Song of Shadow

by Natalya Capello

  Beth let out a laugh. “How dare you mistake our Empress with the heretical gods you carry within you. They won’t save you.”

  “You obviously haven’t seen these gods in action.” Lorelei pulled Murgleis from her belt. “Besides, she has us as well.”

  “Then you all will die as heretics.” With those words, Beth lunged at Vaana.

  She swung her sword at Vaana’s side. Vanna pivoted and brought her blade up to block the swing. Her pivot took her right into Beth’s closed fist. Vaana gasped and staggered backwards. Lorelei sprinted forward and yanked Vaana behind her. She swung Murgleis at Beth.

  Beth batted the blade aside with the back of her fist and drove her sword into Lorelei’s side. She shoved her foot into Lorelei’s midsection and sent Lorelei stumbling back into Vaana.

  Vandermere had moved to the side to flank Beth. She spun and planted a kick to his chest. She moved gracefully, like flowing water and wind.

  I wish I could move like that, Lorelei thought as she covered her bleeding wound with her hand.

  I will handle this, Murgleis said. You can lick your wounds later.

  “Wait,” Lorelei tried to cry out, but her mouth was no longer her own.

  Lorelei’s body thrust forward and delivered a blow that sliced through Beth’s black armor. Beth recoiled. She looked down at the wound, her breast crackling with a green light. She turned her attention back to Lorelei.

  “Sluagh tainted,” she hissed. “You have corrupted my Vaana.”

  She rushed forward with her sword swinging low to eviscerate Lorelei. Murgleis flashed forward dragging Lorelei’s arm along with it, glowing viridian, and deflected Beth’s hand. Lorelei felt like a caged animal. This was her body. She wasn’t going to let this Sluagh dictate what it did even if it was doing a much better job. She focused on her hand, willing it to obey her commands.

  A blur of motion in her—or their—peripheral distracted her from her battle of wills. Vaana rushed from around Lorelei and sliced into Beth’s arm. Beth cried out as her fingers flexed and she dropped her blade. She glared at Vaana.

  Let me do this, Lorelei thought to Murgleis.

  She felt her fingers obeying her commands again and relief washed through her. She pulled the heartstone from her pocket and held it out, singing a small song to summon a gout of flame. The fire poured from the gem and hit Beth.

  It fizzled on her chest.

  She let out a laugh. “The power of the Fire Dragon protects me.”

  Vandermere jabbed her in her side with Beth’s sword. “It doesn’t protect you against steel.”

  Beth shoved her open palm into Vandermere’s chest, knocking him off his feet. She spun on her heel, throwing one leg out which plowed into Vaana’s legs, sending her to the ground. She hopped back several paces, her gaze darting between the three of them. Her hand flicked to the side and a flash of metal flew through the air at Vaana. The stench of it sent a wave of nausea through Lorelei’s stomach.

  Iron.

  She had to get to Vaana and deflect it somehow. Murgleis took control again. Her body flew into action and the world seemed to blur. Her arm came up and Murgleis met the point of the iron dagger with his flat side. The dagger flipped in the air and was flung off course. It landed a few feet away in the street.

  Lorelei stumbled a few steps as Murgleis released his hold on her. She gaped in disgust at the dagger then to where Beth stood. Only, Beth was no longer there.

  She’d disappeared.

  “She took off into the alley.” Vandermere got to his feet with a groan. “We should get off the street before the guard catches us.”

  Lorelei turned to give Vaana a hand up.

  A shout echoed from the hill at the end of the street. Six men in the livery of Nearon’s city guard were marching in their direction.

  They hadn’t been fast enough. If the guards caught them, they’d be locked up. There would be no escape from the Order then.

  17

  The lead soldier, a redcap in a helmet came to a halt and stared down at Lorelei and the others. He studied each of them with narrowed eyes, and Lorelei’s stomach dropped. She pressed her hand hard to the wound in her side, hoping to stymie the flow of blood.

  “What are sidhe doing in this part of the city at this time at night?” he asked.

  Lorelei swallowed hard and lifted her chin. “We’re adventurers returning from Winderward.”

  Vaana shot her a glare and Lorelei shrugged. At this moment, it was better to throw a little truth into things. That part was at least believable.

  “Sidhe adventurers?” one of the other soldiers, an ankou, scoffed.

  Lorelei shot him a glare. “I’ll have you know that many sidhe risked their lives fighting the Miasma. Lady Moura died fighting it.”

  “A Moura. That explains things,” the lead soldier muttered. “Do you have any paperwork? Are you registered with the Delvers?”

  Lorelei flicked her gaze at Vaana. Had she registered with them?

  Vaana shook her head. Of course not. Vaana had had the blessing of the Order. She hadn’t needed to get anything official from the Delvers. However, that blessing no longer applied.

  “Well…” Lorelei said.

  “Do they really need that?” a soft male voice called from one of the alleys.

  Wes stepped out with his arms crossed. He winked at Lorelei before turning to the group of soldiers.

  “Mullen, they assign you here again?” Wes addressed the lead soldier with a chuckle. “What did you do this time?”

  Mullen gave him a quick grin. “One too many drinks and someone in the Heaving Maiden mouthing off too much. You know how it goes.”

  Wes laughed. “I do. So, about my friends here. You don’t need to worry about them. They’re with me.”

  Mullen glanced at them, then raised one eyebrow. “They don’t look like Serpent material. The opposite, really.”

  Wes nodded to Lorelei. “Show him the coin, Beautiful.”

  Lorelei’s brow furrowed. What was he talking about?

  Oh! She slipped her hand in a belt pouch and pulled out the coin Wes had given her at Mourner’s Hill. She held it out to the guards.

  Mullen took it and flipped it between his fingers. He let out a short huff of breath in a laugh.

  “Ain’t that a crazy thing,” he said. “I thought your group didn’t take in sidhe.”

  “There’s a time for everything.” Wes pulled out a small pouch from behind his back that jingled and pressed it into Mullen’s open hand. “So, you see, you have nothing to worry about here.”

  Mullen nodded with a grin and tossed the coin back to Lorelei. She caught it in midair and was met with a few whistles of the guards.

  “Nice catch.” Mullen looked to the other guards. “All right, men, let’s see if there are any disturbances near Pike Street.”

  Laughing and mumbling to themselves, the guards spun and headed the way they’d come.

  Wes turned to Lorelei with an easygoing grin.

  “Looks like you needed me after all,” he said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Thanks for that.” Lorelei could help respond with a smile of her own. “I guess this means your debt is paid?”

  He tilted his head at the retreating guards. “Them? Nah, I think I owe you more. You saved my life. They probably would have just fined you.”

  “Then do you have a place we can lie low? Maybe tend to our wounds?” Lorelei glanced down at her blood covered fingers pressed against her side.

  “Sure thing, follow me.” He sauntered towards the alley he’d come from.

  Vaana grabbed her arm. “You’re seriously considering trusting this rogue?”

  “He did just save us. And we don’t have much choice,” Lorelei muttered. “It’s not like we can go to the Order.”

  Vaana let go of her arm with an unintelligible grumble.

  Lorelei caught up with Wes, with Vaana and Vandermere trailing behind.

  “So, what are the Serpents?” Lore
lei rubbed the coin in her fingers. It gleamed in the moonlight. “I guess they’re connected to this?”

  His gaze dropped to the coin. “They’re a group I’m a part of. We mostly run the slums and the docks. And you should be careful with that. Come on. We should get off the streets.”

  Lorelei tucked the coin away in her belt pouched and followed him. Wes led them through a series of winding dark alleys until he reached a ragged wooden door of a house squeezed between two larger buildings.

  He gave a series of knocks. After a few minutes, a green-skinned hob male opened the door. Wes leaned close and murmured a few words to him. The hob stepped back, opening the door wide enough for them to enter.

  Wes nodded inside towards a narrow hall.

  The house had obviously been made with the hob in mind. They had to squeeze in one at a time, push through the hall with several doors, and duck through the one at the end. At least that room was larger than Lorelei thought it would be. All four of them were able to fit in comfortably. There was one bed and a small end table beside it with a single candle atop it.

  “We use this place as a safe house from time to time,” Wes said. “Rourke doesn’t mind the occasional visitor. You can tend to your wounds here. Do you need anything?”

  Vaana shook her head, pushed Lorelei to the bed, and sat beside her. Her hands ran over Lorelei’s side and she closed her eyes, her voice lowering to a murmur as she spoke a quick cadence. The pain vanished, replaced with a soft warmth that spread through her torso.

  Lorelei let out a soft breath of relief. She turned back to Wes. “Thanks again.”

  “No problem. I’ve been watching the street for you to come out of Winderward for the last day or so,” he said. “Figured you might need some help. You seem the type.”

  Lorelei crossed her arms. “And what type is that?”

  “Trouble.”

  Vandermere chuckled from the back. “It seems you are well acquainted with Lorelei.”

  Lorelei wrinkled her nose and mock glared at both of them. It wasn’t like she tried to cause trouble. Things just tended to end up that way.

  “Forgive me for no introduction, my lord and lady. I’m Wes.” He gave an exaggerated bow with a flourishing hand toward Vandermere and Vanna in turn. “Lorelei saved me from that demon sword on her hip. So, I owed her a favor.”

  “Vandermere ap Essus,” Vandermere said. “A pleasure.”

  Vaana’s gaze shifted to the sword and then to Wes. “Charmed.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you three to get some rest and clean up. I’ll be in the next room if you need anything.”

  With a wave, he stepped out and shut the door with a quiet click.

  Lorelei lay back on the bed, sighing, and closed her eyes.

  “Is anyone else hurt?” she asked.

  “Mostly bruises,” Vaana said. “They should be able to heal with rest and some ointment I have. You’re going to have to remove your shirt so I can get a better look at the wound.”

  Lorelei glanced at Vandermere as her fingers touched the edge of her leather jerkin. In the candlelight, it seemed that his cheeks had turned pink. He walked to the edge of the room and sat with his back to them.

  She hid a smile and slipped off her jerkin. Vaana rubbed the cool ointment on the bruise at her midsection.

  “What did the phooka boy mean about a demon sword?” Vaana asked in a quiet voice.

  “Well…” Lorelei bit her bottom lip. “I came across Murgleis on a hill. It had a lot of people in thrall, including Wes. But I managed to beat it down in a battle of wills.”

  “As in the Sluagh Murgleis?” Vandermere partially turned his head in their direction, his voice taking a concerned edge. “That’s a dangerous thing to carry around.”

  “Why do you still have that thing with you?” Vaana asked. “Do you want your soul to be taken? Or to end up like those people you saved?”

  Lorelei bunched her skirt in her fists as she glared at the two of them. “Was I supposed to leave it lying around? At least with me, I’m the one in control.”

  “It’s probably lulling you into complacency,” Vaana said. “It will trick you. It’s what Sluagh do.”

  Lorelei stared down at her hands with her jaw tight and her eyes stinging. Vaana wasn’t wrong exactly. It had taken control of her during the fight with Beth.

  You wanted to move more gracefully, Murgleis said. I was giving you what you wanted. It would have gone better if you didn’t fight me.

  I’m not your puppet. She ground her teeth. Don’t ever do that again without my permission.

  But I am your tool? You lent no thought to raising me against the assassin.

  You are a sword. You were made for that.

  I was created for so much more, little girl. So many of your kind have wielded me with the same belief and they became my thralls.

  Lorelei bit her lip. She had first picked him up with the intention of claiming a weapon. That had changed when she had seen part of his past. He may have hidden it under the sarcasm and sharp words, but there was pain. She hadn’t even known Sluagh could feel loss. Most stories she had heard were of their trickery.

  You’re right, she said. I assumed I could use you. So, let’s make an accord. We work together. You obviously still like battles, and this won’t be the last time we’ll see it.

  You do seem to attract trouble. He sounded amused. Why should I help you? I can just wait to wear your will down.”

  Her eye twitched. What do you truly want? To travel the land, leaving a trail of dead behind you?

  He went silent.

  Her side ached from her wound.

  Do you even know what you want? she prodded.

  Of course. His voice took on an annoyed tone. I’m not some wishful faerie child, full of baseless dreams.

  She let out her breath in a silent laugh. My dreams aren’t baseless. This isn’t about me though. What do you want? Do I have to ask you a third time?

  I wish to return to Kurnach. He said softly. I will continue to protect it in his stead.

  Lorelei blinked. Kurnach was one of the cities of the fire plains. Its walls had withstood countless armies. The greatest tale had been of the lone warrior that had protected the gate from a horde over a century ago.

  You loved Kieran, right? I saw in the vision the way you acted at his death.

  Murgleis remained silent. An ache formed in Lorelei’s chest as she remembered the expression on Murgleis’s face. He’d looked so lost, so helpless. She’d felt like that before, when Arryn had been wounded by an iron blade. Lorelei swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her hands.

  Very well, she said. I have a proposition. If you agree to let me wield you without trying to take over my will, I will take you to Kurnach when I can.

  And when will that be?

  It may not be immediately, but I give you my word I will bring you there.

  He didn’t reply for a long moment. Then, he said, I accept those terms.

  Good. Now there will be no more of you taking control of my body against my will.

  I saved your life, he said. You should be grateful.

  Your expertise was useful, but you should have asked first.

  He didn’t respond.

  Lorelei blinked at both Vaana and Vandermere. Vaana had pressed her lips into a thin line of disapproval while Vandermere had turned around, brow furrowed.

  They both looked at her expectantly.

  “I’m fine,” Lorelei said. “We have an agreement. And no, it’s not to kill or enthrall everyone in sight. He’ll behave.”

  “You think that for now,” Vaana said.

  “Well, if something bad happens, you’ll be there with your Order skills to handle it,” Lorelei said.

  “Sure, I’ll clean up your mess.” Vaana shook her head and stood up. “I suppose I owe you for sticking by me and helping with my mess.”

  Lorelei looked to Vandermere. “You’ll watch over me too?”

  “Of course, li
ttle Nightingale,” he said softly. “I just wish you’d rethink this.”

  “If gods aren’t what we believed them to be, why not Sluagh? I want to see the end of his story.”

  Vaana opened her mouth and then pressed her lips together and shook her head. She sat down beside her backpack, reached in, and pulled out a small brass ball with moving pieces attached to the surface. Her fingers pressed down on a triangle and slid it up until it was flush with another triangle.

  Lorelei straightened and craned her neck for a better look. “What is that?”

  “It’s a puzzle ball,” Vaana’s brow wrinkled as she stared down at it. “The mystery and the challenge of solving puzzles help me regain Aether…much like drinking does for you, I suppose.”

  “You know, that actually sounds like a good plan.” Lorelei stood. “After all the craziness of the last few days, I could use a drink.” She shuffled to her backpack, pulled an unopened bottle of wine from it, and held it up to the two of them. “Anyone wish to join me?”

  “Indeed.” Vandermere got up from his corner and walked across the room to her.

  Lorelei glanced at Vaana. “After what you’ve dealt with, I’d say you could use a drink. What do you say?”

  Vaana stared at the bottle for several moments before letting her head fall. “Why not?”

  “Great.” With a grin, Lorelei pulled out three wooden cups from her bag, opened the bottle, and began to fill them.

  Vaana eyed the cups. “You consider wine and cups essential gear?”

  Lorelei looked up and huffed out a laugh. “Yes. And I see I was right, considering what we went through.”

  With a sigh, Vaana sat on the floor and took a cup from Lorelei. Vandermere settles himself with his back to the wall with his own drink.

  Lorelei held her wine out. “To finding hidden secrets and creating new tales.”

  “To getting out of the mess we are in,” Vaana muttered.

  “To the future,” Vandermere said. “May it be worth saving.”

  Their cups clanked together and each sipped of their wine. Vaana made a face, but then took a longer drink. Lorelei drained her cup dry and poured another.

  “You know,” Lorelei said to Vandermere. “Sometimes the things you say makes me think you know something we should.”