil’s cheeks grew flushed. “I’m not being sentimental. I’m being honest.”

  The Wolf raised his hands. “It all makes sense to me, Neil. Really, it does. You’ve fought through more in your young years than most ever have to.” He patted a small hair back into place. “But let’s not make all of our decisions today. I’m tired, you’re tired, and we’re all tired. Let’s start with the Pack and worry about the E
mpire later.”

  “Agreed,” Bianca said. “Anastasia and Victor are here, so that means the Hyena is the only remaining assassin.”

  “Let’s not forget the Doctor himself,” Anastasia said.

  “Of course not,” the Wolf said. “Bianca, my horse is outside. Retrieve my book, will you?”

  Without a moments hesitation she exited through the gaping threshold and returned seconds later with a large leather-bound book. “I’m actually excited to meet all of you for many reasons, and not just revolutionary ones. This,” he said, “is a project I’ve been working on since I first joined the army. I call it A Rough History of Lightborns. It’s essentially an atlas of Lightborns.”

  He dropped it on the table. Rhys had his hands on it before it even hit the wood. The book had hundreds of illustrated pages overflowing with the Wolf’s scribbles. Rhys was mere inches away from the paper when the Wolf approached him from behind. He handed Rhys a small pair of spectacles over his shoulder. “Would you like to borrow these?” the Wolf asked.

  Rhys’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Of course,” the Wolf said. “You look like you need them even more than I do.”

  “Father mentioned this book once when I was younger,” Lilly said as she pulled it from Rhys’s hands. “You wrote down everything you knew about every Lightborn.”

  “Indeed,” the Wolf said. The word would have sounded pretentious coming from any other Celerius, but there was something about the way he clearly knew the word didn’t fit in his mouth that made it amusing. “Despite the fact he’s not actually a Lightborn, the Hyena is in there. I decided that he qualifies based on the fact that the Doctor adopted him.”

  “You think reading this book is going to help take this guy out?” Darius asked. “No offence, but I don’t usually prep for battle in the library.”

  “You should,” the Wolf said as he flipped to his handwritten section about the Hyena. “I can guarantee you that the Doctor has studied each and every one of us. If we walk into a battle with the Pack uninformed, I assure you, no weapons will help us and no armor will protect us. An armored man with an empty mind is naked.”

  “I love that,” Rhys said.

  “You would,” Neil said with a grin.

  “That was so deep,” Darius said, unimpressed.

  “I for one am ready to learn,” Lilly said pointedly at Darius. “And we’ve got nothing but time.”

  The Wolf laughed. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but the Doctor is most likely building his web around us. Time is one thing we don’t have.”

  It had been four hours of rigorous studying, and Neil wished that he could succumb to his injuries and die already. The Wolf had a deep rich voice. It was interesting to listen to, but only for so long. He’d understood the basics after the first hour. By now he felt like an official expert on the Venator family. He had the eight sacred rules of their family written out in front of him along with the family crest. The Venator’s crest boasted a forest green octagon with a spider upside-down in the center. Neil read the rules one more time:

  1.Venator do not hunt in packs.

  2.Venator do not kill for sport.

  3.Venator die. They do not retire.

  4.Venator do not marry.

  5.Venator do not indulge in unhealthy vices.

  6.Venator must remain on the mainland.

  7.Venator put their mission over emotion.

  8.Venator put protection of the land above all else.

  Even though the only remaining free assassin wasn’t a Venator, Neil felt equipped to deal with him. Lester Buchwald, the Hyena, was a perfect killing machine, complete with a lower jaw made of metal fangs. The maniac specialized in killing his enemies up close with his teeth. What made Neil confident was the fact that apparently the Hyena couldn’t resist laughing when he stalked his prey. Neil was hard to sneak up on at any given time, and if his enemy was cackling like a maniac, it didn’t exactly help his chances.

  “That should do for today,” the Wolf said, snapping Neil out of his trance. “We’ve learned a lot.”

  “We’re not going to talk about the family from the sea?” Rhys asked, disappointed.

  “Unfortunately,” the Wolf said as he pulled his book across the table. “I don’t know half as much about the Tridenti as I do about the Venator. Remember, I was trained by the Grand Master of the Venator, but I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting someone from the Tridenti family.”

  “I think we’ve learned enough today,” Neil said. He kicked Darius who was napping quietly. He cursed himself for doing so. Kicking Darius was like kicking someone’s shield.

  Darius’s eyes flickered open. “I… What?” he asked.

  The Wolf smiled at them. “I know that this was a strange and unexciting way for us to meet,” he said. “These circumstances are not ideal, but I’m glad I had a chance to meet you all. Tomorrow we will hopefully finish up our lessons on the Doctor and his allies. Then we’ll be properly equipped to end his business once and for all.”

  “And after that?” Lilly asked.

  The Wolf stood and grabbed his coat from the bar. “It’s up to you. You might wish to join the revolution and me. Or not. The decision is yours. Either way, I’m tired and headed off to sleep.”

  He walked toward the front door. “Outside?” asked Josephine as she entered from the kitchen. She’d been in and out of the main room all night. “I have rooms inside.”

  The Wolf didn’t turn around. “I know you don’t want me sleeping in one of your beds.”

  She crossed her arms. “You’re right,” she said. “But you may.”

  “I grieve for your boy, Josephine,” he said. “But I don’t regret his service. And I won’t regret theirs should they decide to join.” He gestured to the Lightborns and the Blackmore sisters. “We shouldn’t regret it if the people we love choose to give their lives to make our world a better place. They understand that the world is better for having them.”

  “You might not regret it,” Josephine said, close to tears. “But I do.”

  “I know,” the Wolf said. “That’s why I’m going to be sleeping outside. Goodnight everyone.”

  He left and Josephine went to her room upstairs, pounding her feet on every step the way up. They waited until she was back in her room. “I didn’t expect that to happen,” Lilly said.

  “Revolution is bloody,” Bianca said. “And most of the time it takes a while for people to come around.”

  “I feel bad,” Darius said. “I want to join this guy and his revolution, but I don’t want to hurt Josephine.”

  “She’ll live,” Anastasia said. “Her fear of losing you is a terrible reason to stay out of this fight.”

  “I don’t know,” Neil said. “She has the right to be upset. She’s lost someone close to her. That kind of thing changes you.”

  Rhys stood up and yawned. His spectacles slid down his nose and he pushed them back up. They actually looked perfect on him, like they’d been missing his entire life. He should have been born with them, Neil thought to himself, amused. “She’s got the right to be sad, but not to tell us how to live our lives out here,” Rhys said. “I like the Wolf, and I can understand why people follow him.”

  Neil wanted to agree, but the same thing as always held him back. Sure, the Wolf was charismatic and wise, but he also represented a life that Neil wasn’t sure he wanted, a life outside the Golden Mug. “I need rest,” Neil said.

  “I’ll help you back up,” Bianca said.

  Neil wanted to protest at first and say that it would be much easier for Darius to carry him upstairs, but then he remembered how long it had been since Bianca had been close to him. She helped him up and together they ascended the staircase. The rest of the Lightborns went through the kitchen to the secret rooms. Once Bianca got him to his bed, he slumped into it violently. “He’s really something, isn’t he?” Bianca asked.

  “He’s certainly not like any Celerius I’ve ever met,” N
eil said. “They’re not the type to sleep outside.”

  “He doesn’t like to owe anyone anything,” Bianca said. “He’s got a pretty strict moral code.”

  Neil was trying to listen, but he felt himself drifting off. “Like the Venator,” he said in a moment of random word association. “Except he keeps his powers if he breaks his code.”

  Bianca pulled the blankets over him. “He doesn’t even use his powers very often. Apparently he has the same advanced power as Lilly, but he can channel it into a super scream.”

  That was interesting enough to keep Neil awake for a moment longer. “Really? That sounds incredible.”

  “The rebels call it, ‘The Howl.’”

  “Of course they do,” Neil said.

  The last thing he remembered before drifting off was Bianca asking him a question. “Are you any closer to changing your mind about joining?”

  He fell asleep before he could answer and he was thankful for that. Truthfully, he had no idea how he would answer.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  THE GOLDEN MUG

  THE PACK

  The Marksman knew many things well. He knew every single pressure point on the human body. He knew how to survive in the woods for years on end. He knew how to filet every creature native to Volteria’s forests. But better than all these things, he knew the feeling of withdrawal and the sickness that arose in his stomach when he was without the injection he needed to live. Now was one of those moments. His stomach churned constantly and sweat dripped from every pore. On top of the fact that he would soon be dead from the withdrawal now the Wolf, his old enemy, was here. He relished the fact that even if he didn’t escape, he wouldn’t live long enough to face justice at the Grand Master’s hands. The Grand Master was the head of the Venator, and not exactly a friend. The Marksman had committed too many crimes against the Venator. In doing so he’d lost the right to an honorable death. Just as the Marksman knew how to filet a bear, the Grand Master knew how to filet traitors. The Marksman would not survive a trial with the Grand Master.