Song of Shadow

by Natalya Capello

  Vandermere adjusted Tanila and rolled his neck side to side, wincing at the ache from his burn. He closed his eyes, trying to push the pain from his mind. Something else filled it instead.

  Verdain’s tower stands before him, smoking and smoldering. A large portion of the top is missing, though chunks of rock lay about in the clearing around the tower.

  Order priests buzz around the towers in robes of red, white, blue, and green.

  “Vandermere? Please don’t tell me you’re having one of your episodes,” Wes’s voice called.

  Vandermere gasped and blinked as Wes’s fingers snapped him out of the vision.

  Wes raised his hands in a symbol of surrender. “Please say something.”

  “It’s still me,” Vandermere said. “We need to leave now…Lorelei is in danger.”

  “What about Tanila?”

  Vandermere stared down at the woman in his arms. He had to get her help, but Lorelei needed him. He had a sense the vision was still in the future, but he had no idea how soon it would come to pass.

  “Take her to your friend and I’ll make for the ship and prepare it. I’ve learned a few things while traveling with you,” Vandermere said. “Hurry.”

  Wes led their way through the sewers to a ladder that ascended to a small alley in the city. Vandermere passed Tanila, still unconscious, to Wes. Without further conversation, he rushed towards the harbor.

  He hadn’t seen Lorelei or Vaana in the vision. The ominous feeling in his stomach grew.

  31

  Lorelei looked out the window of the sitting room and sighed. Over two weeks had passed since Vandermere and Wes had left and there had been no word. She stared down at the book propped up on her knees and tried to concentrate on the words. After reading the same sentence several times but not comprehending anything, she closed the book with a groan.

  Playing guard was starting to drive her crazy. She hated waiting. It didn’t help that her eyes ached from the restless sleep she’s gotten over the past week. Her nightmares had reared up with a vengeance. She stood and stretched, her gaze falling to the window again. Maybe a stroll around the tower would help.

  She grabbed Murgleis off one of the stairs and strapped him to her belt as she strode to the foyer. She glanced at the storage door and bit her lip. Vaana should be all right for a short time. Before they had left, Wes and Vandermere had help Lorelei make the storeroom a little more habitable, though Lorelei still let Vaana come out for short walks around the tower. Despite all she did, keeping her locked in the tiny room seemed cruel. She of course made sure Vaana’s hands were bound and kept a close watch on her.

  Should she let Vaana go outside with her now? She shook her head to herself. She didn’t want to deal with a conversation with Vaana at this point.

  She opened the front door and stepped outside. A sweet scent of lavender from the garden flitted on the air and she drew in a deep breath with a smile. Some of the tension that hung in her shoulders and neck lessened.

  She ambled towards the garden with her hands behind her back and came to the stone wall. She turned and stared at the wall on the opposite side of the yard. It wasn’t more than thirty paces from her. Even the cloister garden at the priory had been larger than that. Lorelei crossed her arms and gritted her teeth.

  Damn Vandermere and Wes for leaving her here while they went into danger. Didn’t they know how crazy it would drive her?

  Murgleis’s voice whispered through her mind. You could always leave here on your own. We have a bargain, after all, to travel to Kurnach.

  “I’m not going to abandon my friends,” Lorelei hissed. “And I haven’t forgotten our bargain. We’re not even near Kurnach.”

  You friends seemed to have abandoned you.

  “They haven’t. They have a few more days. Besides, I can’t leave Vaana locked up here alone.”

  Why not? Or set her free even?

  Lorelei bit the inside of the cheek as an uneasy feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Leave it to the Sluagh to try and convince her to take the selfish route. It suited him, after all.

  No, she wouldn’t be that selfish, or childish, to leave her friends because they had her stay behind. Besides, she wanted to learn the truth about Vaana and the Order as much as they did.

  “No,” Lorelei said. “They have less than a week. Then I go after them.”

  As Lorelei turned back to go inside, something large and hot flew over her head. It crashed into the tower with a deafening boom. The ground shook beneath her. She ducked as bits of rock rained down from above. Between her arms, her gaze lifted to the gaping hole in the top of the tower.

  Whatever had hit it had come from behind her. The woods.

  She twisted around. Three priests in colored robes with the symbols of the Elemental Order marched from the tree line towards the tower. One was dressed in the deep red of Fire, one in green for Earth, and one in white for Air.

  Lorelei’s heart raced as she rushed, crouching, towards the door of the tower. The danger of the moment mixed with the tiny spark of excitement that burst within her chest. Thoughts rushed through her mind, one after another.

  They’re here for Vaana. I have to get to her first. Finally, some action!

  She was mere feet from the door when a flaming rock the size of her head came flying at her. She stopped short and ducked. The projectile hit the ground to her side. She stood back up, her heart skipping a beat.

  The Earth priest, a phooka, stood at the gate with a circle of large stones floating around her. To her right, the white robed sidhe held his hand out, chanting as did the redcap Fire priest. Flame spewed from the redcap’s hand and surrounded one of the stones. The Air priest pushed his hand out and the rock shot towards Lorelei.

  She hopped back and the stone crashed into the ground at her feet with a burst of flame. Lorelei straightened her shoulders and drew in a deep breath. If they wanted to play at the elements, Lorelei could do that.

  Her voice sang out through the air in a hard and fast tempo. With it, she reached out to the wind currents and summoned them to form a wall around her and the tower. The shrieking of the wind added to her song, creating counter melody that blended well with it.

  The next rock they sent was caught in the wall, its flames dashed. It shot out and flew back at the priest. The Air priest’s eyes widened and he tried to stop the momentum, but it was too fast. It hit him in chest and knocked him to the ground. He didn’t move.

  From behind the three, nine more priests came out of the wood line. Lorelei’s eyes widened. She wouldn’t be able to take all of them. She had to get Vaana.

  Vaana would help.

  Lorelei pushed the wind out towards the two standing priests. It ripped through the stone wall and the gate and crashed into them, knocking them back with the body of the Air priest. Lorelei rushed to the door, flung it open, and dashed to the storeroom.

  Her fingers fumbled with the key and it took three tries until she was able to get it into the lock. She turned the key and yanked the door open.

  Vaana stood in the center of the room with her brow furrowed. “What’s happening?”

  “Order priests,” Lorelei said between gasps. “They’ve come for you.”

  “Looks like we’re going to have to fight our way out,” Vaana said. “Where are my weapons?”

  Lorelei searched her memories. Where had they put Vaana’s things?

  She untied Vaana’s bindings and raised her finger. “Kitchen!”

  As she said the words, an explosion sounded from outside and above. The entire tower shook. It looked like they were back to throwing rocks. Vaana pushed past her and rushed into the sitting room.

  “Try to keep the place from falling around us!” Vaana called from over her shoulder.

  Lorelei sprinted to the wall near the door and pressed her hands against it. She sang a deep, slow melody as she connected with the stones of the tower. She imagined them as strong as a mountain. One whole instead of a building comprised of tiny
pieces with cracks. A mountain could withstand this assault. The tower shook again, the stone trembling beneath Lorelei’s hands. Tiny pebbles and debris fell from the ceiling.

  Someone outside was countering her.

  Lorelei dug her fingers in the rock as her song began to falter. She couldn’t keep this up for much longer. The wind outside had cost her a large amount of Aether and this was a constant drain as well. She needed to reserve some for her escape.

  Vaana burst from the sitting room with her backpack slung on her back and her daggers in hand.

  Lorelei dropped the song and stepped back from the wall. “There are twenty of them out there. You really think you can fight all of them with daggers?”

  Vaana smirked at her. “That’s why you need to provide a distraction.”

  A second of doubt filled Lorelei. “You aren’t going to leave me to them if you get a chance?”

  Vaana gave her an unreadable look. “What choice do you have?”

  The tower shook again, and Lorelei lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Vaana had a point. If she stayed here, she would probably be buried under a mountain of rubble.

  “Fine.” Lorelei pulled Murgleis from his sheath. “I’ll try to open up a way out and we make a run for it.”

  Lorelei took the lead outside the door with Vaana behind her. This was a losing battle—they were sorely outnumbered—but she would go down fighting.

  The priests stood in a semi-circle around the now broken wall of the tower. As she drew a deep breath, one of the white robed Air priests began chanting. They probably expected her to go with another wall of wind. A smirk lit her lip. She would surprise them all.

  Instead of any particular element, her song dipped deep and called a frigid cold down on the group of priests. Puffs of steam exited their mouths as all began to gasp. Three of the priests—a Fire, Earth, and Air—dropped to the ground.

  The Air priest’s chanting shifted and it was joined by his fellow Air priests. Lorelei’s control over the temperature around them began to slip. They were attempting to warm the area.

  Instead of fighting them, Lorelei helped them. The air became hot and dry. The sudden shift hit the priests hard and the three remaining Air priests dropped to the ground along with two Water priests. Another, a green robed Earth priest, dropped to one knee, clutching his chest.

  Five priests remained. Beads of sweat rolled down the phooka Water priest’s face but his glare was fixed on Lorelei. A second Earth priest stood near his fellows with his shoulders straight. Two fire priests stepped forward, the redcap wearing a grin. They didn’t make another move. Were they waiting for their friends to get up?

  Lorelei stopped her song and shouted to them, the command ringing in her voice. “I’ve taken more than half of you down in seconds. Leave now and you’ll live through this day.”

  The Earth priest, an ankou, lifted his Earth companion up and began to back away. The redcap Fire priest and the phooka Water priest followed suit.

  “Stop!” the remaining Fire priest, a sidhe, shouted.

  Lorelei gritted her teeth. The priest had to have been of the same level of nobility as her. It had been worth a shot. She honestly didn’t want to kill these people.

  The red robed sidhe turned her direction. “Heretic. Surrender yourself and turn over Vaana ap Aoife. If you do so, perhaps you will be granted leniency.”

  The authority washed over her, forcing her to her knees. He was of a higher standing than her. Her fists clenched. She’d always hated the feeling when her parents had used it on her as a child. She had a need inside her to obey, even though a tiny part in the back of her mind screamed defiance.

  “Don’t surrender.” Vaana’s voice called from inside the tower, ringing with command. “Stand up and fight for our freedom.”

  Lorelei stood and raised her sword, her heart pounding. Vaana had said her mother had been the head of House Aoife. By birth, Vaana outranked most sidhe. Lorelei narrowed her eyes at the Fire priest. Vaana stepped through the door.

  “You were supposed to make an opening,” Vaana muttered.

  “Well, I created a distraction,” Lorelei said. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

  “They didn’t bring enough to take us in.” Vaana looked over the priests, who seemed to be uncertain whether they should attack. “You heard my friend Lorelei. Turn around and go back to your temples. Stop hunting me.”

  “Oh, Vaana, that’s not going to happen,” a familiar voice called from around the side of the tower.

  Beth swaggered into view, flanked by two phooka dressed similar to her in dark leather armor. Lorelei’s chest tightened. Order assassins, like Vaana had been. It seemed the Order had gone all out in bringing them in.

  Lorelei spared a glance to the side. Still caught in Vaana’s command, the priests were retreating into the woods, leaving their fallen behind.

  Lorelei turned back to Beth with a smirk. “You lost to us last time and now you’ve lost your support. You really think you can take us?”

  Bath waved her hand dismissively at the priests. “They were just the distraction. Fodder, really. Which, I must say, you handled excellently. I now see why the Apostle chose you. She even planned to convince you to join the Order under her. Pity you threw it all away.”

  Lorelei’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I never intended to join the Order.”

  “Wait,” Vaana said in a cool tone. “Distraction for what?”

  “Oh, Vaana,” Beth said in an oddly sad voice. “Why did you betray us? Why did you turn you back on the Empress? On Apostle Evangeline?”

  “I didn’t turn my back on the Empress…” Vaana said testily. “And you are stalling.”

  A chill ran down Lorelei’s spine. Vaana was right. The last time they encountered Beth, she didn’t waste much time talking. Lorelei scanned the area in search of a trap. The priests had all but disappeared, their forms now shadowy flickers between the trees. Were they planning something?

  Beth’s gaze rose to the tower behind them and she grinned. The sound of whistling filled the air, like something falling fast. Lorelei lifted her gaze and her eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat. Two figures descended upon them, propelling down the side of the tower.

  The figures landed, the ground shaking under them, and rose to stand tall. They towered over Lorelei and Vaana. The metallic stench of iron wafted from them, sending Lorelei’s stomach roiling. These were of no race she could identify. Their skin was as pale as an ankou but they had no wings, and their ears were rounded. Not faerie had rounded ears.

  Iron pieces replaced the right eyebrow, cheek, and jaw of the creature on the left. How could that even be possible? The skin around the metal should have deadened and turned black, yet it was just as pale as the rest of her.

  Golems. The word echoed in Lorelei’s thoughts. Ilia, her friend from school, had told her about them when they had traveled to the depths of the Citadel of Night. The golem there had been working for the Shadow Court. And these, the Order.

  Look out! Murgleis’s voice rang through her mind.

  The golem with the iron face rushed forward. A blade folded out from her forearm, made of grim dark iron. She thrust her arm forward and buried the blade into Lorelei’s abdomen. The breath vanished from Lorelei as she doubled over. Her skin felt cold even as a burning sensation raced through her veins.

  Clutching her stomach, Lorelei took two steps back from the golem, drew in a gasping breath, and began to sing. Her voice came out unsteady, broken. She concentrated on calling the air for one strong wind gust that would knock this creature, Beth, and the two phooka down.

  The smooth faced golem on Lorelei’s right waved her hand and the wind shifted to her direction. The gust hit the golem full on, sending her flying. The golem’s back slammed into the side of the tower. Lorelei gulped. The creature had just reverted the attack upon herself.

  Beth sneered at Lorelei as she drew her blades. In a blur of movement, she rushed past Lorelei to Vaana. Lorelei turne
d her head in time to see a flash of metal followed by a clang. One of Beth’s blades flew from her hand and hit the ground a few feet away.

  “You seem to be worse than when we were training together.” Vaana’s voice held a hint of snide satisfaction. “Or I’ve gotten better.”

  “It’s because of that heretical power inside you.” Beth hissed, and the last words seemed to go on forever in Lorelei’s mind. “Don’t worry, we have something for that.”

  The world seemed to slow down around Lorelei, blurring and taking on a gray color around the edges. The two phookas she’d brought with her had pulled out crossbows at some point. They fired simultaneously. Green electricity raced across the bolts as they flew past Lorelei to Vaana.

  Vaana leapt backwards, and they hit the ground.

  She raised her head and said something, but Lorelei could not make out the words. Sound had become muted and slowed, even her own song. She was so hot. Sweat rolled down her forehead and neck in waves.

  “Murgleis.” Was she speaking or thinking? “I’m dying, aren’t I?”

  That wound would be deadly even if given by a normal blade.

  Murgleis didn’t say it but she knew what he was inferring. With the iron, her death was assured. A cold feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She fell to her knees. All around her the sounds of battle continues.

  A shadow passed over her.

  Help me. Please. I don’t want to die. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes as she clutched her stomach.

  She wasn’t ready. She had so much she hadn’t done.

  There is only one way I can save you.

  At this point she didn’t even care what it was. “Do it.”

  She felt Murgleis push her consciousness aside and take control of her body. Rest now.

  As the world faded to darkness, Vaana’s scream rang out.

  32

  Vandermere raced through the trees, the branches whipping at his face. Wes was just a few feet behind him. They’d used every sailing trick Wes knew to speed up their journey back to the tower. Traveling downriver helped as well. Vandermere sent a silent prayer to any god listening that they would make it in time.